Supporting Rigor, Relevance and Relationships in the 21 st Century Raymond J. McNulty, Senior Vice President International Center for Leadership in Education

Themes Share Some Thoughts Rigor, Relevance and Relationships Motivation Innovation Closing Thoughts

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

Generally, we get what we design for!

What got us to where we are today in education, will not get us to where we need to be!

CHANGE

What happened to GM..??

Educators need to become the agents of change.

Objects of Change VS. Agents of Change Federal/State Govt. SEA, Policy Districts, Schools, Staff, Students, Community Federal/State Govt. SEA, Policy

THE IMPLEMENTATION DIP…. THE POSSIBILITY CURVE.. Fullan

The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.

Weve created false proxies for learning… Finishing a course or textbook has come to mean achievement Listening to lecture has come to mean understanding Getting a high score on a standardized test has come to mean proficiency

Learning should have its roots in.. Meaning, not just memory Engagement, not simply transmission Inquiry, not only compliance Exploration, not just acquisition Personalization, not simply uniformity Collaboration, not only competition Trust, not fear

Basic Knowledge/Skills English Language (spoken) Reading Comprehension (in English) Writing in English (grammar, spelling, etc.) Mathematics Science Government/Economics Humanities/Arts Foreign Languages History/Geography Are They Really Ready To Work? Applied Skills Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Oral Communication Written Communication Teamwork/Collaboration Diversity Information Technology Application Leadership Creativity/Innovation Lifelong Learning/Self Direction Professionalism/Work Ethic Ethics/Social Responsibility

This is the story about the big public conversation the nation is not having about public education… whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the Global Economy because they cant think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good information from bad, or speak a language other than English. Time Magazine Dec. 18, 2006

ALL STUDENTS RIGOR RELEVANCE RELATIONSHIPS

HOWEVER….##??

ALL STUDENTS Relationships Relevance Rigor

It is virtually impossible to make things relevant for, or expect personal excellence from a student you dont know. Carol Ann Tomlinson

You cant teach kids you dont know….

Motivation is a key ingredient for success in learning.

Talking with kids… Its not us against them!

Think about how our education system generally behaves…

We need more artists, so heres our plan. REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE MORE ART!

We need more scientists and mathematicians, so heres our plan. REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE MORE MATH AND SCIENCE!

What Works Best? REQUIRE MANDATE FORCE EXCITE CREATE PASSION MOTIVATE

When I say it this way…. Relationships Relevance Rigor

R X R X R = LCWRS Relationships X Relevance X Rigor = Life, College, Work Ready Students

So relationships, Ive got that. Whats this Rigor Relevance about? Is it another add on to my already hectic life?

Rigor and Relevance is NOT a new add –on !! Rigor and Relevance is a Philosophy of Teaching !!

Knowledge Taxonomy 1. Recall Knowledge 2. Comprehension 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

Assimilation of knowledge Acquisition Thinking Continuum

Application Model 1 Knowledge of one discipline 2 Application within discipline 3 Application across disciplines 4 Application to real-world predictable situations 5 Application to real-world unpredictable situations

Acquisition of knowledge Application of knowledge Action Continuum Relevance of learning to life and work

12345 Application Knowledge Rigor/Relevance Framework

We dont have TIME to teach in this deep a manner. So how do we find the time to keep teaching material over and over?

AS A SYSTEM WE NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO….. LEAD ADAPT INNOVATE and CREATE

We have a flawed perspective of always listening to our best customers… They tell us how good the system is working for them!

BANKING Sears IBM Xerox

A Story…. Sir Ken Robinson Paul McCartney George Harrison

-Shurnyu Suzuki In the beginners mind there are many possibilities; in the experts mind there are few.

Sustaining Innovation and Disruptive Innovation

SystemInnovation

Sustaining InnovationDisruptive Innovation

Closing Thoughts

Standardized Assessment Necessary but NOT SUFFICIENT

STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES ARE AN ACCURATE MEASURE OF STUDENT LEARNING AND SCHOOL SUCCESS. We behave like………..

OUR WORK IS COMPLEX A test score is not a synonym for what a student has learned or a school has accomplished.

TO DO THE JOB WELL QUANTITATIVE DATA QUALITATIVE DATA GREAT QUESTIONS…

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION STRATEGY

Themes Learning Collaboration Continuous Improvement Implementation

Not About Judgment Individuals Past Criticism

Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners Foundation Learning Stretch Learning Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Components of School Excellence Embrace a Common Vision and Goals Inform Decisions Through Data Systems Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate Clarify Student Learning Expectations Adopt Effective Instructional Practices Address Organizational Structures Monitor Progress/Improve Support Systems Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis Rigor/Relevance Framework Supported by Relationships FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION

You will need to plan to improve the design of your system, but plan to learn, not plan to be right. LEARN YOUR WAY INTO THE FUTURE. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER…..

who put chocolate fingers everywhere, who like to be tickled, who stomp in puddles and ruin their new pants, who can never find their shoes. We Educate the Children

who never get dessert, who dont have new pants to ruin who cant bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers who are born in place we wouldnt be caught dead. And We Educate the Children

who squeeze the toothpaste all over the sink, who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub, who dont like to be kissed in front of the carpool. We educate the children

who have only dirty clothes to wear, who arent spoiled by anyone, whose pictures arent on anyones dresser. And we educate the children

We educate the children Courtesy of Creative Leaps, Inc.