transformational models

I woke up today with a thought - over the past 4 years, I have been researching education transformational models and have tailored it to fit where we are at (Traditional, Transitional, Transformational - it's always changing and more in depth that this). There are noted benchmarks along the way that indicative in each phase.

The thing I thought about however, was that there isn't one for students. Maybe there isn't a need, but from my observation and work with students, some have been institutionalized to the point that they are quite comfortable with winning in the current system.

There needs to be a shift in thinking for students as well, we lead, they follow, they lead, we follow.

One of the indicators of transitional phase is that the teacher identifies him or herself as a learner within the context of the classroom. Do students really identify themselves as learners - where it's ok to make mistakes and then grow from them? or just receivers of information that they have to deliver back in the proper format?

What are the indicators that our students are moving from traditional learners to transformational learners?

1 + 1 = 2

Is it really that simple?

This week, I met with a math team and we brainstormed what we do in math. Here's what we came up with - now the question is - What math equation can you make from this?

Student + textbook = mastery of learning targets (1 + 1 = 2)

Well what if the student struggles?

-1 + 1 does not equal 2

What if the textbook is not enough?

1 + -1 does not equal 2

Or can it be explained with a graph or geometry or another math theory?

New ways of thinking about staff development

Although nature commences with reason and ends in experience it is necessary for us to do the opposite, that is to commence with experience and from this to proceed to investigate the reason.

Leonardo da Vinci

The Mall

This whiteboard is where it all began. We were so turned off by our traditional experiences of meeting rooms with slide shows and video we knew we had to be different.
If we wanted others to be innovative they had to see and develop a different perspective. Opportunities needed to be created that changed those individuals views and priorities.
The hard part is you have to know the general capacity of your participants or they just won't get it. They are so used to being spoon fed information that they can't see the picture you are trying to show them.
The original Mall trip was amazing. Watching energized teachers look explore and experience was exactly the opportunity we hope to give kids each day. Fresh!

Staff Development at...a restaurant

Have you ever compared eating out a restaurant to teaching?

Let's think about this. You walk in a restaurant and a host or hostess seats your party. The menus come along and what's the first thing you think? What do I want to eat?

Five of us went out at a local restaurant for technology training.

And sure enough, we were seated and immediately engaged in conversation - how was your day? what are you going to get to eat? The conversation was interesting b/c it depended on comfort level how much was said or not said.

Let's get back to the question at hand - what do I want to eat? One teacher said - I know exactly what I want - veggie enchilada with cactus on the side. I know what I like and I how I like it. Another person was looking to try something new, another was getting over a cold and now had an appetite and I'm not sure about the others, but it was probably something close to what they had a taste for that day.

The goal is to eat, right? Why would you go into a restaurant and pay for food you don't like? And if it goes to plan, you end up full and satisfied.

So let's think about just this part a little bit further - how is this like teaching? How do we "serve" our students? How do we prepare their "meal"?

Now how would your whole dining experience change if one person had told you what to eat and ordered it for you? We talked about this and concluded that one thing it had to do with was relationships. One of the teacher's responded that she'd probably say something to me, but that she'd want to follow the direction - and then her colleague spoke up and said he would have said something for her - to look out for her needs b/c she's vegetarian.

We continued to learn in town that day by visiting a few more places to look at relationships and space and then headed back to review these concepts from Cheryl Lemke - The Ripple Effect, 21st Century Learning Environments White Paper, The Speak Up 2008 Visionary Administrator and Sylvia Martinez's 30 Years Later: The Best Technology Professional Development

The point? Each person experiences differently and part of that experience is determined by relationships and part by interest and motivation. And so many other factors... So why is it expected that each child react to learning the same way?

How is this related to technology? The impact of technology on learning is determined by how it's used, not by simply having it.

Presentations

Sylvia Martinez: 30 Years Later: The Best Technology Professional Development

Presentations

No Future Left Behind

The Mall

We did it! Our first real "experience-based" staff development and Whoa! I love working in education!
We called a meeting in a traditional work space - great school learning space - but it was at work. Have you ever noticed that when you attend a meeting at work, it's sometimes hard to pay attention or stay awake? Right! That's what we thought, too. We wanted to create an experience that to begin to think differently about education, we might need to conduct staff development differently in a different space.

So picture this, 15 educators sitting at tables in a library. Mission Impossible blares out of the computer.

"OK Everyone, we are going to the mall. You can go with us, someone else or in your own car. We'll see you at the Food Court."

The impact was immediate! Smiles, confusion, energy! Yes - that's what we were hoping for.

Secondly, no one said why - or at least out loud ; ) and they packed up their bags and followed! Yes! Risk-takers! I found it absolutely amazing that one teacher who had just been to the doctor's for a shot in her leg was late - she was at the mall and had gone back. We didn't tell them where we were going b/c that would have changed the experience. But she was not going to miss this - that is impressive! What commitment!

We get to the mall and passed out "the next mission" which is the picture of the dog in shades and says "Find a place you can facilitate learning." And told them we cannot answer anymore questions although some tried : ) Can we...? Is it ok to...? We just smiled and shrugged our shoulders.

Photo courtesy of MatHampson

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathampson/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

And they were off for 35 minutes. And they all came back!

We reconvened at the coffee shop which I'm not so sure the public is ready for us - to use public places to learn b/c they asked us what we were doing there and how long we would be - to which we told them and kept to our word of 20 minutes. I can understand though so no worries - we would have found another place.

Since we didn't have a whole lot of time left, we used etherpad.com to capture our thoughts which we will post soon for reflection.

We talked for just a few minutes afterward and a few people made the comment "We wanted to ask you what you expected of us - but we knew you wouldn't give us an answer." Yep. That's right! I firmly view teachers as professionals with brains - and given the opportunity, they are fully capable of leading. By keeping it open-ended like that w/o expectations allowed for everyone to entertain their own ideas and construct.

We left with one a final note. Think differently.

Inspiration versus Incentive

I've been thinking a lot about these 2 things. Basically, the burning question I have is which one produces the better product.
I suppose better is the operative word.

I think I am finally understanding the meaning of Infusion and I think personal value plays a significant piece to this. When I think of fusing, I think of becoming connecting to the point that 2 separate pieces become one, cannot be broken and become something different.

I also think that inspiration is the key to bringing that value, not "doing project-based learning" or the likes although these hold great instructional value to the process. I have found that incentives, while nice, do not lead to infusion or higher. But again, incentive is sometimes the motivation needed to kick-start the process - and as a fellow colleague of mine once said, it takes strategic conniving (but conniving in a constructive, nurturing way) in the part of staff development facilitator to bring out this creative thinking.

It's the point of no return. It's the point where the teacher could never go back. It's the point where s/he has contributed to the learning in such a way that makes them personally involved, or infused.

What if we tapped into what inspires each teacher and find a way to bring that value into the classroom or to students?