tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47969013299484376072024-03-04T23:01:27.301-08:00Michael Podraza EGHSPrincipalRI's BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-69692775380904769212017-10-25T17:21:00.002-07:002017-10-25T17:22:12.931-07:00This is the Work...Now What???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Panic_button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="150" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Panic_button.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Originally this post made me think "Is this the work?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then it made me think "THIS IS THE WORK!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now it is making me panic because now I think "Yes. This is the work! Yet what/where do we/I begin?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thought provoking to say the least (to me at least :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy (I hope.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://modernlearners.com/the-art-of-unlearning/">https://modernlearners.com/the-art-of-unlearning/</a></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-42249036510100157042016-12-01T09:09:00.001-08:002016-12-01T09:09:16.974-08:00Storify of #EGSDChat 11/30/2016 Tackling "5 Myths of Standards Based Grading"<div class="storify"><iframe src="//storify.com/mpodraza/egsdchat-tackling-5-myths-of-standards-based-gradi/embed?border=false" width="100%" height="750" frameborder="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/mpodraza/egsdchat-tackling-5-myths-of-standards-based-gradi.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/mpodraza/egsdchat-tackling-5-myths-of-standards-based-gradi" target="_blank">View the story "#EGSDChat Tackling "5 Myths of Standards Based Grading"" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-21161067992170707822016-10-27T05:30:00.001-07:002016-10-27T05:30:07.731-07:00Storify of First #EGSDChat- Discussing Chapters 1 & 2 of "Grading From the Inside Out"<div class="storify"><iframe src="//storify.com/mpodraza/first-egsdchat-10-26-2016/embed?border=false" width="100%" height="750" frameborder="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/mpodraza/first-egsdchat-10-26-2016.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/mpodraza/first-egsdchat-10-26-2016" target="_blank">View the story "First #EGSDChat Twitter Chat 10-26-2016" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-13595062533844202232016-05-02T09:21:00.001-07:002016-05-02T11:37:11.609-07:00Re-Energized by Getting Back to Basics- Transferability My day today keeps circling around to "transfer".<br />
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First, it was continuing to work on various aspects of our school's newly adopted school wide learning expectations--the Deeper Learning competencies. Seeing so many amazing things that our students and educators do and are able to create, we have been working on figuring out the best way to honor this work. Before getting started today, I reread "<a href="http://www.hewlett.org/library/hewlett-foundation-publication/deeper-learning-defined" target="_blank">Deeper Learning Defined</a>" to refocus my attention to the work that needs to be done. In this document, which defines the six Deeper Learning Competencies, one finds the call for transferability:<br />
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<i><b>"Master core academic content</b>. Students develop and draw from a baseline understanding of knowledge in an academic discipline and are able to transfer knowledge to other situations."</i></blockquote>
It goes on to say:<br />
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<i>"Deeper learning activities require learners to draw information from knowledge they have acquired and then do something meaningful with it. Because the brain must develop the internal wiring necessary to process information efficiently in non-routine ways, deeper learning activities should be structured to give students multiple opportunities, over time, to apply knowledge in a range of challenging tasks. In essence, the learner moves from the novice to the expert level within the sphere of knowledge and expertise in question. This requires a range of strategies for processing information in sophisticated ways."</i></blockquote>
Later on this morning I came across <a href="http://www.teachthought.com/" target="_blank">TeachThought</a>'s repost of Grant Wiggins' "<a href="http://www.teachthought.com/learning/transfer-is-the-point-of-education-2/" target="_blank">The Point Of School Isn’t To Get Good At School</a>". In it Wiggins reminds us:<br />
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<i>"Arguably transfer is the aim of any education.</i></blockquote>
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<i>Given that there is too much for anyone to learn; given that unpredictability is inevitable; given that being flexible and adaptive with one’s repertoire is key to any future success, it stands to reason that we should focus our ‘backward-design’ efforts on the goal of transfer, regardless of what and who we teach..."</i></blockquote>
Today's reoccurrences of "transfer" has served as a timely reminder to me that sometimes simply getting back to the basic tenants of learning can refocus and re-energize us so we can then effectively promote and support the critical aspects of a meaningful education. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-92207330057614928882016-01-24T16:43:00.000-08:002016-03-10T08:33:14.688-08:00Venting on Bogus Assessment/Grading Practices: The Pop Quiz<span style="font-size: large;">Can we stop pretending that we are preparing students for "the real world" with some of our assessment/grading practices? In this, the 1st edition of Bogus Assessment/Grading Practices...</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The "Pop Quiz"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaF_1ivWSdvvgpF86P5GmbGArBJnaNnoQ89aa1LFAByRHFEVNneXWx565k6jiR21fbTyg7hXTvXkmdzeKqB3rMvP2A9to6xt1poRXjFaMVSU3y_PwZaFSlL2EIOL4Zl9W1FPMVCEHv1cw/s1600/12221292443_6f631f47fa_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaF_1ivWSdvvgpF86P5GmbGArBJnaNnoQ89aa1LFAByRHFEVNneXWx565k6jiR21fbTyg7hXTvXkmdzeKqB3rMvP2A9to6xt1poRXjFaMVSU3y_PwZaFSlL2EIOL4Zl9W1FPMVCEHv1cw/s320/12221292443_6f631f47fa_z.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/jBXjsF">https://flic.kr/p/jBXjsF</a></td></tr>
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What is the closest thing to a pop quiz you are ever faced with in "the real world"? I've never had a boss surprise me with a pop quiz. "Here take this quiz right here, right now. I don't care that you are prepared or unprepared. And oh, by the way, how well you do determines if you stay employed, get a raise, or are moved to a new position." This has never happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The closest thing I can think of is being approached with a question like "Mike, do you know ____ (insert topic/skill/information here)?" When faced with this "in the real world", if I know the answer to the question-- I provide to the best of my ability, what I believe to be the best answer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If I don't know the answer I give the response "I don't know the answer to that, but give me a moment and I'll find out." This has always served me well in what makes up my "real world". What has never served anyone well, is to lie or make up an answer for the sake of just having an answer. I would never encourage someone, especially a student, to provide an answer that they know is wrong or that they have little to no confidence in its validity. But, isn't this exactly what is what pop-quizzes force students to do? And if they guess/lie and happen to get it "correct" what is this really teaching and reinforcing?</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">But Wait...It Gets Worse</span></b><br />
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The only thing worse than the "pop quiz" is the attempted justification of them. "Well... if there is no pop quiz (i.e. threat) than the kids wouldn't study." Wow! What a way to instill a love of learning and demonstrate the true relevance of what you are teaching. If you need to have students motivated by a possibility of a pop quiz, chances are students will never do the topic/skill outside of your threat. Which is to say, they will never do it outside of the unreal world you have just created/fabricated in your classroom. Worse yet, students will never develop an intrinsic passion for what you are trying to teach them. Teaching by avoidance of punishment (i.e. loss of points) does not produce lifelong learners. Then again, chances are what you are trying to teach them through fear, intimidation and points, no one needs in "the real world" anyway.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-87786677273856730612015-12-21T05:53:00.002-08:002015-12-21T05:53:36.622-08:00Answers to Questions Leading Up To 2015 School Ranking<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Entrance_of_East_Greenwich_High_School.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Entrance_of_East_Greenwich_High_School.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Entrance_of_East_Greenwich_High_School.jpg">https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Entrance_of_East_Greenwich_High_School.jpg</a></span></td></tr>
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As I have done in a <a href="http://eghsprincipalri.blogspot.com/2015/10/full-response-to-magazines-questions.html" target="_blank">previous post about my school's success</a>, below are the questions and my answers from a recent article about my school. In this instance, the article is a <a href="http://www.golocalprov.com/news/the-top-high-schools-in-rhode-island-2015" target="_blank">ranking of Rhode Island High Schools for 2015</a> by <a href="http://golocalprov.com/">GoLocalProv.com</a>. Leading up to this announcement, I was only told that we were "among the top ranked" schools in their rankings.<br />
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<b>1. What makes your school so successful?</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Throughout the district we have dedicated faculty and staff, motivated and talented students, and supportive parents and community who all help to create a culture where there is an active commitment to education as a critical pathway to achieve personal and collective excellence.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>2. What would you share with others?</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">That there are factors that influence a school's success that are not easy to quantify, but are just as important, if not more so, than the easily quantifiable metrics that all too often are used to judge schools. For example, how present are the following throughout the school's community in pursuit of learning: collaboration, trust, willingness to explore, openness to new ideas, and calculated risk taking? In my opinion, when these are cultivated and able to be found throughout the school community, you have a truly successful school.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>3. What is the biggest challenge?</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The biggest challenge is keeping up with the pace of change in the world today. To do so it takes constant reflection and a willingness to change and evolve what it means to be a school, an educator, a student, and a school community.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-38281829848578807222015-11-20T05:48:00.001-08:002015-11-20T05:48:21.626-08:00#Choose2Matter #MakeItMatterEG Student Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Below is my address to students during today's morning announcements regarding our #Choose2Matter/#MakeItMatterEG experiences planned for Monday and Tuesday. Please consider following, and helping, our school's and students' journeys by following those hashtags on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZbS7aBU9CqXBM9i7TJ5d5w8gGGgJNEoBFplLR8_eIQzczE9eveB15uV9RiKHmnNeEEzQQfQDVZX9aBFNua8A8cqRwaEPDGsHgx1myA71t36FAGnQeV4EZO1RL-wRaZMevLJMt8MH5ac/s1600/EGHS+Front+Empower.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZbS7aBU9CqXBM9i7TJ5d5w8gGGgJNEoBFplLR8_eIQzczE9eveB15uV9RiKHmnNeEEzQQfQDVZX9aBFNua8A8cqRwaEPDGsHgx1myA71t36FAGnQeV4EZO1RL-wRaZMevLJMt8MH5ac/s320/EGHS+Front+Empower.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"We, the EGHS community, strive to empower all members to achieve their full potential as learners, thinkers and responsible global citizens. We take risks in order to inspire learning and discover passions"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<i><u>...take risks in order to inspire learning and discover passions</u></i>" on Monday and Tuesday we, as an entire school community, will live our mission. As a school, we will take the risks we speak of in our mission. On Monday and Tuesday, you will have unprecedented freedom, choice and opportunities to shape your experiences during your time at EGHS.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You will have: faculty, staff, mentors, doctors, lawyers, business leaders, Senators, Congressmen, School Committee members, psychologists, nurses, philanthropists, and individuals from many other professions and walks of life; all show up-- not to tell you what to do, or tell you what is important, or tell you how to be like them. Rather, everyone will be here with the one goal-- to help you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Help you to do what you what you want to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Help you with what you are passionate about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Help you to make changes to what you want to make changes to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Help you to help those you want to help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what do we need from you? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We need you to embrace this opportunity. We need you to show us what empowerment looks and lives like. We need you to be brave. We need you to not run away from freedom and all the responsibilities that come with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still not sure?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is okay. But, then it is all the more important that you be here on Monday and Tuesday. Because on Monday and Tuesday you will experience the amazing things empowered individuals, groups and communities can do and achieve when they make the conscious choice to choose to matter.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-65033458156975934152015-11-18T16:27:00.001-08:002015-11-18T16:27:23.298-08:00Response to RI Council on Elementary and Secondary Education re: Proposed Changes to Length of School Day<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.38; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The following are my comments related to the proposed changes to the regulations governing the length of the school day, submitted to the </span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.08px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rhode Island </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.08px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, for their upcoming meeting on Monday 11/23/2015 at 4:30 p.m. in Room 501 of the </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shepard Building, 255 Westminster Street, Providence, R.I. 02903</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Honorable Members of the Rhode Island </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Council on Elementary and Secondary Education;</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please accept the following feedback regarding the proposed changes to Regulations Governing the School Calendar and Length of the School Day, specifically 11e which states:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">e). A school district may establish a school year that is the equivalent of one hundred eighty (180) days through the use of longer school days in terms of hours, and which may total less than one hundred eighty (180) separate days, so long as through the use of the longer school day, the school district annually provides a minimum of one thousand eighty (1080) school hours in a single school year. This figure is based on a minimum of six (6) hours per school day. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In all cases, subject only to the exceptions set forth herein, there must be a minimum of 330 minutes of instructional time in order to constitute a school day. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emphasis added</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">]</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Principal of East Greenwich High School, I have the pleasure of helping to lead a high achieving, commended, and nationally-ranked high school. More importantly, I am privileged to work everyday with educators and students to build a school culture that focuses on personalizing student learning, teaching transferable 21st century skills, and designing assessment protocols that focus on measuring student proficiency rather than seat time or the ability simply to regurgitate content.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last line of these regulations, if adopted, will erect an obstacle for my school community to overcome as we look for new ways to innovate, collaborate, learn, adapt and improve our practices and operations to better serve our students and community. Strictly defining the school day and placing required numbers of minutes on what constitutes a school day, and thereby when “learning” is to happen, discourages out-of-the-box thinking by mandating that learning only ‘counts’ when it occurs within the ‘box’ of a school day. As such, adoption of these regulations as currently constituted, detracts from the heart of education’s mission-- to support, encourage and develop citizens who are lifelong learners. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a Statewide level, the last line of these regulations runs in direct opposition to the intent of numerous adopted regulations and published guidance from the State regarding, for example, Dual and Concurrent Enrollment, Multiple Pathways, and Virtual and Blended Learning initiatives. The aforementioned initiatives and guidance focus learning on student proficiency and student mastery, not on seat time. Placing a time limit on what constitutes a school day profoundly detracts from what is at the heart of these initiatives-- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">personalizing student learning</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-- which must by definition, recognize that time to learn varies from student to student.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, there appears to be no relevant research supporting universal implementation of the 330 minute school day. To the contrary, research firmly establishes that it is not the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">quantity</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of daily instruction that affects student achievement, rather it is the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">quality</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the instruction and the engagement that students have with the educational opportunities and experiences that are afforded them. Interestingly enough, this is supported not only by research, but can also be seen in the international gold standard of education and innovation-- Finland, which has as an average school day of five hours. In fact, according to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 72pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the most striking facts about Finnish schools is that their students have fewer hours of instruction than students in any other OECD country. This means that Finnish teachers teach fewer hours than their peers. In lower secondary schools, for example, Finnish teachers teach about 600 hours a year – 800 lessons of 45 minutes each, or four lessons per day. By contrast, US middle school teachers teach about 1 080 hours, or six daily lessons of 50 minutes. Teaching hours per day also depend partly on the number of teachers in a given school and teaching loads vary according to the level of education being taught. Nevertheless, the number of teaching hours is generally fewer than in many other countries.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One may wonder if this high level of student achievement through flexibility can be achieved domestically? To answer this question one needs to look no further than to our neighbors to the north in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts we see not only the highest level of student achievement nationally, but also less required minutes (990) and greater flexibility in defining what constitutes the school day. This is particularly evident in how the State defines “Structured Learning” time:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 72pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Structured learning time shall mean time during which students are engaged in regularly scheduled instruction, learning activities, or learning assessments within the curriculum for study of the "core subjects" and "other subjects." In addition to classroom time where both teachers and students are present, structured learning time may include directed study, independent study, technology-assisted learning, presentations by persons other than teachers, school-to-work programs, and statewide student performance assessments.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In our quest to achieve meaningful learning for all students, we must be sure that we are supporting our students and school communities with the right mix of State regulations alongside reasonable autonomy for the LEA, educator and student. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If, in spite of feedback from the community, the Board mandates that 330 minutes constitute a school day, I would urge the board to apply the same thinking to the school day that these regulations give to the school year. Specifically, schools should be permitted to go over the 330 minutes and use those additional minutes to reduce the number of minutes from other days. Doing so would presumably satisfy the Board’s goals regarding seat time while still permitting schools at least some flexibility to design student-centric systems focused on learning. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">East Greenwich High School’s mission is summarized as “EGHS exists to EMPOWER”. Using our mission as a beacon, we strive to design our operations around developing student and educator autonomy, supporting each school community member’s needs, and igniting our students’ passions, none of which can be easily achieved through a strict and universally-applied time frame. I urge you to reconsider these draft regulations. I thank you for your consideration of these points. Thank you as well for your selfless service to the students, educators, and citizens of Rhode Island.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michael J. Podraza </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-72125270646410832332015-10-28T10:11:00.000-07:002015-10-28T10:11:45.723-07:00Full Response to Magazine's Questions About Our School's Success<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/2012_newspaper_reader_Santa_Cruz_Argentina_7133646327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/2012_newspaper_reader_Santa_Cruz_Argentina_7133646327.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It is always interesting to see what a magazine or newspaper publishes when they are doing an article about a school, school system, or an educational issue. In my experience, authors tend to use about five to ten percent of what is discussed or written in response to their questions. </span><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is with this in mind that I am sharing my full responses to <a href="http://sorhodeisland.com/" target="_blank">SO RI Magazine</a>'s questions about East Greenwich High School.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">1) It would be easy to infer that East Greenwich High School's achievements can be attributed to the affluence of the East Greenwich community; but your school department's per pupil spending is outmatched by several other towns in Rhode Island. To what do you attribute your school's success?</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-5978b30f-af44-b400-36fd-dd7f08f5b234" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe that the success of EGHS is due to a variety of factors. However, there is one factor that many people outside of our school community don’t often get to see or hear about, because it cannot be measured through test scores or college acceptances. It is our students' and educators' willingness to try different approaches, strategies and activities. Knowing that you will be supported when you take risks and venture out of your comfort zone is something that is an invaluable asset to our school community, as well as to our school’s culture. For educators this means knowing that you have the trust and autonomy to try a new project, to experiment with emerging technology, propose a new course for the program of studies, or create a new method of assessment that involves the community at large. For students, it means that you take advantage of the multitude of opportunities that are available here such as-- to create a new club, audition for the talent show, try a course you know very little about, propose an independent study, or tryout for a team in a sport you have never played before. The majority of our students and faculty are fearless in this way, and it is reflected in our school’s new mission statement, “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EGHS Exists to Empower</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.”</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">2) Historically, East Greenwich has a strong school system. That being said, what do you think are the reasons you advanced so dramatically in August's Newsweek rankings (from 283 to 186 in on school year)?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is very difficult to know the precise reason. Each and every publication’s school rankings are generally comprised of different elements and variable weights that they assign to each category to evaluate and rank schools according to their metrics. The fact that the weighting and methodologies used also can vary from year to year makes it even more difficult to pinpoint why someone moves up or down in rankings. For example, one ranking strongly factors the student:teacher ratio, while another emphasizes student:counselor ratio. Another system only measures how many students take AP or IB exams, while another uses not only participation in those tests, but the quality of the students’ results as well. Some rankings even utilize data from different cohorts of students. For example, they may use the current percentage of students who score at or above proficient on a State test, while in the same formula, use data from AP Exams from a class that graduated three to four years ago. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately, as principal of East Greenwich High School I have amazingly talented students, a dedicated faculty, and supportive parents and community, and through their efforts they allow me to focus on researching and advocating for programs and practices that will put our school in the best position to focus on teaching, learning and empowerment. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">3) Are you observing other schools as models? And, in your opinion, can your school's success be replicated in other buildings?</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">We are constantly looking at what other schools are doing. Fortunately, in this area of connectedness we are more able than ever to hear and learn about innovative practices and reach out to educators and schools- locally, nationally and globally. That is the real reason that I encourage all educators, students and parents to harness the power of social media to enhance learning. In this day and age, we must take advantage of the experts and innovators who are just a click away.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">As for the question of if EGHS successes can be replicated in other buildings, I believe that it can be as long as three criteria are met:</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Focus on Learning- I believe it was Audrey Watters who said, “In the end all learning is personal.” Even though she was discussing educational technology and learning, this pertains to the most important aspect of what schools need to focus on- learning. When schools are able to focus on learning, students’ passions are activated and educators ability to “personalize” occurs organically. Then, as a byproduct, the need for artificial and extrinsic rewards to compel learning is greatly reduced.</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Autonomy and Trust- Schools, educators and students must be given the ability and permission to create their own solutions to the unique issues and pressures that they face. When that happens, what people and groups resolve to do is usually a spot-on solution to their needs. Solutions created in this kind of environment also have the benefit of increased buy-in from stakeholders since they not only understand the relevance and origins of the problem and solution, but the moral imperative to act on them as well.</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Culture of “never done”- I believe that the best schools constantly evolve. They are bastions to those who are fully committed to the pursuit of lifelong learning. They know that no matter how “successful” a school or person has been in the past, these past success will not dictate our, or our students’, success in the future. As a consequence we are constantly looking ahead to how can we best serve our students learning now and in the future. We might not always get it right, or create the perfect program, however there is tremendous value in giving efforts to the never ending search to improve and better serve our students. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">4) Finally, what do you have planned for the 2015-2016 school year?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Guiding our professional work this year- As previously mentioned, we have just revised East Greenwich High School’s mission statement and our school wide learning expectations. We will be using this year to look at how our existing and future curriculum provides opportunities for students to be instructed and assessed with purposeful alignment to our new expectations.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">We are very excited to once again offer students, teachers and community an opportunity to combine efforts to empower students, as we run #Choose2Matter 11/23 and 11/24. (Italics taken from Tim Chace’s blog post)</span></span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On those two days, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EGHS will close down normal operations and we will provide our students with opportunities to work autonomously with expert mentors and decision makers to initiate organizations and projects centered on empowering them to make positive changes to their sphere of influence locally, nationally worldwide. Choose2Matter will allow our school community to continue to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">provide real world context to the learning that our students do in classrooms in an </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">engaging and personally meaningful way that taps deeply into our student's passions and creativity.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">In order to move beyond theoretical constructs, we bring in leaders, experts and decision makers from the community, the state and the country to act as sounding boards, facilitators, mentors and partners as our student’s and educator’s projects move from the realm of thought to action. </span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Students will have opportunities to present their ideas to worldwide audiences, and will be recognized by international and business leaders, civic and industry partners.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">In planning this experience for a November date, we hope to use the remainder of the school year to find more opportunities for our students to learn autonomously, to build and develop projects and organizations and products of personal significance. </span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">To support this work we are also pleased to announce that on Sunday 11/22 at 6 PM in the EGHS Auditorium, we will be hosting a screening of “Most Likely to Succeed” and a keynote address by Angela Maiers. All donations from the screening and keynote will go towards funding student generated initiatives and organizations that occur as a result of Choose2Matter. </span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moving forward from Choose2Matter this year, we will then be working as a faculty to design more systems, schedules and opportunities to make our student's learning more autonomous, more personal, learning that reinforces that their studies are important, and where they can apply what they are learning in complex and personally meaningful ways.</span></span></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-47049945821346851472015-10-06T09:39:00.001-07:002015-10-06T09:39:08.421-07:0011/22 No Pats Game, So Register for "Most Likely to Succeed!" Screening and Angela Maiers Keynote<span style="font-size: large;">There is no Patriots game on Sunday evening 11/22, so come to East Greenwich High School to view "Most Likely to Succeed!" and a Keynote by Angela Maiers to kick off East Greenwich High School's #Choose2Matter programming.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All donations to benefit student initiatives stemming from #Choose2Matter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Register for a ticket on Eventbrite below.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 100%;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="1000" hspace="0" marginheight="5" marginwidth="5" scrolling="auto" src="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screening-of-most-likely-to-succeed-choose2matter-keynote-with-angela-maiers-tickets-18840032043?ref=eweb" vspace="0" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 10px; margin: 2px; padding: 5px 0 5px; text-align: left; width: 100%;">
<a class="powered-by-eb" href="http://www.eventbrite.com/r/eweb" style="color: #dddddd; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Powered by Eventbrite</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-86762527522353638552015-09-02T16:51:00.001-07:002015-09-03T04:05:41.554-07:00Questions Raised When Viewing "Most Likely to Succeed"<span style="font-size: large;">I consider myself fortunate to have been able to attend a viewing of "<a href="http://mltsfilm.org/" target="_blank">Most Likely to Succeed</a>" hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/BIFsxl" target="_blank">the Student Experience Lab</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBIF" target="_blank">Business Innovation Factory</a> yesterday in Providence.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoft3qeOTt5pyiBBi0Lwex5PLFFwMVC8oWg-97XAE3BNFApVt1zu2ISYYUQwbSg96-gnNR0l-58HjS9yBHzuER4vs12DdxVMbOIrS6eFLRz2hRYxZ5RgWeH9FLxw6qgjJnlclhE4IJ3S0/s1600/success-259710_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoft3qeOTt5pyiBBi0Lwex5PLFFwMVC8oWg-97XAE3BNFApVt1zu2ISYYUQwbSg96-gnNR0l-58HjS9yBHzuER4vs12DdxVMbOIrS6eFLRz2hRYxZ5RgWeH9FLxw6qgjJnlclhE4IJ3S0/s320/success-259710_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/p-259710/?no_redirect">https://pixabay.com/p-259710/?no_redirect</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">While viewing the film I had many questions, while some were about the film itself, the ones that are sticking with me have to deal, not with the film, but rather about what we currently do/don't do in our schools. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Like an itch that won't go away, I feel the constant urge to ask myself, my teachers, my children's teachers these questions as we begin a new school year:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">In your class/school, when do students get a chance to make make decisions? When <u><i>could</i></u> students get to make decisions?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">How would student performance differ if we gave students the final exam from last year again right now? Is that okay? Why?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Is relying on assessments that measure a student's ability to memorize information just a way to reinforce our culture's need for immediate/short term rewards and therefore are an embodiment to reinforce our culture's hierarchy and status quo?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What would students learn if we didn't give grades? What about educators?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">While I have not yet asked these questions to many of the educators listed above, hopefully this post will serve as the catalyst for that conversation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As always, I would love to get your feedback. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for reading.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-35187493396875353602015-07-13T08:56:00.001-07:002015-07-13T11:20:45.585-07:00Are the Rules & Regulations the Problem?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZajzFgZjeEpiBth6N-cMnQee6AlvoZh9RVhuJ_gxuLy9M5EhDVh3S0xn1DPaQPwySNDgqW9EZqvodplGNopBbFFQ1niSHcJ7VhGH9tBq1dzHONSJAja0AupF9QLvRXJaE8IXPRFZuys/s1600/3884932267_2c8d29b4bf_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZajzFgZjeEpiBth6N-cMnQee6AlvoZh9RVhuJ_gxuLy9M5EhDVh3S0xn1DPaQPwySNDgqW9EZqvodplGNopBbFFQ1niSHcJ7VhGH9tBq1dzHONSJAja0AupF9QLvRXJaE8IXPRFZuys/s400/3884932267_2c8d29b4bf_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of- <a href="https://flic.kr/p/6Vii1P">https://flic.kr/p/6Vii1P</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to the <a href="http://www.ride.ri.gov/InsideRIDE/RIDEOffices/Transformation.aspx#16581-charter-schools" target="_blank">Rhode Island Department of Education's Office of Transformation and Charter School's website</a>--</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Rhode Island's 16 charter schools are public schools authorized by the State of Rhode Island to operate independently from many state and local district rules and regulations. Each charter school is able to establish educational strategies that meet the specific student achievement goals and objectives outlined in individual schools' charters.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"<i><b>to operate independently from many state and local district rules and regulations.</b></i>"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">Many people go out of their way to tout the power of these schools, who are freed from certain burdens, to "innovate" or promote them as models traditional public schools can and must learn from. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sorry, not buying it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The answer to improving public education does not rest in allowing a certain "type" of school. However, t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he answer <i>can be found</i> <b><i><u>in</u></i></b> the rules and regulations, but is it is certainly <b><u><i>NOT</i></u></b> the rules and regulations. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The answer is the absence of the rules and regulations</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The answer is freedom and autonomy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Giving each and every public school the autonomy to operate independently from rules and regulations allows </span><u style="font-size: x-large;">all schools</u><span style="font-size: large;"> to truly personalize the educational experiences for all in their school community, and in doing so allows each school to individually tailor how they meet their specific student achievement goals and empowers schools to respond immediately when they don't.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Imagine the possibilities...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Want graduation tied to standardized tests? Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't. {Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Believe your students need study halls during the school day? Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't. </span><span style="font-size: large;">{Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Believe that learning occurring outside of the classroom is more valuable than that which occurs in it, and want to give credit for outside experiences? </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">{Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Want to give course credit to a class taught by an algorithm? </span><span style="font-size: large;">Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't. </span><span style="font-size: large;">{Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Want to have a Senior Project, Comprehensive Course Assessments or Portfolio as graduation requirements? Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't. </span><span style="font-size: large;">{Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Love "data" so much that you want students tested every moment of every day? </span><span style="font-size: large;">Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't. </span><span style="font-size: large;">{Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Want all your class offerings, instructional and assessment practices to be tied to poetry/woodworking/dance/STEM/etc? Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't. </span><span style="font-size: large;">{Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Think that students need 4 years of Art and only 1 of Math?</span><span style="font-size: large;">Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then don't.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">{Then support with data re: needs and outcomes}</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPf8sK1sNnzgAPGkVURxDb-6bZA_ZWYocDeUSFTcZsNKkZjNSNNYJmpNjEo9TQh4KxM2l8z0mNJ6cGRtOEi81tLeniepYyACqymK_-UreNp8dOGlJv09MFBAlqwNJEJwvC8tw2sw5S6F8/s1600/4978508966_35a3226af2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPf8sK1sNnzgAPGkVURxDb-6bZA_ZWYocDeUSFTcZsNKkZjNSNNYJmpNjEo9TQh4KxM2l8z0mNJ6cGRtOEi81tLeniepYyACqymK_-UreNp8dOGlJv09MFBAlqwNJEJwvC8tw2sw5S6F8/s400/4978508966_35a3226af2_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of <a href="https://flic.kr/p/8zWagu">https://flic.kr/p/8zWagu</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By having rules and regulations that state that we may be able to improve student outcomes by having a select few who do not have to adhere to the rules and regulations is educational hypocrisy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is time to admit that achieving student outcomes aligned to the demands and skill sets required in the 21st Century will not come from standardization and compliance with rules and regulations that seek to standardize all practices statewide (except of course those who have been granted permission NOT too). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is time to admit that in order to "innovate" or be "transformational" in any field, individuals and groups must be free to challenge existing frameworks and guidelines, not be inundated with rules and regulations that force them to live within artificial boundaries that confine them to the practices they seek to change and improve.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4TGZn2XHNjqElbX4qo-o77xs0z0X6f2dQM8Uz38SWwaXCQWmY-uKMB7FdLsRnPPCZdU1MBaa-vHjnKpxU-zpt8yNUtkjXYFJZ95SE9wsjIRd2foqliHuX8KxINooAjxRzz7mjsPrKKY/s1600/6250513028_032fa5603b_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4TGZn2XHNjqElbX4qo-o77xs0z0X6f2dQM8Uz38SWwaXCQWmY-uKMB7FdLsRnPPCZdU1MBaa-vHjnKpxU-zpt8yNUtkjXYFJZ95SE9wsjIRd2foqliHuX8KxINooAjxRzz7mjsPrKKY/s400/6250513028_032fa5603b_o.png" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/artjonak/6250513028/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/artjonak/6250513028/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>All schools</u> can and should be unique, just like the students and communities they serve. It is time that we empower <u>all schools</u> with the autonomy to chart their unique course so that we can truly personalize the educations our students receive. It is time that we promote <u>all schools</u> as places where we have the freedom to find the next "best practice". It is time we have <u>all schools</u> become safe havens for risk-taking, innovation and the sharing out of those practices to all who are interested.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Agree? </span><span style="font-size: large;">Yes? Then go ahead. No? Then... Oh wait, we all don't have that choice...yet.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-78889456604493247802015-04-30T03:24:00.002-07:002015-04-30T03:24:49.330-07:00Faculty Meeting Recipe- Data + "3 Rs" + Socrative <span style="font-size: large;">The following faculty meeting recipe was used to look at a wide array of data associated with a mid-year school wide survey during a one hour faculty meeting. It was implemented with the intention to collectively celebrate successes, challenge assumptions, and find solutions to issues raised by mid-year student feedback to a variety of questions. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Necessary Ingredients:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Fantastic educators</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">School wide Data (We are using <a href="https://www.panoramaed.com/" target="_blank">Panorama</a> this year)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.socrative.com/" target="_blank">Socrative</a> (Pre-heat by starting a short answer "Quick Question")</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="299" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ux_NkC_d9mrvZLgn9Hy_vN0hisDrE7yhC_iKftQbHZ4/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=5000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 1- Give educators access to student survey results ahead of time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 2- Have educators go to Socrative and login to the room </span><span style="font-size: large;">as "Student"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 3- Present the first "R"- Revel. Have each educator put into Socrative a result that they are proud of and one way they believe they contribute to that positive result.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 4- Once everyone has participated in step 3, go into Socrative and "start vote". This awesome feature allows participants to read others short answers and vote for one they believe best "answers" the question.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 5- Display voting results. Discuss as needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 6- </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Optional) Admin displays data that they "Revel" from mid-year teacher surveys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Step 7- Initiate a new short answer "quick question" in Socrative for second "R": </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Reexamine</u></i></b>- <i>Ask participants to examine data and find one result that surprises and explain why it surprises</i>. Repeat steps 4-7</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Step 8- </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Optional) Admin displays data that they identified as necessary to "Reexamine" from mid-year teacher surveys.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 9- </span><span style="font-size: large;">Initiate a new short answer "quick question" in Socrative for third "R": </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><u>Remedy</u></b></i>- Ask participants to examine data and find one result that is <i>unacceptable</i> and <b><i><u>share one idea to change it</u></i></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Step 10- Not optional: Admin displays feedback they received as feedback from teacher surveys that they see as unacceptable, and <b><i><u>share one idea to change it.</u></i></b></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="299" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ux_NkC_d9mrvZLgn9Hy_vN0hisDrE7yhC_iKftQbHZ4/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=10000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-83138765744670031772015-04-27T08:31:00.000-07:002015-04-27T13:51:12.351-07:00Unexpected Lessons From My Bammy! Nomination <span style="font-size: large;">Seth Godin said:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN3lgFbyeEfP_fM2ZflA_4sGbg-Ynx8RBVKgg-oyIkqGo27tbF7GdHjizqSzYXaFzLZLDBWstSI-YlHrp0FI6h9NKNkeUBmw9V2jl7mho_r_WxSvLkmqVgMVBINzBTVbzV9r37uL5JbI/s1600/crowd-296520_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a><i><span style="font-size: large;">People are real, but the crowd disappoints</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Every crowd, sooner or later, will let you down.</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The crowd contains a shoplifter, or a heckler, or an anonymous boor who leaves a snarky comment.</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The crowd loses interest, the crowd denigrates the work, the crowd isn't serious.</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Worst of all, sometimes the crowd turns into a mob, out of control and bloodthirsty.</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">But people, people are real.</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">People will look you in the eye.</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">People will keep their promises. People can grow, can change, can be generous.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">When in doubt, ignore the crowd (and forgive them). When possible, look for people instead.</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">via: <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/04/people-are-real-but-the-crowd-disappoints.html">http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/04/people-are-real-but-the-crowd-disappoints.html</a> </span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN3lgFbyeEfP_fM2ZflA_4sGbg-Ynx8RBVKgg-oyIkqGo27tbF7GdHjizqSzYXaFzLZLDBWstSI-YlHrp0FI6h9NKNkeUBmw9V2jl7mho_r_WxSvLkmqVgMVBINzBTVbzV9r37uL5JbI/s1600/crowd-296520_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN3lgFbyeEfP_fM2ZflA_4sGbg-Ynx8RBVKgg-oyIkqGo27tbF7GdHjizqSzYXaFzLZLDBWstSI-YlHrp0FI6h9NKNkeUBmw9V2jl7mho_r_WxSvLkmqVgMVBINzBTVbzV9r37uL5JbI/s1600/crowd-296520_1280.png" height="206" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Given the feedback to date on my <a href="http://www.bammyawards.org/nominations/index.php/component/content/article/59-secondary-school-leader/1548-michael-podraza.html" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Bammy! Award nomination</a>, I have learned the truth in Seth's post, and would add:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">People will sign their name.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">People will give you honest feedback.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">People will tell you where you can improve.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was going to write about the"heckler" and the "anonymous boor", but I am taking Mr. Godin's advice instead and writing only about those who matter-- the people who will: look you in the eye, keep their promises, help you grow, change, be generous, AND who will sign their name, give honest feedback, and help you improve.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">My sincere thanks go out to all the people! Thanks for letting me know you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sitting and watching is still just sitting and watching...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"It was in the webinar!" is just as effective as saying "It was in the lecture!". (<i>And we all know how effective that is!</i>)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Postgrau_gesti%C3%B3_muse%C3%ADstica-_webinar_with_Nancy_Proctor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Postgrau_gesti%C3%B3_muse%C3%ADstica-_webinar_with_Nancy_Proctor.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<b><u>Do More</u></b></div>
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Video is but a singular tool for educators, and better yet our students, to utilize in the pursuit of greater knowledge. I'm sure our lectures (video and live) are wonderful, but if it does not result in action(s) that cause a learner to go beyond regurgitating to you what you said, then what is the point? </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-3965126027150723562015-03-08T19:14:00.003-07:002015-03-08T19:21:59.149-07:00Blendspace of EGHS "Tech Tools" and "Food for Thought" 3-8-2015 <div style="text-align: left;">
Latest "Tech Tools" and "Food for Thought" shared with East Greenwich High School's faculty, in the form of a Blendspace playlist. If new to Blendspace, hit "play" in the top left corner and make sure comments/text is on.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.blendspace.com/lessons/BUiutuQ4wZcSpA/?feature=embed" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-72464793596882966062015-03-01T08:07:00.002-08:002015-03-01T08:07:11.363-08:004 Rotational Models- A Blendspace Playlist Into Blogger<span style="font-size: large;">This post is my 1st attempt to embed a "Blendspace" playlist I made into blogger. Hope it works and that you find it useful.</span><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.blendspace.com/lessons/Hcpy0pUctiUJXg/four-rotational-blended-learning-models?feature=embed" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-64878330510853348292015-01-20T12:22:00.000-08:002015-01-20T18:07:03.285-08:00Need More Than Ubiquitous Multiple Choice<span style="font-size: large;">In her article <i><a href="https://modernlearners.com/moving-beyond-personalized-instruction/" style="background-color: yellow;" target="_blank">Moving Beyond “Personalized Instruction”</a> </i>Audrey Watters eloquently states:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">But technology today is mobile, and it is social, and it is networked. We need to rethink, reimagine how technology can enhance learning — through collaboration and connectedness, for example. We cannot simply use newer technologies to make old practices of lectures and worksheets digital. That’s not enough to transform school. And as the NEPC report highlights, that doesn’t work. And it doesn’t work, in part, because we know that those practices aren’t the best analog pedagogy either.</span></blockquote>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Clickers. Apps. Multiple choice. Videos of lectures. </span></b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Exam.jpg"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Exam.jpg</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is not meaningful. This is not better. This is not getting students "college and career ready". This is not empowering students, learners, "scholars" or educators. This is not personalization. This is digital reinforcement of a hierarchal structure of knowledge acquisition that in the 21st Century, need not exist. This is digitizing a world that only exists within the walls of our industrial model schools and pretending that it exists in the always referenced "real world" (which is only true in the "real world" of schools and factories).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Clickers. Apps. Multiple choice. Videos of lectures. </span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4286834503_a7bda91abc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4286834503_a7bda91abc.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4286834503_a7bda91abc.jpg"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4286834503_a7bda91abc.jpg</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These would have you believe that novelty and entertainment is engagement. These have you believe that having "data" will lead to customized learning. The use of these tools may qualify as educational technology, but they do so at the lowest levels. These technologies do not empower or connect students to the world. These technologies do not help students answer big, essential questions. And using technology to answer multiple choice questions certainly does not require a meaningful student investment in their learning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But with such a huge push to use technology in education-- they are comfortable. Easy. They digitize the model of education where the teacher is the sole purveyor of information. Where we are the sole individuals who can answer the ultimate questions (or at least those on the tests we make).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">But What About Formative Assessments?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sure formative assessment is great. Strike that, MEANINGFUL formative assessment is great.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But why are we shooting to make multiple choice ubiquitous? And yes, I understand that getting formative data back to teachers rapidly is important, but to what end? If it is so teachers can craft better multiple choice questions then by all means, have at it, but don't tell me this is personalizing learning or an example of a meaningful use of technology worthy of such a huge investment.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If this is what the call for more technology usage in classrooms is about- multiple choice, algorithms and "personalized" video lectures, then the profession is embracing a model that can and will replace educators. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But, it does not have to be this way...and it should not be this way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I would implore educators who are looking to use technology meaningfully to do so in a way that helps you <span style="background-color: yellow;"><a href="http://eghsprincipalri.blogspot.com/2013/12/do-you-do-what-google-cant.html" target="_blank">do what Google can't</a>.</span> Use technology to explore the previously unreachable. Search and learn with, and from, students about questions you don't have the answers to (even if it is not on the exam). Connect students with experts, other than yourself, from around the globe. <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/provocative-ed-tech-thinking/2014/10/Post-0012-The_benefits_of_accomplishment-based_education.html" style="background-color: yellow;" target="_blank">Identify and solve problems that exist now</a>, not in a carefully crafted scenario. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Most importantly, take back what it means to personalize learning- use the unique knowledge that you have about your students' lives to craft instruction, assessments, and experiences that have personal and intrinsic value to students. Use data to identify, harness and build upon students' strengths, not just weaknesses. Finally, use technology to share the amazing, personalized work students create with the school, community, and the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then technology <i>and</i> people will have transformed "school" together.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-48778942644439916202014-12-20T09:13:00.001-08:002015-03-08T19:19:13.572-07:00The 1:1 Initiative I Need <br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On page 74 of <i><a href="http://www.yourturn.link/" target="_blank">What To Do When It's Your Turn [and it's always your turn]</a></i> Seth Godin writes:</span><br />
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<b>Not even close</b></blockquote>
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In <i>Open: An Autobiography, </i>Andre Agassi wrote about the secret he learned while playing tennis: "But I don't feel that Wimbledon changed me. I feel, in fact, as if I've been let in on a dirty little secret: winning changes nothing. Now that I've won a slam, I know something that few people on earth are permitted to know. A win doesn't feel as good as a loss feels bad, and the good feeling doesn't last as long as the bad. Not even close." </blockquote>
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Ouch. It's so easy to believe that five great Amazon reviews don't compare in impact to one bad one. Five closed sales don't compare to one "no." What a sad way to choose to live life.</blockquote>
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No wonder we don't want to speak up or stand up or do anything much that matters. We've persuaded ourselves that good feelings aren't even close to outweighing bad ones. </blockquote>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"What a sad way <u>to choose</u> to live life."</i> </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am struck by this. Is this indeed a choice? I've always made the assumption that this is "just the way it is" or the way that I am. My intense focus and reaction to negatives or naysayers is just a product of being human. Or so I believed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But now I'm on the hook. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The idea that this is a choice is empowering, but also scary because it puts the onus on me. It makes me responsible for <a href="http://eghsprincipalri.blogspot.com/2014/04/is-that-shovel-in-your-hand.html" target="_blank">when I fall into the trap</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a school leader I try to see and promote the positive events, actions, and statistics, that exponentially outnumber the negatives. However, I currently allow my mental energy to focus too much on the negative, or as Seth put it, the "one bad" review over the "five great".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"No wonder we don't want to speak up or stand up or do anything much that matters. We've persuaded ourselves that good feelings aren't even close to outweighing bad ones."</span></b></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is real tragedy in this. Tragedy for culture, for communities, for families, for individuals, even for schools. How much more of our economic, human, personal and emotional capital is tied up in reacting to the 1 negative than the 5 positives? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, it is time to change this deficit model of thinking. This deficit model of perception. The deficit model of how we run and view our schools. A change of how we perceive the range of students abilities. A recognition that we are probably not giving equally to all the positives that are all around us, especially in comparison to what we give the negatives. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, it is not just a change in thinking that will let me off the hook. This change must come with action. It takes showing up. It takes speaking out. It takes challenging those who try to make others believe in a false narratives about the state of learning and achievement. It may even require becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personally, as a school leader I realize that this the 1:1 initiative I really need-- giving the same emotional capital to the positive as I give to the negative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, it is time to give equity to recognizing, appreciating, supporting, and enjoying <i><u>each</u></i> positive, and put it on par with the capital I spend addressing, focusing and stressing about each negative. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how to improve, change, other ideas for next steps, or other ideas for modification.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am finding every page of Seth Godin's book "What To Do When It's Your Turn [and it's always your turn]" a source of inspiration, motivation, reflection and action. I have a feeling that I may write a series of posts just from this book, and if I do this is the first.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-80164252368694593152014-12-15T12:13:00.002-08:002014-12-15T12:14:17.018-08:00How Will I Make 2015 the Best Year for My Students? Empowerment or "Surveillance, Standardization, Assessment, Control"?<b><i>"Perhaps what we need to build are more compassionate spaces, so that education technology isn’t in the service of surveillance, standardization, assessment, control." -Audrey Watters</i></b><br />
<a href="http://www.hackeducation.com/2014/11/13/convivial-tools-in-an-age-of-surveillance/">http://www.hackeducation.com/2014/11/13/convivial-tools-in-an-age-of-surveillance/</a><br />
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I originally wrote this quote down in a draft blog post a few days after I read the original post. I was not sure where I was going to go with it, or where it was going to take me. What I did know was that it stuck with me.<br />
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There was an uncomfortable truth.<br />
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After two plus years of working to get to a 1:1 environment for my students, something was wrong with the questions I was being asked about it. The headlines, questions and inquiries were not about what my students were now doing differently, what were they now creating, or who they were now able to learn from or share their learning with. The inquiries were about filters, permissions, acceptable use, monitoring, etc. all valuable things (I guess)...but hardly about learning.<br />
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So now as I am asked to answer "<a href="http://www.ettgoogle.org/" target="_blank">How Will I Make 2015 the Best Year for My Students?</a>" and the quote has led to this post and my goal for 2015. I believe I can make 2015 the best year for my students by trying to meet the challenge posed by Ms. Watters. I will focus<br />
on the hard work of insuring compassionate spaces over attempting to parlay technology purchases that promote "surveillance, standardization, assessment and control" in order to achieve allegedly "meaningful" technology usage. Because really, how meaningful, open and honest can the learning be if you create a culture says you need to be monitored (not trusted), processed (made to fit in) and measured (constantly judged) at all times?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-88987365114956208342014-12-05T06:48:00.003-08:002014-12-05T06:48:57.522-08:00Faculty Meeting Recipe: Tony Wagner TEDx + Modified Protocol + GdocImplemented this week at a faculty meeting<br />
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<b>Step 1-</b> <a href="http://youtu.be/hvDjh4l-VHo" target="_blank">Play, passion, purpose: Tony Wagner at TEDxNYED</a><br />
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<b>Step 2-</b> Ask educators to keep in mind when watching video our school's Core Value of- <u>Creativity and Innovation:</u> <i>Embrace flexibility and individuality when explaining and demonstrating knowledge and skills.</i><br />
<b>Step 3-</b> Implement "Save the Last Word for Me" Protocol from <a href="http://www.nsrfharmony.org/system/files/protocols/save_last_word_0.pdf">http://www.nsrfharmony.org/system/files/protocols/save_last_word_0.pdf</a> (although usually a text based protocol, we adapted for video)<br />
<b>Step 4-</b> At conclusion of protocol in its entirety, ask for groups to report via Google doc any collective key take aways or ideas that resonated with the entire group.<br />
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<b>Results:</b><br />
<i>Key Take Aways</i><br />
Put something here that your group agreed on, had in common, found important or interesting.<br />
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<ul>
<li>We all felt that we need a culture where students are OK with taking a risk and failure. You have to wonder “what lies beneath” from so many students who are afraid of failure or of taking a risk in a classroom. </li>
<li>If we want to be innovative, how can we also follow the flow of CCSS and the required elements of curriculum? The two concepts are very disjointed. The idea of a year of beta is great, but we don’t feel like it is a reality.</li>
<li>Group work is not “division of labor”. What does real “collaboration” mean?</li>
<li>The World of Innovation is interdisciplinary!</li>
<li>Making mistakes is ok...take risks together with your students...we feel lucky that our administration encourages risk taking and experimentation.</li>
<li>How do we teach kids to not be afraid and to take risks and be wrong. It’s OK to be wrong, because 9 times out of 10, you learn from it.</li>
<li>Sparking intrinsic motivation.</li>
<li>Outliers are already outliers so they take risks and produce risk takers. Students are fearful to take risks in this paradigm. </li>
</ul>
There are tremendous ideas/feedback/conflicts here for me as a principal to reflect on, especially when looking through the lens, and trying to lead with <u>all</u> of the schools core values. Personally, I am once again met with the conflict/pressure of what a "traditional" school is supposed to do and look like versus what it should and needs to look like to impact learning. (<i>Then again what did I expect I was going to get given the premise of the video</i>.)<br />
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<b>Potential Next Steps:</b></div>
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<li>Engage students in the process and see what the results are.</li>
<li>Engage parents in the process and see what the results are.</li>
<li>Follow up re: Key take aways- see how close people feel our reality is to this versus how close should we be (and ask what is helping or inhibiting us?)</li>
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<b>Potential Modification</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Use as a measuring stick to gauge how well you know your school/culture- Write down ahead of time what your take aways are. Write down ahead of time what you believe your faculty's take aways would be. Implement. Compare. </li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><i><b>What will you get when you "make" this recipe?</b></i></u></span></div>
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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how to improve, change, other ideas for next steps, or other ideas for modification. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-84916666994831520952014-11-14T07:24:00.002-08:002014-11-14T07:24:58.470-08:00Agreement is Great..But What Did I Do?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://practicaltheory.org/blog/2014/11/11/create-joyful-space/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"It’s not on the kids to love school. It’s on all of us to create joyful, profound, empowering spaces in school that are easy to fall in love with."</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> -Chris Lehmann </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The moment I read the above quote, it stuck with me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It resonated with me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I Tweeted the post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Took a picture of the quote and Tweeted and the quote.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I G + 1 the post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I even changed the the quote on my email profile from Lao Tzu "Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to." to Chris's quote.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now I'm blogging about it as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I held the door and welcomed students into the building today, Chris's quote still echoing in my head, I wondered:</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How many of these students will learn something that they “want to” today?</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How many students would be lost if they were given no other instructions than "learn something new today"? If we take that idea one step further, what would they do if they were given </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">no </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">instructions?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How many students will be actively "falling in love" with learning today? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now please understand that this is not meant to be a critique of the students, the faculty and staff, or of the amazing things that I am fortunate enough to see everyday at this school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What it is, is a critique of </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">myself</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. A critique of myself as an "educational leader".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How as an "educational leader" did I get lazy? Believing that Tweeting, G+ 1'ing, posting, pontificating, etc. is an acceptable substitute for meaningful action? How did I get to the point where “action” consisted of "Let me tell you what I believe in and some how it will magically appear"? I realized that doing this does not make me a leader, rather it makes me an example of what I hate most professionally- talk about reforming, but do nothing meaningful and continue to perpetuate actions that institutionalize the idea that "learning" belongs to the singular place known as "school".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How as an "educational leader" do I mute a personal core value that intrinsic motivation should drive learning? As our students entered, they all are, in some way, marching in to take "required" courses, for a "required" amount of time, with "required" people, and will demonstrate their learning in order to receive the "required" number of points so that they no longer have to fulfill this particular "requirement". All along I do nothing more that "hope" that the fires of intrinsic passion are being stoked by the "requirements".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As an "educational leader" have I become institutionalized as well? Building/maintaining/supporting an 18th century industrial model of education (complete with bells to march the "workers" along to the next "required" task, along with our agrarian calendar) while pontificating and hoping that we will somehow build lifelong, intrinsically driven learners is the height of hypocrisy. </span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps, I am being too hard on myself. There are so many factors that influence our schools, education, and the learning that we offer, that are not under my control. However, accepting these factors and maintaining the status quo is the easy way out. It usurps the necessity of meaningful action by he who would consider himself an "educational leader".</span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-85644723991572788972014-09-03T16:26:00.001-07:002014-09-03T17:42:54.450-07:003 Ways Teachers Can Ease Into Using Back-channels <span style="font-size: large;">I love using <a href="http://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and/or <a href="https://todaysmeet.com/" target="_blank">TodaysMeet</a> during professional development, during instruction, or as a formative assessment tool. Whether harnessing the collective intelligence of the room, allowing participants to ask and answer questions, or memorializing an event, back-channels allow for a level of connection with other participants that I now find essential.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For full disclosure, I must admit that I have had back-channels backfire on me, especially as when I was new to a platform, when I had a few too many immature students (or was too immature myself), and when I was a newbie in the Twitterverse [side note: thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/isteconnects" target="_blank">ISTE</a> for your understanding that I was not trying to hijack the back-channel at ISTE Leadership in Indianapolis 3 years ago :) ]</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So how can educators not throw the back-channel baby out with the bathwater? Below are 3 ways I've used to ease into back-channels until participants (or the teacher) are ready for a platform that is entirely open or allows for anonymity.</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://socrative.com/" target="_blank">Socrative</a>- Love the simplicity and the many ways to use Socrative. As a back-channel you can select "Quick Question" then "Short Answer", then write the essential question . You can then decide to make the responses public (names required) or anonymous.</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Pros- Great displays, simplicity, new "voting" feature allows for expansion of back-channel questions or answers. Ability to "clear room" if participants abuse backchannel. Data reports of responses available in a variety of formats.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cons- A truthful "Student Name" is voluntary, no email of participants (unless that is what you have students use as "name".</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47TNSGyowJLIVKo03kKEY6A5DlRi0I81VR39GbEiq5YgETu8yQqVCU_6xrSs62iqAdNCaB1h3ks8bcDWG5JLU9qs3XrB0O15m59xRJMqXfUKxpj2uGeYMsinV5J2Ivnwofk4Jx_JK1Ow/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-03+at+6.57.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47TNSGyowJLIVKo03kKEY6A5DlRi0I81VR39GbEiq5YgETu8yQqVCU_6xrSs62iqAdNCaB1h3ks8bcDWG5JLU9qs3XrB0O15m59xRJMqXfUKxpj2uGeYMsinV5J2Ivnwofk4Jx_JK1Ow/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-03+at+6.57.23+PM.png" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/products.html#drive" target="_blank">Google Forms</a>- Create a Google form before hand, allow participants to submit questions, scroll through results to answer questions.</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Pros- If GAFE account you can automatically collect submitter's email, allows for questions to be answered via email if unable to address during the event, provides data about common questions allowing for revision of presentation. Allows for private questions</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cons- Owner of the form controls the Q&A, if questions get asked early on and then answered during presentation you maybe redundant if you address. Generally limits audience interaction. Best as an exit ticket.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://googleblogitalia.altervista.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/forms-in-google-drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://googleblogitalia.altervista.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/forms-in-google-drive.jpg" height="203" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://googleblogitalia.altervista.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/forms-in-google-drive.jpg"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://googleblogitalia.altervista.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/forms-in-google-drive.jpg</span></a></td></tr>
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</li>
</ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/products.html#drive" target="_blank">Google Docs</a>- Share an editable google doc for Q&As or embed an element of your presentation and allow participants to comment, and/or utilize the chat.</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Pros- share with limited audience. Accountability for comments and questions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cons- No anonymity in comments or responses (depending on the class make-up this could also be a pro)</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Sample_of_collaborative_editing_using_google_doc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Sample_of_collaborative_editing_using_google_doc.png" height="187" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Sample_of_collaborative_editing_using_google_doc.png">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Sample_of_collaborative_editing_using_google_doc.png</a></span></td></tr>
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</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As always, I would love to hear other ideas and platforms from my PLN so please feel free to comment here, on Twitter at </span><a href="https://twitter.com/EGHSPrincipalRI" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">@EGHSPrincipalRI</a><span style="font-size: large;"> or on </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/116999273753986663120/posts" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">G+</a><span style="font-size: large;">. </span><br /><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-29100305774005894792014-09-01T15:41:00.001-07:002014-09-01T15:46:05.913-07:00Food for Thought Shared 9-1-2014<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://visualsonline.cancer.gov/retrieve.cfm?imageid=2398&dpi=300&fileformat=jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://visualsonline.cancer.gov/retrieve.cfm?imageid=2398&dpi=300&fileformat=jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://visualsonline.cancer.gov/retrieve.cfm?imageid=2398&dpi=300&fileformat=jpg</span></td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Below you will find "Food For Thought" links shared 9/1/2014. Hope you find them useful. If not, check back next week as the menu always changes!</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Background- In my weekly Sunday night email to teachers I end with links to articles, videos, posts and other links that I have curated throughout the week that have made me pause and reflect upon my leadership, my practice, my school, my relationships, and my students. Awhile ago, a teacher in my building </span><a href="http://gdecubellis.weebly.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Mr. DeCubellis</a><span style="background-color: white;">, shared with me a file of all of last year's "Food for Thought". Since then I have wanted to curate the materials further myself, beyond an email, and share them with an even larger audience. Additionally, I am still trying to get to posting regularly on this blog and I am hoping that this will provide me with a baby step to getting to at least a weekly post.</span><br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><u><i><b>Blended Learning for All in RI?</b></i></u>- Rhode Island’s Announces Plans To Be The First State To Go Fully Blended- <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-08-27-rhode-island-s-announces-plans-to-be-the-first-state-to-go-fully-blended" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.edsurge.com/n/<wbr></wbr>2014-08-27-rhode-island-s-<wbr></wbr>announces-plans-to-be-the-<wbr></wbr>first-state-to-go-fully-<wbr></wbr>blended</a></li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><b>Think people really say what they think online? Think again.-</b></u> From Audrey Waters <a href="http://www.hackeducation.com/2014/08/29/hack-education-weekly-news-8-29-2014/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HackEducation+%28Hack+Education%29" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">post</a>- Pew Research on “<a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/08/26/social-media-and-the-spiral-of-silence/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Social Media and the ‘Spiral of Silence’.” </a>“A major insight into human behavior from pre-internet era studies of communication is the tendency of people not to speak up about policy issues in public—or among their family, friends, and work colleagues—when they believe their own point of view is not widely shared.” And Pew contends folks are even more silent online.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px; text-align: center;"><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">How do you praise? </u><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">How, and what you praise matters!</u>- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWv1VdDeoRY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.<wbr></wbr>com/watch?v=NWv1VdDeoRY</a> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wEwctQdtMic?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The internet has changed everything. Be a "Now-ist"- </u> <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/want-innovate-become-now-ist.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>lifehack.org/articles/<wbr></wbr>productivity/want-innovate-<wbr></wbr>become-now-ist.html</a> original TedTalk- </li>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796901329948437607.post-32858755121361073882014-08-27T03:10:00.000-07:002014-08-27T03:10:12.831-07:00Just the 1st Letter of the Alphabet? What Does Your "A" Grade Mean?<span style="font-size: large;">On this 1st day of school remember that a grade of "A" that is not preceded by:</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5464/7438001874_9a28a88101_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5464/7438001874_9a28a88101_z.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5464/7438001874_9a28a88101_z.jpg">https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5464/7438001874_9a28a88101_z.jpg</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">inquiry </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">struggle </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">unexpected challenges </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">collaboration </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">criticism</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">critical thinking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">questioning using other's point of view</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">reflection</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">experimentation </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">soul searching</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">risk taking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">failure</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">is just the first letter of the alphabet</span>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0