For Teachers, More Experience Means More Effectiveness, Right?

Common wisdom and current pay scales suggest that the longer one teaches the more effective they become.  However, there is substantial research to suggest that the relationship between experience and effectiveness is not so linear. Here (The Impact of Teacher Experience) is a link to a recent publication from the Urban Institute. In short, teachers, on average, make substantial gains in their first five years of teaching.  After this point, however, gains are marginal, and there is some evidence to suggest that, on average, there can be points of decline. "This and other research shows that, on average, teachers with more than 20 years of experience are more effective than teachers with no experience, but are not much more effective than those with 5 years of experience" (Rice, 2010, p. 2).  The brief does acknowledge the heterogenity across subjects and grade-levels and the complexity of differential attrition rates and teaching positions (e.g., high vs. low poverty schools). Nonetheless, the findings are noteworthy--experience does not always correlate to increases in student achievement!

Price suggests front-loading experience and pay in the first few years, adding incentives for on-going professional development, redistributing experienced teachers. Beyond these general suggestions, how can we help teachers continually better their practice?  From a more controversial standpoint, how can we attract teachers who are more driven to improve their practice?  From (my favorite) a person-environment fit perspective, how do we shape the profession so that it promotes growth and attracts growth-oriented people? As a school psychologist, I cannot help to wonder the relationships between teacher experience and students' relationship with teachers, or social-emotional well-being.

Inevitably, there will be some marked decline in marginal improvement, but to see actual declines in effectiveness is unsettling and a call to action.  This is certainly an opportunity to move the profession forward, and let's not forget the ultimate benefactor-- Students!   

Coping with Loss

At my clinical internship, I am working to understand the trauma and healing that occurs for African American males in Oakland.  Much of their experience is very different from mine, and I work to circumvent those differences.  The students' struggles, and the therapeutic struggle are trying endeavors, and everyone is working for incremental gains in self-determination, healing, well-being.

Because these victories can be small, I was elated to stumble upon this NPR blog  (full disclosure: Tracy actually found the link).  The men from Oakland in the video below recently experienced the death of a friend/half brother.  Their expression of grief and coping is unique, real, and beautiful.  

Divine Opinions

I recently had a political discussion with a friend. She acknowledged that, despite her moderate views, she believes on most social issues, "there just is no other side to it".

I remembered this conversation when I read news based on the pentagon report that 70% of service men and women polled about the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy were in favor of allowing openly gay members in the military. Other headlines read,

Pentagon Says It's Safe to Overturn Gay Ban (Fox)

and

Letting Openly Gay Troops Serve Won't Hurt Military (CNN)

Since when do the principles of democracy apply to civil rights issues? Why did we need 70% of service members to tell us, that, in their humble opinion, there would be no negative ramifications of the repeal?

Oliver Duggan deplored this paradox: Instead of celebrating the results of the poll, we should ensure the civil rights of a group are never again left to the opinion of the majority (think: any civil rights historical example).

This is what Gary Olsen was referring to in his 2007 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, on the 'Apotheosis' of opinion. That is, exalting a subject to a divine level.

Here he laments,

"Apparently, nowadays an opinion will trump a fact, a reasoned argument, an empirically verified observation -- even a treatise by an eminent scholar. An opinion is the great equalizer, and everyone has one. It silences all arguments, squelches all dialogue: That's your opinion. End of discussion."

Further,

"...others are training themselves not to become critical thinkers, not to search for evidence or support of an assertion, and not to hold themselves or others accountable for the assertions they make."

We are perpetuating these notions when we leave critical policy decisions up to opinion. I can picture it now - the anti-DADT politicians in Washington, fingers crossed, waiting for the results of the poll, and thinking,

"Gee, I really hope the service members don't think our ideas are too dangerous for the military".

Recent Education Documentaries

Two recent documentaries have stoked debates in education.  I have viewed both, and I wanted to briefly comment on the films, their meta-messages, and their influence on education.  Hopefully, this is helpful in the discourse, rather than incendiary for proponents or opponents.  

Waiting for Superman
Website: www.waitingforsuperman.com
Trailer


I enjoyed this movie.  Despite some seemingly misleading depictions or hyperbolic anecdotes, the movie was engaging, clean, and well-produced.  The over-arching message is one the continued disparities and shortfalls in the public education system.  In a cathartic manner, the movie exposes the lottery system that can dictate--for many students--who gets into a high-achieving charter school and who remains as their under-performing non-charter public school. Further, teacher unions are demonized and pilloried.  The movie shows dramatically and redundantly how amazing charter schools can be, but it does not give equal time to the 80% of charter schools that function at or below the level of the average public school.   I wish the movie had focused more on what exactly makes up an effective teacher and how to professionalize the practice, rather than bifurcating two types of schools.  However, I really appreciated the point of relative accountability among professions.

Race to Nowhere
Website: www.racetonowhere.com/
Trailer


Cinematically, this was a weak film.  Low budget or not, this film could have been sharper and more aesthetically engaging. As related to education, the meta-message is that a focus on standards, tests, and normative competition is having a negative influence on our students' social-emotional well-being and their ability to think critically.  Moreover, the essence of childhood is lost when schedules are packed and expectations are raised too high.  I felt like the move did not rely enough on the data, and I would have appreciated more cross-generational comparisons.  Further, in my opinion, the efforts to generalize this problem across socioeconomic groups came up short and rang false.  The best asset of the movie was its conclusion which provided concrete actions that various stakeholders can take.

Both movies have started a dialogue and brought attention to the education system, which I see as positives.  Further, I enjoyed watching both movies, and I left the theaters with a sense of purpose and motivation. On the whole, I think both movies tended to be somewhat reductionistic (but this is to be expected, right?).  To close, I think these films should help motivate us to seek out the true nature of the problems and evidence-based solutions, rather than replace the data and heterogeneity across the education system. 

Watch them, and let me know what you think!

Reliving my childhood... Two Glorious Nights with the Braves

Flashback to the 1990s. Growing up, I watched the Braves all the time. I have the 1995 newspapers from the playoffs, I cried in 1996 when the Yankees beat the Braves in 6 games, and my mom took me on a tour of Turner Field for my 12th birthday. Every year, the Braves made the playoffs, my teachers would show the games on TV at school, and I would always write letters to my favorite players (like Ron Gant, Fred McGriff, and Tom Glavine). In short, the Braves represent something nostalgic and formative for me.

Flash to 2010. I haven't seen the Braves play live since 2008. I keep up with the team through box scores and headlines, but this is a far cry from watching them nightly at the dinner table. This year, however, the Braves made the playoffs for the first time in five years. They clinched the Wild Card in the last game of the regular season,  and serendipitously they faced off with the San Francisco Giants. The Braves were in the playoffs, and I was acting like a 10-year old... Suddenly, it was feeling more like the 1990s.

Seizing the opportunity, Tracy and I committed to go to both games in San Francisco. Luckily, Tracy's dad was able to help out with some great seats for the first game, and our friends, Dave and Adena, got us a deal on a couple seats for the second game. And the games did not disappoint! I saw an amazing performance by Giants' pitcher, Tim Lincecum; Bobby Cox's last ever ejection; a comeback Braves win in extra innings; and two beautiful nights at AT&T ballpark. I also got my fair share of heckling from Giants fans and two amazing dates with Tracy! A few pictures for the annals.  

Game 1: Lowe vs. Lincecum, a one-run thriller

Me, Tracy, Adena, and Dave at Game 2

Two Lone Braves Fans at Game 2; An unforgettable comeback capped with a Braves Homerun hit into the Bay

Since, the Braves lost to the Giants in four games. It matters not. Reliving my childhood for two days was priceless. Go 2011 Braves!

Stigma Matters

Mental health is gaining traction within insurance policies, and public opinion is slowly moving. However, certain sectors of society are continually plagued by the damning stigma of mental health. Specifically, the social norms of many male-dominated arenas have hindered the ability of some to seek care, preventative or reactive. I have written about the difficulties that our soldiers and veterans are confronted with mental health issues (July 10 Post).  And the same could be said for professional athletes.

It appears that, Kenny McKinley, an NFL player, recently committed suicide after battling depressive symptoms.  In a subsequent article, there is evidence that Kenny had shared his suicidal ideation before taking his life. "'He had made statements while playing dominoes shortly after the surgery that he should just kill himself,' an unnamed investigator reported, via the AP. 'No one believed he was serious,'" the article stated.

The knee-jerk reaction to incidences of mental health problems in these populations is that resources should be made available to players.  The reality is, however, that resources are available. In fact, as a recent article indicates (Despite Resources, Players Reluctant to Seek Help), there are services offered to help players cope with various issues (e.g., financial, family). Within their player development program, free counseling sessions and trained staff people are made available on a regular basis.  Further, "The NFL Players Association hands out cards with the number of a helpline. There are life skills classes, both mandatory and voluntary, taught on a regular basis."

So why aren't players getting help?
No one can be certain why Kenny did not seek help or if it would have prevented his suicide. Yet, it is likely that the stigma of mental illness prevents players like Kenny from utilizing psychological services. As participant of society, it is important to understand how we act, react, and participate in mental health prevention and remediation; these actions dictate the connotations and stereotypes of mental health, which may influence how welcome others feel in seeking help. This is especially true in masculine jobs. 

Therapizing, Researching, and Covering Long Distances

[Disclaimer: I'm missing family, so I thought I'd blog to catch some of them up on my semester so far.]

As it turns out, when the semester begins, life gets crazy busy...

My weekdays have been filled with an internship as a therapist at a non-public school for students with emotional-behavioral difficulties. The challenges facing my clients are profound, transgenerational, and incredibly obdurate.  My role is designed to be a therapist, but by necessity, I am adopting roles as teacher consultant, case manager, and (fill in the blank to whatever is needed at the moment).  I'm making some strong professional relationships, and I am being challenged emotionally, professionally, and philosophically.  With great challenge is coming great reward (I hope!).  In my short time, I have quickly re-realized what an amazing dice-roll I received from God/cosmos (stability, support systems, privilege, etc.).

My weeknights have been filled with research on three different projects. First, I am continuing my own research on person-environment fit and student motivation. I am submitting my first solo piece for publication in the upcoming months! Second, I am working with a local charter school to conceptualize and measure gains in their first years.  Tomorrow, I am presenting our findings to the teachers.  My final project deals with high-schoolers' college knowledge (and I'm finding really interesting trends across SES and racial/ethnic groups!).

My weekends are consumed by endurance races. And by races, I mean finishing the distance in how ever long it takes me.  This month, I ran my first two ultra-marathons (both 50kms), the latter being much faster and more enjoyable.  Lou and Daniel provided some much-needed nutritional and preparation counsel, which benefited me greatly on the second go-around. Tracy has been supportive of these self-indulgent Saturdays. Tracy and I cycled to the summit of Mt. Tam two weekends ago, and this weekend, we are heading to Lake Tahoe for a Century.  Although I have loved my trail runs, I am anxious to get into the saddle. 

Never a dull moment.

A look at how we give care in the last moments

After a 5-month hiatus, I've returned, spurred by the threat of being booted from the blog's byline and the looming presence of another semester...

I want to share two articles on end-of-life care. If you have some time, read Atul Gwande's article in the New Yorker. (I really, highly, strongly recommend this article -- essential reading)

Next, read a shorter article on the same topic in the New York Times.

Gawande's article presents the end-of-life debate with perfect juxtaposition of fact, reason, and emotion. I found myself releasing my breath in long, deep sighs, as if to comfort myself with the control.

What happens when we are faced with a situation when tubes and pills and caustic solutions running into our veins and breathing machines and new organs leave us in more pain, more depressed, and alive not one day longer? On the day of our diagnosis, or even our birth, did we imagine ending our struggle like this?

"Spending one’s final days in an I.C.U. because of terminal illness is for most people a kind of failure. You lie on a ventilator, your every organ shutting down, your mind teetering on delirium and permanently beyond realizing that you will never leave this borrowed, fluorescent place. The end comes with no chance for you to have said goodbye or 'It’s O.K.' or 'I’m sorry' or 'I love you.' "

A cultural phenomenon has led us to a place where we believe if we acknowledge death we acknowledge defeat.

I recently read a spiritual book that implored its readers to remind themselves of their mortality each day, then ask, "How do I live, knowing I will die?" By acknowledging death (for some this is more imminent than others) we free ourselves from trying to escape it and allow ourselves to focus on living.

This same concept can be applied to how we view, expect, and provide medical care in the last years, months, and hours of our lives.

Symbolism--That which makes us human

This summer, I taught Sociology. One lesson was that of Herbert Mead and Symbolic Interactionism. His theory of microsociology focuses on the meaning we ascribe to our individual interactions. Without going further into his theory, Mead relies on the tenets of Evolutionism, which states that language and self-consciousness are what sets human apart from animals.

Today, there was an NPR piece titled, What Makes Us Mentally Modern. Without mentioning Mead, it is an excellent exemplar of the importance of symbolism in our daily lives. Rather than researching when we become bipedal, the piece asks, when did we development symbolic thought? "Museums are full of bones under glass — fossils that can tell us when we became physically modern. But how do you find a fossil of a symbolic thought?"

Sociologist or not, it is worth a listen.

For-Profit Post-Secondary Schooling

In the education world, there is much debate on relatively recent influx of for-profit post-secondary institutions in American education. Everyone has seen ads for Phoenix University, and you probably know someone is who currently enrolled. In fact, Phoenix, the behemoth of the for-profit sector, currently enrolls more students than all of the Universities of California (e.g., Berkeley, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, etc.) and the Ivy League schools combined (as cited in the Frontline piece below)! Thus, like it or not, for-profits are becoming pivotal players in our society.

Do these institutions fill a void in post-secondary education that 4-year schools and community colleges cannot cover?  That is, are they providing a much-needed service in our knowledge-based economy and our nation's endeavor of democratic uplift?

Or do these companies prey on people who are ill-equipped to succeed in college and leave them with seemingly insurmountable debt? Does their undying obligation of profit compromise the social benefit they provide? Specifically, do they exploit Pell Grants (tax-payer funded loans for students) for profit?

In my search for answers, I have come across three recent media pieces on this issue (For now, they will have to suffice until the peer-reviewed literature catches up). I think all three are illuminating and stoke the debate.

Frontline
College, Inc.

NPR: All Things Conidered

For-Profit Colleges Encouraged Fraud, Used Deceptive Marketing, GAO Reports

New York Times:
For-Profit Colleges Mislead Students, Report Finds

Through reading, hearing, and watching these pieces, the opponents' skepticism is well-outlined. For now, I tend to agree. To be fair though, we are still collecting facts. To be determined...

Solving the Textbook Problem

As I see it, there are three problems with textbooks: (1) content, (2) publishing, and (3) medium. That is, publishing companies have a heavy hand in deciding what content students learn, which is somewhat problematic in a democracy (but expected within a capitalistic society). In addition, as information grows and increases exponentially, it is becoming more difficult to maintain the relevancy of content. Second, a select number of publishers in California and Texas dominate the publishing industry, which is predominantly financed by K-12 school districts and college students. Finally, the idea of lugging a five-pound tome to and from school only to read 40 pages seems antiquated.

Given these problems, do we have solutions? Excitedly, we (seemingly) do. Through open-sourcing and e-readers, adapting solutions seems to be within reach. In a recent NYT piece, ($200 Text Book vs. Free. You do the Math) the plausibility of these options are addressed. The article's author, Ashlee Vance writes, "Over the last few years, groups nationwide have adopted the open-source mantra of the software world and started financing open-source books. Experts — often retired teachers or groups of teachers — write these books and allow anyone to distribute them in digital, printed or audio formats. Schools can rearrange the contents of the books to suit their needs and requirements."

Will this be the panacea? Doubtful. Is it an improvement from the current state of textbooks? Likely. The article is a worthy read, and I hope this issue gains more cultural and political momentum.

It's my sister's birthday!

My sister, Naomi, turns 26 years old today! In celebratory post, I wanted to review a few accomplishments that my sister has, well, accomplished in her short stint of life.

Here's the skinny, in no order of importance. She has completed multiple ultra-marathons, marathons, triathlons, and centuries. Soon, she'll be competing in age-group nationals in the Olympic Distance triathlon.  As of last fall, she is a proud house owner of a quaint, yet spacious three bedroom house.  Since then, she's made several renovations (e.g., bathroom, kitchen). As a teacher, she has four years experience, and her next will be at a brand new high school. She's also in lifelong partnership with Lou, who I really enjoy. And she's a UGA Alumni (a few times over). The list goes on... excellent student, teacher, athlete, partner... By now the only people reading may be my own family who know all of this. But it bears repeating.

In the last few years, Naomi and I have grown really close. We talk weekly; she helps me train for races; she provides advice on a variety of academic, athletic, relationship issues; and finally, she is always up for a sibling wrestling match or competition. All the way in California, I really appreciate an older sister.

Importantly, her most commendable achievement is that she beat me on the SAT by 30 measly points.

Me and Naomi involved in a recent banana pudding competition

Happy 26th Naomi!

Mountains... Meet my new bike.

After a year of deliberating, four months of shopping, and scores of gchat conversations with Louie (my brother-in-law and personal advisor of all things cycling), I have made the leap to mountain biking. So, mountains, I'd like to introduce you to Marin; Marin, meet the mountains.

Regarding the question posed in my last blog--Will buying a mountain bike delay my pursuit of a Ph.D.?-- the answer evades me. For now, I am just pumped to head for the hills. Who knows, it could be the cure for writer's block!

The Real Question

Would buying a mountain bike delay my pursuit of a Ph.D.? 

The Perils of Road Cycling

CNN recently posted a video titled Road Cycling: Too Dangerous. It combines disquieting statistics with two cathartic anecdotes about the perils of cycling and all too frequent negligence of drivers. The video drives home the importance of driver awareness and of local governments to provide a safe place for bike/motorist coexistence.

I would like to note that, in the video, a silent ride is held in memory of those cyclists who have been killed on the road. Disturbingly, one of the cyclists shown on this ride is shown not wearing a helmet. This is irritating, because, after all, the onus of keeping cyclists safe is on both the motorists and the cyclists. It seems that as citizens, we should advocate for more bike lanes; as drivers, we should be more courteous and cautious; and as cyclists, we should take more ownership of our own safety (e.g., riding single file, wearing helmets).

 A picture from my crash in 2007

Happy (Safe) Riding...

Holistic and Ongoing Care for Our Veterans

What happens to soldiers when they return from combat?

This is important issue for the psychology and military communities, and it should be a pressing issue for all Americans. Without speaking from experience, the lasting effects of war and its socialization can be be both physically and psychologically profound (e.g., Fort Carson Report: Combat Stress Contributed to Soldiers' Crimes Back Home)

As reported in a recent CNN article, President Obama emphasizes our nation's past negligence of the psychological externalities that our soldiers experience long after serving. It is my most optimistic hope that this is not a mere talking point; and the prospect of less rigorous/stigmatizing procedures for getting help and a revamping of the VA hospital system appear to be promising first steps.  

For or against our nation's foreign policy, we should all value our soldiers' healthy return to civility. 

Assigning Culpability to Mehserle in Oscar Grant Killing

I have written in a previous post about the cultural and contextual specificity of assigning culpability. That is, in the previous post, our decision to point blame to adolescents is relative to our historical and social contexts of Latino Americans, and middle and high school students. With the release of the verdict in the Oscar Grant trial, I could not help but to situate this verdict of White, civil servant's quasi-culpability within its proper social milieu.

Today in Los Angeles, a jury decided to convict Mehserle, a White officer, for the involuntary manslaughter of Oscar Grant, an unarmed Black male in the first day of 2009 (See SFGate article). Although harsher than an acquittal (c.f., Rodney King's assailants), the verdict falls short of a second degree murder charger, which the prosecution sought. The verdict will likely produce 5-16 years of prison for Mehserle.

No one wins in these cases. There is no way to bring back Oscar, and there is little that can assuage the racial undertones in this case (and in Oakland or America). Without opining, it is my hope to highlight this decision as another one swayed by history and context. American society has typically assigned less fault to civil servants. Further, there is strong evidence that supports a legal and social leniency for the Whites accused of violating Blacks. Given this, is a man-slaughter verdict incremental progress toward equal protection under the law? Without a murder charge, have we again fallen short of vindicating the victim's family? Or have we  poorly equiped and placed a well-intentioned man into a hectic, cortisol-driven situation and then cast blame on his shoulders? The issue is highly valenced and complex.

Regardless of your opinion or my own, with today's verdict and the subsequent social and media reaction, we will define and redefine society's stance of individual culpability, especially for White, civil servants. Collectively, we will shape the parameters and definitions of right and wrong (and magnitude of rightness and wrongness). In doing so, we socialize a new generation and provide a history and ecology for the future Americans to reconcile with.

Highschooler Wisdom

One of my more enjoyable endeavors this summer has been teaching a Sociology course to gifted/talented high school students. As my first true teaching endeavor (outside of subbing and special ed paraprofessional), I have had the liberty to create a course from scratch. With such freedom comes absolute responsibility!

I have taken several measures to get feedback from my students. I want to make sure that they're learning, having fun, and being challenged. One measure has been a notecard activity to conclude each class period. It works like this: I pass out a blank notecard to each student. They are asked to annonymously write any feedback on the card. It can range from activities they enjoyed, suggestions for improvement, aspects of the material that they still find confusing, or more holistic updates on themselves as people.

As a result, I have received some very helpful feedback! Students are free to tell me what works and what does not work. Some students, however, have taken the opportunity to write some very funny comments on their cards. Here, I would like to share a few with you! Soon, you will be nostalgic for the awkwardness that we all embodied as highschoolers (maybe me more than others)! Enjoy.

"You are fairly bipolar."

[Next day's notecard--presumably from the same student]
"Not bipolar! You were high all day today."

"Great explanations of Marx. Do you gel your hair?"

"Start using Southeastern terms. Dance and sing, too."

"There were lots of crumbs on the table today."

Again, anomolies from some very constructive feedback, but funny anomolies nonetheless.

Sir! Please step away from the bicycle.

My readership knows that I support all things bicycle. I support riding to work, riding for fun, riding for competition, riding uphill, and riding downhill. I also support riding to raise money. However, I do not support riding to boost money.

Yes, apparently there is a local bank robber who pedals from his bank heists. The robber has used his two-wheeled getaway vehicle in banks robberies in San Francisco and, most recently, Santa Cruz.  From the CNN story (Serial Bank Robber Known for Getaway Bicycle), "The suspect was last seen pedaling away from the bank. [The police spokesperson, Zach] Friend said the bicycle may give a criminal an advantage."

At least he was wearing a helmet...

Distracted Drivers

Traveling across states gives you perspective on the variance in state laws. In most instances, the states with lacking safety laws are exposed. For example, in Colorado, I witnessed motorcyclists without helmets. [No elaboration needed]. In Georgia, drivers are constantly on their cell phones without speaker phone or a handless device.

While a government agency slowly progresses toward legislation to curb distracted driving (CNN--States Cracking Down on Distracted Drivers), let's take some initiative and play smart. Laws, op eds, and scientific studies are not needed to realize that pinning your cell phone to your ear and text-messaging hinder your ability to drive. Importantly, I realize that most readers of this blog and its author have been guilty multitasking behind the wheel, but let's count our blessings and cease. Take care of yourself, and I will do the same.

Daylight of Colorado

Cause in the daylight, anywhere feels like home.

Matt & Kim, from Daylight 

In the past 8 days, I have been in Colorado looking for the epic. I have had a blast with my dad, my sister, and my friends, Adam, and Lindsey. Without giving you the entire chronology, I want to share a few pictures. Maybe soon, we can sit down and chat about the experience.

Photos: Bear at Manitou Springs; Summit of Pikes Peak; Dad on La Platito; Sawatch Range; Climbing up Mt. Evans; Naomi on La Platito; Driving North toward Frisco, CO; Rafting well; Rafting not-so-well; Amazing coffee shop in Colorado Springs. 

Evolution

 Happy Riding!

Damned Details

Some of you may have noticed a typo here and there in my blog posts. As it turns out, I didn't notice them. In fact, I overlook many of the details in my life.

In my almost-quarter century of life, I have learned about myself as a learner and liver (You know, one who lives?). Among some above-average and mediocre skills, I have some deficits. Most apparent is my failure to attend to the details of life. Recently, Tracy and I flew to Los Angeles to visit her family. Tracy flew down a day earlier, and I had planned to fly into Orange County and arrive at the same time as her sister, who was coming from Oklahoma. Without paying attention, I flew into LAX instead of SNA. Tracy had to drive an extra hour to pick me up and have her cousin pick up her sister-- Brutal (and brutally funny to many of you). Tracy's dad put it most accurately when he asked, "Leo, where is your brain?"

On the same night that I booked my LAX ticket, I also booked tickets for my dad and sister to fly into Denver. Knowing that I needed to coordinate times, airlines, and credit card numbers, I took my time to focus on this task. You know what's coming... Yep, I scheduled my sister's flight for 7pm rather than 7am. Classic. As I blog, my sister is on the phone trying to figure out stand-by procedures. Tomorrow, I will find out how much effort and money is needed to amend this blunder.

My inability to focus on details extends beyond aerial snafus, but these examples are the most outstanding as they have impacted others. As a graduate student, I am juggling class work, practica, research projects, and side endeavors, and I have got to find a way to organize my life, one detail at a time. Although this post has been especially incriminating, I want to speak directly to my current and future employers, family, friends, and significant other.

Hi! We are or soon will be interdependent on one another for work, fun, and/or living... Wait, don't leave! Hear me out! Regarding this post, I am going to work on it, I promise! I realize my actions have spoken otherwise, but I am about to about-face with this careless trend. Morning routines, lists that get looked at after they are made, reading directions, and double-checking confirmation pages will soon be in my arsenal as a functioning human being. To prove it to you, I have edited and reedited this blog post*! And, as always, I will be your number one big-picture guy.

Mea Culpa,

Leo

*If you find mistakes in this post, call me ASAP! Great, thanks.

Enjoy what you're doing... while you do it

I heard a great Ted Talk by Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice. I have embedded the talk below. In the talk, he shows a really entertaining (and enlightened) cartoon. I wanted to share it with y'all as a reminder to enjoy what you're doing while you're doing it.
Outside of this cartoon, Schwartz makes a compelling argument for the psychological influence that choice has upon our actions and lifestyles. I have not read his book, but this might hook you into doing so. Enjoy.

Finding Resolve

As a noun, resolve is the state of having determination and being firm in purpose and will.

In the summer of 2006, two outstanding events engendered this feeling of resolve in me. First, I read John Krakauer's book, Into the Wild. Inspired by both the saga of Chris McCandless* and the prose of Krakauer, I wrote out the purposes of my life and a detailed map of where I wanted to go. The second event was a trip to Colorado with my dad and sister, Naomi. While also entertaining, unpleasantly fragrant, and spontaneous, the accomplishment and beauty of summitting eight 14ers was inspiring and catalytic. In my college journal, I remarked how important it would be maintain this impetus and drive.


Four years later, I am proud to repeat my own history. I just completed John Krakauer's book about the tragedy of Pat Tillman. Like Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, Where Men Win Glory is both tragic and motivating (See an NPR spotlight here). Most know Pat as a football player who volunteered to serve in his country on the frontlines, but the Pat Tillman story is one of grit, principle, introspection, success, and tragedy. Also, in a less than a week, I will reunite with my dad and sister to scale a few more mountains in the Colorado backcountry. Records will not be broken, and feats will be feasible for many, but I expect the same feelings of drive and purpose to result. Thus, much like 2006, I am experiencing another summer of catharsis and resolve.

Create Your Own Momentum.


*Importantly, it was not the actions of Chris that I admired, but his yearning for something more-- a conversation for another time and venue.

No Problemo

You have all heard about the Arizona immigration law. Here's a humorous, biting commentary about the issue from Stephen Colbert.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - No Problemo
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Pathways to Teacher Credentialing

Article: Panel Finds No Favorite in Teacher Prep Pathways
Source: Education Week

Here's the skinny-- After six years, a 24-member national committee found no conclusive evidence to assert superiority between traditional and alternative (e.g., Teach for America) credentialing programs for teachers.

The panel suggested that it is more illuminating "to compare particular aspects of such programs, such as the timing of students’ field experiences, the level of teachers’ content knowledge, or program selectivity, and how they affect K-12 students’ learning." Given these results and the well-know rates of teacher attrition (Ingersoll, 2001), real reform is needed. Further, teaching is a profession that needs professionalizing. It seems that neither traditional nor alternative programs are attracting the best or providing optimal preparation. Thus, rather than compare current options, it might be time to redesign.

I'm still cutting my teeth on how to address this problem, but it is addling.

What is Adventure?

In light of my last post, here's an interesting Ted Talk...

Update number 2: CATOGA

In the attempt to update my readership, I have a some bad news and I have some good news.

As many of you knew, me and partner in crime, JR, had plans to ride across the United States on our bikes this summer. Newt had courageously volunteered to support us. In addition, we wanted to use the opportunity to fundraise for a local non-profit. Unfortunately, our summer is not a vacuum in which life does not continue to happen.

Since our initial commitment, I decided to teach a Sociology course to high-schoolers. JR got engaged (i.e., committed to planning a wedding) and earned a prestigious opportunity to build an internet-based classroom in Ethopia. Further, we ran into communication hurdles with two potential non-profits (Apparently, it is difficult to give people money). Given these complications, the epic bike ride seemed out of reach, and we decided to postpone this endeavor indefinitely.

At first, I was sad, angry, and a little embarrassed. In my mind, this was a true test of my ability, and I was ready to see what I was made of. I was ready to ride away from academia for a while and experience the quiet of Nowhere, USA. Riding across the country with Newt and JR would be unique experience in relationship building. So, needless to say, when we canceled the trip, I had to reconcile the deflation of these expectations.

After spending too long on a closed door, I've grouped and taken advantage of a few reopened doors! I'm going to spend a weekend in LA with Tracy's family. I'm planning to do a few trail races. My dad, my sister, and I are meeting in Colorado to bag some 14ers (ala 2006). In Colorado, I'll see my good friend, Adam, who is always on the precipice of something adventurous. Finally, I'm going to spend some time in Georgia. During these weeks, I will still have the opportunity to be epic, be reflective, and build some relationships!

I cannot iterate enough how valuable this experience has been. My process has been solid. I'm glad I was ambitious, and it was a valuable experience to handle the scaling-down of and eventual shift away from an epic adventure. JR and I struggled a lot in our handling of it all, and I think we both learned a lot. Most importantly, we became stronger as friends. Looking ahead, I am very much looking forward to the new adventure plan. Finally, I am ever-grateful for family and friends that are willing to jump on the trail at the drop of a hat!

Create your own momentum.

Update: DCPS Competition

I've been absent from blogging for too long. I apologize. As a result, I want to update y'all one of my latest adventures.

First, four other graduate students and I recently competed in a case competition in Washington DC. The case was one of engendering public support for the highly publicized (lauded and criticized) DCPS administration of Michelle Rhee. My team (three public policy students, JR, and I) struggled mightily to be innovative, succinct, and powerful with our presentation. The route to our final product was circuitous, arduous, and stressful. Nevertheless, through our deliberation, collaboration, and isolated reflection, we pushed, pulled, compromised, and reached a strong final product.

Our platform revolved around localizing the DCPS agenda. Specifically we proposed innovation grants to provide local stakeholders to apply for money that they could spend in their community; funded showcases to celebrate local ward achievements and continuing progress; and ward organizers to bridge the district leaders with the teachers, parents, and students at the individual school level.

Left to right: Marialena, JR, Michelle Rhee (Chancellor), Danielle, Paul, and me

Without knowing how this platform would be received, we made a pact to be the most jubilant, passionate, and relaxed team. And from the moment we reached DC, we carried out this goal! We laughed, we conversed, and we really enjoyed ourselves. I loved struggling, laughing, and constructing with my teammates, who were becoming fast friends.

In the end, our message and approach paid off. We won 2nd place, which included $3,000 and summer internship offers. Looking back, for me, it was amazing professional development, priceless exposure to the movers and shakers in the ed policy world, and an opportunity to try on my policy legs.

What's in Your Go-Kit? Disaster Preparation Resources

Think about this: A disaster is about to hit your community or home. Are you ready?

Think next about who responds first and (arguably) more efficiently?

If you're having trouble with this one, refer to your memories of the Haiti earthquake.

Alex, I'll say, who are your neighbors?

Emergency personnel ratios are not 1:1 in this world, so we have a responsibility to ourselves, our family, and our neighbors during an emergency. Many large cities have civilian teams of responders, called Community/Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams (CERT/NERT). Training involves classes in fire management, utility management, triage, light search and rescue, and most important, what to put in the Go-Kit. For example, a trash bag can also be used as a toilet, but make sure it is double-bagged. Fortunately, you don't have to commit to a class to learn about safety.

Here is San Francisco's NERT resource website. The two documents I recommend are the Family Disaster Plan and Home/Work/Car Kit List.

These are very detailed documents, so adapt them to your needs and preferences.

Alex, I'll take "Other ways to use trash bags" for 800, please.

Big News This Thursday

To my small and devoted readership,

I have some exciting news coming this Thursday regarding CATOGA, my cross-country bike ride! Stay tuned. Until then, enjoy Pearl Jam's latest performance on Saturday Night Live:

Google Bikes

My Aunt Kathy sent me to this excerpt from the Chicago Tribune. The features look promising and to have a user-friendliness and accessibility that only Google can provide. I have yet to try it out though.

Happy Riding!

Google Maps Adds Bike-Friendly Features

Google Maps, a popular feature offered by the Internet search giant, currently offers directions for car travel, walking, and public transportation. Starting on Wednesday, the service will add bicycling directions at maps.google.com/biking for 150 different cities around the United States. "Several online bike-trip sites already exist," the Chicago Tribune reported. "But bicycling advocates hope Google's entrance in the market benefits not only individual riders. ... One goal is to make it easier for non- or infrequent cyclists to access the service, thereby promoting more bicycling." Plus, Google reaches a far wider audience. And, the site's advanced algorithm will calculate riding time based on a number of factors, including length, fatigue and changes in elevation. It will map out recommended turn-by-turn routes, but also highlight existing bike trails, on-street lanes and more. "The Google bike-trip planner will not immediately by available on cell phones, and other wireless devices, but company officials said they are working on a mobile application so that cyclists can look up directions while on their bikes," the Tribune reported.

Read original story in The Chicago Tribune Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A time to update

Hi,

You may or may not have noticed, but my posts have been fewer than in previous months. In the past few weeks I have been working hard and playing hard, and so I want to take a quick moment to reflect on the past few weeks and the weeks ahead, which will also suffice to update you all.

Last week, my team and I were accepted to present at a Case Competition held by DC Public Schools. This competition is a concrete mark of my interest in education policy. I am so psyched about competing, meeting some education movers and shakers, and spending a weekend in DC. I will also have a chance to see two my aunts, and family is always reason to celebrate.On March 7, I ran my first marathon, and it was everything I imagined. With the counsel and encouragement of JR, Naomi, my dad, and Tracy, I trained right and truly enjoyed the experience. The marathon was in Napa, CA, and Tracy and I took the weekend to enjoy the sites. We rode some of the course the day before and treated ourselves to two nights in a hotel. During the race, I met some really interesting people and didn't bonk. I even managed a negative split (and I stayed in my dad's will by not beating his marathon time).

This semester, Tracy and I have made the effort not to work every weekend. Thus far, we've made it to Tahoe, Orange County, Half Moon Bay, and Napa. Also, I've run a couple races, tried surfing (which I struggled mightily at), spent time with my cousin, and housed a prospective graduate student. I have looked forward to every adventure, and the memories have been more valuable than any monetary cost.

Keeping some of my weekend sacred has done wonders for my productivity. The imminence of the weekend drives me to crunch more hours into the day. It also helps that I'm really enjoying my graduate program-- the learning curve this semester is crazy-steep and I am constantly challenged and stimulated. I feel fully immersed in education, psychology, policy, and sociology...

Looking back, I'm really thankful for the experiences, and I'm evermore excited about the experiences on the horizon. My mother is retiring (more like changing jobs), and I am looking forward to a celebration of her ascent of a career. In April, JR, Tracy, Oliver, and I are riding in the Gran Fondo in Santa Cruz. In May and June, JR and I are riding across the country and then I'm teaching Sociology to highschoolers. It's happening!

--This note may not belong here, but I do want to mention a personal goal for the rest of the semester and year. I want to be more methodical with my organization. I'd like to maintain order, rather than having massive cleaning efforts every week. I am busy, but I think I can save time (and stress) but maintaining some order in my life! That's all for now.

Create your own momentum.

Where have I read this before?

Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite writers of contemporary psychology and social phenomena, and I have read almost all of this books and articles. Almost...

Last Sunday, I stumbled upon a 2008 article from Gladwell that was republished in his latest book. In this article, Gladwell describes how NFL scouts appraise college quarterbacks to determine how successful they will be at the professional level. He uses this topic to segue to the topic of appraising the effectiveness of teachers. Sound familiar?

I blogged a very similar message last month! So for full transparency and comparison, here is my blog post and Gladwell's article.

How Should Teachers Be Evaluated? (Leo)

Most Likely to Succeed (Malcolm Gladwell)

I'm not sure whether I should feel guilty or fearful of plagarism, or humbled that a prolific writer like Gladwell might share with me a similar thought experiment. To be safe, I have returned 100% of my earnings from this blog. Nonetheless, it's worth blogging about. Happy reading and happy March.

Readability

My friend, Jackie, just told me about a helpful tool for online reading. With more newspapers and online publications moving toward funding through advertisements, our visuals of online articles are getting cluttered and distracting.

With the help of Readability, you can remove everything but the article with one click. So here's what you do:

1. Click here: Readability

2. Select your preferences for viewing.

3. Add readability to your favorites.

Now, you're good to go. So the next time you open an online text, just click readability on your favorites tab! Awesome, huh? Happy Reading.

Our Chemical Romance

Ah, Valentine's Day. Whether you're humming Barry White or Beyonce (single ladies, anyone?), we are all familiar with that pervasive, confusing, and exciting four letter word. Although it is often relegated to the emotion category, love can partly be explained by chemical reactions in our body.

Love, attachment, and attraction are correlated (causal relationship has not yet been proven) with the release of proteins from our brain, muscles, and adrenal glands (located above the kidney). These proteins bind to the membranes of our cells, eliciting an exchange of ions and series of secondary events. Said events include an increase in heart rate, obsessive thoughts, sweaty palms, or utter elation and joy. Other hormones implicated? Norepinephrine, oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol are all involved in the love potion. It makes sense that some of these are also associated with risk-taking activities or doing drugs.

So today, when you're enjoying the romantic moments with the S.O., take a little time to thank the systems in our body that allow this quintessential human emotion. If you're single, you could always go sky diving to get the same feeling.

Young love :)

Assigning Culpability

On July 12, 2008, a group of high school students came into contact with Luis Ramirez, a 25 year-old illegal immigrant, in Pottsville, Virginia (see story here). The students and Ramirez shouted at each other, and after the students yelled racial slurs at Ramirez, a physical altercation ensued. Ramirez was outnumbered and suffered numerous blows to the head. After falling into a coma and spending two days in the hospital, Ramirez died from his injuries. The students who delivered the fatal blows were 17 and 19 years of age. On May 1, 2009, a jury acquitted both students of murder leaving simple assault as the only charges from the fatal incident in July. Subsequently, the case and its verdict have elicited varied reactions from across the nation. Many perceived the court’s verdict as just, because the students were boys at the time and should not be treated as harshly or as culpable as adults, whereas others wanted the culprits tried and convicted as adults.

More recently, a Pennsylvania 12-year old is being charged with murder (see story here) for killing his father's fiance. The adolescent was 11 years old at the time of the incident. While the court has not decided on how the adolescent will be tried, this case has yet again raised the issue of when humans should be help responsible for their actions.

The American Psychological Association has weighed in on both sides of this debate. In 2005, APA contributed to the Supreme Court Decision of Roper v. Simmons, which addressed adolescents and the death penalty. Given what is known about the development of the frontal lobe (i.e., our executive functioning, the part of our brain that helps with inhibition), it was concluded that the adolescent brain is developmentally immature. However, in the 1990 case Hodgson v Minnesota, APA concluded that adolescents are mature adults, enough so to seek an abortion without parental consent.

In my own mind, I have struggled with this dilemma. Trained as a sociologist and psychologist, I see the ubiquitous shades of gray in this issue. Socialization, human development, and individual responsibility are heterogeneous, nebulous arenas comprised of complex, bidirectional interactions with collective and individual entities. How then, can we create and enforce concrete, uniform legislation? More times than not, it seems that our conclusions in this issue are based on our biases, allegiances, proximity to the incident, or value systems, rather than a uniform metric by which everyone is judged. There is not an easy answer to this, but the ramifications are grand. Moreover, we should acknowledge the reality of this decision-making process.

The courts of Pennsylvania will be confronted with this decision shorty. Their assignment of culpability will have lasting ramifications on the 12-year old. And after this incident, we--as a society--will undoubtedly confront this issue in the future.