The Head's Perspective

The Tradition of Jazz at Head-Royce

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:43:09 EST

As a small gift from the students to you, I want to share the Caravan blog site link with you. In case you haven't gone, make sure that you attend next year's Caravan show at Yoshi's. It is one of the great Head-Royce traditions and is a highlight of the year.

Have a wonderful break and we'll see you in 2013.

http://head-royce-school-instrumental-music-program.posterous.com/

Ewww...brains!

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:48:55 EST

5th graders learn neurobiology and examine real human brains: taught by HRS seniors and Dr. Jennifer Brakeman, PhD. Click the button below to hear the interview.

5th graders working with upper school students on brains in the science lab.

Teaching excellence. Vision. 7th graders creating stop-animation films: an interview with teacher, Alison Frost.

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:39:04 EST

Below are excerpts from my interview with Alison Frost, our middle school art teacher. She described a wonderful project recently completed by her seventh-grade students.

Alison had a vision to have her students meld drawing and cinematic techniques. Her inspiration was the South African artist, William Kentridge. The medium was charcoal. The method was stop-motion animation film. The vehicle was an iPad.

R.L. What was your vision?

A.F. I wanted to teach students drawing techniques and cinematic techniques. I wanted them to understand how various shots in film are used to elicit emotion. I also wanted them to learn how music affected the mood of a piece.

R.L. How did you start?

A.F. First, I used South African artist, William Kentridge, as a jumping off point. We studied his work. He was a pioneer in using the stop-motion animation film process in his work. I also knew that they had to learn the technique of drawing and developing a concept before even touching the iPad. I wanted to make sure that the iPad was just a tool to help bring their creation to life.

R.L. What next?

A.F. There were five steps to this process. First they learn to sketch in their sketchbooks by hand using charcoal pencils. I had them draw gestures so they got the idea of how people move. Drawing is a skill that can be learned. Second, they watched snippets of classic films -for example, some Chaplin films and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We broke film down into individual clips of human gestures. I wanted to demonstrate how certain shots were used to describe the gesture, elicit emotion, and tell a story. It was like cracking a code for them. Third, I taught them how to storyboard. I gave them examples of storyboards to review, and then I gave them a short story to draw. And then they created their own storyboards. Fourth, they then were broken into pairs of two in order to enhance the collaborative nature of this process. And in those groups of two they drew their picture. Fifth, they then made their own films.

R.L. Amazing. Is it hard to teach anyone to draw well?

A.F. No, Drawing is a learned skill. In fact, it is easier to teach seventh graders who have no confidence and no real background. We start from scratch and it is amazing to see their confidence grow with exposure to simple but effective teaching. It is actually much harder to teach, and mold the drawing of students who come in with a level of drawing and a confidence in their work.

R.L. Why is that?

A.F. Because they come in with favorite subjects, and a proven method that they have gotten a lot of positive feedback for already. My task then is to build on the strengths while also getting them outside of their comfort zone and into new techniques and areas.

Enjoy the student work.

Click here if the video below doesn't load.

My Children as Guinea Pigs

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:13:49 EST

I've been thinking a lot about this video.

Let's face it. The simplistic, Manichaean argument of "on the ground"
versus "online education" does not move the needle in terms of
determining best practices for teaching our children. Best practices
in teaching is far more complex and nuanced.

Furthermore I am a firm believer that in that simplistic debate, the
overwhelmingly clear answer is right in front of us. What is more
effective, an on the ground class versus an online class? I believe
the answer is an exceptional, in person, talented teacher who is
inspiring motivated children in innovative ways where they are
collaborating, prototyping, questioning and making will win out 100
out of 100 times. That said, a luddite's perspective which minimizes
the ability of technology to transform and improve education is simply
not facing reality.

Take this video as case in point. In it, my favorite theoretical
physicist, Mikio Kaku, describes "The universe in a nutshell." It is a
deep, effective teaching tool. It is a captivating and engaging 42
minute lecture.

After watching it, I decided to perform an experiment on my children.
To gauge their learning, I will ask them the same questions, before
and after watching the video. Of Note: as a teacher, I know that the
most meaningful lessons are ones which spark curiosity and further
questions on the part of the Students rather than a demonstration of
rote memorization. I plan to ask my two sons, (ages 10 and 14 ) the
following questions:

1. What is physics?
2. Why do objects move towards the earth?
3. What is E = MC squared?
4. What are some forces of nature and How many are there?

My goal and interest, quite frankly, is focused far less on whether or
not they produce accurate answers to these questions. Rather, I am far
more interested in whether or not a video can spark their
intellectual curiosity about an important and heady topic. I am fairly
certain that this will produce a substantive and meaningful
conversation at the dinner table or on the way to soccer practice.

I'll let you know how it goes.

What Does a Playlist Say About Someone?

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:13:20 EST

When I was growing up, I loved to collect records. What a quaint concept now. Music has always been a substantial and emotional part of my life. My first 45 was Hey Jude, by the Beatles. My first album was thriller, by Michael Jackson. My first CD was the double disc set, "The Story of The Clash." My first download was Bob Marley's extended version of Exodus.

This morning I read an interesting piece on music and writing by Steve Silberman:

Music to Write By: 10 Top Authors Share Their Secrets for Summoning the Muse

That got me thinking about the concept of music as muse. What is my playlist when I write? Silberman's article focuses on writers from a wide range of genres. I was fascinated to read it and think about the similarities and incredible disparities between the lists, the writers, and my own list.

I have always thought that the music that moves us is a function of time, place, people, and events.

Enjoy the article.

For what it's worth, here's is my playlist of the top 15 artists (not in order) that I listen to while writing:

Bob Marley
Tom Petty
U2
Beethoven
Ben Webster
Depeche Mode
Dave Bruback
Coldplay (early years)
Wagner
The Police
The Cars
Daft Punk
Foo Fighters
Tears For Fears (early years)
Roderigo Y Gabriela

Who are the top 5 artists on your playlist?

Three Good Reads for a Tuesday

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:50:08 EST

-The case for our mission
-The importance of listening
-The major educational trend facing us today

-----------------

The case for our mission: why we believe so strongly in developing lifelong learners who have the strongest critical thinking skills:
Be Forewarned: Your Knowledge is Decaying - Harvard Business Review

The importance of listening:
GRAY MATTER: The Science and Art of Listening
Hearing, for the most part, is a no-brainer. When we listen, that's
when the neurons really fire.

The major educational trend facing us today: The Year of the MOOC
Massive open online courses are the educational happening of the
moment. Everyone wants in. No one is quite sure what they're getting
into.

Essential skills for the modern-day knowledge worker: the importance of ones and zeros

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 08:37:29 EST

We are in an information age. Yes. We're also in the age of big data, design, interconnected economies, social media, crowdsourcing, and innovation occurring at a pace more rapid than at any other time in history.

To meet this world, to excel in this world, our kids need the skills that we learned and much more.

One of these new skills is a different form of writing.

I believe that every single highly educated citizen must understand the fundamental logic behind computer programming or writing code.

Every significant field and major human endeavor has been affected and altered by computers.

Wikipedia's take on computer programming: "It is the process of designing, writing, texting, debugging and maintaining the source code of computer programs. Its purpose is to create a set of instructions that computers use to perform specific operations or to exhibit desired behaviors."

When you think about the roles that computers and algorithms play in medicine, search engines, GPS navigation, law, law enforcement, military, business, the stock markets, green energy...you realize that our kids must be armed with the fundamental knowledge of the ones and zeros and make our world tick.

Can't Code? What Every Entrepreneur Must Ask Before Hiring Technical Talent

News from our Upper School Students' perspective

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:28:15 EST

Click here to read the impressive work by our student journalists.

Revolution Now

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:23:22 EST

Just in case you weren't watching, the future of education is happening now. The transformation is taking place as you read this. It is exciting, complex, daunting, and above all unclear as to where it will all lead over the next decade.

Education is experiencing a paradigm shift. I believe it will never be the same.

Who is leading the way? The world's most prestigious colleges and universities are charting the new path by offering online learning experiences for free to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Don't believe me? Check out this list of 50 free courses from Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Duke, Cal Tech and Johns Hopkins...and the list goes on. These courses are just from September and October of this year.

Sometimes, something so profound and radical happens right in front of your face and it is so audacious that you don't even notice it. That is happening in education now.

Intro to Computer Programming from a Harvard professor, Free. Principles of Economics, Johns Hopkins. Free. Modern & Contemporary American Poetry, University of Pennsylvania. Free.

Check out these articles. Radical. Relevant. Revolutionary. Real. All of this will change the way we learn.

5 Ways that edX Could Change Education

Introducing a List of 50 Free Courses with Certificates from Great Universities

Why? Because I said so.

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:49:02 EST

When I was growing up in the 1970's, parents and educators didn't spend much time thinking about how the brain works. You either "got with the program" or you didn't. Neuroscience was not a discipline that seemed particularly accessible nor relevant to how we raised children.

Thankfully, that has changed today. When I think back to the way my parents, teachers and coaches helped me to develop resilience the recipe was fairly straightforward. Phrases such as these echo in my head, "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger, Son." "Toughen up." "You need to have thicker skin." "Don't feel sorry for yourself." And of course, "Why? Because I said so."

Neuroscience, Psychology, and empirical research across a wide range of scientific disciplines has opened doors for us as to how we learn, what motivates us, and how kids learn. Just Google, "how kids learn" and you'll receive 2.5 billion results in 0.22 seconds. That is astounding on many levels.

The interesting thing from my perspective is that while the why and how's of the developing brain is becoming clear, the lessons are the same. Resilience now is just as important as resilience was then.

What strikes me as profound is this: parents and schools don't need to and can't social engineer resilience into our kids. That is exactly the wrong approach. Sometimes we just need to get out of the way by letting them fail and recover on their own. The best approach might just be through good modeling of the behavior that we want to instill in our children.

3 articles on resilience:

Building Resilience by Wasting Time by Jane McGonigal

An Impenetrable Shield by Patty O'Grady PhD

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Elena Aguilar

5 great articles that make you think...

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:52:55 EST

1. Minimalist Posters Celebrating Six Pioneering Women in Science

2. 8 Great Philosophical Questions That We'll Never Solve

3. "Learnable Programming" by Bret Victor

4. "Stanford for All" by Theresa Johnston

5. "The New MakerBot Replicator Might Just Change Your World" by Chris Anderson

Anyone? Anyone?

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:41:06 EST

Success in life requires a sophisticated and broad set of intellectual, social, emotional and cultural skills...And of course very hard work.

Success in college requires hard work.

Entrance into college requires good grades and a well-developed set of critical thinking skills.

Earning good grades during high school requires hard work.

Hard work is inspired by good teachers.

Recently, I received a letter from the Dean of Admissions at Stanford. He wrote "one of the greatest pleasures of my job is to observe the impact that our talented freshman make once they arrive at Stanford." He went on to describe a program called the Teacher Tribute Initiative recognizing the teachers and mentors who, "play a significant role in the [students] intellectual, academic, social, and personal development."

I received this letter because one of our faculty members received this honor. The Dean's letter and this recognition reinforced my strong belief in the influence and importance of teachers.

I still meet people who to this day speak about how my father, who started teaching in 1968, influenced their lives in profound ways in his role as Spanish teacher, advisor, and soccer coach.

At the end of the day, an exceptional teacher is more important than any of the most sophisticated pieces of technology, algorithms, or breathtaking video. Each day, I have the pleasure of observing our faculty work their magic with our students. Our faculty is caring, intelligent and intense. They are fun, creative and responsible. They are dedicated, hard-working and committed to their students.

Being a teacher is hard. Motivating, cajoling and inspiring a group of children with disparate interests, diverse perspectives and different strengths is a humbling daily challenge. Coming to work each day, being required to set the tone with enthusiasm, optimism and energy is not always easy. This work is not just for everyone. When I hear the adage, "those who can't do, teach," I chuckle at the naïveté.

Carl Thiermann, our upper school division head, had this to say about teachers, "the world's "most beautiful game" is not soccer – it's the art of great teaching which requires patience, fortitude, skill, determination, strategy, planning, diplomacy, charisma, clarity, kindness, sensitivity, acting skills, absolute mastery of the subject matter – and the ability to handle just about anything else you can
think of!"

Our faculty does all of the above and they do it because they know what is at stake. They are deeply committed to our mission. They care about their students and their growth.

It is a powerful and inspiring thing to watch.

14 Big Ideas in Science

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:40:16 EST

Scientific American – If you don't read it, I recommend that you do. It provides a glimpse into the trends and ideas that will shape the future. It provides fodder for curricular innovation. It is an essential read for me because a central purpose for our school is to prepare our children for their futures.

This summer, Scientific American, as part of a project to elevate the national discourse on science issues worked to identify "the scientific issues that underlie key economic, foreign policy and education issues."

The questions, listed below, are big, complicated, political, and important. The focus of the project in this election year is to ask candidates and politicians about what government's role is in addressing these complex issues. My interest in the list is because schools like ours should strive to prepare students to have an opinion. They need to be informed; they need to understand the scope, and they need to be motivated to participate fully in creating solutions.

Read Full Article Here

I hope you enjoy reading the list and thinking about these issues.

1. Innovation and the Economy. Science and technology have been responsible for over half of the growth of the U.S. economy since WWII, when the federal government first prioritized peacetime science mobilization. But several recent reports question America's continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies will best ensure that America remains a world leader in innovation?

2. Climate Change. The Earth's climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on cap-and-trade, carbon taxes, and other policies proposed to address global climate change—and what steps can we take to improve our ability to tackle challenges like climate change that cross national boundaries?

3. Research and the Future. Federally funded research has helped to produce America's major postwar economies and to ensure our national security, but today the UK, Singapore, China, and Korea are making competitive investments in research. Given that the next Congress will face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in research in your upcoming budgets?

4. Pandemics and Biosecurity. Recent experiments show how Avian flu may become transmissible among mammals. In an era of constant and rapid international travel, what steps should the United States take to protect our population from emerging diseases, global pandemics and/or deliberate biological attacks?

5. Education. Increasingly, the global economy is driven by science, technology, engineering and math, but a recent comparison of 15-year-olds in 65 countries found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 23rd, while average U.S. math scores ranked 31st. In your view, why have American students fallen behind over the last three decades, and what role should the federal government play to better prepare students of all ages for the science and technology-driven global economy?

6. Energy. Many policymakers and scientists say energy security and sustainability are major problems facing the United States this century. What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future?

7. Food. Thanks to science and technology, the United States has the world's most productive and diverse agricultural sector, yet many Americans are increasingly concerned about the health and safety of our food. The use of hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, as well as animal diseases and even terrorism pose risks. What steps would you take to ensure the health, safety and productivity of America's food supply?

8. Fresh Water. Less than one percent of the world's water is liquid fresh water, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of U.S. and global fresh water is now at risk because of increasing consumption, evaporation and pollution. What steps, if any, should the federal government take to secure clean, abundant fresh water for all Americans?

9. The Internet. The Internet plays a central role in both our economy and our society. What role, if any, should the federal government play in managing the Internet to ensure its robust social, scientific, and economic role?

10. Ocean Health. Scientists estimate that 75 percent of the world's fisheries are in serious decline, habitats like coral reefs are threatened, and large areas of ocean and coastlines are polluted. What role should the federal government play domestically and through foreign policy to protect the environmental health and economic vitality of the oceans?

11. Science in Public Policy. We live in an era when science and technology affect every aspect of life and society, and so must be included in well-informed public policy decisions. How will you ensure that policy and regulatory decisions are fully informed by the best available scientific and technical information, and that the public is able to evaluate the basis of these policy decisions?

12. Space. The United States is currently in a major discussion over our national goals in space. What should America's space exploration and utilization goals be in the 21st century and what steps should the government take to help achieve them?

13. Critical Natural Resources. Supply shortages of natural resources affect economic growth, quality of life, and national security; for example, China currently produces 97% of rare earth elements needed for advanced electronics. What steps should the federal government take to ensure the quality and availability of critical natural resources?

14. Vaccination and Public Health. Vaccination campaigns against preventable diseases such as measles, polio and whooping cough depend on widespread participation to be effective, but in some communities vaccination rates have fallen off sharply. What actions would you support to enforce vaccinations in the interest of public health, and in what circumstances should exemptions be allowed?

Our commitment to citizenship and civic purpose

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:50:30 EST

"Citizenship - a word at the very heart of our founding, at the very essence of our democracy; the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another, and to future generations."
- President Barack Obama

Last night, President Obama spoke about the importance of citizenship to future generations. This is, as you know, central to our school's mission. Citizenship helps to anchor the other two tenets of scholarship and diversity.

"Head-Royce School believes that civic purpose is a vital part of our mission to foster in our students a lifelong commitment to constructive and responsible global citizenship. Our goal is to prepare citizen leaders who demonstrate social responsibility, an ethic of service, a deep appreciation of diversity, and a passion for democratic ideals. Our School has a significant role to play in helping to make our community a better place, by forging connections with our local, national and global community."
- Head-Royce Citizenship Program Mission

It is of paramount importance that our students and graduates internalize their responsibility to others as engaged members participating in our democracy. We try to instill the ethos of citizenship, such that it brings meaning and deep satisfaction to the lives of our students.

Today, I asked some Head-Royce middle and upper school students to tell me what citizenship means to them.

They said:

"giving back to the community"

"being nice to other people"

"helping out when you are not asked to"

"we are one big community, equal, and we need to recognize that."

"being an active member in a community"

"respecting your peers"

"bring something to community or society that helps to make it tight knit"

"embody the morals of a given community"

"everyone is together, helping each other and committing to be a community and do their part within that community"

"to be an active part of the community"

Carl Thiermann, our Upper School Head talked about what happens in the Upper School:

"To foster an atmosphere of civic responsibility and citizenship, students in the Upper School are invited to participate in many global committees, including global citizenship, diversity, sustainability, honor council and student council."

I am proud of our mission. Individually, scholarship, diversity and citizenship are powerful. Together we can help to shape the character of future generations.

Pure Genius

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:01:49 EST

Here's to a good, restful, relaxing, and fun Memorial Day weekend.

Reggie Watts: In my opinion, this man is pure genius. He creates a masterful piece of art fusing language, humor, poetry, rap, culture, beats, satire, coordination, and science. Enjoy.

1 + 1 = 3

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:52:54 EST

I want to share two videos with you. One is about story telling, history and making meaning out of disparate situations. Ken Burns describes how great stories and our understanding of history can be distilled down to 1 plus 1 equals 3.

The other video is about perspective, relativity, and happiness. Rory Sutherland, in a humorous, insightful TedTalk, describes how our world view shifts based on our perspectives. He describes the sweet spot between technology, psychology and economics.

While both videos address completely different topics, I see the themes as interconnected. Both speak directly to how we feel about ourselves, how we view realities and how we change. This is powerfully relevant as educators because this is the stuff of growing up. These are the questions that our students ask – consciously or unconsciously every day.

A powerful manifesto for schools and parents

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:11:38 EST

Please read Tony Wagner's new book, Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change The World.

It is a cogent, powerful and persuasive piece that should be required reading for all parents, teachers, and school leaders. I see it as the very essence of our 21^st Century purpose. It is a roadmap, albeit from the 30,000 ft perspective, for the new curriculum that will prepare and inspire our students.

In his last book, The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need – and What We Can Do About It., he identifies seven essential survival skills for our young people. It is eerie just how connected his words are to the mission of Head-Royce School. He advocates "continuous learning and citizenship in an increasingly flat world". I see the seven survival skills as core competencies for Head-Royce graduates: a required curriculum. The good news is that all of these are embedded in what we do. Some more so than others. They are:

Critical thinking and problem solving
Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
Agility and adaptability
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Scanning and analyzing information
Effective oral and written communication
Curiosity and imagination

In Creating Innovators, Wagner does what all great educators and innovators do. He questions, refines, charges and improves his theories based on new knowledge, research and the realities of unforeseen circumstances. In his new book, he posits that the seven skills are still necessary but not sufficient. The global financial crisis has affected his thinking. He offers "The solution to our economic and social challenges is the same: creating a viable and sustainable economy that creates good jobs without polluting the planet." In order to create innovators, he proposes additional required skills:

Perseverance
A willingness to experiment
Take calculated risks
Tolerate failure
The capacity for design thinking in addition to critical thinking

Please read this book. It speaks to me as a father and school leader. It is where Head-Royce has been and it provides a roadmap for our future.

Everything Good about Oakland

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:41:13 EST

True diversity, phenomenal food, world-class craft breweries, gorgeous geography, a persistent sun, an innovator's DNA, world-class education, start-ups, multilingualism, bay views, mountains, trail running, multiethnic communities, the Fox and the Paramount... all of this adds up to our city of Oakland.

Oakland. I love my new town.

Anyone who has been willing to listen has heard me say since my family moved to Oakland 21 months ago, "I love Oakland." I have become extremely proud of my new hometown. I'm proud of the fact that Head-Royce is a nationally recognized educational exemplar in the city of Oakland.

I've been dismayed at how the national, regional and local media have done such a poor job at describing just what makes Oakland a special place. I've even heard it said by people who love Oakland that they like it this way. Some folks want us to remain as an unknown gem. While I respect that opinion, I think that's a flawed perspective. We do have issues with our infrastructure, business, education, and other crime. Improving these key civic issues can only happen with healthy, balanced planning, an influx of talented people ideas, businesses, young families, creativity and innovation.

One of the magazines that I read on a regular basis is Fast Company. I was absolutely thrilled to read this article today, which espouses the beauty, the wonders, and the magic of the town that I now call home. Enjoy.

Notes and Words for New Families

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:06:36 EST

Many people have asked me to share my remarks from the recent reception we hosted for new parents to Head-Royce School. This coming fall, more than 150 families will begin a new journey with us. And as we do every April, we welcomed these members to our community with much excitement and hope for the future.

Below are seven requests that I ask of our new parents:

	Actively participate in your child's learning by learning with them and encouraging them to make things.
	Journal your thoughts, dreams, worries, and aspirations for your child. And make sure you don't show them.
	Relish watching your child grow, develop their curiosity, and become intellectually inspired.
	Cherish each day with them. College will creep up on you.
	Make friends with other Head-Royce parents.
	Allow them to fail. I mean it. Help them get comfortable with not being perfect. It will help them become resilient.
	Take a breath. Take your time. Allow your child to blossom at their perfect pace. And enjoy the journey.

Once again, welcome to this great school.

*****

In addition, below is a list of seven expectations I presented to our team of new teachers at the beginning of this school year in August:

	Come to work each day with the mission of the School front and center in your mind and guiding each and every action.
	Be positive, engaged, take the initiative and respectful that you are now carrying the responsibility of maintaining HRS's high standards and reputation.
	Set clear, achievable and bold goals that ultimately serve the School and accomplish the role of your particular job.
	Relish and enjoy the students, your colleagues and the parents at least once a day.
	Communicate with those around you with professionalism, timeliness, honesty and respect about things that are going great and also areas of concern.
	Take time each week to look outside of the HRS campus for inspiration and ideas for motivation that will inform and improve what you do here.
	Enjoy your work, have fun, smile, laugh and learn.

I remember well how you are feeling right now. Equal part excitement, anticipation, trepidation, nervousness, anxiety and....an overarching feeling of not being in control for the very fact that you don't know what is coming around the corner.

Here is the good news. You are highly intelligent, talented, and a great fit for our school and your position AND you are not alone. You now have many caring colleagues from every area of school life (teachers, administrators, staff, etc.) who have experience from 2 to 36 years here at the school AND we are all committed to proactively helping you thrive here. I, as much as anyone else, want you to succeed. You can rely on a highly talented team of seasoned educators to help you at each step along the way this year.

We are proud of our mission of scholarship, diversity and citizenship. We ask that all members of our community—students, faculty, parents, alumni and friends—live and breathe the Head-Royce School mission every day.

Steve Jobs as Teacher

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:30:45 EST

I'm an Apple junkie. I don't, however, believe in idealized depictions of real life human beings. So much has been written about Steve Jobs the person, the inventor, and the leader over the past 12 months. Instead of thinking about, how can we help to shape the next Steve Jobs, I think what can I learn from this complicated, talented genius.

Walter Isaacson, the CEO of the Aspen Institute; biographer of Jobs, Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein, synthesized Jobs' key leadership tenets into 14 simple truisms. Individually, they are rather pedestrian. Taken together as guiding principles, they are instructive and moving.

As I reflect on these principles, each one can be applied to our children at school and at home – our kindergarten through to our seniors. Some apply as is. Some, I have altered to speak more directly to the experience and vitality of our young people. Jobs describes 14. For fun, I've added one more.

	Steve Jobs	Rob Lake
	Focus	Listen intently to those around you: friends, parents, and teachers. Pay attention to the small details. Be present with whatever and whoever.
	Simplify	Yes.
	Take Responsibility End to End	Finish well, this is especially important for seniors.
	When Behind, Leapfrog	When behind, recalculate. Take a deep breath. Don't try to accomplish all at once. Take small steps with reasonable goals and get to work.
	Put Products Before Profit	Put process and hard work before grades. Enjoy the journey, relish the effort, learn from the experience, and don't focus simply on the end goal, an A, a certain college, external approval.
	Don't Be a Slave To Focus Groups	Don't be a slave to peer pressures, group think, what everyone else is doing, wearing, listening to and liking. Be individual.
	Bend Reality	Dream big.
	Impute	Connect with/understand on an emotional level, the world and people around you.
	Push for Perfection	Accept nothing less than your best effort. I don't think that striving for perfection is a good lesson for children ages 7-18.
	Tolerate Only 'A' Players	Friends Matter. Understand that your peer groups and the behavior of your friends in life and online, reflect directly on your reputation.
	Engage Face-to-Face	Yes!
	Know Both the Big Picture and The Details	This is particularly hard for young people. Especially before they enter high school. This is a good lesson and a crucial role for parents and teachers. It is our responsibility to hold up both for our kids.
	Combine the Humanities with the Sciences	Interdisciplinary study or trans-disciplinary work in on the future of curricula. The worlds problem and new frontiers are not segmented into finite disciplines. Our job as a 21^stCentury school is to provide learning experiences for students where they are required to bring multiple intelligences and a range of skill sets to a particular problem. The best and most realistic problems require knowledge of design, anthropology, STEM and creativity.
	Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish	Our students have this one down pat. We can stand to be reminded of this regularly
	Diversify your Interests Intentionally	Try new things. Explore. Experiment. Examine. Have fun.

The Magic of the Cockroach Beat Box: A Master Class in 6 Minutes

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:06:14 EST

Great teaching requires a trans-disciplinary skill set.

This six minute TED-Ed Talk is masterful. The teacher, geeked out in his Adidas sweater and cockroach t-shirt, mesmerizes his audience using a subtle and sophisticated palate of pedagogies. In six minutes, he successfully employs six different techniques which, when combined, resulted in a coherent, inspiring learning moment. In six minutes, he sparked the interest of his middle school students in three typically disparate academic disciplines. In six minutes, he accomplished the one single most important element of a master class.

6 Techniques:

Exploration of serious content
Use of humor
Multi-modal delivery
Use of technology
Multiple intelligences
A repeatable, recordable, accessible lesson

3 Disparate Academic Disciplines:

Neuroscience/Biology
Music
Art and Visualization

1 Single most important element to a Master Class:

The students left inspired and asking more questions.

Enjoy.

21st Century Pedagogies: How We Teach

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:45:11 EST

I wake up at night thinking about best practices in teaching. What do our kids need for their future? What do we need to provide as educators to prepare our young minds for their future? How do we shape future inventors, problem solvers, creative makers and ethical leaders? What is the best way to teach?

Andrew Molinsky, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Brandeis University, believes our leaders need to know how to code switch between cultures. Professors Davenport and Iyer from Babson College point to the importance of wielding digital influences for business leaders. Professor Cathy Davidson from Duke University talks about developing our innate skills of "continuous partial attention." While these are interesting concepts to consider for our kids, I am pleased with the innovative, real and substantive approach that our faculty takes for creating just the right learning environment for our students.

Last January, the Head-Royce curriculum committee approved a profoundly important document that describes, in broad strokes, our philosophy of teaching. It is titled the "Head-Royce Principles of Good Practice for 21st Century Teaching and Learning." As research evolves, so will our methodologies. That said, the following paragraph is of particular importance, "As Head-Royce School educators, we are dedicated to cultivating the above skills in our students and partnering with them to educate them for "their future not our past" (Pink). We will work together to stay abreast of the latest research on learning and the brain, understand nuances of student emotional development, learn and use digital technology, and continue to explore best practices for teaching and learning. Ultimately, we will create classrooms that encourage students to participate in experiential learning, take risks, view the world through multiple lenses, utilize innovative tools, and demonstrate proficiencies through a range of assessments that include real world problems and performances."

I have urged our K-12 faculty to redouble their commitment to these principles. The next step is to develop metrics and assessment methodologies to track effectiveness. As we move forward into the 21^st Century, we can take advantage of new technologies, brain research, access to information and a universal belief in the importance of globalism and diversity to shape our learning community.

I have attached our teaching manifesto. Like all good guides, it is a living, evolving document that changes and innovates as we learn more. We expect to revisit, review, test and change our assumptions each year, as we learn.

We must model the best modes of learning to our kids. I look forward to sharing our ongoing learning with you. Please read our philosophy of teaching: Head-Royce Principles of Good Practice for 21st Century Teaching and Learning

The Importance of Writing

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:29:35 EST

I have always loved the craft of writing. It is a uniquely personal and subjective endeavor. The question of what makes a good writer has been the source of good conversation and healthy arguments since time immemorial.

As an English major of Williams, I earned my first job in NYC working as an account executive at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising. I recently came across an internal memo from David Ogilvy to all of his staff titled: "How to Write." After writing a series of mostly mediocre Super Bowl advertizements rehashing tired comedic themes, I thought this memo was particularly apropos. 10 Tips on Writing from David Ogilvy

The Future for our Children

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:10:30 EST

What is the future for our children? What will the world look like in ten years (in 2022) when our current 7th graders graduate from college? How do we prepare our children to be the trend setters, the problem solvers, the content creators, and the ethical leaders? How do we prepare them to survive, thrive, and shape the world that they live in?

At Head-Royce, I know that we need to strike the right balance between content and creative culture. By content, I mean what are the essential foundational concepts that all highly educated people should know? By creative culture, I mean the school needs to be a place where innovation, invention, discovery, failure, problem solving and experimentation are valued and imbued. I don't believe that content and creative cultures are mutually exclusive. In fact, they should be intricately intertwined.

One way to find this balance is to keep in mind the importance of passion and purpose.

Kids are motivated when it comes to things that they are passionate about. When we expose them to a wide range of subjects and teach them about how these disciplines directly impact their lives and the world around them, the magic of learning takes place.

Finding purpose and a sense of meaning is equally important to our young people. They don't like to live in the land of the abstract and unconnected. In fact, social media has helped to shape this generation's insistence on the real, in real-time, in a highly inter-connected manner. Yes, this is a very now-centered generation. However, our kids do care about becoming people of substance. They are concerned about fairness, justice, and equality. Our school's mission matters to our students.

I am constantly thinking about the future of education. It is what drives much of what I read and study. Some of the periodicals that I read and recommend are: Education Week, The New York Times, the BBC, Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, Brain Pickings and Ted talks. I am heartened to read that the issues facing education are aligned with the issues on the minds of this current generation of young business leaders.

From my perspective, here are nine of the big issues facing education today:

1. How will the democratization of and ubiquity of information impact the role of the teacher?

2. How will technology impact and potentially improve teaching and learning?

3. How will the declining state of public education in the United States impact the future of our economy and our sense of connectedness as a nation?

4. How will population growth and the emergence of new economic and cultural world powers impact what is important to know?

5. What are the essential tools, skills, and content for the 21st century curriculum?

6. How do we create truly transdisciplinary, project based learning communities that prepare kids for engaged citizenship in the 21st century?

7. How do we instill a sense of urgency around the issues of natural resources, clean energy, global health, and poverty?

8. How do we instill the importance of ethical behavior across every industry?

9. What does being global mean for our students?

Current Harvard Business School MBAs were asked about the big issues on their minds. They listed: globalization, sustainability, technology, diversity, learning and convergence of the public and private sectors.

In a recent Harvard Business Review piece, they described a study, in which they wanted to understand what was important to some of the brightest young minds entering the work force. Passion and Purpose: Stories from the Best and Brightest Young Business Leaders. December 2011.

If the research is emblematic of young minds, the results are very encouraging. It also is inspiring to me as school head because I see profound similarities between the perspectives of these graduate students and our children here at HRS.

"We wanted to get to know this new set of emerging leaders better. After analyzing the stories of young leaders and conducting a survey of over 500 current business school students, we discovered that their worldviews and backgrounds differ strikingly from previous generations". Here are some highlights from the article:

They're highly educated: 54% of Millennials have college degrees, compared to 36% of Boomers.
They're focused on sustainability: 65% of MBAs believe that the scarcity of resources will significantly impact businesses in the next few decades, compared to 29% of CEOs.
They seek meaning: intellectual challenge is the most important reason for choosing a job.
They're global: The average number of countries where respondents intend to work within ten years of graduation is 4.6.
They're looking to "connect the dots" between sectors: 84% believe its essential to understand the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

Young business people are thinking about leadership in different ways, and a new leadership ethos is emerging.

For starters, young leaders are creating opportunities across sectors - and borders. One of our survey respondents argued, "Business leaders will be forced to recognize and serve a broader community of stakeholders than in previous generations." This "broader community" transcends both sector and geographical boundaries. Furthermore, the fast paced nature of globalization was summed up by another young leader: "Simply understanding national surroundings will no longer be sufficient." The world is becoming global, and these leaders plan to respond.

What is striking, though, is the strong emphasis on the personal and ethical dimensions of leadership. Young businesspeople are viewing leadership with a sense of grace, humility, and serious responsibility. Emphasizing the nature of ethical leadership in the wake of the financial crisis, one respondent argued, "Leaders will be forced to be more transparent about everything from their decision making to their personal lives." On the importance of personal authenticity, another said, "Leadership will be less about climbing a ladder within an established organization - the 21st century is more about defining the ladder through one's actions."

These leaders are starting to live into these beliefs, and organizations need to follow suit. Senior managers and executives can harness the energy of this talented group of future leaders by focusing on the organization's authentic mission, providing young leaders with meaningful opportunities to learn and grow, and promoting transparency. Organizations that pursue such cultures will maximize their chances of attracting, retaining, and motivating today's young leaders, who, like never before, seek strong alignment of their personal values with their professional ambitions."

Many of the words in this article resonate with me and our mission: sustainability, global, leadership, globalization, and the critical dimensions of leadership. The most powerful phrase perhaps is a goal that I have for each of our graduates. I want our graduates to become engaged citizens of the world who make a meaningful, positive impact on the lives of others, "with a sense of grace, humility, and serious responsibility."

My Debate on Education with Larry Summers

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:17:36 EST

Ok, so he knows a bit more about the economy than me. I'll give the former United States Secretary of the Treasury that. However, I know the world of education and I want to critique his January 2012 New York Times article titled: "What You (Really) Need to Know."

In his article, he lists a number of broad theses or concepts that are required for the educated man or woman to know. I agree with some, disagree with others and feel that he missed other essential concepts.

1. "Education will be more about how to process and use information and less about imparting it." I partially agree. I would rewrite this to say "Education will be about how to process, use, and create new information." We cannot forget the important responsibility of creating learning and creating environments. History will instruct and inform. Dreaming about the future will help us to invent.

2. "An inevitable consequence of the knowledge explosion is that tasks will be carried out with far more collaboration." I agree.

3. "New technologies will profoundly alter the way knowledge is conveyed." I agree. In fact, this may be the most profound change in education that will transform how our students learn. The best schools and teachers will use technology to allow students to dig deeper, dream higher and also better customize the learning experience to each individual child.

4. "As articulated by the Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman in "Thinking, Fast and Slow," we understand the processes of human thought much better than we once did." (Of note: read this book, it is important for all of us). Again, I agree. The idea of an "active learning classroom" is one which we have begun to explore at Head-Royce. Because this is a new modality of teaching requiring restructuring of curricula, pedagogies and physical spaces, change is slow. That said, we have embraced the concept and are ahead of the curve.

5. "The world is much more open, and events abroad affect the lives of Americans more than ever before. This makes it essential that the educational experience breeds cosmopolitanism - that students have international experiences, and classes in the social sciences draw on examples from around the world." I agree. In fact, cosmopolitanism, a concept coined by Author Kwame Appiah (a Ghanaian-British-American philosopher, cultural theorist and novelist whose interests include political and moral theory, the philosophy of language and mind, and African intellectual history) in his book Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers is one of the key core competencies espoused by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). However, he goes on to say that language study for our students is not as important because of the emergence of English globally as the lingua franca in business. On this point, I vehemently disagree. He points to business, medicine, and diplomacy. He is ignoring that the best language instruction incorporates a linguistic fluency with a cultural competency. Both are essential to understanding another culture. In fact, the different grammatical rules that shape a particular language are often guided by important cultural norms. In every area of multiculturalism, understanding their language will help our students in whatever endeavor they are engaged in, on a deeper, more meaningful and effective manner.

6. "Courses of study will place much more emphasis on the analysis of data." I think I agree if I understand his point. I would say instead, "Statistics, deep analysis and using math to understand human behavior are essential core disciplines required by the well educated 21st Century citizen."

Finally, and perhaps the most important point of disagreement is with his initial premise: "The expectations of leading universities do much to define what secondary schools teach,"...and..."College campuses are seen as sources for the newest thinking and for the generation of new ideas, as society's cutting edge."

I believe that at Head-Royce, we know how to prepare students for a rigorous intellectual life. Period. During college and beyond, undergraduates consistently tell us that the first years of college are easy. In addition, I would like to change the perception that the innovative ideas, the substantive research, and the "cutting edge" of intellectual thought can only occur during college. He believes that sophisticated and forward thinking academic authors can exist, and that they do is just right for our students here at Head-Royce.

Moonshot Thinking

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:12:07 EST

What is Solve for X? Check out www.wesolveforx.com

All of us should be engaged in moonshot thinking. Everyone of us should watch a Solve for X lecture once a week. Solve for X is "a forum to encourage and amplify technology-based moonshot thinking and teamwork."

Collaborative Science a talk by Professor Adrien Treuille. "This talk describes Foldit and EteRNA, a series of remarkable new scientific discovery games Adrien has helped to create. These games lead up to wonder: how many unknown 'Kasparovs' are out there on the Internet - potential experts at tasks they never knew existed? Is this the future of expertise?"

For more information on Solve for X, go to www.wesolveforx.com

The Greatest Gift - Gratitude

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:34:31 EST

One of the greatest gifts that this country has given to my family is the tradition of Thanksgiving. My Jamaican parents, both independent school teachers, moved to Newport, R.I., in the fall of 1969 with me in tow at age 1.

During a typically gray-brittle New England November day, friends invited us over to celebrate our first Thanksgiving meal. The next year we invited them over and a deeply important tradition was started. For more than the next three decades, as our families grew and another generation was added, we would share the Thanksgiving meal, good food, good drink and stories together. As we know, time, distance, and work can make even the most important traditions difficult to sustain over the years.

Fortunately, now that we are on the west coast, we started a new tradition with new friends last year. It helped to ground our family in this new community. For that, we are grateful.

This is a powerfully moving and emotional time of year for me. The older I get, the more joy I have saying thank you to others.

This morning, I read about what some of our fourth graders are thankful for. Their sentiments are typically beautiful in their honesty and simplicity. They are thankful for: stained glass cookies, Hip Hop dance, animals, sports, birthdays, pickles, garlic fries, chili cheese fries, family, that I wake up every morning, my brother, a good teacher, life, my sister, hamburgers, cats, latkes, hamburgers, education. Seriously? These are 9 and 10 year olds. You cannot make this stuff up.

In what I think is a wonderful focus of scientific study, researchers have spent time studying gratitude. Dr. Robert Emmons, a UC Davis Professor of Psychology and author, writes that gratitude is about "recognizing and acknowledging." First, recognize the good that surrounds us every day. Second, acknowledgement that "the source(s) of this goodness lie at least partially outside the self." I think this is profoundly important. It gets to the heart of the importance of community. In particular, a school community, this school community can and should be one of the sources of things that are good in our lives. Each morning, as I sit in my office with the joyful din of the lower schoolers screeching and laughing on the playground, I am grateful. When I watch the middle schoolers grow in front of our eyes, I am grateful. When I watch the upper schoolers lead, learn, and discover, I am grateful. When Heather and I sit and fidget nervously before our parent-teacher conferences and then come away with the knowledge that Casey and Tucker are in the wonderful hands of talented educators, we are grateful.

Dr. Emmons talks about gratitude in the context of humility: "Gratitude implies humility - a recognition that we could not be who we are or where we are in life without the contributions of others." I love this notion for our children. A sense of selflessness and a sense of being part of something bigger is at the heart of our mission: citizenship.

Emmons reminded me of a quote from the German existential philosopher, Martin Heidegger: "Denken ist Danken."

Thinking is Thanking.

Smart Students Tackling Complex Social Issues

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:16:28 EST

In the current online edition of our student newspaper, The Hawk's Eye, two students provide opposing viewpoints with persuasive and original thought on the now worldwide Occupy movement. Their article is titled "The Occupy Movement: What's the Deal?" In this piece, they open with a neutral introductory description of the movement with admirable journalistic integrity and balance. They put the issue within historical context for the reader. They each then describe their opposing viewpoints with thoughtful and thought provoking writing. The pro side starts, "The Occupy Wall Street movement is a classically American Phenomenon." The con side begins with, "Historically speaking, an amorphous revolution does not suceed." As an educator, as a reader of news, and as a father, I am proud on several levels. The students are interested in engaging with important and complicated social issues. They are writing with balance and force. They are writing from a perspective of knowledge and context. They are making their point without yelling.

Creativity

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:57:53 EST

One of the things that distinguishes us is that our teachers work to teach kids how to invent, create, and solve. We are growing our robotics program. Four years of computer science is now offered in the high school. We begin teaching computer science in the 2nd grade. I believe that the learning needs to extend beyond the nine-month school year, and beyond the traditional textbook approach. This invention brings together three elements that I love: legos, time, and invention. Enjoy.

Rhythm, Practice, Discipline, Harmony

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:43:57 EST

On Wednesday evening, an impressively large and enthusiastic group of Head-Royce parents, students, faculty and siblings was enchanted by the exceptional vocal talents of our Middle and Upper School students at the Fall Choral Concert at Holy Names University. The repertoire was varied in tone, pace, and genre. The program included classics from the Renaissance (such as William Byrd's "Non Nobis Domine") as well as folk songs from places as disparate as Appalachia ("Sourwood Mountain"), Venezuela ("Mata del Anima Sola"), and Southern Africa ("Funga Alafia").

The singers, led by Bob Wells, have trained and practiced to achieve a near perfect form. Their voices became the instruments. This was most evident in Colla Voce's performance of "Past Life Melodies", a haunting song by Sarah Hopkins. This piece required the students to master overtone chanting, also known as harmonic singing. This type of singing is a mesmerizing technique where one person is able to sing two or more notes simulataneously. The first note, known as the fundamental, carries all the other individual notes, which are known as the overtones. When heard together, we only percieve one note. But, when the fundamental note is split up, overtones can be heard as pure separate tones, in perfect harmony with each other. This special effect was moving to the ears.

Finally, special kudos to two amazing soloists: 7th grade flautist, Joanna Gold, as she performed "Flying Free" by Don Besig, and senior soloist Guy Tada as he performed "Mata del Anima" (Tree of the Lonely Soul) by Antonio Estevez. As I watched these young people, three words came to mind: bravery, talent, harmony.

Admissions Open House

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:24:59 EST

On three beautiful fall Sunday afternoons, families from around the Bay Area came to Head-Royce to visit and explore the magic that is HRS. I explained to our prospective families that at Head-Royce, we know our mission, we are true to our mission, and if our mission resonates with you and your child, your son or daughter will be positively transformed and inspired during their time at Head-Royce.

We had more than 1,000 attend our three Open Houses (an average of 365 attending three division Open Houses). And our entire faculty, more than 100 strong, made presentations for our assembled guests.

The Life of the Mind

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:37:12 EST

This morning, I observed three Upper School humanities electives: Modern Drama, Women's Literature, and Shakespeare. Quite frankly, it brought me back to the late 1980s, when I was a college student in Williamstown, MA. The high level of dialogue and intellectual debate was reminiscent of my senior seminars at Williams College.

In Women's Lit, student's discussed their blog posts on the positive affect that microfinance can have in countries where human suffering is prevalent. They brought together their own analysisas informed by articles, movies, and other research.

One door down, students in Modern Drama discussed the psychology of aging as seen through the eyes of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.

Finally, students in the Shakespeare elective made connections between different characters from different plays bound by common themes and personalities. In each class, I was impressed by the teacher's respect for the intellect of our students. Our faculty hold high expectations for the discourse in their classrooms, while our students deliver on their end of the pact, providing thoughtful, focused, curious, and provocative opinions on a variety of complex topics.

The Interconnectedness of Sport, Theatre, and Music

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:45:40 EST

Over the past week, I have enjoyed watching our talented upper class students perform at a variety of levels. Boys soccer made it to the second round of the North Coast Section tournament. Despite a 2-0 loss to Branson School in the driving rain, the boys played with passion, creativity, and grit. Girls Varsity Volleyball is still forging ahead in the post season. I watched them battle back last Friday evening until finally beating cross-town rivals College Prep in the first round of the tournament. They then handily beat International High School 3-1 the following night in a packed HRS Pavilion.

Last weekend was also the opening night of Almost Maine, our US Fall play. I was mesmerized by the talent on the stage of students spanning all of our grades. This morning, I observed Josh Tower leading the Middle School Concert Band practicing a version of "Cold Water Crossing." As I watched the 19 middle school students, I was struck by the similarities between sport, theatre and music. The common thread was communication and coordination.

11 players on the soccer field in the driving rain
6 Volleyball players in the din of a raucous gym
2 thespians on a dimly lit staeg in front of a packed house
19 middle schoolers playing 12 different instruments

Each child was striving for the same thing - a harmonious connection with their mate, led by a coach, all working to a common goal. Each player had a role. Each participant was a part of a broader whole. Any one individual could not accomplish anything on their own. Coordination and harmony only occurred when each person played their small part within the scheme of the whole plan, the system, the game plan, the strategy, the stage manager's vision. Reliance on the other allowed each individual to shine. In sport, the communication was unstated, practiced, but omnipresent. In orchestra, the communication was auditory and visual. Different modes but equally esential for success.