Helping undocumented students

I am so excited!
Today I learned about a process to help young undocumented students.
Thank you again Gloria Galloso, your perseverance & care of others is an inspiration!

Gloria said...
It is called the DACA, (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) 

I found the following...
The following website,
https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca

Has the forms and answers to many frequently asked questions about this process, a former of student of mine is attending Columbus State Community College and plans to transfer for a bachelor's degree. Students who are 16 and meet the criteria, like school records for 5 years with a school ID can apply. Fee waivers are available to cover the current screening cost of about $450.
Directions and all forms are free from this site;
https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca

This was passed as part of the...
On June 15, 2012, President Obama created a new policy calling for deferred action for certain undocumented young people who came to the U.S. as children. Applications under the program which is called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) began on August 15, 2012.
Retrieved from;
http://www.immigrationequality.org/get-legal-help/our-legal-resources/path-to-status-in-the-u-s/daca-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals/

The immigrationequality.org website has detailed information about President Elect Trump's plans. 

Please share this with anyone who needs it, my source completed this process on her own with a trusted friend, she did not pay a lawyer or anyone to assist her. In fact, she said that a lawyer tried to scam her. 

What have I been up to?

What have I been up to? Well trying to teach in a new 21st Century way! What an adventure it has been, with mishaps, unplanned distractions but some successes. 

Thank you to the following organization that I have been working with this school year, without this connection none of this would be possible.

Kathy Meyer and Ellen Erlanger

Partnerships Make A Difference

www.partnershipsmakeadifference.org

                                            

Service-Learning/PBL Project Planning Notes

By Mrs. McGrath

Theme/Topic;   "Becoming Family & Community Leaders"

Each of my students will have the opportunity to understand the needs of the community and how to be a leader and/or support leaders.

Team Members will be made up of groups of FCCLA students in the Early Childhood Education Class, groups of 3 students per team.

ODE defines The Early Childhood Education program; "as a program that will prepare students for professional careers in both public and private childcare and educational environments. Careers for which this pathway prepares students include: Teaching Assistant, Child Care Worker, Child Care Center Operator, Educational Aide, Student Monitor. Postsecondary majors for which this pathway prepares students include: Early and Middle Childhood Studies, Early Childhood Education, Middle Childhood Education, Special Education, Technical Education and Training, Human Development and Family Science, Social Work, Elementary Education Administration, Psychology, Counselor Education." (2016 www.education.ohio.gov)

THE BIG IDEA   

Question

Issue/Service Focus: Who needs our help? What issue needs our attention?

Answer

Last year, 2015-2016, we had 3 projects

1. Cancer Ribbons;

Identify Concern/s: We have all been impacted by Cancer and we want to celebrate people we have lost and helped survive. Set a Goal:  We want to donate all of the profit we earn from selling the ribbons and the signed poster of the people who donated to ‘’Stand up to Cancer” Foundation, which is a foundation that gives 100% of the money that is donated to them to …?

Forming a Plan  Who: Whole student body at CDHS. What: Ribbons and Donation. Also a pledge memory banner(s). Where: CDHS. When: Second week of April 4th-8th. Sold during 4th and 5th period.

How: Students in class will cut out and make ribbons from pre donated items (Ribbons+Safety Pins)

ACT; We plan on donating all the profits we receive to the Stand up to Cancer foundation. Which is a program who donates 100% of funds to cancer patients. FOLLOW UP;

We want to impact the people impacted by cancer in any possible way. We also want to send out a survey to the people and ask them what they wanna see more of about cancer.  

2. “Lead 2 Feed”; Doing more than just our school food drive!

Identify Concerns:

Learning how to “Lead 2 Feed” by helping people get healthy food. Set A Goal:

We need to contact people in our community about helping get healthy food to children and families. Our school already partners with a food pantry and in December we donated 1,700 pounds of non-perishable food items to St. Stephen’s Food Pantry. Our goal is to do something different than a canned food drive.

Forming a Plan:

Who:  L.G.G. (Linden Gardening Group); Mrs. Coleman and Mrs. Foster-Munnerlyn 1402 Cleveland Ave. Cols., OH 43221 and H.K.C.L. (Heavenly Kids Center for Learning); Mrs. Norman 404 E. Mound St. Cols., OH 43215.

What:  Helping the centers get the garden ready for spring planting and also teaching the children about gardening.

When:  LGG; 8 students will go on Wednesday starting March 21, 2016. Then every Wednesday April-May 2016 from 8:30 to 11:30am. HCKL; 6 students will be going but the dates will be announced later.

Where: LGG and HCKL locations and addresses are above.

Cost: Unknown; at this time both programs have grant money for supplies but they need us to help with the labor.

Act: We plan on donating all the food that is grown to the families that live within each area.

Follow Up: We want to impact the families in the Linden, North Columbus and Downtown Columbus areas with our project. We will survey the garden supervisors about how helpful we were and/or what we can do better.  

This year we will take a look at what students are passionate about after completing the Entry Events described below.

Franklin County Children Services partnered with our school. They asked if we could make products for children in foster care this winter holiday season. We discussed ideas, like designing activity pages for young children. This was not an authentic idea from the students.

The Cosmetology students partnered with St. Dominic's Catholic Church. The plan was to see what class collected the most canned food items to donate to families for Thanksgiving. Donations where collected for 1 month, ending on November 11th and the winning class earning a Pizza luncheon.   

Question;

Learning/Academic Focus: What will we be learning about? What could our "Driving/Essential Question" be? How will this service-learning project connect to your curriculum goals/content standards? What 21st Century Skills (e.g., collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity, etc.) might be addressed?

I would like to present service learning in the new project based way. Then I will ask students to reflect upon last year’s work and then form new groups in areas of concern found from their "Imagine our world without…." 

Students started this on Friday October 7, 2016.

Standards; 21st Century Skills

Outcome 1.2. Leadership and Communications

Process, maintain, evaluate and disseminate information in a business. Develop leadership and team building to promote collaboration. An “X” indicates that the pathway applies to the outcome.

Competencies

1.2.1. Extract relevant, valid information from materials and cite sources of information

1.2.2. Deliver formal and informal presentations.

1.2.3. Identify and use verbal, nonverbal and active listening skills to communicate effectively.

1.2.5. Communicate information for an intended audience and purpose.

1.2.6. Use proper grammar and expression in all aspects of communication.

1.2.7. Use problem-solving and consensus-building techniques to draw conclusions and determine next steps.

1.2.8. Identify the strengths, weaknesses and characteristics of leadership styles that influence internal and external workplace relationships.

1.2.9. Identify advantages and disadvantages involving digital and/or electronic communications.

1.2.10. Use interpersonal skills to provide group leadership, promote collaboration and work in a team.

1.2.11. Write professional correspondence, documents, job applications and résumés.

1.2.12. Use technical writing skills to complete forms and create reports.

1.2.13. Identify stakeholders and solicit their opinions.

1.2.14. Use motivational strategies to accomplish goals.

Question

Project Idea: What can we do to address the identified need/issue? What community partner(s) might be involved? What opportunities could be provided for student “voice” and “choice”?

Answer

As of, 10/8/16, I have not had time to give this question to the students, but I am planning to do so the week of October 10, 2016.

I did not receive any proposals from students that completed the "Imagine a World" assignment, therefore, I moved forward with the food drive and the Franklin County Children Service's projects that was presented by our school's community resource coordinator, as explained above and below.

POTENTIAL STRATEGIES/IDEAS FOR EACH STAGE OF YOUR SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT

           

Entry Event(s)—"sets the stage" and inspires student engagement in the project.

I held the following Entry Events;

1. September 20, 2016; Four students attended the "Critical Issues Summit" at Mid-Ohio Foodbank with one of my fellow Teachers, Mrs. C.

2. The week of Sept. 26, 2016 Students completed a Multiple Intelligence Survey, FCCLA Webquest to discover what is FCCLA  and You tube Video from "The View," Whoopi introduces Mr. Ferroni. I passed out pink or blue post-it notes to divide the class in half. Then, similar to what Mr. Ferroni did, I said that anyone with a pink note was not allowed to come to school anymore and they had to move to apartments that I assign to them. Immediately students reacted. We discussed were this is happening, like in Syria and why America or other countries take in refugees.  

3. The week of October 3, 2016 I presented the following 3 Youtube videos to students and asked them to "Map out the heartbreak" they see in the videos compared to their own neighborhood and/or heartbreaking experiences they have had.

The Youtube Videos watched;

-"Video that will change your life. I have no words left," by the corpfa

-"Why should we care about others?" by Julianna Bouwers

-"Half the Sky Empowering Women" by St Stephen Children's Centre

Students are given a cut out of a child shape to finish the statement, "Imagine a world with… or without…" thoughts.

4. Week of October 10, 2016; Students will learn about their Multiple Intelligence area. Also, I compiled a list of common themes used in "Imagine a world with or without…," I will share this with students and we will decide if anything is missed, while student who were absent can create their "Imagine a world with … or without…" thoughts. Next I will create groups of 3 to decide their top passion/concern and then each team will come up with a response to the Questions mentioned above in, Project Idea;

What can we do to address the identified need/issue? What community partner(s) might be involved?

Lastly, the students and their teams will be able to move into the Preparation/Planning step.

Question/Task to do

Investigation/Inquiry—"Exploring Possibilities"—helps kids identify potential topics and become emotionally engaged

Answer

I believe that my Entry Level Events explained above achieved this. Also, some students felt overwhelmed, how do I know this because they said so. I tried to reassure them that our efforts, even small will go a long way.  

After reflecting on this, on October 14-2016, I decided to share a diary entry from the, "Freedom's Writers Diaries," by Erin Gruwell and her English class. I shared the diary entry about the day one of the high schoolers Father's killed her Grandmother and she becomes homeless. The Freedom Writier's Diary movie and book is a theme in my class because I am a graduate of a Columbus City High School that was similar to the school in the book that was turned into a movie. I share this so the students understand what it was like when I was bussed across the city because I was white; however, I would never trade the experience it Is part of the reason why I teach in the urban setting. 

That morning we went to the computer lab to create an activity page, however, due to login errors and printing issues we only got about 5 pages done.

The following week, the students who had expressed the most interest was out sick, and then the following week I became very ill and had to miss 3 days of school. The last week of October 2016, as I gave time for students to finish projects and some had to take Ohio standardized test, we watched the "Freedom Writer's Movie." This really was a great bonding moment; unfortunately due to racial tensions over the current election season, many students said Mrs. Mc was it really like that at your high school? I shared stories of how we learned about one another through the book, "Black Like Me." This really took me back to that time in my life, I shared with them how my mom was worried but she said good people come in all colors, find the good in everyone. My phone never drove the freeway and was worried about me being far from home off the freeway. Again, I will never forget the lessons I learned about racism and prejudice when I became one of the students who made up 30% of the population attending a historic African-American school. I really did learn that we have more in common and issues of poverty affected all in the same ways.

This moved us into a new grading quarter and November. I had a busy month planned, 4 observation visits to local Child Care Centers, the non-perishable food drive for St. Dominic's Church to provide thanksgiving foods for families as set up by the Cosmetology class and a guest speaker who shared their foster-care/adoption of a child with severe disabilities caused by an incident of shaking baby syndrome. All students provided a summary of they learned from the presentation.

220 families received foods for Thanksgiving

Observations and reflections were getting completed, but I was at a lost for how to refocus back on the activity pages for the foster-care children. I said we need to pick experts for the project as well as class FCCLA officers, but I was not getting applications turned in.

Thus, I moved to the next step, preparation/planning.

 

Question

Preparation/Planning—"Becoming Experts"—includes further research, necessary knowledge and skill development, project schedule/logistics, and scaffolding (facilitated by the teacher as needed)

Answer

I presented FCCLA officer positions again and shared examples of alumni students work. I asked students to raise their hand if interested and created a voting ballot.

Action—"Doing the Work of Real People" . . .

            Authentic Product(s)/Service(s)—identifies “important stuff” that kids will create and/or

            accomplish   

            Authentic Audience(s)/Client(s)—identifies who else will be part of/become aware          of/benefit from the students’ efforts

I asked students to tell me what jobs they thought would be needed, but I think that was too open ended. Thus, I presented this on the next day, 11-18-16;

Creating Activity books for Franklin County Children Services

Project Managers

What is your task;

Coloring Activity Page Designers (winter animals, heroes, super heroes, places, jobs, avoid family)

For;

Boys

Girls

Ages 3 year to 10 years old

Puzzle pages, word searches, Sudoku math, practicing writing letters, counting

Immediately, the following students accepted the positions; Syomay, Fadumo, Dejanaee &

Makenna. They were able to get other students to help and give feedback. Then we printed pages, sorted and made a stack of the original books.

Reflection—"Attaching Meaning"—extends the learning by helping students attach individual and collective meaning to their experiences. What reflection questions/prompts should we consider? What reflection strategies/forms of student expression should we consider?

Answer

On 11-28-16, all students reviewed the 2 activity books that were complied. 11-29-16, I returned all students their "Imagine a World" cut out person with their thoughts. I asked them to think about these thoughts, what they have learned about an education career so far as the obligation to helping parents and teaching children, as they watched the following 3 YouTube videos;

1. "Removed, statistics Foster Care Break the Cycle, " April 2016 by Kelsey Mayberry.

2. "Removed," by Nathanael Matanick   (watched about 4 mins of the 12 min video)

3. Ann's Story- A Foster Care Story by DA Blodgett St. Johns

Students answered the following;

- What have I learned so far?

-What has moved me/resonated with me?

-What statement, thought or quote can you share with a foster care child?

    Tips; to give hope and understanding

We can use your Initials and site our school so the children know that it is high school students that created this book and do care about them.

It was magical, students who had not been engaged suddenly wanted to be! I noticed one student, who I know is going through custody issues seemed disengaged.

Demonstration and Celebration—"Making Learning Visible"—makes learning visible, reinforces relationships, and “captures the magic of the project” by documenting the process, its outcomes, and related next steps;

As of 11-30-16, I feel like some students would like a copy of the book we created. I have heard a discussion of having a "Secret Santa" gift exchange so I think plans for a celebration is in the works.  

"People don't buy what you do but why you do it," T. Jaeck of OEA

"People don't buy what you do but why you do it," T. Jaeck of OEA

I can't get this expression out of my head!
I sat in a training, yes learning some union stuff, whether you like them or not it is necessary. I cannot believe the decrease in Teacher pay and lack of input or control over the learning environment in schools that don't have unions, okay so let me step off that soap box.

Why do I do it?
Do what you ask? Attend community meetings on subjects that are affecting our families like, the Linden Police and City Council meeting in August of 2016, or the Community Open House on the Heroin Epidemic tomorrow night at Franklin Heights High School.

I gotta find hope to bring people up out of the hurt and hate! I need to educate today's youth to learn from other's mistakes and to know how to ask for help but by being resourceful.

I get up everyday to build relationships with others by offering a smile. I care about their mind, body and soul. I explain to my career center students that it takes a village to raise a child which means family members, friends, teachers, community members and that we are stronger by helping others find these connections and resources.


I have to fight for the right to get paid or maintain a middle class wage to do my job, to explain the uniqueness of teaching work conditions, to understand the impact local and federal government has on the teaching profession.

This is the burden I carry.
It keeps me up or awakens me some nights.
Some days I want to hand my burden to someone else, but in the end my faith pushes me through.

It is amazing how the right thing will come in my best made lesson plan, through my faith in the moment of connection and I feel like I can get the students excited about the learning. I can help them find hope and see their goals for their futures. I can see them as productive citizens, even through the whines of completing essay's and creating their own lessons. As they say, "Mrs. Mc, it's too much,"
I explain, "Yes it is but I am teaching you how to teach children and they deserve to have someone who accepts the "too much."

Okay, goodnight on that note of feeling hopeful!

Update...my life has taken me here!

Update... My life has taken me to a place I never wanted to go...my sister is on drugs. As a graduate of and educator to students in the inner city of Columbus, I have over 20 years experience listening to or trying to help friends, students and parents with drug addictions. In April of 2016, I walked in a jail to talk to my sister on a phone while looking at her beaten up, track marked, shaking body on a television screen. She said, please don't cry. The whole time saying to myself, I don't belong here, oh my God my sister is a drug addict.

I wanted her to know she was loved and that I could only bring myself to visit her the first time, that she has to learn from what got her here and prevent this. Drug addiction is not alcohol addiction, I explained to family members who tried to compare the two. Through my research of countless family stories of loss, a heroin drug addiction is something non comparable. My sister had the ADHD label from an early age and I am guilty of always saying, "Ugh, What are you doing, sit still, stop that." I didn't understand that she couldn't help it until I began my education career and we were young adults.

She continued to struggle as an adult with keeping focused. She was always needing to pay to get a new license because she had lost it. A couple years ago she came home from her out of town job working with race horses. She got on government insurance, battling pill addiction and was diagnosed bipolar. Now 3 years later, I am sitting here tonight, terrified by the memory of speaking to a police officer on a prostitute infested street corner at 7 pm asking if he had seen my sister. He politely explained, while looking at her picture on my phone, "Not today but a few days ago, I broke up a fight between her and someone else."

My sister had told me 3 months ago that she had done sexual acts for money. She was released from jail, pending an arraignment and was attending rehab every other day as planned by her attorney. For 2 months I could see my sister, the fidgety ADHD but good-hearted sister. However, she was still not ready to return. She was going to rehab but I felt that she was not fully embracing it. It is hard to trust the person after a hurt. I thought she could get help to be more independent, she really was homeless, moving back home in her thirties.

I just don't know what to do. My mom told the police officer that she is on probation so can he arrest her, please just arrest her. I am praying to God  to be with her and/or take her home. I cannot shake the images of the other nameless girls that I saw on that street corner. They are someones sister and daughter too. It is the walking dead, cold eyes and tattered bodies. I just can't believe I couldn't prevent my sister from being there! I know it is not my fault, but that fact does not help my hurt. I will worship through this like I did my divorce, my miscarriage and all other of my life's hardships... but how do you prepare to bury your sister or pray that she gets arrested!

I just never expected to be in this place. I pray over and over for my sister and other's who are out there following this evil and living hell on earth. They don't know the trespasses they have done and it will take time for us to trust them again but please be with us all as we struggle to get through this.
I pray...
"Our Father, Who art in heaven Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." 

Amen

My trip to Washington DC, 11-2-2015

As I sit in the airport terminal in Washington DC, I reflect upon the journey that has brought me here. I began my teaching career, as a High School student enrolled in an Early Childhood Education career center class. I wanted to be a Kindergarten Teacher. I was always one who put the children first, thinking how I could teach them in a fun way. I was eager to learn so I took every internship, class assignment and babysitting opportunity that came my way. I was very observant and would help tie shoes, wipe noses, entertain or do what I felt was needed. Supervising teachers told me that I had the gift.

As a career center student I decided to create a community service project. I wrote a skit to teach young children the importance of bike safety and helmet use. A group of my classmates helped me pull this off and we presented to several preschool and elementary settings. I presented my project at the regional and state FCCLA competition in hopes of winning and being able to go to nationals in Florida. I was young and wanted to get out of Ohio. I ended up losing the competition and not traveling to Florida with my school. I was angry but the following year came back as an FCCLA judge, because I understand the power that the project gave me, even though I lost.   

I worked two part time jobs and attend a community college full-time but still stayed networked with my former career teachers and FCCLA. I was finding my path. In 2011, I was hired as the Early Childhood Education Career Teacher for the district I graduated from and replaced one of my mentor teachers. I am one of her success stories because she empowered me and modeled. I had no idea of the battle I would have to obtain a Teaching License in Ohio and that is an even longer story... I will share my survivor story of the Ohio Resident Educator process another day, because today I want to tell you how I came to be in DC by joining the Teacher Leadership Initiative.

My grandfather was very stern, real and set in his humble ways. He told me that unions are what saved Americans from the great depression and he should know, he lived it. My grandfather retired from the Columbus Fire Department the year I was born. I knew as a young girl that my Dad, who was a non-union blue collar worker, struggled to make ends meet and would tell me of the corruptness at his job. My Mom, a devoted stay at home Mom and Grandma, worked briefly for a retailer. My Dad would say get a union job, if you’re going to do this teacher thing. Teaching and little Director Experience in the private sector frustrated me and I was feeling a call to public school.

At 21 with an Associate Degree and Ohio Pre-Kindergarten teaching certificate, my mentor Teacher asked me to apply for an assistant position. In 1999, I started my career teaching public school children. I was a non-traditional college student, back before it was defined. For two years I got involved in the school and with my local classified union. In 2008, after earning my Master’s Degree in Education, I transferred unions and positions, becoming a Teacher and part of the NEA. I have passion for what I do and for all Teachers! It makes me upset that Charter and Private school teachers are underpaid. They are not my enemies; I know that they have a passion to educate, just like I do.

The education systems in America frustrate me, as I read about mismanagement of money, data scrubbing in all school settings and as a classroom Teacher who was navigating my own district’s confusing path to obtain funds, for real world field trip opportunities; I read my local union’s newsletter for the TLI project. I signed up that day, back in the fall of 2014. I had no idea that my work would be selected to represent the 1,000 public school teachers who make up TLI. I am humbled and thankful for the honor of this opportunity. My work is not over and that is why I am joining my local union as a member of the “Social & Economic Justice Committee,” advocating for education and poverty in America.

The journey still continues, so stay tuned, because I will need your help in making sure our point is heard by the powers in Washington D.C. 

Research evidence

If you would like to see photos/items of evidence of my research process and/or my FCCLA chapter timeline, please send me a message and I can add you to my Google Drive.

TLI and What it taught me over the 2014/2105 School year; this is my story...

Rebecca E. McGrath-Hinkle

TLI, NEA/CEA 2015 Captone

My contextual information can be viewed by going to “About me” and “View my Complete Profile” on my blog; mcgrathh.blogspot.com

Description of My Challenge

This information can be viewed by going to my blog, posted 7/29/2015; mcgrathh.blogspot.com

My original passion and statement that lead me to join TLI, is as follows;

I was dissatisfied with the current process teachers have to go through to secure funds to provide high level, real world, out of the classroom field experiences. Schools receive weighted funds and I want to learn more about how Teachers can gain control over the dollars invested in experiences to build student's professionalism and skills to be productive members in society.

I discovered that in my district, principals can help support teachers with how these weighted funds are used. I met with my Resident Educator/PAR mentor teacher and Union Faculty Representative Teacher in my building, who both suggested that I join building leadership and start discussing my concerns, however, in a collaborative way where I ask for their help. I began sharing my story and signed up to be apart of the ABC, Association Building Council.

The CEA Union explains, www.ceaohio.org/?cat=746, “Article 202,”

the Association Building Council (ABC)

202.01 Each school or CEA Association unit shall have an

Association Building Council (ABC) to be organized

during the first month of the school year, consisting of

not less than five (5) teachers, which will meet with the

principal and members of the staff at least once a month.

 

202.03 The Association Building Council shall be advisory

only and is intended to assist the principal and the

school staff in developing policies and programs for the

school involved. The ABC shall assume the responsibility

for being knowledgeable about matters in this agreement which relate to its functions.

In the fall of 2014, I became the Secretary of my building’s ABC. Immediately, I was given opportunities to share my classroom frustrations and gain advice from others in my building. My Principal approached me and asked me to sit in as a member of the Building Leadership Team, BLT. Lastly, I was selected to attend monthly meetings with the career education Teacher Director’s, as the “Career Cluster Representative.” All three of these leadership opportunities got me out of my classroom to share my story and aspirations for my students.  

My challenge for TLI changed, as I realized that in order to gain power over funding for my students, I needed to become active in building decisions. Also, I was able to understand that grants are limited in what they can fund: for example, grant funds can only cover material items or registration fees for programs of professional development within a time line but cannot pay for traveling expenses. Traveling expenses for FCCLA leadership opportunities have to be funded by private donations and/or from the participant. Through my leadership meetings, I was able to make contacts with individuals in my district to create a plan to get approval for private donations to fund high level, real world, out of the classroom field experiences, such as options offered by FCCLA.

My students are 11th and 12th graders who elect to take high school courses in Early Childhood Education, taught by me but aligned with to the Ohio Department of Education, ODE, Career and Technical requirements for teaching professions. Thus, I teach future educators.

Please refer to my timeline attachment of events for FCCLA and my students during the 2014/15 school year.

Thus, what is my challenge? Based on my new involvement with my building leadership and my original passion, I concluded the following;

This is happening...

Students are distracted & disengaged by current learning processes but attracted to their phones/technology. Teaching and learning time needs to change...

because...

Students do not know how to use technological resources for educational gains...

but what if... We taught digital skills and project based blended courses?

Introducing...Next Generation Learning!

Here's how it works... student powered classrooms with anytime and anywhere learning times.

Featuring... Blended Learning and... Instructor Certification and... Digital Citizenship certification for students.

That's Next Generation Learning because our students deserve high expectations and ownership of their learning experiences!

Opinion Survey Link;   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TQQM28W

References;

http://www.fordfoundation.org/issues/educational-opportunity-and-scholarship/more-and-better-learning-time

http://www.blendmylearning.com/

https://www.google.com/edu/products/productivity-tools/

The TLI web sessions used several graphic organizers, but the one I used above helped me compile my thoughts. My TLI capstone focus aligns to the Instructional Leadership competencies. At the start of my capstone I was in the emerging level, because I see the value of participation in professional development to help me manage and engage students to the best of my ability. I wanted to just collaborate with the those that teach my subject area, so before I started my capstone I was thinking I could serve my student’s best by staying isolated and focused in my content area. My passion for change and pursuing opportunities for students, I have transformed into a teacher leader who is know performing at the Instructional Leadership level. Part of me really does not want to be a teacher leader; in fact, I recently completed the Hogan assessments survey created for TIME magazine's article “How High is your XQ?” by Eliza Gray (2015), and agree with it’s conclusion that I …”struggle in situations where your personal performance depends on your ability to outshine others.”

With that being said, let me stick to explaining what I am doing as a performer in Instructional Leadership. First, under the competency, Coaching and Mentoring, I am in the position to share my classroom successes and struggles with other new teachers in the building, who just happen to be going through the Ohio Resident Educator and Career Technical licensure requirements that I am 4 years into. I feel that TLI had helped me be confident in sharing these new experiences of coaching others. Sometimes it is just sharing my resident educator binder and organization of it. Other times, it is just me saying hello and then that opens the conversation up for them to ask me.

This leads directly into the second competency, Facilitating Collaborative Relationships. My role as in the ABC and BLT in my building has helped me build relationships that I did not even realize I needed. I was frustrated and had to change my approach. I went to meetings and started listening before I became more involved by sharing my teaching practices. My ability to keep paperwork organized from past experiences has given me something to share with teachers, new and veteran. For example, please see my attachment from ABC and BLT meetings. Again, these connection opportunities have helped me to learn that change has a process and the only way I can have an impact is by being apart of the process. My TLI capstone has helped me begin performing this process.

The last Instructional Leadership competency is Community Awareness, Engagement and Advocacy. I feel that I am and have been at the performing level from day one, because teaching in a Career Technical school it is required that you have an Advisory committee. The advisory committee helps decide internship opportunities, curriculum and fundraising efforts for students in my class. It was determined by the state that my district was out of compliance with Advisory meetings so great changes have been put in place. The minimum requirement is 2 scheduled meetings a year with a at least 4 attending. Please refer to my attached info regarding my meetings from this past school year. I really enjoy building relationships with community members.  My future plan is to find local businesses who can sponsor and donate funds to pay for student leadership opportunities. Throughout my TLI capstone this past year, I have learned that the first step is to start communicating needs and wants for student opportunities.

The next part the capstone is to pick overarching competencies that align to your capstone. I immediately put a star by 3; Personal Effectiveness, Communication and Group Processes. As I read the first level of Personal Effectiveness, I realized that I am at emerging. I definitely posses passion about teaching and learning; however, I really had not thought about how to turn my passion into a leadership style, let alone take on a leadership role. My capstone has me in a developing role for personal effectiveness, as I am learning to trust and build credibility in my building. The examples I explained above paints this picture.

The second competency I will discuss is Communication. I can stand in front of my students and facilitate a lesson but with a group of my teaching peers I get overwhelmed and usually avoid communicating. I prefer to focus on positives, for example, what strengths a student has and/or look at the bright side of a situation. I avoid other adults, who I feel should possess a higher level of maturity but tend to focus on negatives or the easy way out. I have been told that I am an overachiever and that I need to slow down, not rock the boat or I will form enemies. This really shook me up my first year of teaching, because I assumed that all teachers wanted what I wanted… to provide to the best of my ability educational opportunities for each student sitting in my class. I had to realize that somehow I have to work with others who idea’s are different mine, because somehow we have to make transitional changes as a team.

Through my experience with my capstone and building leadership team roles, I have discovered that data on student progress can open up conversations for change. The district began questioning the effectiveness of our school offering blended learning courses; however, we have data that proves its success. This gave me the opportunity to move from emerging and developing into a performing level, as my TLI capstone took on the blended learning focus as a way to bring building staff together to defend our schools focus. Please see attachments of my BLT meeting notes for examples.

The last competency that I focused on is Group Processes. I became emerging this year as I joined leadership meetings and became the secretary of the ABC. I have always felt the benefit of professional development opportunities and group meetings in my subject area; however, until my TLI capstone experience I did not emerge in any other activities. I am still in the developing level of this competency, as I am learning to navigate through difficult situations and accept that I with varying needs, my big dreams for students will take time and resources.

In conclusion, the purpose of my challenge that included a survey discussed above, was to see what percentage of my co-teaching staff that understand may already being using resources for blended learning. My new goal to is to continue what I have put in place with my TLI capstone while continuing to learn as a new leader. I want to present professional development opportunities from within the school building that can include google classroom and possible conferences to attend to continue our blended learning career center school focus.

I am looking into introducing the Ford Foundation’s work on “More and Better Learning Time” with other building staff which can be retrieved from;  http://www.fordfoundation.org/issues/educational-opportunity-and-scholarship/more-and-better-learning-time

Also, I would like to see the staff make a goal to attend professional development that is not subject based, but school based like opportunities for career technical educators; for example,

ACTE's (Association for Career & Technical Education) CareerTech VISION 2015 When:November 19, 2015 to November 22, 2015 in New Orleans, LA. Lastly, I would like to become an innovative leader or school with the Ford Foundation. Perhaps, they could present at an Ohio ACTE conference, usually held the end of July in Columbus at the Hilton Easton.   

The compiled survey results were shared with other leader staff members in a n email so that we can begin to plan what to do with the results, which are as follows;

...

You forwarded this message on 8/19/2015 9:14 AM

At the end of the year meeting, I shared my NEA/CEA TLI capstone research and asked staff to complete the following survey, "CDHS Teacher's Re: Next Generation Learning" and the results show the following;

-14 staff members "are likely to try using Blended Learning or Google apps..."

-4 staff members already use Google Apps, but 1 said "not enough to help other's."

-16 staff members feel that the school could benefit from "better learning time"

-19 staff said they would consider attending professional development on Blended Learning and/or Google Apps

-12 staff members said they feel our students should be taught digital citizenship, but some concerns are;

"I'm still unclear on what we are talking about"

"Students do not know how to research with technology"

"Teachers need training how to use such technology"

"I would like PD on this"

"Blended should be more than just packets"

"What blended is defined and what it is in our school is a bit of a conflict"

In conclusion, I would like to meet with you all to discuss what can we do with these results to further meet our staff PD interest and continue being innovative as the Blended Learning school in our district. I chose you because through my observation you have been at the forefront of our past PD experiences. Please share with anyone else you think would like to be involved.

I will see you all Monday and I hope you enjoy your last few days of summer break!

Thanks,

Mrs. Rebecca McGrath-Hinkle

Early Childhood Education Career Tech Teacher

FCCLA Advisor & CDA P.D. Specialist

Columbus Downtown High School

364 South 4th Street Columbus, Ohio 43215

Voicemail; 614-365-2283 x223

Rmcgrathhinkle1727@columbus.k12.oh.us

“What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the human soul." -J. Addison

I thought I was failing my TLI capstone outcome because I felt like I needed to reach some big change, but instead I realized how to navigate systems, ask for help and share my idea’s. My student’s deserve teachers who will question things and present new ideas. I am excited to see what happens this year and in my future now that I have more confidence to get myself out there!

The TLI competency rubrics have given me a guide to focus my leadership goals. I hope you enjoy my attachments and understand that I need to get back to writing my donation approval and letter to local businesses, asking them for sponsorship and Advisory involvement. “Keep growing, Keep Dreaming, laugh some everyday,” quotes like this keep me in the moment and remind me to enjoy the relationships I am building with other’s everyday on my way to making dreams a reality!