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Leader-to-Leader. Lee Meadows Director, Alabama LASER. Leader-to-Leader. Changing Their Minds without Losing Yours!. From Deep Inside. What’s tough about leading change?. The Challenge. In the face of Florida’s adoption, what are your most strategic leadership moves for the next 3 months?
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Leader-to-Leader Lee Meadows Director, Alabama LASER
Leader-to-Leader Changing Their Minds without Losing Yours!
From Deep Inside • What’s tough about leading change?
The Challenge • In the face of Florida’s adoption, what are your most strategic leadership moves for the next 3 months? • Example ideas (to stir our thinking)?
Leading Inquiry Reforms Lee’s Unique Expertise
Science Teacher Educator UT Masters (& reform) UGA Ph.D. (& reform) UAB School of Education (& reform)
Classroom Teacher • Sabbatical as 9th grade regular teacher • Do-it-yourself inquiry during first semester • Active Physics & Chem during second semester
Leading Change Successful Strategies
Thinking Skills “My kids can’t think” Teamwork “Kids today have zero social skills” Info Management “Students can’t read” Problem Solving “Kids today aren’t ready for the real world” Advocate Inquiry
Inquiry & the NSES • www.nap.edu/bookstore, then Search All Titles for “Inquiry” (or later master web site) • Best resource for inquiry theory • Open book
Lead to Exemplary Curriculum • Has it been through an R&D process? • NSF-label • Is it guided inquiry? • Open-ended is scary! • Other key features • PBL • Cooperative learning • Relevance/Science Literacy
Resources • http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~lmeadows/rescutting.html • Links to exemplary curriculum (elementary, middle, and high) • Links to elementary inquiry assessments • 5 Essential Features book • Alternative Pathway: Google search “Lee Meadows UAB”
Attend to the Obvious • Materials • purchase, storage, management, & replenishment • Professional Development • Support Teacher Change • Assessment Changes • Aligning assessment with instruction
Avoid an Inquiry Ghetto • Tech-prep only • Gifted only • Special needs students only • Average students only • Not for ESOL
The Human Factor • Take care of yourself • What good is a burned out (or dead!) leader? • Listen to your teachers • Except for the resistors • Think long term, but communicate crisis • Workforce development AND literacy through science • Use CBAM’s Stages of Concern
CBAM’s Stages of Concern • Awareness • What’s inquiry? Why should I use it? • Information • How do I prep to use inquiry? I don’t know enough science? What’s exemplary curriculum? • Management • All my time is going to studying the teacher guide and managing stuff! • Routine Use & Refocusing
Nurture Leaders • Innovators • The ed fad of the week • Leaders • Trusted & trustworthy • Early Majority • Follow the leader • Late Majority • Looks like a resistor • Resistors • The black holes of reform
Don’t Solve Their Dilemmas • High-stakes tests vs. inquiry • Students lack of process skills vs. prep for life & work • Lack of material funding vs. our poor workforce
The Challenge • In the face of Florida’s adoption, what are your most strategic leadership moves for the next 3 months?
The Bottom Line • Leadership is tough • Leadership is the missing link in educational reform • Leaders need a support network, and that may not be possible from the people you lead • Leadership is deeply rewarding
It’s About Time (888.698.8463) • Middle school earth science • High school physics, chemistry, and earth science • Materials kits • Professional Development • Alabama LASER (205.934.8347) • Strategic planning • Reform coaching