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Empowering Students to Be Self-Advocates

Posted by Unknown Sabtu, 15 Januari 2011 0 komentar

Right before the holiday break I was contacted by Dwight Carter, the Principal of Gahanna Lincoln High School in Ohio. He wanted to pick my brain about technology integration strategies that I have used at New Milford High School in New Jersey. Somewhere in our conversation that spanned multiple areas of educational leadership, we talked about how we regularly meet with groups of students in our respective schools. The goals of these meetings are to challenge the students to be catalysts of change and work to make their school the best it can be for them.

Suddenly the light bulb went off in my head and I asked Dwight if he would consider holding a joint meeting between our student groups using Skype. Even though he had never used Skype before, the idea was immediately enthusiastically embraced. Upon our return to school in January, Dwight and I set up a few Skype test calls to get him acclimated to the tool, set an agenda, and prepare our students for the meeting on Friday January 11, 2011. We originally had the meeting set for Wednesday, but my school was closed due to heavy snow. After all of the preparation and excitement there was no way we were going to let Mother Nature ruin this genuine learning experience that we had been working on for weeks.

Our meeting was held yesterday and the dialogue between the students of our two schools exceeded our expectations. As facilitators, we challenged the students to openly discuss and develop strategies that addressed increasing academic rigor/accountability and improving learning environments. The student voice is crucial in school improvement efforts and most often this group is excluded entirely. One of the overriding theses that both Dwight and I stressed to our students is that they must not be afraid to advocate for themselves if they feel that they are not being challenged or learning is not taking place.

It was difficult to listen and take notes at the same time as I was thoroughly engrossed in the student discussion, but I did mange to jot a few main points down in Evernote. In terms of rigor and accountability our student groups had this to say:

Having a passionate teacher who makes the course challenging from beginning to end is essential. We want higher expectations set.
Relationships between teacher and student are key.
Instruction caters to all types of learners.
Homework needs to be meaningful, regularly assessed, and directly linked to class content. Too many teachers give homework that is not relevant to the lesson and does not tie in at all.
We learn more through interactive projects and our own successes/failures than through traditional means of assessment (i.e. note-taking, quizzes, tests, etc.).
The learning process is a partnership between teacher and student. The students want and need a voice in how they learn and how they demonstrate their learning.
An interesting sidebar that came out of this was how the teachers dress impacts how seriously students take them.
Students have to see a purpose to using technology tools in the classroom. They want to create content using technology.

For the last 20 minutes of the hour long meeting, the students from Ohio and NJ discussed learning environments. One thing they all agreed on was that classrooms need to move away from desks to more open, collaborative spaces. I actually threw in that if I could have my way all of the classrooms in NMHS would look like a Starbucks lounge (they really liked this idea). One issue they were split on was technology. As the conversation began, there were those students that stated they didn't want technology to be integrated into instruction because of their immersion in it outside of school. Then there were others who felt exactly the opposite, that technology plays such a huge part in their outside lives that in order to motivate them it should be widely integrated. Well students never let us down! By the end of the conversation they came to the same consensus that all of us in education have and that is that there needs to be a balance between research-based instructional techniques and technology.

GLHS is in the process of building a state of the art, three story learning environment that will blend traditional and contemporary (Starbucks) learning spaces, high powered wireless connectivity, project-based learning, and student voice/choice. The facility will house up to 350 juniors and seniors who choose to select classes that offer creativity and project-based learning opportunities. The conversation that took place between the New Milford and Gahanna Lincoln students describes perfectly what Dwight expects to see in the new building.

The student-driven conversation left Dwight and I inspired to continually seek out the student voice in an effort to transform the teaching and learning cultures of our schools. As we learned, students want to be challenged, have high expectations set, and be provided with meaningful learning opportunities. These are challenges that both Dwight and I are ready to address head on. Once our time came to an end, we in turn challenged all of the students that their role is vital in this process and that they must become self-advocates to assist us in school improvement efforts. Based on the overwhelming positive feedback both Dwight and I received, we plan to continue facilitating conversations between our students while looking to expand the dialogue to other students in schools across the country and world.

Do the students in your school have a voice? Are their ideas respected and acted upon?

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Priceless Moments

Posted by Unknown Senin, 14 Juni 2010 0 komentar

Early this morning I was greeted by a 12th grade student who wanted to give me a gift. She asked that I not open it until she had left and I reluctantly obliged. A few minutes later I unwrapped the gift to reveal a picture frame that was hand-decorated by the student. In the frame was a photo taken of the both of us at the senior prom that occurred a little over a week ago. This was an extremely thoughtful gesture on behalf of this particular student, but even more meaningful was the card attached and the words written in it:

Mr. Sheninger,

Thank you for always being there to help make these past four years memorable. You've done a great things for the school! Thanks for being a great Principal!

The field of education can at times be a thankless profession. Like most educators, I did not venture into this field for a paycheck or glory, but instead to make a positive and lasting impact on students. By doing so I would be putting them in a position to be successful in their future endeavors. The greatest gift I could possibly receive from any student is knowing that the hard work by so many is paying off.

At New Milford High School the vision has been established where learning should be student-centered, engaging, and relevant. Students are also empowered to become active participants in the decision-making process and take lead roles in changing the culture of the school on academic and social issues. The end result is one of many priceless moments like the one listed above that I will remember forever. This is why the profession of education is the noblest of all as the most significant reward does not involve money or material items, but rather the assurance that WE have the incredible opportunity each and every day to make a positive difference in the life of a child. Moments like this should be savored by all educators because they provide a constant reminder of how invaluable our profession is. I am truly appreciative of my entire staff and all of the other educators from all over the world working tirelessly to accomplish this lofty task bestowed upon us. THANK YOU!