Like A Girl

My Grandpa Avery and Grandma Fritzi were unusual people. They were visionaries in a time when most people were only looking towards the next day. In the 30's and 40's they raised three amazing daughters, creating opportunities for these young women that were unheard of at the time. My mom, was the youngest of the three was brought up on the south side of Chicago. In the 50's she was competing across the country in swimming against girls from all over. In the time before Title IX, my grandparents ensured that their daughter would have every opportunity to do the same things that boys could do. They sent her to medical school and she became one of the first women obstetrician's in our county. As we grew up she shared stories with us of cruel, hostile, and egotistical barriers that were put before her and how she fought her way around them. My mom surrounded us with smart and intelligent women. Scientists, doctors, engineers, and moms to "vaccinate" us against believing that people could have limitations based on their gender, ethnicity, race, or religion.

In the community I work in we are proud to share many opportunities focused on building girls excitement to enter new professions. Through Argonne National Laboratory we have experiences for young women to become encouraged to enter science. We have clubs that have formed to help young women enter adolescence successfully. When these activities are distributed, we frequently receive feedback about why do we offer these activities to only girls. It's unfortunate, but so easily we forget that there is a real problem for our society in how we create a life for our daughters in comparison to our sons. The differences are so subtle and so society embedded that we miss them. These differences are so important that as parents and educators it is our duty to actively change them. A great example of this comes from the creator of Goldiblox:

Goldiblox Kickstarter Video

Recently Yahoo!, Facebook, and Google released their employee diversity data. The results are devastating. It is clear that technology companies have become the new boys clubs. This has an impact on the tools available in our world and how we interact with our world. We need to remove barriers for our daughters, our nieces, our students, and our athletes. If we do not act, in the longterm we will hurt our entire society. Thankfully, some activities are beginning to pop up. In the world of technology and engineering, Goldiblox- engineering toys made for girls, Appcamp4girls aimed to create the next generation of programmers and developers, and Google's Made With Code initiative to invest $50 million in programs to encourage girls to enter programing. 

These activities are a start, but the real change needs to be in every household, every classroom, and every school. We need to remove ceilings each and every day. In the 90's I had the opportunity to teach Chemistry and coach swimming for middle school and high school boys and girls. My students have grown, found careers, and now are raising families on their own. Frequently I look over at Facebook and I become so proud of the people they have become. When I think back, I remember Carley and Sam willingly wanting to jump in as middle schoolers and swim exhibition against the high school guys. I remember feisty Emily who you always wanted in the relay because she was not afraid of anything. Anne Marie, Katy, Jessica, and Bridget who worked hard to learn the most difficult concepts, help others, and yet were collaboratively competitive in everything they did. Lyndsay, Megan and Lisa who fought through injuries and were at practices during both boys' and girls' seasons at 5:30am and doing their homework until 10 or 11 at night. These young women and so many more have grown to become chemists, engineers, actuarial scientists, marine biologists, teachers, and parents. When we remove ceilings and create possibilities our children achieve. This is why Always' new campaign to change how we treat young girls is so important. So that this next generation, that of my nieces, my students, and my students' children have open opportunities to grow into who they want to be and change our world for the better.

Always' Like a Girl

These Kids Today

My children are busy little guys. During the year they have soccer, band, Sunday School, Hebrew School, occasional homework from school, and occasional homework from their parents. They have their iPads, loving to play Minecraft, text & Facetime their friends, and watch endless hours of Lets Play videos. Occasionally I hear from parents, that these kids today are always glued to their devices. Apparently, I am not the only one as @Macalope from Macworld hears it too. In his frequent lash out at poor Apple coverage by the media, he takes down Amanda Sheehan rant about her children not being able to put down the device. Like @Macalope, I believe in a more balanced parenting strategy than Ms. Sheehan. It seems that as a society, we have lost perspective of what it means to be a child. Somehow as we grow to adulthood, we start to see our children as little machines needing more rigorous learning in order to survive this tough nasty world. Well, lets look our growing up and try to remember that somehow we turned out ok.

Anorak author, "Yeoman Lowbrow" starts us out with 8 Reasons Children of the 1970's Should All Be Dead. While the article is clearly a parody of life, seven of the eight things I did as a child with the sole exception that I wore a seatbelt regularly. The only reason I did that was that my parents wouldn't drive the car unless we buckled up. Many of my friends didn't. Parents kindly note that they used to ride their bicycles all through the neighborhoods and play outside. Well, let's not forget, in the 1980's Gary Larsen brought us this gem while commenting on society:

What we don't want to admit is that our kids are normal kids. They have their interests, they like to communicate with their friends, and they don't always think that what their parent wants them to do is what they want to do. The reality is that our constant access to knowledge is helping our children become smarter. In order to get our children to score lower, new lines are drawn frequently. It's called renorming. In the pre-Google era, it was noted that IQ scores rose 5 to 25 points per generation. Imagine what happens now with children constantly seeking information and knowledge. Lets think about how our learning has changed and assessment has changed. Providing a realistic perspective can difficult, but by simply looking at the difference between Illinois Goal Assessment Program questions from the 1990's and those on the PARCC assessment today can help. Either, our kids are smarter or we are more spiteful adults by making them take this assessment. Or, really, both are possibilities. 

The reality is the children will grow up fine. It's ok if they play with their devices. It's ok if they run around outside. Really, what we want is balance. Through that, they will grow, and hopefully be as successful in life as they dream to be.

People Will Come

Field of Dreams 2

A Tale of Three Colleagues

This past month I have heard from two people on the same team. One teammate is searching for ways to expand her horizons while the other is looking for clarity regarding what is required. In this dilemma, there are no winners, only losers. It's June and already I can foresee a year of frustration and agony. Like so many situations, there are those who look to learn, grow, develop, evolve, take risks, and expand in there lives. There are others who look to come in, do a professional job, make a difference in their professional lives, and then at the end of the day leave their professional life and spend time in their personal life. And then there are those who want clearly defined expectations and want to do that and only that. These are the minimalists. They want the rigidly identified role and then use that rigid definition to hold back their growth and the growth of others because those that are growing are making us look bad.

In every organization we have these three individuals, the "grow"er, the "do"er, and the minimalist. When we have more "grow"ers, there is a positive vibe to the organization. There is an energy, warmth, and level of trust that results. Celebration and encouragement are found throughout the building as people notice the amazing things that happen, can taste the success, and want more of it. Organizations filled with "grow"ers are vibrant places. When we have more "do"ers, there is a distinct warmth in the organization. One hears laughter in the hall as employees enjoy their time in the organization. Clients feel cared for as the doer is focused on the client when present in the workplace. "Do"ers create an atmosphere of polished completion. While they are not as adventurous as the "grow"er they often complete tasks that the "grow"er may have moved on from. Organizations that have a strong blend of "do"ers and "grow"ers move mountains and achieve great things.

The minimalist searches out clearly defined lines. They look to contain their work in a box and consistently seek the leaders attention to define that box. The minimalist spends great energy to provide support for their position. They seek any data they can find, mostly anecdotal and personal perception, to explain why one would not need to do more than this. The minimalist is there to complete their task and move on into more important facets of their lives. To the minimalist, participation in the organization is a requirement not a choice. Minimalists sap energy from the organization and the leader. The minimalist is so dependent on the leaders definition and so frequently looks to draw lines that a minimalist can drain the leaders vision and effectiveness. When an organization is filled with minimalists and "do"ers the organization lacks energy. The "do"ers seek to get the task done while the minimalists consistently redefine the work as less and less. The product regresses and the clients suffer. While there are brief moments of laughter, the celebrations are more related to individuals life events than the work and products of the organization. Individuals caught in this type of organization often can't identify that there are other more successful ways to work and live.

The challenge arises when you pair a "grow"er and a minimalist. It's war and everyone gets frustrated. If a "grow"er joins a team in which the minimalist has power, the minimalist whens the team dynamic and the "grow"er works independently until they leave the organization. If the minimalist joins a team in which the "grow"er has power, they have to work for their life. Since the minimalist rarely wants to leave an organization, they seek other supports for their position, other workers or the leader. If those groups don't advocate for their position, the minimalist grumpily will work to the minimal higher standard in order to not stand out. In situations when the "grow"er and the minimalist enter with equal power, it is the role of the leader to break this deadlock. Through coaching and support, the leader can shift power to the "grow"er and promote effectiveness in the organization. Only through developing effective combinations, embracing "grow"ers and "do"ers and minimizing the impacts of the minimalist, can organizations create dare to be great situations for their clients, their workers, and their leaders.

Lloyd Dobler Explains

Leaders Making a Difference

Taking the Step

Firsts... The first time babysitting a child, the first time teaching a class, the first time speaking to an audience. Things we have seen others do 1000 times. When we walk up and take our shot, we expect ourselves to be perfect. We have an image of how it is supposed to go. We try it, we do it, and with a couple of bumps or bruises we are successful. Then we do it again and again until we have a pattern of success. Show up, meet the parents, the child, do a couple of activities, feed the child, watch a show, put the child to bed, clean up, watch a show until the parents get home, a successful babysitting adventure. Same thing happens with teaching, come in, identify the learning target, access some background knowledge, model the concept, have the kids practice the concept, assess, call it a day. For most its formulaic. A process that becomes routine. One in which individuals identify that "I am a good teacher/babysitter."

For some of us, there is more. It starts small. We look at the world and see something different. We asks a question to someone else. We ask a question to ourselves. We ask what if? 

• What if I didn't go to school today?

• What if we didn't stay in the house as we are babysitting?

• What if I went skiing down the mountain?

Together we learn we can make a difference. As individuals we often fail. But when we find others willing to try a new dance, we discover new possibilities. It is through this powerful partnered journey we begin to do what was previously seen as impossible and make it possible. The journey must have support. For some of us this is easy to find. There is an instructional coach there to hold our hand. Listen to our questions and frustrations. Cheer for us when we succeed. For others we search to find that partner. For those with partners or without, there is support. In the age of the digital network there are opportunities to catch and share the energy even if it is not with us each day. Twitter has become the place in education where risk-takers find risk-takers and discover brand new worlds. Free professional development is popping up everywhere in education. Teachers and administrators helping each other through Edcamps, Playdates, and Downers Grove's SAMRi Teacher Camp. This summer, thanks to a dedicated group of risk-taking teachers, Downers Grove District 58 will be hosting it's 5th free professional development and 3rd led by this group. On July 16th, teachers and administrators from all over will come share what they are trying and explore with others ideas to do next. The SAMRi Teacher Camp will be putting it's schedule out next week. It's free. It's fun. It's where one can find that partner to help support them on a journey to new horizons.

It starts ugly. It looks awkward. Others stare at us. They get mad for breaking the traditions. They are upset that we are making them look bad. "Now every parent will want that." "What if the principal expects this from all of us?" "We need to be on the same page." The stone-tossers push us back towards the lowest common denominator. 

We take the risk. We try something new. Alone we step into a much bigger world. It's a scary place. All of a sudden we have the children playing capture the flag in the backyard as we babysit. We ask the children doing 5 math problems in which they screencast their answers instead of completing 1-31 the odds. Instead of reading this week's story we read poetry. The world become's brighter. Others become nervous. For some of us, this is the end of the story. For others, we discover a partner, friend, colleague, or coach to help support us in the journey.

How to Start a Movement

The Selfie: A Reflection of Only A Moment.

The "selfie," a phenomena so large that it has merited it's own "Sharing Selfies" section of the App Store. Millions of millions of pictures are taken each day by individuals within the environment around them. It used to be said, "look into the mirror and what do you see?" Now we look from moment to moment and reflect who we are in the world around us. Furthermore, we have become conscious of the the fact that we can control what we look like, sound like, and act like in whatever environment we choose. The "selfie" is the epitome of momentary personal awareness and individual presence in the world.

Each year we are saturated with data that ranks students, schools, and societies. Data that works to claim competition in certain innate values, that if we fall behind as a society we are endangering our long-term capacity. We hear words like achievement gap, poor performance, lack of rigor, grit, resiliency and project this onto a greater world. We accept standardized data as a projection of future performance. Momentary information expounded onto a greater whole.

Funny thing is that momentary assessment is just that, momentary. It doesn't project to the future. It doesn't reflect the past. It simply reflects that moment in time. In the 1998 NFL Draft there was great debate between a strong-armed Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf and an intelligent son of a legend but individual who could not win the big game, Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, as to who should be the top selection. Peyton was seen as lacking grit, rigor, and the championship valor to be successful exiting college. Ryan was seen as having a terrific upside and a ready for the NFL body. Today, Peyton is perhaps the best quarterback in NFL history. His greatest competition during his era, a 6th round pick who served as a backup on 1997 national champion Michigan Wolverines, Tom Brady.

Data is easy to analyze. Conclusions are easy to draw. However, they are not indicative of the final outcome. They are reflections of moments, times seen in the best light possible. It is only after the journey is complete that we can understand how each image fits within the tapestry of the whole. The same is true in schools as in life. In September, it is easy to say these students have great potential. In November it is easy to complain that this class won't get it. In February it is easy to say that child is lazy and doesn't have the grit to be successful. I would have been all of those children. From quickly having the correct answer in September to not paying enough attention in November to not turning in any work in February. Data points and conclusions. Moments of self that I had responsibility for and control of. Momentary assessment that truly did not project any future. As one teacher expressed it to my parents, "your child is destined for custodial and maintenance work." Both of which are fine professions, her conclusions would have been accurate had she simply added in my own home.

I didn't learn grit in the classroom. I didn't learn resiliency through standardized tests. I learned those values and skills in another place, a similar place to many children of my generation and my children's generation. I learned through sports as both a viewer and a participant. I remember moments of coming from behind as I swam the 100 breaststroke. I remember training in things I was passionate at and not very good in. I remember choosing roles in intramural basketball within which I could excel but still understand my limitations. I could play a mean point-forward, dribble, pass, and rebound but please don't make me shoot. And through sports, we learn how to struggle, fight, and come back. All of Chicago is watching as the Blackhawks try to crawl back into a series with the LA Kings, in which they were down by 2 games and on the verge of elimination. A city that remembers being down by 2 games last year to Detroit and demonstrated the resiliency and grit to come back. All playing against a team that just came from behind to overtake the Anaheim Ducks.

Photos shot in the moment. Awareness that surrounds us. The "selfie," a momentary experience in time from which we can make a judgement that only represents that point in time. Our experience is much more than this. Our experience is one of millions of images that capture the culmination of millions of moments creating a tapestry of our world. It is in the collection of these experiences that we truly learn grit, resiliency, and valor.

Hoosiers

Who's Party Is It?

So, we have a date. We've had it for a year and to be honest I had to look it up because I didn't remember. My eldest son will have his Bar Mitzvah on June 4th, 2016. I was hoping we could have one of those drive-by Bar Mitzvahs. However, after ignoring it for a year, I said it. It's coming. For some of our friends, the reality is closer than two years off. They have older children and they are working on their portions with cantors and tutors. They have themes and center pieces. There invitation lists and planners. It's an event, but who's party is it? As we stressed with our friends last night over the event, like all Jewish families, we reached out to our friend Netflix and watched Keeping Up with the Steins. We see the battle of strained relationships, the anxiety of the event, and the guest list battle between work clients and family. Each reminding us, what is really important here. Through this, we see the child eventually take over and help his father and grandfather find value within their own relationship. Only through this ownership, does the event take proper perspective and the family move forward.

This week a principal shared with a group of colleagues and associates the biggest shift she had seen during the past five years. She described classrooms as changing places where learning began with the student rather than the teacher. She walked us through a series of situations from lesson design to implementation in which it was no longer the teacher's activities, the grade level resources, or the common assessments which guided the learning, but rather the questions generated by students, the products developed individually or collectively, and the needs of the child that guided the learning practice. As the associates questioned her, she provided sample after sample in which it was a student question or a student learning level that drove the decision regarding how to move forward rather than some curriculum map, pacing guide, resource manual, or district ideal.

See, in the classroom, our students and teachers are figuring out who's party it is. As we discuss Common Core, State Assessments, and other global ideas, the revolution is occurring before our eyes and we are missing it. It's happening through Genius Hour and Twitter, through Explain Everything and Coach's Eye, through Movie Trailers and Chatterpix. As we figure out seating charts and themes for our Bar Mitzvah's the children are already discovering a brand new world around them. If we blink, we might miss it.

Last June, when we first kicked off our 1:1 program, we brought 60 teachers to Longfellow, our district professional development center for "Launch Parties." Through our wisdom and guidance, as district administrators and instructional coaches led teachers through a variety of tools and activities that they could do in a 1:1 classroom. Like the father in Keeping Up with the Steins, it was the adult's Bar Mitzvah. Teachers were pleasant and excited to walk out with the new devices. We did a cool bingo activity. Looking back, it was a mediocre experience at best.

On Tuesday, we kick off this year's "Launch Parties." We are welcoming over 80 more teachers to our 1:1 team. However, this year the parties aren't in the district professional development center but in the classrooms. The instructors aren't district administrators and instructional coaches. Rather, this year we are in the buildings. Our students, and their teachers, will be sharing what they can do, what they like, and what they would want to explore. The topics are ones generated by teachers regarding what they want to learn about as they enter this journey. It's their party and as coaches and administrators we are just guests.

It has been an amazing adventure this year. Both personally and professionally. There have been exhilarating moments and tearful farewells. The most moving moment of the year for me was my friend Jen who as an adult decided she wanted to become Bat Mitzvah. She didn't have one as a child, she knew very little Hebrew, and she made the choice to study and learn. She took a journey of personal growth for herself and chose to stand before the congregation and chant Torah. For many of us, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is an activity we had to do. Just like the Common Core or State Assessments it is a required obligation. For Jen this learning was a powerful act of choice. An adventure of personal sacrifice, challenge, and fulfillment. The more I learn this year, the more we try to to control things, the more that slips through our fingers. We need to recognize that schools are for students just like the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is for the one who chants the Torah. We are just guests. Its their party, lets enjoy the celebration with them.

Havah Nagila from Keeping Up with the Steins

How Do We Learn Responsibility?

When I reflect back on my parents raising me, I just laugh. I feel sorry for them. The stories that they went in to work with each morning must have been comedy gold. My brothers and I always found, how shall we say it, unique ways of doing things. Simple things, complex things, it doesn't matter, we found a way to make it unique. Homework for example. As a teacher, I had the students look up the definition. We painted it on the wall. The words were simple, "the part of the lesson or lessons done at home." As a teacher that sounded great. Sure my students should do that. As a student, homework was the incomplete half-scribbled on piece of paper crumpled in my backpack or back pocket scrawled together in a version of ancient Sanskrit that could only be interpreted by Monks in India. If it was turned in, it was late and incomplete. I knew I would still pass the test and still pass the class. In fact, the only time my homework improved was when my parents "informed" me that in order to drive the car and get car insurance, I needed to have a 3.0 average. From that point forward, until grad school, I did exactly enough work in class so that with the tests I would earn my 3.0 average. After all, I needed to drive.

My bride was the opposite way. She was the work hard student. She struggled, she strived, she pushed herself to learn, and she succeeded. The test was going to stress her, even though she knew it, so the work mattered to her. It eased the pain of the "exam." She learned to complete all of her stuff so that when the assessment came the results might be less painful. Her tension of the moment was eased by all the work she had put in before hand. A Bachelors, 2 Masters degrees, and an ELL certificate later, she proved that hard work could make her a success. She learned daily responsibility because she needed it to survive.

On Thursday night I had the opportunity to talk with many students parents. One family expressed concern about their talented child not doing work and how they would learn responsibility. I thought about that for a bit as I was a child like that and have a child like that at home. The more I think about it, the more I realize, responsibility isn't something we teach but rather something that rises out of need and desire. Simply assigning work and assigning homework doesn't teach children to become responsible. It doesn't translate into adults meeting deadlines. We often say it does, but the reality is that it doesn't.

Frequently in schools, we are surrounded by multitudes of instructional leaders that want tasks completed in a timely fashion. We expect it from the children. We expect it from the adults. The reality is that the adults are often the worst at completing assignments in a timely fashion. When I set a deadline, I put it several days before I need it. This allows me for the 10% of adults that are just like me as a child who aren't going to complete the assignment because it isn't relevant. When the task is something that they are interested in, they complete it. When the task is disconnected to their world, it gets done when it gets done. This doesn't make them bad people. This doesn't make them wrong. It simply shows that responsibility is linked to our needs and our desires. The higher the need and the higher the desire, the quicker and better the task is completed.

The completion of homework and class assignments has little if any relationship to teaching children responsibility. Those who complete these as children are just as likely or unlikely to turn their taxes in and complete work assignments on time in the future. If we want a task completed it needs to be important and meaningful to the one doing the task. So lets not stress about the completion rate and focus on cultivating meaningful ownership in the work.

Office Space - TPS Reports

Clueless - Acceptance Speech