February 10, 2014

10 Ways to Change the Future Today

My selection this week comes from the Leadership Freak.  Those of you that follow me on Twitter, may have seen me tweet out a few of his thought provoking posts including this one.  My reason for sharing this post with you is that it provides 10 very manageable suggestions to change the future today.  As we are all initiating change in some way shape or form, I believe utilizing some or all of these suggestions will go a long way with teachers, students, and community members in increasing buy in.  Enjoy!

10 Ways to Change the Future Today

20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network

In “20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network,” Miriam Clifford takes a topic we’ve been discussing in our district and shares practical suggestions for approaching Personal Learning Networks in order to advance our craft.  These networks are reliant on the quality of our interactions with others.  Thus, our approach is key.  I’ll briefly share her tips.  What will be even more valuable to you, though, are the links throughout the article.

10 Tips for Using PLN’s

1.     Keep the spirit of collaboration as your driving force.
2.    Join an online community.
3.    Join a Meetup group.
4.    Become a beacon of light.
5.    Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
6.    Be an active participant.
7.    Remember to be polite and acknowledge contributions to the rightful owner.
8.    Designate a professional and personal account.
9.    Create a landing page.
10. Engage newbies.

10 Tools & Strategies for Establishing a Productive PLN

1.    Use Diigo, Evernote, Pocket, or Delicious to bookmark links.
2.    Use a reader to subscribe to blogs.
3.    Establish your own platform.
4.    Share on Twitter first.
5.    Consider your role.
6.    Aggregate resources together.
7.    Take a free course to learn about PLN’s.
8.    Stay current with new tools.
9.    Simplify logins.
10. Establish a classroom learning network.

While PLN’s truly are a powerful agent of change, they don’t come naturally.  These practical tips can certainly help us as we navigate our way.

20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network

February 3, 2014

Among Experts

The following is a blog written by Dwight Carter,  Principal of Gahanna Lincoln High School.  In it, he outlines a very valuable use and experience for a staff meeting.  He also shares the three main correlates of successful schools: instructional leadership, a positive school climate and culture, and frequent monitoring.  Take a moment to read the blog and see if it sparks the desire to try the activity he did and elicit the positive experience the GLHS staff had.  We all believe in the power of reflection and team building, and during a time of testing and evaluations we need to pause and focus on the positives that our staffs are all doing. Have a great week!

Among Experts

Redefining the Writing Process with iPads

Over the years the writing process has been affected by a number of technology changes.  With today's tools, many students use a completely digital process to create, edit and submit their writing.  Some students do this process very well and others use it to cut corners that might not be the best to cut.

Here is a great article on how to use an iPad in the writing process in an effective way!

Redefining the Writing Process with iPads

January 13, 2014

2013 Big Ideas in Education

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the plethora of information available for educators? This article is a summary of key issues from 2013. In addition to being a great summary of key ideas, it also references some additional articles you may wish to pass along to staff members. I hope enjoy the year in review, and have an opportunity reflect upon all we have accomplished as a district! Great article for keeping the key issues in the forefront of our minds!

2013 Big Ideas in Education

The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder

Putting an emphasis on equipping students with learning strategies for the classroom is the best way to support students who struggle with attention and organizational skills to ensure life-long success.

The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder

December 2, 2013

21st Century Schools or 21st Century Learning?

The following is an article from one of my favorite online sites, edutopia.  It is easy to get lost in this site for a couple of hours simply perusing the articles.  The articles are always written in such a way that I am prompted to analyze my own practices and philosophy.  In addition, they are typically short and to the point!  This particular article explores the concept of 21st century schools.  As I read this article, I found myself asking several questions.  The following are just a few:

- What percentage of our classrooms would fall under the heading "Classroom A" versus         "Classroom B?"

- If one attribute listed under "Classroom A" was removed from EVERY classroom in the Hilliard City School School District, how would education be impacted?

- If "rules were unnecessary," would our students be highly effective?

- How many of our teachers are using devices to teach like the attributes listed under "Classroom A?"

- If every student in your building had a device what would change?

- Do the papers/handouts that get distributed to our students and community reflect the attributes listed under "Classroom A" or "Classroom B?"

As you read this article, I encourage you to pose your own questions, and I challenge you to take a scavenger hunt of your school looking for the qualities listed under "Classroom A" and "Classroom B."  

21st Century Schools or 21st Century Learning

5 Things I Want My Daughter to Learn in School

My selection this week comes from Jeff Delp, a Junior High Principal in Arizona.  Much like Jeff, I often find myself reflecting on the education I want my two daughters to have before they head off in to the "real world."  It's often hard for us as administrators to put aside everything we must balance on a day-to-day basis and view the education we provide in the HCSD through the eyes of a parent, or better yet through the eyes of the nearly 16,000 students that walk through the doors everyday.  As I read Jeff's blog, I found myself in complete agreement with what he identifies as the 5 things he wants his daughter to learn in school.  I can only hope the same for my two daughters and their peers.

Have a great week! 

5 Things I Want My Daughter to Learn in School

November 11, 2013

“Why Are We Doing This?” Establishing Relevance to Enhance Student Learning

Effective teachers strive to maintain student interest and motivation during every lesson. Most learners wants to know,  "Why do I need to know this and when will I use it?"  "Perceived relevance" is an important contributor to these two desired outcomes. 

In this week's article, author Jeff Fox says the way to build relevance is for teachers to do the following:  "1) regularly share and discuss the learning outcomes of the course; 2) clearly tie those learning outcomes to the required activities and assignments; and 3) orient students at the beginning of each class period by discussing the “What, Why, and How” of that day." These tips remind me of "Knows and Applies Best Practice", one of the Seven Characteristics of Highly Effective Teachers. The look-for of "Establishes Clear Learning Targets" is described in the professional text. 

"Why Are We Doing This?" Establishing Relevance to Enhance Student Learning

Formative Assessment Options

As we all know, formative assessments are a great way for teachers to monitor student learning and for students to monitor their own learning. Here are a few videos with various examples of formative assessment options that teachers could use (or you could use with your staff):

Video #1:  Communicate Learning With Silent Signals

Video #2:  The Stoplight Method: An End-of-Lesson Assessment

Video #3:  Tracking Tools: Assess & Celebrate Learning

Video #4:  Text What You Learned: Using Technology to Assess

October 28, 2013

Grading Exceptional Learners

Do teachers have to choose between fairness and accuracy when assigning grades to exceptional students? Can the grades for such students ever be both fair and accurate?

This article presents a five step model to provide fair and accurate grades for students with disabilities and English language learners.  I love the focus on individual progress as opposed to where they are-value added.

Grading Exceptional Learners

Who is Helping You Get Better, or Better Yet, Be Great?

"I am here to tell you we do and if we are going to be great and inspire our students and others to be great, then we must model the way for others to see us being great and feeling great!"  We all desire to be Great, or at least I hope that's the case.  As I've spoken with many of you, I feel so fortunate to see how each and everyone one of you perform "Greatness" in your buildings in your own ways.  Often times, it's the little things we do that allow us to get better, and go from good to great.  This article provides four of these so called "little things" that can help us get better and become great.  I especially liked the the last suggestion...calling the parents of your new teachers to say Thank You! 

Who is Helping You Get Better, or Better Yet, Be Great?

October 14, 2013

Improving Practice with Sarah Brown Wessling

As you know, technology use can be challenging for everyone sometimes.  Technology does not always work the way that we think it should work.  Fischer's Gradual Release Model is an excellent strategy when it comes to helping staff and students to use technology effectively.  Students are very comfortable using and trying technology tools, but they are not always proficient user's of technology.

Improving Practice with Sarah Brown Wessling

Making a Difference

This fall administrators are using the new OTES rubric for wide-scale teacher evaluation for the first time. We realize that differentiation is a topic in which more learning is needed.  Educators use the term but often have misinformation about what it means or how to implement in classrooms with many diverse learners. 

This week's article is an interview with the 'mother of differentiation', Carol Ann Tomlinson, called Making a Difference. She defines differentiation as a teacher "...trying to address students’ particular readiness needs, their particular interests, and their preferred ways of learning." She speaks of "respectful tasks" in which the work of every learner "...is equally engaging, equally appealing, and equally important." In the interview, she shares practical strategies for gleaning information from students that would enable teachers to provide the desired tasks. I believe the article could be used as a powerful conversation starter with our teachers in HCSD.

Making a Difference

Breaking the Rules of Professional Development


“Breaking the Rules of Professional Development” reminds us of the importance of providing professional learning opportunities that offer educators the opportunity to take total control over what they learn and when they learn it.  Mary Jo Maddo wants to help Dan Callahan, co-founder of EdCamp, introduce the word “unconference” into more educators’ vocabularies.  The goal is simple.  Let’s not allow our colleagues to be tacit observers when it comes to professional learning.

Dare we provide professional learning experiences that are not reliant on assignments or rigid structure?  Could organized chaos and “radical openness” still result in high-quality learning?  Multiple EdCamps are held every weekend in states and countries across the globe.  Educators have the opportunity to learn and establish connections with other “education-enthusiasts,” whether it’s at the actual event or via Twitter.  The structure is simple.  EdCamp forms communities that people can become a part of and participate at their own leisure.  Sound familiar?  PD isn’t forced within the EdCamp Twitter forums.  Instead, it becomes an option that educators can utilize when they need to.

I fully agree with Madda.  The “unconference” should become the norm, not the exception.

Breaking the Rules of Professional Development

Teacher's Top Five Tech Tips

For this week I chose a short video about the "Ohio Teacher of the Year" and her Top 5 Tech Choices for education.  This is a short video about 5 tools she uses that give her the biggest impact on her students education.  She has identified a way for her instruction to be integrated with technology and it works for her.  What are the top 5 tools in your building we can be focusing on that will maximize the instruction for your staff?  It would be my hope that this teacher is leading PD in her building on how to use these 5 tools, and that her colleagues are learning from her.  Who in your building can lead PD like this on the tools they are "experts" on?  Allow opportunity for your staff to share their Top 3 or more Tech Tools that influence their instruction.  Then ask them to share how.  See what happens.

Teacher's Top Five Tech Tips