Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Assessing New Ideas

How do you assess new ideas and practice?

Human nature often negates new ideas rather than embrace them.

Yet, if we think of new ideas with relation to student learning, we can ask the following questions when assessing the idea.
  • Are students engaged, curious and motivated?
  • Does the idea lift the learning quality of individuals and the community?
  • Is the culture enhanced by the idea?
  • Does the new idea help students to become more capable, creative and accomplished?
  • Does the new idea contribute to the school vision and mission?
  • Will students' lives be enhanced by the idea?
New ideas have the potential to move our individual and collective practice forward, and it's important that we evaluate those ideas with students' interest first. 

Professional Practice Priorities

Again and again I prioritize.  Why?

I prioritize because there is unlimited potential in education today, but time and energy are limited.

Hence, at this fork in the road I prune and detail the landscape around me mindful of the essential questions I posed a while back.

Where am I headed:
  • Effective math teaching and test review.
  • Project base learning/endangered species unit.
  • Enhanced literacy studio.
    • fluency 
    • independent/small group reading/writing
    • interactive read aloud/comprehension strategies
  • Learning design study and research.
  • STEAM study and learning.
  • NBPTS Renewal.
My overall goal is that my study and work affects student learning in positive, engaging, and empowering ways. Once your goal list is simple and straightforward, you know you're ready for thoughtful action.  

Where are you headed at this turn in your professional path? 

Why the Protestors at UW Madison are Right

This post is from Professor Chad Goldberg.


In his April 29 statement on Palermo's Pizza, Interim Chancellor David Ward wrote: "On November 29, 2012, NLRB Regional Director Irving Gottschalk issued a decision that found the majority of the alleged labor law violations against Palermo’s lacked merit. The NLRB findings were appealed by representatives of the workers. Earlier today [April 29, 2013] the appeal was denied based on insufficient evidence. Throughout this process, we stated that we would weigh findings by the NLRB as we considered additional action…. We are encouraging Palermo’s, the workers and the NLRB to reach an agreement on rehiring the remaining workers who are not covered by today’s appeal decision. While we acknowledge the viewpoints represented by UW-Madison students and the Workers’Rights Consortium, we believe that cutting ties with Palermo’s at this time is not warranted based on the facts." [http://www.news.wisc.edu/21728]

Others on campus have also questioned yesterday's student occupation of the chancellor's office in light of the recent NLRB ruling. 

One would hope that a liberal arts education would militate against this kind of intellectual and moral complacency. Why does the WRC merely express a viewpoint, while the NLRB determines facts? Why should the campus community regard the NLRB as the supreme arbiter or the only valid source of judgment or evidence in this dispute? Why do members of the campus community who in other instances pride themselves on their critical thinking skills hesitate to question the NLRB? Better knowledge of U.S. labor history would serve all of us well. It would remind us that the NLRB is in fact a political body that reflects the presidential appointments made to it--or blocked by the Congress.  Indeed, in recent years it has become politicized to an unprecedented extent by Republican refusal to approve President Obama's appointments. [http://jeffweintraub.blogspot.com/2010/02/republican-obstructionism-watch-why.html

As a result of this politicization, the board is not merely a legal and regulatory framework for struggles between labor and management; it is itself an object and terrain of struggle.

Furthermore, as my colleague Sara Goldrick-Rab has rightly pointed out, the NLRB concerns itself with federal labor laws; it does not define the code of conduct at UW-Madison. The Worker Rights Consortium, an independent worker rights monitoring organization with which the university is affiliated, and the UW-Madison Labor Codes Licensing Compliance Committee, the campus shared governance body designated to make recommendations on these issues, have both investigated Palermo's Pizza and found it guilty of violating UW’s code of conduct. There is no contradiction here with the NLRB ruling: even if Palermo's is not in violation of federal labor laws, it can still be in violation of the university's code of conduct.

Interim Chancellor Ward's dismissal of the recommendations of the Labor Codes Licensing Compliance Committee is another troubling sign of the erosion of shared governance on our campus. Worse yet, it shows a troubling moral complacency which the students who occupied his office rightly reject. They understand that the only thing necessary for the triumph of injustice is for good people to do nothing. Those students are an inspiration to all of us on campus who believe that the university's code of conduct should be taken seriously.

Chad Alan Goldberg
Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Vice President, United Faculty & Academic Staff, AFT Local 223

Math MCAS Prep: Math Sing Along

We've been practicing our math vocabulary with song.  With a host of YouTube songs and others, we've been having a bit of fun with our test review with sing alongs.

Do you use song to practice math concept and vocabulary?  Better yet, do your students create their own songs to learn and practice what they've learned.

Ready access to lyrics, dance steps, music and video is one more way that the Internet enlivens the work we do with children each day?

If you have a favorite math song, please share.  My students are particularly excited about the "I'm a Quadrilateral" dance and tune.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Idea Roll Out

How do you roll out new ideas?  I've always thought that everyone rolled out ideas in similar ways to me, but I'm learning that's not true.

Here's how I typically roll out new ideas.

1. I keep a list of ideas. I ponder those ideas and add to them as time goes along.  Then when the time is ripe, I roll out the idea. I typically begin an idea roll out about one or more months ahead of the actual implementation stage.  That leaves room for error, conversation, review and revision.

2. First, I share the idea with all those who are related to the idea.  I ask for their initial thoughts, reactions and ideas. I check to always make sure that the idea's focus is where it should be, and that the idea has integrity.

3. Next, I make a start to finish plan for the idea roll out. I keep an online copy which I use for reflection, details and notes. I try to keep the work to schedule. I share the idea roll-out information with those involved.

4. I carry out the plan, stopping now and then to revise and reflect with those involved. Plan changes and revisions are noted.

5. When the plan and implementation are complete, I reflect and create next steps.

Often problems and plans are presented without a time line, schedule or organization.  Sometimes plans just land at your footstep without input, discussion, debate or reflection.  When plans and ideas get the attention they deserve and are communicated well, the results are most always much better than when the plan is a last minute surprise.

The book, Intentional Interruption, relayed the fact that one of the biggest issues with change and growth is that people don't spend enough time on problem analysis.  Spending the time up front for innovation and change is worth the effort.

Student Activism Continues at UW-Madison


UW-Madison has a rich history of activism among its students, and that history evolves today as students stand in solidarity with the workers of Palermo's pizza and the good folks of Voces de la Frontera. 

What will outgoing Interim Chancellor David Ward do? Why not act, given widespread public support and his short remaining tenure?

 Here's what you need to know:

(1) UW-Madison's students have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to standing up for the rights of underdogs throughout the world.  It's no surprise they're ahead of the NLRB on this one.

(2) UW-Madison's code of ethics is independent from the rulings of the NLRB or any other entity and is supposed to reflect our values, not those of others.

(3) It is abundantly clear that moral leadership is lacking on both the so-called Left and the Right in Wisconsin, especially when it comes to standing up to corporate interests seeking to keep wages low and profits high.  It is far harder to battle these interests than to cede to them.

I have the great admiration and respect for students who take the time to educate themselves on the political economy of universities and challenge administrators to do the same.  I have no doubt that if Chancellor Ward doesn't soon take action, these students will begin to expose the private interests that appear to inhibit him from doing so.




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2013

Students Occupy UW-Madison Chancellor’s Office

12 students storm administration building demanding termination of school’s contract with Milwaukee frozen pizza firm

Students will remain in Bascom Hall until Chancellor David Ward agrees cut the contract

Contacts:
Sam Klepfer, soviet.thriller@gmail.com, 608-772-4415
Claire Hintz, clairehintz@gmail.com, 651-955-8370
Maxwell John Love, maxwelllove@gmail.com, 724-557-6269

WHAT: Rally outside the ongoing occupation of UW Chancellor David Ward’s office
WHO: UWMad@Palermo’s, a coalition of student groups; labor and community supporters
WHEN: Monday, April 29th at 4:30pm
WHERE: Outside Chancellor Ward’s office, 161 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI

At 2:15pm today, 12 students entered Chancellor Ward’s office to protest his refusal to uphold UW-Madison’s code of conduct for companies that produce goods using UW logos. The students are demanding that the university cut ties with Milwaukee-based frozen pizza manufacturer Palermo Villa Inc over the company’s labor practices.

The sit in comes after a 200-day campaign by a coalition of students, workers, and concerned Wisconsinites. The Labor Licensing Policy Committee, the campus shared governance body designated to make recommendations on these issues, determined in November that Palermo’s was in violation of the university’s code of conduct, and recommended cutting ties with the company.

“We’re occupying the office until Chancellor Ward agrees to cut ties with Palermo’s,” said Claire Hintz, one of the students occupying the office. “It’s outrageous that the Chancellor still refuses to enforce our code of conduct by cutting ties with this irresponsible company.”

In January, the Dane County Board of Supervisors joined the chorus of groups calling for a contract cut, passing a resolution of support. Then in February, the Worker Rights Consortium, an independent worker rights monitoring organization the university is affiliated with, reported that “Palermo has committed serious violations of worker rights and that these violations remain ongoing,” and therefore was in violation of the university’s code of conduct and international labor rights standards.

“Chancellor Ward has abandoned the Palermo’s workers and callously ignored the moral standards that UW claims to uphold,” said Cornell Zbikowski, another of the occupying students. “The Palermo’s workers have been on strike for 11 months as David Ward hides and counts the days until retirement. I’m ashamed to call David Ward my Chancellor.”

At 4:30pm, supporters will rally outside of Bascom Hall. At 6:00pm, the Solidarity Singers will lead the crowd in song.

UWMad@Palermo’s is a coalition of student groups dedicated to ending UW-Madison’s contract with Palermo’s Pizza, including the Student Labor Action Coalition, Working Class Student Union, United Council, ISO, and TAA.

###

WHY: It has been over 200 days since students first confronted Chancellor Ward to uphold the university's code of conduct and cut the contract with Palermo's and he has yet to take any action on this issue. Students have already utilized University channels including receiving recommendations from shared governance groups such as the Labor Licensing Policy Committee in November, receiving a resolution from County Board to support the UW-Madison cut, and having Palermo’s workers come to campus to meet with the Chancellor, and publicizing findings from the corporate investigation by the WRC (who found 4 separate code violations: health and safety, harassment and abuse, work hours, and freedom of association). Yet Ward has remained unmoved on this issue. Over 10,000 signatures have been gathered supporting UW-Madison cutting their contract with Palermo’s. Students will sit-in until Chancellor Ward agrees to uphold the University’s code of conduct and cut the contract with Palermo’s. Students and community members are joining together to hold Ward accountable for his lack of action in protecting and upholding the rights of workers who are directly connected with our university.

******* UPDATES*********************

This was more than a handful of students today.

Students were arrested. I am awaiting details.

Making Dull Learning Interesting

Yes, not every lesson can be exciting  Sometimes due to time and content, a lesson has to be direct and dry.

This morning I have a lesson like that.  The lesson involves a review of test material.  I tell students, "It's my obligation to introduce you to all the material on the test, to give you a chance to do your best."  We initially learned the material through engaging activity and events, but now I want, and need, the review to be explicit as we focus on content detail.

I'll start the lesson with the following statement, "It's important to me that you learn as much as possible this year as that's my job as your teacher.  Today we'll review the practice test so that I have a chance to answer your questions and remedy the small problems or questions that still occur with respect to the information.  Take out your pencils or thin-line markers, make notes and ask questions, lots of questions as we work together to gain mastery of the information."

Then step by step, problem by problem, we'll review the practice test.  Then I'll assign another practice test for this week's study, a test we'll review on Friday. Not every lesson includes bells and whistles, yet every lesson has a purpose, and when you share the activity purpose and rationale with students that creates investment, purpose, and response taking a dull lesson and making it meaningful.

The Move-Up Letter

In a couple of months we'll meet our new class. The students go to their next year's classroom and teacher for a short time to meet and converse. I typically ask students to share with me examples of learning events that they have really enjoyed and learned a lot from. Then I embed that knowledge into my summer planning and learning design.

Move-Up Day is a bittersweet day. Bitter because you're reminded that your students this year are about to move on, and sweet because you're meeting your new students.

As part of that exchange, the new students bring home a move-up letter. That move-up letter essentially begins the next year of learning with information, a supply list, and summer study suggestions.  Each year the move-up letter changes.

This year's move-up letter will include the following information:

  • Teacher introductions.
  • Classroom Program and Philosophy.
  • A Link to the Curriculum Outline.
  • Summer Study Opportunities:
    • Sum Dog English/Math
    • Blogging (KidBlog or a class Google site)
    • Photo collection on a designated online site to support student writing/share.
    • Reading
    • Xtra Math
    • Tynker
  • The teacher's email for questions/share.
  • Important dates: Curriculum Night, First Day of School. . .
  • Supply ist
The main objective of the move-up letter is to welcome the learning community to the new year to come with all the essential information as well as an invitation to converse via email over the summer months. 

Do you meet next year's students this year?  What is your Move-Up Day like?  Do you write and send home a letter?  If so, what do you include?  Thanks for sharing your ideas with regard to this important transition day. 

Who Do You Work For?

Yes, we all work for organizations, but who do you really work for?  Who is at the center of your creation, activity, and effort.

In the end, I work for my students.  They are at the center of my efforts and practice.  They are the muse that energize, motivate, and direct my work.  I enjoy serving their needs and helping them grow. That's why I became a teacher.

In schools, I believe that the students should have center stage--they should be the focus of our work, both independent and collaborative. If students are not the central consideration, then there's a problem to analyze and solve.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Edcamp Boston Enthusiasm

Edcamp Boston is right around the corner. I'm really looking forward to this event as it is a chance to connect with many dedicated educators I confer with online related to educational thought, exploration, and questions.  I'm also looking forward to meeting new invested educators and hearing about their ideas.

Dan Callahan, one of the edcamp founders and team members, wrote a post about edcamp philosophy and practice. The post was a great reminder of the people-centered, idea oriented nature of edcamps.  Edcamps serve as innovation incubators, connection centers, and support meetings. Educators gather with their questions, ideas, experience and effort to engage in dynamic conversation, grow their work and intersect ideas, strategies and processes.

I like to prep a bit before attending an edcamp because the experience is an event filled with multiple learning, sharing and discussion opportunities.

I want to start the day by just taking it all in. I want to look around and notice all the educators who are there, those I know and those who are new to me.  I want to listen carefully as the edcamp Boston team introduces the day.  Then I'll take a close look at all the offerings on the session board to see what sparks my interest and curiosity.  I'm fairly open minded at this point because we've got a lot of positive efforts in the works at my school right now. We've hurdled a number of obstacles and new learning endeavors in the past year, and although there are new challenges on the horizon, I'll be attending edcamp ready to listen, learn and share.

If the board's offerings don't spark me, I have a number of topics I'm curious about right now and may start a session on one of the following topics:
  • Tynker
  • STEAM
  • The New Science Standards
  • Socrative, Evernote
  • Animation Projects and Tools
  • Multimedia Literacy Studios
  • The intersection of music with multimedia composition and STEAM
Last year I really wanted to learn more about blended learning so I started a session.  I learned a lot and tried to follow up with a weekly chat, but that didn't work out mostly due to scheduling issues.  I also had the chance to work with a great young teacher in a session about overcoming obstacles related to new practice, and I spent a considerable amount of time chatting, thinking and writing about ed ideas.

Will you be at edcamp Boston or another edcamp soon?  If so, what do you hope to learn and how will you approach the event?  I hope to attend a number of edcamps this summer and next fall to continue the learning.  Thanks once again to the innovative edcamp founders and teams who started this invigorating, dynamic professional exchange.  



Massachusetts New Teacher Evaluation System: Reflections

9/2/2013 Note: An updated collection of timely posts and information related to the MA evaluation system can be found on the TeachFocus website.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This year I've been part of a system-wide pilot with regard to the new Massachusetts' Teacher Evaluation system. As part of the pilot, I went through the many steps associated with this process. Also as part of the pilot, my pilot colleagues and I will support our colleagues as they go through the steps next year.

In the best light, the new evaluation process is a chance for teachers to develop a reflective, targeted, research-based professional practice. Teachers can stay one step ahead of this process by completing the following steps.

1. Read the Massachusetts Teachers' Association (MTA) New Evaluation Guide. This guide is succinct, and provides links to the Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) evaluation forms and process outlines.

2. Organize your professional work online and off. I recommend the following:
  • Begin a reflective blog, journal, chart, website or document where you keep track of signature events, challenges, questions and efforts in words and images. This document can be private or public depending on your goals. A document like this will help you to build and develop your professional work. This is an example of my blog.
  • Create an online (public or private) ePortfolio with your resume, recertification chart and professional work/evaluation document. Here is my example
  • Understand your system's vehicle for documentation. The system I work for is trying out TeachPoint and as I work with it, the software seems simple and manageable. Interact with the chosen system to learn it well. 
3. Take the time to do a thoughtful self-assessment using state or system rubrics.  It's worth the effort to understand where you stand with regard to standards for excellence in our profession.  When you look at the Massachusetts' standards you will note that they are numerous, but they are also worthy teaching goals.

4. Write SMART goals that benefit your students, professional work and system.  Well-written SMART goals will leave you with work that matters. I outline that process in this post. My SMART goals really served to improve my practice and effect this year. 

4. Ask questions throughout the process so you understand the process, systems and expectations well. Use the summer months to prep your organization, documentation and understanding.

At first sight this new evaluation process seemed overwhelming as there was so much paperwork and so many new systems, yet now that we're heading towards the last month of the pilot, I feel much more comfortable with the process. Our pilot included the following components which helped to create this comfort level:
  • The elementary school principals worked with us to create a system of goal setting, evidence collection, and documentation. The collegial aspect of the pilot made it safe to ask questions, share concerns and develop understanding. During next year's roll-out we'll want to create that same safe space for teachers embarking on the system for the first time. We'll also want to create a time line for teachers so they know what to expect and what's expected.
  • An expert consultant worked with us so that we could understand the system well.  I outlined that effort in a blog post
  • We were introduced to the online software as a group and were able to benefit from each other's exploration and questions. 
How have you learned about or interacted with the new Massachusetts' Teacher Evaluation system?  What systems, processes or efforts have helped you to understand and interact with this system successfully?  What tips would you offer to teachers who are embarking on this system for the first time?

I believe it's essential for teachers to stay one step ahead of state and system-wide efforts and actions as that gives the teacher a comfortable starting point for collegial effort with respect to teaching children well.  I look forward to any advice, links or suggestions you may have as we move forward to assist our colleagues with this process.


Related Posts
TeachFocus is a website that illustrates the new Massachusetts Educator Evaluation expectations with depth. This website can be used to lead reflection and efforts to optimize your teaching practice.

MA Eval System

TeachFocus Website Introduction

The First Eval Meeting 

Chart Your Path: Navigating MA Teaching Initiatives

Teacher Evaluation: Lesson Planning

Teacher Evaluation Systems: Prepare




Saturday, April 27, 2013

Creating a Collective Infographic: Ideas?

I've been wanting to engage students with infographics. My students are fourth graders hence they're just beginning to use data and statistics to gain meaning, foster discussion, and prompt action.

In two weeks I'll begin our endangered species study introduction. To do this, I've decided to introduce the information through data and statistics activities as a way to both teach data and statistics standards as well as a way to show students how data provides meaningful information in multiple formats. Students will learn to both analyze data and statistics formats as well as create their own infographics. In the end, the class will have created a collective infographic bulletin board(s) of data and statistics related to endangered species study. We will use this infographic to inform our follow-up independent research, project work, and presentation.

Since this is my first attempt at creating a collective infographic, I am open to any information you can supply to help me utilize the best tools and formats. With my current knowledge, I have created the following learning path.

1. I will research the data myself to find the most current data and resources.  I will create a document that includes that data.

2. I will also research infographic design and collect the best information sites.

3. I will design a number of whole class, small group and independent activities that will help students learn about, research, interpret and create infographics.  I will use data related to endangered species study.

4. The class will create a presentation of their data in one or more large bulletin board infographics.  We'll photograph the infographics so that we can share the information digitally as well.

At the start of any new unit I like to integrate new learning and venues that bring students' knowledge and skill up to date in meaningful ways.  This infographic path will give us all a new path of investigation, exploration and learning.


Helpful Links to Explore
Infographic Tools



Friday, April 26, 2013

Today's Blended Math Program

The Math MCAS test is right around the corner in Massachusetts, hence we're in heavy math mode. As I've mentioned before, I really enjoy teaching math. It's amazing to relay concepts in pictures, numbers, words and problems, and then see students strive to understand and apply the concepts in meaningful ways. When students err, I point out that we've found an area for growth and understanding, and using a math workshop model I conference with students to tease out the errors to help students make meaning.

As I planned this year's review, I was once again amazed at the multiple resources available online and off.  It certainly is a "brave new world" of math education given the tremendous resources at our finger tips.

The key for the teacher is to blend those resources in ways that emphasize math practice, standards and mastery.  One book or text is insufficient today when it comes to math education as we now have the ability to craft a much more personalized approach to math learning for every child and family using the multiple resources available. Yet a streamlined online or offline text can offer teachers a solid guide.

This year I've been able to blend the following tools for math growth and strength. Typically I introduce a standard, assess, and then plan for the differentiated roll-out of the standard employing past concepts for review and new concepts for learning through the use of multiple tools.  I assess as I move along the standard path, adjusting instruction and materials as I go to best teach the students.

These are some of the wonderful math education tools and processes I used this year. I look forward to updating my class math website this summer to emphasize the best of tools and links as I move forward with math education and understanding.

Tools and Processes:

That Quiz: Free online program where students and teachers can easily make short (or long) concept/skill tests for student practice and assessment.  There is quick feedback and score reports for the teacher.

Symphony Math: An online math model approach to math education that places students at their current level and uses many personalized activities to move students up the ladder of math understanding.  What I like best about this tool is that it forces students to see numbers as models.

SumDog: An engaging online math game that meets students at their current skill level and provides many enjoyable, interactive games and contests for practice

YouTube: YouTube has countless math videos that explain concepts and provide wonderful ways to practice concept knowledge such as songs and dances.

The Internet: There are countless sites to find and print math worksheets such as mathdrill.com. There are also multiple creation sites that help one create tailored math practice materials such as crossword puzzles, comics and more for math practice and review.

Google apps: Google table provides a wonderful vehicle for quickly creating and sharing personalized, responsive math assignments, projects, sites and templates.

Paper/Pencil: Students continually draw, create and make math models to learn and explain concepts. Often they do this in their hard copy math journals.

Manipulatives: We have a solid supply of manipulatives that help students identify and depict mathematical concepts.

Xtra Math: This is a great site for fact practice which can be used at home or in school for free.  The site tracks students' progress and need.

State MCAS Materials: Problems and tools available online through the Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

RTI: This year we started using the RTI approach in math.  This has given us more time and staff to target specific math learning needs for students.

Quick Time/iMovie: These two resources have been terrific for student and teacher content creation which emphasize "math talk" and explanation.

Math Workshop: A differentiated approach that includes a focus lesson, small group and independent math exploration and work, math conferences and share.

Math Project Base Learning: Engaging, meaningful math projects that provide multiple, relevant opportunities for students' math exploration, learning and share.

Math Tech Time: At this time a menu of differentiated, targeted math links are placed online.  Students work on computers and follow those links to strengthen their skill.  The teacher is able to conference one-to-one and monitor the class's work/efforts with a steady stream of online reports.

This short list demonstrates only a fraction of the wonderful math tools and processes available for student learning today. The key is to find the best tools; tools that are both streamlined and engaging hence leaving most of the time for mathematical thought, practice, share and presentation.

How do you create an engaging, standards-based, blended math program for your students?  How do you work collaboratively with your peers to create, develop and strengthen your program?  What tools, strategies and practice do you find most useful?  What challenges still exist?

I'm anxious to give Kahn coaching, Manga High and Tynker greater attention as I incorporate further tools. I'm also looking forward to building my students' ability and efforts with regard to brain-friendly lessons, math talk and problem solving. Math education today is one terrific area for learning investigation and growth--one that I look forward to developing more.  I look forward to your thoughts and ideas in this regard.


Related Information
Blended Learning Article




Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The Education Journey: Rerouting One's Path

Sometimes the answers you seek are not readily available.

You ask and ask, but the answers are not there.

That's the time to shift directions and find another path to meet goals and vision. In this info-laden age of quickly changing tools, processes, knowledge and strategies, growth potential is extraordinary.

Hence, it is more essential than ever to chart the course, plan the path, and reroute when necessary.

As a classroom teacher, my focus is on holistic student development and growth that meets standards and responds to students' needs, interests and passions.

Standards are broad and deep requiring thoughtful introduction, effective practice, meaningful discussion and timely response.

Students' needs require attention to traditional skills as well as critical introductions and practice with new tools and processes.  They desire relevant, meaningful, responsive, joyful learning opportunities with kind, caring and invested teacher coaches to guide and support their journey.  Families seek a teacher as an advocate and support as well--educators who work positively to bring children forward with skill, understanding, confidence and joy

Ideally systems work with teachers for optimal growth, innovation and effort, but that's not always possible in all ways since the education landscape today is complex and riddled with multiple challenges. Hence teachers must often chart their course alone or with close colleagues enlisting support from parents, willing leaders, and the community to serve children.

Teaching well is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor.  There are many paths available, and it is essential that each teacher navigate his or her path towards effective practice.

What have you found to be a positive path towards best practice?  How do you navigate events that challenge your potential and work?  What are the components of a healthy, happy education journey?  These are all questions I consider as I reroute my path once again to teach children well.


The Synergy of Tackling Big Problems

I like to tackle big, meaningful problems with collaborative groups.

I like the energy, learning, debate, and outcomes this kind of problem analysis and solution work brings to an organization.

I enjoy gaining multiple new perspectives, ideas and actions when it comes to a situation. I like the challenging, disruptive and growth-producing energy and synergy that occurs when this work is done well.

When we tackle issues in our organizations, classrooms or systems, what problems stand forth as the biggest, most intrusive problems--the problems that really cause a divide between good work and great work?  How can teams rally around those issues to make effective change?

That's not to say the small issues are unimportant.  Little things can disrupt the good work that's possible, and those need attention too. Some argue that the strength of organizations lie in righting the small wrongs, but I think tackling the big, important problems or goals is the best way to build community, collaboration and a job well done.  Do you agree?

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Questions?

Truthfully I ask questions because I want to know the answer. Answers fuel my inquiry, direction, and journey in the education sphere.

Yet at times questions are met with unexpected response, complexity and challenge.

Perhaps that lies in the way the question is posed, or the context with which the question is positioned.

Yet, a question is a question--nothing more or nothing less, it is simply a quest for understanding, opening the door to greater meaning.  Sometimes a question is met with a complete response, and other times a question is met with a short response or even another question.

It seems that questions are more complex than I originally thought, but still if knowing will make a positive difference, it's important that you ask.

There's No Time for Grudges

While the temptation to hold a grudge is great, there's no time for grudges if you're thinking ahead towards positive action and endeavor.

Conflict happens. Injustice happens too. Division arises, and separation exists. None of this can stand in the way of forward movement. The challenge is to analyze the situation, cull the truth and move forward.

It's challenging to easily forgive or forget those who we perceive as our hindrances in life--the ones that distance us from our goals, pursuits and happiness. But the truth is that the longer we hold the grudge, the longer the grudge serves as an anchor to our positive direction.

Hence, there's no time for grudges. Get to the bottom of it, and move on. (Easier said than done, but a worthy goal nonetheless!)

That Quiz: Terrific Math Review

I've been using the wonderful website That Quiz for tailored math practice, review and assessment.

Today we had a wonderful math tech hour featuring That Quiz as we prepped for the upcoming math MCAS test.

Prior to the start of the year, I set my students up as a That Quiz class.  Then for today's math tech lab, I created a number of tests with 20 review questions on topics ranging from area and perimeter to geometry to measuring and more.

Once students completed their paper/pencil problem solving packets, they got a lap top, logged into our Math menu on our class website and began linking to the tests. As I helped individuals at my table, I had my lap top open with the test results in front of me. I told student that they had to get 80% or above on each test, and if they got less than 80% they had to retake the test.  I welcomed students to come up to me with their lap tops with questions.

As I watched the scores come in and helped students at my table, I could hear lots of chatter all around the room as students coached each other on the tests.  Their conversation included lots of math vocabulary and trouble shooting as they reviewed and practiced each skill.  When students came up with questions, I could clearly see what was causing them trouble with the concept.  Also many students were calling out to me, "Ms. Devlin, please reset my test so I can take it again."
    I responded, "Do you need my help?"
    And they typically answered, "No, ______ taught it to me," or they came up to me with questions.  I always tell the students, "I love questions; that's a true sign of intelligence."

Unlike days of old when students would labor over problems, pass in their papers and wait for the teacher to correct the set, the quick-feedback tests on That Quiz offer instant feedback as well as online measuring tools such as rulers and protractors and problem images and models.  That Quiz also offers the teacher a spreadsheet of scores to refer to and analyze as he/she plans follow-up lessons and practice.

What online tools do you use to give students practice and review with math concepts?  How do you organize the use of those tools for best effect and optimal student learning?

This is one way that technology is positively affecting the work we do each day as educators.

Developing Craft: Survey

A survey can provide educators with valuable information with regard to developing his/her craft.

The way the survey is created is important as surveys can be created simply to restate the known or surveys can be created to encourage greater growth, depth and effort.

Sharing a survey with the learning community can be daunting as we all know that there are areas for improvement--one cannot be all things. Yet giving voice to those you serve in an anonymous way has the potential to elicit development seeds for your craft and practice.

Hence, I'm about to craft a simple survey to let those in my learning community assess my work and practice. I will be looking for trends related to communication, response, direct service and care. I will also use the survey to express my intent with each area so that the community understands the intended direction and philosophical foundation of each question prior to answering the question.

There are many ways to assess one's practice in education including children's daily affect (are they happy?), project work, the quality of questions, parent conference interchanges, students' daily work and effort, test scores, professional evaluations and more.  The survey will lend one more lens as to how to lead my work forward in the days and weeks ahead.

Do you use a survey as part of your own evaluation process?  If so, what kinds of questions do you include, and how do you systematically respond to the results?  In days to come, I'll share the survey questions, response and follow-up actions.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Community, Culture, Relationship

No matter how wonderful new tools and strategies are, the success of schools depends on community, culture and relationship?

What kind of community do you foster?

What aspects of culture do you promote and support?

How do you build, develop and strengthen professional relationships?

Digital tools bring tremendous potential and promise to schools including the fact that those tools streamline work so that there's more time to develop community, culture and relationship.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Too Much Money?

Money is simply a currency of exchange. We assign monetary value to events, services and products, and we affirm those values with the way we spend and work for money.

When individuals complain that something costs too much money it makes me wonder about our patterns and systems with regard to money and exchange. After all, we are a people with unlimited potential for shift and change, and how we assign the values to the work we do and patterns of exchange comes from us.

So in this complex world, I'm wondering how we can redefine our current systems of exchange in order to build safe, healthy, happy communities. How can we work together so that our time and effort is utilized to optimize environmental protection, education, safety, the arts and individual freedoms and pursuit?  How can we collectively rework our system of government so that we truly use our current potential to support "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" for all.

It's a quickly changing world; one that calls for new systems, strategies and patterns to promote positive growth and development. I sense that these innovative systems will mostly begin at the local levels and then grow if deemed worthy. If we're committed to positive change as a people, it is time that we make personal sacrifice and contribute time and effort to realize effective change.

I'm wondering what I can do in this regard. First, it's essential that I begin thinking carefully about who I support with my dollars. Next, in my work I need to look for areas where I can make money-free exchanges for growth and development. After that, I'll also look for positive ways to build capital to effect greater change. What will you do? How will you effect change in this regard so that we have the collective dollars to do what matters.?

A Simple, Imperfect Voice

I read an excerpt about pundits ridiculing a leader recently about his "voice."  They sought to minimize the leader's words and oration. I felt a pang as I read their critique because like that leader I am not always respected for my simple words, fourth grade teacher perspective, female lens, and at-times text with errors.

Yet, I continue to write.

Like that leader I'm on the front line each day. I don't have multiple support staff to edit my prose or review my speeches. I haven't had the luxury of lots of time to hone my skill. Yet, I have had substantial support along the way, enough to give me the tools, words and confidence to express my point of view, and I believe in the freedom of speech and the right for every American (and world citizen) to express his/her point of view with their best ability as well as the responsibility to be respectful and mindful of the potential powerful effect of words.

I encourage everyone to take the time to express their opinion. I especially encourage those who may be worried about their prose, grammar, and ideas to not stay silent, and instead try out voice to both broaden and deepen our collective lens as thinkers and decision makers.

When we ridicule others' speak, particularly those who are making a concerted, respectful effort to share thought, uplift a crowd, or create important debate, we serve to silence others around us.  Instead, I suggest that critical pundits focus more on intent with respect on local dialect, the speaker's history and his/her service. In the same regard, I believe that those who know more about oration should offer suggestions and direction rather than ridicule.

As an educator, this discussion reminds me that it is a new era for voice. With easy share, words are more numerous and powerful than ever. People are using words and oration in multiple new ways via the Internet and live presentations continuously. Pundits and critics abound. Multiple false words and hidden identities exist as well. Just last night a hacker took over the 60 Minutes Twitter Feed espousing all kinds of negative, angry speak, and throughout the Boston Marathon tragedy, both truth and falsehoods were shared readily.

How will we best teach our students about the importance of words, voice and speak?  In what ways will we allow our students to practice this skill? When will they have the chance to critically and respectively analyze text, prose, blogs, tweets and articles looking for truth, connection and impact? As we make this incredible turn in the education road, voice is a central theme to consider. I am wondering how you will consider and employ this theme in the work you do?  I am open to your thoughts and share.






Education Change?

As I get ready for the next leg of the school year, I am wondering why I am so married to the notion of change. Why not leave things as they are?

The simple answer to that question is that we need change because change has the potential to better our work and serve children with greater care, understanding, specificity and strength.

In any profession, there is always roms for growth and change, the potential to do a better job and contribute to a more beneficial effect, and that is why change is essential.

I looked for quotes to guide my thoughts today and came across this New York Times' post, "Falser Words Were Never Spoken," written by Brian Morton.  In his article he tells us the truth about the many quotes we use for inspiration as we move forward in life, and reminds us that ". . .thoroughgoing change, whether personal or social, involves humility and sacrifice, and that the effort to change oneself or the world always exacts a price."

Hence as I move forward in the changing world of education, I remind myself of the following tenets:
  • Students First: All change in education should focus on the student and what is best for his/her life.
  • Collaboration: We cannot make substantial and effective change alone; we must collaborate and work together to effect positive change.
  • Change is Not a Race: While efficiency is integral to effective change, change is not a race for the best idea or quickest solution, instead it is an expected part of the ongoing process of education.  Change is a constant and a steady part of an effective educational system. 
  • New and Old: Change must synthesize the best of the new with the best of the old.
  • Meet Change with an Open, Analytical Mind: Do not hinder change with a close minded attitude, but also don't accept change just because it is new.  Debate, analyze, experience and finesse change for greatest effect.
In my sphere of education work, I am reminded of the many changes at play right now, and the great need to effectively promote positive change and work collaboratively to use change to do a better job by the children I teach. 

As noted before, the changes I'm focused on right now are the following:
  • An effective, multi-modal, blended math learning environment.
  • Learning design that emphasizes learning to learn, content and standards, and how learning can affect others' actions, thoughts, and quality of life. 
  • Community building.
  • Engaging and empowering students.
  • STEAM labs.
  • Learning Community Two-Way Coaching: parent/student--educator, colleague--colleague, leadership--colleague. . .
  • Collaboration 
Change brings promise to the work we do.  Change also brings a sense of joy and enthusiasm as we revise old practices and create new efforts to meet the challenges education poses.  Hence I'll return to work tomorrow with a renewed investment in moving education, both individual and collaborative efforts, towards change that will best support teaching children well. 

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Relentless Attention: Boston Marathon Reflection

Last Saturday I had no idea that a Boston Marathon criminal event would take center stage in my vacation week. First, I was sad and angry that criminals interrupted the lives of innocent people with such a violent act. Like everyone, I couldn't take my eyes off the bright smile and big eyes of innocent Martin Richard who was probably watching the runners with the dream of someday joining the event. I thought of my own bright-eyed children at home and in school as I read and listened to the stories of death and disablement the bombing caused.

Next, I was saddened that these same criminals took the time to disrupt a timeless, people-centered, joyful event that represents so much of what is good about life including hard work, fund raising, sport and community. The Boston Marathon is a signature event in New England culture as well as the culture throughout the United States and world.  Positive events like the Marathon serve to focus our attention, build community and give us something to celebrate and work for.

Then, I was frightened. Who did this? Where are they? Will other innocent people lose their lives this week? Why does this happen? I listened to the steps of the thoughtful investigators as they tried to figure out who committed this violent act. I read social media threads as "couch detectives" tried to solve the crime. I watched how the search narrowed in on two young men, and then how the manhunt served to find those men--killing one in an exchange of fire and arresting another. I gave a huge sigh of relief when both men were caught.

Now, many questions and trials are left to conquer as investigators and victims work to understand the entire situation, get their lives back on track, and move towards a brighter, safer future. I was also well aware of the many throughout the world that posted their own pain related to bombings, terrorism, crime and injury in their communities and countries--they wondered how America could spend so much attention and time on a crime that resulted in so few lost lives unlike the bombings that happen daily in their communities and world.

I'm left with a sense of pride and quest. I am very proud of the leadership, intelligence and effort demonstrated in this event by countless law officers, medical staff, families and community members. There was a tremendous outpouring of effort and humanity.

I'm also left with many questions. First, I wonder how we can help to dissuade young people from joining groups that foster hate and violence. This is a problem on an international level and on a local level.  In the news we read stories of young people who join international groups that foster violence and hatred; we read stories of young people who join local groups that also perpetrate crimes that injure innocent individuals and weaken communities, and we read stories of individuals who kill.  It isn't always young people, but it often is. What draws these people to such groups and activity?  What weakens their sense of humanity to a degree where they can consider, plot and carry out plans that harm innocent people? I believe there are actions we can take for our young in early life that will help to foster a greater sense of humanity and positive action. As a teacher, I know it's important that we foster an optimal education, community, care and advocacy in the early years so that young adults have the tools to live a good, positive life.  As a mom, I know it's important that I remain faithful to my young son's growth and development, supporting them with my best efforts and abilities. Also, as a culture we must make the time to do the work that matters and support communities in a way that creates the potential for quality lives for our young, lives that give them the impetus to move into adulthood with responsibility and care.

Next, this incident calls me to think more about our international work and connections. We were right to put so many resources in place to investigate this crime and help the victims. By doing this, our leaders demonstrated that we will not tolerate acts of this nature and that we do care about our citizenry. Yet, when others around the world cry out for our help, we can't turn away.  We have to look for ways to support their efforts toward peace in ways that are positive and life affirming.

The work and action of all involved in this terrible Boston Marathon tragedy served to diminish the bravado and power of hateful acts. As medical staff, investigators, leaders, families and communities worked together they served to model the best of what a community can be for all.  While this event began with an act of terror, it has resulted in showing the strength of positive collaboration and a focus on life demonstrating that every life matters and there is no room for violence and hatred. In the days that follow, it is my hope that our court system will also demonstrate tenacity and fairness as they further investigate this crime. I also hope that leadership, medical staff, families and communities will continue to pour forth their commitment and care to the many victims of this terrible event. Life will include painful trials, and it is the way in which we react to these trials that makes a difference and sets a more positive course for the future.


Friday, April 19, 2013

It's Good to Be an Education Optimist

Once in awhile people ask me how I can continue to call myself an education optimist when the "new normal" is so grim.  They ask, "why do you continue tilting at windmills instead of being pragmatic and accepting the situation?"

The answer is simple: acceptance is unnecessary and defeat is not an option.  I challenge the status quo for the sake of students.

Today, I want to say Take that, windmill!

The University of Wisconsin System just ceded to the demands of students across the State and agreed to cap a tuition increase at no more than 2% for the coming year and eliminate the waiting list for the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant.  This is a stunning reversal, as President Kevin Reilly had been lobbying against students, insisting that no cap was necessary.

What happened?  Well, as I have long insisted, the issue is not entirely about a lack of state funding being provided to higher education but how administrators are spending it.  When the incentives for administrators cause they to advance the interests of institutions over the needs of students, accountability measures are required to prevent that.  UW System just got called out, as an audit just revealed that a $404 million balance from tuition payments in 2011-2012 was leftover, unspent, while tuition was hiked by 5.5%.  SERIOUSLY??? Those cash reserves were being held for "specific planned future activities," according to the System.  Sorry Charlie, no way. That is something you do with appropriations, not tuition.  If you aim to help future students and promote stability, that's a public good, and should be on the public dime. This is an outgrowth of the same mindset that's diminished tuition and pushed students into debt-- the same old public / private benefits nonsense. Honestly, the students should demand NO increase and hold firm on doing it for 2 or more years!

So, here we are-- they said it couldn't be done-- the net price of attending UW System schools will likely stay flat or decline over the next year.  HURRAH!

Second, Minnesota legislators took a major step yesterday towards a tuition cap of their own, as the Senate voted to increase spending on higher education by $263 million in exchange for institutional performance accountability and a freeze on tuition increases at the state's universities.  This is remarkable-- using appropriations to drive down the costs of a college education on behalf of the people of one's state. Gee, whoever thought of that!

So folks, the strategy works. Get out there and insist on budgetary transparency and accountability for our institutions of higher education and simultaneously demand that legislators do whatever they can to drive down tuition.  This is the most effective strategy to reducing student debt in the near term.  We can do it!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

A New Learning Landscape: Perspective?

It's vacation week in Massachusetts. Essentially, for me, it has been a catch-up week of personal matters and school thought--a needed reprieve from daily practice.

Six days into the vacation has brought me clarity and energy.  I'm ready to embark on the end-year goals of math education, project base learning and literacy studio.  I know my students well and have many individual and collective goals at-hand for the students.

As I begin to think ahead I find myself desiring the broader view, the system-wide goals and vision.  In the old days I was content to hear this vision in the fall as learning didn't change a lot from year to year.  But today, an update in September seems too late as tools, processes and strategies are changing at a fast rate in this information age.  Children are coming to us with different skills, goals and questions due to their ready access to technology and learning at home. Plus, the potential to serve each child well in a personalized fashion is greater than ever before. We hold wonderful promise in our hands.

Yet, that promise demands that teachers hone their craft, research, and learn in order to catch-up with the quickly changing learning landscape around us. There's been a leap with regard to research, innovation and potential, and to sit by and just be satisfied seems to no longer be a plausible route to travel. Educators today need to take on the pace and direction that new learning offers because this new learning has the potential to empower and engage students in ways not possible before.

How has your vision and goal sharing changed since the onset of tech tools and innovation?  What is the best pace for the changing learning landscape?  What does this change look like? Am I impatient or am I rightly directed towards wanting to understand, create new paths, and revise our school environments, processes and efforts?  I welcome your thoughts and ideas?

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Students' Rights: The WISPIRG Debacle

I had the privilege of serving alongside a representative from U.S. PIRG during Senate testimony yesterday, and so today, in support of the hard work they are doing on behalf of students everywhere, I want to weigh in on the situation here in Wisconsin.


UW-Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward recently released his decision on the Associated Students of Madison (ASM)'s approved segregated university fee budget following months of student decision-making. One focus of his decision was removing a majority of the budget for WISPIRG, a statewide, student-directed and funded public interest group and registered student organization, despite student approval.  

The issue of WISPIRG’s funding has received much attention lately, from students, the Associated Students of Madison, the Chancellor, and the media. And now in light of Chancellor Ward’s decision, ASM is preparing an appeal to the Regents. 

WISPIRG was founded by Madison students in 1989 in order to tackle public interest issues and provide students a vital civic engagement experience.  In order to do this, WISPIRG students hire a staff of professional organizers, advocates and researchers to train and organize students to run local and statewide campaigns, research the problems, and lobby on behalf of students in the state capitol and in Washington, D.C.  Here at UW-Madison, WISPIRG is funded by student segregated fees through ASM, and in the past has received contracts to allowed students to work with these staff. 

Over the years, UW-Madison students have reaffirmed their support for WISPIRG's funding many times, through referenda, thousands of petition signatures, and the approval of over 20 different sessions of student government.  WISPIRG's funding and contract not only honor the tradition of student control over student fees, but are also consistent with Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(5), which grants students the responsibility of making decisions regarding student fees that fund campus activities.

Last year, Chancellor Ward removed a majority of the funding approved by ASM, leaving WISPIRG without full funding for the current academic year. Students and faculty have since demonstrated widespread support for ASM’s decision and called on the Chancellor to reconsider his decision with over 4,500 petitions, over 100 faculty signed on to an endorsement,  numerous letters published in the papers, and several personal e-mails sent to the Chancellor. Then this past semester WISPIRG's funding was again approved by ASM, sending a message to the Chancellor that students will not back down on their right to make decisions on segregated fees.   Yet, Chancellor Ward removed funding for all staff members from WISPIRG’s budget and has refused to grant the contract that ASM requested in order for WISPIRG to exist next year.

Aside from the fact that the Chancellor is not respecting student decisions, the timing of his decision seems to indicate a lack of good faith effort to engage in shared governance with students and to respect their rights. This recent decision was made one day after the deadline for students to appeal to the Regents and for Chancellor to present a revised budget.  He has since changed the deadline to appeal, but if students are held to the highest standard when abiding by policies, then the Chancellor should be held to the same standard. 

The Chancellor provided little detail in his memo to ASM leaders to explain his decision. In the past he has released a public “clarification” on his decision, but his reasoning is not very clear at all. He claims that Regent Financial Policy prevents ASM from funding professional staff for student organizations, like the staff that WISPIRG works with, through ASM’s processes.  Students, faculty and staff have on multiple occasions asked the Chancellor and UW-Legal where exactly in related policy it says that students are violating policy, but no one has been able to point out where exactly it says that what students are doing is wrong. (This is a behavior I have observed many, many times over the last decade here.)

What isn’t clear is why the relevant policies are being interpreted in a new way that not only prevents students from funding a group that they have funded since 1989, but also differs from the intent of the policy and the interpretation of past chancellors.

UW-Madison has a rich history of shared governance and of students standing up for their rights, but that legacy is threatened when the Chancellor selectively uses discretion to deny students of decision-making power.

Students have voted to fund WISPIRG and grant the group a contract for over 20 years, and during that time Chancellors have agreed with ASM’s decision to approve a contract.  ASM has voted for years to fund WISPIRG to work with professional staff on important advocacy campaigns to fight for the public interest, so why is this time different? 

The Chancellor’s decisions for FY13 and FY14 are a departure from the decision and reasoning of past Chancellors who have ultimately allowed students to exercise their right to allocate segregated fees.

I strongly urge President Reilly to accept the Student Services Finance Committee’s appeal on WISPIRG’s budget and respect students by re-considering Chancellor Ward’s decision. 


BAM Radio: Terrific Learning Menu Entree

BAM Radio, The Voice of the Educator Community is another wonderful entree on the educator's learning menu. In today's learning world, educators have numerous choices from which to choose when it comes to their learning engagement. Whether you choose social media, blogs, conferences, coaching, webinars, collaborative design, radio or all of the above, the one given is that you have the ready opportunity to develop your craft and deepen your knowledge with regard to teaching children well.

Since I'm an avid tweeter and Tuesday night #edchat fan, Tom Whitby and Nancy Blair, #edchat moderators, invited William Chamberlain and me to participate in last week's #edchat radio conversation about Content Creation. Similar to all new experiences, I was a bit frightened about participating in a medium I had not explored, but decided to jump right in and try it out.  And also similar to my past experiences with webinars, twitter chats, iMovie creation, Google hangouts and more, I found the experience to be exhilarating, profitable and enlightening.  I will revisit BAM regularly and probably couple my "radio" learning with exercise and daily chores as I catch up with missed #edchat topics, and both introduce myself to and review new educational concepts and learning leaders.

As an educator, this experience reminded me of our responsibility to introduce students to new mediums via their interaction with the platforms.  There's not a need for students to be fluent or perfectly prepared to engage with a new medium, and it is our obligation as educators today to both engage in new mediums ourselves and to bring those learning and sharing venues to our students.  In this regard, I'm wondering what new mediums you're currently exploring, and how you plan to engage both yourself and your students with that learning course.  Currently I am in the exploration phase of BAM as well as Tynker, Kahn Coaching and Code Academy--all platforms I hope to share with students soon.

Thanks once again to Tom and Nancy for inviting me to participate in their BAM #edchat radio show.  I hope to have the chance to participate again in the future.

Learning Conversation: Focus Effort

In this digital age there are numerous paths to follow.  Yet, to do your work well you must choose a few paths that really matter.  As you consider those paths you have to consider your ethics, values, time and energy.

I've been blogging for a number of years now.  The blog has mostly focused on the following topics:
  • School System Communication and Organization.
  • Teacher Voice and Balance.
  • Learning Design.
As I think about my career and work, I know that I want my primary focus to be work that positively engages and empowers children in ways that benefit individual lives and the world.  I want to give children the greatest chance of happiness, fulfillment and contribution.

I am fortunate to work in a school system that has wonderful tools, dedicated professionals and an eye on the future when it comes to systems, communication and organization.  That provides me with a terrific classroom laboratory for optimal learning design.  I enjoy weaving the best, new tools and processes with tried-and-true traditional practice to positively effect student learning.  I look forward to embedding the latest research into the work I do, and I benefit from collaboration with similarly focused educators near and far, online and off.  Hence, my primary focus at the moment is optimal learning design that embeds cognitive research, state-of-the-art tools and processes, and lifelong learning skills.  

By staying in the classroom and working with students on a daily basis, I am able to offer a front row seat to the learning process and design.  I believe that this hands-on, practical view can work to provide researchers, educational leaders and teacher colleagues the chance to see education through the lens of one classroom.  Similarly, I look forward to reading the posts of other classroom teachers who work in both similar systems and schools as I do and systems that differ greatly with respect to context, student population and focus.  

We all bring our unique perspectives and voice to the learning conversation that is ongoing via Twitter, blogs, books, research, conferences and other platforms.  And as we share our unique views and perspectives, it is essential that we are transparent about our aim and point of view. Hence at this turn in the road, I am recommitting to my work as a classroom teacher who is dedicated to designing learning events so that all children learn and grow with strength and promise. As educators know this is easier said than done, but a worthy direction nonetheless.

Why do you blog?  What is your goal?  Where is your direction?  With so many paths to travel, it is essential that we stop now and then to focus effort. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Case for Ending Student Loans

Sometimes public problems deserve massive public solutions. This is one of those times.  

As I explained in my testimony to the U.S. Senate HELP committee this morning, student loans have been a requirement for college attendance in the United States.  It is no longer possible for the vast majority of American families to afford college without taking on debt.  It isn't a "choice." While we can disagree about whether or not the personal benefits of that debt are "worthwhile," the policy question is whether the social consequences are tenable.

I argue that they are not.  While the average student loan debt under income-based repayment plans may be "manageable" under current financial industry standards (meaning it represents no more than 10% of annual income) that does not mean it has no negative impacts. (The evidence is far from clear that the debt will in fact be manageable-- the Australians are reportedly amazed that we think lessons from their experiences can reasonably be imported to our very different country and higher education space.)   Having student loan debt very likely decreases the likelihood of borrowing for other things, including buying a home, starting a family, and other hallmarks of American middle-class life.  It also comes with a special kind of stress, as it is not dischargeable, ever, even in death. 

Even more importantly, loans have facilitated bad behaviors on the part of colleges and universities that have other wide-ranging social effects. For example, by attaching a large monetary value to each student, they encourage colleges to enroll students and not spend money to serve them well. They have enabled the expansion of prices affecting even those families who do not borrow.  And they perpetuate the long-standing but ill-supported argument that the private benefits of education outweigh the social benefits (the truth is that the former are measured more accurately and more often than the latter, so comparisons are not yet possible).

Milton Friedman is the godfather of the student loan crisis in higher education.  The same man who created the voucher system destroying our public schools and much of Latin America began advocating in the 1960s for a free-market approach to higher education financing that would shift the burden of funding college from government entirely to students-- this was his explicit goal. Incredibly, he also managed to convince people that this would be more equitable than the alternative of charging everyone less.  Only a market devotee and a political ideologue more committed to theory than evidence would do this.  But many economists around him were convinced and helped to push for the "Middle Income Student Assistance Act" of 1978 which originated the guaranteed student loan program in the name of "choice." Unsurprisingly, the private colleges and universities and the burgeoning proprietary sector were major supporters.

The student loan crisis we now experienced is therefore a manufactured one.  It was an enormous mistake to shift the focus of financial aid from access to choice, and a mistake we must undo.  Here are the next steps:

1. The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 2013 should end the guaranteed student loan program.  Private banks will not see funding student loans as a good deal, and they will eventually disappear.

2. Stripped of loans as a way to finance college, families and students nationwide will immediately look at the costs of attendance at our colleges and universities and express outrage-- outrage that is long overdue.  They will demand that their state legislatures driven down those costs immediately. These voices will be loud, numerous, and powerful.

3. State legislatures will respond, acting to force down the costs of attendance at their public colleges and universities by increasing income taxes and devoting more appropriations to funding them.  They will not simply starve the public colleges and universities because the public will not demand it-- families and students will not abide by seeing the quality eroded. They will learn, fast, that price and quality are not one and the same.

4. With prices substantially lowered at public institutions, the different between public and private colleges and universities will be quite large.  Privates will either respond by lowering their prices (unlikely), standing firm, or closing.  The latter would be just fine-- private institutions should operate only where the market demands it, there is no need for government subsidies.   Nearly all for-profit institutions will close as well.

5. Without student loans to pay for the costs of private education, students entering the private sector will mainly be wealthy, just as they are in k-12 private schools. However, given the widespread belief among private institutions in student diversity and their social justice commitments, these institutions will continue to use their endowments to provide scholarships.  Pell Grant recipients attending private institutions will have those additional funds to support their needs at those more expensive schools.

The result: a strong public system of higher education sufficiently resourced to educate the masses, and a smaller array of private opportunities for those who can afford them or whom private colleges deem worthy of sponsorship.  A college education for all without debt.  Sufficiently lowered prices to make covering the costs unmet by grant aid with a modest amount of work. 

Am I honestly suggesting we go "backwards"? No.  This isn't regression, this is progression. We tried out Friedman's ideas, and they failed, exacerbating socioeconomic inequality in education outcomes, and running millions of Americans into debt.  His approach benefitted private interests, not public ones.  That's precisely what he meant for them to do-- and we collectively fell for it.  Having learned our lessons, it's time to rethink the entire approach and move forward. 

Please, tell me what you think. It's a conversation worth having. 




My Testimony to the U.S. Senate

This morning, I testified before the United State's Senate HELP committee on the topic of college affordability. My written testimony can be found here.  The text of my oral testimony follows, and I have added a q&a to respond to several questions I expect to receive.  I welcome your feedback.




TESTIMONY

Good morning, Chairman Harkin, Senator Alexander, and Members of the Committee. Thank you all for this opportunity.

There’s never been a more important time to address the issue of college affordability.  College is now the main road to a stable, secure life, and in this age of global knowledge markets, it is college-educated workers who will be the main driver of the U.S.’s prosperity. But the research evidence is clear:  most families and students find the high cost of college attendance unbearable, and it’s affecting their choices about whether to attend college, where to go, and even whether or not to finish the degrees and certificates they start. As access to college becomes more difficult, public frustration is emerging and is spilling over towards other institutions and indeed into the streets.

Today Americans are experiencing annual declines in family income, yet net price of attending public colleges and universities continues to rise by almost $500 per year—that’s after taking aid into account. In the early 1970s, the maximum Pell Grant covered almost 80% of the costs of attending a public 4-year institution--today it covers barely 30%.  With so little help, even low-income families are left with a bill of about $12,000 a year. For many, that’s the equivalent of up to 70% of their annual income. And so unsurprisingly, only about 1 in 10 find their way a college degree.

It hasn’t always been this way. The idea that students should bear most of the costs of college comes from a time when college cost much less and powerful people thought markets were saviors.  Students today are just as responsible as ever, and just as willing to work for their education, but their task is plainly impossible.  Covering that $12,000 in unmet need requires a student to work at least 35 hours a week, 52 weeks a year at the federal minimum wage. That arrangement is untenable, and moreover compromises their chances of completing their degrees.

Congress got it right in 1972 when it affirmed the societal goal of universal access to postsecondary education as a citizen’s right.  Understanding that low tuition supplemented by the Pell grant was the most effective means of supporting access, it invested heavily in that key program.

But within a decade, the needs of students and families fell by the wayside, and our financial aid system has never recovered.  Acting on the theory that higher education would become more “equitable” and efficient by operating on free market principles, policymakers began reducing the availability of grant aid, increasing the availability of loans, and de facto encouraging rising costs of attendance we see today.

This was a mistake.  The decision to move away from a low-tuition approach to higher education, coupled with a refusal to regulate how institutions set prices has forced millions of students into debt.  Loans are the new normal because of political choices, not because there are no alternatives.  College today what the high school was a century ago, and yet students are being required to both work and borrow for it.

The consequences are evident—I’ve spent the last five years with a team of researchers on the ground in Wisconsin documenting the results.  Let me tell you about Chloe, who I met when she enrolled in a Wisconsin technical college after finishing high school in a small, rural Wisconsin town of just 1,800 people. Chloe wanted to become a veterinary technician. Since she was the first person in her family to even try college, they had no savings.  So she got the Pell and figured she was set.  Not quite. As a last-ditch effort to ensure that she had enough resources for books, she’d sold her family’s horse, whom she’d raised on their farm as a teenager. It broke her heart, but she didn’t know what else to do.  The horse was just a short-term fix: a month later, she found herself short of gas money.  So she took a job at a fast food restaurant, but they couldn’t offer enough hours, so she found a second job at a fabric store, working one job in the morning and the other at night. She attended class in-between, getting home at midnight, and beginning her day again at 6 am. Working left little time for studying, but she feared loans, since she had seen credit card debt nearly destroy her mother’s finances.  Running from job to school to job, she was exhausted, hungry, and stressed.

Six months later, I checked on Chloe, and found that college was done—she’d dropped out.  The two-job-plus-school routine led her to fall asleep in her classes, and she’d earned a 1.9 GPA—putting her on academic probation. Her program of study didn’t allow for that, and kicked her out.  Furious, confused, and unsure whom to talk to, Chloe bailed.  Several weeks later, a bank began calling—the student loan she’d accepted during finals week, when she was trying to find another way forward, was now coming due. Unemployed, in debt, and disillusioned, Chloe was dodging their calls.

Making it this hard to pursue a college degree is weakening our great nation. We have to return to a demonstrably effective approach to putting college within reach of all Americans by providing a meaningful Pell Grant targeted to the neediest families, distributed early enough to help students prepare for college, and stripped of all unnecessary requirements.  This should be matched by a difficult but necessary effort to drive down college costs by ending the ineffective tax credits flowing to wealthy families, stemming the tide of indebtedness by capping the interest rate on student loans, and using incentives to push states and institutions to return to a focus on providing high-quality postsecondary education, not glorified summer camps, that are accessible to all Americans.  My written testimony contains specific recommendations aimed at accomplishing these goals.

My grandfather is here today because he’s a great example of what happens when Congress acts on behalf of all students. The GI Bill made it possible for him to graduate from NYU in 1950 – the first person in his family to earn a college degree. He went on to graduate and postgraduate education and is still practicing as a psychoanalyst doing work he loves, alongside my grandmother, a writer.  He is my constant reminder of the wonderful lives Congress has helped the hard-working people of this nation lead by supporting their educational dreams.  I know we can do better right now for students like Chloe and the millions like her.  Help us find our way back to the original goals and intentions of financial aid, and we will all benefit.

Questions & Answers 

The central thesis of my oral testimony is when it comes to promoting equitable access to postsecondary education the combination of low tuition and modest financial aid is a superior approach to a massive program of federal student aid.

Q: Don’t we know that the low tuition model is inefficient and inequitable, since it subsidizes the wealthy?

A: No. That’s a theoretical supposition, and one that’s not borne out by much research.  Historically, the largest increases in higher education participation have occurred in places and at institutions of low tuition.  A long body of research indicates that financial aid alone doesn’t achieve the same results. The high tuition-high aid model fails because the subsidies never really reach the neediest students, and the costs aren’t borne only by the rich, but also by the middle-class.  The American middle-class is losing ground, and is unable to subsidize anyone else.  It is bearing the costs of this strategy with student debt, and this is unsustainable.

By keeping tuition low we help everyone. By providing aid for the neediest, we help the poor more.  A low tuition model is the same approach undergirding Social Security, one of our most successful programs.  Because we know from existing data that children from the country’s wealthiest families almost never attend public universities, by funding this approach with a progressive taxation system, we place a greater burden on the wealthiest 10% who will ultimately pay twice—once via taxes, and twice by sending their children to private schools.  That is far more equitable and efficient, especially since it will achieve the equity in outcomes that we desire.

Q: Aren’t you overreacting to what is essentially an informational deficiency on the part of needy students?

No.  The needs analysis and the distribution of aid is inherently complicated in the current system and this is why efforts to simplify fail over and over again. It is always difficult to distinguish the truly needy from the somewhat needy from the modestly needy; this is true the world over.  Complex systems arise to try and solve this problem, and the result is increased involvement in institutional policy-making and poorly designed formulas and regulations that inadvertently threaten the autonomy of colleges and universities and the long-term political commitment to equity in access to quality, public education.  The current needs analysis is undemocratic, bureaucratic, arbitrary and open to evasion.

Q: Are you proposing that we degrade the quality of our colleges and universities to promote access?

A:  Not at all.  I am proposing that we use taxes rather than financial aid to fund public colleges and universities, and I am proposing that we significantly increase their diversity by ensuring that more students from all family backgrounds can afford to participate.

If we want to keep costs down further, we should decline to subsidize the costs of attendance at private and for-profit institutions entirely.  Will these institutions suffer? Not if the market for their form of education can survive without government subsidies.  Why should government intervene in the free market to prop them up?

Q: Given that we now have income-contingent repayment plans, why should we care if students take loans?

A:  No American should be forced to take on debt of any amount simply because they want the opportunity to receive an education that every citizen now needs to fully succeed in society.  A century ago that meant high school; today it means college.  Paying off student debt each month under income contingent repayment might be “manageable” in terms defined by the financial industry, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t reducing the quality of peoples’ lives.

Q: Why should the public pay for private goods?

A:  First, it is ironic that these distinctions are drawn when it comes to students but not when it comes to institutions.  Higher education policy has been remarkably silent when it comes to distinguishing between public and private institutions, or between for-profit and non-profits ones.  Financial aid eligibility is extended to students at all types, ignoring important distinctions in how they are financed—even though in its current form student assistance is effectively a form of institutional assistance.  In fact, the historical record shows that much of the political support for providing aid in this way came from lobbyists from the private colleges, who hoped that aid would help narrow the tuition gap between publics and privates by encouraging public tuitions to rise. In theory, they thought free market financing would be equitable to the needy, promote freedom of choice, remove regulations, and improve the quality of education through greater competition.

Second, while many claim that the individual benefits outweigh the societal, the fact is that this is a function of the greater difficulty of measuring social benefits.  As the late Joseph Pechman of Brookings argued, higher education provides numerous societal benefits but even the state of the art in social science isn’t advanced enough to measure them.

Furthermore, there is no reason to distinguish among levels of education in terms of public financing rationales or between education and other provisions such as national parks or police protection.  Low tuition is justified by social necessity, and the costs of any subsidies should be returned via increased tax revenue over time—and if it is not, we simply need to adjust the income taxes.

Q: Are you suggesting that the growth in student loans was intentional?

A: In a word, yes.  Beginning in 1955, economist Milton Friedman began promoting the idea that higher education could be financed through student loans, and particularly through income-contingent repayment plans.  In 1968, he published an article arguing that higher education should operate without public subsidies in accordance with “free market” principles.  Several other reports by economists piggy-backed on these ideas, noting that this could allow tuition to rise to account for a larger percentage of the total cost of education.

But others were concerned, even then. Howard Bowen raised worries that loans would not be conducive “to the widening and deepening of learning” and admitted that “when large amounts of money are involved that I become apprehensive.”  Well, today loans are the new normal, and large amounts of money would be an understatement.

Q: Do you think this plan will ever be adopted?

A. Probably not, since the special interests backing it are incredibly powerful.  State governments will oppose it since it means they must spend tax dollars on education.  University administrators and faculty will oppose it since it diminishes their overall revenue.  Private colleges will oppose it for obvious reasons.  Free market economists will oppose it simply because it strikes them as irrational.

If you dislike this proposal, then please read my written testimony, since it contains numerous ways to improve the current system.

Q: Please summarize the benefits of your proposed model once more.

A:  Low tuition supplemented by need-based student aid brings five distinct advantages:
1.     It provides an acceptable level of financial risk for nearly all students.
2.     It is simple and non-bureaucratic
3.     The amount of financial aid needed is limited because of low tuition
4.     The institutional appropriations accompanying low tuition provide large amounts of capital for investment in institutional capabilities to meet student demand, and financial aid expands that for those serving more low-income students.
5.     It provides a government-assisted service that nearly every American hopes to access—it has strong popular demand.



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