October 2017

October arrives bringing changing winds as varied as the changes in the colors of the foliage of the autumn fall.

October is harvest time.  We take time to celebrate these festivities.  We also begin to prepare for the winter cold.

In California education the results of the latest CAASPP results are being reviewed and analyzed to better help our students continue to develop those 21st century skills that are needed to succeed in both college and career.  A roadmap, that will help English learners in their path to language proficiency, begins to take shape.  We prepare for possible emergencies by taking part in practice drills like the Great California ShakeOut.

October is a great time to transition into a different gear and make course corrections & adjustments as students, teachers, parents, administrators, and staff continue to drive further into the school year.


Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2017.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Education Harvest

Harvesting Education

The middle of October is rapidly approaching.
Leaves are falling.
Foliage changes hues from greens, to yellows, to red, as the autumn season takes center stage.
Farms are harvesting their finest crops after working under the summer sun.  The yield of the seed that was planted long ago in the spring.

The same holds true for education.
Educators should know by now what their students accomplished over the summer (Summer School, Summer Camp, Summer Activities, etc.) and where they were last spring (CAASPP) to have an understanding of what needs to be done now to help each student achieve success.
Educators should be using tools (Formative Assessment) and support resources (CA Teachers Summit) in addition to daily collaboration with other educators, parents, and students.


Manuel R. CortezRodas - Chief Educator/Founder

Copyright 2015.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Educational Harvest 2

What is Educational Harvest?

Educational Harvest is the collecting and sorting of the total accumulated knowledge acquired and understood by a student following a period of learning.

When/Where does Educational Harvest happen?

Educational Harvest can happen at any time, in any place.  This can be an on the spot moment of recollection, a surprise quiz, a question asked by a person in need, etc.

There are many different ways in which educational harvest can manifest to our students.  In education, the best place for educational harvest to take place is in the classroom, if not in the school, as it is the place the student is most familiar with and should feel the most comfortable in.

As for the best time for educational harvest to be done, it would be following a period of preparation, rest, nutrition, and awareness.  This could be mid-morning, mid-afternoon, during school hours, or a non-holiday day. The length of the duration of the Educational Harvest should be adequate to allow the student to perform well and to measure the desired knowledge of the subject matter.

Who does Educational Harvest?

Educational Harvest should be done by all who are taking part in a student's learning process.  This includes parents, classroom assistants, teachers, coaches, principals, administrators, schools, districts, counties, and even students.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Educational Harvest

This is the time traditionally reserved for harvesting.  We are but a few weeks away from winter, and we must prepare for the season ahead.  Although there are some seasonal winters for which even our best preparation may not be sufficient, we must do our best to prepare each and every time we are presented with the opportunity to do so.

Harvesting ca be defined as the collecting and sorting of a seasonal crop which has been grown from the planting of a seed.  The farmer plants seeds in a field which has been prepared.  In time, we hope, that the seeds will spring up and germinate, then grow into plants that produce a good harvest which is varied and diverse.

In education it can be said that we harvest a student's understanding after planting the seeds of learning in the ample fields of their minds.  We hope that what a student understands is that all knowledge can be interconnected and applied to find the solutions which present and future challenges will require so that they may be met and overcome.

Collecting in education can be defined as the gathering of a student's prior knowledge for the purpose of presenting it to the public.  If we want to make sure that our students understand what they have learned, we must attempt to collect it as a whole and in its entirety.  Collecting will be a continuous cycle that takes place over the years.

Sorting in education can be defined as the arrangement of a student's prior knowledge by information in subject matter as both quantity and quality.  We need to be able to measure, in multiple standards, the growth that a student has done, over the defined time of the season.  Sorting will allow us to analyze and envision overall education.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

November 2013

November is a reminder that there is a time during which we harvest our crops by collecting them and sorting them.  This is done to do an analysis of the crops that have grown over the last season and the fruit that they have yielded.  Crops are measured and checked with a variety of tools and standards and are submitted for final approval and appreciation to the public.  

In education we do this through collection and sorting of knowledge and information.  We harvest the knowledge and information that students have learned, we measure the quantity and quality, and the student's understanding and application of such knowledge and information for accuracy.  This sorting and collecting serves as a gauge of the education level that the students have acquired up this time.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

The Harvest Before Winter

"The Harvest Before Winter"

By: Manuel R. CortezRodas

If we think it

not as a month

but as a time,

then October should be

the time of harvest.

Harvest before winter time

is assessing summer growth,

and also summer decline.

Reviewing new instruction time,

and understanding academic requirements.

Store before winter time.

Year's end planning guide.

Spring's arrival planning guide.

School's end planning guide.

Analyze structure for weather.

Prepare before winter time.

Apply knowledge and experience.

Have practice drills regularly.

As students, as classmates.

Grow during winter hibernation.

October is about harvesting,

storing the summer's growth,

preparing for winter's arrival,

waiting for next spring,

looking toward next summer.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.