You may have seen this 60 Minutes video segment last year, or even last week when it aired again. It's a glimpse at the harsh reality that so many families and students face today -- and a powerful reminder for us as we prepare to make a difference in the lives of thousands of young people again this school year.
"Never has unemployment been so high for so long. And as a result, more than 16 million kids are living in poverty -- that's the most since 1962 . . . . It's life for a lot of folks. The number of kids in poverty in America is pushing toward 25 percent. One out of four. Austin and Ariel usually get cleaned up for school at gas stations. They find its best to go to different ones every day so the managers don't get sore . . . ."
Like the national average, the number of economically disadvantaged students in our district is nearing 25 percent. So, what is the impact on us? And, what do we need to do differently to maximize these students' success?
Hard Times Generation
21st-Century PLNs for School Leaders
I have a confession to make….I did create a Twitter account one
year ago. But, if I am being honest, I didn’t use it much in the last
twelve months. I struggled to figure out the best professionals and
organizations to follow and how to manage it all. However, my Twitter use
has increased recently! At the time of this writing, I have re-tweeted
three times and now follow 14. (It is important to celebrate small
accomplishments!)
During the 2012 Innovative Learning Environment Conference,
keynote speaker Will Richardson strongly encouraged participants to develop our
own Personal Learning Networks. He provided a strong argument that using
social media sites, such as Twitter, allows us to connect with others on the
professional topics about which we are passionate. The featured
article, 21st Century PLNs for School Leaders, provides three
specific (and easy) ways for administrators to leverage social media for our
own professional growth.
I would ask you to embrace the challenge with me and follow the
three tips from author George Couros:
1. Create a Twitter account
2. Read blogs
3. Write a blog
What New Teachers Want from Colleagues
“What New Teachers Want from Colleagues,” is certainly appropriate
as we venture into a new school year. The
pleas from teachers who just finished their first year will resonate with all
grade levels and remind us that it truly does take a village, not just a
mentor, to help a new educator survive.
The focus is on the benefits of a truly solid, caring school community:
one that helps new teachers acclimate themselves to the profession, their
students, their first classroom. Here
are their suggestions:
1. Share Friendship - and Ideas
2. Navigate Curriculum Together
3. Grade Together
4. Discipline Together
5. Observe and Reflect Together
Building administrators can set the stage by devoting intellectual energy, time, and space to building an ongoing professional learning community. As another new year begins, remind teachers of the benefits of functioning as a community. Make sure teacher collaboration time intentionally nurtures your newest teachers and the experiences they’re offering young people. Consider ways to build community outside school hours. The end of the article serves as a reminder that we must “make the most of our opportunities to positively change the career trajectories of new colleagues in the same way we change those of our students.”
The First Five Days of School with BYOT
Bring Your Own
Technology is a hot topic for all schools because of the desire to go
"Mobile" and "Plug-in". This can be stressful for not
only administrators, but also teachers if it isn't handled properly from the
beginning. As a teacher I navigated the positives and the inevitable
disasters that came along with the dual edge sword of BYOT. The disasters
shouldn't be a deterrent for using these powerful learning devices. Below is an
article that outlines how to handle the BYOT movement during the first five
days of school. I know if I would have read this article 3 years ago, I would
have had more positive stories, than disastrous ones.
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