Making Learning Whole - Gaming Education

I'm reading a very interesting book called Making Learning Whole by David Perkins, Senior Professor of Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. It centers on the idea that effective learning is done by approaching complexity as if we're playing the 'whole game'.

Too often, we ask our students to focus on the elements of a problem without helping them understand how those elements fit together. Also too often, we teach about things like revolutions, chemistry, and so on without trying to understand how to do those things. Perkins calls these two realities elementitis and aboutitis.

As an English teacher for many years, I struggled constantly with the grammar question. I certainly knew how important it was to arm my students with the tools they would need to ensure their writing could become technically correct, but I also knew that unless they had a sense of purpose as to what they were putting on paper, they'd be learning the elements of writing without really understanding the whole process. I really tried hard to create a studio environment in my classes where each of my students were treated like real live authors. I wanted them to be engaged with their writing so deeply that their lives depended on it. Isolated lessons on grammar were important, but only as part of a much more holistic process. Knowing what a gerund phrase is will not likely improve student writing.

(For all of you who enjoyed my little grammar joke just now, thank you).

Of course, we learned about good writing by reading it and talking about it, and we spent the requisite time improving discrete skills like finding the gerund phrase within the sentence. (Thanks again - ;) ). But, the lights only really came on when I asked them to write. Often, I wouldn't assign topics, I wouldn't provide due dates (other than: 'it's due when you've finished it'), and the grades assigned would correspond to growth in areas in need of attention. The importance of understanding that each of my students came to my class with their own particular history, their own particular way of seeing things, and their own particular strengths cannot be overemphasized.

There is no 'one size fits all' approach to teaching that makes sense and more important, the idea that there might be is damaging and, at its core, unethical.

We need to take the time to let our students own the process of their education. School should be a place where we all have 'skin in the game'; where we get to try things out, not because we are going to become professional physicists or NBA All Stars, but because by doing them we become better and we make a difference for those around us.

David Perkins puts it rather well:

"Much of the rhetoric around education emphasizes excellence, and indeed excellence is a fine grail to seek. However, imagine a world where almost any adult had a kind of energetic if simple sense of civic engagement or ecological responsibility or avoidance of prejudice. Starting from the baseline of today's indifference and neglect, these 'games' do not have to be played in very sophisticated ways to do substantial good! The world would be a better place if in areas like these most people achieved active mediocrity rather than passive erudition." (Perkins, Pg. 23)

Non-Commissioned Work

Casady School sent 35 or so teachers and administrators to the World Creativity Forum here in Oklahoma City over the past two days. The opportunity to be involved in conversation about innovation, creativity, ethics, and technology is deeply appreciated and I'm looking forward to bringing the group together over the next few weeks at school to reflect and expand our ideas about what we can and should do as a school moving forward.

One idea struck me as I was planning for an upcoming Core Curriculum Committee meeting: Dan Pink's thoughts on the importance of 'non-commissioned work'.

Check it out.

Dust Storms and Education

A few years ago, I spent some time with my grandparents when I was home visiting for the summer. Among other places, they had lived in Morse, Texas, Dalhart, Texas and later, Beaver, Ok. Growing up, one of the things we often talked about was the Dust Bowl. As a child, I remember hearing about how thick the dust was, how it piled high on the side of their house, how their cabinets and floors were completely covered with dirt, how little there was to eat and how difficult it was to raise a crop. 

I knew the basic history of the 30's, but I hadn't heard anything specific about the static electricity problems... As I understand it now, dust particles in the air created a powerful electric charge so that metal objects like cars became dangerous to touch. One day, during a particularly awful dust storm, my great grandfather tried to make his way back to his house from the barn a few hundred yards away, but he couldn’t see a thing in front of his face - the house was completely obscured. Lucky for him, he looked to his side and found his way because the barbed wire fence that led to the house was sparkling blue with electricity.  

The image of that fence, illuminated – a beacon - highlights important ways I think about family, education, and this school in particular. It helps me remember what’s important, how to keep things in perspective, and it also reminds me of the kinds of things that are important to our students as they begin their own journeys through life and into independence. 

For my grandparents, it served as a reminder about how bad they had it then and how important it is to remember what matters most. For me, it’s a way to ‘see’ what they saw, to strengthen our connection and to benefit from their experience. For you, I hope it is an image you keep handy, not only because it’s really interesting, but also because it’s an example of how resourceful people can be in the face of challenging circumstances.  My great grandfather acted bravely that day and he had faith that the foundations he had laid in the form of a barbed wire fence would lead him back home to safety and to family.

We’re here to help kids understand where the boundaries are by asking questions that make them think; we want them to know how to use those boundaries in ways that enable them to navigate the confusing and disorienting times that inevitably occur along the way. At times, the challenges our students experience are best met by looking at the world out of the corner of their eyes. Looking straight ahead and focusing only on the ends instead of taking time to find the foundations and focusing on the means to get where you want to go can lead to disorientation, disconnectedness, and disillusionment.

In order to avoid losing our way and establishing a clear direction forward, we must deepen our understanding of and commitment to sustainability. Our commitment to environmental, programmatic, global, and financially sustainable practices will ensure that our school will shore up the foundational frameworks already so strongly in place here at Casady. Committing to these practices will ensure our ability meet the needs of our students now and far into the future. Specifically speaking, we must adopt and commit to practices that are good for our planet and model responsible life choices for our students; we must develop our program and curriculum in such a way as to be reflective of the values of the school beyond the particular needs and desires of individuals; we must understand global realities that shape developments in politics, education, and economics and educate our students to understand these realities as well; and, we must keep our school on solid, predictable financial footing to ensure the long-term health of the school and our ability to plan thoughtfully for our future.

Leaders point the way, but we all decide, each and every day what Casady is and will become; interweaving stories and experiences among faculty and parents, students and alumni, past and future faculty, shape this place and create a highly complex biological organism with a mission to replicate, protect, evolve, change and thrive.

Welcome to the 21st Century

Remarks below are my words this evening dedicating the new math building on our Upper Division Campus:

The new W.R. Johnston Math Building symbolizes our school’s commitment to excellence and to our deep commitment to the hopes and aspirations of our students now and for many years to come. As our motto ‘Fideliter and Fortiter’ proclaims, we’ve delivered on our promise to the Casady community to step faithfully and boldly into our future.

I’d like to thank the Forward Focus Campaign Committee, led by Katie and Aubrey McClendon and Louise and Clay Bennett. I’d also like to thank Mark McCubbin and all the tireless volunteers who worked on behalf of the campaign and our School. I’d like to thank the Board of Trustees for their support and for their wise and prudent counsel. I’d like to thank the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, particularly our Bishop for the support and belief in our School and our mission. I’d like to thank the faculty and staff who shared their vision for a facility to best meet the needs of our students now for many years to come. I’d like to thank the architects, ADG, our contractors, Smith and Pickel, and our owners’ representative, Larry Wallis. And, a special thank you to Nathan Sheldon for his incredible attention to detail, his commitment to excellence and his enduring good humor throughout this process.

The Johnston building stands on the footprint once occupied by the Lee Lecture Hall. The incredible generosity the Lee family extended to the school in the construction of that building will be memorialized within the space and recognition for their contributions will be honored permanently. Without supporters like the Lee family and so many others over the past 63 years, Casady School would simply not be able to reach the level of excellence we’ve attained, year in and year out. Thank you for your support and belief in our School.

The Forward Focus Campaign arose out of a long-range planning process that identified important priorities for the School. Publicly launched in 2007, by the Fall of 2009 we had raised more than 45 Million Dollars – an incredible achievement that has greatly contributed to the financial health of our School and that has ensured the long-term sustainability of our physical, programmatic, and fiscal health.

Through the recent economic downturn we have persevered as a School and as a community. Our strong heritage as Oklahomans and as members of the Casady community, position us well to find and use resources effectively, creatively, and efficiently to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. I’m very happy to report to you that we’ve completed the first capital project on time and on budget! The fact that we had, and will continue to require, 100% of the cash necessary to begin capital projects is a threshold we as an institution, are committed to. Sound financial management and a commitment to ensure the long-term health of Casady is a guiding principal that will contribute to our growth as a school and our ability to meet the needs of each of our students.

The green features incorporated into the Johnston building are remarkable. From recycled laundry detergent bottles recast as bathroom partitions, super-efficient fluorescent lighting, and high levels of recycled content in building materials, to greatly improved acoustics, low VOC materials to reduce pollutants, and high levels of daylighting, the W.R. Johnston building is an example of excellence in architecture and health, both for our students and our planet.

The 3.2 miles of geothermal loops submerged in our lake will provide a source of energy to heat and cool both the math building and the chapel. Not only are we predicting a 30% reduction in operational costs due to this technology, we’re also now using one of our most aesthetically pleasing features of our campus for real environmental and economic benefit. And, if that weren’t enough, research shows clearly that students who learn in ‘green’ buildings with sufficient attention paid to acoustics, air quality, and natural light make academic gains beyond those who learn in traditional structures.

Standing in the shadow of the Johnston building and looking forward to the future, I’m eager to begin work to complete funding for and to begin construction on the new science and art building that will occupy the space where Vose and Woods sit today. We’ve engaged our architects to design a space that includes state-of-the-art science labs, research facilities, and now, studios for the visual arts.

The pursuit of scientific truth is similar to the creation of a work of art.  Artists and scientists must understand how to ask critical questions and follow processes designed to bring deeper understanding, both aesthetically, and intellectually, to our world. Bringing these two departments together under a shared roof will promote mutual benefits for students in both disciplines will free up space to give our performing arts sufficient room to enhance what is already a remarkably accomplished program.

In mind, body, and spirit, our mission is to prepare students for life. I applaud the work you’ve done within the scope of our mission, I appreciate the guidance and support you’ve provided to reach this milestone, and most importantly, I am humbled by the energy and dedication that each of you has shown in pursuit of the finest education for each of our students.

Math Math Math

The University of Chicago's Everyday Math is the cornerstone of our richly varied and thoughtfully researched math curriculum from grade one through four. We supplement it with other materials, tried and true, to ensure our students learn not just how to memorize facts and algorithms, but to think and understand numbers, mathematical processes, and how to apply in practical terms what they learn in class.


The data clearly shows that what we're doing is working. ERB scores for the past four years have shown that our students score higher, relatively-speaking, in quantitative analysis and mathematics than other subtests. The ERB is an excellent benchmark for us as a school because it allows us to compare our students against the best schools in the country, and by doing so, I am proud to say that our kids are performing well.


What a fitting bookend it is that we are preparing to open our new, soon-to-be LEED certified math building. The W.R. Johnston building is set to be populated with students beginning this coming Monday. It features many 'green' components, including geothermal heat and air (through 3.2 miles of heat exchange coils submerged in our lake), recycled materials, improved acoustics, and a level of daylighting that far exceeds other spaces on campus. 


Research clearly shows academic progress in LEED certified buildings exceeds other, traditionally constructed environments. Due to the stringent quality controls employed throughout the building process and in terms of creating a healthy environment for students and faculty, I'm confident that the strong foundation built in our lower division will continue preparing our students for success as they move around the lake.


Here are a couple of pieces demonstrating the benefits a 'green' environment can have on learning objectives:

Green Schools as High Performance Learning Environments

Green, High Performance Schools

Creativity, school and leaving the 19th century

Great new video from RSA illustrating Sir Ken Robinson's thoughts on education, creativity, and the importance of school reform.

He'll be here in OKC for the Creativity World Forum in November. Many Casady teachers and administrators will be in attendance...

Enjoy the weekend!

The Real Trophy

In fifth grade I received a trophy for "Most Improved Bowler". This little statue sits on my desk today holding down a stack of magazines or a random assortment of papers I've yet to file.

I like this bit of my past because it continually reminds me that 1) I wasn't a great bowler in 5th grade and 2) I was probably a really nice kid and my teachers wanted me to feel good and have high self-esteem.

If you've ever talked with me about bowling, you'll know that I know the name of at least one professional bowler and that I earned a B- in bowling at Trinity University.

It keep it also to remind myself how rewards function and not to get swept up in those things that take my eyes off the real prize - growing up and functioning as a responsible, respectful, active citizen who strives to make the world a better, kinder place.

During the past week in the Middle Division, parents and administrators met to discuss issues concerning boys' and girls' journeys through adolescence. We covered internet safety, cyberbullying, cultivation of interests/passions, choice making, how to remain calm when the roller coaster of the teenage years is running full tilt, and the importance of boredom.

Among other things that arose from these conversations was reaching consensus that parenting isn't easy and that working and talking together makes it better for all.

I referenced Dan Pink's new book: Drive, Wendy Mogel's book: The Blessings of a Skinned Knee, and of course, Carol Dweck's work regarding Mindsets because these writers understand how our over-connected, instantly gratified and overprotected community functions and most importantly what we can and should do to address it in our schools, in our businesses and at home.

I share their core beliefs that each of our students has the intrinsic desire to pursue interests and passions for the sake of pursuing them; extrinsic motivators (think pizza for books) are poor tools to engage us in the world and if we truly respect our children as individuals, we will strive to let them own their failures and successes.

The real trophy isn't a shiny statue, it's the joy and disappointment of missed spares, gutter balls, an occasional strike, the sounds of pins scattering on polished wood, and those shoes that never quite slide the way I want them to.

Core Curriculum, Homework, and MindSets

As I prepare for the Core Curriculum Committee meeting this afternoon, I'm looking forward to a healthy discussion about homework and how we can maximize the benefits of it while paying attention to the whole child. 


This article from ASCD's Educational Leadership publication lays out a thoughtful analysis of the research that's been done to address the issue.

We are going to create a white paper outlining and defining our philosophy about the work we ask our kids to do in and outside of the classroom. This document will be distributed to the faculty and will be communicated to parents and the Board as a clarifying statement for us as a school.


Carol Dweck’s research (Mindset in particular) concerning the effects of a ‘fixed’ or ‘growth’ concept of intelligence is a key component in shaping this work and I'll be posting articles and links related to her work in future blog entries.  


Big, important questions: 


Are our students meaning makers or vessels waiting to be filled with information? 


Do we recognize the messages we send them when we praise success based on being smart vs. working smart? 

Other key questions:

Do we value play in our teaching?

What lessons from athletics and the arts are we incorporating into our academic work? 

Have a great weekend!

Thoughts on Preparation

In this NY Times article, Mark C. Taylor,  chairman of the department of religion at Columbia University and professor emeritus of humanities at Williams College, asserts that many of his students end up at college not exactly knowing why they're there.


His point resonates with much of the research on motivation and 21st Century educational thinking in that so much time is spent preparing for the next level that our kids don't have time to think about and develop  passions. As we race to prepare our students for the next level, we make it very difficult for them to find out who they are and what they care about.


This is a real issue.


Overemphasis on product over process leads to disengagement and passivity. Creativity is a necessary component of a life lived well, and time must be given to develop a creative mind-set within the context of the school day. Students involved in meaning-making will be the adults who improve our world in substantial ways. Schools like ours need to understand this and work to structure educational experiences so that our students are connected, inspired, and challenged to bring themselves fully into their world and to make a difference for those around them.


As we move into the third week of school and as our routines are becoming, well, routine, I remind you to stay focused on what matters and why. If our students are to develop their passions and involve themselves fully in their work, we're going to have to make sure the work we ask them to do is the kind of work that nurtures the spirit, raises consciousness, and allows them room to find themselves within it.

Rethinking Study Skills

Just read an interesting article about study skills. It seems as though much of our prior thinking is misguided. I will be trying some of these ideas with my own kids at home. I'll let you know if they begin to work. 

Have a great weekend...

Even Geniuses Work Hard

Here's an interesting and important article by Carol Dweck on fostering a growth mindset in our schools.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Libya, Words, and Bieber.

I just realized that I can check to see where people are reading my blog. I have readers in the US, Canada, Japan, France, Ireland, Aruba, Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Libya.

Libya.

Just today, for instance, there were 5 'page views' of my blog in Libya.

It's hard for me to believe that anyone, much less someone living in Northern Africa, would care about my thinking, my travel, and my fitness regimen.

But someone does, apparently.

Because we're no longer anchored to our birthplace like we were not so long ago, where we find ourselves in our lives can be quite surprising. Our futures aren't predictable and our careers change and evolve in ways unheard of twenty years ago.

As it happens, someone with whom I used to work is now living and working in that country and from what I can tell is quite happy to be there.

It's striking that our instantly-connected and interwoven global community is so real and yet so 'virtual'. Just a few years ago my words had exceedingly limited range - if I could convince my students to listen to me and to remember instructions for assignments, I could honestly say I had achieved something.

Now it seems as though my ramblings have found ways to escape the bubble, as it were, and to spread like one of those Tron light-cycles around the planet.

My mother always told me to be careful about what I wrote because it was almost a guarantee that the one person who I didn't want seeing it would almost certainly end up seeing it.

And, I would be sorry.

Now I still have to be careful about how I use my words, but it seems that my ability to reach others has radically changed. Our students are enmeshed in this interconnected world and they think it's normal. Understanding that requires us as teachers and parents to speak their language and use the tools they use so that we can communicate effectively and meaningfully. At the same time, it's our job to teach them how to slow down, look each other in the eye, and listen carefully.

The challenge is to find the balance.

This brings me to Justin Bieber. His song: U Smile is apparently quite popular. But, being over 40, I don't really have much time to spend listening to it, or anything he sings, for that matter. It's only 2 minutes and 40 seconds long, but it seems to last forever.

Ironically, I heard a version of this song slowed by 800 percent. The tones and rhythms remain exactly the same, the only thing altered is the tempo.

It is stunningly beautiful. All 9 minutes and 50 seconds of it.

Don't believe me? Listen to the original version and compare it to the slow version.

If Justin Bieber's music can sound this good just by slowing it down, think how we'd all feel if we could slow things down and appreciate the details that rush by in normal life...

Pep Rally Today!

As you may or may not know, tonight we play our rival, Heritage Hall at home. Kick-off is 7:30. You also may or may not know that Monday night this week, our security guard interrupted two individuals who were spraying "Round-up" on our field in the shape of an H. When discovered, they ran off, their work unfinished. 

I’ve discussed the situation with Heritage Hall’s administration and they’ve addressed it with their students. In addition, they’ve seen the damage, they’ve agreed to make it right and they’ve offered an apology.

Today, two Heritage Hall students came forward and accepted responsibility for the vandalism. They will be going through a disciplinary process at their school.  They will not be at the game this evening.

There are certain to be consequences for them, in school and perhaps outside of school.

Of course, under no circumstances will we to respond in kind with any retaliation. 

This of course, doesn’t include beating them for the second year in a row on our very own Hoot Gibson Field.

I want to thank our incredible maintenance staff. Our grounds crew does amazing work all year to keep our campus looking great – our school is one of the most beautiful places in the city and the fields are second to none. They’ve responded to this with incredible creativity, energy, and have shown a deep dedication to the School.

While some of the damage has been covered over, you’ll still be able to see it, and that’s just fine with me. When compared to the awesome power of our team, our school, and our community, those marks pale into insignificance. Shining strong and proud in the center of our field you’ll see our crest, emblazoned with the words: Fideliter et Fortiter (with faith and with courage).

Focus on that.
Focus on what makes our school great.
Focus on victory.

Let’s ring that bell tonight!

A New Year

What did you do this summer?

I took time to get into better shape and to think deeply about our school and how we can become the best school we can be. Throughout the blistering days of July and August, I sweated and struggled with weights, I did sit-ups and leg curls, I became familiar with medicine balls and purple stretchy oval things, and I paid attention to what and how much I eat.

The results weren’t immediate and I have a ways to go, but I can tell you that being able to fit comfortably into my pants and belts sure feels good. In hopes that I don’t lose the momentum, I have asked Mr. Pena to ask me relentlessly if I’ve done what I said I would do. If I haven’t, I’ve given him the permission to ridicule me. Having another person to whom you’re accountable is helpful, and I believe that Mr. Pena has just the right kind of personality to get the job done.

As the summer progressed and the workouts became routine, I decided to invest in new shoes. Being a bit unaware and clueless about things from time to time, however, I thought that my lack of proper athletic shorts would go unnoticed. I didn’t think that sock color and khakis mattered since the critical work was about health and wellness.  

I cared more about how they fit, not what they looked like. I did, from time to time, however, think that a pair of athletic shorts might complement my shiny new Nikes and athletic socks (brown socks are apparently a no-no) so I made one lame attempt to secure appropriate shortwear at the Half of Half store, but emerged unsuccessful.

Only recently did I become aware that my choice in attire had, in fact, been noticed by others. My wife, after the faculty dinner on Friday night, told me that Mr. Pena had some fairly strong opinions about my lack of appropriate athletic gear. She shared his concerns about my appearance, but out of respect for my feelings she hadn’t said anything.

Now I’m faced with a choice – do I cave in to peer pressure and put on the uniform others expect me to wear or do I stride confidently with my own clothes toward my own unique destiny?

What would you do?

Despite the way I look and how I dress, my body strengthened and my mind cleared. I even started a blog to document my thinking and hopes for my health. Through that I have found that the journey I’m on parallels the journey I’d like our school to be on. Obviously, physical health and wellness is important for each of us, but it’s also important that our curriculum and our programs strive to achieve similar aims.

Although it can be difficult to look at ourselves when we’re not doing what we need to do, it’s of critical importance that we confront the brutal facts and find a way to deal with them. Institutions are like individuals – they have identities, hopes, and dreams. They also have warts, scars, and scratches. Until we know ourselves, good and bad, the work we will commit to will only take us part way toward our goals.

It’s our job, together, to decide what to do. Your teachers are here for you and it’s their job to help you build the tools you’ll need to follow your passions and to become the best you you can be.

No matter what you’re wearing, make sure you wear it with confidence and the knowledge that your choices are yours and they make you who you will become.

Here’s to an excellent start to the school year – May your minds be enlightened, your bodies strengthened, and your spirits in harmony with one another.

The Odyssey

Having driven over 3,800 miles in the past couple of weeks with my family and Joel, the dog, I can, with confidence, report that there's nothing like a road trip to put things back together.

As the miles ticked by, hours passed like minutes, and as each day wore on, the chaos that became the inside of the Honda slowly overtook us. The rising tide of granola bar wrappers, Pringles cans, pillows, blankets, and books (7-11's don't stock Lotus flowers) signaled the inevitability of the approaching dusk and we began our nightly search for accommodation and renewal. 

Must Eat. 

Must Sleep. 

Must Reorganize.

Each morning we'd put things back in order and head on down the road toward another adventure. Over time, as we climbed hills and crested mountains, the winding roads that crept up steep grades finally gave way to the interminably, impossibly straight interstate that is I-40. Along the way, we remembered how to be together again. Having no choice but to interact with one another and to figure things out, we communicated; we "made common" our ideas and our hopes. 

In normal life, we're saddled with distractions that make it difficult to remember where and why we go where we go. But when all the doors are shut and we're moving down the road together, we have no choice but to cohere and deal with each other. We came together as a family during (and in) our Odyssey as we traversed the northern plains and mountains; our trajectories, at least for awhile, were in alignment.

To sustain this as a family and in our work at Casady, we have to keep putting things in order. Our community is incredibly complex and diverse. When we take time to address this complexity and converge on the big questions that frame us, we learn how to be a place where we do good work and serve our students well. 

We must pay attention to each other and take time to reshuffle and find a place for our things, otherwise our true destination gets obscured and overshadowed by various and disconnected endpoints. Although it's trite, the destination isn't where you stop, it's how you get there.

Summer is always a time to recharge and rebalance priorities, and while schedules tend to become less structured and busy, our capacity for divergence remains. This summer has reminded me that divergence without convergence leads to chaos, and that we must strive to find the right balance - to commit to the process of living in order that we might live with and for one another in the best ways possible.

So, as we packed our belongings and headed out for the final stretch home, and just as I was basking in the warm glow of family and togetherness, a troublesome blinking light flashed on and off indicating 'a potential issue with your transmission'. The next seven hours were an exercise in trust - not blind trust, but a hopefulness associated with the understanding that difficulty and chaos may lurk just beyond the next mile-post.

We made it home without incident, but it certainly doesn't mean we shouldn't take a look under the hood...

Goes with the territory, don't you think?

Time on the Road

Today we drove a few hundred miles across Wyoming. Heading to Yellowstone tomorrow.

We spent a couple days in Boulder - hiked to a waterfall and drove over the Continental Divide. Last time I did that I was seven. There's a picture of me bawling like a baby next to the stone marker.

I must have hated that sign.

35 or so years later, I liked it.

I've never seen so much beautiful and expansive land in my life. There are endless hills, dotted by sparse and infrequent trees. Shadows of clouds blacken hills, valleys and roads alike and the emptiness of the highway begs intrusion and definition.

Alternating between greys and a burnt orange tarmac, the road shoots straight toward more open space; more hope and opportunity. The hours pass quickly and I feel subsumed into the wholeness of the sky.

Now we're in Sheridan, WY. I'm charging my camera's battery for tomorrow's sojourn into the great wilderness with hundreds of other like-minded tourists.

No matter. We will put up our tent, start a fire and eat over the earth.

It's important to be in places you've not been before. It makes one remember those core values that sustain while immersed in another set of things to do. The minutiae of daily life and work can impede us as we strive to make meaning in our lives, which is why it's so important to check yourself against the unfamiliar, the foreign.

Looking forward to starting the new school year with a renewed and refreshed view of the landscape of school life. Embodied in each of our students is a similar landscape - beautiful, open, optimistic.

Alive with possibility.

Creativity and Time

Here's a link to a recent Newsweek article on the Creativity Crisis. 

And, here's a repost of a fascinating piece on time and education.

They go well together. 

New Shoes

I bought a pair of tennis shoes a couple of days ago while on holiday in Dallas.

The color: blue. 

The brand: Nike.

The size: 9 1/2.

As mundane as this appears, it's actually significant. Committing my own non-temporal resources to this exercise program further ensures my continued progress . And, this is the first piece of official athletic apparel I've purchased in nearly a decade. 

Decadent, yes?

While I've never gone to a gym while staying at a hotel, this time I felt compelled. Could it be that I'm developing an addiction to endorphins? Time will tell.

In Dallas, my trusty partner Matt Pena was nowhere in sight, but as much as I enjoy Matt's company, he doesn't compare to my wife Jana who joined me, my new shoes and my new hip t-shirt in celebration of our 13 years together. 

I realized as I pulled the laces tight that I have missed the feeling and familiar smell of that new shoe moment when the salesperson asks if you want to wear them out or keep them in the box. 

I always kept them on. Not only that, but I always walked out of the store with a feeling of hope. Those light spongy springy clean and squeaky footsteps echoing along the corridors of Penn Square Mall were possibility incarnate - the sound of opportunity. 

Of course, there was the commensurate burial of the tried and true - the well-worn and comfortable footwear of days gone by. Dropping these worn and tired reminders of things lost and forgotten into their dark and tissue-lined box was a closing of a chapter. Gone, but not forgotten. 

I loved my blue and red Reeboks...

Summer was new shoe time in my house. It was also new binder time, new spiral notebook time, new pencil time, new organizational system time, and new highlighter time. Everything crisp and ready to go. 

Entropy, however, is real. Things definitely become less ordered over time.

By early October, my binder's three ring system was out of alignment, the spirals were more like flattened ellipses, and each and every pencil I owned were unsharpened stubs somewhere in the bottom of my backpack next to a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich.

Although the slow drift from sweltering August to a bearable autumn also witnesses the dying of grass and the beginnings of a dormant time, September is also a time of renewal and focus - especially for those of us who are in the world of school and schooling. Our rhythms are geared to to September as  a time when our shoes are most fresh and the inevitable scuffs and worn spots haven't appeared quite yet.

At Casady, our shoes have served us well, and yet there are times when we must slip on a new pair; a pair that's better suited to stride into our future. We'll endure the occasional blister, of course, but as we learn to live with them, we'll flex and adapt and walk confidently toward excellence.

The Real Bastille

I've seen the key to the Bastille hanging in Mount Vernon. A gift from the French Government to George Washington, apparently. No way to know if it was actually THE KEY used to free the prisoners during the French Revolution in 1789, but it could have been. Good enough for me, I suppose.

I've also seen the caves at Lascaux but my French being poor I didn't realize that what I was seeing was a facsimile until many years later. Had I never known that the original caves were closed, I would've gone on believing what I wanted to believe. Since my language skills were obviously lacking, I missed critical information that would've allowed me to see them in a different light. Now I wonder why I wasted my time. I'd like those hours back, actually. That being said, hitchhiking back to Thonac was interesting - definitely more memorable than forged cave scribbles.

So today, on the anniversary of French independence, I raise a glass to the Acadamy Francais and their relentless hold on all that is the French language. The precision and attention to detail they've provided over the years has stood a pillar of truth and belief in the power of words -- their words. I wonder, however, how long they will be able to withstand the encroaching globalization that is life in the 21st century. Recent attempts to ban head coverings is a stark example of a society that is trying desperately to retain what once was. The fear inherent in this latest move is another cultural backlash against a rising tide of interdependence and interconnectedness. It's a losing battle.

On a seemingly unrelated, but not entirely unrelated topic, I continue to believe that I'm really only 25 years old and that my body is lithe and nimble.

It isn't.

Yet.

In the gym, as I  regain the good parts of my twenties and as I avoid the stupid parts, I'm reminded that change is inevitable. Whether I want to admit it or not, through inactivity, laziness, and general inertia (doing nothing) I've caused my body to change, but not in a good way...

Doing nothing is no longer an option. When noon rolls around, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I know that I've committed to a fight toward something; a direct action conceived to bring something positive into the world and to be less of what I used to be - to be a more authentic me.

While I hesitate to always bring these experiences and thoughts back to my work as Head of School at Casady, I can't help it. My life is completely intertwined with this institution and its identity.

Our School will commit to a similar program and journey. Not only health and wellness-wise, but more importantly, a commitment to the health and wellness of our curriculum, our facilities, our program, and especially our students, in mind and body and spirit. If we can do that - if we can build on the positives and shear away those intrusions and obstacles that cloud our vision - the authenticity of our work will be clear and powerful.

Facsimiles are everywhere, but we don't always recognize them for what they are until it's too late. While the paintings in Lascaux were a close approximation of the authentic item, I still haven't seen the real thing and I'm no better off for having gone (hitchhiking aside). At Casady, we can and must create authentic and meaningful educational programs that prepare our students for the real world.

Hammering out an idea.

As I sit here in my office, trying to stay focused on a couple of writing projects I'm working on, the roofers are hammering out an ADD rhythm that has restricted my thinking to half a sentence at best. Therefore, I'm here on my blog typing my way toward noon when I will cross the campus, change my clothes and engage once again in battle with sloth and lethargy.

While the benefits of my exercise regimen are certainly noticeable around my mid-section, they are even clearer in my own head. My thinking (today's hammering notwithstanding) is sharper and more focused. Maybe the brutality of 15 reps on the bench or those horrible medicine ball sit-ups so completely occupies my energy and focuses it on the task at hand -completely present in the moment - that the litter and detritus of idle ramblings has nowhere to go but into an all-hands-on deck devotion to ensuring the survival of the host through a self-imposed struggle against aging. 

I'm not sure what today will bring, but as I've committed to this process, I must accept my orders as a soldier stepping into the fray. 

Wish me luck.

When we are engaged with our work or our play we enter that 'flow' state and time takes on a wholly different character. When I used to paint, I would often continue throughout the night and into the early morning without feeling any emotion other than those directed at correcting careless gestures in paint and building an image that fits within the structure of the frame. 

Engaging and meaningful educational experiences lie at the center of our aim to create thoughtful, passionate learners who want to do their best and make their world better. As a faculty, it is our primary duty to ensure this school is fully committed to that purpose. 

Thoughts over the Fourth

So, I pulled a muscle in my abdomen last week which made it very difficult to follow Coach Zaga's regimen. Upper body work was ok, but anything that strained my 'core' (apparently, the core is important...) was off-limits. Matt Pena (Dean of Students) explained to me that I needed to do very little over the weekend while I was at home. That meant no making of beds, no gardening, no taking the garbage out. He suggested that I explain this to my wife and if she had questions, she should direct them to him or to coach Zaga. I guess there are silver linings, after all...

At any rate, I believe the rest did me well - the pain has disappeared and I feel ready to resume the full workouts today at noon. I noticed this morning that my belt notched one notch smaller and felt rather comfortable. Tangible evidence of success.

I caught wind of a new-ish film called Race to Nowhere that's stirring up some interesting conversation about the drive to overschedule, push, and prod our students in order to 'prepare them' for _________ (you fill in the blank.)

With increased pressure to compete for places in universities across the country and with a globalized workforce, we're going to be under the gun to ensure our kids here at Casady are in the best position to succeed. While we produce thinkers and athletes and artists - kids who have a passion to strive for excellence, we need to make certain that they are rewarded for their efforts and that they have the time to go deep when they want to. We have to find ways to develop our students' passions for a life of the mind and an ability to thrive in an increasingly diverse world.

There are many ways to think about preparing our kids for success; I'm hoping that the conversation among faculty next year will generate some excellent ideas and motivate our community to rally for our students.  21st century teaching methodologies must coexist within our traditional academic curriculum; finding the right balance is key. The three r's: reading, writing and arithmetic are still important, but not without relevance, rigor, and relationships driving the work.

Off to the gym...

Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose

I'm reading Dan Pink's Drive for the second time. I chose this as a summer read for our key administrators because he makes a great case for how motivation works in the 21st century. Many researchers and writers like Pink ranging from  Carol Dweck, Mihaly Csikszentmaihalyi, Howard Gardner, Chip and Dan Heath, Tony Wagner, Malcolm Gladwell, and many others have begun to formulate what I think is an interesting and useful framework of ideas that will help us move forward with educational reform. Central among their ideas is that we must stop thinking about learning and the School in an Industrial Revolution context.

The way motivation is structured, according to Pink, is that we need to have Autonomy (enough freedom to do what needs to be done), Mastery (the skills to do the work), and Purpose (a compelling reason to do it) in order to produce at a high level and to innovate and improve our world. Teachers need all three in place to do great work with kids and it's our responsibility to frame the mission of the School in such a way as to provide the environment where all three can be achieved. 

My greatest hope is that if our teachers have the tools and the drive to pursue excellence relentlessly, they will, in turn, create the same environment for their students. Roland Barth, at a conference I attended years ago,  said that when the flight attendants go through their pre-flight safety instructions they always remind us to put the oxygen masks on ourselves first, and our children second. We, the adults, have to be healthy and mindful so that when our kids need our help we will be ready and able to give it. 

Things to keep in mind.

On another note, I continue my odyssey toward good health (workout number 4 today!). I'm beginning to feel tighter, my pants are a bit looser, and my head is clearer. Becoming less of who I was is feeling very good. 

Less IS more.

Administrative Retreat - reflections...

Well, I went back to the gym for another workout - this time I didn't feel quite as brutalized as I did last week - a good thing. I'm actually looking forward to continuing on this path throughout the summer  and into the year; my energy level is higher and I am already feeling healthier...

Yesterday we spent the day reflecting and thinking about Casady's identity, our core values, and our plans for the upcoming year. We discussed the role of grades, assessment in general, and the importance of hiring happy teachers who derive joy from their students' success. Central to our work should be the cultivation of strong relationships with our students. Faculty evaluation should be keyed to student performance and their ability to help their students find success.

We also discussed the importance of our "story" in our work to bring the finest educational experience to our community.  We need to hear the stories that define us, and we need to tell our story relentlessly and clearly to make certain that we align our words with the things we actually do. Each and every day, our students need to feel like they are part of something great; they need to know that there's something over the horizon to strive to reach, but they also need to feel like they are making progress and achieving success as they move along their journey to adulthood.

I'm energized by reflective thinking, but as I've begun my journey toward a healthier me, I'm reminded that action (and sweat) are essential parts of the journey. Just sitting at my desk, wishing I were thinner won't really work. I'm excited that the Casady team has geared up for the mission we're on and I'm comforted to know that there are so many who care so deeply about our students.

21st Century Schools

Here's a link to the 21st Century Schools site. A good explanation of why it's important to structure our students' experience in school in ways that address their learning needs and the world in which they live and will work.

Thought-provoking piece on time and education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3oIiH7BLmg
This is a fascinating explanation of how our view of time affects the way we see the world and especially how our kids experience school. Important and entertaining...

The implications for teaching and how we structure school are deep. We need to pay attention to this.

Getting back in shape...

Well, yesterday I finally decided to start exercising again. It's been awhile, and my first workout was brutal, to say the least. I'm hoping to continue throughout the summer in the gym and on the weekends I'm planning on riding my bike around Lake Hefner. Hope to lose the extra padding and move my bad cholesterol down the scale a bit. Stay tuned here for updates.

Summer is an interesting time - the shift from busy busy busy to a more relaxed pace allows me to think bigger, more strategically, and to put on paper those things that need careful thought. The administrative team will be having a retreat at my house on Monday the 28th - we're looking at our core mission and planning on implementing three to five school-wide initiatives that will focus our energies for the next few years. I'm particularly excited to discuss the ways we assess learning and how we agree on the competencies we teach as our students make their way through the school. Faculty professional development and time for dialogue will be vital as they are the practitioners who make it happen day to day.

Casady is a great school and it's getting better every day. I continue to feel inspired by those with whom I work and especially by the kids who have chosen Casady as their school.