Our Innovation Ambassadors Rocked NJSBA

"Meaningful student involvement is the process of engaging students as partners in every facet of school change for the purpose strengthening their commitment to education, community & democracy." Adam Fletcher

Earlier this week, the annual New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) convention took place in Atlantic City, NJ. It's a convention where education professionals and vendors hold workshops focusing on improving schools through multiple avenues, such as: policies, board of education PD, legislation updates, department of education employees discussing high stakes testing, and so much more. It's a convention where Board of Education members, their guest, superintendents, and other school officials attend. It's a convention where educational minds come to discuss what's best for their communities, schools, and students. 

Yet, there was something different this year compared to previous years. 

A HUGE Thanks to John Henry, a NJSBA STEM & Sustainable Schools Specialist, we (Northfield Community Middle School) were invited to share all of the innovations that our school is currently undertaking this year. The invitation was sent two weeks prior to the convention, which left us little time to prep. Yet, we were beyond honored by the invitation, and certainly wanted to demonstrate all that our students and staff were doing. After a short discussion with Interim Superintendent, Bob Garguilo, and Digital Shop Teacher, Kevin Jarrett, we decided that we needed to bring something that stood out from everything else. Something that TRULY REPRESENTED what school is about and what it should be. 

WE NEEDED TO BRING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AS OUR AMBASSADORS. 

We selected ten students, as well as four teachers. Oh, did I mention that it was 8 girls and 2 boys! Yes, girls leading the way with our innovative projects and STEAM!

We set up a meeting for the students and their passion/energy helped to propel us forward. Through a Google Doc, Slides, and a portable whiteboard, our storyboard came to life.  

Student Created and Student Voice!

Student designed and written- Leave behind  brochure

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IZcfJJT7rZLB06RTpF3PMXXZgUOiJtq9wYK7IHGEBhs/mobilepresent?pli=1&slide=id.p

Our students and staff rose to levels of excellence that I still cannot honestly describe.  They talked to everyone and anyone willing to listen about our school.  They scoured the convention center floor with robots and drones, handing out our brochures along the way. They spoke with immense pride and enthusiasm about our school. Some would even say there was a glow to them, that simply hypnotized each person that spoke with them.  They demonstrated their abilities as young leaders and models of our "Life Ready" manifesto. They represented themselves, their parents, their school, and their community with such dignity. They seized the moment, and never looked back! 

Day 1 Team

Day 2 Team

Bring Students and Staff = Crowd will come!

Sharing our story with pride

Getting "Bob" the drone ready before the start of Day 1

Non Stop Pride!

Mr. Jarrett, Mrs. Terista, Mrs. Kennedy, and the rest of the team before the "rush"

Let me tell you about our school!

#NCSPRIDE

Stanford U + FabLearn + d. School = How High Is Up?

As I flew across the United States from Philadelphia to San Fransisco, on a five hour flight, I couldn’t help to explore the thoughts of so many topics in my head. Yet, there was one thought that wouldn’t leave my mind: “I’m on plane with Kevin Jarrett, heading to Stanford University for the FabLearn conference, with some of the most brilliant minds in the world.” I wanted to scream, “Wow, can you believe that I’m heading there on a scholarship!” but I had second thoughts about standing up and yelling on an airplane.

 

Several years back if you had told me that I would be on this trip, I would have laughed at you. Yet, today, I am beyond proud of what our staff and students are doing at our school.

Within 48 hours, I had the opportunity to meet and network with so many passionate educators from across the globe.  The keynotes, workshops, educator panels, student panels, and food breaks were not for "comfortable" educators.  It was a tsunami of information for educators who were looking for ways to move their schools to new heights.  Robotics, 3D printing, more makerspace ideas, laser cutters, cross curriculum lessons, and so much more.

The opportunity to sit and mingle with some of the brightest minds in the world, was something that I will never forget.  With the assistance of Kevin Jarrett, I was able to make connections that I never thought were possible. How often can you eat with Kevin Jarrett @kjarrett, Mary Cantwell @scitechyedu , Sylvia Martinez @smartinez , Tracy Rudzitis @wagongrrl , Dr. Jessica K. Parker, and Josh Weisgrau @jweisgrau. And to think, I was with David Culberhouse @DCulberhouse and LaVonna Roth @LaVonnaRoth the weekend before was AWESOME!

Thank you FabLearn for allowing us to partake.  I promise, if we are invited back out next year, we will certainly be more than willing to present the AMAZING student Maker/Designer/Innovative happenings at our school.

d. School

I made it to the d. School! The moment you walked through the front doors, that were wide open,  you could feel the energy, innovation to learn, share, aspire, and be free with your thoughts. When people ask me what I think future schools will look like, I often mention openness, just like the d. School.

For me, it was surreal, as the entire summer, our projects, research, and visions were based off of the d. School.  When people ask, what would you like your middle school to look like, I always say, Google, Ron Clark Academy, and the d. School. Oh BTW, we now teach design thinking to our students in 5th-8th grade with a focus on empathy and human centered!

Threshold moment

Love Maker!

Where Idea Street Comes From

No Traditional School Desk Here

Students Design The Learning Space!

Idea Street, EdCamp Period, Digital Shop, Black Mesa are all products of what imagination, innovative mindsets, hard work, teamwork, and desire to create the best possible learning environment.  

Thanks d. School for inspiring us to strive higher each day, and to teach our students, and teachers the enormous power of design thinking. 

Our Own Manifesto That Drives Us!

Walking Dead In Schools: Faculty Meetings

BEWARE!!!! ZOMBIES AND AUTHORITARIAN CULTURES ARE NEAR.

Several weeks into the new year, I am already hearing the same horror stories. The stories of destroying culture and creating zombies. Yes, it's near Halloween, but it doesn't have to be this way. 

What is it? 

Traditional Faculty Meetings.

We know what they are, and we still subject our staff to it!  Yes, it's where the leader lectures the staff from a piece of paper and takes an hour out of their lives that they will never get back. 

Waste of time. Things to do. Yet, it's the time for the leader to stick his or her chest out, and says "now hear this."

Does your entire staff attend your meetings? Do you have part time staff, coaches, advisors, people away at PD, vacation, sick, something else? Why not share your message with all instead of most? 

For those who are willing to set aside their soapboxes and egos, here are just a few ideas to make faculty meetings meaningful. 

* Flipped meetings: Send a short 3-5 minute video explaining what needs to be shared, as well as, recognizing deserving staff (especially those who don't get recognized as much). Putting yourself out there, true transparency, promotes the idea that your looking for staff to mix it up in their studios (classrooms) as well. 

* Allow staff to present great and/or bad lessons they did with others.  How many teachers work in schools for years and never share their great stories with others.  This quickly opens into a great Q & A session. 

* Place photos of each student in the hallway and have staff discuss what motivates them.  How many times does someone know something about a student, but doesn't share it with the rest of the team?

* Allow staff to turn-key information they learned from any PD they recently attended. 

* Talk about how genius hour projects can become Passion Projects throughout the year. They can take place in each class instead of just one. 

* Back channel the meeting to allow the quietest person on your team to have a voice. Demonstrates how students and staff use this during lessons. 

* EdCamp style- Need I say more? Create the board during the day and let the "rule of two feet" happen!

* 20% Time: Allow staff throughout the year several meeting dates to work on 20% time projects that they never had time for before. 

* Have students present to staff. What apps/websites are they using that staff don't know about. Allow them to teach your staff. Is your culture and climate in need of a fix? Surprise staff by having students come to meeting and share what they love about their school. Have the school band, theater club, or any other club in your school perform for staff. 

* Set up dates for PLC meetings.

* Scavenger hunts. 

* Set up dates to analyze curriculum, data, or any other items that need to be addressed. 

* Skype, GHO, FaceTime- set up meetings with other educators, schools or companies who are looking to help your staff. 

* Share inspirational video clips and have a group discussion. 

* Bring food! Cooking contest? Pot luck anyone?

* Hold raffles for new items such as furniture, donated items, or even a free dress down pass. Be creative. 

* Have a Maker meeting, where staff get to see play, passion, and purpose first hand. 

* Have design thinking sessions!

* Select a few dates throughout the year to allow staff to reflect. Yes, let them write! Give them time to sit down and write down thoughts, before they go home to family duties , head to a second job, grade papers, or anything else in their busy schedules. 

* Email an agenda and DON'T hold a meeting. Let them have a meeting off or two. 

* Have a Twitter chat where staff can be anywhere instead of a room. (Thanks Mark French). 

*ADD YOUR OWN, AS THEY ARE NOT THE BE ALL, END ALL! NOR, AM I THE EXPERT THAT ALL MUST FOLLOW.  

THINK OF WHAT THE EXPERIENCE YOU ARE TRYING TO CREATE WHEN IT COMES TO FACULTY MEETINGS.

If they didn't have to attend, would they? Do they come to the meetings happy, ready to see what's next or are they unhappy, geared up for bingo, papers to grade, or a device to text? 

STOP BEING TRADTIONAL. Stop being a 2nd rate replica of who taught you. It DOESN'T always have to be that way. 

These are times, where so many positives could come about: such as meaningful PD, collaboration, culture/climate building, and making a time where they want to get together. 

If you are TRULY a 21st century school leader, then why does it still happen?  Step up, rise up, and make a difference before you create zombies and destroy your culture. 

We Need More Dr. Michael Curran's In Higher Education

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure to speak to Dr. Michael Curran's two classes at Rider University. This was the third time over the past two years that I spoke to his students and I each time I am honored by the invitation to do so.  

Not only did I have the opportunity to speak with pre-service teachers, but I had the opportunity to speak in front of a true game changer in the educational field. 

Dr. Curran, is a type of higher education professor that the world needs more of. Yes, his experience, awards, and professionalism throughout the years are amazing stories, but that's not what makes him special. 

 

He understands and continues to bring innovative ideas to pre-service teachers to prepare them for what schools need in the 21st century, even when many schools continue to live in the 20th century. While we are 15 years into the 21st century, there are so many higher educational institutions that do not embrace digital/technological methodologies and/or pedagogical styles even when mission statements say they are. Many continue to "pump out" traditional mindset educators who like to play the game of school, while Dr. Curran continues to strive forward. Students are required to become connected educators, establish PLN's, and develop growth mindsets that focus on innovation. Yet, others in the field continue to ban technology in class, and lecture about DI, innovation, pedagogical strategies. 

Throughout this current semester, his students have meet Scott Rocco, Brad Currie, Star Sackstein, Magdalene Mattson from Australia, Rich Kiker, and myself. He stresses the importance of PLN's. He attends EdCamps, and other professional development opportunities where you RARELY see higher education professionals. This type of passion, and energy is simply amazing. He not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk. 

Dr. Curran could retire whenever he wants, as he has put in more time then many of us can ever hope to do so, yet I hope that he continues for many years to come. 

Why?

Frankly, he needs to continue to demonstrate to others in higher education that we are relying on them to shape the minds of future teachers to take risk, be someone's hero/role model each day, be innovative, and not be second rate replicas of traditional styles of teaching.

I was lucky enough to talk with an amazing group of pre-service teachers from two courses, and shared some of the amazing stories of what we are doing at my school. Yet, I couldn't help to stress the need for them to rise up and become leaders in the field and that the greatest support system they will ever encounter is their PLN. 

I also asked them:

"What is the experience you are trying to make? Will you be their hero? Will you rise up and teach differently or will you subject your students to the same style of learning you dealt with?"

Thank you Dr. Curran!

Reflection papers from my time at Rider U who were much too kind:

By Samantha Tunnell: @MissTunnell 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By-3zAE8PmpbdUZVS3RBUVlVOEE/view?usp=sharing

By Alyssa DiFlora: @DiFloraA 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By-3zAE8PmpbZnJxdGMwczh4ODQ/view?usp=sharing

Kierstin Molnaur: @MissMolnaur 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By-3zAE8PmpbaDZHUWxtaEFuZ00/view?usp=sharing

An EdCamp Period: Why Can't This Happen At Your School?

"Unfortunately, there are no procedures, no checklists, no blueprints, or manuals for being a pioneer. 

And real change very rarely arrives in a binder." David Culberhouse

When is the last time you allowed loitering, cheering, laughing, running, shoulder bumping, and organized chaos in your hallways? At 2:50 pm, student dismissal time, you could hear the commotion within seconds after the bell.  It was time! It was time to select their next EdCamp sessions by placing their names on the whiteboards on Idea Street.  For the past several weeks our students have been selecting sessions to attend, and the energy level has changed.  Yes, it's at an all time high, as the energy level is higher than I could have ever imagined. In all the years in my educational career, I have never seen anything like this before.  And, I still wonder, why are we the only school doing this?  

If you don't believe me, I encourage you to come visit us.  You will know when the EdCamp sessions are in action, as you can hear our students all around the building. If you didn't know any better, you would think that there was a fight or ruckus of some sort. Yet, it's not the obnoxious, screaming, look at me noise that you would expect.  It's pure passion, drive, and autonomous ideas in action.  I have never walked into all rooms in a hallway (Idea Street) were students are leading sessions the entire time period, pushing each other to strive higher and truly engaged in the lessons at hand.  

Reflection/Sessions since last post:

At the completion of the first week, the 8th grade team and I held a meeting to reflect. Everything and everyone was open for discussion as we all wanted it to work.  The beauty of this meeting was purely the energy of the staff.  You could sense that they too, wanted to take this to a new level. However, the best ideas didn't come from the staff or me.  So who were the geniuses to supply us with two great ideas?  Jenna and Carter, our two students that we invited to represent their class, were the difference makers.  Carter suggested that we remove the teacher's names and room numbers, so that the students had to select from the session titles.  Jenna added, that this would allow students to select based off of topics instead of heading to their favorite teacher's room where they were comfortable.  BOOM! 

This brilliant idea, one that I had discussed before at EdCamps that I had attended, was put into action. It was a way to attend sessions by title, instead of the popularity of an EduStar or favorite teacher.    

Throughout this journey, I often think of the movie Accepted, where students created a fake college and designed their own courses.  Yet, our students, just like the movie, created sessions that they look forward to attending. Students are often the most forgotten voice in schools, as they strive to move forward or "reform".  However, I still wonder. Why are there still so many teachers and administrators out there who are holding back?

*What's holding you back and how can you address it to be a change agent? 
*What is the experience you are trying to create for your school?
*Are we truly preparing our students to be agile for the shifts that are happening all around us? 

*What is holding your school back?

*Are you willing to accept student voice?

*Are you willing to allow students and staff to have freedom to innovate?

*Are you willing to try something new?

From Accepted

Sessions since the last post, Disrupting Traditional Courses with an EdCamp Model to be Life Ready.

-Pumpkin designing based off of your favorite children book

-Take me out to the ballgame- Statistics from baseball

-World Geography- Using Kahoot  

-Art in Math

-Creating board games

-Teacher Assistant 

-Contest creative writing

-Waiting on Joaquin 

-Culture around the world

-Socrative 

Brendan and Kevin in action

Final product

     Analyzing statistics through baseball

   Maker- Designing cars to race from scratch 

     Get Kahoot- World Geography

WHY CAN'T THIS HAPPEN AT YOUR SCHOOL?

"Dropping a binder on someone’s desk does little to motivate anyone towards new actions, new ways of thinking, new ways of doing…towards committed change efforts." David Culberhouse

In the Blink of an Eye, Idea Street Comes to Life

First students to enter

Mrs. Bennett's class on the 2nd day back

Marking it up!

Passing to lunch

Still waiting for our artist to reveal him/herself 

Mr. Defoney and Mr. Vain going for a ride!

New Tables and Stools

Notes to parents for Back to School Night

Parents notes to students from Back to School Night

An EdCamp session product on display

Mountain range comparisons 

Writing from LRP ELA students

Writing from LRP ELA students

Writing from LRP ELA students

Writing from LRP ELA- Notice where you can usually find me!

Writing from LRP ELA students

SO MUCH MORE TO COME FROM 

IDEA STREET!