It's Semester Test Time

Once again it is semester test time. This year our high school teachers have really re-evaluated their semester tests. Because we want this final assessment to be a valuable learning experience for our students, many of our teachers have created semester projects that assess (and require students to use) all the essential skills taught throughout the semester. Instead of the traditional multiple choice test, our students will be creating, collaborating, communicating, and synthesizing all of the learning that has taken place during first semester.

Here are a few reminders for students and parents during semester tests:

*Students are required to be in school ONLY when testing. Do not loiter in the halls when not testing. You must be in the study hall or out of the building.

*The study hall is to be used as a quiet study area during semester exams. This area will be supervised.

*Punctuality is essential during semester tests! Students will NOT be allowed to take a semester test if they are more than 10 minutes late to class.

*Students missing exams for reasons other than excused absences will receive an “F” on the exam.

*All students must stay in their testing room at least 45 minutes after the beginning of the test. PLEASE be quiet in the halls after your test - other students may still be testing!

*Look at the test schedule posted in the commons and write down when and where your tests will be held.

*When you are off school grounds during the day, please act like young adults and drive safely. Community complaints will end the open campus concept for semester tests in the future. Some students have lost open campus privileges in the past. Also, remember that students with school permits should NOT be driving around!

*All students with over-due books, unserved detentions, unpaid art bills, shop bills, or any other discipline issues, will NOT be eligible for open campus. ALL detentions must be made up prior to December 17th.

*REMEMBER the NO PASS NO PLAY rule that was passed by the State of Iowa. This is not limited to athletics it is for ALL extra curricular activities (example: Speech)

*Lunch will be served Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. However, if you sign-up for a lunch you are expected to eat. You will be charged for the lunch whether you eat it or not.

*Buses will leave school at regular times:
Monday and Tuesday - 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday - 2:30 p.m.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

A Day of Learning

On October 20th, over 38 schools and 500 educators will be collaborating to learn more about the technology infused classroom. As teachers, one of the best ways to make life-long learners out of our students is to model learning as adults. It is no secret that the learner who walks through our school doors today is very different from the learner we educated even five years ago. They crave opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and communication, but they also need to be taught the importance of professionalism and what it truly means to be an educated digital citizen.

On the 20th, Newell-Fonda is proud to be the host site where educators from all over the state of Iowa will gather to network and learn. We will also be teaming up with Sigourney CSD to share a Ustreamed speaker from the November Learning Team. Brian Mull will be discussing the importance of building a Professional Learning Network and using blogging and Twitter to enhance education. In addition to this, teachers will be attending informative sessions to learn more about technology and the impact it can have on learning. We will also be providing time for teachers to collaborate with other role-alike educators from different schools to discuss specifics strategies that can be used with their subject matter.

Overall, this will be a great opportunity to build relationships and challenge the status quo. If you are interested in following the conversations of the day, join us on Twitter using the hashtag #NWILA.

Driving Toward a New School Year

One of the best parts of summer is having more time to read.  Although I did spend my fair share of time reading mindless, "by the pool" books, I also enjoyed several intellectually stimulating reads as well.  One of those books was Drive by Daniel Pink.  Pink's book touts to provide a "strong, science-based case for rethinking motivation."  As an educator, I have always been challenged by what motivates students.  As a high school principal, I am now faced with the challenge of exploring not only what motivates students, but also what motivates adults.  It should be no surprise that students are not really that different from adults when it comes to motivation.
     Pink states that "enjoyment-based intrinsic motivation, namely how creative a person feels when working on a project, is the strongest and most pervasive driver.”  To me, this quote is applicable not only in the classroom, but also in the workplace.  This also led me to think about our technology initiative.  Our 1:1 environment gives students and teachers alike the opportunity to tap into that creativity and design a more autonomous work environment.  By nature we are wired to be curious and self-directed (Those of you who spent any time with a toddler this summer know exactly what I'm talking about!!), and it's a shame to think that it might actually be school that discourages this curiosity. As the new school year quickly approaches, I challenge us all to tap into that intrinsic motivation that engages us and makes us feel the excitement for learning that a small child understands so well.  
     Finally, on Leadership Day 2010 I am once again reminded that although technology is a wonderful tool, it is truly the emphasis on learning that will earn the greatest rewards.  I will leave you with a final thought-provoking quote from Drive, “If you believe intelligence is a fixed quantity, then every educational and professional encounter becomes a measure of how much you have.  If you believe intelligence is something you can increase, then the same encounters become opportunity for growth.”  I hope this school year will continue to provide countless opportunities to use technology for creative, engaging, and active learning for both our students and our adults!

End of the Year

It's almost hard to remember all the snow of winter as the temperatures soar into the 90's!

I wanted to summarize the expectations for the final three days of school.  Students will be taking their semester finals on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

• All students should arrive by 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.  If a student needs to ride the bus, he/she should report to study hall at 8:30 a.m. to prepare for his/her finals.
• If a student is on the Down List, he/she must stay in school from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.  Down List students do NOT have Open Campus privileges on Wed. and Thurs.
• All other students will be able to leave after their finals are complete.  
• Please keep in mind that if a student is over 10 minutes late to a testing room, he/she will not be admitted and will be given an "F".
• All students must remain in their testing room for at least 45 minutes.
• All fines must be paid by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday in order to receive Open Campus privileges.
• All buses will run on their regular schedule.  If a student plans to leave early or arrive late, he/she must provide his/her own transportation.
• On Friday, the first test begins at 10:00 a.m. and the last test ends at approximately 1:30 p.m.

STUDY HARD AND FINISH STRONG!!!  
HAVE A SAFE AND RELAXING SUMMER!!

"That" Teacher!

     Because this is my first year as the principal at Newell-Fonda High School, I am in the process of hiring my first teacher.  As I pulled out my interview questions that I had used in my previous school, I made the startling realization that these questions just wouldn't work at Newell-Fonda.  Being a 1:1 school has made me realize that the standard interview questions just aren't applicable anymore for our school.  I realized I wasn't concerned about how much the candidate knew about American Literature or proper grammar.  Don't get me wrong, I still believe content knowledge is very important in hiring a new teacher.  However, as I developed questions for the interview I wanted to know how my new teacher was going to think outside the box.  How he or she was going to challenge our students beyond just knowing who wrote The Scarlet Letter or where to put a comma.  I wanted to know what online resources he/she had used in his/her classroom.  I wanted to know how he/she used Professional Learning Networks to find innovative ways to teach American Literature or essay writing.  I wanted to see that he/she was excited about the possibilities that the 1:1 environment creates for a teacher and a student.  Ultimately, I wanted him/her to be able to articulate how "special" this 1:1 learning environment is.  I needed to know that he/she understood that in order to truly prepare our students for THEIR future, our teaching strategies have to meet our students' learning styles - and that is where technology fits in.
     In the end, I'm not sure I'm looking for a "new" kind of teacher, but I am looking for a different skill set.  Just as we are expecting from our students, I am looking for a teacher who is willing to collaborate and create.  One who can communicate and network.  One who is willing to take risks and go outside his/her comfort zone.  I want to hear about Twitter and Facebook, blogs and wikis, Google Docs and digital portfolios.  I want to know that he/she is willing to try new things, and I certainly don't expect him/her to have all the answers or know every American author (that can be Googled if someone really wants to know).  I also wonder if our universities have prepared these new teachers for my interview questions because I won't be asking them for their strengths and weaknesses or how much they know about Walt Whitman or Edgar Allan Poe.  Yes, I still want to know about their ideas or experiences with classroom management and assessment.  However, what I really want to know is how they plan to use technology to enhance learning, and how they will use their classroom to produce digitally articulate, creative, collaborative students who are prepared for THEIR future!
     Finally, after all this reflection, I realize that I am definitely excited and encouraged about the challenge and the opportunity to find "that" teacher!!

Looking forward

As many of you know, the high school recently celebrated the honor of being named the first Apple Distinguished School in Iowa.  Although this is a noteworthy accomplishment, it is only valuable if it continues to motivate us to work harder to provide the best quality education for Newell-Fonda CSD students.  This brings me to the question, what does the "best quality education" look like?  Our teachers have spent the first part of this school year exploring this question by reading and discussing The Global Achievement Gap.  However, at some point these discussions and beliefs have to be put to the test in the classroom and for many of us that means changing the way we have always done things.
     I recently read a blog post written by Nick Sauers that really made me think.  In the beginning stages of our 1:1 laptop initiative, it was OK to experiment and use technology for the sake of using technology.  And although I'm certainly not saying we do not need to continue to experiment with technology in our classrooms, as educators we need to start using a "purposeful" approach to technology integration.  One way our teachers can do this is by answering some simple questions during their lesson planning.  Does this technology being used in my lesson advance student learning?  Does the use of technology in my lesson give my students a deeper understanding of the content?  Are my students using the technology to problem solve or collaborate?  Can I easily explain the benefit the technology brings to my lesson?  Overall, I think Nick Sauers said it best, "Technology must be used as a tool to enhance learning.  When used appropriately, that tool will drastically change teaching rather than just doing the same thing in a flashy new way."  This is our challenge for the future!!!