Learning Management System News

In the June edition of Training, an article entitled “Head First” discusses ways to engage the learner to insure that each learner internalizes the material.  The article sites approaches that range from toys, music, and pictures to the Socratic method of direct questions, analogies, and storytelling.  Corporate training and classroom teaching are similar in this way.

My students loved to learn to conjugate French verbs through the use of music.  At first, they would respond self-conciously, but gradually they would completely engage in the music, learn the lyrics, and beg for more.  By the time we moved on to the next unit, they not only know how to conjugate the verbs but they could dance while they did it!  I have students that I taught five years ago who still remember those songs. 

They remember their numbers, too.  That’s because we often used physical activity, like throwing and catching a ball, to help use remember sequential vocabulary like numbers.   As we tossed the ball around, students became less focused on how they sounded and more focused on the ball, making the numbers second-nature, much like the numbers of their native language. 

Teachers, or trainers, who can effectively incorporate a variety of learning styles and approaches are often more successful than their lecture-only counterparts.  Engaging the learner, of any age, is essential to the classroom.

The Washington Post reports today about a program of teacher evaluations being used in Mongomery County Schools to identify struggling teachers, assist them in improving their craft or dismiss them.  The system of review pairs the struggling teacher with a mentor whose full-time job is to assist other teachers in reaching their full potential.  If the teacher makes satisfactory strides of improvement, it’s back to the classroom.  If the teacher fails to improve or refuses to participate, they face a panel of peers, teachers and principals, who will decide their fate. 

From experience, teacher evaluations are not an accurate reflection of their day-in, day-out classroom style.  As most people would under the microscope, teachers will pull out all the stops on evaluation day.  They present their best lessons, clean their classrooms, sometimes even bribe their students with candy or extra credit (I’ve only heard rumors of this one, never done it myself!) all to insure that they recieve a stellar evaluation.  Of course, for those conscientious professionals who are always looking to improve for the benefit of those they teach, evaluation days are reality and rarely produce any concrete feedback that will in fact assist the teacher in improving.  So while I think the teacher evaluations followed by an exhaustive mentoring program will produce more effective educators, there are some who are definitely still slipping under the radar. 

I have worked in several school systems, all of which have implemented a mentoring program designed to assist new teachers.  Not once have I recieved qualified, appropriate, or timely advice from one of those mentors.  Sure they were nice people, and very good in their own classrooms but as a foreign language teacher who questioned whether to first introduce students to conversation elements or grammar rules, they could not help me.  They could tell me where the copy paper was, how to fill out a purchase order, even give some marginal advice on how to plan a field trip, but their efforts made no impact on my classroom.  However, the mentor program described in the article by the Post sounds much more complete.  Part of the reason why my previous mentor experiences were unsuccessful is because those teachers also had classes of their own.  Teaching is an energy consumming profession.  I know that these teachers, though willing to help, had to focus on their students and their curriculum.  They were stretched thin to begin with.  The Montgomery system that uses mentors whose sole responsibility is to mentor is a much more effective approach.Â

Let me begin my saying that this blog is not based on personal experience.  I have never been the best, smartest, or most talented in any arena, and I am okay with that.  An NY Times article that describes the hopes, aspirations and reflections of some area valedictorians is the basis of this entry.  As I was reading the article and the brief descriptions of each student, I was struck by the intense pressure that “the best” are faced with. 

These students face pressure to attend prestigious schools, study the most challenging disciplines, maintain rigorous standards of academic achievement, and pursue professions that demand their time, energy and emotions.  Those students who have earned the title of valedictorian, salutatorian, ________ scholarship recipient, and others have pressure coming from the home, the classroom, the administration, peers, and themselves to out-perform everyone else.  Once excellence is achieved it must be maintained, which can be a daunting task.  Failure is not an option, but what happens when failure occurs?  Devastaion likely follows.  The students, the “best students”, bear the burden of having to conform to the demands of a life of the highest expectations.

The rest of us, the middle-of-the-road, not great, not terrible, have it made.  Although there are demands on our lives, the extreme pressure doesn’t apply.  We get to experience a certain kind of liberty, not having to meet the highest of expectations but pleasantly surprising everyone when we do.  Failure is not completely unfamiliar but we are not best friends, either.  When it happens, we usually roll up our sleeves and determine to learn from our mistakes.  Â

Teaching adults and teaching children are definitely two different ballgames.  Teaching adults requires creativity, persistance, intelligence, and resourcefulness.  When teaching children, most adults assume that they know more, can do more, and therefore the kids ought to sit up and take notice.  They approach the classroom feeling very valuable.  They approach the classroom feeling in control.

However, when teaching adults the same assumptions cannot be made.  One cannot assume that he knows more than everyone else in the classroom.  Therefore when the teacher of adults walks into the room it is most likely not with the same kind of superior confidence.  The teacher of adults most have a thorough knowledge of the material.  Their confidence must come from their ability to present the material effectively and not from their extensive life experience that teachers of kids often rely on.

In addition, teachers of adults most realize that control will be an issue.  In a classroom of students who are significantly younger than the teacher, this is typically not a problem.  Most students will, at least to some degree, respect the elder teacher.  In a classroom that consists of peers or older students, teachers will often face issues of control.  In other words, it will be difficult for a teacher to maintain or remain in control based solely on the title “teacher”, he or she must establish the authority of control in some other manner. 

As in all classrooms of all ages, teachers will face the challenges of students young and old who: think they know it all, don’t know anything and could care less, want to give all the answers, try to take the focus off the lesson and put the attention on themselves, refuse to respond out of shyness, respond and then wait for reactions and approval, appear to have their mind on anything but the topic but then surprise you by having some deep insight, want to be the teacher’s pet.Â

An article in today’s NY Times describes the recent Supreme Court ruling that says parents of special education students may seek tuition reimbursement for private school services without ever having recieved services in the public system.  The specific case involved a junior in high school who was tested and found ineligible for services and was then removed by his parents to a private school and, at a later date, diagnosed by physicians as being ADHD and having other learning disabilities.  The parents then sought tuition reimbursement for the cost of the private schooling.

As an educator, I see some major flaws with the court’s decision.  For instance, the physicians and psychiatrist that make these diagnosis are often pressured by the parents or guardians to provide some sort of explanation for behavior that could be the result of environmental issues, like tumultuous homelife, family illnesses, etc.  I will agree that there are some students who truly are ADHD and ADD but it takes months of observations and testing to definitively diagnose such disorders.    In addition, the private schools that may be prestigious because of the price tag are not subject to the same sort of requirements for teacher licensure and curriculum.  So what may appear to be a high class institution may not be equipped to handle these special education students at all. 

As the parent of a child who will begin recieving special education services in the fall, I know that persistance is important.  When my son was intially referred and tested for speech difficulties, he did not qualify for services.  As the mom, I knew he needed help and I knew they were going to provide it.  In the first eligibility meeting, I calmly protested their conclusions and insisted that he be re-tested.  I wrote a letter to the Superintendent in charge of Student Services and I contacted other professionals that could support my theory.  It was necessary for me to take an active, aggressive role in pursuing the appropriate education for my child.  As a result, he was re-tested, found significantly deficient, and will be recieving the assistance he needs. 

Special Education is a tricky road to travel but their are those who are looking to take advantage of the title.

In this technologically advanced world, it is important to stay up-to-date and informed via email and text-messaging, at least on business matters.  But some companies and employees are questioning the etiquette of iPhones and Blackberrys that seem to interupt meetings, distract employees, or insult speakers.  The NY Times reports that more than a third of employees check their email or text messages during meetings.

So what are the rules of etiquette surrounding the use of hand-held communication devices such as iPhones and Blackberrys?

Here are some do’s and don’ts to remember:

1.  Do not try to conceal the use of one of these devices as if you were a 14 year old in detention.  If you are going to use it, use it!

2.  Do turn your ringer to silent or vibrate while in meetings.

3.  Do not respond or send any personal messages while in meetings.

4.  Do respond promptly and efficiently to business related messages.

5.  Do use your hand-held as a research tool.

6.  Do use your hand-held as a note-taking device.

7.  Do not send messages back and forth to colleagues in the same meeting.

8.  Do not have inappropriate pictures of yourself or anyone else saved on your device. 

9.  Do use appropriate spelling and grammar for business communications.

Obviously, this list is not exhaustive but etiquette is important for everyone to learn.Â

After reading a recent article in Chief Learning Officer about “Short-Shelf-Life Learning”, I am convinced that an effective LMS, like TrainingForce, is the solution.  The article chronicles the difficulties of creating, implementing, and executing timely training or learning opportunities for our current volatile economy.  The author correctly attributes the majority of the problem to the delay in execution of any given learning program.  From the discovery stage, where a company or institution recognizes a need for training, to the delivery stage, where that training is actually completed, is, too often too late.  The problem has either grown in scope and depth or has morphed into something else, something the newly designed learning program is not designed to address.

Houston, we have a problem. 

But I believe the solution is as simple as an effective LMS, like TrainingForce.  With Training Force you are able to design specific learning programs that encompass many needs or quickly roll out a course to address something more pressing.  This system allows you to create a variety of programs using a variety of resources.  Your students, instructors, and other staff members will thrive under the effectiveness of this LMS.  “Short-Shelf-Life Learning” will no longer be an issue.Â

Beach balls, sunblock, flip-flops, and fun.  Or maybe it’s book-bags, protractors, reading lists, and, wait a minute, that sounds like school!  A report in the Washington Post details the research of some notable institutions about the real effects of summer vacation on our students education.  Educators complain that students forget or lose half of what they learned during the school year while on summer vacation.

It turns out that their complaints are statistically valid.  The research shows that student do forget a significant amount of math or computation skills and may, depending on socioeconomic status and experience, lose reading skills, too.  This research plays right into the hands of the year-round school promoters. 

Here’s the rub.  While I am sure the research accurately reflects what takes place on the academic level, I am equally as sure that the research does not reflect the progress made in social or physical areas.  Here’s my point, if we are constantly focused on academic issues only we may create a generation of genuises but they won’t know how to collaborate or cooperate because they haven’t had time to develop their social skills.  I am all for the pursuit of academic excellence but only in conjunction with the pursuit of friendships, happiness, and contentment.Â

As I write this blog, I am surprised, disappointed, and maybe, just a little jealous.  Let me explain.  When I was in school, tracking didn’t exist, or at least they claimed it didn’t.  Students weren’t grouped by ability based on any specific test and they were most certainly not locked in to any particular track of learning.  At least that’s what parents were told.  As  student, I remember thinking that the same kids were always in my class just like those kids over there always seemed to be in the same class.  I chalked it up to coincidence but the hind-sight reality is that tracking did exist, but it wasn’t called tracking. 

After reading an NY Times article about a Connecticut school system that has just recently decided to gradually move away from the tracking system, I was surprised to find that this practice of tracking was still being put to use.  As an educator, we are taught that tracking is a very bad practice and whatever minimal benefits it may provide are far outweighed by the negative consequences.  To read that students in this school system have not only been tracked but can identify which track they are in, was surprising.  It is disappointing to read that students can so easily identify which track they are in.  The students, and I know personally, feel inferior and trapped by this system.

Now for the jealousy.  As an educator, I have taught many mixed-ability classes.  I have had students of all types cross the threshold.  I enjoy the experiences and input each individual can bring to the classroom but I wonder if teaching a class of accelerated students who want to learn and whose parents encourage them to pursue excellence, what would that be like?  Would it be like a dream class?  I don’t want to promote the idea of tracking but I will admit there were times when I would look out across the crazy mixture of ability and desire that filled the room and wish for something like this.

As I reflect on my son’s year in pre-school and look forward to his first year in public school, I realize that there are some major differences, some positive but most negative, that we can anticipate.  The pre-school he attended is a small, religious-based one lead by moms of preschoolers who happen to be teachers.  The overall experience was delightful for me, and enjoyable for my son. 

Unfortunately, the start-up of something like a preschool requires financial support and although the students and teachers had everything they needed, there were probably days they went without things they wanted.  By the end of the year, the playground, which was donated by a local woman, was completed with fencing and mulch, the playroom was stocked with toys, donated by parents, grandparents, and the church, and the kids were content.  Surprisingly, the teachers were, too.

Next year, there will be lots of playground equipment, computers, music class, art class, a gym, a cafeteria, a library, and more.  There will be plenty of stuff.  And kids.  But will the teachers be as happy?  The preschool teachers, who were previously employed by the public schools, were happy every day.  That is not an exaggeration.  They were so excited to be doing what they love; teaching children.

So, what’s the difference?  I know public school teachers are doing what they love, too.  You’d have to be crazy to teach school if you didn’t love it.  But so often, the public school teachers are bogged down with red-tape, and paperwork, and teaching the test, that they don’t get a chance to enjoy what they are doing.  The kids recognize this.  The point at which  the teacher views her assignment as a job instead of a vocation or calling is the point at which kids start to see learning and school as work and not fun. 

For now, school is fun and he can’t wait until August.Â