Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?

This is probably long overdue, but I’ll feel much better getting it out in the open so it’s “official.” I’ve bitten off quite a bit this school year, including a new job, starting a doctoral program, and teaching a college course. Add into that the modestly successful podcast I work on with Melinda Miller, a soon-to-be 4-year-old and a daughter who just turned one and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

So something has to give.

After much reflection, for me it’s going to be the Universe. I’m not saying I will never pick up here again or post on occasion when I have something to write about - I’m sure I will - but finding time to craft any sort of meaningful, high-quality posts has proven to be exceedingly difficult given the papers I’m writing for grad school and the capstone class I’m teaching for teachers-to-be.

My prioritized list of commitments looks something like this:

1. Being a good husband and father by making time for my family FIRST.
   
2. Earning money to support my family by performing well at my day job.
3. Passing my grad school classes.
4. Teaching my undergrad class.
5. Continuing to build the audience around our Practical Principals podcast.
   

Were it not for this blog, I would likely have missed out on the chance to meet (virtually, anyway…) some incredible people with whom I continue to interact via other means. So if you’re looking for me online these days, try here:

If we’re friendly, you can also find me at:

• Flickr
• Vimeo
  

I just felt the need to make it official because I have felt this “weight” hanging over me; this feeling that I’m “slacking” by not keeping the Universe up-to-date.

Remember - this isn’t “good-bye,” it’s “see ya ’round.” I’m officially going on a blogging sabbatical.

[Image credit: “Untitled” by burnblue]

• Leave a comment...

Ben Wildboer shows how he used some ideas he found online (including some from yours truly!) to upgrade a slide deck about basic Earth structure. His blog post includes an “Extreme Makeover” like before and after look at his entire slide deck.

Ben’s immediate observation distills everything I’ve been trying to convey as succinctly as I’ve seen it done:

There were several students that expressed regret at the demise of the bullet points. It’s easier for them to just copy down exactly what it says (of course it is, they don’t have to actually pay attention or comprehend to do that). How well they’ve been trained by their past experiences!

Ah yes. Undoing years of damage done by the ubiquitous bullet point. Challenging, to say the least. But definitely a battle worth fighting.

Go check out Ben’s slide decks. And the rest of his blog while you’re there. He’s off to a great start!!

• Leave a comment...

[Cross-posted at LeaderTalk]

I’ll admit that when I registered for my classes for this term I was not looking forward to “Educational Policy Analysis” - a required “core” course for my graduate work. But if I’ve learned anything in the three classes I’ve attended it’s that I know next to nothing about the way policy gets put into place above the district level.

Combined with the fact that we’re in the midst of what looks to be a very interesting presidential election, and my lack of understanding of policy at the highest level is inexcusable. Policy, you see, affects us all even if we don’t see how or why. As public managers, we make policy on a daily basis through our actions or inactions in our buildings.

Even more apparent is the culture of distrust between policy makers at the highest levels and practitioners on the ground in the schools. At the top level is a lack of belief that educators are doing an adequate job of focusing resources on the “right” students. And at the grassroots level we are often content using rhetoric that makes us feel more comfortable that those at the top level could never understand what we do at the building level.

So if I’ve learned anything about policy, it’s that I don’t know enough and that there’s no excuse for not knowing. Policy making is not done in isolation — it’s a wide-open process that is accessible to anyone who wants to know more or to be more involved. Bridging the gap between practitioners and policy makers is one of the responsibilities that district- and building-level administrators must make a priority if we are to truly improve education. Becoming involved in the process will go a long way toward making us feel less like “victims” of policies that are “handed down” to us.

[Image by BoutrosBoutros]

• Leave a comment...