Monthly Archives: June 2014

NCCAT: To the Kenan Level

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Before you read this post, I just want to say you need to imagine reading this with the “Sound of Music” playing in the background, because truly “the hills were alive with the sound of music”this week!

Now that we have set the mood, lets talk NCCAT. It can easily be described by the recently coined phrase, “What happens in Sylva, stays in Sylva. Because there is no Wi-fi.”

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…however, the hope is that what has happened here at NCCAT, DOES make it out of Sylva! (No “Vegas moments” here people.)

In all honesty, how does ANYONE choose a highlight from this week? It has been a week of inspiration, of renewed energy, and most importantly of GROWTH! To put it a more relatable view, it is comparable to a week of EdCamp, which if you haven’t attended one of these, is a large networking and collaborative effort put on by educators to better instruction (it is called the “unconference” of conferences, as it is PD that is personalized. Which means it is TRULY PD. Unheard of, right?) Translation: an educators dream come true!

Now imagine non-stop discussions on curriculum, STEM, policy, leadership, strategies, (and of course, a sprinkling of occasional conversations not related to education!) Not sure what could have a group of educators more pumped (?)

Highlights though? Items I want my students and colleagues to take back? I guess I can attempt to put this into a list. Although, not sure where to begin, so lets just start…

(1) Progress and growth is no longer a choice. It is now how well you find the resources and tools to grow, and how well you are using it to benefit not only just yourself, but others. The “others” part is KEY!

(2) STEM is JUST a label. I have always had a hard time understanding why we needed to label STEM content areas as “STEM” to begin with. When I attended a session held by Justin O., a member of Wake Co. Schools, and he spoke similar thoughts, all I could think was, “Yes! Preach it!” I mean shouldn’t all educators be “teaching” STEM? Shouldn’t all learning be “inquiry” in process having students thinking on their own? Shouldn’t ALL areas then be labeled “STEM?” Just some food for thought…

(3) Lets talk Twitter. I LOVE Twitter. I’m not ashamed to say I may be mildly (or really) obsessed (probably should be in a support group…) So I don’t go on a Twitter rant, I’ll keep it short: it is transformative for instructional growth in the education realm. And when you meet Twitter enthusiasts from your PLN, it is literally like the Sound of Music became the soundtrack of that given moment. So how does this relate? It happens that several members of my PLN are Kenan Fellows, too. How incredible is that?! (There may have been some squealing involved when we met.)

(4) Growing means risking! Not sure anything can compare to the lessons learned from a rafting trip down the Nantahala (…so maybe those may be left on Nantahala, and be “Vegas moments?”)

(5) Promotional plug! (Sorry, you have to put at least one in, right?) Discovery Education is packed FULL of resources, particularly for literacy; I would inquire within your School District if it is available (because really it’s invaluable.)

(6)  That as educators we need to convey the message to our students, “we expect you to fail, but not to quit!” Think about that. HOW can that transform a classroom? Your growth as an educator? Your schools growth as a learning hub? Your Districts growth for the overall community?

(7) Understanding that not all educators want to change, or will. This is an area I truly struggle with, and I know I take to much to heart. To have grown these past few days with those who share similar struggles has helped me to better understand I should be receptive to those who are willing, and with time, change may occur. Lead by example, you know?

(8) The fellowship that a fellowship brings! I could share numerous resources, Apps, strategies, etc. on here. But really what I want to share is that there ARE educators out there who are trying to change the profession for our students; who are trying to become transformative for our students and staff. Transforming the education climate means becoming advocates for instructional strategies, curriculum, and approaches that impact students (and, while many may not want to hear this, are “data driven!”) This fellowship has the ability to push us as educators, to risk more as educators, to become better students for OUR students!

So my highlight of the week? Not the amount of laughter or adventure we received (…or really the geek sessions on education! Although, to be honest, that was close.) It’s knowing that I am blessed with an incredible support network of INSPIRING educators. It’s knowing I have an incredible amount to grow as an educator, and I now have the resources/support necessary to become the educator I need to be for the students within my District. It is knowing I can answer one simple question, which I’ve often wondered since Day 1 in the classroom:

“What can be more powerful than a group of educators optimistic, passionate educators learning, sharing, and growing together?”

Nothing can possibly be more powerful! So now the question is, how do we make this a reality for all communities?

RMS

 

…the Kenan Road Ahead!

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When I first received the call, I admit, it was as if it was a scene straight from Friends, where the girls squeal and anyone who happens to, unfortunately, be around at that time has NO idea what has just happened. Similarly, I squealed, I jumped, I called and e-mailed all of those who supported me…and then I thought, “wait. What have I just gotten myself into?”

Granted, I had no idea at that very moment how much the Kenan Fellowship would transform my instructional design, or capacity as a leader. Let alone my workload.

I first heard of the Kenan Fellowship from a close Professor over a year ago, and initially shrugged if off as, “more qualified teachers than myself get that. There is no way I have a shot.” From the comment, you can gauge I did not pursue the Kenan route the first time. However, it would be nearly a year later that the same opportunity presented itself to me from an individual whom I highly respect within the local school district. At that point, I still thought, “I have no shot. But I guess I won’t know until I try. There must be a reason I keep hearing about it.” So I shot a few darts, and surprisingly, one turned into a bulls-eye! Initially, when applying for the fellowship, there were only general ones for the region in which I work; so I thought, “why not. Write your own!” And I did for the following reason: I recently had taken a group of students to Wake Forest University’s Regenerative Institute (WFIRM), and desired for them to see first-hand how the concepts within the classroom are so real around us, and… just incredibly innovative! I wanted them to see beyond the classroom walls, steps within the science realm often lead to the betterment of lives for those close to us, and those whom we may never meet.

That being said, I wrote a proposal in hopes of tying engineering to the conceptual framework of our county for grades 6-8. Yet, what I ended up with in that bulls-eye throw was something much more than I could have imagined.

Specifically, my fellowship is entitled “Partnering to Enable Innovative Teaching Practices.” Basically, a long-winded title which means I have the opportunity to merge the local community with the nearby school system, transforming our instructional strategies! I have the unique experience to collaborate with Novant Health and Lenovo, to create a foundation of STEM literacy, and strategies within classroom environments. More so, it provides the opportunity to expound upon professional development (PD) through unique mediums for the staff within my county.

Yet, and all the reason which I applied for the fellowship, it has the immense opportunity to impact students for years to come. One of my hopes when I began teaching was to inspire individuals, whether staff or students, to risk in pursuit of betterment. If we can risk more, we can grow more, and therefore do more for our community. It is my greatest desire to bring the community into the classroom for the students; to not limit or define a child’s educational experience by the classroom walls. With that being said, the greatest impact this fellowship may bring is the fuel necessary to transform the practices of other science educators, in order to fuel our students passion for STEM professions with the local community. It is my belief that a school is only as strong as its community, and we must be willing to blur the lines…we must be willing to connect with those around us for our students’ behalf. Therefore, ultimately, my hope is to solidify a strong partnership between Novant and our district.

Earlier this week, I had to pleasure of meeting with several individuals from Novant to begin the process of solidifying a foundation for this partnership. The result is, as I am thrilled to say, what will be an incredible growth and risk taking experience for myself, the staff whom I work with, and our students. I will be meeting with each department leader, learning about their expertise, necessary skill sets, successes, and challenges of their job. From there, I will narrow down several departments to further gain experience in. Fortunately, since my Fellowship is so broad, it can transform throughout “unexpected” avenues. For now though, the hope is to bring the following (loose!) plan, shown below, to life!

With all that being said, I hope you follow me on this journey!

RMS

The following is a preliminary Kenan Fellowship plan. Click the image below to enlarge.

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