Recently, I had a conversation with colleagues and researchers about how technology in education has changed, which reminded me of the days when I would take my US history classes to a computer lab to play a simulation game called The Oregon Trail. Two students per clunky desktop computer inserted a 5-inch floppy disk into the external drive and waited for the game images to emerge after a few moments of whirring and clicks booted it up. The game provided a digital simulation of the journey that pioneers made to Oregon. It required students to use their recall of content learned in class to move the pioneers through their journey while surviving hunger, storms, and treacherous terrain. Juxtapose that to Minecraft, a cloud-based game that can be played anywhere, introducing learners to the global connections of economy and culture. Unlike the first edtech games, Minecraft provides learners with a virtual environment where they can develop skills for careers such as engineering, architecture, computer science, and commerce. Even more, it facilitates the development of soft skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication. Technology has adapted to and facilitated innovation in education. The evolution of teaching and learning strategies is multi-faceted, and while the pandemic surely accelerated the use of technology in our lives, it also exposed gaps that need to be bridged. In MUSD a clear example of how we are bridging learners for the future of work is our MUSD Innovation Campus and our drive to forge partnerships with business, governance, community organizations, and institutes of higher learning such as SJECCD and SJSU. These collaborations benefit our learners of all ages. A few of the partnerships that are at work now in our schools are:
Our innovation in MUSD is fueled by our collective experiences of these last 29 months and ignited by the promise of what we can accomplish as a community of learners in Milpitas. Innovating together, Cheryl Jordan, Superintendent Education is about what's possible in the increments of time between now and the future. Learning builds on knowledge and skills we have acquired through prior discovery, discussion, and practice. Learning with purpose is what guides us towards our future pathways. In MUSD there are students who have discovered how to advocate for themselves and others such as 8th grader Nia who has firmly established herself as a leader in environmental science with CliMatters. High school students Annabelle and Jaina collaborated with their teachers on the Milpitas Elementary Science Olympiad to assure our students are exposed to the joy of innovation through scientific practice. Aditi, a 4th grade student, published her book for younger students about life lessons, Dino Morals. Charu, a student in our MUSD Middle College High School, presented her project to the teachers at Weller where she shared with them how much more meaningful learning is when students feel represented in what they study. Charmaine seized the opportunity of attending an in person learning lab last year where her teachers wove a tapestry of community with she and her peers at the center. From there Charmaine forged a new pathway which will lead her to a career in sports psychology where she will do the same for her patients. Jubilation in education is when our learners see themselves as capable individuals who matter in our world. There are times when learning is easy, and others when it comes through productive struggle. All of us are learners, and we have braved through tremendous change and at times, heartache. As a community of learners in MUSD, we value diverse thought, cultures, and experiences. We've learned that we make things possible through ingenuity and compassion for one another. As we cheer on our graduates towards making extraordinary possibilities a part of their futures, let's also remember that it is both our own purpose and theirs that brings our Culture of We to life. We thrived through this year together MUSD! Cheryl Jordan MUSD Superintendent Global. We are globally interconnected. Over the last two years we have learned and experienced more about the lives of people who live beyond Milpitas than ever before. We have shared in their joys, sorrows, injustices, and triumphs. We have come to know others through our stories, concerns, and invitations for action in service together. Community. We are intertwined through generations and across cultures. On April 8th, our MUSD Kiwanis 18th Annual Crab Feed was held -- smaller than in the past, but with greater enthusiasm as it was in person! With joy we chatted with people we hadn’t seen outside of a zoom box in over a year. This was service and action in unity to support our students in need of school clothes and scholarships. One poignant experience a family shared with me was their high school students’ ability to be more of who they are when they returned in person to MHS this year. They formed new friendships that they may not have had if not for the expansive changes that impacted learning and living. Flexibility and adaptability, that is what these students demonstrated. Communication and an ability to understand different perspectives and biases are skills our learners experienced as they participated in our global community. In the very near future of 2030, our students need to build skills in these Cognitive and Interpersonal examples, as well as areas of Self-leadership and Digital competency. Self-leadership skills include motivation and wellness needed for working effectively while remote. Digital ethics and adept use of software are skills found within Digital competency. This latest McKinsey Report on Skills for the Future illustrates the imperative that we continue to respond and plan so that our students are prepared to develop, create, and shape the future of work. Be a part of our MUSD Innovation Campus planning by participating in this MUSD Thought Exchange about pathways to career for our learners. Shaping the future of our Global Community together, Cheryl Jordan Superintendent February in Milpitas is a celebration of Black History and Lunar New Year, an opportunity to strive towards MUSD Strategic Goal #1—Build a Culture of We. Lunar New Year beckons families to celebrate with traditions that offer elders and children time to be present with one another. It is a time to recognize the contributions of our ancestors and to honor all with sentiments of good will and togetherness in the year ahead. MHS alum, Nyla Choates, debuted her children's book, "My Roots are Rich," this weekend. During the celebration family and friends expressed sentiments of pride, affirmation, and commitment for her continued success in pursuing her purpose. There was a rich feeling of connection to a greater sense of humanity. Nyla’s family assured she knew her roots, and that she too, like those who came before her, is a Flamekeeper. A person through whom we can learn about who we are together in this village. Family. Heritage. Culture. Generations. These are the facets of our Milpitas community that intertwine and connect us. Parents, caregivers, teachers, paraeducators, principals, and all of our MUSD team create experiences where our learners can see that they matter. In partnership with our schools, Milpitas wraps itself around our youth, and it is this deep-rooted tradition of open hearts and minds that makes MUSD uniquely committed to its community. In community, Cheryl Jordan Superintendent 2021 weighed heavily on all of us, and yet, like the Phoenix, we have demonstrated resilience in so many ways:
WE are MUSD, a community of learners committed to All. Cheryl Jordan Superintendent October 20th was Unity Day, a day to be united for a kinder, more accepting, and inclusive world. We wore orange throughout our district, a bold color reminder that schools are places where we strive to be an oasis for all to thrive in learning and working. How do we get there? What are our Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities? Our strengths lie in our desire to teach, learn, and be curious--children and adults alike. Our desire to be a MUSD community for our learners is a strength. The inability to be in person as freely as we were prior to this global disaster is a weakness. Inexperience in ciphering through social media and virtual communication applications are as well. Our students in transitional grades from middle to high school missed the opportunity to be physically present at school. They missed out on an aspect of discovering their voice in community. While social media provides all of us the opportunity to build a sense of belonging, it also risks creating a social environment that is two dimensional--without physical presence we miss communication cues such as tone, facial expressions, and body language. While virtual communication through visual platforms does provide some of this, it misses the unspoken communication and connection to another person that our presence provides. Communication through social media platforms can be a threat as it has a propensity for one to slip into a mindset of disregard for how our words impact another. It seems to embolden the use of accusatory language rather than seeking to understand another’s viewpoint or context. Ironically, while the internet allows us to discover friendship across the globe, it can also threaten our sense of security. Connection is an essential factor in building resiliency as are purpose, flexibility, and hope. Re-centering on our MUSD vision, so that we might enable our learners to realize their own purpose moves us forward. Modeling flexibility allows us all to find ways to develop strategies that benefit us in our purpose. Hope nourishes us when our energies are depleted. We have the opportunity to support resiliency through inclusion and empathy for one another. We have the opportunity to move forward in ways that multiply ingenuity and creativity for all learners. In community, Cheryl Jordan Dear MUSD Family and Community, Twenty years ago today I stood with my baby in my arms watching the reports of the plane crashing into the World Trade Center. In the moment my thoughts were about those who died and the surrounding areas because my cousin worked nearby. As we came to understand that it was not an accident, but a strategic attack on national institutions of finance, security and government my thoughts turned to why and what if? What if one of the victims had been someone connected to me? What would I do? How would I make sense of the loss? Reading about those who lived near Milpitas and the meaning their loved ones have found in their deaths elicits an element of solace. Still I wonder. I reflect on how 9/11 disrupted and reshaped our lives around travel, international relations, and our entry into massive events such as concerts and sports. For our children it's just how it is, but for us it reminds us of our vulnerability. 2,996 died and how many others since? There were emergency workers who responded in search of survivors who years later lost their lives or continue to live with illness as a result of exposure to toxins released at the site. There are victims of the war that ensued afterward in the Middle East. There are those who suffer due to the fear that the attacks instigated against people of Middle Eastern descent or whose faith is Islamic. Why 9/11 happened has political and economic answers. The aspect that divides people is prejudice. We who live and work in our City on the Hill, strive to be a community that embraces All. Milpitas Unified is strengthened by this community, and is dedicated to serving every student in a culture of diversity and inclusion. While we recall the events of 9/11 today, let's continue to expand our understanding of one another. In our actions and words we have the power to affirm compassion in humanity for our children. Committed to WE, Cheryl Nearly 150 years ago the first labor day celebrations erupted through struggles to change conditions where workers as young as 5 years old toiled in factories 7days a week for 12 or more hours. Leaders amongst those working in the first industrial age fought for conditions that upheld human development and wellness. This Labor Day marks a need to recognize the determined efforts of so many workers in our nation, state, community, and in our schools. While extensive work hours with no time off for vacation became a characteristic associated with factory workers in the late 1800s, COVID19 has resurrected the 7-day work week for many today. We know our medical and public safety sectors have been working through COVID19 to protect us. Researchers have dedicated time to provide data that help to inform changes in our practices so we can contain the virus. Educators have stretched and evolved to serve our students and their families through virtual and in person learning. Our digital devices afford us the ability to be on from anywhere, which means, we can work without limitations. This is only an advancement towards our future workforce development if we define how we use our time outside of the work space. Our minds need creative rest, our bodies need movement and play, and our spirits need connection with family and friends. Our children need this time to dream, invent, and be curious on their terms. Let us take this Labor Day to thank all those in MUSD who have invested so much of their time these last 18 months to assure that all is working for our students. As we strive together to provide our learners with opportunities to discover their purpose and develop pathways to their future careers, we in turn thank you for being alongside us in this work. May today’s Labor Day holiday find you exploring, imagining, resting, and sharing joy-filled moments with loved ones. In community, Cheryl Dear MUSD Students, Families, and Team Members, As MHS teacher Ms. Bellotti said to me on the first day of school, “it feels so right,” to be back together in person! These first nine days of school have been both exhilarating and challenging. We continue to navigate through this global pandemic by implementing new strategies and directives designed to provide physical safety, and optimum conditions for learning and human development. It is critical that we adhere to the safety guidelines and directives of the California and Santa Clara County Public Health Departments. We will continue to require masking for all indoors as recommended by the American Pediatrics Academy and the CPHD, and for elementary students and team members outdoors per MUSD directive. When all persons are masked it allows for modified quarantine, which means children and youth do not miss out on in person learning. This 8/6/21 CPHD Frequently Asked Questions document outlines the safety practices we have instituted in MUSD and provides medical explanations for quarantine expectations. To date there have been 20 identified cases of COVID19 in MUSD schools, and with our weekly testing program, we expect that number to increase. Our COVID19 Safety page provides updates and explanations for each of our safety protocols, including our MUSD weekly testing schedule and the latest SCCPHD Quarantine Decision Tree. The Modified Quarantine and notification protocols are directed by the PHD. If you receive a notification that you or your child is a close contact, it is not always necessary that you quarantine depending on if you are vaccinated and/or are a student. If you receive one, your notification letter will inform you of next steps and if you or your child must quarantine and/or test. It is important that our students do not miss out on key learning opportunities, and if quarantined, students may take advantage of short-term Independent Study (IS). Short-term IS requires a signed contract by a student’s parent/caregiver and assignments provided by their teacher(s). We do expect parents/caregivers to follow the modified quarantine procedures, staying in person for learning if permitted, staying in person for learning if permitted. All of us have been investing time and resources to meet the needs of our learners. Living and working through this pandemic has at times been extremely difficult and harsh. With grace for one another we will persist through 2021-22 in a way that fosters resiliency and ingenuity in all learners. Striving together, Cheryl Jordan Superintendent The World Economic Forum cited in its October 2020 report that Emotional Intelligence is one of the top 15 job skills our future graduates must develop by 2025 in order to succeed in the future of work. Emotional Intelligence skills competencies, according to the report, include, “Awareness of the wider world, of history and of social justice issues that result from historical inequalities.” While the 4th Industrial Revolution has accelerated how we work, learn and live, these last 15 months have spotlighted the need for human connection at a deeper level of consciousness. Violence against people based on their religion, ethnicity, race, gender, age, and more elevates the need for us to recognize the gifts and strengths of one another’s diversity. The month of May offered recognition opportunities such as Cinco de Mayo, Jewish American Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, National Older Americans Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Many of our students experienced virtual celebrations where they learned through story and other activities about our MUSD family members who are of Asian, Pacific Islander, or Desi descent. MUSD’s Strategic Goal #1, Build a Culture of We, is about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our policies, practices, and especially, in our relationships with one another. Striving for this goal requires a commitment to learning about others, and ourselves, which is why we have established a Culture of We Equity Team this year to accelerate our growth. Every month there are dedications to remind us of the beauty within the diversity that makes up our human family. As we move forward through the pandemic and to new ways of living, let us keep focused on the awareness we have gained in the last 15 months. The dignity of each person and their culture, history, ethnicity, race, gender, age, religion-- all that makes up who each of us is, that is precious. On May 31, Memorial Day, we honor those who have given their lives for our own, they fought for who WE are as a nation. Dedicated to the WE in all of us, Cheryl |
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