Empowering Teachers …Leading Change [email protected] New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning

Empowering Teachers …Leading Change

www.njctl.org [email protected]

New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning

Robert Goodman, Ed.D

Executive Director

NJ Center for Teaching and Learning

&

Teacher

Bergen County Technical HS - Teterboro

[email protected] www.njctl.org

Systems Thinking

When a system is broken.

Improving all its users is not the solution.

Improving the system is the answer.

Trying to improve all the users of a system is expensive, frustrating, and ineffectual.

Systems Thinking

In a well designed system:

Good users of the system making a good effort achieve great results.

In a broken system:

Great users making a great effort achieve only good results.

Good users making a good effort achieve poor results.

Our Current System of Education

“The best in-school predictor of student learning is the quality of the teacher.”

The conclusion often taken from this is that we “just” need to improve all the teachers

An alternative conclusion is that the system of education is broken


“The best in-school predictor of student learning is the quality of the teacher”

High levels of student failure and wide variance between teacher performance reveal a poor system.

We must transform our system of education.

Technology has made transformation possible.


It’s useful to look at a couple of other examples of systems thinking outside of education to see how to solve this problem within education.

First, an apocryphal story

Then, a real example.

An Apocryphal Town Hall Meeting

At a town hall meeting the problem of a local intersection was discussed.

Dangerous Intersection

As the town had grown, an increasing number of accidents were occurring at this intersection.

Best Predictor of Success

The local driving school shared data showing that the biggest predictor of safely traversing the intersection was the quality of the driver.

Driver Evaluation

And that for about $1000 per driver, they could evaluate all the drivers in town for their driving quality to identify the highest quality drivers.

Evaluating Evaluators

This required creating a system of evaluating all drivers, which required creating many new driving evaluators.

So, a system had to be created for evaluating the driving evaluators as well as the drivers.

And then a system for retraining the drivers who failed the evaluation had to be created.

Budget Priority

Driving safety is a high town priority so the town agreed to the expense.

They committed a large proportion of their budget to evaluate everyone in town, and retrain those who needed it, raising the average quality of their drivers.

Outcome of Evaluation & Training

The training and evaluation program required a tax increase of 25%.

People started leaving town; they couldn’t afford to live there.

And those who lost their driving licenses left as well.

And the intersection still wasn’t safe.

The town was in decline.

A Radical Proposal

With the town on the edge of collapse, a radical proposal was made.

Systemic ChangeSo Any Reasonable Driver Succeeds

A traffic light would make the intersection safe for any good driver making a reasonable effort.

Systemic ChangeSo Any Reasonable Driver Succeeds

With a good system, most people will succeed with a reasonable effort.

Improving systems is cheaper, easier and yields better results than improving all those who use them.

Japanese vs. American Cars in the 1970s

U.S. auto companies lost market share rapidly to Japanese car companies in the 1970s due to quality and price.

Many believed that American workers could not produce the same quality, at the same price, as Japanese workers.

But, it was later shown that Japanese cars were designed with half the parts as American cars.

Lean Thinking

Fewer parts, meant lower cost and fewer errors in production.

This was part of an overall more effective system of designing and producing cars: Lean Thinking.

It was not the workers, it was the quality of the system.

Now, that Lean Thinking has been adopted in the U.S., quality and price are competitive.

W. Edwards Deming

The Japanese had adopted the philosophy of an American in designing their system of production: W. Edwards Deming.

His philosophy was only adopted in the U.S. after transforming Japan.

Fundamental to his philosophy is to never blame the workers for poor quality, that is always the result of management.

Deming Quotes

“The worker is not the problem. The problem is at the top! Management!”

“…don’t blame the singers (workers) if the song is written poorly (the system is the problem); instead, rewrite the music (fix the system).”

Good Books for Systems Thinking

Good Books for Systems Thinking

Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) & Progressive Mathematics Initiative (PMI)

Every system must address a need.

PSI-PMI was designed to address the need that:

States and countries must improve student learning in science and mathematics as an issue of social justice and international competitiveness

Science and Mathematics

Many 21st century jobs require prerequisite learning in science and mathematics:

Science MedicineTechnology Computer ScienceEngineering Agricultural ScienceMathematics Veterinary Science,

Mining, etc.

Employment in these fields is strong and growing

Science and Mathematics

Many other 21st century jobs are linked to the analytical thinking of science and mathematics:

Business Investment BankingFinance LawUrban Planning Corporate PlanningDesign Architecture, etc.

Global Competition

All nations must improve student achievement in science and mathematics:

For the direct advantage provided in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

AND

For the indirect advantage of developing more people who can think analytically in other fields

Equity and Access

All students must learn math and science to have a fair chance at the jobs of the future

This is essential to the life of each student

AND

This is essential to the future of their country; each country must realize the potential of all its citizens

The Problem

In the past, there were jobs for people without the mental tools of math and science

Those jobs are shrinking in number

We can no longer accept students leaving school unprepared for the jobs that are open and desirable

The Problem

In most countries, too small a percentage of students are successful in math and science

Traditional approaches towards curriculum, pedagogy and assessment have failed many

The teaching of these subjects has screened students out, not welcomed them in

This is no longer acceptable

The Current System has Failed

The traditional system of education is inefficient

Pushing on it harder Stresses students and teachers, Doesn’t improve student learning or test results

Like forcing a key in the wrong lock; turning it harder breaks the key, but doesn’t open the lock

Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) & Progressive Mathematics Initiative (PMI)

PSI-PMI: A new system of education

The results have been dramatic and show that it is practical to transform education rapidly

As a results these programs are spreading quickly

The PSI-PMI System of Education

Rigor and Stress Are Decoupled

Student learning and enjoyment rise

Teacher satisfaction and effectiveness improve


Mathematics and science become demystified

All students see their basic human character

They are no longer the exclusive domain of those who succeed despite the old system of teaching and learning – the “elite”

PSI-PMI Expansion

PSI was first developed to teach high school science to students

PSI was then used to create new high school physics and chemistry teachers

PMI uses PSI Methods to teach K-12 math

PSI is now being used to develop K-8 science

PSI-PMI Expansion

• Developed in 1 NJ school: 1999 -

• Extended to 98 NJ schools: 2007 -

• Extended to Argentina: 2010 -

• Extended to Rhode Island and Colorado: 2011 -

• Extended to The Gambia, West Africa: 2012 -

• NEA funding entry to more states: 2013 -

New Jersey

In the last 4 years, in NJ, PSI-PMI:

In 98 Schools Trained 683 current math and science teachers Created 112 new physics teachers Created 29 new chemistry teachers

They taught about

• 83,000 students mathematics • 61,000 students science

Teacher Training: Other States

• Rhode Island• Piloted in one district in 2011-12 • High School adoption in that district in fall 2012-13

• Colorado• Adoption in 3 high schools and 1 elementary

school in 2012-13

San Luis, Argentina

• Created 25 new physics teachers

• Trained 75 science and math teachers

• PSI-PMI teachers are teaching thousands of students mathematics and science

• All courses being translated to Spanish

The Gambia, West Africa

World Bank funds a $492,000 pilot

2012/13

Peace Corps commits 4 volunteers

CTL trains 36 teachers from 13 schools

600+ students learning physics and math

The Gambia, West Africa

2013/2014

Peace Corps increases to 8 volunteers

Training expands to 60 teachers from 25 schools

Will be teaching about 1800 students


• In late 2012, NEA provided a $500,000 Challenge Grant to expand beyond NJ with matches from states

• Matches from Morgridge Family Foundation and Xcel Energy are supporting a full-time presence on the ground in Colorado beginning in 2013


Uncommitted NEA Funding: $300,000

Microsoft matches with additional $100,000

Balance of $400,000 available to support expansion to other districts or states outside NJ and CO

Three Threads of PSI-PMI

1. Demystifying math and science to make them accessible to all

2. Correcting the high school science sequence

3. Filling the shortage of physics and chemistry teachers


Integrates: Pedagogy

Curriculum

Assessment

Professional Development

Converges: The Written Curriculum

The Taught Curriculum

The Assessed curriculum

Pedagogy

Social Constructivism• Round Tables• Group Problem Solving• Heterogeneous setting

Pedagogy

Direct Instruction• Interactive White Board (IWB) Notebook presentation• Student Response Formative Assessment• Teacher as part of social group

Formative Assessment

Interactive White Board files connect direct instruction and social constructivism through real-time student polling

Direct Instruction

Example: Direct Instruction - Adding Decimals

Direct Instruction

Example: Direct Instruction - Adding Decimals



The Key: The correct answer isn’t revealed

All students must defend their answers

Students like talking and debating

Students focus on short direct instruction, and the arguments at their table, so they can get the next questions right.

Demonstrations and labs become extensions of this model, with open-ended labs driving inquiry

Structure of Classroom Learning

Each topic has direct instruction and about 6 formative assessment questions

Topics (with demonstrations) comprise units

Units (with labs) comprise courses

The sequence of courses comprise education

Neuroscience, Vygotsky and Video Games

People like to struggle, and then win

If there’s no struggle, it’s boring

If there’s no win, it’s frustrating

Releases endorphins, resulting in pleasure and memory retention

Neuroscience, Vygotsky and Video Games

People are social

Work done in a group is more fun

The group moves all individuals forward faster than they would move alone

Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism – Keeping students in their Zone of Proximal Development

PSI-PMI Paradigm Shift

For what world are we preparing our students?

Not for Isolated work: factual recall;sitting quietly;transcribing; accepting


For what world are we preparing our students?

Rather, for Collaborative work:critical thinking; problem solving;talking;debatingquestioning

Summative Assessment

• Grades based only on what students know and can do – Tests, quizzes and labs

•

• Grades are not subjective• No points for homework, participation, etc.

• Retakes available for all assessments

• Grades then correlate to End of Course Tests (APs, EOC Algebra I, Common Core, etc.)

Textbooks are no longer used in class

• Group instruction is done with slides on an interactive white board

• Frequent student polling with student responders

Textbooks are no longer used at home

• Individuals work at home with the same slides used in class on phones, tablets, PCs, etc.

• Video support for slides via posted videos on YouTube

The Teacher’s Role Shifts

To teaching: communicating, engaging and motivating students

Away from “lesson planning”

No more individually designed assessments or lesson plans

Teacher Created Digital Courses

Creating these courses is complex and time consuming - beyond the capacity of a single teacher

Teams of teachers create digital courses

The artisan model of lone teachers handcrafting lessons and assessments is obsolete

Teacher Created Digital Courses

Collaboratively created courses replace individual lesson plans and assessments

Continuous improvement is driven by the shared use of, and refinement by, many teachers

Rather than 1000s of teachers working alone; 1000s of teachers work together to improve what they all will teach

Complexity moved away from Users

New technology pushes complexity to the system, and away from the user

The total complexity of using a computer to do a calculation is higher than using paper and pencil

But the stress and complexity is taken on by the hardware and software creators

The user’s work is easier AND better

A New System of Education

The burden shifts to teams of teachers who create courses that are shared, used and improved by all

The cost for PSI-PMI course development (about $500,000 per year) is borne by sponsors who believe in this mission

Then shared with students and teachers for free at www.njctl.org

Free and Open-Source

Major Sponsors

New Jersey Education Association National Education Association

Bayer Healthcare Verizon Microsoft Xcel Energy SMART eInstruction

Morgridge Family Foundation Overdeck Family Foundation National Education Association Foundation

Free Open-Source Digital Courses

English language materials 50,000 slides 1000 Word Documents

It would take about 16 days, at 30 seconds a slide, just to see all the slides

Spanish language versions being completed

Bipartisan Support

Democrats and Republicans

Business and unions

Teachers and Administrators

Students and Parents

Free Open-Source Digital Courses

These courses are posted for the free use of all at www.njctl.org

They are free AND open-source: they can be used, and edited, by anyone

Users drive continuous improvement – creating a global professional learning community

Teachers register to see assessments

www.njctl.org

PSI High School Science

• Algebra-Based Physics • AP Physics B (trigonometry based)• AP Physics C: Mechanics (calculus based)• AP Physics C: E&M (calculus based)• Chemistry• AP Chemistry• Biology• AP Biology

PMI Grade Level Math

• Pre-K (being developed) Grade 8 • Kindergarten Grade 8 / Algebra I• Grade 1 Algebra I• Grade 2 Geometry• Grade 3 Algebra II / Trig• Grade 4 Pre-Calculus• Grade 5 AP Calculus A/B• Grade 6 AP Calculus B/C• Grade 7 College Math• Grade 7 accelerated

Domain Level Math Courses

•Content can be seen horizontally or vertically:

• In the past, there have only been Grade level courses, which teach the part of each domain indicated for that year

• Using digital content, we now have Domain level courses, which teach each domain, in topic sequence, independent of Grade Level

•Domain level courses provide intervention for students who have weakness in a domain

PMI Domain Level Math Courses

• Expressions & Equations• Measurement and Data• Fractions• Functions• Geometry• Operations and Algebraic Thinking• Numbers in Base Ten• The Number System• Ratios and Proportions• Statistics and Probability

K-8 Science

• Now: Under development by 18 teacher-writers

• May: Course outlines available

• June: First unit of each course

• July: First quarter of instruction for each course

• August: First half of instruction for each course

Web Site Use – Last 12 Months

1.9 Million Pageviews from 158 countries110,000 Unique Visitors

Web Site Teacher Registrations

Rational Sequence of Content

A rational sequence of curriculum content is required

Math - Common Core

Science – Fixing the U.S. science sequence

Stop Teaching Science Backwards

The current U.S. science sequence made sense in 1892, when biology was botany & zoology and Algebra I was advanced mathematics

Most students didn’t study Algebra I or Physics until late in high school, if at all

Physics, the simplest of the sciences became viewed as the hardest, only for the “elite”

Now all students study Algebra I, but the science sequence is hard to change

Traditional HS Science Sequence

B iology P hysics

G eom .Algebra.II & Trig

A lgebra

Chem

P recalc

9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

Changing the Science Sequence

Now that Algebra I is taught in Grade 9, or earlier, physics should switch to Grade 9, or earlier, as well

Physics should be taken by all students while, or soon after, they take Algebra I

This prepares them for Chemistry, and then Biology…and for more advanced sciences

While providing motivation for learning math

PSI HS Science Sequence – Minimum

P hysics B iology

G eom .A lgebraII & Trig

A lgebra

Chem


PSI HS Science Sequence – with APs

P hysics B iology

A lgebraA P

P hysicsA P

ChemA P B io

M A I M A II A P CalcG eom .

Chem

Algebra II Pre Calculus


Mathematically Rigorous Physics for All

The new PSI-PMI paradigm demystifies science and mathematics

Now all students, and teachers, can learn any science…and any mathematics

Opening the door to address a major problem of equity and access


Physics is the foundation of science

Physics underlies chemistry

Physics and chemistry underlie biology, and all other sciences

Physics uses mathematics, thereby showing students the usefulness of mathematics

Mathematically rigorous algebra-based physics integrates science and mathematics, transforming both


Remember the career paths we saw earlier;

These all require physics

Science Medicine

Technology Veterinary Science

Engineering Agricultural Science

Mathematics Industrial Science, etc.


And remember the 21st century jobs that require analytical thinking.

Analytical thinking is best taught in physics

Business ArchitectureFinance LawUrban Planning Corporate PlanningDesign etc.


To have a fair chance at a great career all high school students should:

1. Study one year of mathematically rigorous physics

2. Have the option of taking AP Physics


The Problem

Many U.S. schools don’t offer physics at all and, if they do, not to all their students

Less then 35% of U.S. students study any physics, and it’s often not mathematically rigorous

Less than 3% of U.S. students study Advanced Placement Physics

Social Justice: Equity and Access

Schools with high poverty and underrepresented minorities are least likely to offer physics

For instance, less than half of New York City high schools offer physics

Fewer than 20% of New York City students study physics or chemistry in high school

A classic “bootstrap” problem

There are not enough physics teachers to teach all students physics, so courses aren’t offered

Until there are physics courses, there are no jobs for physics teachers

Until more students study physics, there is not a source for new physics teachers

A classic “bootstrap” problem

New physics courses must be started, and the teachers of them must be created, at the same time, not one before the other

For all students to take physics we need at least 3 times as many physics teachers, and we need them now

Before PSI, that was not possible – Now it is

Creating Science Teachers

PSI has shown that all students can learn physics

PSI has shown that all teachers can learn physics

PSI teaches physics to skilled teachers

And provides teachers the tools to teach physics

To get the best teachers to become the best physics teachers:

“Teaching is hard; science is easy”

PSI Creates Physics Teachers

Creating Physics Courses

These new physics teachers have started new courses in schools in which they did not exist

Many more students are taking Physics and AP Physics B

In 2012, these were 6 of the top 12 NJ schools for the percentage of students taking AP Physics B

Many of these are urban schools with high poverty and high minority populations

AP Physics B Participation Rates

Learning Forward – National Report

Learning Forward – National Report

“The New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning (NJCTL) has been doing groundbreaking professional development work in math and science instruction as well…using the innovative curriculum of 2006 New Jersey Teacher of the Year Robert Goodman…to create the Progressive Science Initiative….”

The Progressive Science Initiative and the Progressive Mathematics Initiative: an

effective new approach to student learning and teacher training – SMART

Technologies and New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning

The Progressive Science Initiative and the Progressive Mathematics Initiative: an

effective new approach to student learning and teacher training – SMART

Technologies and New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning

2011 IMS Learning Impact Award

2011 IMS Learning Impact Award


Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, describes the PSI-PMI approach in these words:

“There is a shift from teaching to learning, from working alone to collaboration, from passive to active learning, from analog to digital, from teaching a class to sharing authority for educating all the kids at a school, or beyond.”


Social Justice requires that we use these new tools to provide fair access for all students to math and science in general, and to physics in particular

Global competitiveness requires the same, since countries can only prosper if they realize the capacity of all their citizens

Empowering Teachers …Leading Change

www.njctl.org [email protected]

New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning