Scot Graden's Blog

In a recent article in The Chronicle Review, it was noted that certain qualities will be key to U.S. success in the decades ahead: cognitive flexibility, design thinking, and non-routine approaches to messy problems.

“Simply put, America cannot maintain a competitive position in the world unless we better understand how to nurture creative talent and put in place policies and practices to do so.”

The authors noted, to prepare students for the global economy, we first need to get past “the naively egalitarian, almost mystical view of creativity advanced by many creativity enthusiasts” – that it will naturally flow if we structure the right conditions. “Existing research suggests otherwise,” they say. “Creativity is not a mysterious quality, nor can one simply try one of Edward de Bono’s six thinking hats to start the creative juices flowing. Research indicates creativity is cultivated through rigorous training and by deliberately practicing certain core abilities and skills over an extended period of time”  This training includes:

• Using analogy and metaphor to approach problems in non-routine ways;
• Being able to use critical feedback to revise and improve an idea;
• Posing “what if” propositions and reframing problems;
• Looking closely for new and unexpected patterns;
• Being willing to risk failure in the face of ambiguity and uncertainty;
• Being able to bring people, power, and resources together to implement an idea;
• Being able to draw on visual, oral, written, and media tools to communicate ideas.

One of the best places to find this kind of training is in the arts.  As we continue to refine standards and prepare for the Common Core, the arts must remain a critical component in a well rounded curriculum.  Even our reading curriculum can support creativity.  While talking about creativity with Woodland Meadows Principal, Michelle Szczechowicz she noted,

Many of the skills that foster cognitive flexibility can be seen daily in our Reading and Writing programs.  Students frequently pose “what if” scenerios, or predict outcomes in their daily literacy instruction.   They revisit, and revise their schema and understanding based upon changing details as they progress.    They work together to provide positive critical feedback to improve and revise their writing.

With the shift away from routine grammar worksheets and leveled reading books, the door opens to individuality and the empowerment of the creative thinker!

Last week, the film Race to Nowhere was screened at Saline High School.  The screening was co-sponsored by STRIVE (Students Re-Investing in a Valuable Education) and Saline Alive.  The mission of Saline Alive! is to promote the mental wellness of all Saline students through awareness, education, and support, and to reduce the social stigma surrounding depression and mental illness.

The event was a success with 350 students, parents and staff in attendance.  Aaron Mukerjee, the President of STRIVE and Saline High School Senior opened the night with a compelling message to all of us who where there:

Tonight is about giving a voice to students who are struggling with stress or depression or anxiety. The focus tonight is on schools and the type of stress that being in high school puts on our students. But let’s also resolve to support students whether their stress comes from homework, extra-curriculars, getting into the right college, or something totally unrelated to school. Tonight is about recognizing that every student struggles at some point, and that every student needs support.

Tonight is about working together to find a way to support all Saline students. We can do it, but we are going to have to recognize that student stress is a problem. As you watch the film I challenge you, whether you are a teacher, parent, community member, or another student, to figure out what you can do, what role you can play, in being part of the solution.

Saline High School Principal Ben Williams posted his thoughts in his blog. We have made plans to show the film to all Saline High School teachers on December 2nd.  In addition, we are working on dates to have more community screenings of the film.  It is vital that we keep the conversation going about the mental health of our students.

A term that many parents are starting to hear more and more is “informational text.”  The term is defined within the broader category of nonfiction as having the primary purpose of conveying information.  The most common form for our students today is in textbooks.  However, according to a 2009 study 96% of websites contain informational text.

There may be no better or more efficient way to build knowledge and a large vocabulary than reading lots and lots of informational text.  Since informational text is written to convey key facts, it often contains specialized wordage and provides a jump start to building both a robust vocabulary and a range of conceptual knowledge for children.

While many of us think of this type of text as “boring” compared to fictional texts, some  students find this type of text better suited for comprehension.  For example, struggling readers are often challenged by limited vocabularies which makes processing complex narratives difficult.  Informational texts, particularly about topics that feed students’ interests, may be an easier way to build their knowledge and vocabulary base, which are the building blocks for comprehension.

The new Common Core State Standards highlight this expectation.  They recommend half of the text read during the day at the elementary level be informational text and that by 12th grade that number should increase to 70% – a reflection on what is expected at the college level and the workplace.

One thing is very clear, to function in the information age, strong literacy skills are essential.

Here is an interesting infographic about supporting teachers… Supportive leadership and time to collaborate came out on top.

I have been reading and viewing a great deal about the state of public education over the last several months.  It is not a pretty picture, however, there is a reality that does not seem to be discussed.  As educators we want to improve our schools.   In Saline, we are focused on building a strong foundation by implementing new research findings related to literacy.  We are investigating how mobile technology and blended learning can revolutionize students’ school experience.  We are building partnerships with businesses, foundations, and local higher education institutions.  In the face of cutbacks and limited resources we are focused on making Saline Area Schools a place where our staff love to work and our students love to learn.

As we pursue these goals one thing is clear – we can’t do it alone.  We need the support of the community.  We know that strengthening the relationship between our community and our school will result in increased student success.  With the beginning of a new school year I strongly encourage you to get involved or stay involved.  Working together we can help each student reach their full potential.

There was a recent article in the Harvard Education Letter about a technique to improve the questioning skills of students.  It explained a process called the Question Formulation Technique.

The article reminded me of two conflicting issues.   First, is allowing students to lead their own learning.  Second, is the pace at which we need to deliver mandated curriculum.  We talk a fair amount about a student-centered approach to instruction where the students themselves help guide what they learn.  The QFT process is an important tool in the student-centered tool box.

However, with the scripted curriculum expectations from the Michigan State Department of Education it is often difficult to find the appropriate amount of time for exploration.  Allowing students the opportunity to focus on their own areas of interest around specific topics can be challenging if they don’t align with content standards and/or grade level expectations.  As with most things, balance and practice are the keys.

Overall, the QFT is an interesting process.  It can allow for deeper conversations about topics, as well as developing a critical skill that we all need as adults.

Following are some details about the QFT process:

Produce Your Questions
Four essential rules for producing your own questions:
• Ask as many questions as you can.
• Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer the questions.
• Write down every question exactly as it is stated.
• Change any statement into a question.

Improve Your Questions
• Categorize the questions as closed- or open-ended.
• Name the advantages and disadvantages of each type of question.
• Change questions from one type to another.

Prioritize the Questions
• Choose your three most important questions.
• Why did you choose these three as the most important?

Next Steps
• How are you going to use your questions?
© The Right Question Institute.

The technique can be used at all ages and in a variety of situations.  The ability to ask the right questions is an important lifelong skill – this technique can help cultivate the skill in our students.

One of the area’s of educational focus in Saline and across the country over the last few years has been STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) programming. Locally, we have launched Project Lead the Way at the middle school and are planning to implement at the high school in the fall of 2012. In addition, we are looking at how our existing industrial technology classes can incorporate STEM principals and how they can partner with other programs.

According to ISTE President Helen Padgett,

“The name of the game now is systemic change, with districts moving toward more rigorous interdisciplinary approaches.”

In Saline, we are uniquely suited to achieve the goal of expanding STEM opportunities. We have a faculty that understands the need to reinvent our programs and we have outstanding facilities that allow for this transformation. We are working to leverage our current South & West Washtenaw Consortium programs – most of which are offered right at Saline High School. I strongly encourage parents and students to consider our programs that offer rigorous curriculum in a hands-on learning environment.

Saline High School - Career & Tech Education

I am not in agreement with all the predictions here – but this is an interesting infographic related to blended learning and the impact of digital resources.

Knewton Blended Learning

There are many special moments with the start of each school year here in Saline.  One of the truly special moments this year happened on Thursday in the High School Orchestra room during the Senior Capstone Experience class.  It was a day that was a year in the making… we were able to distribute and activate over 60 Samsung Galaxy Tabs which is one for each student in the course.  This exciting step was made possible by the generous support of Deb Peterson, the owner of the Wireless Zone-Saline.  Additionally, representatives from corporate partner  and project supporter United Bank & Trust were present to witness the transition.  Given the current financial challenges,  it was wonderful to watch the students see the possibilities of having a mobile device in a blended learning environment.

Senior Capstone Experience (SCE) is a year-long interdisciplinary course. Two main components of the course are the college style lecture and recitation, and 60 required hours of community service. Students have a choice in their area of study, but the focus is on educating world citizenship.

The course will be centered on one guiding question: What are a student’s home, local, state, national, and world responsibilities?  The purpose of the course is for seniors to synthesize areas of future study in light of the local and global community.

The course culminates in a Senior Project, an individualized plan that students envision, enact, and reflect upon over the course of their senior year.  In this course students will not be “in class” each day and will stay connected to the curriculum with mobile devices and Moodle.

Dear Saline Area Schools’ community,

Tomorrow, more than 5,300 students, pre-kindergarten thru 12th grade, will walk through the front doors of their schools to begin the school year. In doing so, they will be taking advantage of many wonderful educational opportunities.

The start of each school year is exciting because of the energy our students, staff, parents and community members bring to it — and all the possibilities that working together provides.  Saline Area Schools excels as EVERYONE does a remarkable job of supporting our students and setting high expectations.

It is the commitment of Saline Area Schools, on behalf of the community we serve, to support and care about our students and to do everything we can to ensure each student’s academic and extracurricular success.

It was a very busy summer for Saline Area Schools.  Staff has worked on improving and expanding curriculum resources and instructional strategies; many educators have participated in training and workshops to continue their own learning as part of our ongoing commitment to provide our students with the best educational experience possible.

As you prepare for the coming school year, please browse the website to learn more about the successes of last year that we hope to build on this year and to find key information about your school.

All the best as we begin a new school year!

Scot Graden