Creating Sustainable Systematic School Change

Check out my Powerpoint Presentations on Slide Share.

    This powerpoint is based on Alan Blankstein's book Failure Is Not an Option. It is the first chapter in the book. He explains Six Principles that raise Student Achievement. It is an easy read with practical applications to schools and their communities.

http://www.slideshare.net/whozien/creating-sustained-systematic-school-change-chapter-1

The Effect of the iTeacher: Increased Student Learning

   I understand that technology is relevant and that as educators we need to incorporate it into learning, etc. etc. but what happened to the most effective way of learning: placing a caring competent teacher in front of those students -- be it at any age in the K-16 classroom. iPads do not replace iTeacher .  So the Los Angeles Unified School District can spend its millions on the iPads, but in the grand scheme of things, it and all other schools, universities, etc. need to invest heavier in their greatest potential in increasing test scores: creating caring, effective proficient educators that keep all students at the edge of their seats and thoroughly engaged.  The new wave of the future is the iTeacher.
   Life is not about increased assessment scores.  It is about developing character in our students who will potentially be career ready.  Once we understand the core purpose of education then all the other technologies can aid the teacher.  But that is it -- everything else is in the hands of the iTeacher who is productive every minute while in that classroom. 
   On the same topic:
This is an interesting article from the Washington Post, December 22, 2013: Where Technology will and won't take us by 2024 By Larry Cuban
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/22/where-education-technology-will-and-wont-take-us-by-2024/

Principal Preparation Programs

Arne Duncan the Secretary of the United States Department of Education has succinctly stated “There are no good schools without good principals. It simply does not happen” (2009, n.p.).  This statement sums up why many schools are struggling to survive and thrive in the 21st century. For the past several decades states, school districts, individual schools, and national entities have struggled to find ways to fix the ailing education system.  When the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed in 2001, it upped the ante for school administrators to show rapid results by meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals.  This new system of metrics and oversight added another layer of stress to an already challenging job.

Robert Rammer (2007) describes how public school systems and principals are contending with intense scrutiny that is “coupled with demands for accountability and increased student achievement” (p. 67).  Much of this scrutiny can be attributed to the NCLB.  Before 2001, the federal government paid little attention to the daily operations of public schools, but with the NCLB firmly in place, all public schools now must test students in core content areas in grades three through eight, and in grade ten (Rammer, 2007). NCLB dictates that each school must demonstrate yearly progress toward the national goal that “all students perform on standardized tests at a proficient or advanced level in the content areas by 2014” (Rammer, 2007, p. 67). States are tasked with creating grade-level benchmarks that their students must achieve.  Schools that fail to meet the accountability standards of NCLB face harsh consequences, including the removal of the principal.

Being a K-12 principal in the No Child Left Behind era, when budget constraints are at all-time highs creates unique stressors that make a difficult job incredibly challenging. 

Rammer, R.A. (2007). Call to action for superintendents: Change the way you hire principals. Journal of Educational             Research, 101(2), 67-76.

Let us examine some of the root causes of stress for current-day principals, please discuss why many educational administrative leaders decide to leave their posts, and critique the principal preparation programs.

    What are some key changes that need to made? 

     What are the challenges in creating the effective principal preparation program?

Where is online education headed? Where do you see online learning in five years?

I know this has nothing to do with Ethics in education.  But I was wondering in which direction we as educators are headed and for what purpose.

Maybe the question to ask is where are we headed with online education.

E-learning interests me as an educator due to recent budget cuts in education.  It is an easier and cheaper form of professional development for educators and other professionals.  But some students honestly enjoy the human interaction found in the classroom because they like getting immediate feedback on inquires and then asking follow up questions and then it might take a visual representation on a chalk board to explain a concept.  I understand that this can all be found online but online learning also takes a certain type of person – one who is internally motivated and enthusiastic about learning that may not necessarily need the classroom experience.  Personally speaking I am taking free online courses through https://www.coursera.org/  They offer online courses from top universities free to everyone. I believe that this is the future of education and where it is headed: Free and Online.

What classes are you taking or have taken online?  With which resources are you using or used to complete those classes?  I would like to know what is informative, popular and easy to use out on the World of the Web. 

Ethics in our Technologically Advanced Schools

In the modern school environment, it is becoming increasingly important for administrators, learning communities, teachers, and families to deal with shifts in educational principles.  This is due to the fact that multifaceted and multicultural value systems are coming to be addressed in practice in the classroom. This shift in the overarching social, cultural and practical framework for modern education is further challenged by the fact that technological advancements like the ipad and iphone mean that students and educators have to adopt and learn at a faster pace than ever before, and interact with society on a global scale. As Frick has suggested, “school administrative decision making requires more than the mechanical application of existing rules, regulations and various levels of school and school-related policy” (p. 51).

As a result, school principals have come to develop a newfound interest in character education, moral education, and the ethics of care and justice. This interest is linked to the knowledge that children need to have a foundation in learning how to make moral and ethical life decisions grounded in values of responsibility and respect.  (Sergiovanni, 1996) This is in turn connected to the recognition of the erosion in time and commitment that parents have to address these ideas in practice. This means that educators and administrators have an obligation, in part, to address these values and ethical principles through a caring school environment and curriculum.

What is important is that we keep ethics on the table in school forums and updated with the latest technology that is emerging in our technically adept students. 

Sergiovanni, T. J. (1996) Moral Leadership. Jossey-Bass Publications.

What obstacles if any are you seeing in ethics in your school environment?

What supports of combatting ethical ills in your school community have you found enriching?