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In a time when technology is drastically changing the way that we work, learn, and play, it is essential that school leaders have a clear plan for driving digital change in their classrooms, districts and communities. These two tips can help:
Remember that tools don’t change learning spaces; Teachers do:
While integrating technology into learning spaces will require investments in new digital tools and services, many school leaders forget that investing in tools alone is never enough.
I had the privilege of being on a webinar panel with Linda Darling Hammond, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, and Joseph Bishop as they highlighted the recent report "For Each and Every Child: A Strategy for Education Equity and Excellence." You can find more about the report and hear the webinar over in the Collaboratory.
It's May. It's spring in Colorado. My 6th graders are starting to sound, smell, and act like ... 7th graders. Sunshine and storms trade places depending on the day, so outdoor recess is not a given. Energy is high and motivation is a struggle. Summer is just around the corner and weeks, days, and hours away. Many instructional hours away.
Hey John,
Last week, I got the opportunity to attend the 2nd annual NSTA Conference on STEM. For those unaware, STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, shorthand for trying to get kids interested in technical fields. With federal support, people from kindergarten to the university level has been trying to grapple what STEM is, and what it should look like, especially in schools with limited funding.
While there were some great presentations (not to mention two of my own), I found myself having more questions than answers about this idea of STEM.
I don't have a ton of time to write today -- I've spent the past week teaching and learning alongside of some really progressive thinkers in Australia -- so I figured I'd share a few handouts that I've been using in class this year to teach nonfiction reading skills in my sixth grade science classroom.
Debates continue to swirl over the use of student test scores—and any number of statistical models—to assess which teachers are effective or not. Fueled by the priorities of the U.S. Department of Education (including its Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waiver rules), 40 states are now using some form of value-added (VA)1 or student growth (SG)2 models in their new teacher evaluation systems.
It seems to me that too many educational reformers are simply terrified about a zombie horde of so-called ineffective teachers shambling toward our city’s children, moaning, “Brains!” It seems to me that the National Council on Teacher Quality may be falling into this trap.
That’s the only explanation I can give to NCTQ’s first recommendation for my school district, “The district needs to do a much better job of hiring and assigning teachers.”
I just spent a glorious day at the Mississippi NBCT Summit on the campus of the University of Mississippi.
The highlight of the summit was a pinning ceremony for many of this year's Mississippi teachers who achieved Board Certification, which included a husband and wife team!
The summit also featured NBPTS President Ron Thorpe, as well as State Senator Gary Tollison, chair of the MS Senate Education Committee. I was part of a panel that responded to Thorpe's remarks and offered our own take on the future of teaching in Mississippi.
Jose - Here in Virginia we have had standards of learning for a long time. Our standards are revised every seven years by content area. English one year, then math, etc.
Blogs
The Implementing Common Core Standards (ICCS) team blogs about best practices for integrating common core standards into the classroom.
The TeacherSolutions 2030 team blogs about improving the teaching profession between now and the year 2030.
Megan M. Allen is a National Board Certified Teacher and the 2010 Florida Teacher of the Year. She is a proud fifth-grade teacher in Tampa and a 2012-13 CTQ teacherpreneur.
Barnett Berry is the Founder and President of the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), Inc., based in Carrboro, NC. CTQ seeks to dramatically improve student learning by advancing teaching as a 21st-century, results-oriented profession. He wrote TEACHING 2030 with 12 accomplished teachers.
Dan Brown is a teacher and the author of The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle. His writing has also appeared in The Boston Globe, The New York Daily News, The New York Post, and Education Week. He is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Jessica Cuthbertson is a teacherpreneur who divides her time between teaching 6th-grade literacy in Aurora, CO, and supporting teacher leadership through the Denver New Millennium Initiative.
Bill Ferriter teaches 6th grade language arts in North Carolina, where he was named a Regional Teacher of the Year for 2005-2006.
John Holland is an artist, a teacher, a writer, and an innovator. After 12 years as a preschool teacher, John began working at Early Head Start/Head Start Program as a child development specialist. He is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Jessica Keigan is a secondary language arts teacher at Horizon High School in Thornton, CO, and a teacher leader for the Denver New Millennium Initiative.
Ryan Kinser is a 6th grade English teacher in Hillsborough County, Florida. After a career in television production, Ryan taught in urban Washington as a D.C. Teaching Fellow. He is a member of the Hillsborough New Millennium Initiative.
Renee Moore has taught English and journalism for 20 years in the Mississippi Delta region at both high school and community college levels. She is National Board Certified, a former state Teacher of the Year, and a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Dave Orphal is a teacher in Oakland, CA. Dave serves as a veteran teacher leader for the Bay Area New Millennium Initiative and works with the California Teachers Association's Institute for Teaching.
Ariel Sacks teaches eighth grade English at a middle school in Brooklyn, NY. She has published articles about her work in Teacher Magazine and is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Mark Sass has taught public high school for 18 years and has been involved in various leadership positions and policy discussions in Colorado. Mark is a member of the inaugural Aspen Teacher Leader Fellows.
In addition to our regular transformED bloggers, we frequently feature guest posts written by teachers involved in CTQ communities. We welcome teachers to share their reflections and expertise on transformED.
Jose Vilson is a math teacher, coach, and data analyst for a middle school in the Inwood/Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. He is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Noah Zeichner is a National Board Certified Teacher in Seattle. He currently serves in a hybrid teaching role, dividing his time between teaching social studies and supporting CTQ's global teacher leadership initiatives.
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- @the_explicator @prichardcom Agreed! Hybrid roles like #teacherpreneurs allow for innovation and teacher leadership. — 1 week 2 days ago
- Wholeheartedly agree! RT @prichardcom: Teachers should not teach alone - actively engaged with a support system. #CTQCollab — 1 week 2 days ago
- @DanBrownTeacher Fabulous, Dan. We're looking forward to watching it—please share the link when it's up! — 1 week 2 days ago
- RT @ascd: What would "pulling the plug" on #CCSS mean for PD, lesson plans, alignment? One educator's perspective: http://t.co/d0PXldOTts — 1 week 2 days ago
- 3 flawed #edpolicy assumptions that every parent should pay attention to: http://t.co/PLc4uhyY2s (via @plugusin) #CTQCollab — 1 week 2 days ago