SchoolChange.net: School Change Blog

SchoolChange.net: School Change Blog http://www.schoolchange.net/blog.html Developing Systems Citizens A virtual colleague recommended that I read a chapter by Peter Senge, "Education for an Interdependent World: Developing Systems Citizens."  It is one of 10 chapters by notable systems thinkers in the book: <a href="http://www.iseesystems.com/store/TracingConnections/default.aspx" target="_blank">Tracing Connections: Voices of Systems Thinkers</a>.  I read it this weekend, and experienced feelings of both optimism (about the urgent need for the fundamental changes proposed) and pessimism (about the inertia built into the education system). http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/developing-systems.html Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:37:17 GMT Recognizing the Fundamental Issue Most so-called "reforms" in education ignore a fundamental issue - public expectations of schooling have changed while the system has not.  The system was designed to grade and sort students, not to assure that all students succeed. Because of this blind spot, the remedies do not work and are often counter-productive. Thus schools (along with teachers and their unions) are caught in self-reinforcing cycle of disappointment and "reform." http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/recognizing-the-fundamental.html Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:29:10 GMT How to think about the iPad Comparisons of iPad to iPhone and laptops are inevitable (because that's what we know), but miss the point. The iPad anticipates a different way of relating to each other. http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/how-to-think-abou-the.html Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:21:28 GMT Proficiency-Based Education <a href="http://www.becpdx.org/" target="_blank"><img style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" src="/blog/proficiency-based.attachment/bec/bec.png" alt="Business Education Compact" width="79" height="72" /></a>The Business Education Compact, based in Beaverton, Oregon is doing some interesting work with proficiency-based education under their <a href="http://www.becpdx.org/ctdi/teacherinitiative.htm" target="_blank">Teacher Development Initiative</a>.  They are literally helping schools and school systems break out of time- and seat-based schooling all across the Oregon. (<a href="/blog/proficiency-based.html">more</a>) http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/proficiency-based.html Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:33:13 GMT Group Development in Cyberspace <a href="/blog/group-development-in.html"><img style="margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px; float: left;" src="/blog/group-development-in.attachment/group-dev-model/group dev model small.png" alt="" width="50" height="50" /></a>I'm intrigued with the idea of applying goal-setting model proposed by Richard Beckhard (1969) to virtual groups working in asynchronous discussion space.  Beckhard's model takes groups through four questions: Who am I? Who are we? What do we want? and How will we get it? http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/group-development-in.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:55:17 GMT Is NCLB Doing Us a Favor? I've been thinking... No Child Left Behind (NCLB) may be doing us a favor by accelerating awareness of the obvious -- that all students cannot learn in a system that was designed to grade and sort.  http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/is-nclb-doing-us-a.html Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:36:45 GMT Digital Learners Cody, thanks so much for joining the SchoolChange.Net forum and for adding your voice to the discussion.  I agree, technology will play a centrally important role in transforming education.  As indicated in the Edutopia article, it already is - the only question is whether the formal education system will keep up.  Finding leaders like you gives me hope that it will.  Thanks so much for pointing us to the article.  I'm doing a follow-up report on Adams 50 School District's shift to standards-based learning (I was recently contacted by the superintendent).  In the original eSchool article there was no mention of the role technology, nor are there any specifics on the <a href="http://www.sbsadams50.org/" target="_blank">Adams 50 SBE website</a>.  Gary    http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/dumping-grade/digital.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:54:10 GMT A good idea    I have never posted to this forum before, and I am a relatively young and new administrator. I also teach technology and have I have strong notations on the effectiveness of technology in education. This article attracted my interest. I have long thought (since I was in high school myself actually) that students should be able to progress through a class as quickly as they wish to, instead of sitting in class bored out of their minds for most of a quarter, semester, or year.  If a student can master all of the objectives of a course in the first two weeks, then I believe they should be able to advance to the next course they need to master.  If a student is capable of graduating high school and capable of taking college level courses when they are 15 or 16, why not let them? The opposite is true as well. If a student needs a little more time and guidance to master a concept, why not give the time and attention they need instead of trying to rush them through school like I used to rush cattle through the branding chute every spring. In my own experience I fit in both situations. While I attended high school, I grasped the concepts and understood them very quickly in most of my classes. Then I was bored. But in math and English classes, I could have used some extra help. I can’t help but wonder how many hours our students waste in a class they are forced to attend when they already have mastery of the objectives of that class. Then I think about how that time would be better spent focusing on other objectives not yet mastered. I recently read another interesting article on the Edutopia website, titled: <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/ikid-digital-learner-technology-2008" target="_blank">The 21st-Century Digital Learner</a>. I agree with this article as well. As educators we need to be better at finding out how our students wish to learn and then providing the service that will benefit them the most. Technology will play a huge roll in education. I dream of the day when we use technology effectively to individually track student progress, provide instruction, provide easy and timely assessment, interact with students, and improve education overall. As it is right now I don’t believe we effectively use the technology available to us.     http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/dumping-grade/a-good.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:27:01 GMT Dumping Grade Levels It's always heartening to read or hear stories of places that are breaking with long-standing educational structures and practices in pursuit of 21st century schooling. A good example is Colorado's Adams 50 - a district in the process of dropping grade levels. http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/dumping-grade.html Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:50:38 GMT Waiting for the Transformation That's the title of a commentary by Arthur E. Levine, published by Ed Week (Feb 25, 2009). It helped crystallize my own beliefs and intentions with regard to school transformation. http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/waiting-for-the.html Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:35:32 GMT A Whole New Mind - Book Review Daniel Pink's argument is embodied in the subtitle: why right-brainers will rule the future. While it's primary message is business-oriented, there is much that speaks to educators. http://www.schoolchange.net/blog/a-whole-new-mind---book.html Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:26:28 GMT