Welcome to Owl's House of Blogs and Thought Emporium: No thought left behind

Welcome to Owl's House of Blogs and Thought Emporium. I am glad you have dropped by and hope you will enjoy your time here. As you can see I have been using this blog site for a while now and have had some interesting moments. Mostly I use this blog as a means to supplement what I am doing in my courses. While that is in essence still true we are beginning to see the cyberwriting on the wall that on-line education is here to stay, so let's all dig in and make it all it can be. The fact is this is part of the face of the new classroom. However, human beings remain the soul of education regardless of how it is delivered.

You can comment on this if you want, but the main purpose of this blog is to say thank you for dropping by, and to offer the hope that you will find something worthwhile to read, and to say in Owl's House of Blogs and Thought Emporium. Most of all I hope that you encounter something that makes you think, or rethink.

Here are a few simple house rules:

Everything you have to say is worthwhile.  If it is important to you, then I feel confident that it will be worthwhile to others, and even if a particular thought is not it may prompt thoughts in others that will enhance the conversation.  This is a basic aspect of brainstorming.

We will pay more attention to your ideas and thinking than your grammar, but your grammar should reflect a level of quality worthy of your standing in the academic community.

Here in Owl's House we strictly adhere to a brainstorming format. Ironically enough this means that while using the brainstorming format there is nothing that we will strictly adhere to except: You do not slander/liable others; You do not threaten others; You do no harm to anyone intently; You remain open to new ideas; You need to demonstrate tact and sensitivity to others; and you need to participate.

You can choose to disagree with anyone, especially me, but when doing so I expect you to disagree agreeably.

Even though I said that everything you have to say is worthwhile this should not be interpreted as meaning that everything you have to say is brilliant. I don't care what anybody says, there are such things as stupid ideas and questions. If you don't believe me I can share some of the ideas I have had, statements I have made, and questions I have asked. I promise you several of them were stupid. Somehow I do not feel I am rowing this particular boat alone.

So, let me offer to be more politically correct by saying say that perhaps it is true that there are no true stupid questions.  Stupid is a very negative word and should not be used to describe any human behavior.  Yet it is possible to conceive that there are such things such as intellectually challenged inquiries (ICIs) and intellectually challenged activities (ICAs). These are the ideas and actions that seem to spontaneously swell up from sections of the brain that are evidently void of grey matter. And to be even more true to our business let's just call it by its letters, such as ICIs. You know, like ABCs, SOLs, GREs, SATs, MATs, SBATs, SITs,RESAs, ASUs,UNCs.

So while you are here please speak openly, honestly, and free yourself from the fear that those reading your words are sitting in judgment of you. Of course they are going to be judging you by forming ideas about you and your ideas as they read your words.  Do we not all do this?  Maybe a better word would be assessing, rather than judging.  Judging can have several meanings.  Perhaps we should try to accept that the fact that others are continuously judging us much the same way we are judging them.   

So, accept the idea the possibility that over the course of your career there will be multiple times when people will think of you in various ways, and some of these ways are not pleasant to consider, such as people thinking you are stupid. You know the kicker here? Some of the unpleasant things they say, and write, will be true. This is not a judgment call, just a reminder of the two sides of the coin theory.  And remember, nobody promises you it will always be fair. 

Besides ICIs and ICSs often make us laugh and think of things we may not have thought about if we had not heard that particular question or statement.  What can be better than that? If you post an idea that others think is stupid (ICed) you are to be congratulated. You may be making other people think, and maybe even laugh. And let's be honest and face the fact that often times these people are not laughing with you, they are clearly laughing at you. As Randy Newman said, you have to roll with the punches.

Remember that as a human being you have the capacity to learn from, and even enjoy these moments. Clowns and comedians have known forever that it is good to be laughed at, and the public has known forever that school administrators are clowns and comedians. But don't get me wrong, not everyone feels as positive about school administrators as I do.

Remember that age old adage: There is no lemon so sour as the one that refuses to laugh at its own juice. OK, I made it up, but it is my blog so I can. Develop a self-effacing sense of humor, this will serve you well as a school administrator. As Weird Al Yankovich said so eloquently: Dare to be stupid. Always seek refuge in the fact that some blogger out there trudging through the Bogs of Bloggerdom may benefit from your intellectually challenged moments (ICMs).

This brings us to one of those moments of truth that will be offered from time to time. What is even more exciting is that this moment of truth is offered free of any additional charge. Once you become a school administrator some of the people that tell you that you are great and all your ideas are golden intellectual nuggets may be guilty of not being fully honest with you. They may be telling you that you are great for their benefit, not yours. These are the hapless "suckups" that we all love so much, and oftentimes are also called Yes People, Hangers-On, Brownnosers, and Manipulators. Know any? Ever been one yourself? Heck, sometimes I am even my own yes person.

On the other hand, the people that tell us when we are acting idiotic (not to be confused with actually being an idiot) can prove to be more valuable to your career than the lovable brownnosers. However, you may need to work on obtaining the skills necessary to listen objectively when they speak. Learn to take both ends of the flattery/criticism continuum in moderation. If you can master this you will be glad you did. If you think I am wrong then don’t just think it, blog it.

Learn to be tactful, it is a skill that can be practiced here. When you think I am stupid (ICed), let's see if you can tell me that without making me want to jump off the Tallahatchie Bridge just like Billy Joe McAllister did all those years ago. You may want to Google Ms. Gentry and/or Ode to BillyJoe to find out just what happened on June 3, another sleepy, dusty delta day. 

So, there are the rules. Mostly common sense, but once people obtain your level of education common sense can no longer be assumed. Once you get a doctorate it is no longer even expected.

The bottom line is this....while you are thinking and writing try to have some fun. Life is way too short to avoid thinking or having fun. You will eventually reach the age of thinking of having fun.  And while it may not win me any friends or influence any people let me offer the thought that at times education can be too serious, while at other times it is not serious enough. As a school administrator will you/do you have the ability to know the difference? Maybe the academic community needs to develop a rubric to help you know the difference. Regardless, it seems from my perspective that our society, with educators as the willing partner, have done all they can to avoid letting fun enroll in most of our schools.

Don't read too much into this, I am “thinkin’ bout thinkin’” here. However, don't read to little into this either. If you don't have clear ideas regarding your profession at this point maybe you took a wrong turn at the career intersection of your life.

Let me leave you with one of the lesser known sayings from Mr. Spock: "May you blog long and ponder." Perhaps the greater question here is, for the youngsters in the crowd (as Ed Sullivan used to say before he introduced the boys from Liverpool), who in the heck is Mr. Spook. Some of you may be mistaking him for that baby doctor back in the 1960s who said if was spank our kids they turn into Klingons (I have no idea as to how to spell this, but it is pronounced "cling ons").  And while we are at it who in the heck is Ed Sullivan and the boys from Liverpool?

And always remember....the blog is your oyster.

Sincerely,

Al Proffit

Money, that's what I want

So, here are a couple articles I found just nosing around the Internet. 

Please read and respond.

The major question here is....does money matter in the education of our children?  Surely the answer is yes, so the question then becomes more focused on how and to what degree. 

Clearly we do not have clear answers from the experts, then again maybe we are asking the wrong experts.  That is why I am asking those of you who do it every day.

When I was working within the real world I could show you how money mattered, and I did see direct relationships between money and standardized test scores of districts, individual schools, and individuals within schools.  But, I have been beat up a lot in the press for suggesting this.   And, I could have been wrong.  Perhaps we should just sit back and let them, whoever they are, continue to reduce our funding because it doesn't matter anyway.  Maybe we are just wasting tax payers millions.

Here are a couple sites to consider. 

Does money matter….aworld study:

http://www.educatejournal.org/index.php?journal=educate&page=article&op=viewFile&path%5B%5D=146&path%5B%5D=151


Research from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas:

http://www.sedl.org/pubs/policyresearch/policydocs/tr-sa.pdf

What do you think?


What Pink Floyd thinks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs01ZXU8ggQ&feature=fvst

Leaders Least Likely

Are there leaders that you admire but who cause inner conflict?

Odd topic for a blog, but here is the lowdown on this idea. Ever realize that you sometime may admire someone who goes against much of what you seem to believe? Give this some thought and see if you can come up with one to share. For me it is President Richard Nixon. President Nixon seems to embody most of what I don’t like about politicians. According to historical accounts he was a hypocrite, he was a liar, he was a bully, he seemed to have little or no discernable ethical foundation, he tried to keep John Lennon out of the United States while giving Elvis some kind of badge regarding the war on drugs, and yes Virginia, he was a crook. Yet, and this is painful to admit in public, I admired him in some ways. His administration ended the Vietnam War, even if he could have done it earlier, he at least did it; he recognized the largest county in the world (China) as a county and opened relations with them via a series of ping pong matches, thus the title ping pong diplomacy; he seems to have been much more environmentally savvy than subsequent presidents (with the possible exception of President Jimmy Carter), he had a plan to deal with gas shortages; and he appeared on Rowen and Martin’s Laugh In during the late sixties with the line “Sock it to me” but his delivery made it sound like a question.....it really was good humor, especially given the unrelenting attention paid to him by the show often through the work of Lilly Tomlin. Not to mention the Watergate hearings provided some of the best live daytime television drama ever produced.

Yet, I keep being drawn back to the reality of Neil Young singing “tin solders and Nixon coming, we’re finally on our own, this summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio”. Maybe it will finally come a time when we got to get down to it again. So, is my admiration for a man that so runs counter to my personal political beliefs curable? Or is it wise to seek to understand the ways and wisdom of those that seemingly define our opposite side?

Now you know mine, at some level I admire some of what Richard Nixon did. So who is your nominee for the leader least likely?

Leaders who defy, not define traditional leadership

Leadership that defies explanation

This blog is for you to think about, and ultimately choose a leader that in your way of thinking about leadership is an outlier. The term outlier in this case means to exist outside rational thought regarding leadership. Perhaps such an example would be Abraham Lincoln. How many of his contemporizes would have predicted in 1845 that Lincoln would be considered one of, if not the greatest of all American presidents? If I recall correctly (yes, I could just fact check here, but that takes the fun out of working with memory) Mr. Lincoln had a difficult time getting elected to anything, he was married to an unusual woman who enjoyed a good séance as well as any of our first ladies, and from some historical accounts they could have filmed the movie Paranormal Activity in the White House during the years he was there....wait a minute, this is President Reagan....but you get the point. Presently it could be argued that we have political actors on the national stage that fit well within this genre. While not identifying any of these specific politicians I will offer that it is possible that both major political parties would have its share of Oscar nominees in several of the major political actor categories. This can be good, it can be bad, and it can be incredibly goofy. But, evidently one person’s goof is another person’s proof. Not sure what that means, but we do have some really odd political characters these days. But, hey, history has its share as well. So, think of one and share. They do not have to be goofy, they can be profound, just unexpected by who they were/are, or what they did/do.

Mine is Joan of Arc. I have a long standing fascination with this leader. This is not to be confused with the notion that I have a comprehensive historical understanding of her, but I think I have enough of the major points down that indicate she was not your average early 1400s leader. She was poor, she was French, she had no followers on Facebook, and she didn’t put on a wig and turn into Joanna Montana. Rather she was a peasant, a girl, and someone who claimed to have visions from God.

But before we pass this off as lunacy, as the English would later do as they burned her at the stake at a tender age of 19 let’s consider a few other facts. Before the English burned her at the stake she somehow managed to lead French army to several major victories over them during the Hundred Years War. But, legend has it she still threw like a girl. Just don’t tell that to the Englishmen who fell from the hand that threw like a girl.

Still, isn’t it amazing that she did all that she did and we still can’t explain it. I mean, why would seasoned solders follow a teen aged girl into combat? And, if she did, how is it possible that she lead them to victory? I don’t recall her attending la West a’Pointa? And, the Citadel was not accepting girls into their freshman class then. And, for this business of talking to God, is there anyone ready to tell me for sure she didn’t? I mean that would explain a lot. Actually that would explain it all, but it would not be without its own share of problems, just ask John Denver. There will be bonus points for those of you who connect the dots that lead from Joan of Arc to John Denver. I mean it’s not like Joan lived in almost Heaven, my home state of West Virginia. And let me close by mentioning Joan is the subject of some great music nearly 200 years after her death at the hands of the non believing English. Two of my personal favorite singer/songwriters, Leonard Cohen and Kate Bush, wrote compelling songs about her.

But, I leave you with this image from the poetry of J. Walden Elliott

The Chosen Joan

By J. Walden Elliott

The battle is subsiding, many are bleeding, more are dying.
Joan is alone and crying.
Tears not of weakness, but tears of compassionate strength.
Not death to the English, or death to the French,
instead the unfortunate of humanity dancing helpless on her sword
that tis blessed by the Hand of the Lord..
While in her head remains the ringing, all of the singing,
the bells yet toiling, the blood set flowing
as the maiden hears the voice that whispers among the shouts
saying go forward my Chosen, accept you can’t stop the suffering,
or still the doubts.
Yes, ever forewarned and forever forward cries the Lord.
A Lord not of the rings, a Lord not of things,
But a Lord of vengeance and saving grace
that choose to look upon the face
that leaves the dead to the dying and the dying to the dead,
and the visions of salvation in a young girls head.
And amide the furry of the fire
And of the longing desire
Only to be Joan.
Joan, sweet Joan.
Leading and leaving you so alone.
amide the furry of the fire
quenching the longing desire.

Tag you’re it.

What's on your mind?

No long epistle here, just an invitation for you to start any conversation you want in regard to educational organizations and the people who inhabit them.  What hot topic is on your mind?

And now a word about elephants and school reform

We hear it all the time, especially during election years. We need to reform education.

Maybe we do need to make some changes. Maybe we need to move backwards and away from some of the reforms already initiated. Maybe we need to completely rethink the way we educate our children. Maybe we need to stand firm and keep what we have. Maybe we need to take the stand that yes, there is lots we need to do, or could do, but we simply do not have the resources to get the job done in the way it needs. If so, say it.

In this blog you will find a links to three YouTube posts that reflect some thoughts regarding school reform.  One of them refers to "elephants in the room" when we talk about school reform. Does his ideas create any thoughts with you individually and collectively?  All three posts are self explanatory.

Watching these short videos brings to my mind the work of Ruby Payne.  If you are not familiar with her wort I feel it is worth you while.  In this age of seemingly endless criticism of public education I feel it is worth all educators time and effort to become familiar with her work.

But for now, sit back, grab a drink and see if you see the elephants the gentleman in the first video is referring too. And while you are at it see if you see others he may have missed.  There are two other videos posted as well that may spur thought.  You will also notice that YouTube will list related videos that may be of interest.  I do not necessarily endorse any of the videos, or the thoughts embedded within them, but I do feel many of them are worthy of consideration and discussion. 

Anyway, here are the links for this blog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw03BU7xTyw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uMAe2U7zdw&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syyZhK2Wc_Q&feature=related

Now, where did I put those peanuts?

Let's Talk About Visionary Leadership

FROM HERE

TO

HOW?

Looking back to time time I graduated from high school in 1970 I wonder how my school administrators could have possibly conceived the world in which my children would live and learn. Schools in 1970 do not come close to meeting the needs of children in 2007, yet in some ways little has changed inside the scared walls of learning. In other ways we have witnessed a total revolution in the way we talk about teaching and learning.  And as we are busily about the business of changing the way we teach in the brave new world of education I am not sure the way we learn has changed.
 
So many problems confront educators. While we are often faced with the challenges of making it through an average day the fact remains that we need to be visionaries. We need to know how to plan and design educational institutions that will not only meet the needs of children of today, but as the Moody Blues sang, to our children's children's children.

If you are taking this class you are preparing yourself to become one of our society's most important leaders regardless if you remain on the local level or are catipolted into a state or national areana.  Do you believe this?  If not, why?  If so, are you ready for the responsibilities that come with the leadership positions that you have, and/or aspire to?  I trust the answer is yes.  Frankly if you are not ready you need to step out of the way even before you get in the way. Don't be one of the characters of the Bob Dylan song that blocks up the hall. If you don't want to lead us into the future, please do not attempt to lead us back into the past or keep us in the present. Neither are acceptable any longer for our schools. Yet, having said that we must move into the future as educational leaders you are also one of the protectors of all things sacred, and to the preservers of those things that need to be preserved. Are you capable of doing that as well?

Ah, a paradox....lead us into the future while preserving those thing from the past and present that we must keep. Those things we must hold precious and never let go. Those things that we will need as much in the future as we need now. Just as those of us today need things from yesterday as we set our couse squarely into the face of the future.

So, paradoxical thinkers and grasshoppers (bonus points for those of you that can ID this reference) here is the task for this blog: Find some quiet time and reflect. Tap into your sense of vision and leadership and then relate that to us here.

Once you have reflected upon the topic examine and respond to any of these questions to ignite our collective creative spark:

• What will schools look like in the future?
• Will we need schools in the future, or will computer terminals in our homes be enough?
• Will we still need books?
• What skills and knowledge must we retain as we consider educating the children of the future?
• Will they still need to know how to read and write, or will computers do all of that for us?
• Do we really need to know our multiplication tables?
• Are there any other thoughts you may have, and surely you do.

So, here is yet one more opportunity to think your way into the future. Better hurry, it is on the way. In some places tomorrow is already here. Where are you?

References to consider (please add your own to this list):

The book Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
The album (CD to you young folks) To Our Children's Children's Children by the Moody Blues
The song In the year 2929 by Seager and Evans
The movie The Matrix

Here are some YouTube posts that deal with the subject.  What do you think about them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opXKmwg8VQM
This is a film from the 1940s regarding progressive education at the time.  The clip includes a brief part of a lecture being given by John Dewey. It is the only time I can recall actually "seeing" Mr. Dewey speak. It also has a couple other well know professors from Columbia debating "progressive education".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnh9q_cQcUE&NR=1
A post about our changing world and education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L2XwWq4_BY&NR=1
A post regarding 21st century learning from Library of Congress and Colorado

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOXWFFiotNk&feature=related
Schools of the future with Microsoft being a consultant. Does reality clash with the ideal here? How?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBKFaZze33c&feature=related
This posting about schools of the future primarily for your enjoyment, but does it have a sense of reality behind the satire?

As educational administrators you will be ask to lead us into the future, and I have just one question for you: Got vision?