Lead Learners Update 2.13.12

Lead Learners Update: 2/13/12

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy... We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2/13 PL Day
2/15 LST visit -Ridge
2/16 Superintendent Interview Orientation (for those who will be involved in the interview)
2/17 TIA; Art Council
2/20 Instructional Rounds - Ridge
Curriculum Tool Selection Follow up Committee (4:00 - 5:00)
2/21-24  PLC Conference

Data Driven vs. Data Informed Leadership-Ying
While I was an elementary principal, I found a very interesting pattern among the primary teachers. They always became panicky after they gave the mid-year assessment. I would always listen to their frustration patiently, and thought to myself, “You will celebrate in May.”  It turned out to be true almost every year.  Now, I discovered another similar pattern among administrators.  The anxiety to lead staff through PD is high during the first semester (New learning generates cognitive dissonance which creates anxiety.)  The turning point is February as teachers begin to mature with new learning.  By May, it is totally harvest time!  Reading teachers’ reflections on their Professional Learning Plan always brought joy to my heart. So, as you prepare for Feb PL, just know that your hard work will make a difference!  Hang in there!

Having said that, a few tips may help you scale up the change process.  Here are a few ideas.  Of course, I learned them from you and many other great leaders throughout the state:

1. Sharing data does not have to take a lot of time when time is so precious.  Some data can be shared effectively via your weekly newsletter.  (Teachers do pay attention to them.) Precious time for PL should be used to deepen what matters the most - plan good units, design high level assessments, analyze student work, determine instructional strategies and intervention plans.
2. While school wide data is important, it is more important that teams and individuals set stretch goals each time they review data. These goals can be very small such as one descriptor on the TPP, and teachers can continue to pursue the same goal if it is still a good goal.  Allow options and choices for what and how, but setting a goal/action that is aligned with PL focus should be non-negotiable.  Teachers want to grow when they know the target.  Keeping the staff focused on their learning target is the key for continuous improvement.
3. Let teachers do the work rather than talking about the work.  Reflection and celebration should be based on evidence of learning. This is how effective leaders narrow the “knowing and doing” gap.

Data driven is not about external accountability, but about using the process and information to solve problems and to formulate day-to-day actions.

New Teacher Self-Assessment Survey -Ying
24 new teachers completed the mid-year self-assessment.  Click HERE to see the results.  Please continue to support them based on the mid-year assessment.  Thank you for your continuous effort.  This result is already better than last year’s survey.  Whatever you are doing is making a difference!

RTI in Secondary Schools - Ying
Here are few links that might be helpful to secondary schools (Taken from Iowa ASCD:
RTI in Middle School
Early Warning System in Middle Grades
Early Warning System in High School Grades
Helpful Webinars

Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock

K-6 Mathematics Adoption Process:  Our district has had the Everyday Math series for our mathematics curriculum for a number of years.  As we’ve noticed our data lately, we begin to ask questions about our performance in mathematics.  We also critically examine the amount of professional learning focused on mathematics over the past five years, and we start to question our priorities in response to mathematics learning and teaching.  It is time to devote energies into our mathematics curriculum and formative assessments to determine what’s working, what’s not, and what do we do about it.

February 2012 begins the process of evaluating our current mathematics curriculum to determine if it best meets the needs of our students or if there might be a different curriculum that we need to look at for the future of mathematics instruction.  I will be tapping in to the expertise in this area in regards to effective mathematics curricula which are aligned with the Iowa Core Curriculum.  K-6 administrators need to start thinking about members of your teaching staff who might make excellent building representatives on an upcoming Math Task Force which will be involved in the following:

• deepening understanding about the Iowa Core Curriculum in mathematics
• investigating components of effective mathematics instruction
• making data-informed decisions
• Math consensus mapping and power standards identification

As you can see, this Math Task Force will involve K-12 teacher representatives to deepen our own understanding about quality mathematics curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  But, an additional team (could be same members) will be involved with the K-6 mathematics curriculum adoption process.  More information will be shared later--but use this time to start thinking about who on your teaching staff will be most likely to serve as effective members of this Math Task Force.

Perseverance, Effort, and Twitter -- Craig Barnum

The light switch finally flipped “on” for me a few days back in regards to Twitter.  I’ve had a Twitter account for years.  I’ve watched my peers use it.  I understood how it could be used to expand my personal learning network.  I knew how it worked.  I had tried several times over the past couple of years put content out there, but I just could never seem to sustain the effort.  I never hit critical mass. It was a classic knowing-doing gap.

But, a couple of weeks ago, I got it.  It was that moment where I suddenly really knew how I could use this tool.  Since the light came on, using Twitter now seems fun and almost effortless.  I’ve been thinking a lot about how and why this finally happened for me.  I know that we are all confronted with knowing-doing gaps both in our own lives and in the work people we are helping to lead.  I’m not entirely sure that my insights will be transferable to anyone else.  But, in the spirit of sharing, here’s what I’ve discovered.

I think the main factors were perseverance and effort.  The simple mechanics of the matter were that I finally discovered the right set of tools (for me) to use that made finding and posting content easy.  I also simultaneously realized how to focus on a main audience, Prairie staff.  These new tools (Zite is awesome!) and my new understanding about audience are idiosyncratic to me -- not very transferable.  However, without sustained effort and perseverance, I would have never had these insights.  This is highly transferable.  I also know this is common sense.  But, it’s easy for us to forget evident ideas like these when we are engaged in so many different types of learning.  Since it was a good reminder for me, I thought I’d share.  By the way, you can follow me on Twitter @crbarnum.   Encourage you staff to do so as well, please. :-)