From BLAH... to TAH-DAH! Go "EdCamping" for Your Staff's Next PD Day!

From THIS...

Inspired by Knapp Elementary Principal, Joe Mazza (@Joe_Mazza) and the increasing numbers of "edcamp un-conferences" happening around the world, we shifted the "professional learning paradigm" at our high school recently. True confession: I have not attended an EdCamp myself. I have followed several of them through the Twitter hash tag world, however, and I have officially registered for my first - #EdCampKC in November. For a traditional professional development junkie like myself, I consider it a substantial change for me and our school. It was strange to release the control for our staff's learning almost completely. I referred to Mr. Mazza's blog post about his school's experience multiple times, presented the concept to our teacher leadership team, and we went for it. We liked it so much, we plan to make it the mainstay format for all of our scheduled late-start professional development days for the school year (5, two-hour sessions). Here is what we did based on Knapp Elementary School's model by Principal Mazza.

1. Set the time. The district has five, two-hour late start days set aside for professional development each year. For the high school schedule, this is 7:10 am to 9:10 am with students arriving for a shortened day by 9:40 am. During my years as the principal, I have almost always planned and conducted those learning sessions. To not know exactly WHAT or WHO was going to be doing professional development was a little nerve racking for our administrative team.

2. Draft the Big Board. The one pictured below is our completed version that was projected at the beginning of the day for the entire staff after all of the sessions were confirmed. We utilized what was available, free, and effective - Mr. Mazza's google doc! Here is a copy of ours for anyone interested: Final Schedule Board

3. Make suggestions for session topics. Given this was my first real release of staff development control, I felt that we needed to provide some suggestions for topics to get the ball rolling. Together with the teacher leadership team, we proposed the following topics:

BYOT (more on this later)

Social Media

Web Tools

Learning Stations

Teacher Web Sites

Power of I (academic interventions)

Flipped Classrooms

As you will see from the final schedule board, not all of our suggestions made the cut. I was pleasantly surprised at some who offered up other topics and facilitated a session. This may not be exactly like the process the EdCamp creators originally designed, but the scheduling process became a lot like an NFL draft. Teachers would throw out a topic, chatter would ensue to gauge interest, then someone would volunteer to lead the session. Boom. It's on the board. 

Our completed schedule board projected for staff.

4. One unique session. Our school is launching a BYOT program. At the time of our first #EagleEdCamp, we were on the verge of ready to open up access to the wifi and begin the use of students' personal devices.The Assistant Principal led a session that was offered during both time slots for any teacher interested in piloting any kind of BYOT in their classroom. We decided to make this a requirement prior to launching the initiative in a way to make a teacher "BYOT certified." (This was not the first introduction to BYOT for these teachers, of course)

5. Once the schedule board was complete, teachers made their selections and headed out for their morning "un-conference." 

6. Build in reflection and more sharing. I created a basic google form to survey teachers' reactions to the #EagleEdCamp format and asked they complete it by the end of the day. Questions were short and simple such as 1)What will you begin or change in your classroom as a result of something you learned today? 2) How can we improve #EagleEdCamp for our next late start? 

TO THIS!

Some of the comments included: 

"I like the EdCamp format. Great to learn from our colleagues and grow together." 

"Great day. Inspiring!"

"I thought it was cool that we had teachers leading sessions and we all had input on our own PD topics. Can't wait until next time!"

We also encouraged teachers to "tweet" about it before, during, and after the process to ask questions, reflect, and share links and info for additional learning after the morning was over. We used the #EagleEdCamp hash tag. 

Overall, an outstanding day! Many thanks and credit to all of the EdCampers out there and especially to @Joe_Mazza! 

One More "Pinteresting" Way to Connect Educators

Becoming a "connected educator" has undoubtedly changed the course of my career and is always evolving. First FaceBook. Then Twitter. Then blogging. Tweet chatting. And, now Pinterest.

A friend who is also an elementary teacher sent me the "invite" to join Pinterest (it's open access now). I accepted and started exploring. At first, it was just looking at crock pot recipes, exercises I should be doing, and funny and inspiring quotes and E-cards. (If only my real life was a true reflection of my pin boards) I browsed the "Education" category mostly finding elementary teachers and their awesome creativity. But, not so much to share with high school teachers I feared. Then, I started noticing other Edtech professionals - familiar names from the Twitter network. And, lately, I've started using the search features to find  high school teachers  and topics of interest to follow like BYOT or flipped classrooms. They are out there! Math, Science, Langauge Arts, Foreign Language, and many more educators who are sharing their expertise and resources through pin boards. It's exciting to repin and share resources for teachers in my school as well as the rest of the cyber world. Like other forms of social media, the possibilities for professional networking and sharing are unlimited. So, why do I like Pinterest to connect educators?

1.  It is appealing to a "visual" audience in a way that Twitter isn't. Yet, when I find something I want to share from Pinterest, I can click the "share to Twitter/Facebook/Email" to reach other audiences.
2. It's a permanent storage area for links and resources organized by my own categories.
3. I can find a recipe for dinner and read a professional article... all within the time it takes to stand in line at the grocery store. The people and boards I follow direct the content I can peruse via the main board with a timeline of pins.
4. It's a great conversation starter with teachers..."Hey, I saw you repinned me yesterday... what did you think of that Algebra II activity? Would it work for your students?"

Although Twitter will always be my first love for connecting with others, I find great value in the art and science of pinning too. (The Google Chrome Extension for Pinterest is a MUST) One teacher compared Pinterest to online hoarding. Whatever you call it, I see Pinterest and my other social media tools as keys to getting better at what we do! Will you join me in a "pinteresting" adventure to connect and grow as an educator?

It's More Fun On The Bus!

Our administrative team recently read Jon Gordon's The Energy Bus as a small group book study. The story is a fable based on the life of a businessman named George who learns ten rules to fuel the ride of his life. George is down on his luck, personally and professionally. One morning as his world is crumbling, he is forced to ride the bus to work because his car breaks down. He doesn't realize it at first, but he is aboard the "Energy Bus" driven by Joy who, along with her other passengers, teach him the ten rules.

Although, George is a business man, his story has many parallels to the education profession. So many, that we chose his book as our theme or school mantra for the year. Some may criticize or tease that a high school has an annual theme, but I think a theme helps sustain a positive culture throughout a school year. A theme that helps bring focus to our purpose can be like a lighthouse for when the seas become rough. And, we know all too well the seas can become rough.

The Energy Bus theme is incorporated into the weekly principal's newsletter that is modeled after Todd Whitaker's Friday Focus. T shirts and note cards with the theme logo are printed for the entire high school faculty and staff. The opening faculty meeting is an inspirational kickoff to inspire and set a positive tone for the school year.

Without giving away too much of the book, I will end this post by saying "IT'S MORE FUN ON THE BUS!" And, here is how we tried to convince our faculty and staff to join us!

Click Here to see our version of "Call Me Maybe?"

Other themes we have used in recent years include:

212 - The Extra Degree by Sam Parker & Mac Anderson
BELIEVE- "You Will Become What You Believe"
Good to Great - by Jim Collins
Dare To Be Uncommon - by Tony Dungy
Packing Parachutes - The story of Charlie Plumb

What kind of crazy things do you do to inspire? What themes have you used to help keep school culture positive? Please share!

Champions Are Made In The Off-Season!

Ask any coach what it takes to be a champion and the answer will more than likely sound something similar to the title of this post - Champions Are Made In The Off-Season. The time to work on sport-specific skills and fundamentals is not in the heat of competition season. The time to improve skills and fundamentals is, yes you guessed it, the off-season.

Most educators work officially on the 185-day school year which runs something close to August through May or September through June. During my summer off-season, I have observed educators from around the world connecting, sharing, and learning from one another. Many others are attending workshops, reading professional books, and finding ways to improve their craft. 

We began a weekly tweet chat to stay connected over the summer using a unique hash tag (#10TuesTweets). We meet every Tuesday, at 10 am CST for ten weeks in the summer to discuss various initiatives and topics related to our school. The response has been very positive! I can't imagine a more convenient or powerful way to connect and learn with other professionals. Week 8 discussion will be a time for anyone who wants to join us to share and reflect on their own off-season preparation for the 2012-2013 school year. 

Just for fun, here are a few things I've learned during my own off-season:

1. Pinterest is not just for soccer moms. Not only can I get the latest crock pot recipe, I can learn about the best iPad apps for educators or read an educational article. It's another tool to connect and learn with and from other professionals.
2. I can attend national conferences "virtually" by following a unique hash tag on Twitter during the "live" conference.
3. I have found numerous web and social media resources to share with teachers.
4. Twitter is a "game changer" - try it - you'll be hooked too!

What did you do in your off-season? I would love to hear your comments!

"5 + 1 Things Twitter Has Taught Me"

I wrote the  post "5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me" (see below) as a self-reflection. But more so in hopes of persuading others to engage in the endless professional possibilities that Twitter and social media offer. I still think it's a decent list of things I've learned. But, this week I need to add another. And, it's perhaps the biggest one. If' you're not a professional development junkie like myself, I'll summarize in one sentence and you can stop reading.

I attended three national conferences (one still in progress) at the same time and from the comfort of my own home (or my son's baseball game, or riding in the car, or in line at the store...). 

For those of you still reading, here is my list:

Through the miracle of the hash tag (#), I "attended" the 20th Annual Model Schools Conference held in Orlando, Florida. (#20thMSC). The International Society for Technology in Education Conference held in San Diego, California (#ISTE12). And, finally the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Summer Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri (#ascdsc12).

Here are the highlights of what I learned and am still learning through Twitter and the conference hash tags.

• Hundreds of conference attendees (in the flesh) tweet their favorite quotes or summarizing comments from key note speakers and presenters.
• I get the same feeling of anticipation and excitement when everyone is waiting for a keynote speaker to arrive on the stage like Sir Ken Robinson at #iste12. (I said I was a junkie..)
• Attendees and organizations will tweet links to archived videos of presentations and speakers such as; Dr Robert Marzano, Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Sir Ken Robinson, Dr. Willard Daggett, Ray McNulty... and more!
• I linked to, read, and learned about topics including (but definitely not limited to); flipped classrooms, Diigo, problem-based learning, Bring Your Own Technology or Device (BYOT(D), game-based learning, common core standards and strategies for implementation, tablets and apps, and many more I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention.
• May sound silly, but take my word for it - www.tweetchat.com is great to slow down the "refresh" speed of tweets using a unique hash tag. #iste12 logged nearly 5,000 tweets over the course of the conference.

While all of the things listed before are awesome to add to my "educator tool belt", the most powerful thing of all is the connection to other professionals. Tweeting in and chatting with all of the professionals in attendance online or in person, helped build my network of experts and professional friends. I can't lie and say I wouldn't love the opportunity to meet and work with many of these people in San Diego or Orlando or St. Louis. But, Twitter and the use of conference hash tags was the next best thing. Without a doubt!

Original blog post - 5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me:

1. Professional learning is available when you need it, 24/7.

After hearing Kevin Honeycutt (@kevinhoneycutt), I was convinced I needed a Twitter account. Although I signed up immediately, I didn't really use it for more than an avenue to track celebrity gossip and breaking news. Then, I discovered FlipBoard and began finding legitimate professionals to follow. I rarely forget to eat or sleep, but Twitter  for professional development has caught me wondering why my stomach is growling or I am yawning . Any time, anywhere. I can be reading professional journals from my iphone between innings of my son's ball game! If there's 12-step program for addicted Tweeters, I may need the contact information.

2. Tweet chatting and following hash tags are effective for collaboration.

During the school year, we constantly wish for more time to collaborate with teachers. Various structures and procedures to creatively design collaboration time are put in to place. But, it's never enough. Teachers visit other schools for specific peer observation opportunities and collaboration, but there is only so much in the substitute teacher pool for release time. Setting up a weekly summer tweet chat with our own hash tag (#10TuesTweets) has proven to be an effective way to have professional discussions and learning with each other, but also with others from around the world. And, these discussion can take place without hiring a babysitter, or from the checkout line at the grocery store!

3. Professionals from around the world are ready and willing to help.

Ask and you will receive. I have not found anyone who will not extend themselves to help a fellow colleague. Twitter is a network that gives us no excuse to claim we can't find answers or help from others. I try my best to pay it forward and share every chance I get. I consider my PLN to be a network of "virtual" friends and colleagues.

4. Tweets can be a "link" to unlimited resources in the form of blogs and web resources.


Tweets are a "link" or a window to professional blogs and web-based resources. It never occurred to me that 140 characters could lead to so much information and resources for professional learning. I now have a number of blogs that I follow regularly that I might never have found without my Twitter connections.

5. Social media is not a one-way ticket to disaster, but a gateway to self and organizational improvement.


I, like many parents and educators, lived in fear of social media. No way was anything positive coming as a result of my being involved. My own children forced the issue. So, I began my journey first as a watchdog mom. Little did I know, it would improve me as a professional and energize my passion as an educator. Thanks kids! And thanks to all of my colleagues and friends in my growing professional learning network!

5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me

1. Professional learning is available when you need it, 24/7.

After hearing Kevin Honeycutt (@kevinhoneycutt), I was convinced I needed a Twitter account. Although I signed up immediately, I didn't really use it for more than an avenue to track celebrity gossip and breaking news. Then, I discovered FlipBoard and began finding legitimate professionals to follow. I rarely forget to eat or sleep, but Twitter  for professional development has caught me wondering why my stomach is growling or I am yawning . Any time, anywhere. I can be reading professional journals from my iphone between innings of my son's ball game! If there's 12-step program for addicted Tweeters, I may need the contact information.

2. Tweet chatting and following hash tags are effective for collaboration.

During the school year, we constantly wish for more time to collaborate with teachers. Various structures and procedures to creatively design collaboration time are put in to place. But, it's never enough. Teachers visit other schools for specific peer observation opportunities and collaboration, but there is only so much in the substitute teacher pool for release time. Setting up a weekly summer tweet chat with our own hash tag (#10TuesTweets) has proven to be an effective way to have professional discussions and learning with each other, but also with others from around the world. And, these discussion can take place without hiring a babysitter, or from the checkout line at the grocery store!

3. Professionals from around the world are ready and willing to help.

Ask and you will receive. I have not found anyone who will not extend themselves to help a fellow colleague. Twitter is a network that gives us no excuse to claim we can't find answers or help from others. I try my best to pay it forward and share every chance I get. I consider my PLN to be a network of "virtual" friends and colleagues.

4. Tweets can be a "link" to unlimited resources in the form of blogs and web resources.


Tweets are a "link" or a window to professional blogs and web-based resources. It never occurred to me that 140 characters could lead to so much information and resources for professional learning. I now have a number of blogs that I follow regularly that I might never have found without my Twitter connections.

5. Social media is not a one-way ticket to disaster, but a gateway to self and organizational improvement.


I, like many parents and educators, lived in fear of social media. No way was anything positive coming as a result of my being involved. My own children forced the issue. So, I began my journey first as a watchdog mom. Little did I know, it would improve me as a professional and energize my passion as an educator. Thanks kids! And thanks to all of my colleagues and friends in my growing professional learning network!

Forget the "0" Fight - Change the Scale!

“We are faced with the irony that a policy that may be grounded in the belief of holding students accountable (giving zeros) actually allows some students to escape accountability for learning.”  - Ken O’Connor

I've been in a little slump on "what to blog about" for the past couple of weeks. I've been riding the wave of excitement after our school's #10TuesTweets sessions. Aside from my new obsession with social media for professional learning, my passion is standards-based grading. I'm a disciple of all the greats. Tom Guskey, Robert Marzano, Ken O'Connor, and several others. I've participated with a team of our high school teachers each year for five years in a regional six-day consortium to study, plan, and implement. I'm all in! And a growing number of our high school teachers are all in as well.

My "what to blog about slump" ended while surfing TweetDeck when I found a news piece from Edmonton about a teacher being suspended for refusal to follow his school's "no zero" policy. I wasn't alone either. John Scammell @thescamdog, Cherra-Lynne Olthof @cherraolthof, and Joe Bower @Joe_Bower as well as several others also responded. All of their responses were excellent. (see the grading and assessment page tab from this blog for links) 

As I read each article or blog post, I experienced a range of emotions that elicited groans, cheers, and "are you kidding me's?" But, all I could think about was the grading or scoring scale. There is all this turmoil, disagreement, insubordination, and strong emotion surrounding the idea of whether it's okay to assign a "0," but no talk about what I see as the real issue - the scale.


Marzano has been talking, writing, and publishing about the need for a new scale that measures learning over time. I highly recommend taking a look at his work. From my perspective, the majority of the controversy on the use of zeros in grading is based on the traditional 100-point scale. Here's a newsflash - this scale was designed during the World War I era to sort and rank military recruits! We don't live in a sorting and ranking kind of world in schools any more! Our job is to bring all kids to proficiency on agreed-upon standards. Marzano's work with proficiency scales and grade reporting methods addresses this and makes the "0" argument a moot point.  Let's start talking about learning goals and a scale based on proficiency and learning, not zeros and voodoo math. 

Ten Tuesday Tweets (#10TuesTweets)

Join us for free professional development and great discussion that will accessible from just about anywhere if you have an electronic device! I’m issuing a challenge to all staff members at our school to participate in what will be called “Ten Tuesday Tweets!” 


Beginning Tuesday, May 29 and every Tuesday after that through the month of July, we will meet from 10:00 am – 10:30 am CST for a Twitter Chat using the hashtag #10TuesTweets. The main goal will be for our staff to stay connected over the summer and continue professional conversation and reflection around our school’s goals. It will also allow all of us to explore and build professional learning networks (PLNs) outside our district, and around the world. Anyone interested in education can join us!

Topics will center around the use of social media in schools, student motivation, and formative assessment and standards-based grading. I will facilitate each session by presenting a question or interesting quote from a professional journal or book. Anyone participating in the #10TuesTweets conversation can respond to questions or quotes, share links and highlights from personal experience, offer insights in to their own research or practice, or ask questions. The good news is, anyone can join in from anywhere. After each Tuesday chat, I will “storify” the tweets and publish via Twitter so that anyone interested can catch up on the conversation.

In preparation for the #10TuesTweets, some “fair game” books for quotes and questions are located on my Shelfari bookshelf in the right margin of the blog.

My experience in social media in the professional realm has transformed my philosophy and energized my efforts to improve how I do what I do! Many digital leaders such as @NMHS_Principal Eric Sheninger have transformed my beliefs about social media and its use in schools. I jokingly say that when I grow up, I want to be a digital principal too. (See photo… with permission from Mr. Sheninger) I would be honored if he were reading this blog post and decided to join us! I'm excited to learn with all of you. 10:00 am (CST) on 10 Tuesdays beginning on May 29, 2012. See you on there!

Created with Mr. Sheninger's permission

Let’s Call Final Exams AFFIRMATIONS

I’m not sure where educators came up with the term “finals” in reference to the last big test at the end of a course. But, I would like to propose that we change the term. I would like to call final exams “AFFIRMATIONS.”

At our school, we have been studying and implementing standards-based grading practices for nearly six years now. Every year at the end of each semester, the practice of final exams is the “hot topic” in the teachers’ lounge. Where do final exams fit in a standards-based environment?

Given the fact that high-stakes, standardized assessments still exist in the “real world,” I do believe there can be value in having comprehensive finals. A high-stakes assessment experience conditions students for other high-stakes experiences such as the ACT, Advanced Placement exams, or college exams. A comprehensive assessment that is of high quality can give a snapshot picture of a student’s long-term retention of course content.

On the other hand, final exams are the autopsy approach to assessment. It’s too late to prescribe any improvement strategy if we wait until the end of course to measure learning. What about the quality or reliability of a teacher-made assessment? And, lastly, a final exam can be a “make or break” for a students’ overall grade. How many times have we heard, “I can fail the final and still get an A- in the class,” or worse, “Even if I get a perfect score on the final, I still can’t pass the class, so why try?” Any grading practice where students can opt out of learning can’t be effective.

We have agreed upon the following: 

Teachers will give a scheduled assessment during the scheduled final time that:

a.       Is comprehensive over one or more units of instruction.

b.      Is in a format with material that is clear to the students – no surprises. Quality over quantity.

c.       Is authentic. If the learning goal or standard is to write an essay, a scantron, multiple choice test is not authentic.

d.      Does not have a “death penalty” effect or “no effect” on the student’s overall grade.

In summary, the final exam should be an AFFIRMATION of student learning evidence observed and collected by the teacher over the period of the course! If the end result for a student does NOT affirm what a teacher has seen throughout the course, then as they said in Apollo 13, “Houston…. We have a problem.”

If we agree upon the characteristics of good assessment and feedback practices such as;

•  Authentic to a specific learning goal
•  Measures learning over time (including growth or improvement)
•  Indicates student performance at a particular point in time

Then,  in a standards-based grading system, the following options could be useful.

Example 1: (preferred)

If the exam is cumulative in nature and addresses learning goals throughout the semester, it would be appropriate to look at this exam as but one additional piece of evidence of the student’s learning profile. An AFFIRMATION! Not as a percentage or final score for the course. Arriving at the final overall course grade could involve editing individual measurement topic scores from the beginning of the semester. Then, examine the trend to arrive at an overall course grade.

Comprehensive Final – Items organized by 4-point scale levels (3 is target or proficiency expectation) – balanced # of items from each topic or learning goal.

Topic/Goal	1	2	3	4	5	Final Semester Grade	Final Letter Grade
Score	2.25	3.5	4	2.75	3	3.1	A-
Final Exam scores	3	3	3.25	3.5	4
Adjusted Goal Scores	3	3.25	3.75	3.25	4	3.45	A-

*remember the final semester grade is an average (the only time averaging is used) of the topics/learning goals

Example 2:

Another approach might be to make a cumulative final exam an additional measurement topic for the semester. Again, just one additional piece of evidence in the student’s learning profile. Not a percentage or final score for the course.

Topic/Goal	1	2	3	4	5	6 Final Exam Score	Final Semester Grade	Final Letter Grade
Score	2.25	3.5	4	2.75	3	3	3.08	A-

*remember the final semester grade is an average (the only time averaging is used) of the topics/learning goals

Caution: This example potentially places more “weight” on the overall grade – in the example above it is 20%!

However we approach final exams, it is important to remember the components of effective assessment and feedback. Teachers, in collaboration with their students, must arrive at a course grade using professional judgement and the preponderance of learning evidence collected over time. Let’s call the final exam what it is supposed to be…an affirmation! 

How is your school using final exams? I would love to hear your comments!

Change Mindsets First

I first heard about Carol Dweck and Mindset while participating in a grading and assessment consortium with Marzano Research Lab in Kansas City. I didn’t run out immediately and read the book. I wish I would have. At this consortium, we were being trained on how to implement various aspects of standards-based grading and how to bring our colleagues “back at the ranch” along with us. This group and a few other teachers at our high school were jumping on board and piloting standards-based grading.

As a result of this work, I was thinking we were nearing a tipping point and getting excited about bringing more teachers along. But I began noticing some red flags. Some teachers who were piloting standards-based grading were reverting back to attaching a grade to behavior as opposed to knowledge gained. Or, they were using the grade as an attempt to motivate students who were struggling or disengaged. Whoa Nelly…

This was a frustrating period of time. I couldn’t put my finger on the issue. All of the essential supports were in place. Then, I read the book. Mindset by Carol Dweck. Learning about fixed versus growth mindset was definitely game changing. In short, a fixed mindset believes that intelligence doesn’t change. We are born with it and stuck with whatever “brain cards” we have been dealt. A growth mindset believes that intelligence can be grown through effort and nurturing. The metaphor to grading is simple. Fixed mindset equals traditional, bell-curve thinking. Students will land on the curve naturally. Growth mindset is about the knowledge or skills gained over time. Learning happens in different time frames and in different ways. The grade will reflect where we land at the end of a course or unit of study. Fixed mindset is averaging. Growth mindset is trending.

It occurred to me that no matter what process or model for evaluating and assigning grades is in place, an individual can manipulate it to fit their own mindset. For any kind of major change, our mindset will determine the trajectory of success. Lesson learned. For our school’s standards-based grading change, we need to change our mindsets…first. 

Can I Get Extra Credit in College?

Can I Get Extra Credit in College? I really want to know. When I was back at ‘ol Mizzou in the late 80s, I don’t remember having the option. And, there were a few times, I would have sold my soul for five or ten points. Memories of my 89% in my Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife course (don’t judge, I needed the science credit) came roaring back when I recently read a blog post on how Twitter is improving the 21^st century college classroom. Link to complete post at http://www.sociableblog.com/2012/04/15/college-professors-are-using-twitter/ 

Of the seven ways shared in the post on how Twitter can be used in college, #2 states: “To boost engagement on Twitter, these questions might appear at the end of tests as extra credit or as separate extra-credit assignments, giving tweeters an edge.” If Twitter existed back in 1988 in the one course keeping me from my first college 4.0, you can bet the bank I would have been tweeting.

Fast forward to 2012 where I am now a high school principal. I’m convinced that extra credit is one of the top three evils of traditional schooling and teacher grading practice. I’m all for extra practice and multiple opportunities for students to show evidence of learning. But, extra credit emphasizes the accumulation of points, not proficiency on a learning goal or improving academic performance. When I think about what I really remember from Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife, all I can really recollect is the argument I had with the professor: an argument over one percentage point and an opportunity for an extra credit. I lost the argument.

I recently was visiting with a friend whose child attends a neighboring high school. She shared about a grade of a B- in a course, but they weren’t worried. The teacher was also a coach in the district and was offering 10 points extra credit for attending a game and supporting the home team. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I hope the few followers I have on this blog post will come through the laptop at the thought of anything so ridiculous impacting a students’ grade.

As much as I love Twitter, I have greater things in mind than extra credit in college for its effective and responsible use. No disrespect to the idea or the author of the blog post intended. The other six suggestions were excellent.

In parting, I would like to say to all educators, “stop giving ridiculous opportunities for extra credit!” One of the biggest criticisms of high schools is the lack of preparedness for college-level work. My guess is if it weren’t for extra credit, some kids might never have made it to college. But, how sad for the “extra credit kids” when they are sitting in their first College Algebra class and realize all they remember about math from high school was the argument with the teacher over a few points, or how attending a ball game made the difference between a B+ and an A-.

Standards-based Grading - the Onramp to Common Core Implementation

“Why aren't we flying? Because getting there is half the fun. You know that”.
- Clark Griswold

I just participated in the second of four webinars on common core implementation provided through Marzano Research Laboratory and Jan Hoegh. (@MarzanoResearch) I’ve gone through a variety of reactions and emotions related to the adoption and implementation of common core standards. It is safe to say it ranges from a “we can do this” to sheer panic. Today, I would describe my feeling as gratitude.

I’m grateful…

• ·        For my district’s choice to focus on the implementation of standards-based grading as a district initiative.
• ·         For content collaboration time that is built in to the daily schedule to define (and revise) essential learning goals, develop proficiency scales, and create common assessments.
• ·          That for the first time in my career, I believe we have the closest thing to a guaranteed and viable curriculum we have ever had – one that is written, taught, and assessed!
• ·         For my belief that our locally-defined essential learning goals will closely align with the common core standards in most categories.
• ·         That we have a starting point.
• ·         We can take our current reality and look for areas of weaknesses or gaps.
• ·         That we can continue to focus on increasing rigor and the quality of instruction as a result of the common core.
• ·         Changing grading practices resulted in extensive work around standards and assessment.
• ·         For the Kansas City PDN and the Marzano Grading & Assessment Consortium with Bea McGarvey.

I see our work to implement standards-based grading – using Marzano’s proficiency scale model – as the onramp to a full-scale implementation of the CCSS in 2013. Traveling down the road to standards-based grading at the high school level has not been a road without bumps and road blocks to say the least. At times, I think we have all felt like making a quick U-turn back to Traditional Grading Avenue. But, I’m grateful we didn’t. I’m sure the journey towards common core will be a similar trip. My hunch is that we will be better prepared because of our experience with transitioning to standards-based grading.

I’m grateful for the challenges we will face in the implementation of the common core. It will be important to focus on the journey, not the final destination. Any curriculum worth the paper it is written on is never a finished product. The CCSS won’t be any different. It won’t be a Sunday afternoon drive through the park. I’m going to choose to think of it is an adventure, maybe something like Chevy Chase and the Griswold vacation in the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. If it turns out that way in the upcoming years, I will be especially grateful.

Students as Contributors or Consumers?

“Content travels when it is passion driven.” – Angela Maiers

Earlier this week, my twelve-year-old son asked me an interesting question: “Mom, are the polar ice caps really melting?” At the time he asked the question, I was actually working on something for school and just gave him a quick, “I have no idea son…” and dismissed his curiosity.

After a few minutes, I called him back to where I was still sitting at my laptop. Drew is a kid who is generally compliant, yet often disinterested with what’s happening at school. Because of that, I decided I couldn’t pass the opportunity for a teachable moment. We started by doing a google search together. We read excerpts from online news articles. We talked about global warming and what people could do to prevent it and how some people don’t believe it is real. We even talked about the Biblical explanation for rainbows.

The conversation ended after about ten minutes, but I have thought about it several times since. I wonder how different this moment for learning, and even social responsibility, might have been if it had happened at school. Would the opportunity to have the discussion been possible or would Drew have been re-directed to the required lesson of the day? How many of these types of learning opportunities do we miss in schools? If the topic wasn’t attached to the almighty grade or a curriculum pacing guide, would he pursue it further and deeper than any text book would allow? Would the teacher encourage and inspire his curiosity? Would his teachers feel they had the freedom to “go outside the lines” to facilitate individual research projects?

As fate would have it, I came across a TED talk from Shawn Cornally (@ThinkThankThunk) called “The Future of Education without Coercion.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPeKdXhGcZQ 

Shawn’s TED talk affirms my belief in standards-based grading as the means for evaluation and grading students. But, bigger than that, how important it is for kids to be inspired to learn and pursue the answers to their own unique and relevant questions.  He challenges us to think differently about how we structure time and teaching so that students can navigate their own learning. I encourage anyone reading this blog post to spend some time on Shawn’s site at http://shawncornally.com/wordpress/http://shawncornally.com/wordpress/.

I recently heard Angela Maiers (@AngelaMaiers) at the Missouri Principal’s Conference. One of the most powerful things she said in her presentation was: “the world will define you by what you contribute, not what you consume.”  What if Drew could discover something to dramatically impact our earth in a positive way? What if it was his teachers who cultivated and supported his passion? What a contribution that would be for all of us!