Thursday Thoughts May 14
At the beginning of the year, I gave everyone the book, One Word by Jon Gordon. The premise of the book is to stop making resolutions at the start of a new year and focus on only one word that will carry you throughout the year. There should be a lot of thought dedicated to selecting your word and as you move throughout various daily tasks and experiences, continue to reflect on your "one word". As we near the end of the school year, I hope that you were able to select a word and think about it often throughout this year. My word was "thankful". I selected this word because no matter the situation, I always wanted to find the one positive aspect and concentrate on it as opposed to dwelling on the negative.
As I reflect on this school year, I can honestly say that it was pretty tough. From opening new classrooms well after the 10 day count, to the demands of starting the Governance Council to the numerous personnel changes throughout the year, I found it challenging to focus on my word. But through it all I was thankful for what I learned, the ways I grew professionally and how much stronger I became. Most importantly, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as the principal of a school of this caliber. You are amazing and I am thankful for you.
Staff Spotlight
This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Carrie Miller and Brenda Usher. These two ladies served as supervising teachers this semester for student teachers. I can tell you that these ladies have a wealth of knowledge and experience and did a wonderful job of preparing the future teachers for their own classroom. One of the greatest ways we can give back is to mentor someone else. In fact, I am sure that many of us still remember our student teaching experience and the supervising teacher can either make or break that experience for someone. I appreciate Carrie and Brenda for taking on the additional responsibility and they are to be commended for their guidance and support. Thank you for the work you have done with not only your students, but those who will soon teach their own students.
4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills
What Does a 21st Century Classroom Look Like: Creativity
Continuing to follow up the post 10 Signs of a 21st Century Classroom...Some of the most important skills to foster in students in the modern classroom are those things that computers cannot do well. Creativity is one of these areas. Often considered a “soft” skill, it can be lost in a student’s struggle to get the “right” answer (see note #2). Creativity education is in some ways more difficult than instructing students in the physical geography of Asia. However, it is worth cultivating. As one of our teachers put it “[Creativity is] when a student or a group considers something new, or in a new way, or approaches something in a way that is original to them.” Creativity makes possible art, music, invention, storytelling, and problem solving.
Less Memorization
The internet, properly used, contains a vast wealth of factual information. Properly instructed students can look up the atomic mass of hydrogen or the author of “Leaves of Grass” much faster than memorizing the information (see note #3). Teachers may either ban this useful storehouse of knowledge from the classroom or use the extra time to have students envision the arrangement of a cloud of hydrogen molecules or to write an original poem using the style of Walt Whitman.
Brainstorming
Contrary to some opinions, creativity is not something that is in your DNA. It can be taught. Giving students time and a structure for brainstorming is a good start. Brainstorming techniques have already been covered in detail by others, but a few of my favorites include think/pair/share, mind mapping, brain writing, and teleportation. Please feel free to share your preferred methods below.
Encourage New Perspectives
Creativity is often restrained by life experiences. This is particularly true of students who may have never participated in the world outside of their own family and community. Providing students with the means to broaden their horizons has a large impact on their ability to think outside the box. Similar to the brainstorming method of teleportation, students may be asked how they would prevent World War II, solve the California drought, or treat HIV.
Our junior retreat has proven to be particularly useful in this goal. Students are taken 50 at a time for an overnight experience in downtown Austin. In collaboration with several outreach programs, they eat and talk with the homeless community. In contrast to many retreats, there is no direct service component involved; students just get to know people that they might otherwise never come into contact with. Upon returning to school, students report a much improved opinion of those live a different life.
Student Choice
Physics students at our school were surprised last month to receive an option for their assessment at the end of a unit on sound. They could choose to either take a traditional exam with a number of word problems or post a video of themselves playing music on wine glasses along with a short explanation of the science behind resonance. While many chose the test to “get it over with”, a number of amusing musical performances also showed up.
Our Latin teacher is fond of using a variation of a differentiation method called “Think Tac Toe” to promote student creativity. For a recent project involving Roman Britain, students could produce a newscast, write a diary, develop a travel brochure, or create an advertising campaign. Alternatively, they could also choose a more traditional research poster.
Creative Writing Club
This one might be obvious, since it has “creative” in its name. The student-led group meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch to share new story ideas and to spend time reflecting on thought prompts. Key to the participation in the club is the Nanowrimo event each November when members attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
Enlightenment Salon
Our world history classes do something really cool when studying the Enlightenment. Students are given a figure from the 1700s to research and embody. At the end of the unit, a “salon” party is held where a student moderator initiates conversations between the various characters. Students who received musician characters are encouraged to bring their instruments and provide music for the setting. Costumes are also recommended.
Room for Reflection
One key concept of creativity is coming up with an alternative way to do things. However, there is so much information to cover the course of a year, that it is tempting to move directly from one unit to another. Providing time for students to reflect over their knowledge and approach yields powerful benefits. There is a whole post on this topic pending.
5 Minutes
This is one that I do with my science classes. While I would love to totally embrace Genius Hour, I must admit that I’m not quite at the point where I can go full “20% time”. Instead, students are given a period of 5 minutes at the beginning of each class (a “Goertz nap” as some call it). They must remain quiet and encouraged to close their eyes to minimize distractions. However, they may spend this time thinking about whatever they wish. This is usually a prompt free time, although during National Poetry Month I have been opening and closing the time with a short poem. A summary of initial student thoughts can be found here.
Notes:
- Of course art, music, and theatre classes are powerful and important means in their own right for building student creativity and expression. This post deals primarily with traditional core subject classrooms.
- One of the fastest ways to crush creative expression is to tell a student that they are wrong. This is unavoidable in cases of objective truth (2+2 does not equal 5). However, in cases such as determining author’s intent, translating a verse, or discussing the causes of the Civil War, there may be several possibilities.
- To be clear, I am not saying that memorization is not an important skill. Without recalled knowledge, students would have no basis on which to build new understanding. However, trivial knowledge is less crucial now than it was in the past.
- These are some ideas that we have at my school for achieving our 21st Century goals. Some are actively implemented by a significant number of our faculty, while others are still just an idea being trialed by one or two teachers. I am by no means saying that these are the best or only ideas out there.
Technology Tidbits
http://www.carlisleschools.org/webpages/pluta/teacher.cfm?subpage=1265199- Great resource to share with parents to practice reading comprehension skills over the summer.
News & Notes
By now you know that Dr. Muri was named superintendent in Spring Branch District in Texas on Tuesday. Dr. Rob Anderson (my boss) will be interim Deputy Superintendent for Fulton. The district is moving forward with the work that has been started and a direction change is not anticipated at this time. Full speed ahead with Personalized Learning!
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