Alta-Aurelia Professional Development and Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW).

In our annual Master Calendar, time is set aside for "professional development."  So, what goes on during those early dismissal hours? Or the hours spent during days of no school for professional development?

We want the best-trained staff possible working with our students. We want teachers knowledgeable on the current best practices in education that will improve student achievement.  Research-based methods are continually evolving and emerging as new research becomes available.  

To help teachers keep up on those best practices and research-based methods, we take time to learn about these practices and how to implement them effectively in our classrooms.  This is why locally delivered professional development is important for the continual improvement of our school.  Data supports learning that is embedded in the teachers work over taking classes or attending workshops away from the local district (although we do still support some of that individual learning as well). 

The District Leadership Team, which is comprised of principals, teacher leaders and the superintendent (18 members) work together to design professional development plans for the year.  Feedback from previous professional development activities is reviewed, along with student achievement data (both annual data and data trends over time). District and building level goals are reviewed and professional development is planned with the purpose of helping the district meet student achievement goals.  Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) was brought in for a few specific reasons.  

The research supports that student achievement in all academic disciplines should improve when the AIW framework is implemented.  The research also supports that the AIW framework can be implemented at all grade levels.  Implementing across disciplines and across grade levels develops a more consistent and unified approach to lesson design throughout the district and it involves the entire teaching staff in working toward achieving our academic goals.  One of the most difficult things in designing a professional development plan is making it meaningful and relevant for all teachers.  Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) helps in that regard.

The body of research on AIW spans over 20 years and includes studies of schools from across the U.S. The Iowa Department of Education conducted its own evaluation from 2007-2011 and its findings were similar to the research conducted at the AIW Institute in Wisconsin.  As this body of research has consistently demonstrated, the achievement benefits occurred on both assessments of authentic intellectual performance and conventional standardized tests of basic skills across all grades and all subjects studied.  In other words, when the AIW framework is used with fidelity, student achievement improves in all disciplines.  

The AIW framework is not discipline or grade level specific, and its not a "teaching methodology."  AIW focuses on design "tasks" or student work that helps students construct knowledge, apply past learning to new problems or situations, gain a deeper understanding of the material. This makes the lessons more engaging and relevant for the students.

Implementing the AIW framework requires that teachers work collaboratively in professional learning committees or PLC's.  We know from past research that professional learning is more meaningful and more effective when adults have an opportunity to collaborate.  

Teachers are beginning to review more deeply student work based on lessons designed using the AIW framework in their PLC's. The intent is to get feedback from members of their PLC to improve lesson design using the AIW framework.  Additionally, the PLC allows teachers to work with others that they may not get a chance to work with on a daily basis (i.e. teachers from other buildings or other grade levels).

The results have been a marked increase in student achievement in the areas of elementary and middle school math, and steady growth over time in all other areas (science and reading) at all grade levels with the exception of one.  

AIW is not the sole reason for this improvement. We have also implemented additional research-based teaching strategies in reading and math at the elementary and middle school levels.  We have updated textbooks and teaching materials in reading, English/Language Arts, math, science, and social studies over the past 4 years. This is in addition to the discipline-specific workshops and training that teachers have been attending during the summer months.. But AIW is the overarching piece.

Skills Our Children Need for Careers, College and Citzenship

Most of us cannot believe how fast technology has advanced just in the last decade. Ten years ago we were still using film in cameras. Now, adults and children alike take thousands of digital photos without ever buying a roll of film. Look at how digital technology changed the photo industry. The largest film company in America, Kodak, did not adapt quickly enough to this dramatic shift.

Moreover, just 15 years ago, we stored music on a compact disc. During the time of the CD, we were all amazed at the quality and ease of playing and finding the tracks on the disc. Today, CD’s have pretty much gone to the wayside. Music is now stored and played in the hundreds and thousands on devices such as iPods, mp3 players or streamed over smartphones.

Also, 15 short years ago, most of us didn’t know about satellite radio. Today, we can access over 100 stations, most are commercial free, expanding our options from traditional radio.

Online sites, such as Pandora, and Jango, allow users to create their own personalized station that will only play music they like. This is done by the user clicking musical formats of interest, then as the station plays, the user can give thumbs up or thumbs down to any song. The site then remembers these tastes and continually adjusts and personalizes the station. For example, you can choose country, rock, pop, Christian, R&B or a mix of any of the above to play on your station. Within your station, you can customize what groups or types of songs will play. Or, you can simply ask "Alexa" or "Google" to stream any music you like!

Another advance in technology is touch. Nearly all cell phones and mobile computers (laptops, tablets) now offer touch screens and have very few buttons. The Apple iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy and the Microsoft Surface Pro are examples of this technology. Users are able to be more ‘attached’ to the device if you will. Consumers can use stylus pens or fingers to activate features. The keyboard and mouse are quickly becoming things of the past.

Less than 10 years ago, Apple launched its App Store. Only 10 years! Mobile apps have created a huge shift in how society consumes media. 77% of adults own a smartphone with apps. This is up from 35% in 2011. While desktops and laptops remain the primary digital platforms, they won't be for long. The most common way people get news and updates on their favorite website is through mobile apps.

Children thrive in this technology-rich society in which we live. Maneuvering devices come much more naturally to them than it does to most adults. It's their world. They have never used an adding machine or a manual typewriter (or an electric typewriter for that matter). Yet in my lifetime these were valuable equipment in any business class. So, knowing the rapid rate of change, we need to be teaching technology more than ever or our children will fall behind, right?

The answer to that question is, "No."

Learning the use of technology is valuable, but it should be integrated throughout the student's daily learning. It shouldn't be separated out and taught as a stand-alone "class." Technology in education is a tool, just as it is in business and industry. We need to ensure that students have an opportunity to use those tools in a technology-rich environment. That they have access to the appropriate technology when it is needed and that they understand when and where different devices are useful in researching, learning, production, or creating works.

The reality is that the kids know how to use technology now better than most adults and we ask them to "power down" when they hit our school doors. It is us, the educators that need the classes so that we know how to use the available technology most effectively as an instructional tool.

Today, students have access in our schools to desktop computers, laptop computers, netbooks, and tablet computers. We are moving to students storing assignments, completing assignments and turning assignments into their teacher online using "the cloud." Many of these assignments can give them instant feedback and the teacher can watch each student working online and give feedback during assignment completion. Even when the student is working from home!

So, if not technology, then what do our children need to know to be successful in the new global economy of the 21st century, where seemingly every job can be automated, out-sourced or off-shored? Certainly, they need to be technology literate. More importantly, they need skills learned through our curriculum which are interdisciplinary, integrated, project-based, and more, include and are learned within a project-based curriculum by utilizing skills similar to those advocated by
Tony Wagner in his book, "The Global Achievement Gap" as the 7 Survival Skills for Careers, College, and Citizenship:

• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
• Agility and adaptability
• Initiative and entrepreneurialism
• Effective oral and written communication
• Accessing and analyzing information
• Curiosity and imagination

We need to use the academic content to teach the Seven Survival Skills in every class, every day. It is time to hold ourselves and all of our students to a new standard —one that is defined according to 21st-century criteria.

Teaching kids to memorize information should be a thing of the past. In the 21st century, mere memorization won’t get you very far. There’s too much information, and it’s changing and growing exponentially. Besides, most of the information we need is readily available on the nearest computer or PDA screen—provided we know how to access and analyze it. Where in the 20th century, rigor meant mastering more—and more complex—academic content, 21st-century rigor is about creating new knowledge and applying what you know to new problems and situations.

Red Ball Jets

I'm dating myself with this one......

The start of every school year gets me thinking back to my youth and getting ready for that first day of school.  Buying the school supplies.  The new lunch box and thermos.  And those new gym shoes!  I remember when I was in elementary we were required to have shoes just for Physical Education. Our "gym" shoes.  And there was nothing like having a pair of Red Ball Jets! 

Every kid wanted a pair of Red Ball Jets because of the advertisement. It showed kids leaping over wagons, hurtling tall bushes and outrunning big dogs. I still remember the tagline: “Red Ball Jets. They make you run faster and jump higher.” The shoes had supernatural powers. I had to have a pair!  The anticipation of school starting grew exponentially at thought of getting wear these shoes in gym class. I was going to be so cool!

Now I get to prepare for the start of school from a whole different vantage point, but no less exciting.  This school year marks our first as Alta-Aurelia Community Schools.  Ever since the start of the whole grade sharing, we have called ourselves Alta-Aurelia but in reality, there was no legal entity or school district named "Alta-Aurelia."  There was the Alta Community School District and the Aurelia Community School District. The two separate districts had simply agreed to share students and activities. 

Now, as of July 1st, we are Alta-Aurelia Community School District. A new, legal entity. Pretty exciting!  Not as flashy as a new pair of gym shoes, or a new backpack, or the latest trapper-keeper, but exciting none the less.  A big pat on the back goes to all involved in making this a smooth transition. Students, staff, parents, and school board members.  

From the very beginning of the sharing, the positives have far outweighed the few nay-sayers.  And even though, unlike the Red Ball Jet ad, we can't proclaim that this new school district will make us more successful, or provide a better education. But we can confidently state that the new opportunities this new reorganization allows for are only limited by ourselves and our imaginations.

I am looking forward to a great start of a new school year and the great start of a new, outstanding school district.  It's a great day to be an Alta-Aurelia Warrior!

Simple Ways to Improve Your Child's Reading Over the Summer

The end of a school year doesn't have to necessarily mean an end to learning and nothing is more important to academic achievement than being a good reader.

Over the summer months, parents can provide the one-on-one time and attention that will lead their children to success in reading. Below are a few fun and effective ways that you can try at home to help your children become better readers over the summer months. Implementing even a few of these ideas will have a positive impact on your child's education.

Set aside a regular time, each day, to read to your children.

Studies show that regularly reading out loud to children will produce gains in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and the decoding of words. No matter your child's age, it will increase their desire to read independently. 

Surround your child with age-appropriate reading material.

Children with available reading materials at home score higher on student achievement tests. Encourage your kids to read by having a large supply of books and magazines at their reading level. Put the reading materials in cars, bathrooms, bedrooms, family rooms, and even by the TV.  Books are less expensive than toys or video games and the pay off later in life is much larger.

Start at a family reading time.

Establish a daily time when everyone in the family reads together silently. Seeing you read will inspire your children to read. Just 15 minutes of each day is sufficient to increase a child's reading fluency.

Encourage a wide variety of reading activities.
Make reading an integral part of your children's lives. Have them read menus, roadside signs, game directions, weather reports, movie time listings, sports scores, and other practical everyday information. Also, make sure they always have something to read in their spare time such as waiting for appointments or riding in a car.

Show enthusiasm for your children's reading

How you react to your child's reading has a great influence on how hard they will try to become good readers. Be sure to give them genuine praise for their efforts.

Develop a library habit.

Take your children to the library every few weeks to borrow new reading materials. IT'S FREE! The library also offers summer programs for children of all ages that may appeal to your children and further increase their interest in reading.

It's Crunch Time for Iowa Public Schools!

Maybe you have been following the news in Iowa on the private school voucher bill (HSB 651), which they are calling Education Savings Accounts to deflect some of the criticism.  The bill passed through subcommittee on Tuesday and has been passed on to the House Education Committee. 

Private schools in Iowa have a very organized lobby right now and the few are making a louder noise.  We are also seeing more Representatives and Senators in Iowa sending their children to private school or homeschooling, than in the past so there is more sympathy for this discussion.

Please, contact your local House Representatives and/or Senators on this issue.  When you do so, remember to thank them for their work and always be respectful by beginning your email with Honorable Representative_________, or Honorable Senator_________.  It never does any good to attack or be negative. These are people elected to represent us on "The Hill" and they truly want to do a good job.  And it's a tough job, so express your respect for their work whenever you contact them.

Below are some talking points that I believe have some merit and are being supported by the Public School lobbying groups:

• $52 million of all our tax money already goes to support non-public education for various reasons. (private school transportation costs, private school textbooks, tuition and textbook tax credit, etc..just to name a few) 

• Special Educations services, AEA media services, and other AEA services that are going to support private schools are publicly funded. 

• Students participating in Competent Private Instruction can utilize the publicly funded Iowa Connections Academy and Iowa Virtual Academy.

• Home School Assistance Programs are publicly funded through local school districts. 

• Iowa public education has the 8th best education in the nation and rank #1 in high school graduation rates based on US News and World Report rankings. Yet we rank 40th in public school funding.

• If revenue is reduced through vouchers or private school savings credits, where will it be made up?  Through further reduced or restricted public school and AEA funding.

• Taxpayer rules and transparency must follow the child. Public schools are funded by Iowa taxpayers, whether they have children attending school or not. Taxpayers have the right to expect those who choose to accept public funding follow the same rules and transparency required of public schools.

• Iowa performs better than any state with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs, also known as vouchers). Governor Reynolds cited data with Iowa ranked 8th in the nation in education. The 6 states with ESAs rank between 21st and 49th. Why would we follow down a failed path? 

• ESAs do not address rural Iowans concerns. More than 76,000 Iowa students have NO private school option in their county to even use an ESA. They can't afford to have tax dollars taken away from their community schools to fund choice in other areas. 

Most Iowans just want to improve their community schools and prepare their children to work in a world that looks less like the one in which they grew up.  I highly doubt that the majority in the state want to see this bill passed. Unfortunately, many are probably not aware of the negative impact it will have because the bill's name does not indicate it's true purpose which is to divert public tax dollars to private entities.

I have been in conversation and will continue to hold conversations with our local Reps and Senators but if they hear from teachers, parents and board members it is far more impactful.  And the more contacts they get, the more it raises their awareness and right now the private school supporters are flooding some of them with contacts.  Public school supporters need to take up that same tactic, now.

Feel free to copy and paste any of the above info or re-word it for your own use. You can locate your local Representative or Senators and their contact information at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find

I suggest emailing your Representative or Senator, as it only takes a few minutes.  If you would like to call them, the House and Senate Switchboard is (515) 281-3221 If you call just ask for your senator or representative.

Give the Gift of Reading to Children This Christmas!

The single most important thing that a parent can do to help their child acquire language, prepare their child for school, and instill a love of learning in their child, is to

read to them. Many people do not fully understand the enormous, positive impact that this simple act has on the life of a child. 

When someone reads to a child, they are exposing that child to more than just the words on the page; they are demonstrating proper speech patterns, the basics of how a book is read (i.e., from left to right, top to bottom, etc.), and the excitement that reading can bring. While learning to read occurs throughout the school years, preparing children to read before they start school is better than helping them catch up later. Pre-reading skills, such as reading from left to right, turning pages as you read, and understanding that letters make the words that make up stories, are critical for children to learn prior to their first day of school.

In addition to planting the language seed and preparing a child for school, reading aloud to a child may do something even more important, instill a life-long love of learning and create a bond between the child and the individual who is reading to them. When a child is being read to, there are no other distractions that are taking that adult's attention away. In today’s world where everyone is reachable at all times, it is rare for a child to have time where they are the priority and nothing else matters. 

Reading to a child is a great way to connect with your child and build a bond around learning. One way to do that is to select books that are enjoyable to both the parent and the child. Try reading books that you remember from your childhood. These books can bring back positive memories that you can then pass on to your child while reading. If you are excited about reading to your child, your child will be excited to listen. The more you do it, the easier and more fun it will become. Soon it will be part of your daily routine and it will be the easiest and most fun way to prepare your child for their future.

With all of the information available pointing to the general importance of reading to children, what are some specific recommendations? As long as the reader and listener are interested in what is being read, it doesn't matter what the book is. Even picture books and language in simple children’s books will enhance a child's learning and vocabulary because of the conversations between the parent and the child which take place around books and stories. Some of the best books to read to children are rhyming books because they help emphasize patterns of sounds that are helpful to the child when they begin to sound out words and letters. The greatest and longest lasting benefits have been shown in children who are read to three or more times a week.

Reading to a child can make learning and achieving in school easier. So, with the holidays coming up, instead of a buying new toy that may be played with only a few times, buy them a book that you used to love as a child and read it to them. You will have fun, create a wonderful bond, and help them learn all at the same time.

"Tornado Safe Room"

Most of our readers have probably seen articles in the newspaper, or on TV news, about the "Grand Opening" of the tornado safe room in Alta.  This event was held on December 15th to celebrate the school taking possession of the building after the substantial completion date.  I have had the privilege of being a part of a number of building projects and remodeling projects in schools and this is the first one that was actually "substantially complete" on the originally scheduled date.  This is in large part to the great work of our architect (WWA), the general contractor (L&L Builders) and all of the sub-contractors working together as a team.  

"Substantially complete" does not mean totally done.  There are a few items left to compete.  The newly remodeled elementary office is totally complete and we have begun the process of moving in.  Elementary office operations and the newly constructed main entrance will be in use immediately after the Christmas break.  The procedure for entrance into the building remains the same as before construction.  Visitors (after the beginning of the school day) will need to push the intercom button to the left of the door to request entrance.

One part that the school has not yet taken possession (at the time of writing this article) is the preschool space.  The finish work on the floor was not accepted by the owner (the school), and work to correct it has been scheduled to begin January 2nd. 

Originally, the plan was to relocate the preschool over the holiday break, but that will be put on hold until that work on the flooring is completed and formally accepted.  It is entirely possible that the preschool will remain in its current location for the remainder of the school year, at this point, with the final move taking place over the summer.  Not what we had hoped for, but in my mind, that facility is going to stand for many years after most of us are gone.  It is more important that it is completed to our intended specifications rather than rushing to get moved in.  Overall, the work has been impressive and all parties have been great to work with on this exciting addition to our school system!

Filling Their Backpacks

John Dewey said, "Education is not preparation for life. Education is life."

     There are few professions where you can see the impact of your work so vividly. There aren't many jobs where hero, friend and mentor are part of the job description. There are few careers that have such a lasting impact on an entire generation.

     I like teaching. I like learning about teaching. And I especially like reading others' teaching philosophies. I love it when teachers select analogies, such as, “teaching is like lighting a bonfire”, or “teaching is like giving students wings”, that explain, instruct and inspire.

     For me, teaching is a little like stuffing a backpack. You know the ones I mean, the heavy-duty, oversize backpacks that students shoulder down the halls of our schools. In these metaphorical backpacks, students carry with them the knowledge and skills they will need for their journey through life. When students enter our classrooms, their backpacks have already been partially filled by families, life experiences and other instructors. The backpacks are deep and sometimes it's hard to see what they are carrying in there.

     Through our teaching, we attempt to place items in our student' backpacks. All children do not arrive to school with a backpack full of the same experiences, nor are they all equally full. When students first enter our classrooms, we must determine what is in the backpack and begin filling from there. We add the foundations of language, reading, mathematics, the mechanics of writing and skill development. We pack in sharing and caring, character development, listening skills.  Art, music and physical wellness are placed in the pack as well.

     By this time, the students' backpacks are pretty full, but we're not done yet. Our next job is to expand their backpacks so that more will fit in them. We do this by asking them to analyze, question and think.

     As children grow and mature, we ask them to look at what is in their backpacks and apply the items to real world situations. Sometimes, we can actually see their backpacks grow during class as they experience new ways of thinking about an issue. And sometimes students have to discard something from the bottom of their backpacks that has lain there, unexamined, for many years to make room for a new idea.

     The good thing about stuffing a backpack is that it’s a lot of fun!  We also know that as soon as students are out of our sight, they dump things out of the backpack to lighten the load. With these characteristics in mind, we can't just force items into the backpack. We have to get students to want to carry our backpack stuffers around. So we try new things in teaching. What do students discard?  How can we get items to stick around longer in the backpack?  Will this exercise expand that backpack or not? Mistakes are okay, because we can always try again. In addition, we find that the students might not notice how heavy the backpack has become if the stuffing process is interesting and even entertaining.

     As students move through our school system, eventually they leave us. Hopefully, they take with them backpacks that are full of all the tools they need for a fulfilling life. Our sincere desire is that they journey farther than we have, see more, and achieve more. And somewhere along the way, they'll pull something out of their backpacks and think of a teacher who placed it there.