Education Rethink

What I Mean by Autonomy

2012-02-23T21:09:00.003-07:00

Today at the PLC Conference, Richard DuFour mocked teacher autonomy. The audience chuckled along with him as he labeled the need for autonomy an excuse. It was telling when he chose the metaphor of a pilot who must listen to the Air Traffic Control tower rather than steering the plane in any specific direction. The thing is that I don't fly planes. I teach kids. Enough of the world runs on auto-pilot. Is that really what we want for our schools?

William Glasser defined autonomy as one of the basic human drives. It is not an excuse when someone says, "What about autonomy?" The truth is that teachers are watching our professional autonomy slip away because of the work of corporate reformers and slick politicians. When we snarl at those who mock this need, it is not because we love snarling, but because we've lost too much already.

In many places, teachers are forced into scripted curriculum in a push toward test prep. They are forced to have word walls, grammar walls, lesson plans in a set format, a standardized gradebook, a specific set of curriculum that they cannot deviate from, a discipline matrix that they must adhere to (even if research doesn't support the system of punishments and rewards), etc.

If a teacher asks, "What about teacher autonomy?" the solution (if it were to grow on a tree) might be to explain very clearly how a specific system will enhance teacher autonomy. If the "professional" means anything in the Professional Learning Community, spell it out for teachers.

The truth is that I became a better teacher when I was finally given autonomy. It's not an excuse. It's the impetus for innovation. When I have creative control and the freedom to experiment, some of the best lessons occur. Last year, I was able to use a tech-integrated framework, move away from traditional grades, go with a project-based and problem-based approach and teach thematic units. I also had some of the highest reading, writing and math scores in the district.

All of that required a hefty dose of teacher autonomy. Although we were a PLC, the principal was flexible enough to say, "Try this and compare the results with your team." He never mocked my need for autonomy, but actually embraced it instead.

The Paradox

Tonight my son jumped over a larger ice chest. I wrestled with whether I should allow him to assert his will or if I should step in for his safety. I don't pretent to have it figured out. Total autonomy is anarchy. Being involved in any social system (family, religion, work) requires a sacrifice of some of one's rights for the protection of social cohesion.

The school is a civic institution. I still believe it is vital for the success of a democracy. However, every democracy requires a social contract. The will of the individual is protected by rights and also restricted by laws, rules and regulations. These are often held in tension out of the dual needs for safety and freedom.

In most Professional Learning Communities there is talk of the "loose" and "tights." A good principal will respect teacher identity and allow for the freedom to teach within the confines of a few "tights" about what is best for students. It gets murky sometimes. I get that. Much of what passes for "teacher complaining" or even "school politics" is simply very different paradigms and philosophies about what students need.

However, ultimately that's where autonomy matters. The will of the organization can be imposed upon the individual through coercion. However, meaningful change occurs only when the individual is able to make a paradigm shift. It takes more time to empower teachers, but at a cultural level, that is how schools change.

A Humble Answer

I readily admit that I attacked Solution Tree without remembering that there were people behind the organization. I called them the Tree Party and Delusion Tree. Clever, perhaps. Snarky, for sure. But also arrogant. My words were so extreme that dialogue wasn't possible in the moment. I became the very thing that I was railing against.

However, teacher autonomy still matters. The anger I felt inside of me comes from the sense of being beat down, shamed and told to "shut up, because it's for the kids." Teachers are already under attack from so many different angles. If we seem skittish, it's because we've been bludgeoned in the name of "what works."

Instead of mocking teacher autonomy, a better solution might be the recognize it as a real human need, define it as "the freedom to do what's best for students," discuss the nuances and paradox of staff unity and individual autonomy and then get into why a PLC might actually allow for more teacher autonomy.

Accidentally Existential

2012-02-20T21:26:00.005-07:00

The boys are playing Super Mario:

Joel: Get out of your bubble.
Micah: I want to be in my bubble.
Joel: You don't do anything when you're in your bubble.
Micah: You're safe in the bubble.
Joel: But you never do anything. I'd rather die than do nothing.

I sit on the couch wondering what kind of men they will someday be, hoping that both is listening well to the other, begging the Universe to let the hold both in that beautiful, constant paradox of freedom and safety.

Photo Credit: Luis Eric

Ten Thoughts on Photo Prompts

2012-02-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

For the last few years, I've used photo prompts with my students. I've been updating them and adding them to a new Photo Prompts Tumblr. I readily admit that the idea of turning it into a Tumblr is based upon the brilliant writing prompts on the Writing Prompts Tumblr. Here are a few things I've learned about photo prompts:

Idea #1
Photo prompts don't have to be tied down to language arts. I have asked students to observe a picture of a natural phenomenon and ask inquiry questions. I have given students a context and asked them to develop math questions (who knew a child would wonder how much it would cost to fill up a pyramid with Jell-O?) The following was a very strange math prompt that got students thinking about days, months, years, ratios, etc.

Idea #2
Photo prompts allow for a bridge between the concrete and the abstract. If you look at the prompt to the left, the students have to study the visual in order to make sense out of the abstract.

Idea #3

The most successful prompts are thought-provoking in both the visual and the questioning. I have asked questions like, "Are companies more powerful than nations" and students offer great answers. But push a kid to look at Facebook as a nation and the concept of globalization changes:

Idea #4:

Sometimes the best photo prompts are driven by the picture. Some of my favorite ones involved simply, "Tell the story" or "create a question."

Idea #5

Let kids develop their own photo prompts. Students were really into the idea of the one-sentence story accompanied by the picture (as seen below). While it might seem like a shallow writing piece, it got them thinking about the notion of character, theme and conflict that are central to a story.

Idea #6
In an effort to make things applicable to the "real world" we fail to engage in the fantastical, the whimsical, the playful and the ridiculous. So, when we go over persuasive techniques, I don't mind asking my students to convince me to buy canned unicorn meat:

Idea #7
Be intentional. I'm beginning to see that most creativity comes from the desire of intentionality. Not every picture works. Not every question pushes students to think deeper. However, I've noticed that when I'm unintentional, I go for the same questions all the time. Thus, for functional text, I always do, "Choose an activity you love to do and describe how to do it." However, when asking them to take an opposite approach to a familiar story, students had a new audience for the functional text:

Idea #8
Photo prompts can be a chance to reinforce difficult vocabulary and grammar with ELL students. The following sentence seems pretty easy, but the sentence structure is long and the verb tense is difficult. It is not the visual that gives it away, though. That's not the idea. The point is to provide one longer, difficult sentence that students wrestle with linguistically.

Idea #9
It's a journey. Some of the prompts fail miserably. I really thought this one would work and it simply didn't pan out at all. The students wanted to talk about the real "Arab Spring" and were edgy about attacking the implied totalitarianism of their childhood heroes and heroines.

Idea #10

Ultimately, it's all about relevance. However, relevance isn't simply about going with what kids are interested in. It's not about stacking it full of pop culture. It's about choosing questions that connect to the students' lives and to their world. It's about adding context to math and pushing students philosophically and even adding a healthy dose of technology criticism. Regardless of the picture, students want to discuss, "Are we too connected?"

The Solution to Burnout Is a Better Story (Part Two)

2012-02-13T09:05:00.003-07:00

Last year, I allowed my story to slip into the Superman Narrative. My students were scoring well. The Clipboard Crew visited often. I wrote blog posts about what I was doing; beginning to believe I had more answers than questions. I tried to hide the imperfections. I yelled at kids a few times last year. I failed miserably at teaching science. I had to apologize at least once a day for something.

I took a job as a teacher-coach, believing that I had a duty to share my expertise. It was arrogant, I know. However, it was more about fear than anything else. I wasn't sure that I could repeat what happened last year. I had slipped into the wrong story.

Outward, I look "successful" in this current position. But inside, I'm dying to be teaching full-time. I left the classroom when I still loved being a teacher and now, as I teach during part of the day, I get a taste of what I missed everyday.

So, as I think about my return to the classroom full-time next year, I want to go back to the story that I had believed before:

Character: I want to be faithful, courageous and wise. But more than anything, I wanted to be someone who loves people well. If my students are engaged mentally and feel safe, I'm off to a great start.
Antagonist: The real antagonist was the system of standardization and the lie of perfectionism. Failure isn't the enemy. It's a chance to grow. Low test scores won't kill me. Really.
Plot: It doesn't have to look exciting. My actions might look impressive (a mural or a documentary) but often humble (a debate, a project, an in-depth discussion) and that’s okay. It's not about the credit, the glory or the sense of superiority I feel when I am noticed.
Setting: The real setting has to be my classroom. It isn’t about what the world sees or how I am noticed within the entire school. It's not about the Twitterverse or the Blogosphere or any other catchy name we have for the echo chamber of what's working. In my classroom, I'm broken and vulnerable . . . and yet, amazing things happen.
Conflict: The true conflict is mostly internal: Will I be faithful? Will I remain true to my convictions? Will I be bold enough to fight against the standardized system? Will I get suckered into the wrong story?
Theme: It’s about providing authentic learning for all students. It's always been about thinking better about life. Period. If I can remember that theme, I'm better off for it.

Sometimes Slowing Down Leads to Burnout (Part One)

2012-02-13T08:04:00.002-07:00

I'm not saying we have to give 110%, but . . .

I'm reading Trust Me right now and realizing, yet again, why John Updike was a brilliant author. I realize that he has grown less trendy in the last decade or so. Not postmodern enough. Too realistic. Too bold in crafting beautiful prose that is neither poetic nor particularly provocative. And yet every time I sit down with his work, I am amazed by phrases like "the chemical scent of a pool always frightened him: blue-green dragon breath."

I have a hunch that Updike will be criticized for the sheer volume of his work. People like a tidy list of seven or eight really good works and let's be honest, Updike produced a few works that will be forgotten (and rightfully so). However, the only reason that he continued to write well was the simple fact that he kept writing. He understood that the only way to refine his craft was to continue to push himself to produce more. Instead of worrying about running out of ideas, he recognized that one only grows stagnant by slowing down.

It seems counter-intuitive, but Updike's legacy suggests that burnout isn't caused by hard work as much as by a slowing down induced by fear and shame. When I look at creative types who "burned out," I don't think it was laziness or lack of interest or the sense that they had nothing left in them. Instead, it was fear. I think Salinger, after writing Catcher in the Rye, realized that it was good, perhaps too good to be repeated and so he fled to mediocrity.

That was me last year. I worked really hard, had some great results and then fled into a teacher-coach role this year out of fear that I wouldn't be able to do it again. I ran away respectfully. I refused to admit just how scared I was that I would not repeat the kind of year I had last year. I allowed shame and fear to determine my self-concept as a teacher. And the hard part, the scary part of it, was that I loved teaching. I simply couldn't allow my success to depend upon standardized test scores. IIn other years, I almost hit the burnout point because of the dissonance between what I believed about education and what the system was asking me to do.

The issue was never hard work, but rather work that I was afraid I couldn't repeat combined with work that did not fit my identity. Hard work made me tired. Fear and shame led me to flee. I'm still teaching part-time, but I'm

Teaching is exhausting. I get that. A teacher spends hours in a passionate, emotional, sensitive state and on some level, that simply isn't natural. However, I have never seen a teacher burn out from hard work. Instead, a teacher is more likely to burn out by checking out, slowing down and giving themselves the permission to be less passionate and to care less in the name of balance.

And that's me right now. I have more free time than ever before. I am not working anywhere near as hard as I did last year. I slowed down and now, as I teach only part of the day, I am dying to be back into the classroom full-time. I would rather be tired than spend my time doing something that doesn't fit who I am. I may not be able to repeat the success of last year, but I would rather fail trying than continue to slow down.

This isn't to suggest that balance is bad. Teachers need a personal life. There is nothing wrong with working fewer hours than in the past. However, when I watch teachers burn out, it is almost never because they were working too hard. In fact, the opposite is true. They often slow down as a result of burnout. Slowly, subtly, shame beats the passion out of them and they are left with a shell of a vocation. They don't burn out in explosion. They vaporize so slowly that you don't see it until it's too late.

We Need AHEM to Balance STEM

2012-02-10T06:52:00.001-07:00

I met a group of students last summer who were part of a conference. They were polite, intelligent and more than willing to engage in a discussion about their STEM project. However, every time I mentioned something outside the realm of engineering, they grew uncomfortable.

"What did you learn from this?" I asked.

"I learned some valuable skills that will help me become a better engineer."

"What are some of the dangers in approaching life as a problem to be solved rather than a mystery to be explored?" I asked.

Silence.

"What are some of the negative consequences of viewing learning as a product that is constructed?"

More silence.

They struggled to answer questions about ethics and science and technology. They struggled to make connections between concepts. They struggled when I suggested that if India was pumping out so many engineers (as they pointed out) then the demand will be too low for the supply and they might as well try out to be gas attendants. I said that last part nicely, but it rattled them a bit. I wanted them to argue with that, but they politely told me that this was simply not the case.

I am not against science, engineering and technology. However, there is a danger when it is presented as a fix-all for education. Students can slip into the notion that STEM occurs in a cultural vacuum and in the midst of the white noise, miss out on the dangers of cultural imperialism and neo-colonialism. They can slip into a consumerist belief that learning is a product. They can start to see technology as a savior for social issues without criticizing the medium itself.

If we want to have a thriving democracy where people think critically about their world, we need to balance STEM with AHEM (Art, History, English and Music). STEM might help us stay competitive in the global pissing contest, but AHEM will teach us to examine our cultural hubris and question whether the goal in life is really consuming more. STEM might teach us the art of solving problems, but AHEM will help us see nuance and paradox to problems. STEM pushes students toward innovation, but AHEM helps students avoid the obsession with novelty and embrace the vintage ideas that we so often miss.

The beauty is in the overlap. Both STEM and AHEM promise creativity, observation and self-expression. Both allow students to explore the world through a new lens. Both have the potential to bring back the concepts of enjoyment and context into a system that so often obsesses over standardized tests. Both recognize the balance of preparing kids for the future while meeting them where they are at in the moment.

* * *

Credits / Attribution

The term AHEM is stolen entirely from Michael Doyle.
The picture is taken from Stephen Davis, who reminds me often to view the world through the lens of art.

#bringbackrecess Let's Bring Back Recess

2012-02-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

My son is a perpetual powder keg of passion. You wouldn't know that at school. He's quiet, but not shy. He walks in straight lines and listens closely. He doesn't look like the type of kid who needs recess. After all, he behaves. He doesn't fidget too much.

However, the minute he gets home, he explodes in energy. He kicks the soccer ball around and jumps onto the tire swing and chases the neighborhood kids around in a game of tag. I know that his teacher incorporates movement. I realize that he gets a fair amount of exercise in PE. However, he needs uninterrupted, unfettered, un-structured time to run freely.

I noticed this last Friday when I observed several classrooms. The school has slowly reduced recess down to a ten minute period tacked onto lunch. In many cases, the most rambunctious students lose out on this time because they are hyperactive in class. Thus, as they sat in solitude taking their common assessments, legs jiggled, kids giggled and teachers grew angry. Kids looked cagey and I couldn't blame them.

I'm not sure if it's an issue of liability, the obsession with test-taking or the high-minded talk about high standards, but we're doing an injustice to kids when they don't a chance for free play and recess. I want take up this cause. I want to do something about it. Any thoughts? Anyone want to join?

10 Reasons Why Most Tests Lead to Lower Standards

2012-02-05T16:05:00.002-07:00

we're creating shallow zombies in the name of high standards

Often, the proponents of the drill-and-kill testing environment hold up the banner of "high standards" as a rationale for excessive testing. I disagree with this premise entirely. Here are ten reasons most tests lead to lower standards:

Extrinsic Motivation: Kids will work hard to learn, because they are naturally curious. When we replace this with an extrinsic motivation, it moves to economic norms, where they learn to do the least possible work for the highest results. A kid learns that it's okay to do a half-ass job if a D is still passing. Similarly, high achievers are often allowed to skate by complacently with good scores. That kind of mentality isn't present if a student is excited about learning.
Cramming: If I ask a student to learn something today and expect that student to remember tomorrow, a month from now and at the end of the year, the student will probably remember it. However, ask the same student to learn the information for the test on Thursday and it becomes easy to cram and forget.
Time Is Wasted: I visited a campus on Friday, figuring I might see some time-wasters. Maybe a crossword puzzle for good behavior or PAT time. Instead, as I walked through the halls, I saw entire grade levels of students silently taking a test on information that could have been assessed in an ongoing way throughout the week. I've written about this before. My students spend seven weeks (almost a quarter) of the year taking tests. The test is longer than the Bar Exam or the MCATs. It's insane.
Low-Level Thinking: Most tests are multiple choice. These tests, by design, do not assess what a student knows. Instead, they test what a student fails to recognize if he or she isn't guessing correctly. True assessment requires deeper critical thinking and avoids sloppy guesswork.
Slow Feedback: Students should be able to have instant feedback regarding how well they did. However, in an effort to avoid cheating, most students are not allowed to self-grade and reflect upon their learning. It can be a week or two before they get a test back. The best kind of assessment is the type that allows a student to think about his or her learning in order to adjust as a result.
Excuse for Avoiding Formative Assessment: I am shocked when a teacher says, "They did poorly on the pretest and now I'm shocked that they bombed the test." Really? How does that happen that a teacher can't figure out if a student is mastering a standard?
The Bell Curve and Other Deflators: I remember being a student and hoping that the whole class bombed the test, because low scores along around meant the teacher would curve it and I would receive a B instead of a C.
The Wrong Feedback: Tests typically focus on an overall grade rather than the mastery of a standard. Thus, there are two things vying for a student's attention: the grade and the learning. Often a student doesn't get to retake a test or find a different method to demonstrate mastery. Meanwhile, the qualitative, customized feedback is often missing from this type of assessment. And yet, it is this customized feedback that leads to higher standards of learning.
Risk Aversion: Learning involves taking risks. You can't have high standards without a certain level of risk-taking. Most tests are designed to not only discourage failure but encourage a certain fear of failure.
Complacent Teaching: If we say that a multiple-choice test is our only method of testing, we send the message that different learning styles and preferences make no difference. It becomes totally acceptable to move away from the notion of no child being left behind and instead pushing all students into the same myopic view of success. In the process, teachers have the permission to ignore the "lower level" students and focus on those who are "on the bubble." We're watering down our professional standard in the name of higher standards.

visual credit: Yep, that's my sketch. I drew it during AIMS week orientation a few years ago.

Abolishing Homework: Practical Thoughts

2012-02-05T06:50:00.002-07:00

I hate my son's homework. I hate the shallow worksheets and the confusing directions. I hate the fact that it disrupts the time that he should be spending outside playing. I hate the way he has to remember to pack it and unpack it and track it. As a teacher, I don't assign homework. I made that decision four years ago and I haven't regretted it. For those of you interested in doing away with homework, here are a few things to consider:

Research It: Check out Alfie Kohn's work on this subject. He makes a solid argument and cites specific studies. Look into the research that supports homework and see if you can find a causal relationship. It seemed to me that there was a correlation, but that the greater issue was context.
Write a Rationale: Write out a rationale regarding why you don't assign homework. One of the biggest selling points for me was the explanation that I would not waste any class time. I had seen the way teachers would waste time and say, "I'll just assign that as homework." The other big selling point was the notion of instant feedback and the potential lack of feedback at home.
Communicate with Stakeholders: Students need to know that you aren't simply a pushover because of your views on homework. Parents need to know that their children aren't lying when they say they have no homework. Administrators need to understand that you are not simply pushing for lower expectations.
Create Options: Some parents are still concerned that their students won't get additional help when they are struggling. Offering individualized or small group tutoring can solve this problem. Other parents simply wanted their students to do additional work to develop a work ethic. For these parents, I created a list of extension activities students could do at home if they were interested.
Be Flexible: There are times when I ask students to do homework. At the beginning of the year, they have to find an item for show and tell. When working on documentaries, they interview people. We've done community needs assessments and photo journals. However, these moments are rare and almost always voluntary.
Work the System: If your school really pushes homework and you disagree with it, then call your independent practice "homework" or assign it weekly and keep it super-short. Give students class time to do "homework." Make the homework a meaningful connection to the outside world.

We Are More Than Algorithms

2012-02-01T22:02:00.002-07:00

Jabiz the Teacher Troubadour sent me a link to an Of Monsters and Men song. It's a rare moment where I fall in love with the music of a band on the first listen. And, on some level, when I buy the album, I'll think of Jabiz and the long-distance friendship we share in the vapor world of online interactions.

I turn to my Pandora stations. Each one is playing everything I like, but it's stale. I'm better off hearing Damien Rice in the context of his own albums. I consider adding Of Monsters and Men to one of the stations, but the truth is that I've been gradually moving away from Pandora.

Pandora has a complicated algorithm to predict what I will think I will like. Jabiz the Teacher Troubadour has a glimpse at my soul and can say, "I think you'll like this regardless of whether you think you'll like it." It's relational. So, when Quinn the Business Bohemian says, "Check out Mumford and Sons" or Javi the Hippie says, "You'll really like this bluegrass album," I am willing to listen. The thumbs-down button isn't an option. Maybe later, but not initially.

It has me thinking about professional development. It seems like so many of the models fail precisely because they are models. Rigid structures built upon choice rather than freedom. Take a teacher to a conference where they can choose from a massive menu of options. Give them a differentiated training on Thursdays where they can choose which class will fit their needs. And yet . . . it fails, because teachers are often looking more for freedom than for choice. They are looking for autonomy. They are looking for a place to create and to share.

Teachers don't need another station so much as a venue for a jam session.

I want to connect. I want to learn through a relationship. I will learn more about science from Michael Doyle than I will from a weekend workshop. I will learn more about middle school education from the honest, poignant musings of Stephen Davis than from a conference. I will have better discussions about reading and writing with Russ Goerend or Bill Ferriter than through most workbooks. And if I want to rethink my approach to math, I'll get more from Skyping with David Wees than from listening to representatives from the textbook company.

It goes deeper than that, though. Teaching is so closely tied to identity and it's easy to slip into a dark place of self-doubt. In some of my toughest moments of teaching, it's been the e-mails and video chats with folks like Philip Cummings, Tom Panarese or Chad Sansing (or the chance to have coffee with Robert Greco) that encourage me to keep going even when I feel ground down by the system.

In professional development, schools are trying to perfect Pandora and meanwhile there is an amazing jam session going on everyday. It's not considered real, because it's messy and it's loud and it's indie. But here's the thing: it's where I'm connecting with new ideas. It's where I am affirmed. It's where I am challenged. It's where I am learning.

[Note: The people mentioned above are just a few who came to my mind. On a different day, my list would include a different group. And that's the beauty of the indie professional development. The jam session is always changing.]

Or Maybe We'll Just Jam . . .

2012-02-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Folks are back glassy-eyed, head spinning from the discussions at Educon. Some say that we should walk away from the system. Others say we should hack it. For what it's worth, I'm still trying to see my place not only in the system but in the community.

Maybe the solution isn't a newer, brighter, better system. Maybe the solution isn't even hacking the current system. Maybe it's setting the iPod down and jamming together instead. Maybe the way to move forward is for me to look back and recover the slow, vintage craft of teaching and in the process find my own voice.

PHOTO CREDIT: RACHEL VACEK ON FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

Jam Session Part 1: The Indie…

2012-01-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

by Javi Lucero

The indie jam session is a thing of beauty. It is completely insulated from inhibition. It is driven by creativity and passion in many forms, many of which make onlookers uncomfortable while captivating them at once. It is struggle among personalities and sounds that fight not to conform but to be independently dependent. Without being dependent, there would be no music. Without being independent, the sound would never be unique or meaningful.

Thus the jam session as a social and musical experiment occurs between individuals driven to be a part of something bigger than themselves that is special and unique. To the indie band, structure exists and is inevitably required but it is no way static. The conventional and most popular verse/chorus forms are known and easily duplicated but for the sake of soul, originality and innovation are avoided whenever possible. Standard instruments or tools are slightly different in that they are welcomed but not required. In this context musicians strive to master musical tools but draw upon experimentation with different sounds, devices and instruments for an ever-changing musical identity.

Having been involved in countless jam sessions, I have always been fascinated by the dynamics that existed between group members as well as the creation process itself. So many variables could potentially impact any given jam session but the goal remained the same: play music from a soulful place.

There were times where the product was meant as a presentable product, something intended to move people. Other times we only played because we wanted to experiment with sounds, hone in our chemistry or get something off of our chests. In any occasion, the indie jam session as a dynamic event, shares countless characteristics with what many consider the indie classroom.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The indie classroom is a thing of beauty. It is completely insulated from inhibition. It is driven by creativity and passion in many forms, many of which make onlookers uncomfortable while captivating them at once. It is struggle among personalities and learning styles that fight not to conform but to be independently dependent. Without being dependent, there would be no meaningful learning. Without being independent, the project or product would never be unique or meaningful.

Thus the classroom as a social and educational experiment occurs between individuals driven to be a part of something bigger than themselves that is special and unique. To the indie classroom, structure exists and is inevitably required but it is no way static. The conventional and most popular products and projects are known and easily duplicated but for the sake of soul, originality and innovation are avoided whenever possible. Standard devices and tools are slightly different in that they are welcomed but not required. In this context learners strive to master vocational tools but draw upon experimentation with different perspectives, devices and experiences for an ever-changing educational identity.

Having been involved in countless classroom projects, I have always been fascinated by the dynamics that existed between group members as well as the creation process itself. So many variables could potentially impact any given project but the goal remained the same: create from a soulful place.

There were times where the product was meant as a presentable product, something intended to move people. Other times we created because we wanted to experiment with project elements, hone in our chemistry or get something off of our chests. In any occasion, the indie project as a dynamic event, shares countless characteristics with what many consider the indie jam session.

photo credit - wowzaa on Flickr Creative Commons

The Greatest 21st Century Skill

2012-01-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

Joel approaches me timidly. It's a rare weekend where I have no other choice than to work on school-related projects. He senses my frustration, so he whispers his request, "Dad, can we pick oranges and make orange juice?"

"Maybe later. I have to get this done," I respond.

He comes back five minutes later and I tell him, "Later means really later, okay?"

Christy calls him aside and says, "I'll help you. Daddy needs to work."

Something in the gentleness of her tone and the emphasis on the word "need" that pulls me from the office. I shut the laptop and put on my tennis shoes. It takes me a few minutes to adjust to the sun on my face and the cold air on my hands. But with every orange we snatch from the tree, I am forgetting about the website I need to develop or the videos I need to edit.

Brenna joins us. She picks thirteen oranges, but each time she counts, she stops at eleven. "I have eleven," she says to anyone willing to listen - to me, to Joel, to Micah, to the dog and to Micah's Papa Bear.

It feels like magic when the twirling machine converts each orange into juice. Joel is obsessed with technique and Micah is trying to figure out the mechanics, but Brenna is simply delighted to press down on each orange and watch the juice flow from the spout.

* * *

When I think about the skills I want my students to acquire, I often say things like, "think globally and act locally" or "recover a sense of the terrestrial reality around them." Or sometimes I talk of sustainability and organic learning and growth and . . . what I really mean is I want them to learn what it means to shut off the devices, walk outside and pick oranges or plant a garden or study a sunset.

I want my students to figure out what matters in life and then have the courage, patience and endurance to live accordingly. The greatest twenty-first century skill is simply this: to learn to live well.

Mumford and Sons say it best:
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.

photo credit

Imagine if the Government Censored the Web

2012-01-18T08:02:00.003-07:00

It would be like China or Iran or . . . the average American school.

Maybe it's time we advocate for open Internet in every context.

You're a Decade Late, Time Magazine #edreform #edrethink

2012-01-17T16:23:00.001-07:00

Dear Time Magazine,

You're a decade late in your assessment of No Child Left Behind. Any decent teacher could have told you it wouldn't work. Then again, you never bothered to ask us. While I place most of the blame on the politicians, your media outlet has also been culpable in failing to report accurately on the highly publicized "miracles" that have occurred as a result of NCLB.

With regards to public education, your reporting has been irresponsible, flighty, vapid and prone toward ignoring the hard data so that you could follow the latest corporate reform. I read your glowing articles on Michelle Rhee (including the front cover image of Rhee holding the cliche reform broom) and your misguided editorials about merit pay, tougher standards, unions and failing schools.

I suspect it will take you another decade to see that the corporate reform that columnists such as Joe Klein have been pushing (and the Race to the Top initiative in particular) are just as flawed as the No Child Left Behind law.

Sincerely,
John Spencer

The Instruments Aren't The Problem

2012-01-14T09:04:00.001-07:00

"I hate that robotic hip hop music," I complain to Quinn the Business Bohemian as a car rolls in bumping a tune so bland it has to be shouted.

"Why's that?" he asks.

"It's the autotune. They sound like robots. I think it's the start of the android colonization program. They're priming us so that the next generation will revere the robot overlords."

"You really hate autotune, don't you?" he asks.

"It's not just that. I hate drum machines. It's the tiny imperfections in music that make it sound amazing. I can't stand it when it sounds artificial," I say.

"But you like The Postal Service?" he asks.

"Yeah."

"They use auto-tune on a few of their songs and you can't deny that they have drum tracks."

Quinn reminds me that the real issue isn't the instruments, but how artists choose to use them. Does it enhance or inhibit creativity? Does it admit the artificiality and in the process show us the human element? Or does it pretend to be real when it's not?

* * *

I've railed against certain instruments used in assessments, pointing out the dangers in standardization and in the multiple choice format. The truth is that in the right context and in the right way, both common assessments and multiple choice tests have a place. A fluency test is a standardized test and it's well worth using as a diagnostic tool. The problem is when we use it to judge teachers or to claim a "grade level" for reading. Multiple choice tests are bad when used objectively, but send kids out with multiple choice Needs Assessment surveys and you get a great snapshot on the overall views of the community.

Being indie isn't about creating new instruments or dogmatically opposing the sounds that are already out there. It's about pushing for environments where we can use the instruments more creatively, where we can choose songs that tell our stories and where an artist can find his or her voice without trying to sound like auto-tune.

Subversive Elevator Music

2012-01-09T04:41:00.000-07:00

Arne Duncan sets up an elevator for me. We cram as many students into our mechanical box in a systematic Race to the Top. I'm relegated to a button pusher. At one time an elevator man had a place. He was an expert trained, not just in elevators, but in the art of conversation. Not in the twenty-first century. After all, technology is the teacher. He's simply a facilitator. Let the system do its work. In the background, we might get a bland jazz tune created for the sole purpose of not offending anyone. Each person follows the elevator etiquette of respectful silence and individualism. It's tidy and efficient, a well-oiled machine, totally predictable. The real test is whether they quickly get from floor to floor.

So, I saw this video by The Frames where they sing "Star Star" on an elevator. It's the last thing I would ever call elevator music. The moment is creative, quirky and a bit out of place. Within this metal box, they are playing an acoustic set and it's beautiful. True, it's a bit contrived, but it makes me think about my place within the system.

My wife's grandpa asked me why I still stay in education. "We had silly politics back then, but when I taught, it was clear that it was my classroom. They weren't trying to make things teacher-proof. They trusted us. I don't think I'd last very long in the current system." Maybe not. He's a bit loud and provocative and he might piss off a few people, but I'm guessing he could make it just fine. Even the Clipboard Crew gets tired of the typical elevator music.

I have a hunch that he would do exactly what most subversive sages do. Outside the elevator, he would hold the instruction booklet about pushing buttons and he would talk about the best methods for elevator mechanics and he would listen quietly at the experts who have spent a lifetime on the top floor and know nothing about what it means to be grounded.

Then, when the door is shut and the elevator is working, he would move the kids from silence to dialogue and from isolation to cooperation. He would abandon the elevator etiquette. He'd sing a tune with them. Or maybe not. Maybe he would get them to take the stairs and, though it is slower, it would be healthier and more sustainable in the long run. And when the fire hits and the unpredictable occurs, his students would make it. Either way, to the executives at the top, it wouldn't look very different. The results would be similar, but the process would be entirely different.

Call it Meander to the Top. We'll find an indie route to get there.

Tools of the Trade

2012-01-05T13:24:00.002-07:00

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The talented yet road-worn indie guitarist stands diminutive in front of a wall of potential instruments. He sees a great deal of potential in many of the guitars but knows that he has to work with what he has. Resources are tight. Given his talent and passion, it seems unjust that he plays night after night for often difficult crowds without a choice guitar. He does however know that he signed up for this. He reflects and shortly after realizes that it is that tattered six-stringed companion of his that is tried and true. It is the tool by which he has been able to inventively and artistically project emotions and ideas to all willing to embrace the auditory complexities of one of his masterpieces. He turns his back and walks out of the music store.

If his talent were a guitar, it surely would have been handcrafted on the turbulent and inspiring shores of Italy by one of the ancestors of Stradivarius himself. Talent is not a guitar. It is many things though: inspiration, meaning, emotion, creativity, intensity, authenticity, complexity, etc. It transcends the very tool that is used to convey it.

The truth about teaching is that it isn’t fair. There is no level playing field. We all know that. I don’t mind though, well not anymore. I used to be so concerned with the outward appearance of my instruction that I made it a point to bring out the newest and most conspicuous tech-tools out there. I was never a “yes” man or out to please but given the deteriorating quality of instruction of this inner city school, I just wanted to cover my bases. It didn’t even matter that I previously found a tremendous amount of depth in what would have seemed mundane to others. I just had to look good… things changed though. I wanted to see students express themselves. I wanted them to realize their talents. I wanted them to become independent learners.

Much like the traveling indie band, I found myself playing dual roles. I felt myself become an artist and manager in the classroom. The artist yearned to create and show others how to create. The manager had to make things happen given the social context and minimal access to resources. I went indie. The students went indie. It didn’t matter what others thought anymore. It was about the process of expression and creation. After all, the true instructional leader would easily recognize the depth and creativity in products that the students created, not the kinds of tools being used. It wasn’t flashy, it was raw talent on its way to something greater.

I Want To Be An Indie Teacher

2012-01-02T13:21:00.003-07:00

This is the first in a month-long series that I'll be co-writing with Javi Lucero. The title of the series is "Indie Teachers."

Some indie bands are indie only because they aren't good enough to be discovered. They play the empty bar tour with the illusion that some day they'll be playing before a packed crowd. Likewise, some indie listeners prefer indie music only because it hasn't been discovered. Then the minute a band hits it big, they scream about how awful it is to watch a band sell out.

However, this isn't indie. This is novelty. I've been there as a teacher, especially in my first two years. I wanted my projects to be noticed. I wanted to be discovered. Worse still, I followed bloggers and then complained bitterly when they were recognized or offered a book contract or given the top slot at a conference.

Some indie bands are indie because they despise all things mainstream and so, out of a sense of elitism, they deliberately create a reactionary sound that will be as radio unfriendly as possible. Or they quote as many obscure poets as possible with the hopes that they will sound unabashedly intellectual and attract just the right art house crowd to their music. There's an audience for this type of band; people that think that a tune doesn't sound good unless it sounds like the polar opposite of anything remotely popular. They'll listen to the Neutral Milk Hotel, not because of the profound lyrics, but because it isn't easy on the ears.

However, this isn't indie. This is snobbery. I've been there as a teacher, each time that I mocked an idea simply because it was popular. I blasted PLC. I mocked Instruction by Design. I called Marzano a Collage Artist. And yet none of it had to do with ideas, but with my rejection of all things mainstream in education.

But there is another type of indie. It's the kind of music that doesn't make the radio, because it is too creative and quirky for an audience with a short attention span. It's the kind that doesn't shy away from sounding a bit mainstream, but is also bold enough to say something profound. This type of music has its listeners as well. They're the folks who might enjoy some pop music every once in awhile so long as it moves them and makes them think and has a deeper aesthetic quality.

I want to teach like an indie listener. I want to be open to quality ideas, regardless of how indie or mainstream they may seem. I want to hear about what works. I want to listen to ideas from public and charter and homeschool and unschool as long as it moves me and makes me think and ultimately transforms my practice.

I want to teach like an indie artist. I want to be a teacher who does something different, not for the sake of novelty, but because it is meaningful. I want depth, not for intellectual snobbery, but out of a desire to think well about life. I want to remember that it's not about being noticed, but about doing what matters.

photo credit: the photo of indie folk singer Hayden is by sarae

Changes to this Blog

2011-12-30T15:07:00.001-07:00

Many of you know my friend Javi the Hippie from conversations in my books or the times I've referenced him in this blog. He is a talented writer, a great thinker and a phenomenal teacher. His students worked with my students on service projects and murals. He will be joining me on this blog. I'll let him write his own bio, though.

The plan is to co-write a series per month while occasionally writing on other topics when we feel so inclined. I'll be writing less (probably 1-2 posts per week) and adding my posts to johntspencer.com and closing up some of the blogs that I've had for awhile (Pencil Integration, Ditch that Word and others).

I'm not abandoning edu-blogging altogether. Just pulling back a little and spending more time writing fiction. (Just finished A Wall for Zombies) Meanwhile, I hope that the 1-2 posts a week that I write here will be more intentional and thoughtful than what I've written lately.

Why Data Is Like the Bible

2011-12-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Data is like the Bible in that people can make it say pretty much whatever they want it to say. Context is critical, but people quote data to justify just about anything imaginable, often without citing the source or explaining the story behind how they data was gathered.

Much like the Bible, I am most comfortable with people who approach data with an open mind and a sense that it should inform rather than drive decisions; and I cringe at those who use it as a tool for sorting, judging and applying condemnation instead of open doors to wisdom.

I'm a fan of the Bible. I'm also a fan of data. But if you're using either of these to cram ideology down my throat, chances are I quit listening a long time ago.

Go Read a Blog

2011-12-28T20:10:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if the my Google Reader is a mistake. I see everything in the same format. I rush through posts, leaving few comments and yet getting more from all of it. I analyze the thoughts of various bloggers in light of one another, trying my best to figure out what I believe about education. And it works beautifully. The Google Reader is great for analyzing, synthesizing, summarizing and doing whatever else is necessary for consuming information.

The thing is, I'm not sure I want to be a consumer of information. I'm not sure I want my own words being consumed for that matter. I'm thinking maybe this whole blogging thing isn't about pedaling a product.

So, tonight I decided to read a few blogs. I didn't read a few blog posts. I read a few blogs. I saw their content within a context. I listened longer, within the visual aesthetic they had chosen for themselves. I read three of my favorite bloggers and began to see what I had been missing.

Voice

If Twitter is a crowded cocktail party and my Google Reader is a potluck, spending some time actually reading a few blogs felt a bit like hanging out by a campfire. Not the same, I realize. It's all ones and zeroes and whatnot. But really, it was nice to read a few blogs and really pay attention this time 'round.

I Still Suck at Spelling (And I've Made It This Far)

2011-12-27T07:13:00.005-07:00

When I was a child, I learned phonics. This would have been great if I grew up speaking Spanish. But seeing as how we live in a place that speaks English (a bastardized version of it), phonics have failed me miserably. Joel once pointed this out to me when he was upset that bomb, tomb and comb all have the same ending but sound completely different from one another.

I also grew up reading often. I read chapter books at a young age. I had high fluency and vocabulary scores. I was the poster child of the Perfect Language Geek. My list of sight word recognition surpassed my grade level.

And yet . . .

I can't spell very well. The following is a list of words I mess up all the time:

restaurant: the 'au' always screws it up for me
bureaucracy: any word that is that cumbersome in spelling isn't worth keeping around
conscience: looks nothing like it sounds
definitely: there's got to be an a in there somewhere
tomorrow: or any word that has double letters
dialogue: or is it dialog? Why don't we just have a conversation instead?

What makes matters worse is that I still screw up homonyms and homophones. It's not the frequent ones that bother me (its, it's). Here are the ones that still get me, despite the fact that I clearly know the difference:

thru, threw
principle, principal
break, brake
disc, disk
site, sight

The good news? I can write. I am confident in my ability to write. I'm currently revising a novel that I'm really proud of. True, I may screw up on spelling certain words. Yep, I might end a few sentences with prepositions. However, I've learned that the inability to master one sub-skill doesn't mean someone is doomed to failure in a particular concept, skill or subject.

In my case, it means I need to take more time to edit and I need to let other people catch mistakes (I wish I had done this with Pencil Me In and Sages and Lunatics.) I need to recognize it as a weakness and admit that I need help. I need to spend additional time reading my work aloud for verb-subject agreement. I need to take the time to double-check my homophone mistakes.

It has me thinking about teaching. How often do we teach kids to find and admit that there are things that are simply hard for them, no matter how much they practice? How often do we teach them to find people who can help support them in weaker areas so that they can thrive with the larger skill that they've mastered? How often are they learning additional skills in editing and given additional time to master those areas where they are struggling? More importantly, how many kids have been turned off of writing because of grammar gestapos and formatting fanatics who stripped away the joy of writing when they grew impatient and angry that a kid "still didn't get it" after weeks of practice?

Don't Shop Tonight or Tomorrow

2011-12-24T05:42:00.002-07:00

When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store. When I started, the store closed at noon the day before Christmas. It felt reasonable to work a half day and then have both Christmas Eve and Christmas off. The next year, we were open until four. I was able to make it to Christmas Eve family events, but it was a little more stressful. The third year, we were open until six. This time, I missed the Christmas Eve dinner. In my final year at the grocery store, we closed "early" at nine o'clock.

I missed everything, except the candlelight vigil.

I wouldn't mind the notion of a store being open if there were only a few employees and the shoppers were all agnostic or Jewish or Hindu or Muslim. However, that's not typically who shopped the night before Christmas. Typically, it was a frantic, irritated, can't-you-get-us-through-this-goddam-line-because-I-have-a-ham-to-cook shoppers. They would rush through, complain about a price check and end with a pleasant "Merry Christmas."

Sometimes shoppers would say, "Well, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Eve," and I always wanted to respond with, "Yep. Thanks to you, I won't be celebrating it this year." Or they would complain about how stressful it was and I wanted to say, "You know what's stressful? Listening to Bing Crosby belt out songs about snow while every part of me wants to share a meal with the ones I love."

Ideally, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Stores would pay overtime and get enough volunteers to fill the positions. The problem is that time and a half isn't enough to sacrifice time with one's family. Survey a store and you'll find that most employees want Christmas Eve off. There simply aren't enough Jehovah's Witnesses to cover every job.

I get it. You need a few last minute purchases for a perfect Christmas. But every time you participate in commerce on Christmas Eve, you are ruining someone else's Christmas. Look, your Jell-O salad can go without the Cool Whip. Your salad can go without the toasted almonds. You can wrap that last present in old newspaper. And I promise this: Christmas will go on without those purchases.

Ultimately, it's a free market problem that requires a free market solution. Boycott shopping on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Don't go to a movie tomorrow and rent a DVD instead. I promise that the movie you want to see in the theater will be around on the twenty-sixth. If you need escapist entertainment on Christmas, escape to a book, take a nap or better yet, learn to relate to your family. Don't go to the grocery store tonight or tomorrow. Make your last-minute purchases a few more minutes in advance. Don't go out to eat. Make a meal. That's why your living space has a kitchen. Brew your own cup of coffee.

Boycott commerce for one and a half days. Ultimately, that's the only way that workers will get a chance to experience the holiday.

10 Reasons Your Students Should Laugh

2011-12-22T07:06:00.001-07:00

Joel looks at his toast and says, "It's a good thing it has peanut butter. If it were plain toast, it might fly away."

I look at him, confused, and he laughs. "Because planes fly." Got it. I don't like puns, but I laugh anyway. We'll work on the ironic, observational humor at another time. The truth is that I'm glad my son can joke around. True, it's first grade humor built on homophones, but I'm convinced that it's a powerful skill. Moreover, I'm convinced that the best classrooms are the ones where humor is present. It can be subtle. It can look very orderly. It can be sprinkled throughout an intense debate or a deep discussion. However, it needs to be present.

The following are some of what I consider to be the educational benefits of humor:

Critical Thinking: Humor often requires analytical thinking followed by a sophisticated level of synthesis. Even something as lame as my son's pun required him to analyze the language, make sense of it and create something new: a flying piece of toast.
Social Awareness: Humor is a powerful tool in social change. It strips away the fear of those who are committing injustices. Whether it's Charlie Chaplin mocking Hitler or South Park lambasting Kim Jong Il (oh, he's dead now? I didn't even realize he was Il.) satire can be a powerful method of bringing the absurdity of an idea to life. Last year, I played clips from The Onion. Students read "A Modest Proposal." I wanted them to see how humor can be used to make sense out of the world.
Language Arts: Humor is a chance to play around with words, make sense out of tone and learn the art of timing. Humor can also be a place where students learn to tell stories, make sense out of irony and develop deep satire.
Empathy: Humor is a chance to display empathy toward others. It's a chance to read the group and venture out into new territory. But it's also a place to stumble into sarcasm and learn to avoid using laughter to isolate, mock and marginalize others.
Motivation: For all the talk of tech integration, art integration or music and movement integration, I've never seen anything about the intentional integration of humor. However, I think it's necessary. Why not use puns to teach multiple meanings of words? Why not use satire to reach higher-level thinking on social issues? Last year, students created goofy comic strips to illustrate idioms (a man goes into surgery after saying, "I gave you my heart.")
Life Skills: Whether it's in a social context or in the workforce, humor can be a powerful method of connecting with others, diffusing tension and providing leadership to a group.
Creativity: When students develop their own jokes, they learn the craft of spontaneous creativity. I'm not sure if it's something that has to be modeled and observed or something teachers should simply encourage and allow. However, I have noticed that the students with the strongest command of humor are often very creative.
Language Development: I can tell when an ELL student is truly grasping English, because he or she becomes comfortable in telling jokes. Humor combines the colloquial with the academic, infusing idioms with texture and tone.
Risk-Taking: Every joke is an act of vulnerability. There's a risk involved. I'm never sure if the group will laugh or simply roll their eyes and sigh.
Classroom Community: There is an intimacy and a happiness that occurs when a group laughs together. It's why we relate to the dysfunctional team members in The Office. They laugh together.