Last week I was privileged to participate in NCTE's Literacy
Education Advocacy Day, my first experience with Congressional lobbying. After a briefing by legislative staffers representing the House
Education and the Workforce Committee and Senator Patty Murray, we
shared advice for legislative office visits and firmed up our
understanding of the "asks."
While no one on Captiol
Hill seems to be discussing education this year, we went forward with
our "asks," just to keep some education buzz alive. NCTE's government
policy platform includes several key areas including teacher training,
research, and literacy in higher education, but our most pressing
lobbying efforts center around teacher collaboration and fair assessment
policies.
Several Virginia colleagues and I teamed up to
visit the offices of Representative Gerry Connolly and Senator Mark
Warner. We met with reps who were happy to listen to our requests and
take our information. Marvin Figueroa, Warner's legislative aide, was
particularly interested in how Senator Warner could help us in our
request for more teacher collaboration. While our meeting happened in
the hallway of the Russell Building, it felt important; it felt like
someone was listening.
At the end of the afternoon,
about 25 of us gathered in the Cannon building to debrief on our
legislative office visits. It felt wonderful to be surrounded by people
like Kent Williamson, NCTE Executive Director; Sandy Hayes, NCTE
President; Jocelyn Chadwick, NCTE Secondary Section Chair, and so many
other NCTE leaders. The few of us in the room who were representing
NCTE as teachers felt empowered and included.
It was
an exhausting day but well worth the short 18-mile trip down the road.
Now I'm ready to insist that all of our high school government classes
require students to identify and research policies of personal interest,
identify appropriate legislators, plan a pitch, schedule an
appointment, and deliver the pitch to the legislator or legislative
assistant. 18 miles from the Capitol and we haven't Incorporated this
into our government curriculum? That would make school real and allow
kids to pursue their passions.
To learn more about NCTE's positions, visit this site to read about the LEARN Act (The Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation Act), this site to read about machine-scored writing assessments, or this site to read the government policy platform.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
5 Reasons Why School is Not Preparation for the Real World
While I'd love to see schools make massive overhauls to how they operate and educate, I wouldn't mind a few small shifts that would actually allow the "We have to prepare children for the real world" cliche to be true.
Here are just five of the many reasons why we aren't preparing them... Add your reasons to mine!
1. In real life, we don't walk in straight, silent lines from place to place.
2. In real life, if we need to stand up and move around to do our best work, we usually can.
In real life, we are allowed (encouraged) to seek help from coworkers or other resources so we can be as efficient and successful as possible.
In real life, we suffer the consequences of our poor choices, but the consequences are likely to be logical.
In real life, we are not grouped by age in our work. We are grouped by interest and skill.
Here are just five of the many reasons why we aren't preparing them... Add your reasons to mine!
1. In real life, we don't walk in straight, silent lines from place to place.
 |
| from thelesleyshow's photostream on flickr |
2. In real life, if we need to stand up and move around to do our best work, we usually can.
 |
| from Michael 1952's photostream on flickr |
In real life, we are allowed (encouraged) to seek help from coworkers or other resources so we can be as efficient and successful as possible.
 |
| from flickingerbad's photostream on flickr |
In real life, we suffer the consequences of our poor choices, but the consequences are likely to be logical.
 |
| from eddie-grrl.deviantart.com |
In real life, we are not grouped by age in our work. We are grouped by interest and skill.
 |
| from schooldv.devhub.com |
Friday, March 22, 2013
Why Our Children Deserve Raw Meat
If you stick with me long enough, you will see that this is a story about providing the best version of school we can create for our children. It is also the story of finding the best dog food. And it is the story of refusing to change for no good reason.
Almost one year ago we adopted our rescue dog, Pixie, a small, adult shih-tzu mix.
She was our first dog, and there were so many things we didn't know.
Especially about dog food. Kibble, to me, seemed like the way to go. It was relatively cheap, easy to buy, easy to measure out, and easy to clean up. (Just like our current version of education--scoop it out, dump it in a bowl, expect it to be good enough). But our little Pixie wouldn't eat it. She snubbed it repeatedly, eating only a few bits and only out of our hands. Her foster family who had nursed her back to life had given her only wet food--the gross stuff out of the can that resembles and smells like vomit. No way--that wasn't going to happen in my kitchen.
So we began to pretty up the kibble by pouring a warm broth over it. (In education, the broth could be any number of "reforms" we have put in place to make things "better"). The broth had glucosamine and condroitin in it, so I told myself there was medical value since the vet had warned us about Pixie's loose knee cap. But it was really just a way to make the kibble more appealing. Pixie outsmarted us. She lapped up the broth and left the kibble. I tried at least four kinds of kibble and as many specialty dog food stores in our area. Each time I tried a new store, I got the same answer from a knowing employee--"Have you tried raw food?"
What? I'm pretty much a vegetarian and never cook red meat, so no, I hadn't tried raw food.
Tired of throwing away sloppy kibble (wasn't it supposed to be so neat?), I relented and gave her canned food but insisted that the unused portion in the can be stored in our basement refrigerator. Thankfully, Pixie wasn't all that interested in the canned food anymore. She preferred to stalk the perimeter of our kitchen table and beg. (The educational equivalent of canned food? One-off projects, a day of fun after the test...).
Next I moved on to dehydrated raw food--finally convinced by the many, many dog boutique clerks that kibble and wet food were at the bottom of the dog food chain but unconvinced that I could handle keeping raw dog food in my freezer. For a while, Pixie loved the warm, wet mixture. But after a few months she snubbed that as well. (Here's where some of us find ourselves now in the growth of schools--lots of talk about 21st century skills, STEM, PBL--so close, but not there yet).
I recently stopped making up reasons why I shouldn't and bought my first package of raw frozen food for our dog. I knew before Pixie had demolished the starter pack that I was finally doing what was best for her. It has been nagging at me for almost a year. Once I learned, many months ago, that the dog food hierarchy (nutrient-wise) looks like this
1. Raw food
2. Dehydrated raw food
3. Wet canned food
4. Dry kibble
I should have purchased the raw food right away. But I didn't. I KNEW it was the best thing to do for our dog, but I was stubborn. I didn't want the expense, the smell, the extra precautions with cleaning anything the raw food may touch... I just didn't want to try it. And just like anyone in the field of education KNOWS that school should be a joyful experience for kids--one they want to tear into like Pixie wants to tear into her raw delicacy. School should be the most nutrient-rich environment for our kids--a glorious combination of play, passionate pursuit, collaborative opportunities, discovery, and even some disaster.
So let's give the kids raw meat, sort of.
Almost one year ago we adopted our rescue dog, Pixie, a small, adult shih-tzu mix.
Especially about dog food. Kibble, to me, seemed like the way to go. It was relatively cheap, easy to buy, easy to measure out, and easy to clean up. (Just like our current version of education--scoop it out, dump it in a bowl, expect it to be good enough). But our little Pixie wouldn't eat it. She snubbed it repeatedly, eating only a few bits and only out of our hands. Her foster family who had nursed her back to life had given her only wet food--the gross stuff out of the can that resembles and smells like vomit. No way--that wasn't going to happen in my kitchen.
So we began to pretty up the kibble by pouring a warm broth over it. (In education, the broth could be any number of "reforms" we have put in place to make things "better"). The broth had glucosamine and condroitin in it, so I told myself there was medical value since the vet had warned us about Pixie's loose knee cap. But it was really just a way to make the kibble more appealing. Pixie outsmarted us. She lapped up the broth and left the kibble. I tried at least four kinds of kibble and as many specialty dog food stores in our area. Each time I tried a new store, I got the same answer from a knowing employee--"Have you tried raw food?"
What? I'm pretty much a vegetarian and never cook red meat, so no, I hadn't tried raw food.
Tired of throwing away sloppy kibble (wasn't it supposed to be so neat?), I relented and gave her canned food but insisted that the unused portion in the can be stored in our basement refrigerator. Thankfully, Pixie wasn't all that interested in the canned food anymore. She preferred to stalk the perimeter of our kitchen table and beg. (The educational equivalent of canned food? One-off projects, a day of fun after the test...).
Next I moved on to dehydrated raw food--finally convinced by the many, many dog boutique clerks that kibble and wet food were at the bottom of the dog food chain but unconvinced that I could handle keeping raw dog food in my freezer. For a while, Pixie loved the warm, wet mixture. But after a few months she snubbed that as well. (Here's where some of us find ourselves now in the growth of schools--lots of talk about 21st century skills, STEM, PBL--so close, but not there yet).
I recently stopped making up reasons why I shouldn't and bought my first package of raw frozen food for our dog. I knew before Pixie had demolished the starter pack that I was finally doing what was best for her. It has been nagging at me for almost a year. Once I learned, many months ago, that the dog food hierarchy (nutrient-wise) looks like this
1. Raw food
2. Dehydrated raw food
3. Wet canned food
4. Dry kibble
I should have purchased the raw food right away. But I didn't. I KNEW it was the best thing to do for our dog, but I was stubborn. I didn't want the expense, the smell, the extra precautions with cleaning anything the raw food may touch... I just didn't want to try it. And just like anyone in the field of education KNOWS that school should be a joyful experience for kids--one they want to tear into like Pixie wants to tear into her raw delicacy. School should be the most nutrient-rich environment for our kids--a glorious combination of play, passionate pursuit, collaborative opportunities, discovery, and even some disaster.
So let's give the kids raw meat, sort of.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Jewell Parker Rhodes: A True Gem
I met Jewell Parker Rhodes at the NCTE expo hall in November. I had read her first YA novel, The Ninth Ward, and loved it. Her publisher was giving away advance copies of her new book, Sugar. So I grabbed a copy, gathered my courage, and approached Jewell (I will forever classify myself as shy). She immediately put me at ease with her huge smile and enthusiastic greeting. She happily signed her book and we struck up a conversation about how much kids at my school loved The Ninth Ward and how I looked forward to sharing Sugar with them. Jewell beamed and explained that her greatest hope was that children would enjoy her work. I told her I'd share the book with our students and suggested that she could talk with them about it.
I think I read the whole book before I returned from the conference and knew our students would love it. One of our 4th grade sections began reading it as a read-aloud, and, as predicted, they loved it.
So... I sent an email to Jewell--a busy professor and working author--who emailed me back the same day! After quite a few email exchanges we chose a date for the Skype. The students prepared by illustrating passages from the book, discussing what they liked about the book, and writing questions to ask and comments to share.
The Skype...
At 2:00 on Monday (11:00 in Arizona) we began the Skype. Jewell began by reading a few pages from Sugar, and she explained that she'd never read this book out loud to a group--we were her first audience! The book is set in Louisiana on a sugar plantation during Reconstruction. All of the former slaves who did not leave when they were freed remained to work on the plantation. The protagonist, Sugar, a young girl whose mother died on the plantation, longs for freedom and adventure. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Billy, the son of the plantation owner, and together they set off to explore "far away places" on the river. Their friendship, needless to say, is a dangerous secret. Sugar also pursues a friendship with the Chinese laborers who come to work on the plantation to increase productivity.
Each student in the class had a chance to ask a question or make a comment to Jewell about her book. We learned about how long it takes her to write a book, how she researches her stories, how she feels about her characters, and most excitingly, what she's working on now. She asked the kids for suggestions about her new characters, Madison and Bear. She welcomed their ideas and told us she'd put a dedication to Flint Hill Students in the new book! She also promised to send each student an autographed copy of Sugar and a copy of The Ninth Ward.
Thank you, thank you, Jewell Parker Rhodes for an unforgettable experience!
I walked away from that table thinking about how nice she was to talk with me, but I couldn't imagine that she would actually talk with our students once they had a chance to read the book. This is a BUSY woman we are talking about. You can read all about her
on her website
or her blog.
I think I read the whole book before I returned from the conference and knew our students would love it. One of our 4th grade sections began reading it as a read-aloud, and, as predicted, they loved it.
So... I sent an email to Jewell--a busy professor and working author--who emailed me back the same day! After quite a few email exchanges we chose a date for the Skype. The students prepared by illustrating passages from the book, discussing what they liked about the book, and writing questions to ask and comments to share.
The Skype...
At 2:00 on Monday (11:00 in Arizona) we began the Skype. Jewell began by reading a few pages from Sugar, and she explained that she'd never read this book out loud to a group--we were her first audience! The book is set in Louisiana on a sugar plantation during Reconstruction. All of the former slaves who did not leave when they were freed remained to work on the plantation. The protagonist, Sugar, a young girl whose mother died on the plantation, longs for freedom and adventure. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Billy, the son of the plantation owner, and together they set off to explore "far away places" on the river. Their friendship, needless to say, is a dangerous secret. Sugar also pursues a friendship with the Chinese laborers who come to work on the plantation to increase productivity.
Each student in the class had a chance to ask a question or make a comment to Jewell about her book. We learned about how long it takes her to write a book, how she researches her stories, how she feels about her characters, and most excitingly, what she's working on now. She asked the kids for suggestions about her new characters, Madison and Bear. She welcomed their ideas and told us she'd put a dedication to Flint Hill Students in the new book! She also promised to send each student an autographed copy of Sugar and a copy of The Ninth Ward.
Thank you, thank you, Jewell Parker Rhodes for an unforgettable experience!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
What Made My "Collector" Child Eager to Clean Out Her Room
Earlier today I suggested to my first-grade daughter that she should go through her toys to see if there was anything she didn't want anymore.
Nope.
Buoyed by the promise of an imminent snowday, I try again several hours later. But this time, I change my tactic. While Marley is in the kitchen having dessert, I go up to her room and take all of her stuffed animals. Not to worry--I'm not evil. I line them all up in the hall and callher upstairs with this invitation: "There's a yard sale going on up here. Come get your wallet."
"Really?" She runs up the stairs and finds me in her room.
I am ready with instructions. I tell her, "Go shopping in the hall. Buy whatever you want. Bring me your items when you are ready and I'll ring you up."
She dashes downstairs to get a shopping bag, and on her way back up she tells her big sister that we're having a yard sale in the hall.
I wish I'd taken a picture of that part of the sale as Marley shopped through a hall filled with her own stuffed animals. I wish I'd taken a picture of Morgan following behind her, browsing the items Marley had chosen not to buy.
I did take pictures of the next phase of the sale...the same process but with all of her other items--everything but the plush ones!
By the time the sale was over, Marley had repurchased many of her belongings, but we'd also filled two bags with unwanted items and moved a few things to Morgan's room. It was a fun way to get her to go through her things and give her room a much-needed dusting!
Nope.
Buoyed by the promise of an imminent snowday, I try again several hours later. But this time, I change my tactic. While Marley is in the kitchen having dessert, I go up to her room and take all of her stuffed animals. Not to worry--I'm not evil. I line them all up in the hall and callher upstairs with this invitation: "There's a yard sale going on up here. Come get your wallet."
"Really?" She runs up the stairs and finds me in her room.
I am ready with instructions. I tell her, "Go shopping in the hall. Buy whatever you want. Bring me your items when you are ready and I'll ring you up."
She dashes downstairs to get a shopping bag, and on her way back up she tells her big sister that we're having a yard sale in the hall.
I wish I'd taken a picture of that part of the sale as Marley shopped through a hall filled with her own stuffed animals. I wish I'd taken a picture of Morgan following behind her, browsing the items Marley had chosen not to buy.
I did take pictures of the next phase of the sale...the same process but with all of her other items--everything but the plush ones!
By the time the sale was over, Marley had repurchased many of her belongings, but we'd also filled two bags with unwanted items and moved a few things to Morgan's room. It was a fun way to get her to go through her things and give her room a much-needed dusting!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Do-Over
This morning our faculty got together during a two-hour delay to continue our "assessment work." We met in the gym and watched a video overview of our middle school's Rube Goldberg challenge from last month. After the video and a brief reflection from the middle school director, we were asked if we had any questions. One person made a comment.
It wasn't me.
But I thought about raising my hand. I thought about asking questions. Why didn't I? Probably because it felt awkward to pose challenging, ruckus-raising questions from the gym bleachers in front of the whole faculty. Now I wish I had.
So I'm using my blog as a do-over. If I could turn back time (sorry Cher) and ask the questions that were bubbling in my mind, here's what they would have been:
Next month, in the gym, I will ask my questions.
It wasn't me.
But I thought about raising my hand. I thought about asking questions. Why didn't I? Probably because it felt awkward to pose challenging, ruckus-raising questions from the gym bleachers in front of the whole faculty. Now I wish I had.
So I'm using my blog as a do-over. If I could turn back time (sorry Cher) and ask the questions that were bubbling in my mind, here's what they would have been:
- This year we devoted two days to the Rube Goldberg challenge in middle school. The idea began as a two-week J-Term and was reduced to two days. Next year, will we take the first two weeks of January, as was originally proposed, to provide the time and space for a new challenge for our middle school students and faculty? If so, who is leading it? What will it look like? What do the kids need and want?
- We have seen the success of the Day of Play in the lower school and the Rube Goldberg challenge in the middle school. How will we provide a similar experience for our upper school students?
- And the big dog daddy of a question: How do we move from pockets of innovation to full-scale educational overhaul. In other words, how do we make our school different? (I probably would not have really asked these questions, but it is the one that drives me every day as a parent and an educator).
Next month, in the gym, I will ask my questions.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Remember to Notice the Good...and Climb the Stairs
Today I happened to have an hour unexpectedly become free in my schedule. For a moment I considered going back to my office to check email or work on lesson plans, but I decided to head to the third floor to the land of fifth and sixth grade. Thank goodness I made that choice.
I saw Writing Workshop in fifth grade in its purest, most beautiful form--the students all hard at work on their fiction pieces while the teachers moved around the room having individual conferences.
I also saw sixth grade readers using Glogster to create "posters" to defend their choices for Impact Awards. They were thinking critically about their books and writing precisely about them.
And across the hall I found a different group of sixth graders creating roller coasters, all of them engaged and all of them able to explain what they were building and what they were learning.
Thank you, Third Floor teachers, for these gifts. They were well with the climb.
I saw Writing Workshop in fifth grade in its purest, most beautiful form--the students all hard at work on their fiction pieces while the teachers moved around the room having individual conferences.
I also saw sixth grade readers using Glogster to create "posters" to defend their choices for Impact Awards. They were thinking critically about their books and writing precisely about them.
And across the hall I found a different group of sixth graders creating roller coasters, all of them engaged and all of them able to explain what they were building and what they were learning.
Thank you, Third Floor teachers, for these gifts. They were well with the climb.
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