Generation Digital

Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, once shared the following three rules of technology:

1. Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
2. Anything that's invented between when you're 15 and 35 is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
3. Anything invented after you're 35 is against the natural order of things.

I vividly recall when in the fall of 2004, a student came into my high school classroom with this small rectangular device with a pair of white headphones dangling from his ears.  I am sure that the iPod was seen by this student, and probably every owner of the 390 million iPods sold between 2001 and 2014, as a source of independence and escape.  However, I couldn't help but feel, as Adams quipped above, that this technology was changing the social order.  It was if, I felt, that the message behind the wired headphones, mechanical scroll wheel, and other-wise engaged listener was "you don't matter"- hence the "I" in iPod.  There was a new competitor for the attention of our children, and the adults didn't stand a chance.  

Our human history is story of generational anxiety about how technology affects children and their development.  More modern examples of this include the radio, television, PAC-MAN, the internet.  I wonder if 30,000 years ago the adults who lived in the Chauvet Cave area of southern France worried how their cave drawings would stunt the survival skills of their children. We worry.  It is what adults do when faced with technologies we didn't know growing up.  Yet somehow generations of children have survived these technological invasions, despite our most dire prognostications.  

The smartphone, or all web-enabled personal devices, seems different.  If I am to use the iPhone as the symbol of all smartphone technology, the picture on the right illustrates the astonishing impact that it has had in just a short amount of time.  The number behind Apple CEO Tim Cook, is the number of iPhones sold since its inception in 2017.  

Perhaps no technology in history has changed the way humans behave, interact, work, learn and play in such a short amount of time (see Simon Sinek's video linked below).  It was impossible to be prepared for this, and as an educator and parent I often seek answers in how to adapt to it.  

A group of teachers at our school have recently read Disconnected by NJ-based therapist, Thomas Kersting, and it is one of those books that you just want everyone to read. I was at an appointment the other day and was reading it in the waiting room. Everyone who walked into the office or worked in the office asked me about the book. When people see the cover, they immediately get this look of familiarity and understanding not because they recognize the title or author, but because we ALL are feeling the impact that technology, specifically smartphones and video games, are having on our interactions and relationships with our family and friends. This isn’t a local phenomenon, it is EVERYWHERE.

For example, in September the country- the whole country- of France announced that smartphones are banned from schools for students aged 5 to 15. This is a direct response to the growing concern that devices are becoming too much of a distraction, even addiction, for French students.

Tencent, a Chinese conglomerate, is the world’s largest video game developer. It owns 40% of Epic Games, creator of, yes that game called Fortnite. Nearly two years ago the company instituted time restraints on its most popular online game, establishing a 1 hour limit for children under 12. Again, this was in direct response to the public’s concerns about internet and gaming addiction and the social-emotional health of Chinese children.

I am confident that I don’t need to share how smartphones and video gaming has changed how kids in Sparta, and everywhere else, interact, behave, learn and play. You live it too and it is really hard to keep up with the pace of technology. For example, I recently went to a chain restaurant for the first time in several years. I was surprised, and disappointed, that every table had a tablet ostensibly to keep children “entertained”. Throughout Thomas Kersting’s book, he provides examples and stories of how our society is contributing to the overall decline of our children’s social and emotional health in regards to the use and presence of digital technology.

In Disconnected, Mr. Kersting effectively summarizes how technology has so quickly transformed how children learn, and how it has played a significant role in how children are struggling to communicate, focus, cope and socialize. I occasionally claim that one day I am going to move to a cabin in the middle of Wyoming or to an island in the Pacific that is free of the internet. Of course, this defeatist attitude isn’t the answer, and my role as a parent and educator is to prepare children for the reality of the world. However, as Mr. Kersting concludes in his book, there are things that we can do now to help our children, and families adjust and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world. Here are Mr. Kersting’s five rules:

1. Keep your child’s room clean of screens.
2. Your child’s phone is your phone.
3. No electronics during dinner.
4. Limit screen time for entertainment purposes (including TV) to two hours per day (as recommended by the Academy of American Pediatrics). Most smartphones and gaming devices now have the ability for parents to establish time limitations (ex: Screentime on iPhones).
5. Be a role model. Adults are just as “digitally distracted” as kids, let’s look at our own digital media diets.

I don’t claim to have all the answers, nor am I the perfect “digital” parent. I do know that the rapidly changing pace of internet technology and increased children’s access and use of it is changing the way students learn, socialize, and emotionally mature. I welcome the conversation with you and will always feel obliged to share helpful resources that I come across. Disconnected is one of these resources and I have included a few more below.

Here is the Amazon link to the book.

"Steve Jobs Never Wanted Us to Use Our iPhones Like This"

“Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent”

Common Sense Media White Paper on Technology Addiction

Simon Sinek on digital addiction and self-esteem.

Meet Sophie.  As loyal, friendly, and fun as a puppy could ever have been.  For Sophie’s first sixteen months our family took on the fortunate role as “puppy raisers”, and the experience changed our lives forever- as beloved pets so often do.

On a typical day in Morristown, NJ, if you walk around town you are likely to see the wonderful work of the Seeing Eye Foundation in action as the dogs, matched with a trainer, practice for when they will be assigned to a visually impaired partner.  However, before the dogs are ready to be trained, they must spend their first twelve to sixteen months with a foster family, known as “puppy raisers”.  

We adopted Sophie, our first with the Seeing Eye, in the spring of 2016.  We quickly grew to love Sophie as she became our family’s best friend.  She was loyal, fun, and incredibly patient; never seeming to mind the near constant tugs and pulls from our enthusiastic five year-old.  She became part of the fabric of our family.  We all knew and understood our role as a family: to love and care for her until she was ready for training.  And so when the white van from Seeing Eye pulled up our driveway last spring, it was with incredibly heavy hearts (and a lot of tears) that we said goodbye to our friend, Sophie.  Our experience with her reminded us of the important virtues of patience, community, simplicity, anticipation, discipline, and above all love.  We were grateful for time we had with her, and we knew that she was moving on to serve a greater purpose. Those first few weeks without her were filled with emotional reminders of our time together.  What filled those empty moments, was the hope that she was in good hands, playing with other dogs, and successfully progressing through her training. 

A few weeks ago, approximately four months after we said goodbye, our family was invited to Morristown to see Sophie’s “Town Walk”.  This is an opportunity for puppy raisers to see their dog navigate the sidewalks, streets, and crosswalks with an assigned trainer.  We didn’t get to approach Sophie as she was no longer our’s and it would not have helped her training, but we did get to follow her from a short distance.  It was a powerful experience for us, to see the dog we loved, cared for and raised well on her way to this new life of service.  It was both sentimental, gratifying and comforting to see that she was happy and cared for.  

I thank my wife for coming up with this idea, becoming Seeing Eye puppy raisers, for it was an experience for our family that united us in a common purpose and brought us memories that will last a lifetime.  We recently were informed that next week, our family will be adopting our second puppy!  Sophie would be so proud.

Sophie

Since 1929, The Seeing Eye, headquartered in Morristown, has trained 16,500 dogs to serve as guide dogs for the visually impaired. The Seeing Eye Foundation’s mission is to “to enhance the independence, dignity and self-confidence of people who are blind, through the use of specially trained Seeing Eye dogs.”  

To learn more about the Seeing Eye Foundation, visit their website at seeingeye.org.

Failing Up (way up)

Elon Musk knows failure.  As the founder and CEO of SpaceX, a private space transportation and exploration company, he has witnessed several costly and gut-wrenching mishaps that have resulted in major setbacks in the company's path towards success.  In just over six years, SpaceX has attempted 30 rocket launches, and with each launch surpassing the previous one in terms of goals accomplished and lessons learned.  Not of all of these launches have been successful.   One of SpaceX's long-term goals is to develop the technology to eventually send humans to colonize Mars.  Mars!  To do this, rockets will need to be reusable, not only to save money and time but to also allow those who first get to Mars to be able to return.  Yeah, this is big.

The challenge in developing reusable rockets is that once they launch they need to return, and land...upright!  I find that completely incomprehensible (probably because I wasn't alive when Armstrong and Aldrin went for a stroll on the moon).  That humankind can send a 230ft rocket, weighing over 1 million pounds, at over 17,000mph, as high as 100 miles into the sky, return it to earth and land it vertically is truly remarkable and a tribute to the talents and determination of really bright, resilient and passionate people.  Since 2015, SpaceX has attempted this type of landing thirteen times, and on five of those occasions, the rocket failed to land perfectly upright and exploded.  Their first attempt was in January of 2015: failure.  April of 2015: failure.  June of 2015: failure.  And then this happened on December 22nd, 2015 (trust me, it's worth the three minutes of your time):

While the technology behind this feat is awe-inspiring, it is the reactions of the SpaceX employees that I enjoy the most.  Clearly, they are celebrating an extraordinary accomplishment that was formed through overcoming a series of failures.  A "We Did It!", Landing-on-the-Moon moment.

Since its publication in 2006, Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck has helped inform our beliefs about success and intelligence.  Dr. Dweck's TED Talk is one of the site's most popular with over five million views since 2014.  In her groundbreaking book, Dweck writes, "“the passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.” To work at SpaceX (or NASA, or any other aerospace transportation company) must require a growth mindset.  Failure can't be feared, but must be used as an inspiration to learn more, to embrace redesign, and solve problems.  As Thomas Edison is credited with saying, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” The innovators of today have learned to embrace failure as an iterative step towards success.   

This past fall, thirty-four students in our school participated, for the first time, in a First LEGO League (FLL) robotics competition.   The students, led by a patient and passionate group of volunteer parents, spent nearly three months learning to build and program LEGO robots to accomplish specific, autonomous tasks. Having little prior knowledge about this program and programming robots, our students embraced the challenge with positive attitudes and willingness to expand their learning horizons (see Dweck's Growth Mindset).  I can attest to many moments of frustration as the result of a failed "run" or glitch in a program code.  Yet these teams of students worked collaboratively and creatively to overcome these obstacles and, by the end of the season, were able to successfully program their robots to accomplish a diverse series of tasks.  

Our culminating event was an inter-squad competition that required each of the teams to accomplish specific missions.  At one of the stations the task was to get the robot to make a difficult turn and go over a fence (see picture above).  One of the teams made three attempts and couldn't get the robot lined up exactly right (they were under a strict time limit too) to accomplish the task.  They were frustrated; this was their "landing of the rocket" moment.  They knew they had the programming and design skills to accomplish the task but they couldn't pinpoint the exact problem that was preventing their success.  I could tell by their reactions that they cared about finding the right solution.   They would have stayed all night long programming, testing, and redesigning to get this specific mission right.  At that point, I didn't care if they figured it out, that wasn't what was important to me.  I knew they cared, and I knew that they wouldn't let failure stop them from trying, but rather they would use the experience to push them towards success; they were intrinsically motivated, a crucial component of lasting success.  

So that's what I think when I see hundreds of SpaceX employees, most of whom look like they are only ten years older than our LEGO Robotics students, celebrating a successful launch and landing; an exuberant celebration of perseverance, resilience, collaboration and success- fueled by failure.

Related Resources:

On February 19th, 2017- SpaceX did it again.  See them stick the landing that inspired this blog post:

How can educators and parents encourage the next generation of innovators.  See this blog post, "Graduating All Students Innovation Ready" , by Tony Wagner, author of Creating Innovators and Most Likely to Succeed. 

 SpaceX isn't the only game in town.  Blue Origins, founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, also hopes to get in the space travel business.  Their goal is to establish private tours of space.  They too, have figured out how to land the reusable rocket.  See below:

The National Mall

In the months of May and June, the area surrounding the National Mall of Washington, D.C. is aswarm with the easily discernible energy of middle-schoolers.  Schools across the nation, celebrating the end of a school year, send their students, by the busload, to bring classroom history and civics lessons to life.  The outcome of this experience- besides the blisters, spells of dehydration and exhaustion- is by design, a more informed and appreciative citizen.  

One can read about the Vietnam War or watch one of the popular mainstream films that attempt to encapsulate the era in which it was fought, but you can't replicate the experience of seeing a grieving friend at the Wall- connecting with someone they knew decades ago.  One can't imagine the silent tension of remembrance that you feel while walking the expanse of the entire Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  

There are similar scenes and moments of historical absorption at the other war memorials nearby, including the Korean War Memorial and the World War II Memorial.  At these memorials, you can speak with, and gain a new appreciation for, the veterans of these wars.  They regularly come back to these memorials, proudly wearing hats, clothing or medals that indicate their specific service, to honor their friends and fellow service men and women- many of which didn't come home.

In 2011, the National Park Service established a new monument- the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.  The experience at this site provides a different experience for the visitor.  It stands as a powerful commemoration of the wisdom of the great Civil Rights leader.  On August 28th, 1963, Dr. King stood at the Lincoln Memorial (see photo above) and delivered one of the most famous speeches in American History; the "I Have A Dream" speech.  In the speech, Dr. King craftily used the words of the Declaration of Independence to demand new civil rights legislation.  Fittingly and intentionally, the memorial to Dr. King is placed in a way to create a straight line from Abraham Lincoln to Dr. King to Thomas Jefferson (one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence).  

The National Mall experience, a rite of passage for so many American middle-schoolers, and for so many more reasons and places than I described above, is an invigorating experience that provides physical and emotional reminders of our democratic values.  

My favorite spot?  Yes, the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  At the feet of Lincoln.  Where King stood. From this vantage point, we see the towering monument named after our first President and in the distance the U.S. Capitol, where our current political leaders work.  This one place, with its rich history, encourages us to reflect on what has been and dream of what can be.

Photo Credit: Me

On a previous visit to Washington D.C., I woke up early, grabbed a Capital Bike  just down the block from the hotel and pedaled furiously to the Mall, hoping to have the Lincoln Memorial to myself.  This shot is from the top of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, from the spot that Dr. King stood while delivering his "I Have A Dream" speech on August 28th, 1963. 

Becoming Compassionate

Jimmy wasn't considered to be a popular student in high school.  He had few friends and was from the less affluent side of town.  Jimmy and I were in the same grade.  I don't recall if he was bullied, but I also can't remember people being nice to him either.  Despite his pleasant affect, keen sense of humor and service to his community (he volunteered with the fire department) he was mostly "unnoticed".  I vividly recall walking to chemistry class one afternoon and down the hallway I could see Jimmy, clearly in distress on one knee outside of the boys' bathroom, getting sick.  And what for what seemed like an eternity, students just walked on by, either not noticing him or not caring enough to stop and see if he needed help.  Person after person.  Nobody noticed. Nobody helped.  They just walked right by.

Nate did stop.  He dropped his books, ran over to Jimmy, put his arm around him and asked for help from a gathering . Then another student stopped to help, and another, and another.  Within a minute, some students got Jimmy on his feet and into the bathroom.  A few students went to get a teacher.  Other students blocked off the area due to the mess on the floor.   It only took one person.  One person to notice someone was in need and to have the empathy to know that they needed help and the compassion to act on it. One person's act of kindness inspired many others to do the same.


It has been a long time since I graduated high school.  Despite the passage of time, I often think about that experience.  I can picture student after student walking by Jimmy, and then Nate rushing to his side causing a domino effect of compassion.  Why did Nate stop?  Why didn't one of those people who walked right by him stop?  The experience also reminds of the power that one person has to create change and inspire others to act with compassion.  Many of the people who passed him by were "good" people, yet they didn't stop to help.  What was happening at that moment that prevented them from doing so?  It is understandable that people, especially children, can become unsure how to respond in a situation like this.  It doesn't make them mean or unable to be compassionate,  just unsure.  Unsure what they can do to help,  if the person wants the attention of potential helpers, or how that person will respond by them offering help.

If you have never listened to NPR's TED Radio Hour, I encourage you to give it a shot.  Every Friday, a new episode is posted.  Previous episodes have covered a wide variety of topics, including: environmental issues, food, brain science, athletics, overcoming adversity.  This past week's episode, "Just A Little Nicer", explored the topic of compassion: can it be taught, the neuroscience that explains it, and are humans increasingly less able to demonstrate it.   Daniel Goleman, a psychologist who helped ignite an intelligence revolution with his book Emotional Intelligence, was featured in the show.  The latest research on social neuroscience, he reports, can explain why how in some moments we can be compassionate and while in other moments we are too self-absorbed to help others.   He shares a story of a man that he came across a "unnoticed" man in a subway stairwell that was clearly in need of help, and what happened after he stopped to provide assistance.  How he told the story took me right back to that high school hallway, remembering the story of an "unnoticed" student.

According to Goleman, the good news is that we can all become more compassionate.  We can teach ourselves, and our children, that through practicing kindness (ex: students writing positive messages to peers and adults in their lives) and mindfulness exercises (ex: breathing exercises, meditation) that take us out of our state's of self-absorption.  However, there is a major concern, that I think is shared by most of us who didn't have a cell phone until we were working adults.  How do we "transfer" to our children the skillsets needed to engage empathically with others when their primary form of communication takes place on a masked, sometimes anonymous, digital platform (texting, instagram, etc..) rather than face-to-face?  How this will impact the future of personal engagement, relationships and compassion won't be fully understood for years, if not generations.  Goleman ominously states, that with our increasing dependence on digital communication we are perhaps "starving the social brain" and engaging in an "unprecedented experiment with an entire generation." We are witnessing, he argues, our diminished cognitive ability to relate with others.

This may be our greatest challenge as educators in the 21st century: how to teach our children to be compassionate citizens in an era of virtual communication.

Daniel Goleman's interview, including brief excerpts from his popular TED talk, is linked below.

Writing again...

Our students write a lot.  In my daily walkthroughs of classrooms I regularly see students writing in journals, notebooks, and Google Classroom.  Through the iterative writing process of writing, editing and rewriting we want our students to be able to make claims and share stories that are rich in language, supported by evidence, and skillfully crafted and organized.

As a "lead learner" I think it is important to model what we expect of our students.  I want them to demonstrate good character and be kind; I should conduct myself in the same manner.  I want them to become avid readers; I need to find the time to read what they are reading.  I want them to write; well, I need to also.

In the bottom right of this page you can see some of my old posts from this blog.  I had put down the figurative pen for a bit of time and by sharing this re-introduction publicly, I am making a commitment to get back to writing and sharing.

We all want our children to become proficient readers and confident math students.  So, we are told, we need to encourage this at work and home- we need to read with our children, model a love for independent reading,  and use everyday actions and routines to discuss math (recipes, miles, money, etc.).  When was the last time we, teachers and parents, have been told to write more with or for our children?  We certainly don't hear that message very often.  The lesson for me is the same as it is for students: the more I do it, the better I will become.

Welcome (back) to my blog.

Natural Stimulant

What is it about the fall season that inspires us to get outside? Whether it is the inviting colors, the crisp air, the sounds of rustling leaves, or even the looming confinement that comes with the cold winter months, we seem especially content to escape the trappings of technology and busy schedules and explore and play outside.

I, personally, enjoy hiking at this time of year. I didn't very much when I was younger.  It wasn't something that my family regularly did with the exception of our annual trek up a small mountain in the state of Maine.  Many years later, I have developed a deep appreciation for exploring the more wild and natural beauty of this country. Being able to spend time walking in the woods, up a mountain, along a river or around a lake helps me relax, improves my health, and, would you believe, increases my ability to use my brain.

As part of its series on the 100th anniversary of our national parks, National Geographic magazine featured a story last winter on nature and the brain, "This Is Your Brain On Nature". The story features the work of University of Utah cognitive psychology professor David Strayer, a leading expert on attention science. Strayer's research reveals, according to the author, "that it’s the visual elements in natural environments—sunsets, streams, butterflies—that reduce stress and mental fatigue...such stimuli promote a gentle, soft focus that allows our brains to wander, rest, and recover." What happens when you try to memorize facts, solve problems, and tackle a complex task when you are tired, stressed, or mentally exhausted? Typically, the result is failure, frustration, and a need to start over.  The brain needs escape and rest.  Exposure to our natural world the research suggests, allows our brains to rest and recover and ultimately increase our ability to effectively function through our school/work problems and projects.  

Dr. Strayer's work was also featured in a highly recommended article in Outside magazine. The author summarizes the increasingly popular hypothesis that "the constant demands of emails, notifications, and general busy-ness put a significant burden on the prefrontal cortex of the brain, the region involved in multitasking and higher-order thinking (like critical thinking and problem solving). Those small demands add up to drain our attentional resources, making us distracted and cognitively fatigued—which in turn makes it more difficult to focus, think deeply, and come up with new ideas."  Dr. Strayer uses electric brain activity tests (EEGs) and creative problem solving tasks to prove this connection between natural escape and improved cognitive ability.  The results have revealed the benefits to include increased creative thinking, improved ability to focus, and more active imagination.  Critics may argue that television, video games, or just sitting on the couch may also provide the brain this escape.  Dr. Strayer, as he describes in the article, argues that nature allows our brain to enter a state of soft fascination and that it is only nature that “you can watch without getting bored, but it’s not in itself mentally taxing. It can be mesmerizing… it’s a gentle capturing of attention.  And it frees your mind to wander, which is one of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing."

I find the connection between nature and the brain to be very intriguing. I am motivated to find new and effective ways to incorporate "nature" into the student experience.  I imagine the most effective thing we can do as leaders of children, is to model for them the importance and benefits of putting the 21st century on pause, and getting "back to nature".

What are your family's favorite natural escapes?  

Book Suggestion: Dr. Strayer's work on attention is also featured in this powerful book about the dangers of texting and driving- a great topic for a future post.

Lessons from the Cube

“A good puzzle, it's a fair thing. Nobody is lying. It's very clear, and the problem depends just on you.” -Ernő Rubik 

Anthony Brooks has it.  "It" is difficult to assess and quantify and goes by many different names. A word that seems to have recenlty gained significant support from the most highly regarded educational researchers is "grit".  Stanford professor, Angela Duckworth, a leading voice on the identification and fostering of academic competencies other than fixed intelligence, defines grit as "the perseverance and passion for long-term goals."


Anthony first picked up a Rubik's Cube six years ago, when he was a fourteen-year-old looking to stay busy on a long bus ride. Today, Anthony holds the world record for solving the Rubik's Cube- less
than seven seconds!

Since its mass-market introduction forty years ago, the "Cube" has befuddled and frustrated most of those that try to solve it.  Most of us have held a Cube in our hands, and surely not many of us solve it on our first attempt.  How long was it before you put it down and proclaimed defeat, never to pick it up again?  Or perhaps, not unlike people such as Anthony, you looked at the problem from different points of view, consulted an expert for insight, or did basic research on the internet for solutions.  In reality, we can all solve the Cube by following (and eventually memorizing if you want to solve it quickly) a set of algorithms.  For the "speedcubers" of the world, like Anthony, being able to solve the Cube quickly- and in some cases blindfolded- requires deliberate practice, focus, and an authentic interest in doing it.


The Rubik's Cube was the central focus of a recent science class activity at our school.  Two seventh grade students in Dr. Steneken's class were going to race each other; the winner being the first to solve a scrambled cube.  However, this competition was unusual in that one of the participants was not actually human, but a student-designed Lego robot.  I recall the winner solved the cube in less than thirty seconds- very impressive.  In my mind, it didn't matter if the winner was the student using his own hands, or the student who used a robot that he built. It was clear that both students had engaged in hours of preparation and practice to solve the problem.  I am sure they both encountered frustrations, obstacles and failure along the way.  Despite the difficulty, they persevered- and I assure you that for each of them this is only the beginning.  Through this process they have demonstrated to me, and to themselves, that they possess the grit that is required to achieve true academic success; that they know what it will take to solve all forms of puzzles and problems.

As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Education myself, I am very familiar with the work of GSE graduate and professor, Angela Duckworth.  Having been an administrator in the middle school environment for the better part of a decade, I fully support her position that the ability to learn is not fixed, but that this can change with effort.  Having this "growth" mindset, allows for success in all endeavors- whether we are solving a forty year-old puzzle, building robots, or growing as learners and leaders.
Duckworth summarizes the importance of grit in this TED talk:


I believe that it is the role of  parents, teachers, administrators- to foster in our children the grittiness that Professor Duckworth references. We owe them this.  The best way to teach is to encourage and model.  So go find that cube, and give it another shot- you can do it, but you might fail (a lot) before you succeed.

 Related Resources:
Solving The Cube
The Cube's 40th Anniversary Celebration in Times Square
New York Times Profile on the Resurgence of the Rubik's Cube
Liberty Science Center's Rubik's Cube Exhibit
Professor Duckworth's Study on Grit
An Interview with Professor Duckworth (Educational Leadership, 2013)

Anthony Brooks in Times Square:

Agents of Change

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Father English Community Center in Paterson, NJ.  A few weeks prior a group of students in our school had organized a toy collection for the center and I wanted to see for myself who our students were helping and to investigate if there were other ways that we, our school community, could support the families that rely on the center for basic needs.  So a friend, and fervent supporter of youth service, and I drove down to visit with the director of the center.

The Father English Community Center, not unlike many similarly-focused centers in America's impoverished, urban centers, provides its surrounding communities with many services and programs including: continuing education and language courses; a full-day pre-K program, a wide variety of social services; clothing and furniture; and a food shelter.

Carlos runs the food pantry.  He is an inspiration. He has made it his life's work to build and maintain a food pantry that provides for 1000 people per month.  This food pantry is unique.  Typical pantries function like a cafeteria line; the person in need of food walks up to a counter and is given a supply of goods, usually differentiated to specific family needs (i.e. young children).  Over the years Carlos has created a pantry that looks more like a grocery store.  Visitors walk up and down aisles and using a point system pick up products that suit their family's needs and tastes.  It is an innovative concept that values both dignity and compassion. Meet Carlos:


After visiting with Carlos I couldn't stop thinking about the extraordinary work that he was doing and how I, representing a community that is more than willing to act, can help.  I was expecting Carlos to tell me to bring more canned goods, or provide assistance stocking shelves or giving out food.  Rather, Carlos simply told me to do what I can to support the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.  The Food Bank is where Carlos orders most of the food that is given to the customers, a term preferred by Carlos, of the pantry.  The Food Bank provides pantries with a wide variety of goods at significant discounts.  

So when our school's National Junior Honor Society was considering a benefactor of our annual Student-Faculty Charity Basketball Game the Food Bank was the overwhelming favorite.  Our students raised over $1700 for the event, all of it going to the Food Bank.  I can't wait to tell Carlos.

Service is a topic that I have written about in previous posts.  I think the concept of helping others, taking care of each other, is an essential understanding that all students need to develop.  To help foster this understanding we need to provide opportunities to serve others and to recognize those that lead by example, like Carlos. And, like Marirose.

For the past three years Marirose, a student at SMS, has helped organize a separate toy drive for a group called Tilly's Kids.  Marirose, along with a group of other civic-minded and gracious students, deliver the toys to students at their schools in Newark.  For many of these students, the toys, games and books they receive may be the only gifts they gift during the holidays.  As a nominee for the 2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Award, Marirose received the following letter:

I am thankful to Marirose for allowing me to recognize her in this forum, and for answering a few of my questions about her experience serving others:

 When did you start volunteering and serving other causes?  Why?

I started volunteering when I was in fourth grade.  I was tagging along with my older brothers who were volunteering.

 I noticed that many of your teammates and friends are also volunteering-how has this affected your relationships and friendships?

It has made my friendships much closer because we have volunteering in common.  I am really happy that my friends enjoy doing this as well.

What has service taught you?

It has taught me that when people complain about how bad they have it, they don’t realize how much worse other people have it.

You have seen first-hand the impact of poverty in America-what have you learned from this exposure, about people and prosperity?

It is easy to ignore problems when you don’t know about them.  Then, when you do know you feel obligated and want to help.  For example, I know children in poverty are counting on us to deliver gifts at Christmas and I can’t let them down.

Any advice for someone who would like to begin volunteering?  How can they get started?

I would advise someone new to try a lot of different opportunities to find out what they really love.  And, if possible, start volunteering with a friend!  Pass-it-Along always has opportunities on their website. Sometimes you can find your own way to help.  I have sold crafts and cupcakes to raise money for children with brain tumors. Also, Mrs. Garagliano, my 6^th grade Ancient Civilizations teacher, helped me collect toys for Christmas gifts.  She also helped to collect and hand out gently used books to children at elementary schools in Newark.

How would you like to continue to serve as your proceed in high school and beyond?

In high school, I hope to continue to make a bigger impact.  I hope to always be able to use my talents to help others.  One of my next projects is to make “Blessing Bags” to send to Ethiopia where there are five million orphans.

You received a letter from the President…what does that mean to you?

I am honored to get this recognition.  I feel like it hasn’t been a sacrifice for me to spend free time volunteering.  It has been a privilege.  I have found that I love to help people.  Some of my best memories are from these times.

Although much younger than Carlos, Marirose is also an agent of change.  And she is one of many students in our school that have taken it upon themselves to bring their community "closer to its great promise".  

Related Resources:

Pass-It-Along:  As Marirose mentioned, many volunteering opportunities for students and families.

NJ Food Bank:  How you can help

Open For (and to) Business

I really enjoy watching Shark Tank.  If you have never seen an episode of Shark Tank the basic premise is that budding entrepreneurs present a pitch to a group of investors (sharks), hoping to acquire an investment in their business idea.  It has everything you want in an entertaining television show:  intrigue, drama, comedy, tension and excitement.  Getting a shark to invest in your company requires that you have not just a good idea but also a solid business plan.  Some contestants walk away from the experience with an investment deal with one (or more) of the sharks, while many others walk away with no interest from any of the sharks.  This is true reality television; developing a successful business and getting others to invest in your idea and plan is not easy and often can end in disappointment.  However, I would imagine that those who do leave disappointed use the experience as a learning exercise and become even more determined to change or adapt however necessary so that they can be successful.  This is most likely the case with any current (or past) business leader.  When Steve Jobs, of Apple, passed away, he was remembered as one of the business world's greatest innovators.  However, his road to success featured many wrong turns and deep potholes.  Jobs took the lessons from his failures to drive his pursuit of success.  

This month many of our students will be in a similar situation to the Shark Tank contestants.  They are participating in an entrepreneurial program called TREP$ (short for entrepreneurs).  Students

stay after school one day a week for a month to develop a basic level of financial acumen and then are charged with developing a business plan for an actual product.  The students, often working with a partner, then have to sell their product or service at the marketplace evening event.  Depending upon how the students market and present their products, students either make money or lose money.  It is a great program that creates a lot of interest and excitement within the school community.  For those that participate, it is an excellent learning experience that empowers students, rewards hard work and values creative and critical thinking. And like many Shark Tank contestants, not all TREP$ participants will achieve financial success.  This is okay.  They will, if they choose to, reflect on the mistakes made and the lessons learned to drive them closer to their goals.

On a recent episode of Shark Tank (linked below), two men asked the sharks to invest in their product, LockerBones.  LockerBones is a locker system and was invented by a father of a middleschooler, frustrated that she couldn't keep her organized.  I am confident that many of our students will watch this episode and say, "I could have done that!"  Yes, you could have.  Perhaps we will see the next "Lockerbones" at marketplace night.

"TREP$ is an awesome way to learn important business lessons, have fun, and even make money.  It is a great opportunity for kids to be taken seriously, so they can see people's reactions to their ideas, products, and creations."

-Robby R., Grade 8 

I love Robby's line about being "taken seriously".  I think that it is a good reminder to all of us that our students want to be treated as if their ideas, thoughts, and opinions are relevant and when we do we often get from our students a genuine desire to achieve.  A desire that is not motivated by grades, pressure, or expectations, but driven by the sheer thrill to create, invent and innovate---and "make MONEY" (and not get eaten by a shark)!

TREP$ Marketplace Nights

Grades 7 and 8: February 19 and 20

Grade 5: February 26 and 27

SMS Cafeteria, 6:30 PM

Related Resources:
Shark Tank episode featuring LockerBones (skip to minute 23:00)
TREP$ Website

Music Matters

At a recent school concert I shared with the audience a story that I saw on 60 Minutes.  A story that, on many levels, presents important lessons for our students- whether they are musicians or not.

The story is about a group of children, middleschoolers included, who live in an impoverished community in Paraguay.  In fact, the community only came into existence because a garbage dump, or landfill, was developed there.  The program (linked below) describes how these children, under the guidance of a few thoughtful and creative adults, use music to enrich their lives.  A remarkable aspect of the story is how this group of musicians is able to use instruments that were built using items found in the landfill; thus they call themselves the "Recycled Orchestra".

It is a story of hope.  Hope that, at first glance, should not exist in a community with little to no electricity, no plumbing or safe drinking water and the harsh realities of extreme poverty.

It is a story of perseverance.  How when you set your mind to something, that when you commit to something you believe in that good fortune and opportunity can come your way.

And it is a story of the power of music.  A power that can shine light on a community that was once cloaked in darkness.

Says fifteen year-old Ada, on what playing her violin (made with a discarded oven tray among other landfill finds) means to her: "When I play...I feel like I am somewhere else.  I imagine that I'm alone in my own world and forget about everything else around me and I feel transported to a beautiful place...completely different to where I am now.  I has clear skies, open fields and I see lots of green.  It's clean with no trash. There is no contamination where we live.  It's just me alone playing my violin."

The transformative power of music.

Related Resources:
A movie about the group:
http://www.landfillharmonicmovie.com/

The 60 Minutes story:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-recyclers-from-trash-comes-triumph/

Teaching Kindness

We can't.

I recently heard someone say that empathy can't be taught, but it can be inspired.  If what we- the adults at school- mean by empathy is really just plain kindness than the same holds true for kindness. We can't teach children, or our peers, to be kind.  Rather, we must model it and in doing so we demonstrate to those around us the norms and understandings that guide our behaviors and interactions.

A few posts ago, I wrote of the power of Wonder, a book by R.J. Palacio.  The tagline of the book is "choose kind" and I found that simple, yet so compelling.  I wanted that message to stay with me so I asked an art class student to paint this picture on a wall in my office. I recently learned that the author of Wonder was appearing in northern New Jersey and I knew I had to go see her.   In her presentation, Ms. Palacio summarized her writing experience as well as the unexpected, and overwhelming response to the book.  She did not expect that thousands of people throughout the world would embrace the book and pledge to Choose Kind. And it was at the end of her speech, that Ms. Palacio said, "you can't teach empathy, but you can inspire it."

Recently at our school, a young man came to a tell another story about the power of kindness.  Addressing all of our students, he told the story of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999.  Prior to her death, Rachel wrote on the power of being kind. In her everyday life, Rachel was known as someone who stood up for others, treated everyone with respect, and loved life and those she shared it with. The assembly, known as Rachel's Challenge, focused not on Rachel's death but rather the inspiring messages that she left behind in her journals.  Rachel's family embraced these messages and have made it their mission to share them with the world.  Rachel wrote, "I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, than it can start a chain reaction of the same."  Through this program, and its related activities, our students have joined the millions of other school children that have been inspired to choose kindness.

Being kind isn't hard.  Whether the message comes from a popular book or a powerful assembly, we all have the capability of creating significant change in the world around us through acts of kindness.  As exemplified in the story below, when we commit acts of kindness we not only change the lives of others but also ourselves.  Just ask Justice Miller, one heck of a teammate and certainly a changed person.




Related Resources:
Rachel's Challenge Website

Previous Blog ("Choosing Kindness", August) Update:
Following the 60 Minutes program on mercy ships serving Africans suffering from cranio-facial disorders, a $20 million donation was made to pay for a second ship.
https://www.mercyships.org/gift-from-pimco-founder/

Bienvenue!

  

Like many adults who took a "foreign" language class in middle school and high school, I, unfortunately, am not bilingual.  I took Spanish for six years, and although I remember number, colors and a few phrases I am not able to effectively converse in the language.  6 years, nearly 700 hours! I assure you, I was never uncomfortable in those classes. 

I often tell students and parents that I want our students to be uncomfortable in class. Although I always include a preceding phrase such as "a little bit", the statement can result in some curious looks directed my way.  And then I explain:  Learning isn't easy.  It requires our brains to process and code new information that may seem to contradict previous understandings or knowledge.  In the classroom setting, true learning takes place in the area between what a child can already do or demonstrate, and what the child can only do with assistance- the zone of discomfort (or the zone of proximal development).  If the work or task is too easy, we are bored and disinterested.  If it is way above our capability we are frustrated and confused.  Either way, learning does not take place.   For optimal learning to take place the task must be challenging to the student and require them to seek new understandings, build upon previously learned skills and work to find solutions and comprehension.  It is our task as teachers to provide each student with this type of experience, and the role of the student to have the courage to embrace the discomfort that comes with new material and concepts, to seek assistance from those that can help, and to reach beyond the limits of what was thought to be possible. 

In the past ten years or so, world language education has undergone a significant transformation.  Gone are the days of text-book driven vocabulary lessons that did little to prepare us to effectively communicate in an increasingly global, or flat, world.  In today's classroom, even at the middle school level, it is expected that the language of study will be the only language spoken in the class (with some directional cues provided in English).  This instructional approach to language education significantly increases our ability to achieve the goal of developing multi-lingual students.  Why? Because it is uncomfortable.  If I had to move to France I know that it would be hard for me to get by given my current comprehension level of the French language.  I know that in order to effectively function, I would have to learn the language.  Yes, I am sure I could get by with my English, but without speaking the native language my opportunities for success and enjoyment would be limited. This discomfort that I would feel, would be the motivation I would need to learn the language.  When there is a "felt need" to learn, the likelihood that new, high-level, learning taking place will increase.

This week, approximately thirty-five students from France will be visiting our town.  I am sure that these students will demonstrate an impressive understanding of the English language but it is undeniable that they will be "uncomfortable".  In their brief stay in the United States they will be forced to depend on their knowledge of English to interact with peers and host families and to better understand American traditions, past-times, norms and sites.  I applaud them for the courage it will take to rely on a non-native language to get the most of their adventure.  As is my goal for students in all classrooms, these students will have to overcome their discomfort by developing, practicing and refining skills that make them more effective at what they do.  To continue with the comparison between their experience and the general classroom setting, these students will have to take some risks and even accept making a mistake or two in order for true learning to take place.  

As a school community we are excited to host our special guests from across the sea and we look forward to providing a comfortably uncomfortable experience.

Related Resources:

Brain Rules:  an easily digestible primer on how the brain works and what we can do to increase its performance.

The Teenage Brain

Choosing Kindness

I remember my first day of camp. I recall driving down the long, rocky driveway. I can hear the crunching of the stones underneath the tires of the car. I remember being terrified.  I wanted to turn around and go home- there was no way I was going to make it. Who would I talk to? Would I make any friends? How am I going to fit in?

Did I mention I was 19? That's right. I had accepted a job as a waterski instructor at a camp in Maine. I had never heard of the camp, but I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone for the summer and live more independently. It was my first real camping experience, it just so happened that it was as a counselor and not a camper. No matter your age, beginning a new stage of your life- or taking on a new job, or moving to a new town, or even starting middle school- is anxiety provoking. Change is hard. It is different, uncomfortable, and confusing. Rarely do we embrace the new without a degree of apprehension, it is our nature to stick with what we know.

And then there are characters like Auggie Pullman.  Auggie, seen from behind in the video above, is the main character of R.J. Palacio's wonderful novel, Wonder.   This is a story about a boy, anxious about starting middle school and fitting in, who seems destined to fail- socially speaking.  You see, Auggie has a severe facial deformity (thus the book's cover art) that has rendered him a target of stares, jokes, and teasing for pretty much his entire life.  Auggie will never be "normal";  he knows this, all who know him know this.  Without spoiling the plot, Wonder reminds all of us- no matter our age- of the power of kindness and empathy and how real friendships are about who we are and not what we look like. I was nervous going to camp because I didn't know anybody.  Auggie was understandably nervous starting middle school because he knew that so many people, as they had throughout his whole life, would choose to avoid him due to his outward appearance, rather than get to know who he was on the inside.  Wonder explores why we tend to do this, and highlights the effect that acts of kindness, friendship, courage and character can have on our understanding of each other and ourselves.

As the principal of a middle school it is my responsibility to make sure we achieve our academic goals and consistently improve our state test scores.  When the state report cards and school rankings come out we are compared to other districts mostly by our test scores.  It is important to me that as a school we are always improving, always getting better.  What is also important to me is that we build a community that embraces, and chooses, kindness.  Reading this book, I couldn't help but ask myself, "how would Auggie Pullman do at our school?"  I think he would do just fine...and nothing could make me more proud.

O, I believe
Fate smiled and destiny
Laughed as she came to my cradle
Know this child will be able
Laughed as my body she lifted
Know this child will be gifted
With love, with patience and with faith
She'll make her way 

-Natalie Merchant, "Wonder"

Wonder-related Resources:

NPR Interview with the Author
"Authors Revealed" interview: What inspired the author to write the book

60 Minutes: An amazing story on what American doctors and nurses are doing for patients with maxillofacial tumors in Africa.