Chaos theory or more simply put “Everything is one” the interconnectedness of life, of teaching and of learning

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-butterfly-effect.htm

A few years ago I became familiar with the Chaos Theory also known as the Butterfly Effect. It is simply defined something like - when a butterfly flaps her wings in Africa it rains in NYC.

More specifically defined on Wikipedia (Yes, I think Wikipedia can sometimes be a good resource): 

       In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence   on initial conditions, where a small change at one place in a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state. The name of the effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the theoretical example of a hurricane's formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks before (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect).

The chaos theory sometimes is demonstrated through emergent behaviors that may appear as complex behaviors, unpredictability random and not necessarily connected to anything else. But in reality all behaviors that occur within chaos, although not always predictable, are connected. 

In earlier posts on this blog you might read some adventures of my dogs, Lizzie and Schooner. They are two dogs with two very different personalities but they think they are one dog. If one gets a cookie the other gets a cookie. If Lizzie goes to the vet then Schooner lives in disorientation and chaos because he does not really understand that Lizzie is not part of him because they are so interconnected. Their behaviors are usually predictable, sometimes random, connected and somewhat organized and somewhat chaotic. 

Every now and then when we watch a large flock of birds flying it appears that there is no formation or the formation becomes disorganized in some kind of radon motion. But in reality, during the flight the birds are changing their organizational flying pattern. When geese are flying in a V shape after a period of time the pattern changes for those of us watching them and change in the flying pattern looks like random motion. However, what is really happening is a change in the head goose – the leader goose is changing position with another goose that then becomes the leader of the V formation, like similar chaos that often occurs with a change in leadership. When a new principal comes to a school his/her leadership style and expectations may cause some chaos and confusion within the school community. 

All kinds of things impact what chaos theory experiences in schools and classrooms. Sometimes emergent classroom behaviors appear as complex behaviors and not connected to anything else and unpredictability random and a teacher may wonder what happen. Where did that behavior come from? But in reality, all classroom behaviors occur within chaos although not always predictable yet they are connected and interconnected to other life experiences.

A direct connection of the chaos theory, the butterfly effect to our class last week was when I made cookies. Earlier in the day when making the cookies I used a different recipe than I usually use but I still added some of my favorite ingredients but not in the recipe I was using. The first batch turned out good but the 2nd batch of cookies, well, those cookies got a little burned. Even though I was in the kitchen while they were in the oven I was distracted. My son unexpectedly came home and I did not get the cookies out of the oven in time. Then I had to share some of the cookie with him, after all he is my son, but I limited how many cookies he could eat. Each cookie he ate limited the number of non-burned cookies for class.  I did not need to bring cookies to class – but I wanted to. So the chaos theory – butterfly effect impacted our first night class cookies.

At home happily making cookies for class; changed the recipe;   added additional ingredients; someone stops by and distracts me; cookies burn; need to share some of good cookies with unexpected guest; fewer good cookies for class; students eat the cookies; no one gets sick (that I know of); almost all the cookies gone at end of class. The butterfly flapped her wings and I burned cookies. 

An another example about the butterfly effect and curriculum occurred one day while I was observing a class. I was the editor for the Aims Newsletter for several years and I created a column titled “Everything is one.” I got the idea one day when I was visiting a looped 6th - 8th grades classroom as the students were in a debriefing conversation about a just completed interdisciplinary curriculum. The students really enjoyed it and shared many positive aspects of it. One 6th grade young adolescent said, “What I liked about it was that everything was one. There was not science, then math, then social students, then language arts. Everything was connected. Everything was one.” I was so enchanted by his comment I created the “Everything is one” column so other MLEs could also share their interdisciplinary curricular stories. 

For years, in the history of education, curriculum content was connected and everything was one but a time came when educators believed that it was important to teach each discipline as distinct and separate from other disciplines. However, the last several years more and more middle level educators are creating interdisciplinary curriculum and content is becoming interconnected like the butterfly effect. 

Me visiting a school; students sharing their reflections; student saying something cool; I like his idea; I make it a title to a column in a professional publication where middle level educators could share their interdisciplinary curricular ideas with other MLEs. The butterfly flapped her wings and I created a column in a professional publication. 

My two examples are fairly simple and to the point but share how small differences impact outcomes. As you know there are far more complicated classroom chaos theory - butterfly effects situations. Maybe a student has not eaten, or is ill, maybe the teacher has a family situation that is complicating his or her life and maybe…. maybe… maybe… therefore classroom teaching and learning is impacted. There are so many chaos theory variables to identify in teaching and learning. 

I could share more examples but I am passing being in the front of the flying V shape to you. Now it is your turn to share a story, simple or complex, of how you see the interconnectedness – the butterfly effect, the chaos theory active in life and in school and in classrooms. Share how you think students, families, attitudes, schools, educators; politicians are butterflies flapping their wings and impacting classroom expectations and behaviors. 

Please post your reflection back to this blog under comments section.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-butterfly-effect.htm

 To learn more about Chaos Theory read http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=JnlkKdDXk-I

The long and the short of it

During my daily dogs walks with Lizzie and Schooner I ponder and reflect a lot about teaching, learning and young adolescent students. I frequently see the world of teaching through a similar lens as providing successful walks with my dogs. When I work with young adolescents and or observe at schools I am constantly reminded of classroom behaviors that students need for successful learning and instructional behaviors that teachers need to practice to ensure their students have successful classroom experiences. Like my need to provide my dogs successful walks. In addition to knowing how to control the middle path of different directions on my daily dog walks with Lizzie and Schooner (see the post The Middle Way – the Balanced Classroom) I have learned that each dog prefers – and more honestly speaking - needs a certain leash. Lizzie likes a long leash so she can explore her environment on her walks. She needs a little extra freedom that comes with a longer leash. She likes to explore and take risks and is very sociable and barks at every dog she sees. On the other hand, Schooner needs a short leash. When he is on a longer leash his legs gets caught in it. He does not like the slack of a longer leash – he will sometimes just stop walking until I tighten the leash. Schooner is a creature of habit. He does not like going in different directions on a walk and likes doing his business in the same places. If we go another direction on a walk he is not sure where to do his business. Because of this he is very stubborn and sometimes will stop walking. He puts his breaks on and looks at me as if saying, “You can’t make me walk that way. I dare you.” Somehow they each know the difference between the two leashes we use. Sometimes, especially when I am in a hurry, I put the wrong leash on them. After we walk out of the yard to start our walks they both will almost freeze – because they are uncomfortable – somehow they know the difference between the leashes. Maybe they know the color they usually wear or can tell by the weight of the leash – all I know is that each of them wants to wear his leash or her leash. Schooner also likes to carry one of his stuff pet animals with him on our walks. They seem to provide him a little extra security on our walks – like preschools and elementary students, and yes, even some young adolescents carry a small security toy or security token to help them make it through the day, Schooner needs one of his toys. Lizzie has absolutely no need to carry a toy with her. I think of this middle road of appropriate understanding for Lizzie and Schooner behaviors and how it applies to successful dog walks parallels to teacher behaviors and student behaviors for successful classroom learning and teaching. Some students need more flexibility and room to roam, think and to act in order to learn while other student needs a tighter leash – they cannot handle extra freedom and flexibility. Some students may need pipe cleaners to help them focus in class while others will never use them. It is our jobs as educators to know how to engage different kinds of student behaviors and what is expected and needed for successful class. If I expect Lizzie and Schooner to have a successful dog walk I need to appreciate their differences and how to ensure that I provide the correct materials and environment for them. Just like I cannot blame my students’ innate needs in what works best for them. I cannot blame Lizzie if she cannot handle a shorter leash nor can I blame Schooner if he cannot handle a longer leash. That is who they are for whatever reason. As an educator I need to be able to identify complications, struggles and successes my student have and need. Middle level educators can recognize most of their students’ needs – but it can be challenging to actually meet each student’s needs, especially everyday. Is this why that each child in each class does not have a successful day every day? Is it even a reasonable expectation that each teacher can meet the needs of each student each day each week each month to ensure each student’s daily success? It is remarkable that educators are expected to ensure success for each student each day each week and each month. It is hard to imagine that this is even a possibility. What other profession expects such ultimate success and has the same expectations? Maybe a pilot to ensure that the plane departs and lands successfully. Maybe a physician to make sure each patient has a successful visit – but a physician meets with one patient at a time. But educators – we have many students at one time, each with unique needs and we are expected to ensure each student’s success – some teacher can do an amazing job of it – while others do not fair so well. How do educators decide how to focus their attention for student success or teaching success for learning success? Do certain students get more attention than others because they are easier to work with while others are more challenging because they need more attention? Or “their way?” Because of Schooner’s need to have a routine, and less of a need to explore and take risks on our daily dog walks go more in his direction, just like more needy students often determine the direction a class moves. Does Lizzie get less of an experience because she has to follow the needed routine of Schooner? How do educators decide how to tighten or loosen the leashes? Do Lizzie like students get a better walk or a better learning day or do Schooner like students demand the direction of the walk or the direction of the class? What do you think? How do you plan to or how do you address the Lizzie like and the Schooner like students in your classroom as well as the Max, Buddy, Alice, Daisy, Coco
, Lily
, Princess
, Emma
, Annie, Rosie
, Ruby, Lady
, Rocky, Charlie, Buster
, Lucky
, Oliver
, Oscar
, Rusty
, Lulu
, Brandy, Jasmine and Dakota like students? What are your thoughts?

Five wonders… Five questions... Five things to do…

Five wonders… Five questions... Five things to do…

As some of you are beginning your careers as an educator or maybe some of you have been already worked in schools for a while – there are things that you may wonder or that you have questions about being a teacher or that you have ideas of things you want to do.

I know when I first started teaching I did not really think that much about how I would do things in a classroom. I was happy to get a job and I that I had to start planning my classes. I graduated in December and then started teaching at the end of January; I started teaching mid year at the change of semesters. I liked very much the high school where I would begin my career and was very excited.

Since I started teaching mid year at the change of semesters I actually had the luxury to observe the teacher that I would be replacing. So I knew for sure some things that I would not do by observing her and I knew one thing for sure that I would do. I decided I was to have a discipline classroom. I was not sure how I would do it but I knew that is what she did not have it and I was going to. I had less than two weeks to get my plans intact but whatever I planned worked.

I cannot remember back to specifics those 40 plus years ago when I first started teaching but I know I did have some wonderings; I did have lots questions and I did have ideas, lots of ideas. I was fortunate to have a principal who mentored me and allowed me to be creative and to take risks.

As you are preparing to be a teacher or if you already teaching, share in your reply to this blog post:

1. Five things you wonder about being a teacher….

2. Five questions you have about being a teacher and would like to ask current practicing teachers….

3. Five ideas, as an educator, you want to use in a classroom or in a school …

I look forward to learning your thoughts. Maybe we can get some explore your lists and get some strong responses.

C12TM

C12TM

In class I shared the C12TM vision of the MLEP.

The Letter C (not the letter B or the let it b) words; Changing abundant information through a Challenging Curriculum fosters Curiosity in a Caring, Creative, Collaborative, Culturally diverse, globally Connected Classroom within a Technological Media Community advocating while Cultivating teacher leadership and formed the C12TM. Therefore the vision became the C12TM acronym.

There are many such acronyms in education. Through the academic lens possibly one of the most famous is the 3Rs – Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. (This always drove me crazy since two of the 3Rs words are incorrectly spelled.) As research reveals the creation of the 3Rs ideology was first identified in an 1825 book (The Mirror of literature, amusement, and instruction, Volume 5‬ edited by Thomas Byerly, John Timbs p. 75). (BTW the book is online microfiche if you want to read). It is hard for me to read because of the age of the book and the typeset - but it is a pretty interesting read). The editors share that Sir William Curtis (a member of Parliament) referenced them in a toast. But the American public became fond of them and has embraced referencing them throughout time.

When I studied and taught exercise physiology and fitness I added a 4th R “Running” to the traditional 3Rs.

Even as recent as October I reference then 3 Rs at the last MLEP advisory board meeting in October. Basing the theme for the meeting on new 3 Rs. This time the 3Rs represented the need in Middle Level Education to provide Rigor Relevance Reflection.

YAs need a school experience and curriculum that expects and provides rigor – realistic challenges and expectations.

YAs want and deserve schooling experiences and curricula that are relevant and authentic to what they know, value and can connect to.

YAs need time to reflect on what they are learning and why it is important and how to make sense of their “planned learning” experiences in school.

YAs need time for rigorous realistic relevant reflective connections to their learning experiences and to their personal lives. OK, so I added another R

Middle level educators, like all educators, also need time to reflect. The time and the need to reflect on their students, the curricula, what they are doing right, what they are not doing right, what they can do better, what they would like to change, and the educator reflection list can continue.

In this post I want your reply to this blog posting to be based on a reflection. I want you to reflect and then create your own 3 letters – any alphabet three letters - acronym that identifies as a focus for what you think, advocate and will practice in your middle level classroom. Share your three letters and then define what each letter represents and how you will implement it in your classroom and then post and reply your reflection on this blog.

Look at the sky…. Breath in five… hold for five… release for five…. do five times a day…

In class we have discussed wondering, pondering and reflecting. Sometimes as adults we have such moments when we are driving, riding on the train, or often like I do when I am walking my dogs. If you read a couple of my previous post on this website you can read such dog walking ponders as I look for a common walking path and in the classroom ponders of a balance between rigor and high expectations and nurturing students.

Blog post #1 Part 1
In writing this blog post I am connecting the practices of wondering, pondering and reflecting as well as developing a balance in classrooms between rigor and high expectations for students and nurturing students. Both of these concepts I am relating to a previous student through his My Life in Six Songs CD lesson plan and to a quote that he sent me a couple of weeks ago.

The song he chose to write his lesson plan was the Ottis Redding song “Sitting on the doc of the bay.” Not connecting to the exact meaning of the song as written but rather the opportunity of “sittin on the doc of a bay – watching the tide roll away. Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay Wastin' time.” (If you are not familiar with the song I have placed at the bottom of this blog post the lyrics as well as a youtube link to the song.)

My student was advocating in his lesson plan the need for young adolescent students not to have all time in school and after school scripted and planned and that it is OK to “waste some time” and to enjoy the moment. He identifies in his lesson that, “The overall mission of this assignment is to allow YA students the opportunity to reflect on how and where they find themselves “sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time” and why that might not be the worst use of their free time. The goal of the lesson builds community in the classroom as students come to see that their peers also find themselves “wasting time” and that thinking and reflecting alone or with a companion is a very real and human experience.”

Actually “waste some time” is something that some of us adults need to do as well., without feeling guilty. Maybe we are also too scripted with too much to do.

Blog post #1 Part 1 Response:
In your response to this blog write if you think such a practice is a good idea and if so how can you help your students “waste time” in a constructive way – a way of wondering, pondering, reflecting. Also share ways and opportunities for how you might take some time to waste – to wonder, ponder, reflect.

Blog post #1 Part 2

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein

I recently received the above quote from the student who said that when he read it he thought of me. When I asked him why this quote made him think of me he replied, “The perception and achievement of balance in life looks and feels different for us all. Your blog about walking Lizzie and Schooner certainly showed one way of seeing that balance! Also, I will never forget your comment about how important a bicycle is to young adolescents and their sense of freedom and independence. So when I read the Einstein quote, I had to share it with you.”

I have to agree with his connection of balance between rigor and high expectations for students and nurturing students to that of riding a bike. I had not yet thought about the concept but how true it is. Maybe if I had recently been riding my bike I might have thought about how the balance in riding a bike is like maintaining the classroom balance between classroom rigor and high expectations and nurturing students - but I was guided to the concept through my student. For those of you who ride a bike – you know the true sense of balance it takes to ride.

When I think about it riding a bike is possibly one of the purest examples of balance than any other activity - unless maybe riding a motorcycle – which a similar balance is needed – although a different position is needed when turning a corner [ask me about the scar on my leg from when I was riding a motorcycle with Roger R when I was in high school and my parents did not know it and then I got a really really bad burn from the exhaust pipe because I did not lean the correct way and then lied to my mom how I got the injury. (I told her a corn stalk jabbed and cut my leg). I look back now and realize my mom had to know I was lying because an exhaust burn looks nothing like a corn stalk cut.] Anyway, I digress, back to bicycle balance….

When many people learn to ride a bicycle one usually rides a tricycle first and then practices riding a bicycle with training wheels. Then after we have some experience and confidence in developing balance our training wheels come off and we are on own. We have learned to balance.

For teachers to develop classroom balance between rigor and high expectations and nurturing we need classroom experience and training wheels. Our training wheels might be the experiences we face in the classroom that allow us to develop the skills and find the necessary balance of high expectations and support or by having mentors to help us develop the balance. When we learn how to balance our classroom experiences and know how to use that balance which will vary from classroom to classroom – day to day - we have the freedom in our teaching and working with young adolescents as they have the freedom of riding their bikes down the driveway – into the street and off to a friend’s house – independent of his/her parents. A feeling of comfort in balance, adventure, confidence, and expectations of self has been acquired although maybe possibly challenged upon occasion in the future. We still fall off bikes as adults – as we may make a “mis take” or error in finding a classroom balance.

Blog post #1 Part 2 Response

So for this part of your blog response post write how you plan or currently connect and develop a balance between rigor and high expectations and nurturing for your students and the possible freedom as an educator you felt when you found such balance.

(SITTIN' ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCmUhYSr-e4

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/topgun/sittingonthedockofthebay.htm
- written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper

Lyrics as recorded by Otis Redding December 7, 1967, just three days before his death in a plane crash outside Madison, Wisconsin #1 for 4 weeks in 1968

Sittin' in the mornin' sun
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time

I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
'Cause I've had nothing to live for
And look like nothin's gonna come my way

So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time

Look like nothing's gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same, yes

Sittin' here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home

Now, I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Oooo-wee, sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time


Blog post #2 Once other students in class have posted something on their blogs read a couple and post a reply to one.

Blog posting #3 Check out some on the advice and obstacles from some of the board members on the web site

http://web.me.com/yamwbp/Advice_4_MLEs/Welcome.html.

Compare your views on teaching and learning and the obstacles you identified to those provided on the website and then post a short paragraph in your blog.

Blog 4# Go to other educators’ blogs and explore what they are writing and sharing. Try to read at least three educator blogs. Take one of the blogs and post a reply to the blog sharing you thoughts about what was written. Start with thefischbowl.blogspot.com – there are several teachers’ blogs - on the ride side of the scroll down and you will see them

A Balanced Walk

A Balanced Walk

Blog post #1

In a previous post titled "The Middle Way" I wrote about how educators try to have a balanced classroom, a middle path to nourish wisdom and while caring for and care about the success of students. It is important for educators to have compassion for students (one side of the path) and we know it is equally important to have a challenging and rigorous curriculum full of wisdom (the other side of the path), especially today with curricular and pedagogical practices where both students and teachers are assessed and evaluated. (You can read the blog post; it is the third one from the top in this blog). I frequently think about this concept as I walk my dogs.

Sometimes Lizzie pulls me on her leash one way and wants to go that direction (caring — supportive) while Schooner has no intention of going that way and is pulling his leash and me to the other direction (rigor, challenge, assessment). There are the three of us — at a stand still —with my arms stretched in both direction with little progress traveling the dog walk path.

Over the years I have had to determine a middle path to balance Lizzie and Schooner and their needs on our daily walks. In a way it is like riding a horse and having the right amount of tension and balance on the reigns so the horse can perform gracefully.

Since I wrote "The Middle Way" blog posting I have been on many many walks with my dogs; we still are working at finding a balance in our walks and I am still thinking about a balanced classroom. I have figured out some ways for more balanced dog walks. Simply I have figured out that not every dog walk needs to totally balanced.

When there is little traffic, no other dogs present and no one running to catch the train I let go of one leash giving that dog a little extra freedom to do what dogs do on a walk. Then a little later the other dog gets a loser leash and has some extra freedom to explore. Sometimes on early morning or late evening walks when there is no traffic in the alley I let go of both leashes giving both dogs at the same time creative exploratory moments. When I do this it makes my job as a dog walker a little more challenging because I have to be very alert so neither dog gets in harm's way, even though the dogs are never more than 2--3 feet away from me. When we return from the walks we are all a happier.

I guess this is what we need to do as educators; we need to know that every class, every day does not have to be totally continually balanced. We have to demonstrate both caring behaviors and behaviors of high student expectations each day in some way because in each of our classes we have a range of Lizzies and Schooners. Each student having different kinds of needs, usually not in harmony at the same time with each other. Some students pull us to one side of the path while others pull us to the other side of the path but all needing at the end of the day both compassion and rigor.

Balance in our classes is influenced from forces outside the school whether they are family situations, political demands, or district concerns. Some of these influences educators have little or no control but somehow we have to find a balance in their expectations and what is best for you students.

Since you have been thinking about and identifying your views on teaching and learning and obstacles in education reply to this blog by writing and posting a short paragraph on how your views and identified obstacles might in impact a balanced classroom. What will you do to address such demands in order to provide the right amount of balance for each student, each Lizzie and each Schooner in your class?

Blog post #2
Once other students in class have posted something on their blogs read a couple and post a reply to one.

Blog posting #3
Check out some on the advice and obstacles from some of the board members on the web site

http://web.me.com/yamwbp/Advice_4_MLEs/Welcome.html.

Compare your views on teaching and learning and the obstacles you identified to those provided on the website and then post a short paragraph in your blog.

Blog 4#

Go to other educators’ blogs and explore what they are writing and sharing. Try to read at least three educator blogs. Take one of the blogs and post a reply to the blog sharing you thoughts about what was written.

"We build the road the road builds us"

“We build the road the road builds us." Sarvodaya Shramadana

Every tradition was once new. This concept can apply to many aspects within society from families, to communities but especially in schools. There comes a time with each tradition, a time to continue to hold onto the tradition and then a time to let it go. But there are no directions or guidelines to let us know how much longer we still need to continue to hold on and there are no directions when it is time to let go.

Imagine three old traditions – three old ideas-traditions in education that you think that right now is the time to let them go. Identify them and briefly write why you think it is time to let them go.

After you have identified the old traditions in school to let go then identify three new ideas or new possible traditions in education that you think it is time to start, right now. Write why you think these three ideas are important to start now and how you might start them.


The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement is the largest people's organization in Sri Lanka. Sarvodaya is Sanskrit for "Awakening of All' and Shramadana means to means “to donate effort” (http://www.sarvodaya.org Retrieved November 21, 2010).

Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQFLvOCSWs&feature=related and/or http:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Fd1g2PXLE and think of one way that with your students you can create a new tradition that a difference can be made – not just doing something for a community or organization but working with people in the community or organization. Share the idea and a possible game plan to make it work.

Imagine