The furor over the move Waiting for "Superman" has me thinking this week about Lois Lane and Clark Kent. As you are aware by now, the movie’s “Superman” title stems from an homage to an anecdote told by Geoffrey Canada, the charismatic leader of New York’s celebrated Harlem Children’s Zone charter school program. As a poor but ambitious kid growing up in the crime-ridden South Bronx, Canada liked to fantasize that Superman would save him; ultimately, of course, he had to save himself.
Yet, I submit that it is the Clark Kent assistant principal or the early adopter Lois Lane teacher that can shake up our kids daily planet right now. If you are tired of waiting on superman, keep reading about the power of Lois and Clark to transform your school site.
Just as Clark Kent wore his Superman costume underneath his street clothes, the dramatic unveiling of the “S” on the chest also happens in professional learning communities, on parent calls, and on the Internet in our education system every day. Clark Kents have a knack for finding the facts and data of an initiative and then submitting it to their principals. For instance, using data collected from a national sample of over 400 high school principals, one study found that many administrators see online learning as meeting the diverse needs of their students whether through advanced placement, elective college courses, or credit recovery. The major reason cited for online and blended offerings is to provide courses that otherwise would not be available Babson Survey Research Group. Allow these types of super efforts to be shared by your Clark Kent at your next school improvement team. Then, task Clark with a team to develop a plan for blending learning at your school.
Lois Lane worked and researched at a great metropolitan newspaper, which allowed her to keep track of ongoing events where she might enlist Superman’s help. As many early adopter teachers do, she kept track of interesting news items and compelling stories like the recent Houghton Mifflin Challenge, Light Speed Award, or the recent Charter School Growth Fund. Empower Lois by establishing a grant team at your school and give the team some flex time or early release schedules to do the work.
Both Lois and Clark knew when to call on Superman’s powers to help solve problems. Use your Lois and Clark to find “Superman” ideas like options to use E-rate funding to extend Internet access to communities after hours, seek out "dark fiber" Internet connections, and vie for funds to support mobile learning initiatives.
Lois and Clark not only called Superman in times of peril but could also tap his network of friends at the Hall of Justice as well. In your school tomorrow, Lois and Clark can be put on assignment to find, visit, and set up social learning networks with forward-thinking districts tapping into the power of digital media to transform teaching, learning, and communication for all members of the school community - Web 2.0 as a Force for School Transformation: A Tale of Six Districts . Lois and Clark are so much more than staff at your school, rather they are supermen and superwomen who can help transform it. Up, up, and away indeed!
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