The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursuing his own education. This will not be a widely shared pursuit until we get over our odd conviction that education is what goes on in school buildings and nowhere else. Not only does education continue when schooling ends, but it is not confined to what may be studied in adult education courses. The world is an incomparable classroom and life is a memorable teacher for those who aren't afraid of her.~John Gardner "Self-Renewal" (1964)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Rummaging...
This morning I ran across one of my notes, jotted down on a single sheet of blue steno paper, the words faded from age. It was stuck in the pages of a book I read in high school I pulled off the shelf again the other day. It's a reminder that school reform is nothing new.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A New Beginning...
New Years has passed me by but not without my annual dose of reflection on the past 12 months of life.
Yes...time has passed and we're back - hard at it inside the walls of schooling. As I struggled with my own harsh self-evaluation of hurting people's feelings this past year, I discovered something author David Allan calls disintegrated self-trust. Listening to "Getting Things Done" (abridged) over the holidays was exactly what I needed. David Allen talks about the word "stuff" and makes meaning of your life. It's about stuff becoming unmanagable and you don't even know it...and I could relate. It reminds me of what Thomas Friedman describes in his awakening of "The World is Flat".
But before the book, I reached out for help from my slow-growing network of people leaders, and the network came through thanks to my twitter friend mikesansone. He pointed out that it would be bad form to delete a post but that it would be better instead to post a part 2 or some sort of follow up. I hope I have.
In 2006, a team of classroom teachers PK-12 were given time away from their teaching for a half a day a month to participate in Kal-Tech leadership training with their technology coordinator and Kal-Tech mentor. We were on our way to a new landscape and we were blazing the trails for instruction in educational technology and trying to share this passion with district staff. It's only been two years and the landscape has shifted already. The more we learn, the more we want to learn and we've found learning is empowering. It helps us change the world one byte at a time. We believe this learning can be used as a catalyst for building supportive communities of practice by studying together, using inquiry, exploration, and real-world questioning to help children learn. So is the mission of the LTT.
In the audio book Tribes, we should heed the words of author Seth Godin who draws out the differences between Crowds and Tribes when he says: Tribes have a passionate mission - not just a common idea...they're not about stuff - they're about connection.
USD 352 technology planning has always strived to build an innovative model for creativity & innovation in the classroom using technology as a catalyst for learning. But horizontal to this philosophy, it's imperative we build relationships with students to help them understand the power of learning.
Yes...time has passed and we're back - hard at it inside the walls of schooling. As I struggled with my own harsh self-evaluation of hurting people's feelings this past year, I discovered something author David Allan calls disintegrated self-trust. Listening to "Getting Things Done" (abridged) over the holidays was exactly what I needed. David Allen talks about the word "stuff" and makes meaning of your life. It's about stuff becoming unmanagable and you don't even know it...and I could relate. It reminds me of what Thomas Friedman describes in his awakening of "The World is Flat".
But before the book, I reached out for help from my slow-growing network of people leaders, and the network came through thanks to my twitter friend mikesansone. He pointed out that it would be bad form to delete a post but that it would be better instead to post a part 2 or some sort of follow up. I hope I have.
In 2006, a team of classroom teachers PK-12 were given time away from their teaching for a half a day a month to participate in Kal-Tech leadership training with their technology coordinator and Kal-Tech mentor. We were on our way to a new landscape and we were blazing the trails for instruction in educational technology and trying to share this passion with district staff. It's only been two years and the landscape has shifted already. The more we learn, the more we want to learn and we've found learning is empowering. It helps us change the world one byte at a time. We believe this learning can be used as a catalyst for building supportive communities of practice by studying together, using inquiry, exploration, and real-world questioning to help children learn. So is the mission of the LTT.
In the audio book Tribes, we should heed the words of author Seth Godin who draws out the differences between Crowds and Tribes when he says: Tribes have a passionate mission - not just a common idea...they're not about stuff - they're about connection.
USD 352 technology planning has always strived to build an innovative model for creativity & innovation in the classroom using technology as a catalyst for learning. But horizontal to this philosophy, it's imperative we build relationships with students to help them understand the power of learning.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Questioning the System....
I'm being brave and just asking some really tough questions in my mind. I'm sorry if I offend anyone. I've been listening to too many books & podcasts lately!
Are we teaching pre-service teachers about leadership?
How do we continue to move teacher leadership forward, where they're continuously teaching themselves leadership skills by the books they read, by the dialog they have, and apply it to their roles as teacher leaders at the building level?
How do we build the bench for teacher leaders that will eventually crush/overcome the current narrow-minded thinking of the role of teacher vs. learner in a culture others accuse has stagnated?
How do we find the money in a failing rural economy, to reward the top 5% of teacher leaders we have now with monthly time and pay during their normal work day?
How do we build school calendars that will help us prosper in a new thinking economy?
In my opinion, the keys to unlock the possibilities are held captive by the system.
Are we teaching pre-service teachers about leadership?
How do we continue to move teacher leadership forward, where they're continuously teaching themselves leadership skills by the books they read, by the dialog they have, and apply it to their roles as teacher leaders at the building level?
How do we build the bench for teacher leaders that will eventually crush/overcome the current narrow-minded thinking of the role of teacher vs. learner in a culture others accuse has stagnated?
How do we find the money in a failing rural economy, to reward the top 5% of teacher leaders we have now with monthly time and pay during their normal work day?
How do we build school calendars that will help us prosper in a new thinking economy?
In my opinion, the keys to unlock the possibilities are held captive by the system.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
FAQ's & Inspiring Teams...
Today I had a question from one of my team members about getting registered for a conference. It took me by surprise knowing about our team attitude these days. So between this and sharing a good question that others might also find as useful information, I try to answer to both.
Q: Several of the tech team want to go to MACE and need to get registered, but don't know what to do when it comes to the payment part. Can you tell us what we have done in the past and what they should do for this year?
A: In the past, I have coordinated these events so everything is easy for people to go and enjoy the conference. I don't do this because I'm trying to keep others from going. If several of the tech team want to go to MACE, you would think that they would want to discuss in large group instead, and start what could lead to a good to great discussion about what's inspiring about presenting or attending and who else in our buildings might benefit from attending and also be worthy? I am disappointed in this team because I have not heard any of these conversations going on.
If we are to be a leadership team, I need to know who wants to be on it. Is it volunteer right now? Kind of yes. Will it always be? Who knows. We are doing everything in our power to help create these learner-driven, student-centered classrooms. We can only do what we are happy at. If an awesome opportunity came up for any one of us, we would encourage strength in the talents of one another to help her/him fly the coop. It seems to me that we have lost the capacity of working in a collaborative manner....in the midst of diversity. Why?
Stephen Covey says it is because we have lost trust and without trust you can't fix anything until you fix the trust. It is my belief people don't understand how to work in teams and it's especially hard to work in a high energy team where much diversity is found, like ours. When did we become dissatisfied?
What I know is how we felt during those Kal-Tech days. We were inspired and learning and having conversations working on the work together. That was the year 2006. A few things happened to the organizational structure of our district that year. I'm only listing the two most important mile stones in my own life. Mary Frazier and Bill left after 20 some years. I'm sorry I don't know the exact amount. Natural organizational changes like this happen and we learn and grow from our experience only to continue with our passionate work in education.
Now again, we need to set sail in another direction focused on the development of teachers to build lessons with higher level student inquiry. We have to create our maps. Peter Senge in his new book "Dance of Change" says "Without better maps it is extremely unlikely that organizational change efforts will sustain themselves." If you've listened to Peter Senge, you know he pours his heart and soul into his work and he believes the framework provided by the 20+ years of research that went into the making of his book, Dance of Change, will provide a starting point, enabling those of us who care deeply about building new types of organizations .... to lead in creating better maps and healthier organizations. I want to be on the map building team.
And then there's Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers". Wow. It starts off intriguingly great.
May we always ... lead with our best self.
Karla
Q: Several of the tech team want to go to MACE and need to get registered, but don't know what to do when it comes to the payment part. Can you tell us what we have done in the past and what they should do for this year?
A: In the past, I have coordinated these events so everything is easy for people to go and enjoy the conference. I don't do this because I'm trying to keep others from going. If several of the tech team want to go to MACE, you would think that they would want to discuss in large group instead, and start what could lead to a good to great discussion about what's inspiring about presenting or attending and who else in our buildings might benefit from attending and also be worthy? I am disappointed in this team because I have not heard any of these conversations going on.
If we are to be a leadership team, I need to know who wants to be on it. Is it volunteer right now? Kind of yes. Will it always be? Who knows. We are doing everything in our power to help create these learner-driven, student-centered classrooms. We can only do what we are happy at. If an awesome opportunity came up for any one of us, we would encourage strength in the talents of one another to help her/him fly the coop. It seems to me that we have lost the capacity of working in a collaborative manner....in the midst of diversity. Why?
Stephen Covey says it is because we have lost trust and without trust you can't fix anything until you fix the trust. It is my belief people don't understand how to work in teams and it's especially hard to work in a high energy team where much diversity is found, like ours. When did we become dissatisfied?
What I know is how we felt during those Kal-Tech days. We were inspired and learning and having conversations working on the work together. That was the year 2006. A few things happened to the organizational structure of our district that year. I'm only listing the two most important mile stones in my own life. Mary Frazier and Bill left after 20 some years. I'm sorry I don't know the exact amount. Natural organizational changes like this happen and we learn and grow from our experience only to continue with our passionate work in education.
Now again, we need to set sail in another direction focused on the development of teachers to build lessons with higher level student inquiry. We have to create our maps. Peter Senge in his new book "Dance of Change" says "Without better maps it is extremely unlikely that organizational change efforts will sustain themselves." If you've listened to Peter Senge, you know he pours his heart and soul into his work and he believes the framework provided by the 20+ years of research that went into the making of his book, Dance of Change, will provide a starting point, enabling those of us who care deeply about building new types of organizations .... to lead in creating better maps and healthier organizations. I want to be on the map building team.
And then there's Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers". Wow. It starts off intriguingly great.
May we always ... lead with our best self.
Karla
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Settling down to lay out the plan...
Wow. I was shocked to see the last time I posted was June 8. I knew it had been awhile but that is way too long. I struggle with the question, why don't I do a better job of blogging more often or every day? I'm positive it has something to do with my insecurity of making a mistake.
When there is no failure, there can be by definition, no success. Without risk, there is no failure. Without failure there is no success.
What we don't admit is the systemic culture of Learning (1.0), teaches our children at a very early age, to make no mistakes because getting the wrong answer is bad. Failure is not looked upon as a learning experience. Each year, we hardened them off a bit more and if we're not careful we may have a community full of kids bored who no longer want to take risks for fear of failure.
Laying out the plan? This year marks our State tech plan as renewable! The due date to the state is May, 2009.
As you start to think about all the artifacts of data required to inspire us as we revise our road map and start to frame what 21st Century living looks like, the skills required to live there, we need to remember to ask tough questions.... maybe even harder for us is to create tough answers.
What we all need to agree on, in my humble opinion, is the fact that this work is hard, grueling at times, and requires the use of the dirty words "time" and "accountability".... for not just working on the work, but also to reflect, assess, and act. It certainly takes accountability to another level.
When there is no failure, there can be by definition, no success. Without risk, there is no failure. Without failure there is no success.
What we don't admit is the systemic culture of Learning (1.0), teaches our children at a very early age, to make no mistakes because getting the wrong answer is bad. Failure is not looked upon as a learning experience. Each year, we hardened them off a bit more and if we're not careful we may have a community full of kids bored who no longer want to take risks for fear of failure.
Laying out the plan? This year marks our State tech plan as renewable! The due date to the state is May, 2009.
As you start to think about all the artifacts of data required to inspire us as we revise our road map and start to frame what 21st Century living looks like, the skills required to live there, we need to remember to ask tough questions.... maybe even harder for us is to create tough answers.
What we all need to agree on, in my humble opinion, is the fact that this work is hard, grueling at times, and requires the use of the dirty words "time" and "accountability".... for not just working on the work, but also to reflect, assess, and act. It certainly takes accountability to another level.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Tools of the Trade.....
Only when we can think seriously, read profoundly, dig in the research, look out globally, and have hard conversations, will we thrive and produce in a purposeful professional learning community. PLC's at their best?? How is your's stacking up?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A Few Things.......
I've missed a wonderful event that happened today in my neighborhood! I told my teachers jokingly I was jealous of them all. [smile] I've missed connecting all evening with some great people from out of town and I did't catch all your tweets! Twitter has been neglected since Holiday weekend. I think I should have invited myself better to the celebration. lol
Darn it Kevin! it just wasn't meant to happen by the master gardener!. :-) It was a very good day for me here. Even more, I heard great things from my teachers who spent the first day of the iConnect/iLearn conference with you and their fellow thinkers.
I am so excited for the four who will benefit. Still sadder... that 60 of them did not write back.
Funny, if I were going to say a few things as food for thought based on my day?.... I might say:
p.s. Kevin, you have done well at branding!
Darn it Kevin! it just wasn't meant to happen by the master gardener!. :-) It was a very good day for me here. Even more, I heard great things from my teachers who spent the first day of the iConnect/iLearn conference with you and their fellow thinkers.
I am so excited for the four who will benefit. Still sadder... that 60 of them did not write back.
Funny, if I were going to say a few things as food for thought based on my day?.... I might say:
- I'm doing everything possible to hold your inadequacies in my hands and ease the pain and take care of you like I always have.
- I see great modeling of support systems that exists in the microscopic nitches of our community. The question becomes ... How can we begin to stitch the supports back together?
p.s. Kevin, you have done well at branding!
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