Positive Outcomes with Innovative Practices in Education

I never have all the answers. My best thoughts come from reflection and collaboration with others. I look forward to reading other responses to this week's IMMOOC blog prompt: How might we measure the impact of innovative practices in education?

To understand "impact," we first must understand and define conceptually and operationally what innovative practices are.  This could be a dissertation topic. However, here's an attempt that is not a comprehensive explanation as much as it is a brainstorming start and compilation of resources.

Innovation is the final outcome and includes evolving and changing for the better which means environments, assessments,  and education are no longer traditional. They are transformational. The Florida TIM (Technology Integration Matrix) and the Communication By Design's version of ITM (Instructional transformation matrix) illustrates the continuum and shifts. Danielson's framework also assesses the shifts as her highest teacher rating come from the student involvement.

Innovative Practices: (Allen Distinguished Educator Source):

1. Maker Movement
2. Inquiry-Based Techniques
3. Collaborative Teacher Network
4. Flipped Instruction
5. Real-World Project-Based Learning
6. Professional Community Experts
7. Passions

Student-Centered Practices: (Hubba and Freed)

1. Students are able to apply the learning.
2. Students receive feedback (preferably from multiple parties).
3. Students become sophisticated knowers.
4. Learning is interpersonal for the students.
5. Students are actively involved in their learning.
6. Teachers also demonstrate that they are learners.
7. Teachers coach students.
8. Students understand characteristics of excellent work.
9. Students integrate both general and subject-based skills.
10. Teachers intertwine teaching and assessing.

21st-Century Skills: (P21) Skills with examples at Milan Middle School #PowerUpMMS

1. CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

• Classroom Design
• Technology Integration
• Student-Centered Approaches
• Project-Based Learning

2. CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING                              

• Inquiry-Based Projects
• Student Reflection
• PTM
• Self and Peer Assessment

3. COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION     

• PTM
• LMS
• Group Projects/Assignments
• Writing, Acting, and Public Speaking

4. FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY

• LMS
• Student Choice
• Modeling

5. INITIATIVE & SELF-DIRECTION

• LMS
• Student Choice
• 20 Time

6. SOCIAL & CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS

• Character Counts Lessons
• Groups
• Events
• Literature
• Field Trips

7. PRODUCTIVITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

• Standards-Based Grading
• NWEA
• LMS

8. LEADERSHIP & RESPONSIBILITY

• Student Council
• Events: Quiz Bowl, Spelling Bee, Poetry Slam
• Enrichments
• Charity
• PBIS

Environment and Culture: (Scott Edinger)

1. Focus on outcomes
2. Develop reciprocal trust
3. Challenge the status quo
4. Be inspiring

Measures:Characteristics of the learning environment: (Florida Matrix)

1. Active
2. Collaborative
3. Constructive
4. Authentic
5. Goal-Directed

Transformation: (Florida Matrix)

At the Transformation level:

1.  Students use technology tools flexibly to achieve specific learning outcomes.

2. Students have a conceptual understanding of the tools coupled with extensive practical knowledge about their use.

3. Students apply that understanding and knowledge, and students may extend the use of technology tools.

4. They are encouraged to use technology tools in unconventional ways and are self-directed in combining the use of various tools.

5. The teacher serves as a guide, mentor, and model in the use of technology.

6. Technology tools are often used to facilitate higher order learning activities that would not otherwise have been possible or would have been difficult to accomplish without the use of technology.

This framework is entirely based on the work of others and is just one of the many ways to look at understanding and trying to measure innovation.

8 Positive Approaches for Both Child and Adult Learners

Learner-centered approaches are important to making learning meaningful, engaging, and personal.

Whether a teacher, leader, or student, learning needs to involve several approaches. For me professionally, the learning that I have been involved in has been more valuable when these 8 approaches are used.

With Twitter, MEMSPA (Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association), my professional association, and now the #IMMOC, I have been exposed to several of approaches Couros recommends.

Voice: EdCamps, Twitter Chats, and interactive sessions have given me the opportunity to use and have voice. I can learn from others and share that learning. While this is a responsibility of the participant and I am more willing than many to share, a good facilitator will give all participants a chance to express, connect, and voice his/her learning.

Choice-Based PD and Learning: Having choice both personalizes and gives participants the chance to develop skills that are needed. I can search these out on Twitter and join chats to help me develop my areas of weakness. I also attend sessions at conferences that will fit my needs.

Reflection: Not only personal reflection is important, but reflective dialogue with others will have more of an impact on creating the change we seek. The  #IMMOOC has been some of the best PD to allow this. Reading other blogs and comments on my own is a constant cycle of reflecting, learning, connecting, and analysis. Twitter chats and many sessions that I have been to have now built this in. I love when there's an accountability piece (to myself and others).

Innovation: I tend to pick sessions that will enhance my knowledge and push innovation. #IMMOOC has been both a challenge and fun. Blogging out of my normal scope, sharing and reflecting out to a community, and most importantly being exposed to so much innovation and creativity of the #IMMOOC and #InnovatorsMindset community. MEMSPA has also worked to create learning beyond the traditional approaches. I love Thursday night #MEMSPAchats!

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving:This is one where my graduate classes at #EMU have been top notch. Inquiry-based and problem-based projects that extend over a course of learning with personal connections can be very rewarding. This is more difficult in shorter stints, but it can be done. I would like to see more challenges given to us adult learners that would force us to both collaborate and combine resources.#IMMOOC has done this by asking up to do both new types of reflections and getting involved in other participants learning.

Self-Assessment: This is lacking too unless we force ourselves to do it and do it often. I was fortunate that this was a part of my coursework and continues to be embedded in my professional evaluation. I used self-reflection and also reflect on 360 data which includes perception data of all stakeholders.

Connected Learning: MEMSPA, Twitter, #IMMOOC have all been connected learning. I am learning beyond my building, my district, and my state. I have been in touch with experts like +George Couros, @bengilpin,  @MrDomagalski, @Toddwhitaker, and many, many others.  We need to do the same for our students.

Bottom Line: You get out of learning what you put into it. Helping our students have more intrinsic desire to get more will be boosted when we use more learner-centered approaches like the "8 Look Fors" by Couros.

Learning 2.0: Establishing Positive Leaning Environments

Chapter 6 in The Innovators Mindset does use "traditional school"
(Couros, 2015, pg. 101)

While I would suggest this graphic read "Traditional School" and "Effective Learning," it is right on par with the shift we are making in both teaching and learning at Milan Middle School. Teaching and learning are on an instructional practices continuum that ranges from teacher-centered to student-centered. I would say that "school" has variations on that continuum and is not just one or the other. With the shifts in Common Core, 21st Century Skills, and Project/Inquiry-Based Learning, the first column in this  graphic doesn't give all of these shifts and the work educators are putting into their practice enough credit. 

We need to shift our practices to engage our youth. Some of the best ways to do that are through student-centered approaches that allow students to drive their learning, demonstrate their understanding, and help them prove mastery of content in meaningful ways to the the student. This type of instruction is active for the students; it has a feedback loop; and it involves collaborating with peers and the teacher (as facilitator). 

Student-Centered Instructional Practice: “beliefs, actions, processes, philosophies, ways of doing things, and ways of making sense of the purpose of education based on the belief that the outcome defining successful teaching is what the student learned. Subsets within the learner-centered instructional paradigm include such practices as collaborative learning and active learning” (King, 2000, p. 8).  

The "Learning" column in the first graphic is describing that student-centered instructional approach. Through my dissertation, many of Hubba and Freed's (2000) descriptors were supported as having an impact on changing teacher practice to be more student-centered. These included student feedback, treating students as sophisticated knowers, making learning intrapersonal and active, using the teacher as a coach or facilitator of learning, helping student understand what quality work is, making sure students understand application of that work, incorporating teaching and assessing, and using both general and subject-based skills. 

Created by Jaclyn Stevens

At MMS, teachers use "I can" statements, but many also make the objective the essential question. Even students create questions to answer. Students are not limited by exemplars; they can advocate ways to demonstrate their mastery of content. Using student interest is key to connecting learning. Many teachers use learning management systems, such as Schoology or Google Classroom and some are now even blending the learning, so learning can happen anywhere, any time, and at any pace. The learning is collaborative. The teachers take risks and demonstrate to students that they are learners too. We are using the SAMR model to help us and our students dig deeper into their understanding.  These are just a few shifts that we are making at MMS to establish a positive learning environment. A major building goal this year is to transform our practices. I am fortunate enough to have a great, risk-taking, innovative staff who truly wants what's best for our kids. #PowerUpMMS

Embracing Change with Positivity

"Change is an opportunity to do something amazing" (#InnovatorsMindset @gcouros). 

I used to teach the book Who Moved My Cheese? to my seniors. The book spoke to me since I was a newer teacher and had visions of doing things differently. While some of the staff were excited and the principal supported my vision, others hemmed and hawed like the mouse characters in the book. 

Now as an instructional leader, I want to embrace and support change, especially change that is going to foster the skills our students need for their futures. I try to #LeadPositive by also modeling this type of change for my staff. I read Innovators Mindset over the summer and was both hooked and inspired. 

My opening building PD used modules from ASCD's Teaching Innovation and Creativity series. I even had staff use Schoology to have their discussions that day and will continue this practice throughout our journey this year. What sparked the most passion was the relevant and fun team building activity that we opened our day with: Chopped for Educators.

#PowerUpMMS Team Building "Chopped for Educators"

Our building has a former home economics room that we know use for our life skills class, but it served as the perfect place to have our opening team building activity.

Challenge  Rubric

The teams had a mystery box challenge (see link above) and the winning team won a great goodie bag of school supplies for each team member. The staff loved the hats and aprons, and only had 30 minutes to complete their task. The assistant superintendent, secretary, and custodian judged the dishes created.

After the competition, we talked about all of the 21st Century (#Milan21, our Modern Teacher branding) skills this competition needed: Creativity & Innovation, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Communication & Collaboration, Flexibility & Adaptability, Initiative & Self Direction, Social & Cross Cultural Skills, Productivity & Accountability, and Leadership & Responsibility. In addition, we discussed how just this one exercise not only hits all of these skills, but all content areas could think of standards their students could learn and demonstrate with minor tweaks. 

I took a risk using up some of my building PD this way, but it paid off. I was positive and enthusiastic about the day and activities. The teachers had fun; team building happened; it was relevant; and it modeled what I have been preaching:

• Risk Taking is key for staff and students.
• Some of the best ideas are out of the box.
• Learning can happen in many ways.
• Failing is necessary for growth.
• Learning should be interactive and fun.
• Transforming practices are key to being more student-centered. 

I am totally behind the change that needs to take place for our students. We have to support and guide our teachers on all levels of readiness. The #IMMOOC network is going to help and support me to better do just that! How about you?

Next Gen Teaching: A Quick Guide to the New School Year

Both the classroom and the instruction need to change to better engage and challenge our youth.

1) Take Risks: Model and demonstrate learning from failure, taking risks, and discovering the end verses starting with the end in mind. Check out Diana Laufenberg's "How to Learn? From Mistakes" Ted Talk where she explores experiential learning, student voice, and embracing failure. Read Dweck's Mindset book to understand a shift in mindset. We must be open to extending the learning beyond the classroom walls. We must teach our students to embrace challenges and to learn from failure. Start by modeling it.

2) Facilitate: Be more than the sage on the stage. Become a director of learning. Shift your practices to student-centered approaches. Check out this chart comparing teacher versus learner-centered practices. Largely based on Huba and Freed (2000), the following descriptors factored into the student-centered instructional practices variable in my dissertation study (Spickard, 2015):

• Students are able to apply the learning.
• Students receive feedback (preferably from multiple parties).
• Students become sophisticated knowers.
• Learning is interpersonal for the students. 
• Students are actively involved in their learning.
• Teachers also demonstrate that they are learners.
• Teachers coach students.
• Students understand characteristics of excellent work.
• Students integrate both general and subject-based skills.
• Teachers intertwine teaching and assessing. 

3) Create a Collaboratory: Shifting your classroom design is key to fostering the 4Cs: Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking. Check out this slide share for some ideas. A coffee shop/living room feel is a better alternative to the traditional rows. Traditional spaces will only lend itself to traditional practices. Here are some creative DYI projects for redesigning on a budget.

4) Ignite Passion: Students can only be as passionate and excited about teaching and learning as their teacher. Check out Christopher Emdin's Ted Talk on "Teach Teachers How to Create Magic." Student choice will help bring out the passion and "spark magic."

It's time. Now is the future. There is no more waiting. We need to take risks, facilitate learning, build a collaborative environment, and create passion.

New Beginnings: Capitalizing on a Fresh Start

Here we all are starting a new school year. For most, this is an anxious time even for educators. We need to work together to help make this anxious time an exciting and rewarding time for students.

1) The key is to build positive relationships. Greet students. Get to know their interests and who they are.

2) Create a warm and safe environment. Spend a couple of weeks building a safe social domain which encourages students to take risks.

3) Establish routines. Spend some time not only explaining routines and expectations but also teaching and modeling what they look like.

4) Each day is a fresh start. If students do act up/out, focus on the cause of the behavior and not the behavior. Help students reset and learn from mistakes.

5) Teach that failure is on the journey to success. Help students learn that failure is OK.

6) Praise the process and work ethic; not if the answer is right or wrong.

7) Model meta cognition and how you work through both decision making and problem solving.

8) Develop students' 21st Century Skills: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.

Lastly but most importantly, two of the most influential things we can do as educators:

9) Make each and every child feel special.

10) Smile and be contagious with positivity.

Have a great year and #LeadPositive!

Positive Takeaways Today: People Are Not Bad

Today at #NAESP15 I have connected with many great educators and had the pleasure to hear some great speakers including @ErikWahl, @ToddWhitaker, and @AnnnetteBreaux. The thing that resonates the most with me today is to continue to use my passion for education, students, and teachers and try my best to make this world a better place. We have so much power as educators to model, practice, and encourage kindness, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. Helping students learn to be innovative and establish a good digital footprint is so critical in this world of ever-advancing technology.

Today the words of Erik Wahl speak to me: social media is not bad; it can be used for good or bad. TV is not bad; it can be used for good or bad. Credit cards are not bad; they can be used for good or bad. I add to that: people are not bad; they can do good or bad.

I continue my efforts and mission in life to use these devices, vehicles, and people for the better--for the good--for the greatness that they all can be.  Our students have so much potential, and it is the job of the home and school to develop that. I feel it is my duty to continue to find the good in all. Students would hear from me and will continue to hear from me if they make a bad choice, "You are not a bad person; you made a mistake. I make mistakes. We all make bad choices from time to time, and it's if we choose to learn from that mistake what matters the most."

People are not bad. All of us have the potential to bring greatness in the world. It's our choice to choose good or bad, positive or negative. Sometimes this is a difficult choice, but for me, it's the only choice. Thinking outside of the box, loving people for who they are, helping myself and others to become better people are all objectives in choosing to do and be good. This is no easy task in this world.

Today the quote, "We cannot help a kid by being negative in his life" by Annette Breaux confirms my mission and passion. We cannot help the profession by being negative or submitting to negativity. While it may be difficult to ignore it, it's all a part of the profession.  It's not always easy being positive, but it's our job--it's what education needs. Negativity lives in the world and in some people's minds and hearts. Positivity is the light to this darkness. I am proud to use this light to guide myself, my building, my district, and my state on a professional level and myself, friends, and my children on a personal level. Everyone can choose to do this. Help me share the light.  Be and spread positivity. May the force of the light be with you!

With Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux who spread their light on me today!

Positive Outcomes of the 2014-15 School Year

After a great deal of reflection, analysis, and assessment of this past school year, I am quite pleased at all of the gains our staff and students have made. It has not been easy. We have had our fair share of challenges especially those placed on us by legislative mandates, but we have worked together as a team to overcome those challenges and show outstanding growth in so many areas.

Teachers have been working for four years on aligning curriculum to career and college readiness standards, and for the last two years, they have been putting this curriculum in maps to pace the content, develop activities and assessments to secure the needed skills, differentiate to the needs of all students, and incorporate 21st Century Skills: collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. All of our teachers made gains on transforming their instruction. 

The outcome of all this work is our students excelling in their NWEA map testing. Our student averages are above grade level and the majority of our students are proficient across all subjects.

On top of assessment data, we have 19 students who maintained high honors all 4 years of middle school. This speaks to the work-ethic and determination of these students. 

All staff have worked to understand and participate in our new safety protocols, including A.L.I.C.E drills, the required state safety drills, first response drills, and health-related awareness training. 

Families have worked hard to keep their students in attendance during the school year, and our daily average attendance has increased in all grades to an outstanding 98% in 5th grade; 96% in grades 6 and 7; and 95% in 8th grade with a building average of 96%. We even had four 8th grade students receive four years of exceptional attendance awards. Attendance does matter and is directly related to student achievement, and our families and students are working hard to establish this strong foundation. 

We continued our efforts with Olweus bully prevention by having weekly classroom meetings. Our students reported a decrease by 50% in being afraid of bullying at school, and our 2nd year data reports that now 7% of students fear of being bullied at school. We had six confirmed cases of bullying and consequences included parent contact, reflection forms, detentions, and two cases of suspension. In addition to our classroom meetings, the staff and students worked on service projects to help teach empathy to students. The middle school developed strong connections and supported our Manchester community, other local communities, and even venues across the world. 

Along with student council, Manchester Voices, FUPT60, and Buildings Club we continued to work with the community to build student leaders. This year we had students win state, national, and international awards and recognition. We are so proud of our students.

The 2014-15 school year has been a success. We have enjoyed our students, pushing them to be their best, and hope they have made you as proud as they have us. I appreciate the staff--all of the staff involved in supporting our students and helping them be successful this year. From the very first smile on the bus by the driver, to the support staff and teachers bonding on a daily basis, to the help with lockers from the custodian, and serving the lunches with a smile and the comment "enjoy," the MMS staff care,  and I am sure they are as proud as I am in all the accomplishments they have had this year. Have a great summer! 

21st Century Skills: Positive Direction for Students

MCS teachers are on year 3 with student 1:1 iPads and are becoming strong experts in teaching and developing the 21st Century skills. Traditional teaching is not preparing our students for their best options in this journey of life. With students walking around with computers in their hands, having access to just about any and all information, memorization of facts is an-outdated, unneeded practice. Knowing what to do with information, how to communicate it, how to work with others and problem-solve, and doing it all with creativity is what students need the most.

Road blocks, however, exist. People become confused or worried when change occurs especially when it is not the way it has always been done or is not an experience that matches their own. Teachers are trying to make shifts in practice that is based on better practice, but it someones is not always greeted with acceptance. I have witnessed this with both CCSS and standards-based grading.

The CCSS is about a shift in practice; it is about a common set of standards for students. I am not so sure why so much political controversy should exist over having set knowledge expectations for our students to learn. That could be an entirely different blog post. However, the notion behind the instructional practice of the standards is to encourage students to think for themselves and dig to a deeper understanding of information and analysis.

Standards-based grading is measuring student proficiency on a set of objectives. This method is extremely informative, individualized, and fits the shifts needed to teach 21st Century skills, but it too is not widely accepted because parents pressure educators to give letter grades--they way our learning was measured and the way we were compared.

Traditional practices are no longer preparing our children. What was good enough for us, is no longer good enough for our children. We need to evolve.

My favorite understanding of the student-centered verses teacher-centered approach stems from the paradigm descriptors by Huba and Freed (2000). While their research was based at the post-secondary level, these descriptors and student-centered practice is becoming widely used in both elementary and secondary classrooms. These practices fit the instructional shifts of the CCSS and the individualized and personalized instruction that more teachers are delivering to their students. In my dissertation, student-centered instructional practice (SCIP) is defined using Huba and Freed (2000) descriptors which were factored together in a quantitative study. SCIP involves 1)  giving students continuous feedback; 2) training and treating students as sophisticated learners; 3) making learning interpersonal; 4) using teacher-to-student and student-to-student coaching; 5) having students understand, produce, and identify quality work; 6) having students being able to apply what they have learned; 7) continuously include teaching and assessing; and 8) applying both general and subject skills. SCIP differs greater from the traditional approach of where the teacher is the giver of the information and the students passively obtain it.

Stakeholders, however, sometimes see SCIP, where the teacher is the facilitator of information, as the teacher being "lazy" or not doing his or her job. As one can see from the descriptors, this instructional practice is quite intensive to plan, implement, and assess. It is this method which fosters the 4Cs.

Here you can find the National Education Association's (NEA) Guide to the 4Cs which highlights the importance of teaching them, resources, and definitions.

Our educators are working harder than they have ever done before. They are preparing our children for jobs that we have no idea of their existence yet. Our educators are making learning more engaging, interactive, personalized, self-driven WHILE being evaluated, judged, dragged through social media for taking risks to prepare our children for the new world ahead of them, ahead of all of us.

21st Century skills are the new foundation--the new 3Rs--to make our students successful. Teaching, fostering, and facilitating communication skills, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are all a solid foundation for this journey, and MCS educators and students are paving the way. This is a positive direction for our students. Be a part of the journey.