A Great Weekend

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of engaging in a series of events with others in the field of education, athletics and family (3 of my passions!).  Saturday started out with Edcamp Vancouver, an "unconference" designed for people interested in discussing issues of their choosing in education.  It was an opportunity to meet face-to-face with many of the insightful and thought-provoking people I had recently come across through blogging and my still-neophyte use of Twitter.  It was an excellent day, where educational topics fostered dialogue about experiences and thoughts on "best practice".  While the dialogue was inspiring and spurred on more thought for future Professional Development efforts in the Lower Mainland, what struck me most was the passion the participants shared, and the value in coming together to share these thoughts.  Sharing our experiences and creating a new shared experience (the conference itself) was, in my opinion, the most valuable part of our day.  The ideas had already been shared via Twitter and blogs, but coming together to elaborate and converse about them is invaluable shared experience, and means so much more.

Friend and colleague @terryainge and I reluctantly left the conference a little early, since we had tickets to the Vancouver Whitecaps versus Chivas USA soccer match.  A game synopsis can be read here.  Again, this was a fantastic opportunity to share an experience with others, meet new people and discuss the event or any other interests we may share.  I could easily have stayed home and watched the game on television, but there is something different about going to a game in person.  Being part of the crowd, talking with others and appreciating the efforts of those we are watching with many people does have a significant effect on the experience of watching an athletic event.  It was also a treat to witness the galvanizing nature of such events.  Vancouver is an incredibly diverse, multicultural city, and events like last night's soccer game remind us of that, and give great opportunities for people of different backgrounds to come together.  A Whitecaps game, similar to a Canucks game or the experience we shared during the Olympics last year, are prime examples of diverse backgrounds coming together, sharing an experience and learning about and embracing one another.

Sunday morning, my wife and I headed downtown to participate in the 2011 Vancouver Sun Run.  In excess of 50,000 people converged on the area of Burrard and Georgia and proceeded to tour this beautiful city on a 10 km run.  The competitor in me at times got frustrated, since I was unable to break free of the crowds and thus couldn't come close to a personal best or my goal time for the run.  At the finish line, I asked myself why I come to these events, since I could run 10 km at home, free of the people and get a better work out and post a better time.  I answered the question quite quickly.  It is because, again, I am sharing the experience with others.  I ran into several other people whom I knew, one I had met only the day before at Edcamp Vancouver.  @remi_collins and I  introduced ourselves to each other at the conference, since we had followed each other on Twitter and read each others blogs.  Remi also wrote a blog about the Sun Run.  I saw a few others I knew in the crowds, and when my wife completed the run, I gave her a hug, and mentioned how proud I was of her, and that she seemed proud of herself.  Again, the best part of the event is sharing the experience, seeing others enjoying and being proud of themselves and their family members.  My goal time, once I thought about it this way, seemed inconsequential.

After the Sun Run, I came home, played with my kids, washed the car, mowed the lawn, then sat down to reflect on the weekend.  I am now tired, and very much looking forward to watching the Vancouver Canucks playoff game #3 versus the Chicago Blackhawks.  I never played hockey (I was a basketball, rugby, soccer guy who now loves golf), but I seem to care passionately about the Canucks.  Why?   Because I am sharing the experience with much of the rest of the city, and the galvanizing effect of the success of any of our sports teams (but especially the hockey team) is something I enjoy watching impact the people.  The game is due to start soon, so I better finish this up...!  Go Canucks!!  Give us something fun to talk about at work tomorrow.  It seems to have a positive effect on most of the people in our city.

So how do the experiences I had this weekend affect my thinking about education?  They reinforced much of what I already thought about school.  I believe that the reason the buildings still exist is because coming together to share experiences and develop relationships is worth so much more than curriculum and facts.  Bruce Beairsto has written about the "core benefits" of school, mentioning that one of them is relationships and community in his post  "Necessary Disruption (part 3)".  Students could stay at home and credential and even learn much of what they need to know to graduate.  But, if given a choice to come to school or not, the vast majority of children would come.  Why?  Because school is the ultimate shared experience.  We have all done it, and we all have opinions about its benefits, drawbacks and how it can/should be done differently.  With all of the call for reform, much of which I agree with, we do need to keep one thing in mind....  School is an incredibly important shared experience, and being human, shared experience is something we enjoy, want and NEED.

All in all, a great weekend that will only be improved when the Canucks win Game #3!  Go Canucks, go!!!

Take Your Time

As we enter what Cale Birk (@birklearns) described as "the month of AprilMayJune" in a recent blog post (here), he reminded us to take the time to reflect and ask yourself some important questions about your work.  I would like to add to Cale's comments the reminder to take your time and think carefully and investigate thoroughly the issues you are dealing with.  Sometimes in haste, we make assumptions that can lead to errors in judgement. I made such an error today, and the issue ended up taking me longer than it should have and could have fractured a relationship between a student and myself.

I was dealing with a discipline issue that a teacher brought to me when two students were exchanging menacing comments and threats with one another.  One of the students was well-known to me for his history of non-attendance and poor achievement.  The other boy had no history whatsoever and was a quality student.  The two combatants had very different stories, and eventually I brought them together in hopes of resolving the issue.  Both boys stuck by their stories in the presence of the other and I was in a rush to get back to some of the timetabling and report card issues I was dealing with.   Rather than take the extra time to speak with other classmates who may have been witnesses, I sided with the student who had no history of poor decision-making, warned the boys to leave each other alone, and sent them back to class with a warning (since nothing serious had come from the comments).  I know better than this, but tired and rushed, I skipped some critical steps...

As you can imagine, the young man I did not believe was upset with me and his counterpart when he went back to class.  My gut was uneasy, so I backtracked and decided to speak with a couple of potential witnesses, just to confirm my suspicion.  Much to my surprise, the witnesses corroborated the story of the young man whom I did not believe.  Immediately, I needed to go back and speak with the boys again, first to reprimand the student with no history of dishonesty, and help him understand the damage he had done to his reputation, and then with the boy whose story I thought was inaccurate.  I apologized to him, and to his credit, he accepted it and smiled.  The issue between the boys was significantly improved after I spoke with them a second time, and the day continued without incident.  I was fortunate I listened to my gut and followed up, but wish I had done so in the first place.  In my haste to get back to the many other tasks I was working on, I ended up spending more time sorting out the problem than I would have if I had taken the time it required in the first place.  Worse, I risked a relationship with a student, and made him feel unheard.  I can offer no excuses, only an apology.  I am fortunate that my apology was accepted, no further issues came of it and the relationship between us was salvaged.

So, as Cale suggested, take time to reflect and ask yourself some important questions, but also take the time to investigate as you know you should.  It will likely save time in the long run, and will help maintain the quality relationships you have worked so hard to develop.  The busyness will eventually pass, but reputations and relationships last much longer.

10 Picture Tour of J.N. Burnett Secondary

Last week, Cale Birk (Principal at South Kamloops Secondary School) proposed that people in his Personal Learning Network take some photographs of their school to give others an idea of what their learning environment looks like. 

He posted some photos of his school here, and challenged us to do the same.

I thought it was a great idea, and equipped with a substandard cellphone camera and no eye for photography, I decided to enlist the help of a couple of our Senior Photography students to give their perspective of what our school is all about.

Below is a 10 photo tour of Burnett Secondary School in Richmond, B.C.  It is a great place to work and learn, filled with 1250 enthusiastic and friendly students, and progressive, passionate educators.  Special thanks to photographers Bernard Patascil and Wendel Genosa.

Overlooking our Multipurpose area/cafeteria

Outside one of the many hubs of activity-the library

Looking down the hallway at some of the past Grad composites

The student managed store-I love the name...Passion!

Hard at work making cream puffs!

Working on a Biology lab

A Physical Education class playing badminton

The other student-run school store

Student artwork outside the art rooms

We are Breakers!  We have slogans all around the school. 

"Breakers Believe in the Power of their Dreams"

Just had to add one more.  A sunny afternoon in beautiful Richmond.

What kind of education do I want for MY kids?

As our family's first experience having a two-week Spring Break comes to a close, I look back and fondly recall an extended opportunity to spend time together, catch up, and talk about and do the things we enjoy.  Too often, during the busy times of the school year, we do not get to engage in these activities or have these conversations.  That is something I need to change and make time for with my family.  In fact, doing and talking about what we enjoy, what we are good at and what gets us excited are very valuable for adults and children in helping identify strengths and encourage exploration.  Breaks from the routines of life can allow us to explore these areas of interest, but should not be the only times we endeavour to pursue them. The routine of school should be based on opportunities for children to explore their passions and pursue areas of strength.  One of the deepest conversations we engaged in during the break was regarding school.  I recall sitting with my wife and children, asking, "Do you miss school?" and, "What do you miss about school?", "What do you wish you did more of at school?", and, most importantly, "Do you like school?"

The questions open a very broad topic, and the answers were largely positive. While I did hear comments about being bored on occasion and preferring Spring Break when they were free to do as they pleased, I think that both of my children (like most kids) enjoy being in school, learning new skills and getting to interact regularly with their peers.   I have two great kids, a 10 year old boy in Grade 5 and an 8 year old boy in Grade 3.  Both are in French Immersion programs in Richmond, are quiet, compliant, studious kids, who do well in school.  I think they are the type of students that most teachers enjoy having in class because they do as they are told, have very little in the way of behaviour issues, and try to please adults.  I am confident that with the personalities they have, they will be reasonably successful throughout their time in school, because they fit the profile of students who are easily instructed.

 

My having confidence that they will be successful students, however, does not entirely ease my mind when I think about their life beyond school.  Like most parents, I want for my children to become happy, confident, well-adjusted adults who are considered to be good people.  What they choose to do with their lives professionally is up to them, and I truly believe that if they enjoy what they do and do it well, they will be successful.  Below is a video of John Wooden describing his definition of success.  It takes a caring person to be able to define success this way, and to inspire others to meet that definition.  How do schools reinforce what John Wooden describes as success?

We are faced with many other questions in education, and one of the most often asked is "Why do you do what you do?"  A good question and a blog post by Tom Hierck (here).  I know the answer for me.  Similar to Tom, I do what I do because I care, and because I have the responsibility of trying to make a positive difference for students.  But when I think about how I am most concerned about my children's happiness, confidence and moral character, it makes me ask a more specific question: "Exactly what do I want my children's school experience help them to develop?"

Similar types of questions have swirled around in my head before.  I have written a Statement of Educational Philosophy a few times in my career, (the first couple of times before I had children of my own) and while it has evolved over the years, the question of what is most important has always been at the core.  But when put into the context of my own children, it has, for me, become more personal (although I am not sure it should).  The answer can go in several different directions, and I struggle to keep it brief, but below are the things I want school to help develop in my kids:

1.  Confidence-Tom Schimmer wrote on his blog that "It's all about Confidence",

"If our students are convinced they can be successful – if they have the self-efficacy – they are likely to try harder and persist longer when they face obstacles. Confident students believe they can eventually learn anything...

The opposite of confidence, of course, is anxiety.  As most of us know, anxiety interferes with memory, attention, and concentration.  Anxious students prefer to have information fed to them as they have a general sense of incompetence...

Confidence transcends any skill and any century. Teaching is, and always will be, about building confidence…confidence is about expecting a positive result…expecting a positive result drives the desire to learn.

I could not agree more.  I want my kids to be confident in themselves and in their ability to learn and perform things.  I have seen how anxiety inhibits their learning, ability to think and recall and their desire to persevere.  I have also experienced in my own development how positive feedback develops confidence which leads to increased interest, engagement and hard work.  The most important element I hope my kids get from their time in school is that sense of confidence in their ability as learners.

2.  Thinking Creatively/Asking Questions/Looking for Answers-the world in our future is largely to be discovered.  In education we spend significant amounts of time talking about 21st Century Skills and Learning.  Included are things like: collaboration, engagement, critical thinking, using technology, and many more (see blog post by Jeff Delp here).  Simply put, to do things the way they have always been done will not be sufficient for our children.  We need to be able to teach different skills in different ways than in the past, and students will need to be able to think and problem solve differently in the future.  I worry about this most specifically with my children.  As people-pleasers, they are reluctant to question, and are very concerned with doing things right.  Much like me, they are not yet as creative as they will need to be, and are most comfortable working on something where they know what they should produce.  I need my children (and all children) to be able to ask questions, not fear making mistakes, and try new ways of doing things.  Schools need to concentrate on developing these skills.

3.  The ability to work with others and develop relationships-it is my opinion that the most important elements of school in today's world are social interaction and peer relationships.  It is the thing that students enjoy most in school, and is the reason why schools exist in the form they do.  It is possible for students to do all of their learning (correction: Credentialing) through the computer in on-line environments.  The world, however, will desire collaborative working/learning in the workplace, and students need to develop these skills in school.  They also need to learn to appreciate differences of opinion and culture.  This is part of the obligation of schools; working in unison with the home to develop strong moral character in their students.  I want my children to learn to relate and work well with others, yet still be able to share their ideas with conviction and pride.

4.  To have their passions uncovered and celebrated-teachers need to find out what their students are good at and enjoy, and weave those things into the curriculum, thus enabling studnets to be more engaged in their learning.  It takes time for teachers to uncover/recognize/celebrate these skills, but in all likelihood, they are the things students will be using in their lives after school.  Too often, students have their shortcomings pointed out and all efforts are concentrated on improving the areas of weakness.  This practice only serves to frustrate and alienate the very students who need our assistance most.  Schools need to spend more time uncovering strengths and passions, then helping students develop them.  Being challenged in areas of strength can produce stunning achievements and a sense of pride and accomplishment for students that they will strive to replicate in their lives after school. 

In short, I want my kids to get from school the ability to be creative thinkers, passionate about their interests, aware of how to respectfully engage with others, and confident in their abilities to persevere, explore and look for alternate solutions.  I think they are among the things that most parents want their children to learn at school.  

Last night I watched the guilty pleasure, "School of Rock".  While Dewey Finn (aka Ned Schneebly) did not behave as a professional role model, his enthusiasm, care for his students and the way he helped them find their passions (I know, it was a movie...but his project-based learning method is all the rage!), is something for us to emulate.  We owe it to all of our students to make schools places where they love coming, get engaged in life-long learning with and from each other, are celebrated for their unique sets of skills and have their confidence developed.  These are all things that Jack Black's character did for the students in his class.  I hope that my children (in fact, all the children in any school) get the opportunity to uncover their passions, work creatively with their peers and develop confidence.  What do you want school to help your kids develop?

In my next post, I will explore the question, "How do we ensure we are promoting these things in school?"

Good Things are Happening:Teaching & Learning (Part 2)

In a recent post, I profiled a Communications 11/12 class taught by Mrs. Bronwyn Fackler that had worked on technology presentations about Social Issues (here), and the associated skills needed for students to be proficient in this area.  It was an inspiring lesson because it showcased some creative teaching strategies and celebrated some fantastic student work.  Shortly after observing that class, I stumbled upon an English 11 Incentive class and got the chance to watch the presentations they had been working on representing the poem "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" using music.  Again, the students were so engaged and will remember the processes and learning that took place in the class for a long, long time.  It was inspiring for me to observe, and I asked the teacher if she would be willing to comment on the process.  Mrs. Debbie Ten-Pow is today's guest blogger:

            I would like to claim ownership of all great teaching ideas, but I am of the belief that most thoughts have been experienced at some point by others and over time are just renamed and described slightly differently. I have been teaching this lesson on and off for many years; and while I would love to claim it as my own original idea, I am quite certain that I came across it while reading or while conversing with a friend.           

            In any case, one afternoon, Jason happened upon my students carrying violins, guitars even lugging a cello into my English classroom and being his curious, investigative self, he invited himself in to observe.

            We had just spent a week studying Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner; we had just spent sixteen minutes listening to Iron Maiden’s version of this lyrical ballad. We needed to get the rock beat out of our heads.  There are seven parts to the poem so students were divided into seven groups and assigned a section of the poem. They then had to select a different music genre -- country/western, rap, hip-hop, opera, lullaby, anthem, disco.  Students were asked to write lyrics and to find or compose music for their assigned parts and genre; they had to show understanding of the content of the poem as well as capture the atmosphere and tone of their passage.

            The students worked extremely hard and after a few days of planning and rehearsing, students did a live performance during class.

            The students were also asked to respond, individually, in writing about their process and the contributions they and their bandmates made to the procedure.  Here is a sampling of what they wrote:

* “I found this one of the most fun and exciting projects of the class.  Putting lyrics to the poem and choosing the song to do so with, especially under a genre constraint, was an excellent way to get involved in the story.”

* “We also spend a large percentage of our work time working on the syllables and rewriting verses of the poem...not only did the lines have to match the syllables of the song, but it had to rhyme as well.”

* “This project was very unlike any other project that I have had to do.  It was very enjoyable and felt very satisfying when we were able to fit parts of the poem into the song.”

* It was difficult at times to combine both the lyrics of the song and the story together because of the rhythms...This project was engaging and allowed us to gain understanding of the story in modern day language.”

* “I had such a fun time with this assignment.  At first, I was a bit hesitant, but as my group worked farther into the song-writing process, we became excited and engaged.

* “Can we do this again for Macbeth?”

(Music to an English teacher’s ears.)

Below are the video snippets of the student performances (my apologies for the poor video quality).

Like the Communications project, this was an incredibly creative class from both a teaching and learning perspective.  The chance for students to create inspired them to be engaged and to work together, learning so many more skills than just the understanding of the poem.  Most exciting for the teacher and for myself was seeing the students engaged to the level they were, thoroughly involved in all the processes required for the group and the assignment to come together.

Thanks so much to Mrs. Ten-Pow and the class for inviting me to observe.  This is great teaching and learning, and it makes me proud of the work being done at this school.  Again, I welcome the opportunity to observe other classes in the school where creative teaching and learning are being promoted.  We need to continue to share these success stories.

Dance Fever

I have referred before to Ken Robinson's comments that schools are educating our students "out" of their creativity.  Another fine example of where this is not occurring is in Physical Education classes at J.N Burnett Secondary.  I have recently read posts about the Arts and their value from both Johnny Bevacqua (here) and Chris Wejr (here) and am proud to say that we are promoting their value at Burnett, allowing students to create, perform and appreciate the Arts via dance performances and several other student projects around the school. 

Twice per year (just before Winter break for semester 1, and just prior to Spring break for semester 2) the PE department teaches the dance unit.  The concluding assignment is to have students get into groups and create dances that incorporate different genres of music, rhythms of dance and the other elements taught throughout the unit.  In the two weeks prior to performance day (usually the Friday before the break), the hallways are packed after school with students and their music systems, relentlessly rehearsing their dance performances.  Students are fully engrossed in preparing and performing their routines, working collaboratively, sharing thoughts and ideas and putting countless hours and energy into the process.  The PE staff recognizes the popularity of the performances, and sends an email to school staff welcoming them to bring their classes to observe the show on the last day.  Invariably, the gym is packed with students keen to watch and support their peers, sometimes hosting as many as 600+ observers.  The more reluctant students are given the option of performing the day prior in front of only their teacher, but most choose to perform in front of the live school-wide audience.

This is student creativity at its finest, and is breeding some risk-taking, adventurous and highly engaged learning.  When we see the energy poured into rehearsal, the smiles on the performers faces and the pride they feel about what they have produced, we know that what students are doing is worthwhile, has them involved and is something they will look back on fondly for years to come.  Coupled with the way the audience behaves, we can see the learning taking place is about so much more than dance.

Assignments such as these did not exist when I was in school.  If they had, I probably would have opted to sit out, and it is likely that I would have been someone in the back of the gym ridiculing other students due to my own insecurities and inability to put myself out there and take risks.  In fact, the audience behavior is one of the things that impresses me most about the performances.  Students are all supportive and respectful of one another, encouraging and politely applauding all efforts.  I am confident that this would not have been the case a generation ago.  The focus our school has had on Socially Responsible behavior, as well as the popularity of television programs like "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol" have made risk-taking and creativity more acceptable and certainly more encouraged.

We are moving in the right direction.  Let's keep promoting risk-taking and creativity in our students learning.  It gets them excited, and enables them to produce some of their best work.

Student Council Elections

This past Friday, Burnett Secondary school had its Student Council speeches and elections for next year.  All students made their way to the cafeteria (different grades in different periods) to listen to the students who are running for positions on the Student Council Executive.  The speeches (24 of them for 6 different positions) are delivered to every student, whether they are interested in what the candidates have to say or not, and then all students are given a ballot to complete.  Candidates struggle with students not paying attention, sometimes the speeches sound eerily similar, and there is no opportunity to ask questions or engage in debates or discussions.

While I am pleased we have such an interest in student government, sadly, it seems more like a popularity contest, and in the end can result in people not feeling very good about themselves, their competitors or the process.  Most distressing is that it seems to brew "bad blood" in that with three excellent candidates running for Student Council President, only one can win.  All three candidates have indicated that if not successful in the competition, they may not serve on Student Council in any capacity, even though we try to encourage any unsuccessful candidates or others with interest to join the "Breaker crew" who assist the Executive with any activities the Student Council plans.

I question this process, wondering why we make ALL students come to listen to the speeches and make each individual vote.  In no other political venue is this the case.   Civic, Provincial and Federal elections all have opportunities for interested voters to listen to and ask questions of candidates, and voter turn out is not mandatory, in fact in many cases it is well below 40%.  While I can appreciate the value of giving students a chance for public speaking, the process at our school seems not to have changed much from the days depicted in the movie "Election" starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. 

In saying this, I am not being critical of  Student Council Sponsor, I am just looking for different ideas to share with the students regarding campaigning and voting.  Ideas that lead to all students feeling good about the process, learning about democracy and government, and resulting in good candidates being able to work together, regardless of the outcome.

I have looked on-line for processes used in schools around North America, and found some very descriptive rules and procedures, but nothing that seems to address how campaigning is done, when speeches are delivered and to whom, and what people have found voter turn-out to be. While I am sure there are great suggestions and practices out there, I have been unable to locate them.

Suggestions our Administrative team made to the Council members running the election included moving the speeches to lunchtime in the theatre (perhaps spread out over many days to focus on different grades) so that only interested spectators would attend, and opportunities for question and answer or debate could be provided.  The voting could  also be held at lunchtime over a few days, with students having to sign for their ballot.  Students were, of course, concerned that these suggestions would result in poor turn-out for both the speeches and at the polls, but our argument was that leaders, as they have to in political elections, must figure out ways to enhance voter interest.  These are skills they need to develop to become effective leaders.  The students heard us but some seemed hesitant, wanting things to continue as they have in the past.  We feel that some changes should be made in order to move the excercise away from a popularity contest and become more engaging for audience members and candidates.  We do not, however, wish to take away opportunities from students if they still feel they are worthwhile and important.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, we are very curious to hear what you have to say. How do you balance the sense of democracy, voting and the opportunities for student leaders to speak publicly with barriers like language issues, disinterest from audience members and the potential for poor voter turn out. We would welcome any feedback you may have.