Let the Sunshine In!

   So, my last post was about what I did at Educon.  After school today Bryan, Shea, Tyler, Robert and I sat down with Sarah to debrief the Educon experience.  This post is about what I learned and am learning about the experience, some questions that have come up for me, and other miscellaneous thoughts .
   1.  There are projects for world languages that are effective.  The idea of exploring the nosotros form to make a promotional video-- how cool is that?
   2.  Authentic assessments, authentic learning are all about respect: respect for the child, the learner, the student, as a capable individual, and respect for where he/she is in their learning process.
   3. This connects to the idea of standards based placement in our language classes, and not expecting everyone to be at the same place at the same time.
   4. The revolution is coming.  We can help to lead it, or we can get run over by it, but it will come.
   5.  This quote from Bryan's e-mail: We need to realize that the structure and design of the current school model is arbitrary, based on the goals and needs of one particular point in time. The goals and needs of this point in time are different than any other, therefore we must give ourselves the permission to redesign our schools.
   6. There are those who will resist change.  We need to encourage and support them as we educate them.  But ultimately, they will either have to change or they will have to get out of the way.
   7.  This is not a trend, or the "latest thing."  This has been building and swirling and growing for several decades.  Real learning, authentic learning is not a fad.  It is necessary, and we owe it to our students.
   8. Advisory is about real relationships with students.  Them knowing that they have an advocate they can count on.  The time we spend with them should be meaningful.  Advisories need to be small communities.  Why don't MS and US talk to each other about the advisory experience?  The US has gone to single grade advisories, and teachers are reporting success.  We have been considering that model in MS.  Why don't we talk about it together?
   9.  What is the ideal amount of time for a class?  SLA uses 65 minutes, 4 days a week.
   10.  SLA students are proud of their school, and proud to be a part of the community of SLA.  Are MVS students proud members of the MVS community?  How do we know?  How much effect does privilege have on our students?
   11.  Change is not hard,  change is uncomfortable. (Grant Lichtman via Bryan)
   12.  Tyler said I was an innovator!  Wow!  What a compliment. How cool that someone who is very innovative in his class sees that in me.
   13.  From Patti: Why do we charge more each year and do things the same way?  It occurs to me: day-old bread is sold at a reduced price.  Should our same-old lessons be offered at a discount, too?
   14.  If we are the leaders, we have to lead!  What would happen to the greenhouse and the human eco program at MVS if we lose Patti to another school that will risk developing a comprehensive human ecology program?  What if another school in the area goes all-immersive in its language instruction?  What if someone else in the area becomes known as learner-centered and project-based?
   15.  Mainstreet Schoolhouse has been in my thoughts lately.  Here is my post about Main Street Schoolhouse from the summer teacher's institute (2013):

Cincinnati is fortunate to have such an abundance of support for its immigrant population.  Mainstreet Schoolhouse is another place that provides instruction and support for earning a high school diploma to LEP (Limited English Proficient) students, other students for whom "regular" school is not a good option, and especially adults and older teens.  I never paid attention to the differences between a diploma and a GED, and I am glad to know that there is a place where students can go to earn the diploma and have more opportunities available than the GED provides (military service, for example).  I admit to some initial skepticism over the workbook approach, but I was impressed with the content, and I think they are a practical way to allow the learning to move at a student-driven pace.  

I know MVS can't be all things to all people. But, what if there is interest in developing an urban garden somewhere in the city (as I heard there might be)?  What if there were also an "outreach center" there?  What if MVS students were available as tutors and instructors?  What if real and meaningful connections were made to the LEP and otherwise marginalized populations in Dayton?  What would that look like?  How could that work?

15 thoughts for today.  Let's keep the conversation going!

EDUcon 2.7. It is NOT always sunny in Philadelphia!

     Last weekend I went to Philly for Educon.  We arrived Thursday evening, and walked to the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) Friday morning for a 9:00 session on making videos.  My group worked on a film about the importance of using instructional videos in class.  While filming, we can upon a Spanish 2 class that was in the middle of a film-- Apocolypto.  We had a good conversation with don Marcos, the teacher, about how he is using the film.  Mark said something interesting at the end of our interview: when he assesses reading comprehension he asks the questions in English, when he assesses writing he gives the prompt in English; this way he can truly check on and assess the skill he is focused on.
   That afternoon I observed a Spanish 1 class.  Melanie was reviewing the nosotros form of the verb.  The project the students are working on is a promotional video for the school that highlights all of the things that "we" do there.  What a cool idea!  Suddenly, project-based learning in world languages made more sense!
   Friday night was a panel discussion.  The four panelists were business and community leaders from many backgrounds.  There was some tension between the woman who markets to teens and tweens and the man who was a social activist, and it was a very lively discussion.  The theme of the conference was connections, and that was the focus of the panelists discussion.
   Saturday began with a keynote address from the Philadelphia chancellor of schools.  What incredibly difficult circumstances the district has dealt with!  5,000 teachers laid off.  No wonder SLA has Rosetta Stone for Spanish 3 and 5!  Nevertheless, every faculty member from SLA that I spoke to or listened to expresses optimism and commitment.  They are doing amazing things in very difficult times.
   The first session I went to was on Window teams.  Bryan had asked any of us attending who serve on a window team to consider coming, and so I did.  I did have a chance to share my frustration about my own team, and got some hope for improvement soon.
   After lunch I participated in a conversation about inquiry and project based learning.  Teachers and students from SLA shared projects and processes.  I am amazed at how articulate SLA students are!  They had no difficulty working individually with groups of teachers.
   The third conversation for the day was about Mastery Tracking.  It was disappointing: the teaching as described was like a "traditional" classroom, but kids have more chances to demonstrate mastery of the material.  On the way back to the hotel, Bryan shared what he knew about the iSchool in NYC, and it did not match what I had heard during the conversation.  Nevertheless, I did get some ideas about how to make sure my students are meeting standards before advancing to the next level.
   Saturday night supper was provided by the school and served by parent volunteers.  It was a taste of Philadelphia-- eggplant parm, cheese sticks, wings, salad, and the iconic cheesesteak.  It was followed by a mixer at a local bar, that would have been more fun if you could have told who were conference participants and who weren't.  Plus, without seating after an hour my hips started to hurt, and it was very hard to hear.  But still, nice to get out and listen to each others' stories.
   Sunday started with a panel discussion on connections in education.  It was another lively conversation among leaders who were more directly connected to education than Friday's panel. Session four was about Convergence Re-imagining Education Project:Envisioning the Future of Learning.  That was an engaging conversation.  This group of people from many constituencies is doing some very exciting work, re-imagining school.  Their plan for systems that support great learning could apply to any school, even MVS: standards for knowledge, skills and dispositions; a coordinated network of adults; technology as an enabler; assessments of learning, for learning, and as learning (meta-cognition); re-imagined spaces for learning; a coordinated network of institutions, organizations, agencies, federations, and businesses; resource allocations; and funding governance, and quality assurance.  Their vision of good learning: competency based; personalized, relevant and contextualized; learner agency (vs. compliance-- learners are co-creators); socially embedded with peers and caring adults; open walled- not confined to school.  I spoke with Kelly Young after the conversation about our Immersion program and the MVS Immersion Method in reference to learning without walls; she was eager to hear about it, and I left her with contact information (though I still have not heard from her)  We were invited to receive a copy of the report by signing up at learnercenterededucation.org-- it is due to come out soon.
   Session five was about taking care of myself.  We got to blow off some steam and make a plan for self care.  My blessing bracelet has helped me with that; several times a day I stop and name four blessings or things I am grateful for as I touch each bead-- it helps me to practice gratitude and to be better present for my students.  Other suggestions I got: Breathe.  Check out the chime at mindfulness bell (an app).  Headspace (which has a fee involved).
   The last session was about authentic learning and authentic assessment. Authentic learning includes a real-world problem with real-world returns.  It stems from need, includes personal choice/passion, and involves risk: real problems, real passions, real risk, and real returns.  There is reciprocity.  Who determines meaning?  Is the student voice included?  There are consequences/impact.  It is relatable-- it has cultural relevance.  Questions to ask when assessing: Why is this assessed?  Who does the assessing?  Does it assess what I am teaching?  It was a provocative conversation at the end of a very full weekend.
   We had cold and dreary weather in Philadelphia, but the good things happening at SLA and at other schools and classes around the world provided some light in the murky atmosphere of school improvement and reform.