Most Influential People of 2013 (Part 2)

The Top Five Influential People

Last week, I began identifying individuals who influenced me professionally during 2013.  Choices 10 through 6, respectively, were Senator Vern White, Eric Roher, Lucy West, Will Richardson, and Archbishop Terrence Prendergast.  Now I will identify my top 5.

#5  Pasi Sahlberg

Although I missed Mr. Sahlberg when he presented in November at the Quest For Learning conference in Toronto, his book Finnish Lessons has had significant impact on me. (See book review below)  The Finnish educational system is very much an alternative approach to schooling from that which is offered in North America and worthy of consideration given Finnish students' stellar performance on recent international assessments.

#4  Steven Katz

Steven Katz's literature has been a major influencer  on me.  During 2013, I read and reviewed (for this blog) two of his books - Intentional Interruption and Building and Connecting Learning Communities.   In his books, Katz has clearly explained what constitutes real professional learning, the barriers to it, and strategies for enabling it to occur.

I could not have been more thrilled to meet Steven Katz

#3  Marcia Tate
    

I have twice had the privilege of participating in a workshop on learning facilitated by Marcia Tate.   In my opinion, she stands head and shoulders above most presenters on learning in that she models what she teaches.  Her philosophy on learning is solidly grounded  in brain-based research and the principles of both pedagogy and andragogy.  Marcia emphasizes that the brain needs repetition.  Educators need  to teach a new concept 3 times in order for students to learn it.  Furthermore, students need a "hook" or a connection when confronted with new learning, as the brain constantly seeks connections. Marcia demonstrates during her presentation many of  the 20 learning strategies she has identified in her book Sit and Get Won't Grow Dendrites. 

#2 Allan Luke

Dr. Luke's presentation last year to Ottawa Catholic Learning Leaders on critical literacy was one of the most insightful and challenging professional learning sessions I have ever experienced.  Here is a small sample of the ideas he shared:  

• Teaching reading and writing is an empty process without attention to relevant culture;
• Today's students need to engage with traditional print cultures, while learning and engaging critically
  with digital identities, spaces, and places (eg. Blogs, Facebook, wikis, YouTube);
• Most failures in intermediate-secondary schools are the product of the inability to read specialized language - reading comprehension issues;
• Giving students the functional grammar of a specialized language/subject is giving students the 'keys to the kingdom' (the chance to be successful);.
• Reading across the curriculum involves direct instruction in the texts that students are required to read and write - ie. science labs and reports, arts critiques.

#1  Katy Hutchison

All the influential people I have blogged about so far have impacted my thinking.  Katy Hutchison tops my list of influential people because she touched my heart as well as my head.  Based on a recommendation from Senator Vern White, we invited Katy to speak with our vice-principals on the topic of building a restorative culture in their schools.  

Katy's story of restoration and forgiveness is powerful.  On New Year's Eve 1997, her husband Bob was beaten to death when he tried to intervene at a out-of-control party at his neighbour's house.  Rather than act with anger and despair, Katy vowed to her 4-year old twin children that their father's murder wouldn't ruin their lives.  Through an organization called Community Justice Initiatives, she not only reconciled with Ryan Aldridge, the youth who was convicted of manslaughter in the death of her husband, but befriended him!  To learn more about Katy's remarkable story, click on the link below:

 Katy Hutchison Walking After Midnight

Many Catholic schools are implementing restorative practices as a means of building a positive climate and as an alternative to suspensions and other punitive measures for misconduct.  In a restorative school, an offending student is ask not only to own up to what he/she did wrong but as well to repair the harm.  The offending student must also ask for forgiveness, and in return, is forgiven by the victim and welcomed back into relationship with the entire school community.

If Katy Hutchison and Ryan Aldridge can successfully move through a restorative process, then imagine the possibilities for students in our schools?

With Katy Hutchison

Influential People of 2013 (Part 1)

Top 10 Influential People of 2013

Looking back on 2013, I have identified 10 individuals as having the greatest impact on my professional learning.   In this post, I identify 5 of these individuals - and also give one honourable mention.  The other 5 key influencers will be revealed in my next post.

#10 Senator Vern White
On May 24, Senator Vern White spoke at Mother Teresa High School on restorative practices.  Senator White came to the school to meet the exchange students from Cape Dorset, Nunavut.   Mother Teresa students had spent a week during the early spring in Cape Dorset, and in return, hosted the Cape Dorset students in late May.  In his time with the RCMP, Senator White found that a person's likelihood of re-offending was cut in half when the person went through a restorative process.  Senator White helped put me on the restorative journey to safer and more accepting schools.

Senator Vern White

#9   Eric Roher
During 2013, I had the privilege of listening to several presentations by Eric Roher, an education lawyer and partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. On April 24, Eric provided Ottawa Catholic principals and vice-principals with a Legal Update on Bill 13 and also took them through a presentation entitled How to Conduct an Investigation in Your School.  I heard Eric again on October 1 at the 10th Annual Summit on Emergency Disaster Planning for Colleges, Universities, and Schools.  His presentation was called Clicks and Stones: Cyberbullying in Canadian Schools and Universities.

What most resonates with me is Eric's great advice to principals with respect to bullying and cyberbullying prevention and awareness: "Do everything!"

Yours truly with Eric Roher at the 10th Annual Summit

 on Emergency Disaster Planning Conference

#8   Lucy West
On November 12-13, Lucy West shared both theory and practice on critical thinking with Ottawa Catholic learning leaders - including principals, vice-principals, and superintendents.  Among the many insights she provided were 3 essential "talk moves" for students that support critical thinking - Turn and talk, Tell me more (or Why do you think that way?), and Who can repeat/paraphrase what was just said?

  #7   Will Richardson
Author of several books on technology, Will Richardson presented in September to Ottawa Catholic Learning Leaders.  His book Personal Learning Networks (reviewed by me in am earlier blog post), which he co-authored with Rob Mancabelli, presents a convincing rationale for educators to become networked learners and is a primer for them on effective use of social media.  Will is the reason I began tweeting and blogging!

With Will Richardson

#6   Archbishop Terence Prendergast

I first met His Grace, Archbishop Prendergast four years ago when I was principal of St. Francis Xavier High School.  I recall thinking at the time, as he challenged the 50 or so students to whom he spoke to "Learn more about the life of your patron saint", that he is as great a teacher as he is a shepherd.  

Although I heard him speak several times in 2013, including at the annual Catholic Education Week Mass on May 6 and the Archbishop's Charity Dinner on October , I was particularly inspired by him when he spoke to Ottawa Catholic Learning Leaders on January 8, 2014 on discernment and the Examen.  He shared, in a most personable and humble manner, his own prayer life.  It was a moving encounter.

His Grace, Archbishop Terence Prendergast at
annual Archbishop's Charity Dinner

2013 In Review

Top Learning Walk Images of 2013

During 2013, I participated in learning walks in all of my Family of Schools: 4 high schools and 9 elementary schools in all.  Although I learned a great deal and took many pictures, these are my top 10 images from the year gone by.

#10  Expression of Faith at St. Andrew

Alrhoughit was actually late December 2012 when I stumbled upon this Nativity Scene created out of snow by St. Andrew students, it captured so well the culture of faith in our Catholic schools that I simply had to include it in this series of images.

#9 Experiential Learning & Collaborative Inquiry

During a visit to a grade 4 mathematics class at St. Jerome, I was intrigued to observe a real-world math inquiry that held the attention of all the students - a word problem based on the class's upcoming outing to a community skating rink.

#8  Credit Rescue Program

The Back on Track program at St. Francis Xavier has helped the school improve credit accumulation rates, including in mathematics.

#7  Play-based Learning

At St. Bernard, the transformation of kindergarten classrooms to play-based learning centres is well under way.

#6  Student Murals at St. Francis Xavier High School

During my visits to St. Francis Xavier High School, seasonal murals created by grade 10 art students were on display in the atrium.                                   

#5 Effective Listening Skills

Listening skills are sometimes taken for granted in learning situations.  However, several of the elementary schools in my Family of Schools deliberately and intentionally focused this year on this important area of communication.

#4  Bullying Awareness & Prevention - Student Voice

During Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week, in November, St. Francis Xavier students took the lead in several initiatives focused on creating a bully-free environment at the school.  In addition to forming a human peace sign on the school property, grade 7-8 homeroom classroom doors were decorated with bullying awareness and prevention messages.  

#3  Hopes for Our New Pope

On March 13, 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope.  Students at St. Patrick's Elementary were invited to share their hopes for the new pope.

#2  Learning Goals Expressed in Student-Friendly Language

A learning goal is only effective when it is easily understood by students.  During one of my visits to Monsignor Paul Baxter School, I noted some excellent examples of learning goals expressed in student-friendly language. 

#1  Reading Comprehension Strategies

The tremendous combined effort of teachers at St. Bernard Elementary to focus on the development of reading comprehension/thinking skills such as inferring was a great example of the implementation of a School Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA) goal 

Success Criteria for making inferences and even an 'Inferring Song' - St Bernard