Two important education related news events occurred this week.

On Wednesday, February 15th, the US Department of Education (ED) launched Project RESPECT. The day before on Tuesday, February 14th, in Virginia, the State Senate defeated the proposal to end teacher tenure protections where teachers could be arbitrarily dismissed without demonstrating just cause.

While both news events relate to different levels of governance, these events will be inevitably interconnected for future education discussions.

The US Department of Education's Project RESPECT is an acronym for Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching.

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At Wednesday's Teacher Town Hall, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described that RESPECT is all about:

• Improving student outcomes.

• Continuously improving practice and recognizing, rewarding, and learning from great teachers and principals.

• Creating schools where principals and teachers work together with their peers, support each other, hold each other accountable and lift each other to new levels of skill and competence.

The Key Elements of RESPECT are:

1. Attracting Top-Tier Talent into Education and Preparing them for Success

2. Creating a Professional Career Continuum with Competitive Compensation

3. Creating Conditions for Success

5. Getting the Best Educators to the Students who Need them Most

6. Sustaining a New and Improved System

According to the Secretary, "The conversation will be on blogs, in the media, and in town halls like this one. We will engage our union partners at every level--national, state and local--as well as teacher reform groups, like Teach Plus, Educators for Excellence, and the New Teacher Project."

"We'll work with all of the subject matter groups in reading, math, science, history, and the arts--as well as the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, which has been such a strong partner and leader in supporting and promoting excellence in teaching."

"Our goal is to work with educators in rebuilding the profession--and to elevate the teacher voice in shaping federal, state, and local education policy."

These conversations will be led by the Teacher Ambassadors, which are a group of current classroom teachers who work with the US Department of Education.

One of the more fulfilling aspects of being a former teacher ambassador was working with ED officials to engage teachers about education policy at various teacher conferences. This was an important opportunity to serve as liaisons between those who work with real students and those who write policies intended to improve student learning.

It is the duty of teacher ambassadors to amplify the teacher voices to inform policy.

The Power of the Voice of One Teacher

In Virginia, recent events continue to change the teaching profession at the state level. In April 2011, the Virginia Board of Education approved a model for teacher evaluation where student academic progress represented 40% of a teacher's rating that includes multiple measures, including student growth data from the Virginia Department of Education.

The current proposal would have allowed administrators to fire teachers without demonstrating just cause. The proposal passed in the House, but in the Senate, two Republican senators, both with teachers in their families, abstained from voting, effectively denying passage.

According to the Washington Post,

Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr. (James City) was one of the two Republicans who did not vote. He said during the floor debate he could not consider the measure without thinking of his daughter, a kindergarten teacher in Williamsburg.

"When she e-mails me this morning and says, 'Dad, Happy Valentine's Day, I love you. Don't stick it to the teachers.'-- it makes me pause."

According to CBS DC, Norment said "If it comes to a choice between voting with my family or the governor, I stick with my family."

While the defeat of this proposal may be attributed to personal reasons from the Republican Senators, one would hope that family affiliations only go so far, that at the heart of this specific issue are the deep, unsettling feelings that one should not create conditions where power goes unchecked. The great state of Virginia, birthplace to so many US presidents such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Woodrow Wilson, should do better.

Due process serves a purpose. I remember a superintendent/professor in my administration preparation coursework remarking that just as there are great teachers, average teachers, and ineffective teachers, there are also the same ratios of great administrators, average administrators, and ineffective administrators.

Due process protects all educators who strive to do what is best for students. Improvements to tenure are needed, but not in a vehicle where due process is absent. The process should be made more efficient and supportive of students, not be destroyed.

Don't S.T.I.C.K. it to the Teachers

So in the acronym spirit for RESPECT (Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching), the word STICK in "Don't STICK it to the Teachers" should be an acronym for Sabotage Tenure, Income, Conditions, Knowledge.

Sabotage:"Treacherous action to defeat or hinder a cause or an endeavor; deliberate subversion."

Tenure: Reward effective teachers with tenure, but protect the due process for both administrators and teachers to be advocates for children. This requires meaningful reform for teacher evaluation.

Income: As the Secretary pointed out, "Salaries should be more competitive with other professions."

Conditions: As the Secretary pointed out, "We must create new career ladders for teachers so they don't have to leave the classroom.... We need mentor teachers, master teachers, and teacher leaders supporting younger colleagues, and driving school decisions around curriculum, scheduling, and staffing."

Knowledge: Teacher knowledge should be developed, honored, and accessed at all levels of education policy and reform.

Don't Sabotage Tenure, Income, Conditions, Knowledge.

So, from the brave kindergarten teacher in Williamsburg, Virginia who says, "Don't STICK it to the teachers"- these are the words of wisdom that need to be amplified in this upcoming dialogue to RESPECT the teaching profession.

RESPECT Teachers, Don't STICK it to them... so the dialogue continues..

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Marsha Ratzel is a National Board Certified Teacher who teaches middle school math and science in Kansas. Her blog, Reflections of a Techie, focuses on technology integration in the classroom.

Last month at the Center for Teaching Quality, I had the opportunity to meet with Marsha and the 22 NBCTs from North Carolina and Kentucky who are piloting curriculum tools to support the Common Core Standards. As with any movement that brings change to the classroom, there are opportunities and challenges for teacher leadership.

Marsha's discusses her thoughts on teacher leadership and the Common Core in this week's guest post.

Why Teachers Need to Take Ownership of Implementing the Common Core

How schools will go about implementing Common Core Standards is a huge topic within education today. Stephanie Hirsh has written an impassioned discussion of what will be required of our school communities in order to move forward. It made me stop and think.

Teacher leaders will be critical to the successful implementation of Common Core Standards (CCS). Sounds like a no-brainer, but teacher leaders are most often the missing piece of education reform. Effective teamwork and sustainable implementation of such a large change depends on teachers leading the effort forward and co-designing professional development.

I've been lucky to work with an amazing set of 22 NBCTs from North Carolina and Kentucky that who have spent the last six months piloting curriculum tools developed by the Math Design Collaborative (MDC) and the Literacy Design Collaboartive (LDC) at the Center for Teaching Quality. It makes so much sense to capitalize on all the knowledge these teachers have gained from their working with the MDC and the LDC in a real classroom situation.

Alignment between states, districts, and teachers depends on teacher leaders. Even the Department of Education blog acknowledges that this implementation needs to be different: "Neither students nor teachers are served by a structure that treats some teachers like interchangeable cogs in a machine. We long to lead our own profession because when we drive our craft, we will see huge shifts in the responsibility, leadership, pay and respect."

As states begin to blend CCS with their own standards, district administration may be ready to move ahead without teacher input. They realize teachers have no choice in whether to implement. But the choice isn't to implement or not to implement; the choice is in how to implement. With a strong base of teacher leaders in place and leading the effort, other teachers will find inspiration and success.

Time and again, top-down implementation stalls as teachers fail to hear workable plans that reflect the realities of their classrooms. One must only look as far as the top-down force-feeding of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to see how negative side effects may outweigh any benefits. Ask any teacher how she felt about the implementation of NCLB and you're likely to get an earful about how things could and should have been done better.

With the implementation of CSS, educators and administrators have a chance to find a better model for rolling out widespread change. According to the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, more than 90 percent of teachers believe that other teachers contribute to their success.Teacher leaders can help build a climate that draws on their colleagues' expertise and wisdom to improve the CSS implementation. Teacher-designed and teacher-defined professional development is the other critical element in aligning CCS.

Critical to a successful launch of CSS in schools is establishing credibility for that change. Teachers are often wary of anything they had no part in creating. This attitude is even more pronounced toward CSS, since the standards come from a political movement started by governors to "fix" education.

There is no force that is more adaptable, nimble, or capable of calling to action every one of the 3.2 million classroom teachers than genuine teacher leaders. These are leaders who work in classrooms every day. They have lived through NCLB and can apply the best and worst of that initiative. They have the respect of their peers, and can therefore call into action the legions of teachers who simply want to make tomorrow better for their 49.4 million students.

Image licensed under CC with attribution http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/625205010/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Do you remember seeing your first portrayal of teachers?

I do. As a child, I remember Charlie Brown's teacher portrayed in the comics and cartoons.

Then there was Ben Stein from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Remember? Anyone?

Does the public image and portrayal of teachers affect the prestige of the teaching profession?

Suzanne Labarre, a senior editor at Co.Design, asks "Could a Rebranding Help Give Teachers the Prestige They Deserve?"

It's a crappy time to be a teacher. The budget cuts. The overcrowded classrooms. The infuriating constraints of No Child Left Behind. To add insult to injury, teachers just aren't represented terribly well in the media, whether they're depicted as secular saints with apples on their desks or lazy union-enabled incompetents who hate your children. Could new branding help?

The Brooklyn design studio Hyperakt thinks so and has thusly devised a visual identity scheme that uses the metaphor of "connecting the dots" to portray teachers in a fresh, cheery light.

The images are freely available to teachers under the Creative Commons, Non-commercial license.

The images have a clean, simple, yet attractive appearance, and I would agree with Labarre's opinion that "Hyperakt's design thankfully does away with any hint of "apple crapple." And all the other hokey, borderline infantilizing teacher tropes for that matter: ABCs, chalkboards, cartoonishly oversized pencils."

But can these images have a positive effect on enhancing the teaching profession?

According to Hyperakt's Deroy Peraza,

"That's not to suggest that the design is some kind of quick fix. We won't pretend that a fresh coat of paint on the visual language used to represent teachers is going to solve all of the problems [facing the profession]. But we do believe that attracting the brightest minds to the profession can sow the seeds of change. A visual language that does justice to the intellectual and creative development teachers help guide in students could be a powerful asset in attracting talent to the profession and instilling pride in teachers across the board."

"Connecting the dots allows us to create a boundless visual language that celebrates teaching and learning in a way we can all be proud."

Since public education is a public and societal effort, the teaching profession needs productive relationships with other stakeholders, such as design and marketing firms, that are committed to strengthening public education.

New coats of paint may portray teaching in a new light and may even better highlight the intrinsic rewards and complexities of the work. This type of advertising may even broaden the appeal of teaching as a job or career.

But if these rebranded, future teachers enter the same schools and classrooms of today, they will inevitably face the same challenges that their predecessors faced. New logos will not help schools that lack the support, resources, and funding to meet the needs of their students and communities.

Connecting the Dots to What Expert Teachers Already Know

And, what may be surprising to those new to this effort of improving schools is that contrary to what is often suggested, very subtly, in the media about the quality of teachers, we already have many of "the brightest minds" working to change and improve the profession.

These are the expert teachers who are the teacher leaders in schools.

These educators with "the brightest minds," combined with their practical knowledge of what actually goes on in schools, understand that the real challenge in improving public education is not only to attract "the talent to the profession" but to retain them in the profession to sustain the conditions for change to flourish.

More importantly, we need these "bright minds" and "talent" to enter classrooms adequately prepared for the challenge of teaching, continue to receive professional development to expand their skills and knowledge to refine their practice, and, ultimately, have more opportunities to stay where it matters most- in schools and classrooms with students.

Because it's not just about the teacher; it's about supporting conditions for quality teaching throughout the school to thrive.

This requires systemic thinking beyond the raising the prestige of the teacher; it's about emphasizing how to support and expand teacher expertise and roles for creating and sustaining the public schools that communities need.

And when one "connects the dots" to what the expert teachers advocate for what they need to improve the lives of their students, it might be different from what some policymakers may be saying.

Anything that helps the public "connect those dots" is a welcome addition to these education debates.

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Last week, I wrote about Apple's Potential Game Changer in Education. Apple's announcement of tools to empower anyone to be a textbook publisher on the iPad met various positive and critical reviews.

Ronnie Burt over at The Edublogger" explains that Apple's education announcement was "Not a Game Changer."

"The announcements today by Apple do not result in any major way of changing the way we approach education. This isn't really Apple's fault, as nobody has yet to crack this one and do it well. You still have "curriculum" being created in advance and given to teachers and students exactly like textbooks always have been. Now, those textbooks are just lighter, cheaper, and more fun to read (all of which are great things!)."

"Students are still thought of as "content consumers" in this scenario as opposed to active participants. The new iBook reader allows for easy highlighting and note-taking, which is useful, but there isn't a way to discuss texts or collaborate with others. It is in these more interactive tasks that students construct their own knowledge and learn best - not through passively reading and playing with images."

"What we still need to figure out is a way to manage the individual needs of students - a system that makes it possible to provide a truly differentiated curriculum that is accessible whenever needed."

Ronnie makes a good point that perhaps a true "game changer" should create deeper changes to the structure of classrooms and schools and the way students are more actively engaged in managing their learning.

John Titlow over at ReadWriteWeb explains Why Apple Won't Disrupt the Textbook Industry Anytime Soon, placing the "Apple Revolution" in perspective with other widely available education tools that have slowly been changing the learning landscape.

"Education is already being blown wide open by the Web. The mere concepts of "the lecture" and "the textbook" begin to look antiquated in light of things like Khan Academy, Wikipedia, Wolfram Alpha, iTunes U and MIT's Open Courseware."

"Those examples are just the tip of the iceberg. You'd be hard-pressed to find a student in the U.S. today that isn't already using the Internet to supplement their educational experience to some extent. Apple is well aware of the changes that are already underway. That's why they're doing this."

Over at Macworld, Ryan Fass has broader conclusions of Apple's New Vision of Education, pointing out that:

"Lifelong learning may be one of the most incredible and yet easily overlooked achievements in Apple's vision of 21st century education. The company is making all of this learning content and tools available to virtually anyone, anywhere and at impressively low costs."

This is the most insightful part of his analysis:

"While Apple's education efforts will directly or indirectly affect how future generations learn as they grow up, perhaps the biggest feat is removing barriers to knowledge and supporting multiple learning styles from childhood through adulthood."

These themes of "removing barriers" and "supporting multiple learning styles from childhood through adulthood" resonate most.

Perhaps these themes are larger than Apple or any one brand or technology.

With all these choices in technology, maybe it's not about a specific brand, tool, or format.

It's About You

In the end, what matters most is that you choose your technology to revolutionize your own teaching and learning. You will choose your technology based on your context, but what matters is that you make your choice and move forward.

Perhaps you will choose the Apple ecosystem. Maybe you will choose tools on the PC, Kindle, or a tablet running the Android OS. Or, you might choose to learn from web resources such as Khan Academy, MIT Open Courseware, or the wide variety of educational resources on You Tube and the Teaching Channel.

In this era of on-demand learning and content creation, access to learning is the game changer. Choose your technology and use it in a way that is meaningful for you.

It's up to you to choose to revolutionize your learning....

Have you made your choice?

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

As you may have heard today, Apple announced their E-Textbook Initiative to enter and revolutionize the textbook market, specifically centering these initiatives to highlight the potential of the iPad in education.

iBooks Author allows anyone to create a textbook for the iPad. One can create a textbook on the iPad with multimedia and interactive features such as video, interactive images, Keynote presentations, and 3D images. There are also "review" tools that allow the author to create multiple choice and drag and drop questions.

iBooks 2 is their updated eReader that takes advantage of many of the iPad's interactive and multimedia features in textbooks. Books created in iBooks Author can be read in this app.

iTunes U is now a separate app for the iPad that contains thousands of free courses. More importantly, any educator can now create courses to teach anyone who is interested.

As with many Apple press events, the tools they announce are usually available the same day. All of these programs are free. Naturally, after leaving school I went home and downloaded these free programs.

Easy!

I'm using iBooks Author to create a textbook on the iPad. While I create the textbook on my Mac, I can preview immediately what I'm creating on my iPad.

In less than five minutes I've created a textbook with a few pages of text, pictures, video, and review questions. (OK, it's a children's book about my adopted dog- not very compelling educational content, but I'm more focused on the technical aspects of designing and manipulating objects and media in the pages of the book. If I were to try this using my other, non-Apple, programs such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Premiere Elements, the technical tasks would take much longer.)

iBooks Author is very easy to use. There are ready-made templates to easily jump into the program. For those who enjoy creating their own designs, manipulating text boxes, shapes, and formatting image sizes can be done simply by "clicking and dragging" with the mouse.

My initial thoughts? This is a potential game changer in education.

Why? Although tools to self-publish and distribute have been around for a few years, they were not very user friendly or accessible to the casual user. Many of these authoring programs were very expensive and lacked a "popular" distribution system. More importantly, potential self-publishers lacked the iPad- a portable and powerful computing device to maximize the potential to easily access a variety of supporting media and other resources.

iBooks Author, iBooks 2, and iTunes U change the ecosystem for which any educator can freely create and publish content for learning.

For teachers, every teacher can create powerful learning resources for anyone with an iPad. Any teacher now has the power to spread their expertise. Teachers are no longer limited to walls of their classroom.

These programs empower teachers.

For learners, learning from anyone, anywhere, has been made very easy. Learners are no longer limited to educators physically around them.

These apps empower self-directed, personal learning. And learning is the purpose of teaching.

And that's why these tools are a potential gamechanger for education.

Ease of Acccess.... for Some

Apple did not invent self-publishing, but as with many of their products, they innovated in the way everyday users can easily access and use these tools to improve their lives.

Of course, there are concerns. Participation in this ecosystem requires the use of Apple products. There is that whole thing about digital inequity. This will accelerate the learning for schools and students who have the resources. For those who do not, they will miss these opportunities until other companies provide accessible solutions.

But, the bar has been raised. Competitors will have to maximize accessibility to those in and out of the Apple world.

Will competition increase accessibility of self publishing and on-demand education for all?

And, while I enjoy my iPad for personal use, I still think there are inherent limitations for tablets for higher-level research and writing.

Questions for Later

But, I'm not thinking about any of these concerns now. I just used iMovie to create a video for my textbook and I just dragged the video onto the page and am adjusting the size. I'm about to preview it on my iPad. I don't think I'll upload this textbook to iBookstore for public download, but I could email it to anyone I want. I'm now an author, publisher, and distributor.

Not bad for a few minutes work on the first attempt..... When did these apps come out? Oh yeah...This afternoon.........

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

As preparations are being made to develop an online community for educators to share ideas, resources, and have discussions about teacher leadership and the Teacher Leadership Standards, I think of my own experiences that have enhanced my own understanding of teacher leadership.

Specifically, I think of the teacher leadership opportunities to contribute to the education profession outside the classroom or school.

The first experience was earning National Board Certification. Shortly after earning certification, I had the opportunity to participate in the Digital Edge Learning Interchange with Apple, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), AT&T, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This experience gave me valuable instructional technology skills training from experts from Apple and ISTE.

The second experience was being a Teacher Ambassador with the US Department of Education. This was a tremendous opportunity to understand education from the larger policy perspective.

Each experience expanded my school based view of the world. These experiences taught me that creating a quality education for students requires a full continuum of expertise from classroom teachers, teacher leaders, school based administrators, district specialists, to other educators at the local, state, and national level.

There are many opportunities for teachers to gain a larger view of the profession, such as the US Department of Education Teacher Ambassador Program, Einstein Fellowship, fellowships with the National Education Association, as well as teacher opportunities with other organizations.

But, what happens to these teacher leaders after these experiences?

Some leave the classroom for other challenges. Some realize they prefer working with students and choose to go back to classrooms.

But, many return to their classrooms, and their newly developed skills and understanding go under-utilized, un-noticed, or sometimes, ignored.

"All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go"

Many teacher leaders who gain valuable skills and understandings from these experiences outside the school or district do not have ways to either share what they learn when they return, or avenues to continue their own development. As a result, many teacher leaders who gain these new perspectives may eventually leave the classroom, school, or district for other challenges.

A mind that has been opened to a larger world is difficult to contain.

Overall, one challenge for teacher leadership is the lack of opportunities to maximize the experiences and knowledge of teacher leaders beyond their respective schools. Part of this challenge is that there is no defined career pathway for teachers. Instead, we have a system where a first year teacher often has the same duties as the 30-year veteran. Other responsibilities are often viewed as extra duties, rather than extra opportunities for growth.

As a result, teacher leadership, as a concept, remains undefined.

Are there better ways to harness the expertise of teacher leaders and continue their professional development and contribution while keeping them in schools where they can benefit students and teachers?

What is Needed

1. Continued Development of Teacher Leadership: Resources such as the Teacher Leadership Standards are important. The more educators can define and expand the concept of teacher leadership, the more ways educators can support and nurture it.
2. Continued Leadership Opportunities for Classroom Teachers: We need more opportunities for teachers to develop their leadership within schools, districts, and other organizations. More importantly, there needs to be ways for schools and districts to maximize what teachers learn from such opportunities if they return to schools so that others can benefit from their expertise.
3. Continued Organizational Networking and Support for Teacher Leaders: Gillian Cohen-Boyer, the Lead of the Teacher Ambassador Program at the US Department of Education has a saying that "Once a Teacher Ambassador Fellow, always a Teacher Ambassador Fellow." Organizations that develop these initial opportunities can support "ex-Fellows" since these teacher leaders can continue the mission of these organizations in other experiences and venues. When teacher leaders develop lasting professional networks, they become resources of support at a national level.
4. Teacherpreneur? In their book, Teaching 2030, The Center for Teaching Quality proposes the idea of the teacher leader as a "teacherpreneur" that can work with students and contribute to the profession.

Perhaps, these are some ideas to expand teacher leadership and keep these teachers where they are most valuable - in the schools. Once teachers becomes teacher leaders, they will always be a resource for learning and leadership. Let's find ways to maximize their energy and expertise.

What do you think? How else can school districts, organizations, businesses, and education stakeholders expand the concept of teacher as an education expert within and beyond the classroom?

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Teacher Leaders Network with the Center for Teaching Quality and am involved with the development of the Teacher Leaders Standards online community.

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

With the 10th anniversary of No Child Left Behind, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute hosted a panel discussion entitled, "Has the Accountability Movement Run its Course?" on January 5th.

Did NCLB, and the consequential accountability movement it embodied, succeed? And with near-stagnant national test scores of late, is there reason to think that this approach to school reform is exhausted?

If not "consequential accountability," what could take the U.S. to the next level of student achievement?

The panelists also discuss "The Accountability Plateau" report, which challenges its readers with the following:

Like the meteor that led to the decline of the dinosaurs and the rise of the mammals, results-based accountability appears to have shocked the education system. But its effect seems to be fading now, as earlier gains are maintained but not built upon.

If we are to get another big jump in academic achievement, we're going to need another shock to the system--another meteor from somewhere beyond our familiar solar system.

The overarching theme to these discussions was that the gains during the accountability movement appeared to have plateaued (in most contexts), and the panelists each gave their insights as to what the next impetus for raising student achievement could be.

The broadcast is worth watching. The panel discussed thought provoking themes of the limitations of testing, how schools may have reacted to the consequential accountability, the role of the federal government, and the value of human capital.

Equally fascinating were the questions from the audience, which included the potential role of online learning and a debate if the emphasis on math and reading lessened the focus on creativity.

If more dialogue between classroom teachers and policy makers is to occur, then more understanding of perspectives is needed.

Perhaps the gap in the policy practitioner dialogue is the different focus on inputs versus outputs. Part of the challenge in dialogue is the two different perspectives and areas of expertise in understanding the problem.

Very broadly stated, as professionals who work with students on a daily basis, we teachers tend to value the role of inputs for improving education. We advocate for input issues such as more equitable funding, reducing class sizes, better working conditions, and other ways to empower schools to improve student learning.

On the other hand, policymakers focus on outputs as a means of improving education, that an accountability system of goals, content standards, measurement, consequences, and reporting will improve schools. Somewhere in this intent is the belief that if teachers just try harder, then learning is improved. Accountability, as described in the panel discussion, is not a program, but an incentive structure.

Much has already been said about the pros and cons of each side of the debate.

But in this discussion of an achievement plateau and a search for the next driving force for school improvement, then perhaps it is time to reconsider the over-emphasis on outcomes.

Solving complex problems requires systemic thinking; the focus on outcomes alone cannot solve the wide variety of problems teachers confront daily.

At one point in the webinar, the panelists admitted that they do not fully understand (based on research) what occurred in schools during the accountability movement and what is needed to develop teacher capacities.

Perhaps it is time to understand those who are in schools and who do know what it takes to help students learn.

One cannot focus solely on outcomes without considering the conditions of communities and schools, and the challenging socio-economic student and family factors that educators confront daily.

Teachers need adequate tools and resources to help their students; it's not just about trying.

Teachers need the support of administrators, communities, and policy makers to succeed; it's about sharing responsibility, not shifting blame.

Inputs matter. There are limitations to an outcome-focused system of accountability.

As the panelists debate what could deliver the next "shock to the system," searching for "another meteor from somewhere beyond our familiar solar system" perhaps understanding and supporting the inputs that teachers have long been advocating to improve student learning just might be that shock that is unfamiliar.

And, this shock could lead to the authentic and lasting gains that all those invested in education seek to achieve.

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 6:47 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Real world success stories are the most convincing testaments for the potential of technology. We can learn a lot by examining the success of specific individuals and see if any lessons can be applied to education.

The latest success story comes from comedian Louis CK. While learning about technology and education from a comedian might seem different, this comedian is very insightful when it comes to looking at how we use technology in our lives.

His classic technology rant "Everything is Amazing and Nobody's Happy" is humorously and uncomfortably accurate.

This week, Louis CK has given us new insights on technology. He created, produced, and marketed his latest comedy show online directly to the people for $5, bypassing all traditional media companies.

The result? Over $500,000 in sales in the first two days.

But it was not all about money. In his personal statement reflecting on this project, Louis CK is honest in pointing out that given his status, he could have made more money just being paid by a large entertainment company, but the fans would have paid more for the content. He was also upfront in the not using any digital protections, instead appealing directly to his fans to just pay the modest $5 and not pirate the show.

The success of this project was significant enough to be publicized on CNN and Business Week.

This is an example of an individual bypassing the traditional media companies. This is about direct access and financial independence.

Louis CK's effort is now considered an exemplar on the power of technology to reach the public directly.

Can educators and classroom teachers use technology in similar ways to engage the public about education?

Louis CK gives important insights on what it took to create his video. There was a high level of production and expertise required in securing a venue, creating a professional recording, and securing a method for the public to access and pay for the video. There was considerable upfront investment in time and money.

Of course, Louis CK has a level of celebrity status that ensured people would be interested in such content, making the initial investment worth the potential risks.

So with the right status, message and means, this direct engagement with the public is possible.

Teachers, Technology, & Independence

Perhaps, someday, more individual classroom teachers will use technology to amplify their knowledge and expertise about education and learning. Public access and technology will allow a level of voice and financial security.

It's already happening in some parts of the world with examples such as the teacher millionaires in South Korea who earn money from subscribers.

Will this level of success and independence happen in the United States?

These are the great hypothetical questions for the future of education. After all, if teachers don't develop this voice, independence, and level of direct public engagement, who will control how education and learning is designed and accessed in the future?

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

It's Thanksgiving week! It's that special time of the year when we recognize the special people and events in our lives. Then, after pausing to give thanks while eating lots of food, we will battle each other for parking spaces and limited quantities door buster sale items.

So, as you prepare for the Thursday midnight sales and Black Friday,

What technologies are on your shopping list this year?

Are you planning to buy technology for any children?

Cecilia Kang from the Washington Post published a timely article last week that examines if the expanding availability of education apps for kids on technology devices such as smartphones, iPads, and other tablets are good for children.

In the article, Kang cites a recent report from Common Sense Media that finds that even very young children are frequent digital media users.

COMPUTERS. Computer use is pervasive among very young children, with half (53%) of all 2- to 4-year- olds having ever used a computer, and nine out of ten (90%) 5- to 8-year-olds having done so. For many of these children, computer use is a regular occurrence: 22% of 5- to 8-year-olds use a computer at least once a day, and another 46% use it at least once a week. Even among 2- to 4-year-olds, 12% use a computer every day, with another 24% doing so at least once a week. Among all children who have used a computer, the average age at first use was just 3 ½ years old.

MOBILE MEDIA. Half (52%) of all children now have access to one of the newer mobile devices at home: either a smartphone (41%), a video iPod (21%), or an iPad or other tablet device (8%).

More than a quarter (29%) of all parents have down- loaded "apps" (applications used on mobile devices) for their children to use. And more than a third (38%) of children have ever used one of these newer mobile devices, including 10% of 0- to 1-year-olds, 39% of 2- to 4-year-olds, and 52% of 5- to 8-year-olds.

In a typical day, 11% of all 0- to 8-year olds use a cell phone, iPod, iPad, or similar device for media consumption, and those who do spend an average of 43 minutes doing so.

The full report is available here.

Kang also tells stories about how parents perceive the value of the technology. Some parents are convinced of the value of these devices and apps- from keeping children occupied while doing errands to helping students learn basic reading and math skills.

Others caution on misrepresenting the education value of these technologies, while experts like Harvard professor Howard Gardner points out that no technology can replace real world learning experiences.

Kang's article provides a balanced view of how different people are using these technologies with children.

Parents are like Educators

In trying to understand the potential applications, benefits, and challenges of using these technologies with children, perhaps parents are not that much different from educators.

Many parents and educators recognize the educational value of technology, being able to achieve a healthy balance in how technology supplements a well-rounded learning experience.

Some parents, just like some educators, may not be as successful in achieving this balance. They may see technology as only a quick Band-Aid solution to a deeper and more complex problem.

Sometimes, it's easier to buy the technology rather than address the underlying reasons for the problem.

And just as Howard Gardner remarks in the article that there is no app for encouraging imagination; unfortunately, there is no app to help parents or educators use technology wisely.

In the end, technology and apps are only tools. It's up to the user to use the tools appropriately and wisely.

But ultimately, we will use whatever tools are available to us in the best way we know how.

As the saying goes, "It is what it is..."

So, will you be buying any technology for children on Black Friday?

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Do you believe that all students will have tablet computers within 5 years?

Gene Munster, a senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, recently surveyed of 25 educational technology directors about their experiences and opinions of the potential of tablets in schools.

The results of the survey were discussed on sites such as Apple 2.0 on CNN, the The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), and the All Things D on the Wall Street Journal.

While Munster admits that the sample size of 25 Technology Directors is small, the opinions of technology directors are important since they often make decisions on technology policies.

Here are some of the interesting findings:

• All 25 technology directors are currently testing or deploying iPads in their schools. (Disclaimer: The school district I work in is also deploying iPads in schools.)
• None of these districts are deploying Android tablets.
• The current ratio of students to computers in the schools are 10:1.
• 17% already have one computer per student.
• Another 41% believe that their schools will reach one computer per student within 5 years.

Apple's former retail chief Ron Johnson's suggested that the current crop of students might be "the last generation with backpacks." In reviewing this survey, Apple 2.0's Philip Elmer-Dewitt suggested, "iPads in schools: 'The last generation with backpacks'?"

As a School Based Technology Specialist at a middle school, it's always interesting to see the enthusiasm and hype surrounding technology.

Personally, I'm a iPad fanatic. I've had an iPad since the first day of its release. My wife has an iPad 2.

This is what the iPad has replaced or enhanced in my personal life:

TV: With my subscriptions to Netflix and Hulu, I've cancelled my cable subscription and haven't looked back. For the latest shows not available online, the "season pass" on iTunes fills the gap nicely. The money saved from cable can go to new gadgets.

Casual Reading: Who needs paper based books? I read books through my Kindle App. For journal articles and other documents, I download them in PDF form and use GoodReader or iAnnotate for reading.

Most Desktop Computing: Who needs to sit at a desk hunched over the keyboard to use the computer? The iPad is more than capable for web browsing, answering email, and doing light work with Evernote. Since the iPad is a portable, I can use it anywhere.

Paper Notepads: With a stylus and the Note Taker HD app, I'm experimenting if I can do away with paper. Unfortunately, my handwriting is just as messy on the iPad as it is on regular paper. A cure for messy handwriting for adults- there is no app for that.

Music Tools: Who needs sheet music on paper when the Guitar Pro App has access to thousands of free sheet music and can even play the different instrumental parts of the song? Or, what about the Amazing Slow Downer that can slow down and repeat parts of songs for review and analysis? Or, what about GarageBand and other music recording Apps that can record what you play? And the n-Track Tuner App helps keep the strings in tune. All of these tools on an iPad....

Listening to Music: I don't use my stereo anymore since the iPad can multitask iTunes and other Apps. Now, I can listen to iTunes while using Safari. Having the Pandora and the Sirius XM Apps? All the music one needs.

Communication: With Facetime, Messages, and Skype, the iPad is a convenient communication device for real time chat and email.

File cabinet: With the Dropbox, all my documents are synchronized and available on my Windows desktop computer, MacbookPro, iPad, and iPhone.

So in my personal life, the iPad has replaced a lot of things. One would think that such a powerful device could easily replace the old-fashioned textbooks, notebooks, and backpacks for students.

But will the iPad replace the backpack?

iThinkNot!

As much as I like the iPad in my personal life, a tablet device has serious limitations for higher-level schoolwork.

I wrote about these limitations last year on "Schooled on my iPad." It's still true over a year and a half later.

It's not about the technology; it's about the limitations of screen size and multitasking.

If you have a tablet, try writing a research paper using only a tablet. It's very difficult to analyze more than one document, take notes, and write a draft on a word processor app all on the iPad. It can be done, it's just not very efficient.

If we want students to be proficient with research and higher level thinking skills, we should be careful about replacing the old technologies for the new. Technology should make the learning process easier, not harder or more complicated.

In terms of research, nothing beats a big desk where multiple books and articles can be spread around for quick access and analysis.

As much as I like my powerful iPad in my personal life, as an educator, I value our traditional old technologies of books, paper, pens, and yellow highlighters.

Perhaps someday educators will have the type of technology and interface from Minority Report. This could replace my large desk for research writing, but watching Tom Cruise manipulate the large 3-D graphical interface looks a little physically tiring to use.

Paper Endures, So Will the Backpack

And finally, Adobe announced last week that they will discontinue Flash development for mobile devices.

Why is this important? Because the digital textbooks from a large textbook publisher we use in my district require Flash.

Since Adobe will not develop Flash for mobile computers, like tablets and the iPad, that means that students cannot use iPads to access their digital textbooks until the next (Flash-less) version of the digital textbook or some kind of App is developed.

The paper textbook endures for a little longer. And so will the other old technologies whose functionalities cannot be easily replaced by the new, shinier technologies.

So enjoy the iPads for what they are best at, and let's stop trying to force them to replace tools that they shouldn't.

Posted by Patrick Ledesma at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend