Group items tagged

"...site provides information about systems theory and describes an effective way to view school systems - by looking at them as consisting of three domains. Using this perspective can help you simplify the complexity of school systems, adopt multiple ways of viewing them, and better understand the interconnectivity of their various parts. "

I think that as educators we often become so engrossed with opportunities to implement change and our own vision of what that change should look like that we sometimes forget that we need to think systemically. How does our vision fit within the school as a whole? And, when we determine what change is necessary...how do we determine how to implement that change in a sustainable way? Too often we become experts in Programs, but have little understanding of Planning and Process. What do you think? Once we identify the need for change and the means to address that need, how do we make that change happen and stick?

"There is a difference between personalization and differentiation and individualization. One is learner-centered; the others are teacher-centered."

Completely agree Adam! The chart is a little perplexing at times in its definitions/examples. How the first is Competency-based and the others must be Carnegie Unit based comparison…I just don't get. What I do like about the chart is that it makes me reflect on how I do what I do. And also on, "Do I do what I say that I do?" Sometimes I feel like I might begin implementing a strategy one semester only to have my application of that strategy drift as time goes by. Every now and then I think that it is necessary to take a step back and question each piece of my own professional practice. This approach comes from my belief that we need to question and challenge everything...especially those things we most believe in.

Excellent point! Beliefs are like clothes. If we don't regularly take them off to wash them, we often mistake our own stench for what we perceive as someone else's.

"Lately, there has been more discussion over what is meant by a world class education system. Last week the US Department of Education put out its white paper on international education strategy entitled, Succeeding Globally Through International Education and Engagement, and in 2012 several books on the topic were published. ... I thought I would synthesize the key concepts of these books in order to formulate policy design principles for Vermont as we begin to think about transforming our current educational system into a world class system."

On how schools are focused on scores rather than noncognitive skills "Right now we've got an education system that really doesn't pay attention to [noncognitive] skills at all. ... I think schools just aren't set up right now to try to develop things like grit, and perseverance and curiosity. ... Especially in a world where we are more and more focused on standardized tests that measure a pretty narrow range of cognitive skills, teachers are less incentivized to think about how to develop those skills in kids. So it's a conversation that's really absent I think in a lot of schools, to the detriment of a lot of students."

"'The tests we rely on so heavily really don't measure creative thinking and they don't measure common sense thinking, wisdom, ethics, work ethic - they don't measure your character,' Sternberg said. In his view, students go to college to develop into active and engaged citizens. If colleges kept that ultimate goal in mind in their admissions process, it would send a message to high schools about the skills that universities value and want to see in prospective students."

"Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a public magnet high school in Philadelphia is a fairly young school, just eight years old. But in that short time, it's developed a reputation around the country as a shining example of the merits of inquiry-based learning approach. Colleges sometimes have a difficult time understanding the school's approach to developing autonomous, critical thinkers. For example, SLA doesn't offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, because making students take a summative test at the end of the year is antithetical to the concept of allowing students to guide their own learning based on interest and collaborative work - and just as importantly, the value of the incremental learning process."

On the Minerva Project... "In fact, in the first year the students will take four courses: Multi-modal Communication, Complex Systems, Empirical Systems, and Computational Sciences. The intention is for traditionally separate subjects to be integrated if they involve complimentary skills. COMPETENCY-BASED UNIVERSITIES As the Minerva experiment develops, some existing universities are taking steps to award college credit based on skills learned, not the amount of time they've been enrolled."

"The Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model that acts like the operating system of a computer - it improves performance of all other programs. Based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People..." "...our schools should not merely be focused on improving test scores, but should provide opportunities for students to develop their full potential." Leadership Accountability Adaptability Initiative and Self-direction Cross-cultural Skills Responsibility Problem Solving Communication Creativity Teamwork

I know that many educators grimace at the thought of implementing a piece of "Corporate America" into public education. But, take a look at the 7 Habits and then ask yourself if these are habits you would want for your students. Habit 1 - Be Proactive Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind Habit 3 - Put First Things First Habit 4 - Think Win-Win Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Habit 6 - Synergize; Together Is Better Habit 7 - Sharpen The Saw; Balance Feels Best

The idea that a leader responds to undercurrents and tailors changes to anticipate what will eventually rise to the surface proves true in the work of Rowland Fellows in their school systems...The best of our school leaders - teachers, principals, superintendents - listen and look for the groundswell. The beauty of transformation from the ground up is that, like a good undercurrent, the conditions that allow it to spread and then surface are best arrived at when philosophies and practices become invitations to participate and a recognition that there are many unique and valuable ways to be a part of a growing undercurrent - for long-term changes to manifest, a good leader proposes - not imposes.

About standardized Aptitude Tests and Interest Inventories. "A child who holds a preconceived idea they were born 'less-able' will never pursue mastery and may even avoid the perception of interest in a subject area or career field." "...interest inventories perpetuate stereotyped socialization patterns and a segregated workforce because they typically compare an individual's likes and dislikes to those of persons already in the workforce. Given the extreme sex and race segregation common in the workplace, this concern is significant." "...rather than expand vocational options, aptitude tests and inventories heighten the other systemic pressures that make a young woman's pursuit of nontraditional vocational training extremely unlikely." These three articles highlight the need for educators to be cognizant of bias in guiding students in the exploring classes, college majors, and career interests. Society informs and pressures young men and women to think of these things in terms of either being male or female-centric. These articles also show through studies that young women's performance on aptitude test is linked directly to societal perceptions of gender competence. With that it has implications on their interests or perceived non-interests.