Kelly's Curriculum Corner

As a webinar moderator, i love this blog! And i a...

2011-05-02T15:31:13.387-04:00

As a webinar moderator, i love this blog! And i agree, don't just do it once, do webinars again and again. Eventually you will become a master at presenting using this online medium!

Thanks for the comments. No one likes feeling awkw...

2011-04-17T21:59:20.639-04:00

Thanks for the comments. No one likes feeling awkward or uncertain, but truly that is where our most significant learning takes place... as we experiment and try new things. If we can understand the new and appreciate tradition, we can have the BEST of both.

Kelly, This is a really interesting question: how ...

2011-04-13T00:15:11.487-04:00

Kelly,
This is a really interesting question: how does technology ALTER the ways we relate around professional learning? What are the new things we are able to do that we couldn't before? What is lost (and grieved)?

I learn a lot from you about the "just do it" mentality. Or as they say in the engineering and/or software worlds--"rapid prototyping"

I am a huge supporter of the utilization of techno...

2011-03-31T08:33:11.861-04:00

I am a huge supporter of the utilization of technology. As a webinar moderator, I often work with our staff who may be new to using the technology. On their first go-round it is usually a nerve-wracking experience, until it's over and they say wow, i think i'll do that again. Technology is no longer just people talking back and forth at different locations...it is interactive, fosters group work and builds relationships. I hope that we will be utilizing it more in the future to increase participation and decrease costs for schools.

1.0 Improving Any Approach to Event Investigation ...

2011-01-25T11:08:01.517-05:00

1.0 Improving Any Approach to Event Investigation
[This is the first of a series of more-or-less progressive checklists on event investigation improvement.]

This is for people who already know how to do investigations.

However your organization is doing Business Issue Investigations (BII)[aka "Root Cause Analysis (RCA)"] it can cost-effectively improve by adding incrementally some No-Brainer (NB) Blinding Flashes of the Obvious (BFOs).

If you either a) hoist one of these aboard, b)are already doing it, or c)conclude that it's useless or counterproductive please send an e-mail to William.R.Corcoran@1959.USNA.com and let me know about it.

The vast majority of these improvements can be done without violating any organization's investigation procedure. In some cases, you must be judicious to avoid being accused of deviating from procedures. (To do your job you must keep your job.)

These tactics are not mutually exclusive (if you do one you can also do others) or jointly exhaustive (if you do them all you may not be done). Some may be redundant to others in some cases (if you do one it might cover the other).

1. Use plain English.
1.1 Be honest.
1.2 Avoid euphemisms. Call things by their right names.
1.3 If you have to use words or groups of words that anyone in your audience might not understand the way you want them to understand them, include a glossary.
1.31 If you include a glossary have it include the sources of your definitions. If you made them up out of thin air say so.
1.4 Use consistent terminology. Say the same thing the same way every time. Don't use synonyms or equivalent terminologies for words you already used.
1.5 If your organization has definitions that don't make sense, don't use the defined words. Use synonyms for the defined words.

2. Use active voice. For example,"The worker was not wearing PPE" instead of "PPE was not worn."

3. Be specific, instead of the above say, "The worker who sustained a head injury was not wearing his hard hat."

4. Say who did what. For example, "The work team leader did not walkdown the job" instead of "A walkdown did not occur."
4.1 Leave the names of individual event participants and witnesses out of distributed reports, but include role/position names that the investigation team members and the prospective readers will be able to understand and remember.
4.2 Include a list of event instigators, enablers, victims, participants, and witnesses, i.e., "dramatis personae" early in the report.

5. Show your work. Indicate all of the steps you took to reach your conclusions. Give enough detail so that an independent reviewer can see how you got what you got.
5.01 Take the time to say what you do, do what you say, prove it, and improve it.
5.1 When your conclusion is not the only one that is consistent with the evidence say what the other consistent conclusions are and what persuaded you to select the one you selected.

6. Save all investigations and make this investigation incrementally better than the best similar one, at least in your eyes.
6.1 If this is a repeat investigation be sure to find out the factors that resulted in the previous investigations not preventing this one.
6.2 If this is a repeat investigation don't do it the same way you did the previous one. Don't repeat the same weaknesses.

7. Embed photographs with labels showing important features.
7.1 Include drawings, sketches, floor plans, etc. as necessary for reader understanding.
7.2 Videotape scene walkdowns, inspections, and re-enactments with narration for study by the team and screening for management.

8. Specify the natures,the magnitudes, the locations, and the timings of the important harm (aka consequences).
8.1 Specify the significance of the issue you are investigating, i.e., explain what makes this issue worth the costs of the investigation.

2011-01-04T19:19:06.766-05:00

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I am doing a reading strategies series on my blog ...

2010-12-09T21:35:34.927-05:00

I am doing a reading strategies series on my blog as professional development to explore our provincial document Me Read? And How! I found your points interesting and they very much so correspond to my reading.

I have three sons and have been deeply concerned about their reading development. Boy 1 is an avid reader, has an excellent vocabulary, and basically falls into female criteria (not the norm). I was more worried about the 2nd and 3rd who didn't seem as interested in reading, but practically overnight they became avid pleasure readers and are heading in the same direction; however, they only achieve at the provincial standard on the grade 3 and 6 reading/writing tests...they achieve above grade level occasionally. I keep wondering why...and my conclusion is that both my husband and I like reading, talk about what we're reading (even with them), and set the example of reading for pleasure.

Here's my first article that gives an overview: http://cheekylit.com/14-best-practices/

I am going to add a comment about your blog entry at the end.

Interesting article, added his blog to Favorites

2010-11-24T03:22:48.626-05:00

Interesting article, added his blog to Favorites

@Don love, love, love your suggestion. Definitely ...

2010-11-21T22:44:56.177-05:00

@Don love, love, love your suggestion. Definitely going to use that in the future. Perfect example of the 5 Why strategy.

@Pat, I can't tell you how much I appreciate ...

2010-11-21T22:44:07.109-05:00

@Pat,

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reading and commenting on the blog. You are greatly missed at monthly meetings too. We will have to look for other opportunities to connect.

Oops! That would be "for" our SI trainin...

2010-11-21T08:28:45.499-05:00

Oops! That would be "for" our SI training, of course. Preview! Preview! :-)

What a great story and example! Here's another...

2010-11-21T08:26:37.217-05:00

What a great story and example! Here's another we found four our school improvement training (really short video clip - think about this question, then watch the two-minute "solution" discovered by the National Park Service). The question: "Why are the Jefferson Memorial walls crumbling and what should we do about it?" Here's the Juran Institute clip on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IETtnK7gzlE

Kelly, You do such great work. I miss the interact...

2010-11-20T10:16:10.342-05:00

Kelly,
You do such great work. I miss the interactions with you each month. Let's try to connect. The root cause discussion is so rich! Learning is multi-causal. Inspiration, motivation, and safety are important factors. Not only is physical safety important, but also, emotional safety. That transendes to staff, families, and ultimately children! So much to think about as we head to the work we do each day.
Thanks for keeping us all thinking about helping students to learn.

John, Looking forward to more details. Another gr...

2010-09-30T08:15:41.210-04:00

John,

Looking forward to more details. Another great project we can tie into this.

Kelly, this was a great project. The Keystone Com...

2010-09-19T09:39:21.446-04:00

Kelly, this was a great project. The Keystone Commons Team is planning on implementing a third round of Flip Flicks that asks students to create short video trailers for books they read over the summer. This could be another example of how technology could be used "After" reading.

As you know, I've reposted this on facebook an...

2010-09-17T19:24:37.595-04:00

As you know, I've reposted this on facebook and sent it to the folks that I supervise at our IU. Fantastic! Moving! Inspired! The kids in India remind me of some kids we met in Papua New Guinea years ago, mostly unschooled, but wide-eyed, curious, easily engaged... although not so disciplined when asked to sit quietly in school rooms and memorize info shared by their teachers. Fond memories. Now how to translate this energizer into my own settings...?! Thanks, Kelly, for sharing this. I loved it!

just wait to see what next year holds - i've h...

2010-06-22T13:07:04.022-04:00

just wait to see what next year holds - i've heard the idea and their creativity never ceases to amaze me!

I too, attended that meeting and I totally agree w...

2010-06-07T07:28:34.394-04:00

I too, attended that meeting and I totally agree with Kelly and Greg. It is the "trickle down" effect. If those at the helm are all speaking the same language with the same goals and vision - success is more likely. Also, the folks in the ranks will have confidence and trust in their leaders.
Strong leadership truly is not expendable - it is a non-negotiable!

John, I wish I had an easy answer. I battle the s...

2010-06-04T23:13:50.626-04:00

John,

I wish I had an easy answer. I battle the same situation. The only way to make it somewhat manageable is to set a few goals that I work on with my colleagues each year - set aside time, money and emotional energy to implement despite what other items come along.

I find these projects are some of the more interesting and creative and sustain me through the myriad of other initiatives that come along.

Kelly, I am not sure how many initiatives that my ...

2010-05-11T07:19:35.874-04:00

Kelly, I am not sure how many initiatives that my IU currently has underway, but more than we can handle effectively, I am sure.

As an initiative generator, as well as an initiative implementer,I feel the frustration both ways. If we have a truly great program that could really help kids, how do we effectively compete for the time, energy and attention of educators who are already overwhelmed by mandates?

Thanks Gina. I will definitely check it out.

2010-04-21T13:27:38.879-04:00

Thanks Gina. I will definitely check it out.

Thanks Gina. It really was a great day. We connect...

2010-04-21T13:26:07.922-04:00

Thanks Gina. It really was a great day. We connected to the metaphor as well. It really helped us plan and focus our day.

Michael - thank you for your comments -- the ladies that commented before you are really the ones to applaud. I just post the evidence.

Thanks for linking to us, Kelly. You can find a li...

2010-04-21T11:23:14.628-04:00

Thanks for linking to us, Kelly. You can find a link to the Ed Leadership volume on Reading that John referenced in his comment on our blog too! I did a review of the whole volume. You will like the social dimension things included there.

Gina Hale,
Reading Apprenticeship

Hi Kelly, Thanks for this lovely post. I connect...

2010-04-21T11:19:38.950-04:00

Hi Kelly,

Thanks for this lovely post. I connected to the spirit of aloha. This is a lovely metaphor for working together, in the spirit of aloha, for positive change.

Gina Hale

The approach establishes a purpose for reading but...

2010-04-14T13:55:27.875-04:00

The approach establishes a purpose for reading but also emphasizes that reading is contextual. The genre absolutely changes the way we read... what strategies we use and what questions we ask ourselves as we read.

I will have to get a hold of the article you mentioned. It sounds like it will complement our work in Reading Apprenticeship.