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.