Teachable Moments in the Written, Taught and Tested Curriculum

On February 1, my son came home from school and I asked him the following question:

"So Evan," I said, "Did you talk about Egypt today in Humanities class (Geography)?" "No," said my son, "we haven't started North Africa yet."

When I tweeted about it that evening, I included the tag: #linearlearningfail.

Recently there have been several current events that have provided great opportunities for learning in the classroom. Unfortunately, those "teachable moments" occurred at times that may not have been ideal for teachers to use in their curriculum, or didn't meet a grade level subject area standard. Perhaps they had an assessment they had been planning, or their favorite lecture on the Gettysburg address, or even a unit on Ethiopia. It got me to thinking about what gets taught in school, when it gets taught, and whether or not current events can provide richer, relevant learning opportunities than what might get written down in content standards, taught to the class, and/or ultimately assessed. When events happen that are tied to the curriculum, should teachers take advantage of the opportunity to make the connections? Should they use these moments to illustrate concepts that students are expected to know, and provide relevance to their learning?

Egypt

Totaling 80 pages, the Minnesota Social Studies Standards, which were adopted controversially in 2004, are broken down into U.S. History, World History, Geography, Economics and Civics.

The standards for each subject is listed for K-3, 4-8 and 9-12 and it is up to individual districts to determine what specific grade level will meet that standard.

Students in grades 4-8 learn about government, but only in relation to United States government. They learn geography, as well as history. Did the recent events occurring in Cairo and other parts of Egypt provide teachers the opportunity to solidify connections to these lessons? I think so!

As I watched the amazing events transpire in Egypt, and viewed how social media was impacting those events, I wondered how many classrooms would take advantage of this opportunity to view first hand a relatively peaceful democratic movement.

I created this screencast to demonstrate how much information was coming out:

Here in "real-time" social media sites and on cable news channels, students could observe history in the making, and make connections to civil disobedience, our own Bill of Rights, non-violent protest, diplomacy, and geography, with a teacher their to guide them and weave the standards into the discussion. How many Social Studies teachers took advantage of that opportunity? How many Language Arts teachers, with communications standards in their curriculum took a moment to share the massive amount of powerful communication and collaboration being used by the protesters?

Wisconsin

Recently on Facebook, one of my friends was complaining about the teachers calling in sick to protest Governor Scott Walker's proposal to eliminate collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees. She pointed out that many parents rely on school for custodial care while they are at work. While I believe that the teachers are exercising their civic right of assembly in the wake of Governor Walker's refusal to negotiate attempt to push the bill through, I understand her concern. My hope, as illustrated in a column in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, is that when teachers return to the classroom they will use this as an opportunity for dialog, beliefs, a discussion of workers rights, economics, politics, First Amendment rights and civil disobedience. They are living those rights and beliefs out in front of our eyes, and as educators, have a unique opportunity to share that experience with their students.

Blogging Teacher

A few months ago, Natalie Monroe, a teacher in Pennsylvania had a bad day at work. The students were particularly unruly and didn't seem to care about what she was attempting to teach to them. She decided to share her frustrations about her experience on a blog that a friend had suggested she set up. And so she did. She berated the student attitudes, lack of interest, and lack of parent support, calling the students, "rude, lazy whiners." Surprisingly to Ms. Monroe, parents and students found out about the blog and were upset to read the commentary there.

This past week, Ms. Monroe has been making the morning entertainment program circuit and blogging again, attempting to repair her reputation. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that she has learned her lesson from all of this. As Chris Lehmann eloquently stated on his blog, Monroe did not do the most important thing she should have: apologize!

Not only have Monroe's students been hurt by her words, but her digital footprint and reputation have been permanently disfigured by her actions. How many teachers took time during class this past week to have a discussion with students about their own digital footprint and make a connection with the methods they use to communicate with others?

I believe that learning is NOT linear, and that as educators, we should jump at the opportunity to connect student learning to real world events and experiences. Of course, we never know when those opportunities may arise, but expert teachers will seize the opportunity to blend these events with the written curriculum to make the taught curriculum a richer experience for their students.

Curriculum Course Reflection:

This week, I was asked to respond to the following questions. I decided to create the video screencast below to share my thoughts.

As a school administrator and instructional leader, what instructional technology would you expect to see in the written, taught, and tested curriculum of a school or school district striving to meet the needs of 21st century learners?

What instructional technology would you promote to differentiate instruction for all learners?

Here is the presentation to navigate if you wish. It also includes references.

I recorded the video with Screencastomatic, which has many nice features. Unfortunately, the Prezi effects did not hold during capture, and that was disappointing. I like the fact that Screencastomatic includes up to 15 minutes of recording per session, and can be edited on the fly. You can also embed your Webcam while talking, which personalizes things very nicely.

Action Team February: TeamWorks International-The Four Color View

Today, our district invited those of us, "in the middle" to work with Julie Goldsmith from TeamWorks International to learn about the Four Color View, adapted from work by Carol Ritberger, Ph.D. and her "Color Personality Indicator" (CPI). The overarching concept is that the "color" of our personality influences how we relate to one another, and the more we understand about ourselves and our colleagues, the better we will be able to interact and improve the culture of our organizations.

TeamWorks believes that the Four Color View is a "lens for the different stages of Decision Making, Whole System View, and Guiding Change components of the Frameworks.

An overview of the day:

Self Awareness

• Authority and Power
• Operating in the Present
• Growth and Transition Framework

Group Awareness

• Leadership Choices Framework
• Decision Making Framework (group)
• Growth and Transition Framework
• Participation Framework

System Awareness

• Decision Making Framework
• Transition and Change Framework

We began by looking at Self-Awareness, to see what color is our personality.

These are the traits and characteristics. Traits are hard wired into us, characteristics are learned behaviors. Our personality is determined through our experiences, education, culture and family blended in our brain.

Based on the answers I gave, my score indicated:

Red: 3 Yellow: 12 Orange: 12 Green: 21

Characteristics of Greens are: Intuitive, Creative, like gathering information with Pictures and intuition, Use feelings and emotions to process information and make decisions, and primarily operate in the right brain. They like to look at the "big picture", and randomly explore data which I do! Greens can also be "chameleons", living in other colors for a time, but also cannot last in that color very long without feeling stress.

Reds like to "get er done!", gather information through the senses, use thinking and logic to process information and make decisions and operate primarily in the left brain.

Orange people wish folks could "just get along", gather information through the senses, use feelings and emotions to process information, and make decisions, cross from left to right brain for decision making.

Yellows gather information using both intuition and senses, primarily use logic to process information, will also use feelings, but not as much, and are hardwired in ALL four quadrants of the brain. Yellows might be thought of as the "devil's advocate." They sometimes are slower decision makers because of the way they process.

When working with people whose dominant color is different, knowing characteristics about their color can assist us in understanding differences and conflict, and how best to work and interact with one another.

We completed an interesting scenario, where we were given $30,000 for new technology in the district, and were asked to develop a description questions about first steps for our color to solve the problem, what aspects of the process would trouble us, what part of the process we would find rewarding, what good things others would say about us, and what complaints others have about us.

After a break, we looked at data from Ritberger and Teresa Heck from St. Cloud State University on "Other Awareness."

General Population		Licensed Teaching Staff
Red: 85%		Orange: 40-50%
Orange: 7%		Green: 30-40%
Green: 6%		Red 5-8%
Yellow: 2%		Yellow:3-5%

This data may explain the disconnect between parents and educators and how we perceive one another. It also gives good information to help frame problems/solutions with education reform.

Communication with both verbal and non-verbal cues can be impacted by our personality.

We then started looking at how communication works best with each of the colors. I questioned some of the date in regards to presentation and each color type. This got me thinking about Gar Reynold's and Presentation Zen, and some of the data presented regarding learners and images vs. text presented at ISTE by Ian Jukes. If the general population really is dominantly red, what does that say? Julie mentioned that the inventory is most effective with people over age 14-15, where parental and peer influence may be less of a factor.

If we are not heard, responded to and understood, we are end up responding according to our color lens on the world.

Next we looked at conflict, and how it can arise based on our personality color. One of my colleagues made a great point that where your positional authority is within the organization can influence your reaction to the conflict.

Partnership

Through active partnering, there is better balance, greater commitment to the outcome and more successful results.

Peer Coaching

How do we communicate, solve problems and lead other colors? Our activity involved beginning with a "storyteller" who shared a situation, 1 minute sharing of the situation with 9 minutes of peer coaching. We discussed situations where we in the middle have to be the "messenger" and have to present data to different color types. NCLB is such a "red" designed mandate, and we as teachers are much more "orange" and "green."

Knowledge of our own color personality and the color personality of those we work with in an organization can profoundly impact how we work together, and the process of how we work on different initiatives.

Ric Dressen our superintendent hopes that we can use this framework to guide us, understanding the importance of "what", "why" and "who" before we look at "how."

Some take-aways from our group:

• The context of relationships and how it can impact the work that we do
• Dealing with differing opinions in a non-threatening way
• Value of team perspectives
• We can be chameleons, but that we need to recognize the stress of working outside our color, and our need to recharge.
• Different definitions of process/trust.
• Language that is helpful to those we work with. This can help us recognize how to best help those whose colors are different from our own.
• "Re-Languaging"-reframe language when we default to our own.
• How do we build cultural capital and competency capital with people in differing groups.

Curriculum Course Reflection: The Purpose of School

In this post I will be sharing my thoughts regarding the following prompt:

What are your philosophical beliefs about the purpose of school, about what subjects should be taught, and about how students learn? How does your work demonstrate your belief?

At then end of a course I just taught with a group of educators in my district called, "Creating Community for All Learners," I asked them to provide three words to describe their experience in the course. I then used Wordle to provide a visual for that experience that you see to the right. As I think about my philosophy about the purpose of school, I think those words are a pretty good representation of what I think school should be: Fun, creative, challenging, collaborative, exciting, interesting, enlightening.

I believe that the focus of school should be about learning how to learn, so that by the time a student graduates, they have the skills and passion to be a life-long learner. Students should be exposed to ideas that challenge and make them question. At times, they should be frustrated, as learning can be messy sometimes, but working through these problems and frustration will provide them skills to tackle the more difficult challenges of life.

Students should learn how to communicate effectively, collaborate and problem solve in Language Arts and Mathematics. They should learn Science so that they understand the difference between theory and fact, Social Studies so that they understand the importance of being an engaged member of society, a second language to understand cultural differences and improve their understanding of grammar in their native tongue, and music and art to enhance their humanity and make further connections with their learning. They should have the opportunity to infuse their passions into the study of these subjects, to "follow the rabbit hole" in each subject to see where it takes them, rather than study something "a mile wide and an inch deep."

They should be provided the opportunity to create new meaning in the subjects they study through inquiry and authentic projects that allow them to showcase their talents.

I believe my role as a technology integration specialist and educator, is that of a sherpa or guide to assist teachers and students as they connect their learning. I carry the tools that can help students problem solve, collaborate and communicate effectively beyond the walls of their classroom or school.

Teacher Leadership Development: Session 1-Mapping the Territory

Edina Public Schools has contracted with Dr. Jennifer York-Barr to work with staff on Teacher Leadership. During the 4 sessions, we will focus on:

1. Mapping the Territory-Lessons about Teacher Leadership
2. Engaging Adult Learners-Learning is Change
3. Mediating Peer Learning-Facilitating Peer Learning-Facilitation and Reflective Practice
4. Learning By Design-Structure is Your Friend

Part of the goal is to help plan for the coming 2011-2012 school year.

Today we were introduced to "chunks" for the learning series and for Dr. York-Barr to get an idea of our learning interests.

Grounding

We began by looking at each of the 4 topics above and shared which we were most interested in with a partner. We had to listen, paraphrase what the partner said, share our own ideas, and then plan what we would share with the main group. My partner and I saw "Engaging Adult Learners" as our key area of interest, as we observe teachers put up barriers when we approach sometimes, because they're plates are full and they are reluctant to learn something new.

We then paraphrased one another. This structure of "Grounding" allowed us to actively engage in the topic to help us focus on the learning we wanted to do. We also had choice, and based on the feedback we provided, gave us the opportunity to provide input on the outcome.

We were thinking about the topic, active, involved, listening, and we personalized our learning around the topic and then we had to collaborate and communicate back to the group, which lent a sense of accountability. This process allowed for all of us to participate. "Every Voice in the Room!" (She noted that even the most obstinate person will engage if people are 1 on 1, standing up and asked to engage.) People behave better with people they don't know as well.

She noted that having people different buildings interact

Dr. York-Barr said, "Buy-in gets compliance, but it doesn't get commitment!" We need teachers to be engaged and own the learning in order for it to be successful. To move the idea from outside the person to inside the person.

She then showed a model of engagement where people move from Expectation, to Participation, to understanding, connection, decision-making, ownership, Commitment to implementation to finally ongoing reflective practice with collegial support. This moves the concept from outside to inside.

Often today, new initiatives pop-up, and they don't move to buy in.

We then watched a video called Pulling it Together. (Great for Community Building)

System View of Professional Learning

Efficacy comes after people have attempted new practices and see the positive effects of change. When teachers are blaming children, we need to recognize that the teacher is discouraged and does not feel connected to helping them. As teacher leaders, our work is to support them. As a system, we need to build highly efficacious teachers.

In schools with high levels of efficacy, there is a higher level of trust.

Teacher expectation for student learning is the largest variable in student success.

One of my colleagues pointed out that in our job, we have a "hat" in District support, ongoing professional learning, teacher practices, curriculum, instruction, formative and summative assessment, student learning and achievement, and teacher efficacy.

She recommends that the more opportunities people can take on teacher leadership positions, the better prepared they will be to

Characteristics of Teacher Leaders:

• Competent and Credible- Leading from practice strength, interest and expertise
• Builds Relationships and Trust-Leading through influence, horizontally and vertically
• Initiator and Leaner
• Organizational Savvy

We then looked at York-Barr's 12 Lessons About Teacher Leadership as a jigsaw.

Structure and nurture intertwine to support engagement.

Action Team December 8 meeting with Dennis Cheesbrow: Walking the Tightrope!

Today our Action Team had the opportunity to meet with Dennis Cheesbrow, from TeamWorks International. Our district has several issues moving forward in the coming year, and Cheesbrow was brought in to look at initiatives involving facilities, resources, technology and learning.

Dr. Ric Dressen, our superintendent has talked in the past that our role as a teacher-leader walks between the classroom and administration, but without the authority and power. Cheesebrow will work with us today to help us walk that tightrope.

He started by asking what does it sound like and feel like? Some responses:

Sound like:

From the outside, do more with less

Can you do this for me

Negotiating time and needs

Opportunities

Feels like:

Advocate

Resource

Pressure, yet exciting

Cheesbrow talked about Barry Oshry's work operating in the middle, where accountability, performance, and partnership exist. We need to be orientated up and out, a world of tearing and accountability. High accountability with no resources.

There are two conditions of the middles:

Diffuse and separate while meeting other people's agenda

The also need to integrate for their own health

The system needs "middle's" to be independent in thought and action. He said that one of the best things he did when he was in the middle in corporate, was to meet with others in the same position. He always seemed to come out of those meetings with strategies.

Everyone in an organization has 3 types of authority:

Organizational-Easy to get, but hard to lose based on title and position

Cultural-Authority and capital, relationship and story, hard to get and easy to lose

Competency-Based on knowledge and experience, hard to get and hard to lose

Ask yourself, if I push this initiative, what cultural authority will I burn up if I want to do something three months from now. Can you find someone with the cultural authority to do what you need to do!?

What is something that needs to be done in the next 30 days?

For me, that might be Bring Your Own Laptop, assisting with planning for Technology Referendum, Moving toward TIES grade book at Middle Level, and determining what a teacher's Web presence will look like at the secondary level.

With the different frameworks, Cheeseborough said that they help identify where you are at in the process and use that to help formulate decisions.

We discussed that in the middle, as soon as you get a title, your competency is now called into question. You also never have full Organizational Authority because you are not a decision maker.

In the middle, you are an integrator. You may not have pushed the button to make things happen, but you played an important role. He said that "the middle" hasn't been around organizationally that long. In schools, it is less. Cultural Authority is where you work and play. You can increase others trust and competence by your hard work. The reward is watching the system move and improve.

The district NEEDS us to do that! The presence and growth of the "middles" is critical. By middle, he doesn't mean "middle management." We help maintain the relationships.

Oshry uses a "sewer pipe analogy." Middle's need to stand in the middle but neither drink it or plug it up!

The role of producers is to resist all change, the role of admin is to manage change. The middles work in between.

If we are asked to get something done, but the only way to do that is through relationships, we need to let people in on our world and what we experience and see. We need to tell others of our world and make sense of that in a dialog as a way to make this happen. I may need to operate differently from the way the admin is telling, to get the same result. "In my world I see this. What do you see?" I know I experienced this in our 1:1 laptop learning experience!

Often Middles are charged with communicating what people see, think, want and feel.

He recommends, Clear Leadership by Dr. Gervase R. Bushe as an excellent resource on leadership. Bushe is a protege of Oshry.

He finished by reminding us of the strategic growth and change model, where choices get made and then something needs to leave the system. The middle's help provide the energy and also articulate what needs to leave.

He suggested that if we found something in his talk valuable, we should try it 3 times in the next 10 days and then report on the results and share with our colleagues.

I will take him up on it!

ABC's of Advocacy: Advocate, Be Heard, Create Change!

Hillary Goldmann, Director of Government Affairs with ISTE presented on Educational Technology Advocacy issues. The session was attended by Technology Directors, teachers, educational consultants, administrators interested in advocating for curricular and funding needs.



State Level
Carol McFarland, a Minnesota State Representative from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, came to share her thoughts on educational advocacy issues at the state level. Before she became a legislator, she was a parent volunteer and school board member. She reminded us that democrat or republican, you can not pigeon hole legislators, as they are all individuals. It is important to talk to both parties. Education is NOT about partisanship. She is on the Education Policy committee, and believes that there needs to be better alignment between K-12 and post secondary. What are issues regarding collaborating. Currently, cities, counties and townships do not have to go to the voters regarding expenditures. Schools do. This needs to change.
Tell your story, to ANYBODY and EVERYBODY! Engage your legislators, not just your local legislators. Contact committee members, but don't stop there! If you have individually done your work telling your story, when bills get to the floor, all will have heard it!
Build coalitions! How many know that the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has Education as a high priority! The problem is we speak different languages. They want a return on investment, and a strong work force. The battle scars of political elections make it difficult for people to get together to work on issues, but work together they must!
Letters are more effective than e-mails, since people took the time to write, rather than copy and paste an e-mail. This is significant! Make appointments to talk with legislators. It is more effective to write a short, sweet letter to tell your story. Robo-e-mails are less effective. Sometimes students are the best advocates, but make it genuine, not prepped! "Bills are a start of a conversation!" It may not pass, but it gets the conversation going! The Minnesota Department of Education has been cut so much that it is hard for them to advocate. Many omnibus bills are voted on whether bills have more good than bad. Approach legislators with opportunities and solutions rather than just telling them to fix it. Tell your story! She shared how her granddaughter's 3rd grade teacher has received grants to integrate technology into his curriculum. Ananth Pai, the teacher happened to walk by as she spoke. He said, the best thing you can do is invite people to your classroom! TPT did an interview on what he is doing as well!
Hillary pointed out that when teachers scrape and hunt for funding, it causes a difficult issue when trying to move something to scale. As advocates, this makes things tricky, because not every teacher can do that.
Just Show Up!
Jennifer Bergland, Director of Government Affairs for the Texas Computing Education Association Skyped in, to share how she started and what she does.
Legislation happens from those who show up! So show up! Instead of being intimidated by the process, remember that you are the expert that has information that can help legislators. The more you know them, the more they seek out you! Sign up for ETAN or other resources that push information to you!

She majored in Political Science, but she went into education because she loved kids. She worked as a Social Studies teacher, Technology Director and now the TCEA. She felt that her organizations were not doing enough to advocate for Ed Tech Funding. 7 years ago, she received funding for a Middle Level 1:1 initiative. As that project evolved, she realized the need to advocate at the state level for funding.
She worked with Tech Companies, the Texas School Board Association, and teachers organizations. She worked on a bill to allow districts to use textbook funds in a flexible way, so that they only have to buy classroom sets rather than one for each student, so that remaining funds can be used to purchase digital materials and equipment.

Advocating with Members of Congress

Joe Campbell, a member of Senator Amy Klobuchar's office who works on educational policy issues came to talk about what Senate offices are like and how they operate. They have 17 staff in the Minneapolis office, 25 in the Washington office, along with regional offices for out state.

At each office, there are staff who work on specific issues.
Senator Klobuchar reads every response from her office that goes to 5 or more people.
When engaging with a legislator, it is a strategic decision. If it is something that affects a small fraction, you may want to choose a smaller pool to meet with, where if it affects more people, you may want to contact more people.
To schedule a meeting, a member of the staff are always available. Be flexible.

Assume that staff know nothing, but that the member of congress knows everything. Use that time to get into the meat and potatoes. We are the experts! Senator Klobuchar will usually ask questions. Keep it simple, and stick with the agenda. Staff will stay after to discuss further! Be ready to share "the ask!"
It's important to make the effort. The more information legislators have, the better decisions they can make!
Another option is to talk with staff about issues and ask them to write "Dear Colleague" letters to advocate with other legislators to advocate and share stories that way.

Next we had a chance to share our stories and needs in EdTech Funding, and concerns over NCLB reauthorization. I had a chance to share my views on making the National Educational Technology Plan play a more important role in Educational policy.

Campbell stated that Senator Klobuchar is a strong advocate for investing in our national infrastructure, expanding access. Session participant, Josh Sumption, from Marshall, Minnesota discussed the issues in South West Minnesota, where at school there is great access, but at home they are still dial-up. The "school-to-home" option is a good one, but Hillary pointed out that it should happen, but not at the expense of E2T2 funding!

If you have an issue you would like to discuss with a representative from outside your district, right now, you are limited, because on the Web sites, you need to be a member of that district to contact. Campbell said that you should simply state, "I'm not from your district, but have an issue I would like to discuss with you. What is the best method?" Senator Klobuchar has also participated in video conferences from her office. She also stops in every county, every year. Given that Klobuchar is on the Commerce Committee, she may not have as much to say about ESEA reauthorization, but she will play a huge role in broadband infrastructure! Senator Franken is on the Education Committee, and will have an influence on ESEA re-authorization.

We closed the session discussing what we can do moving forward. For those that send an EdTech Advisory Network letter, Hillary would like us to send the response that we get, so that she can track responses. There are more resources on the conference Wiki if you would like more information.