Oklahoma Memorial Museam Education Summit

TUESDAY, JUNE 8: FOOD BY WHAT IS COOKING 843-6530. Excellent menu
Introductions: Adonna facilitated with high, low, hello ice breaker. A question was different with every person we met. Nice quick way to do introductions.

First Person Account: Rev. Wendy Lambert. Her father died at the bombing. Powerful speech on peace found through observing the work of volunteers. Great speaker for National Volunteer Week because she focuses on how the person who gave her a cup of coffee make her focus on the humanity of the volunteers which somewhat helped her through the news of her father's death. She was there to be in one with the calmnes among the destruction. Her purpose was to be first hand witness as to the goodness of people. She was impacted by the person who gave her a sandwich, gave blood, gave a child a toy animal. Acts of kindness bring the best in us during the worst times or through momentary acts of evil.

Crisis Communication: We learned how the police department and the media interacted. Important words by Chief Bill Citty, Tony Stizza, Director of Video of the OKC Memorial Museum, and Terri Watkins, reporter, RELATIONSHIPS, RESPECT and TRUST.
Ability to communicate was easy because of long standing relationships, boundaries were clear, and accuracy of information was based on trust. Security and protection of crime scene allowed free exchange of accurate information. Local media is part of the fabric of the community. A documentary I must watch is TAPESTRY.

The Investigation: We learned about details of the arrest, research, and trail from Hank Gibbons, Retired FBI Agent, and Leon Gillum, Director of Safety and Security OKC Memorial Museum.
-Unintended consequence of the bombing...Memorial a testament to the common good
-Responsibility for your actions...Life is not like a video game
-Culture of Silence...One phone call from people who knew about the bombing could have spared lives.

Interactive Lesson: Creative Writing with a Purpose. Most applicable part of the day for my practice as a director of service-learning. OKC Memorial Museum Fellow, Andrew Smith, Sheffield Middle School, OH. 8th grade students are given a toy from the Memorial Fence. Then, they write a healing story with that toy as a character. The story book goes to kids in crisis providing a message and gift of hope and comfort. This could be applicable to Life Prep 101 next year. Fence toys are available by simply asking Lynn Roller to send as many as needed. The HOPE Chest is probably something we need to have at the library the first two weeks in September also, if we decide this to be the social action project for the ninth grade. Our homework was to create a story based on the toy we were given. I got a baby seal. My story's title was first D.J.'s Wish

Creating a Memorial: Power Presentation by the museum's CEO, Kari Watkins. 1995 Blow to the heart of the city. People wanted to see good over evil. HOPE was the hardest word to agree from family members. 623 designs, 23 different countries, one winner. The choice: To remember, to reflect, to teach...from anger to hope for peace

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2010 : Food by Panera. Great Box sandwiches.

Homework discussion: It was amazing to see how the stories about the toys all had a moral to help children heal or have hope. My story, D.J.'s Wish is yet to be finished.

Cultural Memory: Experiencing History Through Creativity and Research: Most powerful presentation of the summit. Haley Thompson, Theatre/UCO Communication Education Coordinator related how she got involved in the Memorial (high school boyfriend's mother was a survivor. She went to the Memorial fence and noticed the poetry. She did performances on that poetry) and how she used a visit to the museum with archives research to empower her students to create a transforming play with personal talents(dance, music composition, song, poetry, photography.) Her students gave us a small vinegette and talked about how this project changed them.

This gave me the idea of having the third YAC Invitational at the museum. I will apply for a museum grant and ask Haley to share her process and experience to re-create her project with YAC students. Then I will like for YAC to have a professional development for the faculty on collaboration. I asked her students to be chapel speakers for September 11, Day of Remembrance and for the OKC Bombing Remembrace Day which YAC will promote. I hope to facilitate kids walking at the Memorial Marathon in 2011.

Process: Two days investigating to do a 45 minute presentation

1. Visit to the museum: What specific images/quotes/items caught your attention?

As students tour the museum they journal their reactions and feelings through their five senses. She asked them to go away from each other, to pay attention to their soul.

2. Visit and investigation at the archives: Explore and touch history. Journal through the senses. Recommendation: Buy gloves and bring copy paper because students will like to copy a lot of documents.

3. The Creative Process: The teacher's concern was offending somebody because the stories might be about someone who lived next door. Her directions: Treat it in a mature way and do justice to the story. She had performace rubrics.

Their performance has the following parts: Who were we before, what happened to us when we touched history and how were we transformed. The students created the show which included fences where audience left their thoughts after the show. The fence idea made me think about the Secrets Project and how to leave secrets without fears.

Teaching about the bombing: Program and Resources:

Called2Change Program: A result of Edmond students who lost parents. What happens when you choose violence.

Grants to take students to museum with transportation funding allocation. Archives for research. Reflective journals for every level.
Simple Truths Workshop coming up on September 29, date and time: TBA, but possibly Sunday afternoon.

Amanda Wrede from Cheyenne Middle School, 639-4596, amanda-wrede@yahoo.com is a great resource for Life Prep 101. She has worked with the museum and teaches ethics and leadership at the 8th grade level. She uses 7 Habits of High Effective Teens. Amanda also recommended Flip Flipping: Touching Kids Hearts, a book about compassion and loving versus discipline. Adonna Meyer is also willing to do a Colors Test for YAC. We need funding for her. I also met Robin Finnegan's mother who recommended me to to buy HOPE HAS THE LAST WORD.

The museum provides one complementary entrance to educators for every 7 students. Plan

1. Visit the museum

2. Visit the memorial

3. Have a first person presentation. Make an appointment for this presentation

Must see the TAPESTRY documentary

First Person Account of the Bombing by Amy Petty, Survivor (Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President of Lending Allegiance Credit Union). Powerful speaker. Stop often and evaluate your life. Where do you wish you had done if you were to die tomorrow. Live your life with purpose. Be the person who does something. Life is short, experience as much as you can. Where in the World is Amy Petty? She will be bicycling around Oklahoma.

Legislation and New Standards: Kelly Curtright, Director of Social Studies Edcuation State Department of Education. Studying the bombing and the memorial is a state mandate. It is our story. The memorial helps us learned what happened and how to cope. The only area that has not been documented is the educators' response to the bombing. I asked Kelly about financial literacy and he gave me http://www.econisok.org/ and to contact the Oklahoma Council on Economic Education.

Hope Trunk: The Hope Trunk available just by asking for a period of 2 weeks. Contact Lynne Porter, Education Coordinator to place your week on her calendar. 13 trunks available

Responding to Children in Crisis: Dr. Robin Gurwitch via SKYPE. We can see fears and worries. Concerns with safety and security. Worries with state, community, world. Geometry is not as important as father in Iraq or fear of natural disaster and death. Stress signs are similar to children with ADHD: Problems with concentration, grades drop, small attention span, mood swings, hyperactivity, hupervigilant-jumpy at police sirens. Headaches, fatigue, stomach ache, flu like symptoms. Take the first step to start conversations. Open yourself to them. You cannot fix the situation, but you can be avaialble to talk. Google National Center for School Crisis and Bereatment. They have a manual. LISTEN, PROTECT, CONNECT. Psychological first aide is for every one. Avoid comparing. A good book to read is LEAVE ALONE, BUT FIRST TAKE ME and _______to the mall.

Archives and Research tour: I found a picture of Spivey's collage. Pam Bell, archivist

It was interesting to see how the museum has preserve the accounts and gifts from people all over the world. When I return with my students, I want to investigate Susan Ferrell because she spend time at 37 on two things I wish I had done with my life: Be an attorney and dance from ballet to belly dancer.

GREG MORTENSON, THREE CUPS OF TEA

I attended a free webinar sponsored by Edutopia.org, as part of their project learning and service-learning. I hope the whole webinar will be made available to teachers because it had great pictures and a power Q/A with Greg.







What I remember of the experience was Greg's focus on placing importance of learning from elders. This is alive and well in Pakistan and Afganistan, but seems to be a lost treasure in the USA. He also stated that some of the balls kids play with in America are made with "slave child labor."

Greg shared what David Petreas learned from Three Cups of Tea:
Listen more
Respect
Build Relationships

Greg also stated that if you educate a boy, you educate the individual; if you educate a girl, you educate the community.

Another statement he made that really stayed in my mind was: "When your heart speaks, Take GOOD NOTES."

He talked about Pennies for Peace and service-learning projects generated from Pennies for Piece for local causes like the Little Red Wagon Foundation, an 8-year old kid who will walk for one million dollars to help homeless children.
He also mentioned that American pennies have the power to erradicate illiteracy.

Greg stated that the Taliban is affraid to destroy some of his schools because they were build by free labor from the communities where they stand.

He ended his presentation with a few suggestions

1. Empower elders
2. Do not shelter our kids from the realities of the world

He gave this quote from MLK, "Even if the world ends tomorrow, I will plant my see today."

I look forward to his presentation at Lloyd Noble, APRIL 21, 4:00 P.M. FREE ADMISSION.

The Pinwheels for peace and the Pennies for Peace Project will be the Casady YAC projects-all school project- for next year in the month of September. The project will start in August and culminate on September 21, International Day of Peace.

Circle the World (Inspired by Giant Doves of Roots and Shoots which inspired the Forest of Peace, Respect Diversity Foundation Symbol Exhibit, April 13, 2010

Circle the World
By Dana Lyons

What is we could circle the world
Flying peace doves beneath the sun
Giant twenty foot wings of fabric
That are hand made by everyone
Pmce a uear we circle the world
Saying ain't it time to burry the guns
Our time has come and we have begun
To Circle the World

Its a dream and its a vision
Its a prayer that we may see
When every person, every creature
Will be treated with dignity
When every war will be a memory
We never shall repeat
Our time has come and we have begun
To Circle the World

Its a parade and its a party
Giant puppets with many drums
Its a song with many rhythms
That is sung in many tongues
Its a giant snake dance
In every country beneath the sun
Our time has come and we have begun
To Circle the World

www.cowswithguns.com

Emerging Implementation of ISAS conference for 2010-2011 school year

1. Betances had a phrase to empower minority-diverse-children:
"Proud blended heritage children." As a consequence of my attendance to the conference, I hope to be an asset builder of that type of understanding of diversity.

2. YAC and I will see Wagner's video in the company of some teachers and create a YAC performance rubric for next year. I look forward to the outcome of our FEDEX time (One B-block and lunch.) The focus questions of the meeting will be:
a. How do we evolve "service learning" from 'learning about those being served' to 'servers learning about themselves'?
b. How can we connect our personal ideals, interests and passions to our school work?
c. How is our school work related to change, social justice, and peace?,
d. How can we become resources for social action experiences to peers, faculty, family, and community?

I will use the "free" ALPS learned web http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps as my collaborative lesson planning tool.

3. This summer my personal and professional goal is attending the Six Billion Paths to Peace retreat because I want to have a focused exploration with a Casady intergenerational team of the following three questions:
a.How does change become peace?
b.How does service shape peace?
c.How do people change through peace?

Quest High School Service-Learning Program

In the area of service-learning, I started with a question: What is Service Learning at Quest High School? "I had no idea when I started this experience how much real learning I would actually do...So much of the understanding of something is not found in book or classroom experience. It was only when I could actually experience the learning that it held true understanding and meaning for me." (Excerpt from a Quest student's reflection) Service-learning at Quest High School is learning outside the classroom walls while meeting a genuine community need. Although Quest operates on a much smaller scale in terms of a school, with merely a fraction of students compared to Humble High School or Kingwood High School, it operates at a much larger scale in terms of character development and community interaction. At Quest, our curriculum-supported service-learning model helps students to practice and master both affective and cognitive objectives from our curriculum.This model involves application of learning in a real world context. In addition, this model has the added benefit of actually addressing a community need, therefore giving the learning a deeper, more personal meaning to students.

At Quest every Wednesday, Quest students go out into the community to engage in service-learning. Sites range from elementary schools where students tutor and mentor children to a nature park where students perform historical reenactments for elementary children. Other sites include rest homes, women's shelters, and other non-profits. What our students do on Wednesdays is done in the context of our curriculum. Service-learning also exists within our courses. (See the Water Testing Project) The capstone service-learning experience would be within the Senior Exploratory, conducted in the second semester of the Senior Exploratory Foundations Class. (See Senior Service Plans) This Senior Exploratory takes service-learning to a much deeper level, where students are engaged in social action. They research a social issue and address this social issue by designing and implementing a project. Once completed, they evaluate their project for its effectiveness and sustainability. Service-learning really allows students to "live" our mission, "Quest High School will provide a personalized learning experience in partnership with the community to create life-long learners and productive members of society."-----

The courage to teach, the courage to change

We teach who we are, but we need to make the needed changes to be what our students need us to be to help them become 21st Century skills leaders.

ISAS CONFERENCE:TEACHING MATTERS-Official blog of the conference at http://21k12blog.net/2010/02/

ENSURING THE SUCESS OF ALL STUDENTS SAMUEL BETANCES: Contact: Samuel@betances.com, www.betances.com; his firm is diversity consulting, and his motto is “strengthening the world of work through diversity.” He will return emails. Find his bio at http://www.aeispeakers.com/speakerbio.php?SpeakerID=92.

Stop stereotypes such as the way he is described when confused as Arab: Arabs:=3B's= billionaires belly dancers, bumps. Laugh and grow together as we deal with the top topics. Remember our President could have been legally own by the first 16 presidents. He was elected by the ballot not the bullet.

Proud blended heritage children! Let’s do not burden our children with the fear of opresion. Teach the children to reject rejection. Do not internalized separation. Schools are middle class places of learning…3500 words instead of 1000-2000 words from street children. Read, read. Read!!! Get inspired that this country-WORLD- does not owe a living, only an opportunity. Empower to have a middle class performance. If you do not read, you cannot lead! Make the impossible possible


YOU CANNOT BE TRANSFORMING UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED. Develop the capacity to preach. Read to enrich and to survive. Create coalisions of interest, not of gender. WHATEVER DOES NOT DESTROY YOU CAN BE MADE INTO A STEPPING STONE TO ACHIEVEMENT AND SUCCESS!!!Create teams like "Remember the Titans"

Empower first generation students to have the tools to make in the “middle class” environment. Nobody knows what they want until they know what options they have! Guide inclusive teams across generations and races.



WEBB 2.0: REALITIES NOT A HYPE: Andrew Zucker: has had a long career in teaching and technology, beginning with years teaching at Milton Academy and the US Department of Education.

Take your time, you need to innovate, you cannot keep up with it.”
Write and share what you do globally! Everything is done in nanoseconds!
Transformation= People+process+technology. Change is a process not a purchase

Top three reasons our students’ homework is missing in the new century
I emailed it, didn’t you get it?
Tech support help was down
I had to delete, needed space for iTunes

Digital tools to transform schools: Why Innovate?
Independent schools have a higher proportion of great teachers than other schools!



TSL is significantly less at independent schools, (total student load).
Our schools and teachers have significantly more autonomy and less bureaucracy than public schools

Web 2.0 is still brand new, 1994: First practical web browser. Zucker argued that we are still only just learning. the early web was very slow and very much a broadcast, but it is now interactive and faster and richer and more engaging.

Zucker offered technologies, for free:Video, navigation of records, documents availability… effective use depends on the CREATIVITY OF THE TEACHER

Screen Recordings: This is a way to record video and voice, with a url, to share and email.
www.jingproject.com, www.screencast.com, camtasia (paid) http://www.jingproject.cohetm; SCREENCAST.COM 5 MINUTE limit, screen cast.com
CLICKERS: HTTP://WWWW.ISTE.ORG/CONTENT/NAVIGATIONMENU/PUBLICATIONS/LL
POLL EVERYWHERE poll everywhere.com
Survey Monkey www.surveymonkey.com
Molecular workbench workbench.concord.org
VIRTUAL LAB: Phet.
MOODLE.ORG
CLASSBLOGMEISTER.COM
NICENET.ORG

Clickers are recommended, with a very brief discussion, and ExamView is also suggested, *but which is not free.” Poll Everywhere and Surveymonkey come next, as suggested tools for classroom use.Models and Simulations; Course Discussion and Management Tools Moodle and class blogmeister.

Daniel Pink: Education and the changing world



AUTONOMY, MASTERY, AND PURPOSEwww.danpink.com; twitter.com/danielpink, dp@danpink.com

Biological motivation +Responding to environment+Part of the larger purpose
Education is not a contest to be won. It is a journey of exploration
How are we rewarding? What are we creating?

Rewards get attention in a focused way which restricts our ability to create. The motivation now is different.
The rule for high school students to be successful, in the old model: “Give the authority what they want, and get it in time, neatly.” “The ‘good’ kids comply and the ‘bad’ kids defy but no one engages;” is that school today?

First, the new rules require Autonomy!FedEx Days– An example is a company called Atlassian, in Australia, which provides employees a day when employees can spend their time doing whatever they like, but then have to, the next day (overnight) deliver something new. At Zappos, the call center employees have one mandate, and one only: Solve the customers’ problems. That’s it.

20% time: At Google, employees have 20% time, when they can do whatever they like, and gmail came out of it– in fact, one person at Google says that all the good ideas at Google come out of the 20% time.

Autonomy Ideas for Schools: FedEx days for Teachers. For the next 24 hours, we are going to come up with something NEW to do at school– a new class, a new system, a new process. We could create new projects. YAC organization and projects!!!

For Students: Students would go bonkers during a 20% day– and we in independent schools have the autonomy to do so. For 24 hours, do whatever you want (with some parameters): a new idea, a new offering for the school. Kids would really respond to this kind of autonomy! service-learning in the curriculum!!!

Mastery: Humans are mastery seeking guided missiles. The levels of worker disengagement (in the workplace) are frightening. People are bored. But not in Open-Source– where the engagement is high. Linux, firefox– these are projects that are technically sophisticated creating valuable products for which people are unpaid! Because these endeavors provide a sense of mastery! “Enjoyment based intrinsic motivation, namely how creative a person feels when working on a project, is the strongest and most pervasive driver.” Reference to “Why Hackers do what they do” by Lakhani, et.
HBS researchers, published in HBR recently: “The Top Motivator at work, by far: Making Progress in One’s Work.” Not incentives, not rewards, not bonuses. Search for mastery and making progress is a great motivator.

How to do this for Teachers and Students: Performance Reviews: Nobody likes performance reviews, neither giving nor receiving.
DIY Performance Reviews– Do it yourself. Beginning of the month, beginning of the semester, set out your goals in writing (!), goals and objectives, and then you call yourself into the office– how am I faring? What do I need? What do I need in resources to do my job is better?
Grades ought to be a form of feedback to help you toward mastery. Can we encourage students to do this? (advisors-Congressional Award for Service)
Here is what I want to learn in Chemistry! Then self-assess regularly, and compare self-assessments with those of the teachers. Any great athlete, art, musician: they have ways to self-assess, to measure how they are doing. My question is how can they assess what they do not know...their potential in the course, maybe, but they do not know the content of the course..???

Purpose! We have lost a sense of doing things that serve a cause bigger than themselves. Pink thinks teachers are animated by purpose, more than in ANY other white collar profession in the US.

An idea for determining purpose, from Claire Booth Luce: A great man is a sentence. “The great President are not doing a lot of small things, they are doing one big thing. If you try to do too much, you don’t have a sentence, you have a muddled paragraph.

What is your sentence?” To determine your purpose, you must determine your sentence!

At the end of the day, was I better today than yesterday? Some days the answer is No. Sometimes it is, sometimes it is no. But, it is rarely "no" two or three days in a row.


THE GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT GAP: Tony's contact information: http://www.schoolchange.org/



Teaching matters, learning matters more, mastery matters most!K-16: SCHOOL REFORM: EMPOWER THEM TO CHANGE THEIR IDEAS INTO ACTUAL WORK. From the kids in the video:I KNOW THIS KNOWLEDGE, BUT WHAT I AM GOING TO DO WITH IT. IT IS WORTH doing SOMETHING HARD AND BIG EVERY ACADEMIC CLASS BECOMES A PERFOMANCE CLASS

VIDEO EXAMPLE FROM: Quest High School facilitators seek to use individualized knowledge of each student to shape student's schooling and to teach habits of the heart and mind through three core curriculum areas: Academic Foundations are based on state and national standards and include language arts, social studies, fine arts, mathematics, the sciences, health and Spanish. Learner Behaviors are affective proficiencies such as problem solving, critical thinking, self-discipline, social cooperation, communication and citizenship that are essential for student success in school and work. Workplace Tools teach technology and research skills such as computer graphics, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software. Quest High School Contact: http://www.humbleisd.net/education/components/sectionlist/default.php?sectiondetailid=486&category=0

VIDEO (Must get a copy) SUSTAINABLE LIVING GROUP…Very much like Challenge 20/20 has potential to be.




Tony asked us to answer the following questions after watching the video
What skills are these students learning?
How they are being motivated to learn?
What is the teacher’s role in how they are being asked to learn?

My notes: Senior exhibition: proceess to be a leader and be empowered as a citizen and a learner. More than writing a research paper…something that matters to you…if not is far less rewarding to you. What are the kinds of things that allow you to do that work? Seniors divide into groups. service learning….attached to the research paperWhat are you interested in it? Combine them into one…What are you passionate about? What interest concerns you? Then, Interview experts in the community: Professional attitude, phone calls, environment sustainability. They find experts and mentors, they explore what they want to do in life. I saw a clear redefinition of my job-provided that every class has a senior exhibition! I think I now understand the "upgraded" role of YAC!
Teachers as Coaches or facilitators of learning!!!! Students self evaluating with accuracy and without fear: PROCASTINATION, GROUP…COMMUNICATION…IF YOU ARE SLACKING, THE GROUP COMES TOGETHER, SENIOR EXHIBITIONS….THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY…THEIR SOCIAL ACTION to REAL WORLD SETTING

Practical suggestions from the lead adult facilitator:
WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE AND HOW SHOULD I HAVE BEEN MORE EMPOWERING?
TEAM OF ADULTS COLLABORATING AND ASSEST BUILDING.
REHEARSAL….MUST BE DONE TO BE. PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF DIVERSE JUDGES
RESEARCH SOCIAL ACTION PRESENTATION EVALUATED BY A RUBRIC
CULMINATING PROJECT: SUCCESS SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT IN EXTRA CURRICULAAR ACTIVITY OR SERVICE LEARNING


Tony's recommendations
Harvard admissions changing: LEADERSHIP, EVIDENCNE OF SERVICE enhanced

Cornerstones of School Reinvention:

1. Holding ourselves accountable for What Matters Most.

Use the CWRA.
Survey recent graduates, and go beyond surveys, conduct video focus groups to show your faculty.
Monitor your student college graduation rates, using the National Student Clearinghouse.
2. Doing the new Work: Teaching and Testing the Skills that Matter Most

Start with the Three C’s: Critical Thinking, Communications, and Collaboration: in every class and at every grade level.
Require all students to do internships and group service projects, and consider
3. Doing the New Work in New Ways

Every teacher on teams for collaborative inquirey.
Video teaching, supervision, and meetings.
I want to see schools using for students Digital Porfolios, from K-12 , publishing each year four or five published, public documents on-line. And then we can link these fine published work to a teacher’s digital portfolio.

The flip video camera is the most disruptive (in a GOOD way) technology for teaching and learning today! We must videotape every lesson, and review them regularly with our colleagues.

A question is asked about how to define critical thinking, and Tony directs people to the Mission Hill School website, a project of the legendary Deborah Meier, which features this discussion of critical thinking. http://www.missionhillschool.org/mhs/Habits_of_Mind.html



REAL PRODUCTS FOR REAL AUDIENCES. http://www.essentialschools.org/ Get rubrics and video from them.

PROJECT BASED LEARNING and INQUIRY LEAENING.. ESSENTIAL QUESTION, a must. WE AS ADULTS HAVE TO ENGAGE INTO INQUIRING LEARNING
Grades: A B OR INCOMPLEETE….MY JOB IS TO GET THEM TO COMPETENCY TO A MINIMUM STANDARD. TAKE TIME TO GET THERE AND RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE. INCOMPLETE UNTIL student MEETS THE STANDARD.
WHAT DO I WANT STUDENTS TO REMEMBER A Year after …..what is that core knowledge for the development of core knowledge
Engaging the entire community in a conversation ENGAGE THE ADULTS IN A WORLD CAFÉ How has the world change and what our kids need to live there.


First Part of his presentation School change consulting: http://www.schoolchange.org/

DEFINITION OF CRITICAL THINKING: ABILITY TO ASK REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS
How do we parent for kids to become entrepreneurs? The longer our kids are in this school, the less curious they are. The curriculum is test preparation….too much time in content driven…IB is a better system than AP.

Students lack of work effort: Keyser Family Study…They are motivated to be in the Internet…a bad day is a bad internet connection, why? It is is discovery driven learning and innovation. Experiencing learning and connectiveness. There is a global learning gap… Kids in science classes google to see if the information is still good. Engagement with adults: To empower them, to motivate them.

New Habits: Weighing Evidence: What tasks they were given and what students are producing….work collaborative, Qualities of questions being asked…

Do internships and service in groups. Video tape your lessons and sit down with a other faculty to discuss. We need laboratories of innovation… Common time in the summer…FEDEX and 20% in the summer: Strong incentives keeping a job in a jobless market, but most important making a real difference in the kids and through them in the world we live...the sense of purpose.

Critical thinking rubric: Habits of mind. Habits of question asking…A teacher's passion and care about students…the tasks you give, the passion you give, What is going on? What is not? What could be improved?


Introducing Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness: Shawn Achor






Tetrais Effect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2QNsxXTuuQ. Contact information: http://www.aspirantworld.com/

Traditional psychology is about how we can move depressed people back up to average; but Achor worries that only reduces the purpose and project to only how we help people become average. If we study positive outliers, we can move up the average to a higher place, and help everyone to become happier. We need to stop focusing on ‘getting rid’ of the bad things and focus on “other side of the curve” towards thriving.

Our brains are not just hard-wired for sympathy, but we are also hard-wired for empathy. Just as we pick up smiles and yawns so quickly, and so powerfully, we also can mirror (in our mirroring nuerons) others’ anxiety, stress, sadness. We need to watch for this in our schools.

90% of our longterm happiness is affected by the lens through which people view the world around them, NOT by the actual realities of that world around them. So no matter how fabulous your external circumstances, 90% of your experience will be subject to how you see and feel those externalities.

Harvard is Achor’s focus: “the more I loved Harvard the better I did there:” we need students and teachers to love being in our schools.

So the project we have is how to help people see the world around them. Achor tells of a study of 1600 students at Harvard.




75% of your job success is predicted not by your intelligence, but by your positivity and performance. “If I know your level of intelligence, I can ONLY tell 25% of the reason you may or may not be a success in life.”

Dopamine, the happiness hormone in our brains, turns on all of our learning zones in our brain. A brain primed to be positive has higher success rates than one primed to be negative or neutral. Hapoiness is a precursor of success, NOT merely the result of it. If we can get teachers and students positive going into learning, we can have higher results.

The Happiness Advantage: better secure jobs, better keeping jobs, better productivity, more resilient, less burnout, less turnover, greater sales.

Another wonderful video about the value of joy in the world



Achor makes the point that when these people, happier, go into their classrooms, they are that much more primed to be successful in their day.

How create this happiness advantage?

Raise optimism and success rates for six months, after 21 days of training. 21 days is enough to create a habit.

3 Gratitudes: 2 minutes a day writing what you are grateful for.
Journaling: Five minutes a day about a positive experience.
Exercise
Meditation
Random Acts of Kindness: praise somebody, five minutes day, in a way different from usual.
What is the mental barrier that gets in the way of doing all the good ideas we have learned?

Achor urges people to retrain your brain, using these five tools, which are available at his site here.

THINGS I WANT TO REMEMBER: MIRROW NEWRONS: SMILE CONTAGIOUS, DOPHAMINE Why important: MIRROW NEWRONS BEING ACTIVATED, our brains are linked to one ANOTHER

WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BUFFER OURSELVES, BUT NOT TO LOOSE THE MIRROW NEWRONS
HOW CAN WE RIPPLE OUT THE POSITIVE CHANGES…for him going to Harvard: FOCUS ON THE PRIVILEDGE, not focus on the NEGATIVITY…NOT AS SMART AS OTHERS….

THE LENSE IN WHICH YOU VIEW what happens IS WHAT DETERMINES HOW HAPPPY YOU ARE

OUR ATTENTION IS MOTIVATED….if OUR BRAINS are FOCUSED ON THE BAD, THAT IS WHAT WE WILL SEE. YOUR SUCCESS IS PREDICTED NOT BY YOUR INTELLIGENCE BUT BY YOUR BEHAVIOR MATTER! POSITIVE FAMILY SUPPORT SYSTEM

EVERYONE EXPERIENCES STRESS, THEY MANAGE IT IN A POSITIVE WAY

Brainstorming Six Billion Paths to Peace Retreat in OKC

Participants: Respect Diversity Foundation: Joan Kornblit; Peace Education Institute: Rachel Rettinger; Casady School: Father Charles Blizzard, Carmen Clay, Jeanie Johnson, Sarah Cox, Emily Skalovsky; Silence Foundation: Pat Webb. Not Present: Learn and Serve: Charles Mohr, Putnam City North: Linda Esser. Oklahoma City Univeraity will be contacted by Carmen Clay as a possible retreat site.

Minutes of brainstorming meeting Six Billion Paths to Peace, Find Yours Retreat
1. What? Experience the ShinnyoEn Foundation Six Billion Paths to Peace and Be the Peace initiatives
2. Why? Invitation to slow down, de-stress, explore inner peace, service, spirituality, silence, and peace activism
3. When? Hard to find a date without conflicts: June 18-21 (Casady Alumni Picnic: June 19) Friday starting at 6:30, ending Sunday after late lunch
4. Where? The Sullivan Retreat Center in Norman http://www.sullivantretreat.com/ being explored by Carmen. Thank you Jeanie for the suggestion.
5. Who? X# participants per organization by electronic invitation with application. First come, first served keeping diversity and intergenerational balance. We are still not sure how many people we want for our first retreat. There was a suggestion of 10 people per organization. We will request guidance from ShinnyoEn.
6. How much? We are considering $70 for adults and $30 for youth. ($50 per night per person-Participants cover the cost of one night)
7. How? ShinnyoEn trainers will guide here, but Respect Diversity and Silence Foundations as well as Peace Education Institute are willing to provide workshops on Saturday afternoon-open time (Explore the retreat area/ Attend workshops). Casady Service-Learning will handle retreat logistics.

Possible locations of retreat
1. Rachel will see if the Peace Education Institute can handle marketing, invitation, registration and application process; in case Learn and Serve is unable.
2. Carmen will contact Sullivan's Retreat Center Director: Drew LaMunyon, 405-329-2990 - Booking office, 405-321-4700 - Grounds.
Preliminary Research: The retreat center is reserved for college age and above. Discipleship Lodge: 15 rooms minimum, $750 per night , capacity for 112 people. Home Stead accomodates 24 people $352 per night for 16 people with each additional person for $22. Meeting rooms: $250 per day, $25 to set-up tables and chairs. Entire retreat center for exclusive use by one group: $2,700 regarless of the number of beds (capacity 150), $1,350 due the week the retreat center is booked. This does not include meals, just kitchen facilities. I will ask Drew about a catering service for meals, snacks, non alcoholic drinks and fresh flowers for meeting rooms. No smoking allowed on premises. Carmen will update via e-mail.
3. Carmen will explore funding sources for retreat with ShinnyoEn and local businesses in December. Carmen is going away next week, but will return to OKC on December 23.
4. Carmen will request a conference call with ShinnyoEn trainers in January.

December research of possible locations
1. Quartz Mountain Resort and Conference Center: Great beauty, expensive, about two hours from the city. Most like Marconi http://www.quartzmountainresort.com/ (Left message for group reservations director to call me tomorrow, on line the week of August 20-22 is full until 2016 http://www.quartzmountainresort.com/pdf/doc-meeting-planners-guide-1235509500.pdf ). Thank you Dr. Davis for this suggestion during our preliminary meeting.

2. Saint Crispins: http://www.episcopaloklahoma.org/conference/stcrispins.html (Hollie Massay, Director, 36302 State Highway 9, Wewoka, Oklahoma 74884, 405/382-1619,e-mail: stcrispins@yahoo.com) I have called several times but yet to contact them. I have personally attended two retreats here, one for Casady faculty, my first year at Casady School, and one as part of my Leadership Oklahoma City training and Colors test retreat. This is also a lovely place. Father Blizzard will be a great connection for this location

3. Ok Christian Camp in Guthrie, One Twin Cedar Lane, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044,(405) 282-281, 1-800-299-2811, fax (405) 282-1367: http://www.centralchristiancamp.org/. Left message for Susie Shield to call me tomorrow. Thank you to the Respect Diversity Foundation for this suggestion.

4. Catholic Retreat Center are also a possibility. Some have labyrints on site.