Designing Learning Experiences That Work!!

I had the opportunity to work closely with our Visual Performing Arts Department last week during our Plan, Observe, Debrief sessions. This was the first time that the VPA was part of POD. It was a great experience. I was able to see that even though each teacher within VPA teaches something different there were many similarities across the classes. Ultimately, each class is working towards an end culminating product such as a piece of artwork, an original webpage, a musical performance, a theatre performance, or a coordinated marching event.  The content standards are very specific yet allow for creativity and expression.  Students are working as a larger team in each class. Therefore, instruction is delivered to better not only the individual but the group as a whole. Students see a greater value in investing time and energy in their piece because the whole is only as strong as the weakest link.

This keeps bringing me back to our XQ Super School redesign proposal. Students want their instruction to have purpose and want to be part of something more than just a classroom in isolation. My challenge to you this week is to reach out to colleagues in other discipline fields and see what content is being delivered. How could you partner together to bridge the two content areas and create a learning experience for the students that could be even more meaningful and richer than if you just planned in isolation?

In planning for each day ask yourself this question: What do I want my students to learn today? Then from there the sky is the limit with how you approach the instruction that fosters the learning. The more relevant and meaningful the instruction, the more your students will be engaged and walk away knowing more than when they walked through your classroom door. 

Take advantage of the Pineapple Room and share your ideas! 

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Finding Your Center.....

I encourage you to Find Your Center......

Let's first think about our literal "core." When you engage in almost any sport or physical activity you will hear your trainer or coach remind you to "focus on your core." There is good reason that people are encouraged to focus on their core when engaging in physical activity.  Your core is a complex series of muscles extending far beyond your abs, is incorporated in almost every movement of the human body, and acts as a stabilizer. When you increase your core strength you in turn can: alleviate back pain,  improve posture, increase athletic performance, improve balance, and have safer everyday movements. So, it is clear that focusing on your core is a great step in the right direction for physical well being.

Now, let's take a look at your "center." Figuratively speaking your "center" is where you are able to clear your mind of all the competing energies and achieve clarity, calmness, and control. In our hectic world of today with to do lists, lack of time, and pressures to achieve we can easily lose sight of our "center." We then can engage in behaviors or responses that may not truly represent who we are.  We may then exhibit behaviors that are impaired by our lack of clarity. Being able to step back and "find your center," will allow you to refocus your perspectives, your approaches, and ultimately your responses and interactions with others.

While on Twitter yesterday I saw a post about a Kindergarten class in our district that is incorporating meditation in their daily routines. They are seeing a major positive impact on the students and their ability to focus as a result of the meditation.

I "Googled" finding your center to broaden my own insights and I was struck by many posts on the topic. One in particular really resonated with me. The post written by Dawn Kaiser of the Village Business Institute is titled, "What's your genius? What's your center?" Right off she references the movie, The Rise of the Guardians. She asks the reader to remember the scene where Santa Claus asks Jack Frost, "What's your center?" Santa explains to him that the center is just like the Russian Dolls that have little wooden dolls hidden within, each of us has a center or purpose inside of us. Your center is the reason that you are here, why you exist.

I encourage you to find your center. I encourage you to clear your mind and focus on what is important to you. I encourage you to then refocus on your job and your interactions with students, parents, and colleagues. Use your "center" to be mindful of others and send the message of your "genius."

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

A Glimpse at our XQ Super School Submission

Over the past few months a team of staff and students have been working together to draft our submission for the XQ Redesign High School project. We made it past phase one and we submitted our phase two proposal last week. We will hear if we have made it to the final phase on April 1st. There was a lot of great conversations that came from this work. The recurring theme over and over again by the students is that they want to see their education have meaning to them and their life after high school.

Even if we don't win the $10 million through the XQ project to rebuild our facility and build our Super School from the ground up, we can still fundamentally shift our approaches to instruction. It will take courage, collaboration, out of the box thinking, and most importantly commitment. Below you will see excerpts from our submission and "student voices," so that you can start thinking about how you can be part of the change.

A bold and compelling idea will be at the center of our school:

A school designed around vibrant participation in a student interest themed environment. We will empower our students to access pathways through exploration of different fields. This access and exploration will allow our students to engage in learning that will prepare them for a life of learning and career opportunities. Each Pathway would have a direct connection with the industry. Senior year they take a cap stone course. If they are working directly with industry they may leave high school with a job or an internship while they are in college. Student choice, relevance, community engagement and an empowered student body; welcome to Fairfield High School Discovery Academy.

Two Virtual Student Experiences: 

Our students awake to their school text wake-up service of choice. Their electronic assortment of assignments and announcements are organized with an elegant app. They arrive at the Cognitive Cafe on campus and select their healthy smoothie and warm sandwich.

They reach their “Learners Choice” session just after the ambient music starts on the PA, no jarring bells of old. Subject Matter Experts (SME) from the community start their workday as guides in the multiple career and project-focused Choice sessions.

Jose heads for the Health & Wellness Wing after his Learner’s Choice surgical simulator session. He finds his integrated team of Language Arts and Science teachers are finalizing the setup for the UCLA Medical Center videoconferencing session with Residents regarding their lessons learned in their journey. He already checked his blog post on his expectations and planned questions for today. He had a few tips from his Integrated English teacher and his Science teacher suggested further inquiry and refinement of a question he posted.

The English teacher departs the Health Wing and strolls past the dirt and native plant exhibition of the Landscape Architecture class and drops in to see Jasmine in the Service & Industry Wing. Jasmine’s capstone project was both her Learners Choice project and a major part of her Integrated Design class. The entrepreneurship module of her class was 20% online with her nearby community college. Her required community service led her to the Rotary Club where she met her mentor who advised her on her capstone project. Her effort was a comprehensive website and promotional plan matching local volunteers with local events. Jasmine has to take care of her grandmother three times a week, so she has taken advantage of the evening classes her school now offers.

Student choice, relevant learning, community engagement and an empowered student body. Welcome to our Super School.

Video Conversations with Students: 

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

The Pineapple Room Grand Opening

This week is the Grand Opening of the Fairfield High Pineapple Room!!! A place  for teachers to share, learn, practice, and play.  The pineapple is a symbol of those intangible assets we appreciate in a home: warmth, welcome, friendship and hospitality. This new room on our campus is the brainchild of a group of staff that want to open up the channels of communication on campus and provide a fun and engaging "spot" for staff to go. 

There is a lot of movement in the world of education on "hacking education." A hack many are attempting is the "un-conference" approach to professional development. Hence, the advent of the Pineapple Chart. Here are some links to info on the Pineapple Chart  School Hackers  and Cult of Pedagogy. The general premise is that we can learn so much from observing and sharing with others, But many get stymied by time or fear of the unknown. The Pineapple Chart is the welcome sign that encourages others to enter and learn and provides a general frame for what could be observed.  Now, fast forward to FHS!! Our Pineapple Room is taking the chart to a whole new level!! 

All are welcome to the Grand Opening Event this Wednesday during collaboration. Let's keep rethinking education. Let's SHARE, LEARN, PRACTICE, and PLAY!!! The possibilities are LIMITLESS!!

Our ONE goal: To graduate every Fairfield High Student and to ensure that they leave FHS college and career ready!!! 

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Many more great things are in store for Fairfield High!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!