Mulberry Street

Why Do These Kids Love School?

Last week EduTopia had a great article and video on Auburn Early Education Center, a kindergarten learning center with a  project-based curriculum approach. The students featured in the video  are having fun using interactive whiteboards for  research, reading lessons and shared writing. The school has adopted meaningful practices from Responsive Classroom and every class conducts a Morning Meeting each day. Teachers are using effective strategies from Lucy Calkins and Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. I applaud the AEEC teachers who have worked very hard to embed technology into PBL and high quality literacy instruction. The kindergartners love school.

There were some glaring omissions in the article and video. I did not see easels for painting, blocks for building, scales, clay or sand for creating, or prisms, magnets, scales and other tools for investigating the real world. These are essential elements of quality early childhood and primary classrooms. Verbal skills are important and technology is a wonderful tool  and expressing but children need more than screens and words. The video below, Why Do These Kids Love School, is almost twenty years old so it does not feature technology that can enrich today's classrooms.  It remains an excellence portrayal of kind of schools our children deserve. Watch it- you will not forget it. The video is almost one hour long. If time is limited I recommend viewing from the sections that begins about 21/2 minutes into the film and ends at about 35 minutes.

The Real Mrs. Frizzle

Christian Long asserts that we need to re-imagine the “brand” of the teaching profession. He wonders if teaching should be or can be a long-term career.  Chris Lehmann believes that we must create a sustainable teaching life because teaching must be a rewarding long-term career. They both make valid points.

Certainly we need to change the culture of teaching. Chris makes some wonderful suggestions about how to do so. I especially agree that his ideas work best in small schools. I have been lucky to work with schools that embody his vision.

Reducing class size and paperwork while increasing collaboration and autonomy are important but If we want true cultural change we must attract a wider variety of people to the field. And we should learn to be comfortable with the fact that they may not stay in the field forever.

Throughout my career I have encountered a few inspirational teachers and a fair number of good teachers. Age, sex, credential status and years of experience were irrelevant. The most important characteristic common to great and good teachers is the willingness to take risks and learn.

Recently I worked with a fifty-something woman who was beginning her fifth year in teaching.  Her room was vibrant with meaningful messiness that is a sure sign kids are excited by learning. When she returned to work before the first day of school she wore a bright purple corset on top of a form fitting sweater. It had red and white laces that matched her polka-dot stockings. The Head of School actually turned pale when he saw her. I smiled and knew that the real Mrs. Frizzle had just entered the building. Later that day she told me,

"When I got my credential I promised myself that I would never forget what it is like to do something really hard. So every year, right before school starts, I take a class that forces me to push myself to learn. This year I took a corset making class. It was incredibly tough but I did it! I can’t wait to show my class.”

Her students couldn't wait to get to school everyday.

Children deserve teachers who are not afraid to learn something difficult.

Children deserve schools that are open; that invite learners to explore the world beyond the classroom walls and welcome non-traditional teachers who share wisdom and expertise.

Teacher Talk

When I began blogging I intentionally omitted the words "teaching" and "teacher" from my list of categories. I did so because I think the educational community spends far too much time talking about teaching and too little time thinking about learning.

A discussion about learning must begin with a deep understanding of the  developmental stages of learning. There must be a persistent desire to increase clarity about each learner's  learning style, interests, strengths and challenges.  Most teacher education classes and professional development courses are about instructional methods not about how children learn. Indeed the golden rule of professional development is to give the teachers something they can take back to school and use in their classrooms the next day. Unfortunately most nuggets that can be shared in a 90 minute or all day workshop will not make an authentic difference in learning. Educational communities need to be engaged in continuous study of learning and refinement of instruction based on patient, ongoing observation of the learner. The writings of Howard Gardner  and Mel Levine are great resources for learning about learning. Schools Attuned, based on Levine's work, is a 35 hour course that helps teachers look at learners in meaningful ways and gives them tools for reaching "all kinds of minds."

Today I added teaching and teachers  to my list of categories. Recent posts by Christian Long at think:lab and Chris Lehmann at Practical Theory inspired me expand my category list and jump into the discussion about the teaching profession. More tomorrow.........

Children Deserve Art

Children’s Art: Childcare and the Home Front 1943-66 is the current exhibit at The Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland. Created over sixty years ago by the children of workers at Kaiser Shipyard, the exhibit’s fifty paintings are on loan from the Richmond Museum of History’s large collection of children’s art. The works at MOCHA are colorful and detailed.  It is clear that the artists, age 5-12, carefully planned and thoughtfully executed each brush stroke. The exhibit vividly documents a dramatic historical period and is a testament to a gifted and dedicated educator, Monica Haley. "Monica's philosophy was to give the kids materials and an orderly environment and leave them alone," said the show’s curator, retired UC Berkeley Professor Joe Fischer.

Art was a primary focus of Haley’s program for 2-12 year-olds at Maritime Child Care Center.  She carefully prepared the environment, made sure that at least two hours a day were devoted to art and gave the children high quality materials. She and other teachers respectfully recorded the children’s comments about their creations and stored the finished products.

In an article written in the 1950’s Haley stated, “….art education for children should follow the child’s natural way or expressing himself with creative materials…….help the child realize his creative instincts in a tempo and manner geared to his own developmental stages.”

Careful observation of the child as she selects materials, creates representations and discusses her work is the polar opposite of the narrow assessment methods mandated by NCLB.  It is rare to find easels in primary grade classrooms and few schools devote two hours a week to art. We are pushing our children to read the printed word without giving them time to read their world and bring coherence to experience. We are, as Ken Robinson says, “educating our children out of their creativity.”

Children deserve schools where creativity and literacy have equal status.

Children deserve schools that are beautiful, filled with art, interesting colors, shapes and textures.   

Children deserve teachers like Monica Haley.

The School All Children Deserve

Early in February, after undergoing a routine medical procedure, I experienced a life-threatening medical event.  Immediately I sought to make sense out of what happened. Certainly such a close call would lead me to make life changes but I didn't know what I needed to change. I lead a healthy life, have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, don’t smoke, enjoy a sweet family and was happily dedicated to my job. What was wrong with this picture? I wanted immediate answers. None were forthcoming. I went home from the hospital more worried about my work than I was about my health.

My first stop on the day I was released from the hospital was Kepler’s Bookstore. A doctor-ordered medical leave gave me lots of time to make progress on my To Read and To Re-Read lists. I bought David Elkind’s new book, The Power of Play; Alfie Kohn’s, The Homework Myth; some Jane Austen and, to, replace my hardback loaned to a teacher,  a paperback copy of The House At Pooh Corner.

Reading and re-reading several books, numerous articles and many blogs about learning and creativity was energizing and agonizing. I realized how much I missed working with people who share my beliefs about learning and schools. I remembered the heartache I felt on one of my last visits to my school's kindergarten. On that gloomy day I retreated to my office and bit my lip after noticing that a page from a workbook was the teacher's only resource for teaching fractions to five year olds. The room was missing many of the most of the important tools for reaching young minds-  water table, workbench, cooking center, puzzles, hollow blocks.

After much reading and thinking I uncovered my biggest problem- my work was no longer connected to my heart. That is very unhealthy! I must return to a school that values the pace of childhood and authentically teaches to the whole child. I am looking for a place in such a school- I may just launch one.

Christian Long's  "The Future of Learning" Manifesto"  inspired me to create my own manifesto- The School All Children Deserve:

Children deserve schools that are beautiful, filled with art, interesting colors, shapes and textures.   

Children deserve schools that are balanced; where creativity and literacy have equal status and wonder is treasured.

Children deserve schools that are comfortable; with cozy spots for solitude and welcoming spaces where groups can gather.

Children deserve schools that are responsive to their questions, ideas and concerns.

Children deserve schools that are flexible; free of rigid schedules and the one-size fits all curriculum.

Children deserve schools that are open; that invite learners to explore the world beyond the classroom walls and welcome non-traditional teachers who share wisdom and expertise.

Children deserve schools that are respectful of the individual; where personal best is emphasized rather than competitive comparisons.

Children deserve schools that are inclusive of learners with diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Children deserve schools that are sustainable; where simplicity and service to others are embedded in daily life.

I have taught in, worked with, learned of and visited schools that embody these principles. I will use this blog to share examples of such schools. I will also write about the theories and beliefs that are the foundation for my manifesto. Along the way I will probably post about other subjects too- after life is boring when it lacks serendipity. Look at me- I wound up in the ER and re-discovered my calling!

Decision for the Admissions Committee

Admissions season has just concluded in independent and parochial schools. Many magnet schools and programs for gifted students in the public sector have recently selected their new crop of students.  From Boston to Oahu admission committees have screened four and five year-olds and later convened to discuss which candidates to admit. If you were to eavesdrop on admissions conferences you would most likely hear more than a few conversations very similar to the one below.

Frankly, I am a bit troubled by our next candidate’s profile. There are some red flags that suggest he may be on the spectrum.

Oh, that’s too bad. He is such an attractive child- those big eyes- and quiet too. I'm sure he would never disrupt the class.

He is quiet but I am worried about perseveration. Did you notice that he never put that compass down? Just kept staring at it as he moved around the room.

I agree. That obsession with the compass is definitely perseveration. I think he is on the spectrum.

I was thinking the same thing. I noted some echolalia.

Too bad. He was so captivated by the music. I think he might have real talent but if he is on the spectrum we can’t take him.

He is a spectrum kid all right. Did you read his application? His parents report that when he first saw his baby sister he said, “Yes, but where does it have it’s small wheels?”

I don’t think we can meet his needs.

That’s right. We are not the right place for a kid on the spectrum.

OK then. Albert is not accepted. I will notify Mr. And Mrs. Einstein.

Walter Isaacson’s new biography, Einstein: His Life and Universe, reminded me of five year-old Albert’s fascination with the compass. As he held the gift from his father Albert’s hands trembled and he wondered why the needle always pointed north.  He later wrote,"I can still remember...this experience made a deep and lasting impression on me. Something deeply hidden had to be behind things"

Isaacson’s book describes a young boy with several characteristics that would earn him a diagnosis somewhere on the autistic spectrum. He reports that young Albert would repeat words and sentences over and over to himself until he could get them right. That is echolalia, a symptom of autism.

The ability to think in pictures, a trait Isaacson believes was key to Einstein’s genius, is a spectrum behavior defined as visuospatial thinking.

The fascination with the compass could be labeled as the spectrum behavior of perseveration- getting stuck with one behavior or object.

Little Albert’s quirky question about his sister, “Where are the wheels?” would likely be interpreted as an indiscriminate social interaction or indifference to others. Social impairment is a symptom of autism.

In an interview with WHYY's Fresh Air Isaacson said,  “His sense of wonder, his ability to think in pictures and his rebellious streak were what made Einstein a genius. “

If he were applying to kindergarten in 2007 those very behaviors would earn young Albert a rejection letter from many selective schools.

Admissions committees work hard to ensure that their student bodies are diverse. Appropriately, much attention is given to racial, socio-economic and gender balance but there is much work to be done to create schools that are authentically diverse. Far too few schools are inclusive of students with learning differences. If we really want to educate children who will solve the big problems of the 21st century we must stop stigmatizing children who learn or socialize differently.They may be some of our most creative students who, like Einstein, look at the world with wonder when most of us see only the mundane. We need more kids who are obsessed with pondering questions that cannot be answered on a test- questions that might take a lifetime to answer.

In his interview on NPR's Fresh Air Walter Isaacson said, “Einstein was not smarter than other physicists. He was just more creative.”

In his  TEDTalk Sir Ken Robinson said, ”Creativity now is as important as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.”

Let’s strengthen our focus on creativity and broaden our definition of intelligence. We must reach more children who learn differently-kids like Albert.

My dream school will be inclusive of learners with diverse backgrounds and abilities. In my dream school the admissions committee would have been excited by Albert and his compass.

 

Arnold Blume – More Than A Standard Teacher

Many public school districts require teachers to begin each class by informing the students of the standard addressed by the day's lesson. Sixth graders in a California public school might begin a social studies class by joining their teacher in reading the following;

6.1 .2 Identify the locations of human communities that populated the major regions of the world and describe how humans adapted to a variety of environments. 

I was reminded of this misguided, mind-numbing mandate when I read Cam Beck’s April 2 post at ChaosScenario, Yank Them By the Heartstrings and Keep Pulling. Beck wrote:

 Apathy is to sticky ideas what nail polish remover is to glue. 

Scripted lessons and test driven curriculum make it very difficult for teachers to inspire passion and curiosity. The result is too many apathetic learners.

Beck did a 6 part review of  Made To Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.  The book was already on my To Read list when Beck’s series made me even more eager to dig in. I’ve only read the introduction where the authors summarize the six principles of successful ideas with one checklist:

Simple Unexpected Concrete Credentialed Emotional Story

Using stories to connect with the audience is not a new idea. Many leading thinkers, including Howard Gardener and Robert Coles, have written about the power of narrative. Arnold Blume is an expert in the sticky ideas. The eighty-one year old substitute teacher uses stories every day to grab the attention of middle schoolers. Thirteen year-old Angelique Dedvukovic, gave Blume an accolade that would delight any teacher. He made me love social studies.

I think the secret ingredient of Blume’s stories is that he takes time to really learn what interests today’s middle schoolers.  He watches their television programs and movies. He listens when they talk. He describes his method for making ideas stick:

I will find a way of taking something that interests the class and switch it around to something I want to teach the class.

Arnold Blume sets a worthy standard for the rest of us.

Mario Needed A Geekdad

When I taught kindergarten and preschool the workbench was one of the most popular spots in the classroom. There was always someone pounding roofing nails into a piece of soft wood or patiently using the screwdriver to insert or remove a screw. There were no blueprints, projects or assignments; no birdhouses, toy cars or identifiable objects. The purpose was process not product. I can’t remember the last time I saw a workbench in a kindergarten classroom. They are rare in preschools! There are at least a dozen good reasons why woodworking should be included in every early childhood and elementary classroom. It won’t happen unless there is “research” connecting the workbench to higher test scores. It is up to parents to make sure kids learn and create with real tools.  Geekdad, the new blog at WIRED magazine, has lots of great ideas for projects parents can do with kids. It's about much more than woodworking. Physics, biology, field trips, software, are some examples of the categories included. So far my favorites are Capturing a spiderweb and Proving the theory of relativity in your minivan.