Tag Archives: 21stC
“Only Connect…”
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“Only connect…”
Before family awoke this morning, I read a few tweets and blog posts. These three are swimming in my mind still – weaving themselves together in ways that make me wish I already had developed the writing skills necessary to articulate the picture which exists in my mind.
Three tweets/blog posts:
Bob Ryshke on “Disruptive Innovations and Creating a Culture of Innovation”
Nancy Flanagan on “Digging Out”
Bill Ferriter on “One Tweet CAN Change the World”
For me, the tapestry created by weaving these three thought-provokers together can be summarized with the E.M. Forster quote, “Only connect…” For me, the most critical educational innovation to be realized in the 21st century is for administrators and teachers to work together to make possible the opportunities needed for educators to connect. Educators must be learners and must model learning, and our educational structures must be innovated to foster and promote connected learning among the adults in the buildings. We must dig out of antiquated, isolated structures that keep teachers, the lead learners, separated. We must share and we must find educators who are sharing. We need to think together. We need to connect. Our students deserve our best selves, and WE are smarter than ME.
Only connect…
A school infrastructure that allows – no, PROMOTES – connected learning among the adults is a school infrastudcture that can guide students to learning that matters greatly in the 21st century. How do we expect to facilitate 21st-century-skill development in our students if our teachers don’t live in an environment – in a mindset – that facilitates 21st century skill development?
INNOVATE for teachers and administrators to enjoy job-embedded time to learn together – to CONNECT – and I would be willing to guarantee that endless other innovations will follow. Motivation is NOT the issue for teachers…TIME is the issue. Let’s make time for lead learners to learn together…to connect.
Connect. Only connect…
Sabbatical Opportunity
Recently, on Wednesday, December 15, 2011, the president of my school Bill Clarkson announced a spring sabbatical for me. In brief, I will spend five to seven weeks focused on the exploration of school purpose and significance in the 21st century. Part of my concentration will be spent at Unboundary, and I am fortunate to be immersed in my internship during TEDxAtlanta Creativity. Additionally, my concentration will be spent visiting and observing other schools – to see how they are addressing learning in the 21st century. I am hoping to research further how we can transform schools from the industrial model detailed in Ken Robinson’s RSA Animation.
Having recently watched Science Leadership Academy‘s Diana Laufenberg deliver a compelling TEDx talk about authentic learning and exploration, I hope to gain a few more stones on the path to helping schools look more like what she advocates:
Certainly, some determined colleagues at Westminster have been working on a similar path. See John Burk’s and Jill Gough’s recent posts…they are in the blog roll at the right.
If anyone has other suggestions for educators to watch, schools to visit, books to read, ideas to explore, etc., I am open to your thoughts.
Below is the full text of the letter announcing my sabbatical.
December 14, 2010
Dear Westminster Faculty and Parents:
Recently, the personnel committee of the board of trustees and I granted Bo Adams, principal of the Junior High School, a five-week sabbatical, which will begin on Saturday, March 5, 2011. Bo will return to his full duties at Westminster on April 11, 2011. Additionally, Bo will take a second phase of his sabbatical during a week in June and a week in July, which will bookend Bo’s typical four-week, summer vacation.
During Bo’s sabbatical, he will conduct a multipronged research study of secondary-school education in the twenty-first century. As one dimension of his study, Bo will serve a mentored internship at Unboundary, the company lead by Westminster parent Tod Martin, which assists businesses in defining one’s unique purpose and significance in the global, corporate landscape. Unboundary also coordinates and hosts TEDxAtlanta. In another dimension of Bo’s study, he will visit various secondary schools identified as benchmarks of educational excellence. While working with Unboundary staff and conducting his observations at other schools, Bo will be tweeting on Twitter (@boadams1) and posting to his blog, It’s About Learning (http://its-about-learning.blogspot.com/). As Westminster has just completed a SACS-SAIS self-study, and as we look toward our sixtieth anniversary and our next strategic plan, Bo’s sabbatical will provide further resources and insight for our school to continue positioning Westminster for the best possible education we can provide to your children in the twenty-first century.
While Bo conducts and enjoys his sabbatical, the Junior High School will be lead most ably by his immediate administrative team: Betsy Spruill, Director of Studies; Chuck Breithaupt, Dean of Boys; and Leslie Ann Little, Dean of Girls. If you have questions about Bo’s sabbatical, he is happy to respond to phone calls or emails.
Sincerely,
Bill Clarkson
Many thanks to Bill and the personnel committee for allowing me this incredible opportunity!
Challenge-Based Learning
One Step at a Time
With the gracious permissions of two extraordinary teachers, who also serve as co-facilitators of our middle school math PLC, I am pasting in a recent e-mail thread that transpired between the three of us, as well as one other teacher who teaches on the Algebra I team. As a school, we are making thoughtful transitions toward student learning that involve more real-life problem solving, project-based learning, and balanced assessment. Often the journey is difficult, challenging, and frightening. This journey forces us to reconsider some habits that we have developed as educators in our twenty-years careers. However, we are not alone, and we don’t have to “change everything,” especially not all at once. We can take one step at a time, and we can do so arm-in-arm with our colleagues.
Quick Cartoon “Commercial Break”
>>> JG 11/15/2010 1:49 PM >>>
Please watch when you can and let’s talk about it.
Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers
http://www.ted.com/talks/conrad_wolfram_teaching_kids_real_math_with_computers.html
>>> DD 11/16/10 11:51 AM >>>
It’s a great talk. I agree with most of what he said. My problem is I was trained the way he says we are inadequately teaching. I don’t know how to do what he says to do. I think you need to understand math a lot more than I do to see most real world connections. I have been hearing this idea a lot; but where is the curriculum? Where are some books that will help guide me to teach this way? If that isn’t on its way, then I guess I need to go back to school or get a new job. It is as daunting as if someone said I needed to take someone’s Latin class over and teach it.
I would like to discuss it in PLC.
>>> JG 11/17/2010 1:02 am >>>
Reading Dan Meyer’s blog offers good ideas:
http://blog.mrmeyer.com/
If you have not seen his TEDNYed talk, Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover, it offers a way to use our current books.
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html
>>> Bo Adams 11/17/2010 5:16 AM >>>
DD,
I respect your thoughts on this, probably more than you even might realize. However, I truly believe that any journey, any journey at all, begins with one step. Just one step can start the path. You have already made MANY steps toward the type of teaching that Conrad describes. In fact, you have been doing it for years. With the support of the PLC structure, I think your Algebra I team has made MANY steps toward this journey.
As a runner, I travel a sinusoidal curve in my training. When I am at a low point, and I am trying to make a run of significant distance, I often pick a short-term point in my vision – maybe a street sign, maybe a telephone pole. I just tell myself to “get to that point.” Then, I pick a new point. Often I feel like Donkey (no comment from any of you necessary) when Shrek was coaxing him across the rickety-old bridge that separated Princess Fiona’s castle-of-captive from the other side of a lava-filled gulf. Donkey made it with encouragement, ONE STEP AT A TIME. He did not have to jump the entire gulf in one fell swoop. [Sorry to mix metaphors!, but I did call myself an ASS!]
SHRINK THE CHANGE. Just pick one thing during one class to try. 20 minutes worth. You do this type of “action research” all the time! You are used to it. You just have to pick the next step in your journey’s path. And you have lots of support in your team and in me!
Bo
>>> DD 11/17/2010 11:10 am >>>
That was a great suggestion. It seems simple but I need to remember that when I start to feel overwhelmed. One step at a time.
>>> Bo Adams 11/17/2010 11:29 AM >>>
How would you two feel if I put all of the below in my “It’s About Learning” blog? I could remove your names, or leave them if you don’t mind. I think these emails make for a good story that could help support others.
it's about learning 
