Common Ground

Hello, Joan. It's So Nice To See You Again!

2011-05-20T15:28:00.004-05:00

Family time. Traveling. Basketball. Baking. Photography. Science. Running. Reading. These activities fill my heart, fuel my spirit, keep me grounded, make me a better professional, and guide me to becoming a better person. But that last one—reading—has only recently been added to my personal "hobbies and interests" list. My husband jokes that I've become "smarter" in the last 6 months, ever since he got me a Kindle. And I agree! I'm making connections, seeing my environment and feeling my experiences at a whole new level.

Life is a series of changes, phases. As we live, we grow (or so we hope). Our experiences can be a major life event, such as finding your first love, beating an illness, moving, having children, losing a loved one, or living in a different country, etc. And other times, it can be more subtle, like taking a class, changing jobs or reading a book. Something touches you deep inside; you’re forced to stand up and take notice. I’m going through one of those moments right now, and I want to celebrate! And it all has to do with reading.

Over the last forty years, I have read a few books that have been life changing and/or life affirming. And as I think about them today—thanks to me being smarter, and all—I've made yet another connection. I realize they all had something to do with finding comfort and joy with who I am. The latest book, Born To Run by Christopher McDougall, really got me reflecting...

I was a skinny (bony), red-headed, fair skinned, freckled, tomboy, completely indifferent about my physical appearance. (Comb my hair? Only if you can catch me!) I was bossy, confident, defensive, abrasive, determined, antsy, and fast. Really fast. (Nickname? Roadrunner. Although, I felt more like Wile E. Coyote, at times.) Ninety percent of my childhood was spent outdoors or on a basketball court. When I was forced to stop and eat, I found that interruption to my neighborhood exploration incredibly annoying. But above all, I was carefree and happy. I woke up energized. I went to bed satisfied. I dreamt with excitement and curiosity about what the next day’s adventures would be.

But as I got older, I started to feel more vulnerable, less secure with the reflection in the mirror. The very things that made me who I was were the things that others used to tease me with. Red hair apparently made me alien-like to some, even though it was normal in my family. ("Redheads can't be pretty.") A boyish figure and competitive nature allowed me to be speedy. Being "undeveloped" and athletic put me on the receiving end of notes from other kids asking, "So are you a boy or a girl?" Etc. No pity, please. EVERYONE gets teased as a child. I got through it just fine. In fact, it's the chicken and the egg scenario. Was my behavior a defense from theirs, or was theirs a defense from mine? Likely, a lot of both.

So, like most tomboys, I began to want to be more "girl-like." Mine was a slow transition through high school and college. I started to tip the scale from more athletic and outdoor activities, to more co-ed social events. And, of course, I fell in love. A few times. And as many women know, we tend to only focus on the happiness we feel when in the presence of our significant other when that happens. So we naturally lose the focus of what makes us happy as an individual. And at some point, in becoming a woman, I think I lost a bit of what really fueled my own personal spirit. (The things that likely made those others fall in love with me in the first place!)

Over the past two years, I've been allowing the fulcrum to tip the scale back to where it belongs. I've worked out more. I've explored the outdoors regularly. In fact, I’m at lunch today, alone, outside, people-watching, writing this, and loving this 50 minutes of time to myself! And I feel like all parts of me are coming together thanks to this reconnection with this one part of what makes me me—physical play. Wife. Mother. Sister. Daughter. Friend. Educator, Etc. I am happier in these roles every time I take the time to be myself, doing something outside and physical.

And I realize this because of the book Born To Run. I cannot TELL you how this book resonated with me. I feel like I've come full circle. I feel good about being my perfect balance of “tomboy” and “girl-like,” if that makes sense to anyone.

This book is difficult to describe. Some reviewers focus on the fact that we are evolutionarily runners by nature. Some discuss that running barefoot is better for you. Some talk about ultramarathoning. And still others write about the Tarahumara and their way of life. What captured me was the focus on life-style. When people run—not for a race or a purpose, but for play—they smile. There's a connection between youth and freedom and happiness that made sense to me. Quotes like the following jumped out at me. Absent context, though, I'm not sure their meaning is there... "[He] couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his gut kept telling him that there was some kind of connection between the capacity to love and the capacity to love running..." "You don't stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running." "It wasn't Arnulfo's [A Tarahumara] and Scott's [An American] matching form so much as their matching smiles..." They loved to run. They loved to run together.

My parents gave me such good advice when I was young. “To be happy, all you need to do is keep a balance in life.” But, they never told me what that balance is, or that each person’s balance is different. Took me a while, but I honestly think I’ve figured mine out.

Some people need to spend the time to reconnect with a piece of who they were in their childhood and fuse it with who they are now, based on their adult life experiences, in order to be happy. Others may need to find that balance for the first time because perhaps they never felt what I felt as a child. But it’s worth experimenting. Every aspect of life really comes alive, feels tingly, makes your heart sing, when you do.

I feel happy being me again. My center is running. My center requires running. Not running a race. Not running a specific distance. Just running around. A new path each time. I’m not the same me I was at age 12. I don’t want to be. (Who does?!) But I’m 44 and I feel like me more than I have at any other time since college. Who we are in fact is the culmination of our life experiences. Which means, since I have a lot of life left (I hope), I am still becoming. But I have those familiar feelings of waking up energized, going to bed satisfied, and dreaming about what the next adventure will be.

Thank you, Christopher McDougall, Tarahumara, and Caballo Blanco. Wouldn’t have put this together without you.

To Balance. Whatever that means for you. Cheers!

COMMON Ground

2011-03-05T17:25:00.004-06:00

Common Ground. We need to get back to that mentality. Or maybe, we need to find it. Perhaps the ideas that were instilled in me about how to live a rewarding life only existed in the hopes and dreams of the adults surrounding me in my youth.
You remember the lessons, right?
• Turn the other cheek.
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• Give back tenfold what you've been given.
• Be there for others.
• And the ultimate All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulgum.

We should all reconnect with these simple life guidelines and stop trying to beat each other down. Specifically, I'm upset with the the fact that the gulf between rich and poor is increasing. And I'm sad that there is a notion that certain groups of people are not sacrificing as much as they "should" be during these belt-tightening times.

Police officers, firefighters, nurses, teachers, etc. These are people who chose a profession that by their very nature requires sacrifice. But they chose it anyway. And not only are they being accused of not sacrificing enough, they're being made to feel that they are the cause of many states' financial crises. It's insulting and hurtful. And it's simply not true.

My husband and I are both teachers. We have never complained about our salaries. We feel well-compensated in our respective districts. But I do not believe we are overly compensated for the work that we do. Not by any stretch of the imagination. (We believe educators in less fortunate districts are tragically under-compensated.) Our salaries, which are so publicly displayed on the internet, include the cost of our benefits and pensions. And we won't get social security. Ever. We both have advanced degrees, which we paid for. Together, we have worked 14-20 hour days for a total of 39 years.

I am all for "everyone pitching in" during economic decline. We have felt the effects. My daughter's school district cut dozens of teachers. Multiple academic, athletic and fine arts programs have been lost. And class sizes are huge. My husband and I know what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck these days. We, too, are paying more for gas, energy, food, etc. We are taking a HUGE hit on the sale of our home. And our taxes went up this year.

When I walk into my school, the only thing on my mind is, "How can I make a positive impact on those I cross paths with today? What can I give?" And I believe that this is true for the vast majority of educators I work with. We are all working together to determine what is in the best interest of the children we serve.

If collective bargaining is lost, there will be a tragic mental shift that takes place in our schools. Teachers will be required to think about themselves first and students second. Teachers will need to compete, rather than collaborate, with each other. Teachers will be spending time thinking about how they can serve the master, rather than serve the students. Students will be required to produce even more than they are already. (And a similar negative shift will occur in these other lines of work.)

The worst part about this is that removing collective bargaining rights won't fix the financial crisis that exists. It is a power move, plain and simple. And one that will ultimately hurt all of us. Not just public employees.

Many hard-working public and private sector workers need help right now. As do our children. Let's think of the common ground that unites us. Let's be more creative and work together on a realistic solution to the economic crisis we're experiencing, rather than going after each other.

My New Love—Fiction and Huck Finn

2011-02-17T19:53:00.002-06:00

I reckon you're eager to read what I have to say, so be patient. Don't be wanderin' away from my post too early. Instead, take a gander at what I'm telling you. Been spendin' most of my wakin' hours readin' and writin' these days. It's fetchin' me some long nights cuz I do n't know how to stop. My thoughts are spinnin' somethin' fierce from all the new ideas fillin' my head, even more than Tom coulda made happen in one of 'em crazy adventures. And I do n't knowed which direction to fix my eyes on, cuz I been achin' to learn me truths for a spell. I like readin' books that shows truths, truths about schools and teachers and life and such and I been readin' up a storm. But then I says to myself, "Why not stick yer head in one of them story-type books that tells tales of kids an kings an murders an Tom-Sawyer-type adventures an such an let yer head enjoy you some make-believe? Life's too stinkin' short to miss out on the make-believe. That's what Pap always said, anyways. And even tho I do n't wanna admit it, well, let's just' say, he wa rn't wrong. Made up stuff is exciting."

After reading a half dozen nonfiction books over the past couple months, I decided to baptize myself into the world of fiction once again. Can you guess which book I started with? From my feeble attempt at "becoming" Huck? Yes, I picked up a book I read in high school over 25 years ago, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I will not tell a lie; I hated this book in high school. Hated it. Why? Because it was assigned. It was required. It was work. It was boring.

But how? How could I have ever found this boring? Granted, I'm only 35% through the book (I know that thanks to my Kindle!). But I have laughed out loud on numerous occasions.

"[Miss Watson] was going to live so as to go to the good place...Well, I couldn't see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn't try for it...I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together."

Perhaps it's my upbringing, but I thought this conversation was hilarious! I can just picture my head making those same types of connections as a child. How I used to make sense of my world so quickly, yet so creatively.

Huck (Twain) shares story after story from the child's perspective. And I find it fascinating how advanced this perspective is. Huck allows his mind to wander, unencumbered, so as to really explore his surroundings, his life. And the way he describes each experience allows you to be there, feeling his child-like excitement, panic, mischievousness, relief, guilt, love.

This level of "critical thinking" is what we hope to achieve as adults. Not in this immature way. But in this truly-connected-to-people kind of way. This stream-of-conscienceness allows one to gather unprescripted data, to make original connections or creative exaggerations, to recognize that an experience is what it is because of the people around you, to be so engaged that passion can't help but boil over.

I'm glad I picked up this book again. It's helped me remember what I loved so much about the explorations of my childhood. And it reminded me how much I am ready, willing and able to rekindle that level of curiosity and courage to live with the open-mindedness and passion of a child again.

Syrup, Post-Its, & Nicknames. Why Can't Good Teaching Be As Sticky?

2011-02-09T21:10:00.000-06:00

"It's in EVERY research book you read. It's talked about at every educational and professional development conference you attend. It's the focus of every methods book. Inquiry-based teaching is it. Inquiry. Inquiry. Inquiry. But you don't see it implemented in the classroom, and if you do, it's not done well. Inquiry—it just isn't sticking."

Yesterday morning, I finished Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point. (Recommended!) Yesterday afternoon, a university education professor said the above to me. I was taken aback. Anyone who has read Tipping Point likely knows why. I felt like one of those cartoon characters where a lightbulb starts flashing above your head!

Gladwell states that the three agents of change include the Law of the Few, the Power of Context, and the Stickiness Factor—the third agent being the cause for the lightbulb. The following Gladwell quote echoed in my head.

"The Stickiness Factor means that there are specific ways of making a contagious message memorable; there are relatively simple changes in the presentation and structuring of information that can make a big difference in how much of an impact it makes."

My friend (and co-author) Dennis Smithenry and I are incredibly passionate about the benefits of Whole Class Inquiry. So when the professor said, "Inquiry—it just isn't sticking," I got to thinking about how we might be able to change that. How do we make our idea "tip?" (Font choice in picture at right in honor of my husband.)

It was what the professor said next that really helped. "So many teachers believe that inquiry is a good idea; they just don't know how to make it happen. But being here, seeing it in action, talking to you, listening to the students, now the message makes sense. The theory of inquiry is alive in that room. "

Gladwell believes that some ideas are worthy, but have not been worded in a manner where the majority of the potential users can understand, let alone implement. The key to getting our message to tip? We need to redefine Whole Class Inquiry using the vocabulary and practice of these experimental, dedicated educators. We can't use Whole Class Inquiry to describe Whole Class Inquiry. We need to simplify a complex idea into presently used language. But how?

I'm working on it. And if I can't figure it out, there's always Krazy Glue...

http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/42-22632618.html

"I'd Rather Be a Wolf Than a Tiger" Follow-Up

2011-01-20T10:13:00.003-06:00

The fall-out from Amy Chua's book is a bit over-the-top. There's a combination of genius (perhaps on Chua's agent's part?) and insanity (public reaction?) threaded through this whole conversation. I admit I've been pulled in, but more as an educator than a mother. And today I read a column in the New York Times by David Brooks that made me smile. The title, Amy Chua is a Wimp, certainly caught my attention, but it wasn't the only thing that made me chuckle. In fact it was the intriguing twist he took in comparison to the other, more angry reviews. Here are my favorite quotes from the article. Remember that Brooks is making these statements to a Yale professor and "Chinese mother."

1. "I believe she’s coddling her children." (Whoa! Bet she's never heard that before!)
2. "I just wish [Chua] wasn’t so soft and indulgent." (Or this!)
3. "[Chua] doesn’t understand what’s cognitively difficult and what isn’t." (Not what a Yale professor usually hears, I'll bet.)
4. "[Practicing music for four hours]...is nowhere near as cognitively demanding as a sleepover with fourteen-year-old girls." (Oh, don't I know it! No truer words have ever been spoken.)
5. "Managing status rivalries, negotiating group dynamics, understanding social norms, navigating the distinction between self and group — these and other social tests impose cognitive demands that blow away any intense tutoring session or a class at Yale." (I've never been to Yale, but I do know that these scenarios were far more challenging than the science courses I took at U of I!)
6. "Chua would do better to see the classroom as a cognitive break from the truly arduous tests of childhood." Wow! It would be important for educators to notice this, too.
7. "I wish [Chua] recognized that in some important ways the school cafeteria is more intellectually demanding than the library." (I remember this challenge very clearly. NOT fun!)

On a more serious note, it is these types of statements—along with others from his article—that support the notion that educators should be focused on the whole child. Our curriculum can help with these social challenges, as well as become a bit more relevant to the type of collaborative, connected, process-oriented lives our children lead.

I'd Rather Be a Wolf Than A Tiger

2011-01-16T19:33:00.002-06:00

I am the LAST person you should ask about parenting. For confirmation on that, just ask my girls. It is, without a doubt, the most taxing and simultaneously rewarding role there is. As a team, my husband and I have done the best we can with what we have and what we know for past 18-plus years. And wow! In my humble, unbiased opinion, we have the most amazing girls around. ;) Perhaps a bit because of us and perhaps a bit in spite of us.

Today, I was drawn to an NPR article summarizing the humorous and controversial book by Amy Chua, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. (See also author interview.) I haven't read the book, but think I might put it on my Kindle "To Read" list; the book is apparently causing quite a stir! Cultural stereotypes are rampant. Professor Chua shares her experiences being raised by and deciding to be a "Chinese" mother. In short, "Chinese" mothers are incredibly strict, focusing on producing highly accomplished kids, especially academically. Having fun and being happy are not part of the equation. "Western" mothers, on the other hand, are much less strict and "worry" about their kids' happiness, sometimes to a detrimental point.

Professor Chua makes it clear that this is a memoir, not a "how-to" book. She is candid and human in the interview. She makes fun of herself and reflects fondly on both her time as a child and as a parent. She emphasizes that this is not intended to compare the "Chinese Mother" to the "Western Mother," neither being superior. She creatively and honestly shares her journey with us—faults, achievements, pleasures, disappointments, etc.

I found the article and interview intriguing. And as both a parent and an educator, I learned a great deal from just the tidbits of information that NPR shared.
1. Parenting is complex. There's simply no other word for it. We build memories that could easily be the basis for a sitcom, drama, tragedy, action/adventure and psychological thriller all wrapped into one, every single day! But I'm really working on having the sitcom override all the others. Laughing with my children is the highlight of my day!
2. Cultural differences are deep. Even those messy, perhaps politically incorrect stereotypes should be investigated. These differences influence how our students navigate our educational system, and how our children respond to their environment. As educators, we need to know and understand these differences in order to reach every child.
3. Focus on the most important lesson, and the rest will follow. No disrespect intended, but personally, I would rather be a wolf than a tiger, both as an educator and a parent. I have never been a fan of false encouragement or beating-around-the-bush, just like Professor Chua. In fact, my husband and I have tried to be very aboveboard with our girls over the years. But I do not agree with the philosophy of being a "Tiger," pushing my children or my students to exhaustion to be superior to those around them. I would rather be a "Wolf" with a pack mentality. We are social creatures and we should help one another. We're not in competition with one another; rather, we're all in it together. Use your passion and your talent to make the world a better place than you found it.
4. Love is the common denominator. Always has been. Always will be. All of us want what we believe is best for our kids. Because we love them!

I've Become A Reader!

2011-01-06T10:56:00.003-06:00

I've always wanted to describe myself as an avid reader. When I observe others looking intently at the pages of a book, I see how they are pulled into another world, their "face changing with every line [they] read," experiencing a feeling of wonder, creativity, excitement, drama, etc. And I am instantly envious. I have kept myself busy reading online writings—blogs, journals, news articles—and I have learned a great deal. But it's not the same thing.

I find it incredibly enjoyable getting involved in a good book, but it takes so much effort for me to get started. Maybe it stems from the fact that I am a slow reader, and the appearance of a "thick" book is overwhelming. Or maybe it is the result of being surrounded by family and close friends who are voracious readers. I'm intimidated by how quickly they flip through pages. So over the years, it became easy to choose other recreational activities, activities that are more pleasurable and relaxing to me, over reading books—spending time with family and friends, going to the gym, relaxing in front of the television, etc.

But something happened to me recently. My husband surprised me with a Kindle! And I absolutely love it!^* I can't quite put my finger on it, but a switch has been flipped and I have been reading nonstop. A book a week since Thanksgiving! I find myself anxiously awaiting the moment where I can squeeze in some quality KT (Kindle Time). And I've read FOUR books in FOUR weeks! [As an aside, the four books I chose to read were all non-fiction, since I am drawn to that. Inspirational (Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand), Motivational (Seasbiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand), Affirming (Drive, by Daniel Pink), and Introspectional (The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz). I highly recommend them!]

At the present rate, the 57 books sitting on the shelf above my teacher desk—books that have been sitting there for 15+ years, books I have always wanted to read—could be read in a bit over a year! How exciting! There's something about the Kindle that really hooks me into reading. It's obvious this new format works for me. And I'm wondering how many others are out there who would benefit from this shift. Definitely worth investigating.

The big question now is, what should I read next?

*At first glance, this may appear to be an endorsement for a particular product. But it's NOT! Yes, my husband surprised me with a Kindle for Christmas. And I LOVE it! But I have not done an in depth study comparing the Kindle to the Nook to the Sony Reader, etc. Nor do I care to. I trust my husband's expertise that he got me the tool that best serves my needs. And so far so good!

Yes, I Remember Where I was...

2010-09-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

Today is 9/11, the anniversary of an incredibly tragic day. I remember the day vividly. I was teaching my high school chemistry class when I found out about the twin towers. There were two students in class with parents working in NYC and one student with grandparents flying in from Boston that day. I remember how my oldest daughter could not comprehend that this was an intentional act, and not an accident. I remember my youngest daughter thinking the plane hit her preschool building and was frightened to go back. And I remember crying for weeks as images were displayed on television and in newspapers of the devastation felt by so many.

But as we reflect on that day, I implore us all to do so with both compassionate hearts and critical minds. Let us take more from this tragedy than a feeling of sorrow and/or pride; our children deserve better. Let us teach our kids that we are a part of a global community and we have a responsibility to that end. Let us better understand history and our role in its creation. Let us recognize what America does well and what we can improve upon and strive to do so. No one should have to live with the devastation both violence and hatred cause, no matter where they live. So let us let our individual and collective behavior reflect that belief.

The greatest tragedy that could come from remembering 9/11, or similar types of anniversaries, is to reflect on them with a narrow lens, afraid to confront what might be hidden or out of view. There's always something constructive we can learn from these profound historical moments. Looking willingly and courageously at the larger, more complicated context, we can learn how to better contribute to our global community. And we can, indeed, show our children how to leave this world a more peaceful, unified place than we found it.

Inspirational Summer Reading!

2010-07-08T21:37:00.002-05:00

Just finished reading an inspiring book, given to me by a friend/colleague, entitled Faust in Copenhagen. Written by theoretical physicist Gino Segré, the book beautifully describes the fascinating story of the discussions responsible for the discovery of atomic structure and quantum mechanics in the early 1900s. The most amazing part of the book is the focus on the human side of science.

Yes, contrary to popular belief, scientists are in fact human! In Faust in Copenhagen, Segré describes the lives of seven (plus) scientists as they communicate and brainstorm with one another in magical ways, pondering the mysteries of physics. Picturing a group of seven musicians or poets or artists or writers discussing their subject seems so "normal," but the same image using scientists (or mathematicians) conjures up a very different mental picture, for some reason. After reading this book, however, you would be hard-pressed to decide in which profession these six men and one woman belong. They are theoretical and experimental physicists, to be certain. But they are incredibly zealous and articulate in their area of expertise, discussing the intricacies of that which excites and intellectually stimulates them with as much passion as a poet, as much rhythm as a musician, as much symbolism as a writer, and as much abstract thought as an artist. The description of their conversation makes me long to be in school again, having scholarly discussions with peers and professors on a regular basis about science and its relevance in our lives.

Faust in Copenhagen was inspirational for me as someone who enjoys science. But having just finished The Element, by Ken Robinson, I value it just as much from a teacher's perspective. Sir Robinson describes the phenomenal potential that exists when you find your element—the place where the things we love to do and the things we are good at come together. These seven scientists certainly all allowed themselves the chance to follow this path. Because of this, they became the most influential physical scientists of the 20th century. Because they were allowed to follow their gift and passion, they literally changed the world. They actively worked at creating a progressive and constructive scientific community, led primarily by the outstanding teaching efforts of Niels Bohr. He did not allow politics, economics, or even personality conflicts get in the way of the progression of science. And Bohr sincerely cared about each scientist as a person, student, friend, helping out with whatever was needed in whatever manner he could.

I have so much more spinning in my head in terms of the connection I made between these two books. Community-building and discussion documentation and technology and personal connections, etc. For now, I look forward to using these books as a foundation in my classroom this school year, trying my best to emulate the likes of Bohr and the ideas of Robinson. A true challenge, certainly not attainable, but I sincerely look forward to trying!

Building an Ecology of Freedom—The Importance of Fair Use

2010-06-02T20:10:00.004-05:00

It has been ages since I've published a new post. Suffice it to say, other, more important life events have required me to revert back into some old, instinctual teaching habits the last couple months. And I have felt terribly absent as a contributing member of my PLN. But, I have continued to devour the ideas being shared and thought now was as good a time as any to get back into the groove!

I just watched Lawrence Lessig's TedxNYED talk entitled Re-examining the Remix. I thought it was quite compelling. I believe I was particularly drawn to this talk for two reasons.

1) I am intrigued by the notion of "Building an Ecology of Freedom." Developing a constructive community is the foundation of my classroom, and in doing so, my students and I practice and investigate dozens of methods of social interactions. This includes "remixing" as a form of personal expression. Lessig showed a video of Julian Sanchez stating, "Copyright policy isn't just about how to incentivize the production of a certain kind of artistic commodity; it's about what level of control we're going to permit to be exercised over our social realities." This got me thinking about how important and relevant "fair use," the freedom to create and remix, is to my teaching practice. And my head is still spinning.

2) I believe I'm also drawn to this topic for personal reasons. My husband, Spiro Bolos, works quite extensively on copyright and fair use, presenting at regional and national conferences, including CUE this past spring. I happen to find his explanations and stories exceptionally relevant to the teaching community as a whole. He not only quotes Lessig (I believe), but is working with Renee Hobbes this summer, as well. (Here is a version of his presentation.) Having heard Spiro's talks, I was quite surprised at Lessig's angle of describing the conservative politicians to be the Fair Use Crusaders. I don't know why; I guess I assumed that since I agreed with my husband's thoughts, and Lessig's, that liberals would be crowned with that title. Live and learn! (But I'm certainly interested in hearing other experts' opinions. Do most agree with Lessig's perspective?)

I found the following statements from Lessig's talk to be incredibly important as the fight to "Build an Ecology of Freedom" continues, regardless of who is leading the charge.

"Freedom needs this opportunity to have BOTH the commercial success of the great creative works AND the opportunity to build this (ecology of freedom) type of culture. And for that to happen you need ideas like fair use to be central and protected…"

"Walt Disney was a remixer extrataordinaire."

"Our lives are sharing activites. And for sharing to exist, we need well-protected spaces of fair use."

"The ecology of sharing needs freedom from within to create. And we need to respect the creator."

I would have to work exceptionally hard to even be considered a novice in understanding Fair Use. But I am developing a greater appreciation for the social and professional necessity of learning about it, and fighting for it. So, do I vote Republican in November? ;-)

"Childish" Dreams...We Adults Should Be So Smart!

2010-04-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

Adora Svitak shares her "childish" dreams...and they have inspired me today. She's twelve and definitely worth a listen. Not only should educators think differently about the expectations we have for our students ("standards" are NOT the answer...), but we should rethink our expectations for ourselves. If we continue to talk about why we CAN'T do something, or have conversations about check-list items like NCLB or RTI, we're destined to harm our students' growth, and our own. We need to feel free to be new and creative with our ideas...We need to talk and brainstorm together. Unstructured, creative time. The ideas are spinning...! Thanks, Adora!

Doing "Nothing" is "Something"

2010-03-22T09:34:00.002-05:00

My idea of "doing nothing" needs a bit of tweaking. For years, people have been telling me this. But I'm learning! Slowly, but surely, I'm learning to ask for help, rather than allowing myself to become overwhelmed. Why do I tend to have such trouble being idle? Relaxing? Do nothing?

I attended a two-day science teachers' conference and returned home Saturday night after a four-hour flight delay. The flight itself was a nightmare for me; the small plane felt every bump of turbulence! My youngest daughter was having a birthday slumber party that night, so upon my return, the house was filled with 14 thirteen-year-old girls. As I walked through the door, I was gearing myself up to help out with the party.

However, my older daughter had stepped-up. She had done the grocery shopping, baked the cake, helped decorate the house, and most importantly, helped calm my youngest one down, assuring her everything would go smoothly and everyone would have fun. My husband, too, helped tremendously. Along with all the work he normally does, the house had a peaceful feeling, a sense of serenity that only he can provide, even amongst 14 teenage girls. He calmly kissed me hello, asked me about my trip, and offered to make me dinner, since he rightfully guessed I had forgotten to eat.

On Sunday night, I was wiped. The excitement of the conference, the stress of the flight home, etc. wore me out. So my husband tells me, "I'm doing the dishes, taking out the trash and finishing up some emails. You do nothing. Go sit on the couch and relax. We'll watch some TV together when I'm finished. Is there anything else you need me to do for you?"

"Doing nothing sounds great. Thanks, Sweetie. No, I don't need anything. I'm good." So I head for the couch...

I don't know what's wrong with me. Somehow, on my way to the couch, I got out the lunch boxes for the morning, cleaned up the dining room table from the party, grabbed the laundry from the dryer to fold, put in another load, dealt with some work-related emails and then brought my luggage upstairs to unpack. And then it hit me. I had taken a 30 minute detour doing things that could have waited, things that my husband would've gladly done for me (except the laundry). So I abruptly dropped everything and purposefully made my way to the couch!

So am I really learning? Honestly, yes. Six months ago, it would've been a 60 minute detour! But the learning curve can only be understood by someone like me; someone who has a hard time asking for help, someone who seems to have two speeds—80 mph or "shut-down mode" due to burn-out, with no speeds in between!

What I'm learning most of all is that doing "nothing" is "something" and it's a very important skill I want my daughters to learn. I don't want them to develop the idea that they always need to be working. My two-speed engine needs some balance from someone who works just as hard, but balances life with a dominant "stop-and-smell-the-roses" perspective, someone who saves energy for people first and things second, someone with a calm yet strong demeanor, someone whose serenity of mind and heart is contagious to those around him. Someone like my husband.

So I will continue to practice making time to do nothing. Anyone else having trouble with this? Specifically teachers? Any ideas that have worked for you?

Education = Federal Disaster Area. Save Our Students!

2010-03-17T13:06:00.006-05:00

My thoughts are spinning. I want to share. No, I need to share. Blogging, I've found, is therapeutic! So let's see if I'm capable of tying together these seemingly isolated stories. Somehow, I know they fit.

1. First I heard a story on NPR's Morning Edition, Obama Policy Shelves Most Bush-Era Stem Cell Lines. (see below) As I listened, I became increasingly frustrated with the absurdity of red tape, and with the consistently poor transitions that take place when newly elected officials take office and the old ones vacate. In this story, the loss of years of experimentation and millions of dollars of resources are the unintended consequence of a new application process implemented by the Obama administration. In essence, volumes of scientific research might be halted and become worthless due to paperwork? What a mess! Research that is ongoing and progressive is being forced to stop and reapply using new guidelines. And there's no guarantee that the application will be accepted; they might have to start all over! As a science teacher, I wonder how to prepare my future professional scientists (students) for situations like this?

2. Then I listened to another NPR story, Spelling: 'No Child Left Behind' Is A 'Toxic Brand.' (see below) Arne Duncan plans to address congress with a "reworked" version of the No Child Left Behind law. He is recommending that the 2014 deadline for math and English proficiency be replaced by a new 2020 deadline for college and career preparedness. (Breath, Joan, breath.) I am infuriated on so many fronts.
a. Reworked? Why use NCLB as a foundation? Start over!
b. Fire teachers in underperforming schools? Oh my goodness...We should have the president and congress be scrutinized in the same manner. Then they might understand what a bad idea this is. This completely misses the point!
c. "There's nothing pedagically wrong with teaching to a test." Dewey is turning over in his grave right. I'm sure of it. My point? There's nothing pedagogically RIGHT with teaching to a test. In fact, our entire assessment process needs revamping...High stakes testing is a BAD idea. Period.
d. College and Career Preparedness? Our nation is receiving hourly news reports of teachers being cut, programs being slashed, buildings being shuttered, students becoming victims. And Secretary Duncan is testifying about a reworked NCLB?! Wake up! We need true reform, not anything that resembles revamping or reworking anything!

3. Lastly, I watched an old TedTalk of Ken Robinson (see old post of mine). And I'm reading his book, The Element. Phenomenal discussion on where to start with school "reform" (for lack of a better term).

So how are these stories linked? Here's what I came up with:
We need to figure out how to NOT reinvent and cause trouble (story 1),
we need to reform when things have spiraled out of control (story 2),
we need to use our creative intelligence to know the difference (story 3).
These are the exact life challenges our students need to be prepared for. Do we really think we're modeling things well for them?
Let the comments begin. Please. What do you think?

(As an aside, I wish my district would have said "no" when NCLB started to diffuse through our classroom walls, and instead used creativity to do better by our students.
And said "no" to increasing AP offerings and enrollment when schools became ranked using this criterion, and instead used creativity to do better by our students.
And said "no" when programs were cut and/or replaced with "test prep" or "content driven" courses, and instead used creativity to do better by our students.
We have a chance now. We can say "no" to RTI (Response to Intervention), and instead use creativity to do better by our students. RTI is an insult. It is a waste of time and energy. Time and energy that is being expended by lowering the bar on incredibly talented individuals. BUT it CAN be twisted into something meaningful. We just need to let go and let the creativity flow!)

Reactionary Collaboration & Reflection is Better Than None...Right?

2010-03-02T09:25:00.002-06:00

"You cannot hold me more accountable than I hold myself responsible for the children in my charge." ~Chris Lehmann, Principal SLA, Philadelphia

This quote pops into my head every time I hear a news story about the government's and/or educational leaders' plans on how to best "reform" our public education system. Accountability cannot be the foundation of sustainable, meaningful reform. So I was shocked when I heard the news that Central Falls High School in Rhode Island fired its entire teaching faculty, effective at the end of this school year, in part to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act. Yes, the whole faculty has been fired. And President Obama implied that this was a good decision!

The story on NPR's Morning Edition (below) filled me with simultaneous outrage and relief. Former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, has changed her position on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and other educational reform ideas. A former supporter, she now says that "It actually lowers standards...The problem is that when we attach high stakes to the tests...This, then corrupts the value of the measure..."

One quote by Ravitch resonates with me because I have always nurtured a collaborative environment in my classroom. True collaboration is key. Ravitch states, "Schools operate fundamentally — or should operate — like families. The fundamental principle by which education proceeds is collaboration. Teachers are supposed to share what works; schools are supposed to get together and talk about what's [been successful] for them. They're not supposed to hide their trade secrets and have a survival of the fittest competition with the school down the block."

Collaboration. Hallelujah! I'm relieved that this has finally been voiced. I hope this quote is aired repeatedly and used as a focus for faculty discussions all over the country. It holds so many foundational elements to quality education. So I applaud Ms. Ravitch's reflection and growth. But the only way these ideas will become reality in our school system is when the evaluation process matches these thoughts. When will these ideas become the foundation for educational reform?

I'm enraged that this has taken so long. Why weren't the teachers, professors, educational researchers and a large number of school administrators listened to years ago when these tragic outcomes were predicted ad nauseam? The present state and federal mandates are unfortunately speeding up this path of educational destruction and we need to put on the brakes! I vividly recall a conversation I had with my husband approximately ten years ago. He said, "I think they're trying to destroy public education. I think they're campaigning to take it down, to privatize it. I really do." And look where we are. Is it too late? Can we still turn the corner, implement collaborative, research-based, sound changes?

Our students need individualized, local attention. High stakes must go. Education is not formulaic. So will the people responsible for making educational decisions finally start to sincerely collaborate with the educational community? We're ready!

The Need for Creativity in Education

2010-03-01T13:59:00.001-06:00

Just saw this TedTalk. Yes, it's a bit old, but it is funny, thought-provoking and still very much relevant. Take a look. How creative do you feel as an educator? Do you take risks? And most importantly, what do you do in your classroom to nurture the creativity in students?

Some interesting thoughts/quotes from the video:
(1) Creativity is as important as literacy in education.
(2) If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.
(3) We're educating our children out of their creative capacities.
(4) Shakespeare was in somebody's English class, wasn't he?
(5) There isn't an education system on earth that has a unique hierarchy. Math and science on top; Humanities in the middle; then the arts at the bottom.
(6) If you were to explain the purpose of public education to an alien, you'd have to conclude that it is to produce university professors...Professors live in their heads...This is not the way most of the world lives.
(7) We need to radically rethink our view of intelligence.
(8) We have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we are educating our children.
(9) If Gillian Lynne had been assessed in our time, she would've been diagnosed with ADHD, put on medication and told to calm down. Back in the 1930s, when she was 8, her doctor instead told her to go to a dance school. She did. And she became a choreographer and dancer and multimillionaire. She did Cats, Phantom, etc. Dozens! She's brought happiness to millions of people.
(10) The last clip is incredible.

Death of a District?

2010-02-25T16:05:00.002-06:00

My presence at work meetings usually results in the book title Death By Meeting echoing through my head. I believe many of us have had that same frustrated feeling, "I could be doing something so much more important right now!"

But I attended a board meeting in Wheaton last night for my daughters' school district, Community Unit School District 200, that gave new meaning to the word "death" in that title. As I sat there, my eyes watered, my heart sank, my spirit bled. My hometown school district was dying, and I was at the deathbed gathering. Where was I? How did this happen overnight? And how is it that I was informed about something so catastrophic through a casual email from a friend?

The community sat stunned, injured, depressed as the acting superintendent read slide after slide of loss—middle school teachers cut, class sizes increased, educational opportunities dropped, just to name a few. This "budget proposal" was literally harming every person in the district, most directly, of course, our precious children. How could this possibly be the solution?

The domino effect of negative consequences caused by implementing this proposal cannot be fully understood by anyone at this time, but common sense dictates nothing less than disaster. Most disturbing to me is that I do not believe an administrative team who proposes this as the path to fiscal stability is capable of comprehending the depth of destruction this will cause. The immediate frustration to the teaching staff—a dramatic and arguably a potential career-changing factor—will lead to much more tragic outcomes. Having a positive, familial atmosphere at school—between staff, students, etc.—provides a comfortable environment for all to thrive, nurtures a climate conducive to innovative curricular development and most importantly fosters critical teacher-student relationships. These are the minimal foundational pieces for the growth of our children. This atmosphere cannot be sustained in an environment described by the acting superintendent last night. (In fact, the polar opposite is likely.) Nor is it remotely appropriate to ask this already dedicated and loving teaching staff to try.

I have a solution to the board's partially self-inflicted woes. Revisit the district's core beliefs. Sit with creative and insightful teachers, students and staff. Ask yourself the tough questions, the really tough questions. Let others help you formulate them, if need be. And then think, ponder. Spend the hours necessary to develop more appropriate, innovative, and responsible decisions. Do not, I beg of you, take the seemingly simple route. You described yourselves as "elected servants" last night. That is exactly what is required here. We could use this opportunity to demonstrate how a community employs true collaboration and originality to tackle a challenge such as this one.

The complexity of issues that will surface if you follow through on the administrators' budget recommendation will be insurmountable. And the damage done to our children will be irreparable.

And I am available to brainstorm with any board member at any time. I'm waiting for your call.

Hanging Out

2009-11-30T14:29:00.010-06:00

"Why don't you go outside and get some friends together to play a game of soccer?" I say to my then 7-year-old, back in 1999. "Who will decide teams and who will be the ref?" she asked in a perturbed and mystified tone. Needless to say, no soccer game took place.

As a child? I was a tomboy. I was an athlete. So much of my "character"—determination, discipline and dedication—comes from my childhood experiences in athletics. My students typically assume I am referring to formal sports teams, like park district or school sponsored programs. Programs where an adult was facilitating all events, from start to finish. Yes, I had coaches. And I loved them and learned from them. But I fondly recall the majority of my childhood evenings being occupied by pick-up basketball or softball games, tag, olly olly oxen free, and just general kid craziness in our back yards. When it was time for bed, my mom would ring the bell to signal the end of the evening. Yes, a bell. We determined a winner and/or settled our differences, and then planned the next get-together.

No, I don't consider myself ancient. I'm only in my 40s, and I still LOVE basketball, working out and running. So as a parent, I am bewildered by how foreign the idea of "pick-up games" is to my kids, which has led me to a more general area of concern. My daughters' days are so scheduled, the idea of simply "hanging out" with friends is somewhat frightening to them. The "down time" they have with their own thoughts and the impromptu interactions with peers is far too scarce. And I have always thought that the institution of education and the underlying political/commercial motives continue to cause our children harm, in so many ways. (A telling poem by Clydia Forehand is worth a read.)

danah boyd has shed light on at least one aspect of why shutting down, controlling and/or "facilitating-to-death" our kids' free time might legitimately stunt their growth in terms of developing social skills. She provides an intriguing perspective in her article Sociality is Learning. Our kids are trying desperately to take back their free time. And they're doing so right in front of our eyes. It's not so much rebellious behavior, but a personal necessity. The uncertainty and awkwardness that we navigated during our adolescence might be (partially) achieved through social media.

Certainly, I have many parental concerns regarding social media—the need for interpersonal communication, the detriments of multitasking, the art of managing time, etc. But perhaps we need to embrace the idea of teaching our children how to navigate this new world. Perhaps we need to "unlearn and relearn" how to teach and fine-tune social interactions. Certainly, as an educator and parent of both a teen and a tween, I have some brainstorming and investigating to do.

As a parent, are you teaching your children the benefits of social media? Are you discussing etiquette? As a parent and/or educator, how might we embrace this world so that children don't feel we're trying to "structure" their "unstructured" social media time? How do we become comfortable with this? Still formulating my questions...Would love to hear your thoughts/questions as well.

Edublog Awards

2009-11-23T21:56:00.003-06:00

My nominations for the 2009 Edublog Awards are as follows:

1. Best teacher blog: An American Studies, by Spiro Bolos and John O'Connor

2. Best educational tech support blog: New Trier Curricular Technology, by Spiro Bolos

3. Best individual blog: Metanoia, by Ryan Bretag

Thanks!

Education's Role in Fighting Media Disinformation...?

2009-11-20T08:54:00.020-06:00

“The increasingly blatant nature of the nonsense uttered with impunity in public discourse is chilling. Our democratic society is imperiled as much by this as any other single threat, regardless of whether the origins of the nonsense are religious fanaticism, simple ignorance or personal gain.”

This quote caught my eye this morning while perusing my unread RSS feeds. My first thought was, "Exactly! This has gotten completely out of hand. I can't STAND to read or hear the news anymore." I finished reading the Scientific American article, War is Peace: Can Science Fight Media Disinformation? I was hoping to gain some clarity as to how I might prevent myself, my colleagues, my children, my friends and my students from getting hypnotized by media disinformation.

And then it hit me. "Wait. This article in and of itself can be an example of media disinformation, at least in certain areas!" It was actually fun for me to recognize this so quickly. (As I age, I can't tell if I'm getting wiser or just more cynical!) An article in Scientific American would likely provide any reader the comfort of being reliable, being accurate, being "true." After all, it is science, right?

The article contains much to ponder. For instance, the author implies that perhaps free and open access to information, through the internet and 24-hour news programs, is bad. I suppose there might be a point where I would agree, but those reasons would be outside the scope of this post. Instead, I find it very important to allow free access to ideas, even the ideas I personally believe to be false, hypocritical, and/or idiotic. And I, too, have always been curious as to how people get drawn into a seemingly simplistic debate, particularly one rooted in drama rather than evidence. But the one question that really got my reflective juices flowing was, "What makes people so susceptible to nonsense in public discourse?"

And therein lies the key, at least for me. "What makes people..."

If we really want to determine how our life-positions (for me...parent, wife, teacher, friend) can help nurture more intelligent discourse, the answer is not to shut down information. It is rather in providing an honest perspective on the information being considered. And this is challenging. Not only should we ask the "who, what, when, where, how, and why." We must also consider,

"Why do I want to (or not want to) believe, agree, disagree, etc.? From where am I drawing this desire to jump on board (or argue against) a particular stance?"

Students come to our classroom with life experiences. Parents bring their own historical perspective to every conversation with their children. And teachers are PEOPLE. Whether subconsciously or self-aware, we see what we see, feel what we feel, believe what we believe for a reason.

We must be up front about our "life curriculum," especially to ourselves, if we want to have meaningful, constructive, intelligent dialogue. For instance, to make the assumption that an educator, regardless of grade or subject matter, can stand up in front of her class and just "present the facts," or that a parent can be "completely objective" with her child's struggles, is ridiculous. And this mentality is the root of the problem causing the posed craziness in the original question above.

So what can we do? Be honest. Teach one another how to scrutinize information through multiple lenses. Maintain an open-mind, particularly when examining the why and how behind your thinking. Remain open to the idea that some of the most foundational thoughts you have are open for discussion. Your life curriculum is the basis for every interaction you have, as it is for all those whose paths you cross. It is in being aware of this "data" that true growth can begin.

More Reflections

2009-11-05T12:17:00.005-06:00

"Driving in traffic is a different kind of hell every day," one of my colleagues quotes a Harvard University psychologist, Daniel Gilbert. "Tell me about it!" I retort. "Never used to bother me, but these days, I really wish I lived close to school! Where did you find the quote and what's the context?"

The article he quoted from is "Critical Mass," by Jonah Lehrer. (SEED, June 2009) It's worth the read, especially if you're like my husband and I. Driving. Driving. Driving. (Or taking the train...) And being worn down by the very thought. Honestly, I've developed a permanent back ache from sitting in my Civic all these years!

In truth, I'm finding myself in a very reflective mood these days. And there are times when the reflection I "see" is a surprise to me. It's both exciting and unsettling, but the beginning to all honest growth always is, I suppose. One thing that has been on my mind is how badly I wish I could take back all the lost minutes of my life that have been spent in a car commuting to and from work over the past fifteen years. But of course, hindsight is 20/20...

Twelve years ago, when my husband and I purchased our home, we did so for more than just the ridiculous size "bang for the buck" we could get; we were looking at schools, affordability, safety, and mostly location. At the time, it was necessary to be close to my parents-in-law; they were both needing extra support for health reasons. Unfortunately, our plan was short-sighted. Don't get me wrong. I have incredibly fond memories of family gatherings, comfortable conversations and warm connections taking place in our home. I also have a treasured peace of mind being a full-time working mom. I've always felt the reassurance that my daughters were safe and our neighbors were really looking out for them. (And of course, we have the best neighbors in the world right next door to us! I wouldn't give that up for anything!)

But, the time I've lost driving has really weighed on my mind these days. Perhaps that's because my girls are older. Not existing in two different worlds would be a welcomed new peace of mind for me. So why did we stay once the parents-in-law no longer needed us? A host of reasons. But none worth mentioning seem to surface at the moment!

"A person with a one-hour commute has to earn 40 percent more money to be as satisfied with life as someone who walks to the office."

Hmmm...Anyone have a cheap helicopter for sale?

Midterm Reflection

2009-11-04T10:43:00.007-06:00

Ten days into the 1999-2000 school year, a young man walked into my classroom with administrative paperwork documenting that he was a new addition to Glenbrook North High School and my chemistry class. I introduced myself, as did he. I swiftly recorded the information into my gradebook and announced to the class, “Everyone please welcome Isaac to our chemistry community. He is a new student at GBN, so we want to make sure we make him feel welcome and catch him up with our investigations up to this point!”

The class welcomed Isaac with smiles and a few handshakes. One student pointed to an empty desk and Isaac took a seat. I then moved quickly into the day’s activity. “Okay, I need everyone to move desks so that you each have a partner and you’re sitting back-to-back. Those of you facing south, take out a sheet of paper and pencil. Those of you facing north, I’m going to give you a picture of a sketched figure. You are to describe this figure to your partner in a manner that will allow him/her to draw it. You cannot look at each other. And only the person with the figure can speak. You have 5 minutes. Go!”

As the activity progressed, I noticed that Isaac was not drawing and appeared quite confused. I immediately intervened so that his first introduction to my class would not be traumatic. I soon realized, with the help of another student, Howard, that Isaac spoke very little English, and in fact had just arrived in the United States the night before! So I stopped the activity, asked Isaac up front and announced, “Okay, change of plans everyone. You all are now going to listen to Isaac describe this new figure to you. Draw it as best you can.” I told Howard to tell Isaac to describe it in his native language, Korean. Isaac looked at me confused. I reiterated, “In Korean.” He smiled and began speaking in what I can only interpret as a confident and happy tone, and it sounded swift, too!

“Okay! Time’s up! Hold up your images!” The class smiled and held them up, with every card being blank except three students, who, of course, all spoke Korean. I smiled and said, “Great job, Isaac! From the looks of these three students’ drawings, you gave incredibly good directions!” To the rest of the class I said, “Now we have a better idea of how Isaac feels when we talk to one another during our classroom activities. Let’s make sure we remember that and do whatever we can to stay together, okay?” I then had them journal their thoughts about the activity and strategize ways to work together. It is one of the most potent memories I have with students really absorbing the meaning of empathy. To this day, Isaac writes me to tell me it was an incredibly positive turning point in his GBN experiences and always looked forward to coming to class.

When Dr. Ming Fang He came to speak to my curriculum class, I immediately reflected on this memory. The sense of “in-betweenness” she spoke of is something I do encounter with many of my students in my district. We have a significant Asian population, a large percentage of whom have been in the country less than six months or are first generation. Isaac certainly taught me a great deal about this idea of "in-betweenness" as I read his journal reflections. I learned about his background, culture, home life v. school life, responsibilities, transitions, hurdles, successes, etc. The cross-cultural lives highlighted in Dr. Fang He’s narrative research was quite informative and filled in more of the academic details needed to aid me in my instructional practice.

As I read her stories and heard her speak, I also made an unexpected mental leap with the information. I, too, am living a life of “in-betweenness” right now. I certainly would never equate these feelings with those of Isaac or any of Dr. Fang He’s subjects. However, the parallel idea is quite striking, and a bit unnerving. I am someone who likes to look at the big picture and then figure out the details later, either as a means for building something or deconstructing something. So here are my categories of “in-betweenness.”

Reward vs. Anxiety
• I suppose my thoughts first traverse through superficial waters. I feel quite lucky that I happened upon this program and that I was given the advice to take this course first. I am so glad I did. I realize how much is out there and look forward to digesting more. Dewey, Schwab, van Manen, Noddings, Chomsky, Schultz, Schubert, Kohn, Pollan, Fang He, etc. have all passed through my hands this semester and I find my head spinning. How will I synthesize, process and harness these ideas in both a practical and foundational manner? What will it look like? What will it feel like?
• At the same time, I am incredibly anxious. Will we have the finances to allow me to continue? Will the remaining courses be this inspiring? Or has this been an act that will surely be impossible to follow? How will I ever get through all the readings I want to do since I need to continue to work full time for now?

Happiness vs. Depression
• I love being a student. I love listening to my classmates ask reflective questions on the readings. I love being a member of a community where people are passionate about the world of education and are open-minded to the idea of honestly investigating not only institutional curriculum, but also their own personal curriculum and how that influences what they do.
• I cannot believe I spent so many years directionless. I should’ve listened to my husband years ago and absorbed what he had to say. Had I done so, I would’ve broken free from the feeling of helplessness I felt the last few years. This feeling also took a toll on my family. It’s hard to be a part of the very institutional setting that actively makes poor choices for students and not feel suffocated. But I know it’s not impossible to break free and I should’ve found an avenue. Why did I think I had nothing to offer or feel so down? It is so unlike me…It’s frustrating that I waited this long to act. I’m incredibly upset with myself for not reflecting with eyes, heart and mind more open.

Enlightenment vs. Confusion
• Every Wednesday, I look forward to coming to class to hear stories, process readings, connect with peers and receive affirmation that my experiences and practice are on a good path. It has been such a treasure to have access to some of the most insightful, experienced, intelligent scholars in the area of curriculum. I look at my work through a new lens and see myself doing so much more…
• Every Wednesday, I come to class challenged by a personal or academic puzzle in the area of curriculum and leave with at least five more! I love being pushed into an area of intellectual discomfort and working my way through it by experimenting in class and/or talking with family, friends, classmates and colleagues. It’s invigorating! It’s the foundation for true growth.

Presently, my sense of “in-betweenness” permeates my daily life. I oscillate between illuminating and demanding emotions every moment these days. Suffice it to say, I’m feeling alive and inspired to unfold the next phase of my educational journey.

My Journey Begins...Finally

2009-09-15T14:16:00.007-05:00

I have begun the coursework that will eventually, hopefully lead to a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. I am extremely excited right now. And I couldn't be doing this without the incredible support of my family. Based on how busy our lives become, I imagine I am in for a few of the days illustrated in the comic. But I've been proactive in protecting my family from this character by resigning many duties at work in order to keep some semblance of sanity. So far, everything is wonderful! And the following is my first reflection paper. Enjoy!

“I have some sad news for you,” I share with my students. I’m in costume, wearing a wig, flowery dress, cardigan sweater, and using a cane. “Your teacher, Ms. Gallagher, has been in an accident. I’m here as your sub. Today we are going to investigate observations and interpretations by looking at these bins of artifacts found in Ms. Gallagher’s home and office. To begin, please look at the artifacts in one bin with your group members and write down ten statements you believe to be true about Ms. Gallagher.”

And this is the introduction to the school year for my students. It is the day we begin building our community. It is the heart of our class climate. They are initially thrown by the role-play. They are excited about getting to know their teacher in such an unconventional way. They are confused by what this activity has to do with the world of science; after all, they are in a chemistry class.

Although there are dozens of subtle foundational reasons for doing this activity, one of the most constructive outcomes is that my students come to an adventurous conclusion by the end of the hour. No longer in costume or character, returning as their teacher to facilitate our analysis discussion, I share the following thoughts. “How many of you now have more questions about me, Ms. Gallagher, having gone through this activity than you had when you entered the room this morning?” All hands go up with a number of smiles. “As your teacher, I am NOT here to provide answers. I hope this activity has illustrated that I believe part of my responsibility is to instead provide you with opportunities, opportunities leading you to more to questions, opportunities to find your life experiences mysterious and intriguing and worthy of well-formulated questions. In short, you should have more questions in June than answers. I think we’re in for a wonderfully exciting time.” (Activity created by Spiro Bolos, modified for science.)

The night before I did this activity with my classes, I started the journey towards my PhD. I became the student. I am now at the other end of that very lesson. We have barely scratched the surface here in CI 574. How do I know? Because I already have a seemingly endless list of questions based on my readings by Schubert in CPPP. My first course reflection is in fact a series of questions, focused in three areas.

1. My curiosity of history and curriculum as a field:
a. Were any of the most influential educational reformers “just” teachers? Or is it a historical prerequisite to be a professor in order to have long-term impact on educational foundations? To be a part of the discussion?
b. Who are the most influential curricular specialists NOT written about or listened to? What were their thoughts? And why weren’t we listening?
c. What would teachers working during Dewey’s time have thought of him? Of Tyler? Of Spencer? Etc. Did teachers look up to them? Did they agree with their thoughts? Did teachers have time to discuss these things? How different was the actual schooling in comparison to what the curriculum experts had envisioned during those times?
d. Why is the teaching profession put on such a pedestal in other cultures, but is considered so lowly here? What started that?
e. Who would the academic community consider as the foremost expert on curriculum right now? Whose ideas should we be listening to? i.e., Who’s the next Dewey?
f. Who would the teaching community consider to be the foremost curricular expert right now? How many teachers could name five curricular specialists? We asked the question in class, “Who do we start with in terms of the history of curriculum?” I’d like to also know, “Who do we end with? And how did our path lead us here?”
g. What is worthwhile? What’s worth knowing, experiencing, doing, needing, being, becoming, overcoming, sharing, and contributing? (Questions in "g" formulated by William Schubert.)

2. My personal life:
a. Why didn’t I start this program ten years ago?! Ugghhh. I am so angry with myself for not starting earlier. I REALLY would like a full-time job working in the world of academia and teaching teachers and helping to improve schools. I miss thinking. I miss discussing. I miss hearing the big picture. I miss being in an environment where I matter, where my abilities are being challenged and employed.
b. How in the WORLD does Schubert know so much? There’s so much to read and absorb and process and question. I need a full-time job just to read everything I want to read! Where do I sign up?
c. How can I learn to read faster?
d. What would be the ONE book I should read above all else if I want to be truly inspired as a future curriculum specialist?
e. What is worthwhile? What’s worth knowing, experiencing, doing, needing, being, becoming, overcoming, sharing, and contributing? (Questions in "e" formulated by William Schubert.)

3. My professional life:
a. How have we allowed ourselves (the teaching community) to stray so far away from what is best for our students? Why isn’t there a revolution? There are so many teachers out there…
b. How do I study the damage we (teachers) cause in order to convince administrators and politicians (the policy-makers) that (putting it simply) we’re doing everything backwards?
c. Who do I talk to about planning the rest of my schooling? Life?
d. What is worthwhile? What’s worth knowing, experiencing, doing, needing, being, becoming, overcoming, sharing, and contributing? (Questions in "d" formulated by William Schubert.)

I am thrilled to be starting the process. I look forward to learning, thinking, discussing. I can’t wait to be a part of this full time. Above all, I would really love to be part of connecting practice with theory in a meaningful way…

The journey begins...

My September 11th Story—Which Hat Should I Wear?

2009-09-09T12:18:00.009-05:00

"Good morning! Take out your journals and get today's outline down." It started like any other school morning. My students were given a collaborative challenge and were working in their groups. During our investigations, a school administrator walked in, handed me a piece of paper, and immediately walked back out. I made a funny face at the class not knowing what in the world that behavior could possibly mean.

I walked across the room with the paper in my hand to answer one more student question. I smiled and said, "Well, I wonder what this says?" loudly and in a playful voice. My eyes spun over the words on the paper; I remember seeing "Urgent" and "CNN" and "Pentagon" and "World Trade Center" and "plane" and "crash." It took me what seemed a lifetime to process the content of this note. All of a sudden, a shiver ran down my spine. I felt instantly weak and physically cold. I looked up at my class and for some reason they seemed so very young at that moment. They were babies and I needed to protect them. But from what?

I managed to snap myself out of this momentary trance, collected my thoughts and figuratively and firmly put on my teacher hat. In a calm, serious voice, I said, "Guys, does anyone have family visiting or working in New York City today or flying into or out of Boston?" Three students raised their hands. Rather than read the potentially life-shattering news in front of the whole class, I pulled these three students out into the hall. All of them collapsed as I read the news. One had grandparents flying in from Boston; the other two had fathers working in the Trade Center. I grabbed another student from the class to walk these three down to the counseling office and told her to call me when she got them there. I called the office to let them know they were coming, as well.

I went back into the classroom to read the note to the rest of the class. They were quiet, I think going through the similarly slow processing that I went through earlier. While I gave them some time to think, I heard an announcer's voice speaking next door. My good friend Maureen had turned on a radio for her class to listen to. I brought my class next door to join her.

As a student was asking me a question, his voice seemed to fade. My stomach fell to the floor. The wind left my lungs so quickly that I had to gasp for air. A student said, "Ms. [G], are you okay?" My teacher hat was gone and my personal hat hit me like a ton of bricks."Do I know anyone...?" I thought. It took me this long to think of myself as a person. As someone who had a life outside the walls of the classroom. As someone who might also have friends or family in danger.

I checked in to see if Maureen knew anyone—she did not. And then I panicked again. I switched hats. I was Mom. "Are my kids okay? What's going on at their school? Are they frightened?" So I went to call my husband, Spiro, who was also a teacher, to see if I should go pick up my oldest daughter, Katina, from school. (Being so emotional, I thought it best to check in with my husband! He helped give me some direction.) My youngest daughter, Kira, was in the 3-year-old pre-school at my husband's high school.

So I called his office.
"Joan? This is Olive. Have you heard about all this craziness?"
"Yes, that's why I'm calling. Is Spiro around?"
"Well, I'm not sure. Let me check. (Pause) Oh my God! The fire alarm is going off! I have to go!"
Click.

She hung up on me!
I had NO idea what the hell was happening. So I grabbed my keys and my phone and was heading to my husband's school. I said to Maureen, "I've got to go. I think Kira and Spiro are in trouble." She said, "Go. I've got your class."

As I was walking out of the building, my cell phone rang.
"Joan? Where are you?"
"I'm on my way to see you! Where is Kira? Is she okay?" I was a wreck.
"She's in my arms, Babe. She's fine. Olive told me she hung up on you and I knew you'd be on your way over."
His voice was calm and light. I relaxed.
"What the hell is going on over there?" I asked.
"Some idiot chemistry teacher set off the fire alarm doing a demo right after the principal made the announcement about the Trade Center. It is crazy over here!"

I instinctually laughed out loud. My teacher hat went flying back on, knowing just how easily it is to cause this kind of trouble doing demos! I turned myself around, went back to my classroom, and talked with my students. I spent the rest of the day chatting with kids about their thoughts, trying to keep them thinking scientifically and as a humanitarian, not letting them get caught up in the drama and rumor of the event.

Arriving home that evening, I was greeted with a big hug from my pre-schooler, Kira. She said in a somewhat shaky voice, "Mom. Did you hear a plane hit my pre-school today?! We had to go outside and everything." I was completely thrown, but then understood what she was saying. She had jumbled all of the data that had been thrown at her that day. So we spent time over dinner explaining things to her. (To this day, she still has to transpose the information. Her first instinct is to remember a plane hitting her building.)

Later that night, Katina and I went to sit on my bed. I needed to rest and I wanted to comfort her at the same time. I put my head back and closed my eyes as she cuddled next to me.
"Mommy, I feel so badly for all the people who got hurt when the plans crashed into those buildings."
"So do I, Sweetheart. It's an incredible tragedy. Such a senseless act."
She was quiet for a moment. She sat up and stuttered, "You mean...you mean, someone did this...someone did this on purpose?"

I slowly opened my eyes. Tears welled up in both of us. I recognized the revelation she was having and how thoroughly depressing it would be. Then, she shook her head. It was as if she was preventing the thought from getting any deeper. She knew she couldn't process the idea of a person doing this purposefully. So she instinctively protected her emotional state. It was amazing. She reached her hand over and grabbed mine. She said, "Don't worry, Mom. We'll figure out some way to help those people who were hurt. Maybe we could make ribbons and sell them and give the money to those who need it." Out of the mouths of babes, you know?

I've never gone through so many unexpected hat changes in such a short amount of time. And all I can think is that if this experience drained me psychologically and physically at this level, I have so much respect and admiration for anyone who actually lived through it. I can't even begin to imagine.

Obama's Address to Schools

2009-09-06T22:06:00.008-05:00

NEW INFO: See blue text below...

This is the letter I wrote to my daughters' school district. What are your thoughts?

Dear District 200 Board Members,

I am extremely disappointed with your decision to ban President Obama's address to the children of our district. I am a parent in the community and a 20-year veteran teacher. As an educator, I know it is necessary to make our curriculum relevant to our children's lives, particularly if we want them to be engaged as active learners. This rare opportunity to use a live presidential speech—a speech being addressed directly to our children—as the source of meaningful dialogue in the classroom should be the focus of your day on Tuesday in every building. The electricity running through your classrooms, watching the students come to life conversing about something that sincerely matters—the importance of school and a strong education—will be a fabulous reminder to all of us what our primary purpose should be as professional educators. Namely, that we are nurturing our children to be critical thinkers, sensitive to the world around them and capable of making informed, constructive decisions.

We moved into this district in part due to the excellent reputation of District 200's strong, challenging schools. I find this decision to be in direct contrast to the characteristics that make a school excellent. The greatest tragedy of this decision is that you've removed the academic freedom from the teachers you supposedly support. (In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a union grievance.) You are sending the message that your teachers are incapable of facilitating an impromptu, dynamic and potentially passionate discussion among a couple dozen students, students you put in their charge on a daily basis. How do you explain this discrepancy? They are either hired to be educators, or they are hired as pawns to deliver approved, scripted content. Please do not allow their progressive ideas and these rare opportunities to become suffocated in the penetrating trend of standardization and indoctrination.

This is very much an embarrassment to me and my children. The districts in the area where I work have instead left this decision to the teachers to determine whether the speech is an appropriate focus for their day's lesson. They have also set up areas in the buildings where students and classes can go to watch this historical event, including the lunch room for those students eating lunch at that time.

As a science teacher, I plan to have the president's speech playing in my classroom and then discuss whether or not his thoughts will help solve any of the 20 greatest scientific, global problems as outlined in the book High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Fix Them. The idea of disagreeing with the president's thoughts is as welcome as agreeing with them and as welcome as not understanding them...as long as a student has a well-formulated opinion. This is the foundation of developing a constructive educational community. Without this freedom, I would not have the opportunity to make this lesson really come to life. And I believe my students will find the day eye-opening, challenging and—dare I say it—even inspiring. This is the type of environment in which our greatest historical thinkers thrived. Don't deprive our children of these experiences.

There are a host of other reasons why I find this decision wrong, but I wanted to highlight only my main frustrations. Please know that I recognize that there are logistical challenges to schedule changes and am intimately familiar with the potential difficulties of dealing with technology. However, our children are worth the effort. And there are creative ways to solving any problem. That's what I learned in school.

Don't deprive our children of this historical event. Don't let them be the "kids from the schools that banned the president." Don't close the door on our children or our teachers.

This is a teacher's decision. Trust them. I implore you. Trust them.

Joan Gallagher-Bolos

Seems the campaign spearheaded by our neighbors worked, at least in part. The community received notice yesterday that the school will record the president's speech and that students will be shown his address in school on Wednesday. A form will be sent home today for parents to have their child opt out of watching the speech if they so wish.

Not what I was fighting for, but I guess baby steps in this region is all we can hope for...They're still missing the point. Really missing the big picture...

Why Am I a Teacher?

2009-08-29T16:36:00.001-05:00

Always and forever worth asking. I do it every day. Certainly I ask it at different levels or for different reasons, but I do visit it in some way, shape or form each day. The one part of this video that was so powerful for me, particularly at this point in my twenty-year, and shall we say, adventure-filled-as-of-late, career was the following quote, "Don't let your teaching life make a mockery of your teaching values. Let your teaching values guide your teaching life." No matter what your surroundings may be, good or bad, make a literal or mental poster referred to in the video and "touch it every day." What wonderful, wonderful advice. I wish you a wonderful journey this year! Enjoy!

When Do We Let Go?

2009-06-22T12:34:00.014-05:00

I'm so fortunate. As so many of us did, I entertained the idea of multiple career paths during undergraduate school. But twenty years ago, I decided to enter the wonderfully complex, often misunderstood, ever-rewarding world of education. It was the best decision I ever made. It has shaped who I am. And I feel incredibly lucky to have found a profession where I honestly believe I belong. I wish everyone would feel this way about their professional path!

I define my role as an educator as someone who is responsible for three main tasks. I facilitate the movement of a community of people to constructively, efficiently and effectively achieve an overall objective. I teach people (individuals and groups) how to honestly reflect on who they are and the experiences they've had so that they are able to grow. And lastly, I recognize when my influence has reached a point where the journey is no longer needing my guidance; I decide when to let go. Overall, I feel that I basically provide the scaffolding for success, the opportunities to experience, and the dialogue for reflection. Then I quietly walk away hoping that some part of what I've done has been beneficial. I walk away prepared to catch people if they fall, but also hopeful and confident that they'll fly. Because when they fly, they do more for themselves than I could ever hope to do for them myself.

So when is it appropriate to let go? At what point do we pull ourselves out of the equation and let people fly? THAT is the key to a successful educational experience, whether you're responsible for influencing administrators, staff, teachers, students, parents, family, etc.

I want to share a few wonderful end-of-the-school-year stories. Three people I know decided to do something with their experiences. When I let go, they flew. And they flew well beyond any reasonable expectation would predict. And it's a testament to who they are. They own their growth!

I worked with a K-12 district curriculum director. She decided to reshape the foundational design for sustainable professional development in her district based on the reflective questions we came up with together. She was the one who remained open-minded enough to reflect on where she was, where the district was and what would aid their movement in a positive direction. Way to fly!

Second, one of my students decided to really take ownership of her education this year. It sounds like a number of her teachers all agreed that it was time to let go of her hand and let her fly. And she did. She really did! Take a look at her blog post. Her history teacher in particular has inspired her to reconsider her perspective on education. But she was open-minded enough to let the thought sink in. Way to fly!

Lastly, the inspiration for this post came from my daughter. In all honestly, sometimes it's difficult to know where the educator in me ends and the parent in me begins, and vice versa. As a parent, my role is much more complex, rewarding and personal. But there are similarities in my role, particularly the three areas outlined at the beginning of this post.

Four months ago, I saw a presentation at my school. It was an informative, tragic and inspirational movie created by the organization Invisible Children (IC). I shared the information with my daughter at the beginning of March. Since that time, she has committed herself to being a part of stopping the longest running civil war in Africa. Yes, my 17-year-old daughter is trying to stop a war. And I'm not exaggerating!

Here's what she's done since March:

1.) She had an informational party at our house to share the cause with her friends.

2.) She has regularly shared information with people whenever she gets the chance, in person, through Facebook, on the phone, etc. trying to raise awareness and raise money.

3.) She wore the IC t-shirts for a month at school to raise awareness.

4.) She went to the The Rescue event in Chicago. (Perhaps you saw that Oprah was the mogul who rescued the Chicago team.)

5.) And she is now in Washington DC at the "How It Ends" event. She will be lobbying congress to sign the LRA Disarmament and N. Uganda Recovery Act.

Check out her blog as she fills us in on her journey. I couldn't be more proud of her dedication and determination. If there's anyone out there who could literally stop a war, it's her. Way to fly!

We do go through moments where the people we are responsible for do not extend their experiences beyond the opportunity we provide. And I know how hard it can be to let go, both as an educator and as a parent, because you feel like there's so much more you could do. But look what happens when we put in the time to match opportunity with potential...

...and then get out of the way. The ownership of these success stories belongs to the three young women who chose to do something with the information at their disposal. Way to fly!

As educators, when should we let go? At the point where our influence becomes added weight instead of gentle wind.

When is that? You have to decide together.

And it's normally a bittersweet moment when it happens.

A Mother's Reflection...

2009-04-18T16:25:00.008-05:00

As I sit here watching my 12-year-old daughter and her friends circle the skating rink in celebration of her birthday, my eyes fill with tears. Tears of confusion. Where has the time gone? Tears of pride. My, what an incredible young lady she is becoming. Tears of relief. She is surrounded by such wonderful friends; I could not have molded any better. Tears of joy. I love her and she loves me.

And then I think, with a bit of panic, does she know what's in my head? in my heart? She sees me working so hard day after day. She realizes how many hours are required to do what I do. She hears me talking about education all the time; it is potentially an all-consuming career.

But does she know how much time my head spins with thoughts of her? Does she realize that I spend more time reflecting on motherhood than I do my role as an educator? Does she understand that I question my parenting and find it more challenging and more rewarding than anything else in the world?

Actions speak louder than words, hers more than mine today. She approaches me and gives me a big hug and kiss in front of her friends and says, "Thanks, Mom. What a great day. I'm so lucky." I relax inside, I hide my tears, smile and kiss her on the forehead. And I know that, at least for today, she knows. She realizes. She understands.

Tomorrow, the cycle will likely repeat...

NSTA 2009

2009-03-24T07:36:00.007-05:00

What an all-around fabulous conference the National Science Teachers Association put together! I just returned from this very rewarding four-day professional development experience and it will likely be very tough to surpass it in the near future. It was educational, fun, rewarding, and inspiring all at the same time.

First of all, how thrilling it was for Dennis and I to walk into the NSTA bookstore to see our second book, Whole-Class Inquiry, on the shelf in front of us! We have been working on this book for five years. Dennis received a Spencer Foundation grant back in 2004 to research my classroom. His focus was in the area of Whole Class Inquiry (WCI), a teaching strategy we've developed that culminates in the creation of a self-sufficient scientific community of learners. This book is a direct result of that experience and a labor of love we're extremely proud of. We think it has the potential to help both pre-service and in-service teachers make the mental shift, transitioning them into the world of WCI. During the conference, we attended an author's reception where we were able to meet and make connections with other authors, educators and researchers. We met the president of NSTA, Page Keeley, who welcomed us into NSTA's Author's Circle, along with many other authors, including Randy Bell. The reception was an inspiring venue, a place to hear so many people brainstorming ways to understand and improve science education. I've realized just how much there is to do! Personally, I hope more teachers are willing to open their doors to the world of research. If we can further connect with educational researchers, we will then be able to bring theory into practice, study practice to develop theory, and so on. I've learned a great deal about my teaching through Dennis's lens. And I hope to continue!

Dennis and I also gave three presentations. We spanned the spectrum in terms of the material we shared. One was very philosophical—the big idea of WCI, with the video cases and research results showcased. At the other end was a ready-to-implement classroom activity—The Element Walk. And somewhere in the middle, we gave a talk on how different types of journals are used to help nurture WCI. All were incredibly well received. After each session, we were questioned by some very enthusiastic Knowles Fellows, some passionate teachers from varied districts, and a handful of dedicated university researchers. It was challenging and fun and rejuvenating and intriguing all at the same time!

During the conference, we also had the opportunity to hear Arne Duncan speak. (See videos below.) Of course I was mostly skeptical or unnerved by some of the content he shared; he is a politician and refers readily to his experience in Chicago. So we'll have to wait and see. But I was for the most part impressed with the way he "thought on his feet" and responded with a compassionate and foundational understanding of education during the question and answer section. I was happy that he was adamant about not signing off on NCLB without first determining its attributes and failures. It will be interesting to see how he proceeds with the conversations necessary to determine these things. All and all, it was a neat experience to hear him in person.

Of course we also had the opportunity to visit the French Quarter, socialize with a few colleagues, submit our proposals for next year, and to outline our next book. Yes, we discussed a bit of our idea with our editor and we're planning to get started this summer. No rest for the wicked! But just as I came out of last year's NECC conference with new ideas and new philosophical challenges, I feel the same way having spent time in New Orleans (N'Awlins) at NSTA.

I Don't Show My Own Children Their Report Cards!

2009-02-15T23:38:00.019-06:00

I really don't! So yes, perhaps I am a bit crazy. But I must say, it has worked out better than I ever could have imagined. Yes, they have ways of finding out this information, but...

Grades have always been a key topic at the professional development presentations and workshops I give. But before getting into a detailed discussion of all the questions and frustrations that go along with grades, let me start here. This is the abridged version of the keynote address I gave at our school's National Honor Society induction ceremony two years ago. I was honored to be asked. I know it's long, but again, it's my way of sharing just how off-putting it is to report a grade.

"...I have two daughters, one is in fourth grade and one is a freshman in high school. At the end of first semester this year, my oldest daughter and I were driving home from school and she said, “Hey Mom. I think you need to call my school.”
I asked, “Really, why is that?”
She said, “Well, everyone has been talking about their report cards for a couple weeks now and we haven’t gotten mine yet. So I think we should call the school and ask for a new copy to be sent.”
I said, “Oh. Your report card? We got that a couple weeks ago.”
"What? We did? Did you look at it?” she asked.
“No. I haven’t opened it. I’m not even sure where it is. I think I recycled it.”
She gave me her disapproving “here-we-go-again” look and said, “Mom, you know you’re crazy right? I don’t even know how to explain you to my friends. I’ve gone all these years without looking at my report card. Can I please look at it this year?”

Before going any further, you should know that I haven’t shown my younger daughter her report card either. So I’d like to provide some self-defense, however off-the-wall it might be, for the torture I put my daughters through by not showing them this certain piece of paper. When I was younger, my parents told me that it was important to find a balance in life between academics, athletics, a social life and a spiritual life. Every day at the dinner table we would have conversations that touched upon all four of these areas. “What did you learn today? How was basketball practice? Did you enjoy playing piano? How is your friend doing? What did you do today to make somebody feel better?”

So after getting married and having children, I decided to teach my children similarly—find a balance. When my daughters were about 2 or 3 years old, they really got into the whole talking thing. And everything out of their mouths was a question. "Mommy, what’s that? Where did she go? How do I tie my shoe? Why do I need to say that? Who was that person and why was she here?" Etc. As I began to focus on these questions, I found that they all fell within the categories my parents had shared with me. My children were NATURALLY finding a balance. I thought, “Geesh! Parenting is gonna be easy! All I have to do is to continue to nurture what they’re already doing!”

And then a few years later, I went to my first parent-teacher conference as a PARENT. I had conducted a number of conferences from the teacher’s perspective. But this was the first time I was the parent. So I asked questions about my daughter. How is she behaving? Does she treat her peers well? Is she respectful to authority figures? What is she interested in? Does she ask a lot of questions? Is she too quiet? Too loud? And I found it interesting that the teacher kept bringing the conversation back to the grade sheet. This is completely understandable; it was her comfort zone. Being a new teacher myself, the grade printout was typically the focus of the conversations I would have with parents, as well. But now that the tables were turned, I realized how little I cared about those things and how little that piece of paper actually communicated about my daughter. And I realized at that moment that keeping that natural balance would be more challenging than I thought. The institution of school was going to tip the balance in one direction, academics. I now needed to provide the counterbalance to keep them well-rounded and grounded in the other three areas. I didn’t want them to grow up thinking that academics was necessarily more important than the other three. Nor did I want them growing up believing that their report card dictated their intelligence. So, I decided then and there that I would never show my children their report cards in an attempt to provide the counterbalance.

Perhaps you are now all in agreement with my daughters in that you think I’m a bit crazy. Please know that I do believe that doing well in school is very important; I’m a teacher, after all. And all of you have obviously done well in your classes here at GBN and are therefore being recognized for that this evening. Congratulations. You should be proud of yourselves...

(I then shared three points with the students that I thought were worth thinking about. I've left these descriptions out to narrow this post to the "grades" issue. If you're interested, I can always add the details later!)

...So how has my not showing my girls their report cards panned out? Magnificently well, thank you very much. They have learned to not use a grade as motivation for learning. Of course we have those normal conversations in my family about tests and projects once in a while. And of course there are more variables than just not showing them their report cards that have played a part in who they are as students. I have simply tried to help them keep the balance. For the most part, I like to think that our family focus is, “What did you learn today? How was practice? How is your friend doing? What did you do today to make your tiny segment of the globe a better place?” I think my children know that learning and education are extremely important to me. I’ve dedicated my life to it, as has their father, who is also a teacher. But I also think they know it is not a means to an end. Formal education is one small fraction of ONE facet in their lives. As I purposefully try to tip the scale in a direction that illustrates four areas being equally important in life for my children, I’m challenged to do the same in my classroom. And it drives most of my students nuts! I’m sorry for that, but I know no other way. I wish you well and I congratulate you on all you’ve accomplished. I am excited for you as you grow through life’s adventures...

I was thrilled at the reception to the above story. Parents loved it. I wonder how many of them still reflect with appropriate measure on the assessments and report cards in their lives.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I have grappled with the idea of grades—the philosophy, the mechanics, the influence, the meaning of grades. Grading is an incredibly complex issue, one that I don't believe is given enough reflection by the education system, in fact by society in general. But that's understandable. I just wrote my longest blog ever and have not even begun to scratch the surface.

Suffice it to say, it's a complicated issue.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-02-15T23:05:00.012-06:00

Our typical family dinner routine begins with asking our kids about their day. "What was the best part of your day? Most frustrating? What did you learn that you'd like to explore further?" And as enthusiastic as our sixteen-year-old is, our twelve-year-old has been equally moody lately. Yes, I know, it comes with the territory of having a tween in the house. But when the girl who used to find excitement and adventure in every part of her day, from math to recess to chores, is completely turned off by school, it's very upsetting. Being a mother and a teacher, it's excruciating.

She said something incredibly insightful the other day, something that made me think that perhaps there was more to her mood than just being a tween. She looked up from her homework, homework she had been working on for two hours, and said, "You know, Mom, I wish teachers thought that every day was the first day of school."

I paused, absorbed her statement and asked, "How so?"

She continued, "Classes were exciting. Teachers were so happy then. They seemed to really like us; they seemed to like their job. Now, not so much!" And she turned back to her books to complete her homework.

As a mother, my heart broke. As an educator, my head understood.

I gave her a hug and shared a strategy with her that I thought might help. (She is bringing a journal to school and writing down one thing she finds interesting, funny or confusing in each of her classes. We're going to explore together. We'll see what happens.)

You'd better believe my lesson plan for the next day met her approval!

The mid-winter teaching slump hits us all; education is a draining profession, physically, emotionally and intellectually. But it's easy to find the energy to keep going when you see first-hand how directly you influence the growth of your students.

After two decades, I am still impressed by how perceptive kids can be. They pick up on everything! And if we're paying attention, it can make all the difference.

Thanks to the People on Twitter

2009-02-15T14:41:00.003-06:00

I have been teaching for nineteen years now, and as one would expect, there have been many experiences responsible for who I am and why I do the things I do in my classroom. Certainly at the top of the list would be the gift of watching my own children grow. Equal in influence would be the constant source of inspiration, knowledge and encouragement I receive from my husband, Spiro Bolos. And I have been incredibly lucky to have collaborated with a gifted educator and scientist, my best friend, Dennis Smithenry, over the past fifteen years.

This morning, inspired by posts from Jen Wagner and Nadine Norris, I began thinking about what other experiences have really transformed my approach to the classroom, particularly within the past two years. My ultimate goals have not changed, but how I reach these goals has certainly been modified thanks to the people I follow on Twitter. (My goals? Simply put, it is to create a self-sufficient scientific community of learners using Whole Class Inquiry so that each person feels valued and is confident he has something worthwhile to contribute to the class. Yes, this is likely the focus of another blog.) It is very difficult to describe what tangible change the people on Twitter have allowed, but there's one thing that's certain. It's not the tool; it's how I use the tool. It's the people I've listened to through the use of the tool. Let me repeat. It's the people.

My parents taught me that in order to grow, and not simply exist, one must never stop questioning. Following certain people on Twitter, and then reading their blogs, has allowed me to continue to generate educationally sound questions. This, in turn, keeps me reflecting on my practice. And if I'm lucky, I get the chance to meet some of these people in person and share thoughts about what is best for students and why and how we do the things we do.

I've only met three of the people in this thank you video, other than my students, of course. But to all of you—including those of you I may have forgotten, forgive me—thanks for keeping me on my toes. I hope I have the chance to talk with you face to face some day. I'm quite certain we'd have much to discuss!

PDing. Oh, How It Makes Me Smile!

2009-02-07T19:01:00.008-06:00

“How do I make this happen?”
“That’s interesting, but I'm curious…”
“This is wonderful! I want to...spend time processing what we’ve talked about and reflect on my own practice.”
“Do you have trouble covering the standards?”
“These were great ideas. We should all be doing this! Show me how.”
“What kind of support do you get when you implement these ideas?”

There is NOTHING quite like being in a room with dedicated, passionate, hungry educators who are willing, in fact eager, to spend a day reflecting on their practice. They dig through their thoughts with fierce desire to make a positive change in their teaching. They find a way to a mental place that removes all barriers, allowing them to get back to improving their practice for the sake of teaching well, teaching fun, teaching students, teaching…period. And it’s an incredible experience to be a part of. This describes the day I had working with teachers from the San Mateo High School District this past weekend.

My friend, Dennis Smithenry, and I have had the privilege of sharing our Whole Class Inquiry strategy with a host of audiences over the past eight years. Basically, we have developed an approach that nurtures and creates a self-sufficient community of learners, where the whole class inquires through a range of challenges together.* This was the focus of our professional development day this past weekend. (My slides are attached here.)

It was a particularly rewarding weekend for me. We spent the day presenting to a group of teachers all from the same high school district. I think this made for a unique audience, unlike audiences at regional and national conferences where people in the crowd do not likely know one another. It was thrilling to see new information being absorbed, a myriad of questions being raised and smiles filling the crowd. And then slowly, the conversation level would rise as they turned to talk to their colleagues about how they could make "this" happen in their rooms! These teachers walked away with new ideas to kick around, and will feed off of their colleagues' similar excitement regarding the possibility for change because they started the journey together.

Another part of this day that was exhilarating for me was that the day was all about TEACHING. It wasn’t housed under a subcategory of education like, standards, technology, accountability, etc. It was all about the practice of teaching. Of course these ideas surfaced within the context of best practice and what we were introducing. But the overarching conversation kept the classroom as a whole in mind. We tried to help these teachers connect theory with practice, and more importantly, we talked about how to make this happen. We were focused on our students and what we could do to help our own classes. This day was about “our kids,” the familiar classroom where all the real-life drama and history and vision and learning occur. The place we call home-away-from-home because we spend more time there than anywhere else in our lives. The identity that is and always should be the focus of our reflection and growth. Teachers have a finite number of days to share, to inspire, to connect, to challenge. As an educator, whenever I have the opportunity to reconnect with those practices that best touch students’ lives, I feel rejuvenated. Speaking with these teachers was a very beneficial day for me. I am hopeful it was for them, as well!

*We are thrilled that our second book (cover shown above) will be released this spring, hopefully at the NSTA conference, and it will contain dvds to show how and why I’ve chosen to implement this strategy in my classrooms. It is also accompanied by the educational researcher’s analysis—done by Dr. Dennis Smithenry—of the study done that began this process in the first place. (Shameless plug, I know. But we are very proud of this book!)

A Fresh Start

2009-01-25T23:14:00.002-06:00

My blogging hiatus is officially over! It seems the perfect time—a new year, new semester and new president all upon us. Unfortunately, GBN administered final exams last Tuesday and missed watching a part of this new beginning—the historic inauguration of President Obama, along with his inauguration speech. Other schools described the day as "electric," the halls and classrooms filled with enthusiastic dialogue. High school students, too young to vote, were conversing about the future and what they could do to participate, as well as formulating insightful, authentic questions for their teachers all day long.

One moment that jumped out at me during President Obama's speech was his reference to science. He made the following statements, "For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do."

Looking at this paragraph carefully, the foundation for growth that the president describes is rooted in science. I'm thrilled by this! I hope educators and students see this an invitation. I also find this paragraph intriguing; what is science's rightful place? And what caused its shift from its rightful place? And how, when and where will the discussions take place regarding the economic, political, religious, and/or social constraints that affect science? And how can we use science as a means for positive humanitarian efforts?

There are many of us who have wondered how long it would take for the idea of "thinking as a scientist" to resurface and play a role in our governmental decisions. More importantly, I still wonder whether the people making these decisions are capable of reading, processing and analyzing information that is highly scientific in nature and making a solid decision regarding it. If children are still wondering why to study science, I hope this speech makes it clear. Even though schools segregate our academic areas of study into separate classrooms, they are one and the same. Each piece plays a role in our daily lives, intertwined and complex. And although certain content details may not be needed for recall on a constant basis, the need for a comprehensive understanding of these ideas is mandatory for the betterment of our global community. Regardless of what position you will hold in the future, decision-making requires the ability to think as a scientist. And sometimes, the content you're thinking about can be extremely challenging. It's worth challenging our students to think this way.

A fresh start starts now!

(Pictures linked to original sites, including Lasvegassun.com and Washingtonpost.com.)

Collaboration Done Well...

2008-11-24T15:15:00.006-06:00

Our district watched a movie last year that focused on bringing the institution of education into the 21st century. It was enlightening and provoked a number of collegial questions and personal reflections. Here is the latest version of the movie, which is only 5 minutes instead of 9.

I remember watching it the first time; I liked it. It drew me in. I even remember watching it a few times because it was so interesting. But there was also something that struck me as "propagandish" or "indoctrinating" about it. (Yes, I'm making up words, now.) I agree wholeheartedly with some of the foundation of the movie. I believe that educators need to stay in touch with their students' lives—learn how they learn, prepare them to teach themselves, use what they know to help them construct new knowledge or correct misconceptions, and prepare them to think critically and compassionately through life's journey outside the school walls. So why would a movie designed to inspire teachers to do that make me hesitate?

I think I may have figured out a part of it over the past couple months. I have given a few presentations on Collaboration/Community-Building to pre-service and new teachers lately. It seems that some essential steps are missing when teachers try to do collaborative activities. They are using technology as a replacement for student-student interactions, and it is obvious that the skills needed to work with others have not yet been appropriately modeled; the scaffolding is missing. I observed and listened to teachers talk about how they were using Powerpoints, wikis, blogs, Google docs, and even e-mail as tools for communication. And although this might sound progressive, there were some tragic missteps along the way.

There were a myriad of problems, from tech issues to an uneven distribution of labor to poor product quality to limited inspiration. Most of these are typical problems encountered any time you put students together to work on a project, whether technology is involved or not. There was an essential "mechanical" piece missing; students had no idea how to problem-solve, troubleshoot their way through the hurdles. I had serious concerns when students in one class couldn't put a face to an e-mail; most students didn't even know one anothers' names in the same classroom!

These types of mistakes happen in both beginning and veteran teachers' classrooms. I was shocked at how many of these issues seemed to stem from teachers saying they were "strongly encouraged to implement technology" into their classrooms. Educators need to hold true to best practice education. Teacher leaders should focus on mentoring faculty through collaboration and how to effectively implement this methodology in the classroom. For instance, model it as a department, committee or school. Have teachers observe you in the classroom implementing a workshop, jigsaw, round robin or any other common collaborative activity. They'll see how important it is to teach the basics, such as how to ask a question. ("You should ask, 'Can you teach me how to do number 1? Can you show me where to find an example for number 1?' But you shouldn't be asking, 'What's the answer to number 1?'") Or teach them how to talk appropriately to one another. ("How you say something is as important as what you say. So use the proper tone and language.") Or illustrate how to debate ideas and not attack individuals. ("You should be asking, 'What evidence can you use to support that argument?' You should not be saying, 'That's stupid. My idea makes more sense!'") Once participants have gone through the activity, illustrate how important feedback is to the growth of the community. ("Here's what you did well. Here's what we need to improve on.") All the while, whether done in a professional or classroom setting, the observant teacher will get to see the important pieces of collaboration in action. They'll watch people interacting and learn from their behaviors. They will begin to instinctually understand the benefits of collaboration. The addition of the technology tools to potentially improve collaboration will also be better understood. What's more, the reason for using the new tool will be much more apparent because the foundation is in place. Practicing in a manner that allows you and the students to interact with one another is a critical learning piece for everyone in the community.

Teaching students and/or other teachers how to interact constructively together towards achieving a common goal is an objective that is imperative for all areas of life. And it is these interpersonal skills that are needed to develop a sense of self, to reflect and grow. And they can never be replaced by technology. But technology can be used to enhance them, if implemented correctly.

Relevance and Authenticity

2008-10-27T15:10:00.003-05:00

My husband, Spiro, and I had the privilege of attending the Hellenic Museum's Fall Gala Sunday night at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago. It was a formal affair, filled with an incredibly attentive wait staff, delicious food, beautiful tables and lots of VIPs. It was probably one of the fanciest evenings I'll ever experience, and yes, the majority of the people who attended were very financially secure. But I was even more impressed with how highly educated, passionate and sincere the attendees were.

We were invited to this dinner to celebrate a number of things, but the focus for us was the the announcement of the project that Spiro and his teaching partner, Dean, will be doing. They proposed a project which will focus on the Greek Civil War. At the dinner, it was announced that the museum is allocating funds to make their project a reality. So now the work begins!

As I listened to Dean and Spiro explain their ideas to the dinner attendees, I was fascinated by how interested the listeners were. They had stories to add, were willing to help facilitate the process, and were thrilled that this project will involve a curricular piece for high schools and universities. Dean and Spiro would like to include more than just the traditional Ancient Greek teachings in our history courses. Greece should still be considered a tremendous influence, not just a country with an influential past.

It was the conversation my husband had with the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus, Andreas Kakouris, that really caught my attention. They were excitedly throwing ideas back and forth on how to make this particular piece of history come to life in the classroom. His Excellency said things like, "Cyprus is a test case. We are a country where Muslims and Christians live side by side, and it's in our constitution..." Of course, the content mostly escaped me as I am a chemistry teacher, but I followed the big picture. They were trying to make the stories relevant and authentic for our students. They were making history come to life in front of me. If I had had teachers like that in high school, I might very well be a history teacher today!

It is these types of impromptu, passionate conversations that have always enhanced my teaching and rekindled my curiosity. It is so fulfilling to brainstorm the "how and why" of our curriculum and the stories that make it come to life. It happens in those moments where a friend's experience is brought up at lunch and the idea sparks a lesson plan idea. So what should we do to promote more of these discussions? On the ride home from this dinner, I realized how important it is to keep involved with our content, to grow in our understanding of science, particularly the science of today, of our everyday lives. These stories invariably end up being the most intriguing for us and our students.

I know how difficult it is to keep up with reading current journal articles, as my days and evenings already have too much filling the hours. So I've had to figure out a way to stay involved in science without spreading myself too thin. Here are some examples of what some teachers are doing to keep the science alive. Perhaps this will spark ideas that might work for your individual schedule.

•It's exciting to hear about teachers going to opportunities to connect with the world of science, things like Science Cafe and the Field Museum Educators' Open House. When you see a conference or activity in your mailbox, consider attending as a group.
•Perhaps using an aggregator to subscribe to specific blogs or articles that interest you might save you time, while still keeping you informed with current science investigations. This is where I found a wonderful site, Science Debate 2008 that showed scientists being interviewed, discussing why the topic of science was important for our future elected officials. And this particular subscription, science blogs, has all branches of science being written up.
• I enjoy downloading podcasts and listening to them as I jog/workout. I particularly like NPR Science Friday. The podcasts are short, interesting and span the spectrum of science fields.
• I also feel lucky to have a friend who is a scientist. Talking through the planning and development of new class projects has aided in my own understanding of what professional scientists do and helps me create lessons that are meaningful for my students. Perhaps one of your students has a parent who is a professional scientist. This might be a place to start.
• And then there are teachers who regularly participate in the process of science by doing research at local universities or in industry. Listening to them, reading about their stories perhaps may inspire you.
• I, too, have enjoyed being enlightened by participating in the world of science education research. Investigating how students learn, what they learn and why has given me a knew perspective on curricular development.

Relevance. Authenticity. Making science come to life. This is what makes science interesting. This is how we get students to engage in science conversations. This is how we bring science to life.

A Beacon for Understanding—Blog Action Day 2008

2008-10-15T13:22:00.009-05:00

Poverty can be defined in many different ways. The stories being shared across the blog community certainly attest to that. What do we need to do to prevent and correct the global crisis of poverty? I don't know. But if we each do something, it will certainly help.

For me, in my fairy-tale life, I have never personally experienced anything close to any conceivable definition of poverty. My story, instead, begins in a small town in the northern gateway of the Hudson Highlands in the 1940s, a city called Beacon, New York. The US census states that the population during that time was 12,572. My father was part of that count. He lived in a one-bedroom apartment with his parents, siblings and maternal Grandmother. He was/is the oldest of four children. The stories he shares about his first fifteen years in Beacon would warm the hearts of any who are privileged to be on the receiving end of his colorful narratives. They are especially fun to hear when he breaks out in his Irish brogue, mimicking his Grandfather Neil's accent. But one thing that threads through these stories is that his family was monetarily poor. Very, very poor.

The Gallaghers lived simply. Not by choice, but by circumstance. A week's worth of garbage would fill one brown paper bag. They would then bring it outside to burn it; that was their method of disposal. Dad and siblings received only a few Christmas gifts each year. It would drive my Grandma crazy when my dad would only open one gift on Christmas day, saving the others for a future date. "If I have to wait until next year, I think I'll spread these out over time." Dad's family has those made-for-movie, universal stories: each family member having only two pairs of shoes—one for Sunday, one for school; the occasional rodent or two taking up residence in the family apartment; the make-shift dinners, putting together the scraps saved from the beginning of the week; family members serving in the war; the protective nature of small groups of family and friends checking up on one another, helping out whenever needed. I've always pictured Beacon as the poor, blue-collar Mayberry.

My father's father—Grandpa Bill to me—worked as a pressman for Nabisco and a volunteer fireman during the 40s. He had an eighth-grade education. My dad tells me he was the brightest man he ever met, and very well-respected by all. He put in a hard day's work, every single day, to put food on the table. Blood, sweat and will. This comes as no surprise considering he came from a family of twenty; yes, twenty. Working hard for the good of a household community, no matter the size, was nothing new to my Grandpa. When he grew up, any money earned by a family member went into the general fund for family survival. So the first money my Grandpa could call his own was his first week's paycheck after getting married. Saying that my Grandparents had meager beginnings is obviously an understatement.

From time to time, my Grandpa Bill would parade my father around town and say, "This is my son. One day, he'll be going to college." I'm certain that the recipients of this message were hesitant; if history was any indicator, the chances were slim that college would be in my dad's future. But my Grandpa was certain. At least he acted that way. It was the message he chose to send to his son. Knowing my father the way I do, he was lucky to have the father he did. My dad was an academic, a scholar. He would've been miserable without the intellectual challenges offered in college.

The person I've grown to be, all the good and bad, has certainly been borne out of my father's childhood poverty, as strange as that may sound. But it was also borne out of the riches of his family upbringing and what he passed on to us. The two are intertwined. One of the many things I have learned from stories about my grandfather is that you earn respect by being respectful. It is a core tenet of my teaching philosophy. I have also learned that family is everything. My family always has been and always will be extremely close. There's nothing more comforting.

I recall relatively recently my father and uncle were talking, being nostalgic. While watching their combined eight children reminisce and nineteen, healthy and happy grandchildren play, they reflected on how blessed they felt. My uncle said, "You know, Bill. We done good, wouldn't you say? But there's one gift we can never give them." My dad asked, "What's that?" "The gift of poverty," my uncle said. "That's for damn sure, Bob. That's for damn sure."

Knowing their stories, growing up under their guidance, I think I understand what my uncle meant. And I'm a richer, wiser person because of it.

Getting Through the First Five Years

2008-10-12T17:56:00.007-05:00

Working with new teachers can be very exciting, particularly if you find yourself mentoring an enthusiastic, intelligent new hire. It is an incredibly refreshing experience. If only I knew then what I know now! I've been teaching for close to two decades now, and I have grown to thoroughly appreciate observing the process of new teachers innovating, implementing and reflecting on their lessons. It refreshes my teaching, and I feel I'm able to offer them a foundation of strength to get through the draining first few years.

It is well-known in the education community that the teaching profession has an unusually high turnover rate. There are a host of reasons for this, including job dissatisfaction, organizational characteristics, and insufficient pay. These, along with many other causes, are not easy fixes. The political, economic and societal quandaries are severely entrenched. But we must continue to engage in conversation that might permeate these deep-seeded problems and finally resolve our turnover crisis.

In the mean time, what can be done to help keep talented teachers in the classroom while the foundation is rebuilt? The place to start is with authentic mentoring programs. (I'm actually not a fan of the word "mentoring" since it so often conjures up the image of "administrative training" more than true teacher guidance.) Effective, meaningful mentorship can be done within a given building and it begins with strong, inspirational, compassionate and passionate curricular and content specialists leading the way. In my opinion, it starts with the principal.

It is no mystery that the teaching strategies that are effective in the classroom also work well when nurturing teacher growth. I have worked with a large number of mentors, department chairs, cooperative teachers, and student-teacher supervisors over the past five years to help develop effective ways of welcoming new teachers to a given department. (Just as an aside, one common conversation we have deals with communicating the difference between lesson plans and curriculum. This, I'm afraid, is another blog!)

Authentic guidance requires a continual dialogue focused on teacher reflection and growth. Of course a new teacher is going to worry about mechanics and administrative tasks. Talk them through those. But we must keep the meat of the conversation on what teaching strategies will help to create a constructive learning community and build a positive rapport with students. "Why are you doing what you're doing? Is it working? What will you do differently? Why? etc." These are the same questions that veteran teachers use to explore new horizons. Starting this process early on will aid in a new teacher's growth from the very beginning.

Nurturing new teachers through the first few years of the profession, welcoming them into a new school community can be a fabulous adventure. It refreshes our teaching; it rekindles our desire to push the envelope; it forces us to reflect on our practice. As we model how complex and enlightening and rewarding and fun teaching can be, perhaps we might be able to keep a few more teachers in the profession as they grow to realize just how important this calling, their calling, is.

A Singular Global Conversation

2008-10-07T19:45:00.006-05:00

I've always dreamed of being a part of one serious conversation. To listen to different perspectives. To reflect on personal stories. To synthesize and analyze unique information. To be involved with dialogue that might actually lead to constructive change. How exciting this is! I can't wait!

I know that for many educators this might not be directly related to the particular content area being taught. But it seems that as global citizens, having connections to some of these important conversations can only enhance our teaching. We also teach the future. We teach the future. Isn't that an incredibly potent statement? It's also a great deal of responsibility. Our students will someday have the opportunity, means and/or desire to make sincere social change. The topic of poverty certainly falls into an area that needs our attention.

Thanks, Ryan Bretag, for sharing this!

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

A Step in the Right Direction

2008-09-17T22:04:00.015-05:00

I teach in an affluent, Chicago suburb. The students have every opportunity available to them; it's been my experience that most of them realize it and are appreciative of it, at least in their own way. The community is extremely supportive of building a strong academic environment. I work closely with some of the finest educators in the world, in my opinion. This is a home away from home for me; my colleagues are like family. They are a highly gifted group, creating progressive programs, implementing cutting-edge curriculum, founding revolutionary organizations and imagining a future for our student body unlike anything I've ever seen. But the building is large and these movements are isolated. It's very difficult to make meaningful connections with people in other departments. Time, as always, is the greatest barrier to coming together as a teaching faculty and putting our thoughtful, caring ideas together into one foundational dream. Wouldn't it be great if we could all take a one-year sabbatical and work together to bring about true school reform?

For educators who teach in a similar community and who work with an equally gifted staff, I have been reading a moving and informative book called The Price of Privilege, a book I think could be a possible catalyst in planning meaningful school changes. The book raises the idea that it's easy to dismiss the struggles of students in these types of communities as the "whinings" of spoiled children. But Madeline Levine takes a close look at this initial, inaccurate conclusion, and puts an enlightening analysis on the situation. These students are more often than not, and for a host of reasons, finding it difficult to develop a sense of self during their middle school and high school years.

"As long as kids are not afforded the opportunity to craft a sense of self that feels authentic, a sense of self that truly comes from within, psychologists will continue to see more and more youngsters at risk for profound feelings of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and emptiness."

As a parent, I came to the devastating realization that I readily make the mistake of removing the struggle from my own children too often and too easily. I find myself wanting to help at every turn. My girls need to go through some of life's challenges in order to learn who they are and what they have to offer. I need to learn to get out of their way. Teaching is much easier than parenting! As a teacher, I found it reassuring to read that some of the methods I have implemented in my classroom and taught to other science educators are indeed a constructive part of our students' growth. I find it easy, and fun, to give students the opportunity to grapple or struggle with a new concept until they've worked together long enough to make sense out of it. But these are isolated, classroom examples. We should be revisiting the development of a foundational, district-wide educational philosophy—teach the whole child.

But until we truly understand the whole child, we cannot teach the whole child.

Although I have not finished reading, I find myself having trouble keeping quiet about this book. Yes, there are moments where the "message" in the book is so repetitive, it seems as if brainwashing is at play. But stepping back, I realize that breaking a long-held, public opinion—that these students "have it made"—requires a bit of repetition to allow the formation of a new idea to emerge. Namely that this particular group of students does need help, guidance, and nurturing, just as every child does. That their privilege alone will not carry them through these adolescent years; in fact, it does create a new set of psychological problems with which we need to be in tune.

Collectively reading a book like this, having lengthy, educated and well-facilitated discussions about improving our educational focus—building this foundational dream—would be a great place to begin true reform at a district like mine. I wonder if something like that has been elsewhere...I feel as though the one-day workshops, thematic weeks, isolated guest speakers and occasional spirit-filled assemblies will not provide the sweeping, innovative changes needed to make a difference, or to prevent the increasing psychological challenges our children face. I do not believe we should remove these traditional school experiences, but having them rooted in a community (dare I say) vision would make these exercises more meaningful for the students. I think it would be valuable to examine our teaching paradigm in these types of communities, bringing the loving, well-intentioned, highly educated parents in on the conversation. We should all read this book (or something better?), together...and see where it leads us.

Science Debate 2008

2008-09-16T21:28:00.002-05:00

With the 2008 election only 7 weeks away, the anticipation is building. It's a time when emotions run high, opinions run deep and the media creates news on a minute-by-minute basis. It's also a very exciting time, as evidenced by the multiple topics of conversation ignited during lunch, over dinner, at sporting events, and yes, even in our classrooms.

One concerned citizens initiative— cosponsored by the AAAS, the Council on Competitiveness, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and over 175 leading American universities and other organizations—is calling for a serious discussion to take place between the candidates with regards to pressing science issues. Over a dozen leading scientists were interviewed on film describing why they believe this debate needs to happen. These mini films are extremely informative. Francesca Grifo, Director of Science Integrity Program, voices many of my immediate concerns with regards to information I have been desperately seeking in our national leaders.

The Science Debate 2008 initiative also asked both presidential candidates to answer questions relating to these concerns. Their responses, along with a more detailed background to this initiative, can be found at the Science Debate 2008 site.

As science educators, it is all but certain that our students will be curious about how science fits in with the national election, particularly when it comes to the environment and future technology. With that in mind, a comprehensive site illustrating the differences between the candidates' positions can be found at the home page for Science Debate 2008.

Other sites have also collected information with regards to our presidential candidates and their science positions. McCain's campaign site has published his position. Obama's campaign site does the same. A New York Times article was also published with a focus on science and technology. And information can also be found at the Physics Today blog.

Collaboration, NECC 2008 and The Future

2008-07-05T12:05:00.015-05:00

There’s something thrilling that I have been a part of for the past 14 years. I get to witness 26 individual students transform themselves into a comfortable, constructive, self-sufficient scientific community of learners each year and in every class. (Describing how this goal is accomplished and the research behind it is quite detailed and outside the scope of this blog, but I will be sharing very soon!) The development of these communities, the bonds that form between my students year after year, is affirmation enough for me to keep the heart of my classroom something called Whole Class Inquiry (WCI).

My colleague, friend and co-author, Dr. Dennis Smithenry, and I have been working together for fourteen years. In that time, we have developed a rather unique science curriculum. The majority of our inquiry-based class time involves the entire class working together to accomplish a given task, hence the term Whole Class Inquiry (WCI).

I was amazed to be at a technology conference (NECC 2008) where three of the sessions I attended sincerely focused on the human angle of technology—the presenters really wanted to do what was best for kids. And I was even more excited to hear and/or see the connection between each session and our unique collaborative approach to science education. These presenters included David Jakes and Dean Shareski (Powerpoint Kills), Konrad Glogowski (Blogging Communities in the Classroom), and James Surowiecki (The Wisdom of Crowds).

The keynote speaker James Surowiecki shared his thoughts regarding the wisdom of crowds. Author and historian, he stated that a group of people is often much wiser than any one person in the group, in fact smarter than the smartest person in the room. He mentioned that the structure of the crowd is a crucial component. In order to benefit from the wisdom of a crowd, it must be composed of cognitively diverse (at least) individuals. They also must possess unique problem-solving strategies. And lastly, to enhance the intelligence of the group, you must assign the role of devil’s advocate to a member of the group during discussion. To keep the group honest, this role should be rotated between group members.

Surowiecki’s anecdotes and research statistics were perfectly tailored to the education community. I was thrilled to put further foundation to the claim Dennis and I have been making about the benefits of our Whole Class Inquiry approach. And I learned about certain technological tools that will allow me to improve on this strategy, particularly blogging. His stories also affirmed my belief that we should rethink tracking our children into regular, honors and introductory levels at Glenbrook North High School. I would love to pilot the idea of a mixed-level chemistry course.

Konrad Glogowski’s talk on blogging communities was the perfect follow-up to Surowiecki’s keynote. Unfortunatley, I was unable to attend his actual session as it was closed, but I did get to see it on a USTREAM. It is definitely worth a look!

Glogowski shared his research and practice on creating a digital “third space” by implementing blogs. He stated that a solid blogging community promotes a safe space of interaction. To make blogs a truly beneficial experience for the classroom community, they must be implemented in a manner that allows:

1. the opportunity for expressing voices and creativity.
2. the students the freedom to customize their online presence.
3. the creation of a place that is easily accessible.
4. the students a welcoming space where they have the freedom to interact/network in any way they feel comfortable.

I have long since been a proponent of science journals, having given a number of presentations on how to use them as a tool for learning and for developing the comfort level necessary to create a strong community. But I see the advantage of moving a bit of what I do into the digital medium. Student blogs will be a new element to my classroom this year and I’m eager to see the outcome. (I obviously have some work to do in the area of modeling “blogging brevity,” though.) I am thrilled that this session, along with my conversations with Spiro Bolos, gave me a firm grasp of the benefits and pedagogy behind blogging. I feel ready to begin!

Lastly, David Jakes and Dean Shareski discussed the idea of giving students the tools necessary to improve their communication skills, particularly with respect to giving presentations. Part of developing a strong class community requires each student believe that s/he has value. In allowing students the opportunity to share their stories, we get to know them, see what they have to offer the group and build on each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Modeling artistic, educationally sound presentations, along with creating digital stories, will continue to be a focus of mine. Jakes’ and Shareski’s ideas on giving students the tools for better expression will further promote a comfortable classroom connection between classmates. And I'm also eager to model this idea for my science department colleagues. I would like to create some examples that illustrate the advantages for using a presentation tool, rather than simply having a Powerpoint be a glorified overhead.

I'm thrilled that David Jakes will be joining the Glenbrook ranks this year. I am eager to have more discussions with regard to education, to make new connections with people as passionate as those described above, and to see the benefits these new friendships will bring to the classroom. With Jakes' experience and connections, along with those of Ryan Bretag, I see a positive transformation potential for the district's educational technology vision. And dare I say, I'm eager to start building these communities in August!

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Down Time @ NECC 2008

2008-07-02T22:44:00.005-05:00

While in San Antonio attending NECC 2008, my husband and I intermittently ventured off the beaten path in search of quiet respite from the highly populated convention center hub. We landed in one area called Market Square. It had the token tourist shops, to be certain. But there were local musicians playing as we ate tacos and fajitas from two street vendors. Delicious! We then visited the Museo Alameda, the first formal affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute and, as stated on their website, considered “an important national icon symbolizing the contributions of Latinos to the cultural heritage of our country.” I highly recommend it; gorgeous and informative!

We had a few more amazing meals during our stay. We ate dinner at Boudros on the Riverwalk. Lovely meal. Another evening we went to Rosario’s for some fabulous fajitas. We also found a quaint spot for breakfast called the Guenther House, the 1859 home of the founder of the Pioneer Flour. The mill is next door and is the oldest running family-owned mill in the country. We had homemade biscuits and gravy, pancakes and fresh fruit. We then walked back to the conference through beautiful neighborhoods. In that walk, we happened upon a spot called La Vallita, a quiet nest of art galleries exhibiting local artists’ work.

As my purpose for this trip was to bring back curricular technology ideas to share with my colleagues, I found these moments of adventure through San Antonio quite beneficial, and even necessary. Firstly, we were fortunate enough to have dinner with colleagues for two of the nights—from New Trier High School and Glenbrook North High School. It is too rare an occasion that we get to connect and learn each other’s stories outside the work setting. It was such a treat to meet/socialize with these wonderful people.

Secondly, the down time between conference sessions gave my husband and I the chance to process the information that we had just experienced. As the cognitive load theory suggests, there’s only so much my brain can handle at once. I feel I constructed some useful ideas during these moments away, and I developed better curricular implementation goals having used my husband as a sounding board.

I guess time will tell. In the mean time, it was a wonderful trip! My sincere thanks to Ryan Bretag and the Glenbrook High Schools Board of Education for allowing me this growth.

The Benefits of NECC 2008

2008-07-02T08:54:00.007-05:00

From Vygotsky to Mickey Mouse, the dialogue has spanned a wide spectrum here at NECC 2008. I consider myself a veteran national conference attendee and presenter, but this was my first time attending “neck.” When coming to these grand galas, I’ve found it’s crucial to be mentally prepared—stay open-minded to finding new ideas and having organic conversations, but be critical of the hypnotic, corporate pull. As I pack my bags to leave, I honestly feel I accomplished that goal and have come away with some wonderful connections to bring to all areas of my work—teaching, writing, leading.

I will spend time blogging about all the influential sessions I was able to attend, but for now, I will share that the most valuable experience I had here at NECC was having a large block of focused time to set up some new technology-based curricular tools for my classroom. My ability to accomplish this was in large part due to my husband, Spiro Bolos, also being in attendance. His expertise with technology was incredibly beneficial as I created a few new pathways for learning, including this blog.

My goal of creating a self-sufficient scientific community of learners by using whole class inquiry is the cornerstone of everything I do in the classroom, and has been instrumental in providing a model for my work as a teacher leader and author. I have wanted to experiment using other tools for obtaining this overall goal. My experiences here at NECC gave me the time and the connections to start this journey.