Brian C. Smith

I teach high school. I love all of high school, including high school sports, and including the fun that students have at Friday night (or Thursday night this week for us) football. So I understand the intent of the following headline in The Denver Post.

But, as it does every year at this time (and several times throughout the year), The Post throws the rest of school under the bus.

Summer is almost over, and the disappointment about returning to class . . .

Really?

Really, Denver Post, that's the message you want to send? With all your whining on the editorial page about the state of our schools (and pretty consistently getting it wrong by the way), you don't feel any responsibility to actually read your own paper and perhaps, just perhaps, make sure you aren't contributing to the anti-education culture of the state of Colorado?

I just had a conversation similar to this in our break room during lunch with some colleagues. The gist was that students who enter HS from a 9th grade academy (9th grade only) were full of themselves and that they needed to be "knocked down for a couple of months".

I spoke up in aggravation at the gall of another educator putting negative light on students and school in general.

This may seem like nit-picking, but really, do we want to add to the negativity at any level?

These are excellent. Call it a flaw, but like many things, I wonder what's next? Will they be isolated in their use? How can we extend the understanding these kits provide it into real learning and doing? How can they be used as vehicles that address real world (read: local issues) that students can actually do things about?

Again, what's next? Or are we just on to the next unit never to discuss, explore again?

What will happen when students opt to leapfrog over highly advanced, super-fast school networks to access what they want using their smartphones?

Oh, yeah. We'll still ban phones and be stuck in time.

Have you Topeka'd something today?

What are we doing in professional development to reduce the divergence here? You ask your students own their learning, do you own yours? Really?

Finding and maintaining balance is one of my largest struggles. I usually have a gagillion things I want to do and can do, but almost kill myself pulling off. The beginning of 2010 has been all about finding that balance and, just as the rocks illustrate, sometimes it is a truly beautiful thing. 

Exactly my sentiments right now.

Good schools are not about taking another’s model and applying it without serious consideration to your own local environment, or about lamenting that you are not someone else. That’s irresponsible, and doesn’t honor a fine example.

So as you’re enjoying the school culture of SLA, a place that I would like to be visiting and learning from/with/in this weekend (and I kind of will be), I hope you’ll move past the “Wow,” and towards the critical eyes of “Huh.  Why does this work?  How might I make something work in my own context(s)?”

Because, we all know, imitation, and not worship, is the highest form of flattery.  Imitation without serious thought as to how to make and sustain change in one’s own situation is not useful.  And doesn’t actually honor the fine model that SLA might be for you.

I've had the good fortune (and incredible support of @wssmith) to attend EduCon and visit with the staff and students who made this school what it is. Bud's words should be strongly considered. I have thought about what I will do tomorrow (Friday) at SLA. I'll be looking for signs of playful learning, which is what I will be leading a conversation about during a session on Sunday.

My hunch is that many of the learning experiences which students at SLA (among other schools) contain the elements or aspects of play. That is, the experiences are inherently fun and students involved often "lose" themselves in exploration, design, creation, conversation or debate.

I'll be beginning my inquiry regarding more playful learning while I observe and participate in the halls and classrooms of SLA tomorrow. I also will continue that inquiry in the conversation on Sunday. I hope you'll join us in some way, shape or form.

The conference is about the community of people and the ideas we share. It's not a place for big speeches, it's a place for well-thought conversation. It is a place for ideas, not stuff, and there isn't much swag at all and there isn't an exhibit floor. What there is, in abundance, is really smart people who care deeply about the future of education and how we all can make it better.

More than a few educators from my area are attending EduCon 2.2 and I'm really excited about that. I'd like to see more of the types of conversations that take place at EduCon happen 'round here.