Expeditions - Long Term Ideas
• Cross curricular activities/projects.• The structure of high schools is not conducive to adapting to needs of personalized education. Carnegie unit drives instruction. In an era where technology allows us to track how students are mastering the standards and assessment may be validated, why not move toward a system that allows students to master the expected skills and continue at their own pace? A relationship between each student and someone at the school is also necessary - a career plan and learning plan and someone to work with the student and family to make the transition from education to post-secondary or work world is needed. These shifts cannot be made rapidly and it will be necessary to change the way schools "do business" for staff and community to accept the ideas and still ensure a rigorous educational experience.
• We need to consider the 8 critical factors of 'rethinking agenda' for the high school experience.
• The importance of making high school a positive experience. This book describes many ways to improve the climate in the schools.
• Some ideas can be implemented over a longer period of time. Ninth graders needed to be eased into the high school schedule with at least one productive study hall per day. The school should be results oriented. Departments and faculties must constantly be focused on school improvement and working with one another to implement subjects across the curriculum.
• There is a great deal of planning that needs to be done long term. Wisner no longer offers this program because of lack of interest. Students concerns and input will be important to determine if this type of a program will fly or not. Coordination and brainstorming with area collges would also be necessary for long term planning.
• Service learning is obviously a trend as it is becoming implemented at the college level.
• As for the article on not grading - I like to see a product - a resume and either it's a resume or it's not or an interview - either the student can complete the interview or they can't. So a pass/fail system would work great in the area I teach. (however what about assessments & standards that we are required to do? I'm not sure how it fits there)
• more emphasis placed on connections and relationships than content?
• Restructing the entire school day. Logan View may utilize flexible periods, form student groups that have input into the curriculum choices, provide a variety of ways to meet state standards.
• We will continue to find ways to involve students in more inschool activities and participation type events and fun.
• I don't see any really new ideas here. I think every teacher knows it is easier to meet the needs of a smaller group of students. I believe that reading and writing is key to a childs learning and much of this comes in the home at an early age. Maybe there needs to be more academic groups and extracurricular activities along with sports. There needs to be a way to get kids to feel connected with school.
• High school can become more relevant to students if they have the opportunity for real-world experiences. All students at BPHS participate in an internship for half a day every Wednesday.
• Being able to provide foreign language outside the foreign language classroom.
• Our high school needs to be flexible and offer maybe three high school tracks in one building - some kids are accelerated, some need more time, some have no need for activities just want the education hours, etc. or we need to coordinate with area schools and let kids choose a school based on different academic academies - like Omaha has open enrollment in their city for students to choose what interests them...
• The same as mentioned above.
• I think our school district is willing to look at all possibilities.
• Communication and rethinking how we do things.
• Flexible scheduling for upperclassman??
• *Student Learning Communities. This is especially important for the large number of students who truly don't have a positive environment to go home to after school; those for which school is their only safe-haven. We need to do more to help these kids feel "connected to their school" before we can expect them to achieve their academic potential.
• *Individualized Education Plans for every student (possibly written by students & advisors in learning communities?).
• *Rethinking our work study program (Apprenticeships rather than allowing students to get out of school early to go home and watch soap operas or work fast food).
• *Develop more time during the day for students who are struggling (possibly a school-wide study hall period, where all teachers would be available daily at the same time to offer more individualized assistance as needed).
• The overall idea that reform in the high school experience HAS to happen, whether teachers, parents, administrators, etc. want to do it or not.
• I think this program would offer teachers an opportunity to analyze the types of activities they conduct in their classes. It would help teachers to look at the educational process differently (more emphasis on the learning profiles of each student) and their roles as educators. This program would cause teachers and administrators to examine what the purpose of the high school is, to share those views in professional settings, and to work collectively
• The core recommendations from Breaking Ranks I and II. How to vary leadership styles to meet the readiness of certian groups.
o Focus on strengths and create individual plans for students class choice.
o Give students more elective opportunities.
o Focus on talents and fill in for weaknesses.
• The use of "Pareto Thinking Principle" and the use of SMART Goals.
• Again, use of technology with curriculum/schedules
• Inspiring students will definitely have a long term effect on students and the overall high school experience. How many times do we hear people say years after the graduate that this teacher or that teacher inspired them. Getting students hooked on school and being at school makes them take more ownership in the overall structure of school and that could lead to changes.
• We need to identify, and clearly articulate a sense of educational purpose. While developing worker bees might parallel being competitive in a global economy this is truly a short-sighted view of educational purpose. Our students certainly need the skills to be competitive in a global economy (although I think that they already are competitive), but they also need to develop the skills to become discriminating thinkers in a highly complex society.
• To provide smooth transition from middle school to high school which is developmentally appropriate. Also to offer comparable curriculum opportunities for all students
• We need to emphasize the creative fields.
• Have all students create a culminating project before exiting their senior year.
• Both the learning teams and My-e-learning programs good be very applicable in our high school.
• I strongly believe we are faiing to meet the academic needs of all of our students. I feel we are not going to see a swing from the athletics and activities back to a demand for a stronger academic emphasis until the parents see the need
• Personalize the high school experience and build good, strong relationships so students know they have support.
• They must know and feel the "wind beneath their wings."
• Looking at college entrance requirements, like the school in my study, and require graduation requirements that would immediately allow a student to enter a college or university.
• Get programs back in school that have been lost.
• Example more shop, auto mechanic, advance courses
• I think key to the future of high schools will be the integrated curriculum. This will have to mean teachers will need more time to develop teams. Schedules will have to be more flexible, teachers will need to be provided with training and support.
• All of the ideas... but specifically improving the culture of the school and increasing student input
• We may want to explore building more business/community partnerships and consider articulating courses with our community colleges
• Advisory group
• Student teacher relationships
• looping of students and the realignment of the departmental idea
• It would seem that the Personal Plan for students will be a good thing in that we will get them directed to their areas of interest and abilities.
• Action plans, personal learning plans, personal plans
• Any restructuring of education, or even the physical, structures of schools, must include an infrastructure that includes not only current technology but considers possibilities that now seem too far-fetched for science fiction.
• Idenifying what the key skills are for "skilled workers" and making them a greater focus in the school curriculum. Demphasizing the skills we now emphasize that for the most part are only good getting kids into college.
• Again, ALL of them. A poster Rafe has in the front of his room says "There are no shortcuts."
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