Growth Rings: Post COVID-19 Ecosystem of Learning, the Starting Point

Growth Rings:

Post COVID-19 Ecosystem of Learning, the Starting Point

“We cannot look at the remote teaching and learning that is going on during this crisis as the model for online learning. Most of the teachers and students that were thrown into this were not prepared for, or equipped for any of this to happen, much like our medical community in handling this virus.” 

Tom Whitby, Visionary education thought leader. My Island Blog Post, April 10, 2020, https://tomwhitby.com/

COVID-19 triggered stay at home and shelter in place globally disrupted every day normal living.  In the United States, almost overnight, public schools have scrambled to transition from traditional, synchronous teaching to asynchronous online learning.   The effort and actions of teachers and parents to adapt has been both courageous and inspiring.  They are doing the best they know to do.

With no previous plan in place, teachers have demonstrated creativity, initiative, and a commitment to their students.  Right now, it is “just don’t stand there, do something” teaching; even though that something may not be right or effectively reaching all kids.  During this time of change, we must decide where we want public education to be before going too far. Today calls for an inclusive conversation of all stakeholders to envision the mission of the public schools.  

The discussion needs to reach a consensus definition of family in the Third Wave Digital Age, including society, school, and parent responsibilities. How will social and emotional needs be addressed? Reading, writing, and arithmetic are crucial, but are they enough?  How do we move from one-size-fits-all teaching to personalized, differentiated instruction based on a child’s learning style?

Foundationally, it all goes to author Tony Wagner's three basic questions: “What is it we want kids to know and be able to do?”, “How do we know they know it?”, and “What do we do if they don’t.”  I would add discerning a learner’s passions, skills, and abilities, linking this to a profession, and realizing that a passion may not always link to a profession. You may have to have a ‘day job’ that allows you to pursue your passion.

We need to redesign the system first, with clear objectives and outcomes, discern the skill sets necessary for learning, and then provide professional learning experiences to build teacher efficacy.  It is the application of Simon Sinek's thinking of starting with the ‘why’, and then following with the ‘what’, that then drives ‘how’ it is to be done.  So, the starting point is ‘why’ for schools and public education.  In business-management parlance, this is referred to as “starting with the endpoint in mind.”

The ‘Why’ of Schools?

Punya Mishra's blog post, "The Value of School" states that Schools historically have been:

• A place to keep kids safe so that adults can go about their business running the economy.
• A safe environment for emotional, civic, and social development.
• A hub for social welfare programs, often for individuals with the greatest need.
• A place to bring communities together.
• A place to address the unique and specific needs of all learners.  

Are these the ‘why’ for schools as we consider the future of learning?

• Free child-day care enabling parents to work (fueling the consumer economy).
• Emotional, civic, and social development to instill a person’s moral compass and civic responsibility.
• A hub for social welfare programs.
• Community identity.
• A place to address the unique and specific needs of all learners and to fit them into the system with a focus on human development; not on content, creativity, imagination, or learning how to think.  

If these are to remain the ‘why’ of public schools going forward, then reflection on past successes and challenges is warranted.  

School: a place to keep kids safe so that adults can go about their business running the economy.

Preschools, before and after school programs, and extracurricular activities in middle and high school have provided supervised childcare.  From early morning drop-offs at the preschool to after school athletic practices, kids spend considerably more time in the care of others than in the care or company of their own parents.  Because of COVID-19, for more than four weeks children and their parents have stayed at home and had to reconnect. With no vaccine in sight, and future stay at home orders a real possibility, working from home and ‘homeschooling’ have the potential to impact the need to provide that safe place.

School: provide a safe environment for emotional, civic, and social development.

Even before the COVID-19 shutdown, Public Education was dealing with children suffering from trauma and bullying.  Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Zones of Regulation initiatives were becoming part of the school day.  Districts were struggling to provide programs and funding to address student mental health.  School counselors were being pulled in many directions, expected to provide everything from human growth and development to building schedules to overseeing state tests to career counseling and college scholarship coordination.  School psychologists were joining school counselors to problem solve and serve children.  Educators realized that basic human needs must be met before optimum learning could happen. How this is prioritized, funded, and whose responsibility it is will need to be addressed in the post-COVID-19 new normal.

Schools: a hub for social welfare programs, often for those with the greatest need.

Schools have been the physical place and neighborhood point of service for social welfare programs prior to COVID-19.  Bringing help and support to those who need it, especially children, will continue to be a priority.  The question is, “Will this continue to be a responsibility of schools?”  Providing a physical space for programs, because of the school’s facilities and location, might be a consideration, but post COVID-19 learning may have different physical requirements.  Something to consider.

School: a place to bring communities together.

Pre COVID-19, schools were an outward sign of a community’s prosperity and commitment to their children.  Athletic complexes were bragging points, requiring funding for a maintenance operation, and upkeep. In small rural towns, the closure of the school was believed to be the death knell for the community.  In the post-COVID-19 normal, online digital learning will greatly redefine the school's place in the community.  Just as online shopping and telecommuting are reimagining commerce, virtual learning will redefine schools.  No longer will students’ Zip Codes determine who their teachers are or limit their learning.

School: a place to address the unique and specific needs of all learners. 

Ideally, this has been the desired goal of pre-COVID-19 schools.  However, in truth, schools have had varying levels of success.  The 20th-century industrial assembly-line system thinking applied to schools does not naturally accommodate individualized, personalized learning.  Only students who have been ‘identified’ through testing as being disparate from their peers are entitled to Individual Education Plans (IEP) designed especially for them.  It is important to note that the IEP purpose is to assist the student with the school system, not adjust the system to the student. 

Growth Ring: An Ecosystem of Learning

For the first 20 years into the Digital Information Age, schools (public education) resisted change, clinging to the 20^th century assemble line, standardization, time on task, linear thinking.  High stakes standardized state testing to measure academic growth, evaluate schools and teachers, along with being that safe place for kids so parents can work, address student’s emotional needs, being the hub for welfare programs, being the community symbol, and being tasked to teach all kids, overloaded the system. COVID-19 showed that teachers can be courageous and innovative, but the school system’s flaws and inability to be flexible inhibit the teachers’ opportunity to innovate.  

In the wake of COVID-19 school closures, school districts have spent cash reserves to purchase computers and secure internet access for their students, even though many teachers had no training, background for digital online teaching or understanding of what was grade/subject appropriate.  In many instances, despite the availability of a device, internet access was not possible. With the economy shut down and the government not collecting tax revenues, a cataclysmic funding crisis for schools could be on the horizon for the fall.

Again, during this time of change, it is crucial stakeholders decide what we want public education to be. There must be an inclusive conversation of all stakeholders to envision the ‘why’ for the public schools and with that, the strategic allocations of taxpayer funds to support.    

Growth Rings: Moving from an Education System to an Ecosystem of Learning

Growth Rings: Moving from an Education System to an Ecosystem of Learning.

"Whether it is acknowledged or not, public education is directly influenced by the social, economic, and political events of the times in which we live.”  

JC Bowman, Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee 

Dr. Bowman's complete remarks can be found at https://www.wgnsradio.com/editorial-our-educational-landscape-is-changing-cms-57313

The Public Education System

The COVID-19 pandemic has globally awakened mankind to realities that were once important and believed to be true in public education. Issues range from standardized state testing; a school calendar based on the agriculture growing cycle; Carnegie Units for credit based on seat time; and the application of 20^th Century Industrial Systems thinking to learn, are among the topics being discussed. COVID-19 has exposed the inability of public education to adapt and be flexible in times of change. 

Public education for the last 20+ years has resisted change in part because parents, students, educators, and policymakers had not wanted it. PreK-12 public education and legacy education institutions, colleges, and universities have downplayed and discouraged community colleges and career and technical education. The linear focus of public education was to prepare students for college and for a happy, successful and fulfilling life. 

Fearless Teachers and Administrators

It is inspiring to see the courage and innovation of teachers and administrators trying to navigate through this crisis of school closures and social distancing.  From teachers embracing Zoom for video conferencing to administrators parking WIFI enabled school busses in neighborhoods with no internet access, to teachers connecting, sharing, and collaborating via Twitter, there is an emerging energy of discovery and learning.  Teachers concerned about their students’ well-being are reframing relationships. Administrators are planning virtual graduations for the class of 2020. All are acts of love and care. 

Jumping Forward Without a Plan.

The heated debate on the use of technology, “Screen Time”, and distance learning has been replaced with districts reallocating funds to acquire laptop computers for students and teachers and then scrambling to roll out online learning. However, moving to E-learning as an option for students only works if you have internet access. Additionally, if teachers are not prepared or knowledgeable to educate students on a digital platform, these efforts are doomed to fail.

For students who do not have access during this time of school closure, districts have prepared and made available “worksheet packets”. All these actions are reactionary with no guarantee of success, assurance of deep learning, or mastery of content. Our system of education is transforming right before our eyes. 

Post COVID-19 - A (Potential) Glance into the Future

Social, economic, and political events are now aligned and accelerating change from the 20^th Century to the 21^st Century. Although we did not realize it at the time, advances in technology prior to COVID-19 created digital tools, coupled with the internet and social media, prepared mankind for the crisis.  Though we are now being told, for our safety, to “shelter in place” so as to “flatten the curve” of the spread of COVID-19, mankind may be physically isolated, but we are digitally connected.

This shut down of the economy and schools in the United States has caused families to have meals together again and reflect on what is truly important.  Financially, folks are reviewing their expenses and discerning needs from wants and how that is reflected in their spending and purchases. This, along with the growing dependence on the online marketplace, remote working, and ELearning are transforming the American culture and economy.  The COVID-19 crisis has caused the need to let go of old thinking, unlearn and learn new, to be creative, collaborative, and imaginative so as to adapt and survive.  

An Ecosystem of Learning - New Growth Rings

The COVID-19 crisis, its aftershocks and how we deal with them, will define and bring into focus the “New Normal’.   Foundational to everything will be mankind’s ability to learn, unlearn and up-learn. Now, more than ever, teachers are needed. However, not to teach content, but to teach how to think, problem-solve, be creative, collaborate, learn, and adapt. We have not reached the other side yet, and until we do, all is in flux. This is a “Printing Press Moment in History,” and the Growth Rings that will be created through the COVID-19 crisis experience is reshaping all of mankind.

"As educators, we need to get out of the education business and into the learning business. If not we will make the same mistake as the railroad industry. Early on they should have transitioned into the transportation business….instead, they stayed focused on the railroad business. As a result, they are losing money, greatly minimized and government-subsidized. Today there are more people that need to learn than children in our schools….the opportunity and need is upon us"   

John Phillipo, Founder and Executive Director, Center for Educational Leadership and Technology (CELT)

One thing is now for sure: Learning is the New Normal.

Growth Rings: The world will never be the same.

Growth Rings: The world will never be the same.

With the President’s declaration to continue social distancing through April 30, 2020, so as to slow the spread of COVID-19, the United States enters into another 30 days of pause. It is important to realize that COVID-19 has impacted not only citizens of the United States, but all of mankind.  As difficult as this may be, it is an amazing time to be alive.  

This event has brought to the forefront, mankind’s strengths, flaws, and opportunities for potential growth. History will record how well we responded to these Growth Rings.

Random Acts of Empathy and Kindness

During this crisis, each day acts of human kindness are being recorded and shared via Social Media. Just do a search on YouTube for “acts of kindness during COVID -19” and hundreds of stories pop up. From a teenager in Ohio setting up a ZOOM grocery delivery service, to a New Jersey family buying groceries for neighbors in need, to folks in Italy having nightly sing-a-longs, COVID-19 has not yet broken the human spirit. This video is a must-see:

Internet Access: Redefining Relationships

It is interesting that as we face the COVID-19 crisis, one of the strategies for slowing the spread of the disease include social distancing and staying home.  This is hard for human beings as we are social creatures and it is in our DNA to be in communion with one another. It is a blessing at this time though that we have the internet and social media.  Physically we may be isolated, but for many who have internet access, we can be digitally and virtually connected globally. 

Once the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic on March 11th, those who have internet access have been able to work from home, connect, participate in webinars and Twitter chats.  I am one of the fortunate ones. Tullahoma Utilities Authority provides fiber to the home, giving patrons excellent high-speed internet access. 

From my porch in Tennessee, I have kept in contact with family, friends and even started new relationships through Facebook, cell phone, Zoom, and Twitter Chats. Technology has allowed me to have conversations and video chats with family back in Iowa. Including my parents in Des Moines, my two-year-old grandson and his parents in Cedar Rapids, my nephew who is a teacher in Carlisle, and my brothers in Grimes and Davenport. We have all stayed connected.

Through a #Twitter chat last week I met Nearpod representative, Michelle Moore, from Tampa, Florida.  Nearpod is a fantastic online digital tool for learning. After an exchange of Twitter Direct Messages, she sent me a ZOOM invitation that resulted in a meaningful video conference.  

This opportunity to learn and to communicate was spontaneous, and my learning happened in real-time. This was amazing, and an excellent example of a 21^st century “teachable moments.”  The question is how do we provide this type of real-time, on-demand learning experience for our children?

The Mission of Schools: Childcare, Feeding, or Academics?

When schools in Tennessee and across the United States closed, the first alarm bell to ring was, “Who was going to take care of the children during the day because of parents working?” The second alarm bell was “How are the kids going to be fed?” The third alarm bell to ring was, “What about student learning?”

These alarm bells in and of themselves are telling. It acknowledges that in addition to educating our nation’s children, many schools are the 8 to 10 hours of daycare for parents because of their work schedule. It also recognized schools have the responsibility for feeding the nation’s children.  This illustrates how child-raising for many in the United States has been institutionalized. 

Teaching digitally online.

When schools closed, the assumption (and the hope) was that schools could operate virtually. After all, for years now districts have been purchasing digital devices. The reality is that teachers have been using technology to support learning in the classroom.  Even with schools that are 1:1 schools, instruction and learning were designed to happen in the classroom, facilitated by the teacher using the technology. Little, if any, professional development has been provided to teachers on how to “teach online.”  Internet access at home, off-campus device security to keep kids safe online, assessments, as well as differentiated instruction to meet the learning styles of all children, especially entitled special education students, was not part of many school district conversations, until now.  Teachers are reaching out on Social Media such as Facebook or on Twitter, sharing ideas, comforting one another, and sharing concerns for their students. Administrators are scrambling. 

Closing schools for a long period of time because of a Pandemic caught everyone off-guard. Many Districts are now flying by the “seat of their pants.”  It is interesting that traditional school conditions, specifically but not limited to state exam tests, Carnegie Seat Time for credit, grades, and the school calendar have become irrelevant. Maybe for the 21st Century, they never were?  In that, perhaps this crisis is spotlighting many good things; however, it is also spotlighting many flaws. 

Emerging Themes and Questions to be Addressed:

As we look forward, innovation, creativity, and imagination are needed.  The world is now forever changed. With every challenge, comes opportunity.  We must step away from the old, seek new ideas, new thinking and embrace 21st-century realities.

●      Relationships will remain foundational, though, with technology, they will look different. 

●      Will the current mission of PreK-12 education, childcare, feeding, and academics continue? 

●      How then does Social and Emotional learning factor into the conversation?  

●      What will school and classrooms look like? 

●      Will virtual learning for some become a preference? 

●      How does this reframe school districts, teachers, and communities?

●      Access to affordable, robust, and reliable broadband internet is a challenge. Currently, there are the “Haves and Have Nots”.

This is not the end of the world. It is the beginning of the new beginning. Have courage, be patient and together we will find the way forward.  Embrace the adventure and excitement of creating and learning.

The tree of mankind is adding yet another Growth Ring

Growth Rings: COVID-19, new directions, new beginings.

Growth Rings: COVID-19, new directions, new beginnings.

Significant change does not occur unless it is accompanied by a significant emotional experience.  It has to be emotional so as to generate enough energy to break out of old patterns and thinking, so one can then embrace new realities and conditions.  The Center for Disease Center states, “The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.”

It is interesting to see how different people and different nations are dealing with COVID-19. For many it is fear and panic, for some, it is a time to stop and reflect, and for others, they are looking for opportunities and are coming to grip with a new normal.

Fear and Panic

There seems to be quite a bit of fear gripping Americans.  From sell-outs on toilet paper and frozen foods to closing schools, bars, and restaurants and canceling Sunday church services, a new term and practice has emerged called “social distancing”.  The thinking is that by isolating oneself, the spread of COVID-19 will be slowed.  The hope is that this will provide time for a vaccine to be developed.  This sounds like a good plan, however, we have yet to find a cure for the common cold or cancer.

My wife Pam and I stopped by the local Walmart to pick up a few items and were surprised at what we found.  Paper products, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, snack food, and frozen foods, specifically frozen pizzas were completely sold out.  The meat counter was full, with fresh produce, canned foods, oatmeal, and rice still on the shelves.  I can understand the cleaning supplies, but toilet paper and frozen pizzas? What does say about our priorities and ability to cook?

Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and the network news channels are both a blessing and a curse.  Gone are the days when the news was reported as facts, not opinions, with panels of “experts” to explain to us what was going on.  In times of crisis, clear effective communication is crucial.  It does not help when officials make statements that then have to be clarified on Twitter.  This adds to the fear, confusion, and trepidation.

Time to Stop and Reflect

Since the announcement of a national emergency from the White House and the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring COVID -19 a pandemic, I have been one of those who have been taking this time to stop and reflect.  At 62 years old, looking back into history and in my life, several things come to mind.

Historically the world has faced pandemics and health concerns. AIDS, Polio, Smallpox, H1N1 influenza virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Type A influenza, the Asian Flu, and the Spanish Flu all have impacted mankind.  What is different with COVID-19?  

At no other point in history has mankind been linked and connected together to the current degree.  Technology and the Internet have transformed everyday society. With a digital device, connected to the Internet, one can now communicate, purchase goods and services from throughout the globe.  Computers, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and robotics have transformed relationships, commerce, and business.  The 21st-century reality is we have moved away from being self-reliant to being dependent on a global consumer-based economy. When all we are focused on is the “bottom line” and the best price, and not taking into account where or under what condition the product was created, have we lost part of our humanity and empathy?

Opportunities and the New Normal.

Several things are for sure. COVID-19 is indeed a Growth Ring for mankind.  It is a wake-up call to the fact that what happens in one part of the world does affect us here at home.  It highlights the global supply chain and how American companies depend on Chinese low labor costs to create products to be sold in the United States, thus making a profit for the company’s stocks which American’s have invested in for their 401K retirement plans. The bottom line is that in order for our economy to be strong, people need to be buying. It is a vicious continuous cycle. If people don’t buy, the economy comes to a halt.

COVID-19 is amplifying the transition from the 20^th century industrial age to the 21st-century digital/information age. With schools closing, the assumption is that kids can have virtual school after all many of their parents are being directed to work from home.  The reality is that most teachers and school systems do not have the capacity, resources, nor teachers with the skills to teach online.  It needs to be realized that not all students have Wi-Fi access at home as well. In addition, many states legislatively do not have in code the option for K-12 virtual learning.  The 20th-century industrial model structure of K-12 education does not fit with our current 21st-century challenge.  This is an opportunity to create something new!

The 20^th century Industrial Age, consumer economy, was grounded in buying stuff. If you couldn’t pay cash, you bought it on credit.  Manufactured goods, meant to be used, thrown away and then buy new again, coupled with advertising campaigns has created a generation of dependent consumers.  In many instances, couples with children both have to work, factoring in the probability of college loan debt, they are in a very vulnerable financial position.  In the weeks of quarantine ahead, parents will be scrambling to find childcare, and may not be able to work. No work, no income. No income no buying. We are at the beginning of a long journey.

The weeks of quarantine ahead are a good time to stop, and with your loved ones, decide what is truly important.  This is a good time to discern the difference between your needs and wants.  Is the stuff we have truly what we need or is it just something we want? 

For me, my priorities begin with my faith, my wife Pam, our family and the relationships we have with our friends.  In seeking life contentment, a wise man once told me, “True happiness is giving to life more than you take from life.”  So, the question I raise is are you a giver or a taker?

What is the most important thing in your life?  Clearly identify this and use it as the foundation to build from going forward.  Remember our children are watching us. What are we teaching them by our actions? Stay positive and keep moving forward!

Growth Rings: God Bless Teachers

Growth Rings: God Bless Teachers.

“It takes a whole village to raise a child.” African Proverb

This phrase has been repeated many times in recent history, not as a fact, but in remembering and longing for a time past. Raising children in American communities was once a shared responsibility amongst families, neighbors, schools, and churches. Unfortunately, this is not so today. 

Being a “baby boomer,” I can remember playing outside and having free run of the neighborhood “until the street lights came on.” My behavior and the behavior of my friends were closely monitored by neighbors. They watched out for us. Their direction was just as meaningful as if it had come from my parents. Adults were trusted. Churches and schools were on the same page as parents in teaching and reinforcing morals, values, and citizenship. Sadly, this is not the case today. 

Children and Families “At Risk”

There have always been “At-Risk” children in non-traditional families and historically, “The Village” used to step in to help and assist. We see this across history, from Moses being abandoned by his mother, to Jesus being born to an unwed teenager, mothers selling their children as indentured servants during the American Colonial Age, and families sending their children out of England during WWII. These historical situations exemplify how extreme situations have impacted families and the challenges of raising children. 

Fables, books, movies, and TV shows time and time again have lifted up this condition. Cinderella and Snow White had to put up with wicked stepmothers. Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz, lived with her Aunty Em and extended family. My Three Sons was the story of a father navigating life with his three boys and no mother. The Andy Griffith Show featured bachelor Andy raising his son Opie with the help of an extended family. Then there was One Day at a Time, Family Affair, The Brady Bunch, Welcome Back Kotter, Different Strokes and more recently Full House, Reba and This Is Us. All of these reflect the challenges of raising children and the impact, or lack of, “village” assistance. 

For human beings, music is an emotional release and songs like "A Boy Named Sue" "Fancy" "Time Marches On" "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" "Never Again" "Grandpa Tell Me about The Good Old Days" and "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning" reflect just how deep family feelings go. 

God Bless Teachers
Children spend more time today in preschools, schools, afterschool programs, and sports than they do with their biological parents. Working moms and dads, divorced families, children born out of wedlock, and non-committed fathers, amplify the challenges children have in growing up. Not belonging to a faith community, and in many instances grandparents raising their grandchildren, biological parents feel isolated, frustrated and guilt. Teaching acceptable social behavior has become an unfunded mandate and an inferred responsibility for teachers to teach.

Special Education programs now not only include student academic goals, but also behavior goals. It has been my experience that in some instances to help the child, you have to help the parent/caregiver as well. This all comes at a cost, both emotionally and financially for all involved. Going forward, healthy and thriving 21st-century communities must address this. Teachers are not fully trained or equipped for these overwhelming challenges. More importantly, the current educational system is not designed for the social, emotional, behavioral, mental, and basic physical needs many students bring to the doors of our school houses each and every day.

It’s a wonderful life.
I rewatched the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” the other day. The story, which I am sure most everyone has seen, centers around George Bailey and the impact he had on his community.

Towards the end of the movie on Christmas Eve, financial tragedy hits, and George panics. He comes home to find his young daughter Zuzu sick and in bed. Her teacher had given her a flower. Zuzu had come home, in a winter storm, with her coat unbuttoned so as not to damage the flower, and got sick. George, already upset, goes upstairs to check in on his daughter. He consoles her and then hears the phone ring downstairs.

He goes downstairs to find his wife, Mary, talking to Zuzu’s teacher. The teacher had called and was concerned about Zuzu and her health. George got on the phone and proceeded to yell and demean this well-meaning teacher. Mary is humiliated and pulls the phone from George. George leaves the house, in the winter storm, and driving his car runs into a tree.

He then enters a local bar for a drink. The bartender is a friend of George’s, and he consoles him. A patron at the bar overhears the bartender says George’s name and becomes very angry. As it turns out, the patron is the husband of Zuzu’s teacher! Angrily, he yells at George, proclaiming the dedication his wife has for her students and in a rage, punches him in the mouth. 

At the end of the movie, George returns home and is greeted by family and friends that help him with his financial challenges. The movie ends with George holding Zuzu in his arms. They hear a bell ringing. Zuzu says “The teacher says that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”

For me this is powerful. It was Zuzu’s teacher who was on the receiving end of George’s anger and frustration. But in spite of that, it was Zuzu’s teacher that planted a seed in her about goodness and good works. It was Zuzu’s teacher that made a difference to the little girl even while her family’s life was in chaos. Ultimately, it was the teacher’s lessons that remind us all of faith, of love, the importance of family and friends, and perhaps most of all, of Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Man.

Many children, through no fault of their own, live today in chaos. Their parents are doing the best they know how to do, but need grace and support. My prayers reach out for teachers to have grace and strength to provide the support their students and their families need during this Holiday Season. 

Thank you for your words, your deeds, your care for students and families. You make the difference!

God Bless Teachers!

Growth Rings: Human Beings: Handle With Care

Growth Rings: Humans Beings: Handle with Care
There is no doubt that we are living in a time of deep systemic change. Technology is accelerating change exponentially at a rate that current system thinking, and institutions, are struggling to keep up with.

Growth Rings: The Industrial Age and The Consumer Society
Since the 1920s, the United States has been psychologically conditioned to consume, to buy on credit and not to save. To keep manufacturing plants running and people employed, the strategy of planned obsolescence, advertising to manipulate consumer spending and making purchases on credit also accelerated. Mass media was leveraged by mass production to increase sales which in turn, create mass debt. The internet, Social Media and technology is being powerfully used today to keep this never-ending cycle running.

Hooked on Technology
“We are in the game. The object is for us to play and give our attention to the game. Once we give our attention to the game, the game makers will try to sell us something or influence us.”

                                                                                                      Joshua Abramson, Owner, Cypress Technology

Because of consumerism and marketing, we have become addicted to technology. This is becoming especially true for our children. Video games are designed to be very appealing, visually stimulating, engaging and draw the user in. So too is Virtual Reality. If not used correctly, participants get hooked, lose track of time, and are consumed by the experience.

Because of applications for your cell phone and computer, like Waze and Mapquest nobody uses a map anymore. Cell Phones have become powerful minicomputers allowing the user, if they can catch a signal and connect to the internet, to stay in constant contact and have access to the world.

Artificial Intelligence devices connected to the internet, like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, have the capacity to link and control all electronic devices in your home or car. Everyday technology is seamlessly being meshed into our lives. We are moving from relying on technology to do something with us to trusting technology to decide something for us.  This is a slippery slope.

Screen time for our children. 

Emerging research is suggesting that students’ computer use is impacting reading scores. It appears that heavy screen time is contributing to lower reading scores in 4th and 8th grade. The journal, JAMA Pediatrics recently reported that: “Excessive screen time can impinge on children’s ability to develop optimally; it is recommended that pediatricians and health care practitioners guide parents on appropriate amounts of screen exposure and discuss potential consequences of excessive screen use.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended limiting screen time based on a child’s age. AAP believes it is important for healthy child development that parents model healthy tech use and monitor their child’s tech usage.

Growth Ring: Physically and Emotionally Well-being?

Today we fixate on quick solutions with not much thought on the long-term ramifications. It seems things we want; we want right now. This aligns with materialistic beliefs if you can’t pay for it now, buy it on credit. We have sought pharmaceutical answers and solutions to our daily challenges. If something is wrong, from weight loss to tension, to depression, take a pill. 

Our physical and mental health has been neglected. Business Insiders reports that “American millennials are seeing their physical and mental health decline at a faster rate than Gen X did as they age, a Blue Cross Blue Shield report found.”  Millennials are being labeled the loneliest, most financially broke generation. The stress of change is taking its toll.

The Breakdown of Empathy

Iowa Department of Education consultant Teresa Jurgensen lifts up that Empathy is key in reducing bullying, breaking down diversity, promoting positive behavior, building trust, supporting community and most importantly creating a civilized society.  Dr. Michele Borba has outlined that “Empathy is diminishing in our students: a 40 percent drop in the last 30 years." For students as well as adults to be truly “successful,” they also need to be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and think “WE” not “ME.” The absence of empathy in today’s society is contributing to negative thinking and behaviors. 

  

Growth Rings

As we move from the Industrial Age, with its consumer and materialistic focus, into the Digital, Information age, new core beliefs and practices are emerging. It is apparent that buying stuff, especially on credit, does not translate into long term happiness. Play now and pay later is not a good equation. The stress of chasing the American Dream is affecting our physical and emotional health and our dependence on technology continues to rapidly grow.   

Authors Rick Smyre and Neil Richardson’s suggest in their book, Preparing For a World That Does Not Exist - Yet, that humanity is heading into a new era, a Second Enlightenment.

 

It is exciting to be alive at this point in history and have an opportunity to shape what the new age will be.  As we go forward it is important to remember: Humans Beings: Handle with Care.