Teachers and Technology

In order to prepare students to be college or career ready, teachers must give them the tools necessary to be successful.  Technology is changing so rapidly that teachers must explore and learn the latest tools and programs.  It takes professional development and sharing of information to keep up with this rapid growth.  Students and teacher will lead and learn together. Real life problems and projects will be the wave of the future classroom.  Technology is here to stay and teachers must get on board.

I Pads, iPhones, active boards, and tablets will be the tools used in the classrooms.  Time is moving on and if teachers are not using all the tools available, they will be left behind and so will their students. 

Inequity in American Education of the Poor: Part 4

Another crucial factor in determining education inequality is the family background of students.  There is a proven correlation between the academic successes of parents with the academic success of their children.  In a Harvard’s “Civil Rights Project,” Lee and Orfeild identified family background as the most influential factor in student achievement.  Only 11% of children from the bottom fifth earn a college degree while 80% of the top fifth earn one.    This translates to a home-life that is more supportive of educational success. 

As mentioned in family background, access to resources play a hugely important role in education inequality.  In addition to the resources, access to proper nutrition and health care influence the cognitive development of children.  Children who come from poor families experience a disadvantage from the start.  The lack of resources is directly linked to ethnicity and race.  Black and Latino students are three times more likely than whites to be in high poverty schools and twelve times as likely to be in school that almost everyone is poor.  Therefore, parental involvement and awareness is extremely important.  Additionally, children from poorer families, who are often minorities, come from families that distrust institutions. Disadvantage parents must educate themselves in order to assure the success of their children and their children’s children.  Education must become a priority in the home and the schools must make these parents feel welcome and important partners.

High poverty schools must have all the characteristics of an effective school.  The schools of the poor students must focus on achievement and monitor student progress.   There must be a cooperative working environment and the school’s atmosphere must be safe and orderly.   With strong leadership, dedicated highly effective teachers, parental involvement, and high expectations for all students, and time on task any schools with poor students should meet with academic and personal success.

Inequity in American Education of the Poor: Part 3

To ensure students are mastering the skills necessary to be college or career ready, measuring of academic success materialized. However, most racial and ethnic subgroups of children have improved their scores over time, performed better on mathematics, reading and science measures.  Nevertheless, the achievement gap causes critic to blame the public education for failing to teach the poor students. For every critic pointing out the failures of the system, there’s a success story to be told that outlines the progress public education has made. 

The U.S. Department of Education released a report in December 2011, documenting that school districts across our country are unevenly distributing their state and local funds, shortchanging schools that serve low-income students.  The report reveals for the first time the extent of inequity in our nation’s per-pupil expenditures from state and local sources among the schools within a school district. 

 

Weber was an early researcher to the literature school inequity.  In his 1971 study of four effective inner-city schools, Weber focused on reading achievement that was clearly successful for poor children on the basis of national norms.  All four schools had strong leadership and the principal was instrumental in setting the tone of the school; helped decide on instructional strategies; and organizing and distributing the school's resources.  All four schools had "high expectations" for all students.  All four schools had an orderly, relatively quiet, and pleasant atmosphere.  All four schools strongly emphasized pupil acquisition of reading skills and reinforced that emphasis by careful and frequent evaluation of pupil progress.

Inequity in American Education of the Poor: Part 2

High academic expectations for all students that are measurable and attainable are imperative in order to close the inequity gap in American public education.  It all begins with our failure to have high expectations for the children of the poor.  This simply requires that an effective school bring the children of the poor to minimal mastery of basic skills. Focus must be on student learning with a combination of discipline, intensity, concentration, and commitment.   Research proves that our public schools know the methods and technics in order to successfully educate all children.   An average student who attended “high rigor instruction schools” would learn about 78% more mathematics between grades 8-12 than comparable students in a “low rigor instruction school.  We must stop throwing money or funding at the problem, and strategically educate these students with research based methods and rigor.    

Despite several decades of reform, public schools in America are criticized by some as not teaching all children effectively.  Consistently poor test results and low graduation rates prove the critics right. It takes a village to raise a child, but the same village must share accountability when many of their children are not learning in the public educational systems, especially the poor.  Districts with higher poverty rates have fewer highly educated, experienced teachers and less stable teaching staff.  These schools need highly trained and most effective teachers in their classroom. Highly effective teachers show passion, respect, caring attitude, fairness, skilled communication, creativity, sound knowledge of content, and have a positive impact on the lives of students, parents, and colleagues. Schools of underprivileged students must have educators with these traits. 

Inequity in American Education of the Poor: Part 1

Public schools that teach poor children successfully must have strong leadership, an environment of high expectations that all children can learn, highly qualified teachers, and active parental awareness and support.  Progress of society must be measured by our willingness to develop the least among us. Evolution necessitates public policy that begins by making the poor more educated and less underprivileged.  This means the standard of education to public schools must be equitable and teaching poor children at least as well as middle-class children.  This certainly is not happening in most schools for the poor in America.

Being a strong instructional leader is the challenge for principals in schools today, but even more challenging in schools with high poverty residents.  Academic and social success is too complex for a principal to achieve alone.  There must be a leadership team that works together to develop a vision and goals that are achievable.  On the other hand, without strong instructional leadership at the helm to both create and manage the vision, teachers are not likely to form committees to improve the school.  The principal must set high expectations, develop teacher leaders, and maintain a positive attitude toward students, staff, and parents.  This is not always easy when you are dealing with an at-risk population.

Traits of Highly Effective Schools:#6

Elaine K. McEwan writes a book about the qualities and unique characteristics of school that help students get the "Best Education Possible". Each chapter offers research-based trait and examines its impact on student achievement. Trait # 6 is High Expectations.

High Expectations - Teachers can say they have high expectations because they expect their students to do tons of work and pass very difficult test.  However, tons of work and difficult test do not necessarily mean high expectations.  In order to qualify for membership in the high expectations club, teachers have to believe that their students can achieve, explicitly teach them how to get smart, and convey a profound and unwavering commitment to their academic success. 

How can High Expectations be achieved:

1. Eliminate Low Expectations - Once your convey to children, whether consciously or not that they are too "dumb" to learn, they will almost always prove you right.

2. Intervene Before They Fail - Help students achieve academic success by giving intervention to students who show non-mastery in reading and other content areas.

3. Build in Rigor and Relevance - An average student who attended a "high rigor instruction school" would learn about 78% more mathematics between Grades 8-10 than comparable students in a
"low rigor instruction school.

Traits of Highly Effective Schools: #5

Elaine K. McEwan writes a book about the qualities and unique characteristics of school that help students get the "Best Education Possible". Each chapter offers research-based trait and examines its impact on student achievement. Trait # 5 is Collaboration.

Collaboration is powerful when accomplish, but is a challenging one, calling for a variety of talents, essential when different points of view and thinking styles are needed to accomplish a task. In a highly effective school, all members in the community are responsible for teaching others and for learning themselves.

Benefits of Collaboration

1. Reduction of isolation of teachers

2. Increased commitment to the mission and goals of the school

3. Shared responsibility for the total development of students

4. Powerful learning that defines good teaching and classroom practices

5. Increase meaning and understanding of the content that teachers teach

6. Higher likelihood that teachers will be well informed

7. More satisfaction, higher morale, and lower rates of absenteeism

8. Significant advances in adapting teaching to the students, accomphished more quickly that in traditional schools

9. Commitment to making significant and lasting changes

10. Higher likelihood of understanding fundamental systemic change

Traits of Highly Effective Schools: #4

Elaine K. McEwan writes a book about the qualities and unique characteristics of school that help students get the "Best Education Possible". Each chapter offers research-based trait and examines its impact on student achievement. Trait # 4 is Relational Trust.

Relational Trust is the basis for positive relationships in the school community.  Some refer to it as the glue that holds a school together.  Bryk and Schneider (2002), described rational trust as a construct compose of four concepts: (1) respect, (2) competence, (3) personal regard, and (4) integrity.

Respect - is the deference someone shows to others without regard for their political position, wealth, job role, or power.

Competence - is the ability to do something in a superior way, for example, the ability to teach previously low-achieving students and bring them to mastery.

Personal Regard - is the presence of positive feelings toward someone.  When individuals like each other, they enjoy being together.

Integrity - refers to an individual's adherence to certain moral principles and standards.  When they promise to do something, it happens.

Traits of Highly Effective Schools:#3

Elaine K. McEwan writes a book about the qualities and unique characteristics of school that help students get the "Best Education Possible". Each chapter offers research-based trait and examines its impact on student achievement. Trait # 3 is  Academic Focus.

Academic focus is the most under appreciated and overlooked trait of highly effective schools.  Focus is difficult to observe behaviorally, but there is a quick litmus test:  Ask the principal, a handful of teachers, and a small group of students to describe their goals for the school year.  If all of these individuals aren't working on the same goals, the school lacks focus. Everyone is doing their own thing. 

Step 1: Begin With a Compelling Academic Vision in Mind - The vision that a strong instructional leader has for a school is often sketched out for stakeholders (teachers, students, and parents) with a broad brush.

Step 2: Articulate a Meaningful Shared Mission Statement - After a compelling vision has been conceived and explained, the next step is usually the development of a mission statement that spells out more specific terms what the vision will actually look like in the school.

Step 3: Set Goals That Are Measurable and Attainable - These goals are logical action steps that flow from the mission statement but are smaller and more manageable in scope. Everyone should be working with a different set of goals related to their specific set of responsibilities.

Step 4: Ensure a Focus on Student Learning - Focus is the combination of discipline, intensity, concentration, and commitment with which groups or individuals tackle goals related to student learning.

Traits of Highly Effective Schools: #2

Elaine K. McEwan writes a book about the qualities and unique characteristics of school that help students get the "Best Education Possible". Each chapter offers research-based trait and examines its impact on student achievement. Trait # 2 is Highly Effective Teachers.

Ten Traits of Highly Effective Teachers:

1. A passion to help students learn and grow

2. Demonstrates qualities of respect, caring, and fairness

3.  Positively impacts the lives of students, parents, and colleagues

4. Strong classroom management, engages students, and manages time

5. Exhibits drama, enthusiasm, liveliness, humor,charisma, creativity, and novelty to teaching

6. Has the ability to make a difference in the lives of students

7. A skilled communicator

8. Has a sound knowledge of content

9. Has a knowledge of the students, the school, and the community in which they teach
10. Has the ability to be read one's own mental state, able to articulate ideas, issues, and values, reflective, and able to adjust to the changing needs and demands of the profession.

Traits of Highly Effective Schools: #1

Elaine K. McEwan writes a book about the qualities and unique characteristics of school that help students get the "Best Education Possible".  Each chapter offers research-based trait and examines its impact on student achievement.  Trait # 1 is strong instructional leadership.

Strong Instructional Leadership

According to McEwan, no matter how effective a principal might be, the challenges of raising the achievement bar are too complex for a solo act to succeed.  On the other hand without an instructional leader to communicate a compelling vision explain a moral imperative for doing the right thing, teachers are not likely to form a committee to improve the school.  The principals charts the course of the school.  They are the key factor to the individual school's success and set the tone.  Principals must convince the students, parents and teachers that all children can learn and improve academically. Below are (3) things strong instructional leaders must accomplish: 

1. They set high expectations for staff and personally

2. They develop teacher leaders

3. They maintain positive attitudes toward students, staff, and parents

When carefully considering the research on effective schools, principal leadership and instructional leadership specifically, is the key factor in students getting the "Best Education Possible".  I certainly hope the school your child attends has a strong instructional leader in charge.  To read more on effective  schools get, 10 Traits of Highly Effective Schools by Elaine K. McEwan. 

Tip #77: An Effective School has Every Teacher and Student Having the Latest Technology Available and Accessable.

An effective schools has an integration of technology into teaching and learning. This brings us to tip #77.

Tip #77: An Effective School has Every Teacher and Student Having the Latest Technology Available and Accessable.

The latest in technology will allow all students access and analyze information, communicate ideas, and express themselves creatively. Teachers have adequate equipment and professional training in using the latest technology to implement technology enhanced lessons.

Questions to ask or things to do:

1. How many computers are available at your child's school? Is there a computer lab or are the computers in the classroom?

2. Are there computer objectives for each grade level? Ask the principal or your child's teacher. Find out what the objectives are and can you work with these objectives at home?

3. What other technology is available to teachers and students? The teachers or principal should be able to answer this question.

4. If you have business connections or can write grants, speak to the principal about trying to get more technology in the school. Ask the technology specialist or principal about the technology needs. The world is interconnected through technology and it is extremely important that our children can operate the latest technology to keep up with future employment and global communications.

5. If it is possible, get your child a laptop for home or see if the school allows computers to be checked out overnight or summer break. If you already have a home computer, make sure you are aware of the sites your child visits. Either block unwanted sites or work on the computer together. Make your child aware of the dangers of visiting certain websites or putting personal information on social sites. These things can come back to haunt them in years to come.

Tip #75: Get to Know the School Principal

According to New Visions for Public Schools an effective school has a principal who leads the instructional program and expects excellence from the staff, parents, and students. It has a school wide focus on student achievement; support for improving the school environment, teaching and learning; and effective cooperation among school leaders, teachers, parents, students, and partners in the community. This brings us to tip #75.

Tip #75: The principal and other school leaders inspire commitment from everyone to fulfill the vision of the school among all members of the school community so every child receives the "Best Education Possible".

Parents make sure you teach your child to be respectful of persons in authority. First make sure they respect and listen to you. Then they need to understand how to approach, respond, and listen to other adults. It will make life easier for you and your child throughout life if this lesson is mastered before entering school. There is no way a child will be respectful if the parent does not model respect. Speak positively in front of your children about the school, principal, and teachers. Then the child will model that positive behavior.

Questions or Things to Do:

1. Is there an "Open Door" policy at your child's school? An example would be that parents are welcome to come to the school and volunteer, make appointments to meet with the principal or teachers, and feel comfortable to make suggestions. It is important for parents to understand that they are at the school to be a positive partner. Make sure you make appointments and never get in a group of parents that are not trying to make positive change.

2. Do you feel a sense of control and calm when you first enter the building. The building should be clean and pleasant. Quality student work should be displayed and the atmosphere should be pleasant with a sense of control.

3. Is the principal visible and involved with the students. It is nice to see students speak, shake the hand, or converse with the principal. Make sure your child is respectful and knows how to talk to adults. It will make all the difference in the school experience if the child is controlled and respectful.

4. Can the principal discuss the curriculum and is well aware of student achievement and assessment data? This is important because the principal should drive the curriculum and be knowledgeable of what is going on in each classroom. The principal will know what should be the next objectives for improvement of the overall school goals.

5. Does the principal communicate well with parents, teachers, staff, and students. An effective principal can communicate and inspire everyone to reach school-wide goals.

6. Does the principal participate in after-school functions and support all school programs? The principal should be visible at as many sports, academic competitions, plays, PTA meetings, board meetings, and fundraisers.

7. The principal must have a vision for where the school is heading, and is able to get teachers, staff, parents, students, and community partners to buy into the vision and is the driving force in making that vision a reality. They must be able to lead, listen, influence, and implement an aggressive curriculum, and has high expectations for everyone. They must be able to take assessment data and lead their staff in the direction of improvement and make sure every child's needs are being met. The principal is the leader of the school and should be respected.

For more information on effective school go to http://www.newvisions.org/

Tip #74: The School's Curriculum Should Stretch the Imagination and Creativity of Students.

According to New Visions for Public Schools an effective school has a challenging instructional program that provides equal opportunities to learn and empowers every student to receive the "Best Education Possible". That brings us to tip #74.

Tip #74: The School's Curriculum Should Stretch the Imagination and Creativity of Students.

The entire school community meets individual student needs, and addresses any instructional challenges for advancement or remediation. All students are important and should feel safe in asking questions and in a learning environment. Does your child's school meet these criteria?

Questions to Ask or Things to Do:

1. Does your child have choices when doing a project? This will keep a child excited about completing and doing his/her best work. Choices give a child a sense of empowerment in a school setting.

2. Does your child get a chance to work ahead or go back and review if it is needed. Advanced students must be challenged and struggling students must go back in order to master needed skills.

3. Does your child talk about what they learned in school? If not, ask your child while driving home or at dinner. Try to sit down at the kitchen table and eat dinner together every evening. It is a good way to keep communication open. It is not unusual for children to say they didn't learn anything at school, but when the curriculum is interesting and challenging many students will want to talk about what they learned.

4. Does your child feel comfortable in asking questions or asking for help? This means at school and home. So many times students feel like they are not smart if they ask questions. Make sure you let your child know it is alright to ask questions or don't know all the answers. Encourage them to question within reason.

5. Do the children at your child's school work on group projects and work in cooperative learning groups? This teaches children to work with other peers and how to contribute and communicate in a group setting. Employers are looking for people who are team players. Too many people are unable to share ideas and work for the advancement of the team.

6. Does the school have individual or small group instruction, so every child's needs are met? Gifted children will become bored or restless if they are not challenged and struggling children will become frustrated or a behavior problem if they don't understand instruction.

To read more on effective schools go to http://www.newvisions.org/ .

Tip #73: Administration and Teachers Must be Effective.

The one thing I want every parent to understand is that they are the most important influence in their child's life. Therefore, you must be a positive partner with the schools and work together to see that your child is meeting all academic benchmarks. That brings us to tip #73.

Tip #73: Administration and Teachers Must be Effective.

The school administration and teachers are there to educate and assist in developing your child academically and socially. You are there to make sure your child respects you, adults, peers, and themselves and values an education.

According to New Visions for Public Schools an effective school has a clear focus and high expectations of their staff, parents as well as their students. Effective schools motivate and engage the entire school community and inspire their members to strive constantly to ensure the success of every student. In effective schools there is a clear focus. Further, the school has high expectations coupled with an action plan for achieving excellence for every student and the belief that every student can learn. Does your child's school meet these criteria so that your child is getting the "Best Education Possible"?

Questions to Ask or Things to Do:

1. Are the principal, teachers, parents, and community partners working closely together to make the school successful? An example would be is there an active Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and the officers should meet with the administration to assist with the overall school program and goals?

2. Encourage your child to go to school with a purpose of learning and try to keep them excited about learning by checking papers, checking homework, and praising accomplishments.

3. Try to make sure your child feels successful in and out of the classroom. Have your child involved in after school activities such as sports, dance programs, art or singing lessons, or academic team competitions.

4. Are there programs and curriculum in place for advanced learners at your school, and is your child being challenged?

5. Are there tutoring and other programs in place for students having difficulties in learning? Check with local churches, Girls and Boys Clubs, civic organizations, and some college students tutor for service learning credits.

6. If your child is having academic difficulty, is there a group of professionals at school diagnosing and working to help that child? (And are you working with your child to help them keep up with the the class at home?)

7. Have you gone to teacher conferences to know your child progress academically? And are you working with the teacher to make sure your child is successful and truly understand what you should be focusing on?

8. Does the teacher make suggestions as to what you could be doing at home, and is the plan being followed?

9. Can your child do most of the homework independently and complete it in a timely manner? If not talk to the teacher to find out exactly why the homework is taking so much time and see what can be worked out. (In my opinion, homework should take 30-60 minutes, increased or decreased based on the student's performance behind or ahead of their class.)

10. Is there good communications between home and school through newsletters, emails, telephone calls, and visits? (there should be weekly communication of expectations of your child and a mid term progress reports /meeting as to the progress and grade the student is getting at midpoint).

11. Do you feel good about your child's academic progress? If not, partner with the teachers to learn what you can do to help and what your child needs to do to be accountable.

Tip #72: Your Child's School Should Have the Ingredients for an Effective School.

In order for a school to be truly effective, there must be the perfect recipe and perfect ingredients. That brings us to tip #72.

Tip #72: Your Child's School Should Have the Ingredients for an Effective School.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of a superintendent, principal, and school board with vision and energy

6 Tablespoons of skilled, dedicated, willing to learn, motivated teachers

3 teaspoons of concerned, involved, willing to discipline when necessary, parents

4 1/2 cups of excited, hard working, well behaved students

1. Preheat school building to 72 loving degrees Fahrenheit.

2. First you must pour in 4 cups of leaders that have a vision for success and know how to make that vision come alive for everyone involved. They can verbalize the vision and get everyone to buy in. You must combine the 4 cups of leaders in a large functioning building with all the staff, materials, curriculum, and technology needed to make it smooth and fluffy.

3. Next you mix in 6 heaping Tablespoons of skilled, dedicated teachers. They must be able to do whatever it takes to make this school the perfect consistency. They should be able to apply the latest research strategies and individualize lessons so all students are engaged in learning. They should also be deeply in love with the process of learning, sharing ideas and seeing every student as a perfected work in progress. You blend that with the principal and vision until the consistency is thick and blended well.

4. Blend in 3 leveled teaspoons of concerned and involved parents. The parents are the right spice of partnership that is needed to give every school the sweet aroma of success. They cover their children with encouragement and positive attitudes about learning and consistent appropriate discipline. They turn off the heat of the TV, video games, and cell phones during the process of baking "The Best Education Possible". They attend PTA meetings, conferences, and special programs. Roll out the batter on the cooking board of knowledge and kneed the dough until the vision of the school leaders, teachers, and parents have rise together.

5. Finally, you add 4 heaping cups of excited, hard working, well behaved students. They respect the entire recipe and understand the importance of mixing well with all the other ingredients. They are self-motivated and rise to every occasion and want the baking process to be perfect until all knowledge has been significantly added for easy consumption. They feel a sense of belonging and ownership to the recipe of excellence. Slowly add the future leaders of the world and sprinkle in respect, responsibility, and resourcefulness.

6. Allow the effective school to stand in a warm place until well done. Lastly, spread the icing of "Core" academic standards on top and enjoy "The Best Education Possible For Your Child!"