Creative Schools

1. Healthy societies depend on innovative entrepreneur efforts and there is an inverse relationship between high test scores and innovative, creative entrepreneurial skills.

2. The US has the highest rates of incarceration of any country in the world and there is a correlation between high school drop outs and incarceration in the US.

3. Chapter1 Claim Statement: The Standards Based Movement in Education is Failing our Students

3.1. In 1970 the US had the highest rate of high school graduates in the world, now it has the lowest.

3.2. Education is supposed to provide young people training for work and yet youth unemployment around the world is at record levels.

4. Chapter 1 Claim Statement: If more people are going to college than ever before and unemployment and drop out rates are rising, we must not be educating our youth effectively.

4.1. There is a widening gap between what schools are teaching and what the economy/society actually needs.

4.2. The academic/vocational caste system is one of the most detrimental problems in our education system today. Leaving needed jobs unfilled while unemployment continues to rise.

5. Chapter 2 Claim Statement: Education designed around Industrial models do not work.

5.1. Industrial systems demand compliance and produce identical products of the same substance. People are individuals and this will not work for a great number of students.

5.2. The principals of supply and demand do not work because life is not linear and what you start out studying is not necessarily what you end up doing or where the jobs are available.

5.3. Industrial models often produce much waste and pollution as our does our education system in the form of drop outs, disengagement and unemployment.

6. Chapter 2 Claim Statement #2: Alternative Education models are needed to combat this problem of rising numbers of high school drop outs and youth unemployment.

6.1. If more schools had alternative education options that included hands on, community outreach, real world work and entrepreneurial skills...there would not be the need to call it alternative.

6.2. Alternative types of education are "waking" kids up. It is increasing engagement, lowering drop out rates and giving hope to students who were not hopeful for their future.

6.3. Investing in alternative forms of education might be costly at first but economically speaking it will save the country a lot of money if our youth are employed in meaningful, useful work and not living off of the government via welfare or in prison.

7. Chapter 3 Claim Statement: Education must not be seen as an industrial system but as an organic, adaptive one.

7.1. Our education system needs to consider student abilities, interests and allow for some self-direction to promote intellectual curiosity.

7.2. Every school has opportunities for change and flexibility in the bell schedule, content taught, teaching methods and classroom arrangements.

7.3. Finland is a good example of how they have evolved and adapted organically to bring about positive change in their education system making them a top performer in the realm of education worldwide.

8. Chapter 3 Claim Statement #2: Education must first focus on creating the conditions and culture in which students will want to learn.

8.1. The heart of education is the relationship between the student and the teacher. All learning and productivity, depend on that.

8.2. Building relationships within the school and the outside community create a collaborative and more creative culture which encourages engagement.

8.3. Personalizing approaches using technology, the arts, the community and other experts will help students to find value in engage in the learning.

9. Chapter 4 Claim Statement: Conventional academic curriculum emphasizes the propositional knowledge (theory) not the procedural knowledge (practical application)

9.1. All through life and careers futures depend on mastering a vast range of practical abilities and skills.

9.2. Focusing too deeply on propositional knowledge or theory does not reflect the talents, interests and often time capabilities of the students.

10. Chapter 4 Claim Statement #2: Personalizing education is everywhere in our society and it is needed in our education culture as well.

10.1. We can personalize our homes, cars, computers, iphones. We have so much choice and customization in our world today, while our schools still rely on conformity.

10.2. When you take time to acknowledge student interests and provide choice and practical application opportunities they feel more like you are working with them and not against them.

10.3. Adapting for students strengths, interests, developmental needs and schedules is urgently needed and will help personalize the education system for our students.

11. Chapter 5 Claim Statement: The core role of a teacher is to facilitate learning and create the conditions for that learning to happen.

11.1. Teachers engage, enable, expect and empower their students.

11.2. Students need teachers to connect with them and inspire and care about them.

11.3. The classroom should not be about direct instruction, that is passive. Inquiry based approaches and collaboration are better.

12. Chapter 5 Claim Statement #2: Increasing opportunities for creativity in education will improve the learning conditions for our students.

12.1. Creativity can be defined as original ideas that have value. This can be applied to any and all subject areas.

12.2. Creativity is about fresh ideas, critical judgement, focus, practical skills, testing and refining.

12.3. If teachers can inspire and provide students autonomy and confidence in their abilities....they provide the appetite for discovery which leads to creativity in the classroom.

13. Chapter 6 Claim Statement #1: What is important for students to know is where you start developing curriculum. The 8 C's are what students should be able to do as a result of their education.

13.1. Curiosity, Creativity, Criticism, Communication, Collaboration, Compassion, Composure, Citienship

13.2. Subjects should not be divided but rather disciplines should be taught combined and given equal status

13.3. Schools using a project based curriculum integrate the 8 C's and combine standards from multiple disciplines.

14. Chapter 6 Claim Statement #2: Content can be thought of as structure, content, mode and ethos.

14.1. The structure of classes could be more flexible and combined

14.2. The content should include more practical and vocational and not as much theory

14.3. Mode should be more collaborative and project based. Ethos refers to the atmosphere and character of the school which should be student centered and personalized with the learners needs the focus.

15. Chapter 7 Claim Statement: There is a need for assessment in education but it needs to be more individualized like our students.

15.1. Before "No Child Left Behind" there were 6 mandatory tests given from k-12...no there are 14. Teachers are spending too much time preparing and administering all of these standardized assessments.

15.2. Items like "learning records" and portfolios need to be considered to show growth that standardized testing can not measure.

15.3. The analysis part of the portfolio is lacking. After collecting chosen items to show growth and learning an analysis needs to be done.

15.4. Finland which has shown great success Internationally academically chooses to standardize the way they prepare teachers instead of tests.

16. Chapter 8 Claim Statement #1: The impact of leadership on the culture, climate and success of the school can not be overestimated.

16.1. "Great leaders know how to bring hope to the hopeless, resolve to the forlorn and direction to the lost"

16.2. A great leader brings vision and skill and the understanding of what makes an environment where learners can and want to learn. They build community and capacity for change.

16.3. Great leaders know how to combine the need for preparing students for necessary tests as well as encouraging an inspiring learning environment.

17. Chapter 8 Claim Statement #2: The "Culture" of an organization...its habits and habitats need to be investigated and understood.

17.1. Looking at old habits and ways of organization of schools is necessary to see if that same habit or organization makes sense today.

17.2. We must challenge accepted habits in school culture to bring about change to meet the needs and interests of our community.

17.3. Changing the culture demands principal leadership, a staff ready and willing to engage in change and quality professional development.

18. Chapter 9 Claim Statement: One of the biggest challenges for schools now is the complex changes in the nature of family currently.

18.1. Single parent and blended families are now the majority and young people are often left to look after themselves.

18.2. Individual parenting styles whether it is over controlling tiger mom" type or "helicopter" rescue parents have influenced the type of students who show up in our schools.

18.3. Many of the challenges that schools face, turn up in our classrooms but they don't originate there.

19. Chapter 9 Claim Statement #2: Schools are not employing the expertise of parents and the community to increase engagement and creativity in their schools.

19.1. Parents who stay connected to what their children are learning and how they are doing in school, have students who are more engaged and performing better in school.

19.2. Research shows that providing an inquiry based learning environment and nurturing relationships and social skills are important factors in pro

19.3. Providing opportunities to bridge that home school gap and bringing families/communities into the school is necessary to improve engagement, creativity and social skills.

20. Chapter 10 Claim Statement: Climate control vs. command and control is a better way to inspire innovation and a move towards a more inquiry/problem based learning model that will improve the overall culture of achievement.

20.1. When school systems like South Carolina surveys their population asking what they wanted in their education system there was a consensus to prioritize technology, problem based learning, problem solving and communication skills.

20.2. They felt if they wanted to innovate their education system they had to align it with the public's feelings of what was important for their students to know, understand and be able to do.

20.3. In order to inspire a climate of innovation, administration needs to have this vision and give freedom to their teachers to implement it.

21. Chapter 10 Claim Statement #2: In order for change to happen we need an alignment of all the following elements: Vision, Skills, Incentives, Resources, and an action plan.

21.1. Countries all over the world are coming to similar realizations where education reform is needed and a focus on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship are needed skills in their changing economy.

21.2. This transformation is a break from standardization and a move towards personalization. A move away from conformity to get closer to creativity.

21.3. We must continue to have high standards which will spur achievement rather than be an end in of itself.