This past week, we had another opportunity to visit New York's P-Tech Schools. It was a good trip - a lot of driving in a pretty small bus that was either really, really hot or really, really cold - but we made it. We visitied Hamilton Fulton Montgomery BOCES, which is in Johnstown, NY (pretty far north - there was at least 4 inches of snow on the ground there) and then back to Hudson Valley Pathways Academy, which is really an exciting model of what we can do for our students. We were there with 3 other schools from Indiana who aspire to develop poly-tech programs as well.
I asked our team to reflect on our visit, sharing their biggest take-a-ways. The first word that came to all of our minds was COMMUNITY. To build a program and meaningful learning experiences for our students we have to develop a strong, collaborative and creative community. I have been thinking about it all weekend and then I listened to a podcast today with Andy Stanley and the former SVP from Apple, Angela Ahrendts, that really solidified that for me. The SVP really changed the business model of Apple and did that by looking outward - how can Apple serve the greater community. And just like Apple, if we can do this, we can humanize learning experiences and energize each other and our students about learning! The process of harnessing this power begins with unlocking trust, which then unlocks intuition and ulitmately establishes belief in the organization, allowing everyone to achieve and thrive to their full potential! (If you want to listen to the podcast you can find it HERE.) Also, when we think about building community, how do we do that with our high school students - I feel like our House system in the junior high is a start, but how do we create opportunities that will put COMMUNITY in the forefront?
The other big take-a-way at Hudson Valley, they always remind us that your schedule should highlight your values. For example, they spend two hours of their week working on building communities in their schools (SEL). Building community, allowing for student voice and helping students gain these valuable skills are important to them so they make sure it is embedded. They also make time for teacher collaboration and student collaboration. I think we start small, but we can't stop thinking about how we can make our day look different - we don't have to teach in 7 periods everyday, the time is ours and we can make room for what is important to us!
Other take-a-ways:
* There isn't a wrong way to perform PBL, except to do the work for the students!
* Design Thinking is moving away from student regurgitation (students giving you what they think you want to hear) to purposeful learning for an authentic audience.
* The learning process and progress is just as important as the end product
* We have to realize we are LEAD LEARNERS - it is okay to learn with students. We don't have to know everything and are not expected to know everything - we just need to be passionate about learning and a model for what learning looks like! When we let go, our students shine.
* Principles of Significant Learning Experiences Provide: Adult world mentor, Authentic context, Relevance, Connected to Family and Friends, Pursue a Passion, Expert Advice given to students, Interdisciplinary work, meaningful product, (real) High Stakes
Important Information:
Equity Meetings: Just a reminder we will have students join us during our PLC team meetings this week. Please use the WIN document to find coverage for your WIN groups - if you need help figuring it out, please let me know. We are using the following schedule:
Monday, 2nd WIN - Math and Island Team (Library)
Thursday, 2nd WIN - English & Special Education (Alyssa's Room)
Friday, 2nd WIN - Science & Social Studies (Vanessa's Room)
Faculty Meeting: We will have a faculty meeting on Wednesday, March 15th at 7:25 a.m. A light breakfast will be served.
House Competition: Junior High Houses will have their Quarter 3 Competition on Friday during 6th and 7th periods in the gym!
Surprise and Delight (Faculty & Staff): Larry Lautner will be delivering one of our favorite meals for luch on Wednesday: Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwiches! It will fuel us up to get through the rest of the week! Also, I think it is a great week to wear jeans. Please remember to dress them up and look professional!
Surprise and Delight (Students): Phil is working on a plan to surprise students with pancakes Thursday morning!!! Should be fun. He will send details soon!
National Honor Society Induction: Tuesday, March 14th @ 5:30 p.m.
Parent Vape Session (opportunity for the community to learn about vaping trends): Tuesday, March 14th @ 6:00 p.m.
Book Studies:
* In Search for Deeper Learning - Tuesday, March 14th - 7:25 a.m. High School Library
* 5 Dysfunctions of a Team- Junior High English Team, Thursday, March 16th 1st Lunch
Visitors:
* Tuesday, a few teachers from Crawford County will be visiting to talk to junior high math and English teachers about block classes
* Last week: Josh Craney hosted Conexus Indiana, a state organization that helps promote manufacturing across the state of Indiana. Our students gave a wonderful presentation and we are one of 15 schools in the state of Indiana in the Student Based Enterprise Coalition, Conexus Student Industries.
Professional Development Day, April 10th - Rough Draft
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