tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48958843680415285612024-03-13T12:35:43.784-04:00The World According to SpeersLee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-22845389666545288032017-02-01T12:11:00.002-05:002017-02-01T12:11:19.858-05:00Words Matter<div class="MsoNormal">
Words are
important and some people even think they are more important than numbers and
equations (silly folks these are). So what words do people search for when they
consult the oracle? Well here is the top 10 according to Merrian-Webster (I
don’t think these are alternative facts or fake news).<o:p></o:p></div>
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10. <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;"> </span></span><em><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">feckless</span></em><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">,
meaning “weak” or “ineffective”. It comes from the Scottish word <i>feck</i>,
which can mean “value” or “worth”, and so a thing that is feckless may also be
said to be “worthless”. Searches for this word spiked dramatically after Mike
Pence used it in the vice-presidential debate in October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">9.
<i>Faute de mieux</i> is pronounced \foht-duh-MYUH\ and means “for lack of
something better”. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg used the French
expression in a written opinion for a decision announced in June causing
the surge in searches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">8.
<i>Assumpsit</i> is a legal term defined as an express or implied promise
or contract, the breach of which may be grounds for a lawsuit. Congressman Joe
Kennedy introduced his former professor, Senator Elizabeth Warren, at the
Democratic National Convention with an anecdote about his embarrassing first
day of law school including assumpsit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">7.
<i>irregardless</i> Was used on the air by one of the broadcasters calling
the final game of the World Series. This started a fire storm on social media
claiming it isn’t even a word. Merrian-Webster categorizes it as “nonstandard”
and suggest using regardless instead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">6.
<i>deplorable</i> is defined as an adjective meaning either “lamentable”
or “deserving censure or contempt,” a synonym of “wretched” or “abominable”.
Hillary Clinton used deplorables, which makes it a noun and Merrian-Webster doesn’t
have a definition for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">5.</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;"> <i>bigly</i>
is an adverb meaning "in a big manner" or, archaically, "in a
swelling blustering manner". The funny thing is Donald Trump never said
it. He actually said was <i>big league, </i>using it as an adverb, as in: “I’m going to cut taxes big
league.” Problem is <i>big league</i> is
only defined as a noun or adjective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">4.
<i>In omnia paratus</i>, the Latin phrase that means “ready for all things”.
Finally one not from politics but from Netflix and their revival of “Gilmore
girls”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">3.
<i>Icon</i> means “a person who is very successful and admired”. After the
death of Prince (or whatever name or symbol you use) searches for icon spiked.
It was a bad year for rock and roll with his and many other passings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">2.
<i>Revenant</i> means "one that returns after death or a long absence,"
and comes from the French word that means "to return”. Again thanks to the
world of entertainment due to the movie of the same name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.65pt;">1.
<i>Surreal</i> “marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream.” And
if that isn’t fitting for this year I don’t know what is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-69450011103273319212016-12-21T08:20:00.000-05:002016-12-21T08:20:02.978-05:00Its been a while<br />
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I was perusing social media the other day
and came across an article from the World Economic Forum titled <i><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-10-skills-you-need-to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/">The
10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>. </i>The
article talked about the next industrial revolution stating in 2020 (the year
my son graduates high school) and what skills employers will find the most
desirable in their employees. It also had the list of those skills from their
2015 report. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A few of my student found me blog the other day and asked why the last entry was so long ago. A very good questions. It inspired me to write a new post.<br />
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<a href="https://weforum-assets-production.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/editor/bD4ikTLC2_fTr1843WCwYsZFbkCs-VwJBAQu2COD1rE.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://weforum-assets-production.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/editor/bD4ikTLC2_fTr1843WCwYsZFbkCs-VwJBAQu2COD1rE.png" width="320" /></a>This list of skills got me thinking about what we teach our
students. As high school teachers we tend to be content driven, thinking our
content is the second most important (since we all know physics is the most
important). Well on this list of skills there is no content material, so how
does our teaching translate and prepare our students with these skills? And how
does their grade or success in our class or score on a standardized test
measure these skills?<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was also interesting to see what skills have moved up and
down in importance in the last 5 years and are new or have been dropped from
the list. I am not so sure how some of the skills on the list, especially the
two new skills (Emotional Intelligence and Cognitive Flexibility) would be specifically
measured. Well it just shows that the “Shift Happens” video from 2008 may have
been correct: “We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet
exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, in order to solve
problems we don’t even know are problems yet”. The skills and objects we teach
every day in class need to somehow ultimately give our students the skills they
will need to be successfully in the fourth industrial revolution.<o:p></o:p></div>
Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-72034021310434429732009-09-05T07:23:00.004-04:002009-09-05T07:26:19.903-04:00Back in the Saddle<span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:Times New Roman;" >Well my district has decided that supporting technology in the classroom is not worth the price. With the cut of CFF and no other grant funds available our CFF/math coach is now just a math coach and the Technology Integration Mentor (me) was cut. So now I am back in the classroom, and I am fine with that. I love teaching and being in the classroom, but I worry about teachers and their use of technology. Who will support them? Who will plan with them? Who will co-teach with them? Who will provide feedback as a critical friend? The answer is unfortunately no one. I feel the investment made in technology in the last 5 years will not be used to its full potential. It has caused me much angst as the year has started when I have to tell fellow teachers that I will not be able to help them this year, and when they ask who will I say "I don't know".</span><br /><div style="font-family: times new roman;" id="refHTML"><br /></div><span style="font-family: times new roman;">The other thing that has me down is my classroom. Since I have been out of the classroom for the past 3 years while the CFF project was installing Smartboards and other equipment, my room was left out. So now the guy with the most training and experience in using technology has none to use. So now the task becomes figuring out how to get the equipment and/or make the best use of the little I have. I was hoping the big lottery jackpot a few weeks ago would provide the answer, but not this time. So now I am on the lookout for ways to get my hands on what every I can.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Being back in the without a lot of technology has given me the chance to implement some other changes. Between having our reading specialist as an office-mate for the past three years, Reading Apprenticeship training and this year taking the Performance Learning System (PLS) course Reading Across the Curriculum, I have embraced literacy and reading in the content area as a major focus in my classroom. In fact I plan on teaching the PLS class this spring. So with reading everyday in the classroom and a renewed and deliberate focus on metacognition I am off and running on a new school year. Much different than any of the past 20 plus years but one I am really excited about. After all being a classroom teacher is the most important job in the world.</span><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-33325337853396155392009-05-07T14:38:00.004-04:002016-12-21T15:14:39.042-05:006 Secrets for Change<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">It has been a long time since I posted here. Much of the time I can only find time to twitter about what I am doing or thinking. It's not that there are things I wish I had blogged about, like the time just before winter break when several former students stopped in for visits, including one of my favorite former students now at MIT, the Saturday technology workshop that I put together for the teachers in my district and great colleagues that were willing to come and present, or the great eye opening experience I had while presenting at the Student PSEA conference. But alas I was unable or unwilling to find the time to get the job done, shame on me. This time I put my air travel time too good use and will get this one done.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">On Friday I heard </span></span>two keynote addresses, the first from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Vallas" id="aw.i" title="Paul on Wikipedia">Paul Vallas</a> , former Superintendent of Philadelphia, and <a href="http://www.michaelfullan.ca/" id="xrph" title="Michael Fullan">Michael Fullan</a>. I was in New Orleans, so Paul stopped by since he is the current Superintendent of the Recovery School District of New Orleans. He just gave us a brief overview of his work since Katrina. He himself said he was just a warm-up for Michael Fullan. Mr. Fullan presented his 6 secrets for change, 2-4 he called the core and 1 & 6 are the wrap-arounds. It was not the typical "keynote" but rather a mini-workshop which included many opportunities for meaningful discussion among our team.<br />
<br />
His 6 secrets for change are:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Love your employees</li>
<li>Connect peers with purpose</li>
<li>Capacity building prevails</li>
<li>Learning is work</li>
<li>Transparency rules</li>
<li>Systems learn</li>
</ol>
<br />
Before he spoke about the secrets he presented 5 insights into change.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The implementation dip is normal</li>
<li>Behaviors change before beliefs</li>
<li>The size and prettiness of the plan document is inversely propositional to the quality of action</li>
<li>Shared vision and ownership is more an outcome of quality process than it is a predictor</li>
<li>Feelings are more influential than thoughts</li>
</ol>
<br />
I had heard of the implementation dip before, but Fullan used a graphical business model (Herold & Fedor, 2008) that made made it a whole lot clearer in my mind. The basic idea is that after any change in made, it is normal that it will have a negative effect, but once the you get though the dip, the gains will realized. What Fullan presented is during the "recover phase" there will be much resistance and a push to abandon the change. To go along with that the leaders that made the change will be criticized and may even be targets of attack. This is were leaders must be strong and stay the course. The harder job is to make the slope of the graph be as steep as possible during the recovery phase. So be open with people about the implementation dip, and be prepared and willing to take the heat. If you have thoughtfully implemented change, that you know in your heart is good for students, then keep focused on the results that you want to achieve. But what is change and how do we manage it?<br />
<img alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4895884368041528561&postID=3332533785339615539" /><img alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4895884368041528561&postID=3332533785339615539" /><img alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4895884368041528561&postID=3332533785339615539" /><img align="bottom" border="0" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dcjsvsxn_25dfvqv4f9_b" height="389" name="graphics1" width="703" /><img alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4895884368041528561&postID=3332533785339615539" /><img alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4895884368041528561&postID=3332533785339615539" /><br />
What do we need to change in education? Materials, behaviors and practices, and beliefs. Our district PATHS initiative requires all of these, the biggest being a shift by all people in the system to the belief that all children can graduate college ready. How do manage change? Through the use of change forces (almost like physics) which promote a bias to action in individuals. The difficulty comes in finding the change forces and making sure the bias to action is not to run the change agent out of town. In order to do this we need to manage change differently. Listen to the people who's behavior you want to change and become servants of that change. Demand and expect behaviors to change, in the hope that beliefs will follow, but it cannot be done with the accountability. In order for change to be effective a system of support and trust must be developed. Support must come in the form of administrators that are truly instructional leaders. At the district level that means putting the resources and building leaders in place and then letting them do their job and not micro-manage the process. As for building leaders ask for the resources, like coaching, time for peer visit and review, and building directed PD. As for the teachers, belief is not necessary (yet), but compliance and truly taking advantage of opportunities that are presented is an expectation. Teaching is hard work, and reform is even harder. The biggest step is to reflect on your practice and suggestions that you are given. In fact seek feedback from your peers, coaches or building administrators.<br />
<br />
How do you manage or promote change? This is where Fullan's secrets come in. Secrets 2-5 he called the core so lets start. Secret 2: Connect peers with purpose. Change cannot be managed from the top down. While it may need to start at the top, it also has to percolate from the bottom up. This change force must be lead from the within and needs to be supported from above. Secret 3: Capacity building prevails. Change is difficult and causes fear. Fear prevents acting on knowledge. Non action makes change fail. So be non judgmental while change is occurring and help build the capacity. Giving non judgmental feedback take practice, it just not happen. Secret 4: Learning is the work. Before a new concept/change is put in place there must be a few things that are understood. It is non-negotiable and participation in not optional. It must be precise and well thought out, no random or vague ideas. It need to possess high yield strategies and strong instructional practices. But lastly it cannot kill innovation or creativity. Secret 5: Transparency rules. This is a true paradigm shift in education. No longer is it acceptable to close your door and keep your practice to yourself. This will only happen with a trusting environment. Transparency + Non judgementalism + Good help/coaching = Classroom improvement. Those are the core now the over arching. Secret 1: Love your employees. Seems so simple, but it is so easy for things we say and do to be heard or taken the wrong way. Why is this so important? If you do not feed the teachers they will eat the students. Secret 6: Systems learn. Leaders, teachers and learners leave a system, the culture stays. What is the legacy that you will leave in your classroom, school and district.<br />
<br />
It was hard for me to sun-up two and half hours in such a short post. My advice, if you get a chance go hear Michael Fullan. I will close using what Michael asked as a rhetorical question. Where are you on the continuum of the nuances of the secrets to change?<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Blind love to Indifference</li>
<li>Command & control to Fragmentation</li>
<li>Judgemental to Liaise-fair</li>
<li>Relentless consistency to Innovation/bad practice</li>
<li>Aimless transparency to Privacy</li>
<li>Dead certainty to Deer in the headlights</li>
</ol>
<br />
How do you make sure change happens for you<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Talk to people that are smarter than you, every day</li>
<li>Make mistakes</li>
<li>Make time to reflect</li>
</ul>
Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-31289683837925662882008-10-27T13:27:00.004-04:002008-10-27T13:35:52.585-04:00ESP of the YearWell so much for keeping up with post, or even getting caught up from the summer. I started this almost a month ago and am now just getting to finish it. At the NEA-RA each year we get to meet and hear from the teacher and educational support professional of the year. These educators are always inspiring, dedicated and well deserving of the honor, and this year was no exception. This year's ESP of the year was Laura Vernon and at the close of her speech she read a poem that she wrote, it says it all.<br /><div id="z5o8" align="center"><p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" id="z5o80">When did we become the enemy?</p><p id="z5o81"> </p><span style="font-style: italic;">The target of scorn</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Hero unborn</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The reason they fall</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The brunt of it all</span><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o87"> </p><span style="font-style: italic;">When did we become the enemy?</span><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o810"> </p><span style="font-style: italic;">The purpose for unkind</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The hidden victim of No Child left behind</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Said to be a monument, but with no solution</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Even called terrorist, deserving execution</span><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o816"> </p><span style="font-style: italic;">When did we become the enemy?</span><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o819"> </p><span style="font-style: italic;">Labeled failure, not in the running</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">High expectations without the funding</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Training, experience, education specified</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But to them, not highly qualified</span><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o825"> </p><span style="font-style: italic;">When did we become the enemy?</span><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o828"> </p><span style="font-style: italic;">Hard work, unappreciated labor</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Their answer to funding, Tabor?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Taxes rising, money depleture</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Easy blame, why not the teacher</span><br /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o834">When did we become the enemy?</p><span style="font-style: italic;">Teacher Cadillac Insurance, be the foe</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We are not the reason for the Health Care woe</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cut backs, eliminations, Education pollution</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Their remedy, 65% solution</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Created reasons they exercise</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To justify, to privatize</span><br /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o841">When did we become the enemy?</p><span style="font-style: italic;">So cooks, janitors, secretaries, security</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">They're not important, a liability</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bus drivers, paras, they've cut the cost</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">They are always first to be layed off</span><br /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o846">When did we become the enemy?</p><span style="font-style: italic;">Have they dismissed the history of this nation</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Education is rooted in it's very foundation</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Have they not noticed that we with pleasure</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nurture and mold our future's treasure</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Have they forgotten, because of our dedication</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">They received an education</span><br /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o853">When did we become the enemy?</p><span style="font-style: italic;">Well we're not taking this lying down</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In fact, we as educators are going to turn this around</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And whoever they are had better take note</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The greatest power we have is the right to vote</span><br /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;" id="z5o858">Now just watch our educators organize<br />Because despite what they might think, we are highly qualified<br />An enemy maybe in their eyes<br />But a change is coming in their lives and when history is made, and education once again becomes this country's necessary feature, they had better think twice before attacking our students, retired, Higher Ed, ESP and the teacher.</p><p style="text-align: left;" id="z5o858">Do not forget to vote, and when you pull the lever think about the candidate, local, state or national, that is a friend of education, because if we do not help ourselves politically who will?<br /></p><p id="z5o862"><br /></p><br /></div>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-4398285697777326182008-08-31T11:04:00.001-04:002008-08-31T11:07:24.060-04:00Opening Day<div id="ufxe"> <div id="xsq."> Well last Thursday we had new student orientation and several hundred 9th graders showed up for their first day of high school. There was the usual stuff; finding homerooms, getting lockers, touring the building, and running though a mini-schedule. All of this was preceded by an assembly where the main speaker was the principal. This was the fourth time I have heard him give this opening and each year there is something new or I hear it in just a slightly different way. So what was new for this year? A rhetorical question "Why are you here" it is for one of three reasons (natural I boiled 20 minutes down to 3 lines): <ol id="snz40"><li id="snz41">Someone made you come today.</li><li id="snz42">You have the goal to graduate high school.</li><li id="snz43">You want to prepare yourself for your future.</li></ol></div>Obviously choice three is the one that we hope all students make, and I am sure that most of them do. So the real challenge is how to change the number 1s and 2s into number 3s? When I come up with the plan that works then I can really retire, so until then I will just have to keep on trying to make a difference where ever I can. After all that is what teaching is all about. My principal has ended every 9th grade opening with the same three keys to success. His claim, do these three thing and you will be successful in preparing yourself for your future. <ol id="k-m:0"><li id="k-m:1">Show up and be on time every day, all 720 of them.</li><li id="kf0l">Treat everyone you meet, teachers, staff and fellow students, the way you would like to be treated.</li><li id="kf0l0">You have to do your work, the only one on in the list that is actually difficult. </li></ol></div> Well there you have it the simple way to help your students have a great year. I also just got a chance to watch the key note of <a title="TeacherTube version, so hopefully it is not blocked" target="_blank" href="http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=b27a83c4f50ff8305455" id="n8as">Dalton Sherman</a> at convocation of the Dallas Independent School District, if you have not seen it yet watch it. I have lots of great ideas for this year and I still need to get some post written from this summer, so my goal is to keep up with posts this year. <div id="ufxe2"><div id="xsq.1"> </div> </div>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-44192512147119139962008-07-07T20:36:00.005-04:002008-08-31T11:23:03.097-04:00One for UsI spent the last few days of June at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in San Antonio TX. After that conference I traveled to Washington DC to attend the National Education Association Representative Assemble (NEA-RA). The NEA-RA is the largest democratically run meeting in the world with over 9,000 delegates debating, discussing and voting on the direction of the organization. The NEA represents 3.2 million teachers in all 50 states. It truly is democracy in action and I have a story to prove it.<br /><br />At the RA any member can submit a New Business Item (NBI) that they would like to see the NEA take action on. One such item was proposed by a woman from New Jersey. NBI 67 "That NEA recommends the banning of all student personal electronic devices, especially cellphones, from the classroom". Well I immediately went into tech defender mode. I went a spoke to the woman to see if I could offer a friendly amendment to her NBI, that would remove the word banning. Her response was that they were already going to modify it to except education or medical uses (that would be just about everything in my view). Seeing she was not going to budge, I went to my delegation from PA and asked them to support my amending the motion to read "That NEA recommends the teaching of appropriate use of all student personal electronic devices, especially cellphones". The PA delegation agreed to let me try to amend the motion and speak on their behalf.<br /><br />The time came for NBI 67 to be discussed and voted on. The maker of the motion asked to modify the motion to add the part about educational and medical, and then got a chance to give her rational. There were a few questions ask, but then came my turn. The Chair, President Reg Weaver said "Microphone 15 Lee Speers seeking to amend, mike 15". A spotlight comes on the red light on podium 15 turns on and there is my face on 4 big screens, and several smaller ones, in front of almost 10,000 people. "Yes President Weaver I would like to amend NBI 67 with the language I submitted." President Weaver asked for my amendment to be placed on the screen. For the first time the delegates at the NEA-RA see the proposal, the room grows eerily quiet and then a slight murmur. The leadership from all of the state delegations starts talking to see if they will recommend supporting the change. President Weaver asked the maker if she would accept the modification (I know what her answer is). After she says no, it is now my opportunity to speak to my amendment. Here is the text of my remarks: <div id="vryb" style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style=";font-family:Courier New;font-size:100%;" id="s8q." >Before traveling to DC I was in San Antonio TX attending the National Educational Computing Conference NECC with 20,000 other committed educators that use technology. While at NECC I attended many professional development session all using technology and many using cell phones.</span> <span style=";font-family:Courier New;font-size:100%;" id="vryb0" ><br /><br />A couple quick facts about cell phone use. There are currently 3.3 billion active cell phones world wide, that is one cell phone for every 2 people on the planet. There are currently 30 plus countries in the world that have 100% saturation (one cell phone for every man, woman and child), the US is not one of them. Presently in the US 16% of all households have only cell phone service and that number is growing rapidly. In the US there are more active cell phones than home computers. What does all this mean, there is no way to enforce a cell phone ban. So what is the alternative?</span> <span style=";font-family:Courier New;font-size:100%;" id="vryb1" ><br /><br />Do and will students use cell phones improperly? Sure they do, but they use computers, pens, pencils and even crayons improperly too, and do we ban them? No instead we do what good educators do when students misbehave. We teach them how to use the equipment properly. We need to do the same thing with technology, not, run from it, fear it or ban it, but help our students understand it and use it properly.</span> <span style=";font-family:Courier New;font-size:100%;" id="vryb2" >The International Society for Technology in Education ISTE has developed National Education Technology Standards NETS. These standards have not only been developed for students, but also teachers, administrators and technology leaders. All of these standards address good digital citizenship when using technology. And who better to teach students these standards than US, the members of the NEA? Please do not stick you head in the sand and support this amendment to NBI 67.<br /><br /></span> </div><span style=";font-family:Courier New;font-size:100%;" id="vryb3" > <span id="wcew1" style="font-family:Arial;">Much to my surprise and relief twice during my remarks I was interrupted by applause and again at the end got a nice round of congratulations from the delegates. The signals from state leadership began popping up throughout the room, most show a positive recommendation. Then came the vote, my amendment had passed and was now the main motion! Several people were called on to speak that were originally opposed to the NBI, but commented that with the amendment they were now in support of it. There was another amendment to the item, basically making more wordy, but in the end NBI 67 passed and the NEA was not recommending banning any technology from the classroom. So now the 3.2 million members of the NEA are not for banning technology in the classroom. Use that fact with your stubborn tech director next time. Who knows, maybe next year there will be an NBI about the use of web 2.0 applications.</span> </span>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-74231055495057210712008-06-29T23:34:00.002-04:002008-08-31T11:20:51.631-04:00NECC 2008 First Day RecapWell not really day one, but the first day I went to any sessions. After an uneventful trip to San Antonio (except for the shuttle ride to the hotel) just settled down and got some dinner. Today the fun began. I started off at the <a title="Constructivist Celebration @ NECC" target="_blank" href="http://www.constructivistconsortium.org/" id="qsmr">Constructivist Celebration @ NECC</a>. Gary Stager got the day started off with a philosophy talk about using technology. He shares many of the same views I do about not using technology for the sake of using it, but rather to help students construct new knowledge by using technology. Here my three favorite quick quotes from Gary. <ol id="yas4"><li id="yas40">A good prompt is worth 1,000 words. With a good prompt the students should be motivated to produce a high quality product. There does not have to be a lot of instruction "words" to limit the students creative juices used in producing <i id="v2ef"><b id="v2ef0">their</b></i> product. </li><li id="yas42">Monumental vs. Substantial. Assignment for students should not be monumental. Although students can make any task monumental by procrastinating. Assignment should instead be substantial and meaningful. Easier said than done, but if the task is substantial the product will be vastly better and in fact easier and more rewarding to grade. Timed saved, so put the time in before or after, your choice, make the one that is better for the student. This was also referred to as Craft or Crap. </li><li id="yas42">The last is a quick idea for a project, take and run. Give two groups of students the same video clips. say from a presidential candidate. Have on group produce a pro candidate add and the other a negative candidate add. Kids will real learning about propaganda and persuasion, oh and they just happen to use technology to due it.</li></ol> Next stop was the PA NECC meeting. Thanks to Jim Gates, Kristin Hokanson and Kurt Paccio for putting together a great presentation about getting the most out of NECC. Check out the <a title="PANECC wiki" target="_blank" href="http://www.panecc2008.wikispaces.com/" id="qj75">PANECC2008 wiki</a> and the <a title="slides" target="_blank" href="http://tinyurl.com/4hwovg" id="frr9">slides</a> from the presentation. Be sure to join the <a title="NECC ning" target="_blank" href="http://www.necc2008.org/" id="eh.z">NECC ning</a>, a great way to more out of NECC. Finally the keynote by James Surowiecki with his perspective and book <i id="uzxt"><a title="The Wisdom of Crowds" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds" id="ml77">The Wisdom of Crowds</a> </i> (I used the Wikipedia link). Well apart from saying that Wikipedia is a great source (I agree, but many geeks do not) Jim also mentioned Flickr, del.icio.us and Google as good examples of the wisdom of the crowd. Not all crowds are "wise", in fact there are three conditions that must be met to make a group truly wise. 1. Aggregate the groups judgment. 2. Cognitive diversity. 3. Independence not imitation.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-71364265925960901292008-05-23T20:26:00.005-04:002008-05-23T20:55:13.437-04:00The next step in the Movement<span style="font-family: times new roman;">I found this on the ASCD blog</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">Students in S. Bronx Refuse to Take Test</span> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>Almost all of the eighth-graders at South Bronx's Intermediate School 318 chose to hand in blank exams at the end of a three-hour social studies practice test. <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" href="http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/21/9134/">Refusing to take the test</a>, even a practice test, may mean dismissal for the student's teacher, whom some authorities blame for inciting the boycott, though the students claim otherwise. </p> <p>Writer and former teacher Dan Brown says the reason we haven't seen more protests like this one is be cause "students have been intellectually and spiritually bludgeoned into submission."</p> <p><strong>Do you think this sort of civil disobedience is effective? Are kids better served to take the test or walk out in protest?</strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is the next step in the movement. See my post from April 25. Steve Dembo took my original post a little farther and even wrote some words. Check his post out <a href="http://www.teach42.com/2008/05/08/civil-disobedience-and-high-stakes-testing/">here</a>. I am for students organizing themselves and taking a stand on an issue that directly effects them and their right to a quality education. Way to go guys!<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></strong> </p> </div> </div>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-56299208734353275252008-05-18T10:28:00.003-04:002008-05-18T21:19:36.029-04:0030 Things Good Teachers do<p id="z.770">Okay I read a post on LifeHack "50 things that successful people do". The post took all the self-help books and boiled them down to the 50 things you need to do to be successful. Well I read them over and took a look at them from and educational perspective. Some just did not fit and many needed to be tweaked. So here is my list of 30 things good teachers do.</p> <p id="vnn:0"> </p> <p id="r4t13">Habits of good teachers….</p> <ol id="ru6y0"> <li id="ru6y1">They look for and find opportunities where others see nothing. </li><li id="ru6y2">They find a lesson while others only see a problem and they focus on solutions. </li><li id="ru6y3">They consciously and methodically create success for their students, while others hope students will find success. </li><li id="ru6y5">They ask the right questions - the ones which put them in a productive, creative, positive mindset and emotional state. </li><li id="ru6y7">They rarely complain (waste of energy). All complaining does is put the complainer in a negative and unproductive state. </li><li id="ru6y8">They don’t blame (parents, students?). They take complete responsibility for their actions and outcomes (or lack thereof) of their students. </li><li id="ru6y9">They are busy, productive and proactive. While most are laying on the couch, or in the teacher's lounge, they are out there getting the job done. </li><li id="ru6y11">They align themselves with like-minded people. They understand the importance of being part of a team. They create win-win relationships. </li><li id="ru6y12">They are ambitious; they want amazing for themselves and their students- and why shouldn’t they? </li><li id="ru6y13">They have clarity and certainty about what they want (and don’t want) for their students . </li><li id="t-:b0">They innovate rather than imitate. </li><li id="ru6y15">They are life-long learners. They constantly work at educating themselves, either formally (academically), informally (watching, listening, asking, reading, student of life) or experientially (doing, trying)… or all three. </li><li id="ru6y17">They are glass half full people - while still being practical and down-to-earth. They have an ability to find the good. </li><li id="ru6y18">They consistently do what they need to do for their students, irrespective of how they are feeling on a given day. They don’t spend their life stopping and starting. </li><li id="ru6y20">They deal with problems and challenges quickly and effectively, they don’t put their head in the sand. They face their challenges and use them to improve themselves. </li><li id="ru6y22">While many people are reactive, they are proactive. They take action before they have to. </li><li id="ru6y23">They are good communicators and they consciously work at it, with student, parents, administrators and peers. </li><li id="ru6y26">Their desire to be exceptional means that they typically do things that most won’t. They are willing to take risk and realize that you learn as much if not more from failure. </li><li id="ins.0">They do what is best for their students and that is the first question they ask. </li><li id="ru6y30">They understand the importance of discipline and self-control. They are strong. They are happy to take the road less travelled. </li><li id="ru6y32">They are generous and kind. They take pleasure in helping all students achieve. </li><li id="ru6y33">They are humble and they are happy to admit mistakes and to apologise. They are confident in their ability, but not arrogant. They are happy to learn from others. They are happy to make others look good rather than seek their own personal glory. </li><li id="ru6y34">They are adaptable and embrace change, while the majority are creatures of comfort and habit. They are comfortable with, and embrace, the new and the unfamiliar. </li><li id="ru6y37">They are resilient. When most would throw in the towel, they’re just warming up. </li><li id="ru6y38">They are open to, and more likely to act upon, feedback, from administrators, peers and students. </li><li id="ru6y40">They don’t invest time or emotional energy into things which they have no control of. </li><li id="ru6y41">They are happy to swim against the tide, to do what most won’t. They are not people pleasers and they don’t need constant approval. </li><li id="ru6y44">They don’t rationalise failure. While many are talking about the troubles of their students, they are finding a way to help them succeed despite all their challenges. </li><li id="ru6y47">They are more interested in effective than they are in easy. While the majority look for the quickest, easiest way (the shortcut), they look for the course of action which will produce the best results for their students over the long term. </li><li id="ru6y50">They practice what they preach. They don’t talk about the theory, they live the reality.</li></ol> <p id="r4t158"> </p>I am sure that many teachers will read this list and say, hey that is me. Others will say that I must be nuts, no teacher can be like that (I not sure many of those will find this post). Do I care or even want to know? What do you think?Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-266875361437227282008-05-08T08:01:00.004-04:002008-05-08T08:08:43.877-04:00Another Voice Joins the ChorusWell it seems like the flood gates have opened on the cell phone topic. I just came across this article in <a href="http://www.technewsworld.com/story/62820.html?welcome=1210246466">Technology News</a> jumping on the "why are we banning cell phones" bandwagon. This one has some really good points and ideas. Hey maybe if we all just start forwarding all of this "data" to IT directors, principals, superintendents and school board members they will just give up and see the light.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-40657260629933333852008-05-06T22:40:00.006-04:002008-05-08T08:09:35.485-04:00Cell Phones AgainI just had to share this post from <a href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/">David Pogue's blog</a>, he is the technology editor for the New York Times<br /><br /><h2 class="post-title">Return of the Cellphones-in-Class Question</h2> <!-- end post-info --> <div class="post-content"> <p><em><br />Today’s mailbag brings a question that was on every teacher’s lips a few years ago. I haven’t heard much talk about it recently. Is that because teachers have solved this problem on their own? If so, I’d like to hear your suggestions… </em></p> <p>Dear David: I’m a high school teacher. Like all high schools, we are dealing with a problem that sucks time, energy, and resources like a black hole: cellphones. We waged a similar battle a few years back with iPods, and although stakes seem much higher now, the fundamental argument is the same. The argument is:</p> <p>1] cellphones are a distraction<br />2] cellphones present a potential liability in terms of cheating on tests<br />3] cellphones are a distraction</p> <p>My position is that we’re fighting the wrong fight, and fighting a fight no one will win. Telling teenagers that they cannot have a cellphone on their person, or worse, telling them that they can carry it but they cannot use it, is like banning cloudy days. It’s an admirable suggestion, but totally ludicrous. If I’m gauging the pace of progress correctly, by the time my current students exit college, the iPhone will be one of five devices that offer voice, text, e-mail, video chat, and Web access. Banning them is, in my opinion, ill considered at best. </p> <p>I truly feel we should be incorporating their capabilities into the curriculum when possible, and teaching etiquette and personal responsibility in their use—because if the college class I teach is any example, they don’t got none. It’s so disheartening to look around during a lecture and see the soft glow of the screens while my students text away. I want to say it’s insulting, but it’s not personal — not in the least. It’s just the way it is. </p> <p>So I’m asking for some insight on how to sell this to an administration that is overwhelmed with a hundred more important things, and to a school board that feels that two $500 computers are twice as good as one $1,000 machine. What’s the answer?</p><p>So my answer is, let them eat cake, oh I mean I have to agree teach the student responsible use of technology. There is no way to stop them from using and having them so teach them how to use them properly. With so much to teach students and so little time why should we as educators waste some of that time on this issue.</p><p>It seems like <a href="http://www.teach42.com/2008/05/06/mobile-phones-in-the-classroom-again/">Steve Dembo</a> had the same idea as I did and posted Dave's letter on his blog as well. What makes this even more ironic is that Steve, Dave and I were all together at PETE&C this year. Steve and Dave as keynote speakers and little old me just there to hear them. But we all had the same idea of venting on the time wasted on this issue.<br /></p><p></p><br /></div>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-31149009619191440202008-04-25T10:40:00.005-04:002008-05-13T12:43:25.243-04:00Standing upI read this article <a href="http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2008/04/22/notest_ap.h19.html">Teacher Suspended for Refusing to Give State Test</a> and really started to think. The basic gist of the article was a middle school teacher in Washington state was suspended without pay for 2 weeks for refusing to give his students the state high-stakes test. Now that is what I call standing up for your convictions. As a union president I would never advise a member to be insubordinate, but I must respect his commitment and feel his frustration. What if a whole school, or district, or even state would do this. Who know maybe the next Arlo Guthrie would even write a song about it. Would Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. approve of such a protest?<br /><br />I think most teachers will agree that a child is more than a test score, but how many of us would be will to put ourselves in that kind of peril just to show it. Maybe if we all did the effects of NCLB would not have been as devastating.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-30681513779445350632008-04-23T21:33:00.002-04:002008-04-23T21:47:06.508-04:00What a DayWow what a day. It started with a great PD session in Harrisburg with my friend <a title="Steve's Bio" target="_blank" href="http://www.plsweb.com/graduate_courses/instructors/sassaman_s/" id="iotq">Steve Sassaman</a> from <a title="PLS web site" target="_blank" href="http://www.plsweb.com/" id="ksx.">Performance Learning Systems</a>. We were working on the art of presenting. I always enjoy our sessions with Steve. Next on the agenda was a train ride from Harrisburg to Philly, made even more enjoyable by the fact that I was joined by my good friend and fellow TIM (at least for a while) <a title="Dave's blog" target="_blank" href="http://k12geek.com/blog/" id="cmql">Dave Solon</a>. We were on our way to a Discovery Educators Network (DEN) event that Dave set up. We were going to the <a title="Sansom Oyster House" target="_blank" id="a2lf" href="http://www.phillytown.com/sansomstoysterhouse.htm">Sansom Oyster House</a> to a meet and greet with three of the Captains from the show Deadliest Catch. What great time. Visit Dave's blog for more of the detail. I will just include a link to the <a title="pictures" target="_blank" href="http://picasaweb.google.com/leespeers/DEN?authkey=e9mc8ghD_T8" id="nipi">pictures</a> I took.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-2257878188241174032008-04-15T16:02:00.003-04:002008-04-15T16:35:21.614-04:00Never put Science Teachers in a Room TogetherI watched <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/243"><span style="font-style: italic;">Al Gore: New thinking on the climate crisis</span></a> from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.ted.com">TED</a> the other day. So I sent it to some of my science colleagues and they loved it as well. After a PD today one of the teachers I sent it to told a teacher from another school he would show it in his room after our session. So he, I and three other science teachers watch the video. Do not get science teachers fired up about the climate crisis. Well in actuality <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">we should all be fired up about it</span>. After watching the video and getting ourselves calmed down and rational again I had a chance to talk with a teacher from the other building and we started discussing how Gore's talked fit in with the new "Flat World" of Friedman. Included in that the facilitator at our PD mentioned Pink and Right brain thinking. So now here are a couple of science teachers standing in the hallway linking Gore, Friedman and Pink and what it means for not only our own children but how we have to teach our students. We brought back one of the strategies from our PD called <a href="http://www.readingquest.org/strat/qar.html">QAR</a>. We all said that our students have a difficult time with the two in their head types of questions, and that is exactly what Pink says they will need to prosper in the Friedman Flat World. Now Gore puts into place being politically conscience and wow. And what are many teachers doing, getting students ready for mandated tests to show AYP. God (or some higher power) help us. This needs to be a discussion for a late night with group of committed educators who are ready to change the face of education in America. Anyone ready to join me?Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-65995138932541281112008-04-12T06:41:00.004-04:002008-04-12T06:45:29.965-04:00The $50 SMARTBOARDSometimes getting up at 4 am on a Saturday is worth it. I came across this <a title="SMARTBOARD?" target="_blank" href="http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/245" id="d2wh">TED talk</a> and just got myself a new project. <a title="Johnny Lee Homepage" target="_blank" href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/%7Ejohnny/" id="u3-n">Johnny Lee</a> takes a Wii remote and turns it into an interactive white board (SMARTBOARD). I know my wife has a lot planned for me this weekend, but I may just have to find time to work on this. Looks like could be a late night. <br /><br />What makes this great is that Mr. Lee gives the software and instruction for free. With the use of YouTube for advertising his interactive whiteboard software has been downloaded thousands of times and his "invention" is being use all over the world as a cheap reliable substitute for equipment that is financially out of reach for many districts. The only problem is going to be getting the Wii remote away from my son.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-4625778246808828362008-03-29T22:19:00.004-04:002008-03-29T22:37:32.917-04:00The best 18 minutes I have spent in a long timeI watch a TED Talk video and I am ready to get back and teach on Monday. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. Take the time to watch this one, but put your mind in neutral and hang on for the ride.<br /><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/237"><span> Clifford Stoll: 18 minutes with an agile mind</span></a></span></h1>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-10775907684416028862008-03-25T14:14:00.003-04:002008-03-25T14:20:52.436-04:00Einstein and the Other SpearsOkay I read this and had to drop everything.<br /><br /><p> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >Spears trumps Stephen Hawking. Worse, nearly half of Americans couldn’t name Einstein, Hawking, or any other current scientist as a science role model for today’s youth, according to a new study on “The State of Science in America,” by Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, conducted by Harris Interactive. The survey reveals for the first time what average Americans think about science, science education, and our nation’s leadership in science. Most (70 percent) believe America is not the world leader in science, and only 35 percent think the U.S. will be the world leader in science in the next 20 years. Among those adults pessimistic about America’s prospects in science, 79 percent agree science is not receiving the attention it deserves in our nation’s schools. The survey found strong support for a range of ways to improve science education, including more support for teachers, more time spent learning science, increasing parental involvement and finding more ways to teach kids about science. You can read more about the survey at <a href="http://www.stateofscience.org/" title="http://www.stateofscience.org/ blocked::http://www.stateofscience.org/">www.stateofscience.org</a>.</span> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >So I went and read the entire survey and here what I think:</span> </p> <ol> <li> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Scientists are not seen as role models, well I am not use they ever were. When only 4% of adults could name a living scientist why would kids have them as role models.</span> </li> <li> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Adults are not impressed with how seriously America is taking science education. Well we are not taking it seriously. Science has been pushed out because it is not tested for AYP, but next year....</span> </li> <li> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Adults think science education is falling short and deserves increased funding and attention. Then ask if their taxes should go up to provide this funding and see what the answer is. Do more just don't cost me more. How about this idea, send a little bit of money on early science education and reap the benefits in the years to come.</span> </li> <li> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >The idea for improving science education contained no earth shattering or revolutionary ideas, just things we know would help.</span> </li> </ol> Bottom line time. A vast majority of people in the survey (87%) feel science is important. 79% thinks science does not receive the attention needed. 87% agree that more funding is needed. Hey this is a mandate from the people. Science needs to be put back in the forefront of education. From the survey 87% say they personally benefit from science everyday (I think it is 100%). It is science that put a man on the moon and launch us into this new age of instant accessibility and global connection. The understanding of science is essential to Pink's New Mind and the ever flattening world we live in.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-21379319343729042842008-03-24T15:34:00.006-04:002008-03-24T15:58:02.386-04:00Yah Mon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_t7K35nwE_m8/R-gE103fo7I/AAAAAAAAAPY/-Ayh6DROfqM/s1600-h/DSCN1192.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_t7K35nwE_m8/R-gE103fo7I/AAAAAAAAAPY/-Ayh6DROfqM/s320/DSCN1192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181396694060737458" border="0" /></a>Well there I was minding my own business relaxing in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jamaica</st1:place></st1:country-region> just doing a little shopping when bam; education runs straight into me.<span style=""> </span>It took the form of the three youngsters pictured above and their classmates.<span style=""> </span>They were working on a project, interviewing tourists that were shopping in the local craft market.<span style=""> </span>They had a set of scripted questions and depending on the answer there would be follow-up questions.<span style=""> </span>The young boy was asking the questions and his classmates were assisting him.<span style=""> </span>He was struggling a bit with the English and the girls were more than willing to help him out.<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I could not help but wonder what kind of project or presentation they were going to produce and how they would use the answers they were gathering.<span style=""> </span>How would I have kids do this same activity?<span style=""> </span>The basic concepts of identifying a question to research, coming up with questions to ask to get data, conducting the interviews to gather the data, compiling and reporting the data and then drawing conclusions from the data, that would be a good project and almost any level.<span style=""> </span>Now incorporate some tech for the data crunching and presentation and you are all set.<span style=""> </span></p>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-5519109882074625542008-03-09T20:50:00.007-04:002008-03-09T23:16:53.581-04:00Every Teacher Needs to Watch This<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgfqkj1Q6TUKpbS-iVXGALkyBG5kcJak6EF8Unax6jAONEdOZqA7EXJWtvsSmAZVQI_qVICwA2BSLtxajuLA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />I forget where I saw this, it may have been on a Twitter. Anyway I watched it on YouTube, but since it is blocked at school I used <a href="http://www.zamzar.com/">Zamzar</a> to convert it. But how the video got on my blog is not what this post is about. It's about the content of the video. If any teacher watches this and it does not impact the way they teach they are either teacher of the year or need to think about retiring. I think of my own son in kindergarten the class of 2020. What will he do when he grows up. It very may well be a job that has not even been thought of yet, and will he be prepared by the educators he encounters during the next 12 years? I hope so. After watching this I will redouble my efforts to help teachers that wants to learn and incorporate technology into their practice so they can help students like my son.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-2114709576955029792008-03-04T07:29:00.003-05:002008-03-04T07:35:46.739-05:00Cheating?The following came to me via ASCD news brief. After reading the entire story I left the comment at the bottom of the post.<br /><br /><a class="none_und" title="Full story" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4362510&page=1" target="_blank">More students admit to cheating amid pressure to win better grades</a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:13;" >As the college admissions process grows more competitive, two of three U.S. high school students admit to "serious" cheating and 90% say they cheat on homework, according to a Rutgers' Management Education Center national survey. "These kids are desensitized in a culture that values the bottom line," says Jason Stephens, an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut who recently won a $400,000 grant to study classroom ethics. <a title="full story" href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4362510&page=1" target="_blank">ABC News</a></span><br /><br />My comment:<br />The norms of society are changing. The idea of "coping in not cheating" is taught at the home, school and by peers. Here the point, look at you CD/music and DVD library. Are all the items in your collection originals, or do you have a few burned copies of something? Guess what, your cheating and most teachers even feel that using a "copy" of a DVD for class purposes is OK. I know as a teacher I see it all the time and when I question it boy do I hear it. So what are students to think, coping is OK for my parents, teachers and other adults, but no OK for me. We need to take a hard look in the mirror in this new digital age about this whole idea and what we "teach" to our children.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-65087631968744743792008-02-25T13:07:00.002-05:002008-02-25T13:22:11.718-05:00PETE&C Postconference<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Wednesday after PETE&C, almost 2 weeks ago now, the PA-TIMs had a professional development session around leadership/coaching lead by <a title="Steve Sassaman" target="_blank" href="http://www.plsweb.com/professional_development/workshops_keynotes/sassaman_s/" id="nbo0">Steve Sassaman</a> from <a target="_blank" title="Performance Learning Systems" href="http://www.plsweb.com/" id="uul9">Performance Learning Systems</a>. Steve has been with us before and has always enlightened us and given us things to ponder and use in our role as mentors. This session was no different. We started of with a discussion of the differences between presenting, teaching and facilitating. It was a very interesting discussion.<br /><br />The definitions from Dictionary.com<br /><a title="Presenting:" target="_blank" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/presenting" id="l5bw">Presenting:</a> <a title="Teaching:" target="_blank" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/teaching" id="aa4u">Teaching:</a> <a title="Facilitating:" target="_blank" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facilitating" id="imbg">Facilitating:</a><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />Here are my definitions<br />Presenting: A static "canned" delivering of information to a group, sometimes meant to persuade to take action.<br />Teaching: To cause information to be learned by a group.<br />Facilitating: To take an active role in the learning process, were both the "student" and "teacher" learn<br /><br />If you stop and think about it facilitating requires the most work, but will produce the most learning. It is back to the old adage you get out what you put it, in programing terms it's GIGO. The other thing that really gets in the way sometimes, especially for secondary teachers is the plan. We boiled it down to this, "Plan the teaching, don't teach the plan". That and the Lumberjack story would have been enough, but there was still more.<br /><br />Facilitation comes in three forms. Facilitate yourself, facilitate others, facilitate a group. Facilitating yourself is about self-awareness and using reflection as tool to better your teaching. As Lao Tsu said "Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing the self is enlightenment". When you facilitate yourself you make choices, either DO choices or BE choices. Making the positive DO and BE choices is the best way of facilitating yourself. <br /><br />Once you have yourself on the path, then you can facilitate others. This is coaching. The one on one facilitation of others. Taking a person from where they are to where they want to be. I think this one is the easiest. I think facilitating yourself is the hardest, but coaching one-on-one provides a "safe" environment for both persons. It is easy to establish a relationship and trust in this arrangement, thus making it possible for both participants to learn from the interaction.<br /><br />Facilitating a group is really knowing how to read them and know what they need. Is it time to think and reflect, guidance, motivation, a nudge, or just an okay to express themselves. This is done by establishing a culture in the classroom, one of respect and safety, where learners feel free to express thoughts and views. Where the true feeling is that the sum knowledge of all of us is better than any one of us. Sounds simple, but this is the art of teaching. This is when teaching becomes true facilitation and learning takes place at an astounding rate. <br /><br />So what are the barriers to reaching this nirvana of teaching? Perception is part of the problem. We want teaching to be neat, orderly, sequential, quiet, managed, reproducible and controllable. Unfortunately learning is often messy, accidental, random, loud and complex. So what we truly want may not look, sound or feel like what we expect it be. Too often we would rather see or are "judged" on the expectation and not the desired outcome, one of the real crimes of teaching.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-72438221053565680692008-02-21T08:18:00.005-05:002008-02-21T08:42:26.260-05:00Einstine on TestingI came across this <a href="http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2008/01/09/16tln_flanagan_web.h19.html">article</a> from Teacher Magazine and just had to pass it on. Go read the article and then finish reading the post, I'll wait.<br /><br />It was the not until the last two bullet points that I really got interested. The comments about thinking on the grand scale and standardized testing being psychometrically week and causing feeling of mistrusted seem so true. People always talk about NCLB and multiple measures, and how the test does not really measure what it is suppose to, blah, blah, blah. But think about it in terms of an individual kid, picture him/her in your mind, one that you know is intelligent, articulate and engaged in their education, but is labeled as not proficient do to some PSSA score. Got that kid in your brain now. Okay answer the question, how can (insert name of child here) demonstrate, or what measure can I use, to erase the not proficient label and replace it with advanced. Got your answer, go do it, then repeat.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-19968587058942296762008-02-18T22:16:00.003-05:002008-02-18T22:21:16.314-05:00PETE&C PodcastWell I compiled some interview from PETE&C this year and put together a podacst. My fellow TIM Dave Solon put on the finishing touches and posted it up on the <a href="http://www.twentyfortech.com/podcasts/TFT003%20PETEnC_2008.mp3">Twenty Minutes For Tech</a> podcast. Give it a listen and if you were at PETE&C let me know what you thought was the best session or thing you found most useful.Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895884368041528561.post-42669882653347646902008-02-15T10:45:00.001-05:002008-02-15T11:12:35.376-05:00What we learned from MCPSThere is a lot of talk about closing the "achievement gap" well last week I had the opportunity along with a team from my district to hear from a district that is doing it. We heard from <a target="_blank" title="See Dr. Weast's bio" href="http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/superintendent/about/biography.shtm" id="qb6k">Jerry Weast</a> and his team from <a title="MCPS homepage" target="_blank" href="http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org" id="xhtk">Montgomery County Public School</a> in Maryland. They have a truly district wide vision of every student graduating college ready. This vision is held by ever person that works in the district, from the superintendent to the cafeteria worker. All of the stakeholders are aligned and pulling on the same rope. This is a unique situation were the administration, <a title="MCEA Home page" target="_blank" href="http://www.mcea.nea.org" id="z3ow">teacher union</a>, support staff and parents have all come together around there vision. This vision has several benchmark measurements that guide students along the road to graduation (none of which are AYP related). These benchmarks start at kindergarten and takes the students though graduation letting them, their parent and their teachers know where they stand during the journey. Our district patterned our work around the success of MCPS and have started to roll them out to administrators. Once we have fully "released" them I share them as well. Until then just know that we have started on our PATHS for all of our students.<br><br>The other inspiring person we heard from was <a title="LeDerick's bio" target="_blank" href="http://www.horneonline.com/poet/" id="k1q2">LeDerick Horne</a>, a student that was labeled special ed in third grade and his struggles with a system that told him he could not make. Luckily he had his mother as an advocate that would not the system fail him. As a result he is a successful well spoken entrepreneur, businessman, playwright and poet. Take a look at his bio, although it does not do him justice. It made me think how many LeDericks have passed though our school system without ever receiving the chance to succeed. <br><br><br><br>Lee Speershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00343573759341887674noreply@blogger.com0