2. Website Design. 1st Post Due by Day 3. This second discussion is your opportunity to begin developing the website and receiving initial feedback on its design. To prepare, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, preview the Week Six Final Project, and follow the directions in the Instructor Guidance where you will find assistance with creating your website including access to two recommended, free website options: Wix or Weebly. Set up your initial website by creating the pages and components outlined below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date. Please also check out the following job aids for additional help building your website.
• Wix Job Aid
• Weebly Job Aid
Initial Post: After you have created the initial five pages listed below on your website and included the five items listed below on the Homepage, post the link to your website in your initial post along with a subject that includes your full name and indication as to whether you are an “NEU Professional” or a “Non-NEU Professional.”
Homepage: Create headings or sections on this opening page for your website that includes each of the following:
o Introduction: Include your introduction as shared on Day 1.
o CultureofUniversalAchievement&CollaborationCommitment:Thecontentsofthispage
will be completed in this course. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
14EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
o Standards, Assessment, & Data Management: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU597. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Creative Interventions: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU598. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Exceptional Leadership: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU599. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please try to respond to one peer that has indicated they are an “NEU Professional” and one peer that has indicated they are a “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject line of their initial post. Access your peers’ website and provide initial feedback focusing primarily on the readability and professional appearance of the website. Additionally, discuss what commonalities and differences you have with the peer in relation to your responses about the value of a college education and the meaning of college readiness, and provide feedback about their statement of intentions to transform school culture. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor have given to you to further the conversation and develop a strong sense of classroom community during this first week.
Assignment
1. Six Exceptional Systems Illustration [CLOs: 1]. Due by Day 7. The foundational tenants of NEU are based on Six exceptional systems. These systems are depicted as a staircase, where each step denotes a unique solution to important challenges faced by all schools (Lopez, 2013). Additionally, one of the main premises of the work conducted by the No Excuses University and their philosophy of Universal Achievement is the subtle difference between an excuse and a reason. Lopez (2013) states, “As you struggle, remember the difference between reasons and excuses. A reason offers examples for why a student is struggling in the first place. Reasons can be overcome. An excuse is made when defeat is accepted and all hope is lost” (p.57). Curry (2015) supports this philosophy in relation to teachers when discussing hope versus hopelessness. Oftentimes, teachers enter the profession burdened by warped or unrealistic expectations. As such, they end up leaving the profession or moving from the side of hope to that of hopelessness.
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. The Six C’s of the NEU Professional [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) discusses the importance of being part of a network that works together to support student success. He identifies the Six Cs of an NEU Professional: committed, courageous, collaborative, creative, character centered, and college and career crazy. Each of these is presented as a non-negotiable belief and trait the critical mass of the school should possess. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, read pages 212-213 in the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term The Six Cs of an NEU Professional) and consider the scenario presented below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
19EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Scenario
You have just returned from the No Excuses University Institute where, for two days, you listened to Damen Lopez and other NEU Professionals and educational experts deliver powerful, inspiring talks on the six exceptional systems of NEU. As part of your agreement to attend the Institute, your principal has asked that you share with your school staff what you learned about being an NEU Professional in a presentation.
Initial Post: Create a presentation using the presentation software of your choosing listed under recommended resources for this week and attach or link to the presentation in the body of your initial post. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response. Ensure the presentation includes the following:
A title slide that includes an engaging title for the presentation and your full name.
Six slides, each including one of the Six Cs and an explanation of why these beliefs are non-negotiable
and how they support a culture of universal achievement.
Two slides, each with one example, showing how any two of the Six Cs could be demonstrated on a daily
basis at your current school. If you are not currently employed at a school, consider a school where you
would like to be employed.
One references slide with full citations for all sources cited in the text of slides. It is expected you will cite
information from the Lopez (2013) text and at least one other source, such as those included in the Recommended Resources list for Week Two.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to response to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” In replies, provide feedback about the clarity and effectiveness of the presentation’s appearance and content as if you were an audience member who viewed the presentation at the school. Additionally, offer suggestions to peers about how they can enhance their presentation and how your understanding or perception of the 6 C’s changed or was reinforced as a result of the presentation. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
20
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
2. Critical Mass [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Activities in the course thus far have provided you with a foundational understanding of the six exceptional systems Staircase. A culture of universal achievement takes place when the critical mass of the staff believes that each student is capable of meeting academic standards in reading, writing, and math AND that the school has the power to make that opportunity a reality. When this happens, members of the whole school community, succeed. As Lopez (2013) affirms,
Success is far more enjoyable than failure. Anyone who has had even a taste of what it’s like to work with colleagues who inspire you, as they believe in each student, would never choose any other way to live. That kind of spirit exemplifies a culture of universal achievement and has to be the foundation for every school. (p. 48)
Curry (2015) supports the philosophy of a unified staff through his examination of five essentials of successful classroom management. Consider these as you prepare your response to this discussion. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, and consider the concept of critical mass you read about in Chapter 15 and the six exceptional systems staircase in the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Create an initial response that addresses each item listed below. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
In your own words, explain what critical mass means to you and how it relates with both culture, and a culture of universal achievement.
Reflect upon your own practice and how you personally exemplify a culture of universal achievement. You might consider Curry’s 5 essentials as part of your response.
Consider Lopez’s quote about the taste of success. Do you feel the same about your colleagues? How has trust been garnered at your site? If it has not, explain how it could be.
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) calls for educators and schools to create one overarching goal to help attain extended gains within their organizations. He urges against baby-steps that result in reasonable and often mediocre outcomes, and instead he suggests working towards a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). This term was coined by Collins (1994, p.46) who describes his thinking about this type of goal setting:
The true BHAG-orientated leader is less interested in success. You’re more interested in the sheer exhilarating pain of the journey. You’re not going to have that immediate gratification of accomplishment. You are going to be immersed in it and working and suffering toward it for a long time– the way artists suffer. You have to enjoy that sense of extended discomfort. It’s the quest, it’s the training, it’s the growth, it’s pushing yourself. You really get off on that. If you think standing at the top of the cliff is where the joy is, you don’t understand it. The real joy is in all the pain and growth and suffering and creativity required long before you get to the summit. (p.46)
For Lopez (2013) and No Excuses University, the BHAG that they chose as their ideal is “Every student will be proficient or advanced in reading, writing, and math” (p. 52).
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Three Instructor Guidance page, the article by Buchanan, and read Chapter 5 of the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Select ONE of the two options below depending upon your current status with an NEU school. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
Option 1: Current NEU Professional
Share your school’s BHAG and how your school came to agree upon this BHAG. 25
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Analyze how your BHAG contributes to a culture of universal achievement.
Describe some of the potential and/or previously experienced challenges and rewards associated with
working toward achievement of this BHAG.
Determine strategies you can use to keep yourself and colleagues accountable to achieving the BHAG on
a daily and long-term basis. Or, analyze the effectiveness of the strategies you are currently employing if you are a current NEU Professional.
Option 2: Aspiring NEU Professional (choose this option if you are not currently a staff member in an NEU school)
Briefly describe a BHAG of your own, either personal or professional.
Analyze how you determined this BHAG was necessary. For example, was it a need or desire to make a
change or improvement, or something you wanted to achieve or acquire?
Describe some of the challenges and rewards associated with working toward the achievement of this
BHAG. Was it achieved?
Looking through the lens of an NEU Professional in an NEU school, briefly explain the potential
challenges and rewards associated with establishing a BHAG as a unified school staff.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” For the “NEU Professional,” provide specific feedback regarding their BHAG. How do their challenges and rewards compare to your own experiences? What ideas did you gain regarding accountability? For the “Non-NEU Professional,” consider their thought process regarding their own BHAG. Provide insight from your own experiences pertaining to the final point of discussion and answer any questions they may have. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
Assignment
1. Bridge to College [CLO: 2]. Due by Day 7. Building a positive climate is an important goal for every school. However, building this climate can sometimes be quite challenging, and, in an attempt to foster positive school climate, schools go overboard with creating rules. As Lopez (2013) notes, schools often have so many different
26
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
rules for each area of the school (e.g., hallway, gym, classroom, office, etc.) that students become confused by what is appropriate behavior in one area and what is inappropriate in another “With so many rules, our students realized that they had a million different ways to get into trouble” (p.127). To alleviate this problem of confusion, Lopez (2013) suggests creating a Bridge to College plan. In a nutshell, Bridge to College Plans are designed to promote positive behaviors and diminish inappropriate student actions in a school, which will in turn create a culture of universal achievement.
For this assignment you will create a Bridge to College Plan. Prepare for this assignment by reading the Week Three Instructor Guidance page and pages 127-129 in the Lopez (2013) textbook (ebook version search term NEUprep).
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. Website Feedback [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Now is the time to showcase the artifacts you created during the first half of the course for the website you created during Week One. The purpose in doing so is to have an opportunity to give and receive feedback that can be used to enhance your ideas, your creations, and your website itself, thereby more effectively communicating your vision for revolutionizing education and appealing to your target audience. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
In preparation for your Initial Post, add the following artifacts to your website on the “Culture of Universal Achievement and Collaboration” page:
a) Six exceptional systems Illustration from Week One,
b) Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and
c) Bridge to College Plan from Week Three.
Initial Post: To communicate the concept clearly to your website audience, provide an original discussion response that includes the title, a brief description, and the purpose of each artifact. Additionally, your initial post should include a link to your website in the response, your full name, and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of the response.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” Attempt to select someone you have yet to respond to
30EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
in the previous discussions during Weeks One through Three. Review their six exceptional systems graphic from Week One, the Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and the Bridge to College Plan from Week Three included on their website. Provide feedback to peers about whether each artifact is specific, easy to read, and professional in appearance. Additionally, provide feedback about the visual appearance of their website including readability, accessibility of any provided links or attachments, layout, design, and overall effectiveness. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
2. Classroom Management Plan [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Classroom management is arguably one of the most difficult aspects of teaching. Often, teachers focus on discipline in the classroom. However, the traditional approaches to classroom management based on rewards and punishments are often ineffective when managing student behaviors. Having an effective Classroom Management Plan can mean the difference between a classroom that runs smoothly and one that is out of control. During Week Three you created a Bridge to College Plan. The Bridge to College plan is a unified management plan for the school that directly aligns with and supports one’s Classroom Management Plan—our focus for this discussion. You are encouraged to refer to Chapters 5 through 7 for ideas pertaining to classroom and behavior management as you prepare your response. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Following the sample Classroom Management Plan on page 302 of the Lopez (2013) text, (ebook version search term Classroom Management Plan) create your ow
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Collaboration and Professional Capacity [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. In her TedxED talk, Heather Duncan-Whitt (November 14, 2013) describes the impact a team approach can have on one’s professional growth and on student achievement. While she primarily identifies with early childhood education, she expertly weaves in the value of looking beyond ECE or one’s specific grade level of learners in order to recognize the more far- reaching effects collaboration can have on all stakeholders. Ms. Duncan recommends looking for “like-minded” teachers both inside and outside of one’s school and field of expertise as well as other recommendations for any educator to expand his or her thinking and increase their professional capacity.
Similarly, a team of nurses, physicians, social workers, and other healthcare professionals from Southeast Florida share their own experience as fully collaborative partners and discuss the improved patient outcomes resulting from their team approach when serving the most medically fragile patients.
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Five Instructor Guidance page, read Chapter 6 of the Lopez (2013) textbook, and view the two videos. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Watch Heather Duncan-Whitt's TEDxED Talk. Take note of the practical recommendations she makes that lead teachers out of isolation and into a more collaborative practice with others both inside and outside of their school. Next, view the five-minute video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation featuring the benefits of interprofessional collaboration. Respond with the following:
What parallels did you observe between educators and health care providers practicing collaboration? How does this change your understanding of, or appreciation for, collaborative practice?
Considering your observations from each of the two videos, provide an example related to either your own experience, current professional practice, or other real-world scenario where a diverse team approach could be or is beneficial. Who may benefit from this interpersonal collaborative approach and how? If you are already a part of a unified, collaborative team, what might you take from either/both videos to improve it? If you happen to locate a video or other digital example, please feel free to share the reference and/or link in your response.
36EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Make an attempt to respond to at least one NEU Professional and one Non-NEU Professional. In replies, provide specific, constructive feedback and support regarding your peers’ observations and their example from personal experience or another real-world scenario. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
Assignment
1. Building Candid Professional Relationships [CLO: 3]. Due by Day 7. For this assignment, you will create a presentation to share with your staff introducing them to the concept of candid collaboration. In Chapter 8, Curry (2015) confronts the inevitable challenge of how to ensure all staff members adhere to the systems that were decided upon by the consensus of the group. His two-fold answer suggests both administration and staff members hold each other accountable for carrying out the will of the school in a professional and effective manner. Consider Curry’s (2015) viewpoint from pages 96-97 of the text (ebook version search term Step Eleven), as well as pages 68-76 of the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term Time Banking), and the Week Five Instructor Guidance to inform your work.
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Self-Reflection [CLOs: 2, 3, 4]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. John Dewey, educational theorist and practitioner, suggested that reflection begins with a dilemma. Effective teachers suspend making conclusions about a dilemma in order to gather information, study the problem, gain new knowledge, and come to a sound decision. This deliberate contemplation brings about new learning. Think about all you have learned and practiced during this course about the six exceptional systems. Also consider a dilemma you, your school, or classroom face that could improve if a culture of universal achievement and collaboration is practiced. It is important to note as well that you will revisit your responses to this final discussion during the final week of the next course: EDU597. Therefore, you may elect to save your responses in a Word document or within your website to refer back to. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Six Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Create an initial response addressing the following. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response
Share an idea for how you will practice a culture of universal achievement every day. How will you encourage others to do so as well?
Discuss one way you plan to develop or enhance your own level of collaboration. One option is to consider the practice of candid collaboration as a means of improving communication and accountability.
41EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Since your fellow classmates will not see your finished Collaboration Commitment, you could consider
elements you are planning to include as part of your response to this discussion point.
Look ahead to the next three steps on the staircase in chapters 7, 8, and 9 in the Lopez text. What do you
hope to gain a new or expanded understanding of with regard to standards, assessment, or data
management? What about those topics concerns, intimidates, or inspires you?
Share one concept you would have liked to have explored or practiced in this course that was either
minimally covered or left out. Why is it important to you?
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” What ideas did you gain from their response that differed from yours? What questions or ideas do you have concerning the ways they will practice and encourage a culture of universal achievement every day and improve collaboration? Provide feedback regarding their thoughts about standards, assessment, and data management. Finally, provide specific feedback for the final point of discussion concerning concepts they’d like to see more of in the course. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
End of Course Survey
1. End of Course Survey. Due Day 7. After you have completed the End of Course Survey, please complete the one question quiz to receive your points. If for any reason you wish not to complete the survey, you may do so and still receive the 0.5 points by completing the one question quiz.
Final Project
1. Collaboration Commitment [CLOs: 3, 4]. Due by Day 7. Damen Lopez (2013) conveys the importance of talented professionals working collaboratively for school and learner success when he emphasizes that “[g]reat schools have talented professionals who find the very best ways to work together in order to get results. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that” (p.64). Lopez further emphasizes the deciding factor for success will always be determined by the systems that schools do or do not create. Therefore, it is in everyone's best interest if the system created is focused on simplicity to ensure effective implementation. Lopez also suggests a school’s system must be easily explained and is preferably communicated succinctly in a single page. With that in mind, your final activity is to either create your own Collaboration Commitment based on the unique needs of your
42
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
school or to share your school’s existing commitment with substantive suggestions for ways it could be enhanced for simplicity and effectiveness. This final project is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to define five areas of focus and how they lead to committed collaboration and explain the impact of collective commitments on student achievement and school success. It is also another opportunity to demonstrate your ability to evaluate key aspects of effective collaboration and develop a Collaboration Commitment.
Instructions
Create your final project to meet the expectations below. Before submission, review the Grading Rubric and Week Six Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected for the final project, please contact the instructor before the due date using the Ask Your Instructor discussion forum.
2. Website Design. 1st Post Due by Day 3. This second discussion is your opportunity to begin developing the website and receiving initial feedback on its design. To prepare, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, preview the Week Six Final Project, and follow the directions in the Instructor Guidance where you will find assistance with creating your website including access to two recommended, free website options: Wix or Weebly. Set up your initial website by creating the pages and components outlined below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date. Please also check out the following job aids for additional help building your website.
• Wix Job Aid
• Weebly Job Aid
Initial Post: After you have created the initial five pages listed below on your website and included the five items listed below on the Homepage, post the link to your website in your initial post along with a subject that includes your full name and indication as to whether you are an “NEU Professional” or a “Non-NEU Professional.”
Homepage: Create headings or sections on this opening page for your website that includes each of the following:
o Introduction: Include your introduction as shared on Day 1.
o CultureofUniversalAchievement&CollaborationCommitment:Thecontentsofthispage
will be completed in this course. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
14EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
o Standards, Assessment, & Data Management: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU597. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Creative Interventions: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU598. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Exceptional Leadership: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU599. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please try to respond to one peer that has indicated they are an “NEU Professional” and one peer that has indicated they are a “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject line of their initial post. Access your peers’ website and provide initial feedback focusing primarily on the readability and professional appearance of the website. Additionally, discuss what commonalities and differences you have with the peer in relation to your responses about the value of a college education and the meaning of college readiness, and provide feedback about their statement of intentions to transform school culture. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor have given to you to further the conversation and develop a strong sense of classroom community during this first week.
Assignment
1. Six Exceptional Systems Illustration [CLOs: 1]. Due by Day 7. The foundational tenants of NEU are based on Six exceptional systems. These systems are depicted as a staircase, where each step denotes a unique solution to important challenges faced by all schools (Lopez, 2013). Additionally, one of the main premises of the work conducted by the No Excuses University and their philosophy of Universal Achievement is the subtle difference between an excuse and a reason. Lopez (2013) states, “As you struggle, remember the difference between reasons and excuses. A reason offers examples for why a student is struggling in the first place. Reasons can be overcome. An excuse is made when defeat is accepted and all hope is lost” (p.57). Curry (2015) supports this philosophy in relation to teachers when discussing hope versus hopelessness. Oftentimes, teachers enter the profession burdened by warped or unrealistic expectations. As such, they end up leaving the profession or moving from the side of hope to that of hopelessness.
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. The Six C’s of the NEU Professional [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) discusses the importance of being part of a network that works together to support student success. He identifies the Six Cs of an NEU Professional: committed, courageous, collaborative, creative, character centered, and college and career crazy. Each of these is presented as a non-negotiable belief and trait the critical mass of the school should possess. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, read pages 212-213 in the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term The Six Cs of an NEU Professional) and consider the scenario presented below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
19EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Scenario
You have just returned from the No Excuses University Institute where, for two days, you listened to Damen Lopez and other NEU Professionals and educational experts deliver powerful, inspiring talks on the six exceptional systems of NEU. As part of your agreement to attend the Institute, your principal has asked that you share with your school staff what you learned about being an NEU Professional in a presentation.
Initial Post: Create a presentation using the presentation software of your choosing listed under recommended resources for this week and attach or link to the presentation in the body of your initial post. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response. Ensure the presentation includes the following:
A title slide that includes an engaging title for the presentation and your full name.
Six slides, each including one of the Six Cs and an explanation of why these beliefs are non-negotiable
and how they support a culture of universal achievement.
Two slides, each with one example, showing how any two of the Six Cs could be demonstrated on a daily
basis at your current school. If you are not currently employed at a school, consider a school where you
would like to be employed.
One references slide with full citations for all sources cited in the text of slides. It is expected you will cite
information from the Lopez (2013) text and at least one other source, such as those included in the Recommended Resources list for Week Two.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to response to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” In replies, provide feedback about the clarity and effectiveness of the presentation’s appearance and content as if you were an audience member who viewed the presentation at the school. Additionally, offer suggestions to peers about how they can enhance their presentation and how your understanding or perception of the 6 C’s changed or was reinforced as a result of the presentation. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
20
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
2. Critical Mass [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Activities in the course thus far have provided you with a foundational understanding of the six exceptional systems Staircase. A culture of universal achievement takes place when the critical mass of the staff believes that each student is capable of meeting academic standards in reading, writing, and math AND that the school has the power to make that opportunity a reality. When this happens, members of the whole school community, succeed. As Lopez (2013) affirms,
Success is far more enjoyable than failure. Anyone who has had even a taste of what it’s like to work with colleagues who inspire you, as they believe in each student, would never choose any other way to live. That kind of spirit exemplifies a culture of universal achievement and has to be the foundation for every school. (p. 48)
Curry (2015) supports the philosophy of a unified staff through his examination of five essentials of successful classroom management. Consider these as you prepare your response to this discussion. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, and consider the concept of critical mass you read about in Chapter 15 and the six exceptional systems staircase in the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Create an initial response that addresses each item listed below. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
In your own words, explain what critical mass means to you and how it relates with both culture, and a culture of universal achievement.
Reflect upon your own practice and how you personally exemplify a culture of universal achievement. You might consider Curry’s 5 essentials as part of your response.
Consider Lopez’s quote about the taste of success. Do you feel the same about your colleagues? How has trust been garnered at your site? If it has not, explain how it could be.
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) calls for educators and schools to create one overarching goal to help attain extended gains within their organizations. He urges against baby-steps that result in reasonable and often mediocre outcomes, and instead he suggests working towards a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). This term was coined by Collins (1994, p.46) who describes his thinking about this type of goal setting:
The true BHAG-orientated leader is less interested in success. You’re more interested in the sheer exhilarating pain of the journey. You’re not going to have that immediate gratification of accomplishment. You are going to be immersed in it and working and suffering toward it for a long time– the way artists suffer. You have to enjoy that sense of extended discomfort. It’s the quest, it’s the training, it’s the growth, it’s pushing yourself. You really get off on that. If you think standing at the top of the cliff is where the joy is, you don’t understand it. The real joy is in all the pain and growth and suffering and creativity required long before you get to the summit. (p.46)
For Lopez (2013) and No Excuses University, the BHAG that they chose as their ideal is “Every student will be proficient or advanced in reading, writing, and math” (p. 52).
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Three Instructor Guidance page, the article by Buchanan, and read Chapter 5 of the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Select ONE of the two options below depending upon your current status with an NEU school. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
Option 1: Current NEU Professional
Share your school’s BHAG and how your school came to agree upon this BHAG. 25
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Analyze how your BHAG contributes to a culture of universal achievement.
Describe some of the potential and/or previously experienced challenges and rewards associated with
working toward achievement of this BHAG.
Determine strategies you can use to keep yourself and colleagues accountable to achieving the BHAG on
a daily and long-term basis. Or, analyze the effectiveness of the strategies you are currently employing if you are a current NEU Professional.
Option 2: Aspiring NEU Professional (choose this option if you are not currently a staff member in an NEU school)
Briefly describe a BHAG of your own, either personal or professional.
Analyze how you determined this BHAG was necessary. For example, was it a need or desire to make a
change or improvement, or something you wanted to achieve or acquire?
Describe some of the challenges and rewards associated with working toward the achievement of this
BHAG. Was it achieved?
Looking through the lens of an NEU Professional in an NEU school, briefly explain the potential
challenges and rewards associated with establishing a BHAG as a unified school staff.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” For the “NEU Professional,” provide specific feedback regarding their BHAG. How do their challenges and rewards compare to your own experiences? What ideas did you gain regarding accountability? For the “Non-NEU Professional,” consider their thought process regarding their own BHAG. Provide insight from your own experiences pertaining to the final point of discussion and answer any questions they may have. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
Assignment
1. Bridge to College [CLO: 2]. Due by Day 7. Building a positive climate is an important goal for every school. However, building this climate can sometimes be quite challenging, and, in an attempt to foster positive school climate, schools go overboard with creating rules. As Lopez (2013) notes, schools often have so many different
26
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
rules for each area of the school (e.g., hallway, gym, classroom, office, etc.) that students become confused by what is appropriate behavior in one area and what is inappropriate in another “With so many rules, our students realized that they had a million different ways to get into trouble” (p.127). To alleviate this problem of confusion, Lopez (2013) suggests creating a Bridge to College plan. In a nutshell, Bridge to College Plans are designed to promote positive behaviors and diminish inappropriate student actions in a school, which will in turn create a culture of universal achievement.
For this assignment you will create a Bridge to College Plan. Prepare for this assignment by reading the Week Three Instructor Guidance page and pages 127-129 in the Lopez (2013) textbook (ebook version search term NEUprep).
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. Website Feedback [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Now is the time to showcase the artifacts you created during the first half of the course for the website you created during Week One. The purpose in doing so is to have an opportunity to give and receive feedback that can be used to enhance your ideas, your creations, and your website itself, thereby more effectively communicating your vision for revolutionizing education and appealing to your target audience. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
In preparation for your Initial Post, add the following artifacts to your website on the “Culture of Universal Achievement and Collaboration” page:
a) Six exceptional systems Illustration from Week One,
b) Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and
c) Bridge to College Plan from Week Three.
Initial Post: To communicate the concept clearly to your website audience, provide an original discussion response that includes the title, a brief description, and the purpose of each artifact. Additionally, your initial post should include a link to your website in the response, your full name, and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of the response.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” Attempt to select someone you have yet to respond to
30EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
in the previous discussions during Weeks One through Three. Review their six exceptional systems graphic from Week One, the Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and the Bridge to College Plan from Week Three included on their website. Provide feedback to peers about whether each artifact is specific, easy to read, and professional in appearance. Additionally, provide feedback about the visual appearance of their website including readability, accessibility of any provided links or attachments, layout, design, and overall effectiveness. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
2. Classroom Management Plan [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Classroom management is arguably one of the most difficult aspects of teaching. Often, teachers focus on discipline in the classroom. However, the traditional approaches to classroom management based on rewards and punishments are often ineffective when managing student behaviors. Having an effective Classroom Management Plan can mean the difference between a classroom that runs smoothly and one that is out of control. During Week Three you created a Bridge to College Plan. The Bridge to College plan is a unified management plan for the school that directly aligns with and supports one’s Classroom Management Plan—our focus for this discussion. You are encouraged to refer to Chapters 5 through 7 for ideas pertaining to classroom and behavior management as you prepare your response. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Following the sample Classroom Management Plan on page 302 of the Lopez (2013) text, (ebook version search term Classroom Management Plan) create your ow
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Collaboration and Professional Capacity [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. In her TedxED talk, Heather Duncan-Whitt (November 14, 2013) describes the impact a team approach can have on one’s professional growth and on student achievement. While she primarily identifies with early childhood education, she expertly weaves in the value of looking beyond ECE or one’s specific grade level of learners in order to recognize the more far- reaching effects collaboration can have on all stakeholders. Ms. Duncan recommends looking for “like-minded” teachers both inside and outside of one’s school and field of expertise as well as other recommendations for any educator to expand his or her thinking and increase their professional capacity.
Similarly, a team of nurses, physicians, social workers, and other healthcare professionals from Southeast Florida share their own experience as fully collaborative partners and discuss the improved patient outcomes resulting from their team approach when serving the most medically fragile patients.
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Five Instructor Guidance page, read Chapter 6 of the Lopez (2013) textbook, and view the two videos. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Watch Heather Duncan-Whitt's TEDxED Talk. Take note of the practical recommendations she makes that lead teachers out of isolation and into a more collaborative practice with others both inside and outside of their school. Next, view the five-minute video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation featuring the benefits of interprofessional collaboration. Respond with the following:
What parallels did you observe between educators and health care providers practicing collaboration? How does this change your understanding of, or appreciation for, collaborative practice?
Considering your observations from each of the two videos, provide an example related to either your own experience, current professional practice, or other real-world scenario where a diverse team approach could be or is beneficial. Who may benefit from this interpersonal collaborative approach and how? If you are already a part of a unified, collaborative team, what might you take from either/both videos to improve it? If you happen to locate a video or other digital example, please feel free to share the reference and/or link in your response.
36EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Make an attempt to respond to at least one NEU Professional and one Non-NEU Professional. In replies, provide specific, constructive feedback and support regarding your peers’ observations and their example from personal experience or another real-world scenario. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
Assignment
1. Building Candid Professional Relationships [CLO: 3]. Due by Day 7. For this assignment, you will create a presentation to share with your staff introducing them to the concept of candid collaboration. In Chapter 8, Curry (2015) confronts the inevitable challenge of how to ensure all staff members adhere to the systems that were decided upon by the consensus of the group. His two-fold answer suggests both administration and staff members hold each other accountable for carrying out the will of the school in a professional and effective manner. Consider Curry’s (2015) viewpoint from pages 96-97 of the text (ebook version search term Step Eleven), as well as pages 68-76 of the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term Time Banking), and the Week Five Instructor Guidance to inform your work.
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Self-Reflection [CLOs: 2, 3, 4]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. John Dewey, educational theorist and practitioner, suggested that reflection begins with a dilemma. Effective teachers suspend making conclusions about a dilemma in order to gather information, study the problem, gain new knowledge, and come to a sound decision. This deliberate contemplation brings about new learning. Think about all you have learned and practiced during this course about the six exceptional systems. Also consider a dilemma you, your school, or classroom face that could improve if a culture of universal achievement and collaboration is practiced. It is important to note as well that you will revisit your responses to this final discussion during the final week of the next course: EDU597. Therefore, you may elect to save your responses in a Word document or within your website to refer back to. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Six Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Create an initial response addressing the following. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response
Share an idea for how you will practice a culture of universal achievement every day. How will you encourage others to do so as well?
Discuss one way you plan to develop or enhance your own level of collaboration. One option is to consider the practice of candid collaboration as a means of improving communication and accountability.
41EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Since your fellow classmates will not see your finished Collaboration Commitment, you could consider
elements you are planning to include as part of your response to this discussion point.
Look ahead to the next three steps on the staircase in chapters 7, 8, and 9 in the Lopez text. What do you
hope to gain a new or expanded understanding of with regard to standards, assessment, or data
management? What about those topics concerns, intimidates, or inspires you?
Share one concept you would have liked to have explored or practiced in this course that was either
minimally covered or left out. Why is it important to you?
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” What ideas did you gain from their response that differed from yours? What questions or ideas do you have concerning the ways they will practice and encourage a culture of universal achievement every day and improve collaboration? Provide feedback regarding their thoughts about standards, assessment, and data management. Finally, provide specific feedback for the final point of discussion concerning concepts they’d like to see more of in the course. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
End of Course Survey
1. End of Course Survey. Due Day 7. After you have completed the End of Course Survey, please complete the one question quiz to receive your points. If for any reason you wish not to complete the survey, you may do so and still receive the 0.5 points by completing the one question quiz.
Final Project
1. Collaboration Commitment [CLOs: 3, 4]. Due by Day 7. Damen Lopez (2013) conveys the importance of talented professionals working collaboratively for school and learner success when he emphasizes that “[g]reat schools have talented professionals who find the very best ways to work together in order to get results. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that” (p.64). Lopez further emphasizes the deciding factor for success will always be determined by the systems that schools do or do not create. Therefore, it is in everyone's best interest if the system created is focused on simplicity to ensure effective implementation. Lopez also suggests a school’s system must be easily explained and is preferably communicated succinctly in a single page. With that in mind, your final activity is to either create your own Collaboration Commitment based on the unique needs of your
42
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
school or to share your school’s existing commitment with substantive suggestions for ways it could be enhanced for simplicity and effectiveness. This final project is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to define five areas of focus and how they lead to committed collaboration and explain the impact of collective commitments on student achievement and school success. It is also another opportunity to demonstrate your ability to evaluate key aspects of effective collaboration and develop a Collaboration Commitment.
Instructions
Create your final project to meet the expectations below. Before submission, review the Grading Rubric and Week Six Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected for the final project, please contact the instructor before the due date using the Ask Your Instructor discussion forum.
2. Website Design. 1st Post Due by Day 3. This second discussion is your opportunity to begin developing the website and receiving initial feedback on its design. To prepare, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, preview the Week Six Final Project, and follow the directions in the Instructor Guidance where you will find assistance with creating your website including access to two recommended, free website options: Wix or Weebly. Set up your initial website by creating the pages and components outlined below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date. Please also check out the following job aids for additional help building your website.
• Wix Job Aid
• Weebly Job Aid
Initial Post: After you have created the initial five pages listed below on your website and included the five items listed below on the Homepage, post the link to your website in your initial post along with a subject that includes your full name and indication as to whether you are an “NEU Professional” or a “Non-NEU Professional.”
Homepage: Create headings or sections on this opening page for your website that includes each of the following:
o Introduction: Include your introduction as shared on Day 1.
o CultureofUniversalAchievement&CollaborationCommitment:Thecontentsofthispage
will be completed in this course. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
14EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
o Standards, Assessment, & Data Management: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU597. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Creative Interventions: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU598. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Exceptional Leadership: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU599. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please try to respond to one peer that has indicated they are an “NEU Professional” and one peer that has indicated they are a “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject line of their initial post. Access your peers’ website and provide initial feedback focusing primarily on the readability and professional appearance of the website. Additionally, discuss what commonalities and differences you have with the peer in relation to your responses about the value of a college education and the meaning of college readiness, and provide feedback about their statement of intentions to transform school culture. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor have given to you to further the conversation and develop a strong sense of classroom community during this first week.
Assignment
1. Six Exceptional Systems Illustration [CLOs: 1]. Due by Day 7. The foundational tenants of NEU are based on Six exceptional systems. These systems are depicted as a staircase, where each step denotes a unique solution to important challenges faced by all schools (Lopez, 2013). Additionally, one of the main premises of the work conducted by the No Excuses University and their philosophy of Universal Achievement is the subtle difference between an excuse and a reason. Lopez (2013) states, “As you struggle, remember the difference between reasons and excuses. A reason offers examples for why a student is struggling in the first place. Reasons can be overcome. An excuse is made when defeat is accepted and all hope is lost” (p.57). Curry (2015) supports this philosophy in relation to teachers when discussing hope versus hopelessness. Oftentimes, teachers enter the profession burdened by warped or unrealistic expectations. As such, they end up leaving the profession or moving from the side of hope to that of hopelessness.
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. The Six C’s of the NEU Professional [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) discusses the importance of being part of a network that works together to support student success. He identifies the Six Cs of an NEU Professional: committed, courageous, collaborative, creative, character centered, and college and career crazy. Each of these is presented as a non-negotiable belief and trait the critical mass of the school should possess. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, read pages 212-213 in the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term The Six Cs of an NEU Professional) and consider the scenario presented below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
19EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Scenario
You have just returned from the No Excuses University Institute where, for two days, you listened to Damen Lopez and other NEU Professionals and educational experts deliver powerful, inspiring talks on the six exceptional systems of NEU. As part of your agreement to attend the Institute, your principal has asked that you share with your school staff what you learned about being an NEU Professional in a presentation.
Initial Post: Create a presentation using the presentation software of your choosing listed under recommended resources for this week and attach or link to the presentation in the body of your initial post. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response. Ensure the presentation includes the following:
A title slide that includes an engaging title for the presentation and your full name.
Six slides, each including one of the Six Cs and an explanation of why these beliefs are non-negotiable
and how they support a culture of universal achievement.
Two slides, each with one example, showing how any two of the Six Cs could be demonstrated on a daily
basis at your current school. If you are not currently employed at a school, consider a school where you
would like to be employed.
One references slide with full citations for all sources cited in the text of slides. It is expected you will cite
information from the Lopez (2013) text and at least one other source, such as those included in the Recommended Resources list for Week Two.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to response to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” In replies, provide feedback about the clarity and effectiveness of the presentation’s appearance and content as if you were an audience member who viewed the presentation at the school. Additionally, offer suggestions to peers about how they can enhance their presentation and how your understanding or perception of the 6 C’s changed or was reinforced as a result of the presentation. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
20
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
2. Critical Mass [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Activities in the course thus far have provided you with a foundational understanding of the six exceptional systems Staircase. A culture of universal achievement takes place when the critical mass of the staff believes that each student is capable of meeting academic standards in reading, writing, and math AND that the school has the power to make that opportunity a reality. When this happens, members of the whole school community, succeed. As Lopez (2013) affirms,
Success is far more enjoyable than failure. Anyone who has had even a taste of what it’s like to work with colleagues who inspire you, as they believe in each student, would never choose any other way to live. That kind of spirit exemplifies a culture of universal achievement and has to be the foundation for every school. (p. 48)
Curry (2015) supports the philosophy of a unified staff through his examination of five essentials of successful classroom management. Consider these as you prepare your response to this discussion. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, and consider the concept of critical mass you read about in Chapter 15 and the six exceptional systems staircase in the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Create an initial response that addresses each item listed below. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
In your own words, explain what critical mass means to you and how it relates with both culture, and a culture of universal achievement.
Reflect upon your own practice and how you personally exemplify a culture of universal achievement. You might consider Curry’s 5 essentials as part of your response.
Consider Lopez’s quote about the taste of success. Do you feel the same about your colleagues? How has trust been garnered at your site? If it has not, explain how it could be.
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) calls for educators and schools to create one overarching goal to help attain extended gains within their organizations. He urges against baby-steps that result in reasonable and often mediocre outcomes, and instead he suggests working towards a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). This term was coined by Collins (1994, p.46) who describes his thinking about this type of goal setting:
The true BHAG-orientated leader is less interested in success. You’re more interested in the sheer exhilarating pain of the journey. You’re not going to have that immediate gratification of accomplishment. You are going to be immersed in it and working and suffering toward it for a long time– the way artists suffer. You have to enjoy that sense of extended discomfort. It’s the quest, it’s the training, it’s the growth, it’s pushing yourself. You really get off on that. If you think standing at the top of the cliff is where the joy is, you don’t understand it. The real joy is in all the pain and growth and suffering and creativity required long before you get to the summit. (p.46)
For Lopez (2013) and No Excuses University, the BHAG that they chose as their ideal is “Every student will be proficient or advanced in reading, writing, and math” (p. 52).
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Three Instructor Guidance page, the article by Buchanan, and read Chapter 5 of the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Select ONE of the two options below depending upon your current status with an NEU school. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
Option 1: Current NEU Professional
Share your school’s BHAG and how your school came to agree upon this BHAG. 25
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Analyze how your BHAG contributes to a culture of universal achievement.
Describe some of the potential and/or previously experienced challenges and rewards associated with
working toward achievement of this BHAG.
Determine strategies you can use to keep yourself and colleagues accountable to achieving the BHAG on
a daily and long-term basis. Or, analyze the effectiveness of the strategies you are currently employing if you are a current NEU Professional.
Option 2: Aspiring NEU Professional (choose this option if you are not currently a staff member in an NEU school)
Briefly describe a BHAG of your own, either personal or professional.
Analyze how you determined this BHAG was necessary. For example, was it a need or desire to make a
change or improvement, or something you wanted to achieve or acquire?
Describe some of the challenges and rewards associated with working toward the achievement of this
BHAG. Was it achieved?
Looking through the lens of an NEU Professional in an NEU school, briefly explain the potential
challenges and rewards associated with establishing a BHAG as a unified school staff.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” For the “NEU Professional,” provide specific feedback regarding their BHAG. How do their challenges and rewards compare to your own experiences? What ideas did you gain regarding accountability? For the “Non-NEU Professional,” consider their thought process regarding their own BHAG. Provide insight from your own experiences pertaining to the final point of discussion and answer any questions they may have. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
Assignment
1. Bridge to College [CLO: 2]. Due by Day 7. Building a positive climate is an important goal for every school. However, building this climate can sometimes be quite challenging, and, in an attempt to foster positive school climate, schools go overboard with creating rules. As Lopez (2013) notes, schools often have so many different
26
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
rules for each area of the school (e.g., hallway, gym, classroom, office, etc.) that students become confused by what is appropriate behavior in one area and what is inappropriate in another “With so many rules, our students realized that they had a million different ways to get into trouble” (p.127). To alleviate this problem of confusion, Lopez (2013) suggests creating a Bridge to College plan. In a nutshell, Bridge to College Plans are designed to promote positive behaviors and diminish inappropriate student actions in a school, which will in turn create a culture of universal achievement.
For this assignment you will create a Bridge to College Plan. Prepare for this assignment by reading the Week Three Instructor Guidance page and pages 127-129 in the Lopez (2013) textbook (ebook version search term NEUprep).
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. Website Feedback [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Now is the time to showcase the artifacts you created during the first half of the course for the website you created during Week One. The purpose in doing so is to have an opportunity to give and receive feedback that can be used to enhance your ideas, your creations, and your website itself, thereby more effectively communicating your vision for revolutionizing education and appealing to your target audience. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
In preparation for your Initial Post, add the following artifacts to your website on the “Culture of Universal Achievement and Collaboration” page:
a) Six exceptional systems Illustration from Week One,
b) Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and
c) Bridge to College Plan from Week Three.
Initial Post: To communicate the concept clearly to your website audience, provide an original discussion response that includes the title, a brief description, and the purpose of each artifact. Additionally, your initial post should include a link to your website in the response, your full name, and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of the response.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” Attempt to select someone you have yet to respond to
30EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
in the previous discussions during Weeks One through Three. Review their six exceptional systems graphic from Week One, the Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and the Bridge to College Plan from Week Three included on their website. Provide feedback to peers about whether each artifact is specific, easy to read, and professional in appearance. Additionally, provide feedback about the visual appearance of their website including readability, accessibility of any provided links or attachments, layout, design, and overall effectiveness. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
2. Classroom Management Plan [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Classroom management is arguably one of the most difficult aspects of teaching. Often, teachers focus on discipline in the classroom. However, the traditional approaches to classroom management based on rewards and punishments are often ineffective when managing student behaviors. Having an effective Classroom Management Plan can mean the difference between a classroom that runs smoothly and one that is out of control. During Week Three you created a Bridge to College Plan. The Bridge to College plan is a unified management plan for the school that directly aligns with and supports one’s Classroom Management Plan—our focus for this discussion. You are encouraged to refer to Chapters 5 through 7 for ideas pertaining to classroom and behavior management as you prepare your response. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Following the sample Classroom Management Plan on page 302 of the Lopez (2013) text, (ebook version search term Classroom Management Plan) create your ow
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Collaboration and Professional Capacity [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. In her TedxED talk, Heather Duncan-Whitt (November 14, 2013) describes the impact a team approach can have on one’s professional growth and on student achievement. While she primarily identifies with early childhood education, she expertly weaves in the value of looking beyond ECE or one’s specific grade level of learners in order to recognize the more far- reaching effects collaboration can have on all stakeholders. Ms. Duncan recommends looking for “like-minded” teachers both inside and outside of one’s school and field of expertise as well as other recommendations for any educator to expand his or her thinking and increase their professional capacity.
Similarly, a team of nurses, physicians, social workers, and other healthcare professionals from Southeast Florida share their own experience as fully collaborative partners and discuss the improved patient outcomes resulting from their team approach when serving the most medically fragile patients.
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Five Instructor Guidance page, read Chapter 6 of the Lopez (2013) textbook, and view the two videos. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Watch Heather Duncan-Whitt's TEDxED Talk. Take note of the practical recommendations she makes that lead teachers out of isolation and into a more collaborative practice with others both inside and outside of their school. Next, view the five-minute video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation featuring the benefits of interprofessional collaboration. Respond with the following:
What parallels did you observe between educators and health care providers practicing collaboration? How does this change your understanding of, or appreciation for, collaborative practice?
Considering your observations from each of the two videos, provide an example related to either your own experience, current professional practice, or other real-world scenario where a diverse team approach could be or is beneficial. Who may benefit from this interpersonal collaborative approach and how? If you are already a part of a unified, collaborative team, what might you take from either/both videos to improve it? If you happen to locate a video or other digital example, please feel free to share the reference and/or link in your response.
36EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Make an attempt to respond to at least one NEU Professional and one Non-NEU Professional. In replies, provide specific, constructive feedback and support regarding your peers’ observations and their example from personal experience or another real-world scenario. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
Assignment
1. Building Candid Professional Relationships [CLO: 3]. Due by Day 7. For this assignment, you will create a presentation to share with your staff introducing them to the concept of candid collaboration. In Chapter 8, Curry (2015) confronts the inevitable challenge of how to ensure all staff members adhere to the systems that were decided upon by the consensus of the group. His two-fold answer suggests both administration and staff members hold each other accountable for carrying out the will of the school in a professional and effective manner. Consider Curry’s (2015) viewpoint from pages 96-97 of the text (ebook version search term Step Eleven), as well as pages 68-76 of the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term Time Banking), and the Week Five Instructor Guidance to inform your work.
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Self-Reflection [CLOs: 2, 3, 4]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. John Dewey, educational theorist and practitioner, suggested that reflection begins with a dilemma. Effective teachers suspend making conclusions about a dilemma in order to gather information, study the problem, gain new knowledge, and come to a sound decision. This deliberate contemplation brings about new learning. Think about all you have learned and practiced during this course about the six exceptional systems. Also consider a dilemma you, your school, or classroom face that could improve if a culture of universal achievement and collaboration is practiced. It is important to note as well that you will revisit your responses to this final discussion during the final week of the next course: EDU597. Therefore, you may elect to save your responses in a Word document or within your website to refer back to. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Six Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Initial Post: Create an initial response addressing the following. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response
Share an idea for how you will practice a culture of universal achievement every day. How will you encourage others to do so as well?
Discuss one way you plan to develop or enhance your own level of collaboration. One option is to consider the practice of candid collaboration as a means of improving communication and accountability.
41EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Since your fellow classmates will not see your finished Collaboration Commitment, you could consider
elements you are planning to include as part of your response to this discussion point.
Look ahead to the next three steps on the staircase in chapters 7, 8, and 9 in the Lopez text. What do you
hope to gain a new or expanded understanding of with regard to standards, assessment, or data
management? What about those topics concerns, intimidates, or inspires you?
Share one concept you would have liked to have explored or practiced in this course that was either
minimally covered or left out. Why is it important to you?
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” What ideas did you gain from their response that differed from yours? What questions or ideas do you have concerning the ways they will practice and encourage a culture of universal achievement every day and improve collaboration? Provide feedback regarding their thoughts about standards, assessment, and data management. Finally, provide specific feedback for the final point of discussion concerning concepts they’d like to see more of in the course. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
End of Course Survey
1. End of Course Survey. Due Day 7. After you have completed the End of Course Survey, please complete the one question quiz to receive your points. If for any reason you wish not to complete the survey, you may do so and still receive the 0.5 points by completing the one question quiz.
Final Project
1. Collaboration Commitment [CLOs: 3, 4]. Due by Day 7. Damen Lopez (2013) conveys the importance of talented professionals working collaboratively for school and learner success when he emphasizes that “[g]reat schools have talented professionals who find the very best ways to work together in order to get results. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that” (p.64). Lopez further emphasizes the deciding factor for success will always be determined by the systems that schools do or do not create. Therefore, it is in everyone's best interest if the system created is focused on simplicity to ensure effective implementation. Lopez also suggests a school’s system must be easily explained and is preferably communicated succinctly in a single page. With that in mind, your final activity is to either create your own Collaboration Commitment based on the unique needs of your
42
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
school or to share your school’s existing commitment with substantive suggestions for ways it could be enhanced for simplicity and effectiveness. This final project is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to define five areas of focus and how they lead to committed collaboration and explain the impact of collective commitments on student achievement and school success. It is also another opportunity to demonstrate your ability to evaluate key aspects of effective collaboration and develop a Collaboration Commitment.
Instructions
Create your final project to meet the expectations below. Before submission, review the Grading Rubric and Week Six Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected for the final project, please contact the instructor before the due date using the Ask Your Instructor discussion forum.
2. Website Design. 1st Post Due by Day 3. This second discussion is your opportunity to begin developing the website and receiving initial feedback on its design. To prepare, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, preview the Week Six Final Project, and follow the directions in the Instructor Guidance where you will find assistance with creating your website including access to two recommended, free website options: Wix or Weebly. Set up your initial website by creating the pages and components outlined below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date. Please also check out the following job aids for additional help building your website.
Website Design1st st Post Due by Day 3Discussion Forum Grading RubricWix WeeblyAsk Your Instructor
• Wix Job Aid
•
• Weebly Job Aid
•
Initial Post: After you have created the initial five pages listed below on your website and included the five items listed below on the Homepage, post the link to your website in your initial post along with a subject that includes your full name and indication as to whether you are an “NEU Professional” or a “Non-NEU Professional.”
Initial Post:
Homepage: Create headings or sections on this opening page for your website that includes each of the following:
Homepage:
o Introduction: Include your introduction as shared on Day 1.
o Introduction:
o CultureofUniversalAchievement&CollaborationCommitment:Thecontentsofthispage
o CultureofUniversalAchievement&CollaborationCommitment:
will be completed in this course. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
14EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
o Standards, Assessment, & Data Management: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU597. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Standards, Assessment, & Data Management:
o Creative Interventions: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU598. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Creative Interventions:
o Exceptional Leadership: The contents of this page will be completed in EDU599. For now, just link to this blank page from your homepage.
o Exceptional Leadership:
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please try to respond to one peer that has indicated they are an “NEU Professional” and one peer that has indicated they are a “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject line of their initial post. Access your peers’ website and provide initial feedback focusing primarily on the readability and professional appearance of the website. Additionally, discuss what commonalities and differences you have with the peer in relation to your responses about the value of a college education and the meaning of college readiness, and provide feedback about their statement of intentions to transform school culture. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor have given to you to further the conversation and develop a strong sense of classroom community during this first week.
Guided Response:
Assignment
Assignment
1. Six Exceptional Systems Illustration [CLOs: 1]. Due by Day 7. The foundational tenants of NEU are based on Six exceptional systems. These systems are depicted as a staircase, where each step denotes a unique solution to important challenges faced by all schools (Lopez, 2013). Additionally, one of the main premises of the work conducted by the No Excuses University and their philosophy of Universal Achievement is the subtle difference between an excuse and a reason. Lopez (2013) states, “As you struggle, remember the difference between reasons and excuses. A reason offers examples for why a student is struggling in the first place. Reasons can be overcome. An excuse is made when defeat is accepted and all hope is lost” (p.57). Curry (2015) supports this philosophy in relation to teachers when discussing hope versus hopelessness. Oftentimes, teachers enter the profession burdened by warped or unrealistic expectations. As such, they end up leaving the profession or moving from the side of hope to that of hopelessness.
Six Exceptional Systems Illustration [CLOs: 1]Due by Day 7
Discussions
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. The Six C’s of the NEU Professional [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) discusses the importance of being part of a network that works together to support student success. He identifies the Six Cs of an NEU Professional: committed, courageous, collaborative, creative, character centered, and college and career crazy. Each of these is presented as a non-negotiable belief and trait the critical mass of the school should possess. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, read pages 212-213 in the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term The Six Cs of an NEU Professional) and consider the scenario presented below. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
The Six C’s of the NEU Professional [CLOs: 1, 2]1st st Post Due by Day 3The Six Cs of an NEU ProfessionalThe Six Cs of an NEU ProfessionalAsk Your Instructor
19EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Scenario
Scenario
You have just returned from the No Excuses University Institute where, for two days, you listened to Damen Lopez and other NEU Professionals and educational experts deliver powerful, inspiring talks on the six exceptional systems of NEU. As part of your agreement to attend the Institute, your principal has asked that you share with your school staff what you learned about being an NEU Professional in a presentation.
.
Initial Post: Create a presentation using the presentation software of your choosing listed under recommended resources for this week and attach or link to the presentation in the body of your initial post. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response. Ensure the presentation includes the following:
Initial Post:
A title slide that includes an engaging title for the presentation and your full name.
Six slides, each including one of the Six Cs and an explanation of why these beliefs are non-negotiable
and how they support a culture of universal achievement.
Two slides, each with one example, showing how any two of the Six Cs could be demonstrated on a daily
basis at your current school. If you are not currently employed at a school, consider a school where you
would like to be employed.
One references slide with full citations for all sources cited in the text of slides. It is expected you will cite
information from the Lopez (2013) text and at least one other source, such as those included in the Recommended Resources list for Week Two.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to response to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” In replies, provide feedback about the clarity and effectiveness of the presentation’s appearance and content as if you were an audience member who viewed the presentation at the school. Additionally, offer suggestions to peers about how they can enhance their presentation and how your understanding or perception of the 6 C’s changed or was reinforced as a result of the presentation. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
Guided Response:
20
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
2. Critical Mass [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Activities in the course thus far have provided you with a foundational understanding of the six exceptional systems Staircase. A culture of universal achievement takes place when the critical mass of the staff believes that each student is capable of meeting academic standards in reading, writing, and math AND that the school has the power to make that opportunity a reality. When this happens, members of the whole school community, succeed. As Lopez (2013) affirms,
Critical Mass [CLO: 2]1st st Post Due by Day 3
Success is far more enjoyable than failure. Anyone who has had even a taste of what it’s like to work with colleagues who inspire you, as they believe in each student, would never choose any other way to live. That kind of spirit exemplifies a culture of universal achievement and has to be the foundation for every school. (p. 48)
Curry (2015) supports the philosophy of a unified staff through his examination of five essentials of successful classroom management. Consider these as you prepare your response to this discussion. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Two Instructor Guidance page, and consider the concept of critical mass you read about in Chapter 15 and the six exceptional systems staircase in the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Discussion Forum Grading RubricAsk Your Instructor
Initial Post: Create an initial response that addresses each item listed below. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
Initial Post:
In your own words, explain what critical mass means to you and how it relates with both culture, and a culture of universal achievement.
Reflect upon your own practice and how you personally exemplify a culture of universal achievement. You might consider Curry’s 5 essentials as part of your response.
Consider Lopez’s quote about the taste of success. Do you feel the same about your colleagues? How has trust been garnered at your site? If it has not, explain how it could be.
Discussion
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal [CLO: 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Lopez (2013) calls for educators and schools to create one overarching goal to help attain extended gains within their organizations. He urges against baby-steps that result in reasonable and often mediocre outcomes, and instead he suggests working towards a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). This term was coined by Collins (1994, p.46) who describes his thinking about this type of goal setting:
Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal [CLO: 2]1st st Post Due by Day 3
The true BHAG-orientated leader is less interested in success. You’re more interested in the sheer exhilarating pain of the journey. You’re not going to have that immediate gratification of accomplishment. You are going to be immersed in it and working and suffering toward it for a long time– the way artists suffer. You have to enjoy that sense of extended discomfort. It’s the quest, it’s the training, it’s the growth, it’s pushing yourself. You really get off on that. If you think standing at the top of the cliff is where the joy is, you don’t understand it. The real joy is in all the pain and growth and suffering and creativity required long before you get to the summit. (p.46)
For Lopez (2013) and No Excuses University, the BHAG that they chose as their ideal is “Every student will be proficient or advanced in reading, writing, and math” (p. 52).
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Three Instructor Guidance page, the article by Buchanan, and read Chapter 5 of the Lopez (2013) text. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Discussion Forum Grading RubricBuchananAsk Your Instructor
Initial Post: Select ONE of the two options below depending upon your current status with an NEU school. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response.
Initial Post:
Option 1: Current NEU Professional
Option 1: Current NEU Professional
Share your school’s BHAG and how your school came to agree upon this BHAG. 25
25
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Analyze how your BHAG contributes to a culture of universal achievement.
Describe some of the potential and/or previously experienced challenges and rewards associated with
working toward achievement of this BHAG.
Determine strategies you can use to keep yourself and colleagues accountable to achieving the BHAG on
a daily and long-term basis. Or, analyze the effectiveness of the strategies you are currently employing if you are a current NEU Professional.
Option 2: Aspiring NEU Professional (choose this option if you are not currently a staff member in an NEU school)
Option 2: Aspiring NEU Professional (choose this option if you are not currently a staff member in an NEU school)
Briefly describe a BHAG of your own, either personal or professional.
Analyze how you determined this BHAG was necessary. For example, was it a need or desire to make a
change or improvement, or something you wanted to achieve or acquire?
Describe some of the challenges and rewards associated with working toward the achievement of this
BHAG. Was it achieved?
Looking through the lens of an NEU Professional in an NEU school, briefly explain the potential
challenges and rewards associated with establishing a BHAG as a unified school staff.
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” For the “NEU Professional,” provide specific feedback regarding their BHAG. How do their challenges and rewards compare to your own experiences? What ideas did you gain regarding accountability? For the “Non-NEU Professional,” consider their thought process regarding their own BHAG. Provide insight from your own experiences pertaining to the final point of discussion and answer any questions they may have. Although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you. Continued engagement beyond the minimum posting expectations provides you with an opportunity to further demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with the discussion topic.
Guided Response:
Assignment
Assignment
1. Bridge to College [CLO: 2]. Due by Day 7. Building a positive climate is an important goal for every school. However, building this climate can sometimes be quite challenging, and, in an attempt to foster positive school climate, schools go overboard with creating rules. As Lopez (2013) notes, schools often have so many different
Bridge to College [CLO: 2]Due by Day 7
26
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
rules for each area of the school (e.g., hallway, gym, classroom, office, etc.) that students become confused by what is appropriate behavior in one area and what is inappropriate in another “With so many rules, our students realized that they had a million different ways to get into trouble” (p.127). To alleviate this problem of confusion, Lopez (2013) suggests creating a Bridge to College plan. In a nutshell, Bridge to College Plans are designed to promote positive behaviors and diminish inappropriate student actions in a school, which will in turn create a culture of universal achievement.
For this assignment you will create a Bridge to College Plan. Prepare for this assignment by reading the Week Three Instructor Guidance page and pages 127-129 in the Lopez (2013) textbook (ebook version search term NEUprep).
NEUprepNEUprep
Discussions
Discussions
Participate in the following discussions:
1. Website Feedback [CLOs: 1, 2]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Now is the time to showcase the artifacts you created during the first half of the course for the website you created during Week One. The purpose in doing so is to have an opportunity to give and receive feedback that can be used to enhance your ideas, your creations, and your website itself, thereby more effectively communicating your vision for revolutionizing education and appealing to your target audience. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Website Feedback [CLOs: 1, 2]1st st Post Due by Day 3Discussion Forum Grading Rubric Ask Your Instructor
In preparation for your Initial Post, add the following artifacts to your website on the “Culture of Universal Achievement and Collaboration” page:
a) Six exceptional systems Illustration from Week One,
b) Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and
c) Bridge to College Plan from Week Three.
Initial Post: To communicate the concept clearly to your website audience, provide an original discussion response that includes the title, a brief description, and the purpose of each artifact. Additionally, your initial post should include a link to your website in the response, your full name, and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of the response.
Initial Post:
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” Attempt to select someone you have yet to respond to
Guided Response:
30EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
in the previous discussions during Weeks One through Three. Review their six exceptional systems graphic from Week One, the Six Cs of the NEU Professional presentation from Week Two, and the Bridge to College Plan from Week Three included on their website. Provide feedback to peers about whether each artifact is specific, easy to read, and professional in appearance. Additionally, provide feedback about the visual appearance of their website including readability, accessibility of any provided links or attachments, layout, design, and overall effectiveness. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
2. Classroom Management Plan [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Classroom management is arguably one of the most difficult aspects of teaching. Often, teachers focus on discipline in the classroom. However, the traditional approaches to classroom management based on rewards and punishments are often ineffective when managing student behaviors. Having an effective Classroom Management Plan can mean the difference between a classroom that runs smoothly and one that is out of control. During Week Three you created a Bridge to College Plan. The Bridge to College plan is a unified management plan for the school that directly aligns with and supports one’s Classroom Management Plan—our focus for this discussion. You are encouraged to refer to Chapters 5 through 7 for ideas pertaining to classroom and behavior management as you prepare your response. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Four Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Classroom Management Plan [CLO: 3]1st st Post Due by Day 3Discussion Forum Grading Rubric Ask Your Instructor
Initial Post: Following the sample Classroom Management Plan on page 302 of the Lopez (2013) text, (ebook version search term Classroom Management Plan) create your ow
Initial Post: Classroom Management PlanClassroom Management Plan
Discussion
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Collaboration and Professional Capacity [CLO: 3]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. In her TedxED talk, Heather Duncan-Whitt (November 14, 2013) describes the impact a team approach can have on one’s professional growth and on student achievement. While she primarily identifies with early childhood education, she expertly weaves in the value of looking beyond ECE or one’s specific grade level of learners in order to recognize the more far- reaching effects collaboration can have on all stakeholders. Ms. Duncan recommends looking for “like-minded” teachers both inside and outside of one’s school and field of expertise as well as other recommendations for any educator to expand his or her thinking and increase their professional capacity.
Collaboration and Professional Capacity [CLO: 3]1st st Post Due by Day 3Heather Duncan-Whitt Heather Duncan-Whitt
Similarly, a team of nurses, physicians, social workers, and other healthcare professionals from Southeast Florida share their own experience as fully collaborative partners and discuss the improved patient outcomes resulting from their team approach when serving the most medically fragile patients.
Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric, read the Week Five Instructor Guidance page, read Chapter 6 of the Lopez (2013) textbook, and view the two videos. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Discussion Forum Grading RubricAsk Your Instructor
Initial Post: Watch Heather Duncan-Whitt's TEDxED Talk. Take note of the practical recommendations she makes that lead teachers out of isolation and into a more collaborative practice with others both inside and outside of their school. Next, view the five-minute video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation featuring the benefits of interprofessional collaboration. Respond with the following:
Initial Post: Heather Duncan-Whitt's TEDxED TalkHeather Duncan-Whitt's TEDxED TalkRobert Wood Johnson Foundation
What parallels did you observe between educators and health care providers practicing collaboration? How does this change your understanding of, or appreciation for, collaborative practice?
Considering your observations from each of the two videos, provide an example related to either your own experience, current professional practice, or other real-world scenario where a diverse team approach could be or is beneficial. Who may benefit from this interpersonal collaborative approach and how? If you are already a part of a unified, collaborative team, what might you take from either/both videos to improve it? If you happen to locate a video or other digital example, please feel free to share the reference and/or link in your response.
36EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Make an attempt to respond to at least one NEU Professional and one Non-NEU Professional. In replies, provide specific, constructive feedback and support regarding your peers’ observations and their example from personal experience or another real-world scenario. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
Guided Response:
Assignment
Assignment
1. Building Candid Professional Relationships [CLO: 3]. Due by Day 7. For this assignment, you will create a presentation to share with your staff introducing them to the concept of candid collaboration. In Chapter 8, Curry (2015) confronts the inevitable challenge of how to ensure all staff members adhere to the systems that were decided upon by the consensus of the group. His two-fold answer suggests both administration and staff members hold each other accountable for carrying out the will of the school in a professional and effective manner. Consider Curry’s (2015) viewpoint from pages 96-97 of the text (ebook version search term Step Eleven), as well as pages 68-76 of the Lopez (2013) text (ebook version search term Time Banking), and the Week Five Instructor Guidance to inform your work.
Building Candid Professional Relationships [CLO: 3]Due by Day 7Step ElevenStep ElevenTime BankingTime Banking
Discussion
Discussion
Participate in the following discussion:
1. Self-Reflection [CLOs: 2, 3, 4]. 1st Post Due by Day 3. John Dewey, educational theorist and practitioner, suggested that reflection begins with a dilemma. Effective teachers suspend making conclusions about a dilemma in order to gather information, study the problem, gain new knowledge, and come to a sound decision. This deliberate contemplation brings about new learning. Think about all you have learned and practiced during this course about the six exceptional systems. Also consider a dilemma you, your school, or classroom face that could improve if a culture of universal achievement and collaboration is practiced. It is important to note as well that you will revisit your responses to this final discussion during the final week of the next course: EDU597. Therefore, you may elect to save your responses in a Word document or within your website to refer back to. Before completing this discussion, review the expectations in the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric and read the Week Six Instructor Guidance. If you have questions about what is expected in this discussion, contact the instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date.
Self-Reflection [CLOs: 2, 3, 4]1st st Post Due by Day 3Discussion Forum Grading Rubric Ask Your Instructor
Initial Post: Create an initial response addressing the following. Include your full name and an indication of whether you are an “NEU Professional” or “Non-NEU Professional” in the subject of your response
Initial Post:
Share an idea for how you will practice a culture of universal achievement every day. How will you encourage others to do so as well?
Discuss one way you plan to develop or enhance your own level of collaboration. One option is to consider the practice of candid collaboration as a means of improving communication and accountability.
41EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
Since your fellow classmates will not see your finished Collaboration Commitment, you could consider
elements you are planning to include as part of your response to this discussion point.
Look ahead to the next three steps on the staircase in chapters 7, 8, and 9 in the Lopez text. What do you
hope to gain a new or expanded understanding of with regard to standards, assessment, or data
management? What about those topics concerns, intimidates, or inspires you?
Share one concept you would have liked to have explored or practiced in this course that was either
minimally covered or left out. Why is it important to you?
Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers. Please attempt to respond to a peer that is an “NEU Professional” and a peer that is a “Non-NEU Professional.” What ideas did you gain from their response that differed from yours? What questions or ideas do you have concerning the ways they will practice and encourage a culture of universal achievement every day and improve collaboration? Provide feedback regarding their thoughts about standards, assessment, and data management. Finally, provide specific feedback for the final point of discussion concerning concepts they’d like to see more of in the course. As with prior discussions, although two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions peers and the instructor offer in reply to you.
Guided Response:
End of Course Survey
End of Course Survey
1. End of Course Survey. Due Day 7. After you have completed the End of Course Survey, please complete the one question quiz to receive your points. If for any reason you wish not to complete the survey, you may do so and still receive the 0.5 points by completing the one question quiz.
End of Course SurveyDue Day 7
Final Project
Final Project
1. Collaboration Commitment [CLOs: 3, 4]. Due by Day 7. Damen Lopez (2013) conveys the importance of talented professionals working collaboratively for school and learner success when he emphasizes that “[g]reat schools have talented professionals who find the very best ways to work together in order to get results. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that” (p.64). Lopez further emphasizes the deciding factor for success will always be determined by the systems that schools do or do not create. Therefore, it is in everyone's best interest if the system created is focused on simplicity to ensure effective implementation. Lopez also suggests a school’s system must be easily explained and is preferably communicated succinctly in a single page. With that in mind, your final activity is to either create your own Collaboration Commitment based on the unique needs of your
Collaboration Commitment [CLOs: 3, 4]Due by Day 7
42
EDU596: CREATING A CULTURE OF UNIVERSAL ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLABORATION COURSE GUIDE
school or to share your school’s existing commitment with substantive suggestions for ways it could be enhanced for simplicity and effectiveness. This final project is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to define five areas of focus and how they lead to committed collaboration and explain the impact of collective commitments on student achievement and school success. It is also another opportunity to demonstrate your ability to evaluate key aspects of effective collaboration and develop a Collaboration Commitment.
Instructions
Instructions
Create your final project to meet the expectations below. Before submission, review the Grading Rubric and Week Six Instructor Guidance page. If you have questions about what is expected for the final project, please contact the instructor before the due date using the Ask Your Instructor discussion forum.
Grading Rubric Ask Your Instructor
