Noyce teachers attend conference in D.C., have 'eye-opening' experience

Noyce Master Teaching Fellows Shelby Aaberg of Scottsbluff High School and Dan Schaben of Arapahoe Public School
Noyce Master Teaching Fellows Shelby Aaberg of Scottsbluff High School and Dan Schaben of Arapahoe Public School

Noyce Master Teaching Fellows Shelby Aaberg of Scottsbluff High School and Dan Schaben of Arapahoe Public School attended the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching & Learning 2014 Conference in Washington, D.C., from March 13-15.

They attended talks by Bill Gates, Arne Duncan, Linda Darling-Hammond, Charlotte Danielson, Angela Duckworth, Sarah Brown Wessling, Dennis Van Roekel, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and others.

Shelby and Dan spent an afternoon talking with personnel from the U.S. Department of Education's "policy shop" on two big initatives: the State of the Union address item related to putting wireless access into 99 percent of U.S. schools within the next five years, and a new initiative related to Race to the Top intended to provide incentives to states for implementing new career structures and professional paths to keep our best teachers in the classroom.

"The day spent with Megan Allen and Maddie Fennell at the Department of Education engaging in the department's 'Blueprint for Success and Re-imagining Teaching: Five Structures to Transform the Profession' was eye-opening. As educators we do not get days to reflect and engage in anything outside of our sphere of influence. This day at the Department helped us see the bigger picture and the monstrous obstacles that stand in the way of providing every student with a quality education," Dan said.

The two also had the opportunity to meet with one of Shelby's former Omaha Westside students, Marty Nachman, who now works for the Department of Defense. He gave them an informative tour of the area near The White House.

They also went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and looked at applications of math and physics.

"I was able to meet and talk with professionals that share my beliefs," said Dan of the experience. "All students can learn the mathematics contained in the Common Core and the Nebraska State Standards. Accomplishing this will take a monumental shift in mindset for us all. Many people suffer from a fixed mindset where the most common belief is that success is a direct result of talent or one's ability. This needs to shift to a growth mindset where all know that time, sustained-focused effort, and determination can bring one to accomplish anything, including the seemingly impossible mathematics contained in the Common Core and Nebraska's State Standards. Angela Duckworth calls this 'grit.' Instilling 'grit'in myself, our students, our school, and our local community has become my focus for the 2014-2015 school year." (See the accompanying article in this newsletter from NPR about grit.)