Did You Know?

The Sims Go To School

Lesson Planning for ALL is a training/ professional development session that is meant to have teachers think about what differentiation is and how to differentiate for all students.  

One component that could perhaps improve teacher learning is the use of simulations.   I could have included two or three slides using XTRANORMAL (or other online program) to create a virtual classroom environment where teachers can discuss student learning and apply the strategies they discuss.  The simulation would have teachers discuss students in a variety of classroom learning events.  Students would succeed or fail depending on the assignments and assessments.  This is a component that would also integrate practice and feedback.  

Enhancing Learning with Research-Based Guidelines

How many power point driven professional developments have you sat through that make you want to stick your pencil through your ear? In Lesson Planning for ALL, I used researched - based teaching strategies and applied them to the research - based guidelines provided by Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer.

· Multimedia, Modality,Contiguity:  In order to address each of these areas in a way that did not overwhelm the learner, Xtranormal software allows you to create a video with a selection of characters and not.  A "script" is created by typing in the information you want the character to say. At the time that the video is selected the character then "speaks" providing the audio along with the text.  I'm not sure why it does not play on other people's computer; perhaps it is a macro setting that needs to be adjusted.

Along with this each slide that contains a graphic also contains text that pertains to the graphic. However, in this presentation the graphics are used to punctuate the text.  

· Coherence and Redundancy:  The intention here was to make the presentation/learning move seamlessly from one idea/ concept to the next. Ever have someone read their entire presentation to you and call it professional development?  That's their personal lack of understanding with the redundancy principle.   

· Personalization, Pretraining and Segmenting:  Of these three perhaps segmenting was the easiest to incorporate.  In face to face teaching this is called chunking information.

The purpose behind making sure that each of these are appropriately placed and used is to enhance learning.  This is done to minimize cognitive overload.

E-Learning and Critical Thinking

I realized today that with all the technology going into classrooms, lesson planning and lesson creation should and must change.  E-learning principles such as multimedia, modality, and the contiguity principles should be used to create lessons that are engaging and relevant.

In my professional development session known as Lesson Planning for All, I used the contiguity principle to make sure that the graphics and the text were aligned.  For example, on slide 6 this picture appears with the word PROCESS right below.  The reason for this is to draw attention to the poster and engage teachers in a discussion regarding what they might know about students who are high or low process learners.

PROCESS

I was explaining this to my room mate when she asked, "What happened with: "see figure below?"  I explained to her that placing the graphic in close proximity near the text allows the learner to focus on the concepts and lowers the cognitive stress of trying to figure out where the figure/ graphic is located.

Calvin Knows What I'm Talking About!

Twice this month I have come across an interesting dilemma: should we follow the letter of the law or the spirit of the law?

At work, the observation rubrics are being used to evaluate teachers. Or is it the other way around? The evaluation rubric is being used to observe teachers? Regardless, the argument, is that the observers/evaluators don't agree on the small details. One person said it was too subjective. Another scored a seasoned, experienced teacher on 50% of the items with a 2 on a 4-point rubric. Why? has this teacher really gone from one or two items that need improvement to 50% of the instructional program requires an overhaul? When I asked the observer why, she could only explain that it was just one line or word that pushed the teacher down to a 2 from a 3 or 4.

<SMH... making the sound that Scooby makes when he can't believe something>

So wait, you're saying that in a 45 minute lesson you did not see something... that perhaps just didn't fit the day and that in the LETTER OF THE LAW/ rubric it required a 2.  But you know that more often then not, it is impossible to hit every single indicator every single day, the same exact way? Right?  You know that right?  

What would it look like if it were the spirit of the law?  Would it appear that the teacher was getting a pass? How would you want either one to face the issues that really need improvement? Teacher evaluations need to be learning experiences for both sides of the road... not a "gotcha" moment!  

Share and Share Alike

At a school, the principal has to feel confident enough to release the controls and allow members of the staff to focus on areas of expertise and strength. There are lots of terms related to distributing.

It is not a secret that I have little understanding of the monarchical system of leadership at my school.

On the surface it looks as if there is a distribution of power but there isn't. There is one-way communication that informs the "subjects" of the demands. There is no flexibility.

If distributed leadership was used at my current school, student achievement would never come into question. In July, a new director of curriculum and instruction, a literacy coordinator, and I, the EL Specialist, were hired. In a distributive leadership model, each of us would still report to the head of school however, we would have targeted areas of supervision. We could even model and practice distributive leadership among the people we supervise. Under this model we could ensure that teachers would receive the appropriate level of support, as opposed to what happens now... no one is provided with support, professional development, or capacity building appropriate to their experience and knowledge level.

You Can't Lead If No One Follows

It has taken quite a bit of time to get this blog post written. Mostly because I am still unclear as to what my leadership style is, let alone try and figure out what leadership theory best explains my leadership style.

“... the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” --- Ralph Nader

In the mid 80's I worked for an organization that had every member take the Briggs - Myers assessment.  I wish I could remember what the profile was but along with the profile I was labeled Assertive/ Aggressive personality type.  It has taken many years to learn to be less aggressive and more assertive, but I think I have accomplished the balance.

Since then, in my professional and personal life I have worked from leading through positive example.  In the classroom, as well as out of the classroom, I have attempted to cultivate team environments so that both teachers and colleagues can reach maximum potential.

In 2007 the principal at the high school I worked at brought a consultant to the school and we were given the Briggs - Myers assessment.  I'm sure the one in the 80's and the one a few years ago were different but not by much.   The StrengthsFInder 2.0 places me in the same top two categories as it did in the late90's: Input and Intellection. Finally, Prentice Hall "What's my leadership style?"  places me at high people oriented and high task oriented. Align the numbers to the Blake and Mouton Leadership Grid, and you find the Team Leader quadrant.  

So, perhaps I am closes to transformational?  

Using the five forces of leadership matrix, I find that I have strong tendencies in each of the forces. The power behind teacher leaders is to help facilitate a change or preserve a change in the school culture.  At my current school, that won't be the case.  My head of schools believes in "management by walking around" (her words).  That's what she says but she really manages/ leads by intimidation and fear.  It is her policy that if you see or hear something that goes against what she believes then it is your responsibility to tell her right away. If you don't and she finds out, then she will hold it against you. At a recent meeting the consultant told the group "if you want to meet your life goals just align your goals to the head of schools, and you'll be fine."