Jeff Weaver, the dynamic superintendent of the Upper Arlington City School District in Ohio, was planning to unveil the district’s vision for 21st century learners … at the first district leadership meeting of the year. So he had the vision statement printed on adhesive-backed vinyl, purchased a hundred inexpensive dinner plates, and affixed a copy of the vision to each of the plates.
At that first district meeting, Weaver asked for the plates to be passed out to the district’s leaders, then stood at the lectern and said something like this: “The last few years, whenever I talk to you about 21st century skills — about the importance of creativity, collaboration, critical thought, and all the other proficiencies that phrase implies — you remind me how much we’re already trying to accomplish. You tell me, ‘I would grapple with this, and make it work — but there is so little time, and there is already so much on our plate.’ You ask me, ‘How can we make room for this on our plate?’ . . . And so, I am letting you know you today that, moving forward, this is the plate. . .“
Group items tagged
Dinner for Two | Teaching Tolerance - 76 views
Device Free Dinner Educator Resources | Common Sense Education - 19 views
Pas de Deux: Chris Thinnes on Public & Private School Partnerships - EdLeader21 - 0 views
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"This is the plate" -- I love it!
Ideas for the last two weeks of school - 53 views
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Great thoughts for when we are reconsidering things such as Academic Excellence Dinner, Final Awards Assemblies, Sr. Night etc.
What are questions? by Jason Fried of 37signals - 43 views
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“Questions are places in your mind where answers fit. If you haven’t asked the question, the answer has nowhere to go. It hits your mind and bounces right off. You have to ask the question – you have to want to know – in order to open up the space for the answer to fit.”
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“Questions are places in your mind where answers fit. If you haven’t asked the question, the answer has nowhere to go. It hits your mind and bounces right off. You have to ask the question – you have to want to know – in order to open up the space for the answer to fit.”
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I really like this acknowledgement of the role questions play in our cognitive process. They aren't just the knowledge equivalent of a meal ticket...they're our dinner date!
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Interesting statement about the role of questionging in acquiring new infomation. Your mind has to ask the question in order for your brain to have a place to hold onto the information.....interesting perspective.
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I frequently say a similar thing when I talk about having students share their questions after a first reading. Their questions are such a great diagnostic of what they are ready to learn! Having students ask and answer their own questions not only gives them the info. they need now, but teaches them to be self-directed learners for a lifetime.
Langwitches Blog » 21st Century PD- Practice What you Preach - 74 views
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Anyone have ideas on how to model 21st century skills in an environment which blocks many of these web2.0 tools?
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Nancy: You need a phased attack. Phase one involves marshaling the technologies you do have handy to create communication with parents. Use Twitter for homework updates, essential questions about reading assignments, a "writer's tip of the day" etc. This is what I call a "tier 1" communication. This technology gives few details, but provides parents talking points during dinner conversation with their kids. Then use your website to add the major details, evaluation rubrics, blogging, etc. What I like to provide are "desktop" videos that capture you using or modeling Web 2.0 technologies, and their potential in the classroom. Post these on your website and say something like, "Blocked here at [your school] but you can perhaps use these tools at home..." When parents start to see the same text appear over and over as a caption or comment in your video, they just might get angry enough to go to the superintendent, or the IT "integration specialist" and say, "Enough! Give this teacher the tools she needs!" We're fighting this battle everywhere. Educators are being treated like children who don't have a clue. Keep fighting the good fight and good luck!
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