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Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, authors of the book, Make Just One Change, explain why teaching students to ask their own questions just may revolutionize the classroom. Audio clip.

"The simple shift in practice, from teachers asking questions of students to students learning to generate and improve their own questions, leads to significant cognitive, affective and behavioral changes in students."

Do you teach to inform...or to facilitate learning? jf

Interesting and short bit of writing that hits on my personal beliefs about where the majority of transformational focus should be...simply supporting good teaching.

"Education reform needs a face lift -- one that includes higher standards for entry into the profession and mentor teachers assisting those needing to improve."

Agree about the necessity to pursue improved educational outcomes, yet as with other professions (i.e. doctors & lawyers) 50% finish in the lower half of their class. As with all things educational funding is the sacred cow and asking for higher standards of entry, while a worthy goal, would ultimately fall on the sword of budgets.

Articles like this are interesting. But, they are powerful when we take a critical look at own practices and really evaluate if our classroom actions match the work we promote and speak so highly of in the teachers' lounge.

Becoming a master teacher takes continuous effort.1) Understand Your Reasons for Teaching2) Cultivate Ethical Behavior in Your Students and Yourself3) Pool Both Patience and Perseverance4) Design Curriculum That Works5) Perfect Instructional Practices and Assessment Skills6) Connect Positively to the Whole-School Culture

"...argues that education policymakers should take a closer look at another accountability system-on-site inspections."

"...detailed look at the methods school inspectors use to evaluate schools. The process is thorough and rigorous: '[I]nspectors observe classroom lessons, analyze student work, speak with students and staff members, examine school records, and scrutinize the results of surveys administered to parents and students,' he notes."

"At the core of the project is building collaborations among schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations as a means to get everyone working together."

"The report argues that our national strategy for education and youth development has been too narrowly focused on an academic, classroom-based approach.Other advanced industrial nations are succeeding with an approach that places greater emphasis on career and technical education and work-based learning. Pathways to Prosperity contends that in order to regain the educational leadership we held for more than a century, the United States must build a more comprehensive network of pathways to serve youth in high school and beyond."

"This thoughtful paper makes a strong case for the development of multiple pathways leading from high school to post-secondary education or career training. Those of us who support a single-track system through high school need to carefully consider the questions raised in this provocative report." Phil Bredesen, Governor of Tennessee (2003-2011)

"1. Open up lessons 2. Think outside the classroom box 3. Get personal 4. Tap into students' digital expertise 5. Get real with projects 6. Expect (and help) students to be teachers 7. Help (and expect) teachers to be students 8. Measure what matters 9. Work with families, not just children 10. Power to the student"

Author Susan Cain explains the fallacy of "groupwork," and points to research showing that it can reduce creativity and productivity

Wondering if focus on collaboration, group work stifles creativity and individuals ...Do some approaches to education reward those students who are simply more extroverted. Do we often, inadvertently, value Personalities over Substance in our classrooms?

IMHO Single most valuable piece of advice for successful #EdReform. As amazing as all of our programs are, I truly believe that programs have very little to do with successful EdReform. I believe that it is about people more than programs, about the freedom to teach, and especially about administrators supporting an entrepreneurial spirit in the classroom. It is not too much of a stretch to grasp the connection between ownership and passion. And, when we love what we do...we simply do it better.

A note. I am not saying the work we are doing isn't important...what I am saying is that you are the most important piece to making your work...work.

Agreed!

Another piece that puts the focus of Innovation on People rather than Programs. My personal belief is that #EdReform should start and end with empowering PD which is Personal and Purposeful. With that, what if schools modeled their PD on the Rowland Foundation's model of #EdReform? What would it look like if PD were not determined and delivered but instead supported and shared? What if PD were about providing resources and teaching teachers to be data collectors, researchers, developers of innovation? 2 year Action Research cycle? What if every teacher in a school spent a school year coming up with a hunch, collecting data, researching ideas around their hunch...then spent the second year testing it out/implementing it in the classroom, more data collection, presenting outcomes to their peers, and collecting feedback for reflection and refinement?

"What has proved to matter is...the building of knowledge and innovation skills, which are much harder and take longer to get in place and maintain. Leading-edge competency in one's area of practice is indispensable; practice at turning ideas into reality is a must." "...while learning is hard work, and the value is not quantifiable, it is the only way to remain valuable in an economy that thrives on innovation. The more you invest in your people's knowledge, the more innovation you can expect to reap."

Today's Post ("Something Greater") is my reflections on Sir Ken's comments last week as they connect to my work in schools.