Who Teaches the Teachers?

I thought it appropriate to begin a series of posts on the people that have been my teachers in life.

Robert Pirsig and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - The book that completely changes my life in 1997 and 1998.  Another book I happen across in my dad's library, stored away in cardboard boxes and an unused chest of drawers.  Years later, in asking my dad about the softcover version of the book, learn he has never been able to make momentum into it.  On the inside front cover he has written the month and year he bought it - the same as when I was born.  I take a month to read half of the book before realizing it is so much more than I have initially perceived; I go back and begin it again, finally taking half a year to finish it.  In living a dynamic and fulfilling life, this book will be the mark of before and after, of who I was and who I will become.  Everything I do becomes inextricably linked to the book and the lessons learned.  A spiritual rebirth.  I reread several times over the next 5 years or so.  The book becomes a foundation for the family I nurture with Kelli, the boys I love, and the children I teach.

Who Teaches the Teachers?

I thought it appropriate to begin a series of posts on the people that have been my teachers in life.

First, Alan Watts.  In my dad's book I found a copy of The Way of Zen when I was in college and soon had read the 20 or so other books Alan Watts had written that I could find in local libraries.  Nearly a decade later I had purchased his audio collection of lectures and spent months listening to his teachings.  A huge influence on me.

University Exit Tickets in 2nd grade classroom

Tim Coleman

March 25, 2013

Action Research Plan

1.      Area of Focus Statement

a.       The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of reflective exit tickets on student learning, specifically understanding of the central question of the lesson and retention of lesson objectives.

2.      Define the Variables

a.       Exit Tickets: a one page, one-sided piece of paper that a student completes at the end of a lesson to reflect upon the lesson.  Should take between 2-10 minutes to complete.

b.      Central Question: the main question that drives the lesson and that the students need to be able to answer at the end of the lesson.

c.       Lesson objectives: the curriculum components taught in a given lesson and needed in order for subsequent lessons to make sense or have meaning.

d.      Checking students' understanding: does the student understand the core objective of the lesson

e.       Summarize: the ability to find the four or five most important points or objectives in the lesson and state them clearly in one’s own words.

f.       Questions: items that the students need more information to solve or want to know more about in a follow-up lesson.

g.       Illustration Box: a small area in which the students are allowed and encouraged to draw anything related to the lesson.

h.      Reflection: thinking back to what was just learned, relating it to prior learning, and/or finding value in the lesson objectives.

3.      Develop the Research Questions

a.       What is the effect of allowing students several reflective avenues to show what they have learned?

b.      Can there be choice in showing what has been learned?

c.       Can an assessment tool be both specific enough to assess learning in a meaningful way but also be broad enough to be utilized across subjects, curriculum, and skills?

d.      What is the effect of consistently having students reflect upon learning as opposed to sporadic or even non-existent reflection?

e.       Does reflection on learning happen naturally during the lesson?

f.       What effect does continual feedback from students have on the teacher and the nature of subsequent instruction?

4.      Describe the intervention or innovations

a.       I will implement an Exit Ticket at the end of classroom lessons to stimulate student reflection and solidify student understanding of the lesson’s objections.

5.      Describe the membership of the action research group

a.       I will be working with my grade-level team members at Prairie Elementary

6.      Describe negations that need to be undertaken

a.       I control the focus of the study and anticipate no negations that will need to be addressed.  The Action Research Plan is relatively modest in scope and breadth and I have an established history of implementing new approaches, techniques, and methods in my classroom based upon research I read and advanced degrees I purpose in education.

7.      Develop a timeline

a.       Phase 1 (March)

                                                              i.      Identify area of focus; Review relevant literature and research; Develop rough draft of Exit Ticket; Share Exit Ticket with grade level team; Finalize format and determine which lessons to use Exit Ticket

b.      Phase 2 (Early-April)

                                                              i.      Introduce and explain Exit Ticket to students; Include similar information in weekly correspondence with parents; Guide students in a practice use of the Exit Ticket

c.       Phase 3 (Late-April)

                                                              i.      Begin routine use of Exit Ticket during selected lessons; Grade Exit Ticket and collect data: Provide feedback to students about data, including quality of responses, representative samples, high-quality responses, and encouragement; Collect data on Exit Ticket scores as well as established data collection of daily work, discussion, and routine lesson assessments; Meet with grade level team members to review progress thus far

d.      Phase 4 (April-May)

                                                              i.      Continually review data and use data to influence subsequent lessons; Share decisions with grade level team members; Examine subject grades to determine correlation with use of Exit Tickets; Collect narrative and anecdotal information from students and parents.

8.      Develop a statement of resources

a.       Time to review literature and research

b.      Examples of Exit Tickets from a variety of sources, grade levels, and purposes

c.       Time to adapt or create Exit Ticket utilizing information learned as well as individual classroom

d.      Computer to create digital copy and printer to print copies

9.      Develop data collection ideas

a.       The main source of data I will be using are from sources already in place in my classroom.  This includes the components that normally make up students’ grades: classroom seatwork, homework, demonstration of concepts in class through discussions, projects, and activities.  This data will necessarily need to be sorted according to whether there is a grade earned through an objective measure (worksheets, seatwork, homework, etc.), or if the grade earned is more subjective in nature (discussion, demonstration, etc.).  Those that are objective would be quantitative and those more subjective would be qualitative.

When Planning Summer Activities, Remember to Include a Lack of Planning

Benefits of unstructured play time are numerous and well researched within pediatric medicine, cognitive development specialists, and education/learning practitioners.  Here are some of my favorite examples:

    

We all fail, but what of the moments after the failure

Video Review Form

MAS 5010 - Foundations of Educational Administration

Name: Tim Coleman

Video Title: The Asoh Defense

Date: September 16, 2009

Key Points of the Video:

1. It is good to make mistakes because we can learn from them and become better people.
2. Mistakes are often seen as weaknesses, bad form, or career suicide. With this perspective we are then encouraged to lie, not take risks, or pursue innovation.
3. We build elaborate defenses to pass blame onto others and absolve ourselves.
4. Forgiving, as a trait, is offered in personal life but not in professional life. In the professional world there is a battle between forgiveness and accountability/responsibility.
5. Truth is a rare commodity, when given it is usually watered down or filled with half-truths.
6. Responsibility is best when taken openly. Humor solves conflicts and spurs production.

Application/Relevance/Reflection:

1. Although we consistently admonish students to be truthful and be willing to revise their beliefs, attitudes, and behavior, these very traits are often frowned upon in the adult world. Humbling oneself in front of a child and admitting your own mistakes and taking pains to point out your own failings is a powerful way to invite a child to do the same with themselves.
2. In a business, making mistakes can often be detrimental to the bottom line, to making money. But in a school environment, where the very purpose is to shape a maturing human, mistakes are the opportunities to change that which will repeatedly fail or create additional problems for the child throughout their lives.
3. The relationships within a school community are paramount, long hours of work, high expectations, and a realization that the home life of the children dictates much of what they can and cannot do in your classroom. Within this dynamic the relationships among the staff, students, and principal must be open and truthful. If one person thinks that you don't care for them or you're not willing to own up to your own mistakes then they will be extremely hesitant to share their own struggles.
4. The most valuable part of the video was on forgiving. When someone makes a mistake that impacts you or you feel slighted then it becomes extremely difficult to carry on as if nothing has happened. People usually resort to putting on a fake face of forgiveness when actually underneath they still seethe. To reach real forgiveness would seem to be a rare thing when dealing with people who you've had conflict with or find yourself at odds with.
5. Being one who uses humor often, I found it refreshing that the video highlighted the use of humor to solve conflicts, engage people, and get everyone back on track after a mistake has been made. I think usually humor is perceived as a trait of the immature or unintelligent. I know in my school I may be seen as immature but in the day to day world of education I find I have far fewer conflicts with other staff members than most others and I can easily engage even the most difficult child when other teachers fail.

http://usjaycee1.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/the-asoh-defense-%E2%80%93-speak-the-truth/

Your baby is AWARE!

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/04/baby-consciousness/

Summer Programs offered by Mr. Coleman

Please read and pass along to anyone you feel might be interested.

Mr. Coleman, 2nd grade teacher at Prairie Elementary, will be offering two valuable learning opportunities during the 2013 summer. One-on-One Tutoring and my Coleman’s Camp Enrichment Program will both begin Monday, June 3rd, and run through Saturday, August 3rd. We meet at Corinth Library (81st and Mission Road). More detailed information is below.

One-on-One Tutoring:

I meet with student in Individualized one-hour sessions to maintain present skills during the summer and to prepare for the upcoming school year by addressing current academic and motivational/self-esteem struggles.  Shawnee Mission curriculum and materials are used, along with district and research-based intervention materials, all correlating to content students will see in the upcoming school year.  Frequently we work through the daily (or distributive) work from the first quarter.  This strategy ensures student comprehension, confidence, and skills are bolstered as concepts introduced to the class during the start of the year are already well practiced by the tutored student.  With parent permission, I can also meet with each student's teacher to collect test data, information on strengths and struggles, and learning goals.  Some of the specific skills I can focus on include:

·         Reading (phonics, decoding, comprehension, accuracy, motivation)

·         Math (computation, problem solving, accuracy)

·         Study skills and organization

·         Test preparation (classroom tests, basic skills, state assessments)

·         Writing skills (handwriting, sentence, paragraph and paper writing)

Summer 2013 Schedule for One-on-One Tutoring (1 hour sessions):

Tuesdays 11:00-3:00

Thursdays 11:00-3:00

Saturdays 1:00-3:00

Coleman’s Camp Enrichment Program:

Small groups of students meet as a specialized class to study, explore, and interact with their own learning process in highly individualized and personal ways.  The two-hour sessions aim toward mastery of grade-level curriculum taught in Shawnee Mission classrooms but also provide a pervasive environment and cross-pollination of wisdom, art, humor, music, and high quality endeavors.

Coleman’s Camp is an innovative tutoring and enrichment program utilizing a decade of classroom experience at nearly every grade level as well as training in administration, special education, and research-based practices to create a weekly enrichment and support camp for elementary-aged children.

Each session of Coleman's Camp has age guidelines to help facilitate age-appropriate focus and maximized benefit of learning experiences.  The Tuesday and Thursday sessions have similar themes, activities, and curriculum.  As such, students should only attend either the Tuesday sessions or the Thursday sessions, but not both.  In some cases, special arrangements can be made with Mr. Coleman for older students to be Peer-Leaders (example: an older student who attends the Tuesday session returns Thursday to help lead groups, provide examples, or teach parts of the lessons).  Such special arrangements should be reserved for highly motivated students wanting to take on leadership roles and increased responsibility.

Additionally, the Saturday session will be different in form and scope from the Tuesday and Thursday sessions.  These Saturday sessions are called Coleman's Camp Studio and will be an experience where kids work for a number of consecutive weeks to complete one in-depth project at a time.  These studio projects will be built around the passions of the students enrolled, and will push their natural skills, problem solving ability, and creative efforts to produce unique artifacts of significance and quality.  Coleman's Camp Studio will be limited to 10 students.  Projects might include multimedia presentations, artwork, service projects, inventions, engineering studies, plays, et cetera.  There is no specific age guidelines for Saturdays, but an adventurous attitude and willingness to make mistakes, grow, and experiment are important.

Summer 2013 Schedule for Coleman's Camp (2 hour sessions):

            Tuesdays 4:00-6:00 (for kids going into 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade)

            Thursdays 4:00-6:00 (for kids going into Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade)

            Saturdays 10:00-12:00 (Coleman's Camp Studio)

More Information:

• http://www4.smsd.org/timcoleman/html32214.htm - Credentials, experience, and other district information
• http://www4.smsd.org/timcoleman/html22172.htm - all about Mr. Coleman

PLEASE E-MAIL for cost and availability.

Perspective on feeling as though you voluntarily offered your child's mind to The Matrix

Is the iPad bad for children?

http://theweek.com/article/index/242107/is-the-ipad-bad-for-children

Also, I (again) recommend reading The Week.

The right type of glass helps our vision

The technology that become ubiquitous and inexpensive enough to reach the classroom has been remarkable to witness; I remember the first PCs in my middle school in the late 1980s and learning to insert large floppy discs to play Oregon Trail.  In college I was doing rudimentary on-line research and naively perceiving AOL chat rooms as "the internet."  However, by the time I reentered classrooms as a teacher in late 2001, there were trends developing that might surprise today's technology consumer accustomed to ever advancing models and functionality.  My student teaching placement was at a school that, only a few years beforehand, had been designed and opened as a technology themed building with at least a dozen computers in every classroom, motion-sensor classroom lights to shut down usage when rooms were unoccupied, and closed-circuit TV's for school produced programs.

The year I arrived the district was no longer replacing computers as they died off; by the end of the year even the remaining functioning computers would be removed, leaving only two dedicated student computers in each classroom along with the teacher computer.  The heady experimental years of "technology everywhere, for everyone" seemed to have met the fiscal reality of maintaining hundreds of computers subject to heavy use/abuse by nearly 500 students.  Additionally, as the district increased class sizes in response to perpetually dwindling budgets, classrooms became cluttered with an average of 20 students, a desk for each, and a comically thick perimeter of gray computer tables lining every available classroom wall, effectively shrinking the usable area of the room by a significant number of square feet.  Teachers, alone in their classrooms while the students were at specials, grading papers or otherwise sitting still for some time found they were suddenly plunged into darkness, the motion-sensors dutifully calculating no movement above an arbitrary and imperfect threshold.

In recent years I have watched waves of new technology come into the classroom, some becoming extremely valuable.  The sobering reality is that these visions of what will come next are still often created by marketing departments; but even a cynical mind might marvel at the possibilities portrayed in the Corning: A Day Made of Glass 2.  The first Day Made of Glass video came off, in my eyes, as rather vapid, consumer-oriented, and celebratory of a future in which sterile living environments allow for full focus upon fashion, shopping, entertainment, and advertisements.  Not the stuff of hope, imagination, creativity, and passion we want for our children.  The second video, below, captured my eye in that so many of the advances are education based and would be of both practical and inspiring use in the classroom.  Watch, and wonder if teachers will still be able to justify a worksheet component to every single lesson of the day.  

Monday Surprise!

During my second year of teaching 4th grade, now nearly a decade ago, I was walking the long main hallway to my classroom just at the start of the school day.  As with many elementary schools, the early arriving students waited in the gymnasium for the first bell, then had 10 minutes to walk to their classrooms before the official start of the day.  This morning routine had the unintended effect of creating a human wave of students flowing down the hall, which I became inadvertently immersed within.  At some point I noticed two girls from my class converging within the stream just ahead of me and overheard their greetings.  From my place in the mass of humanity, I knew they did not see I was so near them.  One remarked to the other, in enthusiastic and earnest tones, "I can't wait to see what we will do today!"

I was quietly astounded.  That morning in my classroom, and afterword, I would feel a duty to live up to such expectations.  These kids were excited for school and, years later in a university, I reviewed research showing the steady decline in student excitement for school as they grew older.  I wanted them to always have the feeling and desire this girl expressed that morning, coming to class to learn and wanting to stay.  Overtime I learned ways to help the mornings begin with anticipation, and especially exciting Mondays.

Some of the strategies I find invaluable to begin school days primed for learning:

• Students check in with me in the morning, sharing relevant or important information from the night before, including ailments, play dates, sports' practice, movies, or family dynamics.  Knowing a little brother kept everyone up with vomiting can be an invaluable piece of information.  As can knowing a student overheard parents arguing, the power went out for part of the night, they had no sleep because of a nightmare, or car problems stressed everyone out.  This empathy time, the authentic human bonding can prevent dozens of struggles and misunderstanding throughout the day.  "They will not care what you know until they know that you care,"
• Some students have permission to come to the classroom before any of the bells (while others, without such permission, have perfected ways to sneak back to the classroom), often to avoid the human flood down the hallway, which they find understandably stressful.  These kids are receptive to one-on-one time, being the first to check in on our class pet, reading, taking reading quizzes, or just chatting about the day.  They need this! 
• The entire morning is the time for students to own up to mistakes, forgotten work, or problems that will need to be problem solved.  If students are honest, come to me instead of making me "discover" the issue later in the day, and own the problem instead of blaming parents or siblings, there is no contrived, traditional punishment.  Instead, students have natural consequences, but otherwise we move on with the day and kids are able to move past the issue with grace, the issue fully something separate from them; we problem solve the objectified issue together.
• Generally, worksheets during the mornings are moderately helpful, setting a focused, paper-based skills practice opportunity so long as it is relatively short, does not rely upon emerging skills or concepts, and is not a significant portion of their grade.  Confidence is the goal, but on Mondays I do not use seat work or busy work.  We begin the week with socialization, reading, or often some new item on the classroom table to spark interest.


..............................smooth segue...............................

MONDAY SURPRISE!

Copied in below is a rather thrilling example of starting the week with something to grab students' imagination and passion.  Though my class does not yet know, I purchased two baby water turtles (about the size of a half-dollar) for our classroom.  We have discussed having such classroom pets in the past, but had no definitive timeline or expectations for such quick arrival.  I had tracked down these baby water turtles at The Great Mall of The Great Plains (of The Great State, of The Great Country, of The Great Continent, of The Gre... I habitually think whenever hearing the unwieldy name of the place).  I will have them in class Monday and I hope for the weekend to fly so I can see the kids' reactions!  Feel free to share this blog entry with kids in my class as I believe they would want to know as soon as possible.  Monday morning I will be anxious to get to school early!

Let them fall and bloody their knees, don't make the pain stop, but feel empathy for the pain

http://theweek.com/article/index/242542/want-to-raise-winners-give-your-kids-a-chance-to-lose

Interesting article about allowing children to lose, a lot, and learn how to deal with it.  I disagree with a few of the conclusions and consequences, that kids will need to know how to make excuses when faced with mistakes (a bizarre line-of-thought that seems out of place in the overall context of the article).

When did you learn to speak disparagingly about mathematics?

A video mash-up created by teacher and blogger Dan Meyer, showing how movies, TV, and cartoons have an on-going narrative about math being a bad thing, regardless of context.  The message sent to our children's mind is rather clear, explicit, and negative.  Read his thoughtful blog post here: http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=16222.  I thought the comments section was also interesting.  

(Contains adult language)

Up Late, Out Early, Look at the Journey

Living approximately 30 minutes from work provides long drives to gain momentum for the day and for the kids.  Occasionally I will take photographs of the journey to work.  Here are a few:

Multitasking, Teaching Illustration, and Creating Memories

The ubiquitous teacher read of novels, chapter books, or special theme unit books is valuable for a variety of reasons, mostly helping students enjoy stories they might not read for years or even ever know existed.  In recent years I have pushed to make each routine of the day serve multiple purposes and provide avenues to ignite student passions that might otherwise be unrecognized.  Our classroom teacher read aloud time is after lunch, providing a resting and regrouping time before setting off on the second part of our day.  The current version of this 30 minute block of time feels enriching while still restful; stimulating, but allowing heavily utilized skills and cognitive processes to wind-down.  I have been selecting unabridged classic and modern books on CD, which we listen to with half the ceiling lights off, digesting food and working on sustained, high quality illustrations and art pieces related to students' independent research projects.

I've brought in some of my professional quality art supplies while students have pooled money to purchase other supplies.  We discuss art movements, techniques, and materials.  And most important to me, I see students undertaking sustained art projects, working for hours, days, and even, in passionate dedication, weeks on one illustration.   I am on this journey with them, working my way through a sign-up list where each student brings something they want me to illustrate for them, on the document projector, seeing the work hour by hour over the course of a week or two to finish just one.  They have found this level of work to be valuable in that the daily effort is witnessed; the mistakes, the choices, the problem solving, and the reflection along the way is shared with them.  The quality of their illustrations and other art projects is astounding.  All the while listening to a great voice actor bring a book to life.  Copied in below are the illustrations I have completed for students thus far.

Preparing, Identifying, and Providing Consequences for Plagiarism

Cheating scandals, especially in the high stakes/high pressure world of No Child left Behind and state assessments, have become perennial news stories, whether engaged in by students at the university level or by teachers and administrators at the elementary, middle, and high school level.  

Copied in below is a research and reflection paper I completed in one of my administrative law classes a few years ago.  I use the ideas in it as a starting point for discussions with students about copyright, citing work, use of others' work, and doing one's own work.  Even in a 2nd grade classroom these issues can be addressed and, indeed, must be, as I have several avenues of independent research that students undertake as regular classroom learning as well as enrichment choices for students set off on personalized learning journeys.

-------

Tim Coleman
Professor Michael Pragman
MAS 5060
15 April 2010


When confronted with recurring academic requirements to create original pieces of work as evidence of classroom learning or as products to demonstrate completion of assigned tasks, students’ temptation to misappropriate another’s work and present it as their own can be overwhelming and deceptively consequence-free. This perspective is further exasperated by the full recognition that the scope of one’s current efforts has surely been previously (and possibly exhaustively) researched and fully realized by others and the pervasive and instantaneous nature of the Internet seemingly mocks the personal initiation of the long road ahead. “Beauty is easily imagined but its realization requires long yards of golden toil (Moore 13).” Complicating the issue of plagiarism is the reality that the foundation and advancement of human communication, community, and civilization is given form and substance by the back and forth of thought, speech, and work from person to person – refined, debated, torn apart, synthesized, rediscovered and reinterpreted. Wise administrators, aware that schools provide the environment for children to explore and learn the cumulative culture of their parents, must provide guidance to teachers and students in regard to legal and ethical issues of plagiarism as students are confused or purposely obtuse about what constitutes plagiarism, teachers are unaware of how to recognize plagiarism, and the school has often neglected to provide clear repercussions for instances of plagiarism. The experiences of administrators and school districts, especially those represented in applicable case law, provide a clear framework to prepare, identify, and provide consequences for plagiarism in today’s schools.

Plagiarism is a violation of copyright law in that it takes a protected piece of work (a literary text, a play, a song, etc) and presents it as the work of someone else without giving proper credit to the original author(s). “The history of American copyright law originated with the introduction of the printing press to England in the late fifteenth century … [where] in 1710 Parliament enacted the Statute of Anne to address the concerns of English booksellers and printers. The 1710 act established the principles of authors' ownership of copyright and a fixed term of protection of copyrighted works (A.R.L.).” In the United States there has been a continual progression of copyright law that tackles each successive device or media that technology introduces and which ultimately intersects with authors’ rights. Of course, from an administrator’s perspective it is not just a student’s final work that is of value but the process itself, the work predicated on intent of providing a learning experience. Students may often plagiarize part of preexisting pieces and believe they have done nothing wrong as part of the finished piece contains their own efforts and the copied sections are reworded. Here administrators may provide a historical and well reasoned appreciation of how plagiarism takes form as well as some of the excuses, justifications, and other relevant considerations that courts have taken under consideration and provided legal guidance for. In Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp., 45 F.2d 119, 121 (2d Cir. 1930), the court found, “It is of course essential to any protection of literary property ... that the right cannot be limited literally to the text, else a plagiarist would escape by immaterial variations" (Hollaar). Ironically, a case from 1930 is just as relevant in the copy, paste, and reword world of the computer processor student who looks to take another’s work and change words, phrasing, or other semantic structural elements to hide its origins. Similarly, the common practice of using only a portion of another’s work and then sprinkling about one’s own ideas as filler is addressed in Sheldon v. Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corp., 81 F.2d 49, 56 (2d Cir. 1936) in which the court said that the wrong of plagiarism is not removed or mitigated by showing “how much of his work he did not pirate” (Sheldon). Schools would be wise to adopt on-going plagiarism guidelines that make similar distinctions and delineations.

Recognizing plagiarism from an educator or administrator’s perspective has always been hedged against the advent of new technologies. However, the courts and applicable case law were nearly in-step through the advancing history of hard print, until the digital revolution of the last few decades – exemplified by the Internet where information on nearly any conceivable topic is readily available with no hindrances against misappropriation. Teachers accustomed to paper/project repositories of older siblings, college fraternity files, cribbed encyclopedia entries, and even the occasional ghost writing by peer students seemed a quaint group when lead into the bewildering world of Internet plagiarism that included fully searchable databases of completed research papers, countless sources of copy/paste information that teachers were unfamiliar with and therefore could never check, and entire websites devoted to the most insidious breach of author rights – group support, strategies, and communities of like-minded people around the world giving credence and validity to the act of plagiarism. Recognizing the fluidity of all new digital media, “amendments to the U.S. Copyright statutes in 1998 included a new section making it wrongful to ‘intentionally remove or alter’ any one or more of the following items: the notice of copyright, the title of the work, the author's name and other identifying information about the author, the copyright owner's name and other identifying information about the copyright owner, or terms and conditions for the use of the work (Standler).” This change in the scope of source material being plagiarized means that school districts need to take broad initiatives as well. Heyward Ehrlich, of the Department of English of Rutgers University provides a well-reasoned detection spectrum based upon years of experience. It includes using search-engines for unique wording of the student’s work, checking on-line encyclopedias, browsing commercial term paper suppliers, replicating the research the student was likely to have performed, and checking “homework helpers” of AOL, Scholastic, and other comparable sites (Ehrlich).

Much of the scandal, stigma, and frustration of plagiarism could be significantly reduced in regards to the role of administrators and teachers of a school district if there were a greater emphasis on teaching students what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, how to properly cite materials, and what the consequences are for plagiarism. Again, the suggestions of Heyward Enrlich are practical and reasoned: “1) Don't merely assign an isolated term paper at the start of the semester and then collect it at the end. Increasingly students do not know how to do the planning, research, and revision required in such papers, … 2) Provide a continuing context for student work, including shorter papers, research proposals, and oral reports, …4) In larger classes, insist on a research trail which becomes part of the submitted paper, … [and] 5) If you receive a paper you suspect to be plagiarized, move cautiously (Enrlich).” Although the courts will likely be wading through an ever-expanding quagmire of legal nuances in terms of copyright protection in the Internet and digital age through such laws as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for the foreseeable future, educators are wise to consider firm footing in the case law and legal guidelines that–though further refined through hundreds of years of change and challenge–are never completely abandoned nor substantially changed. Though the technology has made nearly incomprehensible leaps and bounds in the last few decades, the principles of copyright and plagiarism, just as so many of our core beliefs, are well established and unlikely to change less our entire society is likewise revolutionized. School districts, administrators, and especially classroom teachers will note a familiar theme in all of this wrangling – no matter how elaborate or broad the particular events of the day, the fundamental position of education is to provide the orientation of time-tested thought as a tool to engage whatever may come.

Even without the legal concept and application of copyright law, plagiarism would still persist as a problem in schools as it devalues the core of education. Copyright, which assigns certain rights to the creator or creators of a work, is a legal protection that signifies an understanding that creating a work is a substantial and valued undertaking. Plagiarism has the potent potential to severely devalue the process of learning, open the education system up to doubt and distrust, and may very well call into question the legitimacy of students’ education and their preparedness to utilize the education they were to receive. Administrators must be actively charged with the role of understanding plagiarism, being able to recognize it, and having consequences for the act. Wise administrators know to avoid personal whims or hodgepodge assemblages of policy and instead act upon law and rulings from the courts, especially courts within the area of the school district and the Supreme Court. Such a stance not only protects the school district from actually becoming a case law to be studied and referenced by others for some currently unforeseen transgression, but also furthers the mission of school districts to provide students with an educational experience and not a misappropriated educational experience that rightfully belongs to someone else.

Works Cited 

“Copyright Timeline: A History of Copyright in the United States.” www.arl.org. 12 July 2007.
Association of Research Libraries. 24 April 2010.
http://www.arl.org/pp/ppcopyright/copyresources/copytimeline.shtml

Hollaar Lee A. “Legal Protection of Digital Information.” Chapter 2, Copyright of Computer
Programs. 2002. Digital Law Online. 17 April 2010.
http://digital-law-online.info/lpdi1.0/treatise21.html

Moore, Alan and Campbell. Snakes and Ladders. New York: Eddie Campbell Comics, 2001.

“Sheldon v. Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corp., 309 U. S. 390 (1940).” Justia.com;U.S.

Supreme Court Center. 17 April 2010.
http://supreme.justia.com/us/309/390/case.html

Standler, Ronald B. “Some Observations on Copyright Law.” Plagiarism. 2009. 20 April 2010.
http://www.rbs2.com/copyr.htm

Ehrlich, Heyward. “Plagiarism and Anti-Plagiarism.” The Solution: Possible Countermeasures.
August 2009. Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA. 24 April 2010. http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~ehrlich/plagiarism598.html

Furnishing your Classroom/Evil Lair

When planning on becoming a principal, or even daydreaming on the heights of classroom management and reputation one might earn, it is best to plan furnishings and clothing appropriate to your ambition.  I have selected the chair I will have in my principal office or idealized classroom.  (should I be concerned prices are not listed?)

http://www.maximoriera.com/html/projects.php

Keeping Informed on My District, SMSD

I recently signed up for Shawnee Mission School District Key Communication Network (link here) and have been very pleased to receive communication directly from the superintendent, Dr. Gene Johnson, about the district.  I highly recommend signing up and reading the informative, relevant, and behind-the-scenes e-mail.  Copied in below was the most recent version sent:

Shawnee Mission School District

Key Communicators Network

April 3, 2013                                                                                                   No. 8

Thank you for signing up to be a participant in the Shawnee Mission Key Communicators Network. You will receive information from me on a regular basis. You are welcome to forward the information on to others; in fact, you are encouraged to do so. I will communicate information that may be of interest to a large number of patrons. If you have questions about the information, please contact me at genejohnson@smsd.org.

Dr. Gene Johnson

Superintendent

When is the last day of school for students and staff?

The last day of school for Shawnee Mission students and staff is below. These are the same dates that are specified on the official Shawnee Mission School calendar.

·         Wednesday, May 22    Last day for kindergarten students

·         Thursday, May 23       Last day for students in grades 1 through 11                                                      

                                                    (The last day for seniors is Friday, May 10)

·         Friday, May 24                        Last day for teachers

Due to summer construction, the last day for the students in all the middle schools plus Rising Star Elementary School is as follows:

·         Monday, May 20         Last day for kindergarten students

·         Tuesday, May 21         Last day for students in grades 1 through 8

What’s the latest information from Topeka?

Below is the latest information that we have on action in the Kansas legislature related to schools. There will continue to be action the next two days. Copies of all bills and the bill history can be found at the Kansas Legislature website:  http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/bills/.

·         Innovative Districts.  HB 2319 creates innovative districts, up to 10, that would allow districts to operate outside some laws and regulations provided student achievement increases. 

§  SB 176 creates innovative districts, up to 28, that would allow districts to operate outside some laws and regulations provided student achievement increases.  This bill passed the Senate. The Shawnee Mission School District is neutral HB 2319 at the current time. The district did not provide testimony as proponents or opponents of the bills. On March 20, through our lobbyist, Stuart Little, the district did support moving forward with 2319 which was on General Orders at the time. Our rationale statement read, “We believe this legislation may provide an opportunity for our district to increase student achievement and provide greater flexibility at the local level.”

APRIL 3 UPDATE: The Education Conference Committee agreed to the Senate version of HB 2319, which allows up to 10 percent of districts in the state to become “innovative school districts” exempted from most state laws in exchange for higher outcomes standards. The conference committee added language specifying districts remain subject to the state open meetings and open records requirements. The conference committee agreements must now be approved by a vote of both the House and Senate.

·         Audits.  HB 2349.  This bill requires Legislative Post Audits of three school districts per year.  The Shawnee Mission District does not oppose this bill.

APRIL 3 UPDATE: The House agreed to Senate amendments to HB 2349, which directs Legislative Post Audit to conduct three efficiency audits per year. The Senate had added a sunset provision and exempted school districts from having required audits if they have had a similar audit in the past five years.

·         Career and Tech Ed.  SB 128: Career and Technical Education. This bill is a technical clean-up to the career and technical education incentive program. The Shawnee Mission District does not oppose this bill.

APRIL 3 UPDATE: The Senate has already concurred on House amendments to SB 128, which expands time students have to complete certification in career technical education programs that result in school district incentive payments. As amended by the House, it also extends the expiration date of the Kansas postsecondary technical education authority from 2014 to 2017. The action sends the bill to the Governor.

·         Ancillary Weighting.  HB 2391.  This bill passed the House, in Education Conference committee.  The bill extends ancillary weighting from three to nine years and adjusts the rate. The Shawnee Mission District does not oppose this bill.

APRIL 3 UPDATE:  HB 2391 will be discussed in committee this afternoon. No determinations were made at the time this update was sent.

·         Contingency Reserve Funds. HB 2261: The bill passed the Senate and is in the Education Conference Committee.  The bill removes the cap on cash reserves and makes permanent ability to transfer specific fund balances. The Shawnee Mission District does not oppose this bill.

APRIL 3 UPDATE: The conference committee agreed to the Senate version of HB 2261, which provides permanent authority for districts to transfer certain unexpended restricted fund balances for general education purposes and removes the 10 percent limit on the contingency fund.

·         Senate Sub for HB 2052. Concealed carry – guns in schools

o   The bill does not exclude school districts and unless adequate security measures were present (security personnel and metal detectors), concealed carry permit holders would be permitted to bring their weapons to any school facilities.

o   The bill, as amended by committee, includes provisions of HB 2055 that allow local districts the local option to determine if employees and staff could carry their concealed weapons into the school buildings.

o   The bill contains one exemption for a school board to exempt buildings provided a study of the building is made and a report is filed on the building. This exemption will last for four years only.

o   The Shawnee Mission District opposes concealed carry in schools and on school grounds. Conference committee members have been contacted regarding the district stance on concealed carry.

APRIL 3 UPDATE: The Federal and State Affairs Conference Committee on S Sub HB 2052 reached a tentative agreement on language exempting school districts from new requirements for public building security. The tentative agreement includes provisions passed by both the House and Senate allowing school boards to permit employees licensed for concealed carry of handguns to bring such weapons into schools, even if the building is posted to prohibit concealed carry by the general public. The Kansas Association of School Boards believes school boards already have similar authority.

·         Bullying:  House Bill 2222.  The bill required districts to have a bullying policy, adding teachers to the current statute.  Passed the House and is in the Senate Education Committee. The Shawnee Mission School District opposed this bill.

APRIL 3 UPDATE: This bill was previously considered dead. Provisions of HB 2222 were added to HB 2261. This includes staff and parents to the current statute.

·         Curriculum: House Bill 2280.  Celebrate Freedom Week. The bill required the teaching of a historical curriculum for one week in September.  The bill passed the House and is in the Senate Education Committee. The Shawnee Mission School District opposed this bill.

APRIL 3 UPDATE:  This bill was previously considered dead. Provisions of HB 2280 were added to HB 2261. This establishes Celebrate Freedom Week in Kansas schools in September and directs the Kansas State Board of Education to provide for teaching certain topics of American history and government through academic standards during that week. The committee agreed to limit the requirements of the bill to grades K-8, so it does not interfere with the regular schedule of teaching history and government in high school.