Week 5 - #CathEdSocial - STREAM

Week 5 - #CathEdSocial - STREAM
This blog is written as part of the NCEA Social Media Influencer Contest.

STREAM stands for Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Math.  The “R” (religion, NOT reading) in STREAM is the most important letter.  Not only will students continue to learn and develop in the Catholic tradition by participating in religion class, attending Mass, and celebrating the sacraments, teachers respond to the calling of their vocation as a Catholic school teacher and grow in their own faith.  And since religion should always be the foundation of everything that we do in our Catholic schools, it makes complete sense to transform STEM lessons to be STREAM lessons.

The most important part of STREAM is that it needs to be focused on the process of design thinking.  Also important is that the "R" should not be tacked onto the end of the project as an afterthought, much like the Catholic identity of a Catholic school should never be an afterthought, but instead the Catholic identity should permeate everything we do and teach in our Catholic schools.

Need help getting started with implementing STREAM into your Catholic school?  Here are some resources from NCEA to get you started:

• NCEA published a list of 10 characteristics of a Catholic STREAM School
  
• Register to attend the 2019 NCEA New Directions STREAM 3.0 Conference
• NCEA welcomes proposals for sessions at the 2019 NCEA New Directions STREAM 3.0 Conference
• Catholic Identity Math Classroom Webinar - This webinar explores the reasons for integration of the Catholic faith into the math curriculum.
• Using BREAKOUT EDU to implement STREAM
• Presentation on how one archdiocese embraced the STREAM model (given by a panel from the Archdiocese of Newark at the 2016 NCEA STREAM 2.0 Symposium)
• STREAM in Action: Living the STREAM Dream presentation given by Patricia O'Donnell at the 2016 NCEA STREAM 2.0 Symposium - Learn how to use STREAM to create authentic learning in real world scenarios.
  

• The Right Stuff: Building a High School STREAM Program presentation given by Lewis Van Wambeke at the 2016 NCEA STREAM 2.0 Symposium - Learn the successes and pitfalls of starting a STREAM program.

  

• The Top 10 Goals of STREAM - Heather Gossart details the top ten goals in moving to the STREAM curriculum model.

  

Week 4 - #CathEdSocial - Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed

Week 4 - #CathEdSocial - Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed
This blog is written as part of the NCEA Social Media Influencer Contest.

Learn
Our Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis are known for their academic excellence. The Archdiocese of St. Louis has 107 Catholic elementary schools and educates almost 23,000 students in K-8th grade.  I have worked as a Catholic educator in 6 different Catholic school buildings, and I can state without any hesitation that academic excellence ABOUNDED in each one of these buildings.  Students were challenged, motivated, and engaged.  Our Catholic schools offer high academic standards, good grounding in basics, caring teachers, solid discipline, and safe orderly environment.  How does student motivation and student engagement happen in Catholic schools?  

1. Personalized PD - You maximize STUDENT learning when you maximize ADULT learning.  A highly excellent school leader will lead this lifelong learning that happens inside the Catholic school and outside the Catholic school.
2. High Expectations - There are very high academic expectations for students in our Catholic schools.  In fact, the grading scale in our Catholic schools is much tougher than the grading scale in local public schools; local public schools use the 90-100 is an A scale, and Catholic schools use the 93-100 is an A scale.  Student work is valued and expected to be completed.
3. Blue Ribbon Schools - Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis have earned the National Blue Ribbon Award 21 times, which is more than any other school district in Missouri.
4. Differentiated Instruction - Each child is unique, and Catholic schools help unlock the distinct interest and talents of each child. Catholic schools teach children about the deeper underlying themes of society, and equip them with the ability to know how their knowledge can better the world around them.
5. Develop the Whole Child - Each Catholic school in which I have served educates the whole child.  Our teachers in Catholic school don't just teach the rigorous and relevant curriculum; they teach PEOPLE.  Catholic educators are data-informed and not data-driven, as they do not "teach to the test."  Our Catholic schools enable children to grow to their full potential.

Lead and Serve
In all 6 of the Catholic schools I have served, service learning is an expected part of the school year.  It is each Catholic school's mission and duty to provide opportunities for Christian witness and service.  There is a Catholic school in St. Louis that has a theme for each of their grade levels, which helps to determine what the service learning projects for the school year will be.  Student leadership is fostered and developed in Catholic schools primarily through SERVICE.  Catholic schools have an obligation to foster a leadership model in young people that draws its inspiration from the life and death of Jesus.  The days when the role of student leaders centered on organizing and collecting the mission money, taking out the recycling, stacking chairs in the cafeteria and classroom should be long gone.  Instead, service should be focused on dying to oneself in serving others (not literally, but definitely making sacrifices) AND uniting the service to student prayer.

Succeed
Our goal in Catholic schools is two-fold for our students: 1) Academic Excellence, and 2) Heaven.  Students who attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis are higher achieving than their peers and better prepared for the future, and here is why:

1. The archdiocesan average ACT score is higher than 99% of Missouri school districts and 4.5 points higher than the state average.  
2. A higher percentage of Catholic high school graduates attend a four-year college.  
3. Recent Catholic school graduates are 7 times more likely to attend weekly Mass.

AND the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis help students develop a heart and mind for God.  Through passing on the great traditions of the Church and immersing our students in them in Catholic schools, students are formed as saints and get to heaven.  These are our goals to learn, serve, lead, and succeed for our students in Catholic schools.

Week 3 - #CathEdSocial - Early Childhood Education

To be honest, I had to Google search exactly which grades were included in #EarlyChildhoodEducation.  It's birth to preschool, by the way.

I teach Middle School.  At a previous Catholic school, when my Middle School teaching job was eliminated due to lack of enrollment, my principal offered me a teaching contract for the following year to teach kindergarten.  I immediately said no and started looking for another teaching job.  I know my gifts, and teaching little people younger than the age of reason is not my gift.

But I do have some (read: very little) teaching experience with the little ones.  When I substitute taught in Catholic schools last spring, I substitute taught in a preschool classroom for two days in a row.  Honestly, I almost did not come back the second day, but I went and offered my day up as redemptive suffering.  I asked the principal if I could never sub in preschool again.  She laughed, but she never asked me to sub in preschool again.  She too knew my gifts.

It is my firm belief that there is a special place in heaven set aside for Catholic preschool teachers.  I could never do their job.  And I definitely could never fake enjoying doing their job.

In my opinion, it is the perfect time to evangelize the young parents who bring their child/ren to our Catholic schools.  Get these young parents involved, both in the school activities and with activities in the parish!  Get these young parents connected with other school families.  Make it difficult for them to leave our Catholic schools after their child/ren finish preschool there.  If we evangelize well, these young parents will all keep their child/ren in our Catholic schools for their kindergarten year.  And if we evangelize well, these young parents will show up to Mass on the weekends.  And if we evangelize well, these young parents will bring their young child/ren to Mass on the weekends too.  But how can we evangelize well?

Denise's Evangelization Ideas for Young Preschool Families

1. Bible Study Groups - Depending on your Catholic school demographic, there may be some stay-at-home moms who bring their child/ren to preschool for half days.  Intentionally invite these moms to a faith-sharing group once a week during half day preschool hours.  Could an on-fire 8th grader lead this group?  Could an on-fire principal lead this group?  Could an older parishioner lead this group?  Yes to all.
2. Meet Their Needs - Depending on your Catholic school demographic again, determine which needs these young preschool parents have that your Catholic school can meet.  Do they need help navigating carpool?  Do they have school uniforms?  Do they have school supplies?  Do they have snacks to bring to school?  How can your Catholic school help attending your school easier?  In one Catholic school in St. Louis, the school pairs with a community outreach organization to bring free fresh fruit as a snack for every student every day.  School families appreciate this.
3. Buddy Families - Intentionally pair every single preschool family with a school family who can invite them to their home, answer their questions about preschool, share their uniform hand-me-downs, give user tips for navigating carpool and the online grading system, and who can form an intentional bond with this family.  Host "Faith Family" nights that these paired families can attend together.

Week 2 - #CathEdSocial - Professional Development for Catholic Educators

Week 2 - #CathEdSocial - Professional Development for Catholic Educators

By: Denise Brickler (@denisebrick)

In Catholic schools, our students should be receiving the BEST education and the BEST faith formation.  As Catholic school educators, our goals are: 1) to get our students to heaven AND 2) to educate them academically so that they can use their God-given gifts and talents to give glory to God.  This is where Professional Development comes in.  

Catholic school educators NEED professional development; it is not optional!  Catholic school educators must commit to being lifelong learners, willing to learn and put into practice new teaching strategies and methodologies so that our students get the best education possible.  AND Catholic school educators must commit to fostering and nourishing their relationship with Jesus so that our students in Catholic schools can come to encounter Jesus in them.  Below are some #TopTips for offering PD to Catholic school teachers.

@denisebrick with Superintendent Sr. Nathalie (via YouTube) at PD for PSR Catechists

Top Tips for Offering PD in Catholic Schools

1. Differentiate PD - Just like classroom instruction should be differentiated, PD should also be differentiated. This means that it may not be effective to have a guest speaker come to talk at a group of Catholic school educators during a faculty meeting. Maybe bring a few speakers and let the teachers choose which one will benefit them and their students the most. Maybe have groups of teachers decide what they need help to learn in groups so there is some support. Maybe offer breakout leveled groups to discuss what the one speaker talked at them about and how they can apply it to their learning and to their students' learning.
2. Pay for Teachers' PD - If teachers ask to attend a workshop, a conference, or a professional learning group, please find the money to pay for it. Student learning is important, and if a teacher wants to learn something to implement in their classroom that will improve or increase student learning, then find the money to pay for it. If a middle school math teacher wants to meet with another group of middle school math teachers to learn how more effectively teach math to her middle school math students, then make it okay to leave the school building. Find a sub. Make it easy for professional learning to happen.
3. Focus on the Biggest Learning Need - Choose the BIG learning need for the faculty to focus for the school year. It becomes very confusing when there are many different "programs" happening. Pick the biggest learning need and focus on that one need. It may be your 1-to-1 technology initiative. It may be focusing on disciplining with dignity. It may be on differentiating instruction in each classroom. Teachers will find their own professional learning goals on which to focus. As a faculty, focus on the ONE big learning need.
4. Ongoing Coaching - Provide ongoing coaching to implement ideas/methodologies/strategies learned in PD. If PD is going to be effective, then there needs to be some follow through. Coaching can provide that follow through. The coaching could come from a teacher leader trained or with a special gift for your one big learning need. The coaching could come from a parent helping implement technology. The coaching could even come from students. Identify who has these gifts, and ask them to share their gifts for the improvement of the learning happening in your school building.
5. Live Collaboration - During faculty PD meetings, encourage live collaboration by setting up a shared Google doc on which to take notes, ask questions, and make comments. Resources can also be shared digitally using a shared folder on a Google Drive. Faculty members can even live tweet the PD using an agreed-upon hashtag.
6. NO PowerPoints - If it HAS to be a PowerPoint, at least convert it to a superior Google Slide presentation and encourage teachers to type live comments and questions during the presentation.
7. Teacher Engagement - Keep teachers engaged. They should NOT be grading papers during faculty PD! They should be discussing, collaborating, and engaging with colleagues.
8. Provide Food - Feed the teachers during PD. Catholic school teachers usually like having more than 10 minutes to eat lunch during a faculty PD. Provide snacks. Put chocolate out on the tables. Keep the teachers happy.

Catholic school teachers also need to be lifelong learners and willing to learn professionally on their own. This is personalized PD, where Catholic school educators seek out their own professional learning. Below are some #TopTips for Catholic school educators for finding their own personalized PD.

Ideas for Personalized PD for Catholic Educators

1. Read Blogs - I recommend:
1. tduhl.wordpress.com
2. catholicfaitheducation.blogspot.com
3. bethanyshill.com/blog-posts
4. weprincipal.blogspot.com
5. www.jesusteachertech.com
6. theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com
7. catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com
8. www.churchsocialtips.com/blog
9. www.thehealinghaven.net/blog
10. jazzyjean72.edublogs.org
2. Listen to Podcasts - I recommend:
1. The Catholic Teacher Podcast by Jonathan Doyle
2. Catholic Ed 4 All Podcast by Dr. Raul Escarpio
3. Catholic School Matters by Dr. Tim Uhl
4. Do Something Beautiful by Leah Darrow
5. The Electric Waffle by Katie Prejean McGrady and Tommy McGrady
6. Pints With Aquinas with Matt Fradd
7. Word on Fire Show with Bishop Robert Barron
8. Catholic Stuff You Should Know by 4 Catholic priests in Denver
9. Hello and Welcome Show by Kristine Franklin
10. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday Podcast by Mark Hart
3. Read Books - I recommend:
1. Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator by Dave Burgess
2. Lead Like a Pirate: Make School Amazing for Your Students and Staff by Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf
3. The Four O'Clock Faculty: A Rogue Guide to Revolutionizing Professional Development by Rich Czyz
4. The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity by George Couros
5. The Catechist's Backpack: Spiritual Essentials for the Journey by Joe Paprocki and Julianne Stanz
6. Tools & Fuels: How Catholic Teachers Can Become Saints, Beat Burnout and Save the World by Jonathan Doyle
7. Called to Teach: Daily Inspiration for Catholic Educators by Justin McClain
8. Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young
9. Your School Rocks: Passionately Pitch and Promote the Positives Happening on Your Campus by Ryan McLane
10. My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir by Colleen Carroll Campbell
4. Follow Hashtags - I recommend:
1. #CatholicEdChat on Saturdays at 8AM CST
2. #BigFan
3. #JoyfulLeaders
4. #BeTheGreaterGator
5. #PriestAtProm
6. #CatholicSTL
7. #StEsStrong
8. #SignalGrace
9. #CatholicTwitter
10. #SaintOfTheDay
5. Build Your PLN - Find your tribe! Get on Twitter and find other Catholic educators to pray for you and give you new ideas to try. Or gather your teacher friends and make other new teacher friends in real life to pray with them and exchange new ideas. It is all for making our Catholic schools stronger and leading our students to heaven!