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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Policy & Reform

We Need to Talk About BYOD

The BYOD Listening Project asks: In the rush to control students’ devices, have we overlooked the ‘moment of teaching’?

By Sharon Price Campbel

If you’re a teacher in the U.S., you have likely bumped into BYOD (bring your own device). Especially in recent years, school districts are rushing to “leave no device behind” and education technology companies are coming up with myriad new products and services to deliver the promise of BYOD Nirvana. At conferences and in district offices, educators are spearheading many iterations of teaching and learning opportunities.

What can we learn from the previous megatrends in education technology? The first small wave of technology occurred when computers were installed in public school offices. They were not to be touched by the likes of teachers, but by trained office professionals only. It took another decade for computers to become available to educators in the teacher’s lounge. By the turn of the millennium, computer-literate teachers began to ask for, beg for, and write grants for computers in the classroom.

A flood of federal money available for technology purchases created the second wave, the Educational Technology Tsunami. To cash in on the gold rush, business suppliers slapped “education friendly” labels on business equipment. Manufacturers racing to get their share of the federal bucks cut corners on research, design, and quality control to get products into the marketplace. Classrooms became a nightmare of unsupported, unreliable hardware and buggy software. Classroom teachers who had been enthusiastic became concerned about job security. They feared reporting faulty equipment and feared that they had inadequate computer skills. When the federal funding ended, school districts found themselves unable to financially support their technological machines and dreams.

Riding the same surge was the “No Child Left Behind” legislation. Its unattainable expectations, on top of education’s first attempt to merge onto the digital freeway, nearly crashed education.  Systems had been too quickly adopted and inadequately designed, and were incapable of the tasks they were purchased to perform. School districts became the graveyards of metal hulks and husks of educational technology—and federally-driven, data-based, student failure.

Since then, we have learned and improved. Manufactures and legislators are beginning to include educators in the conversation about expectations and realistic outcomes for tomorrow’s teaching tools. Teachers are getting very good at forming their own independent learning communities, and ideas are spreading faster than ever before. It was during this hyper-connected, surging wave of mobile device integration into all aspects of life that we ushered in BYOD.

It will take work. Early concerns about device security/privacy, unrestricted web access, and the potential for distractions in the classroom have driven the marketplace toward an obsession with control. There are now dozens of device management products that offer instructors and districts varying levels of control over student devices; however, these products don’t serve the fundamental purpose of BYOD in education, which is to improve instruction, empower students for self-directed learning, and leverage this generation of students’ technological prowess to turn the current model of instruction on its head.

In the rush to control students’ devices, we have overlooked the “moment of teaching.” Very few teachers are able to accomplish ordinary tasks, such as grabbing a picture from a document camera and getting it to each student device, without having to halt instruction and fiddle with far too many steps to integrate into teaching. So why is instructional software so clunky when we need it the most? The answer is that most companies making this software rarely set foot in an actual classroom. They are so focused on features and functions that they overlook how the product is used in the classroom during instruction. If one of the purposes of device management is to minimize distractions, shouldn’t the product just work and require no active management on the part of the teacher? Yet most device management products require that the teacher be behind his or her computer to share learning resources or to monitor and control student devices.

We can’t rely on product developers to just deliver brilliance. Rarely through history have major innovations been the result of one person or team, instead they have been the result of teams building on the work of or listening to others. The BYOD marketplace should be listening to the visceral and rational experiences of teachers, administrators, and students to make better products.

EXO U is sponsoring the BYOD Listening Project to strike up a dialogue between teachers, students, parents, administrators, and the marketplace, with the goal of pinning down and solving the increasing challenges that teachers and students face when attempting to integrate devices into a daily classroom teaching. I am serving as a moderator for the project, and we’re asking for your perspective on mobile devices in the classroom. What works? What doesn’t? Where are the significant pain points or problems at the interface of mobile devices and learning?

The BYOD Listening Project is asking for your engagement and in return, we will analyze, collate, and report themes and major takeaways. Our aim is to provide highly useful data and models for BYOD implementation that improve that moment of teaching.

Sharon Price Campbel has taught in Napa County Juvenile Offender programs, an alternative high school, and Youth Employment programs. For the last 28 years she has been a middle school teacher. In 2009, she was named a California School Master, the oldest, most prestigious California education award.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation

What fewer women in STEM means for their mental health

Jennifer Drake, University of Toronto

“You’re in engineering!?! Wow, you must be super-smart…”

It has been over 10 years since I was a first-year engineering undergraduate student; but when I remember the time a fellow female student made this comment, I can still feel a visceral, bodily reaction: my muscles tense, my heart rate increases, my breath quickens.

Comments like these on the surface appear as compliments. But when unpacked, they reveal subversive attitudes about women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

As I think back to this encounter, there are two aspects that stay with me. First was the surprised, skeptical tone of the other student’s voice that conveyed it was surprising and unusual (or, to put it more crudely, freakish) that I was in engineering. Second was the attitude that since I was in engineering, this could be explained only if there was something exceptional or outstanding (or, once again, freakish) about me. Women remain an underrepresented group in STEM. In Canada, women account for 23% of engineering graduates and 30% of mathematics and computer graduates. In the United States, women are 12% of the engineering and 26% of the computing workforce.

The reality is that STEM professions are most commonly male and it remains surprising when these professional roles are held by women. The large gender imbalance means that women may naturally feel they’re outsiders at school and at work. This situation is often uncomfortable and mentally demanding, when even just showing up and doing your job comes with constant social stresses and anxiety. Ironically, the difficulties that they (we) encounter often dissuade the next generation of women from joining us. It’s a self-reinforcing cycle that we need to break.

Fight or flight, designed for quick response

Because of their underrepresentation, women in STEM often regularly question their place in these professions. When things feel uncomfortable – like when I was confronted with that comment a decade ago – our brains can overinterpret the situation as an imminent threat. And there’s an evolutionary reason for that physical response.

Stress is an adaptive response to perceived threats. It’s how the body reacts to these situations. Anxiety is stress that lingers after the immediate threat is gone; it’s experienced as a feeling such as embarrassment, fear or worry.

Fight-or-flight is a physiological response.
Jvnkfood, CC BY-SA

This stress response evolved in human beings to help us navigate a wild, dangerous and unpredictable world. When faced with imminent danger, like a pouncing tiger, our bodies have evolved an automatic reaction to help us react fast. Stress hormones are released, the heart beats harder and faster, breathing becomes rapid and muscles tense, ready for action.

This automatic response prepares our bodies for possible actions: fight or flight! From the perspective of evolutionary adaptation, it’s in our best interests NOT to distinguish between life-threatening and non-life-threatening dangers. Act first, think later. In the African wilds in which early humans roamed, the consequence of underreacting could mean death.

Good during lion attack, less good during daily life

In modern life, we don’t have to worry much about attacks from lions, tigers or bears. But adaptive mechanisms are still very much a part of our brain’s biology.

The flight-or-flight response is intended to be short-term. The problem comes in when stress becomes a daily part of life, triggering a physiological response that’s actually detrimental to health over the long term. Repeated and long-term releases of the stress hormone cortisol cause changes in brain structure that leave individuals more susceptible to anxiety and mood disorders, including depression. When exposed to long-term stress, the brain structure called the hippocampus shrinks, affecting one’s short-term memory and ability to learn.

Subtle cues can make female students feel marginalized.
World Bank Photo Collection, CC BY-NC-ND

Messages you don’t belong can be stressful

These physical stress responses can unfortunately run at a constant low level of activation in people who are made to feel like they don’t belong or aren’t good enough – such as women in STEM. Social situations like my undergraduate encounter – and their ramifications – are a part of day-to-day life.

The effects of stress on women in STEM fields are often already obvious during their undergraduate studies. A study of women in engineering at the University of Waterloo has shown that female students tend to have lower overall mental health. Women in STEM fields are more likely to report higher levels of stress and anxiety and higher incidences of depression.

Sadly, the percentages of women working in these fields have remained stagnant for decades. In 1987, women represented 20% of the STEM workforce in Canada. In 2015, their numbers remain unchanged at 22%. In the United States, the reality is very similar, with women representing 24% of the workforce. Confrontational reactions like “You’re in engineering!?!” communicate the message that as a woman, one may not belong in the social group of engineering. The brain perceives these kinds of social interactions as threatening, dangerous and stressful.

The social cues that women may not belong in male-dominated STEM fields can often be subtle. For example, researchers have shown that the presence in labs of objects considered stereotypical of computer science, such as Star Trek and video game posters, are perceived as stereotypically masculine and can dissuade women from expressing interest in topics like computer programming.

Moreover, seemingly complimentary “Wow, you must be super-smart!” comments also communicate an even more troubling possibility that, in order to belong in this group (of men), as a woman, one must be exceptional. Women + Engineering = Super Smart.

But what if a female student is not exceptionally intelligent? What if she is only ordinarily smart? Or, even more troubling, what if she does not believe that she is smart at all? In her mind, she becomes a sheep in wolf’s clothing, an impostor who has tricked those around her into accepting her into a group where she does not belong. From the brain’s perspective, this is literally interpreted as being in the lion’s den.

Women can flourish in STEM, but it can mean shutting out the noise.
USAID Asia, CC BY-NC

STEM should welcome everyone

So what can be done? If we are to increase the participation of women in STEM fields, we must make workplace and educational environments inclusive. In order to thrive, female students need to believe that they belong in technical professions, in both academia and the private sector.

The social marginalization caused by gender imbalances in STEM programs can be mitigated. Targeted intervention programs that foster social belonging and coping mechanisms to deal with stress and threat can help women develop skills to handle the mental challenges caused by gender inequality and help women integrate into their male-dominated environment.

Connecting female students with female professional role models such as mentors or instructors has also been extremely effective at improving women’s self-concept and commitment to STEM.

Finally, campaigns like the #Ilooklikeanengineer hashtag disrupt our common stereotyping of STEM professionals and help support a cultural shift.

The rates of female representation in STEM will not change overnight. It will probably be at least another generation before parity becomes an achievable target. But it’s through changing these attitudes and stereotypes that we will reduce some of the social stresses on women in these fields, helping women choose STEM as a career path, stay in these fields, and most importantly, remain healthy and happy.

The Conversation

Jennifer Drake, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education, Matthew Lynch

College Football Obsession: Sending the Wrong Academic Message?

This past weekend was the kickoff for the college football season. It seemed that every social media newsfeed was full of people cheering on their alma maters or sending shout outs to their favorite college mascots. The start of football season on the professional level and every tier below it has become an iconic fall tradition of American culture. This glorification of a sport, particularly in the case of college athletes, put priorities in the wrong spot though.

Does our collective obsession with college football and other collegiate sports give K-12 kids the wrong idea about the purpose of higher education?

Let’s face it; athleticism is at least partially genetic. People love to mention the story of Michael Jordan being cut from his high school basketball team as an example of motivation for anyone who faces adversity. No disrespect to Mike, but his raw athletic ability had to be apparent during his high school years. The fact that he was cut from the varsity team was likely more a result of relying on that talent, and not putting in the effort to hone it. Once he realized what a lot of practice and persistence, paired with unmatched talent, could mean in his life he was able to excel at what he was already good at doing.

Call me cynical, but not every kid who is cut from a sports team has the ability to be like Mike by just putting his nose to the grindstone.

The same goes for college athletes, many of whom are put on a pedestal by peers, coaches and parents. Yes the feats of the human body are admirable but should a young adult with athletic ability be treated better by an institution of higher learning than one whose strengths are in engineering or the life sciences? The promise of fame and fortune (achieved after a college career if NCAA rules are followed) make a “career” as a college athlete look glamorous. But what is lost from an academic standpoint?

Colleges and universities do not elevate athletes in principle, of course. There is no bylaw that mandates the best athletes be given advantages or treated better than everyone else on campus. But money talks. The highest grossing college football program is at the University of Texas and it brings in an astonishing $90 million annually to the school. You can add the Ohio State University, the University of Florida and the University of Notre Dame to the short list of college football programs that consistently bring in revenue in the tens of millions to their schools.

The direct financial impact is not the only way football, and other popular athletic programs, aid in a school’s bottom line. A strong athletic program brings in more future students and rallies boosters under a common cause. To call college football a cash cow is an understatement; these programs are more like the blue whales of university revenue outside of actual tuition.

So students athletes like Aaron Hernandez are allowed to act suspiciously, getting into violent bar fights, as long as they are part of an epic college team headlined by Tim Tebow. Years later when Hernandez is accused of involvement in multiple murders, and no longer a college football player, people claim that there was always something “odd” about him. So why did he get a pass?

Of course most college athletes walk the line. They hone their athletic abilities while showing respect to academics and the reputation of their schools. They should be applauded for their accomplishments but not to the point that academics take on a role of secondary importance on campus. It’s not the fault of the athletes, most of whom are just young adults. It is the fault of the school officials and supporters that send the message from grade school that sports culture is greater than academics.

What do you say? Does the cultural obsession with college sports send younger students the wrong message about the purpose of higher education?

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, First Year Teachers, Matthew Lynch, Teachers

New Teacher Tip: Time Management – Organizing your Cabinet

There is so much paperwork that a teacher needs to do within a few weeks of starting a new school year. In fact, your cabinets may look as if though they have been hit by a tornado. Your cabinets are most likely overflowing with folders, teaching materials, handmade cards from students, wads of paper, pencils and other stationery, all of which seem to be appearing on their own. Remember that the bigger the mess, the more time it will take you to rummage through and find what you are looking for, which may cause you to lose precious minutes. Use these tips to keep your cabinet organized and in order:

  • Create a designated place for your material. All folders should be marked and kept in one place. There should also be a separate place for personal belongings.
  • Highlight all original copies of master sheets with a yellow colored highlighter, to tell you that this is the master, preventing you from giving it away or losing it.
    Label all your files and folders, and mark the worksheets based on the folder that they need to go into. Once you have identified the specific folders that each worksheet goes into, you can ask a student or volunteer to help you with the filing.
  • Many times there are some sessions in a year that require more material than others. If you feel that material from one session is crowding your cabinet, try putting all the relevant teaching material into one box. Remember to label it and store it in a cabinet in the classroom. You can then find all the required material ready for use when the time comes.

Every three months go through everything in your cabinet and ask these questions

Do I really need this?

  • What specific purpose will I use it for?
  • Should I keep it in my cabinet?
  • Is this a duplicate of something that I already have?
  • Is it outdated or can it come in handy even now?
  • Is it relevant to my current assignment or will I only need it later?

Don’t clutter your cabinet just because you do not have the heart to throw some things away. When you discard items, put them in a carton labeled as ‘free’ and let everyone know that they can dig around to see if they can use anything. Something that you discard may be useful to someone else.

Check out all our posts for First Year Teachers here. 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

Buckle Up! Navigating the Legal Issues for Field Trips

A guest post by Candice C. Pinares-Baez

There is no question that field trips are an essential part of strengthening the curriculum and creating an interactive learning experience for today’s students.  In fact, most independent schools pride themselves on the unconventional and unique off-campus learning opportunities provided to their students on both day trips and extended travel.  However, before blindly embarking on these endeavors, it is important for schools to ensure that they are properly safeguarding themselves against liability in case of an unfortunate event. The truth is that these opportunities can come with a multi-million dollar price tag if proper safeguards are not put into place.

This lesson was recently learned by a Connecticut school after a $41.7 million verdict was entered against it when a jury found that it was negligent in not preventing a student from contracting encephalitis during an international trip.  Specifically, the jury found that the school was negligent in not warning the student and her parents that she would be traveling in the mountainous and forested terrain of China, and that these areas posed a high risk for insect-transmitted diseases.  The jury found that the school’s failure to warn the student prevented her from protecting herself from insect bites with repellents, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and by avoiding brushy undergrowth.  In addition, the chaperone allowed the student to hike down a mountain unaccompanied on the day the student likely contracted the disease.

While it is impossible for any school to fully insulate itself from all possible liability  arising from field trips, through proper preparation and the implementation of certain precautions, schools can manage the risk and limit their exposure.

Review and Analysis of Each Trip

First, schools should create and implement a detailed process for reviewing the details of every proposed field trip to ensure that any and all possible risks have been assessed and addressed before the trip takes place, and communicated to the students and parents.  The review process should include a review of the transportation utilized throughout the trip, any risks associated with the destination, the physical requirements of the trip, the manner in which the trip will be supervised, the manner of implementation of contingent emergency procedures, and whether the School’s insurance policy covers the excursion.

A thorough and independent investigation should be conducted with respect to  each facet of the trip and any known dangers associated with same.  The investigation should include checking with the State Department to determine whether there has been a travel advisory posted for the destination and checking with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine whether there are any health advisories for the destination.  The investigative findings should be shared with the students and parents in a timely fashion.  In addition, any and all precautions that could be taken to minimize those risks should be shared as well.  Parents should also be encouraged to conduct their own independent research and share any concerns they may have with the school.

Implement and Enforce Strict Guidelines

It is imperative that every person participating on the trip has a complete understanding of the behavioral expectations and disciplinary procedures and consequences associated with the trip.  In addition to making it clear that all school policies apply on every trip, schools should also make trip participants aware of any trip-specific behavioral expectations (such as a no alcohol policy in countries where alcohol is legal) and the consequences for violating the rules, policies, and expectations (such as being escorted back to campus at the expense of the student).  Each student participating in the trip and his/her parents should provide written acknowledgment of receipt so that they are less likely to challenge the enforcement of those rules in the event they are enforced.

Prepare Proper Documentation

As set forth above, the most important safeguard to limit liability associated with injuries related to field trips is disclosure of all information related to the trip, including any possible safety risks, to parents and students.  This can and should be done in the context of a release.  It is imperative that the parents of every student who participates in a field trip has executed a proper release.  The more detailed and comprehensive the release, the more likely that it will be upheld in the unfortunate event of an injury to a student.  At a minimum, the release should include: 1) the names of the parents and student; 2) the objective of the trip; 3) a detailed itinerary, including every location that the student will visit and any risks associated with same; 4) a list of every activity the student will engage in and the physical demand, if any, of each activity; 5) a list of any supplies the student should bring with him/her, including supplies that may minimize the exposure to any risks; 6) the transportation plan for the duration of the trip; 7) all anticipated costs and expenses; 8) a medical authorization; 9) agreement by the parents and student to adhere to all School policies and specific trip guidelines; and 10) a hold harmless clause.  In most cases, liability release forms will not prevent recovery for cases where gross negligence or willful misconduct is found on behalf of the School or its agents.  That is why it is prudent to train all adults who will serve as chaperones on all field trips.

Require Training

Every adult participant should be trained before participating in a school-sponsored trip.  The training should include a review of all applicable school policies and any trip-specific rules.  It should also include a review of the expectations for adult behavior on the trip, including, the prohibition of smoking and drinking, adult/student boundaries, and the need to act as a role model for the students.  During the training, it is also important to provide a detailed review of the itinerary, discuss any potential problems and how they should be handled, and go through the emergency contingency plans.  Every adult on the trip should be a benefit to the school and not an added risk.  Ensuring that they are properly trained helps the school achieve that goal.

While impossible to eliminate liability completely, managing the risk appropriately will help limit exposure.

 

Candice C. Pinares-Baez is an associate in the Fort Lauderdale office of Fisher & Phillips. She focuses her practice on defending employment related lawsuits and administrative complaints encompassing a variety of issues, including discrimination claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and other federal and state employment laws, and related tort actions. Candice has successfully litigated matters before state and federal courts and she also advises clients on preventive measures aimed at reducing employment-related claims.

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Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Policy & Reform, Teachers

Why abstinence-only sex ed simply doesn’t work

By Matthew Lynch

When I first saw the headline, I thought it was too ironic to be true: Texas school teaching abstinence-only sex ed suffers chlamydia outbreak.

I would’ve probably even laughed if I hadn’t realized quickly that it was not only true, but that it meant dozens of kids now had to deal with the discomfort and potential long-term harm of a sexually transmitted disease. These are kids that were clearly not practicing abstinence and were ill-prepared for real-life sexual encounters. It isn’t the fault of these kids, either.

It is irresponsible of school systems to teach abstinence-only sexual education and it should be illegal in public schools.

Should abstinence be taught as the only sure way to avoid things like unplanned pregnancies and STDs? Of course it should because it IS the only absolute way. But that abstinence extends beyond basic sexual intercourse. Students need to understand exactly all the ways they can be harmed by unprotected sex and then given the power to protect themselves.

The argument that parents should be the only ones to talk to their kids about sexual options just doesn’t cut it because it is elitist. It only works for students whose parents have the time or concern to actually sit down with their kids and have that talk. It leaves out the many students whose parents won’t actually have this talk with their kids or the ones who will preach abstinence-only. Schools have the responsibility to educate to their best of their abilities, and let’s face it: abstinence-only sex ed fails that mantra miserably.

What do you think? Should public schools be required to teach safe sex practices?

 

 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

5 Steps for Creating School Reform Policies that Actually Work

Many school administrators enter the field hell-bent on making a name for themselves and refusing to live in the shadows of their predecessors. Often, they feel as though their only choice is to go in a totally different direction, making the previous reform null and void.

This situation creates frustration among the surviving faculty and staff. The changes of the new administrators often happen before they fully think about the consequences or repercussions of their actions. Perfectly competent adults massage their egos instead of thinking about what is in the best interests of the school, the teachers and the children.

To be fair, part of the reason that most administrators take the jobs they do is because they want to make a difference and blaze new trails. As teachers, it may have been difficult to implement the change they really wanted to see – but as administrators, that path is more straightforward. Taking the time to develop a well-thought-out plan, and keeping policies of merit in place, makes a big difference in the well-being of any school community, though. So how should administrators looking for reform proceed?

Here are five simple steps for effective school reform.

1. Start with a plan.

When initiating reform, an action plan must be developed before the school can determine how the reform implementation will be carried out. Too often, administrators become anxious and feel the need to change the implementation processes before any data has been collected. It is best to examine all the moving parts before making the decision to start from scratch on any initiative.

2. Allow time for the plan to work.

It is counterproductive to start one reform and then decide to start another several months later. Some school districts revert to a model proven to be ineffective due to impatience and the desire for quick results. Once reform has been implemented, all parties involved must show fidelity to one reform until there is concrete data or evidence that indicates the reform is effective or ineffective. Reform is about creating an environment in which students are the priority and we as their teachers assist them in starting and finishing their journey to becoming educated citizens.

3. Be okay with some setbacks.

Strategic planning and the implementation of school reform sometimes require schools to absorb temporary setbacks in order to reap the benefits of long-term gains. Student progress might dip for a month or two before teachers and administration see a significant gain in student learning and performance. Teachers and administrators need to allow change to take place and not panic when instant significant changes are not apparent.

4. Don’t compare.

Model schools can be found in every major city, but when trying to recreate their successes, many schools fail to achieve the same results. Trying to recreate another school’s success is potentially dangerous, even when schools share similar characteristics. This is because, regardless of the similarities, every district is unique. Often, after a large amount of time, energy, and money has been spent, the school declares the plan a failure and has nothing to show for the efforts.

5. Stay focused.

Too many plans to change can be as dangerous as not having a plan at all. Strategic plans are a district’s consistent road map, even in the face of overturning staff or administration. The plan will also serve as documentation when the federal government looks into accountability. In this way, schools should glean what they can from the efforts of other schools to implement and sustain change. In the end, a strategic plan that reflects the culture and needs of the individual school is likely a better route than attempts to replicate the efforts at another school, or a plan that is over-zealous for the wrong reasons.

What should you consider when developing a plan for reform? Leave a comment—I would be happy to hear from you.

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Matthew Lynch published in First Year Teachers, Policy & Reform, Teachers

The First Year Teaching: Getting off to a good start

By Matthew Lynch

Establishing a well managed classroom should be a top priority for all new teachers. Beginning a career in teaching is greatly aided if you are able to provide an environment that is conducive to learning and growth, both for yourself as a new teacher and for your new students.

The following points and guidelines allow you to prepare for good classroom management throughout the year, and should be implemented in those first few days of class. Reflect on your classroom experiences often, even as often as every day in cases where you feel that greater progress could be made. This will allow you to examine how your own behavior and management is impacting the situation and where and how you can improve.

When the First Bell Rings

The first few days of the year are very important, as they so often determine the classroom atmosphere for the rest of the year. Students will try to test their limits with any new teacher to see and learn what is expected of them.  You need ensure from day one that you establish and enforce your authority in the classroom as this will earn the respect of the students. Experienced teachers usually start the first day with an activity, usually a fun one without an educational purpose. Aim to show your students from the early days that school is a place where learning should take place, but try to make the message fun.

Experienced teachers often say that effective management lies in the organization, so good planning is essential. Plan course materials that will interest, stimulate and give meaning to your students. Set ground rules that encourage an interactive environment where you and your students can freely communicate to maintain and nurture an environment that is conducive to learning.  Here are some helpful tips for the first day:

  1. Pass out slips to students for them to write down their names. As they are collected, quickly check to make sure no one wrote anything silly and everyone signed. Collect them in order by asking the students to put their slips above the slip of the person seated in front of them and below the slip of the person seated behind them. Teachers should then group the slips by rows and an instant classroom layout is created.
  2. Distribute books assigned for the course. Unreturned books will be charged to students or teachers, so keep an accurate record by the unique serial number that comes with each book. While distributing, it is a good idea to give students a short task such as # 3 below.
  3. Hand out information cards for students to fill out. The information card can look something like the example below.
  4. Distribute a class schedule with assignments listed on it. The schedule should give an overview of the course with an estimated plan. It should provide students with a list of all the assignments for the year, when they are due, and how much time should be spent on each one. This information allows students to work at their own pace. Students will also know what to expect at each stage of the year. It is a good idea to make the first assignment interesting, related to the class but not necessarily based on the prescribed course texts.
  5. Hold a class discussion to let students know what the class is about and how the learning experience will be related to them outside of the classroom. If you are an elementary teacher, do a basic overview of what to expect during the year.
  6. Discuss homework topics with students to help them understand what is expected of them.
  7. Explain the grading system for the class by explaining how the percentage is distributed and how many and what kind of tests will be.

 

Although it takes time to complete all the tasks mentioned above, doing them will give students a good first impression and set you up as an organized and prepared teacher.

At the end of each class, remember to leave a few minutes for your closing. This time should be used to sum up the day’s work by perhaps giving quick pointers, tidying up and distributing assignments. Avoid teaching right up until the bell rings to signal the end of class. Classes should start and finish on your terms and you should ensure that students know that is the rule.

You will not only help yourself and your chances for success with a smart classroom management plan, but it will also give students an idea of what to expect and make them feel more empowered on their educational paths.

photo credit: Terry McCombs via photopin cc

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

5 Steps to Data-Based School Reform—the Common Sense Way

Are you interested in reforming a school or a district? Let’s go back to basics.

The first step to positive K-12 reform within a school or a district is to find a starting point. Often, data sets are used to determine this. This is great, but what if I told you there was another way? One that could capture the whole picture just a little bit better than data alone?

Here’s how successful school districts can improve with both data and common sense observations:

1. Develop an evaluation plan. This is to measure how effective a reform effort is.
Create performance goals. These goals will come in handy once it’s time to see how well your school or district is doing with the new changes.

2. Evaluate the pros and cons of instructional programs. School reformers need to do this regularly. You also need to realize that standardized tests should only make up a piece of the assessment puzzle, not the entirety. Continuously monitoring the progress the school’s student body makes will allow your task force to make changes to the reform plan when it’s necessary.

3. Put in some checks and balances. Make sure a variety of reformers are making the important decisions.
For instance, superintendents are responsible for making sure that creating and sustaining improvements is done in a way that meets students’ needs. The team leader’s job is to ensure teachers have all of the tools needed to help their students excel in class.

4. Keep everyone accountable. This is something that districts all over the country acknowledge as the key to improving schools. Everyone is expected to perform. To make sure this happens, the school district needs to provide staff and faculty members with high-quality professional development.

5. Keep an eye on your restructuring efforts. Your team should have useful data meant to track progress toward the goals set in step 1. Now it’s time to decide who will collect, analyze, and interpret that data. The best way to avoid bias is to hire an outside consultant—your team will receive more objective feedback about your reform efforts.

On a limited budget? Don’t worry—evaluating the results in-house is still a highly desirable option.

After analyzing the data, your team can then use the results to determine how effective the reform was.

What happens if the reform fails? Don’t worry. School restructuring is a long-term process. Simply build upon the small successes and learn from mistakes. Your team can then come up with new solutions, or fix the old solution to better suit the school’s needs.

If you want permanent improvement, reform has to occur continuously. Even the best schools need to continue to work on their restructuring process.

Is a long-lasting school reform that changes the lifeblood of the school possible? Yes, of course. It may not be easy, but with a tremendous effort, the proper use of resources, and the expertise of professionals, school reform can be wildly successful.

You may have noticed that I do not focus on data in this article. Does that mean it’s not important? No, of course it doesn’t! However, there is a lot more that goes into the bigger picture of smart school reform. Districts should recognize that and work towards solutions that not only make sense on paper, but also in real life.

Is data important? What role do you think it plays in school reform efforts? Don’t forget to leave a comment.

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform, Teachers

Teachable Gardens Cultivate a Sustainable Future

By Cat West 

An appreciation of nature is a primary understanding for children. The bright golden sun and vivid blue skies are often the first images known to developing minds. When a love of nature is encouraged and understood at an early age, it’s easy to see why kids grow to love, preserve and appreciate nature. If a young child is able to take an outdoor class in gardening on a beautiful spring day, their enthusiasm for the beauty of nature is renewed and refreshed. This sets into motion a lifelong appreciation for growing plants and nurturing a garden. It’s only natural for kids to learn how to grow food from an edible garden and for that knowledge to improve their lives over time.

Interestingly, each grade level has an ever more advanced study available to them in the school system at Los Angeles Unified School District. At the Carlos Santana Arts Academy in North Hills, the program is just beginning with a second grade class of 100 students. For these few students, it will most likely be their very first encounter with home gardening.  The lessons are a brief overview of germination, composting and the fundamentals of how to set up and tend a small vegetable garden over 7 weeks time, but it is the seed of understanding that grows in in their minds that represents its true value. The lessons learned in this little program will continue to encourage a love of gardening in each student throughout his or her lifetime. They will become the tending hands and preservers of our gardens in the future.

That is the concept of The Teachable Garden Program, which starts it’s first garden this Spring that will be the first of many teachable gardens in California and beyond. The program is partially funded by a grant from Whole Kids Foundation  from WHOLE FOODS. Teaching the students that the smallest little patch of space can produce significant crops for the grower is an important part of this initiative.

Funding for these programs are always the hardest part of setting them up. Often the program grows from the space the school has for an activity and the program evolves to fill that space naturally. That is the case with Sylmar High School who has grown an entire agricultural program around the garden spaces available on the Sylmar high school campus.

It was natural for the director of Sylmar High AG department Steve List to get the high school students to help do the work. With all the able bodied teenagers searching for a class that would lift their spirits and get them outside in the beautiful gardens on campus, there was no shortage of interest in his courses in horticulture. That was the reason behind the grant from State Farm Insurance and CBS/KLCS-TV 58 to fund the PBS shows and the horticultural curriculum for another year. Mr. List reports that the kids love the program and often after graduating 12th grade, their love of gardening begins a positive trend in their lives encouraging their studies in organic farming and agricultural studies in college campuses all over the country.

But some students want to travel to organic farms and gardens around the world with programs like WWOOF that allows volunteers to work on farms as a way to gain college credits. WWOOF is an international network of organic farms, gardens and businesses where students can stay and receive food, accommodation and training in return for their help and participation. No experience is required, just a willingness to work hard and learn about farming. There are about 600 locations in Canada alone — plus 70 other countries around the world. On farms all over the world, students can travel and work on organic farms as volunteers and learn their methods while gaining wonderful experiences of travel and adventure.

The opportunities are everywhere when you begin to look around.  This Spring, look for garden projects in your neighborhood. Community gardens will be gearing up as soon as the last frost has passed. Green is sprouting in your neighborhood too, you just need to look around.

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As a creative professional in Los Angeles, Cat West brings versatile skills to any topic. Whether freelancing as a writer or designing digital art from her studio, Cat provides excellent creative product with content driven artwork and photography. Cat contributes to several other online newspapers including Examiner and Ontopix. You can read more here: http://www.examiner.com/public-schools-in-los-angeles/cat-west

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