Alt Ed Week April 30, 2012

Welcome back from the weekend. This week brings the month of May, Senior Projects and hearty congratulations to New Start for selecting its new Mascot identity: The Sharks! Here we go…

Bravo Zulu!

A BIG Bravo Zulu to Team HIPP at Woodside for putting together and delivering a fantastic regional level presentation involving students, technology and data…lots of incredible data for the senior leaders of our area districts. You may not know, but we are part of a conference in Educational Service District #121 named “Alternatives to Suspension & Expulsion”. The ASE had a convening at the ESD headquarters in Renton on Friday, and HIPP was invited to present. They did a great job. I was very proud of Bruce Dearborn and Nancy Carroll for putting together and delivering a full presentation about HIPP. (Dave Hunziker had a part in the planning too, but he wasn’t able to present.) After HIPP Students, Devonte and Jasmine, spoke about how teacher innovation and relations brought them back from the brink of academic disaster, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Nearly 100 leaders from nearby and neighboring districts were in attendance. It was a fascinating and proud morning for HIPP, and our Highline Alternative Programs. Thank you and Bravo Zulu Bruce and Nancy! Well done!

Instructional Point: Learning Out of Class: A day on the Adventuress

I have long been in a camp of teachers who believe most students learn, and learn more, when they are outside of the classroom. In short, my theory is that the only way, any of us, can connect and apply what was taught in a classroom to real life, is going to be in…well, real life! Connection and application is where learning occurs in my view. For sure, the basics can be delivered in classroom settings. However, in order for usable ideas and concepts to “go deep”, our students need to get out of class. My philosophy is shared and practiced by many in our district, from Aviation High School, to Big Picture, PSSC, the Waskowitz folks, and indeed in our own school programs CHOICE and New Start.

This week I spent a day with New Start Students on board the Sailing Ship Adventuress.  In a very real life experience our students applied the skills we all teach, and work hard every day for our kids to embrace. Frankly, I was shocked (in the best way) at the transformation I witnessed of whole child on this beautiful learning platform gliding across the waters of Puget Sound.

First, as my small transport boat arrived at the Adventuress anchored a mile offshore, I saw jubilant happy smiling kids to see us, and they were so proud to have us see their newest “classroom” on which they had spent the previous day and night.  

Then, I saw instant application of the sciences and biology. I saw our kids naming and identifying species (real creatures in full sight), detailing behaviors and explaining parts of the life cycle in nature. Engineering, math and shear physics in action, through the numbers of analyzing wind speed, directional headings and relative motion (with grease pencils on plastic like I did when I was in the navy) in order to hoist sails to proper heights to get a 100 foot schooner off its anchor from a stationary spot in the middle of the bay. No engine, and in the correct direction we set sail “off the hook”…my former sailor self, again, impressed. Along our way, our students took ample time for reflective writing and verbal sharing of what has been learned throughout the day. Our students could tell the history of the boat, explaining the social belief systems of the multiple eras in maritime history which Adventuress has survived. They learned the stories of the islands, the waterways and natives tribes that inhabited the very beaches and riverheads our kids were looking at, up close and personal.

Then there were the softer skills. A plethora of teamwork, perseverance, communication, planning, leading, taking directions, time management, organization, system alignment, coordinating, and the list goes on. On board the Adventuress I saw students in a light, and the very real working world I have never seen before. They were happier and more engaged than ever. The “look of learning”, excitement and adventure emanated from their individual and collective being. I felt shear bliss watching our student, these cooperative, hard working, inspired and motivated young adults working and learning together.

Over the radio, the captain of a very large passing container ship was admiring our flowing sails and busy crew (our students) as they heaved lines, hoisted sails and passed the jib often while tacking artfully into the wind…our students literally driving the boat. The captain of the passing ship exclaimed over the radio, “Adventuress, you are the most beautiful thing on the water!” It was the “sailor” in his heart.  And the Educator in my heart felt the same. My students have found a classroom that was not a classroom. The fantastic day on Adventuress was full of observable learning, growth and development in real life for our students, right where it should be…Learning out of Class.

 

 

More pictures are available at this link: https://plus.google.com/photos/102291583835799800375/albums/5736551902281847457?authkey=CPm2lobBiK-Zdw

More info on the history of the Adventuress and Puget Sound Experience: http://www.soundexp.org/index.php?page=history 

Thank you Captain Daniel Evans, Bev Mowrer and all those who have helped in bringing this wonderful experience to life for our kids.

  

Friday PCT: May 4, 2012 New Start Staff will meet with me in the Math Room. We will begin our SIP planning for next year. CHOICE, we meet next week, use PCT for team time, further direction and agenda items will come this week.  

My Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
NS / CH / ERAC	New Start / ERAC	New Start	New Start/CHOICE	New Start
April 30	May 1	May 2	May 3	May 4
D/A Survey Work Morning Weekly Office NS EQ/Fire drill Eval Meeting District D/A Committee Meeting Summer Program Planning Meeting	Weekly Registrar Student Wrap Meeting ALE Audit Work w/District Evaluation Writing	Eval Meetings Observe Senior Projects (Periods 3 & 4) Project Evaluation Team Meeting	Observe Senior Projects (Periods 1 & 2) Evaluation Meetings	NS PBIS Team Meeting PCT Prep PCT New Start SIP Evaluation Meetings

Last Thursday and Friday has left me feeling “all gushy” inside about our work for students. Continually inspired, I want to thank everyone again for the tireless passion you demonstrate work for our kids. May is soon here, and senior projects this week. Let’s make it a good one, and may we continue to see what our students are learning as we move through the year.

Go Sharks!

Mike

Alt Ed Week April 23, 2012

I hope you are enjoying the Spring weather this weekend. We are moving swiftly through fourth quarter. This week and next we have evaluation meetings, CHOICE ventures into downtown, and the Adventuress sails for a second year in row with twenty something New Start students around Puget Sound…

Bravo Zulu!

Bravo Zulu to Teacher Casey Alexander for stepping up to participate in a high level professional Development exercise this week, the very first day back from Spring Break. Casey demonstrated for district staff on Monday his consummate professionalism by teaching a class for observation with many district VIPs. Though I am sure Casey received some good coaching conversation, on Monday, we administrators, too, learned something as well. Our PD was to help us improve our practice in conferring with our stronger teachers in order to push their thinking and practice. It was so interesting to see Casey discuss his pedagogy and deep thinking about instruction in a fishbowl situation with a coach and several district executives. I was so proud of Casey and how he represented himself and New Start. Fresh off Spring Break he handled it like the true professional he is. Thank you Casey and Bravo Zulu for a job well done!

Instructional Point: Still Looking for Rigor

After our conversations with District Coach Jenn McDermott, and our own Casey Alexander, the conversation at one point swung toward “rigor”, what does it look like? This is not new, necessarily. We have often discussed what rigor looks like to us, and the strategies we use to increase rigorous thinking for our students. Certainly, we scaffold experiences, and often we have students “look back” to reflect, connect or evaluate their own learning. (not just review) We know this creates deeper thinking in our students. Also, we try our hardest to make connections for students, and have them authentically apply their new skills. (easier said than done)

I was interested when we talked about What “rigor” Looks like in our students? What is it they say, or we catch them doing, that indicates they have just had a rigorous learning experience? Application and connection came up time and time again. Students begin to think about their lives in a context of the discipline (Math in this case). Students describe their lives using words like increasing or decreasing rate of change, they talk about the arcs of their relationships and begin predicting what will happen next. We see math fully contextualized in the regular daily conversation about their lives. I saw this earlier this year in Nicole Starkey’s Math class at CHOICE, where I saw student really beginning to think like  “mathematicians”.

Please respond to me, not what rigor looks like in your classroom. Rather, what does it look like in our students? What does Rigor look like in their words and actions?

Friday PCT: April 27, 2012 – Is a district wide Job-Alike collaboration time. This means you should be meeting with colleagues in similar educational work as you. District counselors meet, and I know special ed and PBIS groups get together. Teachers of the same discipline at different schools meet as well for their own professional growth. Please let me know your intention for District Job Alike day.

My Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
New Start	New Start / ERAC	NS/CH/ERAC	Adventuress	PSESD / New Start
April 23	April 24	April 25	April 26	April 27
Weekly Office Eval Writing ALE Audit Work Evaluation Meeting Presentation Practice and Planning with HIPP Students District PBIS Meeting	Weekly Registrar Evaluation Writing Weekly Sped ALE Audit Work	Evaluation Meetings Becca Update Meeting SU Social Workers Visit New Start Evaluation Meeting CHOICE SOC AVID Meeting ALE Audit Work	Sailing - All day visit to the Adventuress with our students on Puget Sound.	HIPP Presentations at PSESD Monitor District Job Alike PCT Class at SPU

Fair winds and following seas for the Adventuress this week, as Bev Mowrer sails her students into the wild blue. I am hoping for good weather myself on the day I visit them on the water. May all of you have a wonderful and productive week!

Mike

Alt Ed Week April 16, 2012

Welcome Back from Spring Break! I hope you all had a wonderful and rejuvenating time. I know we had quite a few travelers this last week too, so looking forward to happy tales of adventure. This week we return for the final stretch to summer…

Bravo Zulu!

A quick Bravo Zulu to Ann Carlson and Jackie Miller for putting together and conducting a very important and learning PCT the Friday before break. This is always the trickiest PCT to plan for because most of our heads are elsewhere. However, I know Ann and Jackie worked very hard to make our collaborative time meaningful, engaging and fun to keep us compliant and safe at work! Thank you for a great afternoon with colleagues. (I feel so much better now knowing we’re up to safety compliance.) Bravo Zulu!

Class Planning Reminder: The Final Haul…or, CAUTION: School year ends soon!
I have never been much of a “countdown” person, but during these final nine weeks before the end of the school year (8 until graduation) watching your calendar closely is a requirement. During the year we often fall into the trap of pushing items to the right when the calendar gets cluttered. This time of year there is not much further “to the right” one can push. Last day is last day. And many tasks and events seem to dog-pile into huge end of the year crunch.

The way to deal with this end of the year crunch is to be very thoughtful about making the most of the days left we do have. In the office and the classroom we must prioritize what can conceivably be finished this year, and what carries over to the fall. Our students must do the same. And for seniors, especially, there is no “fall” so to speak. They have to get it all done in the next month or so.

For your lesson planning, please take into account the many “other” activities that our students will be feeling as they experience a similar crunch as you. We have Science and Math EOCs, Student Led conferences, New Start night, senior projects, a multi-day field trip, graduation prep and rehearsals…all of which will affect your in-class instructional time with students.

This week I am reminding you to count out your teaching days meticulously so not to be caught in June with too much! Prior proper planning is the best approach, and a professional skill and lesson we can always hone for ourselves, and hopefully impart on our students. Have a great fourth quarter.

PCT: Friday April 20^th. SIP and other things…
There are a number of special teams this week which will be called together for collaboration. SIP planning around Math and Literacy, Next year Planning and Student Led Conference time will be front and center to our time together. Please keep Friday afternoon clear for PCT and standby for various meeting invites.

My Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
New Start	New Start / ERAC	NS/CH/ERAC	CHOICE/Sylvester	New Start/CHOICE
April 16	April 17	April 18	April 19	April 20
Weekly Office Master Schedule Audit Planning Host Principal PD at New Start Weekly Counselor	Weekly Registrar Evaluation Writing Weekly Sped Monthly Meeting with Carla Jackson	Group Pictures at CHOICE Social Worker Visit Planning Evaluation Meetings CH PBIS Meeting District Staffing Meeting	Evaluation Writing Audit Work PCT Planning Meetings District Safety Meeting	NS PBIS Meeting Graduation Meeting Audit Meeting ATT Grant Meeting PCT  Meetings

Have a great week back!

Mike