Transitioning Schools, Trust Considerations

Schools undergoing a transition moving from a sinking school to a moving school rely on the expertise of leadership to initiate this movement. Sinking schools are characterized by dysfunctional staff relationships and power issues (Stoll, 1999, p.525). Fundamentally underlying these dysfunctions are issues regarding trust. Schools that are faced with trust issues will most likely not participate in collaborative activities (Bryk et. al, 2003, p. 43). There has been some recent research in addressing trust issues leading to greater collaboration. Cosner of the University of Chicago highlights high school principals that were successful at building organizational capacity and provides tried and tested ways to develop trust.

Although there is no generic, one size fits all solution for addressing the issue of developing or reestablishing trust, two influential ways to move a school is to develop a focus on people and promoting positive politics. There appears to be a number of practical considerations that can be applied to solving trust problems according to Tshannen-Moran, “. . . principals support trust formation between teachers by shaping a cooperative culture, creating time and structures that support collaboration, establishing norms for interaction, intervening to help resolve conflicts or to enforce norms of behavior, and improving the conflict resolution skills of teachers.” (as cited by Cosner, 2009, p.256). Context is key, decisions about the final approach to solving the issue of trust need to be based on the specific situations that the school is faced with.

Creating a culture of trust is important to ensuring the successful transition from a sinking school to one that is moving. School leadership needs to focus on trust issues and ensure that they alleviate them. Doing so will create a culture that enhances compassion, fosters dependability, embraces frankness and subsequently leads to greater collaboration.

References

Bryk, A., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in schools: A core resource for school reform. Educational Leadership, 60(6), 40-44.

Cosner, S. (2009). Building organizational capacity through trust. Educational Administration Quarterly, 45(2), 248-291.

Stoll, L. (1999). Realising our potential: understanding and developing capacity for lasting improvement. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 10(4), 503-532

Context in Education for Change

Throughout the postings that we have so far there is a common theme of change that is emerging from reading Gladwell's work, the Tipping Point. Previously we considered the role of different change agents in education and the contents of  a change message that we are trying to bring to people. The final consideration that Gladwell addresses in his writing is that of the power of context. There are a number of different contextual ideas that Gladwell refers to: the fact that small changes in context can determine whether a change will tip, the implication that behaviour is a function of social context and the idea of social channel capacity and its relationship to the most beneficial size of groups for change.

If one of the changes that you are trying to bring about is rebuilding an organization's morale we can apply the work of James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, the Broken Window theory (as cited by Gladwell, 2002, p. 141). The lessons from New York City and the changes that occurred within the city during the early 90's and the implications for schools can not be overlooked. We have seen this theory in action popularized in the movie "Lean on Me", a true to life story loosely based on a former high school principal from New Jersey who cleans up a school in all aspects.

Essentially New York City was not a pretty place to live in during the late 1980's and early 1990's. There was rampant crime throughout the city; the streets were unsafe as illustrated by the story of Bernie Goetz. Mr. Goetz was involved in shooting four black youths who were approaching him in a provocative manor. He fled the scene of the crime and was considered to be a hero having done what so many other New Yorkers felt that they could not do, stand up to the thugs. He turned himself in and was acquitted for his crime.

Wislon and Kelling surmised that this act of violence by an individual who would not have typically acted in such a way was a result of the context that he was living in. At the time the city had the appearance of anarchy. It was extremely dirty; graffiti on the walls of the subway system, people jumping the fare turnstiles, squeegee people not being addressed, numerous broken windows, and the list goes on.

Enter the change, addressing the issues one by one, the city made a dramatic turn around.  It was the little things that needed to be addressed. Clean up the subway system car by car. Apprehend the fare jumpers. Deal with issues of public urination. These seemingly small offenses combined together created a context of fear, people did not feel safe, people who were unlikely to act out, did so. It was all a matter of the surroundings.

There is an obvious application for the Broken Window theory in schools. In the position of leadership, faced with a school where you need to make a dramatic change it will not be a one shot, big idea that is going to transition your school. It is going to be addressing smaller issues one by one, issues that are creating a negative context within the building. Here are some ideas to keep in mind: deal with graffiti promptly, keep the washrooms clean, get out of the office and be visible to everyone, connect with people to be proactive as opposed to reactive, ensure that small acts of defiance are dealt with, avoid looking the other way, see confrontation as an opportunity to gain insight to the building and the people within. It is through dealing with the context of the building and the interactions there that you can bring about change.

The other highlight regarding context was the idea that there is an ideal maximum size of a group for which you can have the most effective interaction. Consideration of the size of the school can impact the ease at which you can bring about change. Reflecting on current schools and their size, there is wide variety. Larger schools are disadvantaged with regards to their communication. A school that has two thousand students over three grades will have a lot of difficulty ensuring that students do not fall through the cracks. So what is the maximum size for an effective group?

Social channel capacity is the number of individuals that we can keep track of with regards to their relationships with us and with others within the group. So what do you think would be the largest number of people that you could keep track of in terms of the interrelationships within a group? It turns out that there is supporting evidence to the number one hundred and fifty. One hundred and fifty is the maximum group size that allows for individuals to have a genuinely social relationship. Gladwell draws our attention to a number of examples where this is illustrated, the Gore-tex company and it's philosophy of forming new plants after the number of employees reaches that magic number, the Hutterites and the idea of splitting a colony when it reaches this maximum, the size of a platoon in the army and how it does not go above one hundred and fifty.

Why stay at this magical number of one hundred and fifty. The size of the group allows for greater informal one to one contact. Through this contact you will have a greater understanding of the strengths of the individual. You will have a greater capacity to transmit information. You will be able to develop relationships quickly and effectively. You will be able to call upon the transactive memory that is shared between individuals within that staff.

When organizing schools there are implications of the social channel capacity in two areas. The first applies to the teaching staff as a whole. Not that I have seen a staff that is greater than 150, there are a lot which get very close to this number, particularly when we consider support staff in conjunction with leadership and teaching staff.  Maintaining a staff that reaches the social channel capacity would be beneficial in implementing change as the context of the school is more apparent and the relationships are better visualized between staff.

The second consideration is that of the student body. There have been attempts to address the issue of having only one hundred and fifty students within a group at school and we have seen this in the form of the pod concept. I have had personal experience in the pod model of teaching and I would say that there are many benefits in terms of communication and the development of relationships with the students, particularly when paired with the concept of looping. This is a postmodern idea, having small communities of learners sharing with each other. Learning is a shared experience and if we are not able to develop relationships learning will not be as effective. The difficultly that arises from the pod concept is the resulting schools within schools. There is a fragmentation within the school as pods are islands unto themselves, connected to the school through leadership and the whole school concept. In addressing the issue social channel capacity and students another issue arises.

How as a leadership team can you have a whole school concept, with is symbols and traditions and still maintain these small groups? This is a key question in attempting to change schools in a post modern fashion. In attempting to answer this question, leadership is directed to the extracurricular aspects of a school. Through the participation in whole school activities such as intramurals, sports teams, music programs, art and drama programs there is a unification that would hopefully create this whole school culture.

Through this exploration of the Tipping Point we can see a number of different implications for change and the change process in education. Keeping in mind the transitions that are happening with society as a whole we can not ignore the ideas that we have talked about. We have visited considerations such as; the need to understand the messengers for change, the message itself and the context in which the message is being shared. Changing schools in education is inevitable and it is important that we have a clear understanding of the process and the individuals involved as we try to change schools and education for the better.


Reference

Gladwell, M. (2002). The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.

The Message, Another Consideration for Change.

Change in education is heavily influenced by the individuals involved in the change process but there are other factors that will influence change. The message containing the change idea needs consideration. As Gladwell writes, the message that will ultimately get passed on must be one that is memorable. He refers to it as the "stickiness factor". He highlights a number of considerations regarding the stickiness factor that I will interpret through the lens of educational change. The idea needs to be one that is embedded within the narrative of the school. Leaders for change will need to provide the space for the individuals within the building to wrestle with the implications of the change and allow them the time to personalize it for themselves. The information that is packaged for change must be scrutinized thoroughly, allowing for small adjustments that ultimately will lead to the best fit for the context wherein the change must live. Change is not only a function of the messenger but is coupled to the message itself.

Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Taking the time and providing the resources to scrutinize new ideas is a key component to creating a successful message for change. The idea that you present must by all accounts be supported by research. This could be research that is from academia, or site based action style research. Through the research that is compiled, your message will need to be molded and evaluated. This evaluation should lead to small but important changes to your message. It is these subtle adjustments that will help to ensure that you have a solid message for change. Finally, running your message by other trusted individuals, ones that are from other organizations or schools, will provide you with any additional insights that will strengthen your message. The fine tuned message will be one that you can feel confident in. Change will not happen unless you have taken the time to forge a solid idea grounded in ideals that are supported by others within your field.

Gladwell describes the role of the narrative in creating a message the is sticky through a comparison of the television shows, Sesame Street and  Blue's Clues. These are two very powerful educational programs designed and heavily scrutinized for literacy learning with preschoolers. When comparing the two programs he brings to light the greatest difference between the two shows. Sesame Street, a product of the early 1960's, is based on a commercial style, fun and flashy format. Learners are exposed to 60 second segments that contain information on the fundamentals of literacy. The hour long show is disconnected in the sense that there is no story that is told throughout the program. Sesame Street was highly successful in increasing literacy but there was room for improvement. Enter Blue's Clues, a half an hour show that had two main characters, a twenty something narrator and a blue dog. There was a very literal feel to the show, based on the idea of creating a narrative for which preschoolers are given a context to learn. Through the story it was found that the program had greater success in having their message of literacy stick for their learners when compared to Sesame Street. A classic modern, post modern tension and the post modern narrative wins out.

How does this idea connect with change and the understanding of change for educational leaders? When faced with aligning a staff towards a change that is going to improve learning, the staff needs to buy in. To achieve buy in the message will need to be more than a collection of disconnected facts. Although the facts may be true they will need to be assembled into a narrative, a story that allows the individuals who hear it to become engaged, particularly one that true and set in the building where the change must happen. Listeners will be have an opportunity to see how the idea directly connects to themselves and the students with whom they work.  Asking yourself the question, "How does this fit into the narrative of our setting?" will allow for an evaluation of a change message and subsequently will make it more sticky for those that hear it.

Other lessons from these two television shows relate to something the Children's Television Workshop referred to as the James Earl Jones effect. Gladwell recounts the story of James Earl Jones, with his engaging voice, reading the alphabet and leaving a long pause between each of the letters. The writers of Sesame Street had intended on filling this space with other elements, but upon testing with groups of preschoolers there was an extra level of engagement (Gladwell, 2002, p. 124-125). The kids would shout out the letter during the pauses. Blue's Clues writers incorporated this idea of leaving pauses throughout their shows and currently you can see evidence of this in numerous children programs providing the space and time for engagement.

In addition to placing your message within a narrative, it is important to allow space and time for them to sit with the idea. Participation on the part of the individuals that are going to be the front line change agents is something that must not be underestimated. Giving time and space for the staff to respond to the message provides an even greater opportunity for alignment. There will be people that have a difficult time faced with the idea that you are presenting. This is okay, as no new information can be fully understood the first time that it is delivered.  Providing the time and space for sharing will help in transitioning your greatest opposition to the change.

Finding the best way to promote change within an educational setting involves a number of factors. In my previous post we talked about the individuals involved in the process, focusing on connectors, mavens and salesmen. This particular post highlights the need to establish a great message for change. From a post modern perspective, we can see the role that creating a narrative, and the relational trust of leader to the school staff can to a greater possibility of  change. Change is not only connected to the message and the messengers but is set in a particular context. This will be the essence of my next post.

Reference

Gladwell, M. (2002). The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.
   

Change in Education and The People Involved as Change Agents

Education is undergoing a shift. Educational thinkers are reflecting about how schools can be organized the most effectively, how can we meet the needs of students? How can we create a body of learners who will be contributing members of society? As the mission of Alberta Education states; "Every student has access to educational opportunities needed to develop competencies required to contribute to an enriched society and a sustainable economy." (Alberta Education, 2010, p.1). Educational leaders and school leaders alike are questioning the effectiveness of our education system. Where there are schools that are not working, we need to intervene. Where there are technological changes in society, we evaluate the use of it for education. Where there are philosophical changes, moving from modernity to a post-modern ethos, reflection about organization and how we teach our kids needs to take place. Global change, along with the advent of new technologies is leading to the realization that we must change. It is our challenge to identify how we can go about it in the best way.

Transforming a school from one that is a sinking school to one that is moving requires change. This change will often be led by leadership. Gladwell's work on epidemics provides some insight for leadership, particularly how they would go about it, pointing to the people involved. He provides some practical insights for change and recognizing change agents. Gladwell refers to three types of people who act as agents of change involved in the generation of an epidemic: the Connector, the Maven and the Salesman. How can we connect these individuals to education? What will they look like in schools? What role will they have in change?

Connectors are individuals who seem to have their foot in a large number of different worlds (Gladwell, 2002, p.51). They have an instinct to relate to people. They genuinely enjoy meeting and getting to know others. We are familiar with these types of individuals in our own personal lives, in our own work settings.

At a school these individuals may be a coach of a major sport, teaching within an academic class, supportive of the arts and the student events that occur throughout the year. These people will be constantly visible, in the hallways, during lunch, and early in the morning. They will seek out others to converse, be the first to say "Hello", settle into the moment and engage in a conversation with others as if they are old friends. They will always appear to have time for you. Being able to recognize who these individuals are within a staff will be important in the sharing of information, to have ideas spread throughout the staff. Getting to know who they are will allow leaders an "in" with the staff, particularly if you are a new leader. Recognizing the power of connection they provide, leadership needs to ensure that these people are kept close to the administration team. They will have the ability to move information fast and to numerous people.

Mavens are the next group of individuals within the staff that may impact change in education. Gladwell (2002) defines the term Maven as coming from the Yiddish language as "one who accumulates knowledge." (p.61). Mavens are those individuals that have a genuine desire to help others through providing information to others, giving insightful advice in an honest and non-judgemental way.  They seem to know the inside scoop and are happy to share it with you.

Within a school Mavens can be identified as those individuals that are aware of the newest trends in education, the latest and greatest way to present ideas. Not only do they know about them, they have taken the time to evaluate them as well. With open honesty they will know if the ideas are good and will share them with others when the need arises. They are trusted by their colleagues and more often then not if they suggest to do something it will be effective. In addition to knowing they are very eager to find out little tidbits from others. They not only like sharing their own information but they are rampant collectors of it. Being familiar with the educational Maven will allow school leadership to know who to induce new ideas to. They will help in genuine ways to evaluate the new ideas and thus inform you as a leader. Knowing the educational Maven will be to your advantage to help move change, as ideas emerge and this trusted individual puts a stamp on it, others will listen.

The final group of individuals that Gladwell refers to are the Salesmen. These individuals are charismatic optimists that love people. They have a contagious personality with an innate ability to draw people in. With their subtle facial expressions and their enthusiastic  nature they are able to engage in a dance with others. They often dictate a subconscious interaction of verbal rhythm leading to an overall increase in happiness, enthusiasm and relaxation with those whom which they interact (Gladwell, 2002, p.83). As a result people listen to these individuals become emotionally at ease and thus are attentive when they pitch new ideas.

As for their role in  schools, they will be the individuals that will help communicate change to the rest of the staff. Ideally you would want to have a Salesmen on your leadership team. This individual may be able to set your staff at ease increasing the likelihood that change would be effective.

Leading change within an educational setting is dynamic and not easy. The grip of modernity on the education system resists systematic change. Faced with this monolith, leadership will need to call on all it's tools to help bring it about. Recognizing the change agents within a staff will help bring about school/ system reform. Having connectors, mavens and salesmen on your team will take you one step closer to a better educational system and hopefully a system where the needs of parties involved are met.

References

Alberta Education. (2010). Guide to Education. Retrieved from http://education.alberta.ca/media/832568/guidetoed.pdf

Gladwell, M. (2002). The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.

Political Imperatives and Education

After reading the chapter on Political Imperatives, specifically the disaster that happened at Wakerton Ontario I was very intrigued by the information that Vicente presented by Jens Rasmussen. Rasmussen created a two part framework that aims to help explain both how accidents occur and how they can be prevented. (Vicente, 2004, p. 271). A couple of questions arise for me as I try and apply this to education. What would an accident in education look like and how can we use this framework to help prevent it?

To begin I thought that it would be interesting to apply his first figure, one which outlines the levels of a complex technological system involved in risk management to the political landscape of education here in Alberta.

Public Opinion-->	Minister of Education	<--Changing Political Climate and Public awareness
	Alberta Learning
	Local Board of Education	<--Changing Market conditions and financial pressures
	Principal and School leadership
	Teachers	<--Changing skills and levels of Education
	Students being taught	<--Fast pace of technological change

There are a number of interesting things that become apparent when applying his level framework to education. As a individual one of the lower rungs of this political ladder it is often very difficult to see where you fit. The first thing that appears to me is the top down nature of the political ladder of Alberta Education. The Minister of Education being influenced by the public applies policies to the ladder to help meet their expectations. There are financial pressures that the local boards feel as a result of the policies that the government chooses to apply to the public and this leads to either, an increase or decrease in funding for everything from dealing with failing or inadequate infrastructure to special programs to meet the needs of all learners. Finally it is becoming more apparent of the technological impact on the learning of students. This change is fast paced and is forcing unforeseen changes to the education system as a whole.

Although I have not included the arrows on the central column, we can talk about the information flow within this system. Student learning and their success is communicated up through this chain to the top. The information arrives on the desk of the Ministry of Education and decisions about the effectiveness can be made. The question arises as to the information that is arriving. Is it solely based on the standardized tests that are administered throughout the year? Is there any anecdotal evidence making it's way to the Minister? It appears to me that the financial pressures and the public opinion outweigh the feedback that is coming from within the system itself otherwise there is insufficient feedback that is making it's way. .

The question then arises as to what an accident might look like in education? There are the obvious accidents that may happen at a school setting that will capture headlines like Wakerton did. These would include, accidents leading to death on things such as field trips or intruders taking the lives of staff and students like in Taber, Alberta. Accident might be an understatement for these events and adjustments have been made in the form of increased paperwork for field trips, more formalized meetings to discuss possible accidents, and the implementation of lockdown procedures monitored/evaluated by local authorities.

But there hiding under the headlines is the greatest accident of education. One that will not capture the headlines like Wakerton or Taber. One where the mission of Alberta Education is not properly met; "Every student has access to educational opportunities needed to develop competencies required to contribute to an enriched society and a sustainable economy." (Alberta Education, 2010, p.1)


To this end how can we evaluate this short coming of education. "Access to opportunities" begin to become apparent when financial pressures mount and public policy dictates the ending of programs, programs designed to meet the needs of every learner. I think of individuals who are falling through the cracks of education, as teachers are overworked with increasingly larger class sizes. What is the boundary of economic failure, the boundary to unacceptable workload, the boundary of real safety for education? I would hasten to state that we are moving ever closer to these boundaries as education is placed under the press of economics and not being evaluated from a bottom up feedback approach. We must call on our politicians to reconsider their approach to modifying education using the litmus test of public opinion, as it is a fickle beast, one of which does not have the long term benefits of every learner in mind.

References

Alberta Education. (2010). Guide to Education. Retrieved from http://education.alberta.ca/media/832568/guidetoed.pdf

Vicente, Kim J. (2004). The Human Factor: Revolutionizing the Way We Live with Technology. Toronto: Vintage Canada

Epidemics in Thought- Change in Education

The Tipping Point is primarily a book about explaining how epidemics come into existence. Gladwell clearly articulates the common notion of what an epidemic is. We generally have a biological understanding of epidemics, how diseases quickly spread through a population. His book is an extension of the biological definition of epidemics to phenomenons that emerge into the public conscious , the passing of information in a word of mouth fashion that leads to a dramatic shift in the beliefs, understandings and desires of a population. He provides some examples of the epidemics that he is referring to. The reemergence of the Hush Puppies as a shoe of choice for the fashionistas, the dramatic drop in crime rates in the city of New York City during the 1990's, the popular rise of the cellular telephone, etc . . .

The beauty of his exploration is that he has a very easy and eloquent explanation for this phenomenon. He has three characteristics of epidemics that he introduces at the beginning of his book: "one of the contagiousness; two, that little causes have big effects; and three that change happens in one dramatic shift and not gradually as one would anticipate." (Gladwell, 2002, p. 9) The point of the book, as he writes in the introduction is answer two simple questions: 1. "Why is it that some ideas or behaviours or products spark an epidemic and others do not?" and 2. "What can we do to deliberately start and control positive epidemics of our own?"

After reflecting on the idea of an epidemic creating change dramatically, I am led to the tension that exists between modernity and postmodernity. There is a dramatic shift in the current philosophy of humanity which is leading to change. Let us take a moment to reflect. I question the timing of the emergence of the enlightenment project. Did it happen quickly? Was it a contagious idea that stuck in the minds of those that heard it? Who were the individuals that were hearing the thoughts of people like Descartes, Kant and Newton? At what point did this philosophy enter the consciousness of humanity to become the dominant way of thought reaching into the twentieth century? What were the little events in combination that led to it's emergence?

I am sure that there are answers to these questions out there, but I am more interested in the change that is happening today. I would like to know how the ideas of postmodernity are making their way into the consciousness of humanity. What are the gradual changes in thought today that are leading the change? At what point will the concepts of the post modern philosophy reach it's tipping point and become the new modernity, the new way of thinking that predominates the collective way of thinking or has it already?

This leads me to reflect on the change that is currently happening in education, the shifting paradigm away from the institutionalized form of education that we see today. Would we consider the changes in education an epidemic, where by the pedagogical ideas that are being presented become the new way to do things? Currently I do not feel that we have reached this point. The tension that exists in education today is the attempt to unravel the way to best meet the needs of the twenty-first century learner. There is no clear cut right way to approach this problem and maybe that in itself is the answer. The fact that there is no one size fits all solution that would be sought after by modernity. The post modern solution to our education problem may be one that is diverse and uncentered, the shift in the top down methods of education to a community of learners, a solution that is tailored to the needs of each of the learners in a particular geographical area. The solution will need to be a home grown one, where educational leaders within a particular area will need to assemble together and go through a process of discernment,  a process that is ultimately guided by the needs of the community and the individuals within that community.

One could argue that the community which the learners of the twenty first century will be that of the global community. I tend to think that the global community may be a focus, but the question that will need to be asked is that of “What can we learn here at a local level maintaining a global perspective that will lead to success in education?”

Have we tipped with regards to educational change? Currently the buildings and formal structures that educators are working within are counter to this change. There will need to be a number of small events that need to occur in order to allow for this change to emerge. It could be that the people in the echelons of education decide that cell phones will be allowed in all classrooms, along with the requirement that lessons need to incorporate a theme of empathy for our fellow man. Could we have teachers, or a school, decide that marks are no longer given out at school, that merely a checklist of skills and competencies will be the feedback for the future generations? A curricular movement to inquiry type learning, one that extends beyond renaming a textbook "Inquiry into . . .” I am uncertain as to what those small changes will be, but I can tell you that some of them have already occurred but not enough of them. We are in the midst of change for and of education as we currently understand it.

Reference

Gladwell, M. (2002). The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.

Finding Good Teachers

As I have been led astray from the book already, I thought that I might start with a disclaimer. This is in no way is a linear exploration of Mr. Gladwell's book. I do find through his writing some great tidbits that milk the brain allowing ideas to emerge.

I happened upon an article that was published in the New Yorker titled "Most Likely to Succeed". Through the article he does a comparison of the selection process for quarterbacks in the NFL and teachers. He addresses one of the big issues in education, finding good teachers.

"After years of worrying about issues like school funding levels, class size, and curriculum design, many reformers have come to the conclusion that nothing matters more than finding people with the potential to be great teachers. But there's a hitch: no one knows what a person with the potential to be a great teacher looks like." (Gladwell, 2008, p.2)

The question then arises, what makes a good teacher? Obviously for educational leaders and thinkers this has huge implications. Here are some of the highlights that he gives in the article, an article I think that new teachers and veterans should take some time to read.

Highlights of a good teacher:
1. allows for the flexible engagement of the learner in the classroom
2. personalizes the content for the learner
3. provides quality feedback that allows for deeper learning- during the presentation
4. provides timely feedback that is individualized- in the classroom
5. possess something called withitness (being able to communicate to the students that you know that something is happening without actually saying something, or being able to recognize that there is the potential of something happening.)

These are the skills that are highlighted in his article, the question arises as to what he is missing? After being in the teaching profession you would expect that I would be able to identify the skills of a good teacher. Here is my personal take on identify a good teacher, not citing any literature.

Good teachers . . .
1. form relationships with their students. It has been my experience that a good teacher needs to be able to form a strong bond with their students. Does this mean that they are friends? No, not at all. These teachers are able to identify with the student, allowing them to get to know themselves as an individual. These teachers are able to share about their lives with the students in an appropriate way at appropriate times. They recognize their role, in loco parentis. They act in the way that is best for the student in their own eyes as if the child is their own. Having recently become a parent it is even more clear at this time of how important this is.

2. are effective communicators. There are a number of different times when a teacher must communicate. During the lesson the teacher must be able to clearly give instructions, feedback and present information. When issues arise, communication needs to happen with the administration of the school as well as the parents. They should not be afraid of conflict and need to present discipline issues in the form of information-providing trying to remove the emotional self from the situation (a difficult task one that may not be entirely possible). Teachers need to ensure that they do not take an acting out student as a reflection of themselves personally. It is important to recognize that students come with a variety of experiences, most of which you as a teacher have no previous knowledge of.  Teachers need to communicate with other colleagues effectively as well. There will be times of sharing and discussion of direction, students or pedagogical ideas for the future where the individuals input must be clear and professional.

3. are flexible and deal well with change. Change is an inevitable in an educational setting. Students are new each year, or each semester. Flexibility as I see it is the ability to deal effectively with situations where those teachable moments happen in the classroom setting. The teacher may have prepared what you thought was the most engaging lesson ever, but put it into practice and it seems to flop. Can they adapt? What will the teacher do? The teacher has two obligations in this particular situation, recognize that something is not working, and then ensure that you have some sort of an alternative plan. Much of this flexibility comes from experience in the class, as the individuals toolbox has developed over a period of time. This is a characteristic that grows with time.

4. have a great understanding of the process of learning. The individual is constantly revisiting learning theory. They understand that there are a variety a ways in which information can be acquired. They design lessons that allow for multiple opportunities to be exposed to the information in a fun and engaging way, where work is equivalent to play. They assemble a variety of techniques including the use of narrative and mimesis set within student culture (Paul, 2010).  The teacher understands that lessons they create must be personalized for the learners that are currently in front of them.

5. have a great understanding of the content they deliver. Having background knowledge of the content that you are teaching allows for multiple presentations of material. The comfort to explore and use more inquiry based lessons as the teacher feels confident with the material. It is easier for providing feedback in a timely way as you are comfortable with what the students are learning. Often these individuals can anticipate the problem areas of the content and are more prepared to help individuals through those problem areas.

6. are innovators and like to learn themselves. These individuals will use an array of delivery methods that are timely and current. They spend time learning about new ways to deliver material and reflect on their practice as a whole. Is this effective? Are the students engaged?

Ultimately, the test that I would have for a teacher is, would I want my child to be in this individuals classroom? If I was in a situation where I needed to hire an individual, I would call upon references and ask them that question. Would you have this individual teach your own child? This to me is the ultimate measure of the teachers ability. Finding good teachers and recognizing them is a very difficult task. The entire field of education needs to reflect on and learn to recognize those characteristics that make a good one.


Reference

Paul, J. (December 1, 2010). Lecture for Modern and PostModern Condition. University of Calgary.

Gladwell, M. (December 15, 2008). Most Likely to Succeed- How do we hire when we can't tell who's right for the job? The Annals of Education. Articles from the New Yorker. Retrieved from: http://www.gladwell.com/2008/2008_12_15_a_teacher.html

Introduction- The Tipping Point and Change in Education

My wife and I were on a road trip, we were newly weds taking our first summer vacation together. The plans were to travel through to the west coast and hit Seattle for a couple of days, make our way back through Vancouver, visit with some friends, hit the Okanogan area, specifically Summerland and then return home to Calgary. We arrived in Seattle thinking that we were going to find some camping and decided to stay in a hotel in the downtown area. After our first day of wandering along Pikes Pier, we returned to have a rest. While watching television I came across this guy talking on the local Seattle public television station. He looked like what you would stereotypically expect as an intellectual/academic.

He was speaking to the city council of Seattle about Major Junior hockey in Canada and the role that the month that the player was born in having an impact on how successful the player was. Needless to say I was hooked. The next day I talked with my wife about it. The book that the talk was based on was called "Outliers", one of which has made him a very popular writer.

Getting back to school in the fall of last year I was in the depths of trying to survive teaching. My eleventh year, I was teaching a highly academic course of chemistry with a colleague of mine who is an engineer, not a chemical one. We were teaching a course with little support as the individuals that had taught it in the past were no longer at the school. We were two newbies, excited at the prospect of this new teaching experience yet quickly overwhelmed for another school year. Needless to say I was not able to pursue any personal reading nor explore any academic endeavors, such as taking a course for my masters in education. Of course as you would have it my wife and I were expecting a child in the month of November.

It was not until the end of June when I was able to clear this fog that had enveloped me for the previous ten months. I was looking for something to do other than supervise another exam when a colleague of mine heard that I was interested in Malcolm Gladwell's work. As fate would have it (not that fate is something a fundamental postmodern thinker would ever write in a blog), the individual I was speaking with actually just finished reading two of his books, one of which was "The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference." He gave me his copies of both books and said pass them along to someone when you are finished with them.

Having enrolled in a masters in education focusing in leadership I would have to say that the itch that made me enroll is this idea of the leader and what makes a good one. I spent my time in two schools over the past eleven years as a full time employee, and have had the opportunity to work under six different principals throughout that time. Having had the opportunity to explore leadership from the inside, working within a leadership team, I saw the impact that the leadership can have on a building. I was inspired to pursue this further and here I am.

The purpose of this blog will be to explore Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point through the lens of applications for leaders, specifically school leaders. I hope to take you on my journey as I read and reflect on it's implications for leaders. It is my desire that through these short posts I will be able to form and explore my ideas on leadership. This experience will be an organic one in nature, at this particular point I am not sure where it will lead me or you as the reader. So off, may this be a journey that is as insightful for you as it will be for me.

References

Gladwell, M. (accessed November 16, 2010). Gladwell.com. Retrieved from http://www.gladwell.com/bio.html

Cockpit Resource Managment for teachers?

In reading the chapter titled "Staying on the same page: Choreographing Team Coordination", Vicente writes of the development of Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) within the airline industry. In a nutshell, CRM is a training program that was developed in response to the problems that arose from poor communication that was happening in the cockpit. Pilots were not being trained prior to that on how to communicate and delegate roles effectively in a crisis situation. He recounts the dramatic but tragic the story of a flight crew trying to figure out if a light bulb on the control panel in the cockpit was burnt out. Meanwhile the plane is not being flown by anyone and disturbingly enough the plane crashes killing 99 passengers. The concept of CRM has been applied to other fields including; the operating room and the control room of a nuclear power plant. Although these are very different fields than education, are there not components we could include in the training programs for teachers?

From my experience, training for teachers is a lot of theory and not a lot of practice. The most important part of my teacher training was when I actually ended up in the classroom. Situational type of learning provided me the opportunity to try and put theory into practice. For the most part I did not experience any crisis nor did I encounter too much difficulty as there was always my partner teacher to count on. Can teacher training be improved? Is it possible to incorporate some of the ideas that CRM introduces for teachers? My thought is yes.

What types of situations could a teacher encounter that may require some training? Here is a list of a variety of situations that a person who was designing a teacher training program might consider:

1. dealing with a defiant student,
2. being a sub and dealing with a defiant class,
3. being a sub and teaching outside of your area of expertise,
4. being a sub and not having a lesson plan,
5. planning a lesson in a particular setting/ booking the setting and then not have the setting available,
6. an accident in the lab,
7. an accident while on a field trip,
8. an incident on a field trip that is to happen over a number of days,
9. having a lesson planned and not having access to technology that you thought you would have access to ( Internet down, projector not working) etc. . .

There are so many situations as a teacher that you face that you do not have any training for. You muddle through, do your best and hope for the best. For the most part these are not life and death situations and thus teacher training does not pay attention to these situations.

There are other aspects of CRM that could be applied to teacher training. The idea of involving the video camera, and video taping a teachers lesson should be integral to the training program as well as part of an ongoing self evaluation of teacher practice. School leaders could have colleagues, or leadership video a lesson that a teacher presents and then debrief with the teacher immediately following the lesson. The teacher could take the opportunity to reflect on the video in the presence of the colleague or leadership. Initially there may be some reservations on the part of the teacher, but given the potential that this could become a part of  regular practice then it would gain greater acceptance particularly if there is a sense of  improvement in teaching practice as a whole.

CRM was a great idea for the airline industry and has applications much further abroad. I am not sure that CRM has been applied to the field of education but the potential is there. Improving teacher practice, providing greater training and as a result improving students outcomes. Teacher training needs to be constantly evaluated. Applying CRM to the field of education and teacher training could be a really good thing.

Vicente, Kim J. (2004). The Human Factor: Revolutionizing the Way We Live with Technology. Toronto: Vintage Canada

Cell Phones and their use in Schools

Always Connected, Always Distracted

Cell phones and their use in schools is something that the entire field of education needs to consider. Recently Dalton McGuinty, priemier of Ontario was quoted at in the Globe and Mail commenting on the use of cell phones in schools:

“Asked for his comments on the Toronto District School Board's plans to rethink a policy that restricts cellphones to lockers during the school day, Mr. McGuinty observed that there is a “right way and a wrong way” to use technology in schools. “Telephones and BlackBerrys … are conduits for information today, and one of the things we want our students to be is to be well-informed.” To paraphrase the Premier: Given the ubiquity of wireless technology, we might as well figure out how to use it effectively in schools.”

Donald Norman writes on the use of cell phones and the impact that it is having on people in general. He writes of the benefits in terms of the availability of contact with friends and family over great distance.
". . . today we can be in continual contact with friends and relatives no matter where we are, no matter the time of day." (p.149) He also writes of the isolation that these devices create. "Walk down the street of any large city in any country of the world and watch the people on their cell phones: they are in their own space, physically adjacent to one location and one set of people but emotionally somewhere else." (p. 152) The contact that is created through the use of the phones and instant messaging in general appears to have a very superficial aspect to it. Norman writes: "We can hold continual, short interactions with numerous people, thus keeping friendships alive. But the more we hold short, brief, fleeting interactions and allow ourselves to interrupt ongoing conversations and interactions, the less we allow any depth of interaction, any depth of relationship." (p. 156)

Keeping in mind Norman's thoughts and the movement to use them in schools what implications does this have for education? Personally I think that cell phones are going to be allowed in the classroom in the near future. How are teachers going to deal with the influx of these phones? Are students going to be able to handle the responsibility of using the phones appropriately in the classroom? Will other issues such as FOIP become more and more apparent? What rights with the teacher and the other students in the class have as well? Schools are going to need to plan for this on slot. School leaders need to begin to prepare for this and initiate discussions with their staff about how to deal with it. School leaders are going to need to have their staff aligned, providing a unified voice about the use of cell phones.

Cell phones are going to provide a great opportunity for teachers and school leaders to talk about character development. When is it appropriate to use a phone? There are obvious times when it is not. Conversations about there use need to happen with students to help educate them about appropriate use. For instance, a teacher may converse with the student, talking about a variety of different times when it is not appropriate to use a phone. Students could be asked: Is it appropriate for you to use your phone while you are driving? Why not? (It is distracting to the driver and not safe)  Is it okay to use it when you are at the movies? Why not? (It is distracting to others) Is it okay for you to pull your phone out at a family dinner? Why not? (You are not being present with your family) Is it okay for you to use it on a first date? Why not? (You are not making a good impression with the person you are on the date with)

Cell phones have their place in society. They keep people connected with each other not unlike anything that we have seen before. The difficulty is clearly establishing what it's place is and having students learn it. Cell phones can be distracting to the user as they multitask, distracting to others as they observe their use, they remove the user from the situation in which they are physically and finally they impact they way others perceive you. Given this students will learn to recognize the times when it is appropriate to use a phone and when it is not.

Norman, D. (2004). Emotional Design: Why we Love(or Hate) Everyday Things. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Textbooks and Presentations enhanced through a hand held application for Students

User Centered design. . .

My class neighbor and I were discussing different problem groups within a school setting that we would like to design a technology to help them. I think that we have settled on the group of under achieving students whose needs are not being met in the regular classroom (this could include gifted students, students with learning difficulties or ESL students). Michele Jacobsen, our instructor, mentioned a feature on the pages of magazines which are being used to enhance the content of an article. You use a camera from a mobile device that you have and hold it over an icon and information gets displayed on the screen that is related to the material in the article.

I am just brainstorming here, but I think that you could use something similiar with a textbook. Say there is some content in a high school textbook that a student is struggling with, the student could use an application where the presence of an icon in the text or as part of a presentation allows the individual to access information that aids in there understanding of the material. The initial display could provide options for the student as to how they can be helped. For example three icons could appear: 1. "More"- enriching the content that has been presented, 2. "Help"- providing alternative explanations for the material that is presented. . . potentially touching on the different intelligences and 3. "Diagnose"- an application that would help the students recongize why that are not understanding the material being presented. Students would either be participating in a presentation during classtime or reading their text at home, they would encounter difficulties or would want to know more. Students would pull out their mobile device and hold it over an icon and boom, here is the help that they need to understand that content or provide greater insight into why they are not understanding the content. The development of an application like this would be a very large task and would require a very large design team with a large amount of funding. I do feel that an application like this will, if it has not already been done, help students and would truely be user centered.