One of the continuing failures in my career has been isolation. When I was in the classroom, I rarely visited other teachers' classrooms even in my own building. Now that I’m out of the classroom I see much more in my own building, but rarely visit other schools in my own district, much less elsewhere. I imagine this is true for many teachers – teaching (traditionally, anyway) has been a very isolating profession.
While the Internet has decreased that isolation somewhat, it’s still not the same (for me anyway) as visiting real, live schools with real, live teachers and real, live students. One of the things NECC provided me with is a list of schools I would like to go visit. (If there are any independently wealthy readers of this blog that would like to pay for me and my planning team to take a road trip, please drop me a line.) While there are many, many schools I would like to visit, this is simply a list of a few that I came into contact with at NECC (there were more, but I lost track after a while). Perhaps those of you who are geographically close to one of these schools might decide to visit (or feel free to suggest others in the comments).
The Urban
School of the Future (
Westwood Schools (
Schools in Doug Johnson’s school district (MN,
Schools in David Jakes’s school district (IL,
Sharon Peters’ school (Quebec,
Barbara Barreda’s school (Los Angeles, CA,
Chris Lehman Science Leadership Academy :)
ReplyDeleteKarl,
ReplyDeleteYou elicited my very first public blog post! (Scary.) Check it out at http://fluidconversations.edublogs.org/
Karl, if you ever make it out to the Washington, DC area, you are more than welcome to visit any of the schools in our district. Within a few miles you can view the good, the bad and the ugly of public education.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm afraid I can't pay for the trip. I'm trying to afford to get myself out of here for a week or so. :-)
Karl,
ReplyDeleteYou are always welcome in Mankato. Sneak preview at:
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2007/7/11/what-would-karl-see.html
All the best and thanks for the call out.
Doug
Karl,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we'd love to have you and some of your team come visit!
It's an honor to be on this list because what is happening at your campus is very exciting.
I'd also be very interested in doing a cross-school project with teachers from Arapahoe, because you all are on our "short list" to visit also!
It was great getting to meet you and some of the faculty. Hope to see you all in San Antonio next year!
Ditto Karl!
ReplyDeleteHonored and humbled that you would want to visit us...
Putting names and faces ( or brains and faces) together is the human element that is so empowering...
Here is to more connectedness and more conversations virtual or otherwise!
I wasn't able to attend NECC, so you didn't meet me and get to know about my school... but I think if you HAD, you would certainly have my school on your list.
ReplyDeleteThe high school where I teach is in Irving, Texas, and quite frankly it is pretty awesome. :)
I teach at The Academy of Irving which is a public high school with a career and technology focus. Our current website is http://www.irvingisd.net/academy/ but a new and improved version will be coming in August. We are a one-to-one campus and our students do some pretty fantastic things. We will be beginning our seventh year in existence, and I welcome you to come and learn about us.
(by the way I am sure you can tell I love my school and my job)
You echo a sentiment I feel at school: isolation, especially technological isolation. I appreciate the list of schools to visit and will look into them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteChris from Alice's Mac Class