Focus on Students

Empower student voice and provide student choice in order to improve student academic progress and achievement.

Educon 2.4 Takeways

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, School Climate ,

Educon 2.4 was a unique conference experience because it’s more a conversation than a typical conference of presentation after presentation. Many of our conversations continued at lunch, dinner, during breaks and on Twitter.

 The backdrop was the Science Leadership Academy, an inquiry-based, student-centered public school that has an extremely diverse and eclectic student population. The word “community” is an obvious part of the school’s culture and the students were very much a part of the Educon experience as they served as guides, conversation facilitators, and tech crew.

 I spent quite a bit of time reflecting about my three days at Educon and have come away with several key takeaways to think about:  

  1. Ask “what if?”– We often have the case of the “yeah, buts” when new ideas are shared instead of thinking about possible ways to make something happen. Have you ever said, “Yeah, that’s a good idea, but…..” followed by a list of reasons why a particular idea won’t work. Creativity and problem solving are stifled before given a fair chance to cultivate into something meaningful.
  2.  “Why should I use it?”-When sharing a new web 2.0 tool, such as Twitter, Diigo, or Google Docs explain how it can make one’s life easier before sharing what it is. We often get caught up in the excitement or “cool factor” of a new tool and leave out why and how the new technology can increase efficiency and productivity. Time is at a premium for everyone these days and there are a number of tools we can learn to use in the classroom and share with our students to capture time. The more we share with them and explain “the how” the more prepared they will be to thrive in an ever changing future. 
  3.  “Culture matters”– Innovation is a not a “flash in the pan experience,” but a process that occurs over time. We have to create and maintain a culture at GLHS that makes risk taking and failure safe for our students and each other. A part of the learning process is failure with a chance to recover and reflect. 
  4. “Be Resilient!”– Resilience is defined as the ability to cope with stress or anxiety. We live in a pressure cooker as educators and the release seems a far way away.Therefore, we have to review our systems and ask how we are adding to our own stress and students’ stress. For example, we assign projects, papers, presentations, and performances at the same time and expect quality work from our students. We have hard deadlines because we are teaching responsibility. Yet, do we take into consideration the scope of a student’s entire day at school? I constantly push my staff to “try this new tool,” “read this article,” “review your grading practices…” on top of the other general demands of being an educator. It’s no wonder we are so tired and on cognitive overload. What in our system, that’s within our control, can we change to provide time for us to talk with one another and give our students time to work, breathe, and decompress?  
  5.  “Tech Savvy”-Being a tech-savvy educator is more about a willingness to learn, share, fail and reflect than mastering a particular tool. Embracing technology is an example of one’s desire to learn new ways to make learning more engaging and relevant to our students. The phrase, “I don’t do technology” is not only unacceptable, but it’s a declaration that “I’m done learning.” If we are not willing to learn then we are not willing to help our students learn. It seems we see new tools daily, so mastering a tool is maybe not the best approach. 
  6. “Laser-like focus”– Upon entering the Science Leadership Academy, the mission, core values, guiding principles, and rules were posted everywhere and recited by every member of the school community. More importantly, they were evident in the way the school functions. “Recite” is not the best word choice here because it conveys a message of memorization as opposed to belief. They believe in what they are doing. They not only share a common belief, but a common language that provides clarity of purpose. Whether talking to the principal, Chris Lehmann, a teacher, freshman tour guide, or senior facilitator, each spoke confidently and clearly about what the school is all about:

           Mission-How do we learn? How can we create? What does it mean to lead?

           Core Values– Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, and Reflection

           Rules-Respect yourself, Respect Others, Respect the Learning Environment         

So, I had to ask myself, “If someone asked me what our core beliefs are, would my answer match that of a department chairperson, first year teacher, secretary, or student of any grade level? It’s something we all should think about and discuss within our school communities.  

Be Great,

Dwight

Educon 2.4 was a Stretch

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, Staff and Faculty ,

“So how as the conference,” Samantha, my wife, asked when I called her from the airport. “It was incredible!” I exclaimed. “Okay, what was it about?” she asked. I quickly replied with a chuckle, “Well, the essential question was how do we sustain innovation in education?” Her response was priceless, “Wow! That’s…. a lot to take in.” I replied, “Yes, it was a lot to take in and it’s exactly what I needed.” Again, her response was priceless, “so, it stretched you.” Boom!

I have a bad back, mainly because of a bulging disk, but also because I don’t stretch. My hamstrings are in knots so it creates tension in my lower back. I hate stretching! It takes too much time and quite frankly it hurts! It hurts because I don’t do it. I know what you’re thinking, “If you would just stretch then it wouldn’t hurt.” No kidding, but what we are talking about is a knowing-doing gap. I know what to do, I’m just not doing it. On the other hand, I absolutely love learning. I equate it to mental and cognitive stretching. It’s a painful, daunting process at times, but it is also so rewarding.

Many of us who attended Educon 2.4 experienced this cognitive stretch throughout the weekend in the form of conversations and panel discussions. Educon helps to close the knowing-doing gap when it comes to grassroots education reform. You see, the presenters, participants, those who followed on Twitter or watched it from the live video stream, were primarily educators who are “doing” the work, not just individuals talking about want needs to be done. This same group also searches for better ways to do what is best for today’s learner, and not once did we spend an entire session discussing how to make a better standardized test!

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “A mind that is stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimension.” It is hard to argue against that because what he referred to was the learning process. When we let ourselves engage in the learning process and try to wrap our minds around an essential question, such as the one posed at Educon, we find ourselves in deep conversation about the purpose of school, the future of education, what IS learning, why use technology, and what is innovation. Yes, it can be philosophical, but it also gives us all a chance to dialogue about what we are doing, how we are doing it, how we can learn from one another, and what we can do in our classroom, school, and community right now.

Educon was just the stretch I needed to be a better leader for my students, staff, and community when I return to my building. It gave me a chance to step away to think, listen, reflect and also learn with others. Thanks to Chris Lehmann (@Chrislehmann), the students at the Science Leadership Academy, and The Franklin Institute for hosting this amazing conference.

Be Great,

Dwight

Reflections from a GLHS Senior-Guest Blogger Jonathan Harrison

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Staff and Faculty, Technology Integration ,

Students in our Space Technology class just completed a space simulation in which they were asked to design a rover that would complete specific tasks. In years past, they would do a space shuttle simulation. But this year, science teacher, Fred Donelson (@mrdglhs) changed things up a bit to simulate the landing on and mining of materials from an asteroid.  According to Mr. Donelson, “students will be simulating a landing by using bounce technology to drop a robot down the stairway.  They are also building a rover, remotely controlled via the internet, to remove a debris field from a mine and then collect/mine some minerals.  And a PR team will communicate all of this to visitors.”

Each year, I am simply amazed by what the students do! I wanted a student to share his experience of participating in the simulation so I invited Gahanna Lincoln High School senior, Jonathan Harrison to be a guest blogger. I’ve had the pleasure of being Jonathan’s principal since he was in the sixth grade and I couldn’t be more proud of him!

Project Vesta Reflection

               There is too much to be said for a project my group and I spent over a month on completing. One of the reasons I took Space Technology was because of the teacher, Mr. Donelson. He is one of the most interactive teachers I have ever had and I feel like he really wants his kids to succeed. Yes, I do understand that every teacher, for the most part, wants their kids to succeed in their class, but Mr. D does so much more. He uses inventive ways to teach such as social networks: always posting on Facebook and Twitter to keep his students updated on certain things going on in the class. It really helps not having to jump through hoops to find out what is due the next day. He also makes sure all of his students understand the material he is presenting, which is the most important. Students who needed the extra help could always find it, no matter if it was during the school week, on the weekends or even over holiday breaks. We had put in many hours to our project, but it was nothing compared to the hours Mr. D put in.

               With that being said, my group wanted to put in just as much work towards our project as Mr. D had put into us. We wanted to go above and beyond our expectations and really knock the socks off not only our competition, but our whole community. Personally I feel like we exceeded our goals and really showed people what teenagers are capable of producing. It also showed people how social networking can really effect a student’s education. We were able to contact teachers, administrators and other educators not only from all over the country, but across the globe. It was really eye-opening to see something we use for leisure everyday open up a lot of opportunities to further your education. That was really cool and something I enjoyed doing.

               The objective was to land your egg rover on the asteroid Vesta. Once there you had to clear debris and mine minerals that would act as important substances we need here on Earth. Each 6 person team was split up in 3 teams of two. The three teams were the Rover team, Lander team and the Public Relations team.

               Personally, I was on the Public Relations team. We had a lot of things to complete while this project went on. We had to develop a teaching video on space colonization, which will be a factor in our lives. The catch was that it had to be suitable for middle school students, who cannot read nearly as fast as high school seniors. We had to edit multiple times, which was extremely frustrating. But we finished it and it turned out very nicely. Next we had to make a documentary video. This basically outlined everything we did throughout the whole project. We had to keep record of everything that happened with videos and photos. We also had to “get our name out there.” I thought that what we were doing was very cool and interesting and I wanted other people to know also. I made a website, Facebook group and a Twitter account for everyone to communicate back and forth. In a few days we had educators from all over the world commenting on our progress and they were really interested in what Team Chronos, (our team name, @TeamChronos), was doing that day. They would ask for information on everything we had knowledge on, which was pretty cool. It’s not every day that an adult comes to a teenager and asks them for information so that they can teach their kids what we found out. Lastly we had to make a team brochure, which had to include each team’s mission, a small bio on each Team Chronos member and the whole team’s objective. We had a lot of fun with this, because we had made two different brochures. One was funny and the other was professional. It was awesome coming up with fake bio’s that made someone laugh.

               As a group, I could not have asked for a better group of guys to work with. We all had the same mindset and goals to accomplish during this project. Dedication, hard work and good work ethic benefitted our group unlike it did for others. We split up the work equally, and the only arguments we had was who was going to finish the projects at their homes. Eagerness to get your work done is a quick way to ensure it actually does get completed. Our group’s outlook and attitude was really positive too. When we had an idea we would share it with one another, get their opinions and find a way to improve it. We were not settled with being “good enough,” we wanted to simply be the best space tech team to ever pass through Gahanna. With that attitude, our best work came as the result.

               If I were a teacher I would definitely do a project similar to this. It brings out the best in every single student, regardless of GPA, clique or grade. This project would not work if you did not teach like Mr. Donelson however. You have to be interactive and really show the kids that you believe they can achieve great things. If you struggle with showed your students your dedication, you would still have the same kids not caring about their grades and turning in mediocre work at best. That is not helping anybody. What we’re doing here is something BIG. Rovers, space stations, alternative energy and time travel are all going to be something our generation deals with, so why not learn about them now? It is helping out our future and possibly getting kids interested in robotics and space which can open up to more career opportunities. I would definitely recommend this project to any teacher willing to dedicate time to a child’s learning. They have to want a better future for us and for their grandchildren.

               Overall I am very grateful for the opportunity to take this class. It teaches you a lot about your surroundings as well as a little bit about yourself. Also the information we learn today will benefit us tomorrow. These kinds of jobs will be the positions that pay the most and are the most available, especially to Americans. America is slowly declining in the science race and a large part of the blame goes to not educating our children at a young age. It spikes their interest and gives them options for a wide range of careers. This is what the world’s leading competitors do, such as China, Japan and many more. They teach their kids engineering and robotics at a very young age, which is benefitting them now. This project helps us with future projects that can really impact our lives. This information we gain is irreplaceable and I can never thank Mr. Donelson and Gahanna Lincoln High School enough for allowing me to take such a wonderful class.

Reflections from the Ohio Summit 2.5 Part II

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, Technology Integration

On Thursday, December 8, 2011 I attended the Ohio Summit 2.5, which is a conference that showcases what Ohio schools are doing to integrate 21st Century skills and technology in the teaching and learning process. I wanted to attend the conference to hear some of the keynote presenters: Karl Fisch (@karlfisch), the creator of “Shift Happens: Did You Know 2.0”, Daniel Pink (@danielpink), author of A Whole New Mind and Drive, and finally Ewan McIntosh (@ewanmcintosh), Scottish educator. I’ve already shared my reflections about Stan Heffner,  the state of Ohio’s Interim Superintendent’s opening remarks,  which you can review here. This is part II of my reflections.

The first keynote speaker was Karl Fisch, Director of Technology and Mathematics teacher at Arapahoe High School in Colorado. He was such an inspiration! His energy was electric and his humor was spot on. He feverishly paced back and forth during his presentation, which keep things interesting.

He is the creator of the YouTube hit, Did You Know? Shift Happens 2.0. He started off by stating, “I am not an expert. I ask questions and a have several questions that I would like to discuss with you.” Besides the hit YouTube video, his humility gave him credibility. Following are some nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from his presentation:

 “If you put good people in a fundamentally flawed system, the system will win.”

  • The key here is that we must have systems in place that support the 4 Cs (communication, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity). Not only that, there must be a systemic and ongoing process for providing support, advice, encouragement, and a different perspective.
  • Often times our conversations about school reform stall because we are overcome by the entrenched factory system of doing school. Yes, school may have worked for us, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be better for our students today and tomorrow. Instead of asking what we need to do differently in schools to meet the needs of today’s learner, we should ask how are we going to do things differently.

 He asked a fundamental question that really piqued my interest: “What does literacy mean in the 21st century?”

  • This is definitely a moving target and it’s deeper than just one’s ability to read. He shared a quote by Jason Ohler that hit the nail on the head:  “Literacy means to consume and produce the media form of the day.”
  • To further hammer home his point he said, “If all we teach students is the 5 paragraph essay then that’s educational malpractice.” The five paragraph essay is extremely important and a skill necessary for effective writing, but I believe his point is that literacy today is much more complex, much more diverse than it ever has been. With social media, we have to teach and model for students how to appropriately and effectively “consume and produce the media form of the day.”
  • This has to include sharing content on YouTube, connecting with others globally through Twitter, Skype, and blogging. Since the audience in these venues is authentic and more public, digital citizenship is paramount.
  • An example he used was the 2008 presidential election. Observers of the debates were able to check facts in real time while watching the debate on TV. Thus, it became an interactive learning process as opposed to a passive exercise of just listening. We must use these same tools in the classroom as a means to teaching literacy.

 “What should students  (and their network connections) know and be able to do?”

  • The first thing that came to mind was, “can my students tell me who is in their personal network? Do they even know what that means in terms of learning and collaboration?” Well, the only way I will know this is to ask them!
  •  He stressed the importance of providing opportunities for students to create globally connected learning networks.  He shared several examples of what this can look like:
  1. Ohio history- discover why buildings, streets, or communities are named the way they are by researching primary sources and conducting interviews of local residents.
  2.  American Revolution-Skype or build a wiki with schools from Great Britian about the revolution.
  3. Book Reports- create a movie trailer and post it on YouTube then create a QR code and tape it to the spine of the book found in the school’s library. Talk about a relevant and authentic project!
  4. “Wikify” Research Papers- at the end of each page, students create hyperlinks at the bottom, just like what’s found on Wikipedia.
  5.  Skype with students in another country to discuss books, war, hunger, or other social issues that impact the lives of teens. This can be taken one step further by creating reflective blogs, wikis, or Google Docs about the information shared.
  6. Skype with experts-reach out to experts in any field via Twitter or business Facebook pages and then connect with them via Skype for presentations, interviews, and discussions.
  7. Live blogging about books-instead of doing a traditional book report, have students blog about main characters, key themes, or opposing points of view then share the blogs with others.
  8. Skype with authors-self explanatory.

These are some very practical examples that require just a little bit of knowledge of how to use a specific tool. Each one incorporates technology, collaboration, and creates an authentic audience. Together, we can make the 4 Cs of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity a natural part of teaching and learning. What examples can you add to the list?

Be Great,

Dwight

No Zeros Until… Part II

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, School Climate, Staff and Faculty

It has been almost a year since I made the statement to my staff that I do not want them to assign a zero to any student until they intervene in some way (ask the student why the work wasn’t turned it, call the parent of the student, do something besides assigning a zero and moving on…) Since I made that now infamous statement, various reactions have occurred among staff, students and parents.  Here is a summary of such reactions:

 I. Teacher Perspective

  • Some were doing this long before I made the statement because they philosophically don’t agree with academic punishment for a behavioral problem.
  • Some were confused because they believe I said, “No zeros. Ever.”
  • Some follow the policy as written in our Student Handbook, which is “no credit is given during on out of school suspension, unexcused absences, or class cuts. No credit is given for long term projects or papers not completed by the deadline.”
  • Some just want a decision to be made so they know what to do.

 II. Student Perspective

  • For some, it has increased their work ethic because they know their teachers will stay on them until an assignment is turned it. Not turning in an assignment is no longer an option for them.
  • For some, it doesn’t make a difference. There are some assignments they don’t do and are not going to do regardless of what the teacher wants them to do, or what interventions are provided.
  • Some don’t believe it’s right or fair for students to be given a second chance to complete assignments. If they didn’t complete by the deadline, tough.

 III. Parent Perspective

  • Some are having a difficult time with the lack of consistency: some teachers give chances while others don’t.
  • Some are very appreciative of our focus on learning and completing quality work while not focusing so much on deadlines.
  • Some believe we are perpetuating a lack of responsibility and accountability.

This is a polarizing topic and there are no easy solutions. Here’s what I’ve done thus far and what I will do in the future in regards to this topic:

  1. I’ve asked my Principals Advisory Council to review and respond to a statement of clarification and to ask questions, share concerns, and to help make the statement more concise before I send it to the entire staff.
  2. I’ve discussed this with my Lions Advisory Board, which is an advisory board of parents, students, community members and staff members. It’s a diverse group of nearly 20 members. The response was similar to the bulletin points mentioned above.
  3. I have surveyed the staff to get a clearer picture of current practices, assumptions, and needs regarding grading. There were no real surprises, but giving zeros for suspension continues to be a topic that we need to discuss.
  4. Find out what other schools in our conference are doing (for data gathering purposes). In the end, we have to do what’s best for our students because each school has its’ own DNA.
  5. Make a final decision by the spring so that we can make any necessary policy changes for Board of Education approval. That way, we start off the new school year with a clear direction.

A zero is very damaging and may not truly reflect what a student knows. However, until we, and many schools, determine what goes into a grade; learning, behavior, punctuality, effort, etc. this debate will continue. My thought is this: since a zero is so embedded in our system, why not make the lowest possible F a 50%? All other grades are based on a 10 point scale (A =100-90, B= 89-80, etc.). On a 100 point scale, an F is 59-0 points compared to the other grades mentioned above. If we look at it from a pure ratio standpoint, an F is clearly weighted much heavier than any other grade and has the greatest impact. We have given the zero value in order to force students to comply. I don’t think this makes sense and doesn’t appear to be working as it was set up to.

On the other hand, if we allow students to retake tests or quizzes, we should ask them to explain why they have to retake the test. If it’s because they just didn’t study, is that a good enough reason? I don’t know the answer to this, but it’s something to think about. There are several strategies teachers use, from not allowing a student to take a unit test until all their homework is turned in to coming in early for test retakes. We have seen an increase in student achievement and I attribute this to the efforts of the teachers and students. Some of our interventions are working.

Be Great,

Dwight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflections from the Ohio Summit 2.5 Part 1

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Staff and Faculty ,

On Thursday, December 8, 2011 I attended the Ohio Summit 2.5, which is a conference that showcases what Ohio schools are doing to integrate 21st Century skills and technology in the teaching and learning process. I wanted to attend the conference to hear some of the keynote presenters: Karl Fisch (@karlfisch), the creator of “Shift Happens: Did You Know 2.0”, Daniel Pink (@danielpink), author of A Whole New Mind and Drive, and finally Ewan McIntosh (@ewanmcintosh), Scottish educator. To be honest, I knew nothing of about Ewan McIntosh before the conference, but I was inspired by his message and examples of 21st Century learning. I will share my reflections in a multi-part series.

The conference began with a passionate and encouraging speech by Interim State Superintendent, Stan Heffner. Below are some of the key points from his speech, which are followed by my personal reflections:

 “The definition of a student is a person that sits on plastic chairs and watches old people work.”

  • I thought this was hilarious! Unfortunately, some students feel this way. This isn’t anything new, but students must be actively engaged in the learning process in order for school to be relevant to them. School has to be a place where students work and adults facilitate, coordinate, guide, support, and encourage.

 “Over 75% of students 12-17 years old have cell phones. 34% have a smartphone. A year from now over 60% will have a Smartphone.”

  • Why are schools still banning students from using their mobile devices? News flash folks: it’s not just a phone, it’s a mini computer! Ian Jukes once told a story of a student he interviewed. He asked the student, “What do you think of school?” The student replied, “school is like getting on an airplane: ‘fasten your seatbelts and turn off all electrical devices.'” An airplane trip is a very passive activity. School should be just the opposite.

 “The key 21st Skills are creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.”

  • Again, this is no news flash, but it’s nice to have the skills we’ve been discussing for 11 years now clearly defined. We now must identify ways to embed and assess these skills. Additionally, we have to involve students and parents in the conversation about what these skills mean and look like in action. Many schools across the country have created a graduate profile that defines the skills they want their students to demonstrate as a graduate of their school district. These same schools are beginning to develop rubrics to assess these skills as well.

 “We need to stop the minimum competency of schools.” 

  • Minimum is just that. Years ago, ODE used a phrase, “we must teach our students to thrive, not just survive.” I believe that was one of Thomas Friedman’s catch phrases in the New York Times bestseller, The World is Flat. Minimum competency should not be the goal, but the foundation. 

 “Stop thinking of school as a place but think of it as an activity.”

  • This was probably the most profound statement he made. School as an activity clearly defines what’s expected- ACTION. This is a new paradigm that is catching on quite rapidly in some schools. For example, schools have adopted concepts like Project Based Learning that create challenges for students to overcome and problems to solve. We can learn a lot from the visual/performing arts as well as classes like DECA that are performance and project-based. Students thrive in these courses because they see the relevance, they are challenged, they have an authentic audience, and their work is collaborative and public. School as an activity is quite a concept that is already happening in pockets. Our challenge now is to build on what’s in place.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Mr. Heffner’s points.  Stay tuned for key points from the other two presenters in my upcoming blogs.  Until then….

Be Great,

Dwight

 

The Physical Environment Matters

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, School Climate ,

This year we opened up a new building, thus expanding our campus to across the street. With 2400 students, we were at capacity and had the opportunity to do something creative to provide more space for our students and at the same time meet the needs of today’s learner.

With the vision of former Superintendent Gregg Morris and current Superintendent Mark White, along with a team of curriculum coordinators, business directors, and highly qualified teachers, we built Clark Hall. Clark Hall is a 51,000 square foot, three story work of art. It doesn’t resemble a typical American high school at all, but rather an innovative office building. The goal was to create an open, modern, bright space that evokes creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and fun. It houses fourteen classrooms, each with its’ own conference room, high powered wireless, natural light, laptops for every student, and collaborative spaces in hallways so students are able to utilize the entire space for learning. Instead of taking my word for it, why not check it out for yourself?

With flexibility built into the daily schedule, teachers have more time to interact with students on an individual basis, students feel more relaxed and are more compelled to engage in the learning process, and collaboration among students just seems natural. The students have taken to the building like fish to water!

Clark Hall has inspired change on our main campus as well. One of the main hubs of most schools and universities now is the library. We wanted our library to have the same feel as Clark Hall so our Librarian, Ann Gleek, dreamt big and made some significant changes!  From removing some of the book shelves to painting the walls to changing some of the furniture, changes have made for a more inviting environment for students and have been a huge hit thus far. Take a look.

 What’s the point? It’s simple: educational reform must include reforming or transforming the physical learning environment. According to Daniel Pink, design is one of the elements of the right brain that we must tap into. We have to look differently at the space we have now and spruce things up… a lot… for the sake of learning.

Be Great,

Dwight

Pause Before You Post

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, School Climate , ,

Have you ever read one of those emails that just got under your skin? You know that email or post that just elevated your blood pressure to the point where you felt like your head was going to explode? You then frantically type out a response and hit the send button only to think, “What did I just do?” Well, you are not alone. I, like you, have made that mistake more times than I care to admit. Unfortunately, many hide behind the tools of communication to negatively impact the lives of others and it’s happening way too much.

October is National Anti-Bullying Month. The reason a month is dedicated to anti-bullying is because of the growing number of students that feel like they have no escape from being bullied so they commit suicide. I don’t know about you, but never in all my years as an educator would I ever have thought it would get to this point. Who is responsible for bullying prevention? Educators? Students? Parents? Community members? Yes! We areall responsible. We make it matter!

I am a strong believer in the use of social media to connect with others personally and professionally. However, with the exponential growth of Facebook and Twitter, camera phones, and the ability to instantly post comments, bullying has become easier and the messages are amplified.

Last spring, our Student Council held Peace Week, which is a week long celebration of what we do to increase peace in schools. The theme was “Peace With Technology” to promote positive use of social media and we implemented the Jostens’ Pause Before You Post™ program. Pause Before You Post is a program to encourage members of the school community to be wise when publishing personal information when using social media. Each day of the week, students watched short video clips then participated in discussions about one’s digital footprint, sexting, and digital citizenship. Students were then encouraged to pledge to Pause Before You Post. It was an awesome week for our school community!  However, we have to continue our efforts to encourage “peace with technology.”

Throughout October, we will expand the Pause Before You Post campaign by conducting the following activities:

*Week 1-Make a general announcement to the student body about the Pause Before You Post Campaign and encourage them to sign the pledge. Even though it wasn’t plan for this month specifically, we held a Facebook 101 class for parents to encourage them to actively get involved in monitoring their child’s behavior on Facebook. We also wanted to increase their knowledge of privacy settings so they are more informed.

*Week 2– Continue to make announcements about the importance of one’s digital footprint and encourage students to sign the pledge.

*Week 3– Highlight all the clubs and activities we have at school to show that we want to create a school where all students feel they belong. The best way to prevent bullying is to create a positive school climate and culture.

*Week 4-We’ll be featuring information on how one’s online profile can impact college acceptance and employment. We’ll also share quotes from top companies and universities along with five tips for improving one’s digital reputation.

Each of us can do our part by simply taking a deep breath to pause before we hit the send button. I constantly share this message with my students, staff, and parents. Please join me and others from across the country and sign the pledge to Pause Before You Post. Each individual effort can make a difference!

Be Great,

Dwight

67 Great Things about GLHS 2010-2011

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, School Climate, Staff and Faculty , , , , , , ,

Prior to the end of the school year, I sent my staff a Google Doc and asked them to share some highlights of the year. We have much to be proud of as we perservered through some tough times to create some great learning opportunities for our students. Following is a list of great things that represent what I call the 7 A’s of Gahanna Lincoln High School:
Idea in chalkboard with yellow chalk

Academics:
* 9% of our students averaged a 4.0 grade point average.

* 97% of our AP Psychology students passed the AP exam! The national average is 66%.

* 88% of our AP US History students passed the AP exam! The national average is 50%. Wow!

* 80.8% of our AP Calculas AB students passed the AP exam! The class average was 3.529.

* 87.5% of our AP Calculas BC students passed the AP exam! The class average was 3.938.

* 100% of our AP Literature and Composition students passed the AP exam! The class average was 4.056.

* Nearly 1000 students earned a Renaissance Card this year for Academics, Attendance, and Attitude.

* 55% or 294 of our seniors took 4 years of math.

* One of our Intervention Specialists that retired stated that she, “completed thirty-five years of working with special needs kids and learning lots along the way.”

* The 9th grade Global Studies teachers successfully introduced the Global Studies Symposium this year, where our freshman comprehensively applied knowledge and skills to understand the world today and demonstrated it with a project they designed and created. Pretty amazing!

* From one our English teachers: “This year more students than ever before reported ‘loving’ Romeo and Juliet and the English 9 research paper. I attribute this to the English 9 PLC collaborating and creating new ways to introduce the material in order to engage students.”

* From one of our Intervention Specialists: “The majority of students with LD, who are in Collaborative settings for U.S. History, passed the Social Studies section of the March OGT.”

* From our AP Environmental and Biology teacher: “Some of my students had a video they made for a PBL assignment on the creek attract the attention of Friends of Darby Creek, who want to use the video on their web site.”

* From one of our PE teachers: “Lifetime Fitness students made a video on YouTube: Did You Know Phys Ed? The news saw it and came out to do a story on us. Chipotle saw us on the news and had a fundraiser for us to get our Garden going. They brought burritos for all my students and spoke to us about how they use farm fresh ingredients. They also taught us how to make fresh guacamole and all my students received free gift cards!”

* ELL students made the AMAO’s for the year (another form of assessment criteria) and performed better on the OTELA than the state requirements.

* One of our Math teachers restructured her Integrated 1 classes to a class where students’ learn at their own pace. She and the students experienced many successes, and some challenges.

* Three debate seniors received Academic All-American from the National Forensic League.

* Our GATE teacher successfully started a new course team-teaching Science and English with one of our Science teachers. Two of the English units are paperless.

* The Gahanna Community School, our conversion school, presented its first Justin Vanguilder Memorial Scholarship of $1000.00. Justin was a GCS student that passed away from cancer last school year.

* Our 9th grade Integrated Science teachers formed a great integrated science PLC this year. Also, two students told one of the teachers at the end of the year that they used to hate science… but now it is their favorite class!

* Two teachers that worked in a collaborative Math classroom witnessed great success with an action research project regarding the math OGT. 84% passage in integrated math II, a largely collaborative setting, and 100% of sophomore IEP students passed.

* The Model United Nations Club had two freshmen girls win an Excellent award at the Northcoast Conference this past spring.

* From one of our English teachers: “the PLC in English really made a difference in academics and attitude with my freshmen. Final exam grades were great!”

* Our Senior Project students created amazing presentations on their wide ranging topics.

* From one of our US Government teachers: “Zero F’s!I did not accept failure and did not lower the academic level.”

* Our Science Academy students experienced a fourth successful Science Academy Symposium held in February with over $1000 in awards. Junior N.S. won 4th place in Ohio Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and qualified and attended National Symposium in April.

* Six Science Academy students won awards at Columbus Technical Council Awards Banquet in May. Houston Fortney was runner up to CTC Science Student of the Year. This is the third year in a row Gahanna has had either the winner or the runner up to that prestigious award.

* The Underwater Robotics team won the Great Lakes Regional ROV competition in April and qualified for the International MATE ROV Competition held in June in Houston, Texas at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab.

Attendance:
* 22% of our students earned perfect attendance.

* 88% of our staff members were nominated for a PRIDE Award, which is an award the recognizes individuals for exhibiting “personal responsibility in developing excellence.”

* 37% or 882 students were nominated for a PRIDE Award!

* WGLH-TV, our TV program, was first in the State and six students won top state awards for stories they produced.

* Gahanna art students had an exhibition at the Carnegie Gallery in the Columbus Metropolitan Library as well as an exhibition at the Gahanna Library.

* Senior D.C. won Broadcast Idol for the best high school Broadcast student in Central Ohio!

* Senior M. B. was runner-up at the Arnold Classic Film festival competing with high school students from across the nation for the documentary that he produced on Bill Withrow, a lifelong supporter and icon in Gahanna.

* Seniors M.B. and D.C. won a regional Emmy for their video journalism work.

* Senior B.G. and Junior R.J. were selected by audition into the OMEA all-state band!

* The bands lived up to this year’s motto, “the tradition continues” and presented outstanding performances on the field and in the auditorium, including earning unanimous superior ratings at state contest for all three bands.

* The Art Club along with student’s from Ms. Fairchild’s classes painted a mural for the Cafeteria. They courtyard received additional sculptures as well as the renovation of existing work and was mulched by Mr. Assman and Ms.Scott’s students.

* The Threatre department produced To Kill A Mockingbird in the fall and did a student matinee for the entire sophomore class. They also produced the Broadway classic, Thoroughly Modern Millie.

* Approximately 26% of GLHS students took part either back stage or on stage as part of the school theatrical productions this past school year.

* Speech and debate had a record 25 State qualifiers this season and four national qualifiers for speech and debate–have qualified 39 students over last 13 years!

* The full orchestra received a Superior rating at OMEA Adjudicated Events.

* Approximately 27% of GLHS students are involved in vocal or instrumental music!

* Performance Studio took part in Lincoln Elementary’s enrichment day and will be running a drama camp this coming Friday for a local girl scout troop. This group also performed for the senior citizens this past winter.

*Theatre students acted as mentors for the newly formed Middle School West Drama Club!

*The GLHS Orchestra visited High Point and Jefferson to perform, interact and have HS musicians teach grades 3-5 how to play the instruments.

* Our International Thespian Society sponsored the first ever high school theatre day for GLHS students.

* The Theatre for Young Audiences tour performed for over 3000 elementary students this past spring.

Activities:
* The Renaissance Action Team created an Ohio Coalition of Renaissance Schools and hosted a regional conference at GLHS with over 200 attendees.

* The “S” Club’s focus this year was Teen Dating Violence — they hosted Johanna Orozco (teen dating violence survivor from the Cleveland area) for a girls-only speaker session, and had a booth at the Health Fair to spread awareness. “S” Club will continue with the Teen Dating Violence awareness and prevention focus again next year.

*Student Council held fall homecoming here at the high school in October, and Prom at the OSU student Union. Both were the highly successful!

*The message of Peace week this year was Pause Before You Post, and was successfully communicated despite not being able to hold lunch on the lawn.

Athletics:
* Jake Blankenship was the Division 1 state champion in the pole vault. His 17’0” vault set a new state meet record and tied the all-time state of Ohio record. This was also a Jesse Owens stadium record, which includes collegiate athletes as well.

* Varsity Softball team finished as State Runner-up. This run included their 3rd District Championship in four years. He also placed first nationally and third in the World competition!

* Varsity Baseball Team won their 3rd District Championship in four years.

* Varsity Soccer Team was District Champions and Regional Runner-up.

* Boys Basketball was OCC Champions and District Champions

Acts of Service:
* The Renaissance Action Team collected and shipped 30 boxes of supplies to troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

* WGLH-TV, partnering with the Gahanna Rotary, raised $14,000.00 to send 80 WWII veterans to Washington DC on and Honor Flight this past April.

* During the Health fair WGLH-TV collected nearly 500 pledges from students who said “They will not Text and Drive”.

* WGLH-TV produced a 60 minute documentary on Un-sung Heroes here in Gahanna.

* “S” Club raised funds to provide a GRIN family (single mom with three children) with Thanksgiving dinner and over $300 in Christmas presents. The students had a terrific time delivering the gifts to the family and watching the children open them!

* The Multi-National Culture Club helped teach English to parents and volunteered at the International Festival at Vet’s Memorial for the second year in a row.

* The marching band honored our veterans and fallen soldiers in two Independence Day parades and three Memorial Day services, plus participating in the tribute to Gahanna Bill in downtown Columbus.

* Student Council collected over 700 pounds of food for the food bank with the Winter Dance homeroom competition.

* The January 2011 performance of Faure’s Requiem by the Chorale and Chamber Orchestra helped raise $2,696 (in ticket sales) for Gahanna Residents In Need (GRIN), more than doubling GRIN’s yearly budget to help our community!

I am thankful to work with such a dedicated group of educators that work tirelessly to do what is best for students. I look forward to next school year as we continue to grow together as a team!

Be Great,

Dwight

Teacher and Student Voice: PBL in Action

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, School Climate, Staff and Faculty

Back in September, five of my teachers from different content areas attended a two-day Project Based Learning workshop hosted by the Buck Institute. Then in October, I asked them to share what they learned with a group of about 35 of their colleagues. We spent an entire day discussing their experiences and they walked us through the PBL process.


One of the teachers who was a part of the October follow up training, Physical Educaton teacher, Selene Kelley (@coachkelley31), took the new information and ran with it! She challenged her Lifetime Fitness students to create a video to educate the community about eating properly and getting enough exercise. It’s been wonderful to see her grow through this process and empower the students to make a difference. Following is the project timeline and how it has blossomed into a school beautification project (In the words of Selene Kelley):

• “January, 2011- started semester with a PBL: The problem students picked was the obesity epidemic. The solution was to make a video and put it on YouTube to educate America.
• Feb-March, 2011- Each student picked their topic and conducted in-depth research. From their research they had to come up with an AH-HA message that they wanted to stick with the viewer. They also had to find/create a graphic to match their fact. Students then broke off into committees to put the video together. The committees included: video, music, presentation and marketing of the video.
• March 24, 2011-Video was posted and students guessed how many hits we would have by May 31 to add some fun. We had praise from professionals across the country.

• After the video, the students wanted to do more to make a positive and lasting change in the school. They wanted to enhance the choices in the school’s cafeteria and were on pursuit to start a garden in an unused school courtyard. The school cafeteria was very receptive. We earned a $1000 grant from the Gahanna Jefferson Education to get us started.

• April, 2011-World renowned PE professor Dr. Ward said our video is now mandatory viewing for all the PAES majors at OSU. Joe Lamp: 2 National TV programs sent a message to my students that they did an awesome job! The local news station saw our YouTube video and wanted to come out and do a story. When they heard about our garden they were even more excited.

• May, 2011- The story aired on the news and the local marketing director for Chipotle emailed me literally 15 minutes after the story aired. They have a campaign to educate America about how they use fresh, organic produce from local farms, etc.
• May 31, 2011-Chipotle came to our school and taught our students how to make fresh guacamole. They gave every student gift cards and a free burrito. They also held a fundraiser and gave us 50% of the proceeds, which totaled over $300.
• June, 2011-The Chipotle partnership will continue for many years to come! We have also established a partnership with Piadas, fresh Italian redressing similar set up to Chipotle.

• We recently applied for a grant from the Franklin County Youth Advisory Council. We were invited to share our project with their board and we were very well received. When we left, students from around the county all said they wanted their schools to do something similar in their schools. Dr. Scarbourough, a council member, commended us on this project and told us we inspired the whole council.

• In the garden we have 2 apple trees, 2 blueberry trees, 2 raspberry trees, 1 blackberry tree, tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro ( to make fresh salsa on taco day), broccoli, melon, watermelon, zucchini, basil, parsley, cabbage, cucumbers, grapes, and grape tomatoes.

• Students are meeting this summer to help harvest the fruit and vegetables. Many classes are involved and are excited about this! Many teachers are inspired to enhance the 3rd school courtyard this August.

• Students made comments like, ‘Mrs. Kelley we’re like changing the world!’ Parents made comments like, ‘thanks for teaching them about nutrition. My daughter is making better eating choices thanks to this class.’
• I had more parents contact me with praise than in my whole 10 year teaching career. This is a class that the students will always remember.”

Student choice, student voice, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration: this project has not only benefited our school, but it has empowered many students to make a difference! Kudos to Mrs. Kelley and her students!

Be Great,

Dwight