Governor Strickland's Conversations on Education road show comes to Akron today. It looks like I'm going, though plans can change quickly here at the House of Pho.
The event itself is invite-only. People interested are invited to stream it on the web or attend a watch party. As to the latter, the ones being held for this session are in Stark County and Coventry. For live streaming, the Gov's site offers this FAQ. The meeting will be broadcast at 10 on Time Warner, though it's not clear if on Channel 16 or 23.
For my part, I'll take notes and write a post. I'm not going to try to lug in the laptop to liveblog and have given up mobile blogging to Blogger. But I'm on Twitter now and will probably tweet a couple things. You can check that out here.
The reviews on Strickland's education agenda, to the extent we know what it is, have been decidedly mixed. I expect this will be a cagey affair, but hopefully we will have a little more clue where he is going by the end.
RIP, JOHN OLESKY
5 months ago
2 comments:
FWIW: Deficient notes...
One comment: The Governor said he would come back to the issue of teacher training, but I don't recall that he did.
Akron July 23
We all work in good schools; the tests change!
Individualized instruction: what is individualized and how do you do it with 30 students and 42 minutes
Need more time on task--longer years, days; we don't have time to meet every child's needs [applause]
Strickland: This wonderful teacher has gotten ahead of me
K1 Akron teacher: obviously make child the center; comes down to money but so many tiny regulations; not working together to address whole child. Can meet needs in setting with 15, not 30; Almost never listened to in 30 (40?) years. Fifth graders can do portfolios and share (prep for job interview) puts power into children if they know what to achieve--not lockstep
Strickland: What I hope we do is not focus so much on fixing what we have but envision what we need. What system do we need for the 21st century and move from where we are to where we need to be. 30 first graders is a problem
Ohio alliance for arts education guy: Emphasize principle 4: follow lead of best teachers. Education doesn't enable and empower teachers; ed shouldn't be political football. To follow the lead, fundamental purpose is to prepare for next step; modern ed must be linked to prosperity. ...
Strickland: Jerry Jurgensen (Nationwide): enable students with how to think, not what to think
... 88% of students who receive music ed early ... college ... foster innovation. Arts most effective in teaching innovation; 72% agree music ed helps become better team players; problem solving skills ... what can music educators do to make Ohio schools the best in the world?
Strickland: Be engaged in this process. One room schoolhouse ... I sang "If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake"
Segment 2: To reform education:
Strickland: Chance to think boldly about transforming the schools; Blank canvass--what is the best thing we can create here? Better way to serve Ohio schoolchildren than agrarian model? More interdisciplinary (e.g. Grapes of Wrath--social studies, science, math--some experts believe analytic multiple perspective)? 2. hands on: middle school newspaper lab 3. More time for learning 4. replace ogt with PISA 5. better value added--design curriculum to help student overcome weaknesses 6. 21st century wraparound skills in every subject 7. make path to teacher more like path to doctor: apprenticeship--ease teacher transition 8. base tenure on value-added 9. empower principals 10. more funds for schools that meet goals; state takeover failing schools 11. grade on ability to use, communicate, and apply facts 12. small groups for collaboration--employers need these skills. These are ideas that have been brought to me for further thought.
Part of successful schoolnet project 10 years ago; Wonderful lessons videoconferencing; fantastic test scores; 27 video conferences with different content providers. Money has disappeared and equipment now obsolete.
Not just teachers; NASA; we lack the equipment.
Strickland: Can't envision things that might be possible ... interdisciplinary approach time for teacher to prepare
board member/parent: really need to focus on technology; 11 year old learns HTML at home; focus so much on core
Strickland: Cincinnati Bell CEO and Taft HS principal (and alum) partnered; now each student has a mentor; laptop and home connection for each student with GPA; Walnut Hills, montessori & TAFT the 3 in area where every senior passed OGT--students worked so wouldn't disappoint mentor. Responsibility of all of us.
district CFO: How can small high school offer same program as large schools? Only so much you can offer with graduating class of 100-200 students
When I taught gifted for 18 years, tried to transition creativity to regular students, can turn out proficient students--reading, writing, math; all boils down to brain research; MRIs information from working to long term memory. For you: Spark Exercise & the brain Need to embed phys ed; Naperville outscored Singapore... Ungraded passport to learning [Strickland: more than an author, need Ohioans who will help build the system]
Strickland: Having a system not tied to what we are doing--assessment, ... think creatively
Put into young genius program; received computer, have internet, saw Gov at Deer Creek--
Strickland: Don't seem like a bad child to me
Paul Ware, Keeper of the Ark: Feedback: consider grass roots organizations, mentors. Kids must be open to learning; no excuses, stop the negative attitude & acting up; (Young Genius) (6:03) Behaviors improve because kids don't want to disappoint us.
Strickland: Engage all parts of community (want to hear from business)
Young Genius Closing the Achievement Gap: HELP hiphop educational literacy program: fluency, phonetics, phonetic awareness, vocabulary, literacy. Positive theme hiphop, Diamonds from Sierra Leone--geography, read along, vocabulary, parts of speech, culturally relevant
Business guy, Michael Baach(?): Teachers: we'd love to have you in, but need to teach to test and don't have time. manufacturing jobs leaving, don't want kids to feel like failure if they don't go to college; kids need work ethics--can't be taught from book or tested. I'll do whatever I can to help with mentoring
Judy President of Ohio School Counselor Association: We can help; thank you for expanding teachers to all of support staff.
Student (16): Focus on underperforming students Post secondary at 8th grade, need to promote getting ahead--I'm getting great credit hours; well rounded: music, sports, $395 for cross country. One day a week (gifted) program: Chocolate. I read newspaper every day--history teacher emphasized we need to know what's going on
Strickland: She said what I tried to say earlier--example of a student who should not be constrained by artificial barriers; not every student will do what this student has done--we shouldn't expect it. Every student has own strengths an weaknesses--deserve appropriat assessment. Looking for a job? I'm looking for a State Superintendent.
nonpublic charters lady: Long history of educating citizens. enemy is not nonpublics; it's illiteracy.
Strickland: Thank your for coming; thank you for sharing
: Scope of curriculum: Core doesn't recognize life is much larger than work. People fired for interpersonal skills; Correlation between family function and productivity. Ohio Family and Consumer Science Standards ... obesity ... economic stresses ... fast food ... relationships. Individuals and families get into big problems when they can't manage finances. One of greatest concerns is children ready to learn when they enter school; parents are first teacher. Process skills: interpersonal and collaborative, advocacy, life skills ...
Strickland: How can we use what you've shared to improve education?
: We have teachers already in place ... time crunch in schools ... Ohio Core cookie cutter approach--all students get four years of ... support and recognition of [Family and Consumer] ed.
Strickland: Thank you for participating, I hope you remain to interact.
Holly: www.conversationOnEducation.org
Hey, Pho!
Here's the closest to linky love you can get from a mere commenter.
Wouldn't use of value added (Strickland's ideas 5. and 8.) contribute to meeting both constitutional and treaty (ICERD) obligations of public education?
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