The Student Survey….Here’s Your Voice:

In Mid-March, approximately 70% of the LCS students participated in an online student survey.  I haven’t posted all the results but here is what students said about certain items.   The goal of the survey was to gather student feedback on the culture of the school.  In addition, it is an opportunity to gather student feedback on the vision of the school.

Let me start with a few bottom lines for me.  I consider a school to be successful if students and faculty are engaged in learning, are eager to come to school daily, are setting and responding to high expectations and challenge, and are engaged with a variety of interests and activities.  I believe students must feel safe, supported, connected and cared about.  School should be fun.  Finally, school should help build resilience in students in overcoming obstacles and challenges.

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Who Inspires You?

Given the unique wiring of an adolescent, how do kids make decisions about who they want to really be?  How do they learn their values?  Who influences them?  Who do they look up to who can provide guidance?

In the post below there are some links to interesting young people doing interesting things.  Who shapes you?  Who influences you?

Clearly, parents, extended family, teacher mentors, and other role models have a huge part in shaping young kids.  Having said that, I believe young people can find tremendous role models within their peer group and through their social networks.  We can find really positive role models who are teenagers who have posted their accomplishments on youtube or personal websites or blogs or through presentations at organizations like TEDxTeen.  We have alumni from LCS who are excellent potential role models, and close in age to our current students.  If kids are willing to explore these networks, there are inspiring young people out there.

Adolescence is challenging.  Knowing that there are young people out there who are working hard to figure their own paths and are willing to share their thoughts and challenges with one another through social media.  It holds really very powerful potential.

Here’s an inspiring role model!!   Recently, 14 of our students returned from the Global Issues Service Summit in Nairobi.  One of the speakers was Cassandra Lin. She’s a teenager from Rhode Island.  Talk about a role model!

Here’s a link to her presenting at a recent TED talk conference.

She’s awesome.  She was also a huge inspiration to all of our students who attended the GISS in Nairobi.

Here’s another role model!!!

Below is a great Ted Talk given by a 15 year old. Here’s the description off the web site.  She’s good fun to listen to and an inspiration to 15 year old females!

“Fifteen-year-old Tavi Gevinson had a hard time finding strong female, teenage role models — so she built a space where they could find each other. At TEDxTeen, she illustrates how the conversations on sites like Rookie, her wildly popular web magazine for and by teen girls, are putting a new, unapologetically uncertain and richly complex face on modern feminism. (Filmed atTEDxTeen.)”   

Here’s her Ted Talk at TEDxTeen

 

Here is another interesting individual.  I heard him speak at a conference a few years ago.  It is worth hearing the story of

Ryan Hreljac of Ryan’s Well.

 

One reason I am interested in this topic is that our teens are challenged daily.  Take the entertainment industry for example.  Chris Brown, the music artist, recently performed a concert in Ghana.  We had many students flock to the concert.  It’s not often that a big name in the entertainment industry holds a concert in Accra, Ghana.  I can see the lure.  Having said that, Chris Brown is known as a convicted felon, a history of violence and drug use, someone who physically assaulted his girlfriend and yet he is a celebrity who draws a huge crowd.  How can this be?  What type of role model is this man to our students.   Why expose our kids to this individual?  How come our students were so eager to see this concert?

I think our kids need powerful role models.  They must have powerful role models if, in fact, they are lured to concerts and entertainment like a Chris Brown.

We are talking about values and mindful behaviors.  We are talking about smart choices and principled actions.

Learning principled actions, treating others with respect, honoring respectful and caring behaviors is essential during formative years of adolescence. Positive role models support such learning. Finding them through sports, entertainment, one’s family, at school, or through other resources is the challenge.  There are many positive role models out there. Helping guide kids towards those role models is a collective responsibility.

 

Parents Building Community at LCS

On Wednesday, Feb 20, over 30 Grade 6 parents (approximately half of our Grade 6 population) attended an evening parent gathering hosted in a private home.  The purpose of the evening was to get together to talk about social media and the challenges of parents and educators.  Facebook usage dominated the conversation as did the topic of challenges associated with extensive online interest, involvement, and obsession!!  Kids are plugged in.  It’s a challenge for parents to make decisions around family rules and expectations.  Every parent handles things differently.  Over the years I have found it incredibly valuable to communicate with as many parents as I can to help shape my decisions as a parent and as a school leader.  Schools have a responsibility to support, educate, and provide information to both students and parents around this important topic.  This evening meeting was a great example of parents collectively tackling the challenges of parenting.

I was very impressed with the turnout of parents.  The community is naturally very

Grade 6 Parents Gather for a Lively Discussion and a Meal on Feb 20 2013

interested in this topic. I would urge parents to rally around one another, exchange ideas, tips, and suggestions.  It is not easy to parent in the digital age.  We all share the same concerns, hopes, and fears as parents.  Moreover, we are all  in uncharted territory when it comes to technology and share similar questions.

Below is a link to the presentation.  Feel free to view it.  In addition, I’ve added  a link to an excellent Ted Talk that is worth listening to. It’s about our  “plugged in” world we have become!

This is the presentation to Grade 6 parents.  This is the powerpoint presentation.

This is the same presentation to Grade 6 parents as a movie. It’s a larger file for downloading (28 mb) but plays fine.

With Kids Away, Do Teachers Play?

Last Monday, students didn’t come to school, but teachers did!  What were we doing at school on Monday?  What happens on those “Professional Development” days?  What happens at those weekly meetings that teachers have every Wednesday afternoon?

The answer is alot of learning, planning, reflecting, dialogue and professional growth.    Check out the link below (in blue) to a short collection of images:

SS Faculty: An Inquiring Bunch!

 

We are a learning organization.  On days like Monday or on weekly Wednesday afternoons, faculty spend time preparing classes, lessons, unit plans, assessments, and engaging activities.

LCS faculty are professionals, interested in their own personal learning and professional growth and, most importantly, improving the experience for students. This is the mission we, as faculty, are on.  We strive to ensure that students have  high quality learning experiences at LCS.  I salute the LCS faculty for their commitment and effort.  Faculty are working hard on behalf of students and families.

 

 

 

Cheating……Why do Students Cheat?

I’ve been thinking about this lately.  Cheating has been in the news.  Recently the most famous cheat of all was finally exposed and admitted his cheating.  Lance Armstrong – 7 time winner of the most prestigious bike race in the world , Le Tour de France – admitted cheating every year.  He did illegal things to gain an advantage and broke the rules.  His career is a disaster.  He was motivated by his need to win at all costs and while knowing he could cheat and still win. But he is exposed and his career is a disaster.

Why do people cheat when they know it is wrong?  This is a really difficult question to answer.  There are no easy answers.  People make choices and find ways to justify their actions even when they know they are doing things that are wrong.

Cheating in schools is a significant problem.  Why do students cheat in school?  It could be that:

  • They just don’t know the work/material and copying or plagiarizing is the easiest way out
  • They haven’t spent time on the work and are unprepared
  • They give their work to someone else to be a good friend
  • They want to gain an advantage over others
  • They don’t think their behavior is a big deal and feel it is okay to cheat, after all there are many examples of successful cheaters in the world. Continue reading

To Uniform or Not To Uniform…..

 

ORIGINALLY POSTED in JANUARY 2013, 2 years ago…….

The LCS community is in the midst of a discussion about school uniforms.  Parents, Teachers, and Students are engaging with the debate as to whether we should adopt a uniform for our students.  It is a debate with some passionate representation for both sides of the discussion.

What are the pros and cons?  What do you really think?

Here’s my take on the possible pros and cons.

Pros.  A school uniform could:

  • Support a more focused academic environment
  • Provide an environment that “fits in” to a greater degree with the local Ghanaian context because wearing a uniform to school is normal in Ghana.
  • Eliminate some dress code violation decisions.
  • Limit the issues that students have in choosing and buying a range of clothing choices.  This could eliminate some possible social issues around choice of dress.
  • Support the building of a school identity, associated with a new logo and a new uniform
  • Support parents in their discussions about the choice of clothing

Cons.  A school uniform could:

  • Conflict with the IB philosophy of developing independent, critical, and responsible thinkers who make appropriate decisions.
  • Limit individuality and the opportunity to be an individual based upon your clothes.
  • Result in an atmosphere that is too “uniform”.
  • Eliminate an attractive element of LCS (in the eyes of some, not having a uniform is an attractive aspect of LCS).

There are no guarantees that these pro or con arguments would be completely true.   The only guarantee is that in a large community, diverse opinions exist.  Therefore, the range of arguments will be true for some people.

Here are a few images of potential uniforms from other international schools.  This gives you some idea of the suggestions that have been made.

     

 

(Reminder – this was posted in January, 2013) Thus far only Grade 11 and 10 students have had the chance to submit a vote on the topic of uniforms.  In the coming weeks, other grade levels in the secondary school will have a chance to express their opinion.  While in both grade levels a majority of students are not interested in a uniform, it is important to note that there are many students who do support a uniform. It’s essential to acknowledge and respect the views of both sides with this discussion.

I invite you to leave a comment on this blog with respect to the uniform discussion.

 

Connectivity, Inquiry, and Learning

Ever since the 1990’s when “google it” became a standard expression, a verb,  and a universally understood action, I’ve wondered how lives would change as “google it” would be a reality anytime and anywhere.  For a moment, consider how much more information is being exchanged in your lives with our ever expanding connectivity?

As 2012 closed down a few weeks ago, I found myself thinking about this even more.  Over the holiday, while spending time with my wife and two sons (both in their 20’s) we were regularly engaged in discussions that often led to a need for additional information.  One of us would inevitably “google it” to complete the discussion, or more often win the debate! This was true in our house, in our car, on the beach, or on a hike.  Growing coverage and access in Ghana is impressive!  Besides seeking debate-winning nuggets of information, we regularly gathered movie reviews, weather reports, and news headlines.    We listened to news podcasts, watched video clips on Youtube, skyped with family members on other continents, fact checked through Wikipedia, and checked on work responsibilities. We looked for directions using Google maps, tracked international flights, ensured we understood the rules to card games, and downloaded reading materials and ebooks.  We had a very personal and intimate experience as a family but, make no mistake, we were plugged in, (when we weren’t napping with our books on the beach) and we were online using our connectivity.   I do like my iphone and ipad!

Beyond a minimal nugget of information to sway an argument, I found myself thinking more and more about how this extensive connectivity provided opportunities for my individualized learning.  While traveling down the coast, we were picking and choosing the topics and the timing for extending our learning.  We were glad to have solid 3G access as we searched and shared historical info Continue reading

Parenting Our Digital Natives…Resources for Parents

Our kids are digital natives.  We know that.   We have to make adjustments as parents and educators. What are the opportunities?  What are the challenges?  If we don’t embrace, learn, lead, teach, manage, and understand then we are in danger of committing malpractice as parents and educators.

Fundamentally, though, it’s not parenting styles or intuition that is changing.  It is the playing field. The playing field is a globally connected, anytime/anywhere accessible world, immersed in digital devices that overload us with information, interactions, decisions, and an ever expanding horizon.  Ethical, responsible, and thoughtful decision making and inquiry are needed for people to navigate and harness their connectivity. But ethical, responsible, and thoughtful decision making has always been the goal!  Helping kids make good decisions and mentoring kids towards becoming responsible beings is what parenting is all about.  The landscape in the 21st century has changed!

There are many resources for parents.  A quick search of resources in google and youtube for parent resources leads you to many links.  There is good information available to help guide parent decision making and parent/child discussions about online ethics. Parents must stay informed, accept the realities of our digital world, and reflect upon the impact it has on our parenting decisions.  Conversations, structures, and rules for our kids all need to be considered.  Our actions as adults matter as we help shape and guide our kids forward.

Below are some links for parents that can produce some interesting dialogue. The youtube videos are relatively short but provide some fundamental thinking and ideas.

 Digital Generation Parents Share Their Wisdom

Cyberbullying Solutions for Parents

FB, YouTube, Texting – Rules of the Road for Kids

Tips for Digital Generation Parenting

Sexting and kids – what parents need to know

Slideshare for parents – a resource from David Truss

Disconnect to Connect

Raising Digital Kids, Engaging Your Kids – a resource from David Truss.  This is a nice summary of some things to think about as you are discussing limits and engaging in dialogue with your son/daughter.

Here is an interesting article from the Washington.   For parents who are thinking hard and long about steps to take with their kids, this is a good article to provide some support.  Mom’s Code of Conduct for her son

 

 

 

A Fresh Start – January 2013 – Any New Years Resolutions?

Any New Years resolutions out there?

One of the best parts of working in (or attending a) school is the opportunity for renewal.  New school years, new calendar years (2013), new reporting quarters, new units of study, new events and new opportunities.

As a student you can explore and re-invent yourself at different times.  That is part of being a teenager.  As an adult, you can constantly renew your professional learning, make resolutions to be fitter, resolve to read more books and take time for yourself or your family, be more organized, and so on.

New Years resolutions are just one opportunity to consider goals and plans for the coming months.

Here’s an excellent collection of TED Talks from the site 12 TED Talks that will inspire New Years Resolutions

Bookmark this TED Talk site.  There are 12 really excellent talks to listen to.  I have managed a couple of them today.  Carve out a few minutes and listen to one.

Feel free to leave a comment on this post and share a new years resolution!

Digital Images and Cyberbullying – What to do?

This post is dedicated to students who have been cyber bullied.  My goal is to offer some support, resources, and learning for students.   I have embedded several videos and a web site links for students to view.  My goal is to support the building of community where every individual feels safe and valued.

With respect to cyber bullying……….

About one-third of online teens (ages 12-17) have been cyberbullied. Girls are more likely to be targeted.

(Lenhart A. Cyberbullying and Online Teens. Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007.)

These numbers are staggering.  Online bullying is far too common place.  Inappropriate decision making (or a lack of decision making) is far too common.

Here is a profound video…have a look. It’s called You Can’t Take it Back. It’s from the web site www.netsmartz.org/RealLifeStories.   If the video doesn’t open from the blog, use the link right here:

You Can’t Take It Back


 

Here is another short video along the same lines.  It’s called “Your Photo Fate”.  Again, make good decisions!  It’s from the web site www.netsmartz.org/RealLifeStories

Again, if it doesn’t open below from the blog, use this link: Your Photo Fate

 

This 16 year old radio news reporter broadcast this story on the radio on January 7, 2013.  She lives in New York City.   The title is:  Online Shaming A New Level of Cyberbullying for Girls  Listen to this story about teenagers, from teenagers

So what can you do about it? Here is a great site for students who have been cyber bullied, check this out:

A Thin Line

The site is sponsored by MTV.  The point of the site is clear, if you are a victim of cyber bullying, there are steps you can take to fight back and take control. Don’t let bullies win!

Here’s a link to a set of Frequently Asked Questions around Cyberbullying addressed to teenagers.  If you wish to see it, click here.