From Theory to Practice

pjhiggins Twitterpoll: If you could have your administrators read one book this summer, what would it be?

This question comes from one of the administrators who has become part of my PLN over the past year. Now, before I go into how I responded, some of the replies were:

ssandifer @pjhiggins wikinomics

chrislehmann @pjhiggins Moral Leadership — Thomas Sergiovanni

Now, there are a few topics that I believe are becoming essential for administrators to have a working knowledge about:

Data and data management

Economics and global influence

Leadership and the leadership role

Assessment and Curricular Planning

Technology Integration

Students, parents and school community relations

Helping All students reach their potential

Conflict Resolution

Now, the list could be endless but I think that these topics, although very broad, will give an administrator some guidelines. One cannot possibly be up-to-date on all the topics of education but it is important to have a grasp of those things that significantly affect education. Some people might argue that there are other topics that could be added and they’re right. Some might disagree with the way I’ve set this up and so be it. The point is that there is no one book that will “be” the book to read. It might give us some insight into a particular area of education or school or economy or society or…. but it won’t be definitive.

So, what is my suggestion for a book or two to read through the summer? Well, my answer to the question was:

@pjhiggins “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” (Charles Schultz) or “Scientific Progress Goes “Boink”  and “The Days are Just Packed” (The last two are Calvin and Hobbes books by Bill Watterson.)

What the? probably just ran through your mind. This is suppose to be for school administrators. What in the world do these books have to do with that? Well, nothing and everything. These are comics and, on their own, have nothing to do with being an administrator. However, they are about children, written in such a dynamic manner that they capture the angst of that time in a manner that I have yet to see done by any of the many books that I have read. In fact, it is during times when I’m very unsure of what I’m doing and where things are going that I often turn to these books, or others by the same writer, that I find inspiration for where I am going.

It’s from these images and stories that I find more real ideas than from many of the “expert” books that I have read. It’s the fact that these two writers are able to so magnificently capture the angst/joy of childhood and youth in a way that allows one to see beyond just what is there.

Life is a Comedy (of errors?)

As a young administrator, I was going to fix the schools of their problems. Yes I was. I had the answers and once people saw that I had them, everyone would listen, we’d bring about sweeping changes and I’d climb the steps all the way to the Division office in a few short years. Really. I mean, I’d spent 10 years honing my craft in middle year classrooms, working with incredible teachers, learning from them and beginning to explore how connecting students and curriculum was so important. I was ready.

Apparently, the rest of the educational world wasn’t quite ready for me and I was definitely not ready for what was follow. Let’s just say, I had a bit more than my eyebrows singed in my first years as an administrator. Now in my 8th year, I understand that I know very little, I have very little power and school administration is not even close to what I thought it was going to be. I was, in truth, completely clueless.

Don’t squirt lighter fluid on a burning fire

Truth be told, my learning is increasing each year as I see relationships that need to be explored and then look for information and ways of learning about the different parts of the relationships. As the school year screams along, I try to keep up with different ideas and thoughts regarding education. I also try to keep seeking out ideas and thoughts from outside education, looking for ways to blend and merge, to create an experience that is less “unreal” so students can experience “the real world” well before they exit from school.

In doing this, I sometimes find that I use to squirt lighterfluid on bonfires which, if you’ve been camping, can be quite interesting depending on the size of the fire, the amount of fluid and the distance from the fire. I’ve since learned that this type of activity does nothing but create a much larger fire that usually singes hair off your body. (note - a person looks stupid with no eyebrows or eyelashes!) Instead, I’ve learned to that fires do not need any additional fuel from me and my job is to make sure they stay under control and are put out.

Cartoon Heroes

When things get really intense with my job, which is about every few hours, I’ve learned that if I take myself too seriously, I will make mistakes. That’s when a few moments to refocus and recenter is so important. My inspiration at these times is a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon. No matter the situation, it makes me smile and reflect. The theory is always useful but it’s the transfer to everyday situations and individual moments where it really counts. Sometimes it isn’t always easy to do and sometimes, it’s downright gut-wrenching. It’s times like that, when the two worlds are colliding and I’m searching, I spend a little time seeing what the comic philosophers have to say. It’s not that I’m looking for one specific answer. Instead, I’m looking at people and humanity through different lenses. In fact, most of my heroes come from those pages - heroes that may not save the world or always be stronger, faster and stronger. They’re my heroes because they point out our human follies and virtues in ways that are accessible to everyone.

So, my suggestion for reading during the summer might include a few “educational” books but it definitely will include those comic philosophers who will remind me of the importance of staying in touch with all aspects of being human. I’ve so much to learn. When I first stepped into administration, I had so many answers. Now, I have so many questions and, as an administrator, it’s all about the kids - all kids. I’ve felt like many of the characters in those pages. So, if you excuse me, I have a coffee table that needs some nails and a ball team that needs a pitcher.

TLt Summit - staying motivated/moving on

Last week had me attending my first “Techie” conference in full force. The TLt Summit in Saskatoon was truly an inspiring experience. I sat through some incredible keynotes by the likes of Stephen Downes, George Siemens, Brian Lamb and Rick Schwier. I attended sessions by cutting edge educators right here from Saskatchewan like Dean Shareski, Rob Wall, Kyle Lichtenwald, Alec Couros and Kathy Cassidy. I enjoyed lunch and drinks with many of these same people plus listened and learned from Jennifer Jones, D’Arcy Norman, Cindy Siebel, Donna Desroches and others who have incredible ideas and insights into the use of technology in education at all levels. I was humbled knowing that some of these same people were at my session on the second day.

Seeing several key Canadian players in the educational technology realm was important because I find that there is a difference between what is happening in education in Canada and what I read is happening in many US states.  It was a chance to spend time listening to what they had to say on all sorts of topics, from the discussion I had with George Siemens about student/teacher equality (I wish I would have had more time for this as it was a great discussion.) to the time I spent listening to Brian Lamb and Stephen Downes discuss education at the university level. Each keynote had so many great points and interesting nuances that I really wasn’t sure which way to go. Actually, I’m still sifting through the different layers, fitting together ideas from one or another session or keynote.

The one thing I did learn was that, when doing a presentation, you need to really keep track of time, spend more time interacting with the audience, less time delivering the “big message” and more time giving examples of how to bring about changes in small, but meaningful, ways. My presentation, which consisted of 10 very bland slides with key prhases on them, wasn’t really what I wanted it to be. I spent way too much time delivering the message that administrators need to be advocates for technology use, learners who start to embrace the use of technology,  researchers who examine different types of technology and skeptics who question those who are too gung-ho and those too restrictive. From many discussions that I have had, too many administrators are unsupportive of technology use and implementation. I’m not sure their reasoning but it seems that, for whatever reason, there is a reluctance to move forward with seeing how different technologies can enhance the learning of students within a school. Instead of this,

I was actually very disappointed in my own presentation but, it being my first, I’ve learned so many things from it. Having seen so many great presentations put on during the three days, I was hoping that some of what they did would find its way into what I did. Unfortunately, it didn’t.  I didn’t pace myself and lost a wonderful opportunity to show others how, as an administrator, you could help a staff to be more open to technology use and begin to make it a part of how the school operates.

As usual, I’ve spent a fair amount of time reflecting on what I did and didn’t do during my presentation and how, given another chance to do the presentation, I will shift the emphasis from the “What I think” to “What you can do” paradigm. The first really is quite common and, although moving, doesn’t really have any substance while the second, although not always as moving, is very practical which is really what many of the people in attendance wanted. In many ways, I let those in the audience down by not delivering the goods. If the chance ever presents itself again, I plan on spending much more time discussing setting up technology for integration and less time brow-beating those in attendance.

Motivational Meetings

TLt  has really motivated me to reexamine what I am doing and focus on a number of key items. The first is to reflect on what has taken place at our school this year and put together a much more concrete plan for technology use and integration. Thus far, the plan has been just sitting there, bubbling in the back of my mind. Hearing what the various keynotes and speakers had to say, I more convinced that each teacher can make much better use of tools that will enhance the learning of the students and become an integral part of the strategies they use. Kathy Cassidy’s presentation about using Web2.0 tools in the classroom really spoke to me about how teachers don’t need to be the technology experts but, instead, need to be willing to be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. They are to live being a life-long learner where nothing is impossible with the help of others.

Brian Lamb’s opening to his session was incredible. He demonstrated how using various tools can allow one to demonstrate their learning by mashing together different pieces of information to create a unique and personal response to a question or inquiry. There were a few people who didn’t particularly appreciate his introduction but I found it to be exactly what I would want a student to be able to do in one of my classes after exploring a particular theme or idea. The learning was obvious and the message that Brian was able to create was his own, mashing together various sound bites through which he was able to tell his story. Thanks Brian!

I also realized how important visual images have become, especially personal images that tell a story from the perspective of the person. Throughout the three days, various people were always taking photos - D’Arcy Norman and Alec Couros have the greatest cameras! - which they then uploaded to their online accounts. They were able to access these and use them during Stephen Downes keynote - telling part of the story as Stephen discussed his predictions for the future. What an awesome idea, having these images accessible and use them to demonstrate ideas and understanding. And Stephen, to offer the use of the backchannel right during his keynote to allow participants to actually participate and interact in a real way, what an amazing idea - worthy of use by any teacher who is seeking to have studnts become learners instead of receivers. I’ve been part of the bachchannel during online presentations and know that it is an incredibly powerful tool but seeing it being used during Stephen’s presentation really brought home how technology could have an immediate impact on the receivers. I’m not sure that grade 7 or 8 students would be quite ready for this but I can see it being a very useful thing in a university setting. Can you imagine the discussions that might take place, especially if the presenter was able to adapt material to backchannel discussion. I’d really like to see something like this in distance ed classes for students.

Truly Humbled

Reality - I am an administrator in a K - 12 school in rural Saskatchewan. After my first foray in the world of presentations, I realize that my dream of wowing the crowd and being sought after is still just a dream. I have made some great f2f connections, meeting many people who are my online twitter friends. Each, by themselves, has so much to offer but the chance to meet them en masse, WOW!!!!

One highlight was hearing Rick Schwier speak on Wednesday evening after the banquet.  I  took a class, some time ago, from Professor Schwier. It had something to do with education and technology from what I remember.  His talk was about technology and  life. He reminded me that each of us has a role to play and to be  content, we must find enjoyment and fulfillment in what we are doing here and now. I don’t remember what he said but it was the feeling I had as he talked - of being part of a very special moment when someone with a great deal of knowledge and wisdom is going to let you in on some of it. I remember he focused on storytelling and how important it is to people - not just the telling but the listening. He also mentioned something about playing and having fun. The whole time I kept thinking, it’s about the people - connecting with people - bringing people together and helping one another. Thanks, Rick, for the insights!

Where do I/We go?

Alec Couros and Kyle Lichtenwald both commented that my posts were just way to darn long. They’re probably right. Maybe I need to heed their advice and learn to twitterize my posts - limit each to 500 words or something. Wouldn’t really matter because it would still take me too long to get to where I’m going which is here. For me, the conference has renewed my resolve to bringing change, if only in my school. At this point, given what I do, that is really my only option. This summer I will get another chance at presenting, hopefully, if Donna doesn’t have second thoughts! So, as I prepare for the rest of this year and begin to envision a new year, part of it will include a renewed emphasis on integrating technology, working with teachers to enhance the opportunities for the students through whatever means it takes. Jen Jones had it partially right  when she said

He’s also completely dedicated to making this world a better place for his family, one rotten student and teacher at a time, and I am convinced he’s going to do it!

It’s not just my family but all students. (Did I really call them rotten?) I don’t believe that students or teachers are bad. They make poor choices. I hope to be able to help them in whatever way I can. I want all students to come home and answer the question “How was your day at school?” with an excited conversation about the day. That’s my motivation!

Transformative administration

Our school just finished DEAR reading time - 15 minutes of each day dedicated to reading. My book of the day is Transformative Assessment by W.James Popham. I’m just comfortably started the book and enjoy the dedicated time I can have to just read. Today I read a great line:

Instruction should not be an Ouija-boardlike game in which teachers guess what to do next.

I’m thinking that this could apply to so many areas of what we do in schools. In fact, as I’ve read, listened and reflected this year, it seems we need to really take the guessing portion out of what we do. We have enough knowledge about learning that we really don’t need to any guessing.

Over at Leadertalk.org, there have been a couple posts regarding dealing with teachers who are, for whatever reason, not doing as well as they should be in the classroom. The first was by Scott McLeod and dealt with dealing with teachers that were not meeting expectations. This was also the basic idea of Greg Farr’s post.  I read through these posts, thinking about what my role as an administrator, what I am currently doing and what I need to do. I look at how our school is functioning, what is going on in the building, how  people are feeling and a whole host of other factors and assess what areas need addressing.

Needs to be addressed

Now there’s lots of information on Transformational Leadership but this isn’t going to be one of those. In fact, this is going to be how administrators need to be willing to transform themselves, assessing what is happening around them and honestly evaluate areas that need to be changed, develop ways of doing that change and seeking advice in going about that change.

Just as classroom formative assessment helps teachers to address what is happening regarding the learning in their classroom, administrators need to be doing school formative assessment, adjusting what they are doing to help the learning that is taking place in their school. Just as teachers need to adjust to the students in the room, helping some more than others, partnering them, praising them and giving them constructive criticism to help them improve, administrators need to do the same.

Both Scott and Greg, and all the people who responded in the comments on those posts, addressed an issue that is sometimes hard for administrators to get a handle on - the teacher not meeting expectations. Now Chris Lehmann, in his commented noted that:

what of the struggling teacher? What of the teacher who is open to help, who is learning the craft, but has not mastered it yet?

I’ve known many, many teachers whose first year… even second year… were nothing short of train wrecks, but who were at nurturing schools with administrators and colleagues who helped them improve and became excellent, excellent teachers.

We have so many teachers in our systems whose potential remains untapped… let us not write them off before we have done all within reason to help them to become the teachers we need.

I agree with Chris, so does Gregg by the way. What about those struggling new teachers who need that help? It is important to help them and move them along, giving them access to tools, resources and other assistance to improve what they are doing. It is crucial to support them as an administrator and help them to become reflective professionals. But what about those teachers who are going through some sort of mid-career crisis? Those who seem uninspired or unmotivated? Or the teacher with only X number of years left? Or, or or or? What is an administrator to do?

This is where I see administrators being crucial in helping these teachers to move along, one way or another. They need to have the necessary tools to be able to be truthful with these teachers and offer them their support, not to get them out of teaching but to help them transform themselves. This is where reflective administrators can be examples for teachers, being willing to examine what they are doing and, if it isn’t benefitting the students, be willing to make the necessary changes very similar to teachers who change their instruction after they do formative assessment and identify areas their students need support.

Another way that administrators can be transformative is in their approach to changes and new ideas. My experience is that there are three ways administrators approach incoming changes: 1. Resist 2. Wait, evaluate, adopt 3. Jump in. The first and third are ones that, although popular with particular teachers, are not good for the school as a whole. The second allows for the staff to become somewhat comfortable with the change before things begin. In fact, as an administrator, I’ve learned that unless it is an emergency, the second approach is very practical for most decisions. Taking time to evaluate, find some data and do some thinking, is essential in making changes that are less disruptive and receive better reception from staff. This doesn’t mean all staff will like the changes but it does allow for a period of transition.

The technology thing

This is one area that I feel many administrators do not do as well as they could. In fact, my experience, although limited to what I hear and read through my PLN, is that many administrators are poorly informed about technology and resist or poorly informed and jump in. Too few are willing to take the time necessary to learn about different technologies, inquire about educational benefits or have enough information to at least discuss these with people who are dead against them.

Administrators must be the educational leader at the school and being unwilling to explore and question, discuss and inquire does not set the stage for being a leader that is willing to support and help those teachers who are struggling. I too often hear about teachers being moved or transferred because an administrator feels threatened by the “power” the teacher has with other staff or the way the teacher questions his/her ideas or whatever. It’s a sad day, indeed, when administrators in schools cannot see that they are to be the supporters of teachers who doing great things, helping teachers do great things not being power-brokers.

Administrators must begin to leverage the power that technology can give them - see that it can help them with organization, time-management, paperless work and staff communication and all types of things if managed correctly. It can also give them options that they didn’t have before like attending a web-based conference or class, using a video conference for meetings instead of driving or sharing documents without plugging up the email. It can also free up time which will allow administrators to get into the classrooms and build relationships with students and teachers.

Misleading title

The title was misleading on purpose. It set up the idea that there was going to be a discussion on the skills and traits of transformative administration. Instead, I wanted to focus on what this type of leadership does for the students, teachers and school and some of the key ways that it can also help the administrator. I know that it has sure helped me in building my PLN, gathering information, finding answers to different questions and other things. It has allowed me get connected with parents, students and staff. Best of all, it has allowed me to get in tough with the important things for me and allowed my passion for learning to grow and trickle out and affect others. I’ve come to see learning as a never-ending process that we have somehow turned into a grind for students and teachers. Exploring different ways to bring that passion back is something that motivates me and I’ve realized that the new technologies give me an advantage - something that I’m trying to pass on to other administrators. My work has just begun.

In order to fly, you have to let them go!

Today was another monumental day at school. For the first time, students were brought together to create the policies and consequences which they will follow in the upcoming year in the areas of attendance, lates, cellphone use and leaving school during the day. Areas, which up until now, had been the sole domain of the teachers and, usually, the principal.

When I arrived to take over the principalship almost 4 years ago, attendance was an issue particularly relating to students arriving for school, and class, late. It was particularly bad in grades 11 & 12. Being my first year, I watched and tried to figure out some way that this might be addressed so that the problem might be reduced to occasional occurrences not daily happenings. Over the next three years, I drew up different policies but they just didn’t work as a result of a number of reasons on all sides. This year, instead of coming up with a new policy, I tossed it back to the teachers telling them that they needed to solve how to handle the lates in their classes. That didn’t work. We continue to deal with a number of students who, for no other reason than they can, arrive late for classes in the morning and after lunch and, for some of them, in between.

As an administrator, it was starting to feel like the problem was unsolvable - the will just wasn’t there. Then, through a series of unfortunate events, I was left feeling that, if we weren’t able to deal with these issues, we certainly wouldn’t be able to deal with the bigger issues of drugs, student mental health, bullying and all those others that land in our hallways. So, I took a leap of faith and went to the people with whom these policies needed to work - the students.

Today, after lunch, I had the students in grades 9, 10, & 11 assemble in the library. I then explained my plan. They were going to set the boundaries for the following areas: students being late, students skipping classes, students leaving campus without signing out and cellphone usage. I explained that for three years these problems had continued without there being any real improvement. We’d tried a number of things and none of them worked. I needed them to identify what was acceptable in these areas, give boundaries for students and suggest consequences that students would have if they didn’t comply. I explained that these things we were talking about were mostly part of the Education Act, except for the cellphone use. These were areas that were part of the law and needed to be addressed. As with cellphones, we needed to come up with something that worked for them and for teachers. I spoke about how this was something that few students in schools get an opportunity to do and, depending on how things worked out, could be the start to many different issues that were part of how the school functioned. I trusted them, I explained, and was willing to give them the chance to demonstrate that they could do great things, “they could fly”. I then turned them loose with chartpaper and markers. 65 minutes later the last group handed in their ideas.

I’ve only had a few moments to go through their ideas but I can tell you that they took this very seriously and, without an exception, have come up with some great ideas for each area. Combining the ideas of the groups will result in something that is very clear to the students and very powerful. The one area that really struck me was the use of cellphones. Without an exception, each group agreed that they wanted to be able to use their phones during breaks but, once in class, they were to stay away unless called upon (calculator or agenda) and no texting was to take place. They gave consequences that were straightforward and reasonable, for the most part.

This type of thing happened for the other areas although there were some that were a bit “too strict” and some a bit “too wide-open”. However, it was clear that the students were wanting to be part of creating a solution. After this was done, I didn’t have time to talk with staff and won’t tomorrow because I’m at an all-day meeting. However, I’ve had some conversations with students and all of them have stated that the only way that this will work is if EVERY teacher follows through and doesn’t allow exceptions for particular students. This was mentioned for each of the grades that were represented. They wanted what they did to have meaning but know that all teachers must be using the guidelines. They expressed frustration with what they saw as double standards and were using this opportunity to voice their frustrations. They don’t want me to be the only one who goes about trying to implement their ideas.

They’re right. All teachers must be willing to embrace the chance these students have taken. I thought I was the only one taking a chance but, really, they were also taking a chance - a very big chance. They were willing to seriously consider what might be done about these things and they want those people who have the authority to follow through to do just that - to honour the work that they have done.

As a parent, I am always so proud when I see my children do something that I know has caused them some great inner struggle. Well, today I was very proud of these youth. They demonstrated that, given the opportunity and guidance, they can discuss, debate and deliver on a task that, up until now, has been difficult for staff to agree upon and follow through.

It’s been that kind of year

This year our school has taken the first steps toward having students being functioning members of the learning community and not just the beings that show up after we, the adults, have decided what should happen. They have had equal input into our school Code of Conduct, they have representatives that sit on our School Community Council who give us advice on particular ideas and they have now taken the first steps toward creating a true learning community, where all partners are part of the process. The crucial part will be getting teachers to work alongside the students - being there to help and guide them, assist and question them and, if need be, provide the discipline that is needed to help them. We’re a long way away from some of those schools that make headlines and are model schools and only time will tell if we can take what we did today and improve upon it. But, I am encourage and excited about the possibilities, seeing such things as our School Representative Council becoming more than a body that plans pep rallies and spirit days but instead being a place where such things as class trips are discussed and planned, electives for senior classes are explored and major decisions about how students act and interact are drafted.

We’re not done!

To add to this, on Thursday evening there is a meeting scheduled for staff, parents and students to discuss what types of electives they would like to see offered for our seniors. For the first time, instead of deciding what we will offer, we are going to have parents and students give us their ideas about what they would like to see happening at the school. Another huge step toward bringing all members of our learning community into the learning process. We’ll see how that turns out!

Talking with Administrators

I’ve been working on trying to figure out what I might want to talk about to administrators during my 45 minutes presentation at the Tlt conference that is coming up in two weeks. My intro to the presentation was using technology to help manage your school. I began writing about that and, low and behold, I found that it was nearly as boring as watching primer dry. What was I thinking?

To top if off, I’ve started down a road at school that is so uncharted I feel like the early explorers. You see, I’m about to bring all my grade 9, 10 & 11’s together to discuss what we want the school to be like and how we, together, are going to work at creating this vision of school. Our first meeting will be to address some of the simple rules that have been a thorn in everyone’s side since I arrived: students arriving late to class, students skipping class, students wandering from class and the whole cell phone thing.

As an administrator, I’m just about fed up with trying to create an attendance policy because it doesn’t get followed by the teachers. I’ve tried to get teachers to be responsible for students showing up late for their class but that hasn’t happened. They all want to have the same policy so that no one looks “bad” but they don’t mind if I’m the one who has to deal with the problems. So, in a fit of delirium, I’ve decided to go straight to the students to work out how we will deal with these problems. I have no clue how this is going to turn out but I’m pretty much tired of the whole mess. Time to come up with a solution that will work.

This brings me back to my presentation. I want to impress upon administrators that they have to actually get into the fray and begin learning about the technologies that are all around them. They have to be the educational leaders and be learning about what is going on and how these tools are being used. As administrators, they have to see that the students walking through the doors are not the same as they were because the world we are living in is not the same. That to deal with issues and problems in the same manner we have been doing does not deal with the problems, it just sweeps them out of sight.

I really want to tell them that to let IT departments dictate the filtering and software use is contrary to what learning is all about. That teachers need to be addressing the issues of inappropriate information in all that they are teaching so that students can begin to sift through the ever growing mountain of information that bombards them.

I want to tell them that parents need to be brought into the discussions about acceptable use of information and technology. That they need to be aware of the statistics about youth and the “evil” internet. I want to tell them that schools are the one place where topics like improper social network usage, giving out too much information and other such things can be discussed without the fear factor that other media is giving the internet. I want to impress upon them that the cellphone that our students are carrying is a powerful learning tool that can surf the web, record events and information and transfer their ideas and creations. I want to tell them to get over their prejudices about the various technologies and to think of them as learning tools instead of problems that need to be controlled.

I want to show them the power that every person on their staff has to develop a learning network that is tailored to their interests. Explain that, through the use of some very simple tools, they can introduce their teachers to others who will move their thinking and learning in ways they didn’t think possible.

When I began to work on this presentation in earnest, last night, I realized that I my presentation is really a reflection of the frustrations that I have been having trying to deal with some of the issues at school. I’ve been banging my head trying to figure out how to have teachers buy into something that, really, I need students to buy into and understand. Instead of creating reactionary consequences to what is happening, I want to bring students into the solution so they make it their problem not ours. I want to join in a conversation with them to find out where they are so that we can come create a solution. Like I said, I’m not sure what will happen tomorrow or how this will all turn out but, as an administrator, there needs to be some solutions found so we can move on to tackle some more serious issues.

Instead of giving the administrators who show up to my session some neat little package that they can go away with, I want to challenge them to look at their schools in a totally different way. I want them to begin to glimpse that the technologies are tools that are available but unless people working in schools begin to see teaching a learning in a new way and view students from a new perspective, it won’t matter what tools we throw into the mix the final results will continue to be the same.

I want these people who attend my session to begin to glimpse that preparing students for life in this ever-changing social climate means that their learning needs to be diverse, multi-faceted and more about learning how to learn than what to learn because the knowledge will continue to change in ways that we cannot predict. Students are much more aware of the hypocritical nature of people and many see teachers who talk about life-long learning but that is where it ends.

Maybe it’s the frustration of the past week or so that has me thinking like this or because I’m just desperate. It could be a little of both. I’m dealing with students who are finding no use in what they are doing and want more and, for the most part, aren’t really happy with the answer “Well, it’s the curriculum.” As I listen to my own daughters and their friends comments about school, I see we’re losing a whole group of students because we are not challenging them - demanding them to demonstrate their knowledge in ways besides writing and tests. I long to hear my older girls come home excited about what they are doing at school instead of the stories I get to hear about some misadventure that has gone on involving their peers. The first happens so rarely while the latter happens much too often. I want to tell the administrators that these types of comments have been ignored for too long - myself guilty as charged. To bring about the change, we need to be the educational leaders that promote and lobby for change to meet the needs of the students in our buildings. Granted, there are many more needs that we need to address, but learning is the fundamental reason for our existence and it’s time to reshape what that looks like.

Most likely, I’ll show them a nice powerpoint and a screencast about using some social tools. I mean, I only have 45 minutes.

It made me cringe but led to an “aha”

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’ve just finished putting away all the things from our second Ultimate Youth Night. This night is a opening evening for youth in our community to come together in a safe and supervised setting to enjoy movies, games, gaming and music. Our first event had about 50 youth attend from 7:00 to midnight. For last night’s event, it was decided to try to include some of the younger students in the school so we had two different parts to the evening. The first part was from 6:00 to 9:00 and was for any students from K to 5 accompanied by an adult. For a first time try, it was okay with about 15 kids attending with their parents.

The second part of the evening was for youth from grade 6 to age 18. For this portion of the evening, we had about 55 youth come out and play games and hang out. When I left at 9:00, after my 6 hours of setting up and getting all the things organized, the place was rocking with Wii, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Baseball, SceneIt, a the board games NHL Monopoly and Clue being played. We sold pop for a $1 and had free chips and such. This round we had many more girls attend and participate. We’re happy with what is happening but now we know it is time to make this a sustainable project - one that is run by youth with adult assistance. Our plan is to create a committee of 10 or 12 youth and have them appoint a chairperson and organize these evenings with input from the overseeing committee, of which 3 of the youth will sit on.

So, what made me cringe? Well, it wasn’t this. It was a conversation that I had with a grade 11 student on Friday who, during our discussion, told me that we were equals. I’ve spent the entire weekend thinking about that comment. Now it makes me cringe for a few reasons. First off, it creates a false sense of being equals in a manner that is not possible. As much as schools need to open up and allow students to be part of some of the decisions, there are still responsibilities that youth, even those who are mature, should not be made to shoulder because they are still youth. A second thing that came to mind is the false sense that there is an equality of decision-making ability that just isn’t there. Schools are responsible to every help every student to do their best given the tools and personel available to them. As an administrator, part of my mandate is to try to ensure that this does take place and, if necessary, to take the steps to bring this to fruition. Lastly, it creates unattainable goals that no matter how much we, as educators, do, we won’t be able to meet. As much as I would like to see schools change, there are some things that youth should not be made to deal with as they navigate the path to adulthood because, to tell you the truth, I’m still learning and growing into after 17 years in education.

While I spent time setting up for the youth evening, I began to realize that the wrong person was doing the setting up - this event needs to be organized by the people who know what they want to do. Instead, as the adult, our group needs to take care of the things like accessing grants, finding a permanent storage place for the equipment, accessing facilities, organizing chaperones and so forth and leave the actual setting up, doing and taking down to the people who are participating. Last night we had 5 game machines with projectors being played while music, games and other activities were taking place. This made me think that maybe I’d been going about things at my school all wrong.

Application to Education

For the past 3 years, the staff has been trying to figure out how to deal with a number of issues that have been constant problems. We’ve tried a few different things but usually end up at the same place we began. As I thought about what this student had said to me, I realized that there was a lack of information on the part of the students. Instead of explaining and discussing the workings of the school with them, we’d been telling them how things worked and what was going to be expected of them. This sometimes worked and sometimes caused problems, especially for me. Just recently I’ve been running into all kinds of difficulty with students being late and cutting class. Suffice to say, not everyone is on the same page.

Here I am trying to enforce rules that students have no input into. Now, some of them are from our provincial Education Act and are part of the law. Actually, all of them are related to this. My plan, fool-hearty as it is, is to dialogue with students from grades 9 - 11 and have them set out the parameters for their behaviour while at the same time putting the responsibility for classroom management of these things fully in the hands of the teachers. To do this, I plan to bring these students together for an afternoon this week to work in groups, with a teacher in each group, to suggest ways to deal with the issues that result from the rules that are given to us.

I plan to divide the students into groups, having each group brainstorm ideas for dealing with the problems making it clearly understood that this process is a way for them to take ownership for themselves and create the expectations for the school. I know that this is a huge gamble and could turn into complete chaos but I trust that the students, once they realize that if they take this seriously, will be taken seriously. The final expectations will be organized and voted upon through secret ballot. Of course, I will have veto power over any unreasonable suggestions but I’m hoping students will monitor themselves.

I’m not sure if this is an “aha” or an “oh-oh”. However, I tire of the way things are working - trying to have students accept responsibility for what they are doing. Hopefully, this way, they will buy into what is going on. What do you suggest?

Where’s the fire?

This week has been busy and it’s only Tuesday. It is the annual music festival in our community and I have 5 children participating in several categories plus my wife is doing a duet with one of the girls. It is also drama festival week which means our highschool drama troupe is hard at work practicing for their upcoming performance at the regional drama festival. The dance group that shares our multi-purpose room is preparing for competitions this weekend, two girls going. Too add to this it’s tax time, staffing is in full swing, teachers are a bit stressed as report cards for our seniors go out next week and our computer system isn’t working correctly so mark transfers are not working.

However, none of the above has to do with what I want to write about except to say that thanks to an interview process that had me driving, I was able to listen to a great interview of Christian Long by Alex Ragone . What was great about the interview was how Christian kept returning to the whole idea that this schooling thing isn’t about the school design or the books or the technology. It’s about the human relationships.

As I go from one activity to another, I watch my own children interacting with all sorts of different people - the piano teacher just before they play, the others players, the adjudicator, their dance instructor or drama coach or ….. In each instance, I’m seeing youth interacting and doing things that many adults would be incapable of doing - connecting with an audience through a medium of choice. In fact, tonight as I watched my daughter play a character coming from a broken home where she was the caregiver to a small baby because her mother was incapable, I was moved. I was moved, not because it was my daughter but because of the connection she made. This happened with all the main characters - a play about girls - who performed. In each case, the vignettes brought the auditorium witnesses to point of magnificent silence; they made a connection. It was powerful in the way only drama done by young actors can be powerful.

As I listened to Christian this afternoon, he reminded me that it’s the connection - the human relationships that exist - which are the most important connections in school. This was reinforced in Stewart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe episode entitled Wally (you’ll have to download via itunes to listen) - which describes the events that take place when a beloved school janitor is made redundant. It’s worth the listen if for nothing else than the message of the banana muffin. It’s all about the relationships. I know teachers who will never do what that janitor was able to do.

Relationships

Whether it’s our best friend from school or someone that we have met along the way and to whom we have developed a bond, deep human relationships are very important to us. We may continue to develop these relationships through various means but it is our f2f interactions that really cement and make them. For youth, this is also true. I’ve watched as my own children have continued friendships long after moving. They may keep in touch over the net or whatever but it is the f2f ones that really impact them, cementing the relationship that was started many years ago.

As I listened to Christian describe what he learned going back to the classroom, I was reminded that we are not so much in a business of giving information, that’s Google’s job now. We, as teachers, are once again being asked to delve beyond the layers of information and make connections, relationships, with students that will push them to explore new ideas, challenge their own thoughts and understanding of the information and encourage them to develop a voice for themselves so that, when it is time, they can reach out to that audience and touch them.

Why the rush to Informationalize?

In our content saturated world, there seems to be a discongruency between the demand that students “know” something in order to move through the data demanding systems which have developed, or are developing, and, then upon leaving, their need to use a different set of skills that they have not been asked to seriously develop in schools; presentation to an audience and use of information to deliver a message - original in nature. There is this preoccupation to pump information at students, asking them to demonstrate they know the information but not asking them to use it for any purpose, other than testing, or to express it in any various ways, except on a test or assignment. They aren’t asked to convince anyone or deliver a pitch very often. They are often asked to defend their ideas - 5 paragraph essay format. Oral presentations are not really valued or taught yet many of these students will be required to work and thrive in fields that require extensive use of language and oral presentation skills. Just think of Miss Whatever State - she could have had some more help with that.

Where, exactly, is the fire?

We are aware of many different reports that demonstrate that to achieve all the goals and outcomes that are currently in the various curricula in any given place, educators would need much more time and, therefore, they end up choosing what they deem as important or what the textbooks deem important. We rush and push students, some whom are not ready for what we are asking them to do, to “learn” information that, at this point in time, is accessible to almost everyone in order to pass a test. Then, when they are done “at school” they leave and begin to relearn how to learn through experimentation, trial and error, modeling, mentorship and a host of other methods, the skills and tools that will be necessary for what they are doing. Yet, we spend little time on presentation of ideas and creating new from the information that we have.

How am I going to stem the fire?

In some cases, I don’t know if I can. However, we do have the opportunity to build in these skills through the methods we choose to have students gather information and present what they have understood and how that understanding has changed, or reinforced, their thinking.

Currently I am in the process of examining the manner in which we deliver electives to our students. One of the first things I am suggesting is that we meet with our future grade 10, 11 & 12’s to discuss what they would like to see. I know that larger schools may not have this option but it is one thing we can do and should do. We can then have very direct and open dialogue with parents and students about what they might want to see for options. A second idea is to allow students the option of having a project based class where some of the presentation skills and information gathering skills will be taught and used, not through a formal class setting but through project advisors who will work with students. This would also include having parents involved in some manner in a support role for the student, aware of the progress that students are, or are not, making. We are also discussing the way we offer classes - maybe moving to longer class periods and the option to have some blocked time for students in electives.

All of these and others are just ways for us to build the relationships in our school which, I believe, will enhance the overall learning that takes place. Good teachers can use whatever tools fits the moment because they have a connection with students. These are the teachers that we all remember from when we were in school. It wasn’t really their content mastery or the tools they used - it was how they touched us and the relationship we developed. It was the delivery of the content, their passion, the way they pushed us or a million other things. It was “a” connection.

I still believe learning how to use Web2.0 tools is essential for teachers and doesn’t let them off the hook for knowing how to use these tools and incorporate them. What it does mean is that this is all about human relationships and knowing when and how to leverage those relationships with various tools only enhances and builds the relationships. We teach people. Younger, sometimes smaller but none-the-less people. Each of them deserves a positive relationship with an adult - a banana muffin toting janitor. Doesn’t matter the tool, it matters how we use them to enhance the relationships.

Losing that “tech edge” feeling

We just finished parent/student/teacher conferences and the school is now quiet. Everyone else has gone home to rest and get ready for more conferences tomorrow morning. We then have the afternoon “off” - I’ll be here getting ready for early dismissal on Monday and doing other things while the students are away. In the quiet solitude of the school, I have a few moments to do some real reflecting and thinking. It’s here where I do some of my best work as I don’t have my own children to break my concentration and I feel more “in tune” with how I”m thinking and feeling about what is going on around and what and where my focus and priorities need to be for the school.

So why am I still here?

Monday after school the teachers, myself included, gathered to discuss the morale of the building. It was a productive meeting and gave me much insight into what, why, where, when and how people are thinking about what is going on and my role in the whole thing. Now, my last post was a general discussion/question about school morale and thanks for the feedback. I appreciate all that was said and it gave me much food for thought. The one that really resonated with me was from Glenn. Now Glenn is a first year vice-principal and his comment:

Kelly - the responsibility sits right in the chair that I’m writing this from and if you’re at work the chair you’re reading this from. I’m failing miserably at it. Hope your rocking the house.

Why did this grab me? Because it is filled with the frustration and the angst of someone I know is working his butt off to do good things and, for whatever reason, is banging his head and feeling overwhelmed. I often read Glenn’s blog just to keep up with what he’s doing and how things are going. Every now and then, I catch a tweet from him and exchange a few words. Lately, that’s about all that I have time to do. I can almost see him sitting in his chair typing that post. Short, to the point but, to me, very powerful.

So What? 

So exactly what does that have to do with the “tech edge” feeling? For me, it sums up how I’m beginning to see this whole educational technology thing. As Iwork towards finding some type of balance in what is going on around me, I’m feeling less compelled to say that technology is really important. Not that it doesn’t have it’s place and shouldn’t be something that is used within the classrooms as a tool but I’m not sure that the energy expended will bring the dividends that are forecast. As I work with the teachers in my building, looking for ways to involve students, I’m wondering if the time being put into technology wouldn’t be better used working WITH THE STUDENTS.

Never mind that the students are texting each other and that they like the technology. Even with all that, there is still a piece that is missing - the human contact. Someone who will listen to them, right next to them. Someone who is in the building that they know really cares whether they are successful or stumbling and helps to provide the means necessary for the them to pick themselves up. Yeah, I know all about embedding technology in the learning and capturing the students but it just seems to be missing something. Once the “Wow” factor is over, what do you have? Really, for the most part besides the minority of tech savvy teachers who are doing some pretty incredible projects, what do we have?

I’ve heard that we need to teach them how to leverage the technologies for their own learning. That they can use these technologies but we need to be helping them develop literacies so they are more internet savvy, can protect themselves and be prepared for what is going on in the world around them. Great goals, I agree. But as I delve into what these kids are feeling and wanting, it has nothing to do with reaching out to the world or getting to know students from all over or working with students in other places. It has to do with them and another caring human. Someone who will guide them and set limits for them and demonstrate that they are interested. It has less to do with “the tools” and more to do with the relationships.

And you know what? I can appreciate that so very much. Being an administrator in a small rural community with no other administrators around, I thought technology would be a way for me to be in touch with other administrator type people. I started a Ning, Ed Adminstrators2.0, as a place for people in this same position to gather and discuss and talk and share ideas. I worked to develop a network within twitter and pownce, looking to connect with others to share and talk. Now, don’t get me wrong, it has been an incredible learning experience but, and this is the kicker, the people I notice on twitter who have the greatest connection are those who have met f2f. Those who haven’t are so looking forward to a time when they will meet f2f at a conference or someplace else. It’s those meetings that really bring people together and then their conversations and interactions via things like twitter really take off. For me, I have some good contacts and like exchanging 140 character bites but the nuances that a f2f meeting give to a conversation are missing.

This year has seen many stress storms for people in our building which, ultimately, touches me as the administrator. Our meeting was the beginning of our rebuilding the joy and wonder and excitement that comes with learning. By acknowledging that, indeed, we need to work on this and grow it and nurture it, we’ve eliminated the elephant in the room. It was just a first step but what an incredible first step it was. We have much work to do and it won’t be easy. In fact, it may be difficult as there is a need to have some conversations that will be hard. Some will require people to rethink what and how they are doing things, some will require me to address concerns that my staff identified and some will require us, as a staff, to really focus and decide what standards we want and how we will achieve them.

So Glenn, I’m not rockin’ the house. More like I’ve been rocked but, I’ve learned a great deal about myself, staff and students. I come to see that, although technology is great and wonderful and allows us to do so much more and ….. the number one thing we do in schools is human relations, building students to become the best learners they can be, guiding them in making decisions and helping them to see things from a variety of perspectives and, yes, setting limits and boundaries and sticking to them. It isn’t how much curriculum we get through or what we cover or the tools we use. Yes, they have an impact, some more profound than others. It’s the human factor, the angst that I feel in what Glenn says, that isn’t part of the discussions I hear about technology.

In the technology discussions, I don’t hear about the students who are hungry or the students who are messed up because of substance abuse or those who live in terrible conditions. I don’t hear discussions about building relationships with the student who feels like no one cares or or or or……

Yes, I’m losing that “tech edge” feeling realizing that I need to be out with the students and staff, listening and cheering them on; drawing lines for them and helping them to overcome barriers. I cannot do that if I’m spending time working on the technology, finding new technology, learning how to use the technology. I know that technology has a place and will need to be addressed but it’s like all the other tools, just a tool. With the way things are changing and the manner in which the “tech junkies” jump from wagon to wagon trying out new tools, it’s impossible to really keep up because people in my face are filling my hours. I haven’t found that “place” in the net world that I was hoping I’d find. I’ve discoverd many great places like the Fireside Learning Ning and other such places but, like the people in our school, the f2f contact becomes so very important.

This doesn’t mean I’ll quit trying to bring technology into our school or help teachers with technology use or quit looking and trying out new technology. It will mean that much of what I blog about might just change as I reflect on what I’m reading, doing, learning and seeing going on around me. It will mean less time with twitter - it’s good to see what’s going on but it just hasn’t done for me what it does for those who can spend hours on it or who are conversing with others they’ve met f2f. In fact, my writing might just increase as I scrape away the “tools” and get back to what is really necessary, what really works and get rid of what is, like so many of these things, a passing fad that someone on top has happened to mention on their blog.

So Glenn, as I sit in this chair listening to whirr of the server fan, the flush of the automatic toilets and the sound of the empty hallway know that you are not alone. I, like many others, are with you and I, for one, am realizing that there is more that I must do and less of it has to do with technology. Keep strong, Glenn, keep strong!

Who’s responsible for school morale?

School morale - the ambiance and atmosphere that permeates a building when you enter. It’s reflected in the way the students greet one another and how teachers interact with the students, teachers and parents. It’s part of how visitors feel when they enter the building and staff feel when they exit on Friday afternoon. It consists of thousands of interactions and reactions between individuals as they spend their days together. It’s elusive but tangible. You know when the morale in a building is good and when it isn’t.

It’s been my pleasure to work in a number of schools with great morale. They were places where, no matter what was happening or what was coming at the teachers, they looked to the positive, and to each other, to work towards creating a great school. It was our desire to do the best we could for our students, working and sharing our school lives, that helped us to live, love and laugh. Each of these staffs suffered through tragedies but we supported and helped one another.

At present, as an educational leader, I can see that the school where I am is not what it could be. There is a tenseness in the air - a sense of foreboding, almost like people are giving in to the pressures that surround them. It was brought to me that, ultimately, the morale of the school is my responsibility (and fault if it is negative). Now, as educational leader, I see that I have a part in creating the atmosphere in the school but am I solely responsible? If so, what are ways of looking to improve the morale of the people in the building? If not, what suggestions do you have for looking at the problem and coming up with a solution? Any feedback is very welcome.

Helping others to help themselves

Years back, my wife use to hate when she had a technology problem or couldn’t remember how to do something. In fact, when we (read I) first bought our imac, she wasn’t very happy with the whole thing because everything was “backwards” and she couldn’t find anything. She would avoid asking me to show how to do something AGAIN because of my “attitude” and how I did things. That was 8 years ago. Today is much different. I have learned to be patient, not sigh heavily (that use to drive her crazy) and take my time. If I don’t have the time at the moment, I say so, help out and then, when there is time, get her to show me what is frustrating her. It works the same for my children (well, most of the time. I still use the timeout to keep them alive!)

Over time I’ve been able to transfer this to school and what I do as a principal. In my capacity as administrator, there are many times when people come to me for information, advice or assistance. I use to react in a way that reflected my particular mood at the moment. Now, with all that goes on in a day, that was usually somewhere between stressed and freakin’ stressed. This caused all kinds of misunderstandings and miscommunication which eventually led to problems which led to more miscommunication and misunderstandings and so on (cue Faberge commercial with Farrah.) I knew that it wasn’t how I wanted things to go but I couldn’t understand how to change it. Thank goodness for my wife. She cleared a few things up for me after a particularly difficult day. She explained to me how she felt at times and then transferred it to the situation. The road to change had begun (well, after I stopped pouting!) 

Having worked on this for some time, I really thought I’d mastered the whole thing. Seems I was wrong and I was in need of a reminder. Being reminded about something like that isn’t always easy but I realize that, as a leader, I need to be able to accept when someone gives me advice, even if it’s hard to take at the moment. It made me reflect on what I was doing and the impact it was having on those around me. To be an effective leader, one must be willing to ask trusted people to be honest with you and then take their words seriously.

Personal Impact 

This past week I was asked to describe the characteristics of an educational leader. For me, listening is one of the most important characteristics. Being able to “be in the room” when someone is with you is vitally important. No clock watching or doing other work. When someone is talking to you, you need to make it obvious that you are listening - 100%. Unfortunately, I stopped my description there. Now, listening is important but there are some other important characteristics that I didn’t mention.

Empowering Others

Of all other characteristics, I believe this is the most important. This can be done in a number of ways. Listening is one of them. So is supporting them, seeking their opinion, seeing their strengths and allowing them to use them and allowing them to help themselves.  As an administrator, I’ve come to learn that the best way to help others is to empower them to help themselves. Whether it is helping students to work through a problem, supporting a parent who is having difficulty, making a decision that moves things along, keeping the vision in front of others, cheering on the team or helping someone learn new skills so they can be independent, I’ve come to see myself as more as someone who is there to help empower others rather than having power over others. True, sometimes in my role I need to make decisions that may not make everyone happy or be involved in some form of discipline but in each instance there is an opportunity for empowerment of other individuals. 

We can’t have winners and losers

I often find that this is one of the greatest obstacles to getting to a solution. In so many cases, people want there to be winner (usually them) and a loser (usually the other party.) Instead of looking to see how things might be done to create a solution for the problem, they come in with a predetermined solution and campaign for it. Now, it may be a bit easier to do the “you’re right, you’re wrong” decision but it doesn’t usually bring about a lasting solution. Like my wife who didn’t like my solution to her technical problems because, although it solved the immediate problem, it created a further problem that became much bigger than the original. Helping others to get past that initial campaigning is one of the most difficult things that I have to do and, unfortunately, I’m not always successful.

Helping Learners help themselves

As teachers, one of our goals is to have students become independent of us. We want to help them learn how to do things without us being there. Kind of like parenting, it’s not how your children act when you’re around that demonstrates what they have learned and value, it’s what they do when you’re NOT there. Eventually, all these students will venture out on their own and it will be how they function on their own that will be the true test of how well we’ve done. This is why it is so important to empower them to be learners - to give them the ability to trust themselves to make good decisions. 

What does this have to do with technology?

Well, everything. Today as I was working with another administrator, it was clear that she was frustrated with how things were going and not just with the work we were doing. She was feeling overwhelmed in many different areas. Now, I could have gone the easy route and done the technology part for her but that would have solved nothing. Instead, we sat at the computer and I helped her (forced her at times) to continue doing things, trying things and retrying things. Was she frustrated? Yep. Will she remember it all? Nope but she will remember some of the basics that will get her moving on her own. Over time, she won’t need to call or email me as much. Hopefully she’ll become comfortable enough not to call me at all. While doing this, she was able to talk about other things that were on her mind, not something we get to do very often. We were able to share ideas and solutions about various difficulties we were both having. 

This experience is a snapshot of something I’m seeing more and more in schools. People who are being overwhelmed by all the “things” that need to get done, being frustrated because they can’t learn some things as fast as they want which keeps them from doing other things that they want to do. Whether it’s kids or adults, it is becoming more and more common for people to stop trying once they can’t get something after a try or two. For those of us in the empowering role, it is important to acknowledge that frustration is part of learning and assist them to do the best they can at whatever level. Not everyone will be able to use technology in a seamless manner just like I’ll never play the piano (or any other musical instrument) at the same level as my children but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate what they do or try it myself.  

As a leader, one of my goals is to recognize those gifted in particular areas and get them to go further in that area while helping them to struggle along with something that is more difficult for them. Part of it is to listen to them but a greater part is to empower them and that is where our learning must always continue so that we can help them to help themselves. It was an eye opener for me when my wife first told me how I acted and reacted but it was one of the greatest gifts she has given me. Truly, she is a great part of my success - she empowered me.