PHSprincipalBLOG

Veteran's Day

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:11:00 PST

I can remember school assemblies when I was in grade school about Veteran's Day. They were really special because every year we were able to see the same veterans and they told us intriguing stories about their experiences. One of the veterans that came to speak to us year after year was a very old gentleman that was a veteran of WWI. I can distinctively remember the gleam in his eye and the way he whistled, snapped his feet and fingers as he came to attention. To a kid of eight years of age he seemed really cool and very "with it" for an octogenarian. Sadly, he died shortly before Veteran's Day when I was in the fifth grade. That year we got to hear the real story behind his service during WWI. With tears in his eyes and breaks in his voice, the post commander told us of the old vet's experience in the Argonne Forest in 1918. I do not remember all of the detail of the stories he told us that day, but I do remember watching a grown man in uniform cry before an entire school of children. After that Veteran's Day I think I was better able to relate to sense of loss that many Americans deal with every day because of either their service to the country or someone close to them sacrificed their life serving this great country of ours. I had an uncle that I never met who died in the Korean War. The family had a hard time dealing with the loss of their brother. His loss created a wound that left a large visible scar. He and another brother, Bill, were both in Korea when Bob was killed in action. My Uncle Bill escorted Bob’s coffin home from Korea. As a non veteran, I have no way of knowing the true sacrifice made by those who have served this country both in wartime and in peace. I do know this; I am thankful and know that there is no way for me to individually pay back all those I owe a debt of gratitude to. I am determined to “pay forward” and try my best to do all I can to honor today’s veterans as well as do what I can to make America a better place. I implore our students to talk to their families about their history of serving this nation in the armed forces. You may find out things you never knew about your family and make connections that were never there before. You will also get a chance to say thank you!

2009 Halloween Math Class v2

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:14:00 PST

via youtube.com

Posted via web from phsprincipal's posterous

An unpublished draft....Why do I (continue to) Blog?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:26:00 PST

I found this blog while look at some of my old posts. Even though I wrote this nearly two years ago, I think it still states clearly why I took up the practice of blogging and continue to do so!

Why do I blog?

1. I have found that the practice of putting my thoughts together about our school, how we impact our students, involve parents, incorporate technology, and attempt to change in what I consider to be revolutionary times (in education) allows me clarify where I stand on many issues. It is as much about self examination and professional growth as it is trying to move our institution forward.....if those two things can be seperated. I will have to admit when Ms. Hill challenged our faculty to examine the aspects of Web 2.0 and she told us many teachers as well as administrators were blogging, I was very apprehensive about it and even thought putting my thoughts into words for public consumption could be dangerous (how I do not know, but it sounded like a good excuse!), but now that I have tried it, I must say I really like it!

2. It is a great way to communicate. As many of you know, I am not the greatest communicator. (I heard that!) By forcing myself to "address" our staff, students and community stakeholders I do believe I have been able communicate more effectively. I know I still have a long ways to go, but blogging is allowing me to grow in this area.

3. I am hoping to encourage our staff to use this medium to engage students, parents and the community. We have seen a few examples in this school how blogs can be used. We have only scratched the surface. If you are truly interested in seeing how a blog can be used as a "virtual" extension of your classroom, see me. There are some great examples. Blogging is the first step in moving towards what I believe is a shift educators must make in order to reach students. Teenagers are spending lots of time online on social networking sites sharing thoughts, ideas and creating some fantastic stuff (and some not so great stuff too!) on places like Facebook and MySpace. They will naturally gravitate and become engaged if we incorporate the best features of the everchanging information age in how we engage our students!

4. I have become aware of one of our greatest shortcomings. We do not communicate well enough or often enough with parents. Right or wrong, many of our parents perceive us as not wanting their involvement, that we do not welcome their input, thoughts or ideas. I think our web presence can go a long way to ameliorate our communication "gap" with parents. In a recent poll, (on this blog) a majority of readers identified Classroll.com as our best innovation in recent years. Classroll has greatly increased the amount of information we provide parents and it leaves them wanting more. We need to view parents as our best ally in motivating and reaching our students. I think a classroom blog that is kept up to date with student input will only increase our "visablity" in the community (We are no longer using Classroll.com, we have begun to use the MMS teacher a parent portals this school year).

Please realize that although I talk a lot about change and the need to do things differently, by doing so I am not saying that teachers have been doing it wrong or that I do not value the way you teach your students. I think the mediums by which students communicate and are entertained have advanced to the point where we must consider those influences and change our pedagogy accordingly!

What Makes Us Effective?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:09:00 PDT

To be effective we need to continue to work to be:
•Professionals who care about students first, student growth second, and our subject matter with the time we have left.
•Professionals that are willing to take risks, willing to admit we do not have all the answers and never lose the yearning to keep learning.
•Professionals who are willing to look in the mirror when there is a problem as opposed to out the window.

Our school will need to continue to strive to:
•Consider each student individually and help each student find their PASSION.
•Build an educational plan and career plan for each student based on their needs and their PASSION.
•Throw away conventional methodology when it no longer works and do what it takes to affect, engage, and change students to meet individual and societal needs.

To continue to make our school community more effective we will:
•Reach out to parents to help them keep their student(s) engaged in and ready for school.
•Seek resources and start conversations to affect change in the community that will bring about more support for education.
•Continually seek out best practices, use current research, and always believe that education can get better.

Please share your ideas!......"We get what we will settle for!"

What is it we are doing here anyway?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:15:00 PDT

As I observe students and teachers go about the business of school on daily basis, I am quite aware of how hard both groups are working to get a lot of different goals accomplished. Many times people who have not been in school since they have graduated will look at what goes on and ask what exactly is going on here? What are they working towards? Does what appears to be chaos really have a function that is driving towards some greater goal? People judge schools on many things: Where do the graduates go? How do the test scores look? How did the (insert one of various sports teams here) do in the game the other night? How many students look like they are up to no good standing around the school before it starts? In other words, people use various ways of judging a school based upon their frame of reference. The real outcomes of what a school sets out to accomplish are sometimes difficult to measure. It is my hope that all students will learn to:
•communicate well, read well, and have good number sense

•be ready to take risks

•be able to find, use and distribute accurate information for problem solving purposes

•offer service to their community and have a spirit of giving

•build endurance to do the things that need to get done despite their difficulty

•look at things differently

•have integrity, self respect and respect for others

•be lifelong learners

To me, these are the most important things for our students take from their educational experience!

What would you add to the list?

One Size Fits All?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 PDT

Imagine walking into a shoe store where all shoes were the same. Size, shape, color, and function were the same for all choices. Every customer walks out with the exact same shoe as the customers yesterday as well as shoes that will leave the store again tomorrow. Of course shoe stores do not work this way. People have different shaped feet and need shoes that function for different tasks. Apply this to education. Do schools do a good enough job of "sizing up" each student and finding the right programs for them? Unfortunately, most of the time we are guilty of a "one size fits all" approach to how and what we teach our students. We must learn to start with our students and not the subjects or classes. An effective school must build relationships with its students, their parents, and the entire community. We must design our approach based on each individual student and the unique needs we have here in Paris. We need to concentrate on the nurturing of the unique strengths and energies of each student. Everyone has a passion. In order to make learning relevant, we must tap into those passions. A curriculum needs to based on the needs of the students and the community as a whole. The one size fits all aproach makes education an assembly line that tries to force parts for unique machines into a standarized product. It is a system that just does not seem to work as well as it should.

Comments for One Size Fits All....join the conversation!

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:55:00 PDT

Ms. Franklin said...

I agree 100%. But how can we do this when the state mandates what classes must be taken by our students?
Dave Meister said...
We need to get creative. Some thoughts.
Dual enrollment classes.
Teacher created online classes.
Jr. High/Middle school Dual credit??????

Mr. Ogle said...
How about less generic classes, meaning students could choose to learn content within the context of something that interests them. For example, instead of Eng9L, we could offer Detective Literature or Music As Literature. We would still cover the same concepts and learning standards, but the texts would be specific to an interest. It would mean teachers having more preps (Who threw that?), but I think it would increase student interest.

Ms. Franklin said...
I've wanted to do what Mr. Ogle suggests for YEARS. I think we could do away with LD English if we had electives instead of English 9, 10, 11 - IF we made sure we just didn't offer electives for our college bound students. Non-college bound students should have the chance to take academic electives, too!

Dave Meister said...
Do you have any samples from other schools?
Mr. Ogle said...
No samples from other schools, but that is because none of them are as forward-thinking as we are. They will be using samples from us.

Mr. Ogle said...
The only references I could find to high schools offering a full battery of academic electives were for charter schools.

Ms. Franklin said...
My high school had English electives 1,000 years ago!

Staci said...
Between state mandates, time constraints, and lack of funding(?)we are going to have to be VERY creative!!

I don't like drawing the line between college bound and non-college bound, because at some point one of the "non" may realize that there is a post-secondary program that appeals to them. I personally feel that everyone is not made for college, but college is available for (almost) everyone.

Establishing tracks such as "Health and Science" "Industrial Technology" "Business Tech," etc, would allow students to work towards a career goal from an early onset. Mandated classes could still cover necessities, but cover subject matters pertaining to their area of interest.

This is do-able, and from a guidance counselors standpoint, imperative to developing highly motivated, engaged, successful students!!

Dave Meister said...
Staci,

You have hit on something I have been trying to get across for sometime. Drawing a distinction between college and non college students severely limits some and unfairly labels others. I agree that we could create the tracks if we wanted to. What does everyone else think?

Jordon DuCharme said...

Mr. Meister, if you don't mind me getting in on this, I'd like to give a little bit of a students opinion. I think new courses and a wider variety of studies would be great, but without specific requirements such as grade point average. For example, I am extremely interested in becoming a nurse, and believe Health Occupations and Chemistry II would have been wonderful classes for me to take, but the requirements of having a B average overall was a problem for me. Students shouldn't be turned down just by judging their grades from other classes. Maybe if they are truely interested in the classes, a test could determine if they shall be let into the program. With kids not having classes they'd like to take, they lose motivation to try, rather than having a class they like and want to try in.

This may not completely follow along with your blog so far, but I just wanted to share my opinion with you.

Dave Meister said...
Welcome to the conversation Jordan! Your input is very valid! Encourage you classmates to join in!

Ms. Franklin said...

I love Mrs. Skelton's suggestion. I wish my own children would have had this option.

Ms. Franklin said...
(I was interrupted mid comment!) I think the elective idea ties into Mrs. Skelton's idea. Why not offer electives in required classes that tie into career interests?

Mr. T said...

What if we offered classes that met criteria across the board. Would it be possible to offer a class that a student could get 1/2 credit for math and 1/2 credit for english? I like the idea of having 'majors' in high school. I also like the idea of giving students more on-line possibilities.

We are the first cooperative high school in Illinois. That means that we could also be the first school in Illinois to do things a certain way. The only limits we will face will be the ones we impose on ourselves.

Ms. Franklin said...

I was thinking about this on my drive home. Could a drafting or construction class also count as a half math credit because of the "applied mathematics" used in those courses?
Mr. Meister, just exactly what will the state let us do?

Mr. Aydt said...

We come back to those career paths that we developed then let go. They are probably still around in someone's file if they will dig a little. We have been "tracking" in math for a long time, in spite of efforts by some over the years to say it isn't good. It does help students to be more comfortable with the material they get and the level of understanding required and to feel like they have what it takes to succeed.

Ms. Franklin said...

I am monopolizing the comments, and I am sorry. But I SOOOO believe that this is what we need in Paris! Here's a dream school: http://www.go-cte.org/index.php

Mr. Ogle said...

Mr. T's suggestion is very similar to a comment a posted on here awhile back. I would love to have cross-curricular classes to offer our students. I read an article last year about the rise in fiction novels being written by professionals in various fields that contain content area information within the story. For instance, we could have a semester class studying a novel built around economic concepts. The class would be taught by and English teacher and an Economics teacher. Students would meet standards for language arts and business or whatever the case may be. This wouldn't have to end with novel-based studies, either. A math teacher could easily create a class with someone in industrial technology, or a science teacher teaching with an ag. teacher. Basically, the same principle as the co-teaching we met about earlier in the year, except the class would be created for that specific purpose and students would recieve credits for both areas. Now, I think this would work best in a block schedule, which would mean switching yet again, but nothing says we would have to do it immediately. Maybe a pilot program of a couple of classes could be arranged. I'm sure we could manage to schedule the two teachers back-to-back and allow them to have one class for two periods. Just spit-balling.

Dave Meister said...
Jim-- You are so right...here we go again. Maybe we were not ready a few years ago. Do you remember why those were shelved? I have a confession to make. This post originally appeared on the blog two years ago. I think things have changed a lot. Attitudes have changed a lot.

Pam--You keep commenting! Your opinion is valued. That is why you need to be in these discussions.

Nathan--You need, as well as everyone else here for that matter, to come to what are called department head meetings. We need to change it to a steering committee. If we (I) let this die this time, we may never find the inertia to get it going again.

Roger-- You keep thinking about things. You are going to help us get to where we need to be!

Gary said...

Team teaching, co teaching, whatever you want to call it has always interested me. There are so many things we could do with American Literature and American History. However, it is a matter of getting classes and grade levels aligned.

I also like Nathan's idea of more specific English studies. We could truly make our English department more real-worldly by offering several electives instead of just the basic English 9,10,11,12. We have started to do that in Sophomore, Junior, and Senior level classes, but we still have a long way to go. It is my vision to have some novels classes, technical classes, and others in the future, and it looks like I have teachers willing to make those changes.

My theory is if it is not on the books it can't be offered. Next year we'll have to sit down as an English department, yes that means you too Pam, and work on these changes.

Staci said...
This is the school one of our students just transferred to. They are on a block schedule, too!
http://www.lake.k12.fl.us/erh/site/default.asp

What can we achieve if we work together?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:23:00 PDT

Can you imagine how much cooperation it took to make this happen? I do not play guitar and am in awe of this accomplishment! The hours spent have created a wonderful example of cooperation. Can we work together, parents, teachers, students and community, to make a school community where the only barrier to achievement is where we set the limits?

Comments from the last post....join the conversation!

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:29:00 PDT

Ms. Franklin said...

I heartily agree with the reading aspect. The daughter is not an avid reader, but whenever she DOES get interested in something, I make a point of reading it myself and talking about it with her. The son has pretty high-tone literary tastes that have forced me to reread some books that I read in college. I try to talk about their reading interests even now - and they are 18 and 22!
October 18, 2009 8:25 PM
Mr. Aydt said...

I also think this is right on the money. Nothing we do can replace the thought that parents know and care what's going on. I also tried to read all the books my sons read in high school, although I have to admit I can't keep that up now. I always found it very enjoyable.
October 19, 2009 6:43 PM
Dave Meister said...

Thanks for joining the conversation Jim! We have made a lot of changes at PCHS in the last few years. I think our next hurdle is to begin a conversation with our parents and do the best we can to help them help their students! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
October 19, 2009 11:41 PM
Mrs. P said...

I have even read some of the books the students here at PCHS have read. I enjoy quizzing them. They can't believe I will read the same book just to be reading it (not for a grade). I also enjoy reading what my girls read. Audrey hooked me on the Twilight series which I read this summer; however, I could not get into the Harry Potter series. I just wish I had more time during the school year.
October 20, 2009 5:09 PM
Dave Meister said...

I am the same way Mrs. P. I could not read the Harry Potter books. I like to read non fiction. I have always enjoyed reading to my kids. I even read part of an American History chapter to my 7th grader tonight. What do you do to help your kids do well in school?
October 20, 2009 9:27 PM

Mr. Ogle said...

I don't remember the exact statistic, but at one of the sessions I attended in Atlanta on the subject of Freshmen Academies, they pointed out that attendance during the first 90 days (at least I think it was 90, it could have been some other number) is the most accurate indicator of whether or not a student will graduate. They stated that it was more accurate than grades earned in middle school, scores on standardized test, socio-economic status, parents' level of education, you name it. According to them, and it seems logical to me, if we can get these kids to attend every day at the beginning of their freshman year, we will get them through to graduation. It basically comes down to establishing a solid base with them. If they are able to begin a pattern of truancy early on, it is nearly impossible to change it. This is where establishing a relationship with parents becomes critically important. We need parents to partner with us to get these kids through our doors. I think a Freshmen Academy and extensive orientation process, which includes parents, could make an incredible difference in attendance and achievement in our school.

Parental Involvement is the Key to Student Success

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:01:00 PDT

Many researchers have concluded that the number one reason some students succeed and others do not is parental involvement. Parental involvement is a more important factor than social class, school of attendance, and the educational attainment of a student's parents. According to popular educational research:

•Parents need to be involved in their children's education at home. They need to check and review homework on a daily basis. Parents need to be involved at school. Working for the booster club, band parents organization, the PHS Drama parents, or simply volunteering to help where you can will emphasize to our students that school is worth spending some time on. Come to school and get to know us. I personally welcome you to visit us at any time!

•Reading achievement is more dependent on learning activities in the home than is math or science. Although reading aloud to your high school student probably will not be a real popular activity, reading and discussing the same book or article could stimulate a love of reading and an enriched relationship between you and your student. Of course reading to your younger children is very important. Why not have your high school age student spend some time reading to his or her younger sibling if possible!

•When children and parents talk regularly about school, students perform better academically. Ask about school on a daily basis and please share any concerns you might have with your student's teacher and/or principal.

•Three kinds of parental involvement at home are consistently associated with higher student achievement: actively organizing and monitoring your students time, helping with homework and discussing school matters.

•Positive results of parental involvement include improved student achievement, reduced absenteeism, improved behavior, and restored confidence among parents in their children's schooling.

Google Rules again....

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:02:00 PDT

I am a little ashamed that there has not been more discussion here about the application of the new economic landscape being created by technology applications as discussed in the book What Would Google Do? The author, Jeff Jarvis, even tried to get the conversation rolling by offering the first comments (thanks Mr. Jarvis!). I have had several people stop me in the hallways and even on the streets to give me a little feedback and agree that we need to be more transparent as a school and do all we can to get more community input. BUT......although they said we needed to procure more input, very little input has been given. Some folks just do not want to leave a comment on the web. It might haunt them or something I guess? Anyway, before I move on to the next book and what it might mean to me (yes, I am deluded and think somebody might care, right mom?), I would like to talk about one more of the author's new rules for the new age.....

"We have shifted from an economy based on scarcity to one based on abundance. The control of products or distribution will no longer guarantee a premium and a profit."

I know I have said this before but I am not going to let it go! We are no longer the community bank of information and "knowledge"! Information is no longer scarce. It is quite abundant! We certainly do not control it or its distribution. (some)Home school students are doing quite well and are being excepted to major colleges with their ACT or SAT score without a "real" high school diploma. We better wake up! Be gone the days where education is an assembly line to immerse students in the right doses of each academic area! We could simply buy on-line curriculum and sit our students in front of computers and have them do programmed learning. If information assimilation is the goal, we might as well do just that!(update...we already are!) I know, I know, we are still in the business of transmitting culture. That is an important part of what we do, but we could do it while making our students learn to use 21st Century skills. They must learn to discriminate between sources of information, they have to master working as a member of a team, they must think critically and make judgements. Students today must learn to communicate using multiple mediums. They have to be able to make a formal argument using research to back it up as well as participate in a personal learning network that uses less formal communication standards. We have to get them away from linear thinking and force them to think and create in more complex learning environments that challenge them with multidisciplinary problems.

Because the world is changing and educational needs are becoming much different, we cannot wait for someone to come save us and tell us what to do. I believe that if we do not reshape public education soon we will simply be replaced by those who figure out how to deliver what is needed before we do. If you do not believe me ask folks from the travel, newspaper, photography, bookseller...etc. business. They will tell you their world got turned upside down and most of them are still trying to figure out what happened. That is, when they are not looking for a new way to make a living.

I ask you, do we need to modify what we do?

John Wooden's Birthday

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:09:00 PDT

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." John Wooden

Hard to argue with his success! Do we spend so much time worrying about what we cannot do that we do not concentrate on what we can and must do?

Winter is Coming...........

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:22:00 PDT

This video made me laugh aloud....but it is also a dose of reality...WINTER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

It is the Journey Stupid!

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:33:00 PDT

One of my hobbies is running. It has become a ritual part of my day and I really look forward to my routine. I love the crisp fall air, the scenery, and the time to clear my head and think in ways I am not allowed to when I am not running. The other day I was talking with a fellow I used to run races with and he told me he no longer enjoyed running because he was no longer competitive and he did not get the rush of finishing fast in a race. As I thought about what he told me, I became saddened that all running mean't to him was finishing well or winning a race. I thought it was terrible he had given up running because the product was no longer the same for him. For me, running is more than finishing. It is a part of my day that I look forward to. I know, because of injuries, that it is a hobby that I really miss when I cannot get my daily run in. To me it is more than a race or a way of showing how fast I am (trust me, it is not pretty!), it is something that makes my life more rewarding. I think in so many ways our culture is too fixated the end of a process, getting the payoff, and does not pay enough attention to all the steps involved. I am convinced that our society has become so fixated on the final product, the end of a procedure, getting a grade, finishing a project that we forget the richness of the journey. Do we read a book to find out what happens at the end? If so, why do we not just read the end! Have we lost the wonderful sensation of being totally engrossed in a project and losing the concept of time, sleep and even hunger? I can remember teaching about a very interesting part of history or having a great discussion about Psychology and a student would ask me is this going to be on the test?.... and thinking to myself...is that all you really care about? I always hated reducing what we had done for two weeks in class to one page of terms and concepts that were going to be on the assessment for the unit. It seemed cheap. That the final part of the journey was simply a dry run through the information without looking at what had really been explored. Like running, learning is more than just the end product. If you look at the grade card, do you really know what has been learned? If you look at my running times (please don't) will you really see how running affects me and what the journey of running does for me both physically and mentally? Learning is about trying and failing, regrouping and succeeding. It is collaborating, making relationships and networking. When I run, my practice looks a lot like a race.....or parts of one. Is our learning environment in school anything like what will be experienced outside of the schoolhouse walls? Will there be a study guide to help us prepare when the assessment is about getting the job done in our chosen profession. We spend a lot of our time teaching our students how to do high school and not enough time engaging them and preparing them to harness their passions to do something they enjoy while being productive. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF....IT IS THE JOURNEY STUPID! (p.s. I am going to go running through a glen sometime soon ;-))

Google Rules

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:19:00 PDT

As I have mentioned before, I have been reading What Would Google Do ? by Jeff Jarvis. I have finally finished and have been thinking how it applies to public education and specifically to Paris Cooperative High School. In the book, the author talks about "new rules for a new age". That technology has made so many things "turn upside down". I wonder, how do these rules affect us in the learning world? I want to illustrate a few of these rules over the next few weeks. ( I am really hoping to get some input here folks! Those of you who tell me what you think need to add to the discussion here in this venue. No reasonable comments will be refused. Well meaning criticism is encouraged!)

Jarvis' rule number 1: "Customers are now in charge. They can be heard around the globe and have an impact on huge institutions in an instant." Is this true for schools? Before you say no, think about it for a little bit. Is that a good thing? We have been a closed system in education for a long time. I am not sure we value student/parental/community input the way we need to. So many times I think we recoil when we anticipate negative feedback coming from the public. In reality, when we receive negative feedback, especially in first person, we need to realize those folks are really trying to help us be better! How can we harness the input from parents to make high school education more meaningful and relevant for our students. I want to create a parent/community/faculty advisory committee for PCHS and will be sending out invitations for people to join. If you want to join the committee let me know by calling or sending me an email @ phsprincipal@gmail.com .

Where Do We Go From Here?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:16:00 PDT

Now that Paris Cooperative High School is a living, breathing entity, where do we go from here? What is needed to be done next to make PCHS a better school for all stakeholders? I have recently been reading the book What Would Google Do? The book's author, Jeff Jarvis, argues that transparency and making decisions based on how to capitalize on the input of customers is paramount in a technologically linked world. Google has revolutionized the Internet by making everything searchable and because everything is searchable, Google learns a lot about human likes and dislikes simply by tracking what people search for and say about things using the Internet. In his book, the author relates how the web and in particular the participatory web or web 2.0 has managed to revolutionize many things. Print media is forever changed. Shopping malls are dying. Travel agents are becoming a thing of the past. The middle man, and all of the inefficiency associated with him, is disappearing. Those companies that are learning to use the participatory web to their advantage are prospering. Companies such as Dell and Amazon.com are using common everyday bloggers and web surfers to become their bests advertisements. They, along with Google, are doing everything they can to get the consumer to join with them in improving their services and products. A company can no longer ignore the common customer because on the Internet, they can communicate and start a movement. Companies must head the opinions of their customers and really concentrate on the dissatisfied customers to improve their products and services. How does this relate to schools and particularly PCHS? We need to engage all of our stakeholders: students, teachers, parents, alumni, community members, business and industry. We need to seek their input. Ask what they want from their high school. Seek out opinions and listen to the experiences of those that are not satisfied and learn from them. Those that are willing to let us know what they think is wrong are in reality trying to help us get better. We need to take them up on their offer. Listen. Act on the issues we can and make our institution as transparent as we can. Technology has taken knowledge and information that was once scarce and has made it abundant. Schools are no longer the repository of information, just like newspapers are no longer the repository of news. We must learn to adjust to this new reality or we are destined to become just as irrelevant as the card catalogue in a library. What do you think?

Did You Know (thought I would join the crowd!)

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:09:00 PDT

How to Exceed State Standards in Construction Skills!

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:38:00 PDT

Math curriculum, instruction...Do They Need to Change?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:33:00 PDT

Watch the video.....

Click here to read through this blog ..... answer the question...try the optional....

A. What did the teacher ask the students of this class to do on their blogs to learn?

B and C are optional, but worth the effort...

B. Have other teachers or your students analyze the learning that is evident in the class blogs.
C. Better yet, have the students use the student posts to learn mathematics and post their learning to your own class blog.

PCHS Math Department, let's meet and discuss! email me!

On Disrespect and Vitriol

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:21:00 PDT

State law requires schools in Illinois to have bullying policies, i.e. stop all instances of students verbally and physically harassing one another. How are we supposed to stop these practices among our students when the adults who are supposed to model appropriate behavior are unable to treat each other in acceptable ways. I could give multiple examples of highly exposed adults (from all kinds of professions and different sides of the political equation) who fail to give the respect all people deserve. We do not have to agree on all matters, but we need to respect one another despite our differences on issues. The role models, whether they be the President of the United States, a TV talk show host or a parent in the stands, need to show respect to others whether or not they agree with another person on an issue or an official's call on the field. One does not have to watch human behavior very long to understand that young people are always watching how adults react in all situations and very often model the behavior they see. The old saying that "they may not listen to watch you say, but they always see what you do," holds very true. This week's controversy about whether or not to show the president's speech to the nation's students is a case in point. Name calling and stereotyping based on one's political beliefs needs to give way to open, respectful debate about issues and responsibility. How can we expect our students to treat one another with respect, despite their differences, if the adults and highly visible cultural and political leaders cannot do the same?

Just what is an unpleasant job?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:57:00 PDT

I stole this picture from the Blue Skunk Blog....I just had to share it. In these economic times is there such a thing as an unpleasant job?

Do we control what happens?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:55:00 PDT

Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do to yourself than on what the world does to you.
--Jim Collins

I am sure we would find that the people who are more productive and happier believe the above quote to be true!

And what about educational institutions? Do we believe we control the conditions of success? Failure?

How about our students? Do they believe they control their fate or is it predetermined?

What do you think?

Found on the wall at PCHS

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:35:00 PDT

We wonder what each new day brings
We hear the roars of the mighty tigers
We see the stripes of orange and black
We want to succeed
We believe that we can
We are the students of PCHS

We understand that life will not always be easy
We say that we are the best
We dream of bigger and better things
We try to be the best
We hope to make you proud
We are the students of PCHS

IF WE WERE A BUMPER STICKER, WHAT WOULD WE SAY? Your thoughts in the comments below!

Are We Ready?

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:30:00 PDT

Let's think beyond the content of this video! Are we prepared to let students create this kind of video as a project for class? Would having students create and collabortate with social media to create a video like this make learning more relevant for them?

Appropriate quote!

meisterd@paris95.k12.il.us (Dave Meister) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:38:00 PDT

I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
--John Cage,
American composer