Journey of Michigan Teacher of the Year

Well, 2012 started off with a bang! After a wonderful holiday season and spending time with my family, I have hit the ground running as we begin 2012. America’s Marketing High School (AMHS) is heading into our capstone project based on the Super Bowl. AMHS (www.americasmarketinghighschool.org) is a national educational leader in providing FREE online business and marketing curricula. Our curricula are focused on business, marketing, advertising, sports and entertainment and entrepreneurship. All of the materials are contemporary and imperially based. With February just around the corner, our students are gearing up for our Super Bowl Commercial Survey that will take place on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5th. During January students will be utilizing the podcasts and vodcasts (video lecture modules) regarding the Super Bowl. Our vodcasts include curriculum and data regarding The History of the Super Bowl, The Socio-Cultural and Economic Impact of the Super Bowl, A History of the Super Bowl Ads, The Super Bowl Ad-Flation Chart, A Super Bowl Bibliography and an Ad Tutorial. Once the students complete the curriculum, they are prepared to rate between 60-65 Super Bowl Commercials in real time and then enter their ratings into our nation-wide Super Bowl Commercial Survey. More to come on this project later in the blog.

Throughout the school year I have had the opportunity to visit schools from our sending districts and share with students the wonderful opportunities available at the technical campus. Recently, I visited Southfield-Lathrup High School to speak to the entire sophomore and junior classes about their educational plans and discuss the Career Options available to them at our technical campus. These class meetings provide students an opportunity to learn about the nine career clusters available to them as they finalize their high school educational plans. These sessions are very informative for students and faculty because many times they are unaware of the wonderful educational programs available through Career and Technical Education (CTE). I would like to see these types of presentations available to parents and students beginning in late elementary school so that more people would be informed of all their educational options as they develop their middle school and high school educational plans. It is always a great experience to visit our local high schools!

Besides the opportunity to speak to high school students, I also had the privilege to speak to the Oakland Counselors Association. The focus of my presentation was on data related to student achievement. This data included the number of core, technical and national certifications earned by our students; the number of academic credits earned, as well as direct college credits earned over the past three years. I also shared with the counselors the rigorous program of study initiatives that we are currently finalizing with our local colleges and universities.

Being Teacher of the Year has afforded me many opportunities to present at state and national conferences. Early in the year I attended the School Improvement Conference hosted Lansing, MI I had the opportunity to present an evening session at the Michigan School Improvement Pre-Conference. The title of our session was Engage, Excite, Embrace! The focus of our presentation was using technology and digital delivery to increase student learning and help at risk students re-engage with their education. I was able to present with Beth Baker, Co-Founder and Executive Director of W-A-Y, and Brett Emill Coach and Professional Development Coordinator (W-A-Y) and Andy Schoenborn, ELA Teacher, Mt. Pleasant High School. The topics we discussed were utilizing social media in the classroom, project based learning in an online environment and using Prezi as a tool for teaching writing. This two hour session was organized by Barb Fardell, Manager, Educational Technology (MDE). The conference the next day was outstanding! I really enjoyed Greg Green’s presentation of “Using a Flipped Classroom Approach: A Game Changer.” Mr. Green is the Principal at Clintondale High School.

As school districts are working toward meeting the requirements of teacher evaluation and effectiveness, I attended the first meeting of the Governor’s Council on Educator Effectiveness. The council has a big challenge before them and the primary focus of this meeting was to allow many individuals and representatives of several organizations to express their concerns regarding the development of this tool as well as offer suggestions for the council to consider. Since many of the next meetings will be focused on the creation of the framework for educator effectiveness, the council encouraged interested parties to share their concerns or suggestions with them via email. Anyone wanting to communicate with the council should do so by email to: educatoreffectiveness@michigan.gov.

In late January, we had our first meeting of all the State Teachers of the Year (STOYs) in Dallas, Texas for the National Teacher of the Year Program Conference. This conference brings together the state teachers of year and the state teacher of the year program coordinators to help us further define what it means to be a teacher of the year and how state programs can better support that role. Barb Fardell, Manager MDE 21st Century School Redesign was able to attend the conference as the MTOY coordinator. It was an unbelievable experience and truly just the beginning of a great year of working with and learning from some of the best educators in the United States! SMART Technologies provided teachers with SMART Boards for their classrooms or a SMART Board package. We had an entire day of training from SMART Technologies and this equipment certainly helps to bring classrooms alive as well as really engage students in the learning process. The week included sessions on National and State Education Updates along with Federal Education Legislation and National Education Policies. We also had a seminar on the Common Core standards and received training on working with policy makers and the media. The concluding dinner included the introduction of the 2012 National Teacher of the Year Finalists as well as an outstanding keynote address from Michelle Shearer, 2011 National Teacher of the Year. What a week of professional learning!!

Digital Learning Day kicked off Michigan’s “The Year of the Digital Learner” and Governor Snyder signed a proclamation that February 1, 2012 would be declared Digital Learning Day in Michigan. This day was designed to recognize and encourage students, teachers, schools, parents, policymakers and all citizens of Michigan to learn more about ways to successfully integrate high-quality digital learning and the effective use of technology to help improve the learning of every student in our state. This national campaign is focusing on celebrating innovative teaching and highlighting practices that make learning more engaging for students. A press conference was held at Donley Elementary School in the East Lansing Public School District where I was asked to provide the opening remarks for the event. The day began with a visitation to Ms. Megan Carnaghi’s 1st grade classroom to see firsthand how her students are becoming digital learners. The students were very engaged in the lesson and stated they enjoyed working with clickers, iPads, mp3 players, and interactive white boards. The Alliance for Excellent Education refers to digital learning as a broad array of topics and approaches where technology can help in school reform efforts. One area is in teacher preparation and teacher professional learning. Other areas include: Implementing STEM and innovation instruction, providing broadband access for all, using data to inform instruction, personalizing student instruction, increasing quality teacher time, online/blended learning opportunities as well as using robust digital content in high-quality lessons. The Alliance seeks to use Digital Learning Day to highlight these innovative teaching approaches and celebrate the potential of technology as a force multiplier in America’s schools. As a Career and Technical Education Teacher, we utilize a variety of software tools to analyze student knowledge and provide prescriptive training to meet the student’s individual needs. As our students prepare for national certifications in information technology, we are able to utilize technology and digital media to customize and individualize training materials for these exams. Upon completion of these national certifications, students are not only prepared to enter the workforce and earn a family living wage with an industry validated skill set, but also earning college credits as well.

I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet and learn from Julia Swartz the 2011 Online Teacher of the Year. Julia received this honor for being a true pioneer in working to change the way students learn and educators teach in the state of Michigan. Check out the video of our celebration of Digital Learning Day!

On February 5th, Super Bowl Sunday kicked off with high school students from across the United States rating the Super Bowl commercials throughout the game. With companies spending $3.5 million on a thirty second commercial, it is always interesting to find out what the student’s rated as the top commercial for the 2012 Super Bowl! Once the game was completed, students entered their ratings online at www.americasmarketinghighschool.org. On “Water Cooler Monday” we hosted a “Pizza, Pop and Pretzel Press Party” and revealed the results indicating what the students thought were the best and worst ads compared to The USA Today Ad Meter. We had over 200 students from across the metro-Detroit area on campus at the University of Detroit Mercy. Students were given a campus tour and listened to professors who provided insight to the schools of engineering, nursing, business and digital multimedia along with exploring potential career opportunities. Students also participated in a discussion regarding social media. The event was streamed live via the internet with our partnership with www.MIStreamnet.org and will be archived for students and teachers to be utilized “on demand.” It is always a great opportunity to listen and learn from the high school student demographic regarding what ads worked and what ads did not! Also in early February, I had the good fortune of working with some outstanding secondary and post secondary educators from the National Business Education Association (NBEA) during the month of February. On February 9-12 I was in Reston, VA as a member of the NBEA Business Partnership Task Force. There were several tasks were assigned to accomplish during our meetings, but the main focus was on determining how to best form alliances that are beneficial to both NBEA and business partners. The ultimate goal of this task force is for NBEA to partner with businesses so that together we can prepare students to be college and career ready.

On February 23-26 I was back in Reston, VA serving as the Chair for the Marketing Standards Task Force. The committee consists of six members who were selected to serve because of their expertise in the marketing curriculum and overall understanding of business education and national standards. The committee is charged with reviewing the Marketing section of the National Standards for Business Education and determining whether each of the section titles are still appropriate or do they need to be changed or deleted along with determining whether the performance expectations still apply or do they need to be changed, updated or deleted. This will be the 4th edition of the National Standards for Business Education (NSBE) with a review of the Marketing standards and a publication date of the new standards set for July of 2012.

In early March, several of our Business, Management, Marketing & Technology students from our campus participated in the 14th annual Global Trade Mission. The theme for Oakland School’s Global Trade Mission 2012 was “Entrepreneurship and Innovation through Market Diversification.” Since 1998, Oakland School’s Global Trade Mission (GTM) has provided more than 2,000 high-school students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today’s dynamic world economy. GTM is an intensive, three-day, hands-on virtual learning experience that simulates an international trade mission. Through this extraordinary opportunity, awareness is being created among students about exciting careers in international business, global trade, cultural diversity, entrepreneurship and technology tools in the following high-tech industries, emerging technologies and disciplines with the most promising future growth potential overseas. They include:

• Cleantech and Renewable Energy
• Defense and Homeland Security
• IT (Information Technology) & Cyber Security
• Life Sciences and Medical Devices
• Robotics and Automation

With collaboration from business, education, and government, working in cross-functional and cross-district teams of four, students are presented with a real-world case study on how to best market and sell a U.S. company’s product, service, or technology overseas based on the opportunities, challenges and unique characteristics of doing business in a particular country. This year’s GTM focused on the following five regions with high projected demand for the technologies noted above: Africa, Asia, Australia/North America, Europe, and Latin America.

Numerous decision-making factors come into play which compels students to think critically and learn how to quickly adapt to rapidly changing circumstances in the international marketplace. They include: local market demand; consumer tastes and cultural preferences; modes of entry and trade barriers; cost and quality; protection of intellectual property; trade finance; supply chain management; and legal considerations. Students developed international business plans and strategies on how to overcome these common barriers which companies typically face on a daily basis. At the conclusion of the three-day event, each student team presented their findings to a panel of business executives who judged them on content, quality, originality and feasibility of their business proposals. Academic, interpersonal and workplace skills are critical in GTM, as one team is awarded the "Exportsmanship Award" for outstanding teamwork, problem solving, and cooperation to develop a business plan. This year one of our BMMT students, Zilphia Martin IV, a Senior from Berkley High School, was on the gold medal winning “Exportsmanship Award” team.

The overall mission of GTM is to create a pipeline of qualified young professionals whom are adept at problem solving which local companies can draw on in the future to enhance Michigan’s overall global competitiveness. It also aims to stimulate a spirit of entrepreneurship as Michigan’s economy shifts to higher-value added technologies while ensuring that our economy remains at the forefront of innovation. Partners that provide this outstanding experience for our students include: Oakland Schools, Automation Alley, Oakland Community College and several other local sponsors. I was honored to deliver the closing keynote address focusing on the “Entrepreneurial Mindset” as it relates to the international marketplace. More information regarding the Global Trade Mission is available at www.myglobeislocal.org.

As we head into spring, I will be back with another installment of my blog – The Journey of the Michigan Teacher of the Year.

Blog Bio

Paul Galbenski is the 2011-2012 Michigan Teacher of the Year. He is a Business, Management, Marketing & Technology Instructor at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southeast located in Royal Oak, MI. Paul has over 20 years teaching experience and is the first Career and Technical Education Teacher to earn this prestigious award. He is the co-founder of America’s Marketing High School. America’s Marketing High School (AMHS) is a national educational leader in providing FREE online business and marketing curricula. Paul has extensive experience in utilizing technology to facilitate learning within his classroom. This facilitated approach to learning has allowed his students to earn national certifications and certificates in the Informational Technology and Business arenas. Paul is a member of many professional organizations and he has extensive experience as a conference presenter and provider of professional development for teachers on a local, state and national level. Check out the Teacher Resources and Celebrate Success on www.paulgalbenski.com!