Kelly's Curriculum Corner

Resources for Staff Development

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:03:00 +0000

A blog post by Elliot Seif from ASCD’s the Edge caught my eye today. The author lists a variety of journal articles that support staff development for a variety of purposes e.g. assessment, change process, curriculum, instructional practices etc.…. The articles listed can be found in the ASCD archives for members.

Journal articles become a resource for studying and reflecting on our profession, developing teacher background knowledge and nurturing life learning. If we want students that are life long learners, we need teachers that are life long learners. Utilize your membership by diving into a few of the suggested articles and share/discuss them with colleagues.

Teacher Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:33:00 +0000

I was catching up on some professional reading last week and was excited to come across Teacher Leader Model Standards showcased in the June 2011 issue of Journal of Staff Development. I then checked out the online resources at www.teacherleaderstandards.org. Here are a few quotes from the Teacher Leader Standards website and full document:

“Within every school there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership”

“We must seek to use the expertise that already exists in the teaching force”

“The teacher leader model standards can be used to guide the preparation of experienced teachers to assume leadership roles such as resource providers, instructional specialists, curriculum specialists, classroom supporters, learning facilitators, mentors, school team leaders, and data coaches” (Harrison & Killion, 2007).

Here is a sneak peek of the Teacher Leader Standards.

Domain I: Fostering a collaborative culture to support educator development and student learning.
Domain II: Accessing and using research to improve practice and student achievement.
Domain III: Promoting professional learning for continuous improvement.
Domain IV: Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning.
Domain V: Using assessments and data for school and district improvement.
Domain VI: Improving outreach and collaboration with families and community.
Domain VII: Advocating for student learning and the profession.

Specific functions are then further delineated under each domain making this a very useful document for both developing and acknowledging the contributions teacher leaders can make. Check http://www.teacherleaderstandards.org/ for more information.

Inquiry

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:34:00 +0000

According to wikipedia, negative space is defined, in art, as “the space around and between the subject(s) of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, and not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space is occasionally used to artistic effect as the "real" subject of an image. The use of negative space is a key element of artistic composition.” In other words the absence of color can be very powerful.

This seems like a good analogy for the power of the inquiry process. In other words, as facilitators we do not need to color every question or comment with our own experience, thoughts or expertise. There is wisdom in saying or telling less. We can use our content knowledge to ask deep questions and solicit wisdom from our participants. This will ultimately have more impact on our audience because they can reflect and internalize information more efficiently.

It is a difficult balance. I know I struggle frequently with implementing this stance towards learning. The negative space analogy helps me remember that facilitation is a work of art and takes lots of practice.

Every Educator Should Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Over the break, I watched, Waiting for “Superman,” a documentary analyzing the failures of the American public education system. The film is a tangle of facts, figures and emotional stories of children and their families. It’s bold, matter of fact, and compelling.

Do they have it right? Do the facts have merit?

I am urging each and every educator to watch this film and draw their own conclusions because policy-makers and community members certainly are…..

Winning Webinar

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:06:00 +0000

One might think my lack of webinar facilitation experience, five total, would limit the potential for profound insight…. but in truth, I think it’s my lack of experience that might be beneficial. I have no special technology degrees, no formal training in webinar facilitation. In other words, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

Here are my Lessons Learned:

Just do it – No substitute for experience. No amount of planning will completely remove those butterflies.
Use Familiar Content – New content and a new format is a recipe for stress.
Script it Out – I write out exactly what I am going to say. I put everything in the notes section of the PPT.
Team up – Work with a moderator & meet with them ahead of time. Run through your presentation, ask for suggestions on how to embed interactive activities.
Interact with your Audience – Every 10 to 15 minutes have an interactive activity.. Questioning – smiley faces, polling, chat box – response to questions. Something, anything to get folks involved.
Keep it Up – After your first webinar, do another and then another … it does get easier.

With careful planning you can transform what might otherwise be a sterile environment into an interactive and engaging learning experience for both you and your participants!

Relationships and Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:46:00 +0000

We are rapidly moving forward with a vision to augment our face to face professional learning opportunities for teachers and administrators. The goal is to provide learning opportunities in multiple formats including podcasts, webinars, videoconferencing, multimedia videos, etc…

Our staff has been receptive, but there is a reluctance, maybe it is a sense of loss. Hord & Hall indicate grief is often mistaken for resistance. Working alone at your computer to facilitate a webinar or podcast can seem sterile – no immediate feedback, no eye contact or body language to help you gauge audience reaction.

It has given me pause to think about the role of technology and whether or not it is taking away from relationship building which is essential to our role as educational consultants at a regional service agency. As I was contemplating, I received a few emails in response to a webinar I facilitated:

Reactions from participants following webinar 3

“On a personal note, I must share that out of ALL the webinars I have attended over the past four years, your webinar was the most organized and interactive. You did a wonderful job keeping the pace of the presentation, interacting with us, and answering questions. You definitely have your planning nailed down. Fantastic job Kelly!” - Assistant Superintendent

“I was sold on Reading Apprenticeship at the webinar. It answered my questions and addressed the hesitations I had. I have approval from the one of our HS buildings and I am going to get the other building's thoughts today. I will then meet with teachers to get names of interested teachers. I am still planning for the 25th date. Thank you, the webinar was fantastic. I needed the information that was provided there in that type of forum. - Heidi, Social Studies and Literacy Supervisor

“Great webinar!!! Thanks so much for presenting the material again.” - Julie, Director of Education

I was extremely touched that folks reached out to me in this way, unprompted. Some of these folks I have never met, but have made a connection. Clearly technology can help us build and sustain relationships, but we have to be prepared for a delay in the feedback loop. In the midst of publishing a podcast or during a live webinar, we may not be able to sense our impact, but it does not mean it is not there…

Join Us

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Life has been pretty exciting lately, hence my blogging absence. My husband and I, in our infinite wisdom, moved mid school year. Just all kinds of fun with our two children and both us working in education!

In addition, I added just a few job responsibilities. I am fortunate to be working with the Strategic Literacy Initiative, part of WestEd, a regional research lab, to coordinate Pennsylvania’s effort with implementing Reading Apprenticeship, an instructional framework to address content area literacy.

Part of my efforts include contributing to their blog. Check out my new post, Report from Winter Conference: Reading Apprenticeship for Students with a Range of Needs.

In the post, I share suggestions and examples regarding overcoming the challenging literacy needs that students sometimes bring to the high school level. What do you think? Can these ideas work?

Social Dimension

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:11:00 +0000

In my last post, I shared an article by Ed Week that highlighted the nonacademic skills needed for college and career success. The article brought me back to the framework for Reading Apprenticeship, an approach to adolescent literacy. The framework is posted to the right.

When I was first introduced to the Reading Apprenticeship framework my initial thought was the social and personal dimensions were just like cotton candy…. looks good, tastes good, but not much substance.

I have come to realize how very wrong I was. In fact, the personal and social dimensions are the very strength of the model.

Look to the framework and ask yourself … Where do secondary teachers live?

Where do students live?

Most educators would say secondary teachers are focused on knowledge-building, while most say students value the social dimension over the others.

It just is not realistic to think we will inspire deep content knowledge without valuing individual students and their need for social interaction. Conversely if we leverage student needs, we can create stimulating and challenging classrooms which honor the learning as well as the learner.

The framework showcases how ideas such as perseverance, teamwork, & dependability – key skills that are indicators of college and career success, are emphasized in conjunction with content knowledge.

Dispositions for Success

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:03:00 +0000

Today I was catching up on some reading and ran across an article in Ed Week entitled, Experts Begin to Identify Nonacademic Skills Key to Success.

“[T]he biggest predictor of success is a student’s conscientiousness, as measured by such traits as dependability, perseverance through tasks, and work ethic. Agreeableness, including teamwork and emotional stability were the next-best predictors of college achievement, followed by variations on extroversion and openness to new experiences.”

What caught my eye was not the actual article, although I did find that interesting, rather it was the reaction to the article in the comments section. Many of the comments were rather negative, defensive even. Some even stating it is only through Charters and other private education institutions that these skills can be emphasized. Others were critical indicating this is not the job of schools, rather parents and community members should take the lead.

Why is it that so many of us think it is an either/or proposition?

The ideas of perseverance, dependability, and teamwork and the idea of deep content knowledge are complementary and congruent. Good teaching is not just about the facts, it is about teaching students to think. What teacher does not want students to persevere through challenging work or consistently turn in their best work? As educators we are constantly reinforcing these skills or we are if we are teaching students and not content. What do you teach?

Wanted: Great Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:51:00 +0000

Over the last few months I have posted research on boys and reading. Shared some ideas for engaging all students, but especially boys in reading. These ideas included podcasts and five big ideas of reading, leveraging technology as a means to active literacy with before, during and after reading strategies, and most recently digital book reports.

Pennsylvania is fortunate to have PAIUnet, a private network that literally nearly all 500 school districts and IUs have access. It’s a safe network where students and teachers can collaborate, publish, share and interact.

We currently have access to several services and products through Keystone Commons, Safari Montage, and VoiceThread. Note some of these services have a subscription fee, while others are at no charge.

In thinking about promoting reading in boys, what other kinds of services and supports could we leverage in this private network for PA students and teachers?

Some ideas already shared have been a digital library – download books onto a computer, Kindle or Nook.

Shared project ideas i.e. a digital book report contest for all 5th grade teachers and students.

We have this powerful network – how might we leverage it to promote reading????? Please click on the Comments link below this post and share your ideas.

Book Reports Go Digital

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 06:05:00 +0000

Kudos to Recorded Books for launching an innovative contest encouraging students to read. Their Digital Book Report Contest is promoting their new literature curriculum, Book Jams.

According to the the Book Jam website a digital book report would look like this…

“Have your students pick their favorite book or a book from your lesson plan and create a song, performance, or debate. Get creative and win! Use music, props, and costumes! But make sure that it covers the core standards. We’d love to see rap songs about grammar, interactive presentations highlighting setting and symbolism, plays about conflict starring Hester Prynne to Harry Potter, and whatever else you and your students dream up!”

The contest is innovative and engaging. The entries are diverse and captivating. Students cleverly used pictures, audio, music, original music, costumes, props and much more….

Finalist are now posted. Be amazed! Visit the Contest site, create an account and give these kids the feedback they need. Public voting available for only a few more days.

Root Cause Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 05:21:00 +0000

During a recent school improvement training we asked, “Why is the wild owl population in India decreasing?”

After suspending disbelief that this question had anything to do with school improvement, the audience called out possibilities such as:

Pollution
Migration patterns
Loss of habitat

They seem plausible, but to pursue them would be folly as none of those would address the cause for the dwindling owl population.

Unfortunately too often school improvement teams, in their sense of urgency to “fix” the problem , forget to study the problem and possible solutions. They forget that they likely need more data to confirm or deny any of their hypotheses. Time consuming work for sure, but better than the alternative… working on solutions that will have little to no effect on the issue.

Victoria Burnhart in her article Multiple Measures indicates that Demographic and Achievement data are insufficient to identify root cause e.g. Number of owls this year compared to last year. Instead additional data is needed to understand the context of the problem.

So getting back to the original question, why is the owl population dwindling in India? It’s a bit of a shocker, but the answer is…. Harry Potter. Yep, apparently the book is so popular that owls are in great demand to give as gifts to young children. Click here for the full story.

Before, During and After….

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:06:00 +0000

We did an exciting program this summer in looking at the nexus of boys, reading pedagogy and the role of technology. The basic premise is if some students prefer more action based literacy activities, could technology fill that role?

We came up with technology tools that could be used as Before, During and After reading strategies. All participants read the book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney as the back drop of looking at how reading pedagogy could be enhanced by technology tools.

Before	During	After (focus retelling)
Multi media text sets	Blog	Digital story telling
	Wallwisher	Movie Maker
	Voicethread
	Wordle
	Glogster
	Flip Note Studio

Teachers then embedded these technology tools into their Title I summer school program for 4th, 5th and 6th graders.

Check out our sample blog with embedded projects in it. Be sure to read student comments/reaction to the questions or follow the links to projects. Remember these are just a sample to show teachers how these tools can deepen student book talks and comprehension text.

Blog - http://kidblog.org/home.php

User: curriculum

Password: curriculum

Hole in the Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:03:00 +0000

Must watch video that looks at engagement, motivation and student learning. Presuming student capability. Click here to open up the video. Thanks to Michelle D. for sharing this.

What do you think?

Part II: Aliteracy Vs. Illiteracy

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:03:00 +0000

Last week I summarized Kylene Beers research on the continuum of readers. At the end I asked some questions regarding instruction on each type of reader. Turns out Dr. Beers followed with another article detailing tips and techniques to working with aliterate students.

“We must realize that whatever motivates an avid or dormant reader probably won’t motivate an uncommitted or unmotivated student. Motivating Readers (p. 112) reveals the same activities that encourage readers in fact discourages nonreaders, intimidating them and confirming negative feelings. The activities that uncommitted or unmotivated readers preferred were limited, but specific” (Beers, 1996, p.111).

1. Personal Choice – They want to choose their own books from a limited selection. They were wary of being overwhelmed with a large library.

2. Nonfiction – Many reluctant readers prefer nonfiction over fiction.

3. Illustrations – Pictures and illustrations were very important to these students. Time again they shared that without the pictures they would not know what is going on.

4. Movies – Preferred to see the movie first, then read the book.

5. Read aloud – Having the teacher read aloud an entire book. Avid readers indicated they liked being read aloud to as well, but not for the whole book.

6. Art activities – Students indicated they wanted to draw, act out, make a puppet or do something to make a connection to the printed word.

7. Magazines – Uncommitted and unmotivated students saw themselves as nonreaders, but in fact that wasn’t true. While they did not carry around a typical novel, they did like magazines, how to books, comics, reference books, and informational books.

This list of tips and techniques is reminiscent of the summary of research on boys and literacy I shared a very weeks ago. It points to a need to expand our view of reading beyond a novel, to help students see themselves as readers regarding whatever their personal choice of reading material, to use active reading activities especially ones that develop a visual representation of the text to build readers. It also points to the need for the need for differentiation for avid, dormant, uncommitted, and unmotivated readers.

But to do all that we need to really know our students as readers, not just test scores!

Beers, G. K. (1996). No time, no interest, no way: Three voices of aliteracy part 2. School Library Journal, 42(3) pp. 110-113

Aliteracy Vs. Illiteracy

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Kylene Beers, as part of a research study, observed two 7th grade classrooms for one year. Through discussions regarding attitudes and habits as readers, she developed a typology of a reader.

“It was easy to identify readers at both ends of the spectrum; they readily fit the academic and social descriptions others have provided. It was more difficult to classify the aliterate readers. In fact, I found grouping them under one term – aliterate – was inaccurate because because they gave different reasons for not reading. Understanding these reasons eventually led me to three distinct types of aliterate readers: Dormant, Uncommitted, and Unmotivated” (Beers, 1996, p. 31).

I have been pondering this information for awhile. It makes me wonder who the students are in remedial classes. Are they illiterate or aliterate? How would we know or are we focuses exclusively on test scores? Are instructional strategies the same for each type of reader? Are there a disproportionate number of boys in the aliterate category? How can we help aliterate students see beyond the function to the beauty of reading?

Beers, G. K. (1996). No time, no interest, no way: Three voices of aliteracy. School Library Journal, 42(2), pp.30-33.

Boys and Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The graph above shows an amazingly consistent pattern regarding the reading achievement of girls (top line) and boys (bottom line). While this graph highlights the longitudinal data of 13 year olds, the picture for 9 and 17 year olds looks remarkably the same.

Basically girls out score boys and have for 30 years across all age groups according to the National Test of Educational Progress (NAEP.)

Michael W. Smith & Jeff Wilhelm summarize the findings on boys and literacy in their book Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys (2002) pages 10&11:

Achievement:

Boys take longer to read than girls.
Boys read less than girls.
Girls tend to comprehend text significantly better than boys.
Boys tend to do better with information retrieval & work-related literacy tasks than girls.

Attitude:

Boys generally provide a lower estimate of their reading abilities than girls do.
Boys value reading as an activity less than girls do.
Boys have much less interest in leisure reading & are far more likely to read for utilitarian purposes than girls are.
Significantly more boys than girls declare themselves “nonreaders.”
Boys spend less time reading & express less enthusiasm for reading than girls do.
Boys increasingly consider themselves to be “nonreaders” as they get older; very few designate themselves as such early in their school, but nearly 50% make that designation by high school.

Choice

Boys and girls express interest in reading different things, and they do read different things.
Boys are more inclined to read informational texts.
Boys are more inclined to read more magazines and newspaper articles.
Boys are more inclined to read comic books and graphic novels.
Boys tend to resist reading stories about girls, whereas girls do not tend to resist reading stories about boys.
Boys are more enthusiastic about reading electronic texts than girls.
Boys like to read about hobbies, sports and things they might do or be interested in doing.
Boys like to collect things & like to collect series of books.
Poetry is less popular with boys than girls.
Boys tend to enjoy escapism and humor; some groups of boys are passionate about science fiction or fantasy.

Response

The appearance of a book & its cover is important to boys.
Boys are less likely to talk about or overtly respond to their reading than girls are.
Boys prefer active responses to reading in which they physically act out responses, do or make something.
Boys tend to receive more open & direct criticism for weakness in their reading & writing performance.
Boys require more teacher time in coed settings.

I have been studying this data not only for my work life, but also so I can understand my own son better as a reader. As I read through the summary above, I am struck by the implications for teaching and learning.

Does our definition of reading include graphic novels, comic books, magazines and newspaper articles?
What is in our school libraries? Does it appeal to boys?
Do we inadvertently make boys feel like outsiders when they prefer informational text?
If boys do not like to talk about books what does that mean for common assessments such as the DRA – where students have to retell what happened?

Leadership is Essential

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:50:00 +0000

A good friend and colleague, Greg Llewellyn, recently came to my Curriculum Council Meeting to discuss strategies for effective implementation of initiatives. Greg shared his experience with school systems that have implemented district-wide initiatives successfully.

He recommended districts consider a district-wide leadership team consisting of leadership at all levels whom meet frequently. This system helps to create a coherent understanding and common language regarding the initiative and the goal. It also helps with implementation issues that often develop regarding policy and procedures. These can best be acknowledged and addressed through a district leadership team.

District leaders shared that this format was highly successful and kept potential “rogues” from going off on their own.

The Caveat:

Attendance at the leadership team was non-negotiable!

For this district leadership team to work, all stakeholders must be present at critical decision points. Therefore, if all could not be present, the meeting was rescheduled.

To quote Greg, “Leadership is not expendable!”

Everyone Needs Mentoring

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Fri, 14 May 2010 20:18:00 +0000

I had an interesting week. Our state school improvement team brought author and presenter, Edie Holcomb, to work with regional service agency staff to enhance and expand our understanding of the change process and assist schools with developing more effective school improvement plans. The training reaffirmed many things, namely the importance of providing tools for schools to monitor their plan implementation, but Edie managed to layer in additional activities and thinking to more clearly focus our efforts.

Then today, I received a phone call from Shirely Hord, a long story as to how we connected, but WOW!!!!! For those of you that do not know Shirley, her work is legendary in the area of staff development and the change process. She has authored and co-authored numerous books on Change, Professional Learning Communities, etc..

She has a rich southern accent and each word she says practically drips with wisdom. Needless to say, I wrote down everything she said and can’t wait until this week is over so I can really think about the implications of her teaching.

Let me give you a taste of Shirley’s wisdom.

Shirley: “We invest in professional development. Why do we use the word invest?

Me: Lack luster response

Shirley: Because we expect results! We expect a dividend from our efforts!

So how lucky am I? To practically sit at the feet of two knowledgeable and accomplished women – I only wish it could have been longer. Sigh……..

Law of Initiative Fatigue

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:00:00 +0000

In his new book, Transforming Professional Development into Student Results, Doug Reeves makes a case for severely limiting the number of initiatives a school or district pursues.

“Education leaders have three essential resources: time, money, and emotional energy. Time is fixed. Financial resources are typically fixed, and in the present economy, diminishing. Emotional energy is variable.”

“The Law of Initiative Fatigue states that when the number of initiatives increases while time, resources and emotional energy are constant, then each new initiative, no matter how well conceived or well intentioned – will receive fewer minutes, dollars and ounces of emotional energy than its predecessors.”

Reader Challenge: Take a blank sheet of paper and write down every initiative in your school. Reply via comment and let us know how many initiatives you have and your thoughts about the Law of Initiative Fatigue.

21st Century Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:47:00 +0000

“Focus is the real 21st Century skill.”

---- Doug Reeves at the PA Department of Education Conference April 2010

What do you think?

Watch is the full presentation at http://2010.pdeconference.com/.

School Improvement is Simple

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:26:00 +0000

Todd Whitaker in his publication, What Great Teachers Do Differently, says school improvement is simple….

Either get better teachers or improve the teachers you have.

What do you think?

Is this too simplistic of an answer?

As the professionals on the front-line, does improvement mainly rest on the teachers’ shoulders?

Having a Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:14:00 +0000

I recently had the great misfortune to contract tonsillitis. Out of the myriad of unpleasant symptoms, the one that was the most difficult was loosing my voice. It was frustrating not to be heard. There were a few situations, especially with larger groups of people, when I started to withdraw from the conversation. It was just too much effort.

This experience made me appreciate the value of Reading Apprenticeship, an approach to secondary literacy through the Strategic Literacy Initiative at WestEd. The Reading Apprenticeship framework focuses on students developing, expanding and building the confidence in their voice in discipline specific ways.

In a traditional secondary classroom, it is not unusual for the main modality of learning to be lecture. Students sit, listen and regurgitate on demand. The teachers do most of the work and students are peripheral to the learning process.

In converse, Reading Apprenticeship classrooms have students at their center. Students are viewed as competent learners. Strategies and scaffolds are provided to enhance and expand independent learning. Interaction and supports from peers is critical. Students are held accountable for their learning as teachers become facilitators of learning.

In the Reading Apprenticeship framework, students have a voice and with that voice comes engagement, reflection, ownership, accountability and much more. I am left with the conclusion that having a voice is essential for increases in student achievement, especially for our most at-risk learners. What do you think?

Check out the new Reading Apprenticeship blog – filled with fascinating information on the latest research, resources, and ideas to assist all students with reaching high expectations.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/sergei24/2493843892/sizes/o/

Luau as a Metaphor for School Improvement

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Pauling) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:51:00 +0000

The luau, once called the aha aina, was an event that was designed to unite the participants and foster good will, thanks and praise. The purpose of the luau could have been to celebrate accomplishments, honor heroes or gods, or commemorate important events. While some ancient foods represented strength or virility, other foods might symbolize virtues or goals the participants hoped to achieve (from To-Hawaii.com)

A luau, in other words, is all about reflection. What is going well? What are the next steps?

This is exactly what our school improvement teams did last week. They reflected on the level of implementation of their plan and the level of effectiveness. Participants spent the morning going through their plans goal by goal – looking back toward accomplishments and looking forward to next steps.

We over-laid these discussions with information on managing and effectively facilitating change. We read Implications for School Leaders Facilitating Change, which is from Hord and Hall’s Implementing Change: Patterns, Principles, and Potholes (2006, p.73). The overwhelming message in facilitating change was to provide a consistent and coherent message and find innovative ways to repeat the message in a variety of ways. Communication provides a strong root system for the foundation of the plan.

The trailer from movie 50 First Dates captures the essence of school improvement planning. Avoid short term memory loss – often associated with school improvement plans – through communication, innovation and persistence.
In typical luau fashion, we celebrated with food – a buffet followed by a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit, marshmallows, and pretzels. School improvement never tasted so good!

Our goal was for participants to see school improvement as an opportunity – a positive event, to have them critically evaluate their plan with new eyes and to energize their strategic efforts.

Here’s a few comments from participants:

“I will stop assuming that our vision is clear to all involved.”
“Today has inspired us to take another look at our improvement plan – we were able to see what we have accomplished & where we need to go next. Today has helped us decide that we need to take time when we return to our district and look at our plan in a more thorough manner.”
“We will start paying attention to “next steps.” Collecting real evidence to see what, if any, interventions have truly been successful.”
“We will start looking at different types of data, not only student achievement.”
“We will stop letting “naysayers” get in our way.”
“Increase communicating to make change.”
“Thank you very much!!! Your presentations were very engaging, activities eye-opening, hand-outs potentially change-evoking.”

Kelly's Curriculum Corner

Resources for Staff Development

Teacher Leaders

Inquiry

Every Educator Should Watch

Winning Webinar

Here are my Lessons Learned:

Relationships and Technology

We are rapidly moving forward with a vision to augment our face to face professional learning opportunities for teachers and administrators. The goal is to provide learning opportunities in multiple formats including podcasts, webinars, videoconferencing, multimedia videos, etc…

Reactions from participants following webinar 3

Join Us

More Root Cause Stories

Social Dimension

Dispositions for Success

Wanted: Great Ideas

We have this powerful network – how might we leverage it to promote reading????? Please click on the Comments link below this post and share your ideas.

Book Reports Go Digital

Root Cause Stories

Before, During and After….

Hole in the Wall

Part II: Aliteracy Vs. Illiteracy

Aliteracy Vs. Illiteracy

Boys and Reading

Leadership is Essential

The Caveat:

Attendance at the leadership team was non-negotiable!

For this district leadership team to work, all stakeholders must be present at critical decision points. Therefore, if all could not be present, the meeting was rescheduled.

To quote Greg, “Leadership is not expendable!”

Everyone Needs Mentoring

Law of Initiative Fatigue

21st Century Skills

“Focus is the real 21st Century skill.”

What do you think?

Watch is the full presentation at http://2010.pdeconference.com/.

School Improvement is Simple

Having a Voice

Luau as a Metaphor for School Improvement