Thursday, August 5, 2010

Gearing Up for Another Go


Ah… the golden sunshine of August.  Families are enjoying the last few weeks of vacation.  Administrators are just taking up their new mantles of leadership.  The office staff is cheerfully moving through a maze of boxes, while the custodial and IT staffs race to beat the ticking clock and the influx of returning teachers and students.

What about the teachers?  There is nothing “part time” about what teachers do. Some of us did get-away-from-it-all for a week or two.  But many more of us taught summer school, or became students by enrolling in post-graduate classes.  Most of us worked on classroom curriculum plans in response to newly adopted reading materials.  And some of us were involved in professional and personal development activities of our own; writing, reading, speaking, or just plain thinking.

I was a part of a cadre of English Language Arts (ELA) teachers who spent scores of hours during July and August crafting a clearly articulated ELA Scope and Sequence for grades 4 through 8.  The work was intense and engaging and will go a long way toward providing consistency in writing and reading across grade levels and classrooms.  As parents, you will become as familiar as your students with this initiative as the year progresses.  Guaranteed.

I had the opportunity to speak at the d.school (Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute for Design) in July.  Sitting on a “Panel of Doers,” and sharing the story of how well the Integrated Exploratory experiment worked last year with a group of novice ‘design thinkers,’ could have been the highlight of my summer.  It sparked new and now continuing collegial discussions with teachers and entrepreneurs from Greenwich, Connecticut and Toronto, Canada, and from Malibu to Bakersfield.  The buzz about design thinking, big questions, and helping kids make connections between bits of curriculum is growing wider and more strident. 

Because last year, our inaugural year, was so extraordinary, I couldn’t let the summer pass without sharing the experience with an even larger audience.  Although several months from actual publication, the book I wrote this summer, with the working title “A Different Kind of Classroom,” seems to be striking a chord with practicing professional educators across the country who are seeking answers to the questions of relevancy and rigor in America’s classrooms. The intent of the book is to assist other teachers who may wish to replicate our success.

So, school starts again for teachers in slightly more than a week, and we will face the flurry of meetings and staff development opportunities that are de rigor for those precious days.  I will be taking time to write to my new crop of 5th grade Explorers during that week.  I will be urging them to gear up for a great year of independent - but structured - investigation, and increased responsibility and accountability for their work.  In the meantime, you may wish to review the Welcome the Integrated Exploratory Class blog post from July, 2009 to find out what Integrated Exploratory is all about; how it differs from a traditional classroom.  And do SAVE THE DATE for our Back to School Q & A dinner on Thursday, August 26th. 

Relaxed? Yes. Busy? You bet. The summer months, for me, are a time of pursuing slightly different professional dreams. 

Saturday, May 22, 2010

What a Year!

It is hard to believe that the 2009-2010 school year has less than 15 days left.  If you are at all like me, you are wondering, "Where did it go?"  I guess the easy answer is that we were so engaged in the process of learning that the time just flew by.  The students and I have had a most wonderful year.  We expressed our gratitude last Tuesday during our Parent Appreciation Dinner.  For photos of the event (Thank you, Sallie DeGolia!) please click HERE.   And, I expressed my personal THANKS - publicly - in a recent letter to the Portola Valley Governing Board.  Allow me to share this communication with all of you.
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May 14, 2010

Mr. Steven Humphreys, Acting President
The Portola Valley School District Governing Board
4575 Alpine Road
Portola Valley, CA  94028

Dear Mr. Humphreys and Members of the Governing Board:

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Governing Board for providing impetus and support for the 21st Century Learning Initiative that began in the 4th and 5th grades this school year.  In my lengthy career as a public school teacher, I can honestly say that I have never experienced such an invigorating year.  It was inspirational, both intellectually and professionally. The challenges of providing this new, enhanced curriculum delivery system prompted an explosion in my own professional growth. 
The academic effects of this initiative on student proficiency have yet to be proven through end-of-year assessments.  But if the anecdotes I’ve collected, the interviews students have provided, and the documented positive attitudes of both students and parents are any indication of success, we have triumphed beyond our wildest imaginings.  Without the unflagging support of my administrators, Carol Piraino and Anne Campbell, the responsiveness of the IT team under Tom Keating, the instantaneous provision of resources provided by the library staff under Carolyn Billheimer, and visionary thinkers such as yourselves, none of this extraordinary year would have been possible.
I would, however, be remiss in my expression of appreciation, if I did not speak to the parents of my students who have given unstintingly of their time and resources to support our ambitious agenda of field trips, specialized integrated activities, classroom projects, and the video documentation of our school year.   All of the Integrated Exploratory parents were instrumental in our success.  For the record, I would like to acknowledge the following special individuals for support and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty.

  • Meredith McClintock was instrumental in planning, booking, and logistical support for no fewer than 25 field trips, ranging from the San Francisco Exploratorium to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  When asked what they liked most about the school year, a large percentage of my students named one of those many trips.  It was an absolutely mammoth task Meredith undertook, and she gracefully handled the whims of booking agencies as well as last minute changes in drivers and departure times. 

  • Using our social studies curriculum as a basis, Angie Schillace brought music integration in the form of instruction in the pentatonic scale during our study of Native American peoples. She provided scaffolding in melodic composition using USA landforms as a musical motif in a class-created US States and Capitals song composed on Garageband.

  • Phyllis Eicher conveyed her expertise and love of art as she led several visualization exercises during our study of artists and their techniques.  From cave painting, to Paul Gaughin, to Stuart Gilbert and portraiture, to Georgia O’Keefe’s exquisite eye, and Ansel Adams’ nature photography, she matched our social studies themes with the art and techniques of the time period. 

  • But, without a doubt, it was Linda Yates who championed this Integrated Exploratory experiment from the start. Throughout the year, she provided companion vision to my own, and energy, commitment, and resources to convert our ambitious agenda into a fully functioning reality. The litany of her many significant contributions to our 5th grade class could take pages.  I list only a few.  Linda has been…
    • a strident advocate for the adoption of this 21st Century model, including hosting a beginning-of-the-year get acquainted dinner at her home,
    • a strong proponent of the early release Wednesday initiative so teachers could accommodate massive changes to curriculum and instruction,
    • a provider of classroom resources and materials (e.g. books, maps, student comfort items), including classroom iLab organization and items integral to design thinking,
    • a vocal and financial supporter of the 1:1 laptop initiative,
    • a behind the scenes supporter of our intensive hands-on science program,
    • a principle underwriter of visiting author Peter Lourie and his writers’ workshop,
    • the primary proponent and underwriter of the iLab idea for the old library space,
    • a developer of partnerships between our class and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (formerly the d.school) and the School of Archaeology at Stanford, and
    • the underwriter of the video documentation of this extraordinary year.
It is true that Linda and I did not see eye-to-eye on every issue.  That, I believe, is the cost of innovation and early adoption, when passions run high and cynicism cuts deep.  Without Linda’s tireless efforts, however, we would not have achieved the successes we have witnessed this year.  The parents, the students, and I, indeed everyone involved in the Integrated Exploratory class, owe Linda Yates a tremendous debt of gratitude. 

As we move through the next few years, we can only hope to find ambitious, energetic individuals who provide the synergy we have experienced and who will continue the levels of support for this 21st Century Initiative we have enjoyed this year.  The students and I expect to formally thank all of our parents on Tuesday, May 18th from 5:30 – 7:30.  If you find time to drop by, we would love to have you share in our celebration. 

Very truly yours,
Marcia Barton

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Interview with IDEO Founder David Kelly

David Kelly, the founder of IDEO, explains "Design Thinking" in this interview.  If you have a chance, read it.  I think our Integrated Exploratory class in right on track!

http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/visionaries/DavidKelley

Sunday, March 7, 2010

What's the Point?


My family, friends, and peers often ask, “Why are you doing this?  At this stage of your career, why are you invested so heavily in this process?  Shouldn’t you be slowing down instead of revving up?”  My answer, after no small amount of considered reflection, is a resounding “No!”  I cannot give in (give up) now.  Not when I feel we are on the verge of a complete and very necessary shift in educational pedagogy.  A shift that was summoned by (and I have been awaiting since) A Nation At Risk in 1983.
Indulge me in a bit of back-story.  I came of age and began my professional career in the late 1960s; a decade of personal turmoil, political assassination, and prolonged mistrust and conflict. My passions and opinions were forged in that crucible.  It was then, after sampling theater arts, anthropology, journalism, and English as major courses of study that I determined a career in education was the ONLY way to level the playing field for marginalized populations, and to get the general public thinking about and acting upon solutions for the world’s complex problems. I guess you could say I became a staunch “Jeffersonian” educator during that time.  One who believes that educating the masses is the only way to maintain a functioning democracy that serves all the people.
            Since those heady days of spirited optimism, I have observed - from the inside - the gradual degradation of the educational systems in several areas our country. Despite the heroic efforts by many well-meaning people, schools are always a pawn in political maneuvering.  Schools seem to be chronically under funded, consistently the target of budget cuts.  Schools are always under attack by critics who believe they know how to ‘do school’ better, or at the mercy of funding agencies which refuse to grant the time it takes (often 12-15 years) to maintain a course of change in order to see if a proposed improvement actually works.  Schools and teachers are constantly in the crosshairs of state and federal governments that require slavish adherence to mandated curriculum and performance levels.  If I were a cynic I might believe that those in power like it this way.  Keeping the masses of students the public schools have turned out over the last quarter century sheepishly dogmatic, compliant, cogs in a much bigger machine.
 Like business interests, educational organizations, in order to reach optimum potential, need resources: time, money, and the best and brightest people.  Yet salaries for teachers, in most school districts, remain poor.  Poor salaries attract marginal workers. Marginal workers remain meek in the face of large education bureaucracies. Teaching is a tough gig. It is labor intensive and crisis driven.  Many teachers give up or resort to a “work to the contract” mode and rely heavily on prescribed texts and workbooks proffered by the flashy marketing machine of the publishing industry.  It becomes a repetitive grind.  Whether its peer support, funding for special supplies or technology, or just physical energy that is lacking, most, sadly, never venture to try anything innovative.  Educational organizations and the  people who inhabit them, perhaps through no fault of their own, seem to be trapped in a cycle of ineptitude that is sustained through lack of funding, a stultifying national curriculum, and a society that values attitude over aptitude.
And my point is...?  This is the reason I have chosen an Integrated Exploratory model as my path. I believe that Thomas Jefferson’s idea of developing an intelligent electorate as the means to preserving democracy is in grave peril.  Could it be that public education’s role as sustainer of hard fought American ideals has failed?  Use critical thinking.  Look around.  Talk to the hundreds of students who drop out of school every day.  Listen to what they say.  Read the newspapers.  Watch TV.  Are today's policy makers, financial firms, entertainment industries, and sports franchises making intelligent choices that will benefit our Country?  Perhaps the fault can be laid a the school's doorstep. It appears they have been failing in their duty to truly educate the populous. 
I see this new "integrated exploratory" content delivery model – an engaging model that focuses learners on THINKING, thinking deeply and critically, thinking about everything – as a means to an end.  It has the potential to move students (and later global citizens) back into that realm of wide understanding: where problem solving rather than conflict is the means to an end; where doing what’s right, not just what’s expedient are once again fashionable.  Instead of dampening children’s inventive spirits with the mundane, the constructivist nature of the integrated exploratory curriculum has the power to ignite them with authentic engagement.  Our American culture as well as our planet sorely needs the creative spirits and inventive minds this type of pedagogy produces.
In a mere 10 to15 years our 5th graders will become decision makers and leaders on a world stage. As educators we must provide them with the tools they need to negotiate this brave-new-world.  We must do this not just because they will soon be in charge, but for the rest of us, too.   We who are leading this charge for change, as well as those who are not, will be sharing the planet during their prime. The learners of today will be called upon to exercise their power, their choices and judgments.  Will they have the skills to think clearly and to act decisively in the interest of all of us?  Or will they be "me" focused and consumed by greed and competition. 
We've heard it before, "Think globally and act locally."  Integrated Exploratory and its design- thinking component is a single class, a small start. But it is a class that could help ignite a school-wide then perhaps a state or national trend.  Portola Valley is a small school district, but it is located in the cradle of innovation, Silicon Valley. By virtue of its location our tiny sphere of influence can only increase. I am one teacher of a handful in this district who is committed to this movement. We are not alone.  There is a growing state and national trend toward this new pedagogical structure that merges academic disciplines into systems.  Something educational futurists are beginning to call transdisciplinarity. 
For decades business ventures have seen the value of design thinking and the benefits it has on their bottom lines.  It is apparent now that teachers, like me, need to wrestle our profession from the grip of the text book companies and the mavens of the content standards movement who would prescribe away all vestiges of mental acuity.  We will lead the assault on the status quo even though we become the lightning rods in the process.  Teacher training programs, usually the last to change, will be forced to adopt new pedagogical programs once public outcry reaches critical mass. Until then schools and  teachers can choose to work in conjunction with organizations like the d.school at Stanford or IDEO in Menlo Park or ISKME in Half Moon Bay. Through them teachers will receive the type of training they need to carry the design-thinking torch into the next decades.
Critical thinking, design thinking, integrated exploratory thinking are, in my view, one and the same.  Creating an environment that provides a comfortable space for children to exercise their blossoming abilities as thinkers and organizing curriculum into "systems" that make connections between disciplines is the most significant job of this new millennium.   It is this transformative path I have selected today.  The logical next phase of a vital career path chosen 40 years ago.  The persistence of a functional democracy and a robust planet depend on my efforts.  That’s the point.

Monday, March 1, 2010

A Letter from an Integrated Exploratory Parent

Imagine my excitement when I found this e-letter (below) in my inbox today.  It does indeed take a village, and my Portola Valley parent community has certainly become that supportive village.  Thank you, Carrie Griffin, for your unsolicited feedback.  Read on...


Dear Barton Class Parents:
Please click on the link below to see 3 fantastic short videos of our
impressive student explorers on their fantastic voyages in Ms. Barton's
class!

http://www.pvsd.net/Technology/MacBook_Pilot/

I for one feel incredibly grateful to all the key people I have copied in
the "cc" box above, who have made this pilot class possible!  And additional
huge thanks goes to Steve Marra who beautifully documented these unique
learning experiences in the videos, so we could all get an upfront feel for
how our children are learning 5th grade subjects in a more multidimensional
and engaging way.

I encourage ALL parents who feel similar appreciation to send an email to
those key people in the "cc" box above.  We want them to have feedback to
guide further efforts for the entire district.

And if you haven't visited Marcy's website:
http://www.cms.pvsd.net/~mbarton/  or her blog:
http://integratedexploratoryclass.blogspot.com/ lately, they are RICH with
more samples of student work (click on Student Created Exploratory Research
Projects to see websites, books and powerpoints presented recently).

The BIGGEST THANKS of course goes to Marcy Barton, who worked all last
summer to launch this pilot, did numerous special trainings, and continues
to work overtime to make it incredibly successful!!!  Fortunately for all of
us, this work feeds her soul, and you can tell in the interviews how
fulfilling this is for her.  But also, big kudos go to the administration,
Ms. Piraino, Ms. Campbell and Mr. Keating, as well as our forward-thinking
School Board for providing the context to make this "pilot program" possible
and provide the resources to ensure its success.

There are also a large number of our parents who have devoted countless
hours to arranging unique field trips (and driving them), integrating
amazing art and music to supplement the curriculum, enlisting Lisa Detloff
to add dimension to our science curriculum, and coming in to help in the
classroom.

It takes a village!  Many thanks to ALL!