Response to Class 10/26

Response to Class 10/26

Although due to a personal reason, I missed this class (the only class I missed, and I made it up by attending the technology conference on the following Saturday), from my cohort members, I got the information on what the class was about. 

Thinking about my own school site and the student population, I value the positive outcome of the collaboration between the community members and schools to help kids find access to computers and internet.  In my school, we have the school loop, but students need computers and internet access to use this great tool.  Many of my students come to me during lunch to access their grades and get a print out to show to their parents because they don't have internet at home. 

 We cannot assume that every student has internet access but we can work on insuring every student could find access to computers and internet.  I think as a school or district leader we should strongly focus on increasing awareness in the communities and continually work on asking for help from businesses.  The more persistent we are getting the word out, the more business partners we could find to share the responsibility of providing every child with computers and internet.  

Reflection on Culturally Proficient and Futurist Leadership

The culturally proficient leadership course was the process of uniqueness which is myself. The futurist is myself manifested in the physical world.  Both courses were closely intertwined in a way that they supported each other.  Through the interviews and the autobiography assignments, I was able to reflect on my own culture, race, gender identity and become aware of my feelings and thoughts on these important issues.  Thinking about how I felt at certain point of my life about people from diverse background made me realize how important it is for me as an educational leader to nourish a school culture in which teachers and students as well as parents value diversity.

The Futurist assignment made me to believe that I can become creative coming up with a unique plan.  It pushed me to think about the details, weakness and strength of the plan realizing that every plan of action needs a long period of time to produce positive results.  From both courses, what was important to me was the stress on our uniqueness and creativity as different individuals.   Using technology as a tool to make our blogs and reflect on class discussions and readings made the assignments more enjoyable.

Final reflection on my PLN

Creating a PLN was something I never thought I would do.  I am the kind of person who likes to talk face to face.  I rarely send email when I can simply turn around and tell my colleague what we need to plan for next week's meeting.

What I discovered was my PLN was not just about communicating with my colleagues next to me about  the staff training.  Through creating a PLN, I could gain insight and knowledge from people across the globe about topics that were important to improving education within my own sphere.

Twitter is a tool for that next level of collaboration.
My thesis proposal was all about collaboration.  I never thought that it could extend beyond the school, or district.  An idea that has come to me through this coursework is that I can globally communicate and share ideas on how we might best collaborate in our schools to improve teaching.

The chatting on twitter took some time for me to get used to it, but once I learned more, I used it more.

I have started # math  collaboration hashtag to get help and find districts with successful collaboration.  My hope is that with collaboration hashtag I can continue to share what I am finding from my dissertation and share it with other educators.

The blog serves another purpose, promoting ideas and an opportunity to reflect and express my personal opinions on topics which might not otherwise be exposed.  The WEC for example is something that I could not have shared had not this opportunity to blog been made available to me.

I also learned how to explore Google and utalize some of its applications such as docs and forms, YouTube, calendar, music, igoogle, and google+ and use them at my job. I am involved with a study group and in each meeting we share new ideas.  I have already shared some of the applications with teachers and how we can intyegrate them with our curriculum.


Finally I learned how to use evernotes to save my ideas and things I like and see.  As a teacher and leader this is a great tool to store great ideas that I find and store them on my computer.

I plan to continue to use blogging and tweeting and all the applications of google to bring awareness to topics that are relevant to myself as a teacher, our school and the global community.

Women’s Equity Council (WEC)

I have recently become a member of Women’s Equity Council (WEC), an active member of the United Nation here in San Diego.   The focus of the WEC is to educate and empower, promote equity and compassion, and advocate for accountability and basic security on behalf of women all over the world.

In attempt to raise awareness on this global issue, we have couple of events coming up in the next two weeks.  After our planning meeting on Sunday, I will keep you posted.

Empowering Women

How can we fight against gender oppression?  Women are at the heart of this issue.  It is critical to bring awareness to its existence.   Female oppression cuts through all aspects of our society.  As teachers and educational leaders we need to make sure girls get the best quality education and help them to become the change agent in their family, community and society.

Reflections on Cultural Autobiography Interviews

My interviews were conducted with friends and colleagues.  I did my interviews with my friends in a coffee shop, and with their permission, I recorded with the interviews so I could go back and listen to them. The responses pertaining to some of the questions made me to think about my own feelings and past experiences. I had opportunity to listen to the stories from the view of people who grew up in a different country with a different religion. I learned a lot about diversity from them.

 During the interviews, sometimes it was hard  for me to keep quiet and not share my own feelings.  Some of the responses made me to remember interactions I had from my childhood and discover new things about myself.  I realized that all my past interactions with  people from diverse background have helped me to grow and become a more accepting individual.  I have always valued different cultures, races, religions and now I have started to promote social justice and equity in both aspects of my life (personal and professional).  

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Steps of Futurist Scenario

Step 1: Identify Implications (SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats analysis).

Strengths – Volunteer participation of teachers in forming collaborative groups could motivate teachers to take responsibility for their own learning and improve their teaching practice.

Weaknesses- It requires time and a great deal of trust. Since it is a volunteer participation, teachers who participate may not have the best skills. 

Opportunities -  Teacher learning through planned activities, observations, feedback will provide teachers with ongoing PD at minimal cost.

Threats – Lack of protocol to provide specific feedback during post observations. Since teachers from different subjects may volunteer, their lack of content knowledge may interfere  with providing effective feedback.

Step 2: Develop Options (List the things you could do and the things you should do to prepare)

The following activities are things I could do and should do to prepare :

• Planned regular meetings
• Do research and come up with a list of topics related to teaching and learning across all subjects
• Every month, a different topic will be selected by teachers' consensus
• Ask teachers to choose their own partner 
• Provide teachers with time to have pre-observation meeting 
• Provide teachers with release time to observe each other
• Provide teachers with time to have post observation meeting
• Set up a date for all teachers to meet and share their experience
• More research on study groups

Step 3: Monitor Trends (How do you currently monitor trends? How might you need to adjust your radar?

I currently monitor the success of this type of study groups through weekly updates in educational journals and the blogs and tweets and edchat.

Continuation of Futurist Scenario

Step 1: Identify Implications (SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats analysis).

Strengths – Volunteer participation of teachers in forming collaborative groups could motivate teachers to take responsibility for their own learning and improve their teaching practice.

Weaknesses- It requires time and a great deal of trust. Since it is a volunteer participation, teachers who participate may not have the best skills. 

Opportunities -  Teacher learning through planned activities, observations, feedback will provide teachers with ongoing PD at minimal cost.

Threats – Lack of protocol to provide specific feedback during post observations. Since teachers from different subjects may volunteer, their lack of content knowledge may interfere  with providing effective feedback.

Step 2: Develop Options (List the things you could do and the things you should do to prepare)

The following activities are things I could do and should do to prepare :

• Planned regular meetings
• Do research and come up with a list of topics related to teaching and learning across all subjects
• A topic will be  selected by teacher consensus
• Ask teachers to choose their own partner 
• Provide teachers with time to have pre-observation meeting 
• Provide teachers with release time to observe each other
• Provide teachers with time to have post observation meeting
• Set up a date for all teachers to meet and share their experience

Step 3: Monitor Trends (How do you currently monitor trends? How might you need to adjust your radar?

I currently monitor the success of this type of study groups through  weekly updates in educational journals and the blogs and tweets and edchat.

Emergent Ideas On Cultural Proficiency

Growing up in Iran, I was not around many people who came from a different race.  Back then, the lens I used to view the world was limited, and I didn't know any other way!  However, for the first time when I went abroad to Denmark around age 19, I got to know amazing people who looked different, spoke and behaved different than me.  These were students from Germany, Denmark, Greece, Africa, Turkey, China, Japan and many other countries who had embraced the idea of learning something new from each other.  Every day of the 3 months stay in Denmark provided me with the kind of learning that I would not have been able to acquire even in the best learning institution in the world!
later years, when I moved to America, I had already embarked on my cultural proficiency journey which continues to this day!

Visitor or Resident?

I consider myself to be a visitor due to the fact that I don't have much free time and I still am not quite sure how to use these tools effectively.  I guess, whenever I feel more comfortable using tweeting, it could be a good tool to promote some of the ideas I have professionally.

 But, I really don't like when people- who may be considered as residents-  use these tools to share announcements that are insignificant and silly! I  don't think I will ever become a resident.

My Journey Toward Culturally Proficient Leadership Practices

What are you noticing about your personal and professional journeys toward culturally proficient leadership practices? What's emerging for you as you read about the Tools for Cultural Proficiency?

I have noticed that people at my site they are paying attention to what I say and what I do.  Based on this awareness, I am bringing up more conversations around the issues related to cultural proficiency.  In fact during one of our School Site leader ship meetings, while I was waiting for the meeting to begin, I was holding the Cultural proficiency book reading it.  One of the parents asked me about what I was reading and that initiated an interesting conversation around social justice issue and how we need to become aware of the needs of other culture.  Interestingly enough, the conversation continued when the principal arrived and became one of the topics of our discussion for the meeting.

Futurist Scenario

My futurist scenario is providing math teachers with effective collaboration within our PLCs.  We have been working to create some kind of structure and planned activities for teachers during our PLCs, but we have been struggling to implement sustained intentional activities with specific focus and accountability for math teachers in all grades.  Absence of sufficient time has been the main problem. 

1. If you were to implement this practice, strategy, idea today, what specialized skills, resources, and dispositions would you need to obtain for yourself, your colleagues and staff?

Time is the first resource we need for this plan to work.  If we were able to provide teachers with sufficient time such as 2 hours per week then teachers could have enough time to participate in activities that are intentionally planned and ongoing.  The  planned activities need to have focus every week, so teachers can have a direction.  Teachers would need to take an inquiry stance, collectively identify what practices they need to enhance, develop lessons and observe each other while they are implementing the lessons. They would need to get together every week and decide on a topic such as critical thinking for students, do their own research, plan lessons, observe each other and provide feedback to each other. Teachers would need structured time built into their workday to get all these activities done. 

Pertaining to strategy, in our first meeting, we would ask teachers to choose a partner to work with.  Then collectively, we would need to research different topics in teaching such as problem solving, levels of questioning, student motivation and engagement, critical thinking and different teaching modalities.  We would vote for one of the topics to be our focus for the next two weeks. Then, with our partner we would plan a lesson, implement the lesson, observe each other and have post observation meeting to provide feedback.

To implement this plan and experience success, we would need teachers who are motivated, skilled, self-learners, and are willing to provide and receive constructive feedback to improve their teaching.  Lastly, and most importantly we would need trust because without trust this plan will not even start.  In order for teachers to make themselves vulnerable and open their classrooms to their peers, they need to know they are safe.  Trust  will help teachers to manage the uncertainty and risk associated with opening up to their peers and know that their well-being will not be threatened by their peers. 

2.  What skills will your colleagues and those you supervise need in order to be successful in this scenario? Of those skills, which ones are currently being supported through resources such as professional development in your setting? Which ones are missing or minimal? What is currently being supported in your setting that would likely be obsolete in 2020? 

We need time to meet.  We don't have sufficient time yet we have only 45 minutes per week for our PLCs.  Right now, teachers use some of their own time during lunch to meet.  This plan will also need competent teachers who have high sense of self-efficacy.   Currently we have a number of teachers who have these traits, we just need to utilize their skills in the most efficient way. 

3.  In what ways are we unprepared, lacking in resources and staffing, or to what degree are our strategies and underlying values unable to respond effectively to the conditions this scenario represents?

I think we have teachers who are motivated and willing to participate in this plan, and as far as time, it is a matter of building more time into master schedule and/or giving the same prep time to teachers.   I think most teachers at my site trust each other.  The fact that they could have freedom to chose their partner will make it easier for them to trust their peers. 

4. What could we be doing now to leverage this trend to our advantage?

We could explain the plan and its goals to teachers and ask volunteers to participate.  It would be important to explain to teachers that although they could have some extra time to meet, they might have to use some of their own time.  In addition, we could ask teachers to do their own research and come up with topics that they are mostly interested in. 

5.  What would need to happen internally and in the external environment for preparing yourself and those you lead to navigate in this strategic vision? What changes should your organization begin to make? What should it start doing? What should it stop doing?

Internally, I think the first step is to develop more trust and collective efficacy in schools. In doing so, it is necessary to create a risk-free environment in which teachers feel safe to become vulnerable and make mistakes, model behaviors that reflect integrity and show competence.  Also, it is important to increase collective efficacy by highlighting school’s pass successes.  I think it is important to stop focusing on school’s weaknesses and instead utilize a more strengths- based approach and appreciate school’s best quality in the hope to discover more about what we do best .

Project Tomorrow and Speak Up

The TESS Initiative (Technology Enhancing Student Success) is one of the resources I found in project tomorrow and Speak up.  This initiative aims to help schools to close the achievement gap through teacher training focused on technology integration strategies as well as the use of technology for the assessment of school data. The purpose of the TESS Initiative is to help schools better leverage technology resources to enhance teaching and learning at all levels.

Program Description Teachers participate in a mandatory project-based teacher training through-out the school year with a focus on technology skills of the teachers as well as the students' needs. This training sessions include: The Technology and Learning Paradigm Hardware and Software Use Personal Productivity and Classroom Use Instructional Delivery Technology and Curriculum Standards The Internet and Learning Technology and the Home to School Connection This is a great way to train teachers to become comfortable using  assessment data and making informed instructional decisions. Teachers often shy away from using technology in classrooms due the lack of training in using technology.  This training can provide teachers with the confidence they need to use technology more frequently and integrate technology into the curriculum and student assessment.

Creating My PLN

I must confess, I feel pretty good about knowing all these technology tools.  Now I have to spend some  time playing around and learning each which I plan to do when I have some spare time! Did I say spare time? I wonder when that will arrive?


O.K. It has been few weeks now and I have learned to use some of these tools!  I like blogging but I am not too sure about tweeting.  Every time I get an email that someone is following me, I ask myself why?:) I feel a bit uncomfortable sharing my real thoughts with public, I feel I need to be politically correct all the time or someone crazy can follow me!


I still need to learn about diigo and bookmarking!  
I am looking forward to having some free time during holidays and playing around with these tools! 


So, I have been coming back to my PLN blog periodically to add more of my insights.  I actually am starting to like blogging and tweeting! With blogging, I am forced to reflect more often and with tweeting,  I feel little more safe to post something now!  Jeff said something that helped me and that, "think as your superintendent was going to read your post"! 

Today I signed up for The Educator's PLN

The personal learning network for educators!  I feel this network would be a great way to connect with other educators!

My Understanding of Theory of Disruption

Christensen relates the problems in our education system to the budget issues, computer shortage, lack of parent support, ineffective teaching, teaches’ union and problems of standardized tests.  While he explains that these issues are also prevalent in countries that continue to outperform our students, he brings up a point that these issues cannot merely be responsible for the problem we have with our education system in U.S. 


The theory of disruption explains how people interact with each other and react to changes and form their behavior.  Christensen who develops this theory first in the business world attempts to apply the theory to our education system.

He explains that in our education system disruption is the positive force of innovation that challenges schools to employ student-centric approach as opposed to using the same instruction to all students regardless of individual learning needs.  His argument is based on the theory of multiple intelligence which asserts students learn in numerous modalities. 

He argues that schools should customize education for each student’s learning style so students have opportunities to learn in ways that match their intelligence type.   While he recognizes schools’ limitations, he argues that computer-based learning could be a possibility to meet individual learning needs.

If my understanding is correct this theory suggests using more computers and less interaction between teachers and students and a complete change of classroom structure.  I think it is necessary to use student-center approach to teaching especially in math and science and use computers, but only as a supplement to good teaching.  For example, this year, we got smart boards in our classrooms.  This is a great technology tool to check student understanding and so far everyone is excited and on board with this innovation.

Reflection on Daniel Pink's "six senses"

As I read the six senses-story, design, symphony, meaning, and play, I asked myself what does this mean for what we do in our schools as teachers and leaders. 

 Applying the notion of symphony to me is creating strong and productive collaboration among teachers. From leaders' perspective, it is about motivating, influencing and capitalizing on human resources in schools which will lead to  powerful teamwork.  Without  powerful collaboration, teaches will be doing their own thing and the end result would not be beneficial to teachers particularly to our students.

Symphony is also about putting pieces that may seem to be unrelated together and creating a useful  product. When I think about applying this concept to my work place and colleagues, I can think of something new that we are doing to improve our teaching practice.  I volunteered in a cadre (group of teachers cross grade levels and curriculum) come together and decide on a topic that they need to improve on.  A language arts teacher and I got together and decided to observe each other regarding to teaching critical thinking skills to our students.  She observed me and I observed her yesterday.  It was amazing to see how this concept of critical thinking can be reinforced in all subjects and teachers cross curriculum can learn from each other.  We will get together next week to discuss our observations and provide each other with feedback.  Next we will share that with other groups of this study team.  I think this is a great example of symphony and design for improving teaching practice.

Applying the notion of design to schools means becoming aware and intentional about the changes we want to make and the details of implementing those changes.  For example, implementing PLCs as a new form of professional development for teachers needs time, planned activities, specific targets and accountability. We need to be aware that process of innovation in our schools requires time, money and strategic planning.

One idea to motivate colleagues and constituents to participate in the symphony of collaboration is by turning them loose but keeping them accountable.  For example, a new idea about visiting each other's classroom can motivate teachers to participate in this activity if it is voluntarily. This design is actually developing at my school by the new principal. He has asked for volunteer to visit each other's classrooms one day a week and he is providing visiting teachers with subs

My Futurist Action Plan

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Theory of Disruption

Theory of Disruption

Christensen relates the problems in our education system to the budget issues, computer shortage, lack of parent support, ineffective teaching, teaches’ union and problems of standardized tests.  While he explains that these issues are also prevalent in countries that continue to outperform our students, he brings up a point that these issues cannot merely be responsible for the problem we have with our education system in U.S. 


The theory of disruption explains how people interact with each other and react to changes and form their behavior.  Christensen who develops this theory first in the business world attempts to apply the theory to our education system.

He explains that in our education system disruption is the positive force of innovation that challenges schools to employ student-centric approach as opposed to using the same instruction to all students regardless of individual learning needs.  His argument is based on the theory of multiple intelligence which asserts students learn in numerous modalities. 

He argues that schools should customize education for each student’s learning style so students have opportunities to learn in ways that match their intelligence type.   While he recognizes schools’ limitations, he argues that computer-based learning could be a possibility to meet individual learning needs.

If my understanding is correct this theory suggests using more computers and less interaction between teachers and students and a complete change of classroom structure.  I think it is necessary to use student-center approach to teaching especially in math and science and use computers, but only as a supplement to good teaching.  For example, this year, we got smart boards in our classrooms.  This is a great technology tool to check student understanding and so far everyone is excited and on board with this innovation

About Me

Reflections on My Story

When I was eighteen years old, I moved to America from Iran, a country that was different from America in many  ways.  Coming from a different race, language, cultural background, religion, and political views  I had to deal with many issues.  However,  I felt it was my choice to be here so I had to work hard and overcome numerous barriers.
As a teacher now, I always share my story with my students.  I tell them that as my third language, I learned English when I was eighteen and I struggled through reading thick business and economy textbooks in college.  But I also remind them that it is a blessing to come from different race, ethnic background, language because these differences are what make us stronger, resilient and possibly more successful.
 Although I consider myself American I still treasure my heritage and race.  I speak about Iran's rich culture and history every chance I get.  To my surprise there are still many people who don't know much about Iran and the culture!