Free Education for All

Today we wrap up our four-part series on education in the Netherlands with a final look at the vocational training track available to students. Whereas in America we continue to try and force feed students of all abilities and interests through a high school program that is almost entirely academic-based, the Dutch school system has created an extremely viable option for students who prefer hands on learning and a career in the skilled trades.

Though we have used the term track to refer to this option, particularly since students are assigned to one of the secondary school options based on test results and performance at the primary level, it should be noted that the model does not mirror American school tracking. Instead of students essentially taking the same classes as they progress through school but being placed in those classes based on ability (the American tracking system), the Dutch offer both different programming and outcome expectations for the various tracks.

There is an understanding that students may not be able to (or for that matter, want to) pursue academics at a university. More importantly, there is an understanding that students who do not attend such a post-secondary option must develop specific labor skills to have some form of work option available to them. Yet, even within that component of studies there is additional delineation between those who will become laborers and those who will become designers, administrators and even company owners.

As we complete our look at the vocational strand, we will refer to our visit to an MBO school in Amsterdam, Hout-en Meuberlingscollege. We will use this vocational college to provide concrete examples of the delineation in programming available to students. Hout-en Meuberlingscollege is a school that focuses on woodworking of all types, home building, interior design, and boat/yacht building. Other craft school options do exist with programs such as the graphic arts and print media, photography, transportation and logistics, agriculture, technology, automotives, health care, fashion design, etc.

VMBO Feeds to Post-Secondary Vocational School
In our earlier articles, we noted the pre-vocational secondary school option called the VMBO. Students from a VMBO secondary school generally go on to further study at a post-secondary school called an MBO (Middelbaar Beroeps Onderwijs -middle-level vocational education). We previously noted the four options available at each VMBO school - if students at VMBO take the theoretical option, they can do either BOL 2, 3 or 4 at MBO. If they take one of the other tracks, those students must take the BOL 2 program.

The basic hours of schooling feature a near fifty-fifty split in hours in the vocational craft setting and in the classroom doing theoretical work. Hout-en Meuberlingscollege features programs in furniture restoration, furniture design and construction, boat building, house building and interior decoration. Besides construction projects and woodworking tasks, students also take classes in art history, technology, maintaining power equipment, machine safety, and all aspects of wood working (types of woods, laminates, joinery, etc.).

In the two year BOL 2 program, students see little in the way of autonomy. They are closely supervised by staff and given little in the way of independence. In simplest terms, students are given plans and told what to do. In the BOL 2 program, students generally do not have very good reading and writing skills. Because of those limitations, the program is designed towards training individuals to do specific tasks. Graduates of BOL 2 in essence become skilled laborers having learned the basic aspects of woodworking and how to use the various machines.

In the four year BOL 3 program, students are given greater autonomy and work independence. At Hout-en Meuberlingscollege, students train to handle all aspects of woodworking. Decision making is incorporated as students design and construct projects. Instead of being given a plan to execute, students themselves create a project design, choose the appropriate joinery for the project and even select the materials to use to construct that design.

In addition, students take Dutch and work on their writing and communication skills. Students focus on all aspects of correspondence, writing letters and constructing reports. The key is that all of the reading and writing are relevant to their trade work.

In the four year BOL 4, students are given a rigorous program that transcends the vocational training. In addition to all of the aspects of BOL 3, students are trained to administer their own company. For that reason, more theory is incorporated and economics is taught. Students are also required to take three languages (English, German and Dutch) so that they can communicate effectively with people from other nearby countries. Students also study production, the cost basis of materials, and the fundamental aspect of any business venture including how to make a profit. Ultimately students are given even greater levels of autonomy and independence to pursue more significant projects.

As but one example, again at Hout-en Meuberlingscollege, many students choose the boat building segment, a program where students design and build their own wooden boat. Students are free to select the building method, whether it be with pegs or glue, as well as the design. There are only two basic criteria, the boat must be completed by the time the school year ends and it must fit through the window at the end of the building area so that students may take it home. With such a project, there is a clear indication that students must be able to work independently and to sort through issues that develop rather than rely on an instructor to lead them every step of the way. As the final part of the entire process, students are free to sell the boat for a profit and keep an account ledger as they construct.

Study Center
One very interesting change in focus at an MBO school is the study center/library. At Hout-en Meuberlingscollege, the room was filled with woodworking books and magazines, as well as computers. But in the center of the room are a number of chairs, each featuring a different design. Some of them have been designed and constructed by students while many other chairs are based upon world famous designs. Upon entering the room, students wanting to use one of the computers must go to the center of the room to select a chair and place it at the computer. When done working, the student then returns the chair to the center of the room.

The idea is to have students explore the many options available, to experiment and determine which chairs provide the greatest comfort. It is but one way that the school tries to instill in students the possible contrast that consists of functionality and artistic flare against those that combine both aspects.

At each computer, a book stand prominently displays a woodworking/design book. In addition, to help students understand the craft information available to them within the study center, the librarian brings two books to each classroom and changes them weekly. The Study Center acts as both a resource and a source of inspiration, clearly offering information through written materials as well as within the practical arena.

Opportunities for America
As we close our series on the Dutch school system, we remind our readers of two things. First, given their results on the International PISA exam, the Dutch have put together a solid educational system. Second, the socio-economic diversity in the Netherlands is more in line with what we see in America than that of the Scandinavian countries such as Finland.

We applaud the Dutch for the development of a very complex educational system that meets the needs of students and society. The recognition that a one size fits all approach to education at the secondary and post-secondary levels is simply not appropriate seems incredibly obvious. However, educational officials in America are actually narrowing the school focus as we speak.

At the same time, each year we hear more and more about the outdated American high school as well as the horrific drop out rates occurring across the country. While many educational officials are insisting that increased academic standards and a revamped school structure at the high school level is needed, very few of these individuals ever raise the topic of vocational education when discussing such changes.

As we send contingents of experts overseas to examine possible school concepts, it is important that we look not only at the Finns and their system. It is imperative that we examine a multitude of options. Most importantly, we must examine the educational systems of those countries that mirror our socio-economic diversity.

It is time America to take a hard look at the vocational education strand utilized by the Dutch. It is time to begin exploring pre-vocational program options for students beginning in middle school, programs that create meaningful studies around hands-on trade work, with options to continue on to post-secondary school.

We believe such options would do more to increase student outcomes than further raising academic standards. Our current approach, a one size fits all push to force-feed all students towards a college education track, is simply wrong.

In the third of our four part series discussing education in the Netherlands we take a look at the secondary school options available to students. In using the term options, we do not mean strictly a choice of which type of programming to attend. Instead, the option is determined by school performance at the elementary level, the advice of the primary school officials and the student score on the CITO test. Based on those three factors, students are assigned to one of the three secondary school options, the VMBO, HAVO, or VWO.

The fact that school delineation is not a result of parental choice does not set well with all families. In particular, a fair criticism is the fact that students as young as 12 will have an educational path laid out for them, a path that is not easy to change in later years. That said, the criteria used is objective so others would counter that providing such direction for students is in fact the best method for ensuring secondary school success.

Secondary School Generalities
Regardless of the secondary school assignment, the first year of three different school options is referred to as the brugklas (bridge class) – in essence it is to connect students from the elementary school system to the secondary education system. During this first year, one key programming aspect is that students work towards increased personal responsibility.

In secondary schools, there is a breaking of curriculum between the lower years and the upper years. Within the lower years, the emphasis is on applying knowledge and skills and features an integrated curriculum. Students have required attainment targets to reach during this period. What is interesting to note is that this basic period lasts for two years in VMBO (pre-vocational schools) and for three years of HAVO and VWO (college preparatory programs).

The upper years of secondary school can also be two years in length at VMBO (the third and fourth years of that program), two years in length for HAVO (the fourth and fifth years), and three years in length at VWO (years four, five and six). In both of the college preparatory options, the ‘studiehuis’ approach to teaching is utilized during the upper secondary school years. The technique provides an emphasis on developing greater autonomy in students and is designed to ensure a smooth transition to higher education.

College Preparatory Programs
There are two secondary school programs that provide education for the purposes of attending college. The two options are HAVO (Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs) and VWO (Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs). These two programming options vary in length, the HAVO consisting of five years of study while the VWO requires six years of academics.

Because of differentiation within universities, pre-college preparation also varies. To be granted acceptance at a research university (WO), students must earn the VWO diploma. For those universities focused on the applied sciences (HBO), the minimum requirement is the HAVO diploma.

In both programs, for the first three years all students take the same subjects: languages, mathematics, history, arts and sciences. During their third year, students must choose a specific cluster that creates a study specialty. Once in that cluster, students must take Dutch and one foreign language. Mathematics is also compulsory in the latter years though the level of difficulty differs for each profile.

As we noted earlier, the last two years of HAVO and the last three years of VWO are considered the upper years of secondary school. This period is referred to as the tweede fase (literally, second phase) and represents the time when students focus on one of the four subject clusters during that period. Each cluster consists of two aspects, an emphasis on a certain field of study as well as the completion of specific general education requirements. The four subject clusters are: Science and Technology (Natuur en Techniek); Science and Health (Natuur en Gezondheid); Economics and Society (Economie en Maatschappij); and Culture and Society (Cultuur en Maatschappij).

The VWO program is more rigorous and is divided into Atheneum, Gymnasium, and Lyceum. The Atheneum is very similar as a program to the HAVO route, but the difficulty level is greater and of course the program lasts for three years instead of two. The Gymnasium adds the study of Latin and Greek to the Atheneum program while the Lyceum offers additional subjects such as philosophy, additional foreign languages and courses in scientific research.

These two college preparation programs clearly present more in the way of rigor than the traditional American high school has to offer. Though longer in term than American schools, because of the structure, the first year of secondary school would be equivalent to the eighth grade in America, so only the VWO program creates a longer pre-college educational path.

Pre-Vocational Preparation
One of the most positive aspects of the Dutch system is the VMBO option. The program is a direct recognition that not only do academic talents vary, interests and aspirations vary as well.

In simple terms, the VMBO (voorbereidend middelbaar beroepsonderwijs) consists of a “preparatory middle-level vocational education.” This four year program features a combination of vocational training mixed with some of the traditional academic studies including languages, mathematics, history, arts and sciences.

This pre-vocational school option has four distinct levels of programming available. Selection to one or another will either allow for other options later or limit future options entirely.

The first path is referred to as the theoretical learning path (Theoretische leerweg). TL is the path that prepares students for middle management type positions and the vocational training necessary for post-secondary vocational education program, the MBO. Students who complete this path also may choose to enter HAVO later should they choose to do so (more on that later).

The second option is referred to as the management program path (Kaderberoepsgerichte Leerweg). KL is the path that focuses on the teaching of theoretical education and vocational training in equal components. As with the TL program, students are prepared for middle management type careers and for entrance to MBO.

The third option is called the combined program (Gemengde leerweg). The GL learning path is in between the theoretical and the management option.

The fourth and final path is called the basic vocational program (Basisberoepsgerichte Leerwe). The BL is a basic profession-oriented learning path that has a primary emphasis on vocational training and preparation for the MBO as well.

A grasp of the differences in these types of programs can be elusive but in our fifth and final post we will take a detailed look at one MBO school. Only when one sees the delineation in the post-secondary option will the VMBO options become clear.

But as a quick nuance, it is important to realize that within the vocational model there are schooling options for students who may simply want to become skilled laborers as well as others who may want to learn to design and use those skills within the trade also. In addition, there is a recognition that there are still others who might want to occupy management level positions within a skilled trade and even a fourth group, those who aspire to own their operation one day.

It is interesting to note that more than half of the Dutch secondary school students enter this program. This of course represents an incredible contrast to our American school system and our current push towards college-readiness for all students.

The Dutch instead recognize the varied academic abilities that exist within children and provide an educational path for postsecondary school in the skilled trades as well as in academics. VMBO is not a terminal education path, it is instead intended as a foundation course providing general academics and a pre-vocational component.

Some Flexibility Does Exist
The one drawback to the process, the decision to place a 12-year-old in a specific educational track, is not as negative as it is made out to be. It is possible for students who obtain their VMBO diploma to attend two years of HAVO and sit for the HAVO-exam.

In addition, students with a HAVO diploma may attend two years of VWO and sit for the VWO exam. So, although students are in essence tracked based on performance and test results, it is always possible to acquire to the higher level diploma if students are willing to put in the extra time necessary.

Most importantly, we return to the results we noted earlier for the Netherlands and the scores of 15-year-olds on the PISA. As the ninth best performing country in the world, the Netherlands and the secondary school model being utilized is clearly producing superb results in the midst of a country that does feature enormous socio-economic differences amongst its people.

Note: In our final article, we will take a look at the post-secondary vocational school option with an in depth look at Hout-en Meubileringscollege.

When looking at the Dutch school system, there are some glaring differences between what takes place in the Netherlands and what takes place in America. However, while many educators have taken a look at high performing Finland for ideas, it should be noted that in the Netherlands the socioeconomic diversity is more in line with that of America. In addition, the Dutch are also high performers on the International PISA exam.

Today we introduce our readers to the complex Dutch system and its multitude of acronyms. Some of the major highlights include the fact that students begin school earlier than in America and upon completion of primary school are tested to determine the student’s suitability for academic or vocational secondary school options. Those secondary school options vary in number of years based on the academic demands and essentially act as preparation for several post-secondary options as well. Education is free right into some of the post-secondary school options.

It should first be noted that parents may send their children to the school of their choice, public or private. All schools in the Netherlands are legally required to publish a prospectus for parents setting out the school’s objectives and the results achieved. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science publishes a national education guide and the Education Inspectorate publishes school report cards.

Primary School
Until 1985, the Netherlands featured separate nursery, catering for 4 to 6-year-olds, and primary schools for 6 to 12-year-olds. That year, under the Primary Education Act of 1981 nursery and primary schools were merged into new-style primary schools that generally serve children ages 4 to 12.

Children are required to attend primary school at the age of five but most children begin at four. Because the primary education program is for a period of eight years, children who begin at four complete this phase of schooling as early as age 12.

At the completion of the eight year primary program, students have three potential paths for secondary school. Each of the programs is referred to by the acronym formed from the Dutch names for each program.

For admission to one of the three options students are assessed to establish their suitability. Most are tested in the final year of primary school with the National Institute for Educational Measurement (CITO) school leavers’ attainment test being used by over 80% of all Dutch primary schools (2006). Using the combination of the CITO test results and the educational performance, interests and motivation of the child, students are placed in one of the three secondary options.

Several Secondary Options
One secondary education program, the VMBO (Voorbereidend Middelbaar Beroeps Onderwijs), is essentially a pre-vocational option. The VMBO school structure is relatively new having been introduced in 1999 and actually reduced the overall number of secondary options available to students (replacing the former pre-vocational program, VBO, and the junior general secondary, MAVO, school program). The VMBO program is normally completed in four years and ends the current mandatory school years for students in that track. However, students are eligible to move directly into a senior secondary school vocational program (MBO) with both two and four year program options available. All students in the Netherlands at this level study Dutch, English and one additional language.

Another form of secondary programming option is the HAVO (Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs) which is a general secondary education option. The HAVO option is intended as preparation for higher professional education (HBO). This more rigorous academic track requires five years of study and students must take four languages, English, Dutch and two additional modern languages.

The third possibility is a pre-university education, called the VWO (Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs). This final option is designed to prepare students to attend a university. The VWO also requires the study of four languages and is more rigorous still, requiring six years of study for completion. However, the lower level option is always available to students earning a certificate so completion of the VWO program enables a student to attend the HBO should he or she choose. Within the VWO program there are also three distinct types of schools: the “atheneum”, the “gymnasium” (where Greek and Latin are compulsory) and the “lyceum” (a combination of “atheneum” and ” gymnasium”).

Many of the secondary schools are combined schools offering several of the secondary education paths in order for students to transfer easily from one type to another. Each of the three types of secondary education is distinguished between the lower years, where a focus is on acquiring and applying knowledge and skills through the delivery of an integrated curriculum, and the upper years (which vary in number depending on the path chosen).

In addition to the mainstream educational program available in primary and secondary schools, the Netherlands offers special (primary) education, learning support departments, and practical education for pupils requiring special care and support. After special (primary) education and (secondary) special education, some pupils move on to VMBO while many others remain outside the other secondary program options.

Funding Sources
Unlike America where school funding comes from three separate sources, federal, state, and local governments, the Dutch system monies come essentially from the federal equivalent.

In January of 2007, a new funding scheme was introduced to fund compensatory policy in secondary education. The new scheme features two distinct aspects.

The first aspect redistributes funds for compensatory education by providing extra funds for schools with at least 30% of their pupils coming from deprived neighborhoods or areas. Ethnicity is no longer the key factor for the extra funding - it is instead an accumulation of poverty related data.Schools are free to decide how they will spend these funds, though they have to consult with the municipal authorities on the matter at least once a year.

The second aspect of the funding scheme relates to the enrollment of newcomers to the educational system. Schools are provided extra money for every student who has been in the Netherlands for less than two years and is an alien under the definition of the Aliens Act. It should be noted that schools are free as to how to organize such students and can offer separate classes should they so choose.

Within the elementary setting the funding is formulaic with weighting factors utilized. It is interesting to see that a weighting of 0.3 is added if both parents’ highest level of education is junior secondary vocational education and 1.2 if one of the parents highest level of education attainment is primary education.

Drop Outs and School Completion Rates
In the Netherlands, compulsory education means earning a qualification. Beginning last August, all students younger than the age of 18 are now required to remain in school until they have obtained their basic qualification. In addition, young people between the ages of 18 and 23 who have not yet obtained a basic qualification (a HAVO, VWO or MBO level 2 certificate) are required to be involved in a program that combines study and work.

Currently 95 per cent of pupils exiting primary education move on to mainstream secondary education. In 2005, 70 out of every 100 pupils completing primary education went on to complete one of the basic qualifications. Of those 70, roughly 43% went on to graduate from higher education.

Today the percentage of 25-to-34-year-olds with no more than the VMBO qualification has dropped to 14 percent. By 2005, eight out of ten 25-to-34 year-olds possessed qualifications at MBO level or higher. Growing numbers of pupils are opting for HAVO/VWO secondary education and many transfer from MBO to HBO which has furthered the growth of higher education.

One very important highlight is the increase in the average level of education has been most clearly visible among the younger ages. Of students obtaining qualifications over the period from 2002 to 2006, the highest percentage of growth came in the university sector where the number of university graduates rose by almost 35 percent.

In addition, over the last few years, the proportion of certificate holders has increased in all the sectors. This may actually be the most important overall development as it means that an
increasing number of students leave school only after having earned a diploma.

Lessons for America
Given the socio-economic diversity, matched with the results of 15-year-olds on the most recent PISA exams (ninth best overall, eleventh in Reading, ninth in science and fifth in Mathematics), the Netherlands is clearly an educational system worthy of study by American officials.

Next we take an in depth look at secondary education and the vocational program options, as well as some of the post-secondary options, many that serve a wealth of children who struggle with rigorous academic expectations yet offer viable, in depth studies that prepare students for future work.

A short time ago we took a brief look at Finland, the highest scoring country on the 2006 PISA Exams (Programme for International Student Assessment). The tiny country demonstrated extraordinary results taking the top spot in science, the number two slot in Reading (only trailing Korea), and the number two slot in Mathematics (trailing only Chinese Tapei).

The exams feature a two-hour test with both open and multiple-choice tasks and have been given in three year intervals, first in 2000, then in 2003, and most recently in 2006. The most recent edition of the exam that is coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was taken by more than 400,000 students in 57 countries.

An Assignment for Our Site Editor
When site editor Tom Hanson indicated he would be vacationing in the Netherlands in late April and early May, we asked if he would do some research on the Dutch School system. Also one of the highest performers on the PISA exams (ranked the ninth best in the world as of 2008), the children from the Netherlands scored eleventh in Reading, ninth in science (twenty places higher than the US) and fifth in Mathematics (thirty places higher than America).

What Tom found was an extraordinarily complex system that is vastly different than what is found in America or in Finland. One very interesting aspect of the test results for the Dutch is the variation of student performances both within a school and from school to school. While in Finland there proved to be almost no variation in school to school performances or student performances within a school, in the Netherlands the performance variation between schools was over one and a half times the average performance variation of those countries taking the PISA exam.

That result mirrors what is found within the American school system. However, unlike America where the between-school performance variation is most often related to socio-economic differences, in the Netherlands it was due in greater part to student study paths within the schools.

Over the next few days we will present a great deal of information about the complex system that forms the basis of public schooling in the country. We will begin with a general overview of the programming available and the various educational paths that exist as students leave primary school, move on to secondary school and then to post-secondary school. We will also look at the methodology used to ensure that schools have the resources necessary to educate the students in their buildings, resources that vary based on the clientele in the classroom.

We will also present an overview of the variations that occur when students complete their primary school program and move into one of the many different secondary school paths available. Students as young as 12-years-old face the enormous stress of exams that will dictate after just 8 years of primary school what secondary school option they may pursue.

Multitude of Vocational Training Options Available
Lastly, we will take an in depth look at one of the craft school options available to students who have completed their secondary school option and elect further study but seek a program that is anything but traditional college fare. Tom spent a day at Hout-en Meubileringscollege, a wood & furniture school that mixes academics with the craft of woodworking in a manner unlike anything offered in America. We think you will find that the Dutch are on to a concept that should see great consideration in the U.S.

In our first piece we will take a look at primary school, the dreaded Cito test (developed by the Centraal instituut voor toetsontwikkeling), the various secondary school options (VMBO, HAVO, and VWO), the procedure for dealing with dropouts, and the incredible offerings available for postsecondary school students.

Over the past few weeks, as the presidential race dissolves into the muck of negative campaigning and simplistic rhetoric, it is easy to become discouraged. With each passing day, as we get closer to the moment of selection, our politics and our discussions grow ever smaller.

Sadly, with America involved in two wars and our economy stumbling while energy costs soar, it has become clear that all three of our remaining candidates for president fall short when it comes to the most important of leadership traits, creating a vision for the country.

What is particularly appalling is their failure to inspire. Whereas once we saw Barack Obama as being the candidate to possibly lead us from the current political pandering, the Democratic frontrunner has done little in recent weeks to demonstrate he is the man to help us restore the “American Dream.”

Education Receives Little Attention
Yet as we examine the three candidates, we are struck by the fact that none of the three has spent any real time discussing education on the campaign trail. In fact, it has become increasingly clear that John McCain may forgo any real discussion about the topic completely. In an article entitled, The Case of the Missing Education Policy, Prospect.org notes that McCain’s last real position statement on education came during his 2000 campaign.

At that time, education was on people’s minds and considered a top concern of voters, trailing only the issue of the economy. Theoretically, our polls today still show education as an important priority though it is now less of a focus than jobs, the Iraq War, and health care.

While Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have offered detailed school-reform proposals, McCain has offered nothing except for the ongoing conservative agenda that focuses on competition, school choice and vouchers.

But while Obama and Clinton have offered platforms, their combined failure to shine a spotlight on the topic of education is very disappointing. As Bob Hebert points out in the New York Times, “The nation’s future may depend on how well we educate the current and future generations, but (like the renovation of the nation’s infrastructure, or a serious search for better sources of energy) that can wait. At the moment, no one seems to have the will to engage in any of the most serious challenges facing the U.S.”

In noting the failure of the candidates to address the topic, Hebert goes through the incredibly sober statistics. An American drops out of high school every 26 seconds (more than a million every year) giving our country one of the highest dropout rates in the world. Hebert then adds the other crushing set of numbers, while roughly one third of American high school students drop out, another one third graduate lacking the skills for meaningful work or post-secondary education.

Hebert sums things up well.

“When two-thirds of all teenagers old enough to graduate from high school are incapable of mastering college-level work, the nation is doing something awfully wrong.”

According to “America’s Perfect Storm,” a report from the Educational Testing Service, three powerful forces will affect the future “quality of life for millions of Americans.” The report sites the “seismic changes” in the U.S. economy that have resulted from globalization, technological advances, shifts in the relationship of labor and capital, and other developments.”

Those seismic changes demand an educated populace and the attention of our presidential candidates. Yet, on the campaign trail we do not hear any discussion of the role education must play in helping our country sustain long term economic growth. Instead, the focus shifts to short term solutions that fit the election rhetoric and our current process of selecting a leader.

Big Ideas Notably Missing
As an example of the smallness and the lack of vision we turn to Thomas Friedman, also of the Times, who recently took McCain and Clinton to task for their suggestion to cut the federal gas tax during the height of the summer driving season. Notes Friedman, when “the summer is over, we will have increased our debt to China, increased our transfer of wealth to Saudi Arabia and increased our contribution to global warming for our kids to inherit.”

Friedman rightfully notes that such a step is not a strategy, that in fact we have no energy policy. Friedman goes on to point out how to properly use tax strategy to shape an energy policy.

Within his piece, Friedman quotes Rhone Resch, the president of the Solar Energy Industries Association. He states the U.S. has reached a point “where the priorities of Congress” have become “so distorted by politics.”

Which brings us back to the concept of vision. Friedman calls out all three of the presidential candidates for railing about lost manufacturing jobs in Ohio while renewable energy jobs head overseas because of the current American political climate.

Friedman closes with the real kicker, that the real energy problem we have in our “country today is the energy to be serious — the energy to do big things in a sustained, focused and intelligent way. We are in the midst of a national political brownout.”

Phrase is Transcendent
The political brownout metaphor clearly transcends the debate about a national energy policy, it is an apt depiction of the current status of the presidential primary. In addition, Friedman’s larger point is even more salient.

The brownout is a result of our candidates being unable and/or unwilling to help voters understand the real issues facing our country. The failure of our candidates to clearly articulate and deliver the message as to how education fits into the larger picture of future prosperity demonstrates that none of these three individuals is ready to lead our country in these difficult times.

We need candidates capable of doing “big things in a sustained, focused and intelligent way.” Unfortunately, in McCain, Clinton, and Obama, we simply do not have such a candidate.

Barack Obama photo courtesy of RadioSpike Photography, John McCain photo courtesy of Wigwam Jones, and Hillary Clinton by Rachel Bunting.

Our good friend Chris Wilson over at “The Graphic Classroom” has some information about this Saturday’s “Free Comic Book Day (FCBD).” The program began six years ago and the give away is designed to promote comics among those who are not yet comic readers.

According to Wilson, thousands of comic book stores throughout the nation will participate. They will be giving away comics designated and printed especially for FCBD.

Those comics to be given away will have the following logo:

For more details see the Graphic Classroom - Chris has links that will give folks a sense of the comics that will be available.

Earlier this year we interviewed Chris regarding the growing interest in using comic books as an educational tool.

FaceBooking - Unbecoming Teacher Behavior
A recent Washington Post article features the challenges of teachers who choose to create Facebook or MySpace profiles that are risqué and unbecoming of the professional status of those in education. The article asks two enormously important questions: do such “pages matter if teacher performance is not hindered and if students, parents and school officials don’t see them?” And, “at what point are these young teachers judged by the standards for public officials?”

In states including Florida, Colorado, Tennessee and Massachusetts, teachers have been removed or suspended for MySpace postings. While many teachers put social networking sites or personal Web pages to constructive use still others push the limits of good taste.

We forgo the details of these inappropriate postings but the Post article offers many examples. Suffice it to say that for those of us who insist teachers should be role models for children, these saucy profile pages are extremely troubling.

Is a Person’s IQ Fixed?
Over at NewScientist.com is a very interesting article regarding increasing intellect. A group of neuropsychologists claims that there is now a specific task that can add points to a person’s IQ. Most importantly, they contend that the harder a person trains with the task the greater the increase.

The discussion is about the concept of “fluid intelligence”, or Gf. It is defined as the ability to reason, solve new problems and think in the abstract and correlates with professional and educational success. Most importantly, the general thinking is that Gf is largely genetic.

While training helps one get better at a specific task, generally speaking training does not always transfer to improvement in other tasks. Not so in this new study.

The training exercise seems rather innocuous. A person tracks small squares on a screen, squares that appear in a new location every so many seconds. When a square appears in a location that is a duplicate of the position two views earlier, the trainee pushes a button.

Simultaneously, the trainee listens to consonants through headphones and pushes a button if the consonant heard is the same as two plays earlier. As trainees gain skill, the interval moves to three stages apart, then four, etc.

The researchers gave trainees IQ tests before and after specific training intervals. The result, those who did the training scored higher and the more they trained, the higher they scored.

For more on this interesting study, see NewScientist.com.

Great Resource for the College Bound
For those interested in a great resource, a new site we recently discovered has great potential. The site, SparkNotes.com, offers five separate link categories, SparkNotes Study Guides, No Fear Shakespeare, College Search, Spark Charts, Spark Life, and Spark Test Prep.

The test prep link alone contains a wealth of resources regarding preparation for the SAT, the ACT, various AP Exams, the LSAT and even the GRE. The site offers a wealth of free materials as well as additional supplemental materials for purchase.

As an example, for the SAT there is a list of upcoming test dates, a link to take a free SAT mini-test as well as a practice test. The site also offers a link to read a test booklet for free, a resource called Power Tactics, also free, as well as access to a message board.

Once on the site additional test copies can purchased for $4.95. In addition, there are other study links and resources on each of the sub pages.

Clearly the site has a great deal to offer those high schoolers getting near the college choice and the subsequent related testing aspects.

In our continued quest to bring our readers information about the use of technology in the classroom, today we talk with David Sherman, the principal of South Park Elementary School in Deerfield, Illinois, about the role the school leader can play in classroom technology use. Sherman began his career 21 years ago teaching fifth grade and for the past 14 years he has been in administration, the last three years as principal at South Park.

Sherman maintains two blogs, the “Principal and Interest“and “The Principal’s Page.” On his blogs one will find a wealth of information, from posts about “Teaching and Modeling Responsibility (”Do as I do, and as I say” should be our motto!) to the age old question we all face when raising children, “Protect or Prepare: Which is better for children?” In addition, Sherman is a regular contributor to the educational leadership blog Leader Talk.

The South Park Principal is a strong proponent of the use of Web 2.0 technologies in his school and community. With research pointing to the important role of leadership on school climate and instructional practice, we thought it would be interesting to talk with an administrator regarding the use of Web 2.0 tools and fostering teacher use of technology with students.

Today we present our interview with Principal Sherman. Towards the end readers will find a number of links to web pages being produced by teachers at South Park Elementary.

Can you give us a brief overview of your school, grade configuration, enrollment, staff size, etc? Can you also give us a sense of what technologies you have available in the school and in each classroom?

South Park Elementary School (no South Park jokes, please, we have heard them all!!!) is located in Deerfield, Illinois which is a northern suburb of Chicago. Deerfield District 109 consists of four elementary schools and two middle schools that feed into Deerfield High School. South Park is an elementary school with students in grade K – 5. We have an enrollment of 485 students with four sections in each grade level. Besides our classroom teachers, we also are fully staffed with an assistant principal, a technology coordinator, social worker, psychologist, resource teachers, and teaching assistants.

We have a computer lab equipped with 30 machines, LCD projector, digital cameras, and a digital video cameras. The lab is connected to the library which also has 12 computers and an LCD projector mounted to the ceiling. Each classroom is equipped with two computers, a document camera, and an LCD projector mounted to the ceiling. Our fourth and fifth grade classrooms also have mini-computer labs with four computers in each mini-lab.

We are very fortunate to work in a school district which places a high value on the use of educational technologies, so many valuable sites are not blocked including YouTube, Wikipedia, Flickr, del.icio.us, and other social networking sites. Of course, we have strong filters protecting students from inappropriate material, but generally speaking, we believe that our responsibility as educators in the 21st Century is to teach students how to use the Internet responsibility as opposed to automatically shutting them out of everything which is done in too many schools through the world and across our country.

One rather unusual sentence in your Mission Statement really caught our attention. It states, “That learning is important and that education should be fun, interesting and challenging.” Can you talk a little bit about how you as an administrator can foster a climate where “education is fun, interesting and challenging?”

Learning should be fun and engaging, but that does not mean school is all “fun and games.” School should be a place where children want to come every day because we, the educators, make learning interesting and engaging. “Fun” would be the by-product of that. At South Park, we are taking a long hard look at the concept of authentic learning where we teach the prescribed district curriculum and we embed authentic problems and activities that connect to real-world situations. We believe that our instruction should be rigorous, yet at the same time it needs to be relevant to our students’ lives, the community, and the world. Rigor and Relevance are two words I often use when I talk with teachers about teaching.

Additionally, I believe that the current Web 2.0 tools can be very engaging for students and teachers, and these tools can increase the level of authentic learning in the classrooms. I started this a few years ago when I shared the story of One Red Paper Clip (see attached PDF) and how Kyle MacDonald traded a red paper clip for a house via his blog. The power of the Internet! I also have used YouTube and TeacherTube videos in faculty meetings to introduce a topic or reinforce a point, and I try to incorporate an activity that engages teachers with technology such as a digital camera scavenger hunt in the building for our staff. The point of all of this is to model the power of technology for use with children and adults, with the goal of making learning fun, interesting and challenging.

Can you share with us how you got started with Web 2.0 tools and where your school is at in terms of implementing those tools?

We were fortunate to be able to bring in Alan November in 2005 – 2006 to work with our school district for the next year and a half. Alan was the person who turned me on to the Web 2.0 tools. He introduced all of us (teachers and administrators) to blogs, wikis, Wikipedia, podcasting, and the power of the Internet for instruction and learning. Alan taught us about the inherent dangers and risks of using the Internet for research including how to identify bogus sites, how to use secondary and tertiary sites, and how to use search engines like Google, Alta Vista, Ask.com, and others appropriately and effectively. Alan also taught us that the Read/Write Web is much more than “cool new tools,” and that ultimately it is about teaching and learning, not about technology. Through these workshops and meetings with Alan November, the focus in our district changed from technology to “21st Century Skills.” The guiding questions became: 1. “How can we incorporate more critical thinking and problem solving into our instruction?” 2. “How can we help our students become more self-directed in their learning?” and 3. “How can we prepare our students to compete in a global economy?”

For me, working with Alan November was a watershed moment. A spark was lit in me, and I realized how powerful the Read/Write Web could be in schools. However, I had no idea how to begin learning about these tools and how to use them as a principal and with students. I had started a blog, but I did not know what to do with it. Fortunately, I was able to attend Alan November’s Building Learning Communities conference in July, 2006. That is where I first met Will Richardson. Will taught a full-day workshop on Web 2.0 tools. He taught about RSS feeds, he got the participants started with Bloglines (an RSS aggregator), and he shared ways to use blogging, podcasting, and digital storytelling both professionally and with students. I left that four day conference totally energized, and my goal was to bring that energy to the South Park staff.

Currently, we have teachers in each of our grade levels using blogs and other tools to varying degrees. I will share some examples later. Basically, many teachers have started using blogs. Some use them as an interactive tool with students and parents, and others use blogs as a means of communicating with parents (homework, class news, etc.). Some teachers have begun to use wikis in their instruction, one teacher does a lot with podcasting, and another teacher has used Skype extensively with her students. One of the most popular tools is Photo Story (digital storytelling), and our technology coordinator uses this a lot with students in the computer lab.

I see where you have two blogs of your own, “The Principal’s Page” and “The Principal and Interest.” Can you give us a brief overview of each blog and why you have two different ones? Are maintaining these blogs part of your push towards the use of technology in the classroom?

This September, I realized that I wanted to reduce the amount of writing I did for the monthly school newsletter because the newsletter often consisted of old news, and it was not very timely. It occurred to me that a blog would be a much better vehicle for reporting to parents than a newsletter. The blog could be updated at any time, I could incorporate different media, and it can be interactive. That was when I launched a new blog called “The Principal’s Page.” I use this blog strictly for school news, pictures, videos, podcasts, upcoming events, and other school-specific items.

I am constantly looking for new ideas for my blogs, and I am modeling the use of blogging for teachers. I would like to see all of the teachers using blogs as a communication tool. It is a great way to share homework, ideas, dialogue, and student work, and it is a motivating tool for students. I have been saying for a couple of years that the way to get involved in the Web 2.0 is to start with a blog. Once a teacher, or anyone for that matter, gets hooked, she will naturally want to do more with technology, and that is where wikis, podcasting, etc. work their way in.

What steps are you taking to encourage teachers to use these tools? How do you/did you handle bringing everyone up to speed on the tools and how did you handle those who were reluctant to try these new tools? also, once underway, how do you help staff stay current on the latest developments?

I may become repetitive with this answer, but I believe that I must model the use of Web 2.0 tools for the staff and parents. I feel that it is my responsibility to keep learning about these tools, which I do mostly through RSS feeds. I am confident that the teachers now know enough about Web 2.0 tools to start using them, so I am starting to “push” a little harder at the individual teacher level whenever the time is right. I spend a lot of time talking with teachers about ways to incorporate these tools into their teaching. Often, these discussion come from my classroom visits and teacher observations.

Can you share with us a couple of exemplars that your teaching staff created with these new tools?

Here are some projects (blogs, Wikis, etc.) that you may be interested in:

Our technology coordinator was part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund’s trip to Japan. He used his blog and Skype to communicate with and teach our students from Japan. Blog link: Minorsensei.

He has another blog where he does a lot with digital storytelling and other cool stuff: The South Park Lab’s Blog.

Here is the work a fifth grade teacher is doing with blogs and other tools. She is a podcasting pro. Check out her South Park News Network podcasts: Blog link: Faust Facts 5.0.

Same teacher, but this is from her fourth grade class last year: Faust Facts.

This teacher is a wiki expert. Check out her blog and her archipelagos wiki (it’s student created): Barwick’s Travelers.

This teacher’s husband spent over a year in Afghanistan. She used Skype to communicate with him and her students participated! Snell-Anderson’s Third Grade Class blog.

Here is a kindergarten teacher’s blog: If You Take Some Kids to Kindergarten…

Here is another fifth grade teacher’s blog. He has been requiring his students to write blog comments for homework: Medow News Network Blog.

On my Principal’s Page blog, I have been experimenting with video. I have been posting short snippets of student performances so grandparents and others who are unable to attend can see the children perform. (See the Music Concerts category on this blog) My next goal is to broadcast entire performances from school live via Ustream. How cool is that?!! Imagine the looks on the out-of-town relatives faces as they watch their grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. performing on the Internet.

These are just some examples. For all of the South Park blog sites click here: South Park Blogs. This is where you will see the range of blogs and how they are being used. Some teachers are really getting into this, and others are still in the beginning stages of using these tools.

Today we hear more and more about creativity in the classroom, especially working to develop the creative process in children. Many experts feel that these new technologies render this aspect of education extremely critical? Do you agree with that viewpoint and if so, how are you working to ensure that creativity is a focus of teachers at South Park?

I completely agree. Once you get past the “Wow, this is really cool” phase, the technology use will slow down if the creativity is not there. As I stated before, this really is not about technology. It’s about creative thinking, problem solving, and handing over the responsibility for learning to the students. The teacher needs to relinquish the role of “Expert who imparts all of the knowledge to his students.” Instead, he needs to help the students become more self-directed in their learning. These Web 2.0 tools are a great way to do this. If the work is authentic, rigorous, and relevant, then the student and teacher focus will remain high.

Have you had any glaring missteps and/or are there any areas that you would provide cautions for? Or would you be one that insists that the journey is part of the entire process?

This has been a learning process for me. Through workshops I have attended and through my RSS feeds, I have created a personal learning network that I would never have created without tools like blogs, del.icio.us, Twitter, and Technorati. I have learned so much from others, most of whom I have never met, yet I communicate with frequently. The journey is definitely part of the process.

Glaring missteps? No. However, I wish I had more time to delve into the blogosphere and learn. Cautions? Teach students how to behave appropriately online. Teach them to respect the medium so you do not have to block them from too many sites. Involve parents as much as possible, so they can see the benefits of publishing on the web. Finally, do not use students’ full names or other identifying information. Pseudonyms are great for kids to use.

This past week, a Boston Globe article revealed the development of an alarming educational trend within the State of Massachusetts. Hidden beneath the surface was yet another subtle demonstration as to why the No Child Left Behind Act may actually be acting as a deterrent to improved educational outcomes.

The issue? It seems that many Massachusetts high school graduates are unprepared for college. In fact, literally thousands of college students are forced to take remedial classes when they begin their college studies.

What makes the issue so worrisome for experts is that students who do take remedial classes are far more likely to drop out of college.

Statewide Study
A statewide study tracked more than 19,000 public high school graduates who attended a college within the state in 2005. According to the study, 37 percent of graduates enrolled in at least one remedial course during their first semester of college.

The issue was far worse for urban school graduates. Roughly 70 percent of students from at least three high schools in Boston and two in Worcester had to take remedial classes upon entering college.

One surprising aspect of the study conducted jointly by the state Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education was that the problem was independent of socioeconomic status. In an unusual development for education, many suburban school districts had similar numbers to those of less affluent schools.

When it came to the community college network, roughly two-thirds of the 8,500 students enrolling took a remedial course. According to college administrators, that factor is one of the reasons that the drop out rate at the state’s two-year schools is so high.

The data from Bunker Hill Community College was particularly striking. Roughly 90 percent of Bunker Hill students took a remedial math class and 63 percent took a remedial English class. According to sources reporting to the Globe, “Some graduates are writing at such a poor level that they must take the most introductory remedial class and only 20 percent of students complete their remedial work within two years, she said.

The MCAS Requirement
Because the State has instituted a high school completion exam, the MCAS, one would think that the number of students who needed remedial work would be decreasing. But that is not the case. Given the number of students forced to take remedial courses in Massachusetts, passing the MCAS, a requirement for graduation, obviously does not mean the student is ready for college level work.

In discussing that development with the Boston Globe, Robert Gaudet, an education researcher at the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute, offered the following assessment. “The dirty little secret is that MCAS doesn’t test 10th grade skills, much less college skills. Passing is not that hard, it’s getting to proficient that’s tougher.”

It is at this point we come to the law known as NCLB and the subsequent definition of the term proficiency. Many would like to see proficiency under NCLB defined as college readiness - in fact the law appears to suggest just such a level.

If that were in fact the case, then theoretically the next step would be to raise the test standards so that passing the MCAS meant a student was in fact ready for college level work. But taking such a step would bring one of the major absurdities of the law into play, the demand for 100% proficiency.

Raising test standards would guarantee that every Massachusetts High School would fail to make the federal guidelines for Adequate Yearly Progress under the law. Because of that potential development, it is our guess that the test standards will not be raised to such a level.

In essence, NCLB, with its extreme punitive structure and absurd goals, will act as a deterrent to taking steps to raise educational standards.

Proficiency Versus Basic Skills
Raising the exam standards for proficiency to match that of college readiness would necessitate a rewrite of NCLB. As we noted in our article “No Child Act is Fundamentally Flawed”, researchers have indicated that proficiency for all is an oxymoron. No set of standards “can be both challenging and achievable by all students across the achievement distribution.”

Instead, those researchers suggest that two options exist - standards can either be minimal, thereby presenting little in the way of challenge to typical students or they can be rigorous and challenging, and ultimately unattainable by below average students.

Given that backdrop, it is easy to see the confusion developing. It is precisely the situation the Massachusetts study revealed. The MCAS is a basic skills test, not a college readiness exam, and therefore meaningless in regards to the Massachusetts issue. In fact, that is precisely what one would expect given NCLB’s insidious punitive nature and unrealistic expectations.

The Real Issue
What is truly appalling in our eyes is the combination of effects currently taking place in America. Students are dropping out of school in high numbers but those remaining in school are not necessarily getting the education they need to compete in today’s world.

In Massachusetts, folks are working hard to raise standards. State education officials unanimously approved a core high school curriculum in November, a recommended program that includes four years of English, four years of math, three years of science, and three years of history.

However, it must be noted that not all of our students will be able to handle college level rigor no matter how hard educators work. In spite of that fact, we continue to assume that college-ready is possible for every single student. It is time for America to realize it is not.

As we have noted previously, one necessary step in this educational dilemma is to promote a vocational option, a hands-on, less academic approach that focuses on career options. Such a program must be available well before the end of high school, perhaps as early as ninth grade.

Unfortunately, such training is thought of as second class in the US while college is thought of as first class. But if the goal is to create students who are ready to be positive contributors to society, then they first must be able to make a good living.

Social Scientist Charles Murray would argue that finding a lawyer or physician is relatively easy but finding a plumber, carpenter or other qualified tradesman tends to be far more difficult. The author of “The Bell Curve” insists more students should examine the option of vocational education/training.

We agree. It is a step that other countries have used very successfully.

Murray also indicates that far too many people place a premium on a college degree. Yes, many careers/jobs demand such a degree as its qualification. But many more careers are available with two years of specific training.

Here in Maine we continue along the opposite path. Our education promos feature slogans such as “College for ME” and “Everyone College Ready”.

The goal is noble, trying to ensure that kids have options after high school is a great premise. But such slogans further foster that negative viewpoint of vocational education/training.

If we continue to state that going to college is the best answer then there is no option for our kids but to see vocational education/training as second class.

Back to Massachusetts
Unfortunately, in Massachusetts as the discussion turns towards raising academic expectations, those discussions always appear to occur in a vacuum. If the state makes the mistake of raising standards to match college readiness it will have an unintended impact.

Because some additional students will be unable to meet those higher standards, those students will give up on the system. In our eyes, raising educational standards will exacerbate the current drop out problem.

Only when raising standards is discussed against a back drop of creating meaningful options for students who cannot handle the academic rigor associated with college level work will we be able to increase expectations without increasing our drop out rates.

Despite proponents spin on the law, NCLB fails to address this fundamental dilemma. In fact, it likely prevents school districts from taking the steps to increase standards because increasing standards will only bring about more penalties for schools.

And because the law governs the actions of our public schools, we have situations like that of Massachusetts, where 100% proficiency goals get confused with the goal of college readiness, and students are caught in the absurdity of it all.

Our good friend Zaid Alsagoff has an excellent post based on the concept that “there is at least one excellent free learning tool (or site) for every learning problem (or issue)!” He offers the basics. If you want a free, easy-to-use and secure Internet browser, an e-mail system, or an online community to share and discuss instructional teacher videos, Zaid has the suggestions. If you want the not so basic platform to incorporate all my favorite tools within one environment, the tool to learn languages, the tool to explore the Universe, or the tool to answer all your questions, Zaid has a suggestion for you. Check out his post at ZaidLearn.

Our Finite Planet
For a little lesson on our finite planet, check out “What is the Story of Stuff?“ with Annie Leonard. It is a 20-minute look at both our production and consumption patterns. For those who want to fuel student discussions about the chances for a greener, more sustainable planet, “The Story of Stuff?” is an excellent video and could serve as a great jumping off place to create student dialogue regarding both environmental and social issues.

Education and Technology
A must read is over at I, Cringely, Survival of the Nerdiest. Indeed, Robert Cringley is dead on about schools becoming under siege, probably justifiably so

Here are a couple of nuggets:

“The key word here is ‘empowerment.’ Technologies allow us to overcome limitations of time, distance, and physical capability, but they only empower us when they can be gracefully used by large, productive segments of our society. The telephone was empowering when we all finally got it. Now it is the Internet and digital communications.”

And later, “We’ve reached the point in our (disparate) cultural adaptation to computing and communication technology that the younger technical generations are so empowered they are impatient and ready to jettison institutions most of the rest of us tend to think of as essential, central, even immortal. They are ready to dump our schools.”

If you are interested in technology or schools it is a great read. If you are interested in both, it is a must read.

Expelled
The Ben Stein movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, is receiving a lot of attention, most of it negative. The movie attempts to tackle the evolution/intelligent design debate.

There is a site “ExpelledExposed.com” that takes a detailed look at the movie. The web page contends, “We’ll show you why this movie is not a documentary at all, but anti-science propaganda aimed at creating the appearance of controversy where there is none.”

As a little teaser from the site, we offer this YouTube video on one of the players.

Adding a little fuel to the discussion is an interesting chart at the LiveScience site showing public acceptance of evolution in 34 countries. Check out the position held by the United States.

Children and the World of Make Believe
And further evidence that children need to be children and that means they must be allowed the time for imaginative play is available at NPR. An interesting tid bit involves a recent study of self-regulation, a replication of a study first done in the late 1940s. The experiment involved children ages 3, 5 and 7 and was focused on self-regulation. In 2001, researchers found that 5-year-olds were acting at the level of 3-year-olds 60 years ago, and today’s 7-year-olds were barely approaching the level of a 5-year-old 60 years ago.

Yet another interesting discussion revolves around structure play. In an amazing development, the more structured the play, the more children’s private speech declines.

To learn more about a child’s need for imaginative type play, head to the NPR site - as with all NPR stories you may opt to listen to an audio version of the material.

When we first became aware of the iWalkthough technology being utilized by several Maine school districts, we were intrigued by the possibilities of the device. There were two initial aspects that caught our eye.

First, we were impressed with the practical application of the PDA mobile technology. The device clearly represents another step into the world of wireless portability. With the phrase, “work smarter, not harder” thrown about liberally these days, the iWalkthrough appeared to be precisely a step in that direction.

Second, the device matched one of the preferred processes of many administrators for gathering feedback on instructional practices, the pop-in visit. Yet it was also clear that the focus of the device was not to be evaluative; instead, it was to provide the necessary feedback and the data that would help hard-working teachers improve their instructional practices.

As we began to look into the device, two additional aspects caught our eye. First, there was the extensive vetting process that the Great Schools Partnership utilized to determine the various pull down menus, a process that involved teachers and extensive test-driving.

Then there was the extremely positive feedback we received from everyone in the field currently using the device. It was because of that exceptional positive feedback that we decided to do our extensive look at the device.

Today we complete our series at the place we really began. Today we share with readers the feedback from the field, feedback that demonstrates the iWalkthrough delivers on its intended outcomes.

Easy to Learn, Easy to Use

All schools contacted indicated the training was more than adequate and that the device was a cinch to learn. Patrick Hartnett of Leavitt Area High School in Turner, Maine, notes, “The PALM is easy to use and the website is easily navigated.”

Fellow district principal Pam Doyen at Leeds Elementary School states unequivocally, “I find the iWalk-through incredible easy. The training was more than sufficient. I trained my staff by introducing the iWalkthrough technology and process at a staff meeting. I then hired a sub for a day and took teachers with me one at a time to practice. It was simple.”

Adds Hartnett, when it came time to use the technology “we had about a one hour overview then spent our time calibrating in pairs, going into rooms to collect. We then spent our time comparing and discussing what does ‘engaged’ mean?”

Indeed many report the conversations that the device creates are exceptionally rich. Julie Treadwell the athletic director at Maine Central High School in Pittsfield adds, “My staff jumped into the project and I feel they thoroughly enjoyed the process of observations, especially the conversations that came from them.”

The simplicity of the process has made the tool a godsend for busy administrators and other teacher leaders. “The device has worked excellent for me as a busy administrator,” notes Tim Doak, Principal of Fort Kent High School in Fort Kent. “When your day is extremely busy, having this small device to work with makes the observation a lot easier. I keep it on me everywhere I going in the building. It allows me to streamline my work-load.”

Adds Doyen, “As an administrator, it is truly time-efficient to spend 5 minutes in a classroom, gather information and then spend a minute (or less) inputting the data.”

Immediate Impact

As staff members learn about the tool and its intent, they immediately welcome its use. Notes Doak, “The comfort zone of the staff has been great. The staff is now also doing walkthroughs on one another – that is the key ingredient in the whole process. Our teachers have embraced the process and will use the data during theory grade level meeting times. “

Doyen adds, “Teachers have been comfortable with no concerns voiced. In fact, they have been looking forward to doing iwalkthroughs with each other.”

Garry Spencer, Principal at Central High School in Corinth, notes, “Staff have changed their practices because of the device and the feedback. Correlations immediately emerge. We can then determine, what are we doing? Are we in fact accomplishing what we want to be accomplishing?

“The device has done everything we had hoped for and more,” states Spencer who has trained two administrators and five teaching staff to use the device.

“We have done a lot of work with Bloom’s Taxonomy in the classroom by grade, by building, and with every other school in the State using the walkthrough program,” adds Doak. “We’ve done comparisons and percentages.”

“The device, the supporting software, and the website are excellent tools to collect data for instructional patterns,” indicates Hartnett. “The data is clear and shows whole school as well as sub group trends like social studies or ninth grade specific data. Of course, the credibility and reliability of the data comes with the more that is collected, the more accurate it becomes.

Very Few Shortcomings Noted

Obviously, one issue for the device is a reliable wireless connection, something that can be an issue in rural Maine and in older school buildings. However, it would seem that the wireless potential far outweighs the potential connection concerns. But clearly to be effective the technology backbone must be strong.

One administrator added that he would like to see an email be delivered automatically to teachers who have opted for identification to make them aware of the feedback that had been entered after a class observation. That would appear to also streamline the process a bit further.

Lastly, where the intent of the device is to provide whole school information and to prevent individual teachers from being targeted, the size of the school can be particularly important. A small school with only one or two teachers at a specific grade level may result in data that is so transparent that individual teacher data may be discernible.

Cutting Edge Technology Delivers

The iWalkthrough clearly represents one of the instructional feedback tools of the future. It provides powerful feedback and is based upon teaching practices that are proven to lead to greater student achievement levels. The extensive vetting process and continued refinement that has taken place alongside the implementation process is exemplary.

Add to the fact that this technology allows educators to work smarter, not harder and the iWalkthrough represents one of the best uses of technology in the educational setting to date.

Photos by TaK, Old Shoe Woman, Sue Waters,
gegresh, and Van Berto.