Another Voice on Public Education

I found out about Adam Bellow today through the ISTE Remote Conference.  The annual ISTE, International Society for Technology in Education, conference was in San Diego this year.  I was not able to make it, but like the true practitioners they are, they provided access to a portion of the day of the conference online.

I enjoyed the entire day viewing the Keynote Speaker for the day, Dr. Yong Zhao, three sessions and a visit to the virtual lounge in between sessions.  The running chat within each session allowed for the interaction of participantes that I had not counted on.  I felt a sense of community and could interject and learn in return.  Virtual community at it's best.

I would have preferred to be there, but still it was a very fruitful day for me and everyone I chatted with.  Adam Bellow was a new discovery for me.  I'd like to share him and his ideas with you.  His website edutecher.net is a great resource and he's developing something similar to Pintrest that is a little more education specific.  Visit the sites, view the clip and enjoy.  I did.  Let's continue the conversation.

Creativity and Learning

There was a time when, creativity and learning went hand-in-hand, especially in elementary school.  Pre Schoolers, Kindergarteners and some times first and second graders were encouraged to learn through play.  They learned through finger painting, gluing, pasting, coloring, drawing, dancing, moving, singing and making music.  They learn colors, shapes, sounds, what their bodies can do, how paint feels on your fingers and what it does when you wipe it on objects like paper, their clothes, the furniture, etc.  They love to sing and move without inhibitions and with great joy.  They learn how their body feels as it moves through space and how some sound are loud and harsh and other are soft and pleasant.  There is so much that is learned through play, exploration, discovery and being creative.  

I saw a clip of Sir Ken Robinson from a 2007 TED Conference.  I have no idea how I found this clip but his talk with the audience resounded within my very soul.  He eloquently delivered and explanation one of the major reasons why our education system is failing.  Below is a edited version of the one I first saw on TED.com.



Creativity and literacy should be seen as equals, as much as creativity and teaching.  Pedagogy's first definition 'is the function or work of a teacher.'  But the second definition is 'the art and science of teaching.'  Just as we have push art and creativity to the lower levels of importance in education, we have also done the same with it's importance in the realm of teaching.  When creativity is present, the student is not the only one doing the learning. We have enough of the science of teaching.  Let's get back to the art of teaching.  Let's get creative.  That is were the passion of learning and teaching lives.

Week 19 of 52

This is the time of year that it gets crazy. Just this past week, the Testing Season began, we had Open House, a Star Party and End-of-the-Year preparations. I'm not as young as I used to be and I need my beauty rest more than in the past. This past week has taken a toll and everyone, even the young at heart. Even amongst the madness, it is weeks like this that reminded me why I'm in public education.

Testing is always stressful with the affidavits, proctors, schedules, keeping materials under lock and key, make-up tests, attendance accounting. It's a good thing it only comes once a year. And the results, which are not available until August, determine how our entire school rates within the state of California with and API and an AYP. A little stress inducing, maybe? Testing is the obligatory part of every public school. Sort of like leeching in the Dark Ages. Do you see the similarities? We do this because it is required.

Open House is also required but the premise is for all of the students to share what they have been doing since the beginning of the school year. I is a happy time. Parents and family get to see how much their children have learned and students get to share how much more they know. At our Open House we have be having our Academic Challenge Science Super Quiz. This is my baby, based loosely on the Academic Decathlon in High School and I love it. Briefly, teams of students in grades 3 - 5 get together to earn individual and team medals in a public jeopardy-style game and the audience applauds all of their hard work. Well, seeing the students, teachers, coaches and families cheer, applaud, console and encourage these students. I remember why I work in public education. Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face.

Two days later was the Star Party. This was, again another reason I love working in public education. A group of amateur astronomers bring their telescopes, their enthusiasm and their passion. This was a BLAST! I saw Saturn and it's rings along with the mountains of the moon. Truly awesome. That was exciting, but I also enjoyed the look on the faces of the families, and the amateur astronomers. It was joy of seeing something precious. It was exciting seeing everyone realize how rare a opportunity it was and that fact that we all shared it together. Wow! This is another event that reminds me why I'm in public education. The joy of learning. The joy of learning in community. Priceless. I hope you enjoy this photo I took at dusk of one of the astronomers who hooked his telescope up to a monitor and was able to show a group what they were looking at and did a little Q&A.

Settlement with LAUSD

In the works. This week there was a settlement with LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) and layoff policies will no longer be last hired is first fired. This has many wondering just what does that mean.

In basic terms, seniority is out the window, and anyone can get the axe. Wow, no one is safe. This all stems from two years of teachers RIFs, (Reduction In Force), otherwise known as a layoff. The new teachers, usually more energetic and passionate, were let go and schools were forced to have substitute teachers fill in until a teacher was relocated and placed in that position.

LAUSD has until March 15th to set up a policy and method in which to release teachers. Wow, I really don't know what to think. What comes to mind are the words of Shakespeare and Anne Rice, "Beware the Ides of March" because, "No one is safe from nature's savagery, not even the innocent."

This all makes me think of the words of Chris Dede, "When we look back on public education, this will be seen as the 'Dark Ages'.

Prepare for Halloween

Anyone who knows me knows I loath Halloween. Halloween, as a national holiday my have surpassed Christmas as the most popular. What does this say about our nation? Anyway, the reason I loath it so is because I work in the public school system. This day have everything to do with family, friends, candy, costumes, fun, silliness, scaring, one-ups-mans-ship, craftsmanship and many other things that are not a major part of the public school.

So many people love it. And no matter how much we try to redirect the energies of the day to honor characters in literature or theme the costumes to a period in time, the whole day becomes trying to make sure everyone is safe and no one gets hurt. Safe from terrible people who might want to harm children. Safe from other students, who in their exuberance harms someone else with their costume. Safe from feeling left out because you don't have a costume and really want one.

What does this have to do with a public education? The good folks at Common Craft and boiled my thoughts on the subject to a very clear plan. Thank you Common Craft. Preparing for Zombies is how I feel at times. Enjoy your Halloween.

Hamsters, Trains, Chairs and Black Holes

Conversations with Kindergartners can generate some interesting topics.  On the first day of school, a Kindergarten teacher asked her class, "What do you want to learn in Kindergarten?" "How to buy a hamster!" exclaimed one, "How to drive a train."  shouted another and "How to make a chair." finished the third.  This kind of  enthusiasm and excitements held by these four and five year old boys and girls is rarely matched at any other time in a life.  

As a group of these same age students were sharing their recently dictated stories with me, some how we ended up on one student's understanding of black holes.  He explained to me, in a broken English, "that, not now but in long time, black hole will take all of earth in it.  In a time when there are no more people."  I said to him, "That's right.  In the future, the sun will turn super nova and then collapse into a black hole."  Of course I know, but he's five.  He looked at me and just shook his head up and down with a look on his face that said, "Lady, that's what I just said."  Needless to say, these questions and probably many others won't be answered this year in Kindergarten. 

 

What is the point to all of this?  The point is that these little ones come to us full of curiosity, knowledge, a connectedness to what's around them and just a lively different perspective on the world we live in.  Many American public schools don't seem to care about what these students come to school capable of doing or knowing.  We treat them like empty vessels to be filled or a puppy that needs training.  This negates all that thee children are and are trying to become.  

Our school district, along with many others, have returned to basics.  What that means, is Kindergarten is the new first grade.  The curriculum standards that are required for Kindergarten, a little less than ten years ago, were the expectations for First Graders.  The thought being that since these children need retraining or filling, it is perfectly okay to raise the bar and expect all students to meet it.  We just need to give them more information sooner.  

A saying I heard during when I was getting my teaching credential back during the last century. The saying was, Children come to school like and exclamation mark and they left like a period. Unfortunately, we are starting that process and ensuring that it happens earlier and earlier in the life of children.  Many times that is shown to us by our drop out rate.  These students are finish and moving on often times ill equipped for life.   Charter schools are pulling away students from the public schools like a slow hemorrhage.  These are all in response to what public schools are doing and not doing.  How can we stop these madness?  

The Second Day of School

As the new school year begins, I have these big overarching questions hanging over me.  I ask myself and anyone that will listen, What are we doing?  Why are we doing it?  What are we doing it for?  

Big and general yes, but what good are small and specific questions.  These questions came about the second day of school as I was sitting and consoling a crying Kindergartner.  She wanted to go home, normal for immature students.  Because there was only about 40 minutes before the end of the school day, I was going to sit with her and stay until the parents are here to pick her up.  So, is the case with criers, you have to distract them from why they are crying with miscellaneous familiar conversation, What is your brothers name?, How old are you?, Who brings you to school?, etc.  

Over the course of the 40 minutes, this five-year old, on the second day of school, was able to tell me the names of most of her classmates, what students were doubles, two of the same names, who the smart kids were and who weren't so smart.  She came forward with the truth on a few lies she told earlier during her emotionally distressed period, "I lied, I do have friends."  Then the full blown conversation comes forth about family, friends and anything else that comes to mind.  Also, during this conversion, the student says on at least two occasions, that she is bored.  This is the statement that makes me ask the above questions.  

A students, at the age of five, who, on the second day of school has assessed the class and her classmates says she is bored, I have to listen and ask those questions.  Some of the other reflective  questions I ask are, How do we capture and maintain the interest and intelligence of this five year old?  Why is it that students like this in Kindergarten don't have the same kind of verve in the subsequent grades?  What do we do to them?  It reminds me of a quote "Children come to us, in schools, as an explanation point.  And they leave as a period." 

I come full circle and ask those big questions, What are we doing?, Why are we doing it?, What are we doing it for?  Please help me answer these questions.  It is a big dialogue, and I need as much input as you can give me.

Back to School

It's August.  

Being a third generation educator, August is Back-to-School season.  It is a time to wind down the summer.  A gradual feeling of the beginning of the end, of long days, of late nights, of flexible schedules and of sleeping until you feel like waking up.  Some of the minor joys of being an educator and sharing the youthful schools-out-for-summer feeling.  But August, Back-to-School season, is also a time to mentally prepare for the next school year.  As an elementary school principal, I'm back at the school site making preparations and plans for the coming school year. Talking to potential parents about the new school year, to contractors about finishing up to have a school ready for students and a few other odds and ends.  

This year I have focused on book that I bought last year but just have time to read, Reinventing Project-Based Learning.  Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the digital Age by Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss.  I was bitten.  This book is the reason I started the blog.  The book spoke to me as an educator.  The idea of collaborating with others to develop a project or learning was something I have been starving for.  As an administrator, we are more isolated than teachers.  My first thought was I must do this with my staff.  My thoughts were on how to roll out this book in the limited time we have for Professional Development.   I'm the type that likes to build additions to the ship while we are sailing.  My staff, as a whole is not.  So, I've had to slow down and soak it up myself before sharing this.  

So, I will be blogging my thoughts and invite comments and suggestions on them.

My First Try

Well, I've stayed away from blogging because I feel writing is not one of my strengths.  I thought I'd podcast but, I'd have to write a script for it so am back to writing again. 

So, here I go.  What is constantly on my mind is what public education is not doing for students that are forces to attend them.  One of the largest reactions to public school is a wild variety of private and charter schools.  At best they provide an excellent education as measured by standardized tests and a haven from some of the environmental behaviors that exists for some students. And at worst they provide a rudimentary learning experience and allow an elitist mentality to flourish unchecked. 

As a public school educator I do not disagree with private school, charter schools or even home schooling is doing.  There are many marvelous examples of out there.  My concern is more with public education is not doing to keep up with the social outcry. 

We are all competing for the same students.  With more options available, the local school is no longer the draw.  The first choice is always to move into the neighborhood with the best schools, but charter schools have become fashionable.  So names like Green Dot, and UNO to name a few, are cropping up in everywhere.  Let's face it, all of these forms of school are sprouting up from the lack of change in public schools.  All of these schools are in reaction to what public education is not doing, which in meeting the needs of the students that attend it. 

I'll stop here because I will begin to ramble, so please comment and share you thoughts.