I remember when I was in kindergarten my teacher told my parents that I was a good student, but I dreamed too much. I remember other times in school where I was corrected to be more on task.
When I was in ninth grade my writing teacher would give students a topic, and then we had forty minutes to write a paper on the topic. I found myself sitting there and thinking of all the possibilities, and soon time would be up. I later learned that my ninth grade teacher conferred with my previous teacher to inquire why I had been recommended for the advanced writing class.
My previous teacher told my ninth grade writing teacher that I was not a speed writer, but rather a "thoughtful writer." When I heard about this conversation between my two teachers, I was struck by what I suddenly learned about myself as a learner. I learned that I was a thoughtful writer who needed time to think through a number of possibilities before making my choices. This was a critical turning point in my own learning, but that phase of my education could have destroyed my interest in writing forever.
About 15 years into my career as an educator I was given a going-away party as I was preparing to move to another school district. One of my gifts from my colleagues was a small handcrafted wooden box that had "wisdom" carved into the top. The box had a secret compartment that slid out, and there was a round metal piece that had "dream" carved into it. That gift has resonated with me forever. How do we find wisdom through our dreams? And how do we help students realize their dreams and passions to find their purpose and wisdom?
Sometimes I think we become so overly concerned about failure that we lose the dream and may also rob the dreams from our colleagues and students. Thomas Edison is a perfect example of a person who was willing to fail thousands of times, but eventually discovered the light bulb. I've written about this before, but we really need to recognize failure as an important part of the learning process. Having said this, we also need to remove some of the threats in schools that make students obsessed about right answers.
The world is complex, and we are not preparing students for a successful future when they believe there is only one way of doing things and only one right answer. In short, we're preparing students to be successful in our version of school, but we are not preparing them to be successful in life. Many students quickly learn to play a "safe game" so that they don't fail. I think we want students to dream and think big, so that they can have unimaginable opportunities in their lives.
Last year a friend told me about a book by Susan Cain called QUIET. It's a highly acclaimed book about introspective and reflective thinkers, how they function, and how they are understood and misunderstood. It turns out that a third to a half of all people are of this type, and yet the world sometimes expects them to be something different. I found much of who I am in this book, and once again powerfully learned about myself as a learner and how I can most effectively make my personal and professional contributions.
As you can see, I've been thinking a lot lately about dreams, how we know ourselves as learners, and how each of us fit into this world. While I am as research-based in my thinking on education as almost anyone, I think it is also important to keep alive the conversation about dreams. In many respects, research tells us what has been and dreams tell us what might be. I believe all of us educators need to dream more, and I believe we need to encourage students to dream more. It's in recognizing our dreams that we find our passion. In finding our passion, everything becomes possible.
Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech resonated for millions of people, and this dream continues to be a vital force in the world. Sometimes we sit back and say we'll believe it when we see it, but I think we need to further develop the skill Walt Disney recommended: "If you can dream it, you can do it."
As we look at ways to create better schools, we need to keep asking kids what excites and challenges them. We need to empower kids in their learning and encourage them to be advocates for their learning and the ways that they learn. We need to allow kids to pursue projects that demonstrate their learning in ways that fully engage them. All of this is frequently referenced as personalized learning, but essentially it's about all of us adults knowing who our students are as individuals, learners, and dreamers, and inviting our students to be passionate collaborators and co-designers in their learning with us.
There is clearly foundational knowledge that needs to be learned for students to be successful, and I am not abdicating that educators need to abandon many successful practices that are known to be effective. I am simply saying that there are ways for kids to be invited into the learning process that becomes more student-focused.
All over the world, I see a lot of educators running around with ideas about school reform. Meanwhile I keep thinking of a TV show ages ago where a guy named Art Linkletter would interview kids, and he would frequently comment that "Kids say the darndest things." As I continue to review all of the new educational ideas, I keep wondering "What would the kids say?".
As many of you know, I am an advocate for Professional Learning Communities where teachers support and challenge each other for improved teaching and learning. I am also a strong advocate for student voice and the power of students to help us create the dream schools where ALL students can flourish. I think we're doing a pretty good job on the teaching side of things, and I'm seeking more on the learner side. I guess I am looking for that era in schools where "kids say the darndest things," and their magnificently wild ideas and unique ways of presenting them become exciting new possibilities and even realities.
Showing posts with label vision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vision. Show all posts
Saturday, 5 April 2014
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Envisioning the Whole Elephant
Creating a systemic approach to 21st century learning has frequently been like the story of the blind men and the elephant. Each blind man finds a different part of the elephant and thinks that is the elephant, but in fact it is only a part. Much of what has been written and discussed about 21st century learning are only parts, and sometimes the parts have unfortunately appeared as heated advocacy and debate. Therefore it is now invigorating to have a systemic model that best serves a holistic approach to student learning.
An important systemic model has emerged through a research paper by Michigan State University faculty members Kristen Kereluik, Punya Mishra, Chris Fahnoe, and Laura Terry that is entitled "What Knowledge is of Most Worth: Teacher Knowledge for 21st Century Learning," and is a brilliant synthesis of key research studies on 21st century learning. In addition to receiving a distinguished award and publication in the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, the results of this research will also be a featured keynote at the ISTE Conference in summer of 2014.
This 21st century learning model has three main categories for student learning: Foundational Knowledge (to know), Meta Knowledge (to act), and Humanistic Knowledge (to value). Each main category has three sub-categories that articulate direction and intent.
The three sub-categories of Foundational Knowledge include: Digital/Information Literacy, Core Content Knowledge, and Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge. Within each of these it becomes important to identify what is of most worth for learning (as opposed to voluminous learning for the sake of learning) and to also look at ways to pursue authentic learning that establishes relevance and integration. There has sometimes been a struggle for dominance within these three sub-categories in schools, and this approach recognizes purposeful balance.
The three sub-categories of Meta Knowledge include: creativity and innovation, problem solving and critical thinking, and communication and collaboration. These are the critical processes necessary for developing high levels of foundational knowledge. These skills involve processes for effectively working "in the box" and also "out of the box,"so that learning is an act of production and creation. There has been justified criticism of education that it has become too much about learning and not enough about doing. This meta knowledge level is very much focused on active and engaged doing.
Finally the three sub-categories of Humanistic Knowledge include: life/job skills, ethical/emotional awareness, and cultural competence. These attributes focus on empowerment of the learner through awareness of self, as well as development of social and global context. Humanistic knowledge is sometimes an area that is slighted in schools, and this model suggests that success in life is interconnected with a humanistic perspective. There have been many brilliant people throughout history who have done horrible things, and this area of emphasis says that we need to pay attention to quality of life and to recognize our interdependence in the world.
In many ways this research shows that "nothing has changed" and also shows that "everything has changed." I have seen schools that have had a dominant focus on one or two sub-categories of Foundational Knowledge, and not recognized the important skills of Meta Knowledge. I have seen schools that have largely ignored Humanistic Knowledge. There are a multitude of variations that lack focus, coherence, and direction, and yet there are also pockets of excellence almost everywhere. The challenge is bringing it all together in ways that are purposeful, universally understood, and that allow people their creative modes of expression.
Ultimately it's important to understand the distinctions within Foundational Knowledge, Meta Knowledge, and Humanistic Knowledge, so that a well-rounded, comprehensive, liberal arts education is made possible in the education of the whole child for ALL children.
For staff at schools who are serious about developing a systemic approach to 21st century learning, I suggest looking at Appendix B in the research study to see all of the descriptors identified for the main categories and sub-categories. This could be an excellent source of conversation and self-assessment for identifying where to celebrate and where there is work that could lead to meaningful strategic planning and long-range goal setting.
For people who would like to read the full research study, here's the link:
http://punya.educ.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/JDLTE-29-4-127-Ker.pdf
An important systemic model has emerged through a research paper by Michigan State University faculty members Kristen Kereluik, Punya Mishra, Chris Fahnoe, and Laura Terry that is entitled "What Knowledge is of Most Worth: Teacher Knowledge for 21st Century Learning," and is a brilliant synthesis of key research studies on 21st century learning. In addition to receiving a distinguished award and publication in the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, the results of this research will also be a featured keynote at the ISTE Conference in summer of 2014.
This 21st century learning model has three main categories for student learning: Foundational Knowledge (to know), Meta Knowledge (to act), and Humanistic Knowledge (to value). Each main category has three sub-categories that articulate direction and intent.
The three sub-categories of Foundational Knowledge include: Digital/Information Literacy, Core Content Knowledge, and Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge. Within each of these it becomes important to identify what is of most worth for learning (as opposed to voluminous learning for the sake of learning) and to also look at ways to pursue authentic learning that establishes relevance and integration. There has sometimes been a struggle for dominance within these three sub-categories in schools, and this approach recognizes purposeful balance.
The three sub-categories of Meta Knowledge include: creativity and innovation, problem solving and critical thinking, and communication and collaboration. These are the critical processes necessary for developing high levels of foundational knowledge. These skills involve processes for effectively working "in the box" and also "out of the box,"so that learning is an act of production and creation. There has been justified criticism of education that it has become too much about learning and not enough about doing. This meta knowledge level is very much focused on active and engaged doing.
Finally the three sub-categories of Humanistic Knowledge include: life/job skills, ethical/emotional awareness, and cultural competence. These attributes focus on empowerment of the learner through awareness of self, as well as development of social and global context. Humanistic knowledge is sometimes an area that is slighted in schools, and this model suggests that success in life is interconnected with a humanistic perspective. There have been many brilliant people throughout history who have done horrible things, and this area of emphasis says that we need to pay attention to quality of life and to recognize our interdependence in the world.
In many ways this research shows that "nothing has changed" and also shows that "everything has changed." I have seen schools that have had a dominant focus on one or two sub-categories of Foundational Knowledge, and not recognized the important skills of Meta Knowledge. I have seen schools that have largely ignored Humanistic Knowledge. There are a multitude of variations that lack focus, coherence, and direction, and yet there are also pockets of excellence almost everywhere. The challenge is bringing it all together in ways that are purposeful, universally understood, and that allow people their creative modes of expression.
Ultimately it's important to understand the distinctions within Foundational Knowledge, Meta Knowledge, and Humanistic Knowledge, so that a well-rounded, comprehensive, liberal arts education is made possible in the education of the whole child for ALL children.
For staff at schools who are serious about developing a systemic approach to 21st century learning, I suggest looking at Appendix B in the research study to see all of the descriptors identified for the main categories and sub-categories. This could be an excellent source of conversation and self-assessment for identifying where to celebrate and where there is work that could lead to meaningful strategic planning and long-range goal setting.
For people who would like to read the full research study, here's the link:
http://punya.educ.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/JDLTE-29-4-127-Ker.pdf
Monday, 23 September 2013
7 Characteristics of Quality School Culture
I've been thinking a lot about school culture because I know how tough and daunting school can sometimes feel. Rather than thinking about how to make everyone happy, I've been framing it more as how a group of people can come together through genuine shared excitement for how to do great things for kids and learning. Here are some of my "starting points" for a topic that I believe deserves continual inquiry, reflection, and support.
There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to school culture since culture is contextual and personal, and it is important to always remember that school culture is about the quality of one's community and what the community is able to accomplish together.
Therefore an important entry into culture is RESPECT. I believe most people in a school are genuinely interested in doing good things for kids, willingly work hard, and want to experience success at what they do. Respect needs to be expressed for the work of the past, present, and future to build trust and a strong school tradition.
I think it is a good practice to look at change or new directions as "standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before." This acknowledges and respects the work of those in the past. I think it is good practice to be open to learn from everyone who is presently around you, and not have learning be predominately determined by status or power. Finally, I think it is good practice to continue to respect ourselves and others as we try new ideas and fail. Failure is vastly under-rated, and we can all increase our learning exponentially if we become more accepting of failure. All of this is about how we respect ourselves and others, so that we create a strong culture for learning and growth.
A second important component of school culture is a compelling VISION for what the school aspires to be for kids. There are many vision statements that are flat and corporate-sounding. Vision statements may be developed collaboratively or a leader may share a vision that touches the hearts and minds of a school community. In short, the vision should not feel like another routine, but rather should feel like a calling. When members of a school community rally behind a vision, the possibilities are limitless.
Third, it is important to understand how people are genuinely motivated and inspired in their work. A lot of research has emerged on what motivates people to do great work, but Daniel Pink has perhaps done the best job of synthesizing three main themes: AUTONOMY, MASTERY, and PURPOSE.
Once there is a compelling Vision, people want to experience autonomy and self-direction in realizing the vision. If the culture becomes too prescriptive or too tight, then people will experience compliance and frustration. People also need the time, support, and feedback to develop mastery. Jumping on and off different tracks does not allow opportunity for people to develop and experience mastery. Therefore a sense of continuity and progress are essential. People naturally seek purpose in their lives, and purpose emerges when people see how they connect to the whole. Part of purpose is feeling valued. Another part of purpose is experiencing encouragement to create, invent, explore, discover, fail, and to collaborate with other adventurous souls. There is a feeling of exhilaration and worth when members of a school community experience genuine autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
While all of these components are essential to school culture, it is important to also create a school environment where DIVERSITY is pursued and recognized as a strength. Diversity provides different perspectives, and allows opportunity for ideas to mash in ways that create new possibilities. While all schools are challenged by various types of politics and personal ambitions, there needs to be a way for members to proactively monitor and modulate this so that there is a continual "flow" of diverse ideas and talents.
For diversity to flourish, there needs to be trust that it is okay to have a different perspective, to share it openly, and to potentially debate it. Agreements may need to be established, but it is important that everyone feel their "voice" is valued and has been heard. In a culture of fear, voices go underground because of a belief that diverse perspectives are not valued. This then leads to a continual tug-of-war for power by various players. While diversity can be a challenging experience, it is always worth it when viewed through the lens of deeper levels of understanding and willing collaboration for new possibilities. Native Americans refer to "original medicine" as the value of all members of the tribe to collectively bring forward healing and a promising future.
A final component to school culture is CELEBRATION. To be great at anything requires tremendous dedication and effort. Sometimes the struggle to build mastery can feel overwhelming. Sometimes one can have doubts about the vision or one's own part in the vision, and yet one continues forward in good faith. To help a school culture move through complicated and difficult times, it is important to "shine the light" on what is working and to celebrate small and large victories. Taking time to celebrate is also a way for a school to show it genuinely cares about its members and to signal that everyone is in this together. There is also an ebb and flow to the school year, and finding ways to celebrate during "heavy times" or "long stretches" can be a way to re-gain momentum and collegiality.
I believe these seven characteristics of RESPECT, VISION, AUTONOMY, MASTERY, PURPOSE, DIVERSITY, and CELEBRATION are essential to quality school culture. Rather than looking to a person or group of persons as responsible for these characteristics, I believe it is everyone's responsibility to contribute to positive and productive school culture. These characteristics are as much for a community of students as they are for educators and parents. I would encourage everyone to think of a time in their lives when the culture of a particular place was inspiring. Reflect on what made that place and time so special, and start a conversation with those around you as to how you can collectively create a school culture that makes every day an exciting and purposeful adventure.
The journey starts with a single step . . .
There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to school culture since culture is contextual and personal, and it is important to always remember that school culture is about the quality of one's community and what the community is able to accomplish together.
Therefore an important entry into culture is RESPECT. I believe most people in a school are genuinely interested in doing good things for kids, willingly work hard, and want to experience success at what they do. Respect needs to be expressed for the work of the past, present, and future to build trust and a strong school tradition.
I think it is a good practice to look at change or new directions as "standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before." This acknowledges and respects the work of those in the past. I think it is good practice to be open to learn from everyone who is presently around you, and not have learning be predominately determined by status or power. Finally, I think it is good practice to continue to respect ourselves and others as we try new ideas and fail. Failure is vastly under-rated, and we can all increase our learning exponentially if we become more accepting of failure. All of this is about how we respect ourselves and others, so that we create a strong culture for learning and growth.
A second important component of school culture is a compelling VISION for what the school aspires to be for kids. There are many vision statements that are flat and corporate-sounding. Vision statements may be developed collaboratively or a leader may share a vision that touches the hearts and minds of a school community. In short, the vision should not feel like another routine, but rather should feel like a calling. When members of a school community rally behind a vision, the possibilities are limitless.
Third, it is important to understand how people are genuinely motivated and inspired in their work. A lot of research has emerged on what motivates people to do great work, but Daniel Pink has perhaps done the best job of synthesizing three main themes: AUTONOMY, MASTERY, and PURPOSE.
Once there is a compelling Vision, people want to experience autonomy and self-direction in realizing the vision. If the culture becomes too prescriptive or too tight, then people will experience compliance and frustration. People also need the time, support, and feedback to develop mastery. Jumping on and off different tracks does not allow opportunity for people to develop and experience mastery. Therefore a sense of continuity and progress are essential. People naturally seek purpose in their lives, and purpose emerges when people see how they connect to the whole. Part of purpose is feeling valued. Another part of purpose is experiencing encouragement to create, invent, explore, discover, fail, and to collaborate with other adventurous souls. There is a feeling of exhilaration and worth when members of a school community experience genuine autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
While all of these components are essential to school culture, it is important to also create a school environment where DIVERSITY is pursued and recognized as a strength. Diversity provides different perspectives, and allows opportunity for ideas to mash in ways that create new possibilities. While all schools are challenged by various types of politics and personal ambitions, there needs to be a way for members to proactively monitor and modulate this so that there is a continual "flow" of diverse ideas and talents.
For diversity to flourish, there needs to be trust that it is okay to have a different perspective, to share it openly, and to potentially debate it. Agreements may need to be established, but it is important that everyone feel their "voice" is valued and has been heard. In a culture of fear, voices go underground because of a belief that diverse perspectives are not valued. This then leads to a continual tug-of-war for power by various players. While diversity can be a challenging experience, it is always worth it when viewed through the lens of deeper levels of understanding and willing collaboration for new possibilities. Native Americans refer to "original medicine" as the value of all members of the tribe to collectively bring forward healing and a promising future.
A final component to school culture is CELEBRATION. To be great at anything requires tremendous dedication and effort. Sometimes the struggle to build mastery can feel overwhelming. Sometimes one can have doubts about the vision or one's own part in the vision, and yet one continues forward in good faith. To help a school culture move through complicated and difficult times, it is important to "shine the light" on what is working and to celebrate small and large victories. Taking time to celebrate is also a way for a school to show it genuinely cares about its members and to signal that everyone is in this together. There is also an ebb and flow to the school year, and finding ways to celebrate during "heavy times" or "long stretches" can be a way to re-gain momentum and collegiality.
I believe these seven characteristics of RESPECT, VISION, AUTONOMY, MASTERY, PURPOSE, DIVERSITY, and CELEBRATION are essential to quality school culture. Rather than looking to a person or group of persons as responsible for these characteristics, I believe it is everyone's responsibility to contribute to positive and productive school culture. These characteristics are as much for a community of students as they are for educators and parents. I would encourage everyone to think of a time in their lives when the culture of a particular place was inspiring. Reflect on what made that place and time so special, and start a conversation with those around you as to how you can collectively create a school culture that makes every day an exciting and purposeful adventure.
The journey starts with a single step . . .
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Aligned Impact for Student Learning, Staff Learning, and School Improvement
There is significant and compelling research on what works and doesn't work for student learning, staff learning, and school improvement.
One problem is that these three areas of development are often treated in isolation and are frequently not aligned for optimum performance in schools. Why is there such dramatic separation around conversations about student learning targets and assessment, conversations around needs and expectations for staff learning and performance, and conversations around school improvement benchmarks?
A second problem is that schools often try to serve different and contradictory masters, and therefore it is essential to clarify the main purpose for the school so as to establish unity of purpose and effort. Is a school focused on student learning and growth or is a school focused on achievement and proving itself as one of the leading schools in the world?
To be a leading school in the world requires a school to establish compatible benchmarks with other schools, so as to establish appropriate comparisons. Does this striving to exceed compatible benchmarks of other schools take a school off its main mission of what it values and sees as most important? Does the continual attention on compatible benchmarks start to make a school more like other schools where the contextual uniqueness of a school and perhaps a higher vision become compromised or lost? Is there perhaps greater educational value for "like-minded schools" to create networks and alliances for learning and sharing, rather than competition fields for rankings?
How does a school reconcile a major goal of learning and another major goal of achievement? Some will say that all of this is not an either-or situation, but what really is the priority? Do educators feel divided or confused about their real purpose? Remember when a data point of technology prowess was the number of computers in a school per student? This was simply a data point about inventory, but had no deeper meaning about learning. Comparisons are often full of superficial data points that mean nothing without deeper probing for context and meaning.
A third problem is a lack of genuine inter-communication across stakeholder groups (e.g., students, teachers, administrators, classified staff, parents, Board) so as to create a school culture that has multiple and genuine opportunities for input and deep understanding for the direction of the school. Perhaps the typical structure of how schools are organized is inherently flawed. We have all seen how teachers develop agendas for their classrooms and teams, how administrators engage in identifying agreements on current and future agendas, and how school Boards may have their own agendas on what constitutes a successful school. Meanwhile students and parents have their own ideas about what school should be. The problem with this structure is that it creates agenda competition and distrust across stakeholder groups.
If a school is focused on 1-3 robust and long-term goals that it believes can substantively advance student learning for all students, perhaps there needs to be greater attention to the structure that coherently supports the advancement of these goals. Research would suggest that rather than layers of stakeholders in a school talking among themselves and cementing separate agendas, there is value in an integrated team of students, parents, teachers, administrators, classified staff and Board members who are fully cognizant of the directions of the school and who can engage in meaningful and transparent conversations about implementation from different perspectives.
It is fairly common practice for schools to pull together diverse ad hoc committees for different topics, but building a guiding coalition of diverse stakeholders who are committed to the development and accomplishment of long-term strategic objectives and who find the ways to productively extend the conversation among all other stakeholders is a way to bring a school together for a common purpose and enhance school culture. The execution of this requires strong leadership and facilitation, but the learning, trust, and thoughtful decision-making and actions that can emerge from this process outweigh the challenges.
Sometimes a diverse guiding coalition can be perceived as an "inside or elite group" with everyone else as outsiders. Therefore it is important to also provide avenues for other members of the school community to have a voice and to also be responsible for contributing to thoughtful ideas and school directions. A high functioning school is an inclusive environment that embraces diversity as a strength, rather than creating conditions where people seek each other out because of similar beliefs, similar job roles, or similar backgrounds.
We have all seen examples of different "point persons" being the messengers for different agendas and how these messages can feel like they are being hammered out to everyone in the school. A more integrated and interactive structure potentially offers improved opportunities for a school to truly clarify and communicate the brand of education that it believes is most important and that can have the best success in aligning student learning, staff learning, and school improvement.
A guiding coalition needs to have the interests of the whole school in mind and heart, and not diverge into private agendas. While the concept of a guiding coalition is not a new idea, there are a multitude of examples where there are guiding coalitions in schools and then there are also different individuals or strata that continue to have their private conversations and plans about what will really take place.
While some people would argue that a diverse guiding coalition with different perspectives is not efficient, I would argue that it is not effective to have isolated conversations by different groups of people who will be impacted by how decisions are made, interpreted, and implemented. Stratified structures are like the the story of the blind men who each experience their separate parts of the elephant and believe it is the whole elephant.
If we believe in the concept that "it takes a village to educate a child" and that all of us are responsible for quality education, then it is incumbent on us to figure out how to best build the village (not a bunch of competing villages) and ensure success for ALL of our kids.
One problem is that these three areas of development are often treated in isolation and are frequently not aligned for optimum performance in schools. Why is there such dramatic separation around conversations about student learning targets and assessment, conversations around needs and expectations for staff learning and performance, and conversations around school improvement benchmarks?
A second problem is that schools often try to serve different and contradictory masters, and therefore it is essential to clarify the main purpose for the school so as to establish unity of purpose and effort. Is a school focused on student learning and growth or is a school focused on achievement and proving itself as one of the leading schools in the world?
To be a leading school in the world requires a school to establish compatible benchmarks with other schools, so as to establish appropriate comparisons. Does this striving to exceed compatible benchmarks of other schools take a school off its main mission of what it values and sees as most important? Does the continual attention on compatible benchmarks start to make a school more like other schools where the contextual uniqueness of a school and perhaps a higher vision become compromised or lost? Is there perhaps greater educational value for "like-minded schools" to create networks and alliances for learning and sharing, rather than competition fields for rankings?
How does a school reconcile a major goal of learning and another major goal of achievement? Some will say that all of this is not an either-or situation, but what really is the priority? Do educators feel divided or confused about their real purpose? Remember when a data point of technology prowess was the number of computers in a school per student? This was simply a data point about inventory, but had no deeper meaning about learning. Comparisons are often full of superficial data points that mean nothing without deeper probing for context and meaning.
A third problem is a lack of genuine inter-communication across stakeholder groups (e.g., students, teachers, administrators, classified staff, parents, Board) so as to create a school culture that has multiple and genuine opportunities for input and deep understanding for the direction of the school. Perhaps the typical structure of how schools are organized is inherently flawed. We have all seen how teachers develop agendas for their classrooms and teams, how administrators engage in identifying agreements on current and future agendas, and how school Boards may have their own agendas on what constitutes a successful school. Meanwhile students and parents have their own ideas about what school should be. The problem with this structure is that it creates agenda competition and distrust across stakeholder groups.
If a school is focused on 1-3 robust and long-term goals that it believes can substantively advance student learning for all students, perhaps there needs to be greater attention to the structure that coherently supports the advancement of these goals. Research would suggest that rather than layers of stakeholders in a school talking among themselves and cementing separate agendas, there is value in an integrated team of students, parents, teachers, administrators, classified staff and Board members who are fully cognizant of the directions of the school and who can engage in meaningful and transparent conversations about implementation from different perspectives.
It is fairly common practice for schools to pull together diverse ad hoc committees for different topics, but building a guiding coalition of diverse stakeholders who are committed to the development and accomplishment of long-term strategic objectives and who find the ways to productively extend the conversation among all other stakeholders is a way to bring a school together for a common purpose and enhance school culture. The execution of this requires strong leadership and facilitation, but the learning, trust, and thoughtful decision-making and actions that can emerge from this process outweigh the challenges.
Sometimes a diverse guiding coalition can be perceived as an "inside or elite group" with everyone else as outsiders. Therefore it is important to also provide avenues for other members of the school community to have a voice and to also be responsible for contributing to thoughtful ideas and school directions. A high functioning school is an inclusive environment that embraces diversity as a strength, rather than creating conditions where people seek each other out because of similar beliefs, similar job roles, or similar backgrounds.
We have all seen examples of different "point persons" being the messengers for different agendas and how these messages can feel like they are being hammered out to everyone in the school. A more integrated and interactive structure potentially offers improved opportunities for a school to truly clarify and communicate the brand of education that it believes is most important and that can have the best success in aligning student learning, staff learning, and school improvement.
A guiding coalition needs to have the interests of the whole school in mind and heart, and not diverge into private agendas. While the concept of a guiding coalition is not a new idea, there are a multitude of examples where there are guiding coalitions in schools and then there are also different individuals or strata that continue to have their private conversations and plans about what will really take place.
While some people would argue that a diverse guiding coalition with different perspectives is not efficient, I would argue that it is not effective to have isolated conversations by different groups of people who will be impacted by how decisions are made, interpreted, and implemented. Stratified structures are like the the story of the blind men who each experience their separate parts of the elephant and believe it is the whole elephant.
If we believe in the concept that "it takes a village to educate a child" and that all of us are responsible for quality education, then it is incumbent on us to figure out how to best build the village (not a bunch of competing villages) and ensure success for ALL of our kids.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)