These questions are important to understanding the success of your plan. I think there are lots of districts that would like to do this and the process matters to them as much as your outcomes are to others.

One last question … Where does teacher evaluation fit into your framework?

I know that there are flaws all over this idea, but it also models the skills that you are addressing in the framework. It also shifts the idea of a framework away from being a document that someone can stick in the drawer — it becomes culture and practice.

We’re just starting a similar process to you in our district, and this concept keeps running through my head. I still struggle with the transition from concept to reality.

As far as the lessons being limiting – we worry about that too but are optimistic that the tech support in the buildings will enable teachers to move past those beginning experiences and to develop their own. We are working to establish collaborative spaces where teachers will share their lessons and student work, with specific reference as to how this has increased student learning in the targeted areas. Finally, principals will receive assistance in understanding what these experiences should look like, how to support them, and how to evaluate them?

Are we naive? Maybe, but all great change begins with optimism, so wish us luck and we’ll keep you posted!

- Kelly Hines

It’s interesting because I’ve been met with the most resistance when I use the podcasting example. In my opinion, it’s actually a very good example as a podcast is more than a tool. It’s a process. When I had my fifth grade students do a class podcast, I was amazed at how rich a literacy learning experience it really was. Students were conceptualizing stories, writing out scripts, peer-editing, reading for fluency, reading for an audience, and measuring the success of their work against a global audience. I do absolutely believe that’s the kind of learning experience we want our students engaging.

Dean, you mentioned on Twitter that you were looking for a framework that strikes a balance between the esoteric and the pragmatically specific. I honestly believe this is approaching that. At the foundational level here, the esoteric question is “What is our goal for students?” In this case, I believe the core of what we’re getting at is learning. We want the students to engage in learning. So the next question would be, “How should we engage them in the process of learning?” Again, in this framework, we’ve decided to focus on five of the 26 learning skills we established from looking at a variety of sources. Other districts may well choose to focus on other specific learning skills, but the whole concept is to base the framework around learning. Once the skills for focus are selected, then the more pragmatic part of the plan is engaged. The learning experiences I listed in the example framework are not prescriptive. That may ease your mind, Andy. We are simply looking for ways to focus students in the process of learning in a relevant, dynamic way.

I think there’s much more to discuss here, and I hope you both will continue the discourse with me. Thanks for the help.

Grant it, I don’t have the answers either. I’m just thinking out loud here because we are currently working on a similar project. We you use the word framework, I think about larger broader concepts of, dare I say it, literacy.

I do think sample lessons would be taken too literally. However on a year to year basis, it’s not a bad starting point for many. I’m all for providing those specifics but when you have to be careful to separate these from the bigger picture, since we already know it’s not about tools.

Not sure if this advances the conversation but anyway…

Looking at your framework, do you worry that the example lessons would be taken too literally? I would worry that some K-2 teachers would grab hold of the pass-along story idea and consider that one project as their technology integration. It illustrates the concept nicely, but I’m assuming that there is room for innovation within each part of the framework?

It’s hard to get past the problem I’ve mentioned and I’d also love to hear how the presentation of the plan and subsequent dialogues have clarified the purpose in this area.

Thanks for sharing. Fascinating stuff.