Category: Culture

Knowledge versus experience

7/18/2016

My dad is the smartest man I know. Not only does he know the answers to most Jeopardy questions, he can also build anything, fix anything, sell everything, read people, problem solve, question the status quo, inspire others, crack jokes, remember just about fact every he’s ever heard, debate with the best of them, and invent ingenious products, in theory, every day. When I think of “smart,” he’s my benchmark.

Therefore, when I saw a graphic this past week made up of two frames, the thought of him helped me make sense of what I was viewing. In this graphic, the frame on the left was titled “Knowledge”; it was a simple box with a black outline, filled with random black dots. The frame on the right was titled “Experience”; this second box was exactly like the first with a simple black outline, filled with random black dots, but in this box the dots were all connected by thin black lines.

A simple graphic on the surface. Profound in its meaning for education.

My dad is the epitome of the “Experience” box. Sure, he would do well on Jeopardy because of his great memory for miscellaneous factoids, but it’s because of his life experiences he is so smart. It has been his experiences that connect his dots; his experiences that allow his knowledge to shine. Without a lifetime of opportunities to put his knowledge of math, English, history, language and science to work, these subjects he learned back in the 1950’s would be meaningless. Because he had opportunities in his life to work with the earliest computers, travel the world in the Navy, and experiment with his career, he can seamlessly make connections between seemingly disconnected events. He can find solutions to insurmountable challenges. He can make sense of the senseless.

What does all this mean for education, though?

It means our kids need opportunities to put their knowledge to work, because it’s these opportunities that will become the experiences, creating a generation who can build, fix, sell, question, inspire and invent. Our kids needs these experiences during school – time to volunteer, work part time, build small businesses, invent new programs, solve real problems, grow gardens, take apart old electronics, swim, play, travel. With these experiences, and with us supporting them along the way, our kids will walk out of high school with more than just a box filled with historical dates, comma rules, and memorized facts.

Our teachers can help by providing assignments with real audiences. They can stop with the meaningless, rote homework. Stop with the quiz, after test, after assessment cycle. Stop with the mundane worksheet lessons recycled year-over-year.

As a community, we need to ask our schools to start helping our kids not only fill the box on the left, but also make connections between those dots in order to ensure their success in our interconnected world. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Thanks, Dad, for reminding me that facts are the foundation, but it’s in the experience wherein the wisdom lies.

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Seeking election to Los Alamitos Board of Education

6/27/2016

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I picked up last week’s News Enterprise to read about our local news, and mixed in with news about charity drives, All-Star youth teams, heat advisories, the LA Fitness controversy, crime, and faith, I ran across the one written by Karen Russell, one of the three incumbents on the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board, writing on behalf of them all, about their intent to seek re-election in November.

I was shocked. Kinda. I just thought a combined 40 years on the Board for them would’ve been enough. Guess I was wrong.

Time to throw my hat in the proverbial ring.

I am seeking election for the Los Alamitos School District Board.

I read Russell’s article closely. In it she simply highlighted their “record.” Her rhetoric was more of the same: national awards, AP scores, modernization, ROP offerings, high standards, A-G completion rates, and safety initiatives. While all of these programs and successes are ones we celebrate throughout our communities, as they keep our kids engaged, inspired, and most importantly, safe, this “record” doesn’t address the issues about which our communities are growing more and more concerned. I ended the article wondering, “But what’s next?”

We are desperately ready to hear discussions about and solutions to the traffic nightmares in Rossmoor. We want to hear honest debates about the inter-district transfers that make up over 30% of our student population. We want to understand where all the money goes, including those dollars raised for individual classrooms, programs, schools, the ever-present district-driven fundraising events and the ubiquitous LAEF -- and why we need another bond measure on the ballot again this election cycle. We want to see teaching practices move into the 21st century and educational equity for all students. We want to give our teachers a voice and hold our administrators accountable for leading their teams with purpose and intent. We want transparency into the sports programs’ operating procedures. We want to discuss options for decreasing the sheer number of kids in our schools, so the schools can become more manageable. We want to see research on the value of summer homework.

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do have lots of questions. Isn’t that all we really want? A member on the Board who is not afraid to raise the tough questions, hear from our communities, weigh the options, and make decisions in the best interest of us all?

I live in Rossmoor because when my husband and I began having kids we wanted to be part of a great school district. Los Alamitos was that district for us. We moved to this small community district before our kids even started school, and one of them is now at Oak and the other one is at the high school. Crazy how time flies.

This district has served us well, and I want to continue the good work, but I see room for improvement. And rather than rest on our laurels, I’d like to revisit what has made us great and return to a focus on that foundation. We haven’t been great in only the last 15 years; we’ve always been great -- and we’ve been great because we have always been a neighborhood, boutique district. We need, therefore, to continue to move forward, but not forget who we are.

Here’s to Curriculum. Equity. Safety. And a teacher on the board who is focused on why we’re in this business of education -- the kids.

Feel free to contact me via my website at cathylarson.com or via email at mrscathylarson@gmail.com. We are in this together, and it’s time we stand together.

Who’s with me?

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Use maxims to drive instruction

5/23/2016

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Nike lives by 11 guiding principles, their maxims: “It is our nature to innovate,” “The consumer decides,” “Evolve immediately,” and “Do the right thing” are just four of them. You can Google the rest; that’s how I found them all. Not only are they interesting, but they inspired me to take action.

I led a professional development meeting with my English department this week at school. The meeting was to refine our curriculum and embed more 21st century learning. We realized we couldn’t start this discussion until we’d decided on our English department’s maxims first.

So we set out to do just that. And we got to them by asking two guiding questions: “What are the fundamental principles that drive our instruction?” and “What type of English student do we want graduating from our department?” Honestly, how can a department of any discipline make decisions about end goals, assessments, mastery, homework, summer assignments, or even daily lessons without knowing what they stand for.

Philosophically who they are as teachers. And, most importantly, who they want the kids to become as learners and citizens of the world when the graduate.

As our brainstorming and planning day came to an end, I began to reflect on the experiences of my own children. I wonder if their teachers are clear on their purpose. If their teachers know the type of student they are trying to create. If their teachers talk about the driving principles of their discipline. Sometimes I wonder. When my kids come home with worksheets, packets, rote memorization tasks, and mindless regurgitation, I wonder if they feel as disengaged from the content as the work feels from real life.

I challenge you to ask, “What type of adult do your kids’s teachers’ activities intend to create?”

As a district, Los Alamitos is very clear about its brand. We ignite unlimited possibilities for students. We embrace the whole child. We build well-rounded students with a focus on activities, arts, athletics and academics. But how does this trickle down to each school and then, most importantly, into the classroom -- where the real work happens. It’s not enough to stand for the “what” without also building the “how.”

As a parent, I want us all to start asking the questions that get our district teachers to start asking questions of their practice. Why this assignment? Why this task? What’s the purpose? What type of adult is this activity building?
I also realized during my meeting this week that I want to more clearly identify the maxims for my family. What do we stand for? How do we make the tough decisions? How do we stay focused on what matters? As I type, I think about phrases I say over-and-over to my kids: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well,” “Effort unlocks your potential,” “Your level of success is completely up to you,” and “Find your own purpose.” I’m sure all of you have phrases that bounce off your walls on a regular basis, because as parents these are the principles we use to build our little adults. The same needs to apply in the classroom.

If every teacher worked to build little scientists or thinkers or innovators or independent learners -- whatever the courses’ maxims -- our kids would be engaged. They would be excited about their learning. They would be inspired to find their path.

It’s time for teaching and learning to be purposeful and meaningful every day with every assignment -- because the world can be changed one maxim at a time.

Just do it.

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The Best 7 Hours

4/18/2016

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I attended a College and Career Readiness workshop this past week facilitated by EPIC School Partnerships, an organization representing a new approach for improving student outcomes, grounded in over a decade of research by David Conley, author of “Getting Ready for College, Careers, and the Common Core.”

As hard as it is for me, or any classroom teacher for that matter, to spend time away from the classroom and leave our charges in the hands of an albeit qualified and well-intentioned substitute, I took advantage of the opportunity to participate in this professional development day. And like most PD days, I walked away with something that will change my teaching for the better. I love to learn. I love to be exposed to new ideas. I love to sit in a room with other educators and discuss our practice. It’s transformative. This day was no different.

“The best 7 hours” -- this is the phrase from the conference that resonated with me.

In fact, I picked my son up from school after the workshop and asked him, “How was school?” This question sound familiar? We all ask it when our kids come home from school. From my daugher, the answer is always filled with highs, lows, laughter and stories. For my son, the answer is always, “What do you think? It was school.” His answer comes with snark, sarcasm, bitterness. Granted, he is a teenage boy, so he isn’t nearly as verbose as my daughter, but, nevertheless, it makes me sad he doesn’t enjoy his time there.

This day, I pushed for a little more information. I asked, “Is school ever the best 7 hours of your day?” He looked at me and rolled his eyes. I continued. I shared with him that this question came from my day’s experience at a workshop, and the presenter reminding us -- the teachers -- that we should strive for this for our students. He responded, “Why would they do that?” More snark. He’s a tough audience.

Our kids today are part of a new generation. I know, we hear this all the time. But this workshop forced me to think about what this means? And it dawned on me that this “new generation” is one that can’t even compare to my own. Whereas we have lived through the birth of technology innovation and have learned, and potentially even embraced, it as an add-on to our lives, our kids are tech-innate. Technology IS their lives. They know nothing else. They don’t have any idea what it’s like to have to go to the library to get an answer to something. When my kids don’t know something, they “Google it.” Their world is information rich; it always has been. Since day 1. The learning of knowledge for them isn’t the end product, because knowledge is everywhere.

Our world is no longer about what we know -- it’s about what we DO with what we know.

Our kids today want to DO. They want to use this abundance of knowledge. The want to create, to invent, to act. We all know they still need to “learn” in order to “do,” but the learning no longer has to be straight facts; rather, it can be patterns, creativity, collaboration, higher-level thinking processes, strategies, skills -- imagine, even, the power of their learning how to be curious.

If these were the traits of our local schools for EVERY PERIOD, EVERY DAY, then I can guarantee my son would love school. He would be doing. He would be active in his learning. He would see the connection of the content to his life; he would see relevancy and purpose. He would begin to think about his future and actually start designing it.

This isn’t a teacher issue -- it’s a system issue. And a system is hard to change, but it’s going to have to if we are going to inspire our kids for life beyond high school -- college, career, community -- and to inspire them to dream for a better world.

My hope is that our schools begin thinking about the seven hours they have and begin dreaming big. Remember the old KFWB mantra -- “Give us 24 minutes, and we’ll give you the world”?

Imagine the power of having seven hours -- the world would only be the beginning.

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What you need to know about Open House

4/4/2016

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Open House is important. Our schools have prepared, our teachers have prepared, and our kids know their work will be on display for the world to see. The stakes are high, as they should be. Not only is this evening a celebration of all that has been accomplished, but also a glimpse into the learning environment.

As a teacher, Open House is a tough night. I inevitably find myself dodging parents who want to line up and get one-on-one time with me to talk about their child. Dodging is maybe too harsh a word, but I definitely work diligently to avoid these conversations. And I want to avoid them because this isn’t the time or the place. Parents of stellar kids want to hear kudos about how stellar their kids are. Parents of struggling kids want to discuss what can be done. Both conversations are important, but in a classroom with dozens of kids and parents milling around, discussing private, confidential details about individual children isn’t appropriate.

Additionally, Open House isn’t about just one child. Open House is about the school’s learning environment.
So with it being Open House season, I wanted to share a few suggestions about how to learn the most possible from your child’s Open House -- without having to wait in line to talk to the teacher. I promise, my approach will be much more enlightening.

Is the displayed work engaging and purposeful? When I attend Open House this week for my own kids, I will be looking closely at the displayed work. I’m hoping the walls and desks will be filled with it. Be wary, however, of just a “pretty picture.” Look for lots of writing -- in all classrooms. I want to see that the writing has been generated by my kids and not just information gathered from websites and textbooks. I want to see thinking and creating. And does the writing I see demonstrate a true skill or strategy that can be used in multiple settings and classes and situations. I want to see engagement and purpose in the writing process.

Do I see depth or breadth? I intentionally look for depth. It is easy to be swayed by “stuff,” but more doesn’t necessarily mean better. Look for multiple activities created for one concept. Look for process. Look for content mastery to be demonstrated in various ways. I want more than just rote, superficial work; I want to see deep engagement and rigor in what is being learned.

Can your kids walk you through the learning? Think of your own children as docents. Take them with you and ask them to walk you through their classrooms and explain the displayed work. Can your children articulate what they learned? Why they learned it? Where they struggled? How they persevered? The importance of the skill or strategy? I want my own kids to be able to explain their growth this year; I want them to see the value in the learning.

Are assignments new and relevant? In the social studies classes I want to see infographics, current events and parallels between history and our current realities. In science, I want to see hands-on activities, experimentation and scientific articles about new findings. In math, I want to see integration of multiple concepts to solve real-world problems and not so many textbook equations. In English, I want to see reading, writing and speaking. I could go on-and-on. But I won’t. Nevertheless, I hope you see my point -- new and relevant.

Do I see evidence of collaboration? Whether online or on paper, is it observable? I want to see my kids have opportunities to work with others in groups to solve problems and generate new ideas. Collaboration is a skill they will need in the real world, so I expect the school to be helping them become good teammates and leaders. You’ll see this reflected in the layout of the classroom. Are desks in traditional rows or small groupings? Imagine yourself as a student in the classroom -- does the environment lead to isolation or collaboration?

And if we are really lucky this year, then our schools will have kids on display: choir performances, drama monologues, band performances, poetry readings, science experiments in action, art decorating the campus, rockets on the field, and student-created computer programs up and running. This is true learning in action.

With all there is to see and do in such a short amount of time, don’t spend your time talking one-on-one with the teacher. It’s not necessary.

Instead, have fun, enjoy yourself and revel in the accomplishments of all our kids -- they have earned it!

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What's in a name?

3/23/2016

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If your kids are anything like mine, then they oftentimes couldn’t be any more opposite one another. My friends and I talk about this quite a bit, wondering how our kids -- created by the same parents, raised in the same houses, given the same opportunities -- can be so different. It’s astounding and disturbing all at the same. Makes me wonder about the power of nature over nurture, but I’ll save that discussion for another week.

Regardless a kid’s drive, demeanor, sassiness and attitude, each one of them has to attend school. And our local schools have a responsibility to create an inclusive school climate where all students can achieve their maximum potential, regardless their personalities.

But with all these different personalities milling around any school campus -- elementary through high school -- how does a school go about creating one cohesive climate where all students can be their greatest selves?

Climate is determined by many factors: how discipline is handled, bullying acceptability thresholds, availability of clubs, teacher/student interactions, approach taken with struggling students, the feeling of being safe, among myriad other things.

Reflecting on my own kids again, each of them has different needs to feel part of their school’s climate.

My daughter is social. She needs to belong to clubs, participate in school-sponsored events, and take classes that encourage belonging to a larger purpose. She thrives in being part of the school and feeling like she makes a difference. This is the traditional understanding of school culture -- belonging, participating, leading.

My son is not social. His needs are less about other kids and more about his sense of comfort with his teachers. His day can be made or destroyed because of his interaction with teachers and substitutes. Don’t get me wrong. He has a group of friends he hangs with socially at lunch, but he isn’t motivated by what is traditionally thought of as school culture. He would rather lose a limb than attend a club meeting or an after-school dance. His needs are less traditional -- he needs to feel that the adults care.

Other kids can’t function unless they feel safe.

Others, still, don’t want to be forgotten when they struggle academically.

Regardless your kids’ needs, they all need to be met in order for your child to be successful. And this is not an easy task. Building an inclusive school culture can begin, however, with two simple initiatives: knowing every child’s name and knowing every child’s need. Not easy, but doable.

I work in a school where the English department teachers have made it a habit to greet kids as they walk into the classroom. This happens every day for most every period. Some of us just welcome the kids to class, others give kids a high five, some take that time to address each child by name. Regardless the why, the power lies in simply the doing. Does it take time? Does it mean we have to get out from behind our desks? Does it require we have a good attitude? Yes. Yes. And yes.

You would be amazed at how impactful this small gesture is to the students on our campus. We know it’s impactful because the kids tell us. This momentary interaction requires we look our students in the eyes, requires we see them each as individuals and not just part of a large classroom of kids, and requires us to put ourselves out there to make them feel welcome.

The beauty of this small gesture? I see them outside the classroom. And seeing a child outside the classroom helps me learn his name, see his needs, feel his anxiety, notice his stress, interact on a more personal level, and tell him he matters.

Does this small gesture solve all school culture problems? I’m not arguing that it does. I am suggesting, however, that this is a first step in knowing how I can best support each student.

For my daughter, this means a teacher can make her feel part of that classroom’s social dynamics.

For my son, this means a teacher can appear friendly, thoughtful, and caring, creating an environment where my he feels ready to learn and fully supported.

For us, as parents, this means we can rest assured, knowing that our kids are noticed and known -- giving them every opportunity to be their best selves.

So I ask again: What’s in a name?

Everything.

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Knowledge versus experience

Seeking election to Los Alamitos Board of Education

Use maxims to drive instruction

The Best 7 Hours

What you need to know about Open House

What's in a name?

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