So it has been awhile since my last post. My apologies to all of you faithful readers. I am back, and better than ever!!
The last two months I have been focused on a classroom design competition by Architecture For Humanity. It was a great experience working directly with educators and my colleagues on trying to create the classroom of the future. We had a great time working with Future Leaders Institute and in the process created a short documentary with After Ed TV. The first episode from After Ed TV is online now (and below) and a link to our competition submission is at the bottom. Look for more to come!
www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/3973
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
NJ Charter School Conference
Today I attended the New Jersey Public Charter School Association conference in Trenton NJ. It was encouraging to see some great attendance at this conference not only from charter school teachers and administrators, but also various state and local officials, businesses and interested parties. These types of conferences are an important way to help build networks, learn new techniques and advance the educational reform movement.
I was there to conduct a session on sustainable design opportunities for charter schools. We focused on a better understanding of why sustainability is important in schools, what are some of the easy steps you can take to make your school greener and what resources are available to help in the process and economics of making schools green.
All around there was plenty of great discussion, but we need to engage more people. To find out more about NJPCSA or the conference check out their website http://www.njcharters.org/
I was there to conduct a session on sustainable design opportunities for charter schools. We focused on a better understanding of why sustainability is important in schools, what are some of the easy steps you can take to make your school greener and what resources are available to help in the process and economics of making schools green.
All around there was plenty of great discussion, but we need to engage more people. To find out more about NJPCSA or the conference check out their website http://www.njcharters.org/
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The "Classroom" redefined??
The classroom has become a space synonymous in the American psyche with a traditional multi use high school classroom. The physical space is defined as a simple box, four walls, a ceiling and a floor. In it we find 20-40 places to sit and work, a blackboard or white board, a few windows and a few posters on the wall. Hollywood has portrayed it accurately in countless movies and TV shoes. Almost everyone in our country has spent considerable time in one of these vanilla boxes designed around function and flexibility.
But ultimately what is a classroom? Is its definition as simple as the physical space that it occupies? What makes a classroom different from a workshop, a restaurant or a store? In each of those places they may have four walls, a ceiling and a floor. They may have furniture for 20-40 people to gather. There may even be whiteboards, windows and posters. In each case the physical definition is not enough to separate the classroom from other types of spaces.
If we examine the dictionary we will find a simple definition for the classroom. It is 'a place where classes meet'. Even if we take the definition a step further to examine the word class the definition remains quite simple. A 'class' is defined as 'a body of students meeting regularly to study the same subject'. Therefore according to our friends at Webster a classroom is 'the place where a body of students meet regularly to study the same subject'.
Not so fast Webster, I would argue there is more to a classroom than that.
Instead I would expect most of us would define a classroom by the actions that take place within the space; teaching, studying and learning. Classrooms are expected to be spaces where individuals receive information regarding a course of study, practice that information and process or synthesize it into personal knowledge. Therefore perhaps we can redefine the classroom as 'the physical space where individuals can receive knowledge'. If we use that definition suddenly the image of the simple box fades. Individuals gain knowledge in a variety of places, some passively, some actively. We might gain knowledge in our home reading a book, or outdoors examining wildlife. We could gain knowledge in a church or a hospital, so what makes the classroom different?
Perhaps my definition is to broad. Certainly my living room is not a classroom, but I can gain knowledge there. What is missing? Quite simply, community. Schools and classrooms are not built around an individual, but a community of learning. They are intended as universal places where many people may gather to gain much of the same or similar knowledge. Revisiting Webster we note that his definition states 'a body of students' which separates the community from the individual. Lets try this again. Perhaps the classroom should be defined as 'the physical space where a community of people can receive shared knowledge'.
Ironically today most classrooms are only designed around one part of the process of gaining knowledge; teaching. The goal for many teachers is the effective delivery of complex information and many educational designers see that as the primary function of any classroom space. How best can I design a classroom to assist in delivering complex information? That approach has given our society some of the best audio visual technology, functional furniture and teacher focused spaces. For decades classrooms have been designed to make the most important person in the room the teacher and the most important action the delivery of information.
Today we receive information in many more ways than ever before. Technology has made it possible to see and hear information anyplace anytime relevant or not. Even the most interesting modern classrooms pale in the vibrancy of television, video games and the all reaching Internet. Students around the globe have new access to amazing lessons taught by incredible teachers through cable television, videos, websites and emerging new media. So if we are finding new and better ways to deliver information outside of the classroom, what is its true purpose?
Ultimately the classroom, must be designed for the learner or it will become obsolete. Information can be delivered in a variety of ways and a variety of places, but to be used effectively it must be studied and synthesized. The synthesis of information into a body of knowledge is not a simple process. It often involves study from many points of view. That is where community becomes so critical. Classrooms are the cauldrons where small communities can examine complex subjects together providing many individual points of view that inform the community as a whole. Classrooms must become places focused on the student and their role in a learning community to maintain and improve their relevance.
Some will argue that the learning community is defined by the teacher and students who create that community. I would agree that the sum of the individuals may make the community, but the place where they define themselves is the classroom.
But ultimately what is a classroom? Is its definition as simple as the physical space that it occupies? What makes a classroom different from a workshop, a restaurant or a store? In each of those places they may have four walls, a ceiling and a floor. They may have furniture for 20-40 people to gather. There may even be whiteboards, windows and posters. In each case the physical definition is not enough to separate the classroom from other types of spaces.
If we examine the dictionary we will find a simple definition for the classroom. It is 'a place where classes meet'. Even if we take the definition a step further to examine the word class the definition remains quite simple. A 'class' is defined as 'a body of students meeting regularly to study the same subject'. Therefore according to our friends at Webster a classroom is 'the place where a body of students meet regularly to study the same subject'.
Not so fast Webster, I would argue there is more to a classroom than that.
Instead I would expect most of us would define a classroom by the actions that take place within the space; teaching, studying and learning. Classrooms are expected to be spaces where individuals receive information regarding a course of study, practice that information and process or synthesize it into personal knowledge. Therefore perhaps we can redefine the classroom as 'the physical space where individuals can receive knowledge'. If we use that definition suddenly the image of the simple box fades. Individuals gain knowledge in a variety of places, some passively, some actively. We might gain knowledge in our home reading a book, or outdoors examining wildlife. We could gain knowledge in a church or a hospital, so what makes the classroom different?
Perhaps my definition is to broad. Certainly my living room is not a classroom, but I can gain knowledge there. What is missing? Quite simply, community. Schools and classrooms are not built around an individual, but a community of learning. They are intended as universal places where many people may gather to gain much of the same or similar knowledge. Revisiting Webster we note that his definition states 'a body of students' which separates the community from the individual. Lets try this again. Perhaps the classroom should be defined as 'the physical space where a community of people can receive shared knowledge'.
Ironically today most classrooms are only designed around one part of the process of gaining knowledge; teaching. The goal for many teachers is the effective delivery of complex information and many educational designers see that as the primary function of any classroom space. How best can I design a classroom to assist in delivering complex information? That approach has given our society some of the best audio visual technology, functional furniture and teacher focused spaces. For decades classrooms have been designed to make the most important person in the room the teacher and the most important action the delivery of information.
Today we receive information in many more ways than ever before. Technology has made it possible to see and hear information anyplace anytime relevant or not. Even the most interesting modern classrooms pale in the vibrancy of television, video games and the all reaching Internet. Students around the globe have new access to amazing lessons taught by incredible teachers through cable television, videos, websites and emerging new media. So if we are finding new and better ways to deliver information outside of the classroom, what is its true purpose?
Ultimately the classroom, must be designed for the learner or it will become obsolete. Information can be delivered in a variety of ways and a variety of places, but to be used effectively it must be studied and synthesized. The synthesis of information into a body of knowledge is not a simple process. It often involves study from many points of view. That is where community becomes so critical. Classrooms are the cauldrons where small communities can examine complex subjects together providing many individual points of view that inform the community as a whole. Classrooms must become places focused on the student and their role in a learning community to maintain and improve their relevance.
Some will argue that the learning community is defined by the teacher and students who create that community. I would agree that the sum of the individuals may make the community, but the place where they define themselves is the classroom.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Teaching Leadership
How do we teach leadership? It is an attribute that is desirable in our society, but not one that is easily taught. Our schools both public and private often promote developing the whole child in mind, body and spirit but while that is an easy motto it is a difficult task. Each institution has a varied curriculum and pedagogy but in teaching leadership they can typically be caste into a few simple systems.
Creating 'Leadership Opportunities'
Many schools promote opportunities for leadership through varied activities and classes. These traditionally include roles in school government, athletic captains, and club leaders. The individual roles may vary from administrative to management to the capacity of true leadership. The challenge in creating 'leadership opportunities' is that they are often based on individual interest, ability and popularity. There are few tests of real leadership, but instead chances to practice at managing, negotiating and administering varied organizations. Important lessons indeed, but not a lesson in leading. In the few occasions where real leadership is required it is often coached and subsedized by the adults advising the program. At an individual level this coaching can be invaluable, but it is often uneven across a whole team or class. In the thousands of opportunities that exist only a handful will create leaders.
Defined Leadership Courses
For some schools there are actual 'leadership training courses'. Many of these are based on military and corporate programs intended to train new adult leaders. They include specific readings and lectures about famed leaders facing tough decisions. Some courses includes discussions of strategy, psychology and politics to define the environment and the implications of each decision. These courses give individual students the opportunity to better define leadership analytically and to see more of the challenges and complexities that true leaders face. These programs are often very effective at teaching students the qualities of a leader, but not necessarily in creating leaders. While individuals may walk away from a program 'book smart' they usually don't get the opportunity to test or practice the new skills they have read about. Again a few true leaders may emerge from these courses but they are the exception, rarely the rule.
Trials and Errors
In some schools and more specifically in programs like the boy scouts or girl scouts there are opportunities where true leadership is expected and required. Similar to the military individuals are placed in a position to make difficult decisions that impact their peers and have real consequences. These programs can be truly effective at developing leadership skills, but face a high risk when mistakes are made. Individuals and particularly children are often unprepared for the consequences of their mistakes when they are in true leadership positions. When the safety net is taken away true leaders may emerge, but those who fail pay a steeper price.
So what are schools to do? As a society we need strong leaders, men and women who are willing to make tough decisions, lead their peers and face the real consequences. Do we book teach everyone about the skills required and hope that they will each find individual opportunities to develop those skills in life, or do we create leadership tests with real consequences for those who fail? Not everyone is expected to be a leader, but we need to cultivate those who will pick up the mantel in the next generation.
Specifically in our public schools, we need to cultivate attributes and qualities that are necessary for the next generation. These qualities do not only include leadership, but in examining how we learn individual traits I suspect we will find systems to teach the varied qualities we expect of our youth. Safe opportunities, formal courses and true trials when used in tandom and built into a real system can be a powerful way to develop skills and traits including leadership.
Creating 'Leadership Opportunities'
Many schools promote opportunities for leadership through varied activities and classes. These traditionally include roles in school government, athletic captains, and club leaders. The individual roles may vary from administrative to management to the capacity of true leadership. The challenge in creating 'leadership opportunities' is that they are often based on individual interest, ability and popularity. There are few tests of real leadership, but instead chances to practice at managing, negotiating and administering varied organizations. Important lessons indeed, but not a lesson in leading. In the few occasions where real leadership is required it is often coached and subsedized by the adults advising the program. At an individual level this coaching can be invaluable, but it is often uneven across a whole team or class. In the thousands of opportunities that exist only a handful will create leaders.
Defined Leadership Courses
For some schools there are actual 'leadership training courses'. Many of these are based on military and corporate programs intended to train new adult leaders. They include specific readings and lectures about famed leaders facing tough decisions. Some courses includes discussions of strategy, psychology and politics to define the environment and the implications of each decision. These courses give individual students the opportunity to better define leadership analytically and to see more of the challenges and complexities that true leaders face. These programs are often very effective at teaching students the qualities of a leader, but not necessarily in creating leaders. While individuals may walk away from a program 'book smart' they usually don't get the opportunity to test or practice the new skills they have read about. Again a few true leaders may emerge from these courses but they are the exception, rarely the rule.
Trials and Errors
In some schools and more specifically in programs like the boy scouts or girl scouts there are opportunities where true leadership is expected and required. Similar to the military individuals are placed in a position to make difficult decisions that impact their peers and have real consequences. These programs can be truly effective at developing leadership skills, but face a high risk when mistakes are made. Individuals and particularly children are often unprepared for the consequences of their mistakes when they are in true leadership positions. When the safety net is taken away true leaders may emerge, but those who fail pay a steeper price.
So what are schools to do? As a society we need strong leaders, men and women who are willing to make tough decisions, lead their peers and face the real consequences. Do we book teach everyone about the skills required and hope that they will each find individual opportunities to develop those skills in life, or do we create leadership tests with real consequences for those who fail? Not everyone is expected to be a leader, but we need to cultivate those who will pick up the mantel in the next generation.
Specifically in our public schools, we need to cultivate attributes and qualities that are necessary for the next generation. These qualities do not only include leadership, but in examining how we learn individual traits I suspect we will find systems to teach the varied qualities we expect of our youth. Safe opportunities, formal courses and true trials when used in tandom and built into a real system can be a powerful way to develop skills and traits including leadership.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Design Math 101 - A formula for good educational design
As simple as it sounds I have never seen or heard of a standard formula for the design of learning spaces. Now while design is not as simple as plugging in integers to create a definitive answer there is certainly a range of reasonable values to expect. As a designer, but not a mathematician I offer a basic formula that I have found valuable in my experience designing schools:
(L1 x (Cr+Pg)) x Ext = GD
L1 = The Learner. The first and most important element of any learning space is the individual or group that is going to learn in that space. It is important to understand both the quantitative and qualitative requirements of the learner. How old is the student? What is his or her past experiences? What are their capabilities? What are their limitations?
Cr = Curriculum. The curriculum is the subject matter that must be taught. It is the knowledge that the learner is expected to gain within the space where they learn. Curriculum may include both formal curriculum (the history of the civil war) and informal curriculum (the basic strategies of debate). It may also be a part of a larger curriculum (American History Part I of III). These are all important data points in understanding the design of a learning space.
Pg = Pedagogy. Pedagogy is the method of delivering knowledge. Is it taught by an individual teacher in a lecture, or through a series of small group discussions? Does the class require a hands on lab or is the knowledge delivered through a video? The delivery method is as important as the lesson that will be taught. For instance if you are teaching someone to change the oil in a car they could learn by listening to someone describe the process, watching a video that shows the process or participating in doing the process on an actual automobile. In each case the curriculum is the same (learning to change the oil), but the pedagogy is completely different and its implications on space are exponetially different.
Ext = External Factors. Learning spaces are influenced by a wide range of external factors. These can range from the adjacencies of distractions like highways or trains to the time of day that the class may be taught. External Factors create positive and negative pressures on specific design issues like lighting, acoustics or security. Each design must address these issues or the overall formula will fall apart.
GD = Good Design. This is the answer to the formula. At a basic level did the learner gain the knowledge they were expected to within the space? Clearly the classroom does not take the place of the teacher, but does it enhance or detract from the learning experience. In designing places for learning we need to understand all of these elements. Without knowing the requirements of the learner, the curriculum, the pedagogy or the external factors that influence them all we can not hope to create great schools, classrooms or learning spaces of the future.
Clearly this formula is the basic version of a far more complicated process. Schools are designed for many people, typically not individuals and classrooms must often accommodate many different subjects and teaching styles. We need to recognize that there are many answers to the question of what is 'good design', but we should also take note of the simple equations that may help define that answer.
(L1 x (Cr+Pg)) x Ext = GD
L1 = The Learner. The first and most important element of any learning space is the individual or group that is going to learn in that space. It is important to understand both the quantitative and qualitative requirements of the learner. How old is the student? What is his or her past experiences? What are their capabilities? What are their limitations?
Cr = Curriculum. The curriculum is the subject matter that must be taught. It is the knowledge that the learner is expected to gain within the space where they learn. Curriculum may include both formal curriculum (the history of the civil war) and informal curriculum (the basic strategies of debate). It may also be a part of a larger curriculum (American History Part I of III). These are all important data points in understanding the design of a learning space.
Pg = Pedagogy. Pedagogy is the method of delivering knowledge. Is it taught by an individual teacher in a lecture, or through a series of small group discussions? Does the class require a hands on lab or is the knowledge delivered through a video? The delivery method is as important as the lesson that will be taught. For instance if you are teaching someone to change the oil in a car they could learn by listening to someone describe the process, watching a video that shows the process or participating in doing the process on an actual automobile. In each case the curriculum is the same (learning to change the oil), but the pedagogy is completely different and its implications on space are exponetially different.
Ext = External Factors. Learning spaces are influenced by a wide range of external factors. These can range from the adjacencies of distractions like highways or trains to the time of day that the class may be taught. External Factors create positive and negative pressures on specific design issues like lighting, acoustics or security. Each design must address these issues or the overall formula will fall apart.
GD = Good Design. This is the answer to the formula. At a basic level did the learner gain the knowledge they were expected to within the space? Clearly the classroom does not take the place of the teacher, but does it enhance or detract from the learning experience. In designing places for learning we need to understand all of these elements. Without knowing the requirements of the learner, the curriculum, the pedagogy or the external factors that influence them all we can not hope to create great schools, classrooms or learning spaces of the future.
Clearly this formula is the basic version of a far more complicated process. Schools are designed for many people, typically not individuals and classrooms must often accommodate many different subjects and teaching styles. We need to recognize that there are many answers to the question of what is 'good design', but we should also take note of the simple equations that may help define that answer.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Now What !?! part 2
For any of us who work with educational facilities the past few weeks have been a roller coaster or opportunity, promise and disappointment. We have watched the stimulus debate take a series of twists and turns and in the end has left funding for school renovation and construction out in the cold. So now what do we do? Our educational facility infrastructure is still as old and in need as it was on inauguration day. Our schools are limping along with few dollars available for facility maintenance let alone capital improvements. What can we do?
Set priorities
We all know that there are projects that need to happen regardless of the economic climate. Don’t loose sight of these priority projects. Here are a few ways to keep them on track.
Make a master list of all of the critical facilities projects in your school or district. Be realistic about how quickly these projects need to be completed and their potential cost. Once you have that list together identify which projects are Must Do, Should Do or Want to Do. Now you have your priority list. Start with the most critical Must Do project and go from there.
Revisit your constituents. The world has changed for so many people in the last two months. You should check in and make sure that people’s priorities are the same as they were a year ago. You may be surprised. A high profile project that had public support a year ago may now be seen as a weight on critical resources, or projects that seemed less important like roof replacement or boiler upgrades may now be viewed with a higher level of interest. Engage the public and let them know what are the critical priorities. Maintain your support through communication.
Look for new ways to pay for projects. There are still programs out there with funding for specific issues. For example the federal government has continued funding for E-Rate, a technology program that funds Internet and technology upgrades or services. They have also maintained Energy Star, a environmental program that funds equipment upgrades. Both can be used to help offset a portion of the costs of a priority project. Do some research on the funding programs that may help make your project more affordable.
Set priorities
We all know that there are projects that need to happen regardless of the economic climate. Don’t loose sight of these priority projects. Here are a few ways to keep them on track.
Make a master list of all of the critical facilities projects in your school or district. Be realistic about how quickly these projects need to be completed and their potential cost. Once you have that list together identify which projects are Must Do, Should Do or Want to Do. Now you have your priority list. Start with the most critical Must Do project and go from there.
Revisit your constituents. The world has changed for so many people in the last two months. You should check in and make sure that people’s priorities are the same as they were a year ago. You may be surprised. A high profile project that had public support a year ago may now be seen as a weight on critical resources, or projects that seemed less important like roof replacement or boiler upgrades may now be viewed with a higher level of interest. Engage the public and let them know what are the critical priorities. Maintain your support through communication.
Look for new ways to pay for projects. There are still programs out there with funding for specific issues. For example the federal government has continued funding for E-Rate, a technology program that funds Internet and technology upgrades or services. They have also maintained Energy Star, a environmental program that funds equipment upgrades. Both can be used to help offset a portion of the costs of a priority project. Do some research on the funding programs that may help make your project more affordable.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Now What !?! part 1
Part 1 of 3
For any of us who work with educational facilities the past few weeks have been a roller coaster or opportunity, promise and disappointment. We have watched the stimulus debate take a series of twists and turns and in the end has left funding for school renovation and construction out in the cold. So now what do we do? Our educational facility infrastructure is still as old and in need as it was on inauguration day. Our schools are limping along with few dollars available for facility maintenance let alone capital improvements. What can we do?
Make the most of what we have.
School buildings are tremendous resources, but we need to get better at maintaining them and using them to their full potential. There are a few simple steps that will help maximize existing buildings:
Clean, Clean, Clean. You might be surprised, but clean buildings are less likely to be vandalized, improve the general state of mind of the occupants and are a great representation of your culture and accomplishments.
Take care of your building’s internal systems; plumbing, heating, air conditioning, lighting can all be expensive to maintain, but are necessary to a properly functioning educational space. Don’t skimp on maintenance, it will come back to haunt you.
Look for ways to use existing spaces more effectively. Has your school done a recent block plan, or evaluated the efficiency of its spaces? Evaluate if you are really using each room to its maximum potential. You may find that you have more space than you thought through a better understanding of how the space is used.
For any of us who work with educational facilities the past few weeks have been a roller coaster or opportunity, promise and disappointment. We have watched the stimulus debate take a series of twists and turns and in the end has left funding for school renovation and construction out in the cold. So now what do we do? Our educational facility infrastructure is still as old and in need as it was on inauguration day. Our schools are limping along with few dollars available for facility maintenance let alone capital improvements. What can we do?
Make the most of what we have.
School buildings are tremendous resources, but we need to get better at maintaining them and using them to their full potential. There are a few simple steps that will help maximize existing buildings:
Clean, Clean, Clean. You might be surprised, but clean buildings are less likely to be vandalized, improve the general state of mind of the occupants and are a great representation of your culture and accomplishments.
Take care of your building’s internal systems; plumbing, heating, air conditioning, lighting can all be expensive to maintain, but are necessary to a properly functioning educational space. Don’t skimp on maintenance, it will come back to haunt you.
Look for ways to use existing spaces more effectively. Has your school done a recent block plan, or evaluated the efficiency of its spaces? Evaluate if you are really using each room to its maximum potential. You may find that you have more space than you thought through a better understanding of how the space is used.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The modern classroom, in your hand?
Leading up to the superbowl I kept looking for the next great commercial. The one that would make you sit up and stare at the TV and tell your friend cruching natchos on the couch next to you to be quiet. I didn't see any during the game, but there is one commercial that has gotten stuck in the recesses of my brain. Have you seen it? It is the one where the professor is talking to his class about how he has failed them. It is an expertly filmed little short that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It gives me pause, not because of the product they are selling, but because it voices an idea that has been lurking in education for more than a decade.
'With all of this technology why do we need physical classrooms?'
Kaplan, the company that put together this ad is selling an online educational experience. They are challenging the status quo that education is delivered via a facility, a teacher and a class. Many other schools and universities have started to challenge this idea as well, pushing to use technology to leverage the best teachers and reach to far more students. Some people rave about the opportunity to learn on their own time and in their own place, but is it effective? Does this type of learning have real merit? And, if it does, does technology undermine the need for schools all together?
I am still forming an opinion on this and plan to blog on it quite a bit in the future. This post is an invitation to each of you to take a look at the Kaplan ad (just follow the link) and send me an opinion on what you think, both of the ad and of the idea that maybe we don't really need classrooms at all!
Let me know your thoughts. Lots more to follow.
'With all of this technology why do we need physical classrooms?'
Kaplan, the company that put together this ad is selling an online educational experience. They are challenging the status quo that education is delivered via a facility, a teacher and a class. Many other schools and universities have started to challenge this idea as well, pushing to use technology to leverage the best teachers and reach to far more students. Some people rave about the opportunity to learn on their own time and in their own place, but is it effective? Does this type of learning have real merit? And, if it does, does technology undermine the need for schools all together?
I am still forming an opinion on this and plan to blog on it quite a bit in the future. This post is an invitation to each of you to take a look at the Kaplan ad (just follow the link) and send me an opinion on what you think, both of the ad and of the idea that maybe we don't really need classrooms at all!
Let me know your thoughts. Lots more to follow.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
!!!! Senate Cuts School Construction !!!!
I have been closely watching the debates on the stimulus package for the past weeks (yes it has only been debated for a few short weeks). The package which started out based on a concept of rebuilding infrastructure and creating jobs has withered on the vine and is now chock full of tax cuts and specialized spending. While this package will hopefully pull us out of the downward spiral our economy is in, it does not have the teeth and power of some of the public works projects of the past. What is most disturbing to me is the lack of funds for construction both rehabilitation and new for our schools.
To put it simply, investing in our schools is a no brainer. By improving school facilities we invest not only in the opportunities of tomorrows students but the value of today's workers. Construction creates jobs, period. It creates jobs today that translate into future work for the people who will occupy, maintain and work in these new facilities. We also build assets for the future in real property. We can not afford to cut out spending on construction.
I have been continuing to monitor the senate debate on the stimulus package. While the press has been playing up the political power plays each party has been making the details of the bill have been changing dramatically. The Nelson Collins Amendment was proposed on February 5th and accepted into the package. This amendment to the bill has changed the math to redistribute funds in all areas. Unfortunately that amendment proposes to cut almost 20 billion dollars out of school construction funding (16 B for K-12, 3.5 B for Higher Ed).
You can find the details of the changes in appropriations through the link below. Take a specific look at lines 443 and 454 which cut school construction spending.
http://bennelson.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=307916
(if you have trouble with the link, cut and paste it into your browser)
It is expected that the senate will vote on these measures early next week. If any of you have connections to senators or representatives please reach out to them and ask them to keep the proposed school construction funds in the stimulus bill. Also please forward this post to your colleagues as appropriate.
This is a dramatic change to the potential outlook for school construction over the next 2-4 years. It will continue a federal legacy of neglecting our schools. We need our senators, representatives and president to step up and keep school construction in the bill, both to stimulate the economy now and invest in our future.
To put it simply, investing in our schools is a no brainer. By improving school facilities we invest not only in the opportunities of tomorrows students but the value of today's workers. Construction creates jobs, period. It creates jobs today that translate into future work for the people who will occupy, maintain and work in these new facilities. We also build assets for the future in real property. We can not afford to cut out spending on construction.
I have been continuing to monitor the senate debate on the stimulus package. While the press has been playing up the political power plays each party has been making the details of the bill have been changing dramatically. The Nelson Collins Amendment was proposed on February 5th and accepted into the package. This amendment to the bill has changed the math to redistribute funds in all areas. Unfortunately that amendment proposes to cut almost 20 billion dollars out of school construction funding (16 B for K-12, 3.5 B for Higher Ed).
You can find the details of the changes in appropriations through the link below. Take a specific look at lines 443 and 454 which cut school construction spending.
http://bennelson.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=307916
(if you have trouble with the link, cut and paste it into your browser)
It is expected that the senate will vote on these measures early next week. If any of you have connections to senators or representatives please reach out to them and ask them to keep the proposed school construction funds in the stimulus bill. Also please forward this post to your colleagues as appropriate.
This is a dramatic change to the potential outlook for school construction over the next 2-4 years. It will continue a federal legacy of neglecting our schools. We need our senators, representatives and president to step up and keep school construction in the bill, both to stimulate the economy now and invest in our future.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Greening of American Schools: If it ain't broke, don't fix it
Part 3 in a series
Every school in every school district must balance the daily challenges of running at their programs with the needs of maintaining their largest physical asset, the school building. This issue is easy to ignore month after month, year after year. School districts often defer maintenance for decades, cutting costs from their facility budgets to allow for other important programs. Unfortunately as we look at making our schools more sustainable we need to take a serious look at how we maintain our facilities.
In sustainable design we are always trying to create a smaller footprint or impact. One way of achieving this is to use existing whenever possible before providing new. This is the argument to keep the car you have for a few more years, rather than running out and buying a brand new hybrid or high efficiency vehicle. Why is your old car more sustainable? Because you are not creating demand for the production of new steel, rubber or plastic parts. Instead you are using parts that had been previously produced for their complete useful life. You should still buy the hybrid car in the future, just wait until your current vehicle has met its maker.
When it comes to buildings that is an even more potent argument. Buildings are huge physical assets made up of many parts. We can't just tear a building down and ship it to the local trash dump. The land that a building occupies is scared and needs time to be repaired. Our existing building stock in many cases occupies prime locations forcing communities to use areas that were not previously considered for development. As a society we need to take better care of our existing buildings, especially our schools for as long as possible.
The challenge to maintain our school facilities falls to our administrators and boards of education. Administrators face a difficult question each year. They must balance a budget that pays for not only teachers, but transportation, food service, facilities, maintenance and other major expenses. Often school budgets are dominated by capital expenses even over the cost of staff. Any good school board member will tell you that it is much easier to defer maintenance costs than to trim staff or scale back programs that have a tangible impact on our children.
Realistically our school buildings also have a tangible impact. Schools that are not maintained typically have poorer air quality, lighting and acoustics. Operating in classrooms which are cold, dark or loud can have a severely negative effect on student learning, absenteeism and general heath. These buildings are often more expense to operate and wind up taking dollars from programs anyway.
In some cases districts get surprised by their facilities. After years of not maintaining their building stock it starts to fail. Roofs leak, pipes burst, boilers burn out. When these issues occur schools are forced to syphon off significant funds from other programs to cover the costs if they haven't maintained proper facility budgets. These are drastic measures that can often be avoided with an appropriate maintenance program.
So how do we get this done?
First thing is first. Stop differing maintenance. Do not allow your schools or districts to put off the regular steps of checking filters and pumps, cleaning, inspecting or exercising equipment. Require your school boards to produce regular reports of the state of your school district's physical plant.
Next, put together a long term maintenance plan. Look ahead 30 years. What do you expect will fail? What can be maintained? What should be replaced now? What can wait? Will there be a day when some or all of your buildings are obsolete and need to be taken off line, converted or demolished? By planning far ahead you can assess the real costs of maintenance and spread out the financial responsibility over decades rather than needing it all at once.
Plan to upgrade incrementally. As equipment fails or comes to the end of its useful life replace it with higher efficiency equipment. For example when it comes time to re-roof a building examine the insulation and membrane. Can you improve the efficiency of the building by upgrading the roof? Look into ways of making your systems more efficient, but don't take action until the the old systems need to be repaired or replaced.
If you think about maintaining school buildings the same way you consider maintaining your car (changing the oil, rotating the tires, regular service etc) we will all be able to maintain our school buildings and use less resources to provide a safe comfortable education for our children.
Every school in every school district must balance the daily challenges of running at their programs with the needs of maintaining their largest physical asset, the school building. This issue is easy to ignore month after month, year after year. School districts often defer maintenance for decades, cutting costs from their facility budgets to allow for other important programs. Unfortunately as we look at making our schools more sustainable we need to take a serious look at how we maintain our facilities.
In sustainable design we are always trying to create a smaller footprint or impact. One way of achieving this is to use existing whenever possible before providing new. This is the argument to keep the car you have for a few more years, rather than running out and buying a brand new hybrid or high efficiency vehicle. Why is your old car more sustainable? Because you are not creating demand for the production of new steel, rubber or plastic parts. Instead you are using parts that had been previously produced for their complete useful life. You should still buy the hybrid car in the future, just wait until your current vehicle has met its maker.
When it comes to buildings that is an even more potent argument. Buildings are huge physical assets made up of many parts. We can't just tear a building down and ship it to the local trash dump. The land that a building occupies is scared and needs time to be repaired. Our existing building stock in many cases occupies prime locations forcing communities to use areas that were not previously considered for development. As a society we need to take better care of our existing buildings, especially our schools for as long as possible.
The challenge to maintain our school facilities falls to our administrators and boards of education. Administrators face a difficult question each year. They must balance a budget that pays for not only teachers, but transportation, food service, facilities, maintenance and other major expenses. Often school budgets are dominated by capital expenses even over the cost of staff. Any good school board member will tell you that it is much easier to defer maintenance costs than to trim staff or scale back programs that have a tangible impact on our children.
Realistically our school buildings also have a tangible impact. Schools that are not maintained typically have poorer air quality, lighting and acoustics. Operating in classrooms which are cold, dark or loud can have a severely negative effect on student learning, absenteeism and general heath. These buildings are often more expense to operate and wind up taking dollars from programs anyway.
In some cases districts get surprised by their facilities. After years of not maintaining their building stock it starts to fail. Roofs leak, pipes burst, boilers burn out. When these issues occur schools are forced to syphon off significant funds from other programs to cover the costs if they haven't maintained proper facility budgets. These are drastic measures that can often be avoided with an appropriate maintenance program.
So how do we get this done?
First thing is first. Stop differing maintenance. Do not allow your schools or districts to put off the regular steps of checking filters and pumps, cleaning, inspecting or exercising equipment. Require your school boards to produce regular reports of the state of your school district's physical plant.
Next, put together a long term maintenance plan. Look ahead 30 years. What do you expect will fail? What can be maintained? What should be replaced now? What can wait? Will there be a day when some or all of your buildings are obsolete and need to be taken off line, converted or demolished? By planning far ahead you can assess the real costs of maintenance and spread out the financial responsibility over decades rather than needing it all at once.
Plan to upgrade incrementally. As equipment fails or comes to the end of its useful life replace it with higher efficiency equipment. For example when it comes time to re-roof a building examine the insulation and membrane. Can you improve the efficiency of the building by upgrading the roof? Look into ways of making your systems more efficient, but don't take action until the the old systems need to be repaired or replaced.
If you think about maintaining school buildings the same way you consider maintaining your car (changing the oil, rotating the tires, regular service etc) we will all be able to maintain our school buildings and use less resources to provide a safe comfortable education for our children.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A lesson in good practice
Architecture For Humanity has organized an important competition on classroom design. The competition challenges architects and designers to work with a school in need to design the classroom of the future. The interesting part is while the design team gains name recognition and professional kudos for their good work the school that wins in this competition gains fifty thousand dollars!
In the briefs that are assembled the competition Architecture For Humanity made a few things abundantly clear.
First there is a clear need for inventive, creative, inspirational design in our schools. For too long we have looked at school buildings as commodities or factories for learning. They need a new infusion of vision and hope.
Second this is a global issue. The competition provides for a site in India and a site in Uganda, each with their own unique problems, but still with a clear need for innovative thinking. In the US we have a range of needs as far apart as these two countries. Creative thinking may solve one set of problems, but leave us wanting to solve others. There is not a one size fits all solution.
Finally, this issue requires partners. The solutions to creating an amazing school facility do not lie in the mind of a single genius designer. They are shared in the imagination of children and teachers, parents and neighbors, designers and architects. If we can find new ways to tap the range of these ideas we will surely see new designs evolve and creative ideas flow.
The competition itself is a wonderful step towards developing a more robust dialogue about school design. Take a look at the link and think about potential partners you might already have, or new ones you want to find. Engage in the challenge. I know I will.
In the briefs that are assembled the competition Architecture For Humanity made a few things abundantly clear.
First there is a clear need for inventive, creative, inspirational design in our schools. For too long we have looked at school buildings as commodities or factories for learning. They need a new infusion of vision and hope.
Second this is a global issue. The competition provides for a site in India and a site in Uganda, each with their own unique problems, but still with a clear need for innovative thinking. In the US we have a range of needs as far apart as these two countries. Creative thinking may solve one set of problems, but leave us wanting to solve others. There is not a one size fits all solution.
Finally, this issue requires partners. The solutions to creating an amazing school facility do not lie in the mind of a single genius designer. They are shared in the imagination of children and teachers, parents and neighbors, designers and architects. If we can find new ways to tap the range of these ideas we will surely see new designs evolve and creative ideas flow.
The competition itself is a wonderful step towards developing a more robust dialogue about school design. Take a look at the link and think about potential partners you might already have, or new ones you want to find. Engage in the challenge. I know I will.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
10 Steps to Great School Facility Projects!
The government has been exploring ways to get the economy going again. One of the important steps they are considering is to invest in school construction projects. These projects have a great impact on our communities because they create jobs, upgrade our infrastructure and invest in the future of our children all through a single project. School construction projects are a fantastic way to get the most bang for taxpayer bucks both short term and long term.
School facilities are also incredibly complex projects. They often involve many different types of spaces including classrooms, labs, gymnasiums, cafeterias, auditoriums, libraries and offices. The buildings have a wide range of systems and require many specialized professionals to design, build and maintain these facilities.
School projects are also challenging because they have a high level of scrutiny. Public officials, taxpayers, parents, teachers, administrators and students all have an interest in the design and construction of these projects. They require a careful orchestration of discussion and debate around how the schools should be designed, how much money should be spent and how quickly these projects can come together.
After having personally designed and managed dozens of these projects I have put together a short list of steps needed for the success of any great school facility. These are steps that you should consider if you are personally involved in a school construction project or even if you are a stakeholder (parents and taxpayers are key stakeholders) who is watching from afar.
Step 1: Set Clear Expectations
Most school facility projects are set up around a need, for example; a building is out of date, the community is growing, there is a change in curriculum or a combination of reasons. While these are important reasons to engage in a facility project they are not a clear set of expectations for the design and construction of the building. Set clear expectations about time, quality, budget and specific goals. Look for examples in your community or beyond of successful projects that can be used as a benchmark and distill the key elements of those projects. Be as explicit as possible with the team and the community about what is expected and how success will be measured.
Step 2: Get the Right Team
On any capital project there is typically a large team of diverse professionals who will touch the project. This group will often include accountants, estimators, project managers, attorneys, architects, engineers, contractors, educators, public officials and members of the public. It is easy to go out and get the best professional in each area, but often it is more successful to get a team that can play well together. Traditionally there are a few key players; the project manager, architect, contractor and a key educator, who lead the project. If you can build a core team that is professional and works well together the project should go reasonably smoothly. Look for teams that have worked well together in the past. It is also important to make sure the team is complete. Bring in all of the experts you need.
Step 3: Design Matters
In schools, probably more than many other buildings, design really matters. Educational facilities are not just warehouses for kids to spend their days. They are institutions with aspirations to educate, elevate and inspire our youth. The design of these buildings must not only meet the needs of our communities, but should really set the tone for the expectations of the students who attend. Good design makes a difference. Don't settle for projects that are boring or drab. Task your project teams to create places where learning is the centerpiece and children are excited to come to school.
Step 4: Watch the Clock
The schedule matters, often more than the dollars. At the onset of the project get a clear schedule together and test it regularly. It will continue to shift and change over the course of the project, but tracking days will make the difference between opening in one year or three. Push your consultants to set clear schedules and keep to them as much as possible. Make sure you do the same and get decisions to the team in a timely manner. Letting days slip in the beginning of a project can cost weeks at the end. Delays hurt everyone so manage the clock.
Step 5: Concise, Complete, Correct
As the project moves from design to construction make sure that the documents are ready. There is a simple adage in architecture; Concise, Complete, Correct. Say what you need to, nothing more, nothing less and make sure it is right! Regardless if you are a lay person or a technical person, you to should be able to look at the documents and see if they seem right or wrong. Ask questions. It is your right and responsibility to know what the documents say both so you know that the design is correct and to make sure there are not future problems. Enforce quality control at all levels and you will be ensured to have fewer headaches in the process.
Step 6: Count the pennies, but pay for the aspirin
Speaking of headaches budgets also matter. It is important to pay attention to the bottom line, but don't get caught up trying to catch pennies and missing the dollars. Construction projects require a complicated orchestration of people, materials, tools, dollars and time. Sometimes it is more important to pay a few extra dollars to get the right material, or work some overtime and keep the project moving. Money certainly matters, but once the building is built it is far more expensive to correct a mistake than it is to pay for the right thing first. Be sure to keep the individuals responsible for the design engaged in the conversation about the budget. Architects and Engineers will often have good suggestions to save money without sacrificing the overall product.
Step 7: Contingency Contingency Contingency
Every project will face a pothole or two. In my career I have never seen a project without a significant unforeseen issue. Sometimes it is a weather delay, other times it has be a change in a legal requirements that require a redesign. Sometimes a product you were counting on is no longer produced, other times a key member of your team may have a life change that takes them away from the project. Always carry a a contingency of both time and money to handle the potholes that might occur. A good rule is to start the project with a 15% budget contingency and 2 extra months for every year of the schedule. If you can manage the project without ever using the contingency you will be a hero, but it is there for the rainy days. At each phase of the project you can reduce contingency a little bit, but make sure you carry 5% and at least a month of extra time until the end. Many projects wind up using that last bit of contingency in their final push.
Step 8: Open book
Since schools are public buildings it is important to maintain transparency in the process. Hold public meetings where anyone can come to get updated on the progress on the project. Involve the various stakeholders in the key decisions. Make sure you fully document the process and keep all of the parties appraised of major issues. By communicating throughout the process you can help maintain good faith and identify potential issues before they become calamities.
Step 9: Keep your eyes on the finish line
With the number of people involved and the range of decisions required it is easy to put off minor decisions until they become critical. Don't let that happen to your project. As decisions are presented make a call and document them. If they need to be revisited identify a deadline. It is important to move the project forward and keep the teams working towards the finish line. In schools more than other projects the finish line can not usually move, so if it is missed an entire year may be lost. Focus on your deadlines and make sure they are met.
Step 10: Review, Evaluate and get ready for the Next one
Once you have been involved with a school facility project you will have a new set of skills and experiences that are unique. If you enjoy the process, like I do, then take some time at the end to evaluate how things went. What could have been better? What would you do different? Are there team members that you want to work with again? What was the biggest success of the project? What was the biggest failure? By reviewing and appraising the actual outcomes you, your team and your community will be better prepared for the next project and hopefully it will be even smoother.
I wish you all luck on your coming school facility projects! Please send me any other thoughts or tips you have or questions about your communities upcoming projects.
School facilities are also incredibly complex projects. They often involve many different types of spaces including classrooms, labs, gymnasiums, cafeterias, auditoriums, libraries and offices. The buildings have a wide range of systems and require many specialized professionals to design, build and maintain these facilities.
School projects are also challenging because they have a high level of scrutiny. Public officials, taxpayers, parents, teachers, administrators and students all have an interest in the design and construction of these projects. They require a careful orchestration of discussion and debate around how the schools should be designed, how much money should be spent and how quickly these projects can come together.
After having personally designed and managed dozens of these projects I have put together a short list of steps needed for the success of any great school facility. These are steps that you should consider if you are personally involved in a school construction project or even if you are a stakeholder (parents and taxpayers are key stakeholders) who is watching from afar.
Step 1: Set Clear Expectations
Most school facility projects are set up around a need, for example; a building is out of date, the community is growing, there is a change in curriculum or a combination of reasons. While these are important reasons to engage in a facility project they are not a clear set of expectations for the design and construction of the building. Set clear expectations about time, quality, budget and specific goals. Look for examples in your community or beyond of successful projects that can be used as a benchmark and distill the key elements of those projects. Be as explicit as possible with the team and the community about what is expected and how success will be measured.
Step 2: Get the Right Team
On any capital project there is typically a large team of diverse professionals who will touch the project. This group will often include accountants, estimators, project managers, attorneys, architects, engineers, contractors, educators, public officials and members of the public. It is easy to go out and get the best professional in each area, but often it is more successful to get a team that can play well together. Traditionally there are a few key players; the project manager, architect, contractor and a key educator, who lead the project. If you can build a core team that is professional and works well together the project should go reasonably smoothly. Look for teams that have worked well together in the past. It is also important to make sure the team is complete. Bring in all of the experts you need.
Step 3: Design Matters
In schools, probably more than many other buildings, design really matters. Educational facilities are not just warehouses for kids to spend their days. They are institutions with aspirations to educate, elevate and inspire our youth. The design of these buildings must not only meet the needs of our communities, but should really set the tone for the expectations of the students who attend. Good design makes a difference. Don't settle for projects that are boring or drab. Task your project teams to create places where learning is the centerpiece and children are excited to come to school.
Step 4: Watch the Clock
The schedule matters, often more than the dollars. At the onset of the project get a clear schedule together and test it regularly. It will continue to shift and change over the course of the project, but tracking days will make the difference between opening in one year or three. Push your consultants to set clear schedules and keep to them as much as possible. Make sure you do the same and get decisions to the team in a timely manner. Letting days slip in the beginning of a project can cost weeks at the end. Delays hurt everyone so manage the clock.
Step 5: Concise, Complete, Correct
As the project moves from design to construction make sure that the documents are ready. There is a simple adage in architecture; Concise, Complete, Correct. Say what you need to, nothing more, nothing less and make sure it is right! Regardless if you are a lay person or a technical person, you to should be able to look at the documents and see if they seem right or wrong. Ask questions. It is your right and responsibility to know what the documents say both so you know that the design is correct and to make sure there are not future problems. Enforce quality control at all levels and you will be ensured to have fewer headaches in the process.
Step 6: Count the pennies, but pay for the aspirin
Speaking of headaches budgets also matter. It is important to pay attention to the bottom line, but don't get caught up trying to catch pennies and missing the dollars. Construction projects require a complicated orchestration of people, materials, tools, dollars and time. Sometimes it is more important to pay a few extra dollars to get the right material, or work some overtime and keep the project moving. Money certainly matters, but once the building is built it is far more expensive to correct a mistake than it is to pay for the right thing first. Be sure to keep the individuals responsible for the design engaged in the conversation about the budget. Architects and Engineers will often have good suggestions to save money without sacrificing the overall product.
Step 7: Contingency Contingency Contingency
Every project will face a pothole or two. In my career I have never seen a project without a significant unforeseen issue. Sometimes it is a weather delay, other times it has be a change in a legal requirements that require a redesign. Sometimes a product you were counting on is no longer produced, other times a key member of your team may have a life change that takes them away from the project. Always carry a a contingency of both time and money to handle the potholes that might occur. A good rule is to start the project with a 15% budget contingency and 2 extra months for every year of the schedule. If you can manage the project without ever using the contingency you will be a hero, but it is there for the rainy days. At each phase of the project you can reduce contingency a little bit, but make sure you carry 5% and at least a month of extra time until the end. Many projects wind up using that last bit of contingency in their final push.
Step 8: Open book
Since schools are public buildings it is important to maintain transparency in the process. Hold public meetings where anyone can come to get updated on the progress on the project. Involve the various stakeholders in the key decisions. Make sure you fully document the process and keep all of the parties appraised of major issues. By communicating throughout the process you can help maintain good faith and identify potential issues before they become calamities.
Step 9: Keep your eyes on the finish line
With the number of people involved and the range of decisions required it is easy to put off minor decisions until they become critical. Don't let that happen to your project. As decisions are presented make a call and document them. If they need to be revisited identify a deadline. It is important to move the project forward and keep the teams working towards the finish line. In schools more than other projects the finish line can not usually move, so if it is missed an entire year may be lost. Focus on your deadlines and make sure they are met.
Step 10: Review, Evaluate and get ready for the Next one
Once you have been involved with a school facility project you will have a new set of skills and experiences that are unique. If you enjoy the process, like I do, then take some time at the end to evaluate how things went. What could have been better? What would you do different? Are there team members that you want to work with again? What was the biggest success of the project? What was the biggest failure? By reviewing and appraising the actual outcomes you, your team and your community will be better prepared for the next project and hopefully it will be even smoother.
I wish you all luck on your coming school facility projects! Please send me any other thoughts or tips you have or questions about your communities upcoming projects.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Recovery soon, but how soon??
In the past few days I have been following the debate around the proposed stimulus package with baited breath. Yesterday I had a chance to read some of the details of the package as they relate to education and was thrilled to see over $100 Billion Dollars set aside for K-12 and Higher Education! While the money is divided up between 9 different programs the general allotment certainly eases the burden that will be felt by educators across the land. The money touches all public schools including charters and is promised to be delivered quickly upon a presidential signature.
Hallelujah
Of course that issue of when this money comes and with what strings attached lingers. According to the most optimistic sources the bill could be signed by February 16. If all goes as planned the money would start to flow by the end of March to Local Educational Agencies, State Departments of Education etc. If all goes well.
Some reports are identifying significant Republican opposition in the senate which could delay the bill through amendments and infighting for weeks. This opposition is not unexpected, but unfortunate. As the timeline for recovery extends the harder it will be to make significant gains in any industry let alone education.
The money that is available is important and important now.
It is critical for state and local school boards to understand what moneys are going to be available as soon as possible. As boards look to cut programs and staff they will face hard decisions without all of the best information. The federal government needs to step up and get this work done to help all of our schools make the right choices for the coming school years.
Hallelujah
Of course that issue of when this money comes and with what strings attached lingers. According to the most optimistic sources the bill could be signed by February 16. If all goes as planned the money would start to flow by the end of March to Local Educational Agencies, State Departments of Education etc. If all goes well.
Some reports are identifying significant Republican opposition in the senate which could delay the bill through amendments and infighting for weeks. This opposition is not unexpected, but unfortunate. As the timeline for recovery extends the harder it will be to make significant gains in any industry let alone education.
The money that is available is important and important now.
It is critical for state and local school boards to understand what moneys are going to be available as soon as possible. As boards look to cut programs and staff they will face hard decisions without all of the best information. The federal government needs to step up and get this work done to help all of our schools make the right choices for the coming school years.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Greening of America's Schools: Food from the Earth
Part 2 in a series
One of my most visceral memories from High School is lunch. Sitting in a large rowdy open cafeteria with only a few minutes to scarf down some food and talk with my friends you wouldn't expect to remember the food, but I do. Mac and cheese was the best lunch of the week by far. Sticky yellow Velveeta covered pasta and crispy Tator tots made for a pleasant hot meal in 8 minutes or less. I also remember the kitchen and servery. Stainless steel speed lines with hair netted lunch ladies serving sauces from cans and proteins from microwaves. I can feel the acne coming back to my face already.
Today's school lunches in much of the country are far to similar to my 1990s memory. Lunches often come from commissaries where they are prepackaged from bulk food, often frozen, occasionally fresh. As we look at various schools around the country some basic trends stay the same. Provide low cost nutrient rich food that can be consumed in the fastest way possible to get everyone back to class.
There are certainly exceptions to this rule of cheap and speedy. There are also plenty of talented cooks and chefs who make this food tasty and accessible to their students, but is there anyplace where the lunch line is sustainable??
St. Philip's Academy is one of a few places in this country where you can find an Alice Waters type love of the food brought into a commercial kitchen in a school. The food you find at St. Philip's is organic, local and delicious. They have found a way to infuse relationships with local farms into a kitchen that feeds a few hundred elementary students every day.
Now I am sure you are all envisioning a lovely rural boarding school nestled in the bread basket of this neck of the woods. This couldn't be further from the truth. St. Philip's is an urban school in Newark NJ surrounded by asphalt and concrete. It is difficult to find a park, let alone a farm within walking distance of the school. Its students are from the neighborhood and many of them have never set foot in a field.
Ironically these children are gaining an intimate knowledge of the earth through a simple program. This school is unique in that it not only feeds the children sustainably, but it teaches them the cycles of food on campus. At St. Philip's they have a roof garden where the kids plant each year. They have wonderful gardens centered around what they eat. When I was last there they had a salsa garden where they were growing all of the parts of a beautiful salsa. The food they grow is harvested, by the students and given to the cooks to infuse in their daily meals. Some of the food scraps that remain from each meal are brought back to the garden for use in their compost piles to rejuvenate the soil each season.
In their daily lunches they also learn about what fruits and vegetables are fresh from the farm that season. The cooks make tasty accessible meals that the students rave about. When I was last there for lunch they served a fresh chicken soup, homemade falafel, roasted apples, pita bread and hummas. The ingredients were all locally grown and the students had grown some of the herbs for the soup and the falafel. As expected they were very proud.
These simple programs are teaching very young children strong lessons about themselves and the world. They are learning where their food comes from and where their waste goes. They are learning about nutrition and local produce. They are learning about some of the impact their actions have on the world around them. Most of all they are learning a new found love for food from the earth. Now that is a lesson we could all use.
One of my most visceral memories from High School is lunch. Sitting in a large rowdy open cafeteria with only a few minutes to scarf down some food and talk with my friends you wouldn't expect to remember the food, but I do. Mac and cheese was the best lunch of the week by far. Sticky yellow Velveeta covered pasta and crispy Tator tots made for a pleasant hot meal in 8 minutes or less. I also remember the kitchen and servery. Stainless steel speed lines with hair netted lunch ladies serving sauces from cans and proteins from microwaves. I can feel the acne coming back to my face already.
Today's school lunches in much of the country are far to similar to my 1990s memory. Lunches often come from commissaries where they are prepackaged from bulk food, often frozen, occasionally fresh. As we look at various schools around the country some basic trends stay the same. Provide low cost nutrient rich food that can be consumed in the fastest way possible to get everyone back to class.
There are certainly exceptions to this rule of cheap and speedy. There are also plenty of talented cooks and chefs who make this food tasty and accessible to their students, but is there anyplace where the lunch line is sustainable??
St. Philip's Academy is one of a few places in this country where you can find an Alice Waters type love of the food brought into a commercial kitchen in a school. The food you find at St. Philip's is organic, local and delicious. They have found a way to infuse relationships with local farms into a kitchen that feeds a few hundred elementary students every day.
Now I am sure you are all envisioning a lovely rural boarding school nestled in the bread basket of this neck of the woods. This couldn't be further from the truth. St. Philip's is an urban school in Newark NJ surrounded by asphalt and concrete. It is difficult to find a park, let alone a farm within walking distance of the school. Its students are from the neighborhood and many of them have never set foot in a field.
Ironically these children are gaining an intimate knowledge of the earth through a simple program. This school is unique in that it not only feeds the children sustainably, but it teaches them the cycles of food on campus. At St. Philip's they have a roof garden where the kids plant each year. They have wonderful gardens centered around what they eat. When I was last there they had a salsa garden where they were growing all of the parts of a beautiful salsa. The food they grow is harvested, by the students and given to the cooks to infuse in their daily meals. Some of the food scraps that remain from each meal are brought back to the garden for use in their compost piles to rejuvenate the soil each season.
In their daily lunches they also learn about what fruits and vegetables are fresh from the farm that season. The cooks make tasty accessible meals that the students rave about. When I was last there for lunch they served a fresh chicken soup, homemade falafel, roasted apples, pita bread and hummas. The ingredients were all locally grown and the students had grown some of the herbs for the soup and the falafel. As expected they were very proud.
These simple programs are teaching very young children strong lessons about themselves and the world. They are learning where their food comes from and where their waste goes. They are learning about nutrition and local produce. They are learning about some of the impact their actions have on the world around them. Most of all they are learning a new found love for food from the earth. Now that is a lesson we could all use.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
The Greening of America's Schools
Part 1 of a Series
The country and the world have started to recognize the need to get more sustainable. There is a swell of enthusiasm to 'get Green'. The new green economy is being created.
All of these are wonderful things that have tremendous implications on our economy, our society, our way of life. The move to become more sustainable also has a tremendous impact on our schools. Primary and Secondary schools are just starting to get their arms around how to teach and live more sustainably. They are looking for new ideas, models and leaders to enhance the educational experiences and prepare America's children for the world that they will inherit.
Sustainability isn't just about teaching students what it means to recycle, or that global warming is a real event. Teaching sustainability means teaching about complex problems like energy interdependence, materials management, carbon neutral development and the geopolitical struggle to slow global warming. These are issues that cross between math, science, history and politics. They require our young people to learn more about the worlds around them, both natural and man made.
Schools as institutions are struggling with how to be more sustainable as well. It is not good enough to teach these important lessons without learning to live them as well. Schools new and old are exploring options to renovate or build with a smaller footprint. They are striving to be more energy efficient in their operations, food service programs, athletics and transportation. There are great success stories and tales of falling short, but they all have value.
Moving forward this series of posts titled 'The Greening of America's Schools' will explore the current state of of sustainability in our schools and identify some of the great ideas that are out there to try in your community. While I have a stack of story ideas for this series I am interested in hearing from all of you. Send me your stories, long or short about how green or not so green your school is. Maybe I will build a post around it.
The path to building a sustainable future is long and arduous. Together lets take the first steps to see far our schools have come, and how far they have to go.
The country and the world have started to recognize the need to get more sustainable. There is a swell of enthusiasm to 'get Green'. The new green economy is being created.
All of these are wonderful things that have tremendous implications on our economy, our society, our way of life. The move to become more sustainable also has a tremendous impact on our schools. Primary and Secondary schools are just starting to get their arms around how to teach and live more sustainably. They are looking for new ideas, models and leaders to enhance the educational experiences and prepare America's children for the world that they will inherit.
Sustainability isn't just about teaching students what it means to recycle, or that global warming is a real event. Teaching sustainability means teaching about complex problems like energy interdependence, materials management, carbon neutral development and the geopolitical struggle to slow global warming. These are issues that cross between math, science, history and politics. They require our young people to learn more about the worlds around them, both natural and man made.
Schools as institutions are struggling with how to be more sustainable as well. It is not good enough to teach these important lessons without learning to live them as well. Schools new and old are exploring options to renovate or build with a smaller footprint. They are striving to be more energy efficient in their operations, food service programs, athletics and transportation. There are great success stories and tales of falling short, but they all have value.
Moving forward this series of posts titled 'The Greening of America's Schools' will explore the current state of of sustainability in our schools and identify some of the great ideas that are out there to try in your community. While I have a stack of story ideas for this series I am interested in hearing from all of you. Send me your stories, long or short about how green or not so green your school is. Maybe I will build a post around it.
The path to building a sustainable future is long and arduous. Together lets take the first steps to see far our schools have come, and how far they have to go.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Let's get to WORK!
Hey folks.
So the inauguration happened. Obama is in the Oval. Bush is hanging down in Texas. The equilibrium of the world has shifted, somehow closer to center. All is moving from wrong to right. Right?!? Wrong!!!
The pomp and circumstance is over. Now it is time to roll up our sleeves, strap on our boots, pick up our tools and get to WORK! This election wasn't about change we can watch on TV. It was about changes that we all need to make, every one of us. Some big changes, some little changes, but all important changes.
OK, so here is my first list for each of us. A few simple things you can do to start to make a real, lasting change in education in your community.
1. Go to school. But wait, I graduated, why do I need to go to school? Seriously, go to school, any school in your community. Check out the state of affairs. See what the schools are like in your neighborhood. Do they need help? Are they doing well? See it with your own two eyes. You can arrange a tour or visit during an open house. Perhaps come to a public event like a game or performance. Go check it out!
2. Respect your teachers. The teaching profession is one of the least respected professions in the world. These people are instilling knowledge, creativity, rigor and a love of learning in our youth. Show some respect for the profession. Acknowledge the work required and the value of their time. They deserve at least that much.
3. Find out who is running the schools in your community. School boards are made up of publicly elected officials. Some of these people are wonderful community activists focused on the right moves for the schools. Others have special interests in mind. Find out who your are voting for and why by attending a school board meeting, reading their minutes (often published on-line) or going to meet with them individually. These people make important decisions that will impact your community for decades to come.
4. Write a letter. Tell someone that they are doing a great job, or a terrible job. Reach out to an administrator, teacher, coach or counselor who is making an impact either positive or negative in your local schools and share your opinion. If you feel strongly either way share your thoughts with their supervisor too. Your words will make a difference.
5. Get involved. Volunteer to tutor. Attend a PTA meeting. Become an assistant coach. Help clean up the school. All of these are wonderful ways to give a few hours, but create a lasting impact. Pick something that fits your interest and you will get both satisfaction and results.
OK those are some of the low hanging fruit we can all enjoy. Send me some of the best ways you know to make a difference in your community schools and I will continue to expand this post.
Let's get to WORK!
So the inauguration happened. Obama is in the Oval. Bush is hanging down in Texas. The equilibrium of the world has shifted, somehow closer to center. All is moving from wrong to right. Right?!? Wrong!!!
The pomp and circumstance is over. Now it is time to roll up our sleeves, strap on our boots, pick up our tools and get to WORK! This election wasn't about change we can watch on TV. It was about changes that we all need to make, every one of us. Some big changes, some little changes, but all important changes.
OK, so here is my first list for each of us. A few simple things you can do to start to make a real, lasting change in education in your community.
1. Go to school. But wait, I graduated, why do I need to go to school? Seriously, go to school, any school in your community. Check out the state of affairs. See what the schools are like in your neighborhood. Do they need help? Are they doing well? See it with your own two eyes. You can arrange a tour or visit during an open house. Perhaps come to a public event like a game or performance. Go check it out!
2. Respect your teachers. The teaching profession is one of the least respected professions in the world. These people are instilling knowledge, creativity, rigor and a love of learning in our youth. Show some respect for the profession. Acknowledge the work required and the value of their time. They deserve at least that much.
3. Find out who is running the schools in your community. School boards are made up of publicly elected officials. Some of these people are wonderful community activists focused on the right moves for the schools. Others have special interests in mind. Find out who your are voting for and why by attending a school board meeting, reading their minutes (often published on-line) or going to meet with them individually. These people make important decisions that will impact your community for decades to come.
4. Write a letter. Tell someone that they are doing a great job, or a terrible job. Reach out to an administrator, teacher, coach or counselor who is making an impact either positive or negative in your local schools and share your opinion. If you feel strongly either way share your thoughts with their supervisor too. Your words will make a difference.
5. Get involved. Volunteer to tutor. Attend a PTA meeting. Become an assistant coach. Help clean up the school. All of these are wonderful ways to give a few hours, but create a lasting impact. Pick something that fits your interest and you will get both satisfaction and results.
OK those are some of the low hanging fruit we can all enjoy. Send me some of the best ways you know to make a difference in your community schools and I will continue to expand this post.
Let's get to WORK!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Letter to Henry
Dear Henry
Today is a historic day. Today we usher in a new set of promises, a new breath of hope. Today we inaugurate a new president.
Henry you will never know what it means to when we talk about the first black president. You may never really understand what racial tension was in our country. When you hear stories about the slavery, the civil rights movement or the daily challenges of race, you will probably look at all of us and say things like 'why didn't you do something about it?' or 'how could you let that insanity happen?'. I expect we will all be better for it.
Henry you will probably only ever read about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in history books, or watch them on TV just as I did with Korea and Vietnam. You probably will not really understand why we felt so strongly about taking the first steps into those countries, or why we are embarrassed by those wars now. I am hopeful that we will be better for that as well.
Henry you may never know the economic bluster and wealth of the last thirty years or the great crash of the past eighteen months. You may grow up in a time of temperance, regulation and challenge, but prosperity is in your grasp. You may look to the adults around you as fools playing with the prosperity of their children. I know that we all must be better for it.
The promise of America is not won or lost in elections. It soars in the eyes of our children, the strength of their parents and the foundation of a community built on shared experience and faith in humanity. Today promises a deep breath of that hope into the lungs of our economy, our government, our very society.
Mr. Obama takes office today. We wish him good fortune, wise council, temperance in the face of oppression and strong action at times of need. We wish him good luck as well, for we could all use a little of that today.
I tell you now that the only gifts I have are the strength of my hands, the sight of my eyes and the size of my heart, but they are all that any of us will need to care for our communities, our families and our loved ones.
Do not put your dreams on the shoulders of our leaders, but lift our leaders on the strength of your good works. In our times of trial there are no silver bullets or lottery tickets. Only sweat earned by honest work can be the currency of today. Let us all trade in that enduring market of honest efforts and shared success.
Son, today is a special day. It is a day of hope and healing, promise and community. Today is a day that I look at you and find the strength to work a little harder, care a little more and dream a little bigger.
With Love
Your Father
Today is a historic day. Today we usher in a new set of promises, a new breath of hope. Today we inaugurate a new president.
Henry you will never know what it means to when we talk about the first black president. You may never really understand what racial tension was in our country. When you hear stories about the slavery, the civil rights movement or the daily challenges of race, you will probably look at all of us and say things like 'why didn't you do something about it?' or 'how could you let that insanity happen?'. I expect we will all be better for it.
Henry you will probably only ever read about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in history books, or watch them on TV just as I did with Korea and Vietnam. You probably will not really understand why we felt so strongly about taking the first steps into those countries, or why we are embarrassed by those wars now. I am hopeful that we will be better for that as well.
Henry you may never know the economic bluster and wealth of the last thirty years or the great crash of the past eighteen months. You may grow up in a time of temperance, regulation and challenge, but prosperity is in your grasp. You may look to the adults around you as fools playing with the prosperity of their children. I know that we all must be better for it.
The promise of America is not won or lost in elections. It soars in the eyes of our children, the strength of their parents and the foundation of a community built on shared experience and faith in humanity. Today promises a deep breath of that hope into the lungs of our economy, our government, our very society.
Mr. Obama takes office today. We wish him good fortune, wise council, temperance in the face of oppression and strong action at times of need. We wish him good luck as well, for we could all use a little of that today.
I tell you now that the only gifts I have are the strength of my hands, the sight of my eyes and the size of my heart, but they are all that any of us will need to care for our communities, our families and our loved ones.
Do not put your dreams on the shoulders of our leaders, but lift our leaders on the strength of your good works. In our times of trial there are no silver bullets or lottery tickets. Only sweat earned by honest work can be the currency of today. Let us all trade in that enduring market of honest efforts and shared success.
Son, today is a special day. It is a day of hope and healing, promise and community. Today is a day that I look at you and find the strength to work a little harder, care a little more and dream a little bigger.
With Love
Your Father
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Bush's Footprint on Education
As we come to the close of eight years of one president it is an important time to look at the legacy that will be left behind. President George W. Bush was elected twice to lead our country in times of war and peace. He was tasked with the most prestigious and perilous job in the world. While we all have opinions on his effectiveness, focus and general actions both at home and abroad I want to focus on one very deep impression he left on our education system.
In 2001 President Bush along with the Congress promised us the most comprehensive school reform bill ever passed by the federal government. This was both a campaign promise and a focused effort by the first Bush White House. The administration offered us the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The bill was debated and written with bi-partisan support. While it only required 51 Senators to pass the bill was received with 87 yeas and only 10 neas. Representatives from every state in our nation except Minnesota, Nebraska and Vermont voted for this bill.
If you read the text of the bill (hit the link and it will take you to the complete text) you will find that it offers a promising opportunity to advance our educational system. It addresses a wide variety of situations and needs, offering both carrot and stick to improve schools across this country. Overall the bill gives our municipalities, states and federal government a guideline for improvement and excellence. It sets the rules of the school report card and offers new financial support.
All of these things seem to be appropriate and hopeful. Our nation has been screaming for school accountability and improved consistency for decades. As we trust our most precious asset, our children, to the government we expect that they are doing their very best to teach and prepare our kids and can be held accountable when they are not. Public Education has always been one of the greatest gifts our country has given to its people. No Child Left Behind was written to provide a scorecard and face lift to this system.
In reality the law has failed to provide the type of impact that was touted. The translation of a federal law into practice has taken a hopeful practical document and muddied it up with the realities of inconsistency and the complications of locally run school districts. In every town, in every state parents, educators and administrators have all had to learn, what does NCLB mean to me? For administrators it has been a challenge to rework hiring practices, training, and ultimately budget priorities to meet the requirements laid out by this law. For teachers it has redefined many careers placing a new title of 'highly qualified' into a field that has not been highly regulated beyond the stages of initial license and tenure. For parents it has redefined how we measure if schools are succeeding or failing. More importantly it reemphasized a major burden on our children, the standardized test.
The ultimate impact of NCLB has been the role of the standardized test in our society. Regular consistent testing of our children has been around for decades. The SAT was started in the 20s and has played a key role in the transition from secondary education to higher education. NCLB has forced our schools to focus their attention on the subject matter, process and results of regular testing starting in the fourth grade if not before. While testing is not necessarily a bad thing, the time, focus and impact of these tests has become disproportional to a well rounded education. We are seeing children focus more of their time on how to answer multiple choice questions rather than the critical thinking development we need for our society to succeed.
While that probably oversimplifies the issue the key point is time. Our children spend a limited period of time in our public schools. That time is precious and should be used in a way to prepare each person for the next stage of their lives. NCLB promises accountability and is an effective way to evaluate teachers and schools. Unfortunately its evaluations are based on a very narrow criteria of testing around reading, math and cognitive skills. We need our schools to be accountable, but we need our children to be capable, interested human beings who can engage the problems of our world in a meaningful way. The 'real world' is not a game of checkers or go fish, but a game of 3d chess with potentially tragic results if you loose. Our schools and government need to recognize this challenge.
President Bush left an indelible mark on our education system. It was a mark made with good intention and the support of many of us. His impact will be felt for the years and decades to come as we come to terms with the true meaning of Accountability, Educational Reform and ultimately the success and failures of No Child Left Behind. As he leaves office it is time it dust off the documents, reports and laws that were generated by his administration and learn from both their successes and failures. NCLB is not necessarily a 'bad' law, but currently it is not well understood. Our challenge now is to learn how best to use it to its full potential.
In 2001 President Bush along with the Congress promised us the most comprehensive school reform bill ever passed by the federal government. This was both a campaign promise and a focused effort by the first Bush White House. The administration offered us the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The bill was debated and written with bi-partisan support. While it only required 51 Senators to pass the bill was received with 87 yeas and only 10 neas. Representatives from every state in our nation except Minnesota, Nebraska and Vermont voted for this bill.
If you read the text of the bill (hit the link and it will take you to the complete text) you will find that it offers a promising opportunity to advance our educational system. It addresses a wide variety of situations and needs, offering both carrot and stick to improve schools across this country. Overall the bill gives our municipalities, states and federal government a guideline for improvement and excellence. It sets the rules of the school report card and offers new financial support.
All of these things seem to be appropriate and hopeful. Our nation has been screaming for school accountability and improved consistency for decades. As we trust our most precious asset, our children, to the government we expect that they are doing their very best to teach and prepare our kids and can be held accountable when they are not. Public Education has always been one of the greatest gifts our country has given to its people. No Child Left Behind was written to provide a scorecard and face lift to this system.
In reality the law has failed to provide the type of impact that was touted. The translation of a federal law into practice has taken a hopeful practical document and muddied it up with the realities of inconsistency and the complications of locally run school districts. In every town, in every state parents, educators and administrators have all had to learn, what does NCLB mean to me? For administrators it has been a challenge to rework hiring practices, training, and ultimately budget priorities to meet the requirements laid out by this law. For teachers it has redefined many careers placing a new title of 'highly qualified' into a field that has not been highly regulated beyond the stages of initial license and tenure. For parents it has redefined how we measure if schools are succeeding or failing. More importantly it reemphasized a major burden on our children, the standardized test.
The ultimate impact of NCLB has been the role of the standardized test in our society. Regular consistent testing of our children has been around for decades. The SAT was started in the 20s and has played a key role in the transition from secondary education to higher education. NCLB has forced our schools to focus their attention on the subject matter, process and results of regular testing starting in the fourth grade if not before. While testing is not necessarily a bad thing, the time, focus and impact of these tests has become disproportional to a well rounded education. We are seeing children focus more of their time on how to answer multiple choice questions rather than the critical thinking development we need for our society to succeed.
While that probably oversimplifies the issue the key point is time. Our children spend a limited period of time in our public schools. That time is precious and should be used in a way to prepare each person for the next stage of their lives. NCLB promises accountability and is an effective way to evaluate teachers and schools. Unfortunately its evaluations are based on a very narrow criteria of testing around reading, math and cognitive skills. We need our schools to be accountable, but we need our children to be capable, interested human beings who can engage the problems of our world in a meaningful way. The 'real world' is not a game of checkers or go fish, but a game of 3d chess with potentially tragic results if you loose. Our schools and government need to recognize this challenge.
President Bush left an indelible mark on our education system. It was a mark made with good intention and the support of many of us. His impact will be felt for the years and decades to come as we come to terms with the true meaning of Accountability, Educational Reform and ultimately the success and failures of No Child Left Behind. As he leaves office it is time it dust off the documents, reports and laws that were generated by his administration and learn from both their successes and failures. NCLB is not necessarily a 'bad' law, but currently it is not well understood. Our challenge now is to learn how best to use it to its full potential.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wii in the Classroom???
The Nitendo Wii has made quite a splash. It is an amazing entertainment system that has taken the next step in video games by getting the player to be more physically involved in the action on the screen. I must say I am a huge fan. It is really a great way to get interactive and entertain!Recently, Nitendo and other organizations have started working with various institutions getting Wii into the schools!?! They have been promoting the Wii Music Program and getting it into classrooms around the country.
Check out the press release below:
*****
Jan. 13, 2009 13:00 UTC
Nintendo’s Wii Music Strikes a Chord with Music Educators
New Partnerships Bring Fun Music Software to Classrooms NationwideNOTE: Multimedia available belowREDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nintendo’s new Wii Music™ game is spreading from the family room to the classroom, thanks to newly formed collaborations with select schools and educators. To help inspire students and promote an active appreciation for music, Nintendo is working with teachers to incorporate Wii™ consoles and Wii Music software into their lesson plans to offer teachers a unique tool for creativity and improvisation.
Nintendo’s collaborators in this effort include MENC: The National Association for Music Education, which is recognized as the world’s largest arts education organization and as a teaching resource for all levels from preschool to graduate school. MENC will help teachers in 51 cities across the nation integrate Wii Music into their curricula, making use of the game’s 60-plus instruments and fun array of tutorial exercises in rhythm, tempo and song structure.
“The goal of Wii Music is to inspire people of all ages to enjoy music,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “By partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice.”The Wii console’s motion-sensing controls allow Wii Music users at any experience level to step up and jam, whether playing solo or as part of a group. Using the wireless Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers, players make simple, intuitive movements to strum a guitar, play a trumpet or bang a drum.“
At any grade level, it’s essential to provide students with the tools and encouragement they need to be creative,” said John J. Mahlmann, executive director of MENC. “We look forward to collaborating with Nintendo to drive awareness and advocacy for music education through Wii Music.”
Some teachers already have begun to incorporate Wii Music into their lesson plans.
“Wii Music has brought a renewed excitement to music class for students from first grade to fifth, myself and even some of the classroom teachers,” said Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher at Doby’s Mill Elementary School in Lugoff, S.C. “I love how many music standards can be covered in such a short time. Students also have to use language skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination. We have a school very supportive of the arts and Wii Music has empowered our program even more. Any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children’s lives should be in every classroom.”
Other collaborating and partner organizations currently include San Francisco’s Blue Bear School of Music and New York’s Opus 118 Harlem School of Music. Teachers in these programs will use Wii Music to build students’ familiarity with technology while bolstering their ability to create and improvise. Experts in the field of music say getting kids interested in music at an early age can help build a lifelong appreciation.
“The joy of playing music is something that should be experienced by everyone, regardless of age, talent-level or experience,” said Joe Lamond, President & CEO of NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants. “Research shows that more than 82 percent of people who don’t currently play a musical instrument wish they did. Wii Music can help address this by providing a positive introduction for millions of people who might not otherwise be inclined to try.”
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com. For more information about Wii Music, visit www.WiiMusic.com.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.8 billion video games and more than 480 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.
*****
Pretty cool! St. Philip's Academy in Newark is one of the schools trying out this program and I am thrilled to see how it goes. Let me know your thoughts.
Check out the press release below:
*****
Jan. 13, 2009 13:00 UTC
Nintendo’s Wii Music Strikes a Chord with Music Educators
New Partnerships Bring Fun Music Software to Classrooms NationwideNOTE: Multimedia available belowREDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nintendo’s new Wii Music™ game is spreading from the family room to the classroom, thanks to newly formed collaborations with select schools and educators. To help inspire students and promote an active appreciation for music, Nintendo is working with teachers to incorporate Wii™ consoles and Wii Music software into their lesson plans to offer teachers a unique tool for creativity and improvisation.
Nintendo’s collaborators in this effort include MENC: The National Association for Music Education, which is recognized as the world’s largest arts education organization and as a teaching resource for all levels from preschool to graduate school. MENC will help teachers in 51 cities across the nation integrate Wii Music into their curricula, making use of the game’s 60-plus instruments and fun array of tutorial exercises in rhythm, tempo and song structure.
“The goal of Wii Music is to inspire people of all ages to enjoy music,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “By partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice.”The Wii console’s motion-sensing controls allow Wii Music users at any experience level to step up and jam, whether playing solo or as part of a group. Using the wireless Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers, players make simple, intuitive movements to strum a guitar, play a trumpet or bang a drum.“
At any grade level, it’s essential to provide students with the tools and encouragement they need to be creative,” said John J. Mahlmann, executive director of MENC. “We look forward to collaborating with Nintendo to drive awareness and advocacy for music education through Wii Music.”
Some teachers already have begun to incorporate Wii Music into their lesson plans.
“Wii Music has brought a renewed excitement to music class for students from first grade to fifth, myself and even some of the classroom teachers,” said Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher at Doby’s Mill Elementary School in Lugoff, S.C. “I love how many music standards can be covered in such a short time. Students also have to use language skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination. We have a school very supportive of the arts and Wii Music has empowered our program even more. Any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children’s lives should be in every classroom.”
Other collaborating and partner organizations currently include San Francisco’s Blue Bear School of Music and New York’s Opus 118 Harlem School of Music. Teachers in these programs will use Wii Music to build students’ familiarity with technology while bolstering their ability to create and improvise. Experts in the field of music say getting kids interested in music at an early age can help build a lifelong appreciation.
“The joy of playing music is something that should be experienced by everyone, regardless of age, talent-level or experience,” said Joe Lamond, President & CEO of NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants. “Research shows that more than 82 percent of people who don’t currently play a musical instrument wish they did. Wii Music can help address this by providing a positive introduction for millions of people who might not otherwise be inclined to try.”
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com. For more information about Wii Music, visit www.WiiMusic.com.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.8 billion video games and more than 480 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.
*****
Pretty cool! St. Philip's Academy in Newark is one of the schools trying out this program and I am thrilled to see how it goes. Let me know your thoughts.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Shades of Green
Sustainability is everywhere! Anywhere you look people are talking about Green Jobs, Sustainability, LEED, Energy Efficiency even Green Cleaning. It is an exciting time to be involved with sustainable initiatives. In schools there are new clubs, committees and task forces starting up to explore ways to make our schools greener. Around the country people are trying to define what it means to be Green and what it takes to get there in time, resources and money. Not an easy task for anyone.
Personally I have been through this process a few times working with various schools, most notably St. Philip's Academy. I have worked with educators, funders, administrators, teachers, students and families to try and figure out exactly how Green they want to be. It is often an exercise in education, negotation and soul searching. Each time I face this issue I ask school officials a few basic questions:
1. Is it more important to 'look green' or 'be green'? In other words is it more critical to your mission to do something obvious, like putting solar panels on a roof, or to do something that may be more effective like adding insulation to your walls?
2. Where do your sustainability goals overlap with the mission of the institution? Is it important to have teaching opportunities? Is it important to spend the minimal amount of money so resources aren't diverted from existing programs?
3. How will you measure success? Obtaining LEED Certification? Lower Energy Bills? Teaching sustainability to your students?
There is no right answer so I am putting these same questions out to all of you. What shade of Green is your school or company? Where do you see opportunities for your mission to be enhanced by sustainability? Most importantly, how do you measure success?
Personally I have been through this process a few times working with various schools, most notably St. Philip's Academy. I have worked with educators, funders, administrators, teachers, students and families to try and figure out exactly how Green they want to be. It is often an exercise in education, negotation and soul searching. Each time I face this issue I ask school officials a few basic questions:
1. Is it more important to 'look green' or 'be green'? In other words is it more critical to your mission to do something obvious, like putting solar panels on a roof, or to do something that may be more effective like adding insulation to your walls?
2. Where do your sustainability goals overlap with the mission of the institution? Is it important to have teaching opportunities? Is it important to spend the minimal amount of money so resources aren't diverted from existing programs?
3. How will you measure success? Obtaining LEED Certification? Lower Energy Bills? Teaching sustainability to your students?
There is no right answer so I am putting these same questions out to all of you. What shade of Green is your school or company? Where do you see opportunities for your mission to be enhanced by sustainability? Most importantly, how do you measure success?
Support our Skate Team??
The town I live in just opened a new skate park! It looks great with plywood ramps, rails, a clear landing area even a waterfountain. The town has agreed to manage the park and has done a great job of promoting it to skaters and bikers (although it did open in the dead of winter). Looking at this new pristine park makes me wonder why more high schools don't build skate parks as a part of their campus?
Athletics have always been an important part of education here in the U.S. Physical education is a requirement and sports have consistently been a point of pride in communities around the country. Our country has generally clung to the great traditions of teaching the big three; baseball, basketball and football to our youth. Many other sports have also had important traditions in various regions and communities. Sports as varied as Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Swimming, Diving, Fencing, Tennis and Golf have all taken hold in communities large and small, rich and poor. So why not skating?
Some people make the argument that skating is dangerous and puts a school district at risk for lawsuits. How is skating more dangerous than football? Football, even with the pads and the refs is still one of the most dangerous sports, causing serious injury to thousands of players every year. Others would argue that skating is not a sanctioned sport, therefore there is not a tradition of competition or leadership. To that I would argue that skating is as legitimate as gymnastics or diving. It is part athleticism, part artistic ability and has been judged that way since the 70s. Skating has gained in both popularity and 'legitimate support' steadily for almost four decades and has some great history to share.
So why not support skating? Start a skating team? Take on the 'athletic establishment'? Why do it at all. Skating is one of the few sports that can be supported both as an individual sport and a co-ed team sport. It has qualities of athletics, art, style, skill and durability. It is also a great way to teach identity, leadership, creativity and pride. It is a low cost sport and ideal for both urban and suburban communities alike. It is also a way to get to some of those kids who haven't found joy in the 'traditional' sports.
What do you think? Are they all just a bunch of punks and we shouldn't give skating the time of day, or is this a legitimate athletic opportunity that should get the support it needs in our schools and communities? Bring it on. Rip it up!
Athletics have always been an important part of education here in the U.S. Physical education is a requirement and sports have consistently been a point of pride in communities around the country. Our country has generally clung to the great traditions of teaching the big three; baseball, basketball and football to our youth. Many other sports have also had important traditions in various regions and communities. Sports as varied as Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Swimming, Diving, Fencing, Tennis and Golf have all taken hold in communities large and small, rich and poor. So why not skating?
Some people make the argument that skating is dangerous and puts a school district at risk for lawsuits. How is skating more dangerous than football? Football, even with the pads and the refs is still one of the most dangerous sports, causing serious injury to thousands of players every year. Others would argue that skating is not a sanctioned sport, therefore there is not a tradition of competition or leadership. To that I would argue that skating is as legitimate as gymnastics or diving. It is part athleticism, part artistic ability and has been judged that way since the 70s. Skating has gained in both popularity and 'legitimate support' steadily for almost four decades and has some great history to share.
So why not support skating? Start a skating team? Take on the 'athletic establishment'? Why do it at all. Skating is one of the few sports that can be supported both as an individual sport and a co-ed team sport. It has qualities of athletics, art, style, skill and durability. It is also a great way to teach identity, leadership, creativity and pride. It is a low cost sport and ideal for both urban and suburban communities alike. It is also a way to get to some of those kids who haven't found joy in the 'traditional' sports.
What do you think? Are they all just a bunch of punks and we shouldn't give skating the time of day, or is this a legitimate athletic opportunity that should get the support it needs in our schools and communities? Bring it on. Rip it up!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Welcome to Ed NeXt Step
Ralph Walker
One of my friends likes to say 'you can't boil the ocean'. To that I respond, 'No, but I have a pot a lighter and a bunch of friends. Let's see how far I can get'. Welcome to my Blog, Ed NeXt Step. This blog has been created as an online space to discuss, debate and challenge anyone who comes to visit about what is the NeXt Step in education??
Education in the United States has been the gold standard for the entire world ever since World War II. Unfortunately in many ways we have been stagnant in our approach to modernizing education and extending its reach and effectiveness. While we continue to do a great job teaching basic skills, creating a literate society and setting a base line for expectations around the world, are we really preparing our youth for the next set of challenges? Are students leaving their institutions with the skills to take on issues of globalization, sustainability, population growth or even just feeding and clothing their families? How do we prepare the next generation for the wide ranging problems of disease, poverty, famine, war, and ultimately how to get by on this planet?
This set of challenges does not only rest on the shoulders of our educators. We are all party to education reform as long as we live in a place where public education is a right and we support that right though action. Regardless if you are a student, parent, educator or someone on the sidelines as a citizen you are engaged. Our taxes support education in this country and even if you are not paying attention you are paying for it.
As an architect and an educational designer I have been engaged with school administrators, teachers, parents and funders around the country who are struggling with modernizing our system without abandoning the infrastructure we have. There are many good, honest people who are looking for the best ways to deliver an excellent education to the most people without leaving anyone out in the cold. There are some amazing ideas boiling away in today's schools.
Our corporations, industries and professions all rely on an educated population to provide the products and services we all use. Individuals within our society but outside the education system have a unique perspective about the effectiveness of our schools. We have seen the investment of time, money and resources in new concepts from titans of business and industry for centuries. It is critical that we engage everyone in these issues. In my personal experience both with non profit boards and individual projects I have found that the impact of these members of our community can be profound.
While it is also important to understand new ideas we must remember that we can't just chuck the system we have and start over. Millions of children and families rely on stable and effective schools today. Transforming that system can not overlook the realities of today's world. We have an amazing infrastructure of qualified teachers and administrators as well as the physical, monetary and political structures in place. They are assets that should not be ignored, but instead leveraged for maximum effectiveness. How can we get the best efforts out of what we already have?
In this blog you will read posts that will range from discussions of classroom design to whole system reform. Anything that is relevent to making our education systems better is worth writing about. Nothing is to small, or to large to engage in an open dialogue. If you have a topic, bring it on!
Educators, policy makers, designers, planners, students, parents and citizens are encouraged to engage in this challenge. We can't do this alone in a dark room. It is time to open the windows and shed some light on the challenges we face in taking our educational systems and ultimately our society to the next level. Bring your best ideas, thoughts and experiences and lets find out what the NeXt Step in education really is!!
One of my friends likes to say 'you can't boil the ocean'. To that I respond, 'No, but I have a pot a lighter and a bunch of friends. Let's see how far I can get'. Welcome to my Blog, Ed NeXt Step. This blog has been created as an online space to discuss, debate and challenge anyone who comes to visit about what is the NeXt Step in education??
Education in the United States has been the gold standard for the entire world ever since World War II. Unfortunately in many ways we have been stagnant in our approach to modernizing education and extending its reach and effectiveness. While we continue to do a great job teaching basic skills, creating a literate society and setting a base line for expectations around the world, are we really preparing our youth for the next set of challenges? Are students leaving their institutions with the skills to take on issues of globalization, sustainability, population growth or even just feeding and clothing their families? How do we prepare the next generation for the wide ranging problems of disease, poverty, famine, war, and ultimately how to get by on this planet?
This set of challenges does not only rest on the shoulders of our educators. We are all party to education reform as long as we live in a place where public education is a right and we support that right though action. Regardless if you are a student, parent, educator or someone on the sidelines as a citizen you are engaged. Our taxes support education in this country and even if you are not paying attention you are paying for it.
As an architect and an educational designer I have been engaged with school administrators, teachers, parents and funders around the country who are struggling with modernizing our system without abandoning the infrastructure we have. There are many good, honest people who are looking for the best ways to deliver an excellent education to the most people without leaving anyone out in the cold. There are some amazing ideas boiling away in today's schools.
Our corporations, industries and professions all rely on an educated population to provide the products and services we all use. Individuals within our society but outside the education system have a unique perspective about the effectiveness of our schools. We have seen the investment of time, money and resources in new concepts from titans of business and industry for centuries. It is critical that we engage everyone in these issues. In my personal experience both with non profit boards and individual projects I have found that the impact of these members of our community can be profound.
While it is also important to understand new ideas we must remember that we can't just chuck the system we have and start over. Millions of children and families rely on stable and effective schools today. Transforming that system can not overlook the realities of today's world. We have an amazing infrastructure of qualified teachers and administrators as well as the physical, monetary and political structures in place. They are assets that should not be ignored, but instead leveraged for maximum effectiveness. How can we get the best efforts out of what we already have?
In this blog you will read posts that will range from discussions of classroom design to whole system reform. Anything that is relevent to making our education systems better is worth writing about. Nothing is to small, or to large to engage in an open dialogue. If you have a topic, bring it on!
Educators, policy makers, designers, planners, students, parents and citizens are encouraged to engage in this challenge. We can't do this alone in a dark room. It is time to open the windows and shed some light on the challenges we face in taking our educational systems and ultimately our society to the next level. Bring your best ideas, thoughts and experiences and lets find out what the NeXt Step in education really is!!
Where do plumbers come from???
Have you ever noticed how much it costs to get a plumber to come to your house or apartment? Recently I had a minor problem in my house and called a local plumbing company. While the whole issue wasn't a catastrophe a leaky pipe needs to get fixed right away. Not only did it take calls to multiple companies to find a qualified plumber, but the cost was ridiculous.
Hopefully you have never had to deal with this, but it led me to a different question. Why do plumbers cost so much? There is a simple answer, and a far more complicated one.
The simple answer is Supply and Demand. There are not enough plumbers in our society to handle all of the leaky faucets, broken pipes and runny toilets. Truth be told there are not enough plumbers to handle all of the bigger problems with our infrastructure either. While there is not an accurate count (they are counted differently in each state) of exactly how many plumbers, pipe fitters and steamfitters there are in the country I can say for sure that there simply are not enough.
So what does this have to do with education? Now that is the complicated answer.
In the United States there has been a historic trend to expand the amount of education each person receives. Over the decades we have seen laws that have mandated primary and secondary education, extended early childhood education and subsidized higher education. These are all incredible steps that have transformed our society in less than 1oo years from a people who worked primarily in agriculture and industry to a diverse workforce of professionals working in a wide range of industries, services and professions.
During that change we have watched families send their first children to college, improve their financial footing and often abandon the professions that gave them their start. As people transition from working as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics and other 'blue collar' jobs into the professional or service workforce their numbers are traditionally either diminishing or taken up by new immigrants. We have watched this trend happen over and over from the times when people came through Ellis Island to today.
Ironically the need for many of these positions has only grown. As our cities age skilled tradesmen are needed to maintain existing infrastructure, repair and build new. In some places talented bricklayers and plaster workers have all but disappeared, but we have thousands of brick and plaster buildings that remain. Very few people with right skills remain to take care of the work in place. In other areas we have seen mass migrations of skilled tradesmen in places where work is abundant and the pay is good. We have seen it within our country and even from country to country. Anyone been to New Orleans, or even China lately ??
It is not without good intention that we encourage our youth to reach for more education and move towards white collar jobs. It has been shown that individuals who complete college will traditionally make substantially more money than their counterparts who only finish high school. Individuals who work in the trades are often the exception to this rule. They can often make huge sums of money. It is also important to recognize that working as a tradesman can be backbreaking and dangerous work. But reality is that we do not have a good system to educate people about both the skills it takes to be a plumber or its value to our society.
As an architect I have had the pleasure of engaging many contractors and tradesmen. The best of them often come from a family who have continued a trade for generations. Many have been apprentices to uncles, fathers or family friends who have taught them first hand what it takes to do a professional job. This education formal or not, is one that can't be ignored. For most of these individuals they have learned by doing, nothing more, nothing less. Hours and days of actual practice have taught them skills that can't be learned in a classroom or lecture hall. Some of them have nothing more than a high school diploma, in some cases less, but they are often skilled businessmen and even pillars of our communities.
There are also a few lessons to be learned:
1. We need more plumbers, as well as other skilled trades. They are important to our society and our educational system should teach the value of our skilled tradespeople.
2. Our systems traditionally teach more through sight and sound than hands on experience. Many skilled individuals are not 'book learners' but understand the hands on approach to doing the right job.
3. There is value in relationships. Apprenticeship of any type can be a powerful learning experience. Perhaps there are better ways to bring this tradition into our schools.
While the costs of a plumber are driven by supply and demand, as a society we have neglected to learn how to educate and encourage potential future plumbers and tradesmen. It is not enough to challenge our youth to consider being the next President of the United States, perhaps we need to challenge them to also be the next Master Plumber.
Hopefully you have never had to deal with this, but it led me to a different question. Why do plumbers cost so much? There is a simple answer, and a far more complicated one.
The simple answer is Supply and Demand. There are not enough plumbers in our society to handle all of the leaky faucets, broken pipes and runny toilets. Truth be told there are not enough plumbers to handle all of the bigger problems with our infrastructure either. While there is not an accurate count (they are counted differently in each state) of exactly how many plumbers, pipe fitters and steamfitters there are in the country I can say for sure that there simply are not enough.
So what does this have to do with education? Now that is the complicated answer.
In the United States there has been a historic trend to expand the amount of education each person receives. Over the decades we have seen laws that have mandated primary and secondary education, extended early childhood education and subsidized higher education. These are all incredible steps that have transformed our society in less than 1oo years from a people who worked primarily in agriculture and industry to a diverse workforce of professionals working in a wide range of industries, services and professions.
During that change we have watched families send their first children to college, improve their financial footing and often abandon the professions that gave them their start. As people transition from working as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics and other 'blue collar' jobs into the professional or service workforce their numbers are traditionally either diminishing or taken up by new immigrants. We have watched this trend happen over and over from the times when people came through Ellis Island to today.
Ironically the need for many of these positions has only grown. As our cities age skilled tradesmen are needed to maintain existing infrastructure, repair and build new. In some places talented bricklayers and plaster workers have all but disappeared, but we have thousands of brick and plaster buildings that remain. Very few people with right skills remain to take care of the work in place. In other areas we have seen mass migrations of skilled tradesmen in places where work is abundant and the pay is good. We have seen it within our country and even from country to country. Anyone been to New Orleans, or even China lately ??
It is not without good intention that we encourage our youth to reach for more education and move towards white collar jobs. It has been shown that individuals who complete college will traditionally make substantially more money than their counterparts who only finish high school. Individuals who work in the trades are often the exception to this rule. They can often make huge sums of money. It is also important to recognize that working as a tradesman can be backbreaking and dangerous work. But reality is that we do not have a good system to educate people about both the skills it takes to be a plumber or its value to our society.
As an architect I have had the pleasure of engaging many contractors and tradesmen. The best of them often come from a family who have continued a trade for generations. Many have been apprentices to uncles, fathers or family friends who have taught them first hand what it takes to do a professional job. This education formal or not, is one that can't be ignored. For most of these individuals they have learned by doing, nothing more, nothing less. Hours and days of actual practice have taught them skills that can't be learned in a classroom or lecture hall. Some of them have nothing more than a high school diploma, in some cases less, but they are often skilled businessmen and even pillars of our communities.
There are also a few lessons to be learned:
1. We need more plumbers, as well as other skilled trades. They are important to our society and our educational system should teach the value of our skilled tradespeople.
2. Our systems traditionally teach more through sight and sound than hands on experience. Many skilled individuals are not 'book learners' but understand the hands on approach to doing the right job.
3. There is value in relationships. Apprenticeship of any type can be a powerful learning experience. Perhaps there are better ways to bring this tradition into our schools.
While the costs of a plumber are driven by supply and demand, as a society we have neglected to learn how to educate and encourage potential future plumbers and tradesmen. It is not enough to challenge our youth to consider being the next President of the United States, perhaps we need to challenge them to also be the next Master Plumber.
Bailout Education?
Maybe we should bailout Education?
January 1, 2009
Ralph Walker
Seven Hundred Billion Dollars!
$700,000,000,000.00
That is a huge amount of money. Our public officials have told us that they need to spend it all to repair our financial systems, help our automakers, perhaps save our very economy. I am not sure I believe them, but they are all saying it needs to be done. They are the smart guys in Washington, right? Well I sure hope so, but lets think about this all the same.
Since it is the start of a new year why don’t we take a step back and think about what kind of numbers we are all talking about. I mean I have heard that number batted around so much in the past month that I have lost track of what that really means. In public we have been talking about spending huge amounts of wealth to basically repair a broken system, but I don’t know what 700 Billion dollars looks like. Is it all the gold in Fort Knox? Is it worth a Space Shuttle? Maybe it is worth the Yankees? I just can’t fathom its real value.
I do know a little about schools so maybe we can compare it to education spending. Now I am not an economist. I was not even a math major, but I am a strong believer in a trickle up theory of economics. It goes kind of like this. If we spend money to create maximum opportunity we can create long term growth for our society as a whole. In my life at a small scale the greatest opportunity to be had has been education, so why instead of bailing out Wall Street and the Big Three Automakers why don’t we put all of this money into educating our society. Think about it, if we spent the money on teaching our children how not to make this mistake in the future we might all be better off.
OK now I realize that this is all a crazy scheme, but just for fun lets run the numbers.
$700,000,000,000.00 could pay for:
10 Million Teachers with a $70,000 average salary for 1 year(wouldn’t it be great to give all of our teachers a raise while we are at it?)
Ok, maybe 10 Millions teachers for 1 year doesn’t make sense so how about 2 Million teachers for 5 years! Currently we have 6.8 Million teachers in the United States who all get paid an average of $46,800 per year. We have heard that we have lost 2 Million jobs in this nation over the past calendar year. This effort would replace those jobs and transform our public schools. The money spent by the federal government could be used to help transform how teachers are paid (merit pay anyone?), what kind of training they get and might even influence the way our society values this imperative profession. By adding teachers to the workforce we can raise the standards of education, properly staff all of our schools nationwide and build an educational structure that supports students, families and faculty. Teachers deserve the help and they sure deserve a raise.
Upgrade every school in America with 3.7 Million New Classrooms
(assumes a 800 sf classroom at $235 per sf)
America has lost track of the state of its schools. Our school facilities are out of date and in high need of modernization. Currently there are 95,615 primary and secondary school building in the United States. I keep hearing discussions of infrastructure projects, so how about this one. Building and updating 3.7 Million Classrooms would drive not only jobs (architects, contractors, bankers, lawyers, school administrators and eventually new teachers) but would leave our country with a tangible asset for the money spent. This money could amount to literally updating or expanding every school building in the USA with up to 38 new classrooms! Building classrooms can infuse a town with pride and change the face of a school.
Pay for the Education of every student in America for 1 year
(an average year of school costs $8,287)
Now if the federal government took on the costs for every student’s education for one year it would create a number of amazing opportunities for local school districts and municipalities. It could allow a municipality to reduce the tax burden on their residents, or it could create room in a school budget to infuse new programs that they have been differing. Each town and city needs something different. By providing a windfall that eases the local educational burden this money can build real local opportunities as varied as the needs our country faces. $700B would more than cover it. In fact we could spend over $12,000 for every student giving schools an even better budget to work with.
These potential upgrades to education would pay dividends for decades to come. The better our schools are, the better our students will be as they complete their education. Census data shows that students who finish High School earn an average of $9,000 a year more that their counterparts who don’t, and those who finish college earn almost double what the high school graduates make. Education is one way to rebuild our wealth in America. The world needs well educated productive people to solve its problems. We can provide that.
Now I am not suggesting we federalize education, but why not think about some better ways to use our tax money to change the way the system is working. I do recognize that our economic system is in heart failure so instead of taking the whole $700B we could try to do something more modest. Maybe some of these proposals are a little more palatable:
Let’s spend some federal money to teach household economics to every student who graduates high school. Basic skills in personal budgeting, long term and short term investing, personal credit, buying a car, buying a house and saving a little for a rainy day could have saved thousands of families from the economic crisis they face now. We could make this happen through a few simple steps; develop a federal curriculum, provide nationwide teacher training, and launch a national promotion program. I bet the whole thing could be instilled for a cool 150 Million dollars. That still leaves $699,850,000,000 to spend on the banks and the automakers.
Or how about this one; We can spend 5 Million Dollars at each of the top 1000 universities (yes one thousand, there are over 4000 colleges and universities in the US and we have a lot of amazing schools) in the country to start a mandatory economics class for every liberal arts student in the country. The money could fund new teachers, books, even classroom space to make sure every student who has a Bachelor’s degree or greater in this country can follow the economic health of our nation. This proposal would leave our coffers with $694,850,000,000 (I already spent the money on the first proposal)
All right, this is my final proposal. Put some money in basic math education at the primary levels. I don’t think we need to spend a huge amount, say 1 Billion or 0.1285% of the total bailout package to make sure every school in America has the tools it needs to teach math properly. I would love for my children to understand the difference between 1 Million, 1 Billion and 1 Trillion so they can properly compare the salaries of major league sports stars, the GDP of developing countries, the amount of money Bill and Melinda Gates give to charity and this crazy Bailout that we are all burdened with. For those of you keeping score at home my three proposals left the bailout package with $693,850,000,000 to spend on automakers, banks and whoever else needs the help to get our economy back on track. I don’t know where they got the number of $700B to begin with so I am sure they can make it work for a little bit less.
The simple fact is that as a nation we do not even understand what is happening to all of this money. We are watching it fly out the door, but can not explain to each other, let alone our kids why it happened or who it happened to. We have failed to prepare our society for this type of crisis and we must build new safeguards to protect future generations from the same issue.
At the end of the day, if we can’t touch the bailout money maybe we can cut back on buying all of those stealth bombers and use that money for some of these proposals. I know it is only 1.3 Billion at a time, but hey, it’s a start.
* All statistics and figures quoted were direct from the Census. See http://www.census.gov/ for more information.
January 1, 2009
Ralph Walker
Seven Hundred Billion Dollars!
$700,000,000,000.00
That is a huge amount of money. Our public officials have told us that they need to spend it all to repair our financial systems, help our automakers, perhaps save our very economy. I am not sure I believe them, but they are all saying it needs to be done. They are the smart guys in Washington, right? Well I sure hope so, but lets think about this all the same.
Since it is the start of a new year why don’t we take a step back and think about what kind of numbers we are all talking about. I mean I have heard that number batted around so much in the past month that I have lost track of what that really means. In public we have been talking about spending huge amounts of wealth to basically repair a broken system, but I don’t know what 700 Billion dollars looks like. Is it all the gold in Fort Knox? Is it worth a Space Shuttle? Maybe it is worth the Yankees? I just can’t fathom its real value.
I do know a little about schools so maybe we can compare it to education spending. Now I am not an economist. I was not even a math major, but I am a strong believer in a trickle up theory of economics. It goes kind of like this. If we spend money to create maximum opportunity we can create long term growth for our society as a whole. In my life at a small scale the greatest opportunity to be had has been education, so why instead of bailing out Wall Street and the Big Three Automakers why don’t we put all of this money into educating our society. Think about it, if we spent the money on teaching our children how not to make this mistake in the future we might all be better off.
OK now I realize that this is all a crazy scheme, but just for fun lets run the numbers.
$700,000,000,000.00 could pay for:
10 Million Teachers with a $70,000 average salary for 1 year(wouldn’t it be great to give all of our teachers a raise while we are at it?)
Ok, maybe 10 Millions teachers for 1 year doesn’t make sense so how about 2 Million teachers for 5 years! Currently we have 6.8 Million teachers in the United States who all get paid an average of $46,800 per year. We have heard that we have lost 2 Million jobs in this nation over the past calendar year. This effort would replace those jobs and transform our public schools. The money spent by the federal government could be used to help transform how teachers are paid (merit pay anyone?), what kind of training they get and might even influence the way our society values this imperative profession. By adding teachers to the workforce we can raise the standards of education, properly staff all of our schools nationwide and build an educational structure that supports students, families and faculty. Teachers deserve the help and they sure deserve a raise.
Upgrade every school in America with 3.7 Million New Classrooms
(assumes a 800 sf classroom at $235 per sf)
America has lost track of the state of its schools. Our school facilities are out of date and in high need of modernization. Currently there are 95,615 primary and secondary school building in the United States. I keep hearing discussions of infrastructure projects, so how about this one. Building and updating 3.7 Million Classrooms would drive not only jobs (architects, contractors, bankers, lawyers, school administrators and eventually new teachers) but would leave our country with a tangible asset for the money spent. This money could amount to literally updating or expanding every school building in the USA with up to 38 new classrooms! Building classrooms can infuse a town with pride and change the face of a school.
Pay for the Education of every student in America for 1 year
(an average year of school costs $8,287)
Now if the federal government took on the costs for every student’s education for one year it would create a number of amazing opportunities for local school districts and municipalities. It could allow a municipality to reduce the tax burden on their residents, or it could create room in a school budget to infuse new programs that they have been differing. Each town and city needs something different. By providing a windfall that eases the local educational burden this money can build real local opportunities as varied as the needs our country faces. $700B would more than cover it. In fact we could spend over $12,000 for every student giving schools an even better budget to work with.
These potential upgrades to education would pay dividends for decades to come. The better our schools are, the better our students will be as they complete their education. Census data shows that students who finish High School earn an average of $9,000 a year more that their counterparts who don’t, and those who finish college earn almost double what the high school graduates make. Education is one way to rebuild our wealth in America. The world needs well educated productive people to solve its problems. We can provide that.
Now I am not suggesting we federalize education, but why not think about some better ways to use our tax money to change the way the system is working. I do recognize that our economic system is in heart failure so instead of taking the whole $700B we could try to do something more modest. Maybe some of these proposals are a little more palatable:
Let’s spend some federal money to teach household economics to every student who graduates high school. Basic skills in personal budgeting, long term and short term investing, personal credit, buying a car, buying a house and saving a little for a rainy day could have saved thousands of families from the economic crisis they face now. We could make this happen through a few simple steps; develop a federal curriculum, provide nationwide teacher training, and launch a national promotion program. I bet the whole thing could be instilled for a cool 150 Million dollars. That still leaves $699,850,000,000 to spend on the banks and the automakers.
Or how about this one; We can spend 5 Million Dollars at each of the top 1000 universities (yes one thousand, there are over 4000 colleges and universities in the US and we have a lot of amazing schools) in the country to start a mandatory economics class for every liberal arts student in the country. The money could fund new teachers, books, even classroom space to make sure every student who has a Bachelor’s degree or greater in this country can follow the economic health of our nation. This proposal would leave our coffers with $694,850,000,000 (I already spent the money on the first proposal)
All right, this is my final proposal. Put some money in basic math education at the primary levels. I don’t think we need to spend a huge amount, say 1 Billion or 0.1285% of the total bailout package to make sure every school in America has the tools it needs to teach math properly. I would love for my children to understand the difference between 1 Million, 1 Billion and 1 Trillion so they can properly compare the salaries of major league sports stars, the GDP of developing countries, the amount of money Bill and Melinda Gates give to charity and this crazy Bailout that we are all burdened with. For those of you keeping score at home my three proposals left the bailout package with $693,850,000,000 to spend on automakers, banks and whoever else needs the help to get our economy back on track. I don’t know where they got the number of $700B to begin with so I am sure they can make it work for a little bit less.
The simple fact is that as a nation we do not even understand what is happening to all of this money. We are watching it fly out the door, but can not explain to each other, let alone our kids why it happened or who it happened to. We have failed to prepare our society for this type of crisis and we must build new safeguards to protect future generations from the same issue.
At the end of the day, if we can’t touch the bailout money maybe we can cut back on buying all of those stealth bombers and use that money for some of these proposals. I know it is only 1.3 Billion at a time, but hey, it’s a start.
* All statistics and figures quoted were direct from the Census. See http://www.census.gov/ for more information.
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