Mr. Kauffman's Profundity

QR Codes for Marketing and Communication in Student Council

2011-05-03T20:09:00.001-05:00

One powerful marketing concept is to tap into human curiosity. For example, the QR code with text “Check it Out!” captures the attention of students in the hallways. Assuming you’re in a school that allows cell phones in hallways, a students whips out their phone and scans the QR code. It tells them about an upcoming dance. But, here’s the difference - now that information is in their phone!

You can create your own QR code that contains text at a site like http ://qrcode .kaywa .com and you can include up to 256 characters of text. Since most phones can scan QR codes and most students always have their phones, using QR codes is a quick and efficient way to transfer information about events and have that information retained in the phone.

QR codes can also store URLs so that when students scan them, their phone takes them to that website. But, you can go a step further. Using Google’s URL shortener ( http://goo.gl/ ) you can not only turn long URLs into short, easy to share URLs but also generate a QR code for that short URL. There’s another aspect to using this tool that is potentially useful: statistics. When you create short URLs and QR codes in Google while logged in to your Google account, there are statistics maintained for you on how many people visit the linked website. You can monitor traffic to your website and make decisions about which resources are most useful.

To create QR codes using Google, follow these directions:

1. Login to your Google account (if you want to track visitors to you website)
2. Go to http ://goo .gl / and enter the URL for the website and click “shorten”
3. Copy the shorten URL (it will look something like this: http ://goo .gl /QPtho )
4. Past that shorten URL into a new browser window and add .qr to the end (http ://goo .gl /QPtho .qr )
5. Load that page and the QR code is an image that you can save or copy-paste

Now, whenever you’re logged in to your Google account and you visit http ://goo .gl / you’ll see a list of any URLs that you have shortened. Click on “details” for any of the links to see the statistics for the number of people who have followed your shortened link. Statics are recorded whether visitors clicked on the shortened link from a webpage, tweet, or Facebook or if they followed the link using the QR code.

Oppose PA House Bill 855

2011-03-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

Franklin Roosevelt said, "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." This captures so much of what we hope to do as teachers and yet simultaneously absolved us of venturing into matters beyond the classroom. The great lesson of history is that groups endure the most severe injustices when good people fail to rise up or speak out.

PA House Bill 855 is not directly about reducing deficit/debt. This is about power. About taking power from workers, from the people, and placing it even more staunchly in the hands of politicians and corporations. This is not an assault on teacher unions - this is an assault on labor, on the workers who built this country, on the middle-class. It is part of a larger effort to reduce the expectations all Americans have for pensions, health care, and security.

Without seniority, a school that is trying to resolve financial issues could furlough one experienced teacher for every two novice teachers and save nearly equally in financial terms. In turn, schools are able to preserve moderate class sizes and programs which reduces resistance from parents. Governors and lawmakers argue that schools need to be able to adopt business-like policies to be more fiscally responsible. If we believe that assertion, then furloughing experienced teachers - regardless of their effectiveness, is the most cost effective solution with minimal impact on other metrics like class size and program availability. Furloughing any teacher is devastating, but without the security of seniority, experienced teachers will be the first to go and with them goes wisdom, influence, and stability.

We cannot guarantee what the future is like for our youth - but if we don't take action, if we don't cry out in protest, we bear the responsibility for the loss of the future that generations before us have fought so hard to build. This is not just about the loss of your job. This is about the extraction of power from the hands of the people and the coalescing of power in the hands of a few.

We can no longer resign ourselves to only preparing our youth for the future; we must also insure that the future is not stolen from our youth.

Please take action against House Bill #855.

Google Voice: A New Approach to the Suggestion Box

2011-02-04T23:22:00.002-05:00

Many student councils utilize suggestion boxes to collect feedback and ideas from the student body. The effectiveness of physical suggestion boxes, often located in libraries or other common areas, can vary greatly. One way to potentially increase the amount and timeliness of feedback collected by a “suggestion box” is to replace the physical box with Google Voice.

Google Voice is a powerful tool that blends phone and texting capabilities with voice transcription and message archiving. Your student council could set up a Google Account and then set up Google Voice that will give your council its own telephone number. You have a lot of choice with this number so that you could potentially create a number that spells out some word or phrase that is easy to market and remember. Once the student body has the number, they can leave suggestions by calling or texting the number. Google Voice will transcribe the phone calls so that you can scan them quickly and keep a text archive along with text messages. You can collect student’s cell phone numbers via Google Voice and even attempt to provide direct responses to their suggestions while maintaining a level of anonymity.

You will want to check with your school’s administration to make sure they are agreeable with the idea of using Google Voice. Also, you will want to make sure that the Google Account that you use to set up Google Voice is a common account for student council rather than someone’s personal Google account. For more information on Google Voice check out www.google.com/voice.

Doing Good: Socialbrite.org

2010-12-05T23:27:00.004-05:00

December can be a month where we feel more compelled to “do good”. Perhaps it’s residual concerns about Santa’s naughty-or-nice list or more likely it’s a natural extension of the positive feelings that emerge as we take stock of our good fortunes during this holiday season. Whatever motivates us, sometimes simply doing good isn’t so simple.

One web-based resource that is attempting to support our desire to make a difference is Socialbrite.org:

“Socialbrite is a learning hub & sharing community that brings together top experts in social media, causes and online philanthropy. We're here to share insights about tools and best practices that advance the social good. This is an ad-free community learning center.” [ www.socialbrite.org ]

If you use Twitter, follow @socialbrite or check out www.facebook.com/socialbrite in addition to their own website. There’s a wealth of resources and information that channels through Socialbrite, most of which is in support of non-profit organizations’ endeavors to create positive change. Some of the material is also ideal for Student Councils that are interested in increasing their civic engagement and social responsibility. Along the way, students will learn about how technology is changing the landscape of awareness and activism.

Sample of resources available on Socialbrite.org:

12 Steps to Mobilize Your Cause [printable PDF]
http://bit.ly/12steps-flyer

10 Mobile Apps for Social Good [printable PDF]
http://bit.ly/10mobileapps

40 Hashtags for Social Good [printable PDF]
http://bit.ly/40hashtags

9 Web Platforms to Help You Change the World
http://bit.ly/c7utbo

15 Social Tools for Local Impact
http://bit.ly/baiQts

So check out some of the resources listed above and give one or two a spin. If you find something that works particularly well, post a comment.

curiosity-driven science

2010-09-01T18:22:00.002-05:00

This talk is just connecting with me right now...

"Brian Cox explains how curiosity-driven science pays for itself, powering innovation and a profound appreciation of our existence."

------------------------ Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994 -------------------------

Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

------------------------ Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994 -------------------------

Efficiency Tip - "When is Good"

2010-08-25T16:30:00.004-05:00

Need to know the best time for a meeting so you get the highest attendance possible? Then check out “When is Good” at http://whenisgood.net.

Whenisgood.net is a powerful yet simple to use online tool to send out a calendar of dates to your group, have them indicate on a website when is good for them to meet, and then you can quickly analyze the results to pick the best date. There really isn’t a more efficient way to schedule a meeting and maximize attendance. Plus, it’s free!
The best way to get started is to watch the short video on their website http://whenisgood.net/Videos

There are two free ways to use the website. The first is to just simply create an event, color in the days or times that work for you, send out a link via email and copy down a secret code so you can access your event later. People respond, you type in your code and there you are – a visual calendar of “when is good”. The second way is to create an account where you can store multiple events and access them all at one time (rather than needing a separate code for each like the first method). This is the best option if you plan on using the service frequently. The power is in the analysis: click on a respondent’s name to see which days are good just for him or her, click on a day and see the names of the respondents who can make it, or you can simply choose the day with the most respondents.

However you use WhenisGood.net, you’ll be more efficient at scheduling meetings and events.

Art of Choosing - Sheena Lyengar

2010-08-17T14:20:00.002-05:00

The concept of choice is a core component of what defines my approach to life. If I have a life motto, it is that life is a series of choices and consequences - that we are in control of our choices alone, nothing else. There have been a number of books (like Blink) that examine our ability to make choices and the subtle factors that influence our decision making. Recently someone reminded me of some psychological research done on how authority can influence, even control, the hardest choices we would have to make.

But something I hadn't thought about much was the idea that sometimes it might be better to have fewer choices or to have things decided for us in order to produce a more harmonious experience. The American view of choice is a culturally entrenched idea that almost defines America itself. In America, we believe that having more choices is better than having fewer choices and that the power to choose should be primarily in the hands of the individual (provided those choices don't impinge on the rights of others to choose).

This TED talk questions some of the assumptions we make about choice and considers some ideas when limited choice or no choice at all, might result in better outcomes.

Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing | Video on TED.com

Google Apps & Online Voting

2010-08-12T12:42:00.006-05:00

Use Google Apps for Education to conduct online voting for school groups and events.

Our school has Google Apps for Education. With that, each student has an email account that they can use along with Google Docs, Calendar, and Sites. Most of this works the same as a regular private Google Account - except for something I came across today.

We want to run elections "online" for Student Council & Class Officer, Homecoming Queen & Prom Court, etc. Google Forms has the potential to make this happen for free, especially the Google Forms within Google Apps for Education.

When you create a form in Google Docs using your Google Apps account, there is an options to require respondents to sign in with their personalize Google Apps account login:

By having each student log in, you can be sure that only HS students are completing the form and that each student only votes one time. And as with regular Google Forms, you can turn forms on and off at specific times, require specific questions to be completed, and view all of the results in a nice spreadsheet.

I haven't used this approach with Google Apps yet (I did with my personal Google Account). Once I get it up and running, I'll share more insight.

baiting the hook

2010-08-10T14:18:00.003-05:00

From Dan Meyer's TEDxNY talk:

Indicators that you're teaching problem solving wrong:
1. Lack of initiative
2. Lack of perseverance
3. Lack of retention
4. Aversion to word problems
5. Eagerness for formula

TED talk: http://youtu.be/BlvKWEvKSi8

http://blog.mrmeyer.com/

Failure: The Secret to Success

2009-07-16T18:01:00.001-05:00

I know nothing about racing, but this video captures the concept that we seem to be struggling with... failure leads to success when we choose to risk, when we push the limits. The theme of risk and failure applies to systems and to the individual.

Gravity and Levity: Five Things Schools Must Do To Avoid Extinction

2009-04-05T14:35:00.001-05:00

These 5 ideas range from allowing use of iPods & cellphones to giving
teachers more power to get rid of other teachers. Interesting but in
need of some refinement.

http://gravityandlevity.blogspot.com/2009/03/five-things-schools-must-do-to-avoid.html

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A Legacy of Excellence

2009-04-03T07:56:00.004-05:00

There are people we meet, people we come to know, that inspire us through their commitment to excellence. Some organizations are able to design their entire culture around that simple concept... excellence in all endeavors, from personal to professional. You can feel it when you're around people like that; feel an energy, enthusiasm, optimism. They are people and organizations that not only respond well to challenges but more importantly seek out challenges in order to better themselves and those they serve. A commitment to excellence requires an ability to take risks - to risk failure, ridicule, and judgement. A commitment to excellence requires the wisdom to make the right choices - to choose long-term gains over short-term rewards.

Questions:

What tangible steps need to be taken to move a group towards a legacy of excellence?

How do leaders support risk? creativity?

Will efforts to make institutional decision making more transparent to the group, allow for more effective personal decision making?

Learning Something New

2009-03-19T11:17:00.005-05:00

I have an independent study student this semester who is researching the relationship between physics, math, and music. He has been uncovering some interesting patterns as well as some intriguing historical perspectives. For a summary of that research, check out his blog.

One of the things that is enjoyable about this process is how much I've been learning about music, which is a huge deficit for me in terms of understanding. I have a general appreciation for music but really no intuition or talent for the production of music. My student has been patiently trying to catch me up on the foundations of music theory.

Most recently he showed me a video which demonstrates the use of a series of cords in 36 contemporary songs. I've included the video in this post.

This type of collaboration in our learning is very productive. We plan to showcase his research to our gifted teacher as well as some other key players to expose the potential for a shift in instructional methods.

4Chords... 36 Songs [WARNING: Contains Explicit Lyrics/Language]

Watch more BREAK.COM videos on AOL Video

Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21st Century Skills : January 2009 : THE Journal

2009-03-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21st Century Skills : January 2009 : THE Journal

Referring to a survey of 50 corporations, organizations, and small businesses, "the top three things employers are looking for in new recruits are:

Creative problem solving;
Critical and analytical thinking skills; and
Information gathering and evaluation."

After reading those top three things... seems like corporations, organizations and businesses want everyone to be physicists. =)

Toxic Grading Practices

2009-03-10T19:51:00.001-05:00

Students Benefit From Depth, Rather Than Breadth, In High School Science Courses

2009-03-06T19:27:00.001-05:00

Students Benefit From Depth, Rather Than Breadth, In High School Science Courses

For years I wondered about my approach to Physics... only getting through mechanics during our block-schedule semester. But this helps support my approach, as does recent feedback from some former students. My only hope would be that more students took a second year of Physics :)

Student Rights - Banning Rainbows?

2009-02-25T09:11:00.005-05:00

Did you know that the rainbow Apple Computer logo is "sexually suggestive" and could prevent students from learning?

http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/youth/35265prs20080513.html

Reporting success?

2009-02-13T20:10:00.004-05:00

I heard the PA Secretary of Ed speak on Tuesday and he promoted the effectiveness of academic standards. He had heard Daniel Pink speak earlier in the day and was commenting on how someone like Daniel Pink gets paid to cause commotion (because Daniel Pink advocates for many changes that run contrary to the standards movement).

We seek "best practices" or research-based methods of instruction that increase achievement of the expectations set by standards document. But what if what we are aiming for, is wrong? Then many of the methods have the potential to be ineffective. Again, what does success look like for students competing in today's global arena? How do we communicate success?

From the same paper mentioned in my previous post...

Improving assessment and grading practices can have positive effects throughout the school as well as for individual students. For example, assuming a reduction in failures from improved assessment and grading, Reeves (2008) states, “student behavior improves, faculty morale is better, resources allocated to remedial courses and course repetitions are reduced, and resources invested in electives and advanced courses increase” (p. 87). Assessments, when properly designed, will improve instruction by providing appropriate feedback to both the student and the teacher and will also allow for a greater range of students to be successful (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006; O’Connor, 2002). Educators often complain about initiative overload and indeed several members of this cohort mentioned that concern throughout online discussions. The movement towards the 21st century classroom already creates stress for those making the transition and so it is useful to note the work of Fisher and Frey (2007) in framing formative assessment as a support for other education initiatives, rather than an additional initiative.

The 21st century skills that were analyzed as part of this course involve either higher level thinking skills or difficult to measure “soft” skills associated with interactions. These skills do not fit well with traditional classroom assessment systems nor do they often get measured on the standardized tests used to comply with No Child Left Behind. This should not imply that these skills cannot be assessed to both improve learning and measure the new vision of success. DiMartino and Castaneda (2007) assert that authentic assessments are essential to assessing applied skills and that a shift away from the Carnegie unit method of measuring seat-time is needed to achieve the vision of a 21st century classroom. The form that assessment takes is also brought into question by a number of researchers including Marzano (2000), McTighe and O’Connor (2005), and Sternberg (2008). The drive towards standardized, multiple-choice style assessments under NCLB can be interpreted to inhibit efforts to move towards a 21st century model of teaching.

Measuring success?

2009-02-13T19:44:00.004-05:00

This was my intro paragraph for a paper I wrote last year... recent events have me thinking about this topic again. What does success look like for today's students? How do we measure this success?

"Teaching and learning for the 21st century represents a significant shift in the paradigms associated with what constitutes success in the educational system. Often, it is those individuals who were successful within the system that go on to work and lead within the system. This creates a massive inertial presence that maintains status quo, even amidst powerful forces driving for change. Any visionary who strives to move the mountains of accumulated organizational press will need to fundamentally alter the tools used in measuring success in our school systems. Changes to curriculum or instruction to prepare students for 21st century success will fail to sustain themselves if measured by the assessment tools of a previous century that valued information above wisdom. Further more, there are unique challenges to the assessment of 21st century skills (DiMartino & Castaneda, 2007; Sternberg, 2008). It is then paramount to any other initiative that teachers, administrators, and the community expose the limitations of the current assessment system, build capacity to begin improvement, use evidence as a foundation for all assessment decisions, and continually support quality assessment through professional development and policy."

Gender Bias Found In Student Ratings Of High School Science Teachers

2009-02-08T10:03:00.003-05:00

http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/3OjNNPQzeoA/090202174953.htm

Perhaps science has an image problem. I know the opposite bias has been investigates for years... That science teachers treat male students differently. But this is the first time I've seen research on this aspect.

But then, all physics teachers are a little odd to begin with :)

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Assessment to a Seven Year Old: Cole Camplese: Learning and Innovation

2009-02-06T13:01:00.003-05:00

Assessment to a Seven Year Old... Cole Camplese: Learning and Innovation

Most students and my peers know that I have a passion for assessment. I'm constantly questioning the traditions that seem to hamper effective assessment and, in turn, limit learning. We all know the dangers of assumption - but so much of assessment practice in education is conceived based on assumption rather than research.

Cole Camplese from Penn State University recently posted to his blog a brief write up about assessment - but the main point is to listen to his daughter, in 1st grade, discuss the assessment and grading practices she's come to "learn" under. Take a moment to listen to the podcast.

Book Review - 'Darwin’s Sacred Cause' and 'Angels and Ages' - Review - NYTimes.com

2009-01-30T20:28:00.001-05:00

Book Review - 'Darwin’s Sacred Cause' and 'Angels and Ages' - Review - NYTimes.com

Although science does not teach values, those who value science can influence the world for the better.

Essay: Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy

2009-01-28T14:02:00.003-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/science/27essa.html

Essay: Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy

Science is not a monument of received Truth but something that people do to look for truth.

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Making lectures personal

2009-01-28T13:51:00.002-05:00

http://education.zdnet.com/?p=2079

Making lectures personal

The article referenced in this zdnet post showcases how higher ed is struggling with some of the same issues as secondary education. A school like MIT has both the intellect and the finances to tackle the problem head on. In public education, we ebb and flow with trends in available resources and fickle policies created in state capitols.

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TEDTalks - Inventing the next amazing thing - Woody Norris (2004)

2009-01-28T12:08:00.001-05:00

Check out this episode of TEDTalks at Inventing the next amazing thing
- Woody Norris (2004) - http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TEDTalks_video/~3/523463990/442

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Is Michelle Rhee the new face of education reform? | csmonitor.com

2009-01-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

Is Michelle Rhee the new face of education reform? | csmonitor.com

Posted using ShareThis

There are two competing ways of looking at education that need to be reconciled. On one side you have the NCLB/PLC/LFS push for data, measurement, and accountability. On the other side there is Whole Child/Progressive/21stCentury demand for rethinking what really matters in education. Bottom line, we need to better define what success looks like in this massive educational endeavor that supports not only the individual but also democracy.

The key is to utilize teachers as professionals, to treat teachers as professionals, and to inspire great students to become teachers.

2009-01-14T12:44:00.002-05:00

Report: States must do more to prepare students for college, work
While states have made progress in beefing up high school requirements, most states are still falling short in preparing graduates for the skills valued by colleges and employers, according to a joint report by national associations of governors, legislatures, state schools chiefs and state education boards. Improving teacher and principal quality is central to building more effective high schools, the report found, and requires more state attention. [from ASCD SmartBrief]

5th Anniversary Ed of Wicked

2008-11-02T20:48:00.001-05:00

Integrity

2008-10-12T07:58:00.001-05:00

Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. - Samuel Johnson

integrity (noun)
1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness

As the conference continues to draw closer I find myself shifting my focus from Vision and Change to the more complex issue of Character. We can talk about strength of character but can we really know what that means until we are faced with impossible decisions?

My life philosophy centers around the concept of "choices and consequences", or the Karma concept of cause and effect. Character is clearly a key part of making that work. In particular, integrity as the foundation of a strong character, would need to guide all decisions, all choices.

So how do we truly get students to examine their character, to test their integrity, during a leadership conference that is only three days long? How do we say anything original? If we are untested ourselves, what value do we add?

I think the best we can say is that, life must be lived moment by moment - choice by choice - and then we need to spend significant time reflecting on the outcome. Integrity is not inherent, but rather cultivated. We cannot teach character, but we can teach the reflective processes that strengthen character. We cannot simply rush forward time after time without giving thought to our choices and consequences of the past. Using the daily lessons, reading literature, studying history, etc can all help us be best prepared when we come to face our tough choices, but it is only in those moments that we truly know who we are.

We are defined by the choices we make, and while our intentions are important, consequence follows choice - not intention.

Wonderful

2008-10-05T09:15:00.000-05:00

LHC --- no black holes!

2008-09-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

More Powerful Than Words

2008-09-01T19:55:00.004-05:00

This is an incredible song. Period.

This video is powerful. The faces in the choral group - the real America.

Vision, Character, and Change in 2008

2008-09-01T00:11:00.002-05:00

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. 
-Helen Keller

A better way

2008-08-31T23:46:00.003-05:00

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.
–M. Scott Peck

It seems as if so much of what we want is designed to limit how uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled we are. The commercials on television sell products and procedures to bring comfort, happiness, and fulfillment (at least temporarily). It reminds me of "soma" from Brave New World.

But it is that persistent, undeniable unrest that is so important to forming a life worth living. Poverty has been fertile ground for growing leaders of change. Those who would prefer the status quo would seek to placate those in poverty, those hungry for change. Alcohol, drugs, mindless entertainment, and credit keep things as they are.

I see it elsewhere... a failing school is acceptable as long as the athletic teams are successful, students avoid challenging courses and get the same grades, and tradition trumps progress when progress takes too much effort.

So here's to never being satisfied, to always feeling unsettled, and to always finding a better way.

What does change mean?

2008-08-31T23:20:00.003-05:00

In describing today's accelerating changes, the media fire blips of unrelated information at us. Experts bury us under mountains of narrowly specialized monographs. Popular forecasters present lists of unrelated trends, without any model to show us their interconnections or the forces likely to reverse them. As a result, change itself comes to be seen as anarchic, even lunatic.
–Alvin Toffler

This quote, forwarded to me my a dear friend, captures my concern for this new generation of leaders. There is so much isolated information, poured nonstop upon the public, that they are drowning yet thirsty for something more. Context, connection, purpose... we need to make meaning from the bits and bytes.

Education here again could play such a vital role. History provides the backstory, Literature provides context, and Science provides critical analysis of cause and effect... but only when we see the grander purpose in education. Life is a series of choices and consequences - karma's cause and effect. When we teach in isolated bits and bytes, we hide the nature of life. Our ability to change is our greatest strength.

I continue to be amazed at the writing of Paul Hawken in Blessed Unrest. It's a new view of system, of collective action, of forest for the trees. In the end, we cannot wait for others to make sense of it for us, we must be the makers of meaning.

Sunrise

2008-08-27T19:09:00.002-05:00

This is the sunrise on the first day of school 2008. It amazes me to look at something like this, my mind begins to spin. A vision like this requires so much. A planet with an atmosphere, which is rare enough, but then saturated with water vapor. Light diffracting through that atmosphere as the speed of each wavelength changes slightly, with blue (short wavelengths) scattering the most... but then our eyes, developing through evolution to sense those small differences in wavelengths... but that same stuff (electromagnetic waves) is what transfers this photo from my iPhone to this website... and yet the car I'm driving in affects that atmosphere and along with the natural factors, increases our global temperature on average because the sun's rays heat up the planet but that heat can't radiate out in the same quantities it used to...

A sunrise. A new day. A new hope.

p.s. we fixed the ozone

Leadership Legacy

2008-08-08T21:10:00.002-05:00

This is a short video which captured some of the enthusiasm from the first-ever celebration of the National Student Leadership Week at South Western High School. Our enduring theme is "Leadership Legacy". More info here and here.

Trust

2008-08-08T20:34:00.004-05:00

So, here I am... falling into the arms of my student council. Honestly, I wasn't feeling this at the start. Basically, I'm a big guy and I know the laws of physics... so the concept of falling off a table at 1am during a lock-in is a bit, perplexing. But the idea is that this is an issue of trust and I truly trusted this group. Eventually, I moved to the table-top and the rest is told in the video...

This is part of what makes teaching such a powerful experience: learning to trust teenagers. Beyond the classroom, beyond the curriculum, there is something critical to the relationship between teachers and students. Teachers are the link between the past and the future, between the status quo and change, between wisdom and hope. Trust is essential to this relationship.

This is for real...

2008-07-29T20:17:00.004-05:00

We're preparing for our last PASC board meeting prior to hosting our conference... and none of us can really believe we're here. Our vision for this conference began so long ago when measured by a calendar, but it feels like last week when we were preparing for the bid. This is a true collaborative vision that has been refined over the many months of planning. During that time, I have witnessed such strength in the character of our students and advisors involved with the conference. I get the greatest satisfaction out of a relationship when I can trust someone completely... I have placed my complete trust in these three in the picture. You'd be amazed at how strong they are and how much they have each grown in their own way. Lastly, this conference is about change. We want to change what the experience is about... we want delegates to learn to lead with both heart and head, with both intellect and passion, with both conscience and inspiration. We've added content, switched schedules, raised expectations, shifted responsibilities, and so much more... to produce the change we hope will make a real difference. Tradition and building upon the past are important, but I'm always asking WHY? --- seriously, always asking why? And when the answer doesn't make sense, change is essential. Vision, Character, and Change is a powerful sequence that has gotten us to this point and will serve as the Origin of a journey for 1000 others.

My boys

2008-06-28T20:11:00.002-05:00

This was during the 2008 NASC National Student Council Conference when we were invited into the community for dinner and entertainment. South Western was invited to a small but prosperous community to have dinner prepared by the "Holy Smokers". It was an incredibly warm welcome and the food was incredible. Once the tables were cleared, the dancing began. As usual, the South Western crew went to work on having fun and inspiring others to do the same. This picture shows what happens when an advisor sitting off to the side, decides to encourage the boys... she ends up with a special dance, just for her.

Danc'n

2008-06-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

PASC Executive Director

2008-06-23T18:18:00.002-05:00

During the 2008 PASC trip to the NASC national conference in Texas, we enjoyed some authentic Tex-Mex food. While there, our Executive Director had his "birthday" recognized. This is actually symbolic of another year of PASC (76 years young).

Texas

2008-06-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

Where does greatness begin?

2008-05-21T19:33:00.003-05:00

I have witnessed greatness. She is amazing, beyond description and is deserving of greater praise than she'll ever receive. Where does greatness begin? And perhaps, more importantly, why are we so reluctant to recognize greatness?

There seems to be an effort underway to hide away the fact that some have achieved greatness while others exist. Being extraordinary should not be liability. Yet it seems as if the ambition of all too may has become the pursuit of mediocrity. Just enough, good enough, it will do, that's fine, etc...

For America to be great, we must accept that there are great leaders who deserve our admiration, support, and full commitment. Elite is a perfectly acceptable word to use in describing athletes, artists, and institutions... but not our leaders. Political figures who are perceived as elitist can be obliterated by public opinion. In our schools, teachers or students who strive for excellence can be shunned for their quest to be better than they were, than others will be. The journey to greatness can be completed with tremendous humility, but we should never deny the purpose of the journey.

I have witnessed greatness. And for that, I am grateful.

Buble

2008-04-15T22:31:00.001-05:00

In an industry overwhelmed with insincerity, Buble brings a raw honesty that is both refreshing and entertaining. Vocally amazing, Buble understands his craft on a deeper level.

Brave - Idina Menzel

2008-04-04T21:13:00.002-05:00

There is something very special about Idina's voice, so distinctive and yet beautifully subtle. This song connects me to so many people, so many moments, where I've witnessed a willingness to go against convention. Bravery is not always about facing the end - but most often about facing the beginning.

Defying Gravity

2008-04-04T21:06:00.002-05:00

An absolutely fantastic song with powerful vocals to match the powerful message. The song is about choice and about a willingness to accept the consequences. Through this acceptance, greatness is possible and everyone is giving the chance to fly (even if you're flying solo).

Crayon Physics Deluxe

2008-04-03T20:16:00.003-05:00

More information

I am inspired

2008-01-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

Capacity for change is greatest in our youth. They are not so invested in the status quo that change seems overwhelming for them yet they are invested in the future and so feel a sense of obligation to make tomorrow theirs. This capacity is often contained and limited by the structures put in place by adults whose investment is in the past and have grown cynical of the future. Fortunately, as a teacher and an advisor, I have witnessed such acts of courage and initiative in my students that I am inspired.

Inspiration is such an incredible sensation. It suggests something more purposeful than hope and more tangible than dreams. What inspires each of us varies greatly. I know that many draw inspiration from faith or spiritual sources. Many others still are inspired by stories. This has been true for thousands of years and is at the core of many oral language traditions. We humans, social and creative, must be inspired to reach higher, to move faster, to carve out our place in the world - and stories of greatness can do that for us. I prefer the everyday stories, the everyday choices, for my source of inspiration.

I am inspired by the student who speaks kindly, even though he never hears a kind word at home.

I am inspired by the student who gives freely of time and resource, even though the world around her screams "acquire, buy, hoard".

I am inspired by the student who risks a newly begun adult life to donate a kidney to his mother.

I am inspired by the student who is accepting of diverse lifestyles, not because she would choose that life, but because she sees how much it hurts the other to feel so alone.

I am inspired by the student who take risks by questioning hypocrisy and who helps me see things more clearly.

I am inspired by the student who challenges peer expectations by speaking up and out for a friend headed down a destructive path... perhaps saving a life or at least a future.

There is something so powerful about a young person who refuses to conform to the limitations set up in front of them.

Thank you to all of you who inspire me, and others, with your courage, strength, passion, audacity, insight, and capacity for change.

Equity & Change

2007-12-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

America has long promised equal opportunity. Our public schools were to be the portal to a productive and secure future for each American and for America. Unfortunately, since their inception, our public schools have been handicapped by the same social inequities that infiltrated the businesses, homes, and hearts of the communities they serviced. As bungled as it seems, No Child Left Behind attempts to rectify this inequity by demanding that all schools provide all students with a solid foundation in reading and math. Unfortunately, success in a “flat world” requires so much more than being competent and consequently more and more children are being left behind – without even knowing it.

The gross inequities in our public school system as well as the growing concern over our global competitiveness have initiated a call for change. Educational technology may be the catalyst that makes such change possible. When intelligent, reflective, and determined teachers utilize educational technology to transform learning into a highly critical and productive experience for students, we begin to deliver on the promise of equal opportunity for security and success. Technology allows for efficient and productive means of networking, communication, analysis, creativity, and achievement of most competencies. The teacher still remains the most important variable to student learning and when technology is used to enhance a teacher’s understanding of content and pedagogy, we are able to efficiently improve the quality of education.

According to an online report published by Time Magazine, students need to think globally and in innovative ways to remain competitive both as individuals and as a nation. They also need to learn to process information in new ways while developing proper deportment and interpersonal assets. Appropriate and innovative use of educational technology has the potential to achieve those goals by reaching digital natives through instructional methods that appeal to their rewired brain structure. Teachers and everyone else involved in education must reevaluate what our vision of a successful student looks like in a world where information is ubiquitous and genuine thought is a commodity. We must promise to improve education for all students and we must deliver.

Origins 2008 - Countdown Begins

2007-11-25T22:49:00.001-05:00

South Western High School will be hosting the 2008 PASC State Conference on November 13, 14, & 15 2008 with a theme of "Origins: It Begins with You". This video is from our presentation at the 2007 PASC State Conference in Easton.

Insist on Yourself

2007-10-22T21:59:00.000-05:00

Richard Feynman is one of my idols. I've read most of what he has written or said. I've watched "The Greatest Mind Since Einstein" a few dozen times. He inspires me to think, wonder, and challenge.

A friend shared with me Emerson's Self-Reliance. I didn't make the connection at first, but then later, I realized that it could have been Feynman writing those same words:

"Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession."

I wonder about learning, education, leadership and teaching. I wonder about these things all the time. Annoyingly so. I have little else I can talk about.

But lately, I've wondered specifically about what we are trying to do in education. Do we truly promote "insist on yourself" or do we demand that students "imitate". I want to believe the former is the case, but as a realist, I am compelled to concede that it is most likely the latter. I think all too often: Originality is not cultivated, but decimated & Contrary views are not explored, but ignored.

This is systematic and systemic. Historically the role of public education was to blend America and that legacy seems to continue - although not as effectively (for better or for worse). All of this testing, testing, testing, reinforces the authoritarian nature of education in America and perpetuates our inability to support novel thought and creative expression.

There is a line in the the movie "The American President" where the President says that "...America is advanced citizenship". Education is the prerequisite for this advanced citizenship - and it is unconscionable to deny anyone that opportunity. But America is also formed around the concept of choice - and there is where we seem to fail as a system. We give the impression of choice (would you like to be beaten over the head with a bat or a club) and the illusion of complex thought.

Advisor University - PASC

2007-10-08T08:06:00.003-05:00

30 advisors, mostly student government, converged at Penn State Ramada Inn for 24 hours of professional development. Sponsored by PASC, the training program occurs every other year. Advisors from around the state (PA) are hoping to return to their schools with knowledge and skills to improve student leadership programs.

Sent from my iPhone

"Life is a series of choices and consequences." -- KLK

The PBL Launch Pad: Worthwhile Projects for High School Students, Part 1 | Edutopia

2007-09-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

The PBL Launch Pad: Worthwhile Projects for High School Students, Part 1 | Edutopia

Blogs in Education

2007-09-17T19:59:00.000-05:00

There is a tremendous amount of information contained within the blogs that span the Internet... information that is timely and relevant, not dependent upon a publisher or other establishment to determine when the information will be shared with others. Therein lies the power of blogging in education, to free the collective voice of a generation of students frustrated with "writing for the teacher". Writing for the world, is writing for oneself - similar to the powerful voice the type-set press gave to revolutionaries of the past.

Technology Vision

2007-09-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

I have spent considerable time and effort lately, researching the concept of one-to-one computing and learning in schools. I talk with anyone who will listen and share about my concerns - and about my excitement. My concern is that the implementation of such a massive shift in instructional methods requires more focus and finesse than we will afford it. We seem increasingly divided between all of the expectations and obligations placed on a high school today, and one-to-one computing seems to be coming along at the wrong time. My vision for technology integration (adaption) is that we finally realize how little we expect of our students, how inflexible we have become, and how limiting so many of our reform efforts truly are.

Technology, adapted well, has the potential to raise our expectation of all students while allowing for even more success than under lower expectations. Our students are able to maneuver their way through high school avoiding classes that require thinking, problem solving, and reflective thought. Students have become outstanding information regurgitators, but that is rarely a desirable quality any longer. We need to grow outstanding communicators, thinkers, problem solvers and one-to-one computing has been shown to do just that (if adapted well). There needs to be less restriction on communication, more time to think creatively and critically, and students need to have opportunities to solve real problems. This leads to a vision of flexibility.

PA significantly changed graduation guidelines when it developed and adopted the Academic Standards. There are guidelines for days and hours, physical education and health class, and an expectation that whatever else occurs in the schools, students are demonstrating proficiencyon the Standards. Unfortunately, most schools never embraced this change and graduations requirements are almost entirely unchanged. It seems that to be successful, one-to-one needs to truly mean that; every student needs a machine that is theirs. March Prensky points out a similar notion that students need to embrace the one-to-one by personalizing the experience. We currently block email from all students, all social networking sites, and even block regular Google searches in the name of security. The concept of personalization of technology is a HUGE paradigm shift for high schools, especially those in charge of technology at the district level. This often leads to reform that promotes conformity.

Math is a perfect example of reform efforts that seek to control exactly what and when a student is exposed to information. Even at the high school level, technology in math departments is about control and management, not exploration and discovery. I would hope for technology adaption to occur that motivates students to solve real problems using skills developed "along the way". We then have the issue of assessment - which causes me to shudder when I think about integrating one-to-one computing. Even reform efforts related to assessment (ie common assessment and PLC) when implemented are more about control (of students and teachers) than of improving learning. One-to-one learning requires radically new ideas about the form of assessment, and clearly students will need to shake free of the limitations of previous reform attempts.

My vision for technology integration is simple: to always view instruction through my student's eyes. My students want to be challenged, they want to be creative, and they need to not be held down by policy and organizational structures of the status quo.

Les Miserables, part deux

2007-08-29T20:44:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite stories is that of Valjean, Javert, and the Bishop Myriel from Les Miserables. When I describe it to my students, I like to simply say that it is a story about the interpretation of "doing the right thing". (of course, the musical Wicked is also a great backdrop for the same theme).

The Bishop is "good" because he is forgiving, generous, accepting - almost too much so.
Javert is "good" because he enforces society's rules; innocent or guilty with no in-between.
Valjean is "good" because he responds to the needs of others, often casting aside the laws or norms of society.

Most of us accept that we cannot be good like the Bishop. We'd like to believe that we're more like Valjean - a champion for those who cannot rise up themselves. But honestly, we mostly behave as Javert... conforming and judging, trusting in the government structures and other protectors of status quo.

After watching Spike Lee's docu-drama on HBO, WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS, I'm again reminded of this pattern of docile obedience supplanting irritating activism. Years from now, history will be taught in classrooms that revises the devastation of Katrina, not as a natural disaster, but as a failure of government to serve its people. But, the history lesson will not stop there, instead it will continue on to point out how the rest of us stood by and watched it happen - satisfied that enough had changed, when in fact, nothing really has. Where is the outrage, the irritating activism that pushes us forward?

In Pennsylvania the lawmakers gave themselves a raise. The result was a tremendous burst of irritating activism that drove the electorate to vote for change. Most analysts will say that the results of the election following these events, were shaped by this force of change - out with the old, in with the new... and by the way, we're watching you!

AND YET, it seems as if two years after Katrina, little has changed for the better - especially at the federal level.

Javert, upon realizing that all of his years of judging and conforming had left him on the wrong side of being right, takes his life, having "fallen from grace". Let us work now to see the wisdom and power of irritating activism - before its too late.

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/whentheleveesbroke/
http://www.teachingthelevees.org/

The Power of One

2007-08-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

Science as a priority in 2007-2008

2007-08-26T19:12:00.000-05:00

Habit. Difficult to change.

Science is change. There is little that does not change when examined by a scientific eye. Our future depends upon change and therefore upon science. We cannot continue to use and abuse the natural world the way we have -- and expect to live free of consequence. Habits will not change, but science can help reduce the negative consequences those habits have on nature.

To do so, we need to make science a priority in 2007-2008. We can no longer coast upon the investments made in the 1960's, post-Sputnik era. A new generation of problems face this nation and it is time for a new generation of science-minded leaders to promote the change needed to solve those problems. We need to invest. We need to support. We need to understand natural law.

Make this the year that begins the change. We cannot afford to wait any longer.