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My “Top 3” List for 2022

Posted in Change, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 28, 2022| 2 Comments »

It is lucky 13 for the annual year-end post at the Culture of Yes.  For those new to this tradition, it is part Siskel & Ebert, and part Family Christmas Letter. Thanks for continuing along on this journey with me – now for well over 400 posts and over 350,000 words.  Hopefully, whether inside or outside the education system, you are enjoying some relaxed holiday time.

To get caught up, here are the previous years Top 3 lists:  2021 (here) 2020 (here) 2019 (here) 2018 (here) 2017 (here) 2016 (here) 2015 (here) 2014 (here) 2013 (here) 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here).

Now, on with this year’s results:

Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have generated the most traffic this year:

  1.  New Nicknames Will Make Schools Cool Again
  2.  NFTs and Schools – Could There be a Connection?
  3.  26 Years, 26 Teachers, 26 Lessons

Once again my April 1st post was my most read post of the year.  I am glad to know so many people come to this site for my comedy.  I wrote a lot about COVID lessons this year and how the system was emerging different, and also looking at which parts of the system were snapping back to a pre-COVID state.   What a difference a few months makes about NFTs – they were all the rage in the spring, but the crypto world has seen a real downturn in recent months.  I saw this week that a number of celebrities have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in value for their Bored Apes purchases.  Nice to see my 26 Years post get so many clicks, as it was one of my favourite ones to write.  I had it in draft for over a year as I knew I wanted to write something about some of my education influences but just wasn’t sure what – and then the post came together at the end of the school year.  And what was my least read new post this year?  It was Metrics, Badges and Prizes – Motivation Lessons from Fitness.

<em>Irwin Park Snapchatting Sharks were one of the new nicknames introduced on April 1st!</em>

Irwin Park Snapchatting Sharks

Top 3 Shifts in BC Education in 2022:

  1. Mandatory Indigenous-focused course in grades 10-12
  2. Shifts in secondary reporting
  3.  The reallocation of time

We saw the biggest shift in BC curriculum in recent years with all students in grades 10-12 now being required to take an Indigenous-focussed course.  There are always implementation challenges when something in changed or added to the school system machine, but this change has really exceeded expectations.  I have been so impressed with how well educators and students have embraced this.   In our district we are seeing students in grade 10 and 11 this year take their Language Arts (English) credit through the Indigenous focus.  Students and teachers are being exposed to literature and thinking they have not worked with in the past.  Full credit to the teachers who are taking this on and finding ways to connection to local Indigenous experts.  I have written before about secondary reporting, as it has shifted in recent years.  For many, the most obvious change will be seen beginning in the fall of 2023, when the grade 8 and 9 report card adopts proficiency scales and performance indicators – a shift schools have been preparing for over the last couple of years.  And finally, time continues to be something, particularly in high school that is being looked at post-COVID.  Almost all high schools have adopted some flexible learning time where students have control over what and where they learn.  The era of being completely blocked in for all your time all week is over in most jurisdictions.  Now come the refining of this so it is meaningful for all learners.   Another topic that was big in 2022 and will be big in 2023.  

Top 3 Education Topics We Should Talk More about in 2023:

  1. New technologies
  2. The science of reading
  3.  Hybrid learning models

I wrote a post this year Technology is Not Done and I really think many in education have taken their eyes off of the potential transformative nature of upcoming technologies in the last couple of years.  From gamification, to virtual reality to AI and so many other digital topics, there is so much that is now and will be soon impacting our schools.  Yes, we have laptops in the hands of most students, and we can navigate Zoom, that is not enough.  The science of reading is really symbolic of a larger issue I see, which is applying what we know to our practices around core skills.  The literacy and numeracy thrusts of earlier this century should not be lost.  And then, hybrid learning.  We have all this experience of hybrid learning from COVID, so now what?  

Top 3 Individuals Influencing the work in our district (that have never been mentioned in a year-end list before):

  1. Dr. Hayley Watson
  2. Ian Chisholm
  3.  Erin Crawford and Amber Pascual

Dr. Watson, and her Open Parachute Program, is an example of one of the new ways that teachers are students are engaging with mental health curriculum.   Ian Chisholm is from the Roy Group and has been working with all of our administrators this past year as we build our leadership skills. And Erin and Amber are not new to West Vancouver, but unique in Canada.  Their work in our district with physical literacy is some of the finest in Canada.  Their work with all our staff has made a huge impact on student learning.  

Dr. Watson speaking to West Van staff on Opening Day

Top 3 buzzwords / phrases in education I am ready to retire:

  1. learning loss
  2. unpack
  3. kiddos

OK, I know this is a bit of a silly one, but this category has appeared several times over the last 12 years.  It is fun to see words and phrases that made it in previous years.  I didn’t take the easy COVID ones like pivot or new normal.  I will try to use the three in a sentence – At our staff meeting next week, we are going to unpack the learning loss that our kiddos have experienced during COVID. Oh, and if we could do this with rigor and fidelity while working with our elbow partners that would be even better. 

Top 3 Education Topics from 2022 that need long-term fixes:

  1. Staff shortages
  2. Mental Health and Well Being (Student, Staff and Parents)
  3.  Connections to post secondary

These are not West Vancouver or British Columbia issues, they are global issues.  There are staff shortages everywhere, and they seem destined to get worse.  Some jurisdictions are considering what the future might be like without staff that are fully credentialed.  One positive coming out of COVID was the increased attention to well being and mental health.  It actually related to the first topic, as one of the keys to dealing with staff shortages is finding ways to support the well being of staff.  And finally, the time does seem right to make better connections between K-12 and post-secondary.  There has been a decline in post secondary admissions in recent years, and the timing seems right to rethink how we connect the two systems.  

Top 3 Issues that I see in US media that I am keeping an eye on (and worried about):

  1. Book bans
  2. Limits on classroom discussions
  3.  ‘Parents Rights’ push

I know there are some, largely isolated for now, examples of these topics in Canada, but we see them regularly in our news feeds with the constant volume of US media.  The book banners are back, taking on many of the classics again.  There are many lists that circulate, including this one from CBS News of the 50 most banned books in the United States.  Also in the news a lot is discussion over what topics teachers can and can’t talk about.  Here is an article from earlier this year indicating 1/4 of all teachers were in positions where they were being asked to limit discussions on certain topics.  Finally, the parents rights push is one that gives parents greater control over what their children are taught.  It is actually related to the other two issues, as all three are coming out of a conservative legislators in the United States.  I am always hesitant to write about what is happening in the US, as I find some people are already believing we are in the same position.  We have very different systems, but it is regularly on our televisions and in our social media feeds so it is worth following.

Top 3 podcasts I listen to every episode:

  1.  No Stupid Questions
  2.  People I Mostly Admire
  3.  The Reinvention Project with Jim Rome

I have become a major podcast listener in recent years.   I am into some very regular routines with them – and save certain ones for certain days when I am running or driving.  The first two are both part of the Freakonomics family tree of podcasts.  No Stupid Questions is a really easy listen and I like that People I Mostly Admire has on guests I don’t typically know, and Steve Levitt asks often difficult questions.  I have listened to Jim Rome’s sports talk show for more than two decades.  His Reinvention Podcast is geared to men of my age looking to take on new challenges.   Other regular podcasts for me include Hidden Brain, Freakonomics Radio, This American Life and Re: Thinking with Adam Grant.

Top 3 artists for me according to Spotify this year:

  1.  Paul Simon
  2.  The Beatles
  3.  James Taylor

My musical tastes are very predictable.  If Paul Simon ever is not the top of the list, that will be the story.  I am proof that the music you listen to growing up with your parents can become the soundtrack for your life.

Top 3 movies I saw this year:

  1.  Top Gun:  Maverick
  2.  Black Panther:  Wakanda Forever
  3.  Glass Onion:  A Knives Out Mystery

Three sequels on my list this year – and a very eclectic mix of films.  I haven’t seen the first Top Gun movie (probably one of the few people to grow up in the 80s to miss it) and didn’t have high expectations for this one.  But I loved it.  Good story and great action – one of my favourite action movies ever.  And Black Panther was also a surprise for me.  Another great action movie with a great story.  I have slowly become a Marvel fan.  And Glass Onion is the last new movie I watched this year.  Less of a surprise since I really liked the first Knives Out Movie, but a rare film that everyone in our family enjoyed.

Top 3 concerts I saw this year:

  1.  The Chicks at The Gorge
  2.  The Eagles at Rogers Arena
  3. Shawn Mendes at Rogers Arena

I was back to seeing concerts this year.  Not as many as pre-COVID but it was great to see live music.  It was my first time to the Gorge and we went as a family to see The Chicks.  After Paul Simon, it is the artist I have seen more than any other – great concert in an amazing venue.  It was my first time seeing the Eagles, and thanks to my colleague and fellow-concert goer Sean Nosek for giving me the push to get us to go.  And Shawn Mendes is not someone I have on my playlist but a great performer is a great performer and he put on an amazing show.  It was sad to hear just shortly after his show in Vancouver he stopped his tour for health reasons.  

Top daily 3 streaks I still have going:

  1. 10,000 Steps
  2. Running 5 km a day
  3. Photo posting to Instagram

Friends know I love my streaks.  And at times, they probably can border on the unhealthy.  The three that I have going that I am consumed with every day are my steps, running and photo streak.  The best (and worst) of these ones is that they are every single day.  At the end of this year, I will have gone 9 straight years of taking at least 10,000 steps each day (according to FitBit). My running streak is a little shorter.  I just passed 700 days of running at least 5 km outdoors each day.  I usually get this done around 5 AM, but some weird circumstances this past year had me staying up until midnight to do the next day’s run and other similar and quite ridiculous plans.  And while I am not much for social media anymore, I have just past 2,550 days (7 years) of posting a photo to Instagram.  I am so glad I started this.  It is such a great way to track our kids growing up.  It started when our oldest was part-way through grade 8 and she is now at the midpoint of third year university.   

Final Thoughts

The Culture of Yes had a bit of a Renaissance during the pandemic.  I had a readership that was reminiscent of 2011 or 2012.  While the numbers slid this year, my passion for this space remains strong.  When someone tells me about a post I wrote a decade ago and how it influenced their thinking it brings great joy.  

Blogs are this wonderful mix of permanence, and impermanence.  It is easy to share you thinking with the world, but also easy to revise and improve it.  

I think as we continue to wrestle with the future of education and the lessons of COVID, we need more voices both formal and informal to fuel discussions.  It is less important if you agree with what I think, than if you take the time to reflect on the topic and add to the discussion.

To all my friends and colleagues in West Vancouver and beyond still reading  hopefully you are having a good break.  

All the best for a great 2023.

My Home Squad!

My work squad!

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My “Top 3” List for 2021

Posted in Change, Social Media, tagged , on December 26, 2021| 2 Comments »

Here we go with the 12th annual list.  My homage to growing up in the era of Siskel and Ebert having the “must watch” show at the end of the year as they revealed their best and worst of the year.  I am publishing this at a time where anxiety levels are higher than at any point this year.  Hopefully you can enjoy a little reprieve from the doom scrolling on social media.

Previous Top 3 lists for:  2020 (here) 2019 (here) 2018 (here) 2017 (here) 2016 (here) 2015 (here) 2014 (here) 2013 (here) 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here).

 

Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have generated the most traffic this year:

  1. 7 COVID Edu Trends That Will Stick
  2. Keep Being Passionate After This is Over
  3. The 15 Month School Year

For the first time ever, my April 1st blog (Galaxy High) finished out of the medals this year in 4th place for clicks.  I will choose to take this as a compliment to my other posts.  I have got a bit of a complex that more people read my April Fools’ post than any other – perhaps thinking I should stick to comedy.  It was COVID thinking that dominated my writing and those that resonated most with others.  Given where we are finishing the year, I am sure it will feature prominently in my writing for next year.  I am working on one for early in the year focused on elementary schools, as most of my writing around COVID has been high school focused.  

Top 3 Shifts in the fall as reported by our school and district leaders:

  1. Return of school sports and fine arts performances
  2. Being able to have buddy classes without cohort rules
  3. Keeping some of the timetable changes in high schools

There was a great energy in our schools from September through December.  I know as I write this at the end of December things are definitely uncertain for January.  It was great to have school sports and fine arts back performing.  We knew we missed these activities, but having them return fully, showed the impact they have for kids and schools.  Same is true of the dropping of the cohorts so multi-grade groups could connect again.  Especially in our elementary schools these are such a key part of learning experiences.  And in our high schools, students have continued to embrace new models of flexible time that were present before COVID but fully embraced in the last two years.

Top 3 Topics in BC Education (non-COVID related) that will get attention in 2022:

  1. Changes to online learning
  2. Shifts in early learning and childcare as it moves to Education
  3. Finalization of reporting order for K-12

Stepping away from COVID there are a number of major education policy issues that deserve attention in 2022.  We are seeing the first major revamping of online learning in BC in about 20 years.  The plan will see that there are fewer providers able to offer courses to students outside their district, while everyone is able to offer to students inside their district.  With early learning, there is a move gathering speed that will see all of pre-school aged operations move to be part of the K-12 system.  School districts offering their own before and after school programming is already beginning to happen and we will see new relationships between school districts and their traditional providers.  Government has plans for low-cost options for families that will be closely linked to the education system.  And with reporting, BC has been in a state of limbo for the last several years with some very interesting pilot projects in districts.  In what will be different for families, we are likely seeing the end of letter grades at K-9 (many places have done this already) while still holding onto many of the regular periodical reporting that takes place during a year.  

Top 3 Canadian thought papers on the impact of COVID on schools:

  1. Pandemic Shifts – Considerations for British Columbia Secondary Schools  (Shareski)
  2. School Beyond COVID-19 – Accelerating the Changes that Matter for K-12 Learners in Canada (C21)
  3. District Approaches to Learning in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (UBC and BCSSA)

OK, a touch self-serving with this one as I had some level of involvement with all three papers.  I think all three capture important lessons of the last 18 months.  Pandemic Shifts focuses on the secondary school experience in the lower mainland, while the paper on District Approaches to Learning is elementary focused.  School Beyond COVID-19 takes a systemic look at issues with a Canadian view.   All three tell different parts of the story and are very useful for future planning.

Top 3 Areas I learned the most about professionally this year:

  1. Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity
  2. Secondary Timetables
  3. Next Wave of Technology

I look at this list, and I am thinking it will be similar again next year.  For equity, diversity and inclusivity it is an incredibly broad topic and while much of the work is around Truth and Reconciliation, with my own learning I am trying to tackle other aspects of the issue as well.  I thought as a secondary vice-principal I knew all there was to know about timetables.  But the last year has shown me there is always another way.  I am in  awe of my colleague Ian Kennedy who is the master designer when it comes to different timetables.  I am still in the camp of “people like whatever timetable they are used to and the actual timetable has little impact on student achievement” but I think the creativity out there has been awesome.  And finally, while we have been focused on Zoom and other streaming connections the last couple of years, there continues to be major disruptions arriving with technology.  From the continued growth of robotics and related areas in schools, to the quickly appearing virtual reality and augmented reality, if you are not trying to stay ahead, you are falling behind.   

Top 3 Individuals Influencing the work in our district (that have never been mentioned in a year-end list before):

  1. Alden Habacon
  2. Chris (Syeta’xtn) Lewis
  3. Cari Wilson

Our district has found a great partner in Alden Habacon as he leads our inclusivity and diversity work.  We has a great way of focusing us on our students.  Chris Lewis has recently stepped down from the Squamish Nation Council and has been an amazing guide for our school district.   One of the many generous leaders in the Squamish Nation we get to work with, Lewis has helped educate our staff and students on the history of our area and insight into the workings of the Squamish Nation.  I am wary about highlighting one colleague, when I work with so many great educators, but Cari Wilson is one of those teachers who makes a massive difference for so many in our district.  From her weekly blog (click on her name above to check it out) to her work with teachers around technology, to her advocacy for young women in STEM and robotics, she has a massive impact in our district.

Top 3 Interesting Findings in my dissertation on superintendents and time:

  1. Female superintendents spend more time with their Board and on educational leadership than male superintendents
  2. Superintendents spend the most time in the “Community Relations” activities
  3. 59% of superintendents are in their first 5 years in the job

I wrote a lot about my doctorate this year – an entire series of eight posts (here is the first one on gender and the superintendency) over the summer.  It was such an enjoyable project as having done this job for more than a decade, I finally had some local data to compare my experience to that of my colleagues.   While not surprising that superintendents spend so much time on community relations, nor really that surprising that so many in the role are new, I was probably most struck by the very different experiences of male and female superintendents in British Columbia.  

Top 3 Personal Accomplishments for the year:

  1.  Now a doctor
  2. Ran an ultra marathon
  3. Finished the year healthier than I have been in a decade

I finished my doctorate in June.  I actually shared my experience (HERE) of the process.  And it is not true that the only reason I did it was so that I could recreate this great scene from Spies Like Us:

Later in the year I had the chance to run an ultra marathon – a first for me.  I combined running the race with visiting my two oldest kids in Nova Scotia at their university.   I guess in 2022 I will look for an even longer race.  And really what I am most pleased with is that I am ending this year at the healthiest I have been in probably a decade.  Entering COVID I had a series of health challenges, but  the last two years have been good to my physical wellbeing and I feel like I am inching towards 50 in some of the best shape of my life.

Top 3 streaks I have going:

  1. Steps
  2. Running
  3. Photo posting to social media

I love a good streak.  While most are healthy, I did once have quite a consecutive day streak for having a Dairy Queen Blizzard.   At the end of 2021, my consecutive days streak for getting at least 10,000 steps will be at 8 years – every day from January 1, 2014 to today.  At times, travel, weather and health have all proved to be a challenge, but I have managed to keep the continuous days streak going.  As I got more into health this year I started a running streak on January 16 of running at least 5 km every single day.  I know this is not the smartest training strategy but I am now at 344 days.  I don’t think I will keep this one going much longer.   My final streak to highlight is also a long one – as of December 31 of this year I will have posted at least one photo to Instagram for 2,556 straight days.  While I don’t make many of the photos public anymore, scrolling through the last seven years of life in pictures brings me great joy.  

Top 3 edu-podcasts that are worth checking out:

  1. Free Range Humans – Rod Allen and Jal Mehta
  2.  The Innovator’s Mindset – George Couros
  3. Mindshare Learning – Robert Martellacci

Free Range Humans has a BC influence with Rod Allen. I am sure there are others out there, but this is a great podcast to get one thinking about educational transformation.  With George Couros you get the smart ideas of his books combined with George’s great sense of humour.  And Robert Martellacci who has several podcasts series posted in different places combines the best of Canadian context with global leaders in education. 

Top 3 non-Edu podcasts that I subscribe to:

  1. This American Life
  2. The Reinvention Project
  3.  No Stupid Questions

Nothing really creative on this list – I listen to ones that are widely popular.  I have a routine – each day’s morning run has a Podcast.  If it is 5 AM on Monday is time for This American Life.  The Reinvention Project from Jim Rome was new this year and he still have some sports related guests, but also many others in different areas.   And No Stupid Questions is just fun.  Two really smart people taking on an interesting question.  Other shows in my regular rotation include Hidden Brain, A Slight Change of Plans, Charges with Rex Chapman, People I Mostly Admire and Politics War Room.   

Top 3 elements of nostalgia in my life this past year:

  1. Celebrating 35 years of the Grade 7 Class of 1986
  2. Ghostbusters Afterlife
  3. Kennedy Centre Honors 

What a fun zoom call we had at the end of May as close to 20 members of the grade 7 class of Daniel Woodward Elementary School, along with our grade 7 teachers Don Taylor and Ken Whitehead got together to reminisce and get caught-up.  I was far more interested in connecting to this group than I would have been with my high school grad group (it was 30 years since that milestone) and it was great seeing where people were at in their lives.   It was so fun – I met up with Don (grade 7 teacher), Ken (grade 6 teacher) and George Nakanishi (grade 5 teacher) later in the year for drinks.

Now I was not expecting to like the new Ghostbusters movie.  I was actually never a huge fan of the original movies.  But it was the perfect mix of interesting new characters with the original characters.  With retro connections, I am also a big fan of Cobra Kai and the Saved by the Bell reboot.  

And for something late in the year, proof that I am becoming my parents is no more obvious than my love of Kennedy Centre Honours.  From David Letterman hosting, to Canadians Joni Mitchell and Lorne Michaels being among those being honoured to the great Paul Simon performing ( LINK to video on Facebook) – the entire show was awesome.  It was a holiday tradition in my house growing up, and it still is today.  

Top 3 holiday traditions in our house:

  1. The Stanley Park Train
  2. VanDusen Gardens
  3. The List

From my days at Principal at Rochester Elementary School we started going to the Stanley Park Train along with colleagues who also had pre-school aged children.   18 years later – it is still a thing.  And VanDusen Gardens is always in the week before Christmas with my mom.  And then the List.  On New Year’s Eve we hand out the recipe cards to write down goals for the coming year.  We all share them as family and then post them to be reminded of them during the year.

Final Thoughts

It was a year of anniversaries for me in education, already noting that I celebrated 35 years since my grade 7 year, and 30 years since high school graduation, 25 years as a teacher and I am just completing 15 years in West Vancouver.   I still love the work.  The unknown everyday is exciting.   There is always a plan, but things never go exactly the way that might be expected.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by colleagues who push and and challenge my thinking and a group with complimentary skill sets.   Of course, I was hoping this would be more celebratory at the end of 2021, but COVID has had a different plan.

As always I really appreciate the connections we make over the year on this blog, via social media and even in person when we are allowed.  It has been exciting to see some amazing lessons of the pandemic in our schools and with our learning continue, and I am sure some things we saw this fall will never “snap back” to pre-COVID times.

To all my friends and colleagues in West Vancouver and beyond still reading as I am well over my 2000 word goal – hopefully you are having a good break.  

All the best for a great 2022.

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My “Top 3” List for 2020

Posted in Change, SD45, tagged , on December 20, 2020| 5 Comments »

The “Top 3” starts its second decade with the 11th annual list. Of course, it will be a little different this year – COVID has changed a number of categories. Then again, the categories already change every year. I appreciate everyone who has checked in here at the blog this year. The pandemic has been good for blog traffic. As per usual, while we do some serious work in education, it is also good to not take ourselves too seriously.

Previous Top 3 lists for: 2019 (here) 2018 (here) 2017 (here) 2016 (here) 2015 (here) 2014 (here) 2013 (here) 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here).

Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have generated the most traffic this year:

  1. New Wardrobe Rules Announced for All Staff
  2. The Goldilocks Dilemma
  3. Our Spring Break Hawaiian Vacation

I have learned to not be offended that my April Fools Day post often generates the most traffic of the year.  It does help me believe that if this education thing doesn’t work out I could try comedy.  All three of the highest traffic posts this year were published in the heart of the spring pandemic.  The pandemic has opened up so many topics to explore this year and will for many years as we emerge from it  

Top 3 Adaptations that I saw in our schools:

  1. Move to video
  2. Focus on what is important
  3. Timetables

We have been talking about video in schools for years, but the move has been slow.  All of the sudden, we quickly moved to Teams, Zoom and Google Meet.  It was not perfect but just as we adopted out of necessity in our personal lives, we did so to in our school lives.  With reduced contact time in classes, we saw the need to focus clearly on what was important.   A year ago we couldn’t imagine losing an hour of in-person learning over the year and not “falling behind” but we saw dramatic reductions on in-class time and we were forced to think differently about learning.  And timetables – there are lots of options, but generally I have found people like what they have and are not wanting to change.  Well, everyone had to change.  In BC it meant most high schools spent their summer converting to a version of the quarter-system.  And while the quarter-system in itself is not that interesting, how schools were structuring flexible learning and other options within the system was really exciting.

Top 3 Virtual Education Related Virtual Events:

  1.  Grad 2020
  2. Remembrance Day / December Concerts
  3. Rethinking Secondary Series

We are largely Zoomed out.  And I found many of the professional development experiences to be uninteresting done virtually without the chance to connect with other participants.  That said, there were some really great events.  Grad events seemed to exceed most expectations.  There were many who commented the virtual events were actually better as families could really enjoy them more.  Likewise what schools did around Remembrance Day and December Concerts was outstanding.  And all of the sudden these events were opened up to family and friends who might not normally get to attend.   Finally to highlight one professional event, many of us worked with Dean Shareski on Rethinking Secondary a series of conversations looking at what we might do now and going forward in our high schools.  What is great about Dean’s sessions is that you also learn some zoom strategies you can use in other circumstances later.  

Top 3 Limited Series Podcasts that I listened to:

  1. The Flying Coach
  2. Nice White Parents
  3. The Rabbit Hole

I am a little late to the podcast world.  I have been a “music only” person when out for a walk or run but this year I discovered the podcast.  In addition to some regulars I listen to like This American Life, and my wife’s Lazy Parenting these three limited series were all really good.  As someone who enjoys the art of coaching, it was great to Listen to Pete Carroll and Steve Kerr talk about the art of coaching.   In Nice White Parents, you get the story of the US education system which has many elements that we see in our own system in Canada when well meaning parents look to try to help fix a school.  And finally with The Rabbit Hole, we get a look at how the internet can be manipulating us and the real power and danger of some sites.  

Top 3 shows that I binged:

  1.  The Queen’s Gambit
  2. The Last Dance
  3. Home Before Dark

The Queen’s Gambit lived up to the hype.  I don’t really understand chess, but I loved the show.  The Last Dance benefited in part from timing – it was the only new show and only sports on at the time.  And Home Before Dark is a great series on Apple and I particularly liked that so much of it was filmed in and around where I live – it is always fun to see local landmarks in tv shows. 

Top 3 ideas about education reinforced in The Queen’s Gambit:

  1.  Giftedness is complicated
  2. One caring adult can make a huge difference
  3. Age is only one way of organizing students

A great column by Geoff Johnson got me thinking about The Queen’s Gambit in the context of education.  To simplify a few of the lessons for school, we see from the main character Beth just how complicated being “gifted” can be.  We also see with her, and her relationship with the school’s janitor Mr. Shaibel that having one caring adult can make such a huge difference for a student.  And finally, I was struck by how at ease people were with allowing Beth to train for chess with the local high school chess team.  We rarely allow students to train for anything outside of their age, but age is just one way that we can and should organize students.  

Top 3 pieces of media I am embarrassed to admit I listened to / watched and enjoyed:

  1.  Saved by the Bell (tv reboot)
  2. Bill and Ted Face the Music (move sequel)
  3. Ron Burgundy Podcast (podcast follow-up to movie series)

We all have guilty pleasures.  Mine are usually somehow linked to the 1980’s.  The Saved by the Bell reboot, which I have seen on some tv critics lists of the top shows of the year is smart in ways that original never was.  The new version tackles real issues but does so in a way that recognizes we are all in on the joke of the reboot of the cheesy original.  The third chapter in the Bill and Ted franchise, 29 years since the last one again tackles some serious topics with the campy feel of the first two movies.  Finally, I can’t say Ron Burgundy offers any deep lessons, but if there is such a thing as uncomfortable radio this is it as the Anchorman character runs his own podcast.

Top 3 overused words / phrases in the edu-pandemic world (though probably overused everywhere):

  1.  Pivot
  2. The New Normal
  3. Unprecedented

I am sure I used all three this year.  Sorry I will try to stop next year.  I would appreciate others doing the same.

Top 3 ideas that we will be exploring more in 2021:

  1.  anti-racism
  2. equity
  3. sustainability

Events in the United States and around the world brought the topic of anti-racism to the forefront in our schools.  We can see with the requests from teachers around pro-d and the interest from our parent community, we will definitely be doing more work and going deeper in our work in 2021.  The same is true for equity.  The pandemic has really shown the challenges of equity – like with access to technology that still exist in our system.  And with sustainability, it feels like as the pandemic hit, some of the good work our students were leading was put on pause, but in 2021 I think it will be back strong.

Top 3 COVID shifts in schools that can’t snap back after the pandemic:

  1.  Secondary Timetable
  2. The Move Outside
  3. Digitization  

Like other parts of schooling over the last 9 months, it has been a work in progress.  All teachers and administrators I have been speaking with find parts of the new timetable they don’t want to let go.  I would be shocked if many districts, even if they are able, return in September 2021 to the way they organized high schools in September 2019.  Another shift that has been long coming but accelerated by the pandemic has been outdoor learning.  Local experts like Megan Zeni, are supporting teachers to take the classroom outside.  From gardens to full outdoor learning classrooms, classes are embracing outdoor learning.  And finally, we are really figuring out digitization in the K-12 setting.  For the last 20 years we have been exploring this, but the urgency has finally given us the push we needed.  

Top 3 ways the pandemic changed my work life:

  1.  I was more efficient
  2. I felt less connected
  3. I didn’t feel I knew how we were doing

I have found the pandemic gave me more sustained work time with fewer distractions which made me more efficient with the mundane parts of the job.  Of course with fewer distractions, I also felt less connected.  Zoom didn’t replace the chance to be in classrooms talking with students and teachers.   And I was not quite sure how we were doing.  I heard from more parents and staff than usual – but their views tended to be on the extremes, that this was the best or worst thing to ever happen to education. 

Top 3 ways the pandemic changed my life outside of work:

  1.  I walked and ran a lot more
  2. I ate meals at more regular times
  3. I slept more

It was weird having more control over my time.  One of the advantages of digital is that I didn’t have to be in my office for every meeting, and for example, I could watch the grad ceremonies when it worked best for me, and not have to watch them in real time.  My step count is up, my weight is down, and in 2020 I slept about 35 minutes more a night than in 2019.  We will see if these changes hold in 2021.  

 

Top 3 talks I gave over the last decade that show how my thinking has changed and how it hasn’t:

  1.  Students Live!  (2010 TEDx Talk)

2. What is Smart? (2014 TEDx Talk)

3. Keynote this past October for CUEBC:

Top 3 things I have learned as I approach the end of year 25 in education:

  1.  High School Principal is the best job
  2.  Everyone has stuff going on
  3.  Schools are changing faster than we think

21-year-old me going out into my first classroom as a student-teacher would have thought 25 years was a lifetime.  Now, as I will be finishing year 25 in teaching this year, it seems as though it has all gone so fast.  I love my current job, but I think about how lucky I was to be principal at Riverside Secondary School in Port Coquitlam.  I worked with some of the most amazing people and loved the energy in the building every day.  It was exhausting but so exciting!  I have also learned that all students, staff and parents bring the complexities of their lives with them into schools.  There really is no leaving it all at the door.  Finally, schools are really changing quickly.  The experience of students now is dramatically different than those just a decade ago – we know better so we are doing better.  And yes, the structure of schooling is still quite similar, the experience is quite different.  

As always I really appreciate the connections we make over the year.  I am so impressed with how well our schools have done this fall.  I know there are some out there that seem to be cheering against schools right now, but staff and students have done amazing things.  To all the staff that are still reading, enjoy your break!

All the best for a great 2021.  

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My “Top 3” Lists for 2019

Posted in Professional Development, SD45, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 23, 2019| 5 Comments »

Welcome to the 10th “Top 3” List.  When I started blogging, one of the things I started with was this year-end list.  Everyone loves a year end list!  And this was intended to be a little different.  The categories change every year, some are education related, some are just silly.  To those who have been here from the beginning, or those who have joined along the way – thanks for being part of this digital community.  We do some serious work but do try to not take ourselves too seriously.

Previous Top 3 lists for:  2018 (here) 2017 (here) 2016 (here) 2015 (here) 2014 (here) 2013 (here) 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here).

Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have generated the most traffic this year:

  1. It is Time to Ban Cell Phones in Schools?
  2. What do Superintendents do in the Summer?
  3. Reflecting on Competition

My post on cell phones really generated a lot of interest.  My thanks to the AASA who asked me to update the post for their School Administrator Magazine (HERE).  I often get asked how I come up with topics.  I am lucky that I have a lot of people around me that make suggestions.  The cell phone post was a result of me making a joke on Twitter around cell phones in schools, and then realizing sometimes there is a fair bit of truth when you try to make a joke.

Top 3 New Things I got to see when I was at work:

  1. Physical Literacy –  This work is the real deal.  I wrote my most recent post (HERE) on what I am seeing in our classrooms.  This is not just doing PE better.  Nor is it just getting kids to run around.  This is far more accessible that PE in a gym and far more purposeful than just being active.  And the work is having a huge impact in our district.
  2. FIT – Flexible Instructional Time.   The revised curriculum created new opportunities.  It started with thinking about careers differently.  And led to 32 minutes each day in each of our high schools.  This time gives students something they have continually asked for whenever we survey them – some flexible time as part of their formal school day where they have choice and voice – to complete assignments, collaborate with peers and receive extra help in a particular area.  HERE is a post I wrote on this earlier this year.  Even in just a few months, this has really helped shift culture in our high schools.
  3.  New People in New Places –  Good teams don’t rebuild they reload.  That is how I feel about our leadership team in our district.  And while I am now in my 10th year in my position, we have had the chance to continue to elevate and recruit some amazing people to our leadership team.  This year saw new Directors of Instruction with Ian Kennedy and Sandra-Lynn Shortall both starting in their jobs.  We also had a number of new school principals and vice-principals.  Yes, we lost some great people, but new people bring new ideas and new energy and that helps keep our organization fresh. Since I am not going anywhere I like that I can continually be surrounded by people from various places who want to push us forward.

Top 3 Things I got to go do when I wasn’t at work:

  1. KFC in Kentucky – Yes, I am still a vegetarian.  But getting to sit at a table with a life-sized replica of the Colonel at the Louisville Airport was kind of cool.
  2. Running in San Antonio – Our family runs (well actually races) every New Year’s Day.  This past year we were in San Antonio over the break.
  3.  Star Wars Ride-I know it kind of got mixed reviews, but the immersive experience of being in the Star Wars world at Disneyland was a lot of fun.

 

 

Top 3 Culture Building Traditions we have in West Vancouver Schools:

  1.  Opening Day – We are lucky in a district with about 7500 students and about 1000 staff we can come together for special events.  On the Thursday before Labour Day we have a district professional development day where we spend time for the first couple hours celebrating our district and being inspired for the year ahead.  Speakers in the past have included Stephen Lewis, Sir Ken Robinson, Natalie Panek and Jennifer James.  We try to link to a theme for the year – this past year it was physical literacy.  In August of 2020 it will be diversity and inclusion.
  2. Christmas Party – I know the office Christmas Party is largely a relic. We have this fun tradition of a district-wide party in early December where we celebrate the season, raise money for a local charity and raffle off holiday baskets to staff.  It is always a great way to get into the spirit of the season and a nice tradition that brings people together from across the district.
  3. Retirement Party – You can retire, but you never really leave the family.  While everyone hosts events for their retirees each year, the West Vancouver one always invites back former staff to join.  Some staff who have been retired for decades would never miss the annual event.  It is these types of connections that help newer and younger staff see the lifelong bonds that can come from teaching and community.

 

Top 3 Concerts I got to see:

  1. Paul Simon – while I got to see him retire from touring in the fall of 2018, it was a real treat to see him do a couple shows in California for environmental charities this summer, including his headliner act at Outside Lands Music Festival.  Hoping he might re-appear again somewhere this summer.
  2. Cher – I have never been a huge Cher fan, but her concert was incredible.  You got all the hits, and the costumes, and the over-the-top sets and a couple very cool duets with Sunny.
  3.   Judy Collins –  Judy is 80.  And she is still amazing.  Send in the Clowns, Both Sides Now and Amazing Grace. Wow.

I am a big live music fan.   I did also get to see “cooler” artists like Childish Gambino, Kasey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood and others but it is the storytellers and performers I grew up with while listening to the records with my parents that are still the best to see in concert.  Music has a way of taking you back to the first time you heard the songs being played.

Top 3 Somewhat Odd Lessons I have for any new superintendent:

  1.  If you asking people to give their time to come to workshop – no sandwiches.  Everyone loves pizza or sushi.
  2.  Never let yourself win any competition.  I know we are competitive people but nobody wants the superintendent to win the Halloween costume contest.
  3. Always have a $5 bill in your pocket when you visit schools.  There will often be a bake sale or something similar, and you have to make a purchase.  And you can’t ask for change.  Take this advice from someone who has bought several $20 brownies, rice krispie squares and chocolate chip cookies over his time.

Top 3 Quick Takes I have based on my school visits:

  1. Technology is really becoming invisible in classrooms.  This has been a change in the works for a number of years, but when I am in school I don’t really notice it.  It is there – there are students on laptops and other tools in use, but it is never the lead of the story in classrooms.  Listening to students they are not using “virtual” or “digital” ahead of classroom, portfolio or folder – a sign that it is just become normal.
  2.   Indigenous learning is expected across all grades and curriculum.  The curiosity of students and parents to better understand our land and our history is incredible.   We are lucky to have some wonderful leaders in our district and great partners in the Squamish Nation who are bringing this work alive in our schools.
  3.   Students want flexibility – sort of.  There is an ongoing tension between students desire for more flexibility in how they learn and when they learn, and the comfort they have from traditional structures.  We see this with the FIT time at high schools.  This is just a very modest change, and most have really embraced it.  Why FIT has been particularly successful is that the adults have been so committed to the change.

Top 3 TED Talks that I Have Told You to Watch Before and I am Doing it Again:

  1.  The difference between winning and succeeding

2.   3 Ways to Spark Learning

3.  Every Kid Needs a Champion

Top 3 Trends Our Students Are Part of that We Need to Pay Attention to:

How is this for an eclectic mix – from the  environment, to video games, to mental health . . .

  1. The Climate Crisis –  While16-year-old  Greta  Thunburg  became  the  symbol of the movement around the world, it is one that has legs in every community.  Students are asking hard questions and this is only going to increase.
  2. E-Sports – I wrote about e-sports earlier this year (HERE).  It is easy for adults to dismiss what is going on, but the stats are staggering and something we all should get us all to pay attention.
  3.  Well being – Students are becoming more comfortable talking about their mental health, and describing what they need to be supported.  And the adults are getting better with discussing their well being.  From the courses we offer to when we offer them, to the flexibility for students – in our commitment to well being, many of our structures will be up for debate.

Top 3 Ways I pushed myself in 2019 (these were all my goals in last year’s Top 3):

  1. Start my doctorate –  12 months ago I was just getting going.  Now I am half way through my course work and I am beginning to work on my major exploration:  How do BC School Superintendents Spend Their Time?
  2. More real visits –  It can be hard to make time for real visits.  These are what really help you understand what is going on in classrooms.  I enjoyed being in the water with our FAST students (lifeguards in training) this fall, and checking out our drama students at Sentinel and being part of several physical literacy lessons across our elementary and high schools. These visits give me great perspective on what is working in our classrooms.
  3. Focus on assessment –  We are having this great conversation around assessment right now – from students, to staff to parents.  Somewhere is all the excitement around report cards and letter grades over the last few years, this conversation moved to the background – it is now in the foreground again.  It is actually much harder than a conversation around letter grades – it is far more grey.  But it is a great focus for us to have.

Top 3 Things I am Going to do Less of Next Year:

  1. Social Media –  My interest in definitely decreasing all the time.  I check-in to my Facebook account once or twice a week.  I have shrunk my Instagram community and still use Twitter for work, but not nearly as much as I used to.  And I don’t think I am ready for a Tik Tok account.
  2. Coaching Youth Sports –  When I am not working, I spend most of my time volunteering in the gym with kids.  The modern sports parents are wearing me out.  Their intent focus on their own child and their visions of stardom and lack of appreciation for volunteers is sad.  Working with kids on teams still brings me great joy – but I am going to definitely be more choosy.
  3. Inviting People to Meetings –  I get it, when I invite you to a meeting, you feel obligated to attend.  I will do better about not having meetings for meetings sake.  I already have a reputation for short meetings and celebrating meetings that end early, now I need to get better at finding other ways that meetings to move work forward.

Top 3 Things I want Santa to bring for our school district:

  1. West Van Place for Sport –  We have been trying to build an artificial turf field and track in West Vancouver for close to a decade, but it took a huge step forward this year.  We can actually see the finish line.  It is truly a community effort with the School District, Municipality, Community Foundation all making sizable contributions.  And through a matching funds program from the Municipality they have been joined by many local business partners including Onni and Park Royal.  We are getting this done in 2020! Click HERE to learn more . . . we are still looking for someone who wants to make a donation to have their name on the marquee.
  2. A new Sentinel– I think a new Sentinel Secondary School has been on the wish list longer than the track.  Sentinel is a great school ready for an upgrade.  It is always challenging to know how much to invest in a school knowing it might be replaced in a few years.  We can always hope Santa has a Sentinel project in his bag of goodies!
  3.  A Provincial Teachers Contract –  The support staff have settled both locally and provincially this past year.  And our teachers have settled their issues that are bargained locally this year as well.  Hopefully early in 2020, a provincial teachers settlement will be reached and we can continue to focus on students and learning without the distraction of labour challenges.

Thanks for making it right to the end.  All the best for a wonderful 2020!

Chris

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My “Top 3” Lists for 2018

Posted in Change, SD45, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 29, 2018| 14 Comments »

Welcome to my final blog post of 2018.  While perhaps not as iconic as the various year-end lists we read at this time of year, this is my 9th annual “Top 3” List. (My favourite list was always the Siskel and Ebert Top 10 Movie Lists. I am dating myself but their year-end show on Sneak Previews on PBS was the best!)

Previous Top 3 lists for:  2017 (here) 2016 (here) 2015 (here) 2014 (here) 2013 (here) 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here).

As per usual, I will try to take up topics you probably don’t see covered by other year-end “Best of” lists and my topics do change from year to year:

Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have generated the most traffic this year:

  1.  Soak City Elementary Announced
  2. The Problem With Basketball
  3. They Will Keep Coming Until They Don’t

Not sure how I should take it that I write dozens of posts on education, and my most popular one is an April Fools post and my second my popular one is on basketball.  Maybe I should stick to comedy and sports.

Top 3 Places I saw Paul Simon perform:

  1. Queens, New York –  outdoors for his final concert on his Farewell Tour
  2. Las Vegas, Nevada – a great weekend getaway (thought the enthusiasm of the crowd at the concert was a bit disappointing)
  3.  Portland, Oregon –  best memory was him forgetting a line and penalizing himself by playing 59th Street Bridge (he hates the song but the crowd loved it)

Top 3 Things I got to do when I wasn’t at work:

  1. Visit New York City – It was only for 3 days, but it was my first time.  In addition to Paul (above) we got to Hamilton and a Yankees game.
  2. BC Summer Games – I got to go with my younger son and his teammates to Cowichan for the Games.  It is like a mini-Olympics.  And if nothing else, three nights sleeping on a school classroom floor is something you will remember.
  3.  Chicago -80 basketball courts and about 800 teams competing in the Convention Centre at the NIKE Tournament of Champions.  An absolutely incredible event.

Top 3 Things I got to do when I was at work:

  1. Visit classrooms –  The past few months have been amazing for me. I have been in well over 50 classrooms and not just for the 2 minute walk-through but generally for some real sustained visits, often up to an hour. I wrote earlier about this HERE.  It has given me great insight into the learning in our classes, the changing nature of how our teachers are approaching their classes and the visits have offered a reminder of just how much has changed in recent years – the classroom looks very different from a decade ago.
  2. Launch new programs –  I love how our district is always on the cutting edge with developing programs to meet the changing needs of the world, and the passions of our students. A few new opportunities for students this year included an AP Environmental Science Program that takes place in an actual science research facility, a Computer Animation Program that partners with the faculty from Capilano University and gives students a first glance at post-secondary in this area and a Table Tennis Academy which I saw first hand last month and was so incredibly impressed by the quality of instruction and the inclusivity of the program.
  3.  Add great people to the team –  The people are key to any organization.  So much credit for the success of West Vancouver Schools needs to go to our Human Resources staff and school administrators for their excellent attraction and hiring of such outstanding teachers and support staff.  I am fortunate to be in on the hiring of many of our management staff.  I love it when we can add people to our team that make our group stronger, more diverse and I am surrounded by people who I know make me and our team better.  We were able to do this again this past year, adding Trevor Kolkea a super talented principal from Coquitlam to our team, and recently luring Ian Kennedy back to West Vancouver.  He will start as Director of Instruction in March.  Having Alex Campbell and Jamie Ross as key members of our team and all the expertise they bring to our district was also a great opportunity for us.

Top 3 Somewhat Odd Ongoing Streaks I am proud of:

  1. 5 years  of at least 10,000 steps a day according to my FitBit
  2.  300 days as a full vegetarian (the previous 18 months my meat intake was limited to fish)
  3.  9 years of at least 20 blog posts a year on Culture of Yes

Top 3 Quick Takes I have about students based on all of the visits:

  1. They don’t care about SOGI as “an issue”.  While a small vocal group made a lot of news during the School Board elections this fall, it is something students don’t care about.  They are so passed this an issue – the adults could learn something from the kids here.
  2.   Cell phone use has not gone crazy.  I keep hearing stories in the media about how students are on their cell phones all the time.  I have spent hundreds of hours in classrooms this fall and can say it is not true.  Each of our high schools has some sensible guidelines and routines around their use, and I saw students engaged in their lessons.  It is the parents at school games, concerts and elsewhere who seem to have the much stronger addictions.
  3.   They are excited but cautious about “changes” in education.  We have engaged students around the new Career Education programs and they are genuinely excited that the system will be better built around their needs and their voices have been included in the design.  That said, they see themselves as having “figured out” the current system, so they are nervous about changes to the system and how they might negatively affect them and their post-secondary goals.

Top 3 Celebrity Stories about people I work with:

  1. Martina Seo – A dynamic Foods Teachers from West Vancouver Secondary was a breakout star on the most recent season of Amazing Race Canada.  For all of us who know Martina we would agree she is perfect for reality television.
  2. Sean Nosek –  The guy in the office next to me published an absolutely amazing book this past year on Vancouver street artist Ken Foster.  It is the “coolest coffee table book ever”.
  3.  Bryn Hammett –  I found out still story by luck.  I was visiting Bryn’s Math 9/10 class (photo above) and he was doing a problem based on his recent trail race.  He finished only 8 places behind Daniel and Henrik Sedin in the 25 km race in Whistler.  Super impressive!

Top 3 TED Talks that I liked which my colleague Julia shared with me (love how she shares good stuff):

  1.  Confessions of a recovering micromanager

2.   Why You Should Treat the Tech You Use at work Like a Colleague

3.  Why Being Respectful to Your Coworkers is good for business

Top 3 People I think really make the case for the transformation in B.C.’s education system:

  1. David Burns –  I heard David  (photo to the right below) speak three times in 2018 on how his institution (KPU) is working with the K-12 transformation and making changes themselves.  It is all the more powerful when post-secondary schools are supporting the shifts K-12.  And for West Vancouver readers – he is speaking at our PD Day in January!
  2. Kris Magnusson – Kris, like David, has extra weight to his words since he is the Dean of Education at SFU.  His longtime efforts around career education have really come to life in the grad program changes.
  3.  Jan Unwin – Jan is the undisputed champion of the K-12 transformation in British Columbia.  This is a title she inherited from Rod Allen, and over the last five years has been unwavering in her passion and commitment to helping be sure the ideas became reality.

Top 3 Courses / Programs I would take in West Vancouver Schools if I was a student:

  1. Environmental Sciences Academy – Doing real science with real scientists and it is held at at the Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research (CAER) and under the leadership of Tom Harding – so much good going for it!
  2. FAST (First Aid Swim Training) – All of the programs that students take to become a lifeguard are built into an every afternoon program in West Vancouver offered by Rockridge teacher Dave Dickinson.  You get school credentialing and probably more importantly all the outside credentials as well.
  3.  YELL (Young Entrepreneurship and Leadership Launchpad) – This is another great example of doing real world work.  I have written about the program several times (like HERE) in the past, and the Jo-Anne McKee taught program continues to draw great speakers and mentors.  I had the pleasure of sitting in this fall with Anthony Beyrouti speaking to the students about going from being a local North Shore high school student to running one of the fastest growing businesses in BC in a few short years.

Top 3 Ways I am going to push myself professionally in 2019:

  1. Start my doctorate –  Classes start in January.  This will be my first time really being a student since I finished my Master`s Degree in 1999.  I am doing it with a few current and former colleagues which will make it all the better.
  2. More real visits –  The class visits over the last few months, whether to observe, participate or teach have been so rewarding.  I am looking to doing more in the new year.
  3. Focus on assessment –  Somewhere between all the discussions about curriculum and reporting we have lost some of the attention on assessment.  With curriculum fully in-place and reporting templates and structures confirmed, there will be more time to talk about the really important topic of assessment in the coming year.

Top 3 Things People Will be Talking About in B.C’s education system next year:

  1. University Admissions –  This has been a hot topic this past year, and will continue into 2019.  With the changes to K-12, how will post-secondary school change their admissions requirements.  And it is not just in response to K-12, many institutions are talking about their beliefs that they need to find better ways to select students who have the best chance to be successful.
  2. What Needs to Change Next – I can`t go to a meeting without someone talking about another aspect of schooling that needs to change, now that other changes have been made.  From exams, to reporting to calendars, there are numerous comments that for change X to be fully realized, Y and Z need to change as well.
  3.  Bargaining –  On the political side, teacher bargaining will likely occupy a fair bit of the mainstream education news for 2019.

As always, I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to read and engage with me through the blog.   I love having a portfolio of my thinking – it often reminds me how much my thinking has changed over time and the process (and stress) of writing and publishing still brings me great joy.  All the best for a wonderful 2019!

Chris

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My “Top 3” Lists for 2015

Posted in Change, SD45, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 26, 2015| 15 Comments »

Top 3Welcome to my final blog post of 2015 and my annual tradition of my Top 3 Lists for the year.

Previous Top 3 lists for  2014 (here) 2013 (here) 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here).

Hopefully there is a link or a video that connects with you and starts a discussion.  I am finding I am having fewer interesting discussion online – hopefully something here might help.

Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have generated the most traffic this year:

1. The Learning Commons Mindset

2. How Was School Today?

3. Will School Sports Disappear?

Top 3 Learning opportunities  I went to:

  1. CONNECT 2015 – I am usually not a fan of large conference events, but this one has a good mix of sessions are great opportunities to network across the country.  I see they have Chris Hatfield as a keynote for 2016.
  2. IGNITE West Vancouver – Sean Nosek hosted our first Ignite session in West Vancouver.  It was a great way to learn with colleagues in a relaxed environment.  Who knew pro-d at the bar could have so much value.
  3. C21 Superintendent’s Academy – A group of about 25 superintendents from across the country have monthly conference calls meet in-person a couple of times a year.  We helped put together the Shifting Minds (pdf) paper earlier in the year.

Top 3 Education Books I Read That Influenced My Thinking:

  1.  Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros
  2. Beyond Measure by Vicki Abeles (and the movie is also excellent!)
  3. Creative Schools by Ken Robinson

Top 3 Speakers I Saw And Remembered Their Messages Days or Weeks Later:

  1. Yong Zhao – I saw him speak several times in 2015, and even if I heard some of the same jokes a few times – he said something that stuck with me each time.
  2. Wab  Kinew – I got to see Wab in the spring, and I am really looking forward to having him as our opening day speaker in West Vancouver this coming August.
  3. Will Richardson – Will’s TEDx Video (see my next list below) proved again that he is one of the best out there at making the urgent case for change in our education system.

Top 3 TEDx WestVancouverED 2015 Videos:

  1.  Collaboration . . . It’s Starts with Competition by Allison McNeil

 

2.  The Future of Education is Ready by Lane Merrifield

 

3.   The Surprising Truth About Learning in School by Will Richardson

 

Top 3 Technology Influences I Saw in Schools This Year:

  1.  FreshGrade – It is a monster in British Columbia and likely it will be across Canada soon.
  2. Google Classroom – If you don’t think people in your district use it – you are wrong.  They are just not telling you.
  3. Coding – Each year it gains momentum and Hour of Code is part of most schools now.

Top 3 Signs That Have Nothing To Do With Technology (mostly) That Show Schools are REALLY Changing:

  1. new curriculum in British Columbia with a focus on big ideas
  2. all the value being placed on core competencies for students
  3. the changes in student reporting

Top 3 Pop Culture Phrases That Get Used Too Much in Education:

  1.  This ain’t my first rodeo
  2.  Go down the rabbit hole
  3. Anything 2.0 or 3.0 or 4.0 or . . . .

Thanks everyone for continuing to read and engage with me through my blog.  It continues to be a great place to work through ideas and connect to some of the most passionate people I know.  I have struggled to get a tweet from Dean Shareski out of my mind – he said something like, blogging is like jazz – it is not for everyone but will have a loyal following.  I did think that blogging was going to be for everyone but I was wrong.  There seem to be fewer people in education writing today than even a year ago.  I am not sure why.  That is probably a good blog post for the new year 🙂

Happy New Year – I look forward to learning together in 2016!

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My “Top 3” List for 2013

Posted in Personalized Learning, Social Media, Technology, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 23, 2013| 9 Comments »

TOP3

Welcome to my final blog post of 2013 – My “Top 3″ lists for the year.  This has become a tradition with previous Top 3 lists for 2012 (here), 2011 (here) and 2010 (here).  I know we are abandoning ranking and sorting in our education system, so this is more about highlighting some of the blogs, videos and ideas that have engaged me over the last 12 months. As always with these kind of lists hopefully it will start some discussion and debate as well.

Top 3 “Culture of Yes” Blog Posts which have Generated the most Traffic this Year:

1.  What About Final Exams?

2. Dr. Shanker and Self-Regulation – Continuing the Conversation

3.  Hopes and Dreams for my Kids’ Schooling

Top 3 Used (and often overused) Quotes in Education for the Year (some are past winners):

1. We need to focus on the learning

2. It’s not about the technology

3. The 21st Century is more than 10% over (YES – people are STILL using versions of this one!)

Top 3 Growing Trends I See Continuing in the Next Year:

1. Embedding Aboriginal teachings across the curriculum — BC’s new draft curriculum is a great example

2. Devices becoming invisible — more and more kids have devices, and I am noticing them less and less

3. Rethinking of report cards — we are in the midst of a dramatic shift in reporting

Top 3 Books I have Read this Year that have Influenced My Thinking:

1.  Spirals of Inquiry by Linda Kaiser and Judy Halbert

2.  Calm, Alert, and Learning – Stuart Shanker

3.  Communicating the New – Kim Erwin

Top 3 Professional Development Events I have Attended:

1.  TEDxWestVancouverED — it has been so great to have a TEDx event in our community with so many of our staff and students involved

2.  Connect 2013 — a wonderful chance to see so many Canadians present who I have met over time through Twitter and our blogs

3.  Barbara Coloroso — the Guru of parent education was hosted by our District Parent Advisory Council

Top 3 BC Superintendent Blogs You Should Follow:

1. Jordan Tinney — Surrey

2. Steve Cardwell –Vancouver

3. Kevin Godden — Abbotsford

Top 3 Non-education New Twitter Follows:

1.  Roberto Luongo (Canucks)

2.  Gerry Dee (from Mr. D)

3.  Mr. T (of pity the fool fame)

Top 3 Jurisdictions We Are Going to Turn Into the Next Finland:

1.  British Columbia — high achievement, high diversity, high equity – lots to interest people

2.  Quebec — Just what are they doing different than the rest of Canada in math?

3. Shanghai, China — We are concerned about their methods but their results are stunning

Top 3 TEDx Videos from WestVancouverED (that I bet you haven’t seen):

I earlier wrote a post here that highlighted some of my West Vancouver colleagues, so these are some of my favourite from the non-West Vancouver staff

1.  Katy Hutchinson — an extremely powerful personal story of restorative justice

2.  David Helfand — a new approach to university leadership

3.  Dean Shareski — he has a wonderful perspective and a great way to connect with people

 

Top 3 Fun and Interesting Educational Videos:

1.   What Came First — the chicken or the egg?

2.  Canada and the United States — Bizarre Borders

3.  What Does Your Body Do in 30 Seconds?

Thanks to everyone who continues to engage with me on my blog and push my learning. Some of my greatest professional joy is writing, reading, engaging and learning through my blog and with all of you.   I look forward to continuing to grow and learn together in 2014.

Chris Kennedy

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