Best to Next Practices -Challenges in Education

Raymond J. McNulty, President

@ray_mcnulty

Schools are Improving

School

Improvement

Schools are Improving

School

Improvement

Changing

World

The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.

Making a better “20th Century School”

is not the answer.

We are getting better at things that do not matter

as much anymore.

Unless we unlearn some of our

traditional practices, we will never get

beyond an improvement

mindset.

First Different - Then Better

“The future is not some place

we are going to, but one we are creating.

The paths are not found, but made, and the activity of

making them changes both the maker and the

destination.”--John Schaar

I believe the future is not about the latest gadgets,

it is about something more than gadgets, it’s

about …LEARNING

The Adult Learning Year!

2011

Systems are challenged today like never before.

The key challenge that we face

is results.

In an environment driven by results, the best

strategy is to “DEVELOP YOUR PEOPLE.”

Broaden the definition of learning in your system to include adults.

The focus must be on the way we work.

• Cooperation is what was valued in the past. It is about efficiency: “You do this and I will do that.”

• Collaboration is where we should focus. It is about shared creation, in which the focus is not on the process but on the specific results.

WE need to become the AGENTS of change.

Many people -- both inside and outside of education – seem to be afraid (generally) of three things:

• The Future• Technology• Social Skills

Themes1. Best and Next Practices2. Three key trends impacting us3. Technologies to watch4. Non-techie stuff5. The Three R’s6. Closing remarks

Theme

• Best and Next Practices

Best practices allow you to do what you are

currently doing a little better.

Next practices increase your organization’s capability

to do things it has never done before.

Expertise (“the way we do things around here”) can be a road block to problem solving

and to the development of Next Practices.

System Innovation

Sustaining Innovation

Next Practice

Disruptive Innovation

Established organizations often

embrace “sustaining

innovations” but struggle with “disruptive

innovations.”

A Story….• Not a bad idea, but to

earn a grade more than a C+, the idea has to be viable! (Yale Professor)

• Fredrick Smith

• The idea FedEx

-Shurnyu Suzuki

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the

expert’s mind there are few.”

First practice must change, then results,

then policy.

Theme

• Three key trends impacting us

First Key Trend• Our roles as educators is

challenged by easy access to an abundance of resources

• Sense Making• Coaching• Credentialing

Second Key TrendPeople expect to be able to learn,

study and work whenever and wherever they want.

The world outside of school is increasingly collaborative.

We must reflect upon the way student projects are structured and graded and how teachers work.

Third Key TrendThird Key Trend

Theme• Technologies to Watch

The Horizon Report 2011

Near Term: 1-2 YearsElectronic Books and Mobile Devices

Amazon: For every traditional 100 books sold, 105 electronic books were sold. - May 19, 2011

Mid Term: 2-3 yearsAugmented Reality and Game Based

Learning

Far Term: 3-5 Years

Gesture-based computing

Pattie Maes, MIT Media LabPranav Mistry, inventor of “Sixth

Sense”

Current System

Something Different

The Horse

The Automobile

Henry Ford quote…

“If I had asked the public what they wanted,

they would have said a faster horse.”

Some suggesting bold moves….

Conrad Wolfram… Start teaching math and stop teaching calculating.

Intentionally Non-Compliant Student

Theme

Non-techie stuff

The Fundamental Attribution Error

When looking at our own behavior, we tend to view the situation in the environment that surrounds our action.

When looking at the behavior of others, we make assumptions about their personal qualities.

The Effects of Praise

Fixed or Growth

Can’t hand confidence to learners on a silver platter.

Social Skills1. We are very good at content skills,

rules, regulations, strategies. We are terrible at discussing and coaching on social skills.

2. David Brooks, “The Social Animal”3. Policy makers are good at

understanding social skills, but are void in recognizing their value when making policy.

Theme

The Three R’s……

• Technical Challenges

• Culture Challenges

•Rigor

•Relevance

•Relationships

•Relationships

•Relevance

•Rigor

We live in a world obsessed with science, predictability and control.

Some people believe if we can’t measure something, it must not count!

TO DO THE JOB WELL

• QUANTITATIVE DATA

• QUALITATIVE DATA

• GREAT QUESTIONS…

Teacher – Student Comparisons

T – I make learning exciting for my students.

86%

S – My teachers make learning fun.

41%

Teacher – Student ComparisonsT – I am aware of my students’ interests outside of school.

84%

S – My teachers know my interests outside of school.

28%

You can’t teach kids you don’t know….

Talking with kids…

It’s not us against them!

Rigor and RelevanceWhat is it? And what does it mean?

3 Mis-Conceptions on Rigor

• That rigor means ‘ more’

• Raising a grade is not ‘rigor’

• Being stricter and enforcing tighter policies

Rigor!

• Rigor means increasing the level of thinking in a more sophisticated and complex manner.

Knowledge TaxonomyKnowledge Taxonomy

1. Recall Knowledge1. Recall Knowledge2. Comprehension2. Comprehension 3. Application3. Application 4. Analysis4. Analysis 5. Synthesis5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation6. Evaluation

Thinking Continuum

Assimilation of knowledge

Acquisition of knowledge

Relevance

Relevance • To determine a lessons level of Relevance you must ask the following questions…

1. Is it application?

2. Is it real world?

3. Is it unpredictable?

Application ModelApplication Model1 Knowledge of one 1 Knowledge of one disciplinediscipline

2 Application within 2 Application within disciplinediscipline

3 Application across 3 Application across disciplinesdisciplines

4 Application to real-world 4 Application to real-world predictable situationspredictable situations

5 Application to real-world 5 Application to real-world unpredictable situationsunpredictable situations

AcquisitionAcquisitionof knowledgeof knowledge

Applicationof knowledge

Action Continuum

Relevance of learningto life and work

Example:

–Analyze how Abraham Lincoln in his “Second Inaugural Address” examines the ideas that led to the Civil War, paying particular attention to the order in which the points are made, how Lincoln introduces and develops his points, and the connections that are drawn among them.

– CCSS Match: 9-10.RI.3 and 9-10.RI.9– Source: CCSS Appendix B: Text

Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks

Awareness 1

Comprehension 2

Application 3

1

Knowledge in one

discipline

2

Apply knowledge

in one discipline

A

Acquisition

Students gather and store bits of knowledge/information and are expected to remember or understand this acquired knowledge.

Low-level Knowledge

A Quadrant

• name• label• define• select• identify• list• memorize• recite• locate• record

• definition• worksheet• list• quiz• test• workbook• true-false• reproduction• recitation

Verbs Products

Awareness 1

Comprehension 2

Application 3

B

Application

3

Apply knowledge

across disciplines

4

Apply to real-world

predictable situation

5

Apply to real-world

unpredictable situation

Students use acquired knowledge to solve problems, design solutions, and complete work.

Low-level Application

B Quadrant

• apply• sequence• demonstrate• interview• construct• solve• calculate• dramatize• interpret• illustrate

• scrapbook• summary• interpretation• collection• annotation• explanation• solution• demonstration• outline

Verbs Products

Application 3

Analysis 4

Synthesis 5

Evaluation 6

1

Knowledge in one

discipline

2

Apply knowledge

in one discipline

C

Assimilation

Students extend and refine their knowledge so that they can use it automatically and routinely to analyze and solve problems and create solutions.

High-level Knowledge

C Quadrant

• sequence• annotate• examine• report• criticize• paraphras

e• calculate• expand• summarize• classify• diagram

Verbs Productsessayabstractblueprintinventoryreportplanchartquestionnaireclassificationdiagramdiscussioncollectionannotation

3

Apply knowledge

across disciplines

4

Apply to real-world

predictable situation

5

Apply to real-world

unpredictable situation

Application 3

Analysis 4

Synthesis 5

Evaluation 6

D

Adaptation

Students think in complex ways and apply acquired knowledge and skills, even when confronted with perplexing unknowns, to find creative solutions and take action that further develops their skills and knowledge.

High-level Application

D Quadrant

• evaluate• validate• justify• rate• referee• infer• rank• dramatize• argue• conclude

• evaluation• newspaper• estimation• trial• editorial• radio program• play• collage• machine• adaptation• poem• debate• new game• invention

Verbs Products

Quadrant AAsk questions to recall facts, make observations or demonstrate

understanding.• What is/are__?• How many__?• How do/does__?• What did you observe__ ?• What else can you tell me__?• What does it mean__?• What can you recall__?• Where did you find that__?• Who is/was__?• In what ways_?• How would you define that in your own terms?• What did/do you notice about this __?• What did/do you feel/see/hear/smell __?• What do you remember about _?• What did you find out about __?

Quadrant BAsk questions to apply or relate.• How would you do that?• Where will you use that knowledge?• How does that relate to your experience?• How can you demonstrate that?• What observations relate__?• Where would you locate that information?• Calculate that for __?• How would you illustrate that?• How would you interpret?• Who could you interview?• How would you collect that data?• How do you know it works?• Can you show me?• Can you apply what you know to this real world problem?• How do you make sure it is done correctly?

Quadrant CAsk questions to summarize, analyze, organize, or evaluate.• How are these similar/different?• How is this like___?• What's another way we could say/explain/express that?• What do you think are some reasons/causes that _____ ?• Why did __ changes occur?• How can you distinguish between__?• What is a better solution to__?• How would you defend your position about__?• What changes to __ would you recommend?• What evidence can you offer?• How do you know?• Which ones do you think belong together?• What things/events lead up to __ ?• What is the author’s purpose?

Quadrant DAsk questions to predict, design, or create.• How would you design a __ to __?• How would you compose a song about__?• How would you rewrite the ending of the story?• What would be different today, if that event occurred differently?• Can you see a possible solution to__?• How could you teach that to others?• If you had access to all resources how would you deal with__?• How would you devise your own way to deal with__?• What new and unusual uses would you create for__?• Can you develop a proposal which would_?• How would you have handled__?• How would you do it differently?

Theme

Why it is so hard to change?

Why is it so hard to change?

• The more successful a system is, the more difficult it is to recognize when it must change. By example, market leaders are the last ones to transform.

• The American Education System, “The market leader during the industrial era!”

Market Leader Thinking• Dominant logic: “That’s the way we do

things here.”

VII

Shown below is the Roman numeral seven. By adding only a single line, turn it into an eight.

IX

• Shown below is a Roman numeral nine. By adding only a single line, turn it into a six.

SIX

IX6

Mental Locks

• We don’t need to be creative for most of what we do (driving, shopping, business of living). So staying on routine thought paths enables us to do many things without having to think about it.

• Our training in school has taught us that there is one right answer.

• The Right Answer

Five beautiful and well-dressed woman are standing in a tight group. One is crying and she has never been happier. The other four are smiling and they have never been more disappointed. Why?

The Second Right Answer

• What is the answer?

• What are the answers?

• The Right Answer

• That’s not logical

• SOFT • HARD

• Logic• Metaphor• Dream• Reason• Precision• Humor• Consistency• Ambiguity• Play• Work• Exact• Approximate

• Direct• Focused• Fantasy• Reality• Paradox• Diffuse• Analysis• Hunch• Generalization• Specifics• Child• Adult

• SOFT• Metaphor• Dream• Humor• Ambiguity• Play• Approximate• Fantasy• Paradox• Diffuse• Hunch• Generalization• Child

• HARD• Logic• Reason• Precision• Consistency• Work• Exact• Reality• Direct• Focused• Analysis• Specific• Adult

• SOFT

• Shades of gray

• Hard to pick up

• Many answers

• Flood light, diffused

• HARD

• Black and white

• Easy to pick up

• Right answer

• Focused like a spot light

Cat - Refrigerator

NEXT PRACTICE THINKING• The Iterative Process

• Versions

• Create a disciplined, managed space for development of new ways to accomplish difficult tasks

Theme

Closing Thoughts

BE EXTRAORDINARY

BEING EXTRAORDINARY

• Committed to the truth• Be committed to delaying

gratification• Be someone who always has the

chance of saying “yes”• Live a life where you do not make

others wrong

BEING EXTRAORDINARY

• Be committed to courage• Be someone who produces results

with absolutely no force• Be a person who is peaceful in chaos

BEING EXTRAORDINARY

• Be committed to courage• Be someone who produces results

with absolutely no force• Be a person who is peaceful in chaos• Be committed to managing success,

while being aware of its dangers (lottery winners and GM)

The Invisible Difference

Passion Commitment

Ray@leadered.com

• Ray McNulty: @ray_mcnulty

• International Center for Leadership in Education:@rigorrelevance

Best to Next Practices -Challenges in Education

Raymond J. McNulty, President

@ray_mcnulty