DITCH That Textbook

I just finished this amazing book by Matt Miller. Initially I was apprehensive about the title of the book and whether there would be application in an elementary/middle school setting.  Happily I was proven wrong.  There are a ton of great concepts that can apply at any level.

If you look, DITCH is an acronym which stands for Different, Innovative, Tech-laden, Creative and Hands-on. Any or all of these can apply in any classroom at any grade level.

He lays out the book in four sections.  In the first section he answers the question why go digital? The last three chapters of this section hit me the most.  Chapter 6 deals with reinventing education.  There is no doubt in my mind that education needs a makeover, probably even a total redo.  The crux of the discussion here is the move from the 19th century factory model of education to the 21st century model where we educate the students for jobs that haven't yet been created.  We need to prepare them for the world they will be living in, not the world we know now.  Chapter 7 talks about the fact that educators today are no longer the gatekeepers of the knowledge, the sage on the stage, rather the guide on the side.  That's a real mind shift for many teachers (and parents alike). The last chapter is all about giving the kids real world skills, again not the ones of our world but the ones they will need at some point.

The next section had a ton of stuff in it and I walked away with some of the following.  He references from Dave Burgess's book Teach Like a Pirate that I think is awesome and that is "Don't just teach a lesson, create an experience."  That's what students want and we want, engagement!  While students don't have much of a choice of whether to come to school or not, as educators we can certainly make it more engaging and tap into their passion by connecting what we teach to what they know from their world.

For so long we talked about tech being the thing that everyone had to have in the classroom for the sake of having but he makes great points by saying that "pedagogy must drive technology" and "if I'm going to use any form of technology, it must improve my students' learning experience." That makes so much more sense now, especially in light of the fact that tech is constantly changing and that there are multiple uses for much of the tech out there now.  We (educators) need to be more discerning than we have been in the past.  I know that it has driven my tech choices in the schools that I have served in recent years, a change from we have to buy whatever is out there and new regardless of what it is or if we know how to use it.  We need to be good stewards of the money we use for technology in our schools.

In the third section, he gets into the meat of ditching your textbooks.  He gives lots of great advice and examples of how it should and should not be done.  Examples from his classroom bring the points home. 

Finally, in the last section he spends a little time about ditching your curriculum.  He acknowledges that it may not work for everyone, especially if what you teach is tied to what others teach and needs to connect in some way.  He also acknowledges that district mandates may not make that possible in all areas due to what must be taught in classrooms.  He does emphasize taking your time and not doing everything all at once (a theme throughout the entire book). Many times we find ourselves so excited about all the new things we read about or see at a conference or workshop, we want to do it all.  He cautions against doing too much to soon.  Have patience and give your students time to digest the new stuff.

This book is what I consider part of a trifecta of books that I think all need to be read together.  They all complement one another very well and embody similar overlapping ideas and concepts.  The other two books are Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess and Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz. 

There is another book that I think complements it as well, one I have not read yet, called Pure Genius by Don Wettrick.  It talks about a concept that Paul Solarz calls "Passion Time" and Don Wettrick and Matt Miller call "Genius Hour". I look forward to reading Don Wettrick's book and finding ways to apply the concepts in all four books in the school I serve.  My challenge will be to take it slow and just a piece or two at a time like Matt Miller recommends.

Serving Him!

Learn Like a Pirate-Peer Collaboration

So the adventure continues as I sail through this awesome book.  Section two focuses on the traits of "Learn like a Pirate" below:
Peer Collaboration
Improvement Focus vs Grade Focus
Responsibility
Active Learning
Twenty-First Century Skills Focus
Empowerment

Peer Collaboration

"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses or the problems of modern society" Vince Lombardi

I loved this section of the book.  The thought of students working together and collaborating toward a common goal is an awesome thing.  Paul Solarz does such a great job of conveying it in his book.  This and the upcoming blogs will focus on a section of the book in a sort of book review style.  I'll highlight some things that stood out for me as well as share a few of my own thoughts on those ideas.  Below are four things I pulled out of this section as I was reading it:

• This section is about collaboration in the student-led classroom.  If you're at all like me, you cringe at giving your students "control" in your classroom.  You have your way of doing things, that, in your mind, works. Giving that up to the students just goes against your better judgement.  Yet, this is one of the very things that makes students successful in school and brings enjoyment and passion for learning.  In the book, Paul says that "peer-collaboration is one way to make a student-led classroom work." You have to give up control for collaboration to work.
• One of the benefits Paul shares in the book about a student-led collaborative classroom is that it allows students to think about other people's ideas and then synthesizing them with theirs.  He tells his students that "two brains are better than one!" What a great thing to say! Love that idea. Think about how much more the students learn when they share what they're thinking with someone else!  Many times new ideas are born or even a totally different perspective.  No two people always see the same idea the same way.  The real world the kids will one day enter, is asking for these kinds of skills from our students.  In fact, collaboration is one of the skills today's employers want now.  Tons of examples in this section of the book.
• One of the great takeaways from this section, in my opinion, is the idea of students being able to call "Give Me Five" and allow the class to stop what it is doing and have that student share an important piece of information, answer or something he/she discovered.  It empowers the students to lead!  He says for that to work you need to give students the opportunity for active and passive leadership in your classroom. There are all kinds of ways to do that and he gives examples.  The students want that kind of responsibility so let them have it!  When you empower your students to do that, the Give Me Five becomes a natural part of it.
• The last thought is from his section on promoting the right kind of competition.  The only thing I'll share is this quote: "I want a room full of learners, not perfectionists.  I want my students to work hard because they choose to, not because they fear negative consequences.

Because "two brains are better than one", feel free to share your thoughts so that we can all collaborate and learn together!

Until my next port of call, Improvement Focus vs. Grade Focus, keep on sailing the PIRATE seas.

Serving Him,

Learn Like a Pirate-Part 1

After much anticipation on my part I am finally sailing on my pirate adventure with the book written by Paul Solarz called Learn Like a Pirate!  I got through section one of the book which talked about the student-led classroom and what it is and isn't.  Paul does a great job of setting up the rest of the book.  I'm really looking forward to reading more.

For those teachers who like "control" in the classroom, this will certainly challenge your thinking.  He writes in there that "a student-led classroom is one in which students make decisions and choices throughout the day without consulting the teacher."  He does caution though that while in a student-led classroom that does take place, there is still guidance and oversight by the teacher.  Phew!  That made me feel better!

As he writes about experiencing the benefits of a student-led classroom, he mentions a lot about knowledge retention.  He says that "children learn best by doing, by questioning, and by figuring out solutions on their own."  He references the graphic on the right in his book, called The Cone of Learning.  This was one of my biggest takeaways in this section of the book for me.  It just makes sense that if this is the way students learn best, why not do it.

Anyway, I can't wait to read more from his book. As I continue sailing on my pirate adventure in the book, I'll share more insights.

By the way, I would also highly recommend the book Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess.  I read that book last summer and found it very inspiring.

Until my  next port of call, mates!

Serving Him!

Professional Development Can Spark a Fire

This blog post is very different than my last, one I feel needed to be written.  I want others to find the value in professional development and to ignite a spark in someone.

I have been an educator for a little over 10 years now and have enjoyed every minute of it!  My professional growth journey started at the same time.  You see, for the prior 18 years I was employed in a family business back in Portland, OR.  Having not finished college, you would have thought that during the 18 years running a business, I would have been big into professional development.  While I was to some degree, it was not like it is today. I have, however, always considered myself a life long learner and strongly encourage my staff to do the same.  We owe it to the kids we are responsible for everyday.

In 2004 when I became a 3rd grade teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School in Sherwood OR is when I truly understood the need for professional growth all the time.  I wanted to give the kids I was responsible for the very best of who I was as a teacher and who God called me to be.  4 years later I became the principal AND teacher of St Paul Lutheran School.  I knew I was stepping into a realm I needed to learn more about.  I began reading more and more.  Thankfully our NW District office began professional development online for administrators and other educators.  I was very thankful for that and soaked it all up.

In 2012 I received a call to serve as a full time principal in Ft. Wayne Indiana in a pre-K to 8th grade school.  I had never been placed in school of that size and there was a lot for me to learn, including a city and state I had never been to before.  Again, I felt there was a lot to learn and I needed to soak it up as much as possible.  What I didn't realize was how much of an impact on my professional growth this move was going to have on me.

Part of the reason I took the call was because Ft Wayne had something Portland OR didn't have, The Lutheran Schools Partnership.  Over the last three years the Partnership has meant a lot to my professional growth, as have my colleagues that serve with me here in Ft. Wayne. In that time I have, thanks to the modeling of fellow principals and other Lutheran professionals, grown immensely in my profession as an educator. 

I started just reading professional books.  As many as I could get my hands on as often as possible.  I devoured them looking for information to help me do my job better and deliver a  quality education first to the kids in my class and now to all the kids in the school for which I am the academic leader.

I started on Twitter a year ago.  Initially just to figure out what the big deal was and eventually I found out what an awesome PD tool it is.  My Twitter PLN continues to fuel my growth.  This is my third blog post. Writing a blog is scary to me because I am putting my opinions and ideas out there for all to read not sure what will be liked, what will be criticized and how I'm going to handle that.  But it has been awesome so far! 

I now have the opportunity to serve on the board of The Lutheran Schools Partnership.   I get the chance to impact other Lutheran schools, an incredible opportunity and responsibility.  I continue to look for more ways that I can grow everyday, both in technology use as well as to be innovative and collaborative every chance I get.  I always want to be the best that God wants me to be.

I tell you all this not to brag, rather to feed the fuel for others to grow.  I have experienced more growth and confidence in my last three years than I have in the prior 30 years.  Much of what I do and experience now, I occasionally wish I had known earlier in my career.  But no regret here.  I'm going to make the best of every opportunity for myself, my staff, my colleagues here in Ft. Wayne and those in my PLN.  I finally get it and I want others to get it too. To be ignited by the excitement of learning and what that does for you personally and professionally.  This blog is my chance to share what I am learning with others AND learn from others. 

I pray that someone will find value in these words and serves as a spark to ignite a fire in them to be the very best they can be.  That is, after all, what God calls us to be!

Serving Him!

My Summer Reading List

I have always been a big reader for as long as I can remember.  Every summer over the last several years I have spent time reading books to either make me a better teacher or a better administrator.  This summer I'm really excited about the books I am going to read.  In fact, I can't wait to order them and get started.

One of the first books I am going to read is Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz(@paulsolarz).  It follows, in my opinion, the same theme of the book by Dave Burgess(@burgessdave), Teach Like a Pirate.  I really loved that book, so I can only imagine how much I'm going to like this one. As the advertisement says, it is all about empowering students to collaborate, lead and succeed.  What
teacher doesn't want that.

The next book I am going to read is a book by Patrick Lencioni (@patricklencioni) called The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  This one is part of our summer administrator conference in the Indiana District of the LCMS.  The  principals of NE Indiana are leading this one.  I am really looking forward to learning how to grow and lead my staff better than I have in the past.  Great discussion alongside my fellow colleagues from the Ft. Wayne Lutheran schools should make it very engaging.

DITCH That Textbook by Matt Miller(@jmattmiller) one that has me intrigued more than anything. The word DITCH is an acronym which stands for: Different, Innovative, Tech-laden, Creative and Hands-on.  I love what the acronym stands for and find it interesting that, those the title seems to indicate it, he does not necessarily advocate for getting rid of textbooks.  We'll see how this one goes.

The last book I hope to read is one I just discovered called Pure Genius by Don Wettrick (@DonWettrick).  It promises to talk about, as near as I can tell about tech, innovation and creativity. These are three things I am very in tune with and are necessary in our schools today if we are to survive (and thrive) in the 21st century.

As I finish these, I'll write about my takeaways from these books.  The way I look at it, by writing about them is part of the reflective process all educators should do after having learned (or read) something new.  It helps me to synthesize the material.  I hope that dialogue and feedback comes from this as well.  I want to know what others think too!

Happy Summer Reading!