Speak Up!!! Your Students Need You.

This much content?  What about Life Skills?

I have personally made a strong effort to connect with hundreds of community members, businesses, teachers, and administrators and "picked their brain" for what they thought our students would need to be successful at the next level (whether this is a job, college, or life).  I have never heard anybody say to me anything about specific content.  Of course we have to have a general concept of how things work.....content is important.  I would actually argue that "concepts" are more important than specific content.  For instance, knowing how plants grow, why they are important, and how  they impact the environment and food web is more important than knowing that the enzyme NADPH is created which drives the Calvin Cycle.





What about all of the things that are "real".  Everyone will have to communicate via many different forms.  Almost everyone will have to collaborate in some form or another.  We think critically and problem solve on a daily basis.  These and hundreds of other "21st Century Skills" seem as if they should be the FOUNDATION of education.  Instead, I feel that they are neglected.  They are not required.  Our standards require that the content is taught, but does not come close to touching the complexity of these 21st Century Skills.

Is this why customer service is disappearing from the earth?  Is this why over 50% of students who enter college drop out?  Is this why we have major unemployment issues?

If the vast majority believes that these skills are so important, than why aren't we speaking up more an DEMANDING that they receive a stronger emphasis.  I feel as if the politicians and universities have shackles on K-12 schools, and that they use K-12 teachers and administrators as the scapegoats in this downfall.  Comments such as "Students are coming into college unprepared" and "we need to hold our teachers accountable by evaluating standardized tests", etc... are ridiculous.

Our students are disengaged.  I don't blame them.   As Seth Godin said, "If your audience isn't listening, it isn't their fault, it is yours."  The trend will only continue in the wrong direction unless enough people speak up and demand change.  Will you please be one of those people?

This is just my 2-cents

Oliver Schinkten
oliver.schinkten@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
Twitter:  @schink10

I wish I would have........

Give your students a head start!!!

I feel that I have talked to a LOT of juniors and seniors in high school that say they wish they would have done more in order to fill out a better college resume, scholarship application, job application, etc.....  I have heard many teachers say that they "tried to tell them this early on", but is this really the students fault?  After discussing this issue with most of the students, the first time they had seen a college application, scholarship form, or job application was when they were filling the real one out.  Shame on me.  I wish that I would have had them filling them out in middle school or at least as freshman/sophomores.  I think it would be a good idea to have each student have an ongoing college application, scholarship application, and job application.  This way, they will see that they will be asked questions such as "What clubs or organizations have you been involved with".  "Do you have any volunteer experiences".  Etc.......

Why not show them this early on in the game......and let them fill it out as they go.  This way, they are not surprised when they fill the real one out and have regrets about what they "should have done". 

Dressing Up is Overrated.

Dress Professionally?  What does that even mean?

I understand that this viewpoint is an OPINION and that many people will disagree with me, but I think that there is too high of an emphasis on "dressing professionally".  What does that even prove?  You could dress up a serial killer "professionally", but that doesn't change who they are.

"I think that we should worry more about people 'acting professionally' and less about them 'dressing professionally'."

Message:  You are different than me.

I believe strongly in building student rapport.  I think that if good student rapport is built, you eliminate classroom discipline issues and you get more productivity, ownership, and buy-in from your students.  In my opinion, one way to immediately damage your rapport building is to overdress.  I believe that a really dressy outfit sends an immediate message of  "I am different than you".  I have worked in a district with a very high percentage of low-socioeconomic status, so this phenomenon is probably extra relevant, but I believe it is true in most places.

Try it once.  Wear some crazy clothes.  Wear some crazy shoes.  Act like a professional.  Give the students a ton of respect and attention and see how it turns out.

This is just my 2-cents.  I would love to hear your opinion (whether you agree or disagree).  I am very open-minded and able to be swayed!

Oliver Schinkten
oliver.schinkten@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
Twitter:  @schink10

The #1 way to retain information......

I think the classroom model may be backwards!
It is odd that the most efficient way to retain information is not to write it, hear it, say it, draw it or any combination of these actions.  The most efficient way to retain information is to teach it.  Being actively engaged in the activity (doing it!) is the second most efficient way of retaining a concept or information, but the ability to, not only do it, but actually explain it systematically well enough to teach it to others is tough.  After doing this, one has a much better grasp of the concept, and at such a deep level that it will be retained for much longer than any other method.

It seems ironic that many classrooms do not even have their students "engaged".  They have students taking notes, completing worksheets, doing cookie-cutter recipe labs, or watching videos.  There has been a major movement to get students actively involved, and this is great, but it is still one step short of the optimum experience.

Why is the only person in the classroom that is learning the material in the most efficient way, the only one that is NOT held accountable for learning it (the Teacher).  We remember it easily and it makes great sense to us, therefore we are frustrated because the students do not "get it" at the level that we do.  Give them a break!  They are at a disadvantage.  You are hogging the best strategy all for yourself.

CHALLENGE:  Put students in a position to have to TEACH the information.  They will retain the content and concepts at a much higher level.  Also, they will be begging you for assistance, rather than resisting your insistence.

This is just my 2-cents.  Please let me know your thoughts.

Oliver Schinkten
oliver.schinkten@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
Twitter:  @schink10

System of Organization, but....

"Take out your agendas!"


I used to cringe when we would discuss requiring every student to fill out their agenda in a "cookie cutter" fashion.  Some teachers proposed that we initial everyone's agenda each day to ensure they wrote the assignment or lesson in their agenda.  This always seemed odd to me.  First off, it seemed to be a waste of five minutes of class time.  Secondly, and most importantly, we had a LOT of students that were doing really good in class and turning everything in on time, yet we continued to make them do this.  What if they have a different system of organization?  As a student, I would not have liked being required to do this, because it is not how I would have organized my work.  Some students use their cell phone, some have a folder system, some use their notebook, others just remember.  I believe strongly that students should be able to use whatever system of organization works best for them.  With this being said, there are many students that are not ORGANIZED or RESPONSIBLE.  They need a system.  Rather than pick the system for them, and put them in an awkward position of "you will do it because I said so", we should have days in which students showcase their systems of "organization".  If other students saw how their classmates were staying organized, they may pick up ideas that would help them. This is "visible thinking".  If a student continues to have missing work or is being irresponsible, meet with them and let them have some autonomy on choosing a method they would like to use.  Check back with them in a couple weeks to see how it is going.  It may not always work, but by "making them" do something against their will, you are not instilling anything in them and you are making them hate your classroom.

Just my 2-cents.

Oliver Schinkten
oliver.schinkten@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
Twitter:  @schink10

Putting My 2-cents Down in Writing!

Sharing my 2-cents!

I recently started a couple blogs which I really enjoy writing for.  It seemed, however, that I often had thoughts about education, technology, innovation, etc.... that I wanted to get down on paper and share, but they didn't fit within the parameters of either of my blogs.  For this reason I started this blog, which is intended to be short posts adding my 2-cents about a wide variety of topics in hopes that it instigates some conversation (whether you agree or disagree with what I say).  I believe strongly in opening up more discussion between people passionate about these topics and helping to make the world a better place.

Check out:

ComPassion Based Learning - http://compassionbasedlearning.blogspot.com/

Learn On:  http://schinkten.blogspot.com/

If there is anything I can help you with,  please let me know.  If you would like to collaborate on something, please let me know.  If I am wrong about something, please let me know.

Oliver Schinkten

email:  oliver.schinkten@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Twitter:  @schink10