Friday, February 15, 2013

What Does Transformation Look Like?

Transformation doesn't have to take a systemic approach, 

BUT 

you probably already knew that.



It means giving kids meaningful work.

Genius Hour (Denise Krebs)

It means teachers have to give students choice and ownership in their writing.

Snowmobile blog (Erin Olson)

It means that pre-service teachers interact with great

Practicing teachers (Leslie Pralle-Keehn)


We'll find new ideas and information from the blogs we follow and the people we Tweet with, even when we haven't met them IRL.

Differentiation (Kim Hoffman)


You'll do things differently, looking for STEM connections and data collection. Even if it is an edible race car.







Transformation is happening in Iowa, but the ideas I have seen this year on a legislative level won't sustain and embrace it across the state.  Iowa must:


  •  focus on Iowa as a system of schools, not a series of LEAs.
  • identify innovators on a regional and state level and use them as the model for student-centered teaching and mentoring that meets the Characteristics of Effective Instruction.
  • redesign professional development to meet personal learning needs for teachers.

  • admit our weaknesses and explore our greatness, so we can help students that struggle and students who excel
  • share ideas, share shortage area teachers, andn capitalize on online and blended curricula.
  • discuss what kids need to learn to be relevant for the work of this century, rather than what they need to test to meet an artificial benchmark.

Iowa's schools need Transformation.  How can you help?





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