2 Interesting Articles - Parenting

Both of these articles are very interesting, as a parent and an educator. We try to stress creating self-reliant citizens before we send them to High School. Sadly, and all too often, our greatest challenges are working with some parents. I hope you can take a few minutes and read these.

The Growing Backlash Against Over-Parenting
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1940395,00.html

Do Parents Matter? (this article was referenced in Time's article)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-05-03-parents-edit_x.htm

I did think the quote from the Freakonomics Authors really hit home: "So it isn't that parents don't matter. Clearly, they matter an awful lot. It's just that by the time most parents pick up a book on parenting technique, it's too late. Many of the things that matter most were decided long ago — what kind of education a parent got, how hard he worked to build a career, what kind of spouse he wound up with and how long they waited to have children."

I will be reading Freakonomics very soon!

Hot, Flat and Crowded

Thomas Friedman's follow-up to the World is Flat is another thoughtful look at our current condition and our future. Of course what interested me the most were the sections on education. Particularly the efforts of many parts of the planet to not only catch-up but to move ahead. Our current k-12 educational model is remarkably similar to what we did over 100 years ago. The hard part is figuring out how to teach more curriculum in the same amount of time. What I keep coming back to as an educator and a citizen is trying to figure out how to have more time. I think the most damaging thing we do to our students in the current system is give students 11 weeks off every summer! It is not as if they are helping on the farm or the ranch! What is even more damaging is when we think about students that are behind their peers in reading, writing and math.

I don't know what the answer is, but I do know solutions must be globally designed including the federal and state governments, mayors, local communities etc. It is not a problem that can be solved by one local school district.

It is an interesting book, if you have not read The World is lat, this is a great place to start as we think about the future.

Fertilizers, Pills, and Magnetic Strips

I just read this book over the weekend. A very thought provoking read that does not offer solutions to the current problems in education, but explores how we got here. If you are curious about why things are the way they are I highly suggest reading this book. Public education is a reflection of our society and when we really think about the dramatic changes we have undergone in the last hundred years it is amazing we are doing the job we are doing (which by the way is pretty good). The section on international test data comparisons is worth your time alone.

What interested me the most was the transformation of how we pick and choose schools for our children. We are in a very competitive environment whether it is open enrollment, charter schools, private schools, or nearby districts accepting our students. I like this environment, but it does impact how we go about the business of educating all students that walk through our doors.

I didn't agree with Professor Glass' views on testing, as I think we must have neutral system of accountability. My own thoughts are both ends of the political spectrum use testing for their own political purposes - which are not always in the best interests regarding student learning and success.

Give it a read if you have the time.

Fertilizers, Pills, and Magnetic Strips

Interesting Headline!

Student "Learning Styles" Theory Is Bunk

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/daniel-willingham/the-big-idea-behind-learning.html

This article caught my eye for a number of reasons. Altona has received some criticism regarding our unwavering focus on literacy and numeracy. Our students spend half of their day not just attaining proficiency, but hopefully mastering these key concepts that are the foundation of their education for the rest of their lives. Although differentiation has some place in a school, and most good teachers use it in one form or another, my own philosophy is don't contrive to create lesson plans that meet the needs of all of the different types of learners. Focus on "hard" skills that students must have, regardless of their own particular learning style... if such styles exist and if they are all equally important in the 21st century.

Where have the last 3 weeks gone?

The year is off and running. Our staff has learned, processed and implemented an incredible amount of new systems as our school district moves forward with some real positive changes. Out of everything, I'm most excited about our Virtual Campus application. Looking at some of the teacher's links I'm really impressed with how we are keeping families and students informed on the daily activities. We are really using technology to bridge the gap between what happens in the class and letting parents have much more than a glimpse into their student's day.

To visit: http://classes.stvrain.k12.co.us/ scroll down to Altona!

PST - END

The end is near. One of the comment threads discussed meetings, well that is going to change significantly... with the help of the Leadership Team. I will get my first big email out this weekend, with numerous attachments.

We will have 2 hours of Core Articulation Time on the 17th, for CSAP discussion and syllabus discussion. I will also have presents for all of you...

If you could have your reflection by the 17th, I will get our PST paperwork turned into the PD office ASAP.

Great PST

PST 5 & 6

I have been a bit remiss in my postings, I'm sorry. Our final PST is on 8/6. We will devote some of the time to reviewing the Faculty handbook with the new "unwritten rules" section. The rest of the time is cranking out course syllabi, particularly course descriptions.

Course descriptions will begin: The student will learn the following skills/concepts this year/semester...

Think of this as the big picture view, which will be the kernel of our curriculum maps. Understanding By Design by Wiggins and McTighe will be our PD focus for the 09/10 school year.

My learnings during this PST have really convinced me that our standards-based foundation is just a tad shaky, but that must drive everything we do. What is the end in mind?

My question for you this week:

How do we keep our eye on the big picture at all times, and refuse to let the daily administrivia provide us with excuses for why we are unable to do the things that we know we should be doing?

Great PST, see you in a few weeks.