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I first began by having a common definition of rigor.  The International Center for Leadership in Education defines rigor as, “Learning in which students demonstrate a thorough, in-depth mastery of challenging tasks to develop cognitive skills through reflective thought, analysis, problem-solving, evaluation, or creativity.” Utilizing this definition, I decided to focus on critical/close reading strategies for one of our district professional development sessions.  Critical/close reading is not a new concept; however, with the implementation of the Common Core, these strategies have been brought to the forefront.   Critical/close reading strategies will help your students organize, analyze, and interpret information, which are skills they can utilize for life.  “What are these strategies and how can you implement the strategies in your classroom?”

Strategy 1 – Have your students number each paragraph (sentences for math and science word problems) and then chunk the paragraphs based upon the author’s explicit meaning (EducationWorld, AVID).  For example, as the author begins to shift thoughts, draw a line across your paper.  This will help students to begin to focus on the author’s meaning for the selected passages.

Strategy 2 – Have your students *circle key vocabulary and underline key phrases (AVID).  Explain and provide examples of your expectations or students will naturally underline and circle everything!  See the following example from the Fairytale Cinderella, “Only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That’s why everybody called her Cinderella.”  *bold text was used in lieu of circling for this post

Strategy 3 – In the left margin, have your students write in their own words, one key phrase (10 words or less) to summarize what the author is saying for each “chunked” section.  Using the above example, I explained the following to my own third grade son, “As you are reading a story, pretend that you are a detective and that you are trying to find evidence to solve the mystery.  Do not just write, “Her name was Cinderella; explain why her name was Cinderella and how you knew this by describing to me what the author said that lead you to your conclusion.”

Strategies 4 – In the right margin, have your students write what the author is doing and how they are doing it (EducationWorld).  Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) handout is a great resource to help your students identify key verbs.   Once your students have identified the key verb(s), have them write in their own words what the author is doing.  Webb and Collins’ Depth of Knowledge stems provide great examples for teachers to help guide and prompt thinking.  For example, “What information can you gather to support your idea about ____?” (N. Webb, M. Collins).

These strategies provide a great venue to transition into small group discussions, help students identify text-based evidence from the authors’ point of view, and will provide your students with an outline for writing utilizing their own key words and phrases.

As previously mentioned, the goal of critical/close reading is to help students analyze information by engaging and helping them to discovering texted-based evidence in order to interpret information.  These strategies are a natural bridge to engaging the student in the text and helping them to make the transition from critical reading to analytical writing.  Remember, when introducing or reintroducing a strategy, modeling is always a best practice!

More in-depth information and resources contained in this post can be found at the following links which some have great reproducible worksheets for utilization in the educational setting:  www.educationworld.com, www.avid.com, www.commoncore.org, www.cornellnotes.com, (DOK stems) – w4.nkcsd.k232.mo.us, www.leadered.com

I love how teachers and thought leaders have been sharing resources and ideas on blogs the past ten years. It has taken the field of education from a “closed door” mentality to a vibrant community of sharers, collaborators, and connectors. This has been helped by the social steroids of Twitter and Facebook. Yet, as I continually dive into new blog posts and content created by educational leaders, I’m left wanting more sometimes.

I’d like more research. I’d like more thoughtfully put together resources. I’d like articles that would stand up to my administration when they ask for “best practices” to support a pedagogical change. Books do provide this. In fact, they do a great job of bringing together big ideas and the research to back it up. Yet, many of the best educational books come out too late. After a movement has already started, and instead of fostering that movement’s growth…it is left to only document the movement.

So we have two separate forms of content that benefit the educational community:

1. Blogs and Online Articles, Videos, Presentations: They help move education forward and can reach massive audiences through social sharing. Yet, they don’t hold the same credibility of a book when needed to support new initiatives.

2. Books and Journal Articles: They have big credibility and research to support, but usually take too long to publish and thus struggle to help a movement or initiative grow.

We need a middle ground. I’d like to have well thought out and researched pieces that still are current enough to help engage members of our community to take action. This is not a new notion, but our current level of technology actually makes my wish a reality. The tech community has recently launched a series of digital magazines (and digital magazine platforms) to fill this void.

I’ve been particularly interested in the launches of two new Digital (Apple Newsstand) Magazines: Marco Ament’s “The Magazine” and Jim Dalrymple’s “The Loop Magazine“. Marco’s reasons on creating “The Magazine”:

There’s room for another category between individuals and major publishers, and that’s where The Magazine sits. It’s a multi-author, truly modern digital magazine that can appeal to an audience bigger than a niche but smaller than the readership of The New York Times. This is what a modern magazine can be, not a 300 MB stack of static page images laid out manually by 100 people.

The Loop founder shares his thoughts on this platform as well:

It wasn’t until I saw the format that Marco Arment used in The Magazine that I realized what I really wanted for The Loop — a design and reading experience that matched what I had on the Web site. An easy to read magazine that focused on original content, not on selling ads.

It’s not about selling ads. It’s not about getting page-views or hits. It’s about providing real value and strong content to the people that want it most. I’m working on something similar to this for education, but just like Marco, I want the right people on board. If you are interested in touching base about this new type of educational content, feel free to reach me on Twitter or Email.

Image From MacStories

Intsagram is an app and website that allows users to share pictures and text. You can take a picture and upload directly through the app, or you can upload shots from your own photo albums. Instagram is currently growing at a faster rate than Facebook did at the same age, and it now has over 100 million users. Mark Zuckerberg said, “Instagram is really doing well and growing quickly,” adding that there is, “an opportunity to…build community.”

We believe that Instagram has the potential to be a valuable asset to the Edu community.

So we’re going to try something. It’s called an #edugram. Here are just a few ideas for you to share on Instagram with the #edugram hashtag:

-Your teaching process

-Great lessons

-Student projects

-Inspirational pics

-Creative Expressions

-“Check-ins” at Edu conferences

-All things Eduawesome

Instagram gives us a venue where we can show off a little bit. We can provide some insight on what makes us teachers tick. If you see something that you think others should see, take a picture of it and share it. Just be sure to use #edugram.

Social Media platforms were something entirely different until educators began using them both in and outside of the classroom. Think of all of the different Edu hashtags there are on Twitter. Here is your chance to be involved with the beginnings of a new tech movement in education.

A picture really is worth a thousand words (which is good because Twitter’s 140 characters can be limiting) and we’ve got a lot to say.

Welcome to the movement!

Follow us on Instagram: @educationismylife

This summer I am going to present my colleagues with a “Summer of Twitter” Teacher Challenge. I want more of my colleagues and peers to join Twitter and experience the collaboration and sharing that happens between teachers on Twitter. For that reason, I’ve created the Summer of Twitter Wiki so other schools can jump on board and take the challenge this summer. I present to my school on May 21st! Wish me luck and keep tweeting! If you want to get involved keep reading below:

How to Get Started

- Join the “Summer of Twitter Wiki“.
- Watch the video and read the “7 steps” below.
- Add your school to our list (find the School page on the right sidebar). If your school is already there, please add your name and twitter handle (ex: @ajjuliani) to -your school’s page!
- Follow the Twitter users in your school, then browse the other educators in your subject/area/level to follow!
- Check out the great educational ‘Twitter Chats” and understand #hashtags.

Are You a Teacher, Administrator, or Staff Developer that wants to help manage your school’s page? Please let us know!

- Email us and let us know, so we can give you administrator controls over your school/district’s page!

Watch and Share this short video on the “Summer of Twitter” Teacher Challenge:

The 7 Step Challenge for Teachers!

The “Summer of Twitter” challenge is all about getting teachers on Twitter to connect with others in education. We want our teachers to follow these easy 7 steps to free (and fun) professional development.

Step 1: Join Twitter and start using your account.

Or start using that account that you signed up for months/years ago but never really used. Maybe you are already on Twitter but only use it for personal connections. In any case, we want you to see how awesome it is for teachers to use, and this is the first step! If you are still unsure about Twitter, read this great post by George Couros on the benefits of using it for education.

Step 2: Create/Update your Twitter Profile (should show who you are and your education interests)

Add your picture to your profile. Make the background something that represents you (I chose to put a picture of my family). Then add a description that lets us all know who you are, what you do, and what your educational interests are. This will allow other educators to find you and follow you on Twitter. This is almost like your “mini-business card” on Twitter.

Step 3: Follow all the Twitter users in your district and put your name on the wiki.

Make sure you sign up at the “Summer of Twitter” wiki. Add a page for your school, and if there is already a page, make sure to add your name + twitter handle to the page (ex: @ajjuliani). This is something I want to stress with my own school. Learning WITH each other on Twitter can be the most powerful PD experience you’ll ever have. It might be worth it to also create a #hashtag for your district to see discussions on Twitter.

Step 4: Follow at least 20 other educators in your area/subject/level per week.

This is an important step. You want to continue to follow teachers and make new connections. You want to see what others have to share, and by following at least 20 new educators a week, it will keep your stream of information fresh and open up new doors to collaboration. It will also only take you about 1 minute to follow these people. I guarantee that this will be the easiest part of your time on Twitter (and maybe the most beneficial).

Step 5. Follow some “Edu-Influencers” that also blog…

It’s important to follow some of the educational leaders out there on Twitter. They will keep you up-to-date on any big education developments, and usually share great resources and information throughout the day/week. This will also help you connect to the larger community out there and understand the pulse of what is being discussed, debated, and shared. The list is very long of people you can follow. But here is a starting point. Following those Twitter users that blog, will take you from just 140 characters of PD to a few hundred words of PD (especially from a voice that you’ve already connected to).

Step 6. Participate in 1-3 Twitter Chats per week

Twitter chats are conversations that are labeled with a #hashtag. They usually have a different theme or topic of discussion. For example, one of the most popular education chats is #edchat. Each week the #edchat moderators post a poll allowing other twitter users to vote on the topic. Then during a specific time (Tues at 8pm EST) anyone wanting to participate in the chat clicks on the #edchat hashtag and post their thoughts using that hashtag (embedded in their post). Check out this video on how to use #hashtags, and then find a education twitter chat that meets your interests here: 300 Education Hashtags being used right now (via Edudemic).

Step 7. Share what you have to offer!!!

Tweet your thoughts. Post links to articles and noteworthy information. Respond to others’ tweets. Just get involved in the conversation. There is ALWAYS an educator on Twitter ready to talk and learn. Take advantage of this on your own time, when it is convenient for you! Let us know what think and share your thoughts with our hashtag #summerchat.

~Dan and Chip Heath

For years, psychologists have been exploring the “mere exposure” principle which states that people have preferences (often emotional ones) for things that they’ve seen or heard before.

Consider your favorite song on the radio. (You know, the one that sounds JUST LIKE all your other favorite songs? Yes, that one.) You likely enjoy it because it reminds you of another song that you enjoy.

Consider your favorite shirt. (You know, the one that looks very similar to 10 other shirts you own? Yes, that one.) You likely gravitate towards clothes that remind you of your favorite items.

It’s clear that we tend to prefer things that are largely within our comfort zone. We even react to our own reflections more favorably than actual replications of our own face! Consider the excerpt from Decisive below:

This may sound odd, but you’re actually not very familiar with your own face. The face you know well is the one you see in the mirror, which of course is the reverse image from what your loved ones see. Knowing this, some clever researchers developed two different photographs of their subjects’ faces: One photo corresponded to their images as seen by everyone else in the world, and the other to their mirror images as seen by them. As predicted by the mere-exposure principle, the subjects preferred the mirror-image photo, and their loved ones preferred the real-image photo. We like our mirror face better than our real face, because it’s more familiar!

So… if we’re hard wired to prefer what’s familiar, it’s very difficult for us to embrace experiences and situations that are DIFFERENT. This has important implications for effective reflection.

Often, new pedagogies and practices require us to try things that are NOT familiar.  If we enter these situations on autopilot, it’s likely that our initial reactions will be unfavorable. This often happens EVEN IF the new strategy or practice actually improves outcomes for students. (Anecdotally, I see this very often when I work with teachers across the nation.)

However, we do not need to be victims of the “mere exposure” principle in our practice. If we go into new and innovative situations EXPECTING that we’ll be biased towards the familiar and comfortable, we are much more likely to reflect honestly, critically, and constructively.

So, don’t let the “mere exposure” principle cripple your ability to innovate. Reflect honestly—even about the unfamiliar.

  by  Ozh 

Now…there are many styles of leadership and many different methods that can essentially reach the same quantifiable results. Some leaders terrorize an organization/team and instill fear in every employee. So much so that people work diligently in order to keep their jobs and not mess up. This can produce results, however, it does not produce a collegial atmosphere or a sense of pride and creativity in the work that team members produce. Likewise, some leaders simply desire to be well-liked and lack a sense of when to assert their influence. This can lead to a warm feeling of being part of a team, but does not produce the optimal results. Still other leaders inspire through incredible words and stories, but lack the “ground game” and knowledge of structure or processes in order to achieve exceptional results. All of these methods can have some level of effectiveness, but none of these produce optimal outcomes.

A truly superb leader (parent, coach, teacher, principal, business manager, CEO) doesn’t simply manage effectively or instill fear in order to produce a desired result; she inspires. I believe that in order to become established as an effective and inspirational leader (transformational, if you will), one must lead while establishing a culture that possesses the four characteristics listed below. If a leader can model and produce an environment possessing these qualities, then the stage is set for team members to feel a sense of pride and produce incredible outcomes.

1. Creativity
There is one constant in this world; change. Although many people try to inhibit its function or allow monotony to slow its inquisitive nature, the human mind thrives on new ideas. If people do not feel mentally stimulated and able to develop new and interesting ideas, enthusiasm decreases and people will not gain as much satisfaction from their job. Once work becomes simply work and team members don’t feel like ideas are being encouraged and/or developed to improve the current situation, energy will drop and the potential for success automatically decreases.

2. Individuality
Everyone on the team has something to offer. True leadership involves recognizing talent and allowing it to shine in capacities that will ultimately benefit the team. Leaders need to get to know their employees so everyone can be used to the best of their ability (without burning them out completely). When we maximize individual potential within a team context, everyone benefits.

The same is also true for providing feedback to team members. It is a leader’s job to know and understand where team members are coming from and how they best respond to feedback. This does not mean shying away from tough conversations or simply allowing others to do as they please. However, it does mean that leaders need to know how to motivate each and every team member they have. Ultimately, a leader is only as good as the quality team members she leaves behind. Different personalities respond to feedback in very different ways. This must be acknowledged and personal potential must be optimized for the team to flourish at the highest of levels.

3. Community
Humans desire to belong to something larger than themselves. Whether it is a church, a political party, a cause, or all of the above, people do not like to work in isolation. It is a leader’s job to create a sense of interconnectedness and vision for how all the individual mindsets, skill sets, and personalities unite into one. Not only do people want to feel valued, they want to feel that their value enhances their own existence. This is not done by creating cookie-cutter team members, but rather through the acknowledgement of individual talent and the manner in which all contribute to the greater good.

4. Excellence
Within all of the creativity, individual recognition, and sense of community, there has to be a sense of commitment to being the best the team can be. Without an unwavering allegiance to excellence, motives and morale will be undermined. Individuals not only want to belong to something larger, they want to belong to something larger that is doing great things. A true leader does not give and does not accept anything but 100% commitment and all-out effort at any given time. In a properly crafted environment, team members will achieve the desired expectations.

I often feel that the main difference between teachers and students is the confidence in your own ability. Sure there are other factors that come into play, especially the credentials and (more often than not) the years of experience that separates the teacher from the student. However, we’re all students but some of us get paid and have greater responsibility than others.

What would our educational system look like if students were conscious of their education level? If they governed themselves concerning their educational well-being, would schools need to exist? Boldly I say “YES”! However, I feel that this type of school would look very different from schools today.

But I digress. What is the goal of education? I mean, as an educator we backwards plan like no other, but what is our country’s ultimate goal in education? When a student graduates from elementary, middle and high school, what should they know? I argue to say that they are a leader. I mean they should know that they are a leader! But how are they a leader? What are they a leader of?

Instinctively I reply, “their destiny”! What is that? As a cognizant leader you earned that awareness from achieving a particular goal usually more than one time in your life. When and how is to be determined. Leadership, similar to confidence, is within the individual but must be recognized and valued.

As Seth Godin put in his book Tribes, “…tribes…[are] a movement waiting to happen, a group of people…just waiting to be energized and transformed” (5). Similar to the tribe Godin referenced, I believe the same rules apply to leadership. This group of “people” should be your students. Through your instruction, guidance, demonstration and opportunity you will unlock the leader in every student you encounter. How will your leadership allow you to do that?

Does this work?

In a time where everyone references PISA scores to evaluate American students, I cannot help but disregard articles like “Teachers: Will We Ever Learn?” in the NY Times. I respect the NY Times and their “Learning Network” series, but denounce the rhetoric aimed at teachers in America. In fact, many of the points in this article are SPOT on, but why is the title directed at teachers? The quote “so much reform, so little improvement” is right, but none of the reform efforts have been developed by teachers? Have teachers been involved in any of the political changes? Have their opinions been asked or valued? Have students’ opinions been asked or valued?

17 yr-old Nikhil Goyal is the author of the upcoming book, One Size Does Not Fit All. He says:

As a society, we aren’t realizing the true purpose of school—becoming lifelong learners and active, engaged citizens in democracy. Conformity and sticking in your shell is no longer the shortcut to success. What separates the best from the average in the world is grit, uniqueness, drive, and resilience.

For some frame of reference I point to Joe Mazza’s great piece on the Finnish school system but more importantly their culture. Too often I find myself in conversations with non-educators asking why “we can’t just be like Finland?” Finland of course is a top nation in the vaunted 2009 PISA scores. However, what we can learn from Finland has so much more to do with lifestyle, culture, and priorities than longer school days and testing.

So, what have we learned as teachers during the NCLB years and current administration’s Rise to the Top initiative?

We’ve learned that many of our low-income students struggle, and their schools struggle to achieve high scores on these standardized tests — and many more schools are “in need of improvement” in 2012 than in 2001. Great schools and great teachers have been proven to take any student (regardless of background) and help them succeed. We need to care for these students and give them multiple chances to succeed, not judge them on one test taken every three years.

We’ve learned that our suburban students are tops in the world in many categories of testing, although these schools rarely actually “teach to the test” like many of the struggling schools are forced to do. What can we do to move some of our best teachers to our struggling districts? We should be focusing on what works so well in these schools (hint: it’s not teaching to the test) and applying it elsewhere. Many of our districts have modeled what we should do, is anyone paying attention?

We’ve learned that great schools have nothing to do with public, private, or charter set ups. Instead they have to do with the leadership, teachers, and community/family involvement. Again, it starts with caring about our students, and putting them first.

We’ve learned that teaching is an evolving profession that needs professional development. But what do many schools choose to cut when finances gets tight? Professional development of course.

We’ve learned that many politicians really don’t understand our profession, and rarely ever ask us for help in making decisions that impact our system. What would happen if politicians completely overhauled the medical profession without consulting doctors, or the law profession without consulting lawyers…public outrage???

We’ve learned that bonuses and results based compensation does not work in education. Daniel Pink also points out that it doesn’t work in most other professions as well…

We’ve learned that our teachers are collaborating and working with each other more than ever. Thanks to social media and the web, our profession has never been more connected.

We’ve learned that the most corrupt people in our profession are the ones worried about test scores. They make irrational decisions because of a false pressure.

We’ve learned that most decisions in education are not left up to US, but we will continue to do the best we can given the resources and time that is provided. We don’t want bad teachers in our profession as much as we don’t want bad doctors. But we have to give them an opportunity to improve before firing. Some will not take this opportunity and will deserve to be fired. Others will take the proper training and become better teachers. There has to be training available.

We’ve learned that Randy Pausch knows what he is talking about in “The Last Lecture” when he says: “If you can’t learn and have fun, then I’m not sure you are clear on the definition of either” of those words. Learning should be fun. It should be challenging. It should be be inquiry-based. It should be time well spent.

I’m all for accountability, but that’s been the focus on the past fifteen years and look where has it gotten us. Maybe it’s time we start with making learning fun and meaningful, then watch how our students succeed.

In my work as an educational consultant, I spend a lot of time planning with folks from schools and districts. In the midst of our conversations, this question is invariably asked, “In all the work that you do, what signs do you look for that will tell you a change initiative will be successful?”

In short, it’s about leadership. If I conduct a workshop – no matter what the topic – if the superintendent or head of schools stays to participate as a learner … that is a key signal that there is a seriousness about the initiative and it is on the road to success. However, if the superintendent or head of schools introduces me and says, “Hey, have a great day everybody,” while scooting back to her office … well, you can guess what happens. That action speaks volumes. There is no misunderstanding it: that school leader might as well have said, “I want no part of this initiative. I’ve organized it and arranged to pay the presenter. Now it’s up to you folks in the room to make it happen.”

Much has been written about the characteristics of successful school leaders: they are dedicated and passionate, they embrace change rather than try to maintain the status quo, they have vision. There is no denying these are important characteristics … but you can have all of them and fall short in the most important area, and that is to model learning behavior.

That means that the superintendent, central office personnel, school building leaders … anyone in a position of authority within a learning organization, must consider themselves as learners and model that behavior. There is a difference between authority and power. While a school leader’s credentials may grant her authority over others, she will have no power without first winning the hearts and minds of those she supervises.

Take, for example, the muddy waters of teacher evaluation. Principals are expected to observe teachers and then conduct professional conversations about the practices observed. During those conversations, a principal might encourage a teacher to think deeply about student engagement and instructional design. But if a principal conducts faculty meetings or professional development sessions that are monologue lectures addressed to passive faculty audiences – this will undermine any power that principal might have to shift instructional practices of teachers. And why should a teacher listen to someone who cannot practice what she preaches?

It may be a hard thing to do, but it is a remarkably simple concept. To be an instructional leader means dedicating time and energy to improve the quality of teaching and learning for everyone in the community … starting with oneself.