My last post, sixteen months ago, focused on fear, the fear around me, and yes, the fear inside me. Twenty-four-seven updates from Social Media and cable news on the pandemic, political discourse, severe weather events, and violence was overwhelming. For me, I had to pause, reflect, and gain perspective.  Taking time to mentally separate from the discourse, breath, and regain my balance again, has provided an opportunity to refocus and get a glimpse of the challenges and opportunities that are ahead. This fills me with hope as new Growth Rings are added to our tree of life. 

New Realities, and New Normal

Spring 2022

Twenty-two years into the 21st century, mankind is experiencing a deep dynamic time of transition and change.  20th century system thinking, beliefs, traditions, and institutions are being challenged.

 

Some would say that change has been gradual and taken too much time to arrive. Others, who are clinging to the what was, are anxious, fearful, and resistant to embracing new.  The reality of the COVID pandemic, global warming, emergence of technology, and armed conflict is stressing relationships, governments, alliances, and legacy institutions at both the micro and macro level.  It seems mankind is reflecting on the worth, validity and relevance of what was, and is conflicted with what is still valuable. There is a push and pull of letting go of what was, accepting what is, and how to go forward. All this is happening simultaneously at an accelerating speed. New realities, and new normals are emerging.

 

Our “printing press moment in the history of mankind”

The 21st century digital – information age is part of the next “Growth Ring” in the evolution of mankind. From written language first chiseled in stone, then on parchment paper, to the movable type of the printing press, to radio, television, and now digital devices connect to the internet, the ability today to exchange and share thinking globally, in real time, has the potential to bring mankind together in never imagined connections. An internet connected, digital device provides access to unlimited knowledge and moves individuals from their limited physical location, to a new global community. This is our printing press moment in the history of mankind.  

 

New Mental Models

Are our lives better?

From the wheel, lever, fire and domesticating animals to computers, 3D modeling, and artificial intelligence, labor-saving innovations have empowered and reshaped the quality of life and reframed each generation’s societal mental models.  The emergence and adoption of these labor-saving tools redefined mankind’s sole purpose from physical survival, to having “free time”.  Paradoxically, many in the United States struggle with how to use this “free time”. Filling up the “free time” with “past time” activities has taken on new meaning.

 

With each generation, the mental models of work, family, relationships, and community evolved. In the United States, the primary transmission to youth of these mental models was once done via the family.  With both parents working, and single parent families, by default, schools and institutional childcare have assumed this responsibility.  Gaps between parents’ desires for their children, and assumptions by educators, is causing friction and heated discourse. The once rock-solid trust between home and school, now has cracks.

 

The Next Chapter for Mankind: What are we to become?   

It seems mankind is conflicted between curiosity and wonder; order, and predictability; those who question, explore new, and seek understandings, with those who are comfortable with following rules, conforming and are risk avoidance.

New ideas and thoughts that challenge established traditions, norms, and stereotypes, for some, trigger excitement and positive energy, for others, fear, and loss. Those who resist change, cling to the status quo, and stop growing, die. Those who can see new emerging norms, adapt, and embrace them; evolve, and lead others forward.

 

“Again and again in history some special people wake up. They have no ground in the crowd and move to broader, deeper laws. They carry strange customs with them and demand room for bold and audacious actions The future speaks ruthlessly through them. They change the world.” Author: Rainer Maria Rilke

Preparing and empowering mankind’s next pathfinders to be imaginative, collaborative, creative, and innovative; to be able access, discern and apply knowledge across disciplines for solutions to real world predictable and unpredictable situations, cannot be left to chance. It requires rethinking current public school learning practices and redesigning them around emerging system thinking and societal needs.

 

No one person or institution has the answers. Globally connecting and sharing through “grassroots” conversations on the “what’s next” has the potential to stimulant forward momentum for change. These conversations need to be ongoing and seek to be inclusive of all perspectives. The desired outcome to move from talking and speculation, to action and doing. The goal to create and facilitate a synchronicity of thought and action for the transformation of teaching and learning. Specifically, but not limited to:

• Overarchingly, to discover, design and align processes, protocols and structures that empower students with the ability to learn, unlearn and uplearn, as context and situations evolve.
• To decern the forces impacting public schools and define the purpose of learning in the 21st century.
• To identify what mankind needs kids to know and be able to do, how do we know they know it, and what do if they don’t.
• To decern how to individualize, differentiate, and personalize learning that aligns learner’s passions and abilities to professions and life purpose.

Creating a voice, gathering the tribe.

I was asked recently what I planned to do with the next third of my life. That is a very good question. For over 40 years, my professional life was that of education, teaching and learning in the public schools. Now retired, and outside the “forrest” of education, I can now see the “trees”.

My calling now is to share, connect, and collaborate with others to collectively explore, define and discover what learning needs to become and what structures are needed to support it. 

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, to contribute to the next Growth Ring in the tree of life.   All are invited to participate and share your comments, perspectives, expereinces and observations. They will be appreciated and valued. I am excited with the amazing journey ahead.

 

Growth Rings: How could post COVID-19 schools be revisioned?

On August 31, 2020, I had surgery to replace my left shoulder. Now, six weeks later, I am at a point of being able to type again and excited to re-enter the conversation of change and transformation. This was my first major operation, and as such, I have tried to observe and process all I experienced. From the flow of work of the medical professionals, to the scaffolded structures of support, to the use of technology in my surgery and rehabilitation, this has been a great learning experience.  As I have thought of what education, teaching, and learning, could be, I can’t help but think, our educational system could benefit from and apply many of the strategies, practices, and protocols from the medical profession. Just as Dr. Richard Elmore's work suggested, school administrators institute "instructional rounds" based in practice on doctors "medical rounds", there could be deeper connections and applications of medical practices and protocols to teaching and learning.   

Flow of work
From the time of my injury, the goal was to regain use of my shoulder and arm. The initial diagnosis by my nurse practitioner to begin the process was easy, my shoulder hurt a lot and did not work. She ordered an x-ray at the local hospital which showed that indeed my shoulder was messed up. My nurse practitioner then referred me to a bone and joint specialist.

The surgeon at the Bone and Joint Institute prescribed an MRI to give greater detail on the damage to my shoulder and arm.  With this information, surgery was scheduled, performed, and I got a new shoulder. The surgeon was highly skilled and qualified. It should be noted that he was supported by a physician’s assistant, specifically trained, but not a doctor. Leveraging the physician’s assistant, less qualified than the surgeon, increased the ability for the surgeon to apply their advanced skills to more patents.

 

Upon completion of the surgery, rehab was prescribed to be performed by yet another specifically trained group. Again, it was interesting to note that the rehabilitation was provided by a licensed therapist, who was assisted by a “therapy tech”.  Like the surgeon, the tech enabled the licensed therapist to see more patients.

 

I think it is interesting to note that the process began with my nurse practitioner, who is not a doctor, establishing the diagnoses.  As the diagnosis progressed, special trained individuals were added and courses of actions were designed. 

In many instances in schools today, the classroom teacher not only has to diagnose the student’s learning challenge, but also prescribe the corrective action. A teacher may have an associate for support, but in many instances these associates have little or no training. 

 

It seems a child’s learning challenge has to be acute, or highly discrepant from their peers in order to be “eligible for services” beyond the basic education. It is assumed that if a teacher has a “teaching license” they are highly qualified to serve your child. But the fact of the matter is, just like my nurse practitioner, a school or teacher may not have the expertise or technology to truly diagnose and address a problem or concern.  This creates frustration for the student, the teacher, and the parents.

Scaffolded structures of support

I observed though my shoulder surgery experience how the medical profession is a TEAM of highly qualified individuals with specific training and expertise. There was no one person who could do it all. As my diagnoses progressed, specific needs were addressed, and actions taken. Through relationships, my nurse practitioner was able to access an x-ray machine at the county hospital and make a referral to a surgeon. The surgeon was able to access and order additional resources like an MRI, surgery suite, and anesthesiologist to perform the surgery along with making a referral to a rehabilitation provider. 

In education today the concept of scaffolding is emerging as a strategy to support students not only in their academics, but also in their behaviors. This is great in concept, but in practice it is calling on teachers to become the nurse practitioner, surgeon, and rehabilitation specialist all in one, with anywhere from 18 to 30 students in their class. In this time of COVID-19, social distancing, remote learning, and school closures, this is adding to a teacher’s stress.

 

Technology

My nurse practitioner, surgeon, and physical therapist were heavily dependent on technology, specifically internet access, wireless computers, email, x-ray machines, MRI equipment, and other technologies. The communication between all my health care providers was via email.  My surgery observations were this was a clear example of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the seamless embedding of technology. 

 

My paperless medical records were shared in almost real time between all concerned (even me!). Big ticket technologies like the x-ray machine, MRI, and surgery monitoring devices, were shared and leveraged, family clinic to surgeon, surgeon to hospital, surgeon to rehab.  It seemed many with expertise and skills were able to timely collaborate and provide me with the best patient care.  This would be hard to imagine without robust, reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access. 

 

Bottom Line

Due to COVID-19, the transformation of education, teaching, and learning, has accelerated. The need to approach and rethink systems of learning is before us.  In that the managed-health care model may not be a clean fit, there may be some concepts and strategies that are applicable to teaching.

Each child is unique, important, and special. The ability for teachers to access and collaborate with expertise beyond their classroom to address student concerns is powerful. The fact of the matter is a classroom teacher does not have the time or the resources to be the nurse practitioner, surgeon, and rehabilitation therapist for 20+ students. Perhaps restructuring class size and teachers’ workloads should be investigated? Maybe a new continuum of services needs to be designed?

I have said many times that each child is different, and as such should have a specific learning plan based on their learning styles and interest, much like I had a personal medical plan to address my shoulder.  Maybe the Special Education practice of Individual Education Plans (IEP) should be applied to all students? It is exciting to think what this could look like!

 

COVID-19 has raised awareness of the gross digital divide between students within schools. The ‘have nots’ definitely are at a disadvantage to those who have high speed internet, access to computers, and other technologies.  I can’t imagine what my shoulder surgery experience would have been like without technology. It seems the first step must be universal, equal access to the internet.

 

From these key ideas there needs to be further deep thinking, reflection, and actions steps designed.  Additionally, how is all of this to be funded? Is there sufficient funding available now if it were to be reallocated or re-tasked?

 

New GROWTH RINGS

The question is: "can we continue as we have historically done?" I am not conviced we can. The times have changed and we have to think differently. We have before us an opportuity to create new!

Growth Rings: Are we going back or going forward?

Growth Rings: Are we going back or going forward? 

The current COVID-19 pandemic is raising awareness of the importance and purpose of public education in the United States.  As we move to the start of the 2020-2021 school year, in most cases 60 days from the end of the 2019-2020 school year, innovative reopening plans designed at the local level have been scrutinized, critiqued, and criticized by state and federal government officials. With mixed messages being conveyed, parents and teachers are confused, frustrated, and extremely cautious.  Many conversations are loud and emotional.  

The uncertainty is causing fear, angst, and distrust.  In this time of discourse, it seems like common scene has been abandoned to the priority of restarting the economy by getting kids back into school so parents can get back to work. Beginning with President Trump and Education Secretary DeVos and including State Governors, the political pressure is to return to the traditional 5 days a week, 20^th century educational system.  The push is to go back to the way it used to be regardless of the science that says it will put the students, teachers, staff, and their families in imminent danger of contracting the COVID-19 virus.  

Great Grandma’s Country Ham.

Recently I had a conversation with ThermView Technologies CEO Justin Kemp. He reminded me of the Great Grandma’s Country Ham story. 

 

The young bride was preparing Sunday lunch for her new in-laws. As the family gathered, the new bride’s mother-in-law questioned her about how she was preparing the ham for dinner. The mother-in-law shared that the secret family recipe called for cutting off 2 inches from the end of the ham. She went on to say this is how she had been taught by her mother-in law. When Grandma arrived and went to the kitchen, she confirmed that cutting off 2 inches was indeed how to properly prepare the ham.  The young bride wanted to make a good impression with her new family and not make a scene, but was compelled to ask, “why do we cut off the 2 inches?” They answered her “this is the way Great grandma prepared it and that is how we have always done it.”  As the meal cooked, Great Granny arrived and joined the other ladies in the kitchen. It was there that the new bride asked Great Granny “Granny, I know the family recipe calls for cutting off 2 inches of the end in preparing the ham, but why do we do it? The two inches is good meat?” Great Granny answered “Sweetheart, when Great Grandpa and I were starting out the pans I had were not very big.  So, I had to cut 2 inches off the ham to get it to fit into the pan”.

 

Why are we going back to the way it has always been?

Before COVID-19, there was a grass roots initiative to reframe teaching and learning to fit 21^st century realities and expectations, and to address stereotypes and biases.  In K-12 education there was a great debate on embedding and leveraging digital tools to enhance teaching and learning. 

Many teachers, educational leaders, and teacher preparation programs that were comfortable with the way things were but were not comfortable with computers and digital tools did not see the value of change and continued to advocate for traditional instructional delivery. Their focus, belief, and assumptions were that past practices were best, that academic achievement should be linked to chronological age, and that assessment of learning should be linked to the ability to recall knowledge. Any new thinking, ideas, or changes met resistance and moved very slowly. Traditional instructional strategies and pedagogy did not focus on the student abilities, learning styles, or give students voice. There was momentum towards differentiated instruction but overall, the expectation was that the student must conform to the prescribed delivery of instruction and that learning could be assessed by filling in “dot to dot” standardized tests.  The outcomes of the tests were then used to “sift and sort” students. 

This traditional assessment system was flawed in that there was but one way to test and there was but one correct answer. The assessment was more on a person’s memory and how good a test taker they were, and not necessary on their ability to synthesize and apply the lessons learned. K-12 pre COVID-19 schools focused on getting kids into college and universities and did not emphasize or in some instances provide students with alternative tracks.  Anything short of going to college was subliminally, and sometimes overtly, considered as less than optimum.

 

Not only did Pre-COVID-19 schools “shift and sort” students academically, they were also sorted by socio-economic status and poverty (free and reduced lunch). It’s interesting in talking with kids and hearing their stories about how they entered kindergarten together, were friends in elementary school, but drifted away from each other in middle and high school. In middle and high school, cultural labels emerged of Geeks, music nerds, jocks, stoners, Special Education, Talented and Gifted (TAG) or At Risk.  All this, plus not to mention, the reinforcement of ethnic stereotypes, bullying, and harassment.

 

So, why is this the system we are rushing to go back to?  Are we up for change and opportunity or are we going to continue to cut 2 inches off the ham to get it to fit in the pan?

 

COVID-19, Society Reboot?

Could COVID-19 be a “reboot” of society?  Since March, for 5 months, families have had to adjust and operate without the pre COVID-19 distractions. Moms and dads, sisters and brothers, husbands, wives, and neighbors, have had to reengage with each other, and together experience the challenges of the pandemic. COVID-19 has slowed everything down, and in my opinion, caused folks to pause and reflect on what is profoundly important.  Many businesses and industries have realized cost savings and an increase in productivity in having employees working from home.  Employees have recaptured part of their lives by not having to commute to work and a cost savings in transportation and not eating out. Parents have had time to reengage with their children and together navigate online distant learning.  A new and meaningful respect and appreciation not only for teachers, but for also for workers designated as essential has emerged. Employees like those from Walmart, grocery stores, U.S. Mail, FedEx, Amazon, UPS, nurses, and others, who before the pandemic where taken for granted, now are recognized as heroes.

 

Beginning of the new normal.

As I have written previously , "Schools are an extension of the community, and school culture reflects the defined norms, perspectives, and values of the local community.” So just as the community is experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, so too have the shock waves been felt within the classroom walls. It is important to note that local public schools are crucial to the community’s economic growth and vitality. Yes, we need systems and processes to educate, empower, and prepare our youth to enter into the world, but these systems and processes need to mirror the reality of the world that the kids will enter. This means the community must first be willing to let go of the past and embrace the emerging new normal.  Next, new school design essentials and structures must be identified and grounded in teaching students how to learn, unlearn, uplearn, and to value and respect all people and professions, be creative, apply knowledge, collaborate, and problem solve. In short to be able to think, have empathy, and be respectful. Recently I asked a trusted and respected colleague, Dr. Bridgette Wagoner what she wanted her schools to be? Her response was “John, I just want to create good people”.

 

We are entering into a highly competitive time. Today, those who have access to high speed broadband internet are connected globally, and their learning, creating, and working is not limited to a physical place. Digitally connected employees will be able to choose their quality of life and where to live globally. Wherever they chose to live, they will bring innovation, energy, creativity, and their family. Communities that have the connectivity and recruit this workforce, will need to create a system of learning for the children that can adapt to the learner, connect their passions, skills, and aptitudes to employment, and have a humanistic global perspective. Communities that can create a “locally connected globally” condition will become a beacon, attracting others. 

 

New Growth Rings

With community consent, rethinking and visioning schools means creating a safe and secure learning environment that could be face to face, virtual, or a combination thereof. It means systems, structures, and protocols that center on the student’s abilities, skills, passions, and interests and address social emotional needs, humanity, and empathy. In the weeks to come I am excited for the conversation, collaborating, and creating of what 21^st century schools could be. 

 

Our Nation is at the crossroads. Change is happening. The question is, can you let go of the past and have the courage to move forward?

 

 

Growth Rings: Reframing Community

Reframing Community.

Weak signals for change amplifying as legacy thinking pushes back.

In 1947, piloting the X-1 rocket plane, Chuck Yeager became the first person to travel faster than the speed of sound.  He related that in starting the run, the air was smooth. As he accelerated, the air became very choppy with the X-1 vibrating violently.  With courage, Yeager continued to accelerate until the X-1 was traveling faster than the speed of sound. Those on the ground reported hearing a loud explosion when Mach 1 was achieved. Captain Yeager reported later that once breaking the sound barrier, the air again was calm and the X-1 flew steady and true.  It seems the forces of nature tried to hold him back, but with the technology of the X-1, and courage, mankind moved forward.

It seems mankind is again at the point of a breakthrough, with traditional legacy thinking creating extreme turbulence and push back.  Like Chuck Yeager, we must have the courage to accelerate through the turbulence, push forward, and trust it will be smooth on the other side.   

Redefining Community and Local Control.

With the advance of access to the internet, in some jobs people no longer have to live in the same physical vicinity as their employment. They are able to choose anywhere in the world to live, as long as there is high speed internet access. Historically folks have moved for work, but now work will move with the employee to wherever they want to live.  Florence, Alabama is actively recruiting professionals to relocate and work remotely from the Shoals. Lifting up their low cost of living and great quality of life, economic developers are even paying up to $10,000 towards moving expenses.

This has potential to signal a migration from cities to rural areas. Leaving overcrowded cities for cleaner, wide open spaces, would be a game changer. This transformation of community would impact community planning, city services, churches, and schools.  This will reframe the definition of community to have both a physical and a virtual component, and greatly impact schools.

Historically, a community was defined by its physical location.  Families and individuals selected communities by seeking those with neighbors like themselves or for employment. Community norms, perspectives, and values emerged both deliberately named and subliminally practiced. Locally elected school boards and the schools themselves reflected these named and subliminally practiced (or overt and covert) norms, perspectives, and values. With school district funding primarily coming from local tax revenues, supplemented by state aid and some federal funding for specific programs, it is local dollars that fund the local schools, and thus shape the culture of the school.

What does community mean for educators: teachers and administrators?

Schools are an extension of the community, and school culture reflects the defined norms, perspectives, and values of the local community. School funding is limited to the community’s ability to tax, with expenditures reflecting the community’s culture.  This limited funding impacts the district’s ability to provide professional development for teachers.

Most community patrons, because their perspective is limited to their own experiences in school, see school for what it was, and it is hard for them to envision what it could be. They hold on to the past and many times do not understand the need for training teachers on new emerging pedogogy. Statements like "when I was in school" or thinking "it was good enought for me" adds to the turbulence for change. 

I keep thinking about those who are now seeking both a physical and digital community, like Florence, Alabama is touting, along with parents who are not comfortable with sending their children back to school without a COVID-19 vaccine, and how this provides an opportunity for schools to be re-envisioned and reframed.

Leaving the old and reaching for the new.

“Breaking the sound barrier” next generation schools will be networks for learning, collaborating digitally via the internet, plus face to face; but will not be confined to a bricks and mortar location. Leveraging technology, teachers will individualize, personalize, and differentiate instruction, linking learning to student’s passions, aptitudes, attitudes, and abilities. Learning how to learn, unlearn and uplearn, apply knowledge to real world predictable and unpredictable situations, connect and collaborate locally and globally with next generation, children could receive a world class education to and from anywhere on the planet. There is an exciting potential that sorting learners by age, gender, ethnicity, or poverty will give way to clustering students by creativity, passions, empathy, and the ability to connect and communicate.   

If this be the new frontier, how do I prepare and get there?

As mentioned earlier, local funding for professional development is limited, and many times dependent on ‘one-time’ money provided by state grants, federal grants, and or other sources. Current CARES Act funding in response to COVID-19 does include financial resources for training.

Budgeting and planning for district ongoing professional learning is normally designed as one-and-done, top-down, by Central Office staff with little teacher voice or choice.  Ideally, professional learning for teachers should model how students learn: individualized, personalized, and differentiated and include voice and choice.  Sadly, this does not happen with regularity. In many instances, district provided teacher professional learning opportunities are limited to local district discretion and subject to community norms, perspectives, and values.

An additional disconnect has emerged. Because of COVID-19, the public has assumed that if schools move to online learning, teachers will know how to teach in this modality. In reality, most do not; and in many instances students do not have access to high speed broadband internet. With only sixty+ days between the end of the last school year, and the beginning of the next, with already a shortage of qualified teachers, factoring in returning teachers whose health and age make them susceptible to COVID-19, education in the United States is approaching a flashpoint. This is the opportunity for teachers and community stakeholders to seize the moment and reframe schools to be viable and relevant. Teachers who can reinvent themselves can lead, become change architects and pathfinders.

Change yourself first! Become a CONNECTED EDUCATOR

“If you want to change the world, first change yourself, then tell others how you did it. Never demand that people change. Inspire them to change using your own change as an example instead.” Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing

As I participate in twitter chats and connect in conversations with educators from around the world, my observation is that educators are realizing that global change is here. This realization is happening organically, one teacher, one administrator, and one school at a time, with many feelings isolated.  Realizing and embracing change is one thing, navigating through it is another.  

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach is a longtime friend and a highly respected collogue. For 20+ years she has been on the cutting edge, leading the transformational change of education. Her foundational belief is that teachers learn best from teachers. In her book, The CONNECTED Educator (2012) not only does she lay out how to use technology tools to enhance learning, but more importantly, she shares the design of how the local professional learning community, linked with the teacher, creates a personal learning network via social media.  This creates a powerful global community of practice for collaboration, innovation, and creativity.

Sheryl’s work is made operational by her TEAM at Professional Learning Practices. The PLP TEAM is actively creating communities of learners, connecting and supporting teachers and administrators. From hosting Twitter chats to free on demand ‘how to’ webinars, to working alongside districts to co-create year-long professional learning, PLP is building teacher efficacy and capacity. Sherly and the PLP TEAM take local learning communities and coach them on how to connect to a global online community of practice. This empowers and creates capacity and a powerful synergy of educators. Check it all out at  plpnetwork.com and dive deeper at bit.ly/CLExp

GROWTH RINGS

The world was already changing, but because of COVID-19, the rate of change accelerated exponentially. Now the world is going through extreme turbulence, affecting everything all the way down to the community and individual level. Mankind has entered this turbulence of societal and community change and now requires imagination, creativity, and innovation.  

New norms and conditions are emerging. Unlike Chuck Yeager who flew solo in the X-1 to break the sound barrier, being one of the CONNECTED EDUCATORS means not having to fly alone. Sheryl and the PLP team stand ready and committed to help. It is up to us teachers to summon courage, connect, leverage the internet and digital devices, and lead.

You can connect with Sheryl and the PLP Team on Twitter at: 

@snbeach

@PLPNetwork

@aprilpc

@chris10dodd

@blomingedu

#plpnetwork

#ConnectedEducator