News Features & Releases

Colleagues Reflect on Kennedy's Education Legacy at Askwith Forum

2009-11-18T18:55:02Z

By Jill Anderson

Although much of country is familiar with the late Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy's efforts in healthcare reform, he was also a leading force behind such education policies as Goals 2000, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and the Direct Loan Program. The senator's achievements in education were the focus of last Tuesday's Askwith Forum, "Edward Kennedy: The Education Senator."

"If you look at his record over the past 15 years, he had an enormous impact on the education framework in this country," said Academic Dean Robert Schwartz, who moderated the discussion that included panelists Clayton Spencer, vice president for policy at Harvard University; Nick Littlefield, partner at Foley Hoag LLP; Ellen Guiney, executive director of Boston Plan for Excellence; and Donica Petroshius, CEO of Policy Strategies & Solutions, LL - all former members of Kennedy's staff.

"When I think about Kennedy...I want to say that his commitment to education was equal to healthcare," Littlefield said. Kennedy remained passionate about early childhood education and school reform during the ever-changing political landscape of the past 15 years. Littlefield recalled that when former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich proposed eliminating the Department of Education Kennedy and his staff fought hard and ultimately prevailed.

One of the many bills that Kennedy would push through the Senate, Goals 2000 -- the predecessor to NCLB which established academic standards -- was pivotal in creating a larger role of the federal government in education.

"It was a difficult bill to get passed," Guiney said. "Most of the Republicans did not think the feds should be toying around with standards for kids...the Senator never gave up on it."

Guiney recalls that once they had the necessary 60 votes to get Goals 2000 passed, Republicans called for the very large bill to be read in its entirety, potentially pushing discussion into the Passover holiday, which could have resulted in the defeat of the bill. In the end, the bill passed, due in no small part to Kennedy. "It was extraordinary what Kennedy and his staff orchestrated to get everyone on board," Guiney said. "Goals 2000 laid the groundwork for standards and [No Child Left Behind]."

The panelists agree that Kennedy saw education as an "engine of opportunity." His efforts stretched beyond policies solely geared toward K-12 into higher education. Spencer shared stories about the first time she wrote a memo about direct lending for college students. Kennedy's first question after commending her work was, "How many votes do you have?"

Dean Kathleen McCartney asked the panelists how much the Senator relied on research to inform his policy decisions. "I think more than most [senators] he wanted to know what the research said on topics," responded Schwartz, recounting a time when Kennedy met with him, Professor Bridget Terry Long, and Professor Tom Kane to discuss NCLB, teacher provisions, and simplifying the FAFSA process.

The senator was also well-known for inviting policy experts to dinner on a regular basis. However, the panelists contended that sometimes it's difficult for research to stand during a political debate. "It's a complex game," Littlefield said. "We were lucky that Kennedy really cared about talking to researchers and getting ideas."

In closing, Littlefield encouraged students to work hard to get their research in front of politicians and policymakers. Though Littlefield noted that it is often difficult, he said that it is "doable." He encouraged students to take short periods of time and try to work as interns or fellows in Washington as a means of getting to know key people in the policy world. "There are no limits to what you can achieve once you get access to these people," he said.

Prospective Students Visit Campus for Diversity Recruitment Program Event

2009-11-18T18:47:24Z

By Jill Anderson

Just a year ago, Rhonda Baylor visited HGSE's Diversity Recruitment Program where she met plenty of students and began setting the path to her future at HGSE. Now, Baylor is studying for her master's at the Ed School and is giving back to a new cohort of prospective students at the annual event.

"I can remember sitting in those chairs when I was thinking about applying," says Baylor, who studies the transition of high school students to college. "It motivated me to see students going through the program. I had planned to apply for a while but coming here encouraged me - at that point figured I didn't have anything to lose."

Baylor's story is similar to many students who travel to HGSE each fall for the now annual Diversity Recruitment Program event. Last week 195 prospective students from all over the country turned out for the 20th offering. The day-long event provides an opportunity for prospective students of color to meet faculty, administrators, alumni, and current students, as well as to learn about academic programs, student life, admissions, and financial aid, and even to kick start their application process.

"HGSE is committed to attracting a diverse student body. Since its inception in 1991, we have held highly successful diversity admissions events to recruit talented and passionate students to apply to our degree programs," says Dean Kathleen McCartney, who spoke to students at the start of the event. "This year's event drew double the number of prospective students compared with last year. I enjoyed the many one-on-one conversations I had with prospective students, who will be future leaders in education practice, policy, and research."

Director of Admissions Maria Curcio explains that the Diversity Recruitment Program is a reflection of the need for a diverse group of educators. "We seek to develop leaders who will be able to represent and incorporate multiple perspectives and voices in their work," Curcio says. "We value diversity of all kinds in the classroom and in the field of education, whether it is based on ethnicity and race, geography, prior work experience, professional interests, and more."

Formerly known as the Students of Color Recruitment Program, the program began in 1991 when the HGSE Admissions Office aimed to attract diverse applicants who may not have considered HGSE as a graduate option.

"I think there are a lot of people who don't know about the school or perhaps what it has to offer," says Assistant Director of Admissions Shirley Greene, who oversees the office's diversity recruitment efforts. Part of Greene's job is meeting with prospective students throughout the country and speaking about potential opportunities at HGSE.

Historically, the Diversity Recruitment Program event plays a unique role in attracting students of color to HGSE. "The recruitment program is an affirmation in many ways for prospective students who may not think it's possible," says Greene recounting a recent visit to Spelman College and Morehouse College where even top students did not think they could apply to HGSE. "This gets the idea in students' heads that this is possible. This is about exposing prospective students to the Harvard community, providing a real opportunity to see the school, but also addressing misperceptions about being here at Harvard," Greene says.

The one-day event exposes prospective students to many aspects of the Ed School beyond academics, from student life to writing a statement of purpose.

Doctoral candidate Adrienne Keene came to the Diversity Recruitment Program last year to work on her statement of purpose and get a feel for the school. "I felt really encouraged by the fact that HGSE showed a commitment to diversity and they were looking to bring in a group of diverse students," Keene says. "For me, the best part was being able to meet current students and see that they were real people, who were passionate about education, but at the same time could sit and have a casual conversation. [The program] was definitely a positive experience and then I knew I was ready to go to grad school."

Visiting HGSE in advance, particularly through the Diversity Recruitment Program, does make a difference in student enrollments. Although it is difficult to track exactly how many students come to HGSE as a result of the recruitment program, according to Curcio, 55 percent of people who attended the recruitment program last year applied to the school for this academic year. "This does not factor in the many others who may have attended in previous years," she says.

After all, the decision to return to graduate school can take much advance planning and time. For many students of color, attending a school with diversity is an important factor in their decisions. "I felt coming out would be a great way to learn more about my program of interest, visit the campus, learn key insights as to the application process, and most importantly, see for myself to what degree diversity is encouraged at Harvard," says Lynette Tannis, a doctoral candidate.

Many of the students who enroll in HGSE following the Diversity Recruitment Program inevitably find themselves committed to the event the following year seeing as though it was pivotal in fostering their HGSE experience. "Once I came to HGSE, there was a familiar face and someone that I felt comfortable reaching out to," says Keene, whose research focuses on potential barriers and success factors in Native Americans' college application process. "It was the first step in building those relationships that were key in the process and transitioning process. I was so happy to give back this year and help because I appreciated it last year."

Although the Diversity Recruitment Program's mission is to attract students of color to HGSE, Greene emphasizes that ultimately increased diversity and awareness benefit everyone on campus.

The students who attend the Diversity Recruitment Program echo similar sentiments as Greene in striving for a diverse campus. "Our nation's diversity is ever increasing and we must embrace the fact that we learn so very much from individuals who differ from us in some way," Tannis says. "Bringing people together from various backgrounds with a common goal to impact the world through policy, research, and practice is powerful. It will take different perspectives and experiences to help us achieve our mission for all our nation's children to receive high quality instruction each and every day."

Johnson, Perkins Named to Endowed Chairs

2009-11-18T18:27:54Z

Dean Kathleen McCartney has announced the appointment of two Harvard Graduate School of Education faculty members to endowed chairs. Susan Moore Johnson was named the Jerome T. Murphy Professor of Education and David Perkins was named the Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Professor of Teaching and Learning, the chair being vacated by Johnson.

The Murphy Chair is named after longtime HGSE professor and former dean Jerome Murphy, who said of Johnson's appointment, "Susan epitomizes the best of the Ed School - a dedicated teacher who treasures her students, a superb scholar who grasps the subtleties of practice, a tireless denizen of the community, and a wonderful person who radiates integrity. I'm thrilled and honored by her appointment to the Murphy chair."

"Susan was academic dean during most of Jerry's deanship, so it is an extremely fitting tribute to them both that Susan should be the first holder of the Jerome T. Murphy Professorship in Education," said McCartney.

Johnson is an expert on teacher policy, organizational change, and administrative practice. As a former high school teacher and administrator, her research focuses on the work of teachers and school reform. Currently, Johnson and a group of advanced doctoral students are engaged in a multiyear research study, The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers, that examines how best to recruit, support, and retain a strong teaching force in the next decade. The project includes studies of hiring practices, alternative certification programs, and new teachers' attitudes toward careers and experiences with colleagues.

Of Perkins' appointment, McCartney commented, "The common strain through all of David Perkins' work is a singular focus on how we learn. Books such as his recent Making Learning Whole, as well as his long-standing work with Project Zero and WIDE World make Dave a deserving choice for the Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Professorship in Teaching and Learning."

Perkins research focuses on creativity in the arts and sciences, informal reasoning, problem solving, understanding, individual and organizational learning, and the teaching of thinking skills. Perkins's 2008 book, Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education, presents a new and practical research-based teaching framework in which he describes teaching as being more effective when students are introduced to the "whole game" instead of isolated disciplines. An advocate of school change, he has participated in curriculum projects addressing thinking, understanding, and learning around the world. He is also the cofounder of Project Zero, a research project at HGSE that investigates human symbolic capacities and their development, and WIDE World, a distance-learning initiative for practitioners developed at the Ed School.

Everyday Heroes: Brence Pernell, Ed.M.'09

2009-11-18T17:57:18Z

By Jazmin Brooks

"Everyday Heroes" is a continuing series that tells the stories of Ed School alums who are focusing their considerable talents and efforts on teaching, administration, counseling, and other areas that impact students and their learning on a daily basis. These are the people, as we noted in a 2003 Ed. magazine feature, "leading our nation from its classrooms."

Brence Pernell, Ed.M.'09, approached his first assignment as a teacher with the same balance of passion, humility, and determination that graced him during his academic career. "I practiced in the mirror for an hour before class," says Pernell of his preparation for the first day of school. He explains how important the first encounter a teacher has with his or her students is: "It sets the tone for the entire year."

Pernell is a history teacher at York Comprehensive High School in York, S.C., a rural, socially conservative, tight-knit community with roots in the mining industry. Pernell's students reflect the struggles and achievements of their town.

"Two of my students have children and one works the third shift before coming to school," he explains. The real-world challenges his students face create a deeper layer to Pernell's curriculum. "Learning how to engineer opportunities for students to authentically learn new knowledge is the most intellectually engaging thing I've ever done," he says. It is about finding symmetry between accountability and encouragement, and about being creative and making the material accessible to the students in order to keep them interested.

It gives him great joy to see the awakening students experience when they are taught something either they did not know before or that challenges their knowledge, says Pernell. So far this school year, Pernell introduced his students to W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington, and engaged them in a discussion about Thomas Jefferson and the affair Jefferson had with one of his slaves. The students have also compared the current economic crisis to the Great Depression, and the ties that both financial catastrophes had on the town of York.

Pernell is aware that teachers with his educational background are not the norm in schools in small, rural, working-class towns like York. That is part of why he is so passionate about creating a classroom that gives his students the opportunity to picture themselves as part of a bigger world and show them that they can accomplish any and all feats because they are worthy and capable of greatness. This lesson - one that Pernell learned growing up in the similarly tiny town of Blackville, S.C. - is one he kept with him during his undergraduate work at Duke University, and his graduate work at HGSE, and one he has returned to South Carolina to share.

In addition to teaching in the classroom, Pernell's dedication extends to his school's Home Bound Program. For several hours a week he provides additional tutoring to those who need the extra assistance at their homes. Pernell says it not only helps the students but also shows the parents that the school cares about their children's education, and hopefully encourages parents to become more involved.

Pernell is keeping a journal chronicling his first year of teaching. He says other teachers had advised him to keep track of all the positive encounters, lessons, and epiphanies he will experience, because the first year can be filled with hurdles and negativity. Even with the bumps in the road, Pernell says the immense support from his colleagues has made all the difference in the world. He says the sense of community amongst the teachers at his school motivates him daily. In order to give the lessons he learns depth, Pernell believes reflection is key. His journaling has brought a calming perspective to his teaching career and the direction of his future. "It's given me so much that I decided to start having my students keep reflection notebooks." It's another lesson of passion and purpose that Pernell shares with his students.

]]> Everyday Heroes Profiles

Frankie Cruz, Ed.M.'06

Aaron Dworkin, Ed.M.'04

Julie Krieger, Ed.M.'08

Eric Marcos, Ed.M.'03

Camsie Matis, Ed.M.'05

Julie Joyal Mowschenson, Ed.M.'08

Rob Stein, C.A.S.'93, Ed.D.'01

Lecturer Joe Blatt on 40 Years of Sesame Success

2009-11-12T18:18:11Z

Today you would be hard-pressed to find an adult or a child who has never heard (or rather seen) Big Bird, Grover, or Oscar the Grouch. After all, Sesame Street, celebrating 40 years this week, has remained instrumental in captivating not only children's attention and learning, but also adults. We talked to Lecturer Joe Blatt, Ed.M.'77, director of the Technology, Innovation, and Education program, about the amazing success of Sesame Street and its impact on education -- and the Ed School.

Q. What does the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street signify for media and technology in education?

A. Remember, when Sesame Street made its debut, the idea of using television for education was innovative, largely untried and untested, and still unfamiliar, certainly to most parents and educators. Television producer Joan Ganz Cooney had the fairly radical idea that entertainment techniques -- including commercial-style jingles and celebrity cameo appearances -- could be repurposed for teaching the alphabet and other preschool content. Today, when children are engaged with so many new technologies, from video games to the web and to smartphones, the achievements of Sesame Street pose a real challenge for us: Can we be equally inventive in harnessing the new technology of our time to serve learning?

Q. How has Sesame Street made a lasting impact in education?

A. It's hard to know where to start. After more than a 1,000 monographs and articles, Sesame Street is almost certainly the most thoroughly researched educational intervention in history. One clear finding is that the key to an effective learning program is a carefully researched and clearly articulated curriculum, constructed jointly by content experts and talented writers and producers. Another contribution is methods for testing audience appeal and comprehension while material is still in development -- what's called formative evaluation -- which has now become standard practice in creating educational media.

I also want to highlight two types of impact that are less formal but no less valuable. Sesame Street was the first national television series to feature a fully integrated cast -- the original hosts were an African American couple, and their friends and neighbors were a mix of other ethnic groups, not to mention multi-colored Muppets. Versions of Sesame Street have now been broadcast in more than 70 countries, largely through co-production arrangements with indigenous officials, educators, and producers. While the rest of us have started to recognize the importance of pursuing a truly international perspective in our work, Sesame has been doing it for decades.

Q. Sesame Street and the Ed School have a long-standing relationship. Can you discuss how Sesame Street Workshop remains an important contributor to the learning at HGSE?

A. The special Sesame-HGSE relationship goes back to the very beginning, when HGSE Professor Gerald Lesser chaired the board of academic advisors who constructed the original curriculum for the series. To this day, colleagues on the faculty like Professor Catherine Snow and Dean Kathy McCartney -- who is, after all, the Lesser Professor -- continue to contribute their expertise. However, the Sesame Workshop is also deeply engaged with our learning at HGSE. A few years ago, I created a new course called "Informal Learning for Children," which Sesame generously supports, sending senior executives and researchers to teach a number of sessions, and sharing unique internal materials related to design and evaluation. Every year Gary Knell, Sesame Workshop president and CEO, or another top workshop official, comes to campus to talk with HGSE students. Also, each semester a student from the Technology, Innovation, and Education master's program gets to undertake a virtual internship with the Cooney Center, Sesame's new hub for research on digital media. I think this relationship will continue to grow, and I am very grateful for the learning opportunities the workshop gives our students.

Q. Why do you think Sesame Street has maintained this unusual level of success of 40 years in television?

A. "Unusual" is too tame a word. It is extraordinary that a show would last that long, especially one aimed at children. I think there are three principal reasons for Sesame Street's success. On one hand, the series has never been static. There are new characters, new formats, and new curriculum goals being adopted every year, and the most recent season that started November 10 is no exception. You can watch for segments on nature and the environment, and a new 3D look for Abby Cadabby. On the other hand, the core values mutual respect among children and adults, love of discovery, belief that the world can be a friendlier and happier place these values have never given way to attitude or other fashionable trends in children's media. Finally, even as it reaches out to younger viewers, Sesame Street has not forgotten the importance of appealing to parents and caregivers. I've never met anyone of any age who doesn't like Grover, and who else can you say that about?

Alums Gather for Arts in Education Conference

2009-11-09T21:02:45Z

By Scott Ruescher

"The door was always a little bit ajar," said Jessica Hoffmann Davis, Ed.M.'86, Ed.D.'91, founding director of the Arts in Education Program (AIE) and former HGSE professor, at the Arts in Education Conference in late October. She was speaking at the event -- the largest yet professional development event of AIE alumni -- of the effort to found such a graduate program in a culture that sometimes regards the arts as frivolous. The conference was the most recent of several events initiated by Andrea Sachdeva, Ed.M.'07, and Joy Lamberton-Arcolano, Ed.M.'04, to foster a continuing sense of community among AIE graduates.

Davis could have been talking about the doors to conference rooms and classrooms at the Ed School that the 150 registrants would be going through over the course of the three-day conference, engaging in activities and discussions about arts-focused teaching and learning. The goal of the conference was to map the nationwide network of AIE alums, making them aware of their existing support system and increasing influence.

To kick the event off, AIE grads from organizations such as the Dallas Museum of Art and Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York spoke of their experiences in six-minute Pecha Kucha sessions, short and quick presentations devised to get and keep the audience engaged. Over the weekend alumni participated in professional development and art-making workshops, and presentations by faculty and other alumni.

Proof that AIE's influence is being felt in the field, was everywhere during the conference. One session showcased an alum from Martha's Vineyard, Mass., directing a one-act play by the three Latin American-immigrant actors from her adult-education literacy class; another had a participant describing her effort to implement arts-based curricula on the African Diaspora for the Pittsburgh schools in her job at the Heinz Foundation; yet another featured grads from the National Building Museum and the Strathmore Performing Arts Center describing their efforts to engage the families of D.C.-area students in their respective education programs; and another had the vice principal of a high school in Singapore celebrating the lifting of the ban on performance art and “forum theater” in his country.

Sunday's program offered some more leisurely activities, including a public art walk with an alumna who works in Boston's cultural affairs office; a calligraphy workshop with a Chinese language and culture teacher from Boston Latin School; and a storytelling and drawing workshop with a museum educator from New York.

Closing the conference, current AIE director, Lecturer Steve Seidel seconded Davis' challenge to “go out and find other doors that you thought might not be open but in fact are open after all.” He expressed pleasant surprise that the conference had done exactly what it had intended to do, providing an opportunity for program grads to accelerate a process of community-building that is difficult to sustain among a dispersed population with a variety of jobs. Seidel also defended his right to “preach to the choir” about the value of arts learning and the multidisciplinary application of the arts.

“It's fine to stay for a while in the room where the choir has been practicing for years,” he said, “because the choir needs to practice after all. And it's a great room anyway, with a door that is always open.”

Fischer Commentary Featured in American Psychologist

2009-11-06T20:37:39Z

Professor Kurt Fischer and doctoral students Zachery Stein, Ed.M.'06, and Katie Heikkinen, Ed.M.'07, were featured in the October 2009 issue of American Psychologist criticizing the journal 's lead article for its too narrow assessment of adolescents' developing abilities.

Fischer, Stein, and Heikkinen's commentary, "Narrow Assessments Misrepresent Development and Misguide Policy," explored how intellectual and psychosocial functioning develop along learning pathways that extend well into adulthood.

The article which prompted the response, "Are Adolescents Less Mature than Adults?" maintained that the law is at odds with developmental science in treating adolescent abilities as developing in the same way for cognitive and social abilities, particularly with regard to access to abortion and the juvenile death penalty for murder. The authors concluded from a research study that adolescents exhibit adult levels of cognitive capability much earlier than they do for emotional or social capability. In turn, according to the authors, adolescents possess the necessary skills to make an informed choice about terminating a pregnancy but are still less mature than adults in ways that mitigate criminal responsibility.

But this could not be farther from the truth, according to Fischer, Stein, and Heikkinen. People continue to develop much later than the authors of the initial article acknowledge, through adolescence well into adulthood. Moreover, the authors "oversimplified development by dividing it into two categories," Fischer said, and then used a narrow set of tasks to measure "capabilities and contexts" in the two categories. Their narrow choices biased the results to fit their hypothesis, failing to assess the full range of capabilities.

Fischer was invited to comment on the initial article by American Psychologist editors and he asked Stein and Heikkinen to join in the response. "This information is so relevant to legal policies around young people's responsibilities for crimes," Fischer added. "Unfortunately the authors chose narrow measures that do not represent the true range of cognitive and social capacities, and thus biased the results to support what they predicted. Developing capacities do not fit neatly into legal categories the way that the authors claim."

Instructional Leadership Strand Prepares Teachers for Additional Roles

2009-10-28T19:41:29Z

By Jill Anderson

For over 150 years, the teaching career has remained largely the same, with one teacher assigned to a set of courses and a class of students for the duration of the year. Today, however, more and more teachers are taking on new roles within their districts as teacher leaders, curriculum developers, mentors, and coaches.

This year the Ed School is piloting a new program under Learning and Teaching dubbed the Instructional Leadership (IL) strand -- a one-year master's program specifically aimed at those teachers who want to stay involved in teaching, while taking on leadership roles in their schools or districts. IL is designed for individuals who have taught a minimum of three years in K-12 classrooms, but also seek to increase their influence in instruction and curriculum outside the classroom. Each teacher will be grounded in a subject area - science, mathematics, social studies, or English Language Arts at the elementary or secondary level.

"The goal is to provide teachers with avenues for growth without totally leaving the classroom," says Senior Lecturer Katherine Boles, director of the Learning and Teaching Program and IL. "Through the IL strand we will prepare teachers for roles in addition to classroom teaching."

Due to the pressures of high-stakes testing and No Child Left Behind, schools today need experts in subjects like math and English, who can help other teachers to improve their work. Boles and Professor Susan Moore Johnson realized schools were in dire need of guidance and instruction on such positions and served on an HGSE committee that explored ways to support experienced teachers through degree programs and professional development.

"Although there are efforts to create teams of teachers to improve teaching and learning in schools, only recently has there been a broad effort to appoint expert teachers as instructional coaches or teacher leaders," Johnson says. Yet, for many school districts, this process remains largely unstructured and with few professional requirements. More often than not, teachers are selected for these positions by what Johnson describes as "happenstance" rather than a deliberate process.

Many teachers find themselves being asked to assume these roles that include, for example, running a new teacher induction program, convening professional development with teachers, advising on technology, or consulting with teachers on assisting and evaluating teachers in need of improvement. As Boles and Johnson point out - all of these positions require additional expertise.

"There are many proposals for various teachers as leaders in their districts, but there really hasn't been an extensive preparation program that ensures they are grounded in a particular subject. These graduates will also have a specialty beyond that," Johnson says. "We have built elements into this program that are valuable to teachers but also to the schools and districts where they work."

"IL's unique curriculum, with its emphasis on organizational leadership and adult development, is vital for teachers who take on these leadership roles working with and advising colleagues," Boles says. Additionally, all students must undertake advanced study in their particular subject area. An internship component that focuses on leadership specialization at a school, district, or organization provides relevant work experience for the candidates.

This year there are eight students enrolled in the pilot program. The students say they are excited to be part of this trial run, especially something with a focus on instructional leadership, which they found particularly attractive for their careers.

"The Instructional Leadership strand of the Learning and Teaching Program allows me to explore in greater depth the complex interactions between the teacher, student, and subject matter," says master's candidate Therese Arsenault. "Foundation courses in organizational change, adult development, and advanced methods in teaching science provide varied lenses to view the role of instructional leader. An internship in a leadership capacity gives me the opportunity to apply theory to practice and to shape my purposes and philosophies. Monthly meetings with cohort peers provide an opportunity to share, question, and explore current instructional leadership topics. Overall, the program is broadening my understanding and opening up possibilities."

"In Singapore, the demand on school leaders to be effective instructional leaders is very high -- schools have the autonomy to explore innovative teaching approaches, and tailor curriculum to meet the needs of students," says master's student Haslinda Zamani. "The primary reason behind my coming to HGSE is so that I can improve my capacity as an instructional leader. I was thrilled that HGSE introduced Instructional Leadership as a pilot program. I felt confident that the learning offered by the Instructional Leadership pilot program would be rigorous and stimulating, and that it would enable me to return to Singapore a better school leader."

Next year the program hopes to attract and enroll between 20 and 25 students. Candidates must have at least three years of teaching experience and demonstrate a dedication to teaching and learning. Additionally, candidates must show an interest in continuing their involvement with classroom instruction while also working in the larger school environment. Graduates of the program will be well suited for part-time teaching in their respective subject, while also serving in specialized roles.

"If a district is looking for an experienced teacher, who is also an expert in data analysis, and how assessment data can inform instruction in school, then we will have those experts," Johnson says. "We expect our graduates to be in great demand."

A sampling of the students in the Instructional Leadership strand:

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Spence Discusses Ed.L.D. at HAA Meeting

2009-10-27T20:05:50Z

By Mary Tamer

In a passionate speech before 400 gathered Harvard alumni, Professor Harry Spence talked at length about the school's new Doctor of Education Leadership Program, calling it "a groundbreaking move" that represents a quantum change in the training of future school and institutional leaders.

Spence's remarks, delivered October 22 at the annual fall awards ceremony of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), comes one month after the announcement of the Ed School's first new degree initiative in 73 years, a practice-based doctoral program that will bring together faculty from Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School to work with 25 candidates who will earn an Ed.L.D. in three years' time.

As Spence explained, the new degree is a unique and needed response to address the nation's troubled K-12 system of public education, one that lags behind international peers when comparing graduation rates as well as test scores in math and other subject areas. Utilizing charts and slides, Spence peppered his speech with facts and figures, noting that since the 1970s, "we've seen a vast increase in expenditures for strikingly little gain" in the area of education.

"This is our aspirational goal," said Spence, the former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS) and codirector of the new degree program. "We believe that any organization, in order to move, needs a North Star. Ours is the transformation of American K-12 education. That is an audacious goal, but it is one the nation has to hold."

Spence also spoke on the genesis of this initiative, noting that it was conceived by Dean Kathleen McCartney after former Harvard President Lawrence Summers had posed the question, "What would you do if you could?"

"This was her response," said Spence. "She speaks of the important merging of practice, policy, and research. And I share that view, that this nexus of policy, practice, and research is centrally important to the school."

Set to launch in August 2010, Spence said it is the hope that the 25 candidates admitted will remain as a strong, deeply connected cohort "who will affect change in a range of environments and across all boundaries" in the years ahead.

Seated among the HAA audience during Spence's speech was Kevin Jennings, assistant deputy secretary at the Department of Education and a 1985 graduate of Harvard College, who told an anecdote of his 10th Harvard reunion when he encountered a classmate who had achieved success in the corporate world but was dismayed that Jennings, a fellow Ivy League graduate, had spent the past decade as a teacher. It is crucial, he said, to change this perspective.

"Teachers have made enormous sacrifices to go into this profession," said Jennings, who added that he was making $31,000 at the time as a history teacher and is "the only senior official in the Department of Education with significant classroom experience." Jennings asked Spence to allow practicing teachers to be a part of the new program, which he called "outstanding."

"We are rooting for you and for this program to succeed," said Teresita Alvarez Bjelland, president of Harvard Alumni Association. "It is a wonderful program because it shows a way forward."

Merseth Honored by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers

2009-10-23T20:15:53Z

Senior Lecturer Katherine Merseth's recent book, Inside Urban Charter Schools: Promising Practices and Strategies in Five High-Performing Schools (published by the Harvard Education Press), cowritten with HGSE doctoral students Kristy Cooper, John Roberts, Mara Casey Tieken, Jon Valant, and Chris Wynne was honored this week for Excellence in Advancing Knowledge from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). The NACSA Awards for Excellence program celebrates individuals and organizations that advance the authorizing profession in three fields: advancing knowledge, improving policy, and improving practice.

"My doctoral colleagues and I are very honored to receive this award from NACSA," Merseth said. "We are pleased that our findings about what makes these urban charter schools successful and the challenges that remain have the potential to inform the work of many who seek to improve on educational outcomes for children."

NACSA noted that the book was unique because of its independent qualitative study that closely examines the culture, norms, and values of highly successful charter schools. The book offers an unprecedented look into the inner workings of successful urban charter schools by profiling five high-performing urban charter schools serving predominately low-income, minority youth in Massachusetts. The authors conducted interviews, focus groups, data analysis, and classroom observation over two years demonstrating that these schools excel along the organizational dimensions of structure, systems, human-resource strategies, culture, and clarity of mission.

NACSA is a professional membership organization that supports the work of charter school authorizers, provide information and services to authorizers across the country, and support school system leaders interested in applying best practices from charter schools in their own systems.

For more information on Inside Urban Charter Schools, visit http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/leadership/LP333.html and http://www.gse.harvard.edu/blog/news_features_releases/2009/01/inside-urban-charter-schools.html.

Dean Theodore Sizer, 1932-2009

2009-10-22T21:26:50Z

Former Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean Theodore Sizer will be remembered as many things during his remarkable 50-year career in education, among them - teacher, education reformer, leader, and mentor. Sizer, 77, died yesterday at his Harvard, Mass. home.

"Ted's contributions to education are numerous and far-reaching," said Dean Kathleen McCartney in a statement to the Ed School community. "As a member of the HGSE faculty, as dean, and as a visionary in education, Ted made an enduring impact through his teaching and scholarship, but also his unsurpassed wisdom and insight. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Nancy, his four children, and all of Ted's family and friends."

In 1964, at only 31-years-old, Sizer, M.A.T.'57, was named dean. A 1964 HGSE Bulletin introduced Sizer to the Harvard community as "an energetic man with a ready smile" who would oversee 80 faculty and 750 students.

"Everyone knew him as the 'boy dean' because when he was elected dean, he was very young, which was very unusual," said Professor Patricia Alberg Graham, a former dean of the Ed School. Graham noted that because of his age, Sizer was full of promise. "He came from a wonderful academic family, he was intelligent, and a very warm person." Graham remarked it was those very qualities about Sizer that would go on to attract many bright, young people to the Ed School.

Born into a family of educators in Connecticut, Sizer began his career in education as an English and mathematics teacher at the Roxbury Latin School in Boston. Teaching would always remain an important part of Sizer's work, as well as a factor in his guidance to others seeking education careers.

"It was Ted Sizer, who convinced me to begin my career as a teacher and was very supportive during the various stages of my career as an educator," said Professor Thomas Payzant, whom Sizer also persuaded to apply to the M.A.T. program. "He was delighted to know when I became a member of the HGSE faculty in the fall of 2006 and I am so grateful for what he did to get me launched in 1962. I am glad he started me on the road less traveled. He indeed did make all the difference."

Liz Whisnant, now principal of the Horace Mann Elementary School in Washington, D.C., began teaching in part because of advice given to her by Sizer, who said that if she wanted to reform education, she should first start by being a teacher.

Following his initial years of teaching, Sizer went back to school, earning a master's in teaching at the Ed School. After graduation, he earned a position on the faculty as an assistant professor, eventually becoming director of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program. By 31, he had earned his doctorate, published two books, and had been named dean.

During his eight years as dean, Sizer recruited many talented scholars to HGSE, oversaw the development of diverse student populations, and presided over the completion of Larsen Hall and Gutman Library. He also played a vital role in expanding the school's activities in developmental psychology and public policy in education.

"He was an incredible connector," recalled Professor Howard Gardner. "He knew everybody, was on good terms with people, and helped the career development of many people. There were hundreds, or thousands, of people who went through his shop. He had a human influence on many people."

Gardner was just one of the many people that Sizer influenced. In fact, Gardner said Project Zero would not exist without Sizer. "I owe much of my professional identity to Sizer's interest in arts and humanities," he said.

"I can think of no other individual who has touched the lives of so many though his teaching, writing, and leadership," said Senior Lecturer Kay Merseth. "My professional and personal life has been immeasurably enriched by his presence."

Upon leaving the Ed School in 1972, in what many considered a surprising move, Sizer went on to head Phillips Academy in Andover. Sizer told The Harvard Crimson he was eager "to return to teaching and secondary education, particularly given the stresses and changes afoot within the schools." At Phillips Academy, he made many significant changes including turning the historically all-boys school into a co-educational institution.

After nine years at the academy, Sizer reportedly found himself reflecting on how good education ideas never pan out in practice. He returned to higher education at Brown University as a professor and where he founded two instrumental organizations, both with missions close to Sizer: the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and the Coalition for Essential Schools. The coalition aimed to put his research into actual schools and resulted in three well-known books, Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School, Horace's School: Redesigning the American High School, and Horace's Hope: What Works for the American High School.

Through the books and coalition, Sizer established nine common principles -- many still used today -- for school reform projects, including learning to use one's mind well, personalization, student-as-worker/teacher-as-coach, demonstration of mastery, a tone of decency and trust, commitment to the entire school, and democracy and equity. Additionally, the coalition has grown to roughly 600 schools today.

"We owe a debt to Ted and Nancy Sizer," Wood Smethurst, Ed.D.'70, founder and headmaster of Ben Franklin Academy in Atlanta, Ga., a coalition member, told Ed. magazine. "His hope, and ours, is [for schools to be able] to express more of our individuality and ideas."

By the 1990s, Sizer had earned the moniker of "America's most famous educational reformer" by Teacher Magazine. Although retirement beckoned, Sizer clearly felt a need to continue his lifelong work in education. In 1997, he returned to HGSE where he remained a visiting professor and lecturer until 2006.

Undoubtedly, Sizer's five decades in education leave a legacy that stretches far beyond HGSE's history to the indelible mark on educators and children in the world. "Sizer is the end of the twentieth century continuation of progressive education in America," Gardner said.

Related coverage:

Theodore R. Sizer, Education Innovator, Is Dead at 77 - New York Times
Theodore R. SIzer, 77; Educator, Author Worked to Improve Public Schools - Washington Post
Theodore Sizer, Educational Reformer, Dead at 77 - NPR
In Memoriam: Theodore Ryland Sizer - The Coalition for Essential Schools
The Forum Mourns the Loss of Convener and Mentor Ted Sizer - The Forum for Education and Democracy
Andover Mourns Loss of Ted Sizer, Legendary Educator and Headmaster - Phillips Andover Academy
A Tribute to Ted Sizer - John Merrow, LearningMatters
Sizer's Legacy Seen in Push to Revamp High Schools - Ed Week

The Silk Road Project Focuses on Passion-Driven Education During Harvard Residency

2009-10-20T17:20:59Z

Three-day series of events includes Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma concert and award ceremony, music workshop, presentations, and roundtable discussions from October 20 to 22, 2009

This week the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with support from the Office for the Arts at Harvard, will present a Silk Road Project residency with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Silk Road Ensemble musicians. The series of workshops, panels and discussions will culminate in a performance open to the Harvard community and the general public, and the presentation of the inaugural Harvard Graduate School of Education Thelma E. Goldberg Arts in Education Award to Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project, a nonprofit artistic, cultural, and educational organization founded in 1998 by Ma to promote innovation and learning through the arts.

"I am honored that our work is being celebrated with this award, which recognizes the arts as essential to mainstream education," commented Yo-Yo Ma, artistic director of the Silk Road Project. "One of our principal goals at the project is to promote learning that is driven by passion as opposed to learning simply to meet requirements. Our colleagues at Harvard have been voices of inspiration and valued counsels for our educational work, and I am looking forward to engaging with them deeply this week about innovative ways to bring about and support this kind of integrated learning."

Several events during the residency are open to the Harvard community and the general public, with limited seating. On Tuesday, October 20, Yo-Yo Ma will lead a discussion about the Silk Road Project's multiyear, multidisciplinary educational initiative Silk Road Connect, which inspires passion-driven learning in middle school classrooms, using music, the arts, and the dye indigo as models of connected study. That evening, Ma and a member of the Silk Road Ensemble will conduct a Creating a Life with Music Workshop with Harvard undergraduates. On Thursday, October 22, members of the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma will perform a concert with student musicians at an award ceremony in Memorial Church.

"I am thrilled to welcome Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble back to the Harvard campus," said Harvard President Drew Faust. "With its mission to promote learning through the arts, the Silk Road Ensemble embodies an approach to cultural exchange and interdisciplinary engagement that we hope to see more of on our campus."

Throughout the three-day residency, Harvard faculty, students, educators, and Silk Road Project leaders will address the topic of "Inspiring Passion-Driven Learning" from a variety of perspectives. Presenters include Ron Berger, longtime public school teacher and author; Harvard professors Homi Bhabha, director of the Humanities Center; Shigehisa Kuriyama from the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations; Jal Mehta from the Harvard Graduate School of Education; Parimal Patil from the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies; David Perkins, a founding member of Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; Steven Seidel, former director of Project Zero and director of the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; and Diana Soresen, Dean of Arts and Humanities; Harvard Teaching Fellow Christine Barrett; and Silk Road Ensemble teaching artists. These roundtable discussions are open to arts education faculty and students by invitation.

The October 2009 residency builds on a series of discussions held in February 2009 with Project Zero and Harvard University faculty, including Steven Seidel, Howard Gardner, Dudley Herschbach, Veronica Boix-Mansilla, and Meira Levinson. At that time, Yo-Yo Ma presented a concept for making interdisciplinary connections, which resulted in the program Silk Road Connect, currently being piloted by the Silk Road Project in five New York City middle schools.

"Our explorations at Harvard last winter proved indispensable as we introduced Silk Road Connect to schools in New York this fall," said Laura Freid, chief executive officer and executive director of the Silk Road Project. "And now that we're working with students and teachers directly on this initiative, we are eager to continue the conversation with our partners at Project Zero and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. At the same time, we're pleased to use this opportunity to share a music workshop and performance with the Harvard community."

The October 2009 residency is part of a multiyear affiliation initiated in 2005 between the Silk Road Project and Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Since then, annual residencies have resulted in intensive artistic and intellectual collaborations. Silk Road Ensemble members have performed, interacted with students, conducted workshops, shared works in progress and composed new works. The Silk Road Project has worked with Harvard faculty to facilitate multicultural engagement in the arts, literature, history and music of the Silk Road region, giving rise to cross-disciplinary undergraduate coursework.

RESIDENCY EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The following events are open to the Harvard community and the general public; however, seating is limited.

Inspiring Passion-Driven Learning: Silk Road Connect
Conversation led by Yo-Yo Ma
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 2-4 PM in Askwith Hall (Doors open at 1:45 PM)

This interactive session will present the Silk Road Project's educational initiative Silk Road Connect and review its early stages of implementation in New York City public schools. Yo-Yo Ma will lead a discussion about passion-driven education and program's vision.

Inspiring Passion-Driven Learning: Creating a Life with Music Workshop
Performance workshop led by Yo-Yo Ma
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 7:30-9:30 PM in Askwith Hall (Doors open at 7 PM)

With members of the Silk Road Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma will lead a performance workshop for Harvard student musicians, exploring musical intersections and addressing what it means to be a musician in today's global culture.

Inspiring Passion-Driven Learning: The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma
Concert and award presentation
Thursday, October 22, 2009 6-7:30 PM in Memorial Church (Doors open at 5:30 PM)

The residency's culminating event will feature a concert by the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma and selected Harvard student musicians. The Thelma E. Goldberg Arts in Education Award will be presented to Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project for their contributions to education and the arts.

About the Silk Road Project
The Silk Road Project is a not-for-profit artistic, cultural and educational organization with a vision of connecting the world's neighborhoods by bringing together artists and audiences around the globe. Founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998 as a catalyst to promote innovation and learning through the arts, the Silk Road Project takes inspiration from the historic Silk Road trading route as a modern metaphor for multicultural and interdisciplinary exchange. Under the artistic direction of Ma and the leadership of CEO and Executive Director Laura Freid, the Silk Road Project presents performances by the Silk Road Ensemble, engages in cross-cultural exchanges and residencies, leads workshops for students, and partners with leading cultural institutions to create educational materials and programs. Developing new music is a central mission of the Silk Road Project, which has been involved in commissioning and performing more than 60 new musical and multimedia works from composers and arrangers from around the world.

About Yo-Yo Ma
The many-faceted career of cellist Yo-Yo Ma is testament to his continual search for new ways to communicate with audiences and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal. Ma maintains a balance between his engagements as a soloist with orchestras worldwide and his recital and chamber music activities. His discography encompasses more than 75 albums, including 16 Grammy award winners. One of Ma's goals is the investigation of music as a means of communication and a vehicle for the migration of ideas; in 1998 he established the Silk Road Project to promote the study of cultural, artistic and intellectual traditions along the ancient Silk Road trade routes. Ma was born in Paris to Chinese parents who later moved the family to New York. He began to study the cello at the age of four, attended the Juilliard School, and in 1976 graduated from Harvard University. He has received numerous awards, including the 1978 Avery Fisher Prize, the 1999 Glenn Gould Prize, the 2001 National Medal of Arts, the 2006 Sonning Prize, the 2006 Dan David Prize, and the 2008 World Economic Forum's Crystal Award. In 2006, he was designated a United Nations Messenger of Peace by then Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In 2007, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon extended his appointment. In January 2009, at the invitation of President-Elect Barack Obama, Ma played in the quartet performance of John Willliams' Air and Simple Gifts at the 56th Inaugural Ceremony.

About the Silk Road Ensemble
The Silk Road Ensemble is a collective of internationally renowned performers and composers from more than 20 countries. Each Ensemble member's career illustrates a unique response to what is one of the artistic challenges of our times: nourishing global connections while maintaining the integrity of art rooted in authentic tradition. Many of the musicians first came together under the artistic direction of Yo-Yo Ma at a workshop at Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts in 2000. Since then, in various configurations, Ensemble artists have collaborated on a diverse range of musical and multimedia projects, presenting innovative performances that spring from Eastern and Western traditions and contemporary musical crossroads. The Silk Road Ensemble has recorded five albums and performed to critical acclaim throughout Asia, Europe and North America.

About Silk Road Connect
Silk Road Connect is a multi-year, multidisciplinary educational program to inspire passion-driven learning by empowering middle school students and teachers to follow their interest from the familiar to the foreign and make connections across all courses of study and in their own lives. Approximately 500 students are currently involved in a pilot program in sixth-grade classes in five schools in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Among many partners are local cultural institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, the Manhattan School of Music, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and national organizations such as National Geographic's Genographic Project. The Silk Road Project is piloting Silk Road Connect by invitation from the New York City Department of Education as part of its Campaign for Middle School Success, which has a goal of reducing the achievement gap in the middle grades and improving student achievement so that all students are prepared to succeed in high school, graduate on time, and thrive in college and careers.

From Appian Way to Hollywood

2009-10-14T17:40:25Z

By Jill Anderson

Neal Baer, Ed.M.'79, has rubbed elbows with some of the biggest names in Hollywood over his 20-year career as a screenwriter and producer, but he has never forgotten where he comes from. He returned to the Ed School last week to discuss the power of storytelling and give advice to HGSE students eager to make their way in the television and movie industry.

Dean Kathleen McCartney introduced Baer to a crowd at the first Askwith Forum of the year, "Telling Tales: How Stories Can Make a Difference," calling him "an academic of the highest order." In addition to his degree from HGSE, Baer earned both his A.M. and M.D. from Harvard.

As an award-winning executive producer and writer of television shows Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, ER, and China Beach, Baer has made a career out of telling stories that also educate that public about health and social issues. "I don't pigeonhole what I do as entertainment or education writing, but storytelling," he said. "Health and policy issues must be explored on television."

And, contrary to what many some may believe, people do learn from television. In fact, at one point during ER's run, Baer studied, with the support of the Kaiser Foundation, audiences of the show. He discovered that, at the time, more than 50 percent of ER's viewers learned about health issues as a result of watching.

Baer has never shied away from the risky or controversial when writing his shows. And, whether he's writing about sexually transmitted diseases or other complex social issues of our time, or being the first writer to script the word "penis" in daytime television, Baer said he's been lucky to have been given complete freedom by the networks on which his shows appear. Granted, Baer conceded that a lot of discussion and research happens before an episode is actually created. And, in order to keep discussions about issues ongoing, Baer is relying on new media like Twitter and takepart.com.

Beyond the work on television, Baer has coordinated with many nonprofits to work on projects like "The House is Small but the Welcome is Big" - a photo and storytelling exhibit that portrays women and orphaned children living with HIV and AIDS in Africa -- and the documentaries ByKids: Mozambique and Home is Where You Find It, the latter of which explores Africa's AIDS orphans. "I think we are all wired to tell stories," he said.

The day following the Askwith Forum, Baer held a forum for students interested in working in the media industry. "I came to the Ed School because I thought I wanted to do educational policy," Baer said of his untraditional career trajectory. He loved his time at HGSE and noted that several of its faculty made a profound impact on his life. "It really comes down to the mentors I've had here."

When Baer was earning a master's in sociology at Harvard, he took a class about visual and media studies that changed his life. From that moment on, Baer did not look back from a career making stories. (He maintains that he earned his M.D. years later while writing for ER as a "backup plan" in case Hollywood did not pan out.) During the forum, Baer offered his frank advice on when to go to film school, when not to go to film school, where to consider taking courses, how to get a foot in the door in the industry, and the best city in which to live.

"He made some real useful points and practical tips," said Kathleen Kouril Grieser, a master's candidate in Technology, Innovation, and Education Program. Grieser appreciated Baer's advice on film school, as well as his directing students to websites like Harvardwood.com, a Harvard alumni networking site based in Hollywood. However, beyond Baer's helpfulness, Grieser remained thoroughly impressed with his bio. "He is obviously a genius," she said.

Baer's HGSE visit concluded with a lecture to students in Professor Joe Blatt's class, Growing up in a Media World, specifically a session focusing on the impact of globalization on media.

In his presentation, Baer emphasized that media doesn't always have to be done the "old way." And, although adults control media, with "new media there are ways to give children power." Although, as much as Baer applauds new media, he also questions the possible negative aspects of its ability to disengage people. "The challenge for you is to figure out, how do you maximize it?" he said.

Dede and Rose to Help Draft U.S. National Educational Technology Plan

2009-10-14T17:29:07Z

By Jill Anderson

Professor Chris Dede and Lecturer David Rose, Ed.D.'76, have been tapped to help draft the new National Educational Technology Plan under the U.S. Department of Education. They will coordinate with a team of 14 people -- educators, state and district education technology leaders, policymakers, and researchers -- to create the plan.

"It feels good because too much decision-making in education is just year-to-year or month-to-month. Having a chance to step back and argue what a multiyear strategy should look like whether in educational technology or anywhere else is important," Dede said, noting that he was particularly thrilled that educators were invited to participate. "Technology is a catalyst that sits at the center of a lot of things like curriculum, testing, and professional development."

Rose added that he is delighted that his and Dede's work has been recognized on the national level and is enjoying the ongoing conversations about the draft.

The U.S. Department of Education is developing a new National Educational Technology Plan to provide a vision for how information and communication technologies can help transform American education. It will provide a set of concrete goals that can inform state and local educational technology plans as well as inspire research, development, and innovation. The plan offers a chance for the president and secretary of education to map out a strategy in education, Dede said. It focuses on four areas: learning, assessment, teaching, and productivity.

There have been three national educational technology plans, however, this will be the first plan since 2004. "The reports in the past have been uneven; some have been influential and some have had no impact," Rose said. "My role is to make sure the plan is conclusive of everybody. Universal design is clearly supposed to be a facet of this report. People with disabilities and English Language Learners were not visible in the previous plans and so this is gratifying to see someone in the working group is meant to be representing that issue."

The working group is mixture of people ranging from the technical side to teaching and learning. The group, which has been meeting since July, makes information regularly available on their website, edtechfuture.org,and also welcomes public suggestions. In fact, Technology, Innovation, and Education students were invited to post suggestions for Dede and Rose as part of an online discussion activity this summer.

"A number of reports for national technology are often dominated by people with an axe for technology, which is why it is great to hear student input at the Ed School," Rose said.

Putting together a long-range plan in technology is challenging seeing as though technology changes rapidly. But Dede and Rose don't seem concerned about this issue. "The wheels of education turn so slowly," Dede said. "I think we won't be seriously off target in a four year horizon - even if something new develops that we don't expect."

Workshop Teaches Students to Write Like an Educator

2009-10-14T17:18:29Z

By Jill Anderson

Although the school year just began, more than 40 students cheered each other on last month as they received certificates recognizing their hard work in the summer online workshop, Writing Like an Educator (WLE).

"This ceremony is to recognize the fine and important work you did this summer and the online community you created," said Jennifer Petrallia, assistant dean for master's studies, mentioning that she hoped to say "Hello" in the 26 different languages that the students represented.

For many international master's and doctoral students, coming to HGSE is their first experience at an American university. Several years ago, the Harvard Graduate School of Education began offering the online workshop, a collaborative venture supported by the Dean's Office, Academic Affairs, the Office of Student Affairs, Gutman Library Writing Services, and the Learning Technologies Center (LTC), to address student questions about American academic writing, and also to build a community among the incoming international students. Every year, WLE has grown in popularity, this year attracting 65 students to the workshop.

Designed primarily by Deborah Garson, head of research and instruction services at Gutman Library, and Kristin Lofblad, LTC's manager of instructional and research technology, WLE uses online learning best practices, which encourage students to work independently on online and offline writing-related activities, and to participate collaboratively in conversations about writing via online discussion boards facilitated by HGSE doctoral students. Each virtual session concludes with a self-check to assure nuanced understanding.

With the help of alum Radhika Rao, Ed.M.'05, Ed.D.'09, and doctoral students Yamila Hussein, Ed.M.'98; Karen Dunham, Ed.M.'05; and Liliana Garces, Ed.M.'06, the WLE participants explored the norms of American academic writing, typical HGSE writing assignments (i.e. literature reviews, research papers, memos), and APA style and formatting.

Garson says that the workshop made an enormous difference with international students who are "more confident" in their writing ability.

Already a month into their fall semester, many of the students who participated in the program are finding WLE helpful as they complete assignments. Says Oluwatoyin Adewumi, a master's candidate in the Technology, Innovation, and Education Program from Nigeria, "I like the fact that this [WLE] got us prepared for the types of papers we might be exposed to here."

Shan Xu, a Special Studies student from China, enjoyed the camaraderie that WLE provided. Xu liked being able to use the summer to get started with her one-year master's program. "It's already been helpful," she says, noting that comments on her early assignments had been marked "very good." "I think I was lucky to have this program."