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Now What – So What – Inspiration & Learning

May 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Define Superintendent (education) – to Chat GPT – 4o – Gen AI …

Here’s an inspirational version of the definition for your blog post intro:

A superintendent is more than an administrator—they are a visionary leader, a champion for children, and the steward of a community’s hopes for its future. In public education, the superintendent guides a school district’s mission, ensuring that every child has access to opportunity, every educator has support to thrive, and every decision reflects a commitment to equity, excellence, and growth. At their best, superintendents inspire transformation, shaping not only schools but the lives they touch.

So, as I resume my “normal” routine as a superintendent after an exceptional professional learning experience, I offer tremendous thanks to Nick Polyak, Scott Rowe, Matt Montgomery, and the entire AASA Staff! The AASA Innovation for Transformation Consortium Spring Event was outstanding.

Human Centered Artificial IntelligenceI’m grateful to Google, Stanford, JASON Learning, and Magma Math for support.

I’m grateful to so many for the tremendous insights, inspiration, ideas, innovations, empowerment, and more.

My two earlier blog posts highlight and detail learning and experiential opportunities. Gen AI usage as superintendent – Reflections from Google – AASA ITC Learnings from the Unfinished & Unlearning Leader #112Leads

So What – Now What – After learning, After studying, After reflecting, After sharing – now what? and … So What? Those are critical questions I consider each time I learn, study, do, act, and attend or lead a conference. In this blog post, I’ll reflect on our power-packed visit to Stanford as well as a few of my own “now what/so what” ideas!

On our final day, we visited Stanford University – WOW! Beautiful, Iconic, Serene, Cool, Fun, Nice, Impressive, Innovative, Inventive, Creative, Forward Thinking, Cutting Edge … I could go on …

Stanford U - Grad School of Education

We enjoyed fabulous lectures and presentations by Isabelle Hau, the Executive Director of Stanford’s Accelerator for Learning, whom we also met on our first day, the Dean, Dean Dan Schwartz of the Graduate School of Education at  Stanford and some other really inspiring folks at Stanford who are making a difference each and every day!

We explored concepts like,

What do people need to learn, and how should people go about this? We pondered …AI and Automation – we were reminded of an old but very important study that implicates “automation” and our industrious approach as a nation over decades to learn more and do better … we pondered the Iconic Stanford1897 “Curve of Improvement” where people studied productivity in terms of the number of letters people could send per minute… morphing into the number of weeks of practice…

This 19th-century example resonates with our 21st-century Gen AI “automation” craze in which we are living right now. Discussions of the The curve of improvement – “Power Law of Learning” -80/20 rule – when you first learn, you learn really quickly … all of this relates to our leadership development and teaching PK-12/20.

This is what AI does – automate… so many cool and provocative concepts for our thinking, reflecting, and ultimately for our “So What Now What moments – so much TIMELY and RELEVANT insights from the dean and Infospherethe faculty! We ideated and thought about how we are using AI for Learning – Automation and Efficiency – kids taking speeded tests – no mistakes … scrounging – end of with personalized automated tutors – ONE Trajectory… so many ideas and thoughts … the lectures were great, the preparation was meaningful and we felt highly valued and cared for on our learning visits!

Sometimes, as an educator, teacher, researcher, student, superintendent, human, after we visit a really cool and impactful set of places, like on this AASA consortium visit, it takes a while to reflect and “unpack” all of the learning. I’m the kind of person who likes to get his thoughts out in writing (like via blog posts) in an effort to synthesize and integrate new learning with existing learning. My aim is to learn and grow as a person with a growth mindset, and to also learn and grow so I can best support the adults who support the adults who support the students in our organization.

So my “now what so what” is multi-phased. Now what? I read, I reflect, I write, I think of ways to share this learning with colleagues, leadership team members, the Board of Education, teachers, students, and the community. I reach out to others and reflect together on potential joint projects. I do something with what I learned so that the value proposition is to “pay it forward”.

For example, at Stanford, we learned how to build an educational/teaching “bot,” and it was “hands-on,” and it was inspiring. With guidance from Josh Weiss Director of Technology and Innovation, Stanford Accelerator for Learning, and Reuben Thiessen, Emerging Technology Lead at Stanford Accelerator for Learning, we gained really cool exposure to a sophisticated, yet elegantly simple “bot” to build for learning support. This was so powerfully impactful for me that we followed up after the visit. Members of my team and I will be attending a follow-up training session. Part of my own learning includes reviewing my notes, the audio files, the transcripts, the slides and resources the partners shared, and more!

As an example of applied learning, the “building a bot” experience allows us to consider engagement and  creation via “Bloom’s Taxonomy” – the original taxonomy of the cognitive domain that every teacher learns in college – “knowledge, comprehension, application – then analysis, synthesis & evaluation”. The “updated” taxonomy is similar, “remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, creating, evaluating”.  With respect to “what can Gen AI tools do” – as an example – well – they can do a lot … tutor, advisor, teacher assistant, thought partner, etc. One of the coolest parts of the building a bot from the Stanford expert thinkers is that it allows the creator to contemplate various roles at the outset to “guide/train/help” the AI do it’s “job”.  Creating the persona, users, tone,  learning theories, process, limitations & adjectives is all at the “front end” of the design – Gen AI is not just a “fancy search tool” – on the contrary -with the proper thinking and input it can be so much more.

So now we move into the Age of Creation … we pondered some motivators like what people do for hobbies (when they “CAN”) vs “work” when they “HAVE” to do something. Motivational goals are essentially set forth so that “we” do something to get rewarded – an example was that some people take “terrible” flights, just to get more “points” and so on! Beyond that, we also got to think and see in a robotics environment – we got to see, learn about, and touch OceanOne  Thanks for all the inspiration … we have so much to learn, do and consider.

Our School District’s motto is Inspire, Innovate & Engage – the experiences this past week fully illustrated the essence, spirit, and illustration of our motto!

Ocean One

Gen AI usage as superintendent – Reflections from Google – AASA ITC

April 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

For emphasis I am sharing a few use cases for Generative AI in this blog post

All content is actually my own and content from speakers (with their consent) via AI tools (glasses, iPad, phone, & other).

I took my “bespoke” notes – that were enhanced, reviewed, proofread and modified by various Gen AI tools and finally, with a prompt to Gemini, Using Canvas and 2.5Pro – see the prompt (unedited)

Is this a good blog post for my post? I’m Mike lubelfeld from mikelubelfeld.edublogs.org, Today, we are at GooglePlex in Mountain View, California. We are greeted by a Google For Education quote that reads, “Elevate education with simple, flexible, and secure tools.” The entire atmosphere is positive, composed, future-oriented, and innovative. I have visited GooglePlex before, and each experience has been as exceptional or more so than the previous one. From the imaginative furniture, billiards, micro and macro kitchens, G-Bikes, and the rich history to the electrifying energy of each learning session, the visit to Google is truly inspiring.

Then Gemini gave insights and feedback and a few suggestions for improvements – I then prompted Gemini to make the suggested edits … here is the Human inspired, Gen AI improved, blog post!

Okay, Mike, here is a revised version of your blog post draft incorporating the suggestions. I’ve focused on improving flow, clarifying the use of AI tools, adding structure with headings (using markdown), and slightly refining phrasing for conciseness and clarity.

Reflections from GooglePlex: AI, Innovation, and the Future of Education

(By Mike Lubelfeld, mikelubelfeld.edublogs.org)

Greetings from GooglePlex in Mountain View, California! Stepping onto the campus, we were immediately met with a powerful Google For Education quote: “Elevate education with simple, flexible, and secure tools.”This set the tone for an experience steeped in a positive, future-oriented, and innovative atmosphere. Having visited GooglePlex before, each visit seems to surpass the last – from the imaginative furniture and G-Bikes to the palpable energy in every learning session, it’s truly inspiring.

Our District’s Journey with Google Tools

Our school district has been leveraging Google’s tools for some time now, starting when Gemini was still known as “Bard.” As a Google For Education Advanced Workspace district, we actively employ a suite of tools including Gemini, Google’s NotebookLM, Vids, Veo, Deep Research, AI Studio, and more. Google is clearly concentrating heavily on generative AI, and the rapid advancements and daily improvements across their tool suite are remarkable.

This post, much like previous reflections, aims to share personal insights, journal entries, and “experience sharing” about the lessons learned and their broader implications.

Session 1: AI in Practice & What it Means for Education

Our day kicked off with an engaging session titled “AI in Practice & What it Means for Education.” We started with a light-hearted LLM exercise involving “sniglets.”

A sniglet is a word that isn’t in the dictionary but perhaps should be – often humorous and describing something nameless. We used Gemini (Gemini.Google.Com) with a prompt asking it to act as a superintendent and compose two humorous, education-related sniglets. (Sharing these creative outputs was a fun icebreaker!)

From there, we dove into the evolution of generative AI, tracing the path from traditional programming to neural networks and today’s large language models. A key moment highlighted was Google’s introduction of the Transformer (the “T” in GPT) back in 2017. Now, in 2024, we’re firmly in the era of multi-modality – integrating text, images, video, and audio. It was fascinating to hear how technology, like Osmo equipping computers with a sense of smell, is attempting to replicate human senses to better support us.

AI Adoption: Students vs. Teachers

We discussed the current landscape of AI adoption. A 2024 Digital Education Council report indicated that 86% of students are using AI tools. However, this usage contrasts sharply with teacher adoption rates. According to Education Week in October 2024, only 36% of teachers nationwide reported using AI tools. This gap highlights a critical area for professional development and support.

We also watched and discussed the impressive video “Airhead Made by Shy Kids,” created using OpenAI’s Sora video generation model, prompting thoughts on creative potential and ethical considerations.

Google’s Approach: AI Principles and Tools

Google emphasized its core AI principles: pursuing bold innovation while ensuring responsible development and deployment, fostering collaborative progress, and maintaining a sense of togetherness.

We explored SynthID, Google’s tool for watermarking AI-generated content, a crucial aspect of responsible deployment. The discussion centered on AI as a tool – like a hammer or calculator – and how we can create conditions where it effectively enhances learning and solves problems of practice, rather than simply being a novelty.

This led naturally to the importance of metacognition: understanding how we know what we know. In an age where knowledge is ubiquitous, developing the critical skills to discern, interpret, and effectively learn how to learn is paramount for our students.

Deep Dive: Harnessing NotebookLM

One tool we’ve explored extensively over the past few months is NotebookLM.Google.com. Building on insights from a previous post, we explored innovative ways to leverage this powerful resource.

As a practical demonstration, I used one of my own blog posts as a “source” within NotebookLM:

  • Source URL: https://mikelubelfeld.edublogs.org/2025/04/28/learnings-from-the-unfinished-unlearning-leader-112leads/

Using this source, NotebookLM helped generate an audio podcast summarizing the key takeaways.

Beyond NotebookLM, we also touched upon Deep Research and Gemini Canvas, which offer promising approaches for initiating research, coding, and fostering collaborative learning.

Peeking into the Future: Project Astra and AI Glasses

Looking ahead, Project Astra, a Google initiative exploring the future of AI assistants, was captivating. The potential integration with hardware like Google Glass, combined with multi-modality, hints at a revolutionary shift in human-computer interaction.

Real-World AI Application: Transcribing and Summarizing with Multiple Tools

Here’s a practical example of integrating AI tools during the event:

  1. Capture: I wore my Even Realities AI Smart Glasses during a session (with the presenter’s consent). I used the glasses’ Transcribe feature, which displayed the text on the lens in real-time and saved the full transcript via Bluetooth to an app on my phone.
  2. Initial Summary (Gemini): I copied the raw transcript from the Even Realities app and pasted it into Gemini (using the 2.5 Pro Experimental version) with a prompt to “summarize.”
  3. Refined Summary (ChatGPT): I then took Gemini’s summary and input it into OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4o-mini, prompting it to “make a concise summary of this summary of a meeting transcript suitable for inclusion in a blog post.”

Below is the AI-assisted, multi-step generated summary:

The discussion explores how generative AI is reshaping the workforce, drawing comparisons to past technological advancements such as the automobile and the personal computer, which disrupted certain jobs but also created new opportunities. Key points include:

  • AI and Jobs: AI may automate up to 30% of work hours, but like previous technologies, it is expected to create more jobs by shifting the types of roles available, particularly in areas requiring human skills.
  • Future-Ready Skills: Essential skills for future success include critical thinking, communication, creativity, adaptability, and social-emotional intelligence, referred to as “durable skills.” These are vital for navigating AI-driven changes.
  • Teaching Future Skills: Educators emphasize methods like project-based learning (PBL) and self-assessment to foster durable skills. Real-world PBL examples include adaptive technology creation and community collaboration projects.
  • Google’s Educational Initiatives:
    • Grow with Google: Offers career certificates and AI courses.
    • Be Internet Awesome: Teaches digital citizenship and AI literacy to younger students.
    • AI Quests: A gamified program helping middle schoolers build AI models for social good.
  • Partnership Ideas: Suggestions for Google included integrating digital citizenship in Google Classroom, addressing tech access gaps, and offering simulations for practicing durable skills.

This summary underscores the importance of adapting education to future workforce needs, where AI and human-centered skills intersect.

The Future of Education: Policy and Learning Science

Policy is evolving rapidly. As of our meeting (late April 2025), 26 US states have formal AI policies for education, while 24 do not. Google shared insights on creating impactful AI tutors, grounding their work in 5 Learning Science Principles:

  1. Inspire Active Learning
  2. Manage Cognitive Load
  3. Deepen Metacognition
  4. Stimulate Curiosity
  5. Adapt to Learner

Evaluating AI tools against these principles provides a meaningful framework, especially from an education perspective focused on privacy, data security, and responsible use.

We also got a glimpse of Project Mariner, an experimental “agentic” workflow automation tool designed to assist after research is completed. Imagine this workflow: a student submits a quiz, AI provides rubric-based feedback, an email goes to the parent, and an action plan is co-created with the student. This isn’t science fiction; it’s becoming reality.

Developing Skills: Google for Education Programs

Google highlighted resources available for educators and students:

  • General Resources: Edu.google.com
  • Professional Development: Training & Certifications
  • Digital Citizenship (Grades 2-6): Be Internet Awesome
  • Leadership Development: AASA & Google ELP Partnership (Ed Leadership Program)

Session 2: Fostering a Culture of Innovation

Konner Brewer, Google Product Manager and Stanford Lecturer, led a fantastic session on Google’s culture of innovation. A key takeaway was Project Aristotle, Google’s internal research which found that psychological safety is the single most important factor for high-performing, innovative teams.

Google’s values underpin this:

  • Respect the User: Understand their deep needs.
  • Respect the Opportunity: Act responsibly with resources.
  • Respect Each Other: Foster psychological safety.

The session drew heavily from the Stanford “d.school” design thinking elements:

  1. Need finding: Empathize (understand the verb – e.g., “I need to hydrate“) and Define (avoid locking into a solution too early – e.g., “I need a glass of water”).
  2. Leveraging: Ideate based on existing strengths and resources.
  3. Failing Fast: Prototype and Test small, learn quickly, and iterate.

Another AI Application: Audio Transcription and Summarization

For another insightful session, I used a different AI workflow:

  1. Capture: Recorded the audio using the Apple iOS Voice Memo app.
  2. Transcription: Used the Apple Intelligence feature within the Notes app to transcribe the audio recording.
  3. Initial Summary (Apple Intelligence): Used Apple Intelligence within Notes to summarize the lengthy transcript.
  4. Refined Summary (Gemini): Finding the Apple summary less concise than desired, I pasted the full transcript into Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental for a more condensed summary.

Here is the Gemini-generated summary of the 50-minute session on innovation:

  • Psychological Safety is Key for Innovation: Google’s Project Aristotle found psychological safety (feeling safe to take risks/be vulnerable) is the most critical factor for effective teams, more vital than individual high performers. Innovation needs a blameless culture focused on learning from failures.
  • Google’s Innovation Principles: Respect the user (understand deep needs, like the Oreo story example), respect the opportunity (act responsibly), and respect each other (foster psychological safety/diverse voices).
  • Embrace Failure & Quantity: Innovation has a high failure rate (~95%). Google learned from failures (Loon, Glass). Generating many ideas (quantity yields quality) via methods like 20% time (Gmail’s origin), incubators, and external ventures is crucial.
  • Design Thinking Framework:
    • Need Finding: Start with the user need (verb), not a pre-defined solution (noun). Understand real challenges (student engagement, change resistance).
    • Leveraging: Utilize existing resources/skills (like Hermès moving from saddles to bags via leather skills).
    • Failing Fast: Test ideas quickly/small scale, learn, iterate (Google’s “dogfooding”).
  • Real-World School Examples (Glen, NJ Superintendent):
    • Mr. Rogers Project: Paired students needing experience with businesses needing social media help.
    • Swim Lessons/Lifeguarding: Identified unmet needs and built programs incrementally.
    • Farmer’s Market: Leveraged school space/student interest for entrepreneurial opportunities (“Pirate Pickles”).
  • Overall Message: Successful innovation in education requires deep need understanding, safe experimentation environments, leveraging resources, learning from failure, starting small, and community connection.

Wrapping Up: GooglePlex Tour and Reflective Thoughts

The day also included a walking tour of the GooglePlex global headquarters – always a highlight! The serene grounds, history, outdoor art, and intentional building design (even a dinosaur!) offer much to absorb.

This was an action-packed, high-energy, heavy-thinking day with a ton to unpack and process! I’m energized to bring back numerous ideas, affirmations, and opportunities for growth to our organization. A huge thank you to AASA and Google for this incredible experience.

Next up on the journey: our visit to Stanford… stay tuned for more!

Thanks for reading! What are your key takeaways or questions about AI and innovation in education right now? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Unlearning – A Podcast Interview on The K-12 Change Equation

April 9, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Recently I had the honor of sitting with Dr. Leila Nuland and Dr. Mort Sherman! Leila is a new friend and Mort is a longtime friend! We discussed my first book, The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today, experiences of the past few years, and a call to action that I share on the podcast, here in the blog, and in my latest book with Nick Polyak, coming out later this year, Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today!

If you have some time, listen to the interview and let me know what you think in the comments! I have an AI-generated summary of the podcast as well. I took the YouTube transcript, copied and pasted it into Magic School AI, used the YouTube summarizer app, and asked for a one-page summary. I then put the summary from Magic School AI into Chat GPT for a spelling check!

 

Sharing the audio podcast and a summary of the transcript follows

⸻

In this episode of The K12 Change Equation, Dr. Leila Nuland and Dr. Mort Sherman interview Dr. Mike Lubelfeld, a superintendent and author, focusing on the concept of unlearning as a vital component of effective leadership. The discussion highlights the current challenges faced by public education amidst discussions about its dismantling and the need for state and local control.

Dr. Lubelfeld, co-author of The Unlearning Leader, emphasizes the importance of unlearning outdated practices to adapt to modern educational demands. He recounts a pivotal moment from a 2017 conference where a futurist illustrated how societal perceptions can lag behind factual developments, using the evolution of yield signs and the medical community’s delayed acceptance of the H. pylori bacteria as causes of ulcers as examples.

The interview reveals how Dr. Lubelfeld’s experiences as a superintendent have been shaped by events such as the Uvalde tragedy, which prompted a reassessment of safety protocols in schools. He explains how his district had to shift from complacency to a proactive stance in ensuring student safety following this incident, reinforcing the need for leadership that can adapt and respond effectively to crises.

The conversation also delves into the role of partnerships in enhancing school safety and community support. Dr. Lubelfeld advocates for networking among educational leaders and leveraging local resources to foster a culture of innovation rather than compliance. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships with local authorities and mental health professionals to create a seamless support system for students.

As the discussion progresses, Dr. Lubelfeld addresses the challenges of funding and the impact of federal policies on public education. He expresses concern over the potential loss of federal support and advocates for local solutions that prioritize student well-being and educational equity.

The episode concludes with a call to action for educational leaders to embrace unlearning as a pathway to innovation and adaptability. Dr. Lubelfeld encourages leaders to challenge existing structures and work collaboratively to create an educational environment that meets the evolving needs of students.

Overall, this episode underscores the necessity of unlearning in leadership to drive meaningful change within educational systems, advocating for a future-oriented approach that prioritizes the needs of students and the community.

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Reflections from Montgomery – A Superintendent’s Notes

September 19, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Understanding Defining Moments in History

Montgomery, Alabama | September 17-19, 2024
Fall Symposium of the National Superintendents RoundtableCover of briefing book

As a proud member of the National Superintendents Roundtable (NSR), I looked forward to our fall conference in Montgomery, Alabama. With a mission focused on “Leadership for Just and Humane Schools,” the NSR, alongside the Schlecty Superintendent Leadership Network, brings together 85 superintendents committed to advocating for the future of public education. This conference emphasized the significance of civics education—an essential component for understanding our nation’s complex history.

Our host, Dr. Melvin Brown, Superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools, welcomed us to a city steeped in both the legacy of the Confederacy and the Civil Rights Movement. Montgomery, a city of contrasts, was the perfect setting for

Superintendent Roundtable Members Panel

Panel of Members – Discussion

exploring the contradictions and realities of American history. Here, in a school system serving 26,000 students, we confronted the unresolved tension between the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the lived experience of desegregation, which for Montgomery, only began in earnest during the 1970s. While the law declared the end of segregation, reality played out differently, and the deep divides of the past remained unresolved for decades.

As a lifelong advocate for student voice, choice, and empowerment, I found myself reflecting deeply on the impact of these historical legacies on today’s education system. Our schools are, and must always be, for students—no exceptions.

Three Profound Sites of American History

The heart of this symposium was our visit to three deeply impactful historical monuments:

The Freedom Monument Sculpture Park (April 2024)
The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration (2018)
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (2018)

In front of Freedom Monument Sculpture Park Wall of NamesThese landmarks tell an unfiltered story of America, starting from pre-Columbian history through the African and African American experiences. They challenged us to reckon with the harsh truths of slavery, systemic racism, and the ongoing consequences of mass incarceration.

The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), founded by Bryan Stevenson, operates the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice. EJI has been at the forefront of documenting the intersection of racial injustice, from slavery to modern-day inequalities. Learning about their work and walking through these spaces was emotionally overwhelming yet essential.

At the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, we were immediately faced with the brutality of colonialism. I found myself reflecting on the devastating impact European exploration and colonization had on both Indigenous and African peoples. Walking through this park, located by the serene Alabama River, was a stark contrast to the brutality it documented. I realized how disconnected my previous understanding of history had been, shaped largely by sanitized textbooks that glossed over the horrors of our past.

The Domestic Slave Trade and Unseen Realities

One of the most startling realizations during this trip was learning about the domestic slave trade that thrived in the United States after the transatlantic trade was abolished in 1808. I hadn’t fully grasped how the demand for enslaved labor

Sculpture

Depiction of bondage and suffering

persisted, especially in building the Southern railway systems. As a history teacher, I taught about slavery—but never truly taught about it. Now, I find myself asking: What is my obligation as an educator to teach authentic and real history?

Equally disturbing was the realization of how deeply Northern banks profited from the Southern economy, showing that slavery wasn’t just a Southern institution—it was an American one.

Emancipation and Its Complex Legacy

The common narrative we often hear is that the Emancipation Proclamation freed the enslaved. Yet, in reality, the Proclamation only declared freedom for those enslaved in Confederate states still rebelling against the Union in 1863. It took the 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865, to legally end slavery in the United States. The legacy of that struggle, from Reconstruction to Jim Crow, has left a profound and lasting impact on our nation’s journey toward racial equality.

The visit to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice was perhaps the most sobering of all. Walking through the steel monuments bearing the names of over 4,400 lynching victims, I was confronted with a history I hadn’t fully absorbed before. The legacy of racial violence and terror extends far beyond what many of us learned in school, and the psychological damage it inflicted is immeasurable.

Close Up

Victims of lynching from one county

Personal Reflection and Call to Action

This journey wasn’t just an opportunity to learn—it was a moral reckoning. I’ve often said that students have only one chance to experience the grade they’re in, and it’s our duty to make their time with us meaningful. Now that I’ve confronted these truths, I have to ask myself: What will I do with this knowledge?

What will I do?
What will you do?
More importantly, what will **we** do, now that we know?

As educators and leaders, it’s our responsibility to empower our students, activate their voices, and offer them choice, agency, and engagement. If we’re to inspire, innovate, and engage, we must do so with a full understanding of where we’ve been as a nation and where we need to go.

I encourage all who read this to visit Montgomery, Alabama.

Our nation’s future depends on it.

Close up of monument quote

Quote on the monument of remembrance

Community Collaboration Marker - Communities are coming to terms with their history

Memorial to victim of lynching – part of community awareness project

Deep Dive on the Gen AI Journey – #112Leads

September 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

AI generated image of the District 112 MottoWhat’s all the fuss about AI?

Why all of the emphasis on “new tools” – “we have enough to do already!”.

Well … In North Shore School District 112 we have been on a journey exploring generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI). I have written about it here on the blog, I have spoken about it on the Lighthouse 112 Podcast, I have spoken about it at conferences, and I have shared it internally with the staff at North Shore School District 112. I’m on a journey to broaden my Gen AI literacy so that I may lead in a more informed and impactful manner. On a daily/weekly basis, I may explore Open AI Chat GPT, Google Gemini, ISTE-ASCD Stretch, Claude, Magic School AI, School AI, Latimer, and more! I’m aiming to explore what is going on and learn what it’s all about.

I’m working in a progressive school district that is engaged in a pilot right now with Magic School AI — 301 staff members are actively exploring the potential of Gen AI for themselves as educators and as of this writing, there are 43 active “rooms” where staff members (teachers, coaches, administrators, librarians, etc.) have opened up Gen AI to students – in a guarded, closed, directed manner. Safety/Privacy – Ethical Usage of AI tools is paramount to our exploration.

In this blog post, I am sharing an audio “podcast” “conversation” generated from Google’s Notebook LM experimental tool. Sharing six artifact sources regarding this journey, the Notebook LM “made” an audio “conversation” …the future is now – the present is the future – and it’s incumbent upon educators like myself to explore, learn, innovate, and share what tools exist, what tools can help improve learning, and what tools our students can use! Any time we use AI, we note it, we explain it, we explore it and we “own” it. We are sharing what’s going on so we know more and we can best support our educators, best inform our community and best innovate and engage and empower our students.

Link to 11-minute Audio “conversation” generated by Google’s Notebook LM reviewing six sources I uploaded (and will share in this post).

AUDIO CONVERSATION MADE BY GOOGLE’S NOTEBOOK LM LISTEN HERE – 11 MINUTES

I uploaded sources to a notebook – the notebook reviewed (electronically) the content and then had the programming to summarize, generate a briefing doc of highlights, make a timeline, and create an audio conversation – wait – what?! Yes, the generative artificial intelligence takes sources that a user uploads (documents, PDF, Google Docs, Google Slides, web URLs, pasted text), “read”/somehow interprets the content, and then -makes a CONVERSATION with a male voice and a female voice.

This is free of charge, too, by the way … please read on and then please click the link above and listen to the 11-minute conversation … this is TODAY – not the future. The male and female voices are from Google’s Notebook LM. I did NOT write a script, I did NOT prompt engineer, I did NOT do anything other than take my own original content (5 of the six sources) and an article from Yong Zhao (an educational thinker who I read, follow, and respect), and Notebook LM made “magic” … or used it’s large language model, machine language and generative artificial intelligence and did something that was not possible nor was it accessible until very recently.

The six sources I asked Notebook LM to “review” include the following:

Summary of a presentation I made to the Center for Digital Education

The source is a presentation transcript from a talk given by Mike Lubelfeld, the Superintendent of North Shore School District 112 in Illinois. The presentation focuses on the district’s approach to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into education. The district has adopted a positive and proactive stance towards AI, focusing on educator literacy and experimentation rather than on fear of misuse. They have implemented Magic School AI as their official AI tool, using it to streamline administrative tasks for teachers and promote innovation in educational practices. The district is also conducting research on AI’s impact, ensuring data privacy and security. The presentation concludes by offering suggestions for expanding AI adoption and reinforcing the importance of data privacy in this process.

Link to Google Doc from the summary of the brief presentation (generated via Plaud AI)

Link to slides used in the presentation, Link to Slides

Summary of the Slides

The source presents a presentation by North Shore School District 112 detailing their approach to incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into education. The presentation emphasizes the need for AI literacy and provides an AI integration timeline, outlining their strategy from initial exploration to policy development and implementation. The Joy - Student Engagementpresentation highlights the potential benefits of AI for both students and teachers, such as personalized learning, intelligent tutoring, and automation of administrative tasks, while acknowledging the limitations of AI, including bias in training data, limited knowledge bases, and proneness to hallucinations. The presentation advocates for an innovative mindset, urging educators to experiment with new AI tools and adapt their practices to the post-AI world. Finally, the presentation emphasizes the need for ethical guidelines and data privacy to ensure responsible and beneficial integration of AI in education.

Summary of a blog post (from this blog)

This blog post by Mike Lubelfeld, superintendent of North Shore School District 112, describes the district’s pilot program for integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools into its classrooms. The post highlights the potential benefits of AI, such as personalized learning and increased efficiency, and outlines the district’s implementation strategy for piloting the use of Magic School AI. Lubelfeld emphasizes the importance of data privacy, equity and access, and change management as key considerations in the AI implementation. He also stresses the importance of collaboration and continuous learning in navigating this new technological landscape. The ultimate goal of the pilot program is to leverage AI to create a modernized educational environment that prepares students for the future.

School - Image from AI Link to the Blog Post, https://mikelubelfeld.edublogs.org/2024/06/16/generative-ai-in-nssd112-112leads/

Summary of a slide deck from Thought Exchange regarding a recent pulse survey

This document summarizes the results of an engagement survey conducted by the North Shore School District 112. The survey sought to assess the community’s opinion on incorporating Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) into the learning experience. The document highlights the key themes, concerns, and opportunities related to Gen AI in education, revealing the participants’ perceptions about the ethical implications, potential benefits, and necessary precautions. The data is presented through a series of charts and graphs, including participation statistics, sentiment scores, word clouds, and ranked thoughts from the participants. Ultimately, the document aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the community’s feedback, serving as a foundation for informed decision-making about the implementation of Gen AI in the school district.

Learn more by clicking this link to the results: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/report/864abcfe1c310a92f5fc5534b8320f61

Summary of the article by Yong Zhao

he source, an excerpt from Yong Zhao’s “Artificial Intelligence and Education: End the Grammar of Schooling,” argues that traditional schooling systems are outdated and ill-equipped to prepare students for the age of AI. Zhao proposes a radical shift in educational philosophy, moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach towards a personalized learning model that focuses on developing individual strengths and passions. This new model would enable students to identify and solve meaningful problems using AI, fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and a sense of human interdependence. Zhao challenges the traditional emphasis on memorization and standardized assessments, advocating instead for a strengths-based approach that emphasizes problem-solving, collaboration, and a lifelong learning mindset. The author concludes by urging a complete transformation of schooling systems, embracing AI as a tool to empower students and teachers in a new era of education that prioritizes individual greatness and the creation of value for others.

Link to the article

District 112 Artificial Intelligence Guidelines

This document is a proposal from the superintendent of North Shore School District 112 to the Board of Education Policy Committee regarding the implementation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the school district. It is a comprehensive overview of the district’s plan to integrate AI into its curriculum, operations, and professional Morale - AI Imagedevelopment initiatives. The document outlines the key objectives, implementation strategy, expected outcomes, and policy considerations surrounding the use of AI in education. The district intends to pilot a generative AI program called “Magic School AI” to enhance teacher effectiveness and student engagement, aiming to improve student learning, personalize learning experiences, and streamline administrative tasks. The document also addresses potential risks and challenges associated with AI implementation, emphasizing the need for responsible, ethical, and transparent use of AI technologies. The district plans to monitor the pilot program’s success through data analysis, student and staff feedback, and alignment with existing district policies and national guidelines. Ultimately, the document proposes a forward-looking approach to harnessing the potential of generative AI to foster innovation and enhance educational outcomes within the school district.

Link to Document

Using Notebook LM from Google is fascinating – here is a “briefing document” generated by the Notebook LM integrating and “reviewing” the six sources – much like the audio “podcast” is “its” interpretation of key points from its understanding of language patterns, the briefing doc is just that – a briefing on the content from the six sources,

Briefing Document: North Shore School District 112’s Generative AI Initiative

Subject: Review of North Shore School District 112’s Generative AI Integration Initiative

Author: Bard, a large language model created by Google

Executive Summary: This briefing document analyzes North Shore School District 112’s initiative to integrate generative AI into its educational practices. The document examines the goals, implementation strategy, perceived benefits and challenges, stakeholder perspectives, and potential next steps.

1. Background and Objectives:

Since November 2023, North Shore School District 112 has actively explored and implemented generative AI tools to enhance teaching, learning, and operational efficiency. Inspired by national conferences and guided by organizations like Teach AI and CoSN, the district aims to:

  • Foster AI Literacy: Equip both students and staff with essential AI skills for the future.
  • Provide Clear Guidance: Establish robust guidelines for safe, ethical, and responsible AI use.
  • Build Capacity: Invest in professional development opportunities for educators to effectively leverage AI tools.
  • Support Innovation: Embrace innovative AI applications to improve educational processes and administrative functions.

2. Implementation Strategy:

The district’s AI integration strategy focuses on a multi-pronged approach:

  • Pilot Program: A comprehensive pilot program with Magic School AI was launched in May 2024, providing educators with access to a secure and compliant AI platform. Early data indicates high usage, with 252 users generating 3,817 uses of Magic School AI tools since May 13, 2024.
  • Professional Development: The district is committed to providing ongoing professional development to support staff in understanding and utilizing AI tools effectively.
  • Policy Alignment: Existing school board policies are being reviewed and leveraged to guide the ethical and responsible implementation of generative AI.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Gathering feedback from students, parents, and staff is crucial for shaping the future of the initiative. An initial engagement survey was conducted in September 2024.

3. Perceived Benefits and Opportunities:

  • Personalized Learning: AI can personalize learning experiences by tailoring educational content to individual student needs and learning styles.
  • Enhanced Engagement: AI tools can make learning more engaging and interactive for students.
  • Operational Efficiency: AI can automate administrative tasks, freeing up educators’ time for instruction and student interaction.
  • Data-Driven Insights: AI can analyze data to provide insights into student progress and identify areas for improvement.

Technology as represented by AI4. Challenges and Concerns:

  • Data Privacy and Security: Ensuring the responsible and ethical use of student data is paramount.
  • Equity and Access: Addressing potential disparities in access to technology and ensuring equitable implementation.
  • Over-Reliance on Technology: Striking a balance between human interaction, critical thinking skills development, and AI tool utilization.
  • Ethical Considerations: Addressing potential biases in AI algorithms and promoting responsible use.

5. Stakeholder Perspectives:

Initial feedback from an engagement survey indicates diverse perspectives:

  • Positive Reactions: Many see AI as a valuable tool for personalizing learning, increasing efficiency, and providing new opportunities for students.
  • Concerns and Reservations: Some express concerns about the ethical implications of AI, potential for cheating, over-reliance on technology, and the need for appropriate training and support.

6. Key Quotes:

  • “If I can tell a teacher of the 50 hours of time they’re spending each week, the 25 of those hours are non-educational or non-instructional, if I can cut that in half and give them back 12 hours a week because I’m giving them access to tools that can cut their clerical stuff, it’s worth it for all of us.” – Michael Lubelfeld, Superintendent (from presentation recording)

7. Next Steps:

  • Analyze Engagement Data: Carefully analyze stakeholder feedback from the September survey to understand concerns and identify areas of alignment and divergence.
  • Develop Communication Strategy: Create a comprehensive communication plan to address stakeholder concerns and build understanding and support for the initiative.
  • Refine Implementation Plan: Use stakeholder feedback and data analysis to adjust the implementation plan, ensuring it is responsive to concerns and aligned with the district’s goals.
  • Expand Professional Development: Offer diverse professional development opportunities that cater to various comfort levels and address specific concerns regarding AI integration.
  • Monitor and Evaluate: Continuously monitor the implementation process, gathering data on usage, impact, and stakeholder perspectives to inform future decisions.

8. Conclusion:

North Shore School District 112’s generative AI initiative demonstrates a proactive approach to leveraging emerging technologies to potentially enhance education. By carefully considering stakeholder perspectives, addressing challenges, and prioritizing ethical considerations, the district can work toward a future where AI complements and enhances teaching and learning.

In addition to the briefing doc that Notebook LM can integrate and synthesize from sources that you upload, it can also make a timeline, see this timeline from the sources I uploaded,

Timeline of Events:

1984:

  • Benjamin Bloom proposes the concept of one-to-one tutoring being more effective than group instruction, laying the groundwork for the personalized learning movement.

1990s – Early 2000s:

  • Research and discussions around school reform gain traction, with scholars like Larry Cuban and David Tyack analyzing the resilience of traditional schooling systems and the limitations of reform efforts.

2010s:

  • The concept of personalized learning gains widespread acceptance and promotion, driven by advancements in technology. Organizations like the RAND Corporation conduct studies indicating positive outcomes associated with personalized learning approaches.

2018:

  • OECD’s PISA assessments reveal a decline in math, science, and reading scores across participating countries, prompting debates about the effectiveness of global education reforms and standardized testing.
  • Yong Zhao publishes critiques of the “grammar of schooling,” arguing for a shift towards strengths-based education and problem-oriented pedagogy.

August 2019:

  • North Shore School District 112 (NSSD112) Board of Education approves the Portrait of a Graduate (POG), outlining aspirational learning outcomes for students, including skills related to information evaluation, innovation, and active citizenship.

November 2023:

  • OpenAI releases ChatGPT 3.5.
  • NSSD112 Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld begins sharing information about generative AI in education with district leadership and staff.

January 2024:

  • New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) bans ChatGPT from school devices and networks (ban later reversed on May 18).

March 2024:

  • OpenAI releases ChatGPT 4.
  • Khan Academy launches Khanmigo, an AI-powered learning tool.

April 2024:

  • NSSD112 representatives attend the CoSN national conference, further exploring generative AI in education.

May 2024:

  • Yong Zhao’s paper, “Artificial Intelligence and Education: End the Grammar of Schooling,” is published, advocating for a student-driven, personalized learning approach enhanced by AI.
  • NSSD112 enters a pilot partnership with Magic School AI, an educational AI platform.
  • NSSD112 releases “Artificial Intelligence Guidelines D112,” outlining the district’s strategic approach to AI integration.

June 2024:

  • Michael Lubelfeld publishes a blog post titled “Generative AI in NSSD112 – #112Leads,” outlining the rationale and vision for AI integration in the district.

Summer 2024:

  • NSSD112 holds professional development workshops for teachers and staff on integrating AI into their practice.

September 2024:

  • NSSD112 conducts an engagement survey, gathering feedback from parents, staff, and students on the use of generative AI in the classroom.
  • NSSD112’s Magic School AI pilot concludes, with 252 staff users and 3,817 documented uses of the AI tool.
  • Michael Lubelfeld delivers a presentation at the Center for Digital Education (CDE), discussing NSSD112’s AI journey and highlighting the potential of AI to transform education.

September 15, 2024:

  • NSSD112 releases “Engagement Summary AI Sept 15,” summarizing the findings of their community engagement survey on AI in education.

2024-2025:

  • NSSD112 plans to evaluate the Magic School AI pilot and refine its AI integration strategies based on community feedback and data analysis.

Cast of Characters:

Michael Lubelfeld:

  • Superintendent of North Shore School District 112 (NSSD112), located in Illinois.
  • Leading advocate for integrating AI into the district’s educational practices.
  • Author of the upcoming book, “Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today” (co-authored with Nick Polyak), which explores innovative educational leadership strategies.

Yong Zhao:

  • Professor of education at the University of Kansas, University of Melbourne, and East China Normal University.
  • Outspoken critic of traditional schooling models and advocate for student-centered, personalized learning enhanced by AI.
  • Published “Artificial Intelligence and Education: End the Grammar of Schooling” in May 2024.

Benjamin Bloom:

  • Educational psychologist who, in 1984, proposed the concept of one-to-one tutoring being more effective than traditional group instruction.
  • His work laid a foundation for the modern movement towards personalized learning.

Larry Cuban:

  • Professor Emeritus of Education at Stanford University.
  • Known for his research on the history of education reform and the use of technology in classrooms.
  • His work highlights the challenges of implementing substantial change in established schooling systems.

David Tyack:

  • Professor Emeritus of Education and History at Stanford University.
  • Co-authored “Tinkering Toward Utopia: A Century of Public School Reform” with Larry Cuban.
  • His research explores the historical context of education reform and the often-limited impact of reform efforts.

Sal Khan:

  • Founder of Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization that offers free online learning resources.
  • Developed Khanmigo, an AI-powered learning tool designed to support students and teachers.

Organizations:

  • North Shore School District 112 (NSSD112): A public school district in Illinois committed to integrating AI to enhance education.
  • OpenAI: An artificial intelligence research company, known for developing ChatGPT.
  • Khan Academy: A non-profit educational organization providing free online learning resources, including Khanmigo, their AI learning tool.
  • CoSN (Consortium for School Networking): A professional organization for school technology leaders.
  • Magic School AI: An educational technology company providing AI-powered tools and platforms for schools.
  • RAND Corporation: A global policy think tank that conducts research on various topics, including education.
  • OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development): An intergovernmental organization that conducts PISA, an international student assessment program.
  • Center for Digital Education (CDE): A national non-profit organization that provides research, best practices, and community engagement opportunities for education leaders.

To say that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is a fad is wrong. To say that Gen AI is “technology” is wrong. To say that we should “avoid using Gen AI” is also wrong.

I submit to you, the reader, that Gen AI is a suite of advances in the works for decades, with powerful educational impact – PK-12, Higher Ed – society in general. I recommend research, investigation, exploration, iteration, and re-iteration.

I welcome the innovator’s mindset (HT to George Couros).

I ask that you unlearn, relearn, and remain unfinished as I often describe.

We are in this for our children, our youth, our communities, and our society.

Thank you for reading – please comment, “push back”, critically review, and join the conversation and exploration.

We are exploring so that we may innovate, inspire, and engage – for each child every day and for each member of our staff!

Our future is now – and so is our present!

Logo of the North Shore School District 112

Welcome Back to School – 2024 – #112Leads

August 13, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Back to School 2024

Highland Park – Highwood, Illinois (North of Chicago)

Each year we get a “do over” in public education! We get students each year ready to learn, ready to grow, ready to learn citizenship skills, ready to make friends, ready to belong. Reading, writing & arithmetic, the arts, the sciences, civics, geography, physical health and wellness, critical thinking skills – and more – in education we create conditions that provide the possibility and reality for everything else. Everyone working today as an adult can look back at school experiences.

We have a lot to do in elementary education, PK-8th grade – we have many standards to teach. We have a lot of activities to facilitate. We have a lot of socialization and friendship Raising Consciousness in education, enhance society, celebrate humanity! We are here for a great purpose, many call teaching/education a calling and a profession vs a “job”.

Welcome back to school year 2024-2025

North Shore School District 112, born in 1992 out of a consolidation of three historic districts, proudly serves nearly 4000 students in grades PK-8 in nine campuses on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan! Predecessor districts started in the 1800s. Education in the community has been ongoing since the emergence of the community. Highland Park was founded in 1869, public schools have been part of the fabric of the community since then (and before). In our 13.2 square miles of geography, we have railroad tracks running through the towns with five Metra railroad stops. Homes on the lake, homes along the tracks, homes east of the highway, and homes west of the highway. All children are welcomed in our public schools! All children are entitled to a sense of belonging and value in D112.

In District 112 we focus on raising consciousness levels and efficacy in teaching and leading. We teach, learn, and implement culturally responsive pedagogy.

What is culturally responsive education? What is culturally responsive pedagogy? What is culturally responsive consciousness. What’s your level? “Culture is the air you breathe” – “it’s who you are” – “it’s the impact of your experiences”. Our culture is not just tied to the color of our skin or our native language (Credit to Dr. Sonya Whitaker). We bring our culturally “baggage” each and every day – raise consciousness – know, learn, understand, and do something.

Students learn best in an environment where they feel safe – connected – seen – heard – valued – cared for – loved! Teachers who connect with their children in appropriate, prosocial relationships can see greater growth and learning – it’s proven in research studies and experience. Students learn from teachers who like them and from whom they like!

Each child learning and growing in every content area, skill area, social area, learning area — that’s what we seek! We measure culture (organization/staff, engagement/students, service quality/families) and we measure impact of teaching on learning (arts, sciences, math, reading, writing, etc.). Our aim is high levels of rigor in each classroom every day. Our aim is for high levels of learning as measured by growth, perception, achievement, and all metrics/measures over time. In our district, we have children in grades PK through 8. We can have an 11 year impact on a child’s life – that’s HUGE – the impact is powerful!!

Culture is to humans as water is to fish! – Dr. Wade Nobles. Who we are matters. Who our students are matters. Who our families are matters. How we inspire, innovate and engage matters.

This year Deputy Superintendent Dr. Monica Schroeder and I started out the New Staff Orientation Welcome with our messages of welcome, care, mission, vision, hope, expectation, and our “why” for our 41 new staff members. We aim to share the “who we are” as chief educational leaders in the organization as well as “why we are proud that the new staff are here with us”.

In this blog post, I’m sharing the slides we used to help tell our story and welcome our newest #112Leads team members!!

Part 1 Is the Part where I address my “why”, the concept of being Unfinished, and the themes of the Unfinished Teacher (images are AI Generated from Dall-E)

My initial messages are grounded in my sense of purpose and “why” – why am I excited after all these years? Why am I still as motivated today as I was in 1993 on my first “first day” as a teacher. Many of the themes I shared come from and our present in the 2024 book I co-wrote, the Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself. The mindset or concept of being unfinished – seeking to become the “next” version of yourself, not your “best” version of yourself – grounds me in all of my work and professional impact.

I have created a custom GPT via Open AI’s Chat GPT called Unfinished Teacher Book Study – anyone can access this via Chat GPT, LINK: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-9bDnz2jRe-unfinished-teacher-book-study-buddy

Using that “GPT “bot”” I said, please provide an executive summary of the Unfinished Teacher for a blog post I am writing – please highlight the main points. Here is what the large language model produced …

### Key Takeaways for Blog Post

– **Continuous Growth**: Emphasize the importance of being an “unfinished” teacher who is always evolving and improving.

– **Personal Well-being**: Highlight the need for self-awareness, emotional health, and financial wellness as foundations for effective teaching.

– **Professional Adaptability**: Stress the importance of adapting to new technologies, evolving curriculum standards, and meeting diverse student needs.

– **Community and Morale**: Discuss the significance of fostering a positive school culture and supporting teacher and staff morale.

– **Inspirational Stories**: Share anecdotes from the teacher vignettes to illustrate real-life applications of the book’s principles.

### Executive Summary: The Unfinished Teacher

**Purpose and Context**

“The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself” aims to support educators in enhancing their teaching practices and nurturing a culture of continuous learning and development. This book emphasizes the importance of personal and professional growth in the education profession, addressing current challenges such as the politicization of education and the ongoing teacher shortage.

**Section 1: Personal Growth**

This section focuses on individual development, encouraging teachers to reflect on their personal and social-emotional health, financial wellness, and self-awareness.

1. **Being a Great Teammate**

   – Explores teamwork, self-awareness, collaboration, and adaptability.

   – Encourages teachers to be reflective and proactive in their interactions and growth.

2. **Awareness**

   – Highlights the importance of self-awareness and empathy.

   – Discusses the impact of personal experiences on teaching and the need for cultural responsiveness

3. **Personal and Social-Emotional Health**

   – Addresses the causes of burnout and emphasizes the importance of physical and mental health.

   – Introduces the SEEDS framework (Sleep, Exercise, Eat, Drink, Socialize) for maintaining well-being.

4. **Financial Health and Wellness**

   – Provides practical advice on financial planning, stress management, and investing in oneself.

   – Stresses the importance of financial literacy and retirement planning

**Section 2: Professional Growth and Change**

This section covers the professional aspects of teaching, including curriculum development, technology integration, and teacher morale.

5. **Curriculum, Standards, Assessment, and Data**

   – Balances the demands of curriculum standards with creative teaching methods.

   – Emphasizes the importance of using assessments to enhance learning and inform instruction.

6. **Meeting the Needs of Each Child**

   – Focuses on equity and personalized learning.

   – Encourages teachers to address diverse student needs through responsive and inclusive teaching practices.

7. **Technology**

   – Advocates for the use of technology as a tool to enhance learning.

   – Discusses emerging technologies like AI, AR, and gamification, and their potential in education.

8. **Teacher and Staff Morale**

   – Explores the factors impacting teacher morale and the importance of a positive school culture.

   – Provides strategies for improving morale through recognition, collaboration, and supportive leadership.

**Teacher Vignettes**

The book includes personal essays from educators, sharing their journeys and reflecting on the themes of personal and professional growth. These stories provide practical insights and inspiration for teachers at all stages of their careers.

**Conclusion**

The book concludes with a powerful message about the importance of embracing change and remaining “unfinished.” It encourages teachers to continually evolve, adapt, and strive for personal and professional growth, while acknowledging the inherent challenges and rewards of the teaching profession.

Superintendent Summer Learning #112Leads

June 7, 2024 / / 4 Comments

June 2024

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

Leadership is all about change – perspective change, mindset change, functional change, improvement change, essentially, helping to create conditions with culture, systems, instruction, and growth. As a school superintendent (finishing year 14 in this role, and year 31 of consecutive full time dedication to public education in suburban Chicagoland),  I often get asked “What do you do in the summer?”

Since the schools are closed (except for summer school) and people think the teachers are “off” (even though they work all summer, attending workshops, classes, and preparing their lessons). Summer is an awesome time for an educator – we get to reflect on what went well during the past year. We get to reflect on what could become better next year, and we get to devote time to our own learning, growth and recharge! We get a beginning, middle, and end, each school year! This year I just completed my 31st consecutive full time year in public education. Each year I learn more, grow more, experience more and hopefully extend my impact as a leader in positive ways.

This summer (we just started as our “last day of school” was June 5) a team of teachers and administrators joined me on a professional journey to Ohio where we joined with educators from all over the country in the shared pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) in our PK-12 school districts and communities. Educators from 9 US states were in attendance at this inspiring convening.

In District 112, we just adopted new middle school (grades 6-8) science curriculum resources (for the first time in more than 30 years) and we eagerly anticipate how to facilitate optimal rigorous and engaging science for our middle school students. Since our District is also PK-5 as well as 6-8, an elementary principal and the assistant superintendent for teaching & learning joined with two of our middle school science teachers and a middle school instructional coach on this academy!

What we do in the summer is study, learn, review, research, and collaborate on making the most meaningful educational conditions for students when they return in the late summer, next August!

Our journey literally starts at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport where we take off for a relatively short flight to Cincinnati, Ohio!

As we head to Cincinnati, where the airport is actually in Kentucky, we’re mentally preparing for the learning, growing, studying, and networking that lay ahead of us! The six of us plan to attend the multiple offerings during each session to learn and share with each other so we can maximize the opportunities for our students back home.

Sharing some images and then an “executive summary of some of the content we learned and engaged with”:

Superintendent and host Kirk Koennecke

Airplane on tarmac at O’Hare airport before takeoff

Beautiful Chicago, IL from the air shortly after take off

Cincinnati, Ohio in the distance, on approach near landing time

Our transportation – awesome bus drivers keeping us safe!

Let’s go! From the newly constructed commons area at Indian Hill Middle School

Braeside Elementary School Principal Jamie Kahn synthesizing learning during hands-on group work!

JASON LEARNING STEM Certification Framework, a multi-year, multi-step comprehensive look

Sharing an executive summary of our take ways – as you can see, we learned a lot and we have much to process, review further, ideate on, plan for, and work with colleagues as we plan for our student’s future! We used a shared Google Doc to record our learning, thinking, etc. – Open AI’s Chat GPT 4o looked at the text and made an executive summary (it did a nice job!)

Executive Summary of Breakout Sessions

Finding Success Using Labsites
– **Objective**: Utilize professional development to build staff capacity and lead instructional change without needing new furniture.
– **Strategic Plan**: Focuses on learners as individuals, whole-child development, student agency, wellness, career pathways, STEM, and diversity.
– **Lab Classrooms**: Teachers meet with coaches three times a year to observe and plan; ensure alignment with standards and interdisciplinary connections.

Harnessing the Power of PBL in High School STEM
– **Presenters**: Julia Kunkel and Jackie McCarthy.
– **Key Points**:
– Create a collaborative culture with shared promises.
– Develop projects requiring persistent revision; e.g., mapping classroom furniture.

Spaces of Belonging: Designing Learning Environments for Enhanced Agency & Achievement
– **Media Room**: Equipped with donated newsroom equipment, offering classes and clubs in broadcast journalism.
– **Digital Arts Lab**: Created from private donations, offering computer science certifications.
– **LOTH Furniture Firm**: Involves teachers and students in furniture selection, piloting designs, and using vertical dry erase boards.
– **Indian Hill Elementary School**:
– “Brave Room” for anxiety relief, with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital consultation.
– “Go Time” for teachers to engage students in various topics.

 

Transformational Partnerships
– **Focus**: Establishing mutual success partnerships with community members, integrating STEM education at the center.
– **Key Elements**:
– Community members on teams during registration.
– Shared vision and consistent goals/action steps.
– Collaborations with JASON Learning, Cuebric AI, and other organizations.
– Entrepreneurship spirit and leveraging resources like the Recycled Materials Association.

STEM for ALL: How to Build and Support a Comprehensive K12 STEM Program
– **Integration**: Embedding STEM across subjects and grade levels, with leadership, community connection, and teacher professional development.
– **STEM Learning Ecosystem**: Sustainable mobilization of STEM involving all stakeholders, focusing on interdependence of pillars.

Schoolwide Design Thinking in Action (Grades 3-5)
– **Implementation**: Daily STEM activities, STEM Days, and integrating design thinking across the curriculum.

Be an Argonaut: Localize Your STEM Curriculum
– **Program**: Students apply to be National Argonauts, involving interdisciplinary projects and public speaking.

Building a Strong STEM Culture with AASA & JASON Learning
– **Certification Framework**: Audit internal processes, provide supplemental curriculum support, and ensure equity and inclusion.

Educating without Silos: Cross-Curricular PBLS with AI in K12
– **Interactive Session**: Focus on collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking through PBL and AI.

This summary highlights the key points and objectives of the breakout sessions, emphasizing professional development, project-based learning, inclusive learning environments, and transformational partnerships in STEM education.

The summary does not share session presentations, handouts, images – those will be further shared internally with our teams and our colleagues. What I hope to illustrate in this blog post is that learning never takes a vacation in education and in North Shore School District 112, #112Leads. I’m proud of the teachers and administrators who joined me on this learning journey and adventure, and I’m inspired by what our future holds for our teachers, students, administrators, and the community!

Thank you Kevin, Jamie, Alexandra, Alex, and Jess for joining, learning, leading, reflecting, planning, putting up with my endless comments about Generative AI 🙂 – and for the collaboration!! Our future is bright because of YOU!

Thanks for reading and know that comments are always welcomed.

 

Thoughts on Systems Leadership – Each Child Every Day

March 27, 2024 / / 0 Comments

To be accurate, it’s been a while since last I posted, December 23. It’s been a “full” few months in the district, and I had a bout of “writer’s block,” addressing and dealing with a host of challenges that “are what they are”.  Thankfully with a powerful Board of Education, a Leadership Team that is world class, and about 500 teachers and educational support staff I would work with anywhere and any time, we are leading and learning in District 112 each day!

Periodically I integrate writing about “what a superintendent actually does” to leadership philosophy, to what’s really going on in the District; in this blog post, the spirit has again moved me to write, to share my thoughts, learnings, observations, and calls to action! Thanks for reading the post, as always, comments and questions are welcomed!!

March 2024 — Dr. Michael Fullan is one of my “edu heroes,” I have been learning from him for decades; I have been reading his work and making every effort to apply his findings to my leadership work. Recently, at a professional learning academy, I had the good fortune to re-read Nuance, Fullan’s 2019 book about “Why Some Leaders Succeed, and Others Fail,” I had the good fortune to attend a virtual live webinar session he led! For this blog post, I’m sharing some major takeaways and a call to action for all of us to find the “canary children”” and hear their voices, give them agency, and help change conditions so that they may find success.

From Nuance, on page 109 in chapter 5, Fullan shares an adaptation from Rebecca Wells, 2018 “Canary Child: A Catalyst for Deep Learning.”

“Canaries and students, it turns out, are not too dissimilar in how they show their distress. Canaries ruffle their feathers, hide their heads beneath their wings, and jump to other perches in their cage to try and escape unfavorable conditions. How many students, unable to follow the learning, falling behind, disinterested and disempowered, will also ruffle their feathers and create a scene, or hide away quietly, hoping not to be noticed?”

Perhaps you know about “canaries in the coal mine” — it can be a matter of life and death if a canary shows distress in the coal mine – it’s a sense of urgency for change in a coal mine if a canary shows distress. Why is it not always a call to action or a sense of urgency when our students are like canaries – in distress – calling out for help, illustrating a need for change or different approaches?

As Dr. Fullan passionately claims, Fullan believes this is our clarion call for action – NOW – for the betterment of our schools, communities, society, and even humanity.

So what do we do about this? How do we change? Will everyone jump to action and heed the call for urgency? An airline pilot strives for 100% perfection in terms of safe take-off and landing – they don’t accept a “C” (70%) or a “3” approaching standards … so why, in our “assessment obsessed” industry/profession – do we not actually change so that we can have greater success/competency/literacy/etc.?

The Canary Children essay deeply moved and impacted the academy’s leaders, central office, and principal-level leaders. We are all moved as we dive into and reflect on culture, student-centered equity, systems leadership, instruction, and change.

Often, we educational leaders show great aptitude and success in managing change – think about the pandemic … we managed change and responded to the crises associated with the pandemic. In some areas, we did see leaders who mastered change, whose leadership created conditions for lasting, adaptive change. However, most of our experiences, in general, reflected change management. Fullan highlighted the nuance and differences between change management and managing change.

Dr. Donna Leak, an Illinois superintendent and another presenter at the academy, called upon us to analyze and address the “Intentional Adult Behavior to Ensure Student Success.” Zandra Jo Galván, a California superintendent and another presenter at the academy, shared her district’s three guiding principles: culture, academics, and community. These exemplary leaders use their leadership and guiding principles to find and intervene for their canary children in their district. They are setting leadership conditions that align with Fullan’s global call for leadership and action. As a complement to Fullan’s talk, John Malloy, another amazing superintendent, shared that systems change is not only imperative but also possible. Malloy shares the following regarding what Systemic Commitments Have.

They have the following characteristics:

● Evidence-based

● Driven by data that sets the parameters for any collaborative work

● Coherent and focused, not simply another initiative

● Developed through a collaborative process

● Measurement systems are in place

● A monitoring process is determined

● Communication is ongoing

● Learning and improvement are supported through Effective protocols, practices, and processes.

● All students are served, especially those who need us the most.

So if we know that leaders are taking positive proactive and reactive steps to manage change and master change. Why are there still canary children, and what will you do about it in your school system? In our 2021 book, the Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth & Development, Polyak, Caposey, and I lay out a six-lens frame to help create the conditions needed for each child every day and for each staff member every day.

We suggest that leading with the frames of equity and empathy, followed by adaptive leadership and the development of others (and yourself) with lenses and frames of communication and change – “don’t fear change, don’t let others hold you back, and don’t let others hold your organization back” define what it means to be unfinished — and this is related to and tied to the messages of Leak, Galván, Malloy and Fullan from this academy – and the messages complement the efforts we as systems leaders can use to find and treat the canaries!

In District 112, Highland Park & Highwood, IL, where I proudly serve as the superintendent of schools, we have canary children, and we won’t rest until we amend our conditions so that their voice and agency is acknowledged and heard and seen and addressed.  I opened this year’s all-staff convocation with a clarion call of my own regarding the annual Student Engagement Survey. Annually, for the past six consecutive years, we administer the student engagement survey to all children in grades 3-8 in English and Spanish. Principals and their school leadership teams are required/expected to meet, review the data, and plan action steps with and for the students to make improvements. Our data is clear, coherent, and, in some ways, sobering. Until we master “satisfaction” and “engagement,” two of the dimensions that are reported in a 3×3 grid, we will know we have work to do. The students clearly communicate with us — we have pockets of extremely high satisfaction and engagement and low pockets. The difference in the results can be mapped back to systems leadership.

Leak, Galván, Malloy, and Fullan clearly illustrate in their workshop sessions that the critical ingredients in systems change and improvement lie in internal systems.

Dr. Malloy shared a compelling “why” for the impressive and impactful leadership in his school district right now — what are the employers of our students seeking? Our mission in public schooling is to prepare children for life, college, and career — do our assessment systems reflect life, college, and career? Should they? Can they?

Malloy shares a list from Linked In 2023 of the most “in demand” skills employers seek for our students — in what ways are your systems aligned with outcomes like these?

The 2023 Most In-Demand Skills

1. Management

2. Communication

3. Customer service

4. Leadership

5. Sales

6. Project management

7. Research

8. Analytical skills

9. Marketing

10. Teamwork

Fullan is a prolific student of leadership and success – his resume is impressive, and his books are real, with case studies illustrating success and meaningful work on behalf of and for humanity. I am moved, even at this late stage of my career, which invigorates me, quite frankly!

Fullan identifies the Six C’s – Global Competencies – In many districts, including mine, we see these in portraits of learners and graduates.

Like Nick Polyak and I write in the Unlearning Leader, Fullan calls for changing the structure of “factory schools” designed and imagined 200 years ago. Many systems are doing this. Galván removed “cemetery rows” of desks and replaced them with collaboration tables. There are many examples of this in the profession. Lead, take the courageous step to create conditions where the  “grammar of schooling,” as Fullan says, can be rewritten.

In general and with a broad brush, the basic system of schooling can be defined loosely by,

Teacher Isolation, Individualism, Passive Students, Batching of students, lack of time, school isolation, system demands (current Systems) Obviously – there are exceptions to this – but the central tendency is as listed above and based upon Fullan’s (and my own) observations and experiences over decades of work in leadership.

So – how to change? One idea, proffered by Dr. Fullan himself, is to look at seven keys on one keychain, as he describes, that are elements of the new culture (that we can create to replace the old “grammar of schooling”. These are belongingness, global competencies, relationships (well-being), pedagogy (learning), world of work, leadership, and AI (artificial intelligence). Dr. Fullan passionately describes changing the primary driver of change from external (state/province) to internal (local system).

So, in closing, I write this blog as the spirit moves me after an inspiring leadership academy where some amazing leaders, in the field and in the know, caused me to think – and will continue to guide my work in creating conditions for each child every day with supports in place for each staff member!

At the core, we should all learn more about “Deep Learning” and the 6cs from our spirit coach, Dr. Michael Fullan!! As a refresher, the 6cs are:

Character & Compassion

Citizenship

Collaboration

Communication

Creativity

Critical Thinking

Please join me on my clarion call to action to heal the canaries in our classrooms!

Honoring Veterans – Superintendent Message

November 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

Subject: Honoring Our Heroes on Veterans Day

Dear North Shore School District 112 Community,

Today, we come together to honor and celebrate Veterans Day, a day of profound significance in our nation, and express our deepest gratitude to the brave men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. More than ever, it seems, we need to acknowledge those defenders of freedom, those warriors of the just, those who devote their lives so that we may be free and safe.

As your Superintendent, I am continually inspired by the values that our veterans embody – courage, sacrifice, and dedication. These are the same values we strive to instill in our students, making today a day of remembrance, learning, and reflection. I’m proud to have veterans in my family (my father, father-in-law, uncles, cousins, and others have proudly served our nation over the years).

Our veterans have shown us the true meaning of service, putting the greater good above self. They have defended our freedoms and safeguarded our way of life, enabling us to thrive as a community and a nation. Their sacrifices remind us of the importance of resilience, respect, and responsibility – principles that guide our mission in education.

Let us take this opportunity to teach our students about the importance of Veterans Day. Let’s encourage them to learn from our veterans’ exemplary lives, understand the sacrifices made for our country, and appreciate the peace and freedom we enjoy. Whether you visit a website from the government, like, Defense Department, or US Department of Veteran’s Affairs, or you attend events in the community, it’s essential that today especially, we honor those who serve and those who have served!!

To our students who are family members of veterans, we also recognize the sacrifices you make. We are proud to serve hundreds of military-connected families in District 112. Your strength and support for your loved ones in service are admirable and do not go unnoticed. For more than a century, District 112 has proudly served military families. It is one of many honors, historic legacies, and special attributes that make our community proud.

I urge each of us to take a moment today to thank a veteran. Whether it’s a family member, a neighbor, or a friend, let’s show our veterans the respect and appreciation they deserve. Their stories of bravery and resilience are a source of inspiration to us all.

In North Shore School District 112, we proudly support our veterans and military families. Today and every day, we stand in solidarity with those who have served and continue to serve our country. On behalf of a grateful school district, school board, administration & staff to our veterans, servicemen, and women, I humbly thank you!

With deepest respect and gratitude,

Mike

Michael Lubelfeld, Ed.D
Superintendent

 

September 11 – 9/11 – Remember – #112Leads

September 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

“We have seen the state of our union in the endurance of rescuers working past exhaustion. We’ve seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own.” – President George W. Bush

It can be said that 9/11/2001, “Nine Eleven” was a turning point for my generation. I am 55 years old. I was 33 years old, the associate principal at Elm Place Middle School, in my third year out of the classroom as a school administrator. I still remember vividly, watching in the conference room, around the 9am hour central time, with the principal, the late Dan Kornblut, our administrative assistants and our nurse, Penny Hoder who called us all in to watch, with confusion, horror, uncertainty, and numbness, the second plane hit the second tower.

I always remember my mom and dad and people of earlier generations recalling where they were when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, I never fully understood how that intense, jarring memory and experience would haunt them until 911. Now I understand.

Principal Dan and I visited each and every classroom, addressed each and every student in our 500 student middle school. We asked the teachers to refrain from watching the unedited news streams. We reminded our teachers that a number of our students had family in New York City either permanently or on business trips that day. We balanced free and open education with caution related to the horror of the events and the shock/awe/and uncertainty of what was actually going on.

Being 25 miles north of downtown Chicago, we were keenly aware that the skyscrapers were being evacuated. There was panic, fear, shock, anger, confusion, all sorts of emotions.

As a school administrator, in our little part of the world, we started with a mental health approach, then we literally checked every door, restricted access to the school, and heightened our own awareness of safety, security, etc. We did what we could, with what we had, in the time we were in.

I’ll never forget the intensity of 911. I’ll never forget the horror, the heroism, the intensity and the reach. I’ll never forget how we wanted to inform our teachers and protect our kids. I’ll never forget checking in with each member of my family. I’ll simply never forget.

In Illinois, it is the law to remember September 11th as a Day of Remembrance in the public schools,

5 ILCS 490/86 new)
 8        Sec. 86.  September 11th Day of  Remembrance.   September
 9    11th  of  each  year  is  designated as September 11th Day of
10    Remembrance to be observed throughout the State as a day  set
11    apart  in  honor  and  remembrance  of the persons killed and
12    injured in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

As we prepare to remember 9/11 tomorrow – I simply state, with pride as an American, with humility as a human being, and with responsibility as an educator, that I will never forget!

Sharing song lyrics that we will hear tomorrow and that are forever embedded into our collective memory as Americans, human beings, educators, and citizens committed to freedoms, liberties, justice, and peace!

Alan Jackson’s song lyrics. “When the World Stopped Turning”

Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
That September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or workin’ on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin’ against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?
Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones
Pray for the ones who don’t know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out with pride for the red, white, and blue
And the heroes who died just doin’ what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
That September day?
Teachin’ a class full of innocent children
Or drivin’ down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty ’cause you’re a survivor?
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages
And speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watchin’
And turn on I Love Lucy reruns?
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Stand in line to give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
And the greatest is love
And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
On that September day?

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