Lisa Nielsen 2013-05-24T21:39:16-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=lisa-nielsen Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Lisa Nielsen Good old fashioned elbow grease. Is the Common Core an Attack on Progressive Education? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2802147 2013-03-03T19:07:48-05:00 2013-05-03T05:12:01-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ Common Core State Standards (CCSS) come to a school near you, it is important to note that many see this as a movement away from progressive, personalized, child-centered learning promoted by places like the Coalition of Essential Schools.

This was brought to light at an event held last week by the Center for State and Local Leadership at the Manhattan Institute where Sol Stern moderated a panel that included the Florida DOE commissioner, the head of the Core Knowledge Foundation, the NYS Board of Regents Chancellor and a Policy Fellow from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Stern lead with opening remarks from his article The Curriculum Reformation. In it he explains that "new national standards will prod schools to return to content-based education." Stern explains that in essence the CCSS is "calling for a restoration of the content-based, grade-by-grade curriculum in K-12 education" proposed by E.D. Hirsh (see E. D. Hirsch's Curriculum for Democracy, Autumn 2009). Hirsh has developed the Core Knowledge Curriculum and created the Core Knowledge Foundation to help spread the word.

In the article, Stern points to a current problem with our nation's education system being that our teachers, "instead of learning about the evidence supporting content knowledge in the classroom, are force-fed a toxic diet of radical political tracts by 'education theorists' like Paulo Freire, William Ayers, and Jonathan Kozol."

Specifically under attack is Lucy Calkins's child-centered instructional workshop model which Stern says is "based on the Romantic philosophy that all children are natural readers and writers." He explains a child-centered approach to learning is the "antithesis of the explicit teaching of phonics and academic content required in Hirsch's early childhood reading curriculum." This is despite ever-growing evidence (see Sugata Mitra's latest TED Talk or Peter Gray's reading research and new book Free to Learn) that children learn effectively when internally motivated and not when they are force fed a curriculum of someone else's choosing.

Robert Pondiscio, Vice President at Hirsh's Core Knowledge Foundation, couldn't agree more about a distaste for the balanced literacy approach. He tweeted about the approach not being a part of the CCSS.

Unlike my experience with balanced literacy, where students were enthusiastic about reading and writing and their test scores improved, Pondiscio found it damaged the children with whom he worked. He shared why earlier this year in The Atlantic. Hirsh and Pondiscio are not alone in this interpretation. Kathleen Porter-Magee, Senior Director of the High Quality Standards Program at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute is a Common Core Watch blogger who took on Lucy Calkins directly in this article.

Porter-Magee explains the workshop approach is designed to help match books to readers--the precise opposite of what the Common Core demands. She says the purpose of the workshop model is to give students "just right" texts (i.e. books at their reading level) rather than grade-appropriate texts (i.e. books that may be far above or below their reading level) --exactly the practice that the Common Core seeks to end.

This is frightening.

This back-to-basics approach champions grouping kids by date of manufacture and teaching them all the same thing at the same time regardless of their developmental or language differences. In other words, it sets them up for failure. And many do indeed believe the CCSS are setting them up for failure.

As teacher dropout Kris L. Nielsen uncovers in his recently released book, Children of the Core, the CCSS is the foundation of a movement that will not only cause students with special needs to fail, but also sets up all school-aged children to see their futures narrowed. This means they will be set up not only to fail in school, but they will also struggle to be successful in an increasingly complex world.

This point was made during the Curriculum Counts event, where several of the aforementioned individuals were in attendance or sitting on the panel. One attendee, Peter Goodman who writes Ed in the Apple posed a question. He explained he was at an education event with about one hundred parents, teachers, and elected officials of color. He said that one elected official said tests are culturally biased and the purpose is to drive our kids through the prison pipeline. He shared that the comment got huge applause. Goodman asked, "How will you connect with those who are suspicious?"

Merryl Tisch, The Chancellor of the New York Board of Regents answered by sharing a story about inspiring parents to want something more for their children (watch here at about 1:15). I liked Merryl's story of inspiration, but as was recently reported in Education Week, even as the Common Core State Standards are being put into practice across most of the country, more than two-thirds of teachers said they were not well enough prepared to teach the standards to English-language learners (ELLs) or students with disabilities. More than half said they were not yet ready to teach them to low-income students or those considered at risk of academic failure.

This is not surprising.

When we insist on measuring the performance of students with cognitive disabilities or ELLs by giving them a curriculum that is beyond their reach and assessments we know that developmentally they will be unable to read, we are setting everyone up for failure. And, when they fail (which they will when they are forced to read texts that are not developmentally appropriate) not only will the children suffer, but teachers will be blamed, then fired, and schools serving large populations of ELLs and those with special needs will be shut down.

Is it really any wonder why they can't "connect with the suspicious?"]]> Social Media Could Be The Key To Ending High Stakes Tests tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1208245 2012-01-17T17:33:02-05:00 2012-03-18T05:12:01-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ ineffective, inaccurate, and outdated testing and prepping do nothing to help their children, but the reality is that it is harming them. Schools are literally turning parents' once vibrant, playful, smart, and creative young treasures into student zombies who must memorize, regurgitate, and do what they're told. If they don't they are all too happy to drug into submission children who resist such efforts.

Meanwhile, while everyone is profiting off our children who are being used as pawns, the public realizes that something has gone seriously wrong. Our government has quietly and quickly stolen from parents control of their own children, forcing them to be subjected to a test-prep-to-death curriculum that they know is wrong. Without their data, these young people are of no use to the system. Failure to comply can lead to serious consequences such as refusal to allow children to graduate as well as kicking them out of school.

Our zombie children and their parents know there is a better way, but they feel their hands are tied. Public school parents who don't comply not only face risks to their children, but are also often subjected to bullying by education employees and administrators. Non-public schools who don't comply are faced with loss of accreditation. Home educators, who often have made this choice to escape harmful mandates, are threatened with child protective services. As a result organizations like Home School Legal Defense Association are getting action to fight for parental rights.

Fortunately, the social-media marketplace of the 21st century does not have to apply solely to consumer outrage against banks and phone companies. Parents of all children can come together to stand up and unite against the government's attempt to control their children. In order to take back the right to give our children the freedom to learn, parents can mobilize, opt out and stand up to the monolith institution driven by politicians, agendas, egos, and testing and publishing companies that enjoy huge profits on the backs of children.

Unfortunately, until now there was no effective and uniform way for parents in any particular state to find each other. Fortunately, social media has enabled this to all be changed. Concerned educators and parents have come together to create brand-new, easy-to-find, state-by-state groups on Facebook where parents, educators, and anyone who cares, can unite to mobilize and take back control of their children's freedom to learn. You can join others interested in opting out in your state in three ways:
1) Visit the Opt Out of State Standardized Tests - National group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/OptOutNational/. From there you will see how you can find your state.
2) Type in the search: Opt Out of State Standardized Tests - Your State i.e. Opt Out of State Standardized Tests - Ohio
3) Go to the page url: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OptOutYourState i.e. https://www.facebook.com/groups/OptOutOhio

There is finally a place where you can find your state and join other parents, teachers, and concerned citizens across America who are ready to say enough to this testing. As a result you will not only save our schools, but MOST importantly you will be able to join with others to stand up to a government gone awry and save our children.
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Want to learn more? Visit the original article here where you'll find additional resources and links as well as ten things you can do today to help end mandatory high stakes testing in your state.]]> 15 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.984177 2011-09-28T16:31:52-04:00 2011-11-28T05:12:01-05:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ It's rare for education reformers, policymakers, and funders to listen to those at the heart of education reform work: The students. In fact Ann Curry, who hosted Education Nation's first student panel*, admitted folks at NBC were a little nervous about putting kids on stage. In their "Voices of a Nation" discussion, young people provided insight into their own experiences with education and what they think needs to be done to ensure that every student receives a world-class education. After the discussion Curry knew these students didn't disappoint. She told viewers, "Students wanted to say something that made a difference to you (adults) and they did. Now adults need to listen."

Below are the sentiments shared by these current and former students during the segment.

  1. I have to critically think in college, but your tests don't teach me that.

  2. I can't learn from you if you are not willing to connect with me.

  3. Teaching by the book is not teaching. It's just talking.

  4. Caring about each student is more important than teaching the class.

  5. Every young person has a dream. Your job is to help bring us closer to our dreams.

  6. Even if you don't want to be a teacher, you can offer a student an apprenticeship.

  7. Us youth love all the new technologies that come out. When you acknowledge this and use technology in your teaching it makes learning much more interesting.

  8. You should be trained not just in teaching but also in counseling.

  9. Tell me something good that I'm doing so that I can keep growing in that.

  10. Our teachers have too many students to enable them to connect with us in they way we need them to.

  11. Bring the electives that we are actually interested in back to school. Things like drama, art, cooking, music.

  12. Education leaders, teachers, funders, and policy makers need to start listening to student voice in all areas including teacher evaluations.

  13. You need to use tools in the classroom that we use in the real world like Facebook, email, and other tools we use to connect and communicate.

  14. You need to love a student before you can teach a student.

  15. We do tests to make teachers look good and the school look good, but we know they don't help us to learn what's important to us.


The students are ready to talk to us. How are we going to make time to listen and incorporate their voices into the policies and decisions that affect them?
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*Panelists:
Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback - Philadelphia Eagles
Shadrack Boayke - Brentwook, NY
Colton Bradford - Mobile, AL
Ron Daldine - Auburn Hills, MI
Rayla Gaddy - Detroit, MI
Katie Oliveria - Las Vegas, NV
Stephanie Torres - New York, NY

To discover five additional things students want you to know and to find out who is Tweeting about this topic, visit the original post on The Innovative Educator blog here. ]]> Back to School Doesn't Have to Mean Back to Tests tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.947572 2011-09-04T14:50:59-04:00 2011-11-04T05:12:01-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ Cross posted at The Innovative Educator Blog and Cooperative Catalyst.

Social media has become a mobilizing force in bringing together students, educators, and parents who are frustrated with the data-driven, standardized, one-size-fits all learning taking place in publicly funded schools today. Many of these groups have popped up with members joining and uniting against a system designed to reduce children to nothing more than standardized, easily measurable data to appear on a future chart that can bolster the ratings and egos of policy makers and business leaders. Despite the fact that many educational leaders, educators, parents, and students know this is wrong, parents like Gretchen Herrera are being forced to engage in practices that hurt children with threats of school closures and students being left behind or kicked out for failure to comply.

One of the biggest movements gaining momentum is opting out of state testing, with social media sites being created in the form of Facebook groups, Facebook pages, and Yahoo groups, which are connecting parents, educators, and students who are frustrated with forced government schooling policies. In the past there was little information available to the public when it came to opting out of tests. Not surprisingly this information was hard to access and inconsistent. This is, in part, what the government agencies are banking on.

Fortunately with the advent of social media and Web 2.0 tools, concerned individuals are able to unite to find, share, and collect information. One such effort to collect this information is The Opt Out of Standardized Tests - The International Movement Site. Upon joining, group members can find and contribute relevant information from their state or country.

I strive for a public system that welcomes everyone and helps to create learning communities that support both personal and communal growth through access to life long learning opportunities be them through schools, homes, community centers, libraries, parks, or any place that people young and old can gather to share in the co-creation of learning. I believe that for a healthy democracy and community that the system should be publicly funded and reject the ideas that we can standardized learning or teaching. We should look to support the well being of all humans not just those who can afford it!
- David Loitz | Cooperative Catalyst member | IDEA Community Organizer


While opting out is a step in the right direction to achieve the above vision, there is a deeper conversation that must happen to address what some have called the rapid deterioration of public schools. However, rapid deterioration is misleading as we also need not fool ourselves about restoring our system to "the good old days." Remember, in the good old days we implemented a factory model of learning, where schools were segregated, there were limited or no options for females to participate in sports, and it mostly only filtered men into subjects like math and science. The outdated education system of today needs not only an update, but a transformation requiring a paradigm shift. To do that we must not be afraid to engage in difficult conversations that challenge traditional ideas of education.

This is because even if some parents earn and exercise the right for their children not to take standardized tests, there are many other issues that will still exist and will need to be addressed and discussed which include:
  • Preparing children for the world, not just more school

  • Providing passion (not just data) driven learning

  • Reconsidering traditional school tests and grades

  • Ensuring students have the freedom to learn among a connected world

  • Measuring success in ways that benefit children

  • Rethinking homework

  • Thinking outside of traditional time and space constraints


We need to explore alternatives, give parents choice for how education dollars can be spent, and instead of demanding a one-size-fits all school model, allow parents and students to decide a learning environment that they feel is ideal for their families. This may mean alternative school settings such as a Democracy school like Summerhill or Sudbury where there are no grades or grade levels. It could mean a passion-driven model like Big Picture Schools. It could mean supporting home education options. It might mean investing in learning centers rather than schools as explained here by Connie Coyle and Linda Dobson in their visions for radical school reform. To do this we must act and engage in the often challenging work and conversations. Ones that will lead to giving choice to parents to ensure they have opportunities to provide the best possible learning options for their children without the control and imposition of government mandates which they do not support.

Okay, so now that the test is gone! Are we ready for some fun? Imagine it's the next day...
What type of learning community will your family be joining? What does it look like and value...? Think big, nothing is off limits! I mean really have some fun with it! When you are done, share it below, join our vibrant online learning group here and let's start making it happen!
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Want to learn more? Visit the original article here which contains additional resources and links to public education issues. ]]> 5 Ideas to Prepare Students for Success Without Standardized Testing tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.859050 2011-05-09T13:50:47-04:00 2011-07-09T05:12:01-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/
For many there is no alternative imaginable as in this comment from a graduate student studying to be a teacher.

I can't STAND standardized tests. Every professor (and grad student) at my teaching college hates them. And yet, I have not heard a single responsible alternative to them. How do we assess if students are learning the curriculum without them? If teachers are teaching? If entire schools are failing? Yes, they are undeniably hideous, and "teaching to the test" is an awful, unavoidable consequence of them, but if we take them away... then what?


Isn't it odd

Isn't it odd that in PK-12 school life we think we can't measure success without one-size-fits-all, government-imposed tests, yet, once we leave school and enter college or the real world, this magically is no longer true? For those unable to imagine a world where we can assess without standardized tests, I bequeath upon you these ideas.

1. Authentically demonstrate rather than test how standards are met

Students can be assessed in a standardized way by authentically demonstrating how standards have been met. This could be captured in an ePortfolio or some other system which could be created on a national level. Students could meet standards at their own pace, in their own way and learning could be differentiated and aligned to each child's talents, passions, interests, and abilities.

2. We don't need tests to measure success of teachers and principals

To effectively measure success, we need to know where it is we want our children to go. Most parents agree that they want their children to be happy and satisfied. Standardized tests have no place in achieving such goals as they don't measure either of those things. If we want to want to know if students are happy and satisfied survey them. If we want to know if students are happy and satisfied with their teachers and principal, survey them about that too. Give the same survey to parents. Have the principal and teachers complete evaluation surveys about one another. Ask for suggestions and advice in the survey. This is similar to the customer satisfaction surveys of the real world.

3. Measure what matters

If we really want to measure effectiveness of a school we can measure success by things like employment rate of graduates, number of graduates who went to prison, the number of students who dropped out, number of suicides, percentage of students with obesity, the percentage of students who had college as a goal that earned degrees, and happiness and satisfaction surveys. If you're thinking, but wait, much of this is affected by family and community, not the school, the same could be said for standardized tests, but at least now we're measuring something that matters.

4. Personal Success Plans

Who owns the learning? The student of course. We can measure student success using personal success plans which empower students to create goals for and measure themselves. Students can also assess how well their teachers, parents, and school are doing in helping them to meet their goals.

Teachers and principals can develop plans for themselves as well. The school community can develop a school success plan for their school. They can also assess how well the district and government are supporting them in meeting their goals.

5. ePortfolios help us remember why we're measuring

With all this standardized measuring and testing, sadly, the system has forgotten to keep their eye on the prize. It's as if measuring more often has become the key to helping students succeed, but succeed at what??? Being good at filling in bubbles and/or answering prompts they have no interest in? As a result, in more cases than not we are leaving our high school and college students unprepared for success in the world and their future employers are calling educational systems out on this loud and clear as students are graduating with literally nothing to show for their work besides transcripts and boxes of tests and papers destined for the circular file. It is not uncommon for high schools to forget that they should be helping students like Armond McFadden prepare for the real-world rather than artificial measures.

As a result of this educational neglect, Armond has spent nearly a dozen years in schools which have never focused on helping him compile his real world talents to showcase. There is no support for a resume, ePortfolio, or assistance in supporting him with the skills he needs to seek out an internship, apprenticeship, or part-time work. Instead of prepping these students for tests, which they will no longer experience once they leave school, why not prepare students for life? Today's grads known as "Generation Debt" are often leaving school with a diploma in hand and nothing else to show for their years of study.

A simple solution to this is supporting students in their creation of ePortfolios in alignment to their personal success plans. With that we are truly supporting students in personal mastery in a way that differentiates learning, meets their goals, enables them to own the learning, and prepares them for success in life.

Now aren't these a better option for measuring students than filling in bubblesheets or reacting to someone else's prompts?

For one more bonus idea and links to all the resources mentioned here (i.e. personal success plans and ePortfolios), visit The Innovative Educator blog post, "6 Ideas to Prepare Students for Success without Standardized Tests."
]]> 6 Ways Technology Can Help Tuned-Out Students Tune In tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.856237 2011-05-02T13:19:17-04:00 2011-07-02T05:12:01-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/
"If your target audience isn't listening to you, it's not their fault, it's yours."

-- Seth Godin



Articles like this one -- Colleges worry about always-plugged-in students -- often scapegoat technology as the reason 21st century students tune out when it comes to learning. Unfortunately, it's not unusual to hear complaints of outdated educators and administrators who have or are considering unplugging students' access to the Internet or banning technology altogether so students will focus. These learning institutions are moving in the wrong direction!

When we blame or ban the technology, we solve our issue temporarily, but we are ignoring the root of the problem.

When it comes to learning, many educators know banning is the easy way out, but there are a number of reasons why students are not paying attention. Rather than taking away student rights and the freedom to learn using the tools they want, we must address the root of the issue causing the problem. If you're a student or you have a child in a school that is trying to pull the plug on 21st century learning, suggest they consider some of these ideas.

Ideas for Educators Who Want 21st Century Students to Tune In

1) Problem: Outdated classroom management
Solution: While there are teachers who may have been a master of classroom management in the days before the Internet, the environment has changed. Have classroom management techniques been updated? Do students know when they should have their laptop lids at 90 degrees? Is there at least some allocation of free time where students can catch up on their need for personal and/or social issues? Are students sitting in different configurations, sometimes with their technology, other times circled up for conversation or in breakout groups that report back and make the most sense for learning goals and objectives? Are there clear deliverables and active learning options that help focus students, keep them accountable and make clear how learning goals can be met? If these ideas are incorporated into classroom management, students are more likely to tune in to learning.

2) Problem: Students are not engaged
Solution: Educators who stand at the front of the room lecturing often are not engaging students. Even if the topic is interesting, many students can't stand to idly sit and listen to someone else for a long time. It is boring and today's students know it doesn't need to be. Since students want a piece of the action and teachers want students to tune in, they can provide accountable interactivity. Perhaps have students Tweet relevant thoughts, ideas and links using a provided hashtag. At the end of the area of study, the class will have a fantastic subject-specific newspaper to read by using something such as Paper.li. Another option is creating a method for students to share ideas and thoughts using a backchannel.

While traditional instructors may believe students should sit up and listen, the fact is that this bores many 21st century students to tears. These students like interactivity, so give them a job to do and they'll pay attention.

3) Problem: Teachers are complaining about technology, but they are not incorporating it into instruction
Solution: Teachers can stop complaining that students are on Facebook and not paying attention and start incorporating tools like this into instruction. People are social. Young people are especially social. They like to discuss and make meaning. Teachers can catch the excitement and provide opportunities for this to happen. Teachers can make a Facebook page and use that as a hub for students to connect and share during instruction. If Facebook is blocked, use an alternative like Schoology or Grouply. The teacher can set up discussion boards or Wall Wishers to share ideas.

To update practices and meet the needs of 21st century students, teachers must acknowledge that students aren't content sitting and listening to their teachers blathering on. They demand teachers who are more interesting, and those who are will be rewarded by more interested students.

4) Problem: Teachers talk too much
Solution: We all know what teaching looks like. It hasn't changed much since the start of institutionalized teaching in the industrial age. The teacher assumes full control and stands at the front of the helm speaking. It's what we see whenever there is television or press coverage of the classroom and it's what we see if we have the opportunity to look into many classrooms.

Let's face it. Sitting in class listening to a lecture is just plain boring for many students. Why do they have to come to school to listen to their teacher talk? It's no wonder students aren't paying attention. The alternative is, teachers can flip their classroom and tape lectures for students to listen to on their own time. Then they can spend class time doing stuff... real stuff that students are interested in and teachers can help them with. Parents will like this idea, too, because instead of needing to hire tutors, class time can be used for the teacher to help students having difficulty with their work rather than speaking at students. Salman Khan explains this beautifully in his TED Talk on the subject.

5) Problem: Teachers think they own the learning but they don't!
Solution: Teachers don't own the learning. Their students do. If students are not interested in what their teacher has to say, then the teacher needs to figure out how to say it in a way that they will be interested in, or ask students to do that for themselves. If students simply aren't interested, then perhaps they can be given the freedom during class to do what they are interested in. Multimillionaire Aaron Iba's favorite teacher was the one who let him do just that. He got to sit in the back of the room working on his computer. He ended up making millions from Google doing just that.

Another option is to give up some control and be part of a growing and successful trend in letting students own and design their learning. Educators are finding that giving students ownership and responsibility for their learning pays off quite well.

6) Problem: Technology is just too distracting for some students.
Solution: It's not unusual to hear teachers pass off the blame to students, saying it is just too distracting for some students. The problem is, a teacher's job is to help prepare students to be successful in their world, not in their teacher's past. A teacher is not helping a student become successful by creating an artificial environment in school. Instead, teachers can help empower students to take ownership of their learning and self-monitor. Many students are very good at this. They may just have a browser closed at certain times, turn off chat, turn off sound or use an app like "self-control," which blocks certain websites for specified periods of time.

Schools should not encourage dependency learning and dependency attention. It is incumbent upon educators to empower students to be able to self-monitor and discover the optimal conditions to learn and create. Imposing restrictions on students is certainly more convenient for educators, but it is NOT what is best for students.

For one more bonus idea and links to all the resources mentioned here, visit The Innovative Educator blog post: 7 Solutions for Educators Who Want 21st Century Students to Tune In.
]]> Is Your Child's School Leaving Him/Her Behind? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.852896 2011-04-25T14:59:04-04:00 2011-06-25T05:12:01-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/
1. Personal Learning Networks
Perhaps the core of passion driven, self-directed learning is the development of personal learning networks which can be developed through blogs, social networks like Facebook, Ning, or Group.ly, Twitter, and discussion boards. Read "5 Things You Can Do to Begin Developing Your Personal Learning Network," "The PLN Matures. The Progression of the 21st Century Personal Learning Network" and "5 Ways to Build Your 1.0 and 2.0 Personal Learning Network to learn how to get started."

2. Skype an Expert
You can make your classroom a global communication center for free with Skype by connecting with anyone around the world about topics of interests. These experts may be people you have conversations with or perhaps they are people you learn from. Author, blogevangelist, teacher, thought leader and father, Will Richarson uses Skype to supplement his children's learning. Paul Bogush, an 8th grade social studies teacher not only supports his students in doing this, they take it up a notch with a program they produce called Lunchtime Leaders. Students interview leaders from around the world on their opinions about what they should do to be prepared for the future. Paul and his students do most of their interviews using Skype and they turn the interviews into Podcast. You can listen to their podcasts at http://lunchtimeleaders.podbean.com where students choose to interview experts in topics they are interested in and then turn their interview into a podcast.

3. Authentic Publishing
In the 21st century, irrelevant hand-it-in teaching should be a thing of the past. If a student's work has no authentic audience beyond the teacher, it shouldn't be assigned. A student who is self-motivated to do something, counts, btw. A teacher directing him/her to do it does not. Most 21st century kids love to share with real audiences and are doing it outside school already. Inside school, work should not sit lifeless on a computer, or even just the school website. Support students in finding real audiences for their work in their Global Community. If you're not sure how find out by reading, "21st Century Educators Don't Say, 'Hand It In.' They say, "Publish It!"

4. Use YouTube and iTunes to Learn Anything
It's rather outrageous that many schools still block one of the most powerful tools for learning available for students today: YouTube. While iTunes is a powerful option for learners on the go, YouTube adds the visual element, making learning even more powerful and FREE! With YouTube Education and iTunes University, more and more colleges, universities, and their professors are sharing content for free. While some schools are paying for pre-packaged online learning options, they're really all already out there for free. Empower teachers and/or students to design their own learning and learn about whatever they want with these free resources. Not only are these good resources to go to learn from others, they're also a smart place to ask for help like this student did who needed help with his bowdrill set.

5. Develop Authentic Learning Portfolios
When done right ePortfolios can be a powerful tool that not only helps remind students of all their accomplishments, but it also enables them to share these with the world. In the 21st century, creating an ePortfolio is free and easy. Student simply select a container (blog, wiki, website, Google site), decide how they'd like to organize it, and then post their work. I strongly advise against using any paid for portfolio site. It is important that students have ownership of their own work and that it can travel with them wherever they are. When it comes to ePortfolios, Helen Barrett is the go-to person. To learn more, visit her blog where she shares fantastic ideas.

In our globally connected world, it is no longer acceptable for teachers to teach the way they were taught nor is it okay for administrators to allow it. It is also no longer acceptable for administrators to take the easy way out and require connected kids to learn in a disconnected environment where they are banned from accessing sites or bringing to school the tools and technologies they love and need to succeed in the world. In the 21st century, if we truly care about student success we will lift the bans, unblock the filters and connect our students to the world so they can learn effectively.

For five more ideas and links to all the resources mentioned here visit The Innovative Educator: 10 Ways Technology Supports 21st Century Learners]]> Why Not Empower Parents with the Dollars to Reform Education? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.838114 2011-03-21T14:03:07-04:00 2011-05-25T18:40:24-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ politicians and chancellors who make school policy, rarely send their own children to traditional public school.

What is frustrating though is that this is often only available to those with the funds or wherewithal to make it happen. Shouldn't everyone have access to the education opportunities they feel are best for their children?

Here is a solution that could provide more choice to more families.

What if instead of giving money to schools, funds were attached to the child and those funds went directly to the education provider? For parents who were homeschooling or unschooling this would be in the form of parents providing receipts that could be deducted from their taxes. For public schools, students would enroll and the funds would follow them. This would require some schools to grow, others to stay the same and others to shrink, redesign (likely with input from families) or close.

If parents wanted to put together learning co-ops they could pool their money to do that. If someone wanted to open an alternative school, it would be easier because the funds would be tied to the students so they wouldn't have to worry about only kids who could afford this option being able to come up with tuition. If the schools cost more than the per student fee, the additional fee would be determined by tax bracket with those in the higher brackets paying more and the lower less, but still giving everyone a greater chance to attend a school of choice and subsidizing based on income.

Parents and their children, rather than the government, would determine what was best for each family. For some it might look like traditional school with standardized tests. For others it might look more like an apprenticeship model where children who are ready, begin learning in a field of interest, perhaps partnered with a business where they may later work. For some this might look like a school that follows the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, Montessori or Reggio Emilia approach. Some may choose a Democracy school or unschool setting. Ultimately, parents would be empowered to select an educational method in which they felt their children would best succeed and even take a large role in helping to form such schools.

There would be no high stakes testing. There could be some opt-in tests with samples as they do in countries like Finland. There would likely be authentic portfolio development that is created as a support to the student first and foremost.

Some schools would have waiting lists, as they do today, and if so, it would make sense to open up another similar school in the area. The parents who want that could help make that happen. Some schools would shrink as they do now and would either change what they do to attract more students and stabilize, or if they didn't offer what seemed best for children, they would continue to lose the ability to have high enough enrollment to make it worth staying open.

This idea would be taking control from the government and giving it to the people, empowering them to do what they know and believe is best for their children.

So, why can't we do this?

This post also appears on The Innovative Educator.]]> Want Passion (Not Just Data) to Drive Learning? There's a School for That! tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.828760 2011-03-09T11:40:09-05:00 2011-05-25T18:35:25-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ "The older I get the more I realize that
the only thing a teacher has to go on
is the rare spark in a child's eyes."

~ The Rector of Justin, Louis Auchincloss


I was inspired recently after visiting a school where students, as principal Barbara Slatin likes to say, "found their lightbulbs." These were students working on projects of deep personal interest in groups, pairs, or alone depending on what worked best for them studying topics of their choosing. When colleagues and I went to visit the school the children were literally bursting with excitement and pride as they explained what they had discovered and why it was important. One pair presented to us. They knew the material so well you knew it was coming from experienced experts, who in this case happened to be 10 years old.

As I was leaving the building. I stopped to use the restroom and saw the teacher of this class who confided, "You know come next month, this goes out the window and all we'll be able to do for the rest of the year is worksheets and test prep." She said, "It's so depressing when you know you can help kids get excited about learning, but you're forced to put that aside to teach to the test. You see the excitement and love of learning drain right from them and right from me." "Today was wonderful," she said, "but it just makes me more depressed when I think about what I'm going to have to do to these kids and I don't know how much longer I can do this for a living."

Ugh, my heart sank. Are we going to lose another excellent, passion-driven teacher to a compulsory system of education that as Seth Godin so aptly expresses, "only values compliance not initiative, because, of course, that's what's easiest to measure."

Where I work in New York City about 25 percent of teachers leave the profession within three years and that percentage doubles at the five year mark. If you were to ask our new school chancellor, she sees it this way.

Teaching is a hard job. We want the ones who are committed. We want the ones who make a difference. We want the ones who want to work hard and really change the lives of these young people. They're there on a mission. So, you know, some are going to leave.

When I heard that, and thought of all the passionate, committed teachers who want to make a difference, but quit because they couldn't, my heart sank too. I felt insulted for me and insulted for them. Perhaps if Cathie Black put in her time as her staff is required to do she would understand that our teacher retention issue isn't the result of weeding out the uncommitted teachers who have no interest in making a difference. Rather those who leave are often our most qualified. Like New York teacher of the year, John Taylor Gatto, who publicly declared, "I'm no longer willing to hurt children", effective teachers who find their hands are tied when they want to make a difference often resign.

In desperation teachers like this one ask me in confidence how they can find schools to teach in that honor educators who value the passion- (NOT DATA-) driven learning that some of us (Angela Maiers, Will Richardson, Marc Prensky, etc.) have been talking about. They want to know if these type of schools really exist or is it just a subversive "teaching style" secretly practiced behind closed doors? Parents of these students are also often equally frustrated. They often don't know who to blame for this Race to Nowhere in which they see their children participating.

Fortunately, even in these times where those in charge think the answer to education success is more tests and harder tests, there are school models that indeed honor the passion-driven learning that dedicated teachers and parents value and students deserve. Below is a compilation of such schools.

Passion Driven School Models
There are a couple models of education that I'm familiar with that have passion driven learning at their core. Below is an overview of each.

Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM)
The school-wide enrichment model provides enriched learning experiences and higher learning standards for all children through three goals: developing talents in all children, providing a broad range of advanced-level enrichment experiences for all students, and providing advanced follow-up opportunities for young people based on their strengths and interests. The SEM focuses on enrichment for all students through high levels of engagement and the use of enjoyable and challenging learning experiences that are constructed around students' interests, learning styles, and preferred modes of expression.


Not surprisingly, in the years following the implementation of No Child Left Behind, this model has lost favor, but it still exists. Here is a Directory of SEM schools. Sadly, it is outdated, but staff at UConn assures me it will be updated soon.


Free Schools / Democracy Schools
A democratic education is a theory of learning and school governance in which students and staff participate freely and equally in a school democracy. In a democratic school, there is typically shared decision-making among students and staff on matters concerning living, working, and learning together. At such schools students individually decide what to do with their time, and learn as a by-product of ordinary experience rather than through classes or a standard curriculum.Students are given complete responsibility for their own education and the school is run by a direct democracy in which students and staff have an equal vote.(Wikipedia).

Here is a list of Schools:


Read more at Hey Teacher! Leave Us Kids Alone!!!- There's A School for That!

Big Picture Learning Schools
Big Picture Learning schools have a mission is to lead vital changes in education, both in the United States and internationally, by generating and sustaining innovative, personalized schools that work in tandem with the real world of the greater community. They believe that in order to sustain successful schools where authentic and relevant learning takes place, we must continually innovate techniques and test learning tools to make our schools better and more rigorous. They believe that in order to create and influence the schools of the future, we must use the lessons learned through our practice and research to give us added leverage to impact changes in public policy.



North Star Self Directed Learning for Teens
North Star is a center for community-based education functioning like a YMCA or other member-based organization. Member teens choose from among a wide array of educational options depending on their needs and interests. Founded in 1996 by two middle school teachers, the school serves teenagers who prefer to pursue their educations outside of traditional schooling.

Visit this link to find out what students who attend North Star (and their parents) think about the school:

Nuestra Escuela
This school has five educational programs in Puerto Rico based on a mission of love. Founded in 2000, it enrolls 300 students who are typically between ages 13 and 22, and their families. The vast majority have had major academic or life challenges. In addition to core academics, students engage in arts, sports, and entrepreneurship. Read this feature on Nuestra Escuela

EdVisions Schools
EdVisions Schools in a non-profit educational development organization affiliated with the EdVisions Cooperative, the first public school teacher cooperative in the nation. EdVisions Schools help create and sustain a network of small, innovative high schools across the U.S. using the EdVisions Model, which consists of these essentials: small learning community, self-directed project based learning, authentic assessment, teacher-ownership.

The Fertile Grounds Project
Based in New York City, this nonprofit organization reaches young people typically left behind by public school education. The Hallway Project helps at-risk high school students get on track to graduate through project based learning, and Camp Kadia teaches survival and leadership skills to inner-city youth through outdoor education.

Jefferson County Open School
Jefferson County Open School: JCOS is a public pre-K through 12 school in Lakewood, Colorado, based on student-directed learning, mentorship, and caring relationships. Students have plenty of opportunities to learn off campus.

Teachers and parents are frustrated that our test-prep obsessed schools are leaving their hands tied, preventing them from doing what is best for our children. The teachers are prevented from letting their passion-driven teaching become contagious because of administrators who do drive-by test prep worksheet collection and write them up for noncompliance and insubordination if they don't follow the mandates. The parents of these students often don't know which way to turn, but there are other options. Fortunately the resources shared here will introduce readers to a whole world of people out there who see students not just as data, but as precious beings with passions who are yearning to be discovered and developed.

A more detailed version of this article with additional resources is published here at The Innovative Educator blog.]]> The College Myth: Why College isn't Worth the Cost for Many Careers Today tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.827633 2011-02-24T11:23:13-05:00 2011-05-25T18:35:25-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ Race to Nowhere" that leaves many children riddled with stress, anxiety, headaches, stomach pains, and in for some even suicide attempts.

Nevermind the dirty secret that a bachelor's degree is beyond the reach of many students. Or that "The four-year college degree has come to cost too much and prove too little. In fact, it's now a bad deal for the average student, family, employer, professor and taxpayer." It's what Forbes Magazine calls "The College Hoax," which clearly outlines the faulty stats that mislead Americans to believe that a degree will result in higher earnings later on. In the article Kathy Kristof reveals that higher education can be a financial disaster. Especially with the return on degrees down and student loan sharks on the prowl.

While it is becoming more evident to disillusioned college grads who are victims of an unfolding education hoax on the middle class that's just as insidious, and nearly as sweeping, as the housing debacle, there is little thought given to the fact that we place kids in schools with a promise that if they do well in school and then in college, they'll be rewarded with a life time of success and opportunity not otherwise available to them. We need to start rethinking what we're taking as a given in school today, because the reality is, we're lying. Our new crop of college grads, known today as generation debt because of the huge pile of debt attached to their diploma, have no real guarantee of a job. In fact, what was true for the parents of today's kids, isn't true for them. As a result, more and more often smart students and their parents are also beginning to understand that a college education is not what it's cracked up to be.

The problem with college being the goal of school, is that we are assuming a degree is necessary for everyone regardless of their interests, talents, and passions and we rarely even bother helping students figure out what their passion is. If we did, we might very well find college isn't necessary to pursue their dreams. You can be a famous chef with your own cooking show without college (Rachel Ray). You can become a successful photographer to the rich and famous without college (My friend Amy). You can be a dog whisperer with your own TV show and books (Caesar Millan). You can work as a motion picture film editor without college (speak to Marco Torres). Some of the most successful business entrepreneurs never bothered getting college degrees. Multi-million/billionaires Steve Jobs, Mary Kay Ash, Mark Zuckerberg, Ted Turner, Coco Chanel, Richard Branson, Debbie Fields, and David Geffen have no college diplomas to frame. Shakespeare and Orwell are required reading for entering college, yet guess what? They didn't get college degrees. J.K. Rowling, the successful writer from the Harry Potter series didn't bother with college either. Florence Nightingale never attended school. Perhaps most interesting is that revered diplomats like Prime Minister of Britain Winston Churchill also have no college degree. Here in the U.S. we have at least four presidents who lead our country without having had the "college experience."

When I share this with others, I'm often met with the reaction that I'm taking extreme and unusual cases. The fact is they are not. There are endless examples of successful people who let passion, not college lead them to success. In fact on a more personal note, when I ask those of my generation (I was born in 1968) to think of their parents and grandparents, and other family and friends of the generation prior, they often realize many of them worked in successful careers without college. This is the case for me. My father become a successful Director of Photography popular sit coms and game shows like "Who's The Boss," "Different Strokes," "The Gong Show," "The Dating Game," and "The Newlywed Game." He often worked with my other father, a man passionate about music, who loved his career as a sound engineer on these shows as well as big shows like the "Academy Awards" and the "Grammys." My mother is passionate about her career as an entertainment business manager. My best friend growing up had a father who was a big casting director for a major network. All of them have no college degrees, no college debt, and achieved great success.

Sadly, we're bringing up a generation of stressed out, over scheduled kids, who spend their days in school and nights in activities and doing homework with little to no time for themselves. We're telling them they're doing all of this so they can attend a good college that's worth all this investment in time now and debt later but they don't even really know why they're there. Sure we say this will open doors and opportunities, but when they haven't had a chance to determine what door they want to go through, it doesn't really matter if it's open. And, unfortunately, many kids who picked a major unsure of what they really wanted, end up just being shoved through a door because they saw it open and were never even given time to explore the opportunities behind the other doors.

When I speak with students, I often find they're like Amy, Carlie, Jessica and Maria blindly doing as they're told so they can get into college, but they really have no idea what it is they're interested in. Some will say that's what college is for, isn't it? It's a place to figure out what you're interested in. That's sure an expensive way to spend time for kids who don't know what they're interested in. Furthermore, why would we wait to college to start doing that? There are usually 17 or more years of learning prior to college. Why not devote more time in those years allowing passion, not just data, to drive learning.

The goal of school should not be college readiness. It should be supporting students in determining the lives they want to live when they leave school. Why aren't they discovering what it is they want to be ready for and then if that requires college, sure, pursue a path that gets you ready for the area of study you are interested in. This is not the same as everyone gets 3 years of math, science, English, and social studies in high school and all have to take the same test because it shouldn't be one size fits all and it's okay to pursue lives that never involve each of those subjects.

Recently I was told we have to force kids to learn Algebra, trigonometry, and geometry because they will need it for college. Really? Why would a lit, theater, or women's studies major need that for college? Others have said if we don't force kids to learn these subjects in high school they'll never know what they're interested in. Okay, but by the time a kid reaches high school they've spent 8 years studying math, science, English, and social studies. Students know what they're interested in. Ask them. I HATE MATH. SOCIAL STUDIES IS MY FAVORITE SUBJECT. I LOVE READING. I WISH I HAD MORE TIME FOR ART (or dance, or photography, or music etc. etc.). Why not give students ownership over their learning and let high school be a time to discover and/or pursue passions?

It is not acceptable for children to spend 12 years of school graduating high school with little to no emphasis placed on knowing what you love and then matching what you love to what you do next. Most students today have little time devoted toward exploring, discovering and developing their passions, talents, and interests. They often get to college and have no idea what they should be pursuing. Many students are like me who took a few classes then majored in the subject of the teacher I hit it off with only to learn upon graduation, this really had no connection to the career I ultimately pursued. In fact, if you look around and ask people what they went to college for, and the career they are in now, you'll quickly realize that the degrees we pursued were unnecessary for many of us. Even those who pursed the profession they attended college for often admit is was not the best preparation for their career.

The college business is big business. We need to begin questioning why it is we were really led to believe this is the goal and measure of success for high schools and they're students. Instead, I'd challenge schools to be measured by how well they spent the 12 years of K - 12 schooling helping children determine what they're passions and dreams are and think about a plan to achieve it. Some people will say, they can't do this in K-12. They're too young to know what they want. Really? How would we know when we don't give them the chance. The schools that do incorporate discovering passions know that children are ready, right from the start to begin discovering their passions and also that it doesn't mean force feeding them a curriculum but rather letting them go far beyond the curriculum. When you do, you get a school full of students like Armond McFadden. His school followed the Schoolwide Enrichment model from K - 8 which honors students talents, passions, and interests. As a result he had a clear idea about the direction his life may be headed by the time he was in middle school. He was also armed with the knowledge to pursue whatever passion he may desire.

We tend to infantilize youth today. Some will say it's to keep younger people out of the workforce. Some might say it's because college is big business. Some might say because today's youth aren't ready for the real world until they're much old than prior generations. The reality is kids shouldn't have to wait to adulthood to have the opportunity to do great real things and discover and develop passions. In this data driven age of schooling children, rarely have the chance to learn independently about things they choose. Historically people were empowered to explore their passions at the same ages today's students are disempowered to prep for the test.

Here are some examples of what prior generations accomplished by age 13.

* Pianist Mendelssohn performed his first original compositions.
* Mary Leakey saw the famed Cro-Magnon caves in France and became dedicated to anthropology.
* Ludwig van Beethoven became an assistant organist.
* Country singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton made her first radio appearance.
* Thomas A. Edison began performing electrical and mechanical experiments in his spare time.
* Writer and general Carl von Clausewitz ("On War") joined the army at age 12.
* Albert Einstein taught himself Euclidean geometry. He also dedicated himself to solving the riddle of the "huge world."
* Filmmaker Steven Spielberg got his first movie camera and spent hours writing scripts, drawing storyboards and making movies of subjects such as head-on miniature train crashes and an exploding pressure cooker full of cherries jubilee.
* Pablo Picasso was so skilled at drawing that his father handed over his own brushes and paints and gave up painting.
* Jodie Foster wrote and directed a short movie, "Hands of Time," consisting of a series of shots of hands portraying life from cradle to grave.
* French painter Renoir worked at a porcelain factory, painting flowers on dishware.
* Mario Andretti began racing.

Will Richardson who understands that it's okay if his kids don't want to got to college, says it this way.

More and more, all I want from my kids' school is to help me identify what they love, what their strengths are, and then help them create their own paths to mastery of their passions. Stop spending so much time focusing on subjects or courses that "they need for college" but don't interest them in the least. Help them become learners who will be able to find and make good use of the knowledge that they need when they need it, whether that means finding an answer online or taking a college course to deepen their understanding. And finally, prepare them to create their own credentials that will powerfully display their capabilities, passions and potentials.


When we allow students to explore their passions in school, upon graduation we may learn that some will choose a future that involves college. Others may not. Neither is better or preferable, and the reality today is that the kid who selects a path without college, may very well be better off from a financial and happiness standpoint, then the kid who went to the "good" college.]]> Empowered Parents Are the Solution to Ending This Race to Nowhere tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.825540 2011-02-21T12:41:29-05:00 2011-05-25T18:35:25-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ much-lauded educational documentary Race To Nowhere was not the outcry of adolescents who explained how school led them to develop anorexia, cut themselves, consider suicide, or require hospitalization for severe anxiety. I knew all that.

What disturbed me was the disempowerment of even the most passionate and devoted parents who have resigned themselves to believing that schools, not parents, have ownership over their children's education. Vicki Abeles, a concerned mother turned filmmaker was inspired to create this film as she realized the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children's lives had resulted in her three children each in someway falling victim to school-induced stress. The problem was so severe that in addition to mental anguish, her children experienced headaches, stomachaches, and depression that resulted in trips to the doctor's office, therapist, and hospital. She dedicated the film to a beautiful young girl and gifted musician from her neighborhood named Devon who at 13 committed suicide. The suspected cause of death was that the pressure to succeed at school in general, algebra in particular, became extremely challenging causing self-doubt, depression, loss of self worth, anxiety, and ultimately death.

The film shines a light on the price our kids pay for what one kid in the film identifies as being in a "race to nowhere" resulting from an educational environment where stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, cheating is commonplace, and yet even after all that, young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. The documentary has put out a call to families, educators, experts and policy makers to examine current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become the healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens in the 21st century.

Surprising, however, is that while Race To Nowhere puts out this call to action, it fails to provide ideas about what can be done beyond, "examining current assumptions." The movie did a great job of examining. Parents get it. Teachers get it. Students are getting it whether they like it or not. Now it's time for real ideas about what to do next. This is absent from the movie where we discover even the passionate and desperate parents in the film are stuck in the "way things have always been" mindset. They feel powerless to do anything outside the options of stay in school or drop out. Toward the movie's end, we discover Devon's parents share their solution to raising their surviving child. They ask him fewer questions about his classes and more about how lunch and recess went. Another family featured a child wandering in fields who seemed rather lost after dropping out because she was unable to manage the pressures of school. Even filmmaker Vicki Abeles, who paints an excellent picture of what is wrong with what schools are doing to our children and their parents who are driven to stop at nothing to get into top colleges, doesn't see an alternative to school. Even after exposing all these problems, we learn her children are still in a traditional school. The only difference now is that the parents put less emphasis on homework and the importance of good grades. The solution for another family featured in the movie was to switch high schools to one known to be less academically rigorous.

I was left wondering why the only change these parents could come up with was to change THEIR behavior or drop out rather than demand a change in the cause of THE PROBLEM...an outdated, boring, and irrelevant school system, unnecessarily causing students to jump through hoops so they can ultimately pass more tests and more difficult tests. USC education professor Stephen Krashen recognizes the growing problem of the United States Department of Education that believes the key to college and career readiness is planning more tests including interim tests during the year, creating tests that are more difficult to pass, encouraging testing all subjects (not just reading and math) and also measuring growth, which likely means pre- and post-tests each year. He explains it this way,

"We have an educational system that thinks weighing the animal more frequently is more important than feeding it."

So, why after all this is revealed, are parents still subjecting their children to this? Are they incapable of Thinking Outside the School as Kate Fridkis, so eloquently asks in her piece on the topic? It seems implausible that eliminating the source of the problem wouldn't occur to the parents featured in this powerful documentary. Especially since the film distinctly acknowledges that many of today's top CEOs know the truth about the unimportance of a college education. Heck, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Ted Turner, and David Geffen never bothered graduating college. Many of today's successful musicians (Lady Gaga), actors (Patrick Stuart), artists (Ansel Adams) didn't bother with college either. Many well known writers (William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, George Orwell, J.K. Rowling, J.D. Salinger) never graduated or even bothered looking at colleges. Perhaps most interestingly is that several U.S. presidents (Truman, Washington, Lincoln and Van Buren) never attended college. More and more, smart students too are beginning to understand that a college education is not what it's cracked up to be and they are dropping out.

But the masses seem to have been brainwashed into believing traditional school and college are the only keys to success even if our children are sick, depressed, or worse. DEAD. Are we not concerned that we expend littletime or energy helping children discover what their dreams are for their lives beyond college? Or that college only need be part of the journey for a portion of the world. Aren't we also developing citizens? People who treat each other with compassion, become our friends, colleagues, and significant others. What about helping students discover and develop their passions? Are parents conflicted knowing that we're misleading this generation of future college graduates, known today as "Generation Debt" as they leave college with tens of thousand of dollars in debt for a degree that they're often not even quite sure about what they will do with it? Are we really doing a service to the children of our future or are we making these choices because it's what everyone else is doing? Keeping up with the Joneses if you will.

The reality of our past -- do well in school, go to college and the rest will take care of itself --is no longer true. First, what it took for the over-40 set to do well in school and what today's students are required to do looks very different. As one parent in the audience viewing the film shared, "I feel responsible in part. They keep piling more and more work on these kids so we keep hiring more and more tutors. This fosters a vicious cycle that will never get better better because we're just paying for the right to let schools take over the precious little time we have left with our children each day."

Next, the cost of college has outweighed the economic gain. As hard as it is to believe, in most cases when you work the numbers, you are actually better off skipping your college experience and your college debt. Financial considerations aside, we're raising a generation of students like Amy, Carlie, Jessica and Maria who have learned to do exactly what they're told and are motivated to succeed, but they have no idea why. When you read each students bio, you'll notice they are driven, motivated, and happen to be strong writers, but like most students there clearly has not been much attention placed on helping them identify and pursue their passions, talents, and interests.

Therein lies one of the big problems. If we never help students to discover what they love, what they're good at or what they're passionate about, how does all this learning and all these test scores really have intrinsic value or meaning? When the only answer to, "What do I need to know this for?" is "College" or "To pass the test." what are we REALLY preparing students for?

While education as the cause of physical illness, mental illness, death and debt all sound rather bleak, there are answers. Answers that call for moving from examination to action and involve taking a stand and not following the mainstream. The answers are out there and as more and more parents believe they are entitled to become empowered to take ownership for their children's learning we'll see more joyous, passionate, successful happy children. It is time to move from acknowledgement to empowerment and for parents to take a stand and say, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more." As hard as this may seem to do in an educational system driven from fear of failure by not following the norm, this is possible and there are already parents engaging in this work. Furthermore, there are school leaders and teachers who will be excited to have your passionate voices behind them to help them do what we all know is best for children.

To learn more about how you can help your child on the RACE TO SUCCESS visit this link. ]]> 10 Reasons Students Say They Prefer Learning Online tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.812785 2011-01-25T11:14:51-05:00 2011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ New York Times recently published an article that had some parents and students up in arms. When the students came to class, they found there were no teachers and a classroom full of computers. You see, in this Florida school, they made the choice for the students to use online learning as the method of instruction. Parents and students who have not had much experience with learning this way might wonder if online learning is the right choice. Who better to ask than students who have taken online learning classes?

At iNacol's recent online learning symposium, a panel of students explained how they felt about learning online. Here are some of the reasons these students shared to explain why they preferred this method of learning.

10 Reasons Students Prefer Learning Online

1. I can sleep in
While this may sound indulgent to the over-30 crowd who is often of the mindset that students need to be prepared for the 9 - 5 world into which they will graduate, the reality is this:

* Adolescents need more sleep.
* Adolescents often function best late at night and do not function well early in the morning.
* The jobs today's adolescents will have quite likely will not fit the traditional 9-to-5 mold.

It makes sense that students enjoy the opportunity to learn when they are well-rested and most alert. Research studies indicate that students enjoy learning on a schedule aligned to their circadian rhythms rather than the schedule that in many districts was created to enable bus companies to operate most efficiently. As a result traditional school has classes full of students who every day feel the kind of tired that is akin to being jet lagged.

2. I can pursue my passions
A flaw with the American education system, which is often driven by a system that rewards rote memorization and mediocrity, is that there is little to no focus on pursuit of our dreams and passions. Several students who learn online are doing so because they are pursuing a passion that does not allow them to fit in to the traditional school system. How wonderful it is that students are able to begin exploring and developing their passions while they are in school. We heard from a student who competes in horse competitions, for others it might be music, writing, acting, or filmmaking. We must stop teaching subjects and start teaching students who can be writers, scientists, singers, dancers and historians today.

3. I can focus on my work without distractions from my classmates
For many students, school is a huge distraction, especially in high school where the focus in often more on socializing and fitting in than on learning. Students shared that in online classes, many of the regular distractions from socializing, to intercom announcements, to disruptive students no longer existed, and they could place their attention on learning.

4. I can move at my own pace
A tremendous benefit of learning online is that, when done right, students can learn at their own pace. For some, this might mean they can demonstrate competency upfront and get credit for the class. For others this may mean moving at a slower pace and receiving additional supports if necessary.

5. I don't have to compete to share my thoughts and ideas
Students in online environments enjoy the equity in the ability to share thoughts and ideas. No longer is it just the student in the front of the room or the one with the loudest voice who is heard. When learning online, the playing field is leveled and opportunities are in place such as commenting on posts, videos, and student work or participating in discussion forums. These environments provide students with varied opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas.

6. I can take more interesting classes
Providing online opportunities for students means providing more choice. Students can more easily pursue study in areas of interest. They are no longer dependent on the staffing limitations of their particular school or community.

7. I can learn with a schedule that meets my needs
There are a number of reasons that students might not be able to participate in the traditional classroom environment. These students have often been left behind. One might be caring for a sick relative; another required to watch a sibling; for some, pregnancy or incarceration has interfered with education attainment. These students no longer need to be left behind if online options are provided.

8. I can learn despite health issues that might get in the way of a traditional class setting
Students who haven't found success in the traditional environment due to health issues can thrive in online environments. While this might include a student who is hospitalized, has certain disabilities, or is suffering from a terminal illness, many students have less obvious issues that have made success in traditional school settings difficult. Perhaps a student suffers from a sleeping disorder, social disorder, or from an intestinal condition that just doesn't fit with the bell schedule. These are just a few examples that in the traditional school setting result in students who end up leaving the system due to excessive absences/tardiness or are labeled as just not paying attention because they are sleeping in class and miss the material covered.

9. I can easily communicate with my teacher when I need to
Students participating in online environments often share that they appreciate the ease and opportunities available to communicate with their teacher. It is often difficult, if not impossible, for students to get the teacher's attention in a traditional 45-minute period. And if they do, they may not want to have the discussion heard by the entire class. Online environments typically have structures in place where students can easily send private instant messages or emails to their teacher leaving them feeling much more supported by and connected to their teacher.

10. I can easily communicate with my classmates whenever I want
A traditional classroom setting often discourages students from communicating with one another. It can be considered disruptive to instruction or limited by the physical placement of students. The online environment makes it much easier for students to connect with one another on topics of interest in both synchronous and asynchronous environments.

Though the technology exists to provide these environments for students, sadly, few students have, or know they have, such opportunities available to them. For most students, they exist, or are unable to exist, in an educational system stuck in the past that has not introduced them to such options. Why? There are several reasons, which include being in a system that requires us to follow outdated policies that may have worked for yesterday's students, but do not work today. Changing these policies in a bureaucratic, slow-moving, political climate can be a tremendous task. Additionally, many of the customers (students and their parents) don't even know this option exists. And, another reason of course, is because schools (and parents) are used to doing things the way they've always done them. However, doing things the way they've always been done hasn't proven effective for most industries, and it shouldn't be accepted for our students any longer either.

Cross posted at The Innovative Educator blog.]]> We Would Prefer Not To Take Your Standardized Tests tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.811981 2011-01-21T20:35:17-05:00 2011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ New York City are considering making teacher performance ratings public. One of the many problems with this, simply put, is that the state tests which these tests are based on, well... they suck. Yep. I said it.

My background is in K-8 as a literacy and technology as a former literacy coach, tech coach, library media specialist, and current innovation manager who spent many days grading these sub-par assessments. Because of my background and experience, I'm going to focus on the high stakes literacy tests K-8 and explain why they suck.

Background In Reading Assessment
Students read at different levels. Each level has attributes associated with it and there are strategies that learners can take to move to the next level. Teachers assess student reading levels with something called a running record. Today with technology, these readings can even be recorded, so if necessary, the student's actual running record or reading assessment could be shared. Teachers generally assess student reading at the beginning, middle and end of the year and can easily measure the growth of a student say from a G-Level reader to a J-Level reader. This makes sense as a measurement of student learning. It also allows for students to independently take ownership of their reading level and it is very easy to get families involved in strategies to support students.

The Problem with State Reading Tests
State reading tests provide all students on a grade level with the same test. While the test is an accurate measure of the students who fit the reading level the state arbitrarily has chosen, most students are left behind either because the reading level is too advanced or too easy. In essence, the tests assess how well students are doing on something they can't read well yet... Answer: Not very well. OR...we assess them on something that is below their reading level... So we don't know growth, we only know they can read that well. In other words, we're not really assessing student reading level.

What we do know is that developmentally children become ready to read at different ages. We also know that forcing reading on children is actually a deterrent for attaining growth. Finally, we know two extremely important factors in the attainment of reading fluency is family involvement and socioeconomic class.

None of these factors are in the control of the teacher!
What I propose is we stop creating a test that makes teachers and students absolutely bonkers, and instead use the running record reading assessments that teachers already use to measure student reading level. Though, while this solves the issue of assessing reading more accurately, it doesn't take into account that the factors that accelerate reading, really have nothing to do with the teacher.

On to writing...
As shared in Four Reasons Innovative Educators Should Boycott Standardized Tests, the problem with the way writing is assessed in standardized tests, stems from the fact that they use an outdated and irrelevant method of assessment. If teachers are doing their jobs effectively, students aren't just focusing on "hand-it-in" teaching. Instead, they're focused on "publish it" learning, meaning students are communicating authentically to real audiences using the learning style that best match their strengths. Student work can ideally be kept in a portfolio that can be assessed for writing achievement.

Wouldn't you want to measure a teacher by how she helps her students publish for authentic audiences in areas of deep personal passion rather than how she helps a student write about a topic the state dictates?

The problem with the current method is this:

  • We are not measuring what is important. The student's ability to authentically communicate about topics of importance to them.

  • We are valuing writing as the most important method of communication. While this method works well for some, others may excel at communicating through video, cartoon, animation, audio casts, etc. We are losing focus of what is important.

  • Studies show that students empowered to use technology for communicating will demonstrate improvement, however, their scores on writing the old fashioned way with pen and paper will decrease. Sadly, I've seen teachers refuse to let students use their own technology because they didn't want their test scores to decrease. YIKES!!!



Not only is all of this bad enough, but these are high stakes tests for students too. Meaning, if they don't pass, they don't move on to the next grade level and are doomed to sit through the same stuff that didn't help them learn before. This puts them in a category that diminishes their chances of success in the future.

This should give just a little insight into why these "teacher assessments" are really not the right way to go. If you're convinced, you might be thinking, okay, that sounds nice, but there's nothing we can do. The state makes us take these tests.

There is a movement bubbling up called The Bartleby Project started by John Taylor Gatto. It's a call to action for students to simply write across the top of their test, "I prefer not to take your test." The premise being that students and parents should be empowered to decided how their child should best be assessed and not forced by the state to be subjected to very questionable assessments.

The project has a growing following with a Bartleby Project Facebook Page, a number of reprints of John Taylor Gatto's Bartleby Project proposal from his new book, Weapons of Mass Instruction floating around the web, and a huge round up of videos on YouTube. I've included two Xtranormal creations below.

One is a short video from a child's perspective and the other is taken from John Taylor Gatto's proposal for those who prefer watching to listening.




]]> Wanted: School Leader. No Educational Experience Required. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.807276 2011-01-11T09:34:41-05:00 2011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/

"I'm seeing what makes an effective classroom, what makes a great school leader, and how a strong school culture can contribute to learning. But more than anything, these visits remind me why I'm here: to bring the opportunities made possible by an excellent education to every one of our students; to keep their dreams alive, or to ignite their dreams."

The reaction of many educators and educational administrators is this.
Spending a few weeks visiting schools certainly doesn't enable you to see what makes an effective classroom. For the most part, these schools can't help but put on a show for their special visitor. An hour or two in a school gives you very little insight into what it was that made that school effective.

Beyond that, there is resentment from educators and educational administrators that while this new crop of non-educators were just handed the key card to their new digs, they were required to jump through all sorts of hoops, pay for the privilege to take tests to get certified, pay for teaching and administration licenses, put several years into the classroom before being able to be licensed as an administrator, and devote cash and time for their masters degree and educational leadership certification...all of which they are told is necessary to be qualified.

They wonder...
Why aren't the non-educator school leaders working to get their proper degree and specialized certification while also working full time like the rest of did or still must do. Why don't they have to take the tests they had to pay to take. Why aren't they mandated to pay to apply for their education licenses? Perhaps they could be required to teach a class or at least spend some time student teaching (preferably in a testing grade) to provide more of a sense of what it is really all about. Educators wonder why on earth their boss, who is charged in part to enforce this process, is being given a pass on ALL OF THIS.

In short, in a system of accountability and standardization, why isn't it necessary for the person in charge of all the schools to be held to the same standards as those running them?

The reason non-educators aren't held to the same standards as their staff is simple.
We are tied to vague and unclear titles. Changing the titles to accurately reflect the duties of the these school leaders would likely result in less backlash and a more favorable perception. One thing practicing and former educators know is that often, a great educator is not always the same person as a great business manager. While there are exceptions, many school leaders know this is the case and now have business managers, director of operations, or a similar title for someone who runs that side of the affairs while the principal, superintendent, or chancellor serves as educational leader.

The call for non-educators comes in response to the need for strong managers and these non-educators are deemed to be uniquely qualified to effectively run a large organization. But should these leaders have titles that most view as being reserved for those with an educator background? The reality is these candidates are hired not because they are uniquely qualified to be instructional leaders, so lets stop placing titles reserved for such positions on them.

Given the background and duties of these non-educators, a title like Chief Operating Officer or Director of Business Management, certainly makes more sense. The mayor of New York recently learned this lesson when trying to push through a waiver for non-educator as school Chancellor when he was required to give Shael Polakow-Suransky the title of Chief Academic Officer serving as second in command. While the dual appointment makes sense, this begs the question, "Should the educational leader be the second in command to the person who is the business management expert?" Why not have the business expert serve as first in command when it comes to business decisions, and have the educational leader first in charge of education decisions. This would clear up a whole lot of unnecessary political mumbo jumbo and the reality is that the two positions are usually necessary to effectively run schools.

The latest to jump on the bandwagon is New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie who shared the sentiment that others are echoing around the nation.
"It's important that New Jersey public schools recruit and hire the most experienced, talented managers possible. In large, state-run districts, or in schools that have failed our children for generations, we especially need leaders who know how to manage thousands of employees in districts that spend hundreds of millions in tax dollars."


Understandably educators, parents, and others are concerned when politicians declare we need talented managers to run our schools with no regard to educational preparation or experience. The person uniquely qualified to "manage" tax dollars is not the same person that knows what is best for student learning. What politicians like Christie and the rest need to realize is what Mayor Bloomberg was forced to acknowledge. There are two types of people necessary to run schools today. Let's stop insulting the intelligence of Americans and start recognizing the importance of both roles necessary to effectively run a school system putting each in charge of their area of expertise.

Cross-posted at The Innovative Educator]]> Profile of a Passion (Not Data) Driven Student tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.806189 2011-01-10T11:34:33-05:00 2011-05-25T18:25:24-04:00 Lisa Nielsen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-nielsen/ Author's Note: This is the third in a series of posts on passion-driven instruction. You may also want to read When passion drives instruction no child is left behind and Preparing Students for Success by Helping Them Discover and Develop Their Passions.

While today's data-driven educational system is hard at work churning out numbers that make testing companies profitable, are easily quantifiable for politicians, and make for a nice, neat system on which to rate teachers and students, in the end, our children are often left behind with a degree in hand and no idea where to go next. In my article When passion drives instruction no child is left behind I share stories of four such students who were driven and motivated, but all they learned in school was how to do school well rather than what they might want to do in life. When grades and data are the main drivers of instruction, students learn how to get good grades. When passion drives instruction students learn to find, follow, and develop their passions. This in turn helps them discover what it is they truly want to do with their lives and empowers them with the skills to pursue their passions, whatever they may be.

Passion-Driven Classrooms that follow models such as Schoolwide Enrichment or the framework outlined in Angela Maier's new book on the topic, begin Preparing Students for Success by Helping Them Discover and Develop Their Passions right from the start. Seeing this through the eyes of a student provides valuable insight to best understand what this looks like.

Characteristics of A Passion-Driven Student
Passion driven students might have talent profiles, develop personal learning networks through face-to-face connections and through social media, study in areas of deep personal interest, create and publish for authentic audiences, and they know what they want to do with their lives. In short, they've been encouraged to discover and unleash their passions. To follow is a profile of a real student who was encouraged to follow his passion at a school emphasizing student talents.

Armond McFadden Profile
Armond attended The Island School as an elementary student. Like all students at his school, he was expected to find and explore his passions. For Armond this was easy. Like many young boys he had a love of buses and trains. At The Island School they paid attention to this and encouraged young Armond to learn more about transportation. As Armond came to discover, you can learn almost anything through your passion. His love of buses and trains inspired him to learn more about the history, science, engineering, math, and physics of these vehicles. At school, all his teachers knew Armond's talents, passions, and abilities, even when there was a substitute, because like all students in the school he had a talent profile that explained exactly what his interests, talents, abilities, and preferred learning styles were. This profile could be updated anytime.

Talent Profiles
Students love having talent profiles (see samples here) because it allows their teachers to see them as individuals and together the student and teacher can customize instruction that is just right for each student. For instance, one of Armond's preferred product styles is video, so unlike traditional education where everyone reads the same book and hands in the same report, Armond's teachers honor his interest and product style and empower him to read about the transportation system and make videos with the help of Lou Lahana, the school Techbrarian. Just like the students, all teachers have identified talents, passions, and interests, and the teachers and students are aware of the expertise in the school. This is how Armond came to work closely with Mr. Lahana who is the resident expert in film making (among other topics).

Personal Learning Network Development
As Armond progressed through school he met others both inside and outside of school who shared his passion. This motivated him to become a solid writer, and film maker, and learn about mechanics, physics, science, and engineering. Starting in elementary school he began building his personal learning network (PLN) with others he could learn with and from. Some of those in his PLN were other students in his school. Another was his brother who helped spark his passion for buses. Armond also built a network outside of school. For example he had frequent visits to the New York City Transit Museum where he made fast friends with the docents and lost himself in the archives of primary documents, exhibits, and exploration of the New York City Transit History.

Personal Learning Network Growth Through Social Media
As Armond moved into middle school, he began using the power of social media to further build his personal learning network and develop his passion. Armond was the author of his own blog called The Ultimate Transpace and the creator of the Metro Transit Video series. He also began a photography collection of buses. He shared his work and ideas with a number of authentic audiences that enabled him to further grow his PLN by engaging in discussions, posting videos and photos on Bus Talk and on TransitStuff. He also developed a relationship with Trevor Logan, the founder of TTMG, a web-based group dedicated to providing transportation enthusiasts with online media entertainment and content surveying as one of the most frequented sites for transportation hobbyists.

These are all activities he pursues independently with the support and encouragement of his school. Armond explains that at The Island School they honored his talent and because creating AND using technology is his preferred learning style they ensure he has opportunities to use computers where he can build his personal learning network, create his videos, and learn more about his area of interest. He explains that:

Learning this way is really fun and never gets boring.

In stark contrast to most students who are mainly grade and data-driven (read about grade-driven students with untapped talents here), as a middle school student Armond could clearly articulate his goals for high school.

"I want to work hard in high school to become a person who makes/creates the buses. An engineer. My talent and passion for buses has made me love school because I can come to school, get on the computer research buses, and find out how they work. I can also mix them into every class to learn more like reading and writing about buses. In science I study alternative fuel buses and how they work and what kind of fuel they use and what is the best option."

In middle school Armond explains that the engines in some of the new buses aren't really reliable and shares,

"In the future, one of my goals is to find a way to make buses better and more reliable."
Today, Armond still loves buses, and is pursuing his passion outside of school as well as at Chelsea Vocational High School. To hear from Armond as a middle school student watch this video.

Armond from Lou Lahana on Vimeo.



If you'd like to hear from other passion-driven middle school students watch these videos and leave a comment!

Philip: Talented animator and web designer
Philip created his mom's website. He didn't think he'd be able to do such a good job but is proud to say the final product, The Chunky Monkey website turned out better than he would have ever expected.
-I made a cartoon that I know other people are going to want to watch and that feels really good.

Talent Profile: Phil from Lou Lahana on Vimeo.



Eddie: Talented filmmaker
Eddie is filming and editing videos for Rosie's Theater Kids. After I go to high school I will go to college to learn to produce movies for theater.
-Hopefully the knowledge that the community gets from watching my video will inspire them to treat our school better.

Talent Profile: Eddie from Lou Lahana on Vimeo.



Overview of a Passion-Driven School
Here is an overview of a school that fosters passion-driven students.

Talent Development at the Island School from Lou Lahana on Vimeo.



Cross-posted at The Innovative Educator]]>