Innovative Instructional Leadership: Intro - Truth 1

Innovative Instructional Leadership: Intro - Truth 1


The following post coincides with the reading of the introduction and chapter 1 in the book The Truth About Leadership by James Kouzes and Barry Posner.  It's to be a general look back on the personal formation of how I view leadership and what it took to arrive at that conclusion.

State of the Union

When thinking back to how I got to where I am today in the context of leadership, I can only think of the phrase "we all have gifts."


photo courtesy of pintrest.com

Historically I never found myself seeking out leadership qualities.  I often was the person who spoke little and observed a lot.  I was looking at peoples' words and actions, and watched for how others responded.  This led to a draw towards figuring out what motivated people as well as what made them genuinely happy.  What I discovered is that people are different!  There wasn't one thing that made people happy.  This was the beginning of my journey inward.

While I have met many folks that I would call "good people," I've never met a flawless person I would truly want to emulate.  In an open-minded fashion, I began to characterize people and draw on what I saw as "gifts."  I began to look at these "gifts" as qualities that make up a good person, a leader.

Thus begins a never-ending social experiment into the world of finding the good (which for all of us can sometimes be a challenge).

Milestones and Risks

I am a big believer that where we are today is due to where we have been and the choices that we have made.  That's heavy to think about, but very true.  Opportunities are right in front of us everyday, even if we don't always acknowledge them.  Our choices define us.

In thinking back to risks and choices in reference to where I am at today, there are specific actions that come to mind...

1.) Put myself out there - I have found that I often open my mouth and speak in a quiet room.  Not because the room is quiet, but because I feel there is something to say and it's not being said.  I recall doing this in the middle of my undergrad tenure.  As a musician we are given the chance to perform for playing assessments called juries to a panel of music professors.  This at times was extremely nerve racking and seemed more like a right of passage than an assessment.  I intentionally chose repertoire which I couldn't fully do.  For some reason I wanted guidance more than a pat on the back for my work.  The down side of putting yourself out there is that the response is often unknown...

2.) Agree to disagree - As a music educator who believes in what music does for students and the necessity of engaging student learning through music, I often find myself at odds with folks not of the genre.  I'm always open new ideas, but not at the expense of the learning.  With this concept at the forefront of my thinking, I respectfully and often agree to disagree.

3.) I know what I know, not what I don't - While I strive to apply what I know to unknown situations, knowing will always trump not knowing.  This is something that I continue to work on daily; opening myself up to admitting I do not know.  Once done though, this opens the doors to personal learning and growth.

4.) Taking advantage of and seeking out opportunity - I enjoy a challenge and find that status quo is hard for me to park at.  This means that I am always seeking out and taking advantage of opportunity.  As a younger person in my twenties this didn't seem to be a problem.   I slept less and worked/played more, but I could do it.  As my family has grown I am prioritizing my opportunities.  I still want to believe that I can do it all...



Qualities That Define

When I think of leaders that I have looked to (the "gifts" that they portrayed), there are specific qualities that stand out.  These qualities have had a large impact on who I am and how I go about living my life.

1.) Setup for success - As an educator I use this phrase everyday with my my students and colleagues.  In order to be successful we have to do what is necessary to make it happen.  Success doesn't fall in our lap and say voila!

2.) Empathy- While some people may be the smartest, the brightest, and the most passionate, if that can't be shared with others it will never be what it could have been.  We as leaders must have the ability to look through the lens of other people who are different than us.

3.) Grounded - There is a reason why we do what we do.  Sometimes that reason is defined and sometimes not.  A leader I am drawn to is someone who has the ability to have the why always at the forefront.

4.) Talk the Talk... ...Walk the Walk - I have found the leaders I have confided in do as they say.  This builds a sense of validity.  Honesty is present.  If they say it, then it's true and it will get done.


Conclusion

I find that there are many qualities that make up good leaders and they are all in a different context.  Overall leaders are genuine, they are themselves and use their "gifts" to do whatever needs to be done.  Leaders make it happen in when there doesn't seem to be a solution.

Onward!

Real World Learning: Final Reflection

Real World Learning: Final Reflection


The implementation of the Veterans Day Lesson plan is now over.  The evidence has been collected and the students have performed for the assembly.  Now is the time to reflect on what went well, what was a challenge, and how I and others can improve the lesson for next time.

Photo Credit: Boston Globe

Success!

I feel that the lesson was a success.  What defines it as a success is that it was a learning experience that made a personal connection for the students and the real world.  We went beyond that initial goal in a couple of different ways.

First we put an interdisciplinary spin on the lesson by bringing together teachers from other content areas in the school.  This brought not only my own students into the realm of real world learning, but also the entire school!  The collaborative environment was exciting and opened up opportunities for other teachers' students to play an active role in the performance and the process.

Another way that the Veterans Day assembly went beyond expectation was the fact that I was able to use the Livestream app to broadcast our assembly and performance to the world.  This was increased by at least ten fold with the social connection of Twitter to announce the broadcast.  Through broadcasting the performance to the public, the students became part of the fabric of the real world learning.

Some expected successes were the connection that my students made to the event and their own life.  The reflection and the research portion of the lesson were aligned and implemented at the same time.  I think this allowed students to have a deeper and truer sense of the meaning of Veterans Day and link that understanding to a person or activity in their own life.  From parents, to grandparents, to siblings...  The impact of Veterans Day on these middle school students' lives is inspiring.

Challenges

Challenges were expected and always are when venturing into the unknown.  With that in mind at the beginning I was able to setup the students for success by explaining that upfront.  This helped to establish an environment of solution minded students.  While some challenges were small and easy to overcome, others were a bit bigger due to the environment.

I first must preface this with my professional background.  I am in my 3rd year at my current district.  Prior I taught in an expansive high school program.  This sometimes blurs my perspective of what to expect of the students.  So now the problem.  Leadership!  An imperative lesson that all successful instrumental music students must learn.  Our own success is not just based on how well I do as a musician, but how well the group does.  To teach this concept is a challenge in itself and when you need leadership for success, it becomes 1st and foremost

I desired to use the Veterans Day Assembly as an opportunity for the 8th graders to lead their younger 7th grade counterparts.  The problem was macro-process, they are still learning leadership skills.  So this brought the 8th graders to a question...

Why do we have to perform with the 7th graders?  They make us sound bad! 

There it is!  I have a wound that needs to be mended.  Leadership.

Lesson learned.  I now plan on integrating leadership activities into this real world learning experience.  Not only will this benefit the particular lesson, but it will have a positive impact on the students' lives (real world).  It's not always what we do, it's often how we do it!

Next Time...

The goal is to always go bigger and better than before.  I think the best way to go about this is to empower the students to take on a more active role in the process.  Now that I've created the template, the real world learning can be expanded to include building more community while creating a personal and deeper experience for the students.

Final Thoughts

Real world learning is necessary for our students.  Content and application of that content is important to learn in order to successfully move into the realm of real world learning, but it's got to get out their for people to connect with, people to evaluate, people to understand.  Empowering our students towards real world learning will give them the tools for a lifetime of success and continious improvement.  Let's *"ship it!"

*This relates to my readings of Seth Godin in his book Linchpin.  Here is an excerpt of a post...

Fear of shipping
Shipping is fraught with risk and danger.

Every time you raise your hand, send an email, launch a product or make a suggestion, you're exposing yourself to criticism. Not just criticism, but the negative consequences that come with wasting money, annoying someone in power or making a fool of yourself.

It's no wonder we're afraid to ship.

It's not clear you have much choice, though. A life spent curled in a ball, hiding in the corner might seem less risky, but in fact it's certain to lead to ennui and eventually failure.

Since you're going to ship anyway, then, the question is: why bother indulging your fear?

In a long distance race, everyone gets tired. The winner is the runner who figures out where to put the tired, figures out how to store it away until after the race is over. Sure, he's tired. Everyone is. That's not the point. The point is to run.

Same thing is true for shipping, I think. Everyone is afraid. Where do you put the fear?

-Seth Godin

Real World Learning: Veterans Day Assembly Lesson Evidence

Real World Learning: Veterans Day Assembly Lesson Evidence


Evidence of Implementation

In the beginning...

As a band director, I am inclined to engage students in "Real World" community events whenever possible.  This is not only good for public relations of the program and the school, but more than that it is imperative that students find their place in the "Real World."  They need to discover the importance of community service first hand.  This was the driving force behind wanting to establish a performance side to the Veterans Day Assembly at our school.  This year was the second annual and I would argue that it gets more expansive and refined each year.  The Veterans Day Performance and assembly is Real World learning for our students.

The process...

As many band directors know, the preparation for an event doesn't always look the same as the outcome.  Throughout the process of implementing the music, program, choral integration, and execution of performance, I changed many of my initial preparations due to several different reasons.

The first was due to opportunity.  Initially I envisioned only the band planning for the assembly.  In conversation with my colleague we came to the conclusion that combining the band and choir in a performance would strengthen student engagement and community involvement as a whole.  This slightly shifted my plan.  Now I was looking at creating the best possible performance for the band and choir while still staying on my objective of Real World learning for my students.  This took some additional editing and creativity on my part.

A direct result of having the choir join us was that I needed to come up with more music.  This was done through arranging and writing.  I had great concerns of the band overtaking the choir due to the nature of the activity.  This brought about another opportunity for a couple of students.  I created a solo/duet section of the music to accompany the choir.  This had to be written out, yet the time and energy it took was well worth it.

As different situations came up it was a breath of fresh air to have my choral colleagues to work through different solutions.  Although I initially didn't foresee collaboration as a part of the experience, it became a staple of creating a successful performance.

Interdisciplinary collaboration also became imperative as I worked with and communicated with the principal, the social studies department, custodial staff, and other school groups.  This sort of proactive and well-thought-out process set the Veterans Day Assembly and performance up for success.

As the days grew to the event, the students were introduced to an activity which I title Veterans Day Research and Reflection.  Students were able to dive into the deeper meanings of Veterans Day including its origins and connections.   Students were also able to reflect on why the band and choir are participating in Veterans Day and the significance on their own lives.

In the end...

Due to the preparation, collaboration, and involvement of the entire school and outside community, the Veterans Day Assembly was a success!  Students were able to actively participate in a Real World learning environment that brought deeper understanding and connection to their lives.

(photo courtesy of http://graphicspulp.com/)

Content Standards/Outcomes
Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.

Student Evidence and Reflection

The Music

Students performed traditional patriotic music that directly is associated with the Real World experience of Veterans Day. Many of the same pieces were performed by other bands and choirs all over the United States to acknowledge Veterans Day.  The students rehearsed, practiced, and performed the following pieces.

The Star Spangled Banner arr. by Mark Williams

Salute America arr. by Don Schaeffer

We're Loyal To You (School Song)


Veterans Day Research and Reflection Assignment

Q1: What is the origin of Veterans Day in the United States?

Q2: What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

Q3: Choose 2 of the following topics and give historical facts about that given topic…

a.) Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

b.) Choose and write on 1 of the following American wars…

1.) World War 1

2.) World War 2

3.) Korean War

4.) Vietnam War

5.) Gulf War

6.) Global War on Terror

c.) Respecting the Flag

Q4: What is significant about Veterans Day?  How does that relate to your life?

Q5: Reflect on why we perform and participate in the Veterans Day Assembly at Byron Middle School.

Student Responses


Veterans Day Assembly and Performance Live!

Another way that I made this a Real World learning experience was to broadcast the event live via LiveStream.  I also announced the event on Twitter.


Veterans Day Assembly and Performance via Livestream

Real World Learning: Veterans Day Assembly Lesson Plan

Real World Learning: Veterans Day Assembly Lesson Plan


Driving Question

As band members we often are asked to play for such events as Memorial Day and  Veterans Day.  There is a reason that these events occur yearly and are so significant in the United States of American.  In this lesson I ask students...

Why is Veterans Day important?


Link to History of Veterans Day via United States Department of Veteran Affairs




(photo courtesy of  http://www.veteransday.quotesms.com)


Content Standards/Outcomes

MU:Cn11.0.E.Hs novice
Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.


21st Century Skills

Students will be implementing a variety 21st Century Skills.  Aligning with Partnership for 21st Century Learning, The focus will be on the skills associated with "Key Subjects and 21st Century Themes."  This includes global awareness and civic literacy.


Habits of Mind (soft skills)

The Oxford Dictionary defines soft skills as...
"Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people."

Pikes Peak Association for Gifted students outlines a series of soft skills (Habits of the Mind Chart).  One significant soft skill to be gained from this activity is #11, Creating, Imagining, and Innovating.  The focus of the driving question is open-ended to the point where students are able to use their personal experiences and research to create new and innovative ways as to the importance of Veterans Day.

Lesson Activities

#1.) The band rehearses 2 veterans day assembly tunes, Star Spangled Banner and Salute America (patriotic musical medley including Yankee Doodle, You're a Grand Old Flag, and Yankee Doodle Boy).

#2.) Students will research the history of Veterans Day, relating the content to current events and coming to a conclusion as to why Veterans Day is important.

#3.)  A Veteran who played in the army band and continues to play bugle at veteran funerals will come and discuss his viewpoint as to the importance of Veterans Day.  He will also discuss his role as a musician involving veterans.

#4.)  Students will perform the week of Veterans Day with the choir for the community and student body.  

Learning Assessment/Student Engagement

Students will use a Standards-Based Assessment tool which is currently used consistently in the band classroom.  Click the link below to view an overview and reflection of the tool.

Genius Hour and Standards-Based Grading in the Instrumental Music Classroom: Final Reflection

Student Reflection Activity

Students will reflect by writing a letter to a military veteran or a military person on active duty.  The letter will include the reason why Veterans Day is important.  

Final Thoughts

The goal is that students use real-world learning to discover the importance of Veterans Day.  This will give deeper meaning to their role as musicians and as citizens of the United States of America.

Real World Learning: Empathy Reflection

Real World Learning: Empathy Reflection



Definition of "empathy" according to the Oxford Dictionary:

"The ability to understand and share the feelings of another."

If our goal is to create the best possible leaning environment for our students, we must look closely at our audience.  We must empathize with them by understanding who they are as people and what engages their learning.  This can be a challenge and often is forgotten.

In many career fields success is based upon the actions of the proprietor and how those actions relate to an object.  In teaching, the educator must use the people in the environment to create a productive learning atmosphere.  Empathy is the key to that success.  If we are to design successful learning experiences, we must empathize with our audience, our students.


Interviews

I enjoy the use of interviews when wanting to learn more about a person.  When done well, an informal interview can create an environment where the interviewee can feel safe, confident, and respected by the interviewer.  This takes successful preparation and an inquisitive mindset.  When conducting an interview with open-ended questions, the interviewer is able to inquire about deeper thoughts and feelings towards a given topic.  Interviews also offer a direct and important link to how we design our lessons, products, etc...

Browsing can be inspiring.  Check out the Stanford University Institute of Design!

In the preparation stage of the empathy interview process, I spent a lot of time brainstorming and reflecting on the questions that I would ask my students.  I felt that a road-map was necessary for the interview in order to be sure I was on target as to what information I was wanting to acquire.  I wanted to be sure to maintain a level of consistency from person to person, yet offer areas where they could break away from the questions at their discretion.  I feel that the script/road-map that I developed was successful!

Interview Questions


Empathy and Education: What I've learned

I often find myself sometimes focused on the content for the lesson I'm producing without even considering who the lesson is for.  What are their likes, dislikes?  What is their background?  What excites, frustrates my audience?  What are some of the limitations when it comes to technology, resources, etc...

While creating the most complex procedures for the greatest lesson, I must remember that all of that time and effort are wasted if I don't have empathy for the people who are learning in the environment.

We've heard the importance of rapport in the classroom.  Yes rapport is important, but in order to instill a deeper understanding more must be achieved.

The Importance of Establishing Rapport with Your Students by Rebecca Ryan and Janie Wilson

The days of forcing information into learners through lecture, worksheets, and videos are over.  We must as educators connect with our students.  We must meet them where they are at, be a support as they grow and learn, and get them to where they desire to be.  Empathy is a main ingredient when designing a successful and worthwhile learning experience.

Real World Learning: Introductory Research and Reflection

Real World Learning: Introductory Research and Reflection


The goal of this blog post is to take a deep look into "Real World" learning.  This includes definition, description, connection to content, opportunities, and how this idea fits in with the status quo of education today.  As the idea of "Real World" learning unfolds, we must consider what quality application looks like in the *classroom.


Real World Learning Defined

Defining a word can be a challenge, especially when attempting to align it within a given context, in this case education.  I first look to the Oxford Dictionary.

**Side Note**

In the last year I read a book which tells of the origins of the Oxford English Dictionary, The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester.  I will never look to a dictionary in the same way again.  A must read for word enthusiasts.

**

The Oxford Dictionary defines Real World as a noun stating "the existing state of things, as opposed to one that is imaginary, simulated, or theoretical: we live in the real world of limited financial resources."  Traditionally in education it was our job as educators to let students practice skills in order to prepare for the real world.  What we have discovered is that successful learning must incorporate real world application.

Successful learning correlates with being able to maintain retention of the material needed to demonstrate a proficiency of understanding.  How do learners achieve this long-term quality retention?

The Glossary of Education Reform lays out the importance of **authentic experiences in order to achieve successful learning.  According to the article Authentic Learning, real world experience keeps students engaged and wanting to learn more.  The information being taught is new and cutting edge.  This better prepares students to succeed in college, professional careers, and life in general.  The topics also are relevant to learners lives outside of the classroom (Authentic Learning).

Real world learning makes a connection for students to to real life.  Often this learning involves improving the quality of local, regional, and world-wide environments.  Students find themselves not waiting to make a difference; they are making a difference now!


*Classroom is being used here to describe a location for learning which in a 21st Century environment could be brick and mortar, out in the real world, or even online.  Blended learning comes to mind when using this term.

**The Great Schools Partnership refers authentic learning "to a wide variety of educational and instructional techniques focused on connecting what students are taught in school to real-world issues, problems, and applications."  link Authentic Learning Article.


The Look! Real World Learning

Check out this Prezi presentation to discover ways to make elements of learning "real world."

The Look! Real World Learning Presentation

Instrumental Music and the Real World

There are 2 ways to look at real world learning in relation to instrumental music.  The first would relate directly to the content area of music and the performing arts.  The second would relate to the real world skills used and developed in an instrumental music setting that directly correlate with the attributes and levels of understanding of a professional (applying to many career fields).  First we discuss the content of instrumental music involved in real world application.

The content of instrumental music can lead to a real world career as a musician, musical director, or music educator.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, music directors use the skills developed from education, training, and experience.  Often music director will be employed by schools and religious organizations.  While jobs as a music director are located all over the country, the highest case of employment is located in larger cities.

The involvement in instrumental music brings about real world application due to the nature of the learning environment.  Being in band is unique to most classrooms and offers real world experience.  Students are engaged in applications which give them an understanding of skills out side of the music content area.  Tim Lautzenheiser discusses this in his article Why Music? Why Band?  He brings up specific points that are applicable in the real world, no matter what profession.  These point include quality and quantity, ethics and rules, authority and domination, wisdom and achievement, and inner peace and personal security.  These are real world concepts which bring about success in careers of the future.

The social aspect of band is an important part in a student's development.  According to the Gates Foundation Article The Silent Epidemic, "High school dropouts, on average, earn $9200 less per year than high school graduates, and about $1 million less over a lifetime than college graduates."  These statistics point to lack of connection with students in the classroom.  The application of real world skills beyond that of content are important to keep students interested and engaged in the school environment.


Real World Opportunities and Challenge

Real world learning brings students to a deeper level of understanding.  This includes displays of proficiency which are not relevant to the traditional style of assessment (tests, quizzes, multiple choice).  This could include the showcasing of evidence, comparing and contrasting competing ideas, and perhaps even an analysis of a difficult problem.  This style of open-ended assessment gives teachers the opportunity to allow students to take ownership and dig deep into concepts and projects which they feel truly passionate about.  Ownership develops a higher level of engagement and interest in the concept being applied.  There are also challenges which go along with this line of thinking.

An open-ended thought process may steer particular objectives to the wayside or order for a deep level of learning to take place.  This means that less content is covered, just at a deeper level.  Depending on the expectations of the course and the feasibility of the standards to be taught, the "less is more" saying can be a challenge.  On the flip side, offering students the ability to take ownership applies to all.

Opening the door to discovery and ownership allows all students to benefit and all levels of proficiency.  Engagement and interest become the propeller for success in the open-ended equation.  A student who is engaged is a student who can progress, a progressive learner is a successful learner!


While real world learning is just now coming to the front lines of education, I see the pros out weighing the cons in educators continuous progression towards building better learners.


Onward to the "real world!"

Genius Hour and Standards-Based Grading in the Instrumental Music Classroom: Final Reflection

Genius Hour and Standards-Based Grading in the Instrumental Music Classroom: Final Reflection


Standards-based assessment and genius hour coincide with what George Couros is describing in his book The Innovator's Mindset.  There are three primary examples that I'm going to discuss in relation to Couros in this final reflection for my genius hour project titled Genius Hour and Standards Based Assessment in the Instrumental Music Classroom.  The first is Couros's concept of "inside the box," innovating using the resources that we already have in our classroom.  The second is about how we as educators create new learning opportunities for our students in our classroom by implementing digital technology.  Finally I will discuss the concept of empowerment and how genius hour and standards-based assessment engages our students in an empowered learning environment.  Innovation and standards-based assessment both share the common theme of bettering learning in our classroom.

"Think Inside the Box"

As educators we often find the want to always reach for the newest and so-called greatest thing out there.  By thing I mean resource, poster, method book, recording track, etc...  We also use the lack of new tools as an excuse of why we can't produce what we desire.  Many times the resources for the greatest success are already at our finger tips.  With my particular genius hour project I wanted to use what my students and I already had at our disposal.  We are fortunate enough in my district to have a one-to-one Ipad program in our district.  This type of thinking is what Couros is writing out when we says "think inside the box."

All students currently have Ipads at their disposal.  I have also used (as well as other teachers) the Google Apps associated with my project such as Google Forms and You Tube Capture.  The mediums for success are not new to the students.  The thinking is!

Students are now being asked to use their resources and devices to demonstrate what they have learned in a particular week.  This includes all of the concepts associated with their method book, learning targets, and state standards as well.  The resources are already present, the self-assessment and standards-based thought process is what we have added to the equation.  Students are now increasing their learning due to resources "inside the box."

Creating New Learning Opportunities

Status quo is not in the vocabulary of an innovative teacher and leader.  This is discussed in chapter 9 of The Innovators's Mindset.  Innovation is setup to create better learning and in order to get better continual change must be present.  Digital technology has been a re-invention of the pen and paper.  The possibilities seem endless when implementing technology with better learning.  My goal in presenting a standard-based self-assessment tool to my students was to create a tangible and practical method which was new and productive.  I hope to have success!

The new learning opportunity I have created puts the ownership of understanding in their hands.  There is no longer a question as to what they are needing to learn.  The question now is what level of proficiency is the learning at.  I want to set a precedent that we'll get there, but we must have a self-assessed sense of where we are at in order to know where we are going.  Standards-based assessment is personalized and not standardized.   Each individual can focus within the given concept at their pace.  The job of the educator is to use innovation (and a bit a technology) to engage the learner and reach the level of proficiency (and beyond).

Empowering the Learner

I have always been a fan of giving my students ownership in what they do.  The challenge is to help learners understand that with ownership comes responsibility.  My hope is that through self-assessment and the standards-based thought process I will be able to empower my student to take risks.

So often we give students too much information to focus on.  This gives even teachers anxiety.  Through my project I wanted to simplify the concepts and expectations in order to give students the opportunity to take risks and engage in the learning rather than questioning what they were learning.

As educators and leaders sometimes we just need to listen, let go, and collaborate with our students on learning.  As I implement this project into my classroom I hope to be surprised and impressed by the learning capabilities of my students.

Final Thoughts

As educators and school leaders we are always striving to find better ways to engage our students in productive learning.  With standards-based assessment being integrated into districts all over the world and the continuous implementation of technology in the classroom, my project offers learning innovation that is both tangible and practical in the educational environment.  I look forward to putting standards-based self-assessment into action!

Onward!