Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School - Chapter 1 Review

This time I'm serious!  I've been picking away at this book all year, but now I'm committing to reviewing it on TeachingtoLead.  Stay tuned for more.  (The following is a re-post from May 13, 2014)

To begin my summer book review series, I’ve decided to read an intriguing book called Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School by Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan.  I’ll dedicate a new post to my reactions on each chapter.  Feel free to comment and join in the conversation. 

Chapter 1: A Capital Idea

Hargreaves and Fullan do a great job in chapter 1 to establish the groundwork for their ultimate thesis: to change education through “professional capital” and “articulate an inspiring vision of the future for the teaching profession, along with a coherent set of actions to get there” (9). 

To establish an understanding of professional capital, the authors mention several different types of capital: financial capital, business capital, cultural capital, spiritual capital, and “natural” capital (1).  However, to better understand the types of capital that make up professional capital, the authors’ definitions are as follows:

1.       Human Capital – the “talent” of the individual and his ability to use his talent to be a great classroom teacher (3)

2.       Social Capital – the relationships and interactions among teachers and between teachers and administrators (3)

3.       Decisional Capital – exercising judgments and decisions with collective responsibility, openness to feedback, and willing transparency (5)

These three types of capital, according to the authors, make up professional capital. 

In the long run, the author’s argue, that cultivating human capital (talents) and relying only on human capital to sustain education will ultimately fail.  Programs like Teach for America rely on human capital and take advantage of highly talented individuals to step into schools and teach.  However, these “teachers” cannot sustain a school and leave after several short years because they are overworked, burned out, and underpaid. 

The only real way to sustain a high standard of education is to invest in social capital.  According to the authors, investing in a school’s social capital will also increase the human capital of the school; this idea will not work in reverse order, by the way. 

In the end, the authors state that 40% of teachers in the United States are ‘disheartened’ with their jobs (6) and the only way to create dedicated, creative, and dynamic teachers is to invest in the social capital of the school.  While professional capital is comprised of human, social, and decisional capital, the relationships and interactions among teachers and between teachers and administrators is a key component to creating a healthy school. 

Making Peace with the Common Core

It was not surprising to see several articles in the June 2014 edition of OhioSchools magazine that highlighted the mounting concerns with the implementation of the more rigorous Common Core standards and the increase in high-stakes standardized testing.  As these articles simply mirror the voices of teachers and administrators across our state, I fear that after several years of aligning assessments and courses of study to the Common Core, we have still not made peace with the changes that are immediately in front of us. 

In my own experiences, I've talked with teachers who are comfortable with these changes and are at the forefront of experimenting with performance based assessments and more diverse digital resources that increase the rigor and relevance of the content in their classrooms, but I've also met with many teachers who are not ready to face the changes that the Common Core and new testing have brought forth.

So the challenge that we face as administrators is: How do we make peace with the Common Core?

I offer a few ideas here to perhaps assuage the fears of our staff members who need the most support, but I also hope these suggestions compliment the strengths of our best teachers. 

• Professional Development - While this is a no-brainer, it must be mentioned.  Listen to the voices of those teachers who need support and provide a variety of professional development opportunities for all teachers to access.  
• Mentorship - Listen to the voices of those teachers who are leading the change process.  Create mentorship opportunities for these teachers to meet with other teachers and discuss the changes they've made in their classrooms.  Create time for struggling teachers to observe and emulate those teachers in your schools who are tackling the challenges of the Common Core head on.  
• Utilize technology - I'm not talking about teaching here!  I'm talking about using technology as a means of engaging stakeholders in discussion about the Common Core and spreading the word about what your school and district are doing to prepare teachers, educate students, and inform parents about the new standards.  Administrators should be using Twitter, blogs, district websites, etc. to extend the message outside the walls of their schools. 
• Focus on the big picture - There is certainly a place for compliance, but with so many initiatives been created to combat the myriad issues facing schools today, it may be important to examine the non-negotiable initiatives already in place and determine if there are some processes that do not compliment the Common Core vision of your schools.  

In the end, there is no silver bullet.  Change is an arduous process; it leaves many people frustrated, angry, and dismissive.  If we focus on developing the relationships between our best teachers and those teachers who need the most support, and focus less on compliance and more on vision, I think there is a chance to make peace with the Common Core. 

Video Games Engage Children with Disabilities

As a teacher, I spent countless hours adjusting lesson plans and activities or modifying the content of my lessons to make literature accessible to every student in my classroom.  As an administrator, I've worked with teachers and students to continue that work.  However, it is not only the educational world who is making changes to reach everyone. 

In the most recent issue of Game Informer Magazine (#254), Kyle Hilliard's story "Creating Controllers For All Disabilities" briefly follows the life of Lee Knight and his experiences with spinal muscular atrophy.  When Knight reached 11 years old, he began to experience the debilitating effects of spinal muscular atrophy and was wheelchair bound by age 12.  What Hilliard highlights in this story, however, is that Knight was an avid video game player and with the help of organizations like Special Effect, a charity organization that makes video games accessible to disabled gamers, Knight is able to continue to enjoy playing video games. 

With a small team, Special Effect modifies controllers according to a person's disability to allow them the ability to play video games.  In Knight's story, Special Effect created a controller the utilized his chin to manipulate the control sticks and placed the buttons of the Xbox 360 game controller underneath his fingers.  Additionally, they included a special device that allows Knight to control buttons on the game pad using voice commands. 

In the educational world, teachers and administrators work very hard to make curriculum accessible to students with disabilities.  While our modifications make look different, they don't differ much from the kinds of changes that Special Effect makes.  In the end, we both take on the task of looking at each individual person to make appropriate modifications and we both have a goal of making life for the person with the disability more enjoyable. 

Knight, in response to Special Effect's help in creating the modified controller said, 'All my life I've played games and [Special Effect] have bridged the gap between what I can and can't do.'  As a school administrator, I certainly hope our students will someday utter those same words as they progress in their own academic careers. 

**To read Kyle Hilliard's article "Creating Controllers For All Disabilities" go to your nearest GameStop retailer and politely ask for issue 254. 

**To learn more about Special Effect visit http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/.

Is Spaceteam Educational?

The Spaceteam Question…

Spaceteam is a cooperative mobile game that allows small groups of players to work together to pilot a space craft.  At first blush, it seems to be just a fun game that brings friends together.  However, are there broader applications for this game in the classroom? 

 

I was introduced to Spacteam by several colleagues and took some time out of my busy schedule to play.  What I noticed first is that cooperation and clear communication are at the core of its gameplay.  While many console and mobile games are heavily single player experiences, Spaceteam insists on cooperation and collaboration. 

Additionally, I couldn’t help but wonder if the functions applied in the game are similar to piloting a space craft.  Imagining what an astronaut actually goes through was intriguing and peaked my interest enough to do some quick Google searches.    

But the big question remains: Could I use Spaceteam in my classroom? 

Go play the game and respond in the comments below and let me know.  Enjoy!

Can Video Games Make Dyslexic Children Read Better?

Much of my writing for this blog discusses the impact that video games and media have on education, so this post is not different!  I recently came across an article from IGN.com that presents an interesting topic: Can Video Games Make Dyslexic Children Read Better?

http://m.ign.com/articles/2013/05/29/can-video-games-make-dyslexic-children-read-better

Take a look!  Feel free to comment below.

Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School - Chapter 1 Review

This time I'm serious!  I've been picking away at this book all year, but now I'm committing to reviewing it on TeachingtoLead.  Stay tuned for more.  (The following is a re-post from May 13, 2014)

To begin my summer book review series, I’ve decided to read an intriguing book called Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School by Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan.  I’ll dedicate a new post to my reactions on each chapter.  Feel free to comment and join in the conversation. 

Chapter 1: A Capital Idea

Hargreaves and Fullan do a great job in chapter 1 to establish the groundwork for their ultimate thesis: to change education through “professional capital” and “articulate an inspiring vision of the future for the teaching profession, along with a coherent set of actions to get there” (9). 

To establish an understanding of professional capital, the authors mention several different types of capital: financial capital, business capital, cultural capital, spiritual capital, and “natural” capital (1).  However, to better understand the types of capital that make up professional capital, the authors’ definitions are as follows:

1.       Human Capital – the “talent” of the individual and his ability to use his talent to be a great classroom teacher (3)

2.       Social Capital – the relationships and interactions among teachers and between teachers and administrators (3)

3.       Decisional Capital – exercising judgments and decisions with collective responsibility, openness to feedback, and willing transparency (5)

These three types of capital, according to the authors, make up professional capital. 

In the long run, the author’s argue, that cultivating human capital (talents) and relying only on human capital to sustain education will ultimately fail.  Programs like Teach for America rely on human capital and take advantage of highly talented individuals to step into schools and teach.  However, these “teachers” cannot sustain a school and leave after several short years because they are overworked, burned out, and underpaid. 

The only real way to sustain a high standard of education is to invest in social capital.  According to the authors, investing in a school’s social capital will also increase the human capital of the school; this idea will not work in reverse order, by the way. 

In the end, the authors state that 40% of teachers in the United States are ‘disheartened’ with their jobs (6) and the only way to create dedicated, creative, and dynamic teachers is to invest in the social capital of the school.  While professional capital is comprised of human, social, and decisional capital, the relationships and interactions among teachers and between teachers and administrators is a key component to creating a healthy school. 

Nintendo Lit: Gatsby and Tom Sawyer

As my students gear up to watch the new adaptation of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, I can't help but think about the many wonderful adaptations that have been created from great works of literature.  In doing some research, I found a New York Times article titled "Nintendo Lit: Gatsby and Tom Sawyer" that highlights some of the fun people have with great literature. 

As a teacher, it's a common exercise in my class to have my students create videos or live action dramatizations of scenes from novels, but I have not attempted a video game adaptation.  Ironically, I still own an original Nintendo and I actually have The Adventures of Tom Sawyer video game.  It's not as good as the book! 

Check out these short game play videos for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Great Gatsby.  Are they faithful adaptations?  What great works of literature do you think could be adapted into great video games?