Why Schools Aren’t More Innovative

Check out this interview with author Steven Johnson, “Where Good Ideas Come From.”

Want to know why teachers aren’t more innovative?  They don’t collaborate enough.  Johnson makes a good point about how great ideas that have catapulted society forward.  We often credit these inventions or ideas to a lone genius, but the reality of it all is that most of the great ideas and innovations came out of collaborative work.

So, if we want our teachers and students to be more creative and innovative, why do we put so much emphasis on “doing things on our own”?  Teachers work in solitude all day long, rarely reflecting, discussing, or working with someone to improve their craft.  And, even worse, most teachers are really bad at managing student collaborative work in an educationally authentic way.

Will we make room for teachers and students to really collaborate and go beyond the minimum expectations?

The Passivity of Students AND Educators

“We need more ‘active learners’ at all levels of our education system. What percentage of your students – and educators – are just going through the motions (“just tell me what to do”) rather than inquiring, learning, leading, and, perhaps, modeling?”

I have to say this is an accurate description of many of our educators. I see it in my school system. And while there are many reasons that a teacher just wants to be told what to do, the attitude must be put to rest. School systems are going to have to do the hard work of figuring out what is causing this.

My guess is teachers are already doing everything they know to do, and we keep telling them they should do more. It’s like telling an ER doctor to save more lives, when he’s already doing everything he can to do just that. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it – because I will do whatever it takes!”

Most teachers will change, adjust, modify, and break themselves to teach kids. But they will stop doing all of that when they keep getting told to “do more” and “care more” when they’re already doing and caring all they can.

Find the original blog post here from http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dangerouslyirrelevant/~3/yscSOahCjaQ/the-passivity-of-students-and-educators.html

No More AYP for KY?

My boss shared this article with me today, and I really couldn’t believe what I was hearing. A waiver for AYP under NCLB? This would be a huge step – and now, I’m trying to figure out if this is a good thing (because I agree that there are many problems with the current accountability system) or a bad thing (what will the new system be like?).

http://www.ksba.org/news/article/holliday-wants-to-end-ayp-as-measure-of-kentucky-school-progress

AT&T is That Bad?

This article reiterates the now popular idea that AT&T consistently provides sub-par service. When I got my iPhone, everyone warned me of all the terrible reasons I shouldn’t stay with AT&T, despite the fact that I have had nothing but good service from them. This dropped calls phenomenon must affect many people… Just not me? I wonder if perhaps we are now just listening and believing the media hype that has become so popular?

What do you think of your AT&T service?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/readwriteweb/~3/5XQIRAr5_Yc/no_surprise_to_iphone_users_as_consumer_reports_ca.php
via Byline

“The iPhone is great,” I often joke, “right up until you have to make a phone call.” Frustrations with dropped calls, missing text messages and overall shoddy AT&T service are legion.

Super Mamika – Inspiring Future Grandparents

I scoffed at the idea when I read the title. But as I looked at the wonderfully artistic photographs, I started to realize something: I can’t say I don’t want to be like her someday. I found myself becoming a fan of Mamika.

Check out the link, and try not to smile:
http://m.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/grandmas-superhero-therapy-18

Sir Ken Robinson – Changing Education Paradigms

I’m not sure I necessarily agree with Sir Ken on everything, but I do know that he is hitting one nail on the head that needs a good beating: our current system of education is designed to crank out only one kind of student. Seems to me we may need to address this problem.

You won’t regret watching this visually engaging and of Sir Ken Robinson discussing changing education paradigms at the RSA.

Thanks for the link, http://www.freetech4teachers.com.

Which Do I Love More? Trees vs Wi-Fi

Guilt. If these studies prove true, will I stop my use of Wi-Fi to save the trees? Will we find another way to protect them, and how much will it cost? I hate to say it, but all this technology is using a lot more energy than just using paper.

Read the article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/readwriteweb/~3/lL6zebNIFck/study-wi-fi-is-making-our-tree.php

Daniel Pink on Why Tying Teacher Pay to Test Scores Won’t Work

I haven’t read Dan Pink’s books yet, but they are next on my list. If you’re not familiar with the research he’s done on human motivation, you need to watch this.

What die people in the workplace need to be creative?

1. Autonomy
2. Mastery
3. Purpose

What do they need autonomy over?
1. Time
2. Technique
3. Team
4. Tasks

Describes what motivates me…

This is a re-post from http://www.freetech4teachers.com.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freetech4teachers/cGEY/~3/SbNGehjSe70/daniel-pink-on-why-tying-teacher-pay-to.html

You may also be interested in watching Pink’s TED Talk The Strange Science of Motivation.

Teacher: ‘Maybe it is time for me to go’

I read this and wondered how long before policymakers begin listening to teachers who know what they’re doing. How long before we kick out all human decision-making? Shouldn’t we be giving the people who are closest to the students the opportunity to make decisions about the delivery, content, and assessment?

http://www.pheedcontent.com/click.phdo?i=2b766d52e7ac6a7638e9b26863129372
via Byline

From The Washington Post: This post was written by Lisa Parisi, who teaches fifth grade on Long Island in a collaborative classroom model with a special ed teacher. She has been teaching for 25 years. A version of this piece appeared on her blog, Lisa’s Lingo. By Lisa Parisi I’ve always been a teacher who relishes change. I have volunteered to have my grade changed four times; my room and my district, each three times. I changed while I watched others do the same thing year after year after year…. I remember a teacher who worked in my school when I first started. I walked into her room one day right before school started. She reached into her desk, pulled out her plan book from the year before, opened to the first page and announced, “I’m ready.”

On Being Your Own Contractor

Ten things I didn’t know a month ago about building a house:

1.  The health department has to do a soil drainage site evaluation before the power company will put in electric power. There’s a little sticker you get to put on the pole that tells the power company it has been done.

2.  A septic system must be at least 12″ above the “clay” in the soil (this was confusing to me, but I think I have this right…).  So, if your soil has a high clay content, you may have to have topsoil brought in.

3.  The power company won’t put in a permanent power pole right off the bat.  They want you to install only a temporary power pole during construction.

4. The power company won’t install a temporary power pole until you have a somewhat permanent, gravel driveway established and all buildings to be constructed have been staked out and marked.  They don’t want to install any power lines or poles where buildings or drives may go.

5.  You can install your own temporary power pole.  You can buy the pole and the power box for the pole from various electrical supply companies.  The power company offers you a booklet with the specifications of installing power to a home.  However, the pole must pass inspection before the power company will hook up the power.  For all the trouble of figuring out how to do this on your own, you could just pay $200 for an electrician to install it.

6.  The county roads department will install a culvert and dig roadside ditches for you.  You only pay for the culvert and the gravel to fill around the culvert.  BUT, they won’t do that until you’ve established a permanent driveway.

7.  Your dad will mention at least 25 times that a water-cooled heat pump is the way to go in energy efficient heating/cooling.

8.  Your wife will look at you funny if you say,”I think we can wait to build a garage…”

9.  Your contractor will take more time than you expect to get back to you with an estimate.  That could mean two things:  he’s very thorough, and you like that he is careful and complete; or, he is lazy, and doesn’t really care about timelines.

10.  Every time you think about building this house, you get excited and can’t wait to start…