tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23858101006178008662024-03-12T21:20:18.609-07:00The Learning AbidesThoughts about education, what works and what could be exploredJeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-66889925219737340852018-07-02T14:35:00.001-07:002018-07-02T14:35:08.690-07:00It's All in the Shoes<i>"Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world" (Marilyn Monroe). </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvc0PX2PKslLRNZc0Dh2uKiFIH7vSSzvUABGpMAyUoCzmyQgd1drluLf7gH09DwYLKE-vgfXWANvzzMRRE7so7xJnm7jF8m9dHg3qKsjt6LgB9a4CU4WXzjF0lL148mmMAS2kvQhebXKT/s1600/IMG_5225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvc0PX2PKslLRNZc0Dh2uKiFIH7vSSzvUABGpMAyUoCzmyQgd1drluLf7gH09DwYLKE-vgfXWANvzzMRRE7so7xJnm7jF8m9dHg3qKsjt6LgB9a4CU4WXzjF0lL148mmMAS2kvQhebXKT/s400/IMG_5225.JPG" /></a></div>
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I enjoyed this picture from our recent graduation ceremony (credit Sheryl Koers) as it is a great illustration of how the education system needs to tailor to the individual students. While the traditional caps and gowns is important and serves as a recognizable grounding, individuality shines through underneath in a very obvious manner.<br />
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It is amazing to see the staff and the system make subtle shifts to allow for individuality, mainly in the form of using competencies as the bench mark so kids can design projects that meet the curriculum and follow personal interest.<br />
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There has never been a better time to be in the system. In large numbers, parents and community also want these opportunities for our kids. There is a recognition that if we can teach kids to function within the expectations of a system and find a way to follow there interests, they will have fulfilling careers and more satisfied lives.<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0MTsFutoNUiNzco3jNf_HVO1din3QMsAS5Rn1VAVw6c41hA9NZZlDd108DsXuTIJ-38333d2LqblRe85LkKuA_bNK5TthxfwrErUloq_V5B09MtLUKnKq6v_1VjgknnsOgrQnkbDcUkF/s1600/IMG_5226.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0MTsFutoNUiNzco3jNf_HVO1din3QMsAS5Rn1VAVw6c41hA9NZZlDd108DsXuTIJ-38333d2LqblRe85LkKuA_bNK5TthxfwrErUloq_V5B09MtLUKnKq6v_1VjgknnsOgrQnkbDcUkF/s400/IMG_5226.JPG" /></a></i><br />
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The graduation ceremony is a great time for reflection. Have we done well by these kids? Do they have what they need going forward? What is next? Maybe the answers to the questions partly lie in the shoes...<br />
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<i>"Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life" (Shel Silverstein).</i><br />
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Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-42181688193481953472016-07-01T09:37:00.002-07:002016-07-01T09:37:45.239-07:00Best Laid PlansReflecting on another school year that has passed and planning for the next one to come.<br />
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I am proud of some initiatives this year that came to fruition. In a general sense, the Elective areas created more opportunities for kids to "find their muse". The recording studio, a vegetable garden and more trades opportunities let students explore and go deeper into areas they may pursue as a career.<br />
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The Core classes are working on their instruction and assessment practices to better engage the students and looking for authentic ways to show learning.<br />
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Next year, the plan is to look at marrying the two ideas with a "Trails" umbrella of courses where kids can take Geography, Communications and Science/Math courses as they prepare for and then build a climbing trail in partnership with the local government.<br />
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This is progress.<br />
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The key message in this image is "enjoy the journey". Reading about the above plans, many educators will immediately pick holes. What about... differentiation, personalization, inquiry, wrap around, PBL, backwards design, flipped classroom, AFL, running records, benchmarks, multiple intelligences, portfolios, etc. <br />
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There are many philosophies and strategies in education. If you wait until you have covered all of them in your decisions nothing will happen.<br />
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We work with kids... the best laid plans will need to vary anyway as the kids tell us with their feet how the initiatives need to evolve. Jump in and enjoy the journey.Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-64221280952373580382014-12-25T10:43:00.001-08:002016-07-01T08:43:07.491-07:00Ch-ch-changes... Why do we do things the way we do? (Ziggy Stardust asked that question more than 40 years ago)<br />
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I read an interesting book on "happiness", one of the points of which was that when you buy something or are given something you will feel a certain amount of happiness. If you buy two or more things and receive them at the same time you do not experience nearly the same amount of happiness from those items as you would if they were spread out over a period of time.<br />
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Do we maximize happiness in our practice? Normally, give people multiple gifts (birthdays, Christmas..) on special occasions. Likewise, when it is renovation time or time to move people buy multiple things for our house all at once. It is not maximizing happiness but it is very hard to change our practice.<br />
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This is one area where I feel education has come a long way. While there are a few hold over practices, in the vast majority of instances we question our practices and look at the feedback (not necessarily formal) that the kids give us and we adjust. Research is no longer a four letter word as we look to best practices from afar and from our colleagues to improve what we do.<br />
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Contrary to the simplistic and untrue sound byte that some use ("education hasn't changed since the Industrial Revolution") maybe we could use the education system as a model for thinking about changing our own practices.Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-84060851919505882472013-12-07T11:58:00.001-08:002013-12-07T11:58:17.972-08:00Power of Hobbies<i>"Hobbies are one of the most potent methods for launching something of meaning and lasting value."</i><br />
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I saw this anonymous quote and it struck a chord with me. There has been a great deal of interest recently from staff coming up with new course offerings for next year. I find these conversations very interesting and exciting as ideas are bounced around regarding the content and logistics about how the new classes can happen. What this means is that we need to find areas of interest that appeal to both the teacher and the students, for when that happens you get fantastic buy in and interest.<br />
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This made me wonder, what things appeal to us, regardless of age? The following observations are not scientifically reliable as they are based on thinking about my parents, myself and my kids and where our interests overlap.<br />
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<i>1. Building something - not all the time, but there is a certain satisfaction with building, creating, cooking, fixing, painting... making something tangible. Not all the time, but certainly for part of the time.</i><br />
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<i>2. Movement - hiking, walking, running, exercising with a challenge or goal. The challenge can be faster or slower and getting started can seem like an effort, but once you get going it is rewarding.</i><br />
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<i>3. Pop music - we can deny it, but a pop song is catchy and stays in your head. The tried and true I-IV-V chord progression with a nice melody appealed to us years ago and still does. (Note that this does not hold true for classical, jazz, hard rock, rap or other specific genres. We may have some specific artists or songs that we like but that becomes very personal and others often will not share your enthusiasm no matter how hard you force it upon them). </i><br />
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<i>4. Accessing Information - the content of what we like is different, but the process of finding it is appealing regardless of age. </i><br />
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<i>5. Health - there is a fascination with learning about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and diet. Now </i><i>whether we implement and actually live healthy is another question.</i><br />
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Do you agree with this list? What would you add or take away?<br />
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Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-78389373305365286372013-01-27T12:20:00.000-08:002013-01-27T12:56:15.149-08:00A little humility goes a long way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span>It is always interesting to watch the inevitable wave from anonymity to popularity to target of criticism when a person or organisation achieves notoriety.<br />
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Pick almost any singer or band who has had a hit song, then began performing in stadiums and now play bars on the small town circuit (e.g. I noticed a sign a few years ago that Platinum Blonde was playing the now torn down Galaxy Night Club in Duncan, Trooper has been doing this for the past twenty years, where are Alannah Myles, Corey Hart and Glass Tiger today? Justin Bieber might want to save the money he's making now...). Roberto Luongo is statistically in the top three active goalies in the NHL yet the fans want him traded. It is likely that everyone was cheating when Lance Armstrong was winning bike races yet he is the face of disgrace. The Atkins diet is the solution, until researchers find it is not.<span id="goog_409033817"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2385810100617800866" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2385810100617800866" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2385810100617800866" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
What about education? Possibly the worst thing that can happen to a public school is to be singled out for greatness by an outfit like the Fraser Institute in their school rankings. The scrutiny and criticism would begin within days, much like it does for the elite private schools who choose their clientele and teach to the test to ensure a good rating (I suppose I should feel bad about picking at the aforementioned private schools for coming out on top... but I don't). Likewise for individual educators who are singled out for awards or praise. It can be very difficult for someone to navigate the waters within their schools or districts after winning special recognition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEpBFV8Be5dlSlvT9OR2k9NCWQHyTFDSUhymxyT_-abMjEYuSIazxeaWn2P98nbVJpn_gZxAqba6K3zbcwUF0GZJqAJVwDiV7ASIHKLYLLjz7h4u985OZvki4wKgOlNcmoRbJUT3C7m42/s1600/canadaday-fireworks-2012-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEpBFV8Be5dlSlvT9OR2k9NCWQHyTFDSUhymxyT_-abMjEYuSIazxeaWn2P98nbVJpn_gZxAqba6K3zbcwUF0GZJqAJVwDiV7ASIHKLYLLjz7h4u985OZvki4wKgOlNcmoRbJUT3C7m42/s200/canadaday-fireworks-2012-14.jpg" width="200" /></a>More people will get on board with ideas and initiatives if they are being done to improve the experience of the kids. As soon as one person or school is singled out for greatness, the other people or schools will shy away thereby lessening the impact of the action. A group collaborating is always more powerful than an individual.<br />
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A little humility can go a long way. Lets be the Tragically Hip's, Sami Salos, Daniel Nestors, Bruce Cockburns or the balanced healthy eaters in our work. The memorable, solid performer that has done great work over the long haul as opposed to going off like a roman candle for a short ride.<br />
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Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-29606697694809692272012-11-12T10:30:00.002-08:002012-11-12T10:32:21.025-08:00Blow it up... or crumble it down?<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2385810100617800866" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="imgres.jpg" border="0" src="webkit-fake-url://B87CBDC5-BF7B-432A-90EF-F25B5928BF04/imgres.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Dr. John Abbott spoke to
the combined staffs of Quamichan, Mt. Prevost middles and Cowichan Secondary in
lieu of our monthly staff meetings last week. As expected, the feedback was
mixed with some people liking his approach, others not as much. That said, his
talk on "Personalized Learning" was a success in my mind based on the
number of conversations I had with different people coming from different
angles in the days that followed. This got me thinking, are the barriers to
making some significant changes breaking down?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> Firstly is the
willingness of teachers to look at curriculum differently. This process has
been evolving slowly for many years, contrary to those who say we are in the
same schools from 1950's. While the buildings may look similar on the outside,
the pedagogy, programs and expectations on the inside are much, much different.
Kids are given opportunity to work at different rates and skill levels as
structures like the IEP (Individual Education Plan) have become a regular part
of practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The expectations of
parents is the next important step. The default position of most parents is to
want school to look like it was for them, especially when their experience with
school was a positive one. This is where the tension between experimenting with
the system to make potential improvements can conflict with the parents' view
of "thats great, but I don't want chances taken with my kid's
education". So how does the system take chances without damaging
individuals along the way?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The answer is not to
"blow up the system" but to give the freedoms to make changes a bit
at a time. If we are leaving Math and Science stable, could we combine English
and Socials as an experiment? The integrated curriculum could free up time to
go deeper into concepts while building skills, and if it works we continue if
it doesn't then we rework the concept. If we had done that with the whole
program, any problems would lead for calls to abandon all of the changes. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Could we look at
delivering electives in a package format where the kids naturally rotate
between disciplines as opposed to a rigid 8 to 10 week time period? The package
could be Stage Craft where 80-90 students are assigned to three teachers who
will split them up into Drama, Wood Work and Art to create a big production
with acting, set design, back drop and lighting. The school Yearbook could
again be structured the same as kids move between Computer Studies,
Photography, Creative Writing and Art. Music, Video and Technology can be
worked into kids learning to play instruments, produce recordings and create
music videos that could be posted. Does Marketing fit into any of these
projects?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">In this case, the
"boiled frog" analogy can be a positive one. Regular, graduated
changes can lead us to one day waking up to the realization that the system
around us has fundamentally and permanently changed for the better. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-44589344014150076402012-06-03T10:50:00.001-07:002012-11-12T10:39:57.040-08:00The good old days... and AFLJune... I quite enjoy retirement dinners, even though the speeches are often a bit long and there tends to be an over emphasis on the past. Its a bit like my father says, "The good old days: they weren't that good and you're not that old".<br />
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That said, it is great to celebrate someone's career, where they have come from, what they have done and the thoughts they leave us with. It is also a happy time; I have yet to hear a speech where the person is really sad about retiring!<br />
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In one of the speeches the host speaker took extra time to thoroughly describe all of the endeavours from the retiree's career, especially the past twenty five years. Later in the evening, after all of the formal speeches were completed, I was mingling with two respected colleagues, both of whom have thirty plus years of experience themselves.<br />
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Person A "Sure sounds a lot like what we are calling AFL"<br />
Person B "True... but now it is better defined"<br />
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That struck me as an important distinction. Better defined means instructional improvement is intentional and conscious. This allows it to be more accessible which means it is more widespread. Widespread action is also called a "movement" which is what we have been looking for in education as we try to make changes for the better.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2385810100617800866" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="imgres.jpg" border="0" src="webkit-fake-url://1857E995-534D-4AA2-BE67-9D71712F04EF/imgres.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a>The groundwork for what makes good teaching is not new. Relationships with students, fellow teachers, principals and parents are still critical as they always have been. Having standards and pushing students to be successful will always be part of the equation. Add on the ability to strategically improve instructional practice collaboratively across a staff or district and we see a better system for our kids.<br />
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Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-43901591294418481232012-05-04T10:22:00.001-07:002012-05-04T10:34:31.925-07:00Too much of a good thing? I think that I have changed my mind<br />
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For those of you in schools… have you ever felt that you were doing too many initiatives and that it had gotten away on you? You worry that in sending kids off to conferences, bringing in guest speakers and pulling students out of class for events the regular school subjects are thrown out of whack and too much curriculum is missed.<br />
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Last week I had those creeping feelings. April was tremendously busy, especially when it followed many, many events that have been ongoing throughout the year. Several of those events specifically targeted our First Nations students in grade 8 and 9. There was an Elders’ Poetry Project, a Crossing the Cultural Divide Projects, Girls Support Groups, Boys Support Groups, HIV Awareness in Aboriginal Youth sessions, the Friendship Centre Conference, a Tribes Health presentation on the effects of energy drinks, First Nations Dance group, Aboriginal Film Festival, a visit from the Chief, Canoe Races, Aboriginal Heritage Day… all great things, but it did cause wonder if they were taking away from our core function in education?<br />
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Then came the Labour Relations Board ruling that report cards must be issued on May 1<sup>st</sup> and that those report cards will give an indication of progress to date (if anyone reads this post 5-10 years from now… it is currently 2012 and we are embroiled in one of the most acrimonious contract disputes between the BCTF and BC Government in recent memory so there has not been any reporting so far this year). <br />
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As I sign report cards, my normal practice is to keep a list of students that I need to have “achievement chats” with because their marks are not satisfactory. This is somewhat subjective, but I am consistent with myself, and over the years I generally look for students with more that one “I” in courses and poor overall grades. I was pleasantly surprised to find my list was shorter than I expected. In fact it was noticeably shorter than last year. <br />
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I think that I think this is an indication of success and I think that I think it might have something to do with all of the initiatives!<br />
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It may be like Pro-D for staff. When you have a one-off session, it is often motivating but does not stick long term. The events for our Aboriginal students were different topics, but there is a common theme and that is something along the lines of “respect others, respect your community and respect yourself”. I am thinking that the net effect of multiple sessions with many of the same students attending them has been to build confidence and motivation in our First Nations students… I think. <br />
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What is our core function from grades 7 to 9? Maybe it is indeed to build confidence and motivation in places where it is lacking so those students transition to high school and pursue their studies. For students who already possess those attributes, probably missing classes is less desirable. <br />
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What is our purpose in education? It is certainly “learning”, but perhaps a truer definition is indeed “to improve the life chances for our students”. How do we accomplish this? This is the beauty and frustration of education… it allows us to think about what we are experiencing, although we are never entirely sure about what we think. </div>
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<br /></div>Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-10466902585947770662012-01-21T10:04:00.000-08:002012-01-21T12:08:48.735-08:0021st Century Learning... Intellectual Freedom and StructureThe BC Ministry of Education has rolled out the new "21st Century Learning" direction, a large component of which is self directed learning. This is clearly a move that we need to be making... or is it?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6AMdVdzqd6hBB5aXH4333RSin8koT-O9DKM8cDNDiuoijNHe9N0my19lquF-y5sd9DYr8h1n_oYc9n7FwjGMu_1CJW0s2yufh625sxuU-UUBvdomX5QxCJpdRqSxzNeQm2K7OOjFp_x6/s1600/Self+direction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6AMdVdzqd6hBB5aXH4333RSin8koT-O9DKM8cDNDiuoijNHe9N0my19lquF-y5sd9DYr8h1n_oYc9n7FwjGMu_1CJW0s2yufh625sxuU-UUBvdomX5QxCJpdRqSxzNeQm2K7OOjFp_x6/s1600/Self+direction.jpg" /></a></div>I worked in many roles (teacher, advisor, department head, vice principal) at Frances Kelsey Secondary from 2000-2008. The philosophy of the school has been to educate within a self directed/self paced model since 1995 and we worked hard to make it work for students with much tweaking and re-tweaking.<br />
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There was one particular project where grade 9 students would complete a self directed project on the topic of Child Labour using examples from the 1800's Industrial Revolution and modern times to gain credit in both English and Social Studies. The project was well designed and well explained as the teacher librarian took the lead on organizing sessions with the classroom teachers. It was a great learning experience for some and for others it turned into the biggest roadblock to completing those courses as they did not get it done. Why?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T3GLJuJNj9hgjmgDcHj0DQP6FVZWGRy9CkTxuXTMDqtHwH4xJftHZdFyJqUGVvAJM8VySDqbdIyW1JXweMXjJTARQgnjmUx-kKSv64cqyZCL_eoMfn1rDNNGiULtNQMerrxP83cgb0Xg/s1600/Procrastination2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T3GLJuJNj9hgjmgDcHj0DQP6FVZWGRy9CkTxuXTMDqtHwH4xJftHZdFyJqUGVvAJM8VySDqbdIyW1JXweMXjJTARQgnjmUx-kKSv64cqyZCL_eoMfn1rDNNGiULtNQMerrxP83cgb0Xg/s200/Procrastination2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Interestingly, some of the students who struggled with school completed just fine, while some of the kids who struggled were high achieving. It wasn't necessarily about ability. It also wasn't only about effort, as some of the hardest working students breezed through this topic easily while others became frustrated trying to figure out where to start and what to do. There was also the biggest challenge of all, which was how to create a sense of urgency to get it done... putting in our timelines while trying to respect the kids' goal of planning their learning. As with most of us, procrastination is a powerful enemy.<br />
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It was important to have that project in the curriculum for those courses. Kids learned about planning, research and organizing their learning. However, I would not want to have had another similar project back to back with this one. Maybe that is the point. Self direction is great, but it cannot be all the time.<br />
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Think of yourself. I enjoy taking on a project where I see a need and an opportunity, but in between these endeavors it is comforting to have the tasks someone else is requiring that I do. The real challenge is to find the balance freedom to design your learning within a framework of structure.Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-72791408034476020192012-01-14T11:40:00.000-08:002012-01-21T10:09:18.748-08:00Testing and Survey Season... a time for contemplation<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">It is that time of year in public education that I affectionately refer to as "survey season". In the month encompassing late January to mid February, schools will complete provincial exams in grade 10, 11 and 12 the FSA tests in grades 4 and 7, the provincial satisfaction survey in grades 7, 10 and 12, social responsibility ratings for grades 7 and 9... and I may be forgetting to list one or two as my mind is also focused on the 1701 enrolment re-count, the Bill 33 compliance forms and mid year class rotations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">If this sounds like a complaint, it is only a conditional one.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">It feels like the Satisfaction Survey, while a good idea on paper, is not reliable in practise. Very few parents and almost no staff participate. Students do not want to do it, but are made to which means they are not vested in their responses. I have to question the investment of time and energy on this one.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrxc_gEl3kFmtNHYNCDwVHmkuAVC2N2VxawZRGSWrdmRA4u0xJcJr_TswO_6row2JKsVU3jv0ZOCAA18Mpk6AmfPOGomY7nLs68tq2tcUjmXn8t7N7k4X7xermv_QwBLmb0u6z1KatWkp/s1600/Map+Of+BC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrxc_gEl3kFmtNHYNCDwVHmkuAVC2N2VxawZRGSWrdmRA4u0xJcJr_TswO_6row2JKsVU3jv0ZOCAA18Mpk6AmfPOGomY7nLs68tq2tcUjmXn8t7N7k4X7xermv_QwBLmb0u6z1KatWkp/s200/Map+Of+BC.jpg" width="181" /></a><span style="font-family: Times;">The other is the FSA. I do not object to the idea of "light testing" of the system. I remember a comment from a seminar I attended with Linda Kaiser and Judy Halbert (provincial leaders in education) where they made the comment that low stakes testing at grades 4, 7, 10, 11 and 12 was appropriate as "checks on the system". I agree. Provincial testing is by no means perfect, but don't we want an indication that kids in Nelson can demonstrate learning outcomes at similar levels to kids in Prince George to kids in Vancouver to kids in the Cowichan Valley... and bodies who use that information for questionable purposes should not deter us. As a respected colleague of mine stated at a staff meeting "I am not a card carrying member of the Church of the Fraser Institute... but measuring performance matters".</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">The FSA is too politicised and it is probably too long. What would happen if it were replaced with one hour provincial exams in Math and English (reading and writing) that were worth 5-10% of a final grade? Low stakes, worth something to the students and provides an indication as to how the system is performing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">I (and I might be in the minority here) like the provincial exams as they currently exist. The grade 10 Math, English and Science exams as well as the Socials 11 exam are worth 20% of a student's mark. That is a good percentage. It means the exam in meaningful in the calculation of the final grade, but it is not high stakes testing. We always wanted our students to go in with a "magic 63%" as their course mark as that means no matter what happened with the test, they would know that the blended mark would be a passing 50% (by the way, I never had a student score a 0 on an exam). In this way, students are nervous, but not paralysed by fear. If I had a suggestion here, it would be to consider moving the only other mandatory exam, English 12 or Communications 12, from 40% of a student's final mark to 20%.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">I also like the fact that most provincial exams are an ending assessment of mandatory courses that students have been taking since elementary school. SS 11 is the last of the Social Studies courses for graduation before it breaks into electives such as History 12, Law 12 and Geography 12. Science 10 is mandatory and then it can be a choice of one or more of Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and others for the grade 11 Science requirement. English or Communications 12 is the last of the mandatory courses for graduation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEmzwMZa5lzlTIIKOL-oCAjFr8IP3tboQeLd2rIDU-fpNVwyu6Oy7SV04oRd-hZGLqtiD_V1wGNNvPb9ZtOy_krxwK4DBvVmi4wMm9EBTbQSHMMr7htpTMmJtuRKd8R505KPtg9ixBqTs/s1600/Test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEmzwMZa5lzlTIIKOL-oCAjFr8IP3tboQeLd2rIDU-fpNVwyu6Oy7SV04oRd-hZGLqtiD_V1wGNNvPb9ZtOy_krxwK4DBvVmi4wMm9EBTbQSHMMr7htpTMmJtuRKd8R505KPtg9ixBqTs/s1600/Test.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Interestingly, English has both a measurement at the grade 10 and 12 level. What about Math? Students need to complete a Math 11 course to graduate, so why not have the final measurement at that level? If we want a check on math skills between grade 7 and 11, why not move the Math 10 exam could be moved to grade 9?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times;">It feels good to get these thoughts out now, as in two weeks we will be knee deep in "survey season" for another year.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div>Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-40306205761039999382012-01-02T12:36:00.000-08:002012-01-14T20:55:02.158-08:00Middle School exploratory options... and the value of conversations<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In mid December, I was able to meet with Janet and Nancy (the Principal and Vice Principal) from Kitimat in the Coast Mountain District as they will be moving to a middle school structure in their school next year and they were in the Cowichan Valley looking for some ideas. We discussed many things, one of which was how to best run exploratory and elective courses.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Quamichan, we have the grade seven and eight students stay with their class as they go through two to three main teachers (Humanities and Math/Science with French, Literacy and PE mixed into the teaching assignments). We then have the exploratory blocks as eight to ten week cycles that the groups rotate through (this is where we mix classes so the kids have a chance to be in classes with different students then their home room).</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="webkit-fake-url://A4787246-F8CB-4BF5-A359-901CF5F3E6A9/School.ABC%20School%20Slate.(SC1000).(1.66x2.17)6109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In grade nine we have the students assigned block by block to ensure specialized instruction and prepare them for secondary school. What we have done this year is to then group all of the exploratory options in the same blocks so we can offer the students half or full year exploratory options. In this way, the grade nine students, instead of only selecting three exploratory choices, have the option to experience as many as six different half year electives or to stay in the elective all year if they have a passion for the subject. This also allows us to use some of the half year blocks for IDS, tutorial and LA options.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEVe-c0EMYGb3a9LIGcHRL0uL96pZdOZM7dj3OaNkvqR6Rw7v_5CVMMiSz1L5bequSy4bBBc0gyYjxGUiP5StnZYbx-Mw_iW7kq2EpMmryjIpFuVr2W-WSKhaqzvd19H7QPlfr9G750V-/s1600/Coast+Salish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEVe-c0EMYGb3a9LIGcHRL0uL96pZdOZM7dj3OaNkvqR6Rw7v_5CVMMiSz1L5bequSy4bBBc0gyYjxGUiP5StnZYbx-Mw_iW7kq2EpMmryjIpFuVr2W-WSKhaqzvd19H7QPlfr9G750V-/s200/Coast+Salish.jpg" width="156" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also made some hard decisions this year as declining enrollment means that choices must be made. In grade seven we dropped the formal computer studies elective and combined woodwork with art to allow us to offer a "Coast Salish 7" course, the goal of which is to build common understanding of the First Nations history in the Cowichan Valley for all of our students during their first year at Quamichan. In grade eight we were able to maintain a full slate of elective options as it is a larger group. Choices will have to be made next year. In grade nine, the half year elective options allowed us to create a contemporary "Music 9" class that runs in addition to band and kids can learn to play guitar, piano, sing, record, produce, make videos... for modern music. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe the most important point of this whole exercise was that, in discussing these exploratory issues with Janet and Nancy, it also had a very positive effect as a reminder that we, at Quamichan, are experimenting and being creative to better the educational experiences of our students. Sometimes during the year, in between the constant politicization of education amongst the different "adult" groups and the normal day to day stressors, it is vitally important to "keep our eyes on the prize". Having a chance to talk with others, especially those who are from another district, can be a real shot in the arm. </span></div><br />
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<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-16060344922644351752011-12-26T10:19:00.000-08:002012-01-14T20:59:22.431-08:00The straw that stirs the drink... English 10?A few weeks back the middle and secondary principals in district 79 were invited to meet with Ministry of Education (BC) "data guru" Gerald Morton. An interesting conversation, to be sure, and hopefully we will have more.<br />
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Two of the ideas that struck me were:<br />
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1. If students can get 60% on the English 10 provincial exam while they are in their grade 10 year, they statistically are almost a lock to graduate from high school.<br />
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2. If students can score 60% or better on the English 12 provincial exam, they are considered to be a "literate" person to international <a href="http://www.oecd.org/" rel="nofollow" title="Wikipedia">OECD</a> (<i>Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)</i> standards. <br />
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Now I may need to double check these two things, but if they are indeed correct it answers some questions that I have been pondering over the past few years.<br />
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To get the best bang for your buck in terms of improving student achievement, where do you start? English 10. If the data holds true, this course is the straw that stirs the drink. We tested this at Lake Cowichan three years ago (without having this data, just playing a hunch) by having a small English 10 class for students we were concerned about with a strong teacher. Indeed the grad rate went up two years later. <br />
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Once we have more students graduating, the creeping worry enters - are we lowering standards in our efforts to have more kids be successful? The English 12 exam target allows us to answer that question and plan for success. This is important. I have heard loud and clear from the Cowichan First Nations leadership that they are pleased a higher percentage of Aboriginal kids are graduating, but they do not want that to be with a watered down course load.<br />
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What does this mean at the middle school level? Should we have a small English 9 course that acts like a pre-English 10? Should we be starting English 10 early for our kids that we feel may need more time? We crossed this bridge with Math many years ago by having supported classes at different levels with differentiated instruction and adapted curriculum at early levels. Have we resisted doing the same with English because of its artistic nature?<br />
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A thought to ponder... for as said by the American poet <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0000cc; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/ralphwaldo163674.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0000cc; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Ralph Waldo Emerson</a> </span></span>"t<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">he ancestor of every action is a thought".</span>Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2385810100617800866.post-53637898462186266972011-12-23T20:49:00.000-08:002011-12-25T23:23:04.661-08:00My reason for bloggingIn short, I feel that I have something to offer to the conversation...<br />
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It has been fascinating watching the rapid evolution of social media recently as a professional development tool. I bring experiences in school leadership as a Vice Principal and then Principal from a self paced secondary model, a small school which contained both a middle and high school and now a middle school with a very diverse population. I believe that a strength of mine is hearing a good idea, evaluating it and making it happen with buy in from others.<br />
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At Frances Kelsey Secondary, we had the experience of being a very innovative school whose self paced system was one of only two in the province. The conversation there became "how do we stay innovative, while keeping to our philosophy?"<br />
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I then moved to Lake Cowichan Middle/Secondary where I came in as part of a brand new admin team with Peter Jory. A stroke of good fortune was that we lived very close to each other and were able to carpool out to Lake Cowichan every day. Those drives were some of the best professional development a new team could ask for as we bounced ideas off of each other and made plans for LCSS. If you read Peter's blog <a href="http://peterjory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://peterjory.blogspot.com/ </a> (the Wed, Dec 21 2011 posting) you will see the list of many changes that occurred under our watch.<br />
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My latest move has been to Quamichan Middle where I have assumed the Principal's chair. It is a wonderful school that serves both the highest and lowest socioeconomic areas of the Cowichan Valley and has a vibrant First Nations program to enrich the 20-25% of our kids who are of Aboriginal ancestry. The staff has been on an AFL journey to improve the instructional practice in the school for a number of years and one of my missions has been to continue promoting and supporting that work.<br />
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More to come, but there it is... an introduction as to why I have set up a blog.Jeff Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880258553386677685noreply@blogger.com0