Ms. B’s Thoughts

ED630
Advanced Educational Leadership
Dr. Dennis Stanek
The Toy Box Inside Steve’s Brain

Sometimes you find yourself at a place in the universe where everything is aligned just perfectly.  You stumble upon information you didn’t realized existed.  Opportunities present themselves at just the perfect moment.  A speaker, a book, a conversation, a conference, a class–all center around central topics and a theme is born.  That was my life in the month of September.

The two books I read, Toy Box Leadership and Inside Steve’s Brain , both focused on central themes of design, human connections and user experience.  Before this class started, I read Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind and was also able to attend his speaking engagement on  campus.  One of his main themes was design and ingenuity.  He also stressed human connections, the ability to see the big picture and business’ ability to do something more for their customer.  So I found myself reading three amazing books within a short time period, seeing and meeting the author in person and participating in class discussions about the future of education and just what it takes to be an efficient and effective leader.  All of this weaved together to practically put my brain on overload.  I was able to see things differently and make connections among the text that reinforced my beliefs.  Then I got an opportunity to learn at one of the leading companies of the 21st century–Google.  All of this within weeks of reading these books, studying the history of great companies and exploring leadership possibilities.  Those weeks–were amazing and I felt a surge of knowledge and understanding within the core of my brain.

Inside Steve’s Brain, by Leander Kahney, is a biography of a great visionary.  Steve Jobs, Apple Corporation’s CEO,  has had (and continues to have) the innate ability to predict the future–especially when it comes to the types of technology the average person will buy, use and enjoy.  Kahney also wrote The Cult of Mac, which happens to be one of my favorite books.  In full disclosure, I am a Mac addict and find the whole company intriguing.  Even before I read this book, I was constantly amazed at how Mac products captivate a cult-like following.  It is even more apparent and understandable after reading this book.  Steve Jobs is a leader.  His strategies are, at times, unorthodox, but the bottom line is he gets results.

In the book Toy Box Leadership , Ron Hunter and Michael E. Waddell, Jr. write of not gluing your LEGOS together, that anticipating the future and that change it sure to occur.  They speak of pulling with courage and vision that allows your company to grow.  “Until a communicator with a passionate vision challenges us to do something great together, many times we struggle to find a meaningful purpose.” (Hunter, Waddell, Jr., 2008) They talk about aspirations, how to encourage people around you to reach out further, farther than they have before.  Good leaders tell their staff what they can achieve, then they recognize their accomplishments at steps along the way.  Steve Jobs does this at Apple.  He has courage and is a risk taker.  He has a vision that allows him to lead a company that develops and designs things we didn’t even know we needed and now seemingly can’t live without.

Jobs has been called the Walt Disney of this era.  He took a small company called Pixar and made it one of the most profitable movie studios in the world.  He is able to pull the best, most creative and talented people together to make magic.  He has an innate ability to find the very best person for the job.  He is a task master who uses artful delegation.  Hunter and Waddell would use the analogy of Little Green Army men and say that the success is in the setup.  The idea of a sandbox and development of strategy, understanding who goes where, how things get done, who does it and the constant reassessment of the plan in relation to progress are strategies from Toy Box that Steve has inside his brain for sure.  Stories of harsh treatment of people and employee firing in elevators are told like urban legends.  However few have actually been found to have any validity.  Steve Jobs understands that in order for a business to be successful, you need to have the right people doing the right job–and most of all they have to do it! Kahney writes of Jobs ability to “face hard decisions head on”.  Jobs has the ability to say no when needed and understands that his job is to focus on what he is good at–and delegate the rest. When he was faced with rebuilding Apple in the late 90’s, he had to strip the company down to just a few products.  Their line, at the time, included printers, monitors and peripheral equipment.  He wanted to be really good at developing just a small amount of things.  Spreading the company too thin had proved to be unhealthy for Apple.

Hunter and Waddell use Weebles as a symbol for persistence.  This is definitely a characteristic of Steve Jobs.  Apple was almost dead.  Steve Jobs successfully administered CPR and now it is one of the most successful companies of the 21st century.  Steve Jobs also surrounds himself with experienced mentors.  He doesn’t seek it out in terms of direct advice, but studies great visionaries. He has almost a “mystical reverence” for innovative people.  He speaks of meeting with Dr. Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid.  Their meeting was profound.  Dr. Land said that he always new the Polaroid camera existed, that he could see it as if it were real and sitting right in front of him and that it was his job to make it become reality.  He could see it before it was there.  Steve Jobs related to this in that he felt the same way about the Macintosh.  “It was as if it always existed.” Both Jobs and Land, Kahney writes, had the ability to not invent products, but discover them.

Steve Jobs is without a doubt one of the mostinnovative leaders of the modern age.  His focus is always on the user experience and his stated goal from the beginning was to “create easy-to-use technology for the widest possible audience.  Elitism, perfectionism, passion, despotism, inventive-spirit, and total control have helped Steve Jobs in the phoenix-like rebirth of Apple.  This glimpse inside the company provides a good balance between the factual and the fictitious stories of legend.  It was the perfect book to read after Toy Box Leadership as I believe that the spirit of play is what sparked the desire to create, develop and invent within Steve Jobs.

This is the reflection I wrote after my School Policy and Governance class a couple weeks ago…I’m posting them here, in part to keep track of them, but also to put ideas out there and generate discussion after the fact among my classmates…

An important aspect of any good leader is his or her ability to understand their personal  strengths and weaknesses.  Leaders who are able to delegate tasks  to experts, while contributing their knowledge and experience to the task at hand are ones who understand the true definition of leadership.  Bringing in speakers to explain aspects of school policy and current trends in education is an excellent demonstration of practical pedagogy.  The speakers that shared their expertise with us on October 18th were well versed and obviously passionate about  their contribution to the educational system.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. North Star Academy is leading us up the staircase towards a new version of schools in the 21st century.  It is apparent that the ability to think differently, to be open to progressive trends and to see students first, is the driving force behind this school.  Battling the stigma of the “alternative school” mentality is a challenge, especially in a community that is so deeply rooted in traditional schooling.  I was excited to hear about their policies and programs.  I think they are getting it right.  They understand that we teach children, not subjects; that people are our business, not curriculum, discipline and policy.  Not that the latter three are not important–in fact, they understand that they are crucial to providing the structure through which the school is able to put the student needs’ first–they just seem to understand that the kids need to come first. They understand that how kids learn, the environment in which success is most possible, is number one on the list.  If we don’t understand and respect that, the rest is all just a bunch of binders, detention slips and rhetoric.  One of my favorite quotes from a podcast I recently listened to comes from Kevin Honeycutt.  He says the most important thing to remember when teaching–is that no matter how difficult it is–whether it be designing a lesson, creating an activity, assessing progress–it isn’t about us (as teachers), it is about them (the students).  This simple statement–It’s not about us: it’s about them–is one I have posted above my computer on a simple little sticky note.  It should be the mantra for each and every teacher.  Sure–creating and designing engaging lessons takes extra time, planning and hard work–but that is why we are teachers–to teach, not to take the easiest path.  As professionals we are obligated to continue to learn about best practices in teaching, no matter what the length of our prep period.  I think the core philosophies of North Star Academy are in alignment with this ideal.  It was refreshing (and inspiring) to hear about the opportunities they are providing for our community.

Sean O’Donnell was able to give us some insight and a behind the scenes glimpse into charter schools in Michigan.  Misunderstandings abound with anything new and different.  He provided us with good, clear information that is going to allow me to better communicate exactly how charter schools work.  It is such an interesting concept that has evolved in education and one that I think (and hope) will continue to evolve as it challenges all schools to step up and create successful learning environments for every student.  Understanding the differences between programs that are run by larger businesses versus those that are run from local boards and state funding helped me understand the opportunities that charter schools are able to provide.  Our local residents are soon going to  look for alternatives to public schools if they aren’t able to individulize instruction for students to a greater degree.  I think that a school like the Wilson Academy in Pontiac that attracts students from failing schools is a model for other charter schools to follow.  Schools like North Star Academy provide residents with options.

Within urban areas there are many options for our children.  Magnet schools that focus on specific interest areas are becoming more popular.  Education is moving so rapidly and children are exposed to greater amounts of content at earlier ages.  Why shouldn’t students at the age of fourteen or fifteen be able to learn and study at schools that are more intently focused on their area of interest?  This isn’t to say a well rounded education isn’t important, but in today’s world and the age of Google, how students interact and utilize information is becoming a necessary skill, one that supercedes the rote memorization of facts and information.  Charter schools are able to zero in on this skill and rebuild schools, the structure and inner workings, from the ground up.  If we are to see a true change in education, we must disrupt the current system and find new ways to see the big picture.  We must help people (parents, school board members, teachers, citizens) see schools in a different light.  It is not simply enough to have been “good enough for me” anymore.  We must be excellent learning spaces for the students of today, while always looking at tomorrow.

I’ve always been interested in the historical perspective when considering the role of school boards in education.  Understanding that schools were started by communities to provide education to the children of their members is important to keep in mind when considering the role of school board members today.  I have concerns with the fact that there are no educational requirements to be a school board member.  Medical boards, law review boards and even boards in the state certified plumbing and heating industry all have educational requirements for their board members.  As teaching has grown into a professional occupation, one that requires sound demonstration of good pedagogy and deep understanding of the science of learning, it seems as though school board members should, at the very least, hold some sort of post-secondary degree.  Their ability to understand policy, school law, sound educational practices and the foundations of educational curriculum seems, at minimum, critical to making good decisions as a member of the school board.  I was pleased to listen as Shelley Ovink and Paula Saari both indicated that they felt that school board members need to be educated on the current issues in education.  The information they shared with us in regards to the school board associations and the services they provide to local districts was helpful and enlightening.  It was interesting to hear them convey their passion and concern for issues that impact our local districts.

Reinforcing Fowler’s stance on policy and it’s importance it plays in schools, Saari and Ovink shared concrete examples of how policy effects procedures and overall operations within schools.  Their insight left me with many questions for our own school board.  I am curious as to how often they participate in the educational opportunities offered by the Michigan Association of School Boards. I am wondering just how well the flow of information is between the teachers, administration and school board members in the Negaunee district.  Often I seek Jim’s opinions and thoughts on issues.  After class on Saturday, I am thinking that the development of a communication system between teachers and the school board to share information would be a positive implementation into our current system.  Too often the only dialogue between teachers and the board is in regards to contractual issues and negotiations.  This isn’t always a positive interaction.  It would be nice if we could open up the lines of communication to encompass a discussion that allowed for a more positive relationship in order to improve student learning.  After all, once again, it’s not about us–it’s about them.

ED630: Advanced Educational Leadership
Dr. Dennis Stanek
Sara R. Beauchamp
As my five year old son entered school this fall, I was apprehensive.  He has a voracious curiosity and thirst for learning, yet somehow I knew he would not enjoy the traditional school setting.  His favorite thing to do is to build.  Creating new things from seemingly random objects is a task he can do for hours.  We have a recycle art box in our dining room.  Empty juice, butter, sour cream and yogurt containers sit waiting to be turned into doll house hot tubs, rocket boosters and robot feet. Cake mix, macaroni, and cereal boxes become sky scrapers, foundations and homes for Polly Pockets.  Using a glue gun and his imagination, he creates worlds and new inventions. Through play he is developing skills that will allow him to take the linear, organizational, sequential skills learned through traditional academia and combine them with the ability to see the big picture.  It has been no secret in the world of education that children learn best through play.  It is through play that we can engage them in the learning process.  It is our hook. In Toy Box Leadership, Ron Hunter, Jr.  and Michael E. Waddell take that concept one step further and take a look at how the seemingly simple toys of our childhood teach lessons that extend beyond play.  They guide us through the chapters allowing us to revisit the toys that allowed us the freedom to be creative, to problem solve, and build dreams.
Many of the concepts discussed in this book have always been core driving principles in my life.  The idea of building relationships, like in the LEGO chapter is one that is most recognizable through my work with the Upper Peninsula Writing Project.  It is a core belief of the National Writing Project that in order to teach writing in your classroom, you must first develop a writing community.  This sense of community allows writers to feel safe, secure and willing to open up.  Writing is a very personal exercise and it takes time to develop the trust to share it with others.  Good writers understand that it is only through sharing, collaboration and feedback that they can become better writers.  But first it starts with relationships, connections.  Three components of the LEGO concept that gave me a “light bulb” moment were the analogies of the misplaced, forced, isolated and unorganized bricks.  When building communities, it is important that everyone is where they need to be.  That they want to participate and that they feel needed.  Organization of the people you have in your company (or school) is critical to the big picture. Waddell suggest that we all understand that a single out of place brick can ruin an entire castle.  Leaders have to pay attention to these concepts.
Change does not just happen.  It takes leaders with vision.  Vision is the foundation for all change, all innovation.  The analogy of the Slinky Dog is brilliant.  People with vision are crucial to education.  It is so important in our field because things are always changing, moving, and growing.  The needs of our children are changing, now, more than any other time in the history of education.  If we don’t have leaders with vision, we will not grow as an institution.  If your principal or superintendent believes that it is sufficient to “always do what you have always done”, our schools are in serious danger.  Having a vision does not mean jumping on every bandwagon that comes our way.  It is understanding the core foundations of education and carrying them into the 21st Century to best serve the needs of our children.  It is about us, not about them. For me, the most powerful lesson of the Slinky Dog is that it is a tricky job to pull and be patient.  If you pull too quickly and get too far from the followers, then you are not a leader.  You are just a person out in front all alone.  As with the Slinky Dog if you pull too fast and too far, you will destroy the coils, the connections within the group.  The trick, Hunter says, is to pull and be patient.  Imagine the Slinky Dog for a moment.  Picture the physics of how the toy operates.  When you pull the dog along, the front gets out in front, then the back catches up, propelling the front forward again.  These bursts allow for growth within your organization.
Persistence.  Falling down is not the problem; it is what happens when you are laying on the floor.  Do you lie there and wait for someone to come along?  “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down” is a very recognizable advertising slogan from the 1970’s.  The truth is, they do fall down.  They just don’t stay there.  The power of positive thinking is a wondrous thing.  It enables your mind to think differently, changing your heart rate, your blood pressure and your overall feelings of worth.   Failure is the world’s best way to learn.  This is a good trait to possess if you are in a leadership role.  You will be faced with many challenges and ultimately fail at some of them.  If you are persistent and learn from your failures, you will be able to achieve all you are working towards.
Hunter and Waddell do a delightful job of organizing solid leadership principals in an easy to read format that makes us look at things from a different point of view.  The margins of my book are filled with notes and many key phrases are highlighted.  To me–that is a sign of a good read.  I took away concrete ideas and revisited ones that solidified my current philosophies.  This could easily be a companion book for Fulgrum’s Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. The roots of human behavior are formed at such an early age.  Toys allow us to openly express ourselves in these early stages.  Leaders of every style should pick this book up and keep it close to their desks,  along side some of the very toys discussed in the book, to serve as a reminder to connect with people, be creative, stay true to their beliefs, strive for efficiency, pull, then be patient and get back up after they have fallen.