LessonCast helps learning communities design professional development that targets specific needs and changes instructional practice. We support a continuum of professional learning that spans support for teachers new to the classroom, experienced teachers with expertise to share, and leaders guiding a community in improving instruction. The Common Core Conundrum – Why We Can Set the How or the What but not Both
2013-05-02 12:17:50
Once upon a time, I learned that in leading a school initiative I could specify the how or I could s...
Archive for March 2012
Coaches for All: Reflections on Gawande’s ASCD Keynote
I’m not easily impressed but I was impressed with Atul Gawande’s keynote at ASCD, perhaps because he touched on topics percolating in my brain the past few months. My love affair with Gawande began with his article in the New Yorker where he advocates for all professionals having the opportunity to be coached. The philosophy is so simple—we get better at what we do if we get specific feedback on our performance—yet it happens so little in most professions, except in sports and dance. The goal of this feedback is …
Riddle Me Rigor
Rigor is a hot topic bandied about to show demand for high expectations for student learning. Like other communities responding to criticism that students aren’t adequately prepared for college or the workforce, our district trumpets the need for all students to engage in rigorous instruction. At our school, we are continually reminded of this districtwide expectation, and – as instructional leaders – we also discuss that expectation with our teachers. During a post-observation conversation, a teacher asked if someone could actually show what they mean by rigorous instruction. “Not enough …
Take-Aways from a Grant Wiggins #ASCD12 Session
I was only able to participate in a short segment of Grant Wiggins’ session yesterday—wish I had been able to come in sooner. When I worked with Grant back in 1999 as part of a Klingenstein Summer Institute, his Understanding by Design framework came at exactly the right time for my practice—over a dozen years later, Grant is still ahead of the curve. Here are some of the big questions he raises: What would schooling look like if we designed it “backward” from the school Mission & using sound principles? …
Highlights from Heidi Hayes Jacobs #ASCD12 Workshop
While this ASCD session wasn’t exactly what I was expecting–didn’t read description carefully, I did leave with a number of great website links, and some clever paradigm-shifting analogies and anecdotes. Heidi Jacobs always has so much to share–I signed up more for her than the topic. I loved when Jacobs compared teaching to medicine. Principals often brag that they’re using 21st century technology at their schools and then take you to see the 3 or 4 teachers who are implementing tech into their classrooms. Imagine if a hospital administrator bragged …
