In a previous post, I reviewed at length, and not positively, the new film 2 Million Minutes, the 21st century solution; I expressed especially that it failed by not being a film about teaching and learning. I have also reported this on Twitter; Bob Compton himself has seen and responded to my criticism on Twitter, and he tweeted back to me: “I have over 100 hours of classroom footage – what would you like to see?”
I just banged out this following list really quickly after a long day at school. I saw none of these things in the film. This is a quick “top twelve list” of what the classroom learning I would like to see happening in a school that is described as the 21st century solution:
1. Teachers facilitating a Socratic dialogue, with multiple follow up and challenging questions for deeper thinking, taking the time to really guide students to take the time to reflect, examine, and create new thinking about a topic, and not seeming impatient to get back to the regular lesson.
2. Teachers saying to a class that they are so interested in a question or a topic students have brought up that they are setting aside the lesson for the day to pursue this student-generated topic in depth and at length.
3. Teachers of all subjects explaining how the school schedule is designed to allow them plenty of time to diversify instruction and do in-class project and problem based learning without being rushed or short for time or anxious about “coverage.”
4. Teachers explaining and exemplifying that it is not important for students to learn the topic in breadth, but that instead that they will be learning only select topics in depth. Be great to see them use Wiggins-like language of pursuing essential questions and trying to master the big ideas.
5. Teachers beginning class, or setting a new curriculum in place, with challenging, complicated, broad problems, problems with real world connections, and then stepping back as students first work to tackle these problems.
6. Teachers asking students after (or before) completion of a math problem or a science lab, to explain three other ways to solve this problem or test this hypothesis.
7. Students working in groups, groups of 3-5, on a long term project that has multiple parts and has real-world significance. We could see them designing their own experiments, or brainstorming their own ways to research the question; we could see them divide roles and develop time-tables for accountability; we could see them producing reports and demonstrations of learning.
8. Students talking about the school-day schedule and how it supports them in taking time to think, reflect, re-group, refresh, re-create, and collaborate; students talking about how school gives the time (and quantify that, in specifics) to pursue their interests and broaden their strengths; students explaining how teachers work to support them in reconciling their interests out of school with their school-responsibilities.
9. Students talking about how the tests don’t really matter, and that they are less interested in AP test results than they are in what they have really learned about a subject, and that they feel like the have learned things that will help them make a difference in the world and can explain that difference.
10. Students working together or independently to publish their learning on-line to broader audiences than their teacher/classmates; students presenting learning to audiences outside of the classroom; students demonstrating mastery of critical skills in real-life situations.
11. Teachers talking about the role of assessment other than the AP test, and how they measure and report student learning, and how they use rubrics for measuring skill mastery, and how assessment influences instruction.
12. Teachers and administrators talking about how they measure the success of their school in ways beyond the AP; how they know how well students are doing in college and early in careers, and how that information informs their ongoing curriculum development.
13. Students using laptops and or smart phones, to investigate and research topics, independently; using digital tools to measure lab experiments; using computers to write and record and film and podcast their answers/solutions/ideas/essays; students going on-line to publish their results.
14. Teachers discussing with each other at length and in detail about any or all of these above teaching and learning techniques; teachers visiting each other’s classrooms and giving each other genuine, thoughtful feedback; teachers looking at student work and discussing it in detail; teachers honestly acknowledging aspects of their teaching they are struggling with and need help with.
15. Students working in groups to discuss multiple solutions to a problem, and identifying the pros and cons of each solution, devising new original solutions and identifying the pros and cons of each solution, and then preparing a report educating their classmates on the best approach they have devised, acknowledging its potential weaknesses and responding to them.
16. Students explaining to their teachers: how they think they should be assessed on a unit; or how the teacher can change a lesson to make it more effective for their learning; or how the teachers can better use technology and social media in a learning experience project. Students could be shown designing themselves a rubric for assessment, or discussing what a quality demonstration of learning would be for the unit.
October 6, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Jonathon,
Good grief!! It would take me months to assemble this from 100 hours of film – and then you’d have another dozen requests!! 🙂
With your education credentials, I can’t possibly satisfy you. I’m just a simple businessman, remember.
You LIVE in Tucson, for goodness sakes – just call Olga Block and go visit for a day!
I’ll pay for a tank of gas and buy you lunch.
Then have the guts to report on what you learn at BASIS.
The Blocks are adults – they can take criticism from a jealous local competitor.
Go have a look for yourself and satisfy your curiosity. That’s what an honest educator does, right? Primary research — rather than rely on a 55 minute film from a “non-educator.”
Then let’s hear your report from first-hand observation. I’d even film and post your report.
BTW – Are you a tad irritated I didn’t make a documentary on your Tucson high school? 🙂
October 7, 2009 at 11:06 am
Welcome Bob, and thank you for visiting and participating here.
A couple of quick points in response:
1. I never meant to suggest you should show, from your video, ALL of these scenes; I meant to say these were the types of teaching and learning scenes that I would have liked to have seen at a school touted as the 21st century solution. You asked what I wanted to see: I gave you some ideas.
2. You say you are a simple businessman. I am quite sure there is nothing simple about you, but I agree you are not an educator, and it continues to disturb me that you are going around the country articulating what you think is the 21st century educational solution without yourself being a very sophisticated about contemporary education and best practices.
3. I tried to explain again and again that I was not criticizing BASIS as a school, I even praised it highly for its many impressive successes. I will say again: the Blocks deserve great credit and praise for their Newsweek list achievements, and the quality of academic education their students are receiving, a quality many of them would not have received without the Blocks. But my going to see BASIS might be a fine thing for me to do, but it won’t change the reality of this film. I was responding to the film, the film that is going to be shown around the country. I will go to BASIS, and I will write about it, but I am complaining here that this film does not inform or educate about the teaching and learning practices that our nation, in this 21st century era, needs.
4. Am I irritated you didn’t make a documentary about my Tucson school? I think this is entirely a fair question, and as I said previously, I may have a potential bias that readers should be aware of– read me with that grain (or grains) of salt. My school is not a charter school, is in a different category, and my school does not proclaim itself to be the 21st century solution, though we all here are working hard to bring our school more into contemporary best practices and to preparing our students for the future. I am irritated, some, that charter schools of the same general scope and category as BASIS are very effectively becoming 21st century solutions (though no one school is, by itself, THE solution), and I think they deserve this kind of attention– schools like High Tech High in San Diego, New Technology HS in Napa and elsewhere, and CART in Fresno– all of which I have visited and written about here.
October 7, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Dear Jonathon
I appreciate you posting one of my two comments. Here are a few thoughts:
JM- “my school does not proclaim itself to be the 21st century solution”
BC – from the St Gregory web site: “Welcome to St. Gregory College Preparatory School, where we are Creating Leaders and Innovators for the 21st century.” What does that mean?
JM – “you are not an educator, and it continues to disturb me that you are going around the country articulating what you think is the 21st century educational solution without yourself being a very sophisticated about contemporary education and best practices.”
BC – I’m sorry you are disturbed. My area of expertise is in the creation of new products and building new companies.
In that role, I have businesses in several countries – early-stage, high-tech – and I am hiring 21-25 year olds in the USA, India and China. The caliber of BASIS students are what I seek, but generally cannot find, in US public schools.
JM – “I am irritated, some, that charter schools of the same general scope and category as BASIS are very effectively becoming 21st century solutions (though no one school is, by itself, THE solution), and I think they deserve this kind of attention– schools like High Tech High in San Diego, New Technology HS in Napa and elsewhere, and CART in Fresno”
BC – well… I had started filming a documentary about New Tech HS and had hoped to film High Tech High, but have shelved those projects. I’m just not an educator and I don’t have the proper credentials.
My newest documentary is about the explosion of entrepreneurship in China – http://www.WinInChinaMovie.com. I believe I have sufficient knowledge to document that subject, but you may disagree.
JM – “no one school is, by itself, THE solution”
BC – we are 100% in agreement. I believe we need maybe 2-3 dozen charter public school models (but I’m no expert) and let parents find the right model for their child. KIPP, BASIS, NEW TECH, HIGH TECH, etc all are significantly different.
My daughters would thrive at BASIS, but balk at KIPP. I’d like them to be in the education environment that best suits them. I think most parents want the same. Is that a fair request?
A few final items:
1- in your expert opinion, what is the best documentary film about education? So that I may learn more about your sophisticated industry?
2- At HBS sophisticated educators taught me how to name a product that generates attention. As an educator, if you had named my film, it would have been called:
“2 Million Minutes – A Good School Filmed By A Guy Who Doesn’t Know Anything About Schools.”
Would you and 1,149 other people have paid $10 each to come to the Tucson premiere of that? 🙂
Harvard is to blame, not me!! 🙂
3- now I’m not sucking up, but I really like your blog and the other content on your schools site! You are truly an expert and I’m learning a lot reading your material. Don’t let that go to your head. 🙂
4- what do you think of Arne Duncan’s Education Agenda?
Bob Compton
Not An Education Expert
October 7, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Bob: Thank you very kindly for the friendly post this afternoon. I should say I am honored that someone of your accomplishments is giving my little blog this attention.
Glad we are in agreement that BASIS is not “the” solution. Is it too late to change the title of the film to “a” 21st century solution? And yes, it is an entirely fair request to allow parents to have choices for the best suited educational environment for their children, and I will repeat, I am very happy for Tucson families, very happy, that the BASIS option is available for them.
I am crushed that you will not continue with film projects of High Tech High and New Tech HS, and I know there are educators who’d be delighted to work with you to help you make a film that really reveals powerfully the teaching and learning that is happening at those schools. That would be a great service.
St. Gregory is a wonderful school, of which I am very proud. I think we are, and we are committed to doing ever better at, creating leaders and innovators for the 21st century. Our school is an excellent school, and offers a great value to families: small classes; excellent teaching; wonderful arts and athletics; great counseling; a safe, large, beautiful, and excellent campus. But I don’t think we are genuinely, at present, a true 21st century school. I was invited to come to St. Gregory to lead it forward in that direction, building on a strong foundation and taking advantage of very good advances in recent years, but we have a big agenda in front of us as we strive to continue our evolution into 21st century schooling excellence. Much of that agenda can be found in previous posts.
To your four points:
1. I can’t say as I know of a documentary film that captures what I am advocating for here; there are, of course, many books which do.
2. Harvard is a great target for blame; I too can blame Harvard for many of my errors. I would have been happy with titles along the line of “The Charter School That Came from Nowhere to become the #1 Newsweek High School,” or “An Amazing Story of Excellence in Academic Achievement in the Most Unlikely Place.” Either of these subtitles would have been, imho, much more fitting, both of them would, I think, attract audiences (without leaving them feeling mislead) and I would have had expressed only the lightest criticism that the film didn’t reveal as much about teaching and learning as I would like.
3. Thank you, I am, very genuinely, honored you would compliment me this way.
4. I have not spent a great deal of time studying federal education policy; my focus in on contemporary best practices in classroom teaching and learning. With that caveat, I will tell you that I posted a few weeks ago endorsed Yong Zhao’s op-ed which expressed his alarm that the Obama-Duncan Race to the Top and national standardized exam might deeply dampen educational innovation and sharply limit the opportunities for students to diversify their talents, pursue their passions, build on their strengths, connect their learning to the real world, and become powerfully creative and innovative people.
October 8, 2009 at 3:57 am
Dear Jonathon
1- I am learning a great deal about education from you, so there is no flatter, just a desire on my part to learn.
2- perhaps a great educator should make a documentary. Your “scathing” critique was mild compared to the NEA, NSBA, ATF and Howard Gardner. I can take a hint from the clergy – stay out of “our” business – or drink the hemlock or recant your beliefs. I’ve chosen to document other fields than education.
3- name the 2 best books the laity should read to understand education, please.
4- Dr Zhao and I have debated publicly and will both be speaking in England in Nov. He wants me to go away too.
Bob
October 8, 2009 at 11:34 am
Dear Jonathan
We agree there is no “one solution” to America’s declining education system.
Clearly our public school system…
– a monolithic,
– government-run,
– heavily unionized,
– expensive,
– controlled-by-elected-school-boards of non-educators (gasp), and
– regulated by elected-non-educators (darn democracy!)
…has failed over the past 25 yrs.
We share the view that there needs to be many, many models and lots of innovation and creativity in schools to meet the needs of all of America’s children.
Let me explain why I intend to leave the title as is – not because BASIS is “THE” solution, but because it embodies two core attributes necessary for “THE” improvement in education:
1- it meets the President’s agenda for education – an agenda which I believe, as a Republican layman employer, makes sense for 21st century America, and
2- because it passes critical business tests necessary for large-scale replication.
President Obama and Secretary of Education Duncan have articulated an Education Plan that, to the general public, makes common sense.
Now, you may have been a fan of President Bush and Margaret Spellings – I was not.
Here is Secretary Duncan’s (an educator) 6-point public school agenda:
1- Make US Education World-Class – set world-class academic standards and a curriculum that fosters critical thinking, problem solving, and the innovative use of knowledge to prepare students for college or career.
2 – Assessment and Accountability – require systems that provide timely and useful information about the progress of individual students and the capability of individual teachers.
3- Pay For Performance – use rewards and incentives to keep talented teachers in the schools that need them the most and demonstrate we value their skills.
4- Recruit Best and Brightest to Teaching – support efforts to fast-track private sector professionals with advanced to degrees into teaching and push for expansion of Teach For America.
5- Remove Poor Performing Teachers – challenge State and school districts to quickly remove ineffective teachers from the classroom.
6- No Restrictions on Charter Schools – schools boards should not limit the number of charter schools; should allow charter schools to create their own rules regarding hiring, curriculum, tenure and unionization; and per student funding should be equal to that of other public schools within the same district.
High-quality charter schools give children and parents the option to find the school that best fits their needs.
In my non-expert opinion, I believe the BASIS school meets the Non-Educator President’s and the Educator Secretary’s vision.
I’m planning to post the business rationale on the Education Week blog later today that, in my view, makes the case for “THE 21st Century Solution.”
October 8, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Dear Bob and Jonathan,
Your dialogue is fascinating reading.
I am wondering how each of you perceives the role of educating emotional intelligence in “21st Century” education. I will confess to not having seen the movie, nor read all the books, but I do not see that issue addressed much in discussions about American education, and it is not a part of the 6 points of Secretary Duncan’s agenda.
It is not a “fuzzy, feel-good” element of education, as numerous studies show those with high EQ fare better in life than those with high IQ.
Thanks,
Marika
October 8, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Hello again, Bob, and thank you, again, very much, for participating in this conversation here on my little blog.
I want to apologize for using the word “scathing,” on twitter. It was a stupid thing to say, it isn’t even really a good word choice to use about one’s own writing. My only defense is one similar to your explanation for why you titled the film “the 21st century solution”: because I thought it would attract more attention.
I am delighted you will be debating Dr. Zhao; I only wish I could be there. I will certainly look for coverage of the event, and, you can be sure, I will blog about the debate. Dr. Zhao and I are also enjoying a friendly dialogue (he has also commented on this blog), and, clearly, I think your debate is an important one.
I am unsure whether I should be included in the category of those who are insisting you stay out of “our business,” and perhaps it is contradictory of me to have complained about your making films about schools, not being an educator, and then complaining about your decision not to make films about HTH and NTHS. I think it can be reconciled, however: it is the assertions of BASIS as “the” 21st century solution, and as “the” best high school in the world, that most bothered me. If you were to make films with an approach less declarative, less judgemental, and more inquiring, more demonstrative of the curiosity you boast of, then I think we educators would welcome you.
The two best books you ask of: #1, Tony Wagner’s Global Achievement Gap. #2, a 5 way tie among Dan Pink’s Whole New Mind, Grant Wiggins Schooling By Design, Marzano’s Classroom Instruction That Really Works, Ted McCain’s Teaching for Tomorrow, and Sternberg’s Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized.
Bob, about the last post, I realize you have a broad educational policy agenda, with a particular emphasis on the charter school issue, but I am afraid this is just not my focus. I am doing my best here to learn about and share my learning about 21st century teaching and learning, in the classroom. I am going to leave it to you and others to debate at length federal educational policy.
October 9, 2009 at 2:29 am
Bob, I don’t know how you drew the conclusion that I want you to “go away.” Yes, I have been critical of your film (the first one) and I will continue to do so, the second one too because I think the public needs to know the other side of the story. But criticism does not mean I (or others who criticize your work) want you to go away. I, at least, want you to stay but I do think you need to learn more about education, about China, and about India. Judging from this exchange, I am pleased to see that you are trying. I look forward to meeting you in England.
Bob, I noticed that in your response to Jonathan’s initial posting that you said “I am just a simple businessman.” This reminded me of a similar comment you made during our debate in Bloomington, IN. I don’t exactly understand what you mean by that–if it is only a joke, I will take it, but if you really mean that you are “just a simple businessman,” my question would be why are you acting like an expert on education in China, India, and the US (perhaps the world) and making suggestions that may affect millions of other people’s children, negatively, in my mind?
Bob, I think educators and education researchers can learn a lot from you. Among other things, how to communicate with the public. You have been very successful in this regard, with a very powerful medium and operation, but the content is yet so superficial and mistaken. I wish that every educator and education researcher could be as good as you are at effectively communicating their ideas to the public, with new media. That’s why I am thinking about writing a piece about what we can learn from 2mm for education researchers, as I indicated in my email to you yesterday.
Yesterday at lunch, I sat down with my staff, including graduate students from other countries, to watch 2mm-2. I will write more about this later, but to say the least, we agree with Jonathan’s review of your second film.
October 9, 2009 at 5:54 am
Dr. Zhao
The educational clergy has persuaded me to move on to other documentary topics until I receive my degree in Education. I’m researching universities now.
Bob
October 9, 2009 at 5:59 am
Dear Jonathon,
The authors you recommended – “The two best books you ask of: #1, Tony Wagner’s Global Achievement Gap. #2, a 5 way tie among Dan Pink’s Whole New Mind”
1- I am in discussions to collaborate with Dr. Wagner on his next book. I have know Tony for two years and we correspond regularly on education
2- I have spoken to Daniel Pink by phone and had planned to include him in my next education documentary, but I have shelved my education projects.
Both of their books are excellent and they are true gentlemen and scholars.
Bob
October 9, 2009 at 6:01 am
Marika
I am not qualified to answer your question. Dr Martin or Dr. Zhao can help you.
Bob
October 9, 2009 at 6:20 am
Dr Zhao
I say “simple business man because I am:
1- unfamiliar with “Wiggins-like language of pursuing essential questions”
2- I’m simply hiring the graduates of the education systems of many countries – the educational output of the US, China and India. Students earn grades from you; they earning a living from me.
I am expert in the high quality talent I hire in India and China in science, math and R&D and expert in the lack of that talent in the US.
I’m expert in entrepreneurial economics and how they drive or don’t drive a region’s economy. I deeply understand how a poor education affects standards of living.
Detroit, for example, is in real trouble because they lack the 4 components necessary to revive their economy – Talent, Technology, Capital and Culture.
I not expert in pedagogy and I do not believe I have claimed that.
Bob
October 9, 2009 at 6:42 am
I not a very good typist either 🙂
October 9, 2009 at 4:04 pm
It is certainly fine, in my book, to make a few typos in the blogosphere: this is an environment for discussion, no copy-editing required.
Bob, I am so fascinated by the idea of your collaborating with Tony Wagner– indeed, I above suggested you combine your talents in film and promotion with those of an educator like Wagner. That is great! Forgive my eagerness, but if there is any way I can help, let me know.
I still wonder though, if you are inspired by Wagner and Pink as I am, why 2Million Minutes: the 21st century solution didn’t incorporate more of their ideas? I didn’t seem them present; Wagner in his book positively bashes the AP, and talks about other testing as more well suited to 21st century education, and yet, your film sings AP testing to the high heavens.
Yong, so nice to see you here again. I want to apologize: I neglected, in listing the best books for 21st century education, to include your own recent Catching Up or Leading the Way, which is terrific. Clearly you and I agree with our question to Bob, which is why, Bob, if you are only a businessman, you feel so well qualified to pronounce educational judgments as you do?
It is also very meaningful to me to see, Yong, your group’s affirmation of agreement with my review.
October 9, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Jonathon,
I’m a Harvard MBA -we are educated to have strong, definitive opinions on everything 🙂
While I admire Dr Wagner, I don’t necessarily agree with him on everything. AP curriculum being one of many items.
Pink’s focus on right-brain skills is absolutely on target.
HOWEVER, when 97% of African American high school seniors can’t balance a check book, all the creativity in the world won’t be sufficient for economic success.
Believe me, I have direct personal experience. I lost $300,000 in GameTime Athletics a brilliant, innovative urban shoe company led by 5 black Memphis entrepreneurs with high school degrees.
Despite their incredibly innovative ideas and creative genius, the company went bankrupt because they were unable to process and manage the business’ finances.
They lost their life savings. All because Memphis City Schools told them they knew math, when in fact they did not.
The real world is a harsh place to discover one lacks the left brain skills to match superior right brain skills.
American K-12 doesn’t yet prepare the left brain. Right brain skills are even tougher to teach (I think, although you are the expert).
Naturally, I made a documentary about GameTime – a sad testament to K-12 educational failure for urban African Americans.
Bob
October 9, 2009 at 6:11 pm
JM: “Clearly you and I agree with our question to Bob, which is why, Bob, if you are only a businessman, you feel so well qualified to pronounce educational judgments as you do?”
From Daniel Pink’s Blog – Oct 5, 2009:
Factoid of the day: Revenge of the non-specialist
Yesterday afternoon, I was reading Jerry de Jaager and Jim Ericson’s smart new book, See New Now, and came across this stunner:
“A study of the top fifty game-changing innovations over a hundred-year period showed that nearly 80 percent of those innovations were sparked by someone whose primary expertise was outside the field in which the innovation breakthrough took place.”
Maybe the well-travelled, observant, thoughtful, non-expert has a role to play in pedagogical group think after all.
Pink seems to think so – therefore it must be true. 🙂
Bob