As I listened to Patrick Lencioni talk about teams this morning, I reflected on what a great team it takes to pull off the AASA National Conference on Education. I have been truly impressed with President Randy Collins, Executive Director Dan Domenech, and the whole AASA team. I knew the team was very good, however, I did not realize how organized and to what level of detail they followed until today. The morning started with the Superintendent of the Year line up and rehearsal. Everything was well planned and last minute changes were handled with minimum commotion. Herding a bunch of school superintendents is like herding a bunch of cats, however, the AASA team did a great job. Then the Superintendent of the Year luncheon was a wonderful event. To see the legends like Rudy Crews, Bill McNeal and other former Superintendents of the Year sharing war stories at the lunch table was a lot of fun.
Patrick Lencioni talked about 5 dysfunctions of teams. I like to think that Executive Director Dan Domenech has assembled a team that exhibits the 5 components of great teams. You can tell when working with the AASA team that there is trust within the team. You can tell that Dan encourages diverse opinions. The commitment to the organization is evident in all that is done. Also, you see accountability in that everyone expects a job well done and corrects mistakes when they are made. The job well done is very visible with the daily on-line accounts of the conference. Jay Goldman and his team are doing a terrific job. As a presenter, I can also say that Molly O'Neill and the conference planning staff left no detail to chance!!! Finally, the results speak for themselves. General sessions have gone off flawlessly and we have had outstanding speakers and education sessions.
The team is very creative. I am looking forward to the weekly webinars concerning the stimulus package. Yes, I think Patrick Lencioni could use the AASA team as an example of a high functioning team. His five components of dysfunctional team are certainly reversed as you look at the AASA team - trust, seeking diverse opinions, commitment, accountability and results are very positive and apparent. Hats off to Dan and the team for a great conference. If you see team members on the final day of the conference, let them know what a great job they have done!!!
Friday, February 20, 2009
The Digital Divide
Ian Jukes made some provocative statements today. Here is a short list of my favorites.
Many of this year's presenters have pounded home the idea that we are in an era of unbelievable change and the changes are only going to get faster and faster.
If educators don't try to catch up with the students technologically and learn to harness the tools they use daily - we are going to lose more and more students.
Gives you something to think about.
- Speaking about the great digital divide between generations he said, "Schools are doing a great job of preparing students for the year 1960!"
- Speaking about teachers and their teaching styles he said, "When the going gets tough the tough get traditional."
- "Digital kids think differently."
- "Today's students are not disabled, they are other abled."
- "Today's students will have 10 - 17 careers (not jobs - careers) ............by the time they are 35."
Many of this year's presenters have pounded home the idea that we are in an era of unbelievable change and the changes are only going to get faster and faster.
If educators don't try to catch up with the students technologically and learn to harness the tools they use daily - we are going to lose more and more students.
Gives you something to think about.
The Challenges of Educating Digital Natives!
Ian Jukes is a dynamic, passionate, thought provoking and convincing speaker. Ian spoke to us about some incredible new brain research regarding the emergence of a digital culture. This research supports that chronic bombardment of digital experiences changes the way kids receive, process, interpret and learn new information. This has amazing implications for the way we design and implement instruction. His message was clear. The children in our classrooms are more prepared with 21st century skills than the teachers who are responsible for educating them.
Brain research is not new to our field. For many years we have been trying to understand the implications of this research in terms of differentiated instruction and multiple intelligences. In our district we are finally beginning to see the results of this research and the impact it has on instructional practices and student learning. But Ian is right. This new brain research implies that the brain is highly adaptable and the intensity and duration of experiences can change students’ neuro-procesing powers enhancing visual memory and visual processing. Our students think graphically. They are not auditory or text based learners. They are visual or visual kinesthetic learners.
This raises so many questions for us as we move forward. We have asked ourselves, how do we provide our students with the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century? According to Ian, they already have these skills. So the real question is, how do we prepare our teachers to understand the needs of the 21st century learner and adjust their instructional practices so that students can capitalize on the skills that they already possess? How are our universities preparing new teachers to address this new generation of “digital first language learners”? How do we help our seasoned teachers to understand that students think and process information differently and their instructional practices must respond to the needs of this new generation of learners?
I found this session very enlightening and validating but left with more questions than answers. Ian challenged my thinking and will change the conversations I will have in my district. The implications of this new research impacts curriculum, instruction and assessment practices and cannot be ignored.
Brain research is not new to our field. For many years we have been trying to understand the implications of this research in terms of differentiated instruction and multiple intelligences. In our district we are finally beginning to see the results of this research and the impact it has on instructional practices and student learning. But Ian is right. This new brain research implies that the brain is highly adaptable and the intensity and duration of experiences can change students’ neuro-procesing powers enhancing visual memory and visual processing. Our students think graphically. They are not auditory or text based learners. They are visual or visual kinesthetic learners.
This raises so many questions for us as we move forward. We have asked ourselves, how do we provide our students with the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century? According to Ian, they already have these skills. So the real question is, how do we prepare our teachers to understand the needs of the 21st century learner and adjust their instructional practices so that students can capitalize on the skills that they already possess? How are our universities preparing new teachers to address this new generation of “digital first language learners”? How do we help our seasoned teachers to understand that students think and process information differently and their instructional practices must respond to the needs of this new generation of learners?
I found this session very enlightening and validating but left with more questions than answers. Ian challenged my thinking and will change the conversations I will have in my district. The implications of this new research impacts curriculum, instruction and assessment practices and cannot be ignored.
Networking Night Life
The AASA Conference bring a number of opportunities to those who attend. Networking with colleagues is probably as important as any. The Wyoming Association of School Administrators dined at John's Grill on Thursday evening. This is an annual event that is always well planned by the Executive Director Dan Stephan. It provides an opportunity to address issues, personal and professional, in a relaxed setting while discussing the Conference. For a State that only has 48 public school superintendents, we are well represented at the Conference. Tonight I am looking forward to attending and networking with superintendents at the Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota Reception at the Marriott.
Photo: Former Wyoming State Superintendents of the Year, Mike Hejtmanek and Dan Espeland enjoy the San Francisco spirit after dinning at John's Grill.
State Superintendents Recognized
Forty-eight State Superintendents of the Year were recognized in this morning's general session. Beverly Hall from Atlanta Public Schools was named the AASA Superintendent of the year.I believe this celebration is as important as anything we do here at the National Conference. It compliments Donna Brazile's concept on finding the good and praising it. Celebrating success is a research based requirement in promoting lasting change. I was especially proud of my state superintendent of the year, Kevin Mitchell. Kevin works in the same county as I do and it is heart warming to see a colleague share the stage with other esteemed superintendents.
We all dare to dream and I am sure 48 superintendents lived out part of their dreams today. Well done ladies and gentlemen!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A Day of Inspiration
What a day! It started out with the delightful young singers from the East Bay Choral Project reminding us all why we became educators. All of their songs echoed the same message that they are somebody and they deserve our collective commitment to ensuring that our public school systems avail them of the resources and opportunities they deserve so they can be what they want to be.
Randy Collins and Donna Brazile both stressed that with the Obama administration there is a new energy, optimism and opportunity to make creative and sustainable changes in public education and that we have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of the children we serve. As I reflected on their message I was inspired but also troubled. The challenges we have today seem overwhelming. With the crisis in the economy we are all trying to do more with less. Although I am extremely grateful for the stimulus package and the opportunities it has for education, I am concerned that it will not provide us with the resources to implement new and creative school reform initiatives that are needed to address the difficult challenges ahead. I left the session feeling hopeful but also anxious.
My final session was with Josh Sundquist. What a great way to end the day! This young man’s message of optimism was different then the morning speakers. He lost his leg to cancer at the age of ten, was cured at age thirteen and nine years later was named to the United States Paralympic Ski Team. Josh left his audience with more that a feeling of just hope. He reminded us that life is tough and that there will always be obstacles, some harder than others, but that these obstacles can be amazing opportunties and can cause us to accomplish things that we never thought we could.
Perhaps this economic crisis coupled with the hope of this new administration will provide us with avenues to “right the wrongs” of our education system, ensure equity and excellence for all and see our obstacles as opportunities to accompish things we never dreamed we could.
Randy Collins and Donna Brazile both stressed that with the Obama administration there is a new energy, optimism and opportunity to make creative and sustainable changes in public education and that we have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of the children we serve. As I reflected on their message I was inspired but also troubled. The challenges we have today seem overwhelming. With the crisis in the economy we are all trying to do more with less. Although I am extremely grateful for the stimulus package and the opportunities it has for education, I am concerned that it will not provide us with the resources to implement new and creative school reform initiatives that are needed to address the difficult challenges ahead. I left the session feeling hopeful but also anxious.
My final session was with Josh Sundquist. What a great way to end the day! This young man’s message of optimism was different then the morning speakers. He lost his leg to cancer at the age of ten, was cured at age thirteen and nine years later was named to the United States Paralympic Ski Team. Josh left his audience with more that a feeling of just hope. He reminded us that life is tough and that there will always be obstacles, some harder than others, but that these obstacles can be amazing opportunties and can cause us to accomplish things that we never thought we could.
Perhaps this economic crisis coupled with the hope of this new administration will provide us with avenues to “right the wrongs” of our education system, ensure equity and excellence for all and see our obstacles as opportunities to accompish things we never dreamed we could.
Faces of Children
It was an exciting first day for the AASA National Conference on Education. The theme for the day seemed to be about change. Donna Brazile talked about winds of change and I was reminded of the opening of Tom Friedman's book - Hot, Flat and Crowded. He talks in the introduction about a Chinese saying - when the strong winds blow, some people build walls to block the wind and others build windmills to harness the wind. All of the speakers today seemed to talk about building those windmills and harnessing the change that is sweeping across our nation.
Friedman talks about the new generation of builders in our country and Brazile talked about that group also. They are the 19-23 year olds that made a difference in the recent presidential election. They are the next generation of leaders who want to restore America to the pride and hope that the world used to expect from our country. Yes, all of the speakers today inspired and talked about harnessing the winds of change and then I saw the faces of children.
I saw a choir of amazing diversity. A choir of children from all types of schools and all ages. I saw pride in the faces of children from all backgrounds. The pride came from performing music to a large audience of adults. I saw and heard children singing about the hope and the winds of change that are awaiting them as they grow up and assume responsibility for this great country.
I saw a Latin Jazz Band full of students who loved the music and loved performing. I saw a bass player who showed his emotion for the music with every pluck of the strings. I saw a saxophone player perform like a professional musician. Again, I saw a wide range of diversity in the group.
Bottom line for me is the children. I was excited by the speakers, however, I was moved to continue the work that we do everyday by the faces of the children. Donna Brazile probably had it right. She said we are doing God's work. I'm certain that God would have loved the music today and would have loved seeing the faces of the children.
Friedman talks about the new generation of builders in our country and Brazile talked about that group also. They are the 19-23 year olds that made a difference in the recent presidential election. They are the next generation of leaders who want to restore America to the pride and hope that the world used to expect from our country. Yes, all of the speakers today inspired and talked about harnessing the winds of change and then I saw the faces of children.
I saw a choir of amazing diversity. A choir of children from all types of schools and all ages. I saw pride in the faces of children from all backgrounds. The pride came from performing music to a large audience of adults. I saw and heard children singing about the hope and the winds of change that are awaiting them as they grow up and assume responsibility for this great country.
I saw a Latin Jazz Band full of students who loved the music and loved performing. I saw a bass player who showed his emotion for the music with every pluck of the strings. I saw a saxophone player perform like a professional musician. Again, I saw a wide range of diversity in the group.
Bottom line for me is the children. I was excited by the speakers, however, I was moved to continue the work that we do everyday by the faces of the children. Donna Brazile probably had it right. She said we are doing God's work. I'm certain that God would have loved the music today and would have loved seeing the faces of the children.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
