Two things differentiate the best schools in Canada

Last week was a busy travel week, with meetings in five CAIS schools in three provinces. If that cross-Canada perspective doesn’t impress you, consider this – none of the schools were in Ontario. I met with students, staff, leadership teams, and boards, and in every school, I had the chance to build on the work of our 2051 Project.

So what’s new? What impressed me most? Two things:

CAIS Schools are doing even more to differentiate their programs and enhance their unique value

What I saw in my travels was inspirational:

• West Island College in Calgary students LOVE their Business Institute, Engineering Institute, and Fine Arts Certificate (And they are psyched that their CAIS Student Leadership Conference will be awesome and is sold out!)
• Bishops College School in Sherbrooke Quebec offers a Bridge Program, in special partnership with Bishops University.
• Notre Dame in Wilcox Saskatchewan is paperless and the students love it. (They also have 12 hockey teams – that’s 12 hockey teams at one school!)
• Luther College in Regina offers the IB Program and an ESL program
• Lycee Louis Pasteur in Calgary offers a bilingual education that meets the French Ministry of Education requirements

I was struck last week, as is often the case, by the commitment to providing more than the provincial requirements in terms of curricular and co-curricular offerings. But there’s more.

I have been conducting 2051 Student Focus Groups for over a year (See our video here) but last week, I took time to ask students about this idea of “more.” What I heard is that they want less traditional classes and more focus on life-oriented, real skills and experiential learning. And what, specifically, do they mean by “more interesting stuff”? Here’s their list:

• Home economics – Why can’t schools teach us to prepare healthy food?
• Finances, mortgages, taxes, and budgets – Everyone needs to learn this, so why don’t schools teach this? And not just in a lower level math class – schools should teach financial acumen to all students.
• Cars and other opportunities to make and fix things – There’s a difference between “book smart” and other kinds of smart. Students don’t want to be naïve and lacking in hands-on activities that are worth learning.
• Global issues and market trends – What is happening with Alberta oil and gas? Students may get this in certain classes, but they want to be on top of world events, and they want more debate on current issues.
• People skills like communication and team work – Why is it considered an added bonus when some great teachers choose to focus on this?
• Arts – Why can’t high school allow more time to explore more of a variety of activities?
• Opportunities for personal discovery, character development, and leadership.

The challenge for schools is always time. How do you meet the provincial curriculum, get your students in to the best universities, AND offer more experiential and co-curricular opportunities? Fear not! Students can make this happen too – offer more experiences, especially at younger ages; redesign how we teach the current curriculum; create flexible schedules; and rethink learning opportunities outside of the classroom.

As usual, I ended the week with confirmation of one simple truth:

CAIS Schools ask, listen and act on, the advice of their students.

p.s. Honoured to make the January 22 Photo of the Day at BCS!

 

Are you confident enough to be humble?

Sometimes I read or hear something and it sticks. I just cannot shake it and I find myself thinking about it on a walk or mentioning it in conversations. Last week at the Leadership Institute (known in our CAIS world as the LI), in preparation for one of my favourite traditions, I had one of those moments.

We have two relatively new traditions at the LI. One night, affectionately called “The Newbie Night,” includes speeches from two graduates of the LI who have gone on to become Heads. They speak about their first year on the job, and it is an evening of funny moments and lessons learned by Heads who have been groomed within the CAIS family. Every year, I sit back and enjoy their humour, humility, and passion. This year, Sharon Klein of St George’s School in Montreal and Jason Rogers of Rundle Academy in Calgary didn’t disappoint. (Their speeches are already posted here – thanks Jeremy! – and all LI grads who have become Heads are listed here.)

The other night, we hear from two “senior” Heads who have been nominated by their peers and whose influence extends beyond their school and province. It is truly a celebration of the Art of Leadership and over the years, we have heard from some of our CAIS giants, those names you’ve heard and always wanted to meet. (See them all here.) Again, I just love to sit back and watch them in action. I bet, if I really tried, I could remember something from each of them. This year, as anticipated, Hal Hannaford and Claire Sumerlus knocked it out of the park. (Again, watch them here)

I cannot decide which night I prefer – probably best not to choose! – but this year, what really struck me was not something included in the speeches, but something included in the introduction. For “The Seniors Night,” I always collect some remarks from colleagues. It was a letter from Catherine Kirkland, Junior School Director at Royal St George’s College in Toronto, that has captured me. In her letter of support for Hal Hannaford, she wrote:

Hal once said something to me before I became Head of the Junior School at RSGC, and it has been a question I return to often in my career “Are you confident enough to be humble?” Hal’s confidence allows him to lead by influence and not by authority, and his humility gives him the ability to build up those up around him. It’s great to work for Hal, because he always acknowledges your talents, contributions and importance to the school. I’m sure that every student, and certainly every teacher, who has been at Hal’s school could think of a time that Hal made a special effort to single them out, make them feel special or remark on a recent achievement. He makes those around him feel valued and an important part of the community. Hal makes everyone feel they have their own unique relationship with him – quite an accomplishment. Hal was the champion of “relational teaching” – long before it became the new buzz-word in teaching and leading.

I often say that at CAIS, we are in the business of asking good questions. Thanks to the Summer LI, the question that Hal posed to Catherine is now one that we can all consider as we spend the rest of our summer reflecting on the art of leadership.

The Future of Learning

One afternoon on vacation, there was a storm coming in and Jacob and I decided to go down to the dock to read. We sat under the boat house with our books (I can write a separate blog about how much I love CAIS schools for required summer reading!) and were happily interrupted by thunder and the odd bit of lightening. I love a sunny day on the dock, but this time was also spectacular. Getting lost in a book – especially while cozy and watching the rain – is my summer time joy.

Jacob decided to do some fishing. Fortunately you can buy worms at the local bakery, and he had had a day of catching over 30 fish. But this afternoon, he was down to his final few worms so he had to use them sparingly. Plus he wasn’t having any luck. He came back to the boathouse for a worm, again, but this time, he put down his rod, sighed, went back to the dock and laid down by the edge. I was reluctant to stop reading, but I was amused at the sight of him in the rain.

“What’s up Jacob?”

If I close my eyes now, I can picture the scene – all was quiet on the lake, and the late afternoon drizzle made everything seem grey. But he stood there, with his arms in the air, venting about the fish, “I think the one fish is eating my worms. The same one fish!”

As a mom, what are your choices at this kind of moment? How can you not put down your book and join in the fun? So I grabbed my umbrella and had a look. We stood together in the rain, under the umbrella, studying the water, while he lowered his worm-filled hook. To our amazement, we saw at least five fish poke their heads out from under the dock.

“Wait here.” Jacob took off and returned minutes later with a net. He had a plan and the passion of a preacher: “You hold the fishing rod, Mom, and I will scoop’em.”

It was ridiculous. I stood, but I couldn’t manage to hold the umbrella and reel in the fishing line all at once. Jacob bent over the edge, while barking advice on how to get it right. I thought the fish were too low, but he thought I should stay quiet. “Really?” I asked, “Do you really think you can scoop up a fish?” Then he complained that I wasn’t holding the umbrella to cover him, even though he was already wet, and we argued some more. We remained in place for a while.

I had two thoughts I didn’t share – I should have conscripted someone to teach this boy to fish so I wouldn’t be in this position right now; and thank goodness no one can see me, holding an umbrella and a fishing rod, in the rain, supporting this crazy plan.

And that’s when Kevin and Kathleen arrived, laughing, with a camera.

Fortunately, she took over the fishing rod job, and the two of them concentrated. You have to smile at that. Kevin and I sat, amused, under the dock, shaking our heads. We believe – wholeheartedly! – in experiential learning, problem-solving and risk-taking. Like you, I have done a lot of reading this summer on how, for instance, blended learning will change education (see the recent article in The Atlantic). But at that moment, it came down to this. To what extent do you support kids’ crazy ideas? Are we bad parents for letting them goof around, wasting their time and not correcting them?

But guess what? They caught a fish.

What can schools learn from summer camps?

Do you ever feel like you’re having a conversation with someone that is really important?  The night after Jacob’s math exam, I found him upset in his room.  He figured he barely passed the exam, and he worried that he might even have failed it.  He blurted out, “I study hard and I still don’t do well.”  And this breaks my heart.  He has always struggled with math and when he was tested, we learned to better understand how his brain is challenged by math.  So in a way, he is right – more studying won’t necessarily help as he just doesn’t get the abstract concepts.  He knows this, and I think he feels that we support him, but it is still frustrating. Can you blame him?

So after a while of trying to console him, I asked him this question, “Why are you letting this one mark get you down?  You are much more than a math mark!” 

I explained that at some point someone decided that math is what children should do everyday and they should be graded on it.  But we talked about what matters most and how that doesn’t necessarily end up on a report card.  For example, I care more about how he deals with his failure than I do about his grade, but resilience is not measured on a report.  We eventually came up with a whole list of things that mattered more than some school subjects.

Our conversation turned to the seemingly random nature of assessment.  What does a 54% mean and what would it take to get to 64%?  Why is 54% a pass, when we all know that you shouldn’t start a new grade with only half of the previous grade’s understanding?  Does any number motivate a child to learn?  If numbers cannot capture what is really important, why do we use them with children?  (I’m not sure I see the value of subject marks for teenagers either, but the point that our high school system remains stunted by assessment for university admissions and not learning is the subject of a future blog.) 

Back to Jacob.   A real turning point was our realization that kids drown when they can’t swim, but our school system doesn’t even require swimming lessons.  With the realization that no one dies from failing math, I finally saw him smile.  I had reached his soul, and he heard me.

You may ask why I am reflecting on assessment on one of the hottest days of the summer?  Today I received two cards in the mail from Onondaga Camp, and I was reminded, yet again, that schools can learn from summer camps. 

Two lessons:

1.  Schools should reassess assessment.

Jacob’s counselor wrote that he got a “silver in wake-boarding”.  Not a 53, 62 or a 79%, but a silver.  When I asked about it, he understood how he got that silver and, more importantly, what he needs to do to get a gold.  He told me that he is determined to get that next level next year.  Now my point is not that wake-boarding should be offered in schools, (although I think that would help many of our efforts to engage boys); nor am I suggesting that a “bronze in math” is more effective than a number in motivating kids to learn (although pre-identifying expectations might help).  But I do think there are questions worth asking as we strive to prepare kids for success.

2. Schools should reassess how we communicate assessment.

The cards from Onondaga Camp were hand-written. They described some of the kids’ activities and accomplishments, and they described their strengths. Aren’t we all hungry to hear more details about our kids? Especially when they describe what matters most to us?

I still don’t know what grade Jacob got in math, and truth be told, I might not ever find out.  But I am going to keep the card from camp…even though I already have it memorized.

 

Technology shouldn’t change what we teach

It is Easter morning and I carry on a tradition that my father started, and I write clues that my kids have to solve that will lead them to their Easter bunny. Last year they complained to me – and worse to their cousins – that my clues were too easy. And since that makes my brothers very happy, I ramped it up a bit this year.

One clue asked them both to figure out who inspires my husband. Kevin’s screen saver shows a slideshow of the three men who inspire him: one colleague from McGill, the principal of Queens, and the Governor General.

They first had to figure out that this screen saver existed, then they had to research their names. This was fascinating to watch because even an internet search wasn’t straight-forward. My son initially reported that the Governor General was the Queen…. It took a minute for him to realize that impossibility, given that the three photos were men. Eventually, Kevin went downstairs to help them. But I could hear frustration. Jacob came back upstairs and reported that Kathleen was completely upset, and even Dad’s help with an advanced google search wasn’t fast enough. He said to me, “There must be a better way,” then he took my iphone and spoke to it:

“Siri, who is the governor general?”

When he flew downstairs to show off, his ecstasy matched Kathleen’s anger. She started to cry. Happy Easter morning….

My first point is that technology is changing the way kids learn, and our schools need to teach kids to access information differently.

Back to Kathleen who is now crying on Easter morning and the bunny is yet to be found. I whispered to her, “See how your brother does on this next clue.”

Jacob read his clue out loud. It went something like this – If you lifted me up every morning, as we all remind you to do, your sister would not scream at you.

Kathleen smiled. She knew immediately that the clue was hiding under the toilet seat. But Jacob was miffed. It was one of those great gotcha moments.

My favorite line that morning was Kathleen’s immediate ability to stop crying and say this – “Why don’t you ask Siri?!”

Easter morning made me think about two things: Firstly, technology is changing everything and we need to adapt.

But secondly, technology is not changing everything, so we need to continue to teach thinking skills and problem solving and, of course, resilience and humour.

This Easter, my kids learned some important lessons about problem solving – and I, thankfully, regained my credibility with my brothers.

P.S – If you attended the Junior and Middle School Heads Conference in Ottawa last weekend, you can find some helpful resources on our website.

The Future of K-12 Online Education

About 15 years ago, I took an online course from Athabasca University. I needed one more course to be eligible to take my Principal’s Qualifications, but I had to complete the course – a full year university credit – in one summer.  I didn’t think it was possible to pull it off as I was already taking a summer education course in July and traveling across Canada in August.  My holiday was already booked!  But I signed up, got a box of books in the mail, and registered to take my exams in August in Calgary and Vancouver. 

It was unlike anything I have ever done.  I would call my assigned tutor from pay phones in camp grounds en route.  One day, Kevin and I hiked at Yellowstone National Park by day, then took turns reading to each other while we drove all night.  Another day, my Dad and my husband edited my essays while my brother typed the pages I hand-wrote. All true.  It was an intense summer, and I loved that I could get so much done in that short period of time. Did I learn more? Or retain more?  Not sure. But the experience was worth it and so was the convenience.

The fact is, online education – even back then – had an important role to play. And the truth is that most everybody does some kind of online education: for example, yesterday, we placed a number of online learning resources in our new PD Resources section of our website, and we will continue to add to the list. I’d call that online education.

But recently, there has been a lot of attention on one newer form on online education:  MOOCs.  For those of you who are not hip (like me!!!), let me enlighten you – experts are saying that the advent of massively open online classes (MOOCs) is the single most important technological development of the millennium.  (A January HBR blog highlights a panel of experts discussing the future of education, or watch the whole thing here.)

Why the recent buzz?  Loads of people are attracted to loads of content delivered to loads of students via MOOCs.  (Daphne Koller, founder of Coursera confirmed, 
”We’re at 2.4 million students now”.)  This popularity means that for American universities that traditionally charge a lot of tuition, MOOCs offer a reasonably priced way to educate students.  And the technology exists to ensure that the delivery mechanism will never be an inhibitor.  So this cheap educational option is highly attractive to a nation of young people stressed by student debt loads in America. 

So when you’ve covered the supply side with reasonable quality and competitive prices, and you’ve got demand from students around the world, you’ve got a disruptive innovation.

What is the impact on CAIS schools?  I believe it is threefold.

1.  As our tuitions continue to outpace inflation, we need to address opportunities that will sustain our schools.  Can schools integrate the online model with the on-campus experience and save – or even generate! – money?

2. As university preparatory schools, we need to prepare students for online learning.  Should K-12 schools require an online course?

3.  As schools that are passionate about learning and preparing kids for a changing world, we need to be very intentional about time.  If kids are already engaged in the online world, and they are, how can our schools do what we do even better?  In other words, can we use online learning to enhance learning through even more authentic face-to-face experiences that cannot be found elsewhere?  For instance, could we move some of the information transfer that happens in a classroom online, and instead use that class time for dialogue and debate, or hiking in Yellowstone Park? 

We must be proactive in the opportunities presented by online education.  Sustainable schools must make a commitment to seeking out new business models.  But I believe that the best business solution will always come from the best education solution.  Starting with what is best for kids must remain at the core of all we do, and that won’t change.

p.s.  Last week, Queen’s University joined the ranks of other universities trying to find their future in this new arena.  Their approach – town hall on online learning – is worth examining.  So too is their draft report.

This week, Forbes magazine chimed in:  MOOCs aren’t likely to solve the fundamental student learning challenges that colleges and universities face, and they certainly won’t take the place of a college education.

Independent School Research Summit

Imagine this – it is 8:30pm on the evening before a long weekend.  A woman wearing a business suit, lugging a laptop bag and purse while pulling a suitcase, is skipping stairs up the escalator and sprinting through the Atlanta airport.  Her heart is racing.  She knows that there is not another flight this evening because she has already done that research in the first airport when she knew her first flight was delayed.  She knows that she does not have a moment to spare.  She is desperate to get home because her 12 year old daughter is having a birthday party sleepover with her friends and cousins.

Do you wish this story ends a certain way?  I know I did.  Sadly, last Thursday night, despite my best efforts, I got to my gate six minutes after my connecting flight had shut the doors and so I spent an unexpected night in Atlanta.

Somewhere just after 8:30pm, when I had texted my husband and kids with the update that I wouldn’t be home, I got a text from my colleague Sarah who asked if I made my connecting flight.  With all of her international travel, she knows this scene all too well.  I replied, “PPP.”  This has become our code for rotten news.  It means: Pity Party Please.

The whole concept of living in the moment does not seem to apply at these times.  In fact, travel mishaps are actually some of the most challenging parts of my job – flight delays can leave you in a strange city, late at night, alone, and homesick – how do you snap out of wallowing in that woes me whine?

That night provided another reminder of the need to focus on what is good.  And I mean to really train your brain to shift from that unbecoming state and instead think about gratitude.  In Thursday’s case, I had had an amazing day.

A group of educational leaders of national and international organizations met in Ashville, North Carolina this week for an Independent School Research Summit.  It seems that all schools are hungry for research and some schools are in trouble, so there is a sense of urgency for associations to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of collaborative research.  At this time, all of our associations – even the big ones! – recognize this challenge:  we have big questions and small shops.

As those of you who work with me know, I really believe that we can do things better together, so I was grateful to be invited to participate.

In our next news letter, I will give you a summary of the great work underway with my colleagues at NAIS, TABS, NCGS, CASE, NBOA, CSEE, AISAP, SSATB, INDEX.  There is an exciting new initiative, and CAIS is proud to participate in this North American effort to identify possible opportunities for larger-scale research about independent schools.

Our next meeting will be in Washington.  I might drive.  And I will definitely bring the kids with me.

p.s.  Two articles you need to read:

1.  NYT on Tony Wagner (Who will be at our Summer LI along with the CWRA)

2.  The amazing case of Hotchkiss’s international travel legal case

Hanging Out

Jacob and I reacted differently to our March break activities.  Jacob spent one day in a community garden with my Dad and sent this text to Kevin:  “Well I had to get rid of a moldy wet smelly slippery broccoli plant without gloves.”  (I love that he had to do that.)  On the day he spent in a JK class with my brother, I got a text-photo of Jacob on a rocking chair with two boys climbing on him as he read to them.  It was beautiful.  I wondered if Jacob had found his calling and would become a teacher like most of our family?  Not.

That night, we heard this:  the kids “were all over me… and they don’t even wash their hands!”  I asked him what he thought of teaching, and he scolded, “Do you know how tiring that job is??!!”

(Naturally, I really loved this reaction too. Maybe he won’t become a teacher, but he did get a taste of the real world.) 

When we asked the kids what they wanted to do this March break – and travelling was not an option for us – they said they wanted to “relax.” (This made me feel everything BUT relaxed. But I gave it a try and only scheduled three days.)

When I got home from work on their first “day off”, they were in front of the TV in their PJs, with their iPods in their hands. (I was miffed.)

Mom:  Did you read today?

Kids:   Not yet.

Mom:  Did you make muffins with the bananas I left out?

Kids:   Forgot.

Mom:  Did you fold the laundry? 

Kids:   You didn’t ask.

Mom:  Did you eat anything other than cereal?

Kids:   There is no food in the house.

Mom:  But I told you to make home-made pizzas and everything is in the fridge!

Then I decided to share what was really bothering me: “You cannot live your life like this! You need to do something useful with your time!”

Seems like this is an age-old debate in our house – how much do we schedule our kids?  And how much do we try to influence their down time?  I believe that kids should have unscheduled time.  I believe that some of life’s best learning comes when days are full of nothing.  Don’t you then discover your real self?  But I would like them to choose books and hikes…. not TV and iPods.

So I asked Jacob how he planned to spend the next day. I thought if I encouraged him to think it through, he would make good choices.  He looked bewildered and said, “I’m going to hang out.” I tried to explain that time is precious and he should use it wisely.  He questioned, “Are you telling me that doctors and lawyers didn’t hang out when they were kids on March break?” 

On our way home from skiing yesterday, I asked the kids to name the highlight of their break.  We did some great things – but their list didn’t resemble my list.  At all.  Both agreed that what they liked most was “hanging out”.  And that made me crazy. 

But then they also agreed:  they are looking forward to heading back to school.  And that makes me wonder if they might know best….

 

Pat Basset and Google

I heard Pat speak four times last week in Philadelphia, and he was, as usual, a rock star every time.  These are my two favorite stories:

At the Lamplighter School in Texas, the grade three class runs an Egg Business. They use their own money to create an investment fund, and then they buy chickens. They create a marketing plan, and then sell the eggs.  At the end of the year, there is a big debate: what to do with the profit?  As you can imagine, the class is divided – to give away money to charity (the girls!) or to split the profits (the boys!)…. The classic capitalism vs. socialism debate… in grade three…

Another school’s signature event was the Grade Six Bake Sale.  The students all agree on the product – in this case, it was cupcakes – and then they all agree on the marketing and business plans, including the price.  On the day of the Bake Sale, one student (yes, it was a boy!) bought all of the cupcakes for the agreed upon price, and then he resold them for a higher price.  This created a huge campus-wide debate.  He asked our group:  what side are you on?  And how would you create similar big debates in your school?

Pat challenged all school leaders:  What is your signature event at each grade level?  The one that makes kids excited to get in to the next grade?

His challenge reminded me of a story I heard about Google.  One of my association colleagues told me that Google staff have complained to their children’s school about homework.  Their challenge?

Homework should include working on unsolvable problems.  So Google would probably like seeing kids engaged in the big projects and debates that Pat described.

I know some of our CAIS schools have signature projects at each grade.  (My daughter’s grade six class at Ridley is engaged in one now!  Her teacher, Mrs. Beatty, told me this morning that the younger students are already excited to get into her grade six class so they can do “the bean market”.)  But I’m not sure how many schools have a homework policy that includes unsolvable problems.

Anyone care to share their signature projects or unsolvable problems homework policies?  I’m sure that Pat and Google would like to hear from us…

Online shopping and schooling

When I got to the cash at Michaels Craft Store to pay for a new doll bed for my niece, the clerk asked if I wanted to be on their email list.  I replied no, a little too quickly and a lot too self-righteously.  I hate that stuff.

Then she told me the price of the bed, and it was a good 50% cheaper than the ticket price.  Assuming she made an error, I tried to correct her.

“Well, if you were on the email list, you would get a 50% off coupon. But I gave the discount to you anyway.”

Now I felt guilty.  I thanked her profusely, hoping she didn’t catch my earlier smugness.

I really dislike the whole email and online shopping world, but I am a sucker for a good deal.  So do I continue to ride my high horse and refuse to enter the online shopping world?

As our schools wrestle with the future of online education, I think we face a similar dilemma.  We know that our current model of small classroom size and fancy facilities is expensive and that online learning is good for kids who need to learn how to access good information and be prepared for an increasingly digital world.  But how do you ensure deep learning from cold technology?  And what will the new learning model look like?  Can schools afford to not ask these questions?

I wish I had an answer.  (So stop reading this blog here if you think there is a simple solution.)  But there are two things I know for sure:

1. We need to invest in exploring how to embed technology with the best of what is happening in the best classrooms today.  No excuses. We need minds focusing on what the future of education will look like.  CAIS is prepared to take a lead in this process.  Stay tuned for our strategic plan.  Our community will be asked to contribute to a survey in the new year.
2. We need to continue to do what we do well and be better than ever.  I believe our schools need to invest in relationships with our current students and families.  At the TABS conference last week, I heard time and again the need to personalize our communications.  What is our proactive strategy to challenge and support every student in our schools?   And how does that in turn become a strategic retention program?

The future for education will, of course, lie in a blend of high technology and high personal touch. Just as I was motivated to be open to online shopping by a kind clerk who looked at me, took pity, and gave me a break, I believe our students will also need to see the whites of the eyes of their teachers and trust them to guide and inspire them towards fulfilling and purposeful lives.

The two-pronged approach will ensure our CAIS schools remain leaders in shaping the future of education.