Leading - The Power of Why

This TedTalk is about 6 years old and many of you have probably seen it before; however, it is one of those talks that I go back to periodically and re-watch because of its powerful message.  It is absolutely worth the 18.5 minutes.  Please take some time to watch it.



I am generally very skeptical of relating to education, books or talks that are business oriented.  This is one of those talks that I connect with as an educator.  Simon Sinek lays out for us the power of "WHY?"  He demonstrates how leaders who are successful understand and use that power to their benefit while those who don't, fail or simply get by.

If you are in a position of leadership or aspire to be, I encourage you to think about why you do what you do and how you share those ideas, as opposed to focusing simply on what you want to do and how you want to do it.

I find this notion very powerful. What are your thoughts?

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I have always been a proponent of the philosophy, "change is good."  Having said that, I was much
more open to change in my own life and career when I was younger.  I pursued my Masters in Educational Leadership in my twenties and willingly sought out and took on the challenges of leadership positions.  It was exciting and new and fresh.

For the past 11+ years I have been the principal and lead learner of Bear Tavern Elementary School, a wonderful community that is dedicated to education.  Recently, I had the opportunity to make a change.  It was frightening to contemplate.  My superintendent and I discussed the need for assistance on some of the district's critical technology related projects.  With my passion for technology and its appropriate use for teaching and learning, I was intrigued.  But, how could I move on from my position as principal to work in a role that is so different and may or may not be there in the future?  That took some real reflection.

After considering the options, I came to the conclusion that I needed to take a risk. I thought back to those early years in my career when I was eager for a new challenge and willing to take those leaps.  I decided to go for it.  So now, my title is "Principal on Assignment."  I am working on projects including implementation of PARCC assessments district-wide, development of a plan for the district to transition to a new student information system, and supporting and actualizing the expansion of our 8th grade 1:1 Chromebook initiative to grades 9 and 7. Those are some of the major responsibilities among other things.

I was unsure if I would be comfortable working out of our central office and not being based in a school; however, this position has afforded me the opportunity to interact with teachers and students in all six of our schools from preschool through 12th grade. Every day is something new and different. Additionally, I am involved in educating students (and teachers) in an entirely different way.

So, I guess the point of my post is more of a personal revelation. I have been professing the virtues of change to the teachers and students with whom I have worked over the years, but while doing so, I slipped into a position that provided me with the opportunity to engage in what I can only describe as "comfortable change." I firmly believe that the work we have done at Bear Tavern during my time there was positive, good for children, and affirms the reasons that I went into education all those years ago.  But, now I have taken one of those leaps into something less defined and less secure.  It is exciting and invigorating!

What does the future hold?  Who knows?  I am ready for it. I feel like I am truly living the advice I have given others so often over the years.

What changes do you need to make?  It is worth some thought.

Learner Appreciation Week?

May 5th through May 9th is Teacher Appreciation Week, with May 6th being Teacher Appreciation Day. As a school leader, my thinking on Teacher Appreciation Week has evolved over time. Don't get me wrong the teachers with whom I work are dedicated, amazing professionals who should be recognized for their important work during this week (and every week). However, I feel as though the focus may be slightly askew.

I have found that Bear Tavern Elementary School's teachers are some of the most voracious and excited learners that I have ever met. During this school year our teachers have inundated me with conversations, comments, tweets, emails, and observations that demonstrate a dedication to learning, changing, improving, and never being satisfied. This is what makes them a truly special group of professionals.

Our Kindergarten through Second Grade teachers embarked on a journey to relearn how they teach Reading and Writing through the Workshop model. As a district, we did it correctly by providing continuous professional development and our teachers responded by taking the leap, trying new things, collaborating with one another constantly, and understanding the power of making an attempt and tweaking lessons (continuously). At the beginning of the year, the entire LA block was turned upside down and the teachers had to trust that these changes would benefit the children. Nine months later (yesterday), I stood in the cafeteria with members of the first grade team who were marveling at how far their students have come and the quality of the writing that they are producing. AND... the joy with which the students have embraced this work. Similar conversations are happening in Kindergarten and Second Grade. Why? Because our teachers have embraced the idea of learning a new curriculum and new strategies. I believe the best teachers are avid learners and it is clear that I work with many of those. I look forward to rolling this up to third grade next year!

Our entire school has embarked on developing a true understanding of "transfer of learning." Particularly in our 3rd grade through 5th grade (the testing grades), this has become a theme for the year. Last January I wrote a post after we had a faculty meeting with Grant Wiggins (read it here).  Here is an excerpt from that post:

It seems simple to say that we want our students to understand what we teach; however, our discussion of this topic was truly enlightening.  We explored the things that "a student who understands" can do and the things that "one who knows a lot, but doesn't understand" can do.  Take a step back and think about that for a moment.  It is a powerful distinction.  The examples that Grant Wiggins provided and the vibrant discussion of the staff helped to flesh out this concept.  I have to say that the level of interest, thought, and participation on the part of the faculty was inspiring; especially after teaching a full day!

This led to a discussion of the importance of transfer and what that means for children and assessment.  It is one thing to make sure things get covered and standards get checked off, but it is another to have proof that students understand what has been taught and can transfer that understanding to a variety of situations.  In particular, it is important to ensure that they can do this without the supports provided by the teacher or the scaffolding of a question that provides all of the information to answer the question.

This meeting sparked a discussion about how we design instruction to assist children in transferring their learning from the skills and concepts we teach, to application in a "real world" or at least more realistic environment. The work that our PLCs have done this year is reflective of a collaborative culture that has truly made inroads with this concept. Students are better able to understand their learning in a greater context. I mentioned that these are the testing grades earlier because often it becomes tempting to teach to the test; however, a teaching for transfer mindset is more likely to produce real learning that will ALSO be reflected on the test rather than narrow learning that is MAINLY reflected on the test.

Again, this work in the upper elementary grades is reflective of a culture of learning that consistently gives me a sense of pride to be a part of this community of learners. Additionally, the entire staff has done this while learning a very involved new teacher evaluation system throughout the year AND working to integrate our technology resources into the classroom AND working to share our story with the community via social media and other avenues AND...

I guess the point of this post is to recognize the importance of teachers as learners. The only way to continually improve and be the best at what we do is to continue to learn! I feel as though the highest compliment that I can pay the teachers with whom I work during the upcoming Teacher Appreciation Week is that I am honored to be a part of such an active community of learners.

So,

Happy Learner Appreciation Week!

Five Guys, A Piano, and an Elementary School

If you have not seen this video on YouTube, you have to take 3 and a half minutes now and watch it.





I saw this video a while ago and just thought it was pretty cool. In August, as I was thinking about the start of a new school year and reflecting upon what direction I wanted our school to move, I happened to watch this video again and it was like a light bulb went off in my head (at least 100 watts!). The accomplishment of the musicians in that video exemplifies my vision for our staff and our school.

Yesterday we had our opening faculty meeting and I had my first opportunity to work with the teaching staff. After processing our progress and accomplishments from a very successful 2012-2013, I asked the staff to watch the video and reflect on what they saw.  After watching the video, here are some of the things we discussed.

1. Teamwork. The most obvious thing that people saw was five guys working together to accomplish a task. As a school we need to work together to accomplish everything. Our school theme last year was "Better Together" and our school theme this year is "Better Together: HATS off to learning!" (HATS stands for Habits, Attitudes, Talents, Skills). We proved last year that we are a better staff when we work together. When we plan together, teach together, watch each other teach and talk about student achievement, we are better. Our children learn more when they work together. Whether they are working on a service learning project, creating artwork for the school, developing their mathematics skills through cooperative learning, or mastering literacy skills in a small group, the process is stronger when it is collaborative. Our families are more connected to the children's education when we encourage them to be a part of our mission. The volunteerism and passion that families bring to our community is heartening and provides fuel for all that we do.  As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to be on the team and work Better Together.
2. Trust. Closely related to Teamwork is trust. The five guys clearly trust one another and this is why they are able to collaborate. The most concrete evidence of this in the video is when one of the guys is
   
   slamming the cover for the keys to create a beat while the other two guys are playing the keys. THAT is trust! I know that I had some friends as  kid that I might not have trusted with that lid over my fingers:-) As a school community, we need to have that trust in one another. As a staff we need to know that we are all here for children and working for their growth. We need to be willing to let others in our classroom to see what we are doing well and to help us with what we struggle; knowing that we won't get the lid slammed on our fingers if we do.  Similarly, children in our classrooms need to be members of a caring school community that works to build one another up and not tear one another down. Our relationship with our families needs to be one of reciprocal trust. As in any relationship, we will agree, disagree, and everything in between, but we must trust that we are working on that same team for the same goals. As lead learner of the school, I want all members of our community to trust that everyone has the right intentions when it comes to educating our children.
3. Flexibility. Again, related to both teamwork and trust is flexibility. About two thirds of the way through the video, the five guys all run around the piano, switch places, and play in different ways. They are all willing to do their part to make the music beautiful. As they work together, they realize that their talents can be utilized in a variety of ways to achieve their goal. Our students need to take on different roles as learners and teachers. Sometimes they may be the presenter, sometimes the researcher, sometimes the glue that holds the group together, sometimes the leader, and sometimes the supportive team player. Our staff members need to know that they are valuable teachers to all of the children in our classrooms, not just their own class. They are responsible for all of the children (the whole piano). They also need to know that they can take on different roles in the education of the children, they can work next to one another, combine classes, co-teach, share children, and generally look at their roles through various lenses. Our families need to know that school in 2013 may look and feel different than when they went to school. This idea of giving the unfamiliar a chance is expanded upon in the next item in the list. As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to embrace change and know that resilience is an important life skill that we teach here and it begins with being flexible.
4. Innovation and Tradition. The five guys did not just play the piano in a traditional fashion. They played the piano in ways that most of us had not thought of before. Many were struck by the use of the bow strings (very cool). This is important because we need to ensure that we are continually looking at the ways in which we perform our craft.  Teaching is an evolving art and science. The ideas, shared resources, and collaboration of the educational community on #twitter is a testament to the
   
   innovation that is possible in our field. If others are innovating and succeeding, we need to as well. However, we all noticed that throughout the video, their was always at least one of the five guys playing the piano in the traditional fashion. Let's face it, traditional piano playing is foundational and successful; there is no reason to get rid of it, but look how great the music sounded when the traditional was played alongside the innovative! As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to know that we value our traditions and traditional methods of learning as we seek to continually innovate, but this can be uncomfortable.
5. Risk Taking. Can you imagine sitting in a meeting where five guys sit down and say, "So, we're going to open up a piano and start strumming, banging, plucking, and playing a piano in ways it was meant to be played!"? I would think that there are some who would balk at the thought of it. However, these guys took a risk and it paid off. I like the original song by One Direction. It's catchy and you can dance to it, but the version in the video above is amazing (I believe better than the original - personal opinion). It is not easy to go out on a limb and take a chance. Our school should be a place where students, staff members, and families can do that. We need to build up our children so that they are creative thinkers who are willing to take those risks. We need to empower our teachers to try things that may fail and we need to encourage our families to step out of their comfort zone and get involved in ways they never have before. As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to know that risk taking is okay and if we fail it is simply our First Attempt In Learning.
6. Hard Work. That video is amazing; however, it didn't happen without hard work. There had to be many attempts at it and likely many failures. Making beautiful music takes commitment, practice, teaching and learning, self-reflection, correction, and all of the above enumerated concepts. The results of that hard work can be great. Our students need to know that success isn't and probably

   

   
   

   shouldn't be easy. The knowledge that success is earned and not simply bestowed is important in life. Staff members know that the teamwork, trust, flexibility, innovation, and risk-taking are easy to talk about and great to see in a three and a half minute video, but achieving those things is the result of hard work. Our families need to be partners in developing that work ethic and help our children understand the value of hard work; whether it is in the classroom, in the orchestra, on the soccer field, or in the back yard. As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to be committed to instilling a strong work ethic in our children. This begins through modeling it ourselves.
7. Have Fun. It was clear that these five guys were having fun doing what they love. The looks on their faces and the choruses of "na na na na" are clear evidence of that. Having fun is such an important part of the learning process. Who wants to do something in which they find no joy? Our children need to have opportunities to find their passions and have fun in school. I am not naive and I know that we
   
   can't always have fun and that there are things that sometimes we just have to do; however, we need to be sure that is balanced with fun. I would also argue that there are ways to make just about anything fun. As a staff we need to remember why we work with children. Every person that I interview to work at our school expresses a passion and love for working with children and the joy that they find from supporting children in reaching their potential. We need to always remember that passion and let it fuel us daily. Working with children is truly joyful work and teachers are some of the most amazing people I know. While our days are often difficult, they should also be filled with moments of fun, laughter, and joy. Our families should have fun parenting and working with us. Parenting is the most difficult job in the world. It can be stressful and regardless of how many books are written, there is no handbook. Take a step back and remember when you were a kid and you found joy in stomping through puddles, when you could make up games with your friends with ease and no supplies, and think about how amazingly fun it is to watch your children grow as human beings. Sometimes we need to let children be children and remember they are not adults yet (and they are not supposed to be). Working together to educate children is just plain cool!  As lead learner of our school, I want all members of our community to see how amazing it is to be a part of something so special and have fun together as we educate our children.

Needless to say, I found that video very powerful and I hope that you do, as well. I think it was a great way to kick off the year with an amazing group of educators who work everyday to embody the ideas above. At the beginning of this post I mentioned that I was reflecting upon what direction I wanted our school to move and I am pleased that I was able to find some help from a song by One Direction (bad pun intended). But hey, that's what makes it beautiful (okay, I'll stop now). 

I know this is going to be a great year and that we are going to do wonderful things. I'm sure that there are other things in the video that I haven't mentioned above. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the video or anything in this post.

Have a great school year!

#TCRWP - Cornelius Minor Session on the BYOT Movement

This is another post with my notes from a session I attended at the March 9th Teachers College Readers and Writers Project Saturday Reunion.  This session took place in the afternoon and was conducted by Cornelius Minor.  It was entitled, "That's the Way of the World: The Bring-Your-Own-Technology Movement and What It Means for Reading and Writing Workshops."

First let me say that Cornelius Minor is a fascinating guy and you can get more insight into his work and passions on his blog: Kass&Corn.  As I mentioned in my last post on #TCRWP, I am fond of the bullet point when I take notes. The notes begin with some background and information regarding the movement and then some practical ideas for implementing, starting, and fostering use of technology in Workshop and beyond.  I have cleaned up the notes a bit, but they are mainly in their raw form.  My comments are at the end.  If you
have any questions or would like to discuss further, please leave a comment.

Cornelius Minor

• What is the BYOT Movement?
• The movement has always been around
• Socrates had a stick and that was high tech at the time
• Movement has begun to shift from legislating what comes into the classroom to building teaching around it
• Modern BYOT has been around for about 5 years
• The Digital Divide has been changed by mobile devices
• There are more ways to have access
• It is important that kids know how to leverage the technology they have (xbox?, etc.)
• Those who know how to use tech tools well are the most economically successful in our current economy
• Who you are as an economic being is cemented by age 14
• Producer
• Consumer
• We need to invite technology into our classrooms so we can help teach kids how to use it so they can go out and feed their families
• We need policy to shift  to relieve teachers of the legal responsibility for student devices if brought in for BYOT
• Resources and steps
• Get smart on using various items
• cell phones
• tablets
• Google Suite of applications
• blogging
• Do schools have a point person for all of this stuff?
• We should be thinking about hiring people who know how to "speak the digital language."
• We have to have a decent classroom culture in place
• We have to have high expectations in place
• We need to welcome kids to our classes with their devices

• How do I get the devices out of pockets and onto desks and back?
• This is basic classroom management - but updated!
• Should take 3-4 days to teach
• Make sure you have a way to reach each child
• Many districts have student email addresses
• If not, collect them.
• Make sure kids know how to check email
• mini-lesson
• assignment
• Make sure kids understand that the work of tech in the classroom has wider implications in the outside world
• The idea is not for everyone to have "one of those" devices
• It is to know how to get access to "one of those"
• "Part of teaching technology is teaching the hustle"
• Curricular Stuff
• 1st 5-8 days are more procedural and cultural than curricular in a BYOT program
• How does tech find its way into the workshops we discuss each day?
• Writing
• In the traditional analog version, the process is thus:
• collecting - 4-6 days
• rehearsal/draft - 1-2 days
• revision - 4-6 days
• editing - 4-6 days
• publish/share - 1 day
• In the technological version:
• publishing/sharing is the most important thing
• How can i position that published piece in the world so that people this kid cares about have access to it? (younger kids = teacher, older kids = peers, etc.)
• Teacher blog?
• post student work
• get it in the world
• parents need to sign a form
• C. Minor feels that the best thing he has done is to publish his kids to the world.
• Don't "select the best work" to go online
• There is no community in that
• Publish 3 pieces per month
• provides consistency for student and readers
• 3 imperfect attempts is better than one perfect attempt
• Learning is in the attempts
• Use pseudonyms for writing
• then only those who know the pseudonym (classmates, families, etc.) know who wrote the piece
• greater safety
• targeted audience

Time ran out on the session; I could have participated for several more hours in this discussion.  Cornelius Minor helped me to see that BYOT is not simply a high school idea that does not translate to elementary schools.  As an elementary principal I am seeing more and more children come to school with some sort of device (eReader, smartphone, iPod touch, handheld games with wifi, etc.) and I hear stories of their game systems, computers, and devices at home.  With all of this technology at their fingertips, it seems almost wasteful to ignore the potential of using them for greater learning opportunities.

Recently, I listened to my daughter and her friends at her 7th birthday party discussing how I should put the video I was taking on YouTube.  They commented that it would probably get 100 hits or 1000 hits and they would be famous!  This idea of "being out there" on the Internet is the modern version of mom and dad posting our work on the refrigerator for all who visit the house to see our accomplishments when we were kids.  The suggestions that Cornelius Minor provided in this session were practical and safe ways to do this.  

As educators we need to use the tools at our disposal to continually improve the way that we meet our educational goals while connecting with the modern child.  This is not to say that at times Socrates writing in the dirt with his stick is not effective; however, I believe that if Socrates had access to what we do, he would have taken his questioning digital.

Once again, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

Related articles

• #TCRWP Saturday Reunion - March 2013 - Laurie Pessah's Workshop (principalarc.blogspot.com)
• #TCRWP Saturday Reunion - A New Can't Miss for Me! (principalarc.blogspot.com)
• New Units of Study (twowritingteachers.wordpress.com)
• Embracing Bring Your Own Technology #byotchat #byod @mysa @ectechhornet (mguhlin.org)
• BYOT Bring your own technology to work? (dealarchitect.typepad.com)
• BYOT with Fotobabble/Educreations (lgb06.wordpress.com)
• Byot (thesmallstreetjournal.wordpress.com)

Twitter - What's in a Number?

Image via CrunchBase

When I rejoined Twitter for the second time to focus on the professional side of the social network rather than following celebs, I never realized the effect it would have on me.  A number of my previous posts are reflections upon various opportunities that have arisen due to my connections on Twitter.  However, I really started to think about the journey this weekend when I received this tweet from one of my Australian tweeps:

We all keep track of the number of followers that we have.  For some it is a fun game, for some it may be competitive.  I am not sure what it was for me until I thought about the above tweet and responded thus:

That last sentence truly sums it all up.  Since I have been connecting on Twitter, I have met, interacted with, and learned with so many amazing educators in the virtual world.  These are people with whom I would likely never communicate if it weren't for what I consider to be the most influential tool for professional development in my career: Twitter.  In addition, Twitter relationships often become live, in person ones via tweet-ups at conventions, conferences, edcamp unconferences, and various other educational learning forums.

So, I guess the number of followers that I have is kind of fun to watch grow; however, I think the number that is really more important is the number of true connections made. I feel lucky to be learning with so many dedicated and innovative educators.  I've been having phenomenal conversations since the first few weeks that I logged on.  Folks like @Cantiague_Lead, @Joe_Mazza, @L_Hilt, and many others helped me understand back then that this was more than just 140 characters and pithy sayings; it is a full-fledged conversation geared toward improving ourselves and demonstrating how important it is to connect for professional growth.

education (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

On a daily basis, I find new resources shared by members of my PLN and I do the same.  Additionally, I can pose a question and get responses from all over the globe.  I am now a part of things like #edcampNJ and #njed chat.  Every time I click the Twitter app on my phone or log in on my computer, I know that I will come away with something new to nourish my love of learning, teaching, and education.  If you are not using this tool for your own professional growth, I can't stress enough how important it is to start.  There are so many resources out there for beginners like:

Using Twitter for Professional Development
Twitter for Educators - Twitter Cheat Sheet
A Simple Comprehensive Guide on The Use of Personal Learning Networks in Education


As for the chocolate confetti?  I sure hope so. I guess, I'll see soon.


***Update Feb. 11, 2013
Hit 1000 followers overnight and there was no chocolate confetti; nonetheless, I am thrilled to keep growing my PLN.

Related articles

• Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)
• 10 Great Guides for Better Professional Learning Network
• Building a professional learning network on Twitter
• Twitter Connects and Expands - I've Got Proof!
• 20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network
• What does your PLN mean to you?
• 2012: edcampNJ and so much more! A good year for NJeducators!
• edcamp - My post that went awry? - Camping vs. edcamping
• Twitter is MORE than Honey Boo Boo Child

Our Meeting With Grant Wiggins

This past Tuesday, we had the great fortune to have Grant Wiggins at our faculty meeting.  He is doing some work with a couple of our teachers and as we were talking several months ago the topic of state assessments and how teachers prepare their students came up.  As we discussed the topic, I was thrilled that he would be willing to come to one of my faculty meetings to talk about how preparing students for assessments (all assessments) is a matter of instructional design.

Understanding by Design is a familiar concept to many educators.  On a very basic level it is about knowing where you want to go with learning and planning backward to achieve that.  This basic description doesn't begin to explain the nuances of the practices involved in UbD, but it is a starting point.  I felt as though I had a decent understanding of UbD until Grant Wiggins spent about 80 minutes with us and truly brought it to life!  I think the piece that I failed to fully reflect upon was the concept of "Teaching for Understanding."

It seems simple to say that we want our students to understand what we teach; however, our discussion of this topic was truly enlightening.  We explored the things that "a student who understands" can do and the things that "one who knows a lot, but doesn't understand" can do.  Take a step back and think about that for a moment.  It is a powerful distinction.  The examples that Grant Wiggins provided and the vibrant discussion of the staff helped to flesh out this concept.  I have to say that the level of interest, thought, and participation on the part of the faculty was inspiring; especially after teaching a full day!

This led to a discussion of the importance of transfer and what that means for children and assessment.  It is one thing to make sure things get covered and standards get checked off, but it is another to have proof that students understand what has been taught and can transfer that understanding to a variety of situations.  In particular, it is important to ensure that they can do this without the supports provided by the teacher or the scaffolding of a question that provides all of the information to answer the question.

Standardized assessments are not supportive.  They do not scaffold.  They ask students to transfer the things that they have learned in class (standards) to a situation or problem that is likely different and unfamiliar.

So, what does that mean for teaching, learning, and assessment?

I think one of the most powerful concepts that I took away from this meeting was that we must look at what it is we want our students to learn and understand, figure out the things that are getting in the way of them doing that, and design our instruction accordingly. As we do this, we must also gradually allow them to demonstrate their understanding with less scaffolding.  Once again, you may say that sounds like a simple concept, but if you take a step back and think about scope of that task, it is the hard work of planning that must go in to teaching.

This brief post does not do justice to the many ideas we discussed and that are floating around in my mind as I reflect upon the time with Grant Wiggins at that meeting; but, hopefully it will give readers a spark to revisit Understanding by Design.  I know that our staff will be looking at how we approach our units and lessons through this lens.

Related articles

• Grant Wiggins on Escaping Isolation and the Power of Social Media
• Backwards Planning, Understanding & Learning in the Classroom: Understanding by Design

Why School? - Worth the Read!

This morning during the #satchat Twitter chat, a tweet was posted that referenced a short book by Will Richardson entitled, Why School? How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are Everywhere. I follow Will Richardson on Twitter and it sounded like an interesting read, so I quickly downloaded it to my nook and started reading after the chat.  It is amazing how a profound statement (or question) can be so eloquently presented in such a concise and thoughtful fashion.

After reading the book, I felt compelled to write a post about it because there are so many points in it that align with my thinking and that challenge it.  The book is DEFINITELY NOT meant to put the mind at ease.  If you are very resistant to change, I would not pick it up.  I suggest you find an old pedagogy textbook from your Foundations of Education class and sit back for a comforting evening of industrial model education. However, if you are interested in thinking about the future (and present) of education, then Richardson's book is for you.

One of the most powerful ideas for me is one of which I am acutely aware.  Schools and teaching cannot remain the same as we move through the 21st Century.  This seems fairly obvious; however, the system within which schools and teachers work does not allow for the kind of change that is needed.  In a competition based, high stakes testing environment, where those in charge of educating the young are evaluated by the number on a standardized test, it is difficult to foster the skills that will be needed to succeed in the world the children are creating and inheriting.

Will Richardson

One of my favorite lines from the book is, "In times of great change, learners will inherit the earth, while the learned will be beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists" (p. 47). This is a premise upon which I have been working for quite some time.  My version has been more of a question: Are we educating children for our past or their future?  I think that it comes down to figuring out what we truly want from schools.  If it is skills for success in the future then we need a fundamental shift in the way that we look at schooling.

Richardson truly hit home with his anecdote regarding the Friday Folder, the essential crux of which is a task completion based idea of education that can be sent home and forgotten in the folder vs. an authentic creation of meaning and skills that would better serve a real audience and the greater good.  These two types of learning are different in every way.  In an information abundant world we should no longer be expecting students to simply "complete" the learning we assign.  We should be learning with them and creating the learning as we move along.  This does not mean that we can throw out curriculum and the expectations that students will learn concepts and skills; but, it does mean that we may need to realize that the learning of information that is "Google-able" will not be enough in the world of the future.  The greater questions are: How do I discern which information is valid and useful? What do I do with the information once I have it?  How can I connect with others to use this information?

Connection with others is a key to the future of education.  We  are connected all the time.  At any moment I have every one of my connections in this world in the palm of my hand and accessible at the push of a button.  This is a resource that cannot and should not be squandered.  How do we effectively leverage that  technology and those human resources for learning?  I am fairly sure that it is not through a competition based model of education, but through a collaboration based model.

I could go on discussing each point in the book; however, I think Why School? is an important discussion starter in figuring out the direction of schools in the future.  If we ignore the message that Richardson is sending, we will find our schools obsolete and not able to educate children effectively for the world in which they must thrive.

I highly recommend this quick read and would love to dialogue with anyone about it here or on twitter @PrincipalArc.



Related articles

• The next evolution of schools: Highlights from our chat with Will Richardson
• Research Report on Why Maker-Driven, Connected Learning is Important
• Three Professional Reads That are Worth Your Time

EdcampNJ is Tomorrow!!!

EdcampNJ takes place tomorrow at Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick.  I am extremely excited about this event.  I have been to several Edcamps over the past year and it is amazing for the one with which I am involved to be only hours away.

If you don't know what an Edcamp is, check out the post that I wrote after attending Edcampphilly this past spring (I've Been Edcamped!).  In short, it is a conference where the participants are the presenters and learning occurs on your own terms.  You are not at the mercy of the conference, it is yours to craft!  If this is intriguing to you, I encourage you to register tonight and go tomorrow on a whim or just show up, you won't be turned away.  You have nothing to lose and I assure you a great deal to gain.

The morning will start off with a live #satchat.  Scott Rocco and Brad Currie will be moderating and there will be participants from all over the country and all over the world.  Having taken part in a live #satchat before, I can say it is both exciting and informative.

I have had the honor of working with some amazing New Jersey educators as this unconference has come into being.  I marvel at the passion with which these folks do everything from EdcampNJ planning to teaching in and running their schools and districts.

I hope to see you tomorrow.

#EdCampNJ | Dec 1 2012 | Linwood Middle School | North Brunswick NJ

Linwood Middle School

25 Linwood Pl, North Brunswick Township,NJ 08902

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• The EdCamp Explosion

It's The Artist That Matters 2.0!

I watched the video below by John Spencer after it was posted on a favorite blog that I read called, "Dangerously Irrelevant!"  Please take a moment and watch...

  As a self proclaimed technology enthusiast and an educator devoted to infusing technology into the classroom, I love the tools that are highlighted in the above video.  However, I think that the message is very important.  There is no tool that is going to "fix" education (I prefer improve rather than fix); however, in order to continually improve education those who educate must use the most powerful tools at their disposal.

There was a time when the pencil would have been considered the most powerful educational tool in the classroom; but, pencils used by students in a class with an exemplary teacher of writing have always been far more successful than pencils used in the classroom of a mediocre teacher of writing.  The same holds true for 21st century technology tools.  None of them will transform the learning.  If the teacher is inclined to learn the tools, work to master their effective use, and work to improve their teaching through these tools, the teacher and the tools will become exponentially more powerful. With a growth mindset, it stands to reason that appropriately implemented tools (even the pencil) can help the teacher become a more skilled educator.

We have all heard the cliche statement, "Technology is the means, not the end."  I would submit that this has become a cliche based upon that fact that it is 100% true.  I will always advocate for teachers having the most up-to-date, modern technologies at their disposal; however, those tools are simply window dressing if the teacher does not use them for the benefit of student learning.

So, the video points out that none of the modern technologies have or will "fix" education, which is a great deal to ask of any tool!  The only place where one hammer can build a house would be on Handy Manny.  In the real world it takes many tools wielded by skilled craftsman to erect that house.  We need to have faith in skilled teachers (artists) and provide them the tools (technology) to practice their craft (teaching and learning.)  This will transform education!

Lessons Learned From a Refrigerator!

So, what can a refrigerator teach us about change in school?

New Fridge -Smudges and all

Our refrigerator died on us a couple weeks ago.  We bought a new one and had it delivered only to realize that we did not measure the height.  The width and depth, yes, but not the height!  So the delivery men took it back and told us we needed to pick out another one.  We didn't like the other ones so... we decided to remove those two useless cabinets above the fridge that store things that we don't need.  We called the delivery company and had them deliver the new refrigerator the next day.  In the meantime, I removed the cabinets... Well, I tried to remove the cabinets.  Unfortunately, they were not stand alone.  They were connected to the two adjacent cabinets.  So, I took apart the cabinets, had the refrigerator installed and then I went about building a faux cabinet looking enclosure by cutting down the original cabinet.  Once again, unfortunately, when I was screwing in a piece of wood (in the same screw hole as before, I might add) the power to the refrigerator went out.  Well, two new electrical outlets, a re-run wire, a hole in my living room wall, and two days of work later, I have electricity to my fridge again. By the way, we love it and we are glad we got it.

The faux cabinet enclosure (not finished)

Why do I tell this story?  Mainly, because I needed to vent.  However, as I was thinking about it, I realized that this story is like so many situations that we encounter when we need to change things in our school.  We have good intentions of improving something only to find that we have gotten in much deeper than we expected. Here is my take on the different ways my fridge experience correlates with my work experience.

1. While change is inevitable, sometimes it is hard to plan - We had no idea that our refrigerator was going to die on us.  We came home from work one day to a bunch of warm food!  Sometimes in our schools things happen that cause us to make changes.  It could be enrollment shifts, budgetary decisions, unfunded mandates, etc.  The point is while carefully planned change is always best, sometimes we have to change to adapt to the situation with which we are presented.
2. Mistakes are part of the process, learn from them and move on - Yes, I admit it, I forgot to measure the height, but sometimes when we are working to change something (especially with a deadline) we can miss things.  One missed measurement can scuttle the whole plan.  When we change in our schools we have so many factors to consider that it is nearly impossible to do it alone.  If I had done the measuring of the refrigerator with someone else or several someone elses, we might have caught the missed measurement.  When making change in school we need to involve all of the stakeholders in the planning process; not only so that they can have ownership of the change, but so that the project can be seen from many perspectives and the pitfalls can be avoided.
3. Sometimes our plans don't fit our situation and we have to make choices - We thought we were going to need to scrap our plans for the refrigerator that we wanted and go with something else; something less desirable to us.  However, we opted to remove the cabinets and change our situation.  When we encounter roadblocks, we have to make decisions. In schools, change is almost always met with roadblocks like resistance from various stakeholders, initial results that are not favorable, or lack of capacity to enact the change.  We can scrap the change or change the situation.  Sometimes the roadblocks are telling us that we made the wrong choice in our change; however, more often we need to reorient our organization to fit the new direction.  If stakeholders are resistant, is it because we haven't done the proper preparation? If our results are initially weak, is it because that is a natural part of the change or because we need to tweak things?  If we lack the capacity to make the change, do we need to provide professional development to be ready?
4. Change is not easy, sometimes it will cause us to doubt the new direction - The removal of our useless cabinets proved to be much more difficult than initially expected.  As I tried to remove them and realized that their removal would cause a larger reaction with the adjoining cabinets, I had to reevaluate the change.  I almost called the delivery company and told them to hold on the delivery again.  How often has a new program or initiative been introduced into our district and because it became very difficult to actualize it simply faded away?  Usually this pattern leads to the mindset, "If I wait long enough this too shall pass!"  But, with dedication, creativity, and hard work we can persevere and foster the change successfully.
5. Get others involved in the implementation. Don't try to do it all yourself - In the initial paragraph of this post, it seems as though I have done all of this alone; however, at the point where the cabinets did not come out so easily, I involved my father-in-law.  He is a bit more experienced in this type of job.  We made the decision to take the cabinets apart and then cut them down to create an enclosure.  One of the curses of being an administrator is that we often have a vision of how we want something to happen and have difficulty letting that go to others to be molded and changed.  The problem is that the ideas of others usually enhance and make our ideas better.  They are different than our original idea; however, the value of collaboration is immeasurable.  There is usually someone with more experience or a different point of view to stretch the original plan into something amazing.
6. It is likely that change will cause some major issues that require a great deal of work. - Seriously, this rebuilding of the cabinet took a total of 45 minutes.  We were very happy with ourselves!  Unfortunately, the last screw (literally, the last one) apparently pierced a wire in the wall (where there should not have ever been a wire) and cut the power to the fridge...and the microwave...and several other outlets.  Ahhhhh!!!. We spent two days mapping the circuit, isolating where the damaged wire fed, and cutting off the dead wire.  We replaced it with a new wire between two new electrical outlets to complete the connection. By the way the outlets on this circuit were crazy.  They spanned two rooms and outlets on opposite sides of the rooms.  In our schools we often have unanticipated problems.  These are different than the roadblocks because these are the "normal" problems that will occur with any change.  For instance, sometimes it is difficult to anticipate that developing and implementing a new program may disenfranchise a group of teachers.  A good example of this would be switching from a basal reading approach to a balanced literacy approach.  Teachers who have been teaching with basal readers for decades may feel that their efforts were good for years, but now switching to a new approach indicates that they have been doing it wrong.  These types of issues are real and need to be addressed. 
7. Change for the better is worth it! -  At the end of the refrigerator story, I mentioned that we are happy with the new fridge.  This is indicative of coming through any change process.  Once your initial vision has been reworked and your reality has been remodeled, it is usually very satisfying to see the fruits of the change!
8. A final note on change. - As you can see from the picture below, the wall in my living room took a beating to make this project work.  Change is messy.  No matter how well planned, there will be some things that do not go smoothly; however, just as Spackle can be a homeowner's best friend, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and leadership skills are the change agent's best friends.

Living room wall - The fridge is on the other side of this wall

This may have been a stretch and it is by no means scientific; however, I believe that we can find lessons in everything that we do.  I hope that my refrigerator can provide some insight into school change.  I know that there are many books out there on change and much research on the subject, but I also know that I have a new fridge and it came with a story that I could share. While I know this is not a comprehensive treatment of change in schools, it's a start.

By the way, stainless steel is a nice idea, but I kind of like my children's fingerprints on fridge.  It lets me know that we live in our home.  Don't be afraid of the "mess" in your school.  It is the evidence that your students, staff, and community are living with those changes.  You can tidy up the mess and know that tomorrow it will be back, just like the fingerprints.  I think that is good.