The paradigm presentations were by far my most favorite part of EDAD 9530: Paradigms and Practices of Schooling. My own paradigm project gave me the opportunity to put in words what I have been doing the past year in regards to technology staff development, and by listening to others' projects, I was able to further my understanding of what is happening in area school districts. We truly did have a class of experts and it was amazing to hear about all the wonderful paradigm shifts taking place.
The past six weeks have been exhausting, but as usual, I am able to look back and appreciate of all the wonderful relationships I've built and the knowledge I have gained. The Senge book has already given me many ideas in systems thinking and I am excited to share the information with my new team this fall. Although the staff development section in Senge's book was not my assigned section, I was able to read it an apply it to my paradigm project. I don't know if our new Director of Staff Development is familiar with Senge's work, but I will definitely be sharing it with her as well.
I will end with an "ah-ha" moment I had during Abby's presentation on Wednesday. She mentioned connectedness as one of her strengths and described how her brain was a giant molecule with all the atoms connected. Abby said that everything was clear in her mind how it all connected, but that she couldn't always put her thoughts into words. She might as well have been describing me when she said that! Connectedness is my #2 strength and I really do feel like everything I hear, read, and experience relates to something else in my life. My brain literally hurts from making so many connections. Now I just need to work on putting my thoughts into words so I can verbalize it to others. I think blogging is just the avenue for that!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Vision Statements
I came across this blog post by Scott McLeod right about the time I was reading Senge's chapter on School Vision. McLeod has several questions worth considering...
How many of us purposefully and explicitly model the learning process for our children? How many of us stand up in front of kids and say, “This is what I’m learning right now. I’m not any good at the moment but this is the process I’m following and this is what my plan is for achieving success. And I’ll give you an update in a few weeks, and then another few weeks, and so on, about how I’m doing?” How many of us purposefully and explicitly show our students what it means to struggle with learning, overcome obstacles, and emerge on the other side more skilled and more knowledgeable than we were before? You already know the answer: nearly zero.
Gandhi said, "We need to be the change we want to see happen." If we want our students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, communicators, and take initiative in their learning, it needs to be continuously modeled by the adults in their lives. Being open and honest the way McLeod describes in his blog post allows students to see how learning is a lifelong journey and not confined to 40 minute lectures. But how do we move past putting together nice/neat visions statements that hang on our walls? Is it possible to live it out everyday?
Page 347 in Senge's book has a practical checklist for refining and implementing the vision. Our current superintendent has started the visioning process by pulling together community members, parents, teachers, students, and administrators to discuss the future of our district. While I have not been a part of the process, I know one of the main questions revolves around what Senge mentions: "If the vision were realized, how would the curriculum, the design of the school system, the mix of classes and offerings and all other factors fit together? Create a description-not as the final word, but as a starting point for further dialogue." I can feel the change coming on and it's exciting to be at the beginning of something really spectacular!
How many of us purposefully and explicitly model the learning process for our children? How many of us stand up in front of kids and say, “This is what I’m learning right now. I’m not any good at the moment but this is the process I’m following and this is what my plan is for achieving success. And I’ll give you an update in a few weeks, and then another few weeks, and so on, about how I’m doing?” How many of us purposefully and explicitly show our students what it means to struggle with learning, overcome obstacles, and emerge on the other side more skilled and more knowledgeable than we were before? You already know the answer: nearly zero.
Gandhi said, "We need to be the change we want to see happen." If we want our students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, communicators, and take initiative in their learning, it needs to be continuously modeled by the adults in their lives. Being open and honest the way McLeod describes in his blog post allows students to see how learning is a lifelong journey and not confined to 40 minute lectures. But how do we move past putting together nice/neat visions statements that hang on our walls? Is it possible to live it out everyday?
Page 347 in Senge's book has a practical checklist for refining and implementing the vision. Our current superintendent has started the visioning process by pulling together community members, parents, teachers, students, and administrators to discuss the future of our district. While I have not been a part of the process, I know one of the main questions revolves around what Senge mentions: "If the vision were realized, how would the curriculum, the design of the school system, the mix of classes and offerings and all other factors fit together? Create a description-not as the final word, but as a starting point for further dialogue." I can feel the change coming on and it's exciting to be at the beginning of something really spectacular!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Reading reflections...
In a recent blog post by Seth Godin, he wrote...
Alignment to the mission, to the culture, to what we do around here--this is critical, because in changing times, we can't rely on a static hierarchy to manage people. We have to lead them instead, we have to put decision making power as 'low' (not a good word, but it's left over from the industrial model) in the organization as possible.
The "static hierarchy" Seth talks about made me think of Sizer's chapter on sorting. On p. 72, it says,
"A school which asserts that everyone will proceed in that school in a carefully prescribed way at all times is profoundly discriminatory, and thereby extraordinarily ineffective." Right now I'm visualizing boxes on an assembly line representing our students (Sir Ken Robinson talks about this "assembly line" in his Changing Education Paradigms TED Talk). As time passes, more and more packing tape is being put on allowing little flexibility, creativity, or decision making power. Do we want our students in nice neat packages in the end? Should all the boxes look the same? Do teachers appreciate the diverse talents each student brings to class? If schools spend the majority of their time "taping down" those individual talents and making sure each box is the same dimension and only contains the required standards, our end product will not be ready for "shipping". The students we are educating today are entering a world of professions that haven't been created and will confront global issues that haven't even occurred. Will standardized tests help our students in these situations? I think not.
We are at a crucial point in our education system where some tough questions need to be asked. Senge gives several questions on p. 324 related to the purpose of school and the quicker we start addressing some of our long-held beliefs related to compulsory education, the faster we can move out of the industrial model and catch up to the 21st century which is well underway.
Alignment to the mission, to the culture, to what we do around here--this is critical, because in changing times, we can't rely on a static hierarchy to manage people. We have to lead them instead, we have to put decision making power as 'low' (not a good word, but it's left over from the industrial model) in the organization as possible.
The "static hierarchy" Seth talks about made me think of Sizer's chapter on sorting. On p. 72, it says,
"A school which asserts that everyone will proceed in that school in a carefully prescribed way at all times is profoundly discriminatory, and thereby extraordinarily ineffective." Right now I'm visualizing boxes on an assembly line representing our students (Sir Ken Robinson talks about this "assembly line" in his Changing Education Paradigms TED Talk). As time passes, more and more packing tape is being put on allowing little flexibility, creativity, or decision making power. Do we want our students in nice neat packages in the end? Should all the boxes look the same? Do teachers appreciate the diverse talents each student brings to class? If schools spend the majority of their time "taping down" those individual talents and making sure each box is the same dimension and only contains the required standards, our end product will not be ready for "shipping". The students we are educating today are entering a world of professions that haven't been created and will confront global issues that haven't even occurred. Will standardized tests help our students in these situations? I think not.
We are at a crucial point in our education system where some tough questions need to be asked. Senge gives several questions on p. 324 related to the purpose of school and the quicker we start addressing some of our long-held beliefs related to compulsory education, the faster we can move out of the industrial model and catch up to the 21st century which is well underway.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Fast Food - Slow Food
On a recent car ride from school to baseball practice, my 5-year-old son asked what we were having for dinner. He asked, "Is it fast food or slow food?"
I immediately thought I'm a terrible mother! How awful is it that my 5-year-old has eaten more fast food than home cooked meals in the past month? How sad is it that my 2-year-olds first word was, "Culvers!"
I allowed myself a small pity party after hearing my son's comment, but then I decided to do some reflecting and see how it might apply to other areas of my life. I'm currently taking two summer classes at UNO for my Ed.D in Educational Leadership and in both classes, professors have mentioned two things:
In a world of instant gratification and where everything seems to fly by at a rocket's pace, it becomes increasingly difficult to pace myself and slow down enough to enjoy the process.
I immediately thought I'm a terrible mother! How awful is it that my 5-year-old has eaten more fast food than home cooked meals in the past month? How sad is it that my 2-year-olds first word was, "Culvers!"
image from http://www.pdclipart.org
- "This program is not a sprint...it's a marathon!"
- Enjoy the process!
image from http://www.pdclipart.org
In the past week, I have read The Influencer, The Students are Watching, The 100/0 Principle, The Year of Learning Dangerously, and several pages from Peter Senge's Schools That Learn. Did I mention that one of my summer classes was only 3 days and the other one meets Mondays and Wednesdays for 6 weeks? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the varied class formats UNO provides, but I'm starting to wonder if things will ever slow down enough for me to really enjoy them. I guess that is what a marathon runner learns to do...set a steady pace to enjoy the run and know that there is an end in sight, but it's going to take awhile.
I haven't done much reflecting on what I've read thus far. Everything is in bulleted notes in Evernote. This week has definitely been a "fast food" type of week, but I'm looking forward to meeting with my group to process.
Link to Senge's Notes
Link to The Students are Watching Notes
Link to The Influencer Notes
Link to 100/0 Principle Notes
I haven't done much reflecting on what I've read thus far. Everything is in bulleted notes in Evernote. This week has definitely been a "fast food" type of week, but I'm looking forward to meeting with my group to process.
Link to Senge's Notes
Link to The Students are Watching Notes
Link to The Influencer Notes
Link to 100/0 Principle Notes
Thursday, June 6, 2013
A Much Needed Break
I took a much needed break tonight and went to a painting party with some of the 1st grade moms. I have been completely overwhelmed with classes, reading, ending the school year, starting the summer, accepting a new position for next year, thinking about projects that need to be done, etc. But I reminded myself, "The students (my kids) are watching!" How does mom grapple with stress? Well tonight, it was painting!
I used the Vine app on my phone to create this video as I painted.
I used the Vine app on my phone to create this video as I painted.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
How many hats do you wear?
I attended the ISTE Conference last summer in San Diego and it was an AMAZING experience! While in San Diego, I was able to collaborate with educators from all over the world, meet “tweoples” I follow on Twitter in person, hear amazing Keynote speakers like Sir Ken Robinson and Dr. Yong Zhao, run along the ocean side, eat authentic Mexican food, take in the diverse culture of the area by riding the trolley down to the border as well as visiting Old Town, and much, much more. As I think back on that entire experience, one image comes to mind. It was from a presentation I attended and for the life of me, I can’t even remember what the session was about. The image just resonated with me on so many levels, so I had to take a picture of myself in the same pose.
Question: How many hats do you wear?
On a personal level, I wear the hat of wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and volunteer. I struggle to find the right balance in wearing these multiple hats. The same is true in my professional life. I am a teacher, mentor, coach, leader, developer, problem-solver, presenter, creator, lifelong learner, member of professional organizations like PDK, ISTE, and NETA, and pursuing my doctorate at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I know I am not unique in the variety and number of hats I wear, so I approach most personal and professional situations with the attitude, “We’re all doing the best that we can!” I am not on this earth to judge, rather to use my God given strengths (empathy is my number one strength on the StrengthsFinder) to build relationships. I have found this approach to be very beneficial during the past five years as an instructional technology specialist for Westside Community Schools. In my position, I have the opportunity to work with K-12 teachers from 13 different buildings and truly feel it has been the best professional development I have ever received. Here are a few reasons why...
1. When I taught middle school students, I was responsible for pretty specific content. I felt comfortable and confident in what I was teaching and found natural ways to make mathematics real for my students. As an instructional technology specialist, I have the opportunity to work with K-12 teachers and a wide range of content areas. My toolbox has grown exponentially and I am focused on changing opportunities for learners (students and teachers) in a positive way (Hayes, 2001).
2. During the past five years, I have been able to experiment with different models of staff development. My current position lends itself to the individually guided approach as I respond to teachers and their unique situations. Some teachers are very comfortable with technology and just need someone to collaborate with in identifying the right tool for the content they are teaching. Other teachers know very little about technology, so I help create tutorials and newsletters to help teachers grow in their knowledge.
3. My current role still allows me time to work directly with students, which in itself has been an amazing professional development opportunity. It’s not uncommon for me to work with a group of students and learn something new about a program I’ve been working with for years. I try to model relationships with teachers and students by not coming across as someone who knows-it-all, but someone who is willing to learn from others...even if it’s a 5-year-old kindergarten student.
Each year my position brings exciting possibilities. This year, I had the opportunity to join Staff Development Cadre and Leadership Westside. My involvement has allowed me to expand my knowledge about best practices in teaching and leadership. I was also able to travel with my superintendent and eight other individuals to Apple this spring to talk about the future of technology at Westside. In his first year as superintendent of Westside Community Schools, Dr. McCann has already outlined the “Next Generation” of our school district emphasizing the future trends in public education. One of his recommendations is to collaborate with faculty to develop personalized and differentiated professional development opportunities supporting staff as they innovate with student customized learning pathways. Personalization and customization has been the focus of all my reading recently. I am not sure how it will fit into my dissertation, but I am confident I am heading down the right path.
I enjoy wearing the hat of lifelong learner. I recently began a paradigms class where we will be discussing, researching, and presenting paradigm shifts in education. Right now I'm thinking my work will focus on customized and personalized education. So far I have enjoyed reading the assigned texts and articles and feel inspired as I make personal connections. One goal I have is to work on my two-minute laser talk or elevator speech (Richardson, 2008) regarding personalized education. I have read several books, articles, and blog posts related to this topic and I see the importance of having that two-minute talk ready so that as I encounter key stakeholders, I am prepared to engage.
Hayes, K. (2001). School librarians as staff developers. The Book Report, 19(4), 6-8.
Richardson, J. (2008). The power of one. Tools For Schools, 11(3), 1-8.
Question: How many hats do you wear?
1. When I taught middle school students, I was responsible for pretty specific content. I felt comfortable and confident in what I was teaching and found natural ways to make mathematics real for my students. As an instructional technology specialist, I have the opportunity to work with K-12 teachers and a wide range of content areas. My toolbox has grown exponentially and I am focused on changing opportunities for learners (students and teachers) in a positive way (Hayes, 2001).
2. During the past five years, I have been able to experiment with different models of staff development. My current position lends itself to the individually guided approach as I respond to teachers and their unique situations. Some teachers are very comfortable with technology and just need someone to collaborate with in identifying the right tool for the content they are teaching. Other teachers know very little about technology, so I help create tutorials and newsletters to help teachers grow in their knowledge.
3. My current role still allows me time to work directly with students, which in itself has been an amazing professional development opportunity. It’s not uncommon for me to work with a group of students and learn something new about a program I’ve been working with for years. I try to model relationships with teachers and students by not coming across as someone who knows-it-all, but someone who is willing to learn from others...even if it’s a 5-year-old kindergarten student.
Each year my position brings exciting possibilities. This year, I had the opportunity to join Staff Development Cadre and Leadership Westside. My involvement has allowed me to expand my knowledge about best practices in teaching and leadership. I was also able to travel with my superintendent and eight other individuals to Apple this spring to talk about the future of technology at Westside. In his first year as superintendent of Westside Community Schools, Dr. McCann has already outlined the “Next Generation” of our school district emphasizing the future trends in public education. One of his recommendations is to collaborate with faculty to develop personalized and differentiated professional development opportunities supporting staff as they innovate with student customized learning pathways. Personalization and customization has been the focus of all my reading recently. I am not sure how it will fit into my dissertation, but I am confident I am heading down the right path.
I enjoy wearing the hat of lifelong learner. I recently began a paradigms class where we will be discussing, researching, and presenting paradigm shifts in education. Right now I'm thinking my work will focus on customized and personalized education. So far I have enjoyed reading the assigned texts and articles and feel inspired as I make personal connections. One goal I have is to work on my two-minute laser talk or elevator speech (Richardson, 2008) regarding personalized education. I have read several books, articles, and blog posts related to this topic and I see the importance of having that two-minute talk ready so that as I encounter key stakeholders, I am prepared to engage.
Hayes, K. (2001). School librarians as staff developers. The Book Report, 19(4), 6-8.
Richardson, J. (2008). The power of one. Tools For Schools, 11(3), 1-8.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Blogging
I recently read a blog post by George Couros (@gcouros) on
6 Reasons Why You Should Do a “Blog Study"
and I thought about how I could share that information. Should I tweet it out? Should I post it to each of the building conference folders through email? Should I email all the principals in the district? Should I just start a blog study of my own?
I decided to include the link to George's "blog study" post along with links to a few of my favorite blogs to a group of colleagues. I included a link to Scott McLeod's (@mcleod) Dangerously Irrelevant blog, Bill Ferriter's (@plugusin) The Tempered Radical's blog, and Seth Godin's blog. I will now make a confession. When I sent the message, I secretly wished one of the people would reply back and say, "Great idea Lynn! Let me organize a blog study and I'll let you know when we're ready to start." Well, that didn't happen. But, in my opinion something better happened! Dawn replied back and said, "Hey thanks for the resources. I'll check them out tonight and get back to you." The following day, she informed me that she had read at least 10 posts from each of the blogs I sent out (I think I have someone who might be willing to do a blog study! :) but also noted that I only posted blogs by males and wondered when I was going to start a blog. I told her that I did in fact have a blog, but that I don't post regularly (er...um...4 posts total...pretty sad I know). I took Dawn's comment as an opportunity to set a couple goals for myself. I told her that I would have a new blog post by the end of the week and that I would find a female blogger to follow.
It's now the end of the week and I have created a blog post and I found a female blogger to follow. Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog (@lindayollis) is one that I have visited in the past and shared with others, but not one that I visit on a daily basis. I was excited to see a place on her blog where I could get notified of new posts by email. I am now subscribed and await getting that new message in my inbox notifying me there's a new blog post. I don't know that I will always follow the same blogs, but for now, these five blogs keep me thinking, questioning, and reflecting.
What are some of your favorite blogs to follow?
6 Reasons Why You Should Do a “Blog Study"
and I thought about how I could share that information. Should I tweet it out? Should I post it to each of the building conference folders through email? Should I email all the principals in the district? Should I just start a blog study of my own?
I decided to include the link to George's "blog study" post along with links to a few of my favorite blogs to a group of colleagues. I included a link to Scott McLeod's (@mcleod) Dangerously Irrelevant blog, Bill Ferriter's (@plugusin) The Tempered Radical's blog, and Seth Godin's blog. I will now make a confession. When I sent the message, I secretly wished one of the people would reply back and say, "Great idea Lynn! Let me organize a blog study and I'll let you know when we're ready to start." Well, that didn't happen. But, in my opinion something better happened! Dawn replied back and said, "Hey thanks for the resources. I'll check them out tonight and get back to you." The following day, she informed me that she had read at least 10 posts from each of the blogs I sent out (I think I have someone who might be willing to do a blog study! :) but also noted that I only posted blogs by males and wondered when I was going to start a blog. I told her that I did in fact have a blog, but that I don't post regularly (er...um...4 posts total...pretty sad I know). I took Dawn's comment as an opportunity to set a couple goals for myself. I told her that I would have a new blog post by the end of the week and that I would find a female blogger to follow.
It's now the end of the week and I have created a blog post and I found a female blogger to follow. Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog (@lindayollis) is one that I have visited in the past and shared with others, but not one that I visit on a daily basis. I was excited to see a place on her blog where I could get notified of new posts by email. I am now subscribed and await getting that new message in my inbox notifying me there's a new blog post. I don't know that I will always follow the same blogs, but for now, these five blogs keep me thinking, questioning, and reflecting.
What are some of your favorite blogs to follow?
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