Happy Holidays, 2011

Greeting card made with Smilebox

End of November

Where has November gone?

For those of you that follow me on Facebook you know that 11!11!11! had significance to me . . . the day came and proved to be spectacular! I had the day off and I was able to share with many friends and family members as well as was able to make new friends.

Some highlights from this month (some professional, some personal~how does one separate this anyway?)

• celebrated my eldest child's birthday 11/1/11
• attended Tripoli High School's Musical and assisted with the dinner theater, November 4&5
• attended my children's school conferences with many of their teachers (they are in 9th & 10th grade)
• attended the National Association for Interpretation national conference for one day in St. Paul~preparing for my adjunct course next semester (Intro to Natural History Interpretation) and connecting with friends
• on my return from St. Paul, 8 miles from home, deer meets Prius ($3800 damage; in shop November 11-28)
• 11!11!11! celebration
• Tripoli state VB Champions!! (attended November 10 & 12)
• Welcome baby shower to TQP family member Nora Mourlam (born 10/4/11)
• attended Benchmark training for the Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium (TPAC) in San Antonio~met new friends and thought deeply about what good teaching of science looks like
• attended movie "Breaking Dawn" with my daughters (not that good)
• watched my daughter, Megan, play her first JV BB game, November 22 (victory)
• my son, Austin, 15 get pneumonia and so in the hospital with him November 23-27~most unusual Thanksgiving ever
• completed my philosophy of educational leadership for my course (check my prezi: http://prezi.com/oo-xuyth6uzx/model-the-way-encourage-the-heart/
• attended first Tripoli varsity games at CAL, November 29 (victory)
• approval of the TQP IRB for UNI student clinical experiences! November 30

Life is a special occasion . . . celebrate!

Motherly Instincts and Education

 "In the final analysis, civilization itself will be measured by the way in which children live and by what chances they have in the world."  
                                                     Mary Heaton Vorse


This quote was used in a presentation by Dr. Marilyn Cochran-Smith while attending the TPAC Implementation Conference in San Diego. This thought has been turning around in my mind over the past several days and I caught myself mulling over it again today as I contemplated my "mothers" day. On this day nineteen years ago I became a mother . . . perhaps the most uniquely profound identifying experience I have had in my lifetime. The lens of a mother is like no other. The perspective of balancing holding on and letting go with the knowledge that providing the roots that will allow wings to grow is a huge measure of parenting success and one that allows me to fall back and regain focus when needed. The fierce fury of a mother moose or bear protecting their young alongside the nurturing notions that prods the progeny on to greatness is an image that I cling to and moves me on to fulfill my vision of leaving a message on Earth that "I was here".

As proud as I am of the three blessings that I am raising and sharing life's journey, I also find my mind turning to those that I have been fortunate to have taught in school. Last night while trick-or-treating, two siblings that have since begun raising their families, came by my house. The spark in their eyes upon recognition and the warm embrace and fond memories certainly filled my heart just as the recent time when driving through a local fast food window and greeted by a former student who exclaimed, "you were the best I ever knew!" allows my smile to shine stronger. The stories may go on and on until I stop to contemplate: what about those I didn't reach? What could I have done differently? 


So how might the entire profession of educators go about making certain that EACH child has extraordinary chances for success? This should be toward what we endeavor rather than belittling ourselves into the politics of which standards and which and how many test scores will matter. We need to move beyond the assembly line production thought to the individual creative process that is uniquely human for EACH child that exists. This will not necessarily be more work if we open our hearts and minds to view this as a labor of love. . . the type of love that mothers know best.





 

Happy Halloween

TQP Super Heroes!

Happy Halloween to each of you~

Here in our office we are celebrating both Halloween and our first successful Field Test with the TQP grant.

In the past few weeks 35 UNI Level 3 students were placed with 28 educators in our five rural partner districts: CAL, HLV, Midland, Springville, and West Fork. Nineteen of these students also stayed in the community with a staff or community member to further experience the life in a rural community.

Some of the highlights of this initial field test include:

•  district administrators praising the merits of the program
• UNI students participating in evening school activities with students
• elementary students wanting their new teachers to return
• home stay hosting families indicating that UNI students were well-mannered and gracious
• news reporters wanting to do stories about the new experience in the rural area
• married UNI students giving up family life for a week to truly experience the rural area as opposed to their life in Waterloo

There is much more information to gather from this field test but thanks to our Super Heroes we have the first round completed and ready for study to improve for the spring.

Leasha Henriksen: Field Placement Coordinator (recruited UNI students, matched them with cooperating teachers and coordinated home stay visits)
Leanne Lewis: coordinated all the travel arrangements, created the copies of consent forms, and in charge of storing and managing all financial and technical grant information
Daniel Mourlam: Technology Specialist (researched the appropriate equipment to record the lessons of our students, purchased the equipment, inventoried it and created manuals for the use of the recording and uploading tools)
Stacey Snyder: that's me . . . I surround myself with capable people and get out of their way! We actually work together well to get all pieces of the system to be in place to be able to gather data to inform the education profession.

Initiatives

This week the Governor's Office ushered out two initiatives.

The first, on Monday, October 3, consisted of a new plan for education transformation. You can read more about it here; or if you are on Twitter, check out the hashtag #IAedfuture for intriguing dialogue among educational leaders. This initiative seems so complex and so debatable on the merits of the plan.

The second came today, Friday, October 7. This was the Start Somewhere Walk initiative to make Iowa the Healthiest State. This initiative seems so simple and embraceable in its roots. Start somewhere and begin to get healthy. What a great message for our young learners.

Can the same be said for the blueprint? Is it a true original? Is the state of Iowa education as bleak as the measures used to describe it? Is the "solution" too prescriptive? Are we being allowed to grow through innovation, creativity and collaboration?

Let me know your thoughts~

In the meantime, here is a picture of some of our UNI TQP members after the walk today.

Have a glorious weekend!

One Year In The Life of TQP

It has been a year since I began my new position at UNI. As I reflect on what brought me here and the hopes of where we might take this program I am both bolstered and bewildered.

This takes some explanation. The opportunity to bring pK-12 and IHE to the same table is what brought me here in the first place. Some might say that would be "pie in the sky" thinking but what can I say? I am an optimistic idealist. So to that end, I can say we have made progress toward that. We have created partnerships between UNI faculty and staff and five rural, Iowa districts (CAL, HLV, Midland, Springville and West Fork). Having the chance to collaborate and talk about what each needs from one another may be a beginning of transforming teacher preparation at UNI.

I am also bewildered at the same prospect. Although our scale is small, if we get it right, there are implications for all Iowa districts and teacher prep programs. This is one aspect of the bewilderment. The other aspect is that of the newly-released (October 3) blueprint for educational transformation "One Unshakable Vision". Where is the opportunity to innovate? To create new connections without the evaluative ties of previous programs. Where is the student-centeredness that our youth so deserve? Much has been tweeted, chatted, and dialogued over the past few days and I feel the sense that more of us are not willing to sit and let it just happen to us.

Truly, the bolstering is stronger than the bewilderment. Here is a list of the UNI TQP Accomplishments in our first year:

• Hiring of staff (Program Manager, Project Coordinator, Technology Specialist, and Field Placement Coordinator)
• Completion of a research document outlining suggestions for transformative change
• Securing of 5 rural districts to serve with us as partners
• Recruitment of 12 UNI Faculty to have their Level 3 Methods students placed in the 5 partner districts
• Familiarization with the TPAC teacher performance assessment handbooks and development of a pre- student teaching document to use in the Fall 2011 Field Test
• Determination of how the video component of the field experience will be captured and uploaded
• Placement of 35 UNI Level 3 students in our 5 partner districts (ready for the field test to run October 17-November 4)

It has been an interesting year full of new people with which to interact, collaborate and grow. There have been moments when dealing with the ambiguity of the situation was nearly overwhelming. And yet now having come through those moments to see the opportunity to learn and create is truly powerful. Here is to year two!

Rural schools seeking

Rural schools seeking

Midland Community Schools is highlighted in this Iowa Public Radio segment on rural school challenges. Leasha Henriksen of the UNI TQP Team is included promoting our project to potential field experience students as well as Brian Rodenberg, Superintendent, and Kelli Kelck, Midland teacher.

Bugs

Bugs . . . bugs are on my mind.

Partly because today we had a praying mantis on the window of our fifth floor office in the Schindler Education Center on UNI's campus. As a biology teacher and naturalist I was instantly enamored.

The other reason is that something has been bugging me. The type of thing that has not necessarily been definable but just out there troubling me. Yesterday Leasha Henriksen and I were able to have a great discussion about the future of education in and the opportunities for change in Iowa. We were able to articulate two great questions that sprung for our talk. Amazingly today we read an article by Steve Denning http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/09/01/the-single-best-idea-for-reforming-k-12-education/ that touched on many of the points we had covered! (Thank you, Steve Denning, for helping me articulate some of my frustration.)

At issue is the "factory model of management" that has become the norm in our schools. This system is not necessarily healthy, effective or efficient. It can also be disheartening to the people within it. Denning suggests that one way to make the system more effective is by inspiring lifelong learning in our schools. Seems simple enough. Why do we need to block the way for this to happen with things like evaluation systems and tighter controls that inhibit creativity? As Denning puts it, lets stop our focus on things and shift our focus to people.

Roll With It

On Tuesday I went to Marshalltown to meet with 19 student teachers that have been selected to serve as an experimental group from UNI for the teacher performance assessment from TPAC (Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium). My theme for the night was "Roll With It". This is the first opportunity for UNI to use this evaluation document and I ended up referring to it as TWS on steroids. TWS (Teacher Work Sample) is the expected end product of all other current UNI student teachers. The "steroids" is a reference to two distinct differences that the TPA offers from the TWS: inclusion of academic language and documentation of performance through video.

I began the evening with small groups given a challenge. They were a task force created to determine what aspects would be seen in a classroom where effective teaching was witnessed. We then compared their lists to the key components of the TWS and the TPA. We noted all the similarities.

Then I emphasized the experimental nature of their opportunity to participate. Although I did this with a Far Side cartoon by Gary Larson, I did so in jest. This cartoon shows the experiment of early transportation where two people were tied by rope to a stone wheel on the top of the hill. We are going to "roll with it" although not blindly and not on top of a stone wheel rolling without concern for the passengers.

We ended the evening by viewing the subject specific handbooks and rubrics and answering questions. Keep these young pioneers in mind as they endeavor into the world of teaching entering in with the current national context of assessing performance with enhanced technology tools.

I took the opportunity to present to create my "first ever" Prezi. Although rough around the edges, I enjoyed the opportunity to create and play while bringing my thoughts together. http://prezi.com/gwk9vzvy8vek/teacher-performance-assessment/

Teacher or Teaching?

Our office has been having a discussion . . . should we be determining teacher (the noun) effectiveness or teaching (the verb) effectiveness? Weigh in . . .

Looking at Glass

Last week the Iowa TQP Team met with Jason Glass. It was my first time meeting our new Chief Learner, or Director, of the Iowa Department of Education. I had heard much and often read his tweets and occasionally read his blog so I had a sense of what I might expect. In my typical idealistic ways I decided to go in with an open mind and just listen to what his ideas were about teacher effectiveness and the direction of the grant. After all, how political could it be?

Everyone in the room agreed that Iowa needs a unified system of standards and evaluation from pre-service through career for educators. How we go about deriving these is where the division is apparent.

Currently there are disconnected pieces around the state. Higher education is tied to the InTASC standards. As an employee in PK-12 and AEA for much of the past 25 years, I had never heard of InTASC before last October when I began at UNI. Likewise, not all higher education folks have much working knowledge of the Iowa Teaching Standards, in part based on the Charlotte Danielson framework, by which all teachers in Iowa are evaluated. Each system offers highlights. Crosswalks between them show many similarities. Iowa has also joined on as a state in the Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium which is testing our subject based teacher performance assessments. Each of these also offer merit in the discussion. So where are we going? At this point it isn't clear, but (politically) we are expected to arrive there in 2013.

Our UNI TQP Team met yesterday to consider our direction and our hope to communicate what we understand about the goals of our current situation with the Iowa TQP grant. Here are the key points we would like to have known through our Looking Glass:

•       The outcome of Goals 2 & 3 of the ITQP grant is the creation of a unified system of standards and evaluation for pre-service through career teachers.

•      The use of the Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium’s teacher performance assessment handbook and rubrics, which are based on the InTASC standards, places us in the context of the national conversation around effective teaching.

•      The UNI portion of the ITQP grant mandates collaboration with rural LEAs to build capacity for a full-scale implementation of the new standards and evaluation system.

It is high time I get back to my blog . . . so much has been happening that I just haven't taken the time to get back to this. Now I will pick up where I left off last~the interview process.

We were able to interview five quality candidates for the position of Field Placement Coordinator. Each person could easily have filled the position with their varied strengths. Three rose to the top and then began the process of calling references. Here is where the difference was made. One person overwhelmingly surfaced to the top. We were able to hire this person and she began August 15. The characteristics that I sought in this new employee:

• comfort with ambiguity
• ability to be flexible
• demonstrated skills with working with a variety of people and infrastructures
• collaborative demeanor
• experience with supervising, mentoring, or coaching

have all been displayed in her first few weeks. Welcome Leasha Henriksen to the UNI TQP Team!

Applicant Pool

The Teacher Quality Partnership Team is seeking to hire a Field Placement Coordinator. I have often wondered what it would be like to have the opportunity to screen, interview and hire someone . . . and now I am living that moment.

For the past two days I have been reviewing materials from twenty-seven applicants. Reading letters and resumes has given me a new perspective on communicating and promoting one's self. When you rely only on the written word to allow others to get to know you, every word counts. Each word and how it connects to others is critical. Whether the word is spelled accurately or used in the proper context also leaves an impression. This reinforces the value and importance of proof reading your materials before submission.

Today I was able to make some phone calls to check some details for clarification. This made the people almost materialize off the paper. It made me excited to be able to make decisions about which ones to interview and be able to meet in person.

This is an exciting time . . . one that has caused me to pause and reflect. The reflection is on things that have gone well and the challenges of working for a grant project as well as what type of person will work well with the current team. What skills are the ones that we most need? Currently I see those as

• comfort with ambiguity
• ability to be flexible
• demonstrated skills with working with a variety of people and infrastructures
• collaborative demeanor
• experience with supervising, mentoring, or coaching

Three Key Women and Their Affect on Teacher Effectiveness

Yesterday was the first day of the Mentoring and Induction Institute at the Park Place Conference Center in Cedar Falls. It was an amazing day and one highlighted for me by three women and their perspective on teacher effectiveness.

Linda Darling Hammond began the conference through a live web-based presentation. She was able to make this environment work and to personalize her message to our event within a national lens. She offered these ten points as to what effective teachers do:
1) offer authentic learning experiences
2) provide intellectually ambitious tasks
3) use of a variety of strategies
4) assess learning to adapt and change and inform instruction
5) create scaffolding supports and sequences
6) provide standards and models on high quality work and offer feedback and opportunities for self analysis
7) develop collaborative classrooms
8) build links to families and communities
9) know students well
10) use each other as collaborative partners (teaching is a team sport!)

Then I was able to interact briefly at two times with Mildred Middleton, a generous educator of nearly 98 years (her birthday is 7/4)! She became UNI emeritus status through teaching as an adjunct and still passionately engages in education today.

Her message is given through a golden key (a treasure to keep forever) . . . it is a teacher's job to know when to "lock" and "unlock" the mind. Wow! Her thoughts brought tears to my eyes as the emotions of seeing both my grandmothers in her . . .  Later in the day she sat at the grand piano and played as many of us gathered to sing along.

Sarah Brown Wessling closed the night with her thoughts and perspectives of Teaching Spaces. She is the 2010 National Teacher of the Year and she has had a variety of opportunities to travel and reflect about teaching around the country and the world. Some points from her amazing sharing:

• We must meet learners where they are
• Our learners are worth being listened to
• We need to be the lead learner in our classroom
• In Iowa we GROW teachers (like corn)
• Intellectual Risk Taking as a teacher disposition
• We must nurture what we love
• Give permission to fail 
• We are architects, and architects are philosophers first
• Her secret is about deliberateness
• An extra set of eyes can open our world
• Make the implicit explicit through parallel experiences
• Stacking means filling compartments, layering creates beauty
• Humility is at the center of great teaching
• Voice is earned. Be present!
• We all have a lens . . . use it to help learners grow~

Thank you, ladies, my soul resonates with your thoughts and actions. You are true role models and leaders in our profession.

Universal Design for Learning

Today's session for the faculty redesign summit was Universal Design for Learning. Phyllis Anderson, a member of the CAST Faculty for UDL, served as our consultant.

Some new learning for me:

• this is a new way of thinking
• a conceptual framework to understand an approach to educating for all
• this approach originated in architecture 
• the principles offer the perspective that the curriculum is disabled, not people
• UDL offers the ultimate learning context for all to learn

There certainly is a plethora of resources available to use.

We spent several hours perusing what would the resources would offer.

Faculty Redesign Summit

Wow!

Day two of the summit is now completed. It has been good~very good!

Agenda June 1
     Introduction, Welcome
     Change and Design
     Teaching 2030
     Teacher Effectiveness
     Iowa Core: Content, Constructs, Characteristics

Agenda June 2
     Teacher Performance Assessment (TWS & TPA)
     Rural Education Realities with representatives from our partner districts
     Distribution of iPads

We have a wonderful group of twelve faculty that have been very open to the new ideas and actively participating in our discussions.

Some highlights include:

• Welcome and Introduction included four quotes and about change and growth. Each was to individually pick the one that resonated with them the most and physically go to that location. In small groups share the meaning behind it and then share out to the large group. Analogous to ooblek and stretch. Point brought back to design and Pink's book "A Whole New Mind". Designers are change agents. Change is both utilitarian and significant . . . with the ultimate goal of changing the world.
• Sharing of the pride for and passion about the partner districts. Each of our five partner districts (West Fork, Midland, Springville, CAL, HLV) gave a presentation about what they would like us to know about them. Phenomenal! From foundations being started to assist the school so that the tax base would not increase, to the donors that make certain that students are able to travel to Hancher Auditorium for cultural events and Washington DC, to the power of 1:1 initiatives for motivation for learning, to the stories of first generation high school graduates, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with these people.
• The modeling of blended learning through the use of Blackboard Learn to house some of our course. Dan and I learned about it the week before and it is gratifying to be able to put it to such relevant use.
• The arrival of the iPads! These will be tools for the work in the districts. I received one too!

Tomorrow the highlight is UDL, Monday will be blended learning and using technology tools, and Tuesday will be Response to Intervention.

After all the dreaming and hoping and planning, it is good to see some of the pieces falling into place.

TQP Updates

As I said in my earlier post today, I have not been as faithful to this blog as I had hoped to be. Today I would like to share some updates on our work . . .

• Research Team: The research team has "completed" their phase of the journey. It is now up to the Collaborative Team to take the information gleaned from the research and determine a definition of teacher effectiveness that can be measured and used to gauge the success of the pilot.
• Faculty Recruitment: We have a strong team of 12 UNI methods instructors that are ready to embrace the process of change in redesigning their course to reflect the challenge of creating the environment to prepare candidates for effective teaching in rural districts.
• The TQP Team has been busy preparing for the instruction and workshop leadership for what we are calling the Faculty Redesign Summit. This summit will occur June 1-7 on the UNI Campus
• The UNI TQP Assessment Team has met several times to address the determination of baseline data needed to assess the progress toward the goals of the grant and the pilot
• Dan and I have begun training through both Quality Matters and Education Technology Online Learning to prepare and facilitate online courses. Dan has been instrumental in getting our first course (a blended learning format) up for next week's summit. I have been pleased that the learning I received on Monday has now been put to use as I was able to upload files to the learning modules for our use. (My own celebration!)

Panther Transition

Hello, Blog!

Hopefully I can make a return . . . my absence was consumed with the normal everyday things of life and also preparing for and participating in the graduation from high school of my eldest daughter. What a wonderful experience!

She had quite an experience as Tripoli Panther. I am proud of her decisions to be well-rounded. Here are some highlights of her participation:

9th: volleyball, Mock Trial (to state competition), musical, track letter, SADD, academic letter, softball manager letter
10th: cross country, Mock Trial, musical, track, SADD, academic letter, National Honor Society
11th: cross country, Mock Trial, musical, State Physics Olympics, SADD, academic letter
12th: Mock Trial, musical, Envirothon, State National History Day, FFA, SADD, academic letter, track manager letter, NHS President

At commencement she was honored with the Phil M. Snyder Memorial Scholarship and the American Bar Association Citizenship Award. Yes, I am proud!

Next year she will transition to a UNI Panther.
Best wishes to you, Erica!
I love you,
Mom

Michelle Obama at UNI Commencement

From the moment I heard that Michelle Obama would be UNI's commencement speaker I knew that I wanted to be part of that moment in history. Initially I was concerned that I did not know anyone graduating so I thought I might not be able to attend. But soon it was announced that faculty and staff would be allowed to get tickets. So the day came that staff could receive their two tickets and I strolled across campus to secure my pair.

My first choice to attend with me was my eighteen year old daughter. She considered it, until she received more homework for the weekend prior to graduation than she had received all year. So my friend Kristie attended together. So glad I did!

Her address was moving. From the moment she began with her assertion that embracing family may be the highest value we can seek to attain to her ending of thanking Iowans for our generosity, willingness to serve and ability to accept diversity.

It was a delightful message that unfortunately was overshadowed by my desire to question my ability to accept diversity. This has come naturally to me. But the situation that transpired behind me in the UNI Dome was appalling.

We arrived and were seated by 10:30 am for the 11:00 am start with no issues getting through security. The processional lasted approximately 16 minutes and then it was time for the National Anthem, sung superbly by a UNI tenor. My anticipation to hear Michelle's words were overcome by what happened during the Star Spangled Banner. There were three adults and a toddler that had seated themselves behind us shorty before 11. They spoke fairly loudly in a language that I could not understand. Not all that unusual for UNI and I figured they would settle in and enjoy the ceremony once it begun. There I was wrong.

Through the corner of my eye I noticed the man directly behind me did not rise when the National Anthem began. While I found this rude (the others in his party did), what happened next enraged me. His cell phone rang during the song and he not only answered it but continued to talk in his very loud voice for nearly half the song! Sigh. We accept people into our country, they attend our universities and they choose to disrespect our us in this way?! Parts of me wanted to go find the nearest security guard and ask him to check into this. My head turned and caught the eye of the man with the rude, disrespecting one. This had no effect, or perhaps the opposite, but I have no way of knowing as I could not understand their conversation. More than once I thought about asking them to please be quiet but wondered if they even understood English. Then I thought about going to ask a security guard to deal with this fellow, but I never moved. He took another phone call and continued to speak throughout the entire time I was there.

But getting back to the heart of the matter . . . Michelle said she felt like Iowa was family, like another home to her. She appreciated all she and her husband had received during the campaign trail. Her story was genuine, her passion shown. She is a class act and one that I am glad I was able to hear and see.

Reading the newspaper accounts it seems that many took away the message about the ultimate service of those Nave SEALS that were delivered to the Osama bin Laden compound. Although I do not disagree, it   was discouraging to me to read that this was the highlight of her speech. For me and my friend, Kristie, the message was loud and clear: Family is the ultimate.

Happy Mother's Day . . . Happy Family Time~

Iowa 1:! (#i11i)

Yesterday part of the TQP Team (Dan, Mary and I) traveled to Des Moines for the second annual 1:1 Conference. By my understanding last year there were approximately 600 in attendance. This year, over 1300! What volumes this speaks for the spread of momentum of using personal/mobile computing devices in education. This is also one of the reasons for the TQP Team to be on the scene.One of our Partnership Districts, CAL, is already a 1:1 school. The district brought each and every faculty member to the conference yesterday! Two districts: West Fork and Midland are both getting geared up to begin in the 2012-13 school year.

Another reason to attend is how will Higher Ed address the challenge of preparing teachers to enter into the teaching profession with the skills to teach in a 1:1 or Next Generation classroom? Several UNI faculty and staff were on hand to listen to feedback in one of the sessions.

What did I glean from the sessions I attended:?

1) There is a lot of excitement about 1:1
2) Not everybody is on the same page for what using mobile technology can mean in the classroom
3) Not everybody models the possibilities in their sessions to be able to gain new skills/awareness

Specific ideas that I can apply in the work of the TQP grant:

• Engage in a Community of Practice/PLC around using mobile devices in education settings
• Model the use of technology in ways that leads to effective instruction and increases learner achievement
• Take advantage of the Online Repository
• Embrace that the new ecology of learning is no longer about consumption but rather production

I enjoyed my first event and hope to venture there again. It was fun to network with some new folks and to also run into some I haven't seen in years (Steve Bruder, Deb Nagle and Joan Redalen). My interactions with those at the booths were entertaining and engaging (and I hope I win something in addition to the fun yo-yo). It was also a new experience to attend a conference where each person was to create their own name tag. Thankfully for me I have a great computer technology specialist that prepared one for me complete with QR codes! How cool is that?

TQP Progress

On April 11 the TQP Collaborative Team convened for the first time. This group is charged with taking the information gathered by the Research Team and determining a "definition" of effective teaching that can be used by the Assessment Team to determine measurable methods of expressing effectiveness.

The Collaborative Team was facilitated by Elaine Bright-Smith of Drake University. She opened the meeting asking us to interact with people around the room in talking about a variety of questions . . . such as which teacher first challenged you?(Mrs. Schlicting with 4th grade spelling) Which teacher do you consider a mentor? (John Poock) What is the premier quality of an effective teacher (passion for kids and teaching/learning)

We were also treated with watching an interview of the National Teacher of the Year, Sarah Brown-Wessling, answering questions around teacher effectiveness. She is truly an eloquent speaker! Three of the things that she considers characteristics of effective teaching are passion, intentionality and deconstruction.

The day ended with a brief overview of the research document that is still under revision. Each member is asked to read and reflect on the 100 page document and be ready for the next meeting on May 4.


On April 18 the TQP Advisory Board met for the second time. The anniversary date for the TQP funding was April 5th. This group is to meet twice a year so we are on track.

Kevin Feldman presided at the meeting.
Mary Beth Schroeder Fracek offered an overview of the grant.
I offered a summary piece of reflective feedback from participant comments from the December meeting.
Jay Pennington offered an update on the RFP for the technology platform.
Mary Herring and Nadene Davidson offered a summary of the Research Team work and the Evolution of the Model of Qualities of Effective Teaching Continuum
Several DE employees talked about grant supported summer projects
The Teacher Effectiveness Interview of Sarah Brown-Wessling was shown.

The day ended with an opportunity to offer ideas or questions about the day and the upcoming process as we begin year two of the five year process.

Getting ready for Graduation

Announcement personalized with Smilebox

Emerging Attributes of Effective Teaching

The UNI TQP Research Team has developed these models that we welcome feedback/input. We anticipate this model (to be revised upon informed feedback) to be used in guiding a pilot study and potential implications for future teacher preparation, mentoring and induction.

Again, your thoughtful, informed feedback is welcome.

Past

Present

Future

When Logic Doesn't Seem Necessarily Logical

Ever since I started this position back in October I was told that Logic Models would need to be developed. I did a bit of background research on them, happened to be in a state science leadership team where we were developing one, attended a webinar on designing them, and read some materials forwarded to me about them. So I had some background about what they are, the components and even why they could prove valuable. The thing I lacked was experience developing them.

So by December I sat down and over a period of a couple days cranked out some ideas for Logic Models to guide the work of our grant. There are 3 goals to our grant and a total of 12 objectives under these goals. This seemed a logical enough place to start in my mind. So I did. There are 12 models anyway, not sure of the logic. Particularly when I think about the whole idea behind a Logic Model, to help in planning a project. How was I ever going to plan a five year project of this immensity alone? That is illogical.

Then on Tuesday our UNI TQP team met with the DE TQP team and the University of Iowa Evaluation team and got down to the (logical) business of Logic Models. Don Yarbrough started off the day with background information so that we were all (logically) on the same page, so to speak. His analogies were good for me and helped some. He likened Logic Models to an X-ray in that they show the anatomy and physiology of a project. The Bone Structure are the 5 features: needs & beneficiaries, resources & inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. When he used the phrase starting with the end in mind, I found a connection. It makes sense to start with a specific outcome and backwards map. Aha, I thought, I may be onto something. And then the non-logical point for me came. That is that Logic Models only make sense if they are in a deep level of detail. Wow, there goes the game for the random, non-sequential thinker that I am . . .

But back to the Logic Models. It does now make sense to not map for each of the objectives and it also makes sense that some of the outcomes will feed each other and some are parallel existers and influencers. As Don said, the process and the models are organic. I can live with that logic.

Now to the business of building models on things like Collaborative Team, Assessment Team, Faculty Recruitment, and Pilot Development. Logic Models, where did they ever get that name? How about Planning Maps? or Outcome Evaluation?

Wish me well as I sit down and try to pick up from where our group left off on Tuesday . . .

Creed for Iowa's Department of Education

This was in the Iowa School Leader Update that I read today. I found it very interesting . . . 

THE DEPARTMENT’S CREED FOR IOWA … from Jason Glass, Director

Leadership 

Leadership is the confrontation of important problems in creative ways. Real leadership is not a title and it is not con-veyed via formal authority. Rather, it comes from those willing to seize the moments to make things better that pass most of us by every day. Our leaders are throughout this organization and push at the edges of their formal authority, stepping out to confront what needs to be done and enlisting others to join in the effort. 

Innovation 

Innovation happens when people take reasonable risks toward a greater goal and are willing to fail. But just trying and failing does not lead to innovation. We must be dedicated enough to learn, adapt, and try again until we succeed. Fear is the innovation killer. Fear paralyzes our creativity and our ability to function at our best. We must have the courage to risk in spite of our fears. In the long run, failing to grow and adapt is the most significant and persistent threat we face. 

Service 

This department’s highest value is service to others. We hold ourselves accountable to treating all those with whom we interact with dignity, respect, and love. Our paradigm is to build capacity and work with people to help them accomplish more than they could alone. Our role is not to oversee, but rather to be in service of. Real service is neither authoritarian nor enabling - it is empowering. 

The point about leadership leads me to something else I read today in Seth Godin's recent blog on Initiative. "Initiative is taken, not given." Love this! Reminds me of the many times that I begged for forgiveness rather than asked in advance for permission.

So, having said that, achieving a balance of allowing initiative without fear of being micro-managed may be the environment that effective teachers flourish in best.

Rural or Urban Perspective

Perspective . . .

It has been a week since my return from New York City.

One theme that keeps entering my mind is that of perspective. As hard as it is for me to fathom what it must be like to teach in an inner-city school, I imagine it must be as difficult for inner-city educators to fathom a rural district. Much of the talk I hear and read about the condition of education in our nation centers around the urban schools.
Pondering this today prompted me to check a few statistics. . . by sheer numbers I can imagine why us rural folks must seem like a blip on the radar. For instance, in New York City alone there is a student population of 1.1 million in public schools. In Iowa, the number is 468,689 public school pupils as reported in October 2010. Wow. Perspective . . .

And then I wonder, does size matter? People are people, right?

But context does matter. Having a sense of place and knowing that place is central to our being. Certainly there are essential features that exist for educators that are the same no matter which setting of teaching and there are essential characteristics of students no matter which location they may be. But the subtle nuances that influence life in a city versus life in a community of eleven hundred people are distinct and matter; particular to those that live in these areas.

Teacher turnover is an issue I hear about in both urban and rural districts but I wonder how similar the reasons for the turnover might be? I heard those at the conference speak that in urban districts much of that turnover is due to burn-out and not being necessarily prepared for the realities faced in the classroom. That this becomes a retention (to the field) issue. In a recent conversation with an Iowa superintendent of a rural district where educators have two years of mentoring and induction before being permanently licensed, the issue is more of turnover due to wanting a life in a bigger community.

No matter the reason, no matter the location, turnover is an issue for the heart of education: our students. When turnover is high we lose consistency. Our children deserve better. So the vantage point of rural or urban perspective may not be heart of the matter at all. Instead, perhaps it is how we as educators embrace our context and offer our perspective to those we teach.

Promises and Pitfalls of Improving the Teaching Profession

This is the conference I attended coordinated by the Education Writer’s Association (and sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation) on February 18, 2011, in New York City.


One of the best resources to use to learn more about it, if you are interested, is the following:


http://bubbler.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/ewa-conference/#comment-17637.




For a "wide open spaces" type of girl, New York City was a stimulating, eye-opening experience.  My flight arrived shortly before 4 pm Eastern time.  When I stepped out of La Guardia to catch a cab the city felt strangely welcoming . . . perhaps it was the 4 pm sun and the promise of a date in Central Park. When I arrived at the Radisson at Lexington and 47th I checked into my 21st floor room and wasted no time in organizing my pack.  Armed with my map, phone, camera, and GPS (which didn't receive signals amongst the skyscrapers), I was off to Central Park.  I was blessed to be in NYC during unseasonably mild temperatures~by 5 pm when I reached the park I viewed a digital thermometer on the top of a skyscraper that read 57 degrees!  The walk was pleasantly easy although I was acutely aware of traffic~largely consisting of cabs~with an incessant and intermittent urgency of motion marked by nearly constant honking. . . almost like its own language.  Lining the perimeter of the park were the horse drawn carriages and then I welcomed the embrace of the green space and rock outcroppings.  I noted no bird life or squirrels in my few hours in the park which I found quite strange.


I walked 5th Avenue back to the hotel and I happened upon FAO Schwartz and I couldn't resist the opportunity to play "Big" on the piano there!  Then I ventured to "Josie's" where I met up with other educators attending the conference: Steve, Ken, David, Mark, Peggy and Ariel.  The conversation was good and the food was excellent!  (I had pumpkin ravioli with asparagus, mushrooms, leeks, tomatoes and shrimp in marsala cream sauce).


The next morning I went to Rockefeller Center and took in the Today Show for 45 minutes before the conference.  What an experience to see Al up close and to have Meredith and Matt wave from the studio as we peered in the window from the street!  Mom thinks she saw me and I am pretty certain I was on at 7:03 and 7:37.  Unfortunately, Erica, my Today show watcher at home, had to be at school for Envirothon practice and missed my debut!


Then the conference.  What an opportunity!  I took in every word and eventually found the opportunity to share my voice . . . that of the rural piece. 


Then after the conference I decided to walk to Times Square.  What a feast for the eyes and senses.  Not sure it was a delightful feast, though.  I was amazed as to the amount of police officers there . . . not sure I have ever felt so safe and vulnerable at the same moment.  Ask me about it sometime . . . 


Then I hailed a cab at 4 am the next morning to return home to the wide open spaces and prairies of Iowa.  There's no place like home . . .

Elevating the Prestige of the Teaching Profession

In light of what is happening in Wisconsin my mind wandered today to a comment shared by Kate Walsh, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality, at the EWA/Carnegie Corporation conference I attended Friday, February 18 in New York City.  The gist of her comment was "teaching is the only industry where we seem to downplay being smart as a desired quality in candidates" in reference to teacher preparation.

Sometimes I have that impression but I know there are those of us that do not make that true.  And then I cringe when I think of how many in the profession I have met that share comments like, "I went into teaching because I wanted to coach" or "since I didn't get into med school I figured I might as well just teach" . . .  (sigh)

As a parent I truly want only the best of the best messing with the minds of my child. Teachers have a large part of shaping the minds of young learners and I do not want just anyone offered the privilege to do so.  As a teacher I recognize the awesome responsibility placed upon me to work with the minds of those learners in which I interact.  As a citizen, just as I do not want an ineffective or inexperienced brain surgeon allowed to perform surgery on me or a loved one, I also do not want an ineffective or inexperienced teacher facilitating instruction of students.

So what is our role of educators to promote the profession and push for high standards?

Some of my thoughts include the following:

• advocating for quality mentors and mentor training for early year teachers
• encouraging IHE and P-12 conversations to ensure that what goes in is what is needed coming out
• demanding teachers receive uninterrupted, sufficient periods of time to collaborate
• respecting ourselves as a profession and promoting a positive image to the public
• continue to learn professionally each day
• intentionally planning time to be reflective about our practice

Please join in with your thoughts on what we can do to elevate the prestige of our profession so that we offer the best to our children, the reason we became teachers in the first place . . .

Just What is Effective Teaching?

On Friday, February 18, I had the opportunity to participate as one of 13 educators in the Education Writers Association (EWA) seminar entitled "The Promise and Pitfalls of Improving the Teaching Profession".  I stumbled upon the following tweet on January 11, 2011:

jasonglassIA Jason E. Glass

Would be great to have IA represented: RT @lindaperlstein: Talking teacher effectiveness in NYC. http://bit.ly/ekJp7k. FREE!

Three things caught my eye: 1) effectiveness (which is what our TQP grant is designed to develop and ultimately measure)  2) Iowa representation (encouraged and hoped for by our new Department of Education Director)  and  3) FREE!   So I followed the link; learned that Linda Perlstein was seeking education bloggers to attend; and applied.  Shortly thereafter I learned that I was selected to attend.

In addition to the 13 educator bloggers as mentioned above, also attending were representatives from the Carnegie Corporation (sponsoring organization) and Education Writers Association, 38 journalists, and representatives from a variety of organizations as panelists.  With journalists representing such places as the Washington Post, San Antonio Express-News, Wilmington News Journal, Baltimore Sun, the Associated Press, Seattle Times, New York Times and the Harvard Education Letter and educators from New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., it was clear me to that I was the only voice for rural education in the room.  Initially I felt I may be even the only Midwesterner but was happy to learn that there were journalists from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Catalyst Chicago.

Although I am still reflecting on assimilating all the information shared that day, as well as intertwining it with my first-ever visit to New York City, I have a few tidbits to share.

 

The national arena seems to have shifted the conversation about teacher quality (a certified and qualified teacher in every classroom) to teacher effectiveness without necessarily defining what is meant by an effective teacher.  Studies have shown that the single most important element in improving student learning and achievement is the teacher.  The Carnegie Corporation asserted in their opening remarks that the "excellent" teacher is what is sought.  So what is this elusive teacher (whether we use the word quality, effective, or excellent)?

For the work of our grant we have been viewing the definition in "Approaches to evaluating teacher effectiveness: A research synthesis" by Goe, Bell, Little  http://www.tqsource.org/publications/teacherEffectiveness.php 

This asserts that Effective Teachers:

• Have high expectations for all students and help students learn
• Contribute to positive academic, attitudinal, and social outcomes for students
• Use diverse resources to plan and structure engaging learning opportunities; monitor student progress formatively, adapting instruction as needed; and evaluate learning using multiple sources of evidence
• Contribute to the development of classrooms and schools that value diversity and civic-mindedness
• Collaborate with other teachers, administrators, parents, and education professionals to ensure student success

Our review of literature asserts that there may be emerging attributes beyond this which we are attempting to incorporate into our model (see previous blog, "Emerging Attributes of Effective Teaching")

 

Throughout the day various people spoke about and around teacher effectiveness.  At the same time I never felt the sense that we all had the same definition from which we were operating.  To me, this is a tragedy.  Not one that cannot be overcome, but one that does not serve the teaching profession well.  The era of measuring effectiveness is upon us.  Until we, as educators, can agree on measurable ways to evaluate our performance and not merely those of our students, then I am not certain we are acting as the true professionals we purport to be.  The time is now for us as educators to clearly articulate what it is that effective or excellent teachers do, before this definition or measurement is thrust upon us from outside.

I welcome your feedback and hope that a discussion can ensue around this notion. 

Past, Present and Future Models

Yesterday I posted about the models our research team has developed in hopes of gaining feedback.  The photo I posted in the blog was taken from a PDF developed to create a 4'x4' poster for our initial presentation.  The models are very small in that image so I am posting screen shots taken from each of the three models in hopes that you can see and read these more clearly.

Model of the Past

Model of the Present

Model for the Future

Hoping to hear some feedback!  :)  

      Thank you~

Emerging Attributes of Effective Teaching

On Friday, February 11, the Office of Sponsored Programs at UNI offered the 2011 Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creativity.  Our Teacher Quality Partnership research team created a poster to share during the poster session on the synthesis we are in the midst of preparing that will provide a foundation for our future work with the grant.

You can view a smaller version of the poster here:

What we particularly seek feedback on is the three models arranged at the top of the document.  The review of the past literature about the relationship between student and teacher is reflected in the first.  The second shows what we feel represents the current (in contemporary leadership classrooms) scenario.  The third reflects what we see beginning to emerge as what teaching and learning needs to become.

If you can take the time to offer your thoughts we welcome them here or by commenting at our webpage www.uni.edu/tqp

Bloom where you are . . .

When I arrived at my office this morning I was surprised to find a rock sitting on my mousepad.  This wasn't just any rock but rather one with the words "Bloom where you are" in calligraphy.  Interesting Valentine's Day gift.  And a very intriguing gift considering some of the inner turmoil I have been feeling about my current work and professional growth.

This leads to the question running through my mind . . . a coincidence that this shows up now or was it strategically placed there by someone trying to send a message of reassurance.  The answer is not clear to me but the question has flitted in and out of my mind throughout the day.

Last Friday it was announced that fifty people would have their contracts terminated at Grant Wood AEA, my former place of employment prior to accepting this position in October.  Some of those people I knew and can only begin to wonder what they must be feeling.  My family has inquired about what might that have meant for me had I been there . . . my response is always, when one door is shut, another is opened.  Opportunities arise all the time . . .

So back to the "bloom where you are" . . . Indeed, I do believe I bloom where ever I am.  Sometimes the brilliance of the bloom may depend on the prairie diversity in which you find yourself or from which perspective the viewing is occurring.  Blooming relies on nurturing and nutrients as well as timing.  And for those that refuse not to bloom, transplanting is also an option.

The mild temperatures the past few days does have my mind wandering to the blooming that soon will occur in the spring.  As I sit in my perch (chair) overlooking campus I can see deciduous trees that invariably are readying there buds to burst and I note that the grass, though dormant now, will soon be ready to grow.  It makes me wonder if the skunk cabbage and pasque flowers are blooming and then this leads me to thinking about the hikes I have taken with friends to specific Iowa locations to see these in bloom.

Yes, it is a good thing to bloom where you are.  Happy Blooming to you!

Collaboration

Yesterday I was invited to join in a conversation with other UNI grant project leaders about what our grants entailed and anticipated outcomes.  With the loss of earmarks it has been decided that strategic transitioning planning will offer greater opportunity for the university and in the long run may allow us to tear down our silos.  (Paraphrase from Christie Twait).

It was a very interesting meeting and I could see the excitement swell in the eyes of the participants as they saw interconnections and similarities that may offer us all a way to pool resources.  Some of the areas that have potential for this sharing just after the short meeting include: performance assessment methodology, platform for storing electronic data, web design, literacy coaches, survey development.

There are many exciting projects on campus that have potential to effect the effectiveness of education in a variety of ways.  Some of those represented or suggested for inclusion in further discussions were: the Jacobson Center for Comprehensive Literacy, SOAR, Early Childhood Special Education, and CEE STEM.

It is my hope to have many more of these discussions in the future.

Engaging Screenagers

"Education has to change. We can't pull kids into learning in school if they are engaged in a different world outside school."


I ran across this quote today online in Educational Leadership. . . I could not find to whom to directly attribute this thought, but I know I like it.  This is so true!


Many kids have found engaging ways of learning by experimenting with a variety of online formats and tools.  These "screenagers" are digital natives that have little fear and are willing to spend hours upon hours discovering in front of a screen.


Today happens to be a snow day for many screenagers in the state of Iowa.  With several inches of snow on the ground, more on the way and the winds blowing, the blizzard and winter storm warnings have kept many at home.  To be captivated in a profession that allows me the luxury to work from home is splendid.  Sure there are a few distractions when the kids are home as well, but there are also insights.


For example, take my three children.  They each are absorbed in their own form of screen learning today.


Child one:  Good Morning America, History Channel, Food Channel, Discovery.  From the sound bytes I have caught she now knows about sites to visit in Washington DC, a new meal to try for supper, and what is happening in Egypt.  Hope supper is good!


Child two:  Three friends over competing on some XBox game.  The silence of focused concentration is intermittently broken by giggles, strategy discussions and surprises uttered about onscreen moves. Definitely a social event and team planning as well.


Child three:  Reading a book with iPod in hand for music and Facebook interactions.


Maybe after work I can gather them all together for a game of Monopoly or Yahtzee . . . but they will probably talk me into Wii bowling or Scene It.  The grasp of the digital allure  . . . how best to capture it and engage our teens?  Let them do the talking and the answers may be surprising.


Enjoy your snow day~

TPAC Training the Trainers

TPAC (Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium)

The past two days I shared time at the Westin Hotel in Columbus, Ohio, with several educators from across the nation in a training to learn to evaluate performance assessments for teacher candidates.  Specifically I was trained in the area of science performance assessments.  There were participants in the science training from Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington and Massachusetts.  I was excited to meet another Iowa, Ted Neal, from the University of Iowa.  Although the two of us have many questions as to how this will roll out in the state, we were both pleased to consider that we may be able to train others together as a team.

The TPA is currently in the field test stage.  Accelerated states such as Minnesota, Washington and Ohio are already beginning to embed the prompts and rubrics into their course work and anticipate scoring these yet this spring.  Once results from this field test are analyzed, the information will be used to revise the documents and "finalize" TPA materials for a pilot study.

The trainer in Science was Fred Freking from USC.  He is quite experienced with the PACT (Performance Assessment of California Teachers) and did a good job of overviewing our tasks as trainers.  It seems that two key things to keep in mind when scoring are: seeking evidence and then determining a preponderance of the evidence.  We noticed how easily our biases came into play and continually found ourselves being reminded to look for evidence in the narrative and the videos.

The process consisted of starting with reviewed/scored rubrics (benchmarks) and comparing our scoring of the evidence to determine a match.  We began with a benchmark of 2 on Thursday.  Then today we completed the 1 and 3 benchmarks. There are 11 components that are reviewed on the TPA, all on a 4 point scale where a one is a "failing' mark and will need to be re-scored and then potentially revised by the teacher candidate.  Now that we have been trained, our next step is to be calibrated.  We will have two weeks within which to complete the calibration process.  It is estimated that scoring a TPA will take between 2-5 hours.  To be successful our marks must match the reviewers in 6 of 11 rubrics and the others must not be off by more than one.

The 11 rubric components are as follows: 3 in Planning, 3 in Instruction, 2 in Assessment, 1 in Reflection and 2 in Academic Language.  The process is still a bit raw and rough and as long as I continued to remind myself of that, I was OK.  Part of the problem is that we are dealing with TPA rubrics and PACT portfolios as the TPA portfolios and benchmarks do not yet exist.  Hopefully these will be available by October 2011.

The burning questions that I have include:

• will these TPAs be used by candidates and candidate preparation programs to inform improvement or are they a glorified hoop jumping process
• there appears to be a bit of disconnect in the rubrics yet between "next steps" taken that inform instruction (formative assessment) and "next time" I teach I would do such and such different
• is this a fair form to use if this eventually gets tied to teacher pay