October 29, 2012

Highly Effective Principals Raise Student Achievement

It's nothing new for us.  We have been studying the work of John Hattie for years and the impact that quality leadership can have on student achievement.  We know that principals who understand, embrace, and implement the seven characteristics of highly effective leaders are more likely to positively impact student achievement than those who don't.  A recent study published in the Education Next journal illustrates the impact that quality principals do, indeed, have on student performance.

"Our results indicate that highly effective principals raise the achievement of a typical student in their schools by between two and seven months of learning in a single school year; ineffective principals lower achievement by the same amount. These impacts are somewhat smaller than those associated with having a highly effective teacher. But teachers have a direct impact on only those students in their classroom; differences in principal quality affect all students in a given school."

Have you reviewed those seven characteristics of highly effective leaders lately?

Highly Effective Principals Raise Student Achievment

To read the study, click: Study

Getting and Giving Student Feedback

As Feedback continues to be a major area of focus for our buildings SIP visits, I thought this article provided us with some concrete examples to improve feedback between students and teachers.  The author, Heather Rader, describes three strategies: Schema; 10:2 Theory; and Exit Slips that are quick and easy to implement in the classroom, yet provide the essential feedback we need to ensure students are on the right track.  

"While it may sound like a Geico commercial, five minutes spent on feedback before, during and at the end of a lesson can save...a lot."

Getting and Giving Student Feedback

Knowing Your Learning Target

For the last few years, each School Improvement Team in the Hilliard City Schools selected one Characteristic of Highly Effective Teachers on which to focus.  Many buildings are explicitly imbedding the “Knows and Applies Best Practice” characteristic.  The first classroom look-for is “Learning targets for the lesson are clearly identified and students are aware of them.”  Much professional discussion has occurred in HCSD in our early attempts to gain clarity on the meaning of a clear learning target.  This week’s article, “Knowing Your Learning Target”, explains that “They convey to students the destination of the lesson—what to learn, how deeply to learn it, and exactly how to demonstrate their new learning.”  The article describes the difference between an instructional objective for teachers and shared learning targets. The article could be beneficial to teachers as they intentionally and consistently communicate clear learning targets with students.

Knowing Your Learning Target

Some Handy Tools for YouTube

“Some Handy Tools for YouTube” is simply a brief, practical blog post about tools for both creation and consumption of YouTube videos. If you’d like to get more out of YouTube for your students and/or yourself, read this blog. OK, maybe Steven Anderson isn’t necessarily the best speller on the planet, but I didn’t care so much about his spelling as I learned a bit more about getting rid of the distractions and comments that come along with some of the videos, easy editing, adding soundtracks, trimming videos to only the parts I really need, creating my own private screening room, creating playlists, and more. As an added bonus, the blogger invites comments from others so that they, too, can share some of their favorite YouTube tools. It’s certainly worth the quick read.

Some Handy Tools for YouTube

Future of Learning: Obsolescence of Knowledge, Return to Real Teaching

I'm willing to bet one of the toughest struggles teachers will face is this inevitable shift from keeper of the knowledge to being on the outside looking in at google, the black hole of facts.  If a teacher would feel the sense that their curriculum and their self worth can be outshined by google, thus preventing the evil search engine from penetrating the classroom, I would say it's time to reexamine your teaching style.  If a teacher is an outdated human version of a search engine, we are failing our students.  We shouldn't see a teacher with a list of vocab words on a transparency having the students recite them after searching 30 minutes for the definition in the back of the book.  That's google. We should see a teacher actively engaging the students in the deeper meaning of those words and the context, concepts, and any other "c" word you want to throw in.  Going from "teacher" to "coach" is the wave I want to be a part of. Walking with the students through the journey of learning and development. In this article it speaks to this point.  Have a great week!

Future of Learning: Obsolescence of Knowledge, Return to Real Teaching

October 15, 2012

College May Never Be The Same

Have you heard of MOOCs?  Massive Open Online Courses are gaining in popularity, and more and more colleges are signing up.  In fact, in a recent Columbus Dispatch article, President Gee announced that The Ohio State University would soon be participating in the MOOC movement as well.

"In a new report, Moody's Investor Service calls MOOCs a "pivotal development" that has the potential to revolutionize higher education. Questions remain whether these online courses can be profitable and whether traditional colleges will award credit for them. But if successful, MOOCs could lead to lower costs for families and access to higher-quality instruction for anyone in the world who has Internet access."

Is there a message for us here?  Absolutely!  As you've heard me say many times, our value is not in knowledge; rather, our value is in the experience we create for students.  The college world is starting to grapple with this reality now.  We've just been dealing with it for awhile longer.  So, the key question is this . . . if knowledge is free, why do students need schools (elementary, secondary, or post-secondary)?  I'm thinking of many reasons . . . . are you?  This is an answer we should always be ready to answer!

College May Never Be The Same

A Life Worth Living

My selection this week centers around the age old question "What if money was no object?"  As we continue to provide our students with more choice; more opportunity: and more experiences, we must help them discover their passions and set them on the right path to follow them.  Sometimes, this may be harder for us parents; teachers; and administrators then on for our kids.

“It is absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don’t like, in order to go on doing things you don’t like and to teach your children to follow in the same track…What we are doing, is bringing up children and educating them to live the same sort of lives we’re living, in order they may justify themselves and find satisfaction in life, by bringing up their children, to bring up their children to do the same thing so it’s all wretch and no vomit; it never gets there…so therefore it’s so important to consider this question; what do I desire?” Alan Watts

Be sure to check out the short video clip!

A Life Worth Living

Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom

"Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom" might be one of the best articles that I have read in a while!  Educators use the two assessment terms often but frequently lack clarity when defining or describing them. The article clearly delineates the differences between formative and summative assessments.   In addition, several examples of each type are provided to the reader.  I believe this article could be a powerful springboard for our instructional data teams as they work to build common assessments during their regularly scheduled team meetings. 

Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom

Twenty Tidbits for New Teachers

Having just met with our Year I Resident Educators and their mentors, I couldn’t help but to notice

the issues they’re finding to be the most challenging –

“There are only twenty-four hours in a day. How do I accomplish it all?”

“They aren’t behaving the way I expect them to behave.”

“How do I get my students to care?”

“How do I get them to turn in their work?”

It never fails. The same questions arise at this time every school year. Dare I say that these same issues arise for first-year, tenth-year, and twentieth-year teachers? “Twenty Tidbits for New Teachers” offers a variety of resources that may prove to be a wonderful support to our new teachers without adding to their already full plates. While it offers advice on building professional relationships, collaborating with colleagues, growing as professionals, and becoming a part of larger educational communities, it doesn’t forget the personal side – reflecting, relaxing, and making time for other passions. Please consider sharing this information with your newbies. Oh, and don’t forget the tenth-year teachers, twentieth-year teachers, and the rest of your teaching staff when sharing these tips.

Twenty Tidbits for New Teachers

Why Kids Need School to Change

The simple reason I wanted to share this article this time around is because of the title. Yes, I judged an article by its cover. The word "NEED" just grabbed me. Change is no longer a hobby we are going to dabble in. It's not something we should keep throwing around in a focus group, waiting for data to make choices. Our kids NEED change, let's provide it for them. 

Why Kids Need School to Change

October 1, 2012

Five Myths About Learning

Brain research is getting better everyday.  And as a result, we are discovering more and more about brain development and student learning.  My selection this week tackles some common myths about learning and what the latest brain research from Princeton University is telling us.

"The human brain—a biological organ that weighs about 3 pounds—develops as a result of a combination of the genetic program children inherit from both of their parents. Out of about 70 watts of power, the human brain uses only about 15—similar to what an idling laptop or the light inside a refrigerator use.

The typical 8-year-old child uses about half of his or her body’s energy to run the brain. It is an efficient device, but one that uses a lot of energy, said Sam Wang, an associate professor of neuroscience in Princeton University’s Department of Molecular Biology. Wang, also of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, has co-authored two books about the human brain."

This research examines the following "educational" myths:

Myth 1: ADHD isn’t real, or conversely is permanent.

Myth 2: “Redshirting” kindergarteners is, on average, good for child’s mental development.

Myth 3: IQ is the biggest predictor of student achievement.

Myth 4: Learning styles are a good way to guide teaching practice.

Myth 5: Autism is on the rise and is strongly affected by environmental influence.

Five Myths About Learning

What Schools Can Learn from Marissa Mayer

As you know, Innovative Teaching Strategies are highlighted in our district's CIP this year.  My selection this week highlights Marissa Mayer's Nine Principles of Innovation. Mayer recently left Google to become Yahoo's Chief Executive Officer.  Her first principle, Innovation, Not Instant Perfection, illustrates the culture of risk-taking we must foster for our students and teachers.  

"What if showing your best is a state of constant evolving, risk-taking, ideating, iterating, and course correcting instead of seeking a state of completion?"

What Schools Can Learn from Marissa Mayer

Quick Guide to the Common Core: Key Common Core Expectations Explained – Mathematics

This week’s article, Quick Guide to the Common Core: Key Common Core Expectations Explained – Mathematics, highlights five critical differences between CCSS and current mathematical practices across the US.  The message is simple: math success is built on truly understanding a few basic ideas. Changing US math instruction to reflect these differences is not simple.

The author shares that the 8 Mathematical Practices span K-12 and are purposed to develop mathematical habits of mind. Kathy Kellman says, “The Common Core standards demand a balance between conceptual understanding (mathematical principles and relationships, or “why”), procedural fluency (skill in carrying out procedures, or “how”), and application (solving real-world problems, or “when”).”   In Hilliard elementary buildings, we build understanding of what digits mean (conceptual understanding) before moving to the traditional algorithm through at least two methods:  ‘Exemplars’ rich, problem-solving experiences and Number Talks almost daily.  These early learning experiences allow students to reason their way through difficult problems in advanced math courses because math makes sense, not because they are following rules to solving the problem.

I highly recommend sharing this article with teachers who instruct mathematics. 

Quick Guide to the Common Core: Key Common Core Expectations Explained - Mathematics

Six Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Project-Based Learning

Since we are currently hosting our Projected Based Learning cohort training for 2012-2013, I thought I would focus on embedding even more best instructional practice within this already solid instructional framework.  “Six Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Project-Based Learning” explores differentiation in assessment, daily management, and instruction.  This edutopia article shares six practical ways that we can differentiate for our students:

• 1.  through team structure
• 2.  through reflection and goal-setting
• 3.  through mini-lessons
• 4.  through voice and choice in products
• 5.  through formative assessments
• 6.  through a balance of teamwork and individual work

While these considerations certainly apply to Project Based Learning, we know they are not limited to PBL.  They are differentiated approaches that should be considered by all teachers, PBL or not, in their daily instruction.

Six Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Project-Based Learning

Coming From a Loud Place

This quick read from Seth Godin is a great reminder of what we are all trying to do.  Change is tough to handle, almost as hard as leading.  Seth Godin reminds us that the big changes don't always come from announcing a world changing idea from the front page of the newspaper and everyone instantly buys in.  It takes more than one person, more than one moment in time. Invest in the experience Godin says.  What a great message to repeat with all of the changes, the ILC, Capstone, Course of Study Revision, OTES, 3rd grade reading, and more.  These initiatives will not be successful without everyone on the fringe investing in them.  It doesn't always take the loudest voice, maybe just the majority. 

Have a great start to October.

Coming From a Loud Place

September 17, 2012

Don't Fear Feedback on Failure - Teach Like an Athlete & Tools for Teaching: The Amazing Sticky Note

The highly effective teacher gives frequent, ongoing, meaningful feedback to students and creates opportunities to receive feedback from students about the effectiveness of his or her instructional practice.  Now that we are a few weeks into the school year, it's probably a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of feedback - in particular, that feedback from student to teacher.  When the student has an opportunity to give feedback about his/her learning and understanding and can communicate this to the teacher, it promotes ownership of learning -- something that's even more important in maximizing student achievement.

I have selected two items for you this week.  The first is a brief video clip featuring Grant Wiggins who reminds us of the importance of that feedback we get from students about their learning and understanding.  The second item is a blog entry from Edutopia that offers a creative solution for collecting feedback from students using "sticky notes."

"This week, I watched a science teacher use sticky notes in a very creative way. To check for understanding, the teacher gave each student a sticky note and asked each of her science students to give concrete examples of the vocabulary that they had learned in class. As the students exited the classroom, they placed the sticky note on the door. After the students all left the classroom, the teacher collected the sticky notes and was able to tell right away which students understood the concepts and which ones needed some targeted assistance."

Video Clip: Don’t Fear Feedback on Failure—Teach Like an Athlete

Article: Tools for Teaching: The Amazing Sticky Note

Flipping Parent Communication?

Recently, we have shared articles on both the flipped classroom and and the flipped faculty meeting.  My selection this week comes from Peter DeWitt, Principal of Poestenkill Elementary School in New York.  

"Too often we leave our communication to monthly newsletters or school wide e-mails. There are many changes happening in education, so flipping the communication I have with parents offered me an opportunity to let them know what is going on."

Families enjoyed the approach, and Dewitt plans to continue the flipped communication for upcoming PTO meetings; Special Events; State Assessments; and any other Educational Issues.

Flipping Parent Communication?

Practical PBL: Design an Instructional Unit in Seven Phases

Project-Based Learning is a district CIP initiative that we have embraced for a number of years now.  Each fall, a new cohort of 100+ elementary and secondary teachers participate in two days of professional development from out-of-state PBL experts.  The three follow-up sessions are where the local experts shine: small groups of Hilliard teachers share out the units that have been created collaboratively and solicit feedback from their colleagues. Tweaks are made then units are published on eCampus for all Hilliard teachers to benefit.

The training for our newest cohort is about to begin in late September and early October.  The article, "Practical PBL: Design an Instructional Unit in Seven Phases" is a nice overview for those new to PBL or refresher for educators in cohorts of past years.  

Practical PBL: Design an Instructional Unit in Seven Phases

Five Reasons Why YouTube Rocks the Classroom

In light of our recent acquisition of YouTube access, you may find this to be applicable to you, your staff members, and what you do for students in your building each day.  “Five Reasons Why YouTube Rocks the Classroom” simply shares the results of a gathering at Google’s Seattle office for the YouTube Teachers Studio.  A Google Certified Teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator shares five major reasons why YouTube is a terrific tool for the classroom.

• 1.  Inspire students well beyond the four walls of the classroom by being part of the shift created by the digital revolution.
• 2.  Have more access to your students and make yourself more available via the flipped teaching technique. As video changes classrooms everywhere, make sure yours is part of the mix.
• 3.  Reach audiences of millions as you connect, collaborate, and innovate.
• 4.  Customize videos! YouTube now allows online video editing.
• 5.  Assess your students with open-ended “video quizzes” that contain live links that can potentially connect them to more information or review when they give incorrect responses.

Check out the videos embedded in this article, and consider the endless list of possibilities for our

teachers and students. Just another reason why it’s great to teach and learn in the Hilliard City

Schools!

Five Reasons Why YouTube Rocks the Classroom

10 Ways to Build a Culture Like Apple

After the recap discussion we had thursday regarding our administrative retreat I wanted to share this one article about Apple's culture.  Dave Stewart was discussing the desire to have our staff members feel the way the apple employees feel about apple, when talking about Hilliard City Schools (or your building specifically). This article provides a list of 10 ways to create that type of culture.  I encourage all of us to look through the list and check off ones that you do effectively and ones that you need to work on. Talk with your building leadership team and and make a plan to continue your successes and build on the weaknesses. Wouldn't it be powerful to have a video created of your staff talking about the powerful culture they work in each and every day.

10 Ways to Build a Culture Like Apple

September 4, 2012

School is too Easy, Students Report

A recent study completed by the Center for American Progress reports that, for many students, school is too easy.  The study claims that school is only a challenge for a small group of students at the top of our schools (usually our high schools), but not for the majority of students in grades K-12.

Among the findings . . . 

• 37% of fourth-graders say their math work is "often" or "always" too easy;
• 57% of eighth-graders say their history work is "often" or "always" too easy;
• 39% of 12th-graders say they rarely write about what they read in class.

This study can certainly spark some great dialogue and discussion.  How can our work with homework and grading practices change our kids' perceptions of the work they're being asked to do?  How can data team work ensure all students are being challenged appropriately?  How can project-based learning unit design push students to think critically and be more challenged?

I'm reminded of the question John Hattie suggests we ask our students . . . "Does your teacher like you?" . . . Maybe we should also ask, ""Does your teacher challenge you enough?"  I wonder what kind of answers we would get . . . 

School is too Easy, Students Report

How to Turn Your Classroom into an Idea Factory

My selection this week comes from Suzie Boss, author of Bringing Innovation to School: Empowering Students to Thrive in a Changing World.  She opens the article with the question that many people both in and out of education seem to be asking more frequently: How can we prepare today’s students to become tomorrow’s innovators?  Boss  highlights the PBL approach and provides 8 tips to turn your classroom into an idea factory.  

As we've embraced PBL and begin to select teachers for our upcoming training, let's challenge those that have been through the training to embrace these 8 tips, making them the norm for our students and future innovators! 

How to Turn Your Classroom into an Idea Factory

Seven Keys to Effective Feedback

As I planned for the upcoming Principals' meeting, I chose to emphasize classroom walk-throughs and instructional rounds.  The electronic template is a tool the administrators of HCSD will use to provide feedback to teachers about their curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices.  

We know it is important to provide feedback to teachers and students.  However, we don't often discuss the components of meaningful feedback.  This week's article is "Seven Keys to Effective Feedback" by Grant Wiggins.  He explains that "...feedback is information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a goal.". The author gives six concrete examples of descriptive information that helped me better understand the concept.  

Seven Keys to Effective Feedback

Connected Educator Month - One More Thing


My entry this time is from a simple blog post by Stephanie Sandifer, who participated in “Connected Educator Month” during August. She focuses on carrying the energy of connected learning and being connected educators into this school year. Stephanie’s goals of inspiring and encouraging our colleagues and seeking more connected ways of working and learning makes me think about our HALS groups and the value they can bring to our professional lives. As we think about our HALS groups for 2012-2013 and determine how best to process and communicate our learning, it is important to consider multiple ways to move beyond the texts even more and expand our repertoires when it comes to further developing our instructional leadership. “Connected Educator Month – One More Thing” just serves as another reminder that we have the opportunity to become “just connected enough” to benefit greatly from our own learning and the learning others are willing to share with us. Sandifer does remind us that there is such a thing as becoming too connected. If we find a balance, though, between connecting AND taking the time to disconnect on occasion, we can enjoy the benefits of being connected learners and educators. We are preparing once again use HALS in order to engage in rich dialogue around timely topics that will help us to better understand and address the needs of Hilliard students. Let’s stretch ourselves even more this year and dip our toes into the stream of social media. Instead of writing a “final” reflection on the HALS group experience, think about using social media in ways that will keep the conversations alive and will allow your work this year to have an impact well beyond the scope of a year-long topical study. The possibilities are endless. Stephanie wisely reminds us to be careful, though. If we stay in too long, we’ll get all pruney. 

Connected Educator Month - One More Thing

The 3 Biggest Ways Technology Is Disrupting Education Forever

It's interesting to think that we are in the middle of the educational technology revolution.  I would imagine most of us look at the changes and think we are near the end of the bell curve instead of the bottom of the ascension.  I remember thinking to myself "How will they ever advance the CD" then the MP3 came.  In this article the author shares three distinct innovations that will change education as we know it forever.  I love this kind of thinking.  The first two we are relatively familiar with or at least having the discussion at HCSD.  The third though worries me because I wonder if we are overlooking such an important aspect of disruptive technology.  The author will mention a platform called Schoology that teachers/districts/students are starting to embrace.  I used this platform last year and I can't agree more with the author on the potential impact "social media student interaction" will have on our future.  Schoology is Facebook for school.  Legitimately they stole everything about Facebook and turned it into a Learning Management System (LMS).  Online tests/quizzes, discussions, videos, in class polling, twitter integration, Remind 101 integration, Common Core tagging, and a virtual collaborative bin to share lessons and ideas across the world.  We need to make sure we are speaking our students language as this change is happening, or else they are going to be searching for another conversation partner.  These are three ways education will change forever, what are the next three and are we prepared to embrace them?  Then again, we never thought the white board could be improved, or a smart board, or virtual reality, or 3D projectors….what's next?  Do you as a building Principal communicate with your students on their level?  Their social media level that is.

The 3 Biggest Ways Technology Is Disrupting Education Forever

August 20, 2012

What if You Flipped Your Faculty Meetings?

So, we’ve talked a lot about teachers flipping their classrooms.  Have you ever thought about flipping your meetings or professional development?  This is a pretty thought-provoking blog entry that just might get you thinking differently about how you model effective instructional strategies.

“What's beautiful about flipping your faculty meetings is you are modeling an instructional practice that you'd like to see spreading in your classrooms. Flipping empowers students, giving them ownership over the direction of their learning -- and that feels good whether you're 12 or 27.”

Imagine recording a model data team meeting, sending it out to staff to view, and then bringing everyone together for discussion about what they saw.  We could do the same thing with best practices in the classroom.  Let me know if you give this a try.  I’d love to hear how it goes!

What if You Flipped Your Faculty Meetings

Disrupt Yourself

As a follow-up to our Admin Retreat, and in the spirit of Disruptive Innovations and Disrupting Class, I felt Whitney Johnson's article, Disrupt Yourself served as a great personal account of the Disruptive process.  Johnson moved to New York and went from being a secretary to becoming a Senior Analyst with Merrill Lynch.  She walked away from this lucrative career to become an entrepreneur, and in her words felt it was "time to leave my comfortable perch and become an entrepreneur. Time to disrupt myself."  Johnson goes on to describe the lessons she learn in her own personal disruption.  Check out her Ted Talk as well  here

Disrupt Yourself

Managers: Get the Monkeys Off Your Back

Here is a familiar situation: one of your staff members finds you to share a problem that he/she is encountering.  You patiently listen and, in an effort to be helpful, you say that you will do ______ and get back to them.  You add that new chore to your insurmountable "To Do" list.  Now who has the problem?  

In "Managers: Get the Monkeys off Your Back", the goal is to "...minimize or eliminate subordinate- imposed work, get control of boss- and system-imposed work, and maximize discretionary time".  As the school year kicks off, I believe every administrator in Hilliard City Schools is wrestling to manage time to accomplish many work-related tasks.  I bet our delegation skills could be strengthened to find "more time" during our professional day.  

Managers: Get the Monkeys Off Your Back

Even Geniuses Work Hard

If you’re considering whether or not to join in on the iBrain seminar this school year, “Even Geniuses Work Hard”  is a great way to get a general flavor for Carol Dweck’s book, mindset.  This article supports her theory that individuals' attitudes about intelligence affect their behavior and achievement. Students with a fixed mindset think intelligence is innate and unchangeable.  Those with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can grow if they work hard and practice. What I like most about the article is that Dweck reminds us of practical ways for teachers to structure and facilitate learning opportunities in ways that foster a growth mindset. These teachers create a culture of risk-taking in their classrooms; emphasize the joy of a challenge; communicate students’ progress toward mastery; and recognize students’ effort and growth.  Dweck recognizes our ultimate goal of nurturing a love of learning and helping students to see both opportunity and reward in overcoming obstacles.

Even Geniuses Work Hard

An Open Letter to Principals: Five Leadership Strategies for the New Year

Eric Sheninger, for those in the Twitter world know of him, is a principal that embraces not only the changes we see coming as a result of our students needs but is also outward focused on growing leadership among principals. He posted this letter the other day on his blog titled “Open Letter to Principals” outlining some basic strategies for leadership. I read through it once with it having little impact on my frame of mind, then we had Dale’s message Friday. I returned to the letter and re-read it, this time with a clear sense of how much our leaders will impact the direction of HCSD. As the kids come back, the staff’s return, and you begin the daily grind I want to say how much you are each valued and how important your leadership truly is. The message Friday will never find the intended audience without your voice.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

An Open Letter to Principals

August 6, 2012

Hard Times Generation - A 60 Minutes Video Segment

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

5 Ways to Build Sustainable Relationships within Your School

As we begin the 2012 - 2013 school year with many new faces in our buildings, I wanted to share a short article that highlights 5 approaches to developing trust with your staff (Listen first; Overcommunicate; Confront inappropriate behaviors; Create fail-free zones; and Engage staff to gain support and build capacity).  As author John Wilson states, "building relational trust with school staff is a precursor to sustainable success."

Good luck, and here's to a great year!

5 Ways to Build Sustainable Relationships within Your School

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, 21^st 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

21st-Century PLNs for School Leaders

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.”

What New Teachers Want from Colleagues

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. 

The First Five Days of School with BYOT