We are closing in on the half-way point to the school year. Next semester our focus will shift to preparing
for the major changes coming our way in the fall of 2015. The freshmen will return home after a
three-year absence, our College and Career Academy philosophy goes live
throughout the building, and all students will walk through the school doors
with their laptops/tablets in hand—and with the expectation of using them
during the school day.
I want to use the last two entries of 2014 to emphasize two
points about all of these changes coming down the pike: First, we are not the only
school experiencing these shifts; therefore, we can and should learn from those
who have traveled this road successfully before us. Second, we have built a rock solid foundation
at HSE on which to build structures and capacity to handle these coming
changes.
Science
Leadership Academy: One Trailblazer
What would a school look like that is founded on the
following concept?
Students will ask powerful
questions and create meaningful
artifacts of their learning in a caring
environment.
Chris Lehmann, the principal of Science Leadership Academy,
was hired by The School District of Philadelphia in 2005 to answer this
question. He started an inquiry-driven,
project-based high school and formed a partnership with The Franklin Institute,
Philadelphia’s science and technology museum.
The school’s progress and student learning has exceeded expectations and
was recently documented in a book Authentic
Learning in the Digital Age: Engaging Students through Inquiry.
Certainly, Hamilton Southeastern is a different kind of
school than Science Leadership Academy, but read again the words in bold above. These are terms we have been talking about
for years. And see if Lehmann’s words
below resonate with discussions you have had at HSHS as well:
The ideas that asking good questions, caring about the
people around us, and building structures that make it easier for people to
succeed have grounded us in all the conversations we have at SLA, and, more
often than not, those core concepts provide the framework that allows us to
answer new questions and challenges we face.
We are not the exception to the rule. Without a doubt, all
schools face questions and challenges.
At the heart of what we do is learning,
and the process of learning, by definition, results in something new: new
thoughts, new skills, new ways of knowing and understanding the world. Change is inherent in our profession, but
that doesn’t make it easy.
The authors of Authentic
Learning document their experiences and share strategies they have used to
overcome obstacles and challenges. It is
nice to know that other very successful schools struggle at times but have
found ways to persevere.
Core Values
One way SLA answers new questions and takes on new challenges
is by using the filter of their core values to make decisions. We haven’t talked often in terms of core
values at HSE, but I love this concept and think it could be helpful to us. SLA calls their core values the “anchors for
teaching and learning,” and they use their core values to help guide
decision-making, both small and large. The Five
Core Values of SLA are listed below.
If you read nothing else in this entry, please take time to look closely
at these core values:
- Inquiry—Authentic learning can happen only when there is a legitimate desire to gain knowledge or skills. Students need to be able to ask their own questions (with varying degrees of guidance) in order to engage with their education.
- Research—In a world where our access to information is becoming limitless, what matters is no longer how much you already know, but how well you can find what you need to know. Students need to learn how to both collect and interpret their own data, as well as identify and assess outside sources for quality and credibility.
- Collaboration—Whether in person or electronically, collaboration has become a cornerstone of the work life of adults, yet students are typically expected to produce and prove their knowledge in isolation. Working together not only supports students in their pursuit of personal achievement, it also helps them develop interpersonal skills that are essential for their future professional lives.
- Presentation—This skill is often pigeonholed as the "front of the room" presentation that students loathe. Presentation is actually a skill that students use constantly, both in the classroom and, increasingly, online. Bad presentation skills can be damaging to both their professional and personal reputations, so knowing how to present themselves and their work appropriately and effectively is essential. (Note: I want to explore this topic next semester.)
- Reflection—How do we improve ourselves? Curriculum is often written as a race to the finish line, without any time or space for students to consider what they could do differently or better. Reflection provides a necessary pause between presenting a finished work and beginning a new line of inquiry and helps ensure that students (and teachers) improve with each cycle of learning.
Even though we do not formally name and keep our core values
at the forefront, these from SLA are not far off from what we value most. An interesting question: What would our
school look like if we held similar values as SLA and used them regularly to
assist our decision-making? You have
thousands and thousands of decisions to make as a teacher. How would your decisions be impacted if you
kept these core values in front of you as you choose daily objectives, lesson
strategies, performance tasks, and assessments?
Part II Next
Week: The Right Road
That is plenty to contemplate for now. Next week I want to examine SLA’s Framework for Technology and make the
point that we have been, and continue to be, on the right path to move our
school and our students forward. That is
certainly a core value we can all support.
I hope your week is outstanding, HSE. Enjoy the end of semester, even with all of
the business. Enjoy the anticipation of
the holiday break. Enjoy knowing that
you are making a difference in the lives of your students.
Phil
Closing thoughts on values from interesting people….
- “Effectiveness without values is a tool without a purpose.” --Edward de Bono
- “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. You habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” --Mahatma Gandhi
- “Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust.” --John F. Akers
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