Learning to Play or Build a Resume?

As our juniors begin thinking about the college application process, I am reminded once again of the pressure they feel to enhance their resumes with long lists of volunteer work, awards, recognitions, honors, clubs, athletic and artistic accomplishments, and demonstrations of leadership. All of this is in addition to the academic expectations of a high grade point average, outstanding SAT scores, mastery of a foreign language, and multiple AP and advanced classes.

It makes me wonder when our students have time to play, spend time with their families, reflect, and get to know themselves. A recent article by Peg L. Smith, CEO, American Camp Association pointed out the importance of play in the lives of young people and how its loss can actually work against the presumed gains of an enhanced college resume.

She quotes Stuart Brown, the author of Play: How it shapes the Brain, who writes, “There is a great deal of evidence that the road to mastery of any subject is guided by play.”
I frequently hear parents lamenting the fact that they are constantly running their children from one organized activity to the next after school and on weekends, leaving no time for their children to be creative or to explore on their own. They then frequently comment that in their youth they would take off on their bikes on Saturday morning and return in the late afternoon after a day of play and exploration with friends. Parents cite the many images of violence and abduction as the reason that they tend to micromanage their children, but this tendency may be slowing down their children’s natural development.

Smith reports that evidence suggests unstructured play has been on the decline since 1955 along with a parallel decrease in children’s access to the outdoors. She states that the average radius of play is only 500 square feet and that outside play has decreased by 50% according to the Children and Nature Network.

Brain research has repeatedly discovered the brain thrives and develops its greatest potential when it has been allowed to create multiple techniques to acquire and process information. It is critically important that it be stimulated through experimenting, engaging with their friends, solving problems, and through opportunities for movement and exploration. Smith challenges us to ask if we are exchanging opportunities for the brain to develop “how” to learn with “what” to learn. She avows, “This is a misguided notion. One’s ability to discover meaning is always more valuable than information alone.”

We may discover that helping our children to have more opportunities to play and explore will serve their long-term success more than having them engage in the organized activities that now dominate their college resumes.

Innovation Ready?

With over two and one-half billion people now using the Internet, the access to information and the speed of collaboration and professional expertise through instant communication has never been easier.

Many believe that the most successful workers in the future will be those who are able to think and act entrepreneurially. Princeton University professor Anne-Marie Slaughter suggests that a winning strategy for the future of work is to be able to “design your own profession and convince employers that you are exactly what they need.”

Tony Wagner, in his latest book, “Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World,” writes; “because knowledge is available on every Internet-connected device, what you know matters far less than what you can do with what you know. The capacity to innovate —the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life — and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge. As one executive told me, ‘We can teach new hires the content, and we will have to because it continues to change, but we can’t teach them how to think — to ask the right questions — and to take initiative.’ ”

Our future college graduates may have to invent” a job rather than follow in our footsteps of “finding” a job.

Of Sailing Ships and Steam Engines

Attending the NCAIS Innovation Conference last month, Grant Lichtman reinforced the concept that the world of work and education is rapidly changing.

 

Education, which was once a closed system where the teacher knew and controlled all the information and knowledge, has quickly become a widely dispersed commodity through the ubiquitous sharing of information on the internet. Information can now be easily accessed through a few quick key strokes, and knowledge can be gained from taking any of a number of online classes.

 

This radical change is causing disruptions in an educational system that has been firmly in place for over 100 years. This system came about as a result of the industrial revolution which needed employees to work in factories, and who could sit for long periods of time, follow directions, perform repetitive work, and use specialized knowledge.

 

The competitive market place that we currently have doesn’t need such workers, and our educational system must and is changing to keep pace. Where the industrial model was built on creating contained, controlled, predictable, scalable, repeatable, and measurable systems, today’s model for growth and development calls for a system that is creative, adaptive, permeable, dynamic, systemic, and self-correcting. This new way of thinking is radically different, and our schools are feeling the impact.

 

As Christensen and Horn shared in a recent New York Times article, we are in the midst of tremendous change in how teaching and learning take place and we are struggling to design an appropriate educational system for the new “normal.” While the article focuses on colleges and universities, their line of thinking applies equally to K-12 schooling.

 

The analogy that is used in the article is the emergence of steam engines used in transatlantic travel. They point out that, in the early 1800’s, steamships were fairly unreliable and used mainly on inland waters. By 1819, transatlantic trips were being made using a combination of sail and steam engines, and by the early 1900’s sailing ship companies were out of business. “Adapt or Die,” could be an applicable slogan.

 

Higher education is caught in the cross-hairs of rising cost and the disruption in the educational model that technology brings with it. Many colleges and universities are moving to online classes which take the form of blended, flipped classrooms or MOOCs. This hybrid use of technology, in combination with a traditional model, is the same that was used as steamships began to replace sailing vessels. History shows that steamships won the contest in delivering cargo and passengers across the oceans, and there’s no doubt that technology will become the dominate educational delivery system in the very near future.

 

Christiansen and Horn go on to say that research shows “industries teach us that those that truly innovate – fundamentally transforming the model, instead of just incorporating the technology into established methods of operation – will have the final say.”  They also offer that as online learning evolves, students will be able to customize their experiences. That is to say, they could have choices, though more expensive, in designing their college experiences by taking classes on campus, socializing and living with other students. The opportunities and combinations could become endless. Some students may choose to “mix and match” their experiences by taking online classes, living on a campus, living abroad, or attending learning spaces such as Dev Bootcamp in Chicago and San Francisco.

 

At the recent SAIS conference in Atlanta, Ian Symmonds pointed out that “mature industries, like schools, don’t change rapidly.” It’s true, but if schools are not in touch with new technologies and a rapidly changing world of work they will become obsolete much faster than the demise of the sailing ship industry.

 

Learning Strategies

In today's information age, learning how to learn is as important as
what to learn.

Schools are very good at teaching students what they should know in order to pass a test. What is frequently missing is teaching them how to engage in a robust learning process that will help them to become lifelong learners.

Research has found that low performing students usually don't understand or know the strategies that lead to effective learning. Teaching students good learning strategies can lead to markedly improved learning outcomes according to a recent article in the journal, Instructional Science.

The authors found that students who know how to use appropriate strategies to understand and remember what they read score significantly higher on tests. As part of their study, the authors administered an assessment to find out how often the students used the following learning strategies:

• I draw pictures or diagrams to help me understand this subject.
• I make-up questions that I try to answer about this subject.
• When I am learning something new in this subject, I think back to what I already know about it.
• I discuss what I am doing in this subject with others.
• I practice things over and over until I know them well in this subject.
• I think about my thinking, to check if I understand the idea in this subject.
• When I don't understand something in this subject I go back over it again.
• I make a note of things that I don't understand very well in this subject, so that I can follow them up.
• When I have finished an activity in this subject I look back to see how well I did.
• I organize my time to manage my learning in this subject.
• I make plans for how to do the activities in this subject.

The study found that those students who used fewer of these strategies to think through their subject matter reported having more difficulty in school.

A paper published in Psychology Science in the Public Interest evaluated ten techniques that many students have been taught for improving their learning and rated their effectiveness.

The two techniques that had the highest rating were Practice Testing and Distributed Practice.

Practice Testing is one of the most powerful ways to reinforce learning. Multiple choice testing is effective, but practice tests that require more detailed answers are most effective. And, practice testing where students create the questions themselves rates very high. Using flashcards is a great way to practice testing, as is using a system such as the Cornell note-taking system.

Distributed Practice spreads learning over a period of time. Research has found an interesting correlation between how much you study a subject over time and how long you will remember it. Combining distributed practice with practice testing is a powerful learning combination.

The next two learning techniques that garnered a Moderate Rating were: Elaborative Interrogation and Self-explanation.

Elaborative Interrogation involves concentrating on "why" questions rather than "what" questions and creating questions for yourself as you are working through a task. An example might be to ask yourself, after reading through a text, "why is this true or not true," "why does x=y?" and use your answers to make your notes.

Self-explanation has to do with explaining and recording how a problem is solved as the problem is being worked through. This can be rather time consuming, but has been found to be moderately effective in learning new material.

Although the following were rated very low in utility, there are times that they can be effective. These were Summarization, Highlighting, Keyword Mnemonic, Imagery use for text learning and rereading.

The point is, content and the ability to feed it back on a test is important, but it frequently results in short-term success. If we want our students to retain information and develop into life-long learners, we must provide them with the tools to do so.

The Happiness Factor

There are many theories about the best ways to teach and how learning takes place. There are literally hundreds of books and thousands of articles on the topic.  But, I would put my money on one consistent finding. Students who feel safe and happy, and enjoy where they are, they tend to behave well and learn.

While the overall climate of a school is critically important, the key to any school is what happens each and every day in the classroom between the teacher and his or her students. It doesn't matter where the class is located, what the subject is, whether it's low tech or high tech, large or small. What matters most is the teacher's attitude about teaching and the students. If there is an overall positive atmosphere, a feeling of being known and valued along with a feeling of success, students can and will actively engage in learning.

Simply handing out rewards to make students feel happy isn't what I'm taking about here. To be happy at school, students need to feel that they are undertaking work that is of value to them. This is different from happiness that comes from a teachers' approval or doing what is expected. Even elementary students understand the difference between a reward or recognition for doing what is expected and for success in doing their work.

Middle school students and teenagers in high school gain their happiness the same way. Knowing that they are valued and respected for something that they have attained brings true satisfaction and happiness to them. And, I've found that secondary students like a good joke generated by the teachers every now and then.

Walking around school and seeing smiling and laughing students always brings a smile to my face, because I know that this is a place of happiness and that happiness leads to successful learning.

Back to School... Excelling through Effort!

As our school year begins, most of us start thinking about what we would like our children to accomplish over the course of the year. Our first thought usually turns to hoping that our child gets a good teacher. Having a great teacher is very important, but helping our child to understand that really learning something is more about effort than natural ability can be much more important.

 

How children become really great at something has always been of interest to me. How do those who become outstanding students, leaders, athletes, musicians and thinkers do it?

• Do they posses innate talents and skills that happen to have been given to them by a Supreme Being?
• Or, is it their DNA make up based on genetics that gives them the ability to surpass others?
• When many people become good at what they do, no matter how many years they spend doing it, why do others become excel and become excellent at what they do?

Geoff Colvin, in his book, Talent is Overrated, convincingly argues that in general, it’s not predetermined innate gifts or DNA, or intelligence that creates world-class performers.

Colvin points out that Anders Ericsson and his associates did a study that concluded “the differences between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long period of deliberate effort to improve performance in a specific domain.” (For those of you familiar with our fourth grade curriculum and it's use of Carole Dweck’s work with Mindsets, this will sound very familiar.)

Most people attribute great success to talent and God given ability. Colvin’s research shows that talent advocates have a hard time showing that natural ability is important in attaining great performances. 

The factor that is most important is what researchers call deliberate practice.  It’s hard and it’s uncomfortable. Which brings us to the question, “How many times a day, a week, a month… do we practice what’s hard and uncomfortable in our work in order to excel?” In my experience, we usually stay within our comfort zone most of the day, which explains why repeating our daily experience doesn’t always lead to better performance.

A study of accomplished musicians shows that their skill is a function of how much time they practice. Researchers have found that intensive training usually precedes precocious achievement.
 

Colvin points out that Mozart and Tiger Woods were both pushed by domineering parents who were determined to make their children special, and that successful business men such as Henry Ford, Jack Welch and Warren Buffet showed little or no promise as youngsters. So, what did propel them to the top of their professions?

Research shows that correlations between IQ and achievement are not strong and usually there have correlation at all.

What is more frequently looked for in hiring by major corporations are such factors as focus, clear thinking, imagination and confidence along with the ability to execute, be decisive and bring energy and energize others.

Great performance does not appear to be driven by experience or inborn abilities such as intelligence or memory.

So, what does Drive Great Performance?

Hard work!  Whether in sports or music, hard work trumps all. Jerry Rice was probably the best wide receiver ever in the NFL. He was also acknowledged as one of the hardest workers who focused his workouts on the skills he would need in games.

Studies of musicians have shown that solo practice is the most important factor in improving their performance, along with getting enough sleep and being fresh when they practiced.

Studies also showed that those who practice in a deliberate manner can keep getting better after twenty years or more.  (Those of you who have read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell will be familiar with the theory that it takes ten thousand hours of practice to master a skill at a high level.)

Deliberate practice requires the identifying of particular areas that need to be improved. In most cases, engaging an expert in the field is the best way to improve. And, in order to improve, we need to:

• Work on the skills and abilities that are just out of reach (Learning Zone) rather than those we’ve already mastered (Comfort Zone) or those that are too hard (Panic Zone). High repetition of the correct skill leads to the most improvement.

Deliberate Practice requires doing something that takes great focus and concentration and is not a lot of fun. Regular feedback is critical and great performers never allow themselves to reach the automatic, arrested-development stage.

Athletes review their performances on video, musicians listen to their work, and all utilize feedback from teachers, coaches and experts to improve. And, the essence of their practice is constantly trying to do things that they are not comfortable doing. It’s all about pushing ourselves just beyond what we can do.

In addition to deliberate practice, continuing to build a deep knowledge base is critical. As we learn to anticipate what is coming next, based on what we are seeing or hearing, we build a deep domain of knowledge.

Colvin cites facts and research that shows that the Eureka moment is a myth. The greatest innovators spent years in intensive preparation before making creative breakthroughs. Years of deliberate practice are needed, along with opportunities to innovate and try new things.

As top performers age, they can continue their level of performance if they continue focused, designed practice. Our brains are perfectly able to add new neurons well into old age and the brain’s plasticity doesn’t stop with age. Performance deterioration isn’t an inexorable process, it’s a choice.

Before – During – After

• Before:          Set goals that are attainable in the near future and make a plan. Believe that you can do it.

• During:          FOCUS. Don’t get distracted. Don’t give up!

• After:             Get feedback. Try to compare your current performance with previous efforts. Take responsibility for your actions. Don’t blame outside factors. Decide how you are going to adapt your actions the next time you do your work.

Some Other Points from the Book

• The motivation to grow, develop and improve must become intrinsic. As much of a grind as deliberate practice is, it appears to fulfill an intrinsic drive. Extrinsic rewards can defeat creativity unless they reinforce intrinsic drives.

• Students who learn faster are rewarded by the results of their efforts. 

• Passion is something that is developed and may require a push from parents and teachers.

• Early recognition by teachers and parents can cause children to invest in improving performance.

• It’s vital that we help children (and ourselves) to understand that their efforts will help them to achieve their goals.

In Summary

 

So, when our children come home complaining that their school work is hard, first determine if they are feeling the effects of being in a Panic Zone or the discomfort of being in a Learning Zone.  If it's the latter, help them to understand that learning is not easy, it's hard work. And, that school is about hard work, not play and always having a good time.

 

Helping our children in this way will promote their learning, support them in knowing that success comes from hard work, not natural ability or intelligence, and that the world and success are always open to them if they are willing to work at it.

Some Rules of Management to Consider

William Swanson’s Unwritten Rules of Management is full of pithy advice. Swanson is the Chairman and CEO of Raytheon.

According to one reviewer, what is not generally known is that Mr. Swanson, as CEO of Raytheon, published thousands of copies at company expense and gave them out free to virtually anyone who wanted one. He gave numerous speeches on ethics in connection with the book. However, several months after its publication, it was found that Swanson plagiarized virtually the entire book, word for word, from a 1944 classic by W. J. King called "The Unwritten Laws of Engineering."

No matter who wrote what, the advice is worth listening to:

1. 1.Learn to say, “I don’t know.” If used when appropriate, it will be often.
2. 2.It is easier to get into something than it is to get out of it.
3. 3.If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
4. 4.Look for what is missing. Many know how to improve what’s there, but few can see what isn’t there. Presentation rule: When something appears on a slide presentation, assume the world knows about it, and deal with it accordingly.
5. Work for a boss to whom you can tell it like it is. Remember that you can’t pick your relatives, but you can pick your boss.
6. Constantly review developments to make sure that the actual benefits are what they are supposed to be. Avoid Newton’s Law.
7. However menial and trivial your early assignments may appear, give them your best efforts.
8. Persistence or tenacity is the disposition to persevere in spite of difficulties, discouragement, or indifference. Don’t be known as a good starter but a poor finisher.
9. In doing your project, don’t wait for others; go after them, and make sure it gets done.
10. Confirm the instructions you give others, and their commitments, in writing. Don’t assume it will get done!
11. Don’t be timid; speak up. Express yourself, and promote your ideas.
12. Practice shows that those who speak the most knowingly and confidently often end up with the assignment to get the job done.
13. Strive for brevity and clarity in oral and written reports.
14. Be extremely careful of the accuracy of your statements.
15. Don’t overlook the fact that you are working for a boss. Keep him or her informed. Whatever the boss wants, within the bounds of integrity, takes top priority.
16. Promises, schedules, and estimates are important instruments in a well-ordered business. You must make promises — don’t lean on the often-used phrase, “I can’t estimate it because it depends upon many uncertain factors.”
17. Never direct a complaint to the top. A serious offense is to “cc” a person’s boss on a copy of a complaint before the person has a chance to respond to the complaint.
18. When dealing with outsiders, remember that you represent the company. Be especially careful of your commitments.
19. Cultivate the habit of boiling matters down to the simplest terms. An elevator speech is the best way.
20. Don’t get excited in engineering emergencies. Keep your feet on the ground.
21. Cultivate the habit of making quick, clean-cut decisions.
22. When making decisions, the “pros” are much easier to deal with than the “cons.” Your boss wants to see them both.
23. Don’t ever lose your sense of humor.
24. Have fun at what you do. It will reflect in your work. No one likes a grump except another grump!
25. Treat the name of your company as if it were your own.
26. Beg for the bad news.
27. You remember 1/3 of what you read, 1/2 of what people tell you, but 100% of what you feel.
28. You can’t polish a sneaker. (Don’t waste effort putting the finishing touches on something that has little substance to begin with.)
29. When facing issues or problems that are becoming drawn-out, “short them to the ground.”
30. When faced with decisions, try to look at them as if you were one level up in the organization. Your perspective will change quickly.
31. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter — or to others — is not a nice person. (This rule never fails.)