We've FLIPPED for our new school!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Do The Right Thing...Don't be a Dirty Diaper

THE SAGA OF THE DIRTY DIAPER
On Thursday last week, as I Ieft work at the end of a busy day, I noticed that someone had changed a baby’s diaper and left all of its contents on the drive in front of the school.  Used baby wipes were scattered about the front of the school and the exposed contents of the diaper were enough to turn my stomach.  Incidentally, I’ve raised four babies to adulthood, so not much grosses me out.

The diaper was still there when I returned to work on Friday morning.  Partially frozen due to the overnight sub-freezing temperatures, it was still there, with all of its exposed fecal material in plain view.  Several students noticed and commented on it as they arrived for school on Friday morning.  “Honestly, who DOES that?”  “That’s gross!”  “Are you kidding me?”  “I’m not picking that up during Service Learning!”

The irony and the parallels to what the Alternative High School is struck me.   While I can promise you that I did not change a baby in front of the school on Thursday afternoon, it occurred to me that it WAS my responsibility to pick up and dispose of what someone had left.  Leaving that diaper in front of the school for anyone, and especially visitors to see is just not acceptable.  Leaving it for someone else to clean up didn’t seem reasonable as the diaper had already been there overnight. Whose job IS it to pick up what others have carelessly discarded?  The answer is very evident:  We are all responsible. 

 I implore to the common sense and sensibility of each student.  What are you doing to help boost the reputation of the school?  Regardless of whether or not you left the lunch tray or dirtied the toilet seat or broke a head set or threw a half consumed sticky beverage container into the recycle bin – aren’t we ALL responsible for what the school looks like? And ultimately, the image of the school speaks volumes about what goes on inside.

So, that dirty diaper has me thinking.  Are we in this together or are we simply continuing to take, continuing to expect handouts and continuing to rape the system with preconceived notions of entitlement and expectation? I can hope and I will continue to encourage that we MUST be in this together or we stand the risk of failing and falling together.  Is our school an eyesore?  If it is, then that’s what the community will think of each of us – right or wrong.

Doing the RIGHT thing, whether it is your mess or something that someone else left – is what we all need to do if we are to develop some sense of pride in the school, ourselves, and in the community.  Don’t be a dirty diaper.  Do the right thing. Always.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Essays, Research Papers....or Tweets?

When is enough, well - enough?

Teaching students to write succinctly is difficult, especially when their vocabulary is limited. The author of this
New York Times piece, Andy Selsberg, teaches Freshmen English at John Jay College in New York. Professor Selsberg believes that a lot can be said with few words, if the word choice is correct. Teaching students to write captions, descriptions of clothing posted on eBay, or original hooks for You Tube videos requires critical thinking beyond that required for the five-paragraph essay. Getting one's point across in 140 characters or less is a difficult skill, and developing that skill through expansion of a student's grasp of the English language could tax even the master teacher.

Activities that Professor Selsberg suggests may help students increase their vocabulary by forcing them to use descriptive language with limits on the content. Lessons in vocabulary development will increase their skill level, as will practice, especially when challenging others to describe similar objects or events. I can see applicability to language development in students with language deficits to those born with the gift of proficiency in language fluency. In mastering the art of clarity, careful selection of adjectives and experimentation, students should become better writers of all genre.

I like the experiment.

I Can’t Think!

I Can’t Think!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Online Learning

The instructional format of the NEW Saline Alternative High School has implemented a largely online learning experience, for the majority of the core classes required by the Michigan Merit Curriculum. Students engage in lessons provided through the accredited vendor Education 2020. Tutorial, re-teaching and curricular explanations are provided by certified teachers and instructional para-professional staff. For many, taking classes in this format has proven to be a highly motivating, academically competitive learning experience. The curriculum is consistent. Credit accrual has been swift, and some have achieved early graduation.

However, as instructional leaders, we often question whether this online experience will adequately prepare students for what comes next: post-secondary education, the work force, or the military. Are we doing all that we can to prepare them for the rigors of those experiences?



A review of more than one managerial preparation website questions the validity the total online experience in efforts to prepare the student with other skills necessary for life. Are we neglecting to instruct students in the requisite "soft skills" that they will need for a successful adult life? The Ladders, a web based career preparation company, suggests that even IT executives must posses sensitivity, common sense and people skills in order to keep the job that the hard skills posted on a resume secured for them. Read more at http://goo.gl/dHXq1




In an effort to ensure that all students are prepared for whatever "comes next," the NEW Saline Alternative has employed a thematic programming component to aid students in becoming more well rounded, employable, compassionate citizens of the community. Each week, a theme is chosen that guides instruction in BASE classes. Teachers present the theme and provide talking points to begin discussions. As the week progresses, students practice skills they've learned in a non-threatening, small group discussion format.

While it is difficult to measure what impact this instruction has played, there are some related data: disciplinary referrals are down from October, attendance is up significantly from last year, and students are showing an increase in confidence, self-worth and self-satisfaction.

We will continue to question if this alternative experience, provided largely in an online learning community, is what is best for the traditionally unengaged, at-risk learner. For now, predictions are good that this form of instructional delivery, coupled with valuable instructor face-time, is working and producing students that are informed, curious and ready to contribute.