Convocation 2010
Illuminating Learners
Presented by
Dr. Doug Otto
August 17, 2010
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The Top Ten Phrases
That Turn a Word Cloud Into a
STORM CLOUD
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#10
Milk, Bread, Diapers
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#9
Lindsay Lohan: New
PISD drug education
coordinator
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#8
Get a cheap hairpiece!
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#7
Lady Gaga tribute at
football halftime
show
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#6
District celebration:
Deficit Reduction Day
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#5
BP drilling on PISD
property
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#4
Vuvuzelas at
Convocation
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#3
Mel Gibson has left a
voicemail
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#2
One-third of our staff
are Russian spies
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#1
Change more
boundaries!
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Illuminating Learners
District Focus 2010 – 2011
Getting students and all staff “plugged into” learning
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Learning is what happens every day in your
classrooms – ratings are what happen once a year.
Getting students and all staff “plugged into” learning
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Teachers as Learners
 Every definition of “teacher” should include
the word “learner”
 Teachers are professionals and, as such,
need to continuously enhance their skills
 Teachers should continue to build a culture
of high-level instructional practices
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Teachers as Learners
“Teaching is not rocket science. It is, in fact,
more complex and demanding work than
rocket science.”
- Richard Elmore
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Teachers as Learners
Professional teachers understand:
 how student learning occurs
 best practices in curriculum and instruction
 the types of assessments that encourage
student learning
 the need for personal and professional
learning
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Teachers as Learners
Teaching professionals are:
 organizers
 relationship builders
 planners
 team members
 teachers
 facilitators
 evaluators
 mediators
 managers
 innovators
 leaders
 risk takers
 thinkers
 listeners
 observers
 questioners
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Teachers as Learners
Challenges: Demands for change
 Normalization of alternative schools, i.e.,
home schooling, charter schools, on-line
learning
 Budget
 Legislative
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Teachers as Learners
Challenges: Social media revolution
Where our student learners become:
 remixers, collaborators, contributors,
creators, and owners of their learning
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Teachers as Learners
Challenges: Social media revolution
In school:
 educate learners on appropriate uses
 discipline inappropriate uses
 leverage collaborative tools to create
learning
 teach less, learn more
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From a PISD teacher’s blog
From "The Blue Nowhere" by Jeffery Deaver, page 205:
"Schools, however, tend to prefer their students' mind to be
compliant first and curious second, if at all..."
Too often we as teachers, simply want our students to sit down, shut up, and
take notes. It is the easiest way for us to get through the day, but when we
do this, are we really doing our jobs? It has been documented time and time
again that meaningful experiences, cooperative engagement, and authentic
activities are how students learn best. As teachers, isn't that our number
one goal? If it weren't for creativity and the ability to try new things, none of
this technology stuff would be possible. Did the founders of Microsoft,
Apple, Google, Yahoo, etc. learn this stuff in the traditional classroom?
Heck no. I have a mission this year to make my class a positive place
where everyone shares in teaching and learning. Giving students a
chance to voice opinions, make mistakes, and try new things is the
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best gift we can give to them as teachers.
Learning for Improvement
 Utilize team level and department meetings
for planning together
 Intentionally work on an instructional
practice
 Discuss student work
 Use data to make judgments
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Learning for Improvement
 Use information gathered through power
walkthroughs
 Ever wondered how another teacher
teaches?
– Visit classrooms and observe – expand
your point of view to classrooms even
outside of PISD
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Learning for Improvement
District Initiatives:
 personal learning networks
 instructional rounds
 visioning document
 organizational structure
 academy visioning committee
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Are You Ready?
To reinvent, redesign and reshape the
learning experience for your students
and each of us?
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Convocation 2010
Illuminating Learners
Presented by
Dr. Doug Otto
August 17, 2010
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