Teach Kids to Fail (or at least understand that failure is unavoidable when taking risks)

When we discuss leadership with young people we almost exclusively focus on success. We help them envision success, plan for success, and even celebrate success. But when do we talk to young people about what to do with failure?

Ironically, I think young people think (and worry) about failure far more than success, so the fact that few teachers, parents or other adult leaders address the topic leaves kids without useful strategies or attitudes for when – not if – failure occurs.

Check out this video from BluefishTV about failure and think about how you could use it to have a discussion with students about how to expect for and use failures as a springboard for greater things.





Leadership Development Tip for the Week of April 13, 2009

Another Online Source for Career Clusters-based Information

I’m always on the lookout for websites that are simple, easy-to-use and provide quality, current information about career planning. This past week, I found another one worth mentioning here on the Relevant Classroom Tips of the Week: ISEEK.

ISEEK is Minnesota's comprehensive career, education, and job resource. The website is sponsored by a partnership of Minnesota agencies and institutions formed in 1999.

Here’s what I like about the site:

• Objective, data-driven perspective about careers
• Uses the Career Clusters model to organize careers
• Easy navigation
• Up-to-date content
• Clean, simple layout and design

Kudos to the team at ISEEK. Even though the site has components specific to careers in Minnesota, there is a lot of great information that anyone can use.

If you are looking for a free, easy-to-use site for students to explore career possibilities, I’d recommend starting here: http://www.iseek.org/careers/clusters.html.

Career Development Tip for the Week of April 13, 2009

Play Games. Really! It's okay!

A while back, we put up a post to spread the news about Edutopia. I’ve become a self-proclaimed junkie (with a name like Edutopia, how could I resist?). I get their weekly newsletter and love to peruse their site. The March 25th update was about computer games and teaching social issues. It had such valuable resources that I just had to pass them along. The update was based around this article titled “Computer Games Explore Social Issues: The fluid, interactive nature of simulations makes them ideal for tackling complex subjects.”

If you’re interested in trying some games out in your classroom, here are a few to explore:

• Games for Change – Real World Games, Real World Impact. You’ll find games in many academic areas.
  


• Operation Climate Control. You’ll find games to help students grasp climate changes and carbon emissions. There are even lessons plans and helpful links to accompany the game!
  


• Play the News! Here are games to engage students in what’s currently happening in the world.

…and there are more!

Do you like what you see, but aren’t sure how to manage teaching through games? Here’s some great advice.

Are you still trying to convince your administration that games are good? Check this article (“Serious Gaming: Computer Games Become Potent Student Motivators and Evaluators: A new generation of video games sneaks into assessment tools”) out.

Classroom Engagement Tip for March 30, 2009

High Tech High

Wow! That’s all I can say. If my roots weren’t already planted with my family and our careers, I’d drop everything and move to San Diego to be part of this phenomenal charter school system. While in San Diego for the NASSP convention, I made a stop to tour High Tech High. They started in 2000 as a single charter high school – they’ve quickly grown to include eight schools ranging from elementary to high school. A little background (according to their Web site): “HTH combats the twin problems of student disengagement and low academic achievement by creating personalized, project-based learning environments where all students are known well and challenged to meet high expectations. HTH schools attempt to show how education can be redesigned to ensure that all students graduate well prepared for college, work, and citizenship.”

There is so much that excited me about the schools and their philosophy! They’ve taken a holistic approach to school reform. There are no baby steps being taken to try to change the environment students learn in – it’s an “all or nothing deal” unlike any school culture students have been in before. And that’s why it works! We were told that there have been students who were so committed to being a part of it, that they drove over 80 miles one way to attend.

I was most impressed by the results of the education model they have in place. Every student we talked to was articulate, confident and highly knowledgeable about the project and content she was immersed in. Other things that struck me:

• The schools and staff are now approached by colleges and outside partners with project ideas and resources. Through organic growth, teachers provide students incredible real-world experiences while facilitating academic content.


• The staff is a group of positive, solution-oriented teachers. They have to be! It’s part of teaching in a project-based environment.


• It’s a very intense educational experience. Students and teachers alike gain huge knowledge and experience. As a product of the environment and its demands, the average age of teachers is below 30 and their tenure is typically short (as compared to the traditional school environment). Not everyone is cut out to work here, but those who rise to the top do a tremendous job!


• The HTH system recognizes that, in order for the schools to operate as they’re supposed to, much attention must be given to new teachers. Since the teaching staff typically hasn’t seen anything but a traditional education culture, a new paradigm must be built. Even with the fast growth of the charter schools, they’ve been deliberate about how to make sure all the support systems are in place to replicate the philosophy of High Tech High strategies.



• All of the schools are full of open, transparent spaces. They are very flexible environments. Classroom walls are filled with glass panels, there are “white” boards on most wall surfaces, many classroom walls slide into storage so larger spaces can be created and commons areas serve multiple purposes.

• How do they afford to do all of the projects in the schools? They forgo textbooks. All of the money saved on books is available for teachers to purchase needed materials for the projects they have going on.

If you have the chance to see one of the schools, grab it. I applaud those who teach in and administer the HTH system. Well done!

• Want to see what they’ve accomplished to-date?
• Want to learn more about the schools? Check out their FAQs .
• Check out some of the projects their students have made happen.
• Want to experience the school? Take a tour, be a part of a professional development institute or apply for their graduate school program!
• This isn’t’ your typical summer school!

Credits: All photos are from High Tech High’s Web site.

Professional Development Tip for March 30, 2009