Professional Development Matters!
Marvin Rosenblum, the Founder of KIDS Consortium, often talks about how we all need to know that we matter. This belief was one that propelled him to develop the “KIDS model” of teaching and learning – one that is not only rooted in strong academics, but also requires young people to play lead roles in their projects (“student ownership”) and solve real problems and needs in their communities (“apprentice citizenship”).
This notion of “mattering” is important to all of us. For educators, it means having the time to study and plan with colleagues, collecting and using data to inform their work, and accessing a wide range of learning opportunities to bring new ideas and strategies into their practice.
Last week, KIDS Consortium released a new Guide, Integrating Scientific Practices and Service-Learning: Engaging Students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The Guide is the culmination of a collaboration with the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) and two years of work involving two cohorts of teachers from 10 sites across the Northeast, 1,000 middle school students, and numerous community partners. The project was funded by the (now defunct) Learn and Serve America Program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. You can read more about the project at http://www.kidsconsortium.org/stem.php and in the Guide.
I reference the Guide here (and the inspirational service-learning projects it profiles) because it illustrates for me the power of being intentional and thoughtful about creating professional development opportunities based on what the research tells us is important for the education sector. Numerous publications[i] underscore important components of quality professional development and have informed our work at KIDS Consortium.
For this STEM project, professional development was varied and connected to best practices. For example, the professional development was:
- Focused on content, student learning and connected to curriculum and standards. Teachers learned about and applied the KIDS Consortium Framework for service-learning AND research-based practices in STEM to help students learn essential content and skills, and improve their ability to collaborate, communicate and solve problems. All teachers engaged in professional development about both service-learning and Curriculum Topic Study (a process that draws on the research to help teachers ensure that STEM projects are developmentally appropriate and aligned with science standards).
- Intensive, active, ongoing and connected to teachers’ planning and instruction. Over two years, teachers engaged in multi-day summer institutes where they worked with other teachers from their schools and also learned from teams at other schools. KIDS and MMSA also met with teachers at their schools for coaching as well as planning and reflective practice sessions.
- Structured to build collaborative relationships among teachers. The project engaged multiple teachers within schools and districts so that supportive relationships could be created and nurtured through the project. We also engaged building and district administrators to ensure that we would have support not only for the project work, but also for the professional development.
- Integrated and aligned with school improvement priorities and goals. As we recruited schools and districts to participate in the project, we had intentional conversations up front about how this work connected to efforts already underway. It was essential that our partners see how this work mattered and would help them meet their school improvement objectives…so there would be a “built in” reason for the work continue beyond our grant funding period.
I invite readers of this blog to contact KIDS Consortium to explore how we can share the learning from this effort with your school or organization. As a start, you might download the guide, read about projects on our website, and explore the various types of professional development offerings we can share with you and make sure that the educators with whom you work know that they matter.
[i] We recommend, as a start, looking at reports from the National Staff Development Council. You can download them at: http://www.learningforward.org/stateproflearning.cfm
KIDS Consortium and Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance: STEM & Service-Learning
Check out the latest news from KIDS!
Follow this link to learn about and download a free copy of the just released Integrating Scientific Practices and Service-Learning: Engaging Students in STEM!
Seven Misconceptions about How Students Learn: Game-Changers for Authentic Learning
Just read another article that hit home for me. “Seven Misconceptions about How Students Learn,” written by Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post.
It discusses the misconceptions that many people believe about education, that are blocking true learning. Over the past few decades we have learned a lot about how students learn and these misconceptions don’t fit with the science.
Here is the list of misconceptions and Strauss’s comments on each. (more…)
Like this:
Do Your Rules Lead to Student Engagement and Meaningful Learning? Nine guidelines…
I was just reading an article from an ASCD Smartbrief called “What Your Rules Say About You.” Rules such as sit at your desk, or don’t fall asleep are rules for classes that are teacher centered. This article discusses “What are the attributes of tasks that result in meaningful learning and high(er) levels of student engagement?” It goes on to say that tasks resulting in higher levels of student engagement consist of these attributes:
(more…)
New National Report on Civic Learning and Engagement
Are you a service-learning and civic engagement advocate in your school or community?
Looking for new evidence and support to make your case about the importance of civic learning strategies?
We highly recommend checking out two new reports – one by the U.S. Department of Education and the second by a national coalition of experts: (more…)
STEM Resources: One Stop Shopping Guide for Programs and Organizations Dedicated to Supporting STEM
The 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide was published yesterday. It is a wide ranging collection of STEM resources organized by Diana Laboy-Rush’s Eight Keys to Education Reform Through STEM. The Eight Keys: investigate, focus, collaborate, inspire enrich engage design, integrate.
The guide contains brief descriptions of programs and organizations from all over the U.S. that support youth in STEM. Some you will recognize as they have been around for several decades–others will probably be unknown to you. So do some browsing. You may find a program or an organization whose materials and approach will be a great fit for the youth with whom you work. 
KIDS Consortium and the Maine Math and Science Alliance are in the Collaborate section of the guide as organizations that can help educators to combine high quality service-learning with high quality STEM instruction. See examples of projects from the partnership.
Debriefing MLK Day Events: Tapping the Power of the Experience
Enjoy the MLK Day service projects and events you have planned! (If you are looking for one, visit to locate one using your zip code.) 
This post is just a quick reminder to take a page out of your service-learning facilitation book and to take advantage of the MLK Day experience to help the people in your group connect their actions of the day to thoughts and feelings they’ll have during the day.
Make some time to gather your group in a circle before wrapping it up and lead a meaningful debriefing and reflection on the day’s activities. You can do this in a thousand different ways (see reflection lessons suggested on the MLK Day site.), but it seems that including Dr. King’s words and deeds is an appropriate way to prompt the individuals in your group to connect their day’s efforts with their thoughts and feelings.
Consider creating an opportunity for people to share their reflections—hearing from others will increase the power of the experience for everyone.
The MLK Day site has a concise list of nine things to remember to help everyone have a wonderful experience. Take a look at it before you set off tomorrow morning.
A Crucible Moment: a Report, a Conversation, a Recommitment to Civic Learning and Engagement
This afternoon in Washington D.C. an event, “For Democracy’s Future: Education Reclaims Our Civic Mission,” kicked-off a national conversation on the importance of informed and engaged citizens.
The event marked the release of the U.S. Department of Education’s own report, “Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action,” and highlights the American Commonwealth Partnership, which brings together schools, colleges and other civic partners to promote civic learning and civic identity throughout American education.
Individuals representing many groups from campuses and communities dedicated to reinvigorating democratic engagement gathered for the afternoon’s kick-off. (more…)
A Few More STEM Links Worth a Look
KIDS Consortium and the Maine Math and Science Alliance are collaborating on another two-part workshop in a couple of weeks for a group of out-of-school teachers and in-school teachers in Massachusetts called, Prepare and Inspire! Strategies for Blending Research-Based STEM Instruction with High Quality Service-Learning. The collaboration between KIDS and MMSA had yielded some great work over the last couple of years. You can learn more by visiting the Youth as Citizen Scientists: Data, Insight and Action through Service-Learning. While doing some prep for the workshop over the last couple of days I came across a few new links to STEM related information—all the links are relevant to integrating STEM and service-learning.
Links to get your STEM fix: (more…)
Sure, Absolute Power Corrupts, but Empowering Others…Absolutely Different Results: Try Service-Learning to Cultivate a Commitment To Learning by Youth and Adults
The seventh 21st Century Skill supported by service-learning:
“Cultivate an ongoing commitment to learning.”
Cultivate—I appreciate the verb in this context and what it connotes. There is a metaphor for gardening suggested—for nurturing and growing and stewardship—that I think is appropriate.
So how and why does service-learning cultivate that commitment? As usual, lots of answers to a question like that. (more…)
Saving Service: H.R. 2055 Approved…What Does it Mean for Service?
I am sure that many of you have engaged youth in service and service-learning with assistance—directly and indirectly—from public funding. I will not wade into the funding debate now (I agree that it is an important conversation, and I invite you to add your thoughts in the comments area below, but right now I have some holiday cooking to do or else I will be in trouble). This is pretty much a “just the facts” update. (more…)
Resources for Days of Service: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Global Youth Service Day
Looking for a win, win, win situation? How about a day of service?
Two celebrated days of service are approaching, and there are resources to help increase the meaning of the engagement.
January 16th marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Although there are not many days left to plan an action:
1) I encourage you to register your planned action so that others will know of and perhaps assist your group. Registered actions are searchable by zip code;
2) Check out the weekly Nation Service Briefing’s special update on MLK Day.
3) To help prepare students for MLK Day, the Corp. for National and Community Service has a toolkit of resources, and Scholastic will be releasing materials targeted for grades three to five.
Some groups use MLK Day as a kick-off for a service effort, and then celebrate the culmination of the effort on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), which is April 20-22 in 2012. Here is one group using that approach.
GYSD, coordinated by Youth Service America, is massive. Quoting the YSA web site, “On Global Youth Service Day 2011, over 550,000 young people strengthened their communities through more than 3,500 service or service-learning projects reported to YSA in 102 countries on 6 continents.” See what I mean? A very big deal.
Not yet planning something for GYSD? It is not too late.
While many grants have been awarded, there are still grants available to support actions as a part of GYSD, as well as other resources.
Civic Engagement Through Service Learning and 21st Century Skills: Not Preparation for Life, but Life Itself
“Participate in civic life and democratic decision-making.” This is the sixth on the list of seven 21st Century Skills that students demonstrate and develop through service learning. You can read the discussion of the first of five skills on the list (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ) by using the links in the parentheses or by scrolling down through this blog.
I’m reminded of John Dewey when I read, “Participate in civic life and democratic decision-making.” Dewey told us that, “Education is not preparation for life but is life itself.” (This quote, which is how I usually see it in print, is truncated—here is the whole thing.) (more…)
Take the STEM Survey: How is Your State Doing? What are the BIG Issues?
Given the interest in and focus on STEM education, I believe that we will see more active and engaging STEM instruction, leading to more opportunities for students to be the citizen scientists–a wonderful thing for students and communities.
Reform of this size, involving this many people, requires a lot of feedback. I am posting a link to the STEM Education Coalition’s site and blog. Go to the blog and complete the survey. The Coalition is gathering information to get a snap shot of how people in the STEM Ed. world view the efforts and the issues related to STEM Ed. reforms.
If you are looking for some information on what your state is up to regarding STEM Ed, check this--it has data for every state.
Or, go to the ACHIEVE site, get an update on the NextGen Science Standards and visit this page. It too has data on every state’s efforts
Collaboration: 21st Century Skills for 21st Century Students and Communities
My first year of teaching—Day 1: I had my lesson plan all printed neatly in my plan book. It called for the 7thgraders to work in groups for 20 minutes—you see, I learned in one of my courses that students excel in cooperative learning activities. So I put them into groups with a task (I don’t remember what it was and I am sure that none of the students remembers either) and then I, oh, I don’t know, I was probably checking the lunch menu or straightening the framed diploma that hung behind my desk—you know, I was doing what you do when kids are working in groups. Five minutes later I looked out on the splendor of the environment I had created—what a disaster. Here I thought that by using
T. Hobbes...he warned us about ourselves:)
a collaborative learning strategy that I was developing 21st Century students, and it looked more like Hobbes’s 17th Century description of the state of nature. Clearly, I forgot an important step…to teach them HOW to work in groups. (more…)
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