Latest Blog Posts

• Visioning the Future of Schools….Visioning the Future
  August 19, 2011

  How closely is the future of schools correlated with the future for all globally? Any guesses?

  What are the 5 top trends in education today? Perhaps: Common Core Standards; Global Competition for the U.S.; more rigor; more technology; and school improvement.  Other recent initiatives: STEM, Charter Schools, project-based learning, preparation for college, and the small school movement– schools within schools. At least for those of us in the U.S. What about internationally?  Some of the global issues – not sure we can call them trends– are education of girls; use of mobile technologies; greater access to college for more, and the International Baccalaureate and Cambridge accreditation programs– so demonstration of meeting international standards.  With the IB and Cambridge come a host of related programs/expectations such as demonstration of knowledge through team collaboration, Socratic seminars, and advanced placements. Where will youth who are completing programs with these trends end up?  Will they become the innovators and scientists of tomorrow? Will they become world leaders?  How will their leadership differ from world leaders today?

  Does any of this make a difference?  Will businesses tomorrow be operated by different standards, values, or principles because of changes in education today?  Will the standard of living continue to rise for countries that expand educational opportunities?  If we were to take several snapshots of classrooms in America today– perhaps at different grade levels, would we begin to see a picture of where our nation is headed? A picture of the work ethic?

  In the U.S. today, there is a heavy emphasis on achievement, learning more, handling more knowledge, demonstrating higher levels of skills.  Will these pieces combine for a future where America continues to lead the world in innovations?  Will that translate to a higher standard of living for Americans in the next 10 years?  Are we able to predict? Does it/will it make a difference?

   

   

   

• Testing and Common Core
  April 8, 2011

  The “moment of truth” is arriving as students across the country are taking standardized state assessments. Teachers and administrators are both asking “what else can we do?” and simultaneously lamenting the amount of time and energy that goes into test prep and testing. One school discusses peppermint candies for energy; another will have plenty of water on hand to keep students hydrated. Schools are sending notes to parents about the importance of meals and sleep during test week, even as the schools also review their school breakfast and lunch menus to get the most out of these nutrition bursts. Some students will be “paid” for good results, at other schools; students will be rewarded for coming to school during test week.

  Over the past few months, schools and teachers have strategized about ways to make up for lost time — how to help students “catch up” and improve memory skills. Many classes have increased the use of review games such as “Jeopardy” and others have spent hours going over key vocabulary words — words such as “analyze or compare” to help students understand tasks and also  key vocabulary words that will help students understand reading passages. There are even published lists of recommended vocabulary words available online.

  A lot “to do” over….? Well, not exactly nothing. Because under NCLB students are scoring better. We have seen improvements in academic achievement. However, with the Common Core Standards comes an important opportunity to shift how schools approach instruction and assessment of knowledge. So the next two years will be a critical time to take the focus off of minutiae and put it on understanding key concepts. Higher order thinking skills are more integral to the new Common Core Standards. Interesting….so the “truth” about academic achievement – the state of education – will shift with the new measures.  As we leave this “window of testing” and head into the home stretch for the Spring of 2011, schools have an opportunity to begin looking forward and gearing up for the standards to come. This will require a paradigm shift as educators compare their curricula pacing guides to the new standards. As some leading educators have recommended, this may require “leaving things out of the curricula” rather than “squeezing more in.” This could come as a welcome relief to many. And it could present an opportunity to consider again the role of schools, the needs of students, and how to leave behind some of the excess baggage that has been a part of NCLB.

• Drawing Students into the World of Literature
  March 19, 2011

  Today’s Blog is by Jacque Hayden, English Teacher at Hospitality High Public Charter School in Washington DC

  Drawing Students Into the World of Literature
  Jacque Hayden M.Ed.

  As a teacher of urban youth I have often been challenged with getting my students to read literature that they may not have been exposed to or may initially feel intimidated by. Building excitement, making real-world/life connections, and offering meaningful projects with a range of options has been the key to getting my students to buy into literature of all types. With this approach I am able to open the world and the world of literature to my students in ways that they may otherwise not be exposed to.

  My students are as excited about the class content as I am. In my early years of teaching I realized that my fear, boredom and even intimidation was as contagious to my students as was my joy, love, passion and excitement. I decided then that part of my job as a teacher was that of an actress. If my students are going to be influenced by my attitude and outlook then I better be sure that I communicate what I truly want them to feel about the world of literature. When I introduce a work of literature I am excited. I love it! My students say, “Ms. Hayden you love everything we read. Why do you love books so much?” This lets me know that I am achieving the intended effect.’

  No matter what we are reading I always bring in background information about the historical, political, and religious influences during the time that the literature was written in the form of news clippings, pictures, artifacts or even food. I have the students make connections between what was going on in the world during the time that any piece of literature was written. This helps them see into the world of the author and to understand the motivation and purpose for writing. I also have students compare and contrast the historical, political and religious influences of the time of a work of literature with their world today. This helps them to make personal connections. When students can connect with personal experiences it draws them in.

  My classroom comes alive during conversations in which we look at the world now vs. then. I recall teaching the Scarlet Letter. Students were outraged by the unfair treatment of women. They also came to the conclusion that even though official laws have changed, there are still double standards today for the sexual desires and behaviors of men and women. When discussing the role of women and men in the novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, my students were able to compare their own family expectations and traditions and compare those to the experiences of the Garcia sisters. They also had deep discussions about staying true to your culture as well as how the way in which people came to the United States influenced cultural awareness, pride, and expression of both.

  There is no new literature. It is all influenced by human experience, which while it may evolve over time it is inevitably linked to basic human needs, experiences and emotions. This is the message that I challenge my students to prove wrong time and time again. They have not proven me wrong but their desire to explore humanity and to make connections keeps them deeply engaged.

  Projects are frequent in my classroom. I know that students understand the literature when they can write and argue passionately about it. You cannot make valid arguments and speak and write articulately about that which you do not understand. I give general comprehension tests to gauge that my students are reading and generally understand what they are reading but the projects challenge them and require them to go beyond the surface to the depths of literature and human experience.

  When reading Dante’s Inferno part of the literature project required students to take a test based on their own life choices. Their project also included a paper in which they had to create their own “Hell” using Dante’s Hell as a model. Their hell had to have a guide just like Dante and it had to include levels. Having my students complete this project let me know that they not only understood Inferno but they were also taking a good look at themselves and their life decisions. They were completely engaged during the entire experience. Instead of whining about taking a quiz or answering comprehension questions, they came in grabbed their laptops, took out their novels and literature journals, and got to work. The classroom discussions about Inferno and this project were some of the most passionate that I have witnessed in a high school literature classroom.

  My point here is that urban learners can and will read any literature that any other student can and will read. The key is that you must draw students in and make connections. Once you start this process for students they will take over and push themselves deeper and deeper into the discussion and analysis of literature and human experience.

• The U.S. is Playing Catch-Up: Education in Singapore and Finland
  February 20, 2011

  According to the 2009 Program for Student Assessement (PISA) given by the Organziation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. placed average in reading, math, and science compared to 57 other countries tested. Finland and Signapore, however, placed in the top tiers of the PISA. So what are these countries doing differently to bring their students to have the highest academic achievement of the world, and how can the U.S. learn from them?

  Finland

  Finland’s educational system has evolved over the years to meet the social and economic needs of its people. Since the 1970s, Finns have strived to improve their education system. According to (OECD), Finland is now rated as the number one country in education.  In recent years, the Finnish approach to curriculum has also evolved. Finns have replaced lengthy prescriptive curriculum guides with shorter, less detailed guides. The current national math curriculum, for example, is under 10 pages. However, the Finnish focus on higher order thinking skills, and the system emphasizes creative problem-solving skills.

  In Finland, there are high expectations for all students, and teachers provide accommodations such as tutoring and remedial specialists to students as soon as assessments confirm a need for such services. Many classrooms have two or more teachers and co-teaching is the norm. When educators found that students had the greatest difficulties in grades 7 through 9, they began to provide more money and time to support these students.

  What of the teachers? All teachers are required to hold Master’s degrees in their field and only the top 10% of the over 5000 applicants are accepted into university education programs. Teaching is a prestigious profession in Finland. Instead of teaching to a standardized test like we do here in the United States, teachers in Finland are able to choose their own books and design their own curriculum.

  Singapore

  Like Finland, Singapore is ranked close to the top according to the results on the PISA test given by the OECD. However, Singapore’s approach to education is very different from Finland’s. Education in Singapore is very systematic and students are broken into different abilities almost their entire educational career as opposed to Finland’s more collective approach. Students in Singapore start their education at a young age, around 3 years old. They continue their schooling in the primary levels at age 6 which is broken into foundation and orientation stages. At the end of their 6 years at the primary level, they must take a Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE) to determine if they are ready to leave primary grade levels. Students’ performance scores determine their placement in the secondary schools.

  At the secondary level, students are again broken up into “Special,” “Express,” “Normal (Academic)” and “Normal (Technical).” Each category is determined by the score on the PLSE. Recently, however, Singapore has begun to offer an “Integrated Program” in which students are allowed to take 6 years of secondary education and then take the exam for the International Baccalaureate.

  Rigor

  Both Finland and Singapore have infused rigor throughout their educational systems and both countries have high expectations for students. These expectations are based on cultural norms and education is highly regarded and supported by the general populous in both countries. In the U.S., rigor has been assoicated with scores on standardized assessments. While this has produced some increases in test scores, a culture of high expectations has still not inflitrated many schools. What else could be introduced to turn this around?

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