TED-Ed

The team at TED has assembled an amazing new resource that can be very useful for learners of all ages. Take a look at the TED-Ed Introduction video.


The web is providing people with the opportunity to create, share, and organize thoughts, ideas, and information in ways that can open doors to the world that were hard to imagine only a few years ago.

Karl Fisch blogs about this resource here: The Fischbowl  

How can you imagine using this resource with students?

Not Better - Different

In this TED video Will Richardson makes the point that it is time that we stop trying to do schools better and we start trying to do them differently. The problem with better is that better is measured or defined by the standardized test. It is time that we get very clear about what we want and need for our students, children, and future of education.

His presentation takes some time to watch but it is worth the time investment.

What are your thoughts, ideas, comments?
How can we continue to make our schools different?

Peer to Peer Observation - A Guest Post by Teacher and Colleague Steve Abbot

On Peer to Peer Observation:

To me, this is what is missing in high school education.  We work in almost complete isolation from our peers.  We may talk about our instruction but we rarely share it first-hand.  There are very few other professions where such isolation exists.  Even teaching at other grade levels is vastly different – a third grade teacher is accustomed to a regular flow of other adults in the classroom; parents, team teachers, aids and administrators frequently pop in and later share thoughts and ideas based on observation.

As a transition, peer observation is inherently uncomfortable.  Where such autonomy has existed, observation is an invasion.  We will feel self-conscious with a colleague in the room during the moments when classes are not engaged and lively.  Students may be distracted by another teacher parking in the back of the room.

Later though, what was a distraction for its novelty will become normal for its frequency.  Our self-consciousness will fade as our trust in colleagues increases.  The conversations between teachers will evolve from superficial greetings to substantive dialogue based on first-hand experience and the sharing of our instructional practices.

 

External control, standardization, API scores, etc. are all a call by the public we serve, for improved instruction.  If we want to maintain local control of our education system we have to pursue the obstacles to learning with creative, progressive instruction.  The best resources for problem solving in high school instruction are high school teachers. 

Steve Abbott

Mt. Shasta High School

The Bell Curve and Our Circle of Life - A Guest Post by Teacher and Colleague Dave Bruce

The Bell Curve and Our Circle of Life... 

                   new curves of insight for all our students!

Please pick up a pencil and draw a large bell curve on a piece of blank paper…

I imagine all teachers using this tool with all students!    

     WHY?  … to help them get a bigger picture of themselves and the 

      life they are immersed in …

• the beauty of normal   (middle section)
• excellence   (one end)
• balance   (overall)
• strengths & weaknesses   (each end)
• of the comfort zone    (middle section)
• the elite of discovery and excellence   (one end) … risk and deep practice
• and the radical extremes of protest and revolution (each end?) !

                    This tool is very visual & powerful

I showcase it as a political continuum. 

• Total Gov’t/Dictatorship  (far left)
• Liberals  (middle left)
• Moderates  (middle section)
• Conservatives  (middle right)
• No Gov’t/Anarchy (far right) .. and go ahead and throw in ...
• Ultra-conservatives, Communism, Socialism, radicals, extremists, progressives … etc.

Geometry teachers & students can use a compass to draw a circle, quarter it, split out the arcs to form a bell curve, create a perfect yin/yang symbol, and create wavelengths that are indicative of the rhythmic patterns in our lives.

It is important for students to …

·       understand that bell curves take on a more predictable shape as the population (sample size) increases.  If we  graph students’ heights in only one class THEN  school-wide, we find the school-wide graph more closely approaches a bell-curve and allows us to make more accurate and general interpretive statements. ß … please  √ for understanding.

·       understand that each of us falls all over the continuum of the bell curve depending on the characteristic being described … eg heart-rate, kindness, white blood-cell count, weight, political persuasion, etc.  In some areas we are normal, others extreme, or weak, or strong, or … is there a chart for that characteristic?   I wonder where I’m at?

·      understand that extremes are often the vanguard, the leading edge, the place of excellence … not just the bothersome radicals that disturb us normals! 

                                Ahhh, and is normal complacency … mediocrity?   J  Happiness?

Here’s a warm-up: graph #kernals popping (vertical) & time (start to finish, hot air popping, horizontal)  Have small groups do it separately (not actual science, just from their experience & imagination) …

then share out  …

                                  Then have them discover new categories to chart  …  weather, ???

English teachers can help students place characters on bell curves of different kinds, place the same character in different positions, chart a range of genres? ???

Music teachers …. Help me …???  Ahhh … balance in tones, voicing, styles???  Range of rhythm …

Science … Duh … J … really, so cool  … endless …. Yeah, use the yin/yang to illustrate and tie in our reciprocity in life …

Art … Business … Parenting … Psychology … Wellness …

Let’s go back to the rhythm, when we cut the circle into quarters and rearrange them into repeating bell curves / waves ………….  The cycles of our lives, our days, our patterns …   having our students draw out their cycle descriptions and awareness. 

It is this dance of life, this rhythm we have.  

Let’s have more rhythm in our classrooms!

p.s.    Someone said a strong government is a flexible one.  Contemplate that!          

                This could be turned into an essential question.

The Bell Curve Discussion Tool

Guest Post - By Mary Jo Coffman

The following is a Guest Post by teacher and colleague Mary Jo Coffman.

Here is something that has been on my mind and I find interesting in a social science kind of way.  It is interesting to note that the federal support of education such as No Child Left Behind has been an abysmal failure and will likely be on the cutting block due to budget constraints since all education issues are up for the "chop".  In this case it will not be much missed.  The state support of education while substantial has been cut and cut and cut some more.  It is unfortunate that many of state-mandated education "reforms" are politically motivated and aimed at undermining the free public education system in order to privatize and make profit from said educational system.  Public education is certainly one of the last holdouts of progressive reform and social equality.  So, with all of that said, I believe local control of education as it was originally intended is right-minded and more realistic.  I have seen a recent resurgence of local investment in the education process and evidence of that local control.  First of all I had occasion to visit with the county coordinator of the literacy project that is run through the library system.  They have had all funding cut but her network of volunteers will continue the work with or without funding.  Secondly, the library system itself, which is now a local, grassroots effort and stronger than ever.  Finally, the PBL that many of us are involved with involves the community in a very real and important way.  I would say things are looking up!

Creativity

I was inspired by a blog post on A Principal's Reflections: Creativity Fuels Innovation, by Eric Sheninger.
When I think of the project work we are developing, I can not help to think about the potential for creativity and innovation that we are affording our students. This type of curricular experience can allow students to focus on strengths and identify passions. Once these strengths and passions are identified, a student can use them to overcome or compensate for areas that may be considered a weakness. This shift in focus allows for the development of creative and innovative thinkers, problem solvers, and citizens.



As Eric suggests, I am also hoping the video above can become a catalyst for a more detailed discussion on the following: How can we ensure our curricular work nurtures creativity and innovation.  What has to be done to transform our schools in a way that embraces creative instructional strategies and thought amongst learners?  

In Support of Your Work

Dear SUHSD Staff, Students, Parents, and Community Members,

In support of your work and continued effort to provide our students with quality learning experiences, the Siskiyou Union High School District Board of Trustees adopted Resolution 11-18 at the December 14th board meeting. This is a statement of support for your work and a recognition that you are at the forefront of an effort to prepare our students for the 21st century. This efforts takes time, learning, leadership, creativity, collaboration, and risk. 

The Board of Trustees appreciates and stands firmly behind your work and as stated in the resolution:

"The Siskiyou Union High School District commends its teaching and support staff for their learning and efforts, and urges the administration, the teaching and support staff, and the communities to continue in their efforts to provide all students with relevant and engaging learning experiences that prepare them for success in the 21st century."

SISKIYOU UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

RESOLUTION NO. 11-18

The Siskiyou Union High School District recognizes that the process of preparing students for careers, college, and citizenship in the 21st century requires our schools to be interactive and supportive learning environments that provide all students with learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and lead to the development of identified academic standards and interpersonal skills.   To bring all students to a level of proficiency with these identified standards and skills, each school must develop projects and experiences that are intentionally planned, provide specific instruction and opportunity to use and develop a variety of skills, and provide students with direct interaction with their communities.

The Board of Education and District Administration recognizes the learning and change that this direction requires of the teaching and support staff. The Board of Education and Administration unequivocally support their learning and development of these important Project Based Learning experiences that will prepare our students for success in the 21st century.

The Siskiyou Union High School District declares:

WHEREAS, all of our students need to be proficient with identified academic standards and identified 21st century skills; and

WHEREAS, students desire to be involved with engaging and relevant projects and activities that allow them to use and develop their talents and interests; and

WHEREAS, Project Based Learning is a proven method and instructional strategy of developing identified standards and identified 21st century skills; and

WHEREAS, teachers need to collaborate with each other and with community members to develop these types of projects and learning experiences; and

WHEREAS, teachers need to learn, innovate, develop new skills, and develop community partnerships in support of the learning experiences for students, and

WHEREAS, in a variety of ways, efforts will be made to identify and enlist the support of community members for community-school partnerships, and  

WHEREAS, the Board of Education will provide teachers the autonomy, support, and encouragement necessary to develop these types of experiences for all students; and

WHEREAS, this effort involves a fundamental shift in our structural, cultural, and educational expectations; and

WHEREAS, the future of our high schools and rural communities depends on the preparation, involvement, and success of our schools and students,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Siskiyou Union High School District has adopted this Resolution in support of a Project Based Curricular focus, in support of the learning and implementation efforts of our teaching and support staff, in support of the development of community partners to support the learning experiences of our students, and in support of the future of our students and rural communities.

The Siskiyou Union High School District commends its teaching and support staff for their learning and efforts, and urges the administration, the teaching and support staff, and the communities to continue in their efforts to provide all students with relevant and engaging learning experiences that prepare them for success in the 21st century.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 14th day of December, 2011, by unanimous vote.