Free the Teachers! (LOL)

One tip I got when I did my National Board Certification was to make the nbpts.org site my homepage.  The idea was that I would be keeping my goal foremost in my mind.  I think it really worked. 

Now I apply that same idea to other goals:  when I wanted to be better at tracking my money, I made my credit union site my homepage; now my homepage is Edutopia because the Edutopia "vision" is really close to my own vision for school change.  My passion is for freeing teachers to do those things we learn about in our undergrad and grad schools.  Allowing us to TRY the latest and greatest, research based methods.  Allowing us to innovate.

And that's why I keep linking to Edutopia blog posts on school reform.  Like this post on using social media in education. 

Disruptive Innovation

Here is a 21 minute video about Disruptive Innovation, which is really important for those of us on the school reform frontier.  Scott McLeod blogs at dangerouslyirrelevant.org.

Wow! I think we're trying to address all of these!

Here is a link to the following post from The Innovative Educator.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Is Your School Preparing Learners for Success? 5 Questions to Consider

Guest post by Shane Krukowski

“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.”

~C. S. Lewis

Redesigning education involves much more than providing content online, prescribing canned interventions and adding interactive whiteboards to every room. It means choosing the abilities that transcend today’s paradigms, so that we authentically prepare students for the emerging challenges and opportunities ahead. It also means valuing assessment that gives us MORE THAN high scores, but low ability.  If you look at  just about any school’s website, brochure or annual report you’ll see many references to similar goals. However upon closer investigation we often find this is not reality.

How do you know if your school is preparing students for their future or their teacher’s past?  Here are some questions to think about when considering if learners are effectively being prepared for their world.

1. How is your schedule effectively meeting the needs of your learners?

As Tom Vander Ark articulates in his book “Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World, “Master schedules will give way to interesting blends of customized learning experiences and projects that encourage integration and application. Just-in-time learning will become more common, slowly replacing the current model of just-in-case learning.” 

2. How do you prioritize pedagogy over ‘curriculum’?

What are you doing to create rich learning experiences and cut through superficial busywork that makes adults feel productive, but does little to reinforce/expand a student’s skills, interest and knowledge. If a school responds with the standard brochure talk of ‘high expectations’, ‘common core’ and or ‘interactive whiteboards in every room,’ follow with the question “how?” 

3. How do you build relationships with learners? 

How are positive relationships with teachers, mentors, coaches and family being fostered and supported? 

4. How are you educating parents to the importance and relevance of personalized assessment? 

Look up a stock on Google Finance and see how many qualitative and quantitative measures you have at your finger tips.  Why is it for human capital we don’t have the same appreciation for multiple metrics?  

5. How are you motivating students to keep learning?

In his book Outliers, Malcom Gladwell recommends we maximize the number of innovators we cultivate and foster which requires looking at human motivation in new ways and recognizing the importance of imagination and creativity. How is your school fostering empowering students to own the learning?

Too often schools attempt to polish the edges of their model in attempt to live up to this bigger vision. They hand select individual pieces of effective practice and then when it fails or doesn’t scale, they wonder why. These are schools that do things like proclaim, ‘we do competency-based evaluation’, but use course-based transcripts with GPAs--and they don’t realize the inconsistency. To effectively scale authentic, personalized learning and assessment, educators need to embrace new practices, utilize different tools, and ask important questions such as these. 

Deep thoughts...

Do the opposite

This is a link to another blog about innovation.  Very short.

Around the Zone!

     I love it that our entire school is an Innovation Zone!  When we wrote the grant, we researched and found that there are 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention.  These strategies work best when they are done together; it's not very effective to try just one or two.  This research only confirmed what our teachers had already brainstormed and what both teachers and students had said in an Edline survey we posted.  Therefore, we designed an ambitious, multifaceted project.  Three large areas we are focusing on this year are:  innovative, engaging lessons; embedded use of technology; and building community and connections.  Here are some of the dedicated and creative ways that our principals, teachers, staff, and students are working to bring about true educational reform at North Marion:
(Did I forget YOU?  Just tell me what's going on because I'd love to report about it!) 

Innovative, Engaging Lessons

• Mrs. Poling and Mr. Stalnaker are working to develop a journalism class in conjunction with the technical center marketing classes.
• Dr. Baxter is going into the ninth grade English/Social Studies class to teach them about the citizenship test.  Dr. Baxter is a primary source for this information since she is originally from Peru.  Dr. Baxter is also using Project Based Learning in her Spanish classroom. 
• Mr. Graser, Ms. Richards, Ms. Merrifield, Mr. Gerard, Mr. Myers, Mrs. Stanton, and Mr. Milanese are beginning a roller coaster PBL!  This will integrate physical science and math.  Students need to utilize the equations for distance, speed, momentum, velocity, and kinetic energy as well as use proportions and conversions of units as they design, build, and test their roller coasters.
• Mrs. Gaines and Mrs. Moore substituted in the ninth grade integrated class to get a look at what they might want to do next year as teachers of tenth graders!
• Mrs. Duckworth and Mrs. Schneider are using blogs instead of notebooks in their collaborative Earth Science classes.
• Mrs. Barner had students make biology collages to fill a bulletin board in the hall.  She also starred in a video "entry event" for a freshman PBL. (Mr. Graser dougied on a lab table for it, too!)
• Mrs. Stanton is using a time tested biology lab in which students burn peanuts and marshmallows to determine the calorie differences in food.
• Ms. Plachta began an oral communications class for ninth graders to help support the increased number of presentations that they will be required to do in their PBLs.
• Mr. Brown is inviting local emergency services personnel to his classroom to teach CPR with the dummies!  (Do not laugh about this--I know what you are thinking!)
• Mr. Barker and Mrs. Rakocky are developing a PBL on quilting and geometry.

Technology

• Mrs. Shackleford has stepped up to the challenge of handling all our technology needs from the library, and done a nice job of it.  Her son donated an entire day of installing software on the new laptops.  Both Mrs. Shackleford and Mr. Gerard provide tons of tech support without any additional time in their schedules apart from their normal job duties. 
• Mrs. DeVito has learned how to use WVEIS to set up the merged time frames for the integrated classes and then how to set up the schedules and grade books to go with that.
• Ms. Gilpin, Mrs. Mullenax, Mrs. Gouzd, and Ms. DeVaul learned to use Edline to set up students' assignments and daily agendas.  This will help students become more self-directed learners.  They are also designing an Edline training for parents.
• Ms. Carpenter and Ms. Elmer have started Globaloria at North Marion, a class in video game design.
• Mr. Milanese researched and purchased laptops and led a team of teachers who installed software on them two days after school.
• Mr. Beavan put together four lockable storage carts for the laptops.
• Ms. Carpenter oversees this blog in the evenings.

Building Community and Connectedness

• Mrs. Powell has revamped the peer tutoring program along with help from Mrs. Doshier.  Twenty peer tutors will receive FOCUS training in connecting with freshmen through GEAR UP funding.  Mrs. Neptune's WVU intern helped design the tutor forms and prompts used in the program, and has pledged some of his contract hours next semester to help with it.  Mrs. High, who implemented the first peer tutor program at North, will be volunteering here.
• Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Furbee, Mrs. Straight, Mr. Butcher, Mrs. Duckworth, and several other teachers are hosts of peer tutors and helping implement the new program.
• Mrs. Gouzd and Mrs. C. White have started a club called "Husky Mentors" that pairs freshmen with  upper classmen mentors who will be friendly to them in the hallway, send them notes, and eat lunch with them.  Several teachers have started new clubs so that students have a place to feel connected.
• Mrs. Neptune and Mrs. Powell continue to expand the C.A.P.S. program at our school, which stands for Community Awareness and Partnerships for our School.  Some volunteers from C.A.P.S. have already asked to sponsor a LEO club, and have signed up for e-mentoring through a program we are piloting.
• North Marion Alumni attended a panel discussion hosted by the freshmen and their teachers to provide the background of North Marion's history for the first freshman PBL.

Our students are benefiting from the hundreds of extra hours our teachers as professionals are giving of their own time to make North Marion a better place.

And thank you for being kind when I've forgotten to write about you today.  Many of you are holding down the fort and making these things possible.  Many of you are awaiting your opportunity to contribute, perhaps later this year or maybe next year, and I want to remember you in the next post.  Thank you Husky Family for your positive and supportive attitudes.  But then, what else would we expect from Huskies?

The Signs are All Around Us ! :-)

WBOY t.v. came to North Marion to learn more about the Innovation Zone

Click here to watch the WBOY t.v. news story about the innovation zone !  Here is a link to the previous story they ran in March.

North Marion Teachers are Ready to Roll Out the Innovation Zone

The "First Wave" of North Marion Innovation Zone teachers are ready to roll!  Excitement was high as teachers wrapped up last minute plans for the first day of the Innovation Zone co-curricular classes tomorrow.

Algebra I and Physical Science 9 will be co-taught and so will English 9 and Social Studies.  First Wave teachers have moved to new rooms, co-opted new furniture, and designed engaging lessons for the freshmen.  However, they are not without the support of the rest of the faculty.

Other faculty have pitched in to support the First Wave teachers as we've designed the new Husky Mentor program, a Peer Tutoring program, and started piloting the e-mentoring program offered by the WV Education Alliance.  Our idea is to help students make connections that foster better attendance on our way to an improved graduation rate.

Additional teachers have made new signs for the classroom doors, written more grants, and set up trainings in Edline and other technology and software.

Stay tuned for more exciting news on the IZ front!

North Marion Receives $22,500 in Grant Money!

On August 28th, North Marion Principal, Rusty DeVito, and several North Marion teachers accepted a $20,000 award from the George W. Bowers Foundation in a public ceremony held in Mannington.  This grant was written to pay for laptops that this year's freshmen students will use in their Innovation Zone classes.  Although 18 additional laptops will be needed to reach the desired 1:1 computing ratio, other funding is still in the works.  North Marion also received $2,500 from Mylan Pharmaceuticals, which will be used to purchase lockable, mobile storage cabinets for the 60 new laptops.

Thank you to both of those organizations for their support of our mission!

What Happened to New Tech?

Our teachers spent many hours researching the New Tech Network as a possibility for North Marion.  However, we found that our timelines did not coincide well.  For North Marion teachers wanting to be "on the ground and running" by August, this meant that we would have to try to implement many of our ideas on our own.  We give much credit, however, to Jon Reinhard and the New Tech Network for the impetus they gave us to take trips together as a faculty to see New Tech Schools in action.  These trips provided three things for our teachers:  1) An opportunity to bond as professionals which began the process of further developing our dream, 2)  The idea that a school culture component is a desirable element to our plan, and 3) Opportunities to interact with other educators who are excited about change in their schools. 

And so our project goes on as a grass roots movement rather than as a part of a more formalized, non-profit organization.  We are still excited about our opportunities, but needing time to explore our options rather than committing to one certain direction.

by Joetta Schneider

Innovation Zone PLCs Get to Work!

On Faculty Senate day, June 3rd, 2011, North Marion teachers began the work of Professional Learning Communities focused on moving our innovation zone forward.

These committees include:  School Culture, Mentoring and Peer Tutoring, PBL teaching and learning, Technology and Software, Digital Media Master's Degree, Community and Business Partnerships, and Evaluation (including Action Research).  In addition, the Steering Committee will continue to do their work of supporting each of these PLCs.

Only moments after the formation of these PLCs, the Mentoring PLC designed an upperclassmen mentoring program and asked for permission to speak with each student class on Monday to begin implementing their vision!  Huskies rock! 

Innovation Celebration!

North Marion High School teachers enjoyed a private celebration of their attainment of a competitive WV state grant on April 1st, 2011.  This celebration came after six months of brainstorming, grant writing, and revisions.  Also on hand to celebrate was Marion County Board of Education member, Babette Simms.  "This is wonderful!" she said to the faculty, "I had no idea."

All who have contributed to the project so far were acknowledged by Mark Hoffman, Assistant Principal, and by steering committee members, Andrea Neptune and Joy Gaines:

• TLI Team-- Rusty DeVito, Andrea Neptune, Sheila Hawkins, Bill Stalnaker, Rob Shaffer, Josie Plachta, and Shannon Duckworth
• Curriculum Council-- Cheryl Conaway, Linda Elmer, Sheila Hawkins, Angela Merrifield, Joy Gaines, Joetta Schneider, Mary Kuretza, and Andrea Neptune.  Also Amy Carpenter and Alex Milanese
• Marion County Technical Center Collaborators-- Matt Call (Principal), Dr. Larry Watson, Ray Frazier
• Brainstorming Team-- Sunda Gerard, Chris Tennant, Nancy Haddix, Larry Watson, Joy Gaines, Andrea Neptune, Joetta Schneider, Amy Carpenter, and Angela Merrifield
• First Team Indiana --Rob Shaffer, Tom Myers, Sunda Gerard, Alex Milanese, Kristin DeVaul, Teresa Baxter, Mary Anne Mullenax, April Kelly
• Ohio Showcase Team-- Joy Gaines, Amy Carpenter, Elizabeth Stanton, Christina Gouzd, Bill Stalnaker, and Jessie Baker
• Second Team Indiana-- Rusty DeVito, Andrea Neptune, Joetta Schneider, Barbara High, Shannon Duckworth, Nancy Haddix, Josie Plachta, and Heather Richards
• Also in attendance from Marion County Tech Center --Randy Pheasant, Smoke Conaway, Gary Rinehart, and Tim Gump
• Special Shout Out to Our Supportive Administration-- Rusty DeVito, Mark Hoffman, Mike McNeil (who has to arrange for all the substitutes!), Mary Kuretza, and Kathy White.