Cris Tovani shared this quote in her presentation at NCTE in San Antonio last Sunday.
"What was once educationally significant, but difficult to measure, has been replaced by what is insignificant and easy to measure. So now we test how well we have taught what we do not value." ~ Art Costa
Scary to think about!
I need to post this quote in my office as a constant reminder to do what is right for kids.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
I attended the NCTE session by Karl Fisch on Saturday. I left with a sense of urgency. Some time ago I had seen the original video Karl put together. The one he shared in the session had some new thoughts added. It was great to watch.
I appreciate Karl's thinking. He said that it is not about covering the content but about students uncovering understanding. So smart! I am thinking about how we can build intellectual curiosity at our school.
He shared a great quote from Hellen Keller.
"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision."
We have been working very hard this year on our school's vision. We created it the summer after the first year our school was open. At our summer retreat, we had students join the staff to collaborate on the vision statement for our school. The kids were amazing and really helped us create a meaningful vision statement.
Here it is:
Glacier Ridge Elementary is a learning community with high expectations dedicated to inspiring children to find a passion for learning in a safe and kind environmenbt that celebrates diversity, promotes leadership and encourages the unlimited potential of the whole child.
There is always the danger of a mission statement and/or vision statement lacking any influence or impact on the learning community. It's important that we understand the words we have put together in our vision statement and continually look for the influence it has on the way we teach, learn and live together.
This year we are "unpacking" the vision statement by looking at each phrase and brainstorming what it "looks like" and "sounds like" at our school. It has given us time to celebrate what we are accomplishing but it opens many opportunities to think about our goals and what we want our school to be.
Karl's presentation adds a whole new dimension to our thinking - a set of new eyes to view the vision statement and think about the impact it could have on 21st Century learning.
I appreciate Karl's thinking. He said that it is not about covering the content but about students uncovering understanding. So smart! I am thinking about how we can build intellectual curiosity at our school.
He shared a great quote from Hellen Keller.
"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision."
We have been working very hard this year on our school's vision. We created it the summer after the first year our school was open. At our summer retreat, we had students join the staff to collaborate on the vision statement for our school. The kids were amazing and really helped us create a meaningful vision statement.
Here it is:
Glacier Ridge Elementary is a learning community with high expectations dedicated to inspiring children to find a passion for learning in a safe and kind environmenbt that celebrates diversity, promotes leadership and encourages the unlimited potential of the whole child.
There is always the danger of a mission statement and/or vision statement lacking any influence or impact on the learning community. It's important that we understand the words we have put together in our vision statement and continually look for the influence it has on the way we teach, learn and live together.
This year we are "unpacking" the vision statement by looking at each phrase and brainstorming what it "looks like" and "sounds like" at our school. It has given us time to celebrate what we are accomplishing but it opens many opportunities to think about our goals and what we want our school to be.
Karl's presentation adds a whole new dimension to our thinking - a set of new eyes to view the vision statement and think about the impact it could have on 21st Century learning.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
NCTE
I am in the airport waiting for my flight home from NCTE in San Antonio. It was a great conference this year. I am tired but energized. I will be blogging about it some this week.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Choice, Time and Independence
I spent some time in writing workshops in a few classrooms last week. My faith in the unlimited potential of our children was once again renewed as I saw young writers work their way through texts they chose to write.
I marveled at how soon into the school year first and second graders were able to work with intensity at writing. One child had a several page story going with a great lead. ("Once there was a girl who had woods in her back yard.") She had done some editing and was transfering her writing to a picture book format. I am axious to read the rest of her story. I asked her to make sure she read it to me when it was finished.
Another student, who struggles in writing, was using a mentor text to create his own similar story. It was a pleasure to see him use the scaffold of a mentor text. He was so engaged in the adventure of creating his own book.
In another classroom, children were creating a class book for a student in the class. After interviewing the student, each child was creating a page celebrating the life of the child and what they learned about him in the interview. There was a level of choice and purpose to the task. The pages were compiled into a book that was presented to the student who was interviewed. It was a great way for them to "publish" their writing. They understood that their writing could be a gift.
As they worked on their pages, these first graders chatted about their ideas, helped each other with spelling, and shared their work with each other. When they were finished, these first graders moved to reading or writing activites of their choice with a great deal of independence.
WHAT ARE THE BIG MESSAGES IN THESE CLASSROOMS?
We are all writers.
We will write every day.
We share our writing with others.
We use our own ideas and thoughts in our writing.
We have a choice of what to write.
We can learn from the writing of others.
The teachers in these classrooms have established a way of thinking about writing. Students hear the big messages and are well on their way to developing their own identities as writers.
I marveled at how soon into the school year first and second graders were able to work with intensity at writing. One child had a several page story going with a great lead. ("Once there was a girl who had woods in her back yard.") She had done some editing and was transfering her writing to a picture book format. I am axious to read the rest of her story. I asked her to make sure she read it to me when it was finished.
Another student, who struggles in writing, was using a mentor text to create his own similar story. It was a pleasure to see him use the scaffold of a mentor text. He was so engaged in the adventure of creating his own book.
In another classroom, children were creating a class book for a student in the class. After interviewing the student, each child was creating a page celebrating the life of the child and what they learned about him in the interview. There was a level of choice and purpose to the task. The pages were compiled into a book that was presented to the student who was interviewed. It was a great way for them to "publish" their writing. They understood that their writing could be a gift.
As they worked on their pages, these first graders chatted about their ideas, helped each other with spelling, and shared their work with each other. When they were finished, these first graders moved to reading or writing activites of their choice with a great deal of independence.
WHAT ARE THE BIG MESSAGES IN THESE CLASSROOMS?
We are all writers.
We will write every day.
We share our writing with others.
We use our own ideas and thoughts in our writing.
We have a choice of what to write.
We can learn from the writing of others.
The teachers in these classrooms have established a way of thinking about writing. Students hear the big messages and are well on their way to developing their own identities as writers.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Students Leading the Way
This week our Fall Student Leadership Team met after school. Students submit an application to participate in the Student Leadership Team and include ideas for activities and projects for the year. We have had so many students interested in being part of the Student Leadership Team that we had to split them into a Fall Leadership Team and a Spring Leadership Team. It's nice to know that we have so many students interested in developing their own leadership skills and in making good things happen for our school. I have always said that we really need to listen to children. They have so much to teach us. On the application, we asked students to give us some ideas for projects that they would like to see in place this year. I am so impressed with their ideas. Here are some of them:
HELP OTHERS
Have big kids work with little kids
Help new students adjust to the school
Encourage others to be hard workers
Collect food donations for the needy
Raise money for charity
Include others
Respect the school and others
Get more kids thinking about leadership
No bullying
Make it easier for the little kids to be safe
Bring in extra school supplies for children who need them
Promote diversity
Include others
Start a support group for bullied people and help them make new friends
Do something for the community
PLAN ACTIVITIES
Overnight Read In
Caring/Helping Day
New Friend Day
Spirit Days
Movie Night
Compliment Day (I want kids to be nicer to each other)
Eat lunch outside
Have fun activities and stay healthy
After School Grounds Clean Up
Plant flowers
Have a week dedicated to animals and conservation
Service projects
Fundraiser to earn money for the library
Healthier snacks in the cafeteria
Play calm music during work time
Include birthdays in the morning announcements
Have a full time computer teacher
Music during lunch
Recycle
Start a Writing Club
Start an Invention Club
Fitness Club
Sometimes we are so busy building schedules, planning instruction, setting up classrooms that we can't hear the voices of our students. We have to create opportunities for children to be heard.
WE NEED TO QUIET OUR OWN MINDS LONG ENOUGH TO REALLY LISTEN.
HELP OTHERS
Have big kids work with little kids
Help new students adjust to the school
Encourage others to be hard workers
Collect food donations for the needy
Raise money for charity
Include others
Respect the school and others
Get more kids thinking about leadership
No bullying
Make it easier for the little kids to be safe
Bring in extra school supplies for children who need them
Promote diversity
Include others
Start a support group for bullied people and help them make new friends
Do something for the community
PLAN ACTIVITIES
Overnight Read In
Caring/Helping Day
New Friend Day
Spirit Days
Movie Night
Compliment Day (I want kids to be nicer to each other)
Eat lunch outside
Have fun activities and stay healthy
After School Grounds Clean Up
Plant flowers
Have a week dedicated to animals and conservation
Service projects
Fundraiser to earn money for the library
Healthier snacks in the cafeteria
Play calm music during work time
Include birthdays in the morning announcements
Have a full time computer teacher
Music during lunch
Recycle
Start a Writing Club
Start an Invention Club
Fitness Club
Sometimes we are so busy building schedules, planning instruction, setting up classrooms that we can't hear the voices of our students. We have to create opportunities for children to be heard.
WE NEED TO QUIET OUR OWN MINDS LONG ENOUGH TO REALLY LISTEN.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Balloon Rides and Train Rides
I have been thinking about how important it is to stay true to our beliefs about learning and teaching. I think our beliefs clearly define who we are as teachers and learners. They give direction to every decision we make in the classroom. Most importantly, they guide our interactions with the children.
There was a time when I would have measured the success of a teacher by how closely his/her teaching practices, instructional processes and classroom environment were most like my own. But I have learned some things along the way.
First, I learned that there are many ways to teach effectively, wisely and well.
Second, there are many ways to set up a classroom for authentic learning and thoughtful conversations.
Third, how we teach and what we teach aren't nearly as important as our relationships with the children in our classrooms and our schools.
Fourth, our relationships with colleagues should never be defined by the differences in our styles but by the similarities in our beliefs about children and the experiences we share.
Through the years, I have made good decisions in my classrooms and made more poor decisions than I would be comfortable admitting. During my days in the classroom, I balanced my own autonomy with being part of a community of learners. There were tough decisions about when to travel alone (what I would call my hot air balloon rides) and express my learning and teaching styles in ways that were tightly aligned with my beliefs and that expressed my unique way of thinking. There were also times when I made tough decisions to travel with others (what I would call my all-aboard-the-train rides) and join in celebrations of learning and community. Not one of these decisions were wrong. None of them harmed children. All of them represented the way we live and learn together.
No longer does anyone stand alone in education. Our work is too complex and demanding to be doing it alone. No one has all the answers. What seems like a good idea to us may not be the most motivating idea for someone else. Someone else's ideas may not be the choice we would make. But the common thread should be a balance of walking alone and coming together to find what works best for children. Sometimes it means being part of something bigger than our own thinking.
I believe strongly in collective wisdom and collective energy. What does it mean to give ideas, accept ideas, and build a common knowledge and a common motivation to do what is right for kids? How do we get there? Each day, I have to believe that we can reach that goal of collective wisdom and collective energy that binds us together for the success of our students.
There was a time when I would have measured the success of a teacher by how closely his/her teaching practices, instructional processes and classroom environment were most like my own. But I have learned some things along the way.
First, I learned that there are many ways to teach effectively, wisely and well.
Second, there are many ways to set up a classroom for authentic learning and thoughtful conversations.
Third, how we teach and what we teach aren't nearly as important as our relationships with the children in our classrooms and our schools.
Fourth, our relationships with colleagues should never be defined by the differences in our styles but by the similarities in our beliefs about children and the experiences we share.
Through the years, I have made good decisions in my classrooms and made more poor decisions than I would be comfortable admitting. During my days in the classroom, I balanced my own autonomy with being part of a community of learners. There were tough decisions about when to travel alone (what I would call my hot air balloon rides) and express my learning and teaching styles in ways that were tightly aligned with my beliefs and that expressed my unique way of thinking. There were also times when I made tough decisions to travel with others (what I would call my all-aboard-the-train rides) and join in celebrations of learning and community. Not one of these decisions were wrong. None of them harmed children. All of them represented the way we live and learn together.
No longer does anyone stand alone in education. Our work is too complex and demanding to be doing it alone. No one has all the answers. What seems like a good idea to us may not be the most motivating idea for someone else. Someone else's ideas may not be the choice we would make. But the common thread should be a balance of walking alone and coming together to find what works best for children. Sometimes it means being part of something bigger than our own thinking.
I believe strongly in collective wisdom and collective energy. What does it mean to give ideas, accept ideas, and build a common knowledge and a common motivation to do what is right for kids? How do we get there? Each day, I have to believe that we can reach that goal of collective wisdom and collective energy that binds us together for the success of our students.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Zeke shares his birthday with H. A. Rey
My good friend, Louise Borden, told me that my grandson, Zeke, was born on the same day as H. A. Rey who wrote the Curious George books. How fun is that! Of course, we had to go out and buy a Curious George for Zeke!
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