A Transparent Philosophy

For the last year and a half I have spent most of my non-work and non-family time working on my Master's of Education in leadership and learning at the University of Calgary, Werklund School of Education.  Now at the half way point of the program, I've reached a point where my familiarity and comfort with my learning is high.  A key to leadership is visibility and transparency.  So to continue my development as a leader and an educator, making my learning public and open to discussion is essential.  The interconnectedness of the 21st century allows the opportunity for educators and leaders to share ideas across national borders and regional districts.  Professional development has become an all waking hours opportunity for educators.  On twitter (@canadasean21) at any given moment there are literally hundreds if not thousands of teachers engaged in discussion of educational topics.  Most of these educators also have blogs.  There are several blogs that I have followed on a consistent basis.  Specifically, the late Joe Bower is an inspiration in both his consistency, and willingness to discuss his educational philosophy in a public setting. Also, Chris Kennedy, the superintendent of West Vancouver School District ( https://cultureofyes.ca/ ) is a former colleague and his blog is regular reading for me.  What all these connections provide is the opportunity to expand teacher professional development and share our learning.  In the interest of participating in this community, here is the most recent version (fall 2015) of my philosophy of education;

Teaching is a multi-faceted activity that includes aspects of parenting, mentoring, coaching, information sharing, design and social management. The goal of teaching should be to engage minds critically in a field of study that has applications in real life and/or mimics the role of a professional in that field. The fact that each of these descriptors are also essential to effective leadership shows that teacher's model aspects of leadership on a daily basis with their classes. Effective classroom teachers are varied in type and style, just like effective leaders. Effective leaders use a variety of methods and motivations to engage, just like effective teachers. The most highly effective teachers are those that design learning activities that mimic real life, are rigorous, access experts and expertise, facilitate productive positive discussion, and collaborate well with others. As such, a leader should provide supports and professional development that ensures understanding of these outcomes.

Rationale and reasoning are necessary aspects 21st century learning. In high school social studies realpolitik; or the idea that there are often competing and contradictory agenda's in decision making, the ideal, and the real; helps students make sense of a complex world. “(The) term has come to imply a certain amount of amorality or immorality in action, choosing a course that may be the most effective but not one that is overly concerned with what is right or proper.” (Wayman, 1997, p. 1) What adolescents determine as ‘right and proper’ plays a significant role in how they interact with their world. Adolescents have a very keen awareness of social justice and are often eager to make judgements about their understandings. “[Adolescents] negatively evaluate people who engage in harmful or unfair practices that are based on moral beliefs different from their own.” (Chandler, 2000, p. 92) If this sense is not reflected in learning, engagement of learners becomes an issue. The teacher’s role is to facilitate, empower, inform, and focus this already existing engagement. Disequilibrium may occur for those teachers accustomed to the being the most knowledgeable in their given subject areas, but in the context of personalized learning reasoning and rationale become even more important.
Considering the above, there are two essential purposes for public education in 21st century democracies. The first is to educate, socialize, and facilitate thoughtful, critical thinking citizens who are engaged in the greater community. The second is to provide the opportunity for every person to achieve to their highest potential regardless of socio-economic background, gender, race, or other personal understanding. Schools are cauldrons; they magnify, enhance and reflect the nature of the society in which they exist. A necessary aspect of educational leadership must be to not only recognize societal inequity, but also to aid in the process of mitigating this inequity. Perhaps it’s idealistic to suppose schools and learning can succeed where society struggles, but just as schools reflect the ills of our society, they also reflect the social democratic responsibility we expect of our citizens. In many ways our students are far more socially aware and socially responsible than many adults. Accessing this engagement and giving voice and context to it, is another essential role of the educator.
Having spent the last ten years working with high needs students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, I’ve seen the power teachers have in these communities. This is true even though in the vast majority of cases, the teachers do not live in the communities they teach. They are still significant and important members of the local community. To me a teacher’s community role cannot be overlooked. Many families see their teachers as essential; key role models for youth in their communities. As such, the inclusion of family and community voice in the process of education is not only required in a free and democratic society, but can have benefits to students, teachers and beyond. If the goal is an atmosphere of social justice and social responsibility, empowering families and communities takes everyone further in that direction,
To me this is a fundamental responsibility of public education. To propose a philosophy on leading and learning that doesn't include the above is to not recognizing the environment of schooling in the 21st century. Effective learning and effective leading resemble effective education in a variety of ways. Socially just and socially responsible leaders are essential in our world. If leaders do not recognize their own inherent bias, they will prove remarkably ineffective at guiding the practice of professionals. Similarly in our learning, social equity and social responsibility must act as a critical lens to our practice as lifelong learners.

References:
Chandler, Michael J.; Sokol, Bryan W.; and Wainryb, Cecilia. “Beliefs about Truth and Beliefs about               Rightness” in Child Development Vol. 71, No. 1 (Jan-Feb, 2000) pp. 91-97.

Wayman, F. W., & Diehl, P. F. (1994). Reconstructing realpolitik. University of Michigan Press.

I encourage thoughtful discussion of any topic on this blog, but please be respectful and provide sources for any contention you are making.

Sean

Calgary City Teachers Convention 2015

The overwhelming message of this years Teachers convention has been that the key to a high functioning education system is equity.  From Pasi Sahlberg, the noted Finnish Educator; to @davidcberliner who has explored the depths of the American education system;  the message to Calgary teachers has been equity.  

Especially in the current economic and political climate in Alberta, we as teachers must be the advocate for equity in the system and in society as a whole.  Here are some disturbing facts.  First, 1 in 7 Albertans currently lives in poverty. Aside from this being an embarrassment to one of the most wealthy societies in the world, it illustrates the key role public institutions play in creating a more equitable society.   Notice the difference between the two schools in the following video.

http://youtu.be/7ZliNRsfJ2w

 

The question for Albertans is, do we want a society that rewards the already well off and socio-economically advantaged?  Or a society that is compassionate to those in need?

Really Danielle, really.

Well, give Danielle Smith, Jim Prentice and the (so-called) Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta credit for one thing.  They have encouraged me to reopen and reengage in this blog.  The main reason requiring a blog, is to point out that recent politics can not be summed up in 140 characters.  Also, I'm so frustrated by the provncial political proces in Alberta, I had to get my thoughts out to clarify and fully understand the forces at work.

Well here it goes, in approximately half a year, Jim Prentice has gone from private citizen, to Premier of Alberta.  In and of itself, a significant accomplishment.  He then proceeded to lead the PCAA to a sweep in September by-elections.  Again, no small feet for a flailing party that had been leaderless for almost a year.  But to turn those by-election victories into the events seen in Alberta this week is beyond shocking.  The following series of tweets illustrate the remarkable change in fortunes for Prentice.

I teach my students to look at who benefits when analyzing historical, international, and current events.  It's not a perfect science, financial gain is not always the prime motivator of human behaviour, but it often is.  Further to this basic lens to politics, I've had two personal conversations with people who don't normally talk politics that caused me to think there might not be much more to this than the price of a barrel of oil.  

Currently also flailing around $50 a barrel and  likely to hit $40 before it returns to $70.  The price of a barrel of crude oil is and has been for a long time the prime motivator for everything Alberta.  Be it pathological hatred for all things Liberal Party (thank you very much Narional Energy Program), or where and when a new school is built, the price of a barrel of crude is king.  That the price of oil is now invading our democratic legislative process is a serious concern.

Others have better laid out the exact timeline, but essentially the original financial backers of the Wild Rose Party, oil companies now longer have the funds to support an opposition party now that the PC's have gotten rid of those Red leaning Stelmach and Redford.  Now that Jim Prentice has demonstrated and stated that he will incorporate most of Wild Rose Policy, why continue to fund the opposition.  Given that in the words of NDP leader Rachel Notley, Alberta has its' first Wild Rose Party Premier, it was time to take the oil money out of the wild rose party.  Danielle Smith and the other defectors to the pcaa are merely being the worst kind of ideologue.  One that only cares about reelection.  

50 Most Visited Tourism Destinations

Interesting Infographic:
I've been to 17 of these over the years.

Any thoughts or comments?

A Day of Government E-mails

As some of you probably saw, my blog yesterday contained a copy of a letter sent to all teachers in Alberta by the Minister of Education, Jeff Johnson.  This was not the only government email I received yesterday.  My direct employer, the Calgary Board of Education released their budget expectations based on the funding provided in the Provincial Budget.  Their conclusions?  That for the fourth consecutive year their is a funding gap between provincial allocation and the amount required just to maintain current conditions.  This year the total is 31 million dollars.  If taken solely from staffing, we are looking at over 400 front line workers that are working this year, not working with students next year.  All the while, enrollment in CBE schools is increasing every year.  In summary, there are more students, and fewer resources available to educate these students.  
 
It is impossible to deal with these two messages in isolation.  At the same time the minister of education is asking for support and buy-in for a revamp and re imagining of the education system and curriculum for the 21st century, funding is significantly lacking.  It is clear that as the second largest part of the provincial government (after health care), there is a need to control spending.  However, it is highly unlikely that education in Alberta will able to achieve the minister's own stated goal: 

"The education system of the future - the system in which we are building on - will be cutting-edge, dynamic and student-centred. The ethical citizens, engaged thinkers and entrepreneurial spirits of Inspiring Education will help shepherd Alberta further into the 21st century and will ensure our children are among the world’s best prepared to compete in a global economy."

Bold and powerful words, but will the minister and the government have the will to fund the system appropriately and sustainably?

Email from Minister of Education to all Teachers

This showed up in my e-mail inbox this evening.  I'll have some commentary tomorrow.

I am writing you today once again to ensure that you are aware of exciting developments in the education system that affect you.  First, let me take this opportunity to thank you for all of your great work and dedication to students.  The recent PISA study is a testament to your success.  In spite of recent criticism by some, let me assure you that our Premier and government are incredibly proud of educators like you that have made our education system one of the best performing in the world.  It has only become one of the best because of our commitment to continuous improvement and our embrace of global best practice and research.  The recently announced curriculum redesign is just one of those initiatives.   However, it is clear to me that in spite of two years of collaborative work with the ATA, ASBA, CASS, ASCA, and business and industry, some questions remain about the joint approach that we are taking with curriculum redesign.  I would like to try and clarify for you the work that is underway and I also welcome your questions, comments and advice in relation to this initiative. I assure you that Alberta will not rush to implement changes to curriculum until parents and educators are confident that we have it right.   As educators, parents, and administrators, it is our responsibility to ensure that our education system is continually evolving and putting students first. We must take stock of the world around us, at home and abroad, and determine how to best tailor the education system to meet the demands of a globally, interconnected economy. The world in which our students will soon enter is becoming increasingly competitive and demanding of new skills which, we have heard through conversations with Albertans, need to be better built into today’s curriculum.   This is one of the reasons we are redesigning the curriculum to make it more responsive, more relevant and better suited to present and future realities. Some of our recent successes in education are reflective of these efforts, all of which aim to put students at the heart of the system. Teachers, like you, are leading the way in helping to effectively implement a number of innovative initiatives like the Dual Credit Partnerships Program, the High School Flexibility Program and the transition to digital and flexible Student Learning Assessments. You will remain a vital partner in any changes moving forward and we will continue to rely on your professional expertise as educators.   As frontline education professionals, you know better than anyone else that each student learns differently and a one-size fits all approach to education is quickly becoming a thing of the past.   Secondly, teachers have told me that the current curriculum is too packed and can force teachers to only scratch the surface of subject matter and limit an opportunity to impart the full scope of their knowledge.  You have also told me that a packed curriculum prevents teachers from having the time and space they need to individualize learning to better meet the needs of students. It can also stifle a teacher’s creativity, inhibiting the application of their full skillset.  And lastly, we also need to heed the concerns of parents and find ways to more strongly emphasize the foundational skills of numeracy and literacy.   In order to address these shortcomings, while also developing a curriculum that prepares Alberta's students for the rigors of the modern world, we have endeavored to create a dynamic and holistic curriculum. The process by which we will do this is intended to be immensely collaborative and will rely on the dedication, skills and expertise of individuals like you. The redesign process is being led by a consortia of school boards who have committed to engage with classroom teachers, parents, the business community, FNMI and trustees from across the province. You should also be aware that the ATA has been on our government's Curriculum Advisory Committee for the past two years to represent you throughout the development of this process.   Moving forward, the redesign will first yield draft curriculum prototypes that we will look to implement more broadly once they are ready. Although this process only recently got underway, I can tell you that our three main objectives are the following:   Better focus the curriculum on relevant and important learner outcomes. The current curriculum is too packed and has ballooned to over 1400 objectives; More firmly embed the fundamentals - numeracy and literacy - throughout every subject and course offering to ensure better mastery of basic skills; and Along with the fundamentals, more deliberately instill soft skills the economy and employers are demanding, such as problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and entrepreneurialism.   Furthermore, I wish to clarify what this process is not. Despite claims to the contrary, Alberta Education is not embracing or moving towards simply imposing so-called "discovery learning”.  Some have suggested that teachers will only be a partner in learning and learners will be completely self-directed.  I can tell you this is absolute rubbish.  Alberta, as you know, has already embraced inquiry-based learning, which is an approach that is well documented and the basis of significant scientific study. We know that methods used to reach each student are best determined by you as the professionals in the classroom. I encourage you to read more about inquiry-based learning by following this link:http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/aisi/themes/inquiry.aspx.   Additionally, the redesign process is neither drastic nor radical. It is being done in a thoughtful, methodical and collaborative manner. No longer can educators take ten years to redesign a single subject at a time. We want teachers, parents, industry and students from the field to develop our prototypes.  We hope our new process will enable us to interweave and reinforce the application of the fundamentals in with 21st century competencies across all subjects.   A successful redesign of the curriculum is integral to realizing the vision of Inspiring Education.  If you are unsure of what inspiring education is challenging us to do, please visit this link, which will take you to the introductory speech I delivered to the Inspiring Education Symposium on February 19th. I trust that you will find it informative and helpful.  As many of you are fielding questions on the curriculum redesign, I have also attached my opinion editorial which appeared recently in the Calgary Herald to the end of this email.   I am also pleased to inform you that Cabinet recently approved the establishment of the Teacher Development and Practice Advisory Committee (TDPAC). This committee will be chaired by ATA President, Mark Ramsankar, and teachers will comprise half of the committee’s voting membership. The purpose of TDPAC is to advise the government on all matters affecting the teaching profession. I look forward to working with TDPAC to ensure that we’re constantly strengthening the teaching profession in Alberta.  In closing, I wish to express that I am excited to be working with you to help reach the highest possible level of student achievement in our province. Our world leading results are a testament to your hard work. The education system of the future - the system in which we are building on - will be cutting-edge, dynamic and student-centred.  The ethical citizens, engaged thinkers and entrepreneurial spirits of Inspiring Education will help shepherd Alberta further into the 21st century and will ensure our children are among the world’s best prepared to compete in a global economy.       Warm regards, Jeff Johnson Minister Alberta Education MLA for Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater  >> OpEd - Minister Johnson   Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Send this to a friend This email was created and delivered using Industry Mailout

Keynesian vs. Hayekian Economics

A couple of weeks ago, my Grade 10 students were to begin their exposure to the workings of Economic Globalization.  They are expected to have a basic understanding of the different economic philosophies behind capitalism; specifically the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and Frederick Hayek.  These are fairly esoteric ideas for a Grade 10 student to fully comprehend, so I decided to take an alternative bent.

First I showed them the following cartoon:

Since I was relatively confident that few if any of the students would get the joke, it seemed the perfect hook to encourage engagement.  I told the students that it's alright that they didn't understand this now, but by the end of class, everyone would be in on the joke.
One enterprising young man suggested that the cartoon had something to do with the man's wife being from Kenya. 
Regardless, as we combed through the intricacies of Supply-side (Hayek) vs. Demand-side (Keynes) economics, mainly in note-taking form, it was clear that only about a third of the class understood the joke. This was easily assessed as the various students reactions upon understanding the original cartoon were boisterous and audible.

To reach those students who still weren't in on the joke, we used a couple of YouTube creations from Econ Stories to flesh out the ideas behind these thinkers.

The first video recounts the debate between these ideologies:

 

And the sequel applies the philosophy to current economic situations.:

 

By the end of the second video, each students has a list of characteristics of each view on capitalism.  More interesting to me as a teacher, is that I had a constant flow of information coming from the students regarding their understanding.  Without any type of summative assessment, I can be reasonably sure that each student has an understanding based on their in class reactions.

This is a lesson strategy that I would like to repeat.