Rowland Foundation

'A great overview of Dan Pink's "Drive" by Vermont principal and VTASCD board member Larry Fliegelman. Thanks to my principal Jim Avery for reminding me how much is to be learned in this book about leadership and teaching.

Regardless of opinion on positions in this paper, it is an interesting and data filled read. Worth sitting down and looking at over a quick cup of coffee.

"The model, now in practice or under consideration in states including Louisiana, Michigan, Arizona and Utah, allows students to build a custom curriculum by selecting from hundreds of classes offered by public institutions and private vendors. A teenager in Louisiana, for instance, might study algebra online with a private tutor, business in a local entrepreneur's living room, literature at a community college and test prep with the national firm Princeton Review - with taxpayers picking up the tab for it all."

With little to no oversight this would be a disaster. But, what if...

What if there were a regional "school" that oversaw these External Learning Opportunities and Diplomas with Certificates of Focus? A student would be assigned to a Mentor Teacher who would help to: Design a plan to graduation...and beyond, Give prior approval and determine assessments of learning experiences, Provide awareness and approve formal online opportunities such as VTVLC, VHS, Aventa Learning/K12, Provide awareness and approve formal online and traditional courses through Dual Enrollment at CVV and other local colleges, Connect students to local Internships, Apprenticeships, Connect students to programs such as TIPS, Medquest, etc., Guide students in inquiry-based Independent Studies, Guide students in developing and implementing Service-Learning projects, Bringing together like-minded students, community members, employers, educators together around specific college and career goals, and the list could go on. This could be a big draw for all students. This is could be a way to provide a highly individualized learning experience for students. With the right framework it could be amazing.

Article that makes me question how schools and classrooms are physically designed. This is a direct reflection of how we do what we do. Would you try to play tennis on a beach volleyball court? If we really are going to change the sport we need to change the venue too.

"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

"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."

Interesting to go through this list and think about what the Pew Research Center has found in regards to what Motivates Millennials. ~jf

As Rowland Fellows our charge is to be "Disruptors" in our schools. "To be a disruptor you need to be: Not afraid to push into new technologies. Ready to take criticisms from all directions (including fellow teachers). Ready to be the lone wolf in your building or even your district. Ready to build your own PLN via Twitter, Google +, Edmodo, or Facebook. Be willing to travel to and attend conferences. Move forward without fear of failure. Ready to experience failure more than once. Most of all disrupt your students, teachers, school and district."

As Rowland Fellows our charge is to Challenge the System, to Question Everything. "...far too many teachers conform, go with the flow and take just about everything at face value. They don't challenge things. They don't question things. They don't stand up for what they know is right for the profession and for the students they teach."

Great lessons for leadership and working with teams.

Great advice for #EdReform'ers to address Resistance to Change.

"Think big and follow these tips to make the most of your next brainstorming session."

A Principal's Leadership Principles. VisionRelationshipsClear ExpectationsCommunicationTeam Work and ServiceAccountabilityLearning

An animated highlight of John Seely Brown's Keynote Presentation, "Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Learner in the 21st Century," at the 2012 Digital Media and Learning Conference.

Interesting piece that gives a good "heads up" to #EdReform.  Tech heavy, but other pieces include homeschooling, PBL, entrepreneurial learning.

"...teaming process that includes a deep recognition among individual players of the interdependency of their roles. This recognition leads naturally to early and consistent communication among formerly separate parties throughout their joint work. Once the task is completed, more communication-this time in the form of reflection and feedback-must take place."

"The key to generating truly innovative ideas, he says, is learning how to challenge the status quo-which is why he's busy trying to teach people how to "think wrong'"

"Re-humanizing work and education requires courageous leadership. It requires leaders who are willing to take risks, embrace vulnerabilities, and show up as imperfect, real people."

Really interesting set of linked protocols for organizational planning. "The Collective Action Toolkit isn't a rigid template for problem solving. It's designed to be flexible and accessible, with an action map and activities arranged into six categories, from building a group, to imagining new ideas, to planning change. The toolkit challenges groups to move beyond discussion to action, continually clarifying their shared goals based on what they learn through the problem-solving process."

"...offers a college preparatory program that focuses on a liberal arts program. The curriculum is designed to accelerate students into college courses at the University of Toledo, beginning with the freshman school year. Students take two years of English, up to three years of mathematics and science and two years of social studies at the high school level. All other courses, including electives and foreign language are taken at the University of Toledo. Students can earn up to 60 college credits during the four-year high school experience. College-level courses and required textbooks are provided at no cost to students. College courses qualify for dual credits, allowing them to be counted for high school and college credits."

(Right-click and open links in new tab.) Thinking about the Semester Online program that is just rolling out I wonder what we could do in Vermont with elements of this school in Toledo in combination with an online component. Vermont does have a Dual Enrollment program, but it is no where nearly as comprehensive as this. And, students still have to pay for a vast majority of their classes. It would seem that a high school would actually come out ahead by paying for college courses rather than for high school faculty to teach a less rigorous...and noncredit earning course.

Ranked 17th out of 3500 schools in Ohio... Even more significant given that the district it is in ranked 708th out of 937 districts.