Edcamp for Cherry Street ~ Differentiation for Staff -- SAVMP #22

After reading the assignment for SAVMP #22, I feel this is a great opportunity for me to do some planning ahead for Year THREE at our school.

Year ONE was about establishing the vision, assembling the right crew, and setting up the infrastructure and the processes and procedures that would facilitate the vision becoming real. Year TWO has been about improving the curriculum and cultivating the human capital on campus. Year THREE is going to be about leveraging the power of data to precisely alter instruction, polishing our craft, and improving, improving, improving. Over the course of this time, we are periodically picking up new riders on the bus. As new riders join us, they have missed the visioning process that occurred during year one. If the new rider has been in education for a while, they bring a certain knowledge base with them. However, if the new rider is an entirely new teacher, they are arriving with a novice level knowledge base, far different than all other educators on campus. This layering of experiences causes a staff with three different levels of knowledge about the vision, expectations, and general foundation for progress at our site. With that said, I was overjoyed when I read Amber's post about differentiating for staff. I love the ideas she proposed for staff development and making it relevant for the faculty! It is clearly my new goal to press forward toward this type of staff development during different times of the school year.

Amber's suggestions in her words:

1. Grouping teachers is one way of differentiating.
2. Give options in what your teachers are discussing, #edcamp style. I’ve even “prepped” teachers with a couple of topics that I knew that I wanted to see covered, but left most of the board blank, for their input.
3. Allow conversations, not just “sit & get” sessions.
4. Flip your meetings, to make the discussions more valid & transparent. Allow teacher voice!
5. Let your groups of ability leveled learners be led by members of your own staff. Call on the experience in your building!
6. Create a bucket list of activities you’d like to see in classrooms.

I especially like #1, #2, and #5. My mentor in Canada, Paul McGuire, flips his faculty meetings by sending out videos of the concepts prior to the meeting and then has faculty do the "work" of exploring the concepts at the faculty meeting.

Whatever the case, this is what I would like to begin doing for staff development during year THREE. Half way through Year TWO I can tell who the campus experts and teacher leaders are for our school. I will tap into their expertise to begin growing the new teachers and the rising leaders for our school.

I think it is exciting to think we may be able to start this in about 6 months. I would LOVE to get really brave and try an #edcamp style faculty meeting at some point next year. That is SUPER EXCITING. I met another principal at FETC this year who raved about edcamp. I hope to attend one prior to trying it out with our faculty. What is an #edcamp, you may ask?

From Wikipedia:

An edcamp is a user-generated conference - commonly referred to as an "unconference". Edcamps are designed to provide participant-driven professional development for K-12 educators.^[1]Edcamps are modeled after BarCamps, free participant-driven conferences with a primary focus on technology and computers. Educational technology is a common topic area for edcamps, as are pedagogy, practical examples in instructional use of modern tools, and solving the problems technology can introduce into the classroom environment.

Edcamps are generally free or very low-cost, built around ad hoc community participation. Sessions are not planned until the day of the event, when participants can volunteer to facilitate a conversation on a topic of their choice.^[2] Edcamps operate "without keynote speakers or vendor booths, encourage participants to find or lead a conversation that meet their needs and interests."^[3]

The first edcamp was held in May 2010 in Philadelphia.^[4] Since that time, there have been over 200 edcamp events held throughout the world. The Edcamp Foundation was formed in December 2011 to help teachers and other stakeholders who organize edcamps. The vision of the Edcamp Foundation is to "promote organic, participant-driven professional development for K-12 educators worldwide."

I look forward to growing myself and my staff when it comes to Differentiated Staff Development. Edcamp Cherry Street, here we come!

Online Presence - The Paper Resume Is Soooo Passe! #SAVMP #21

I just finished reading #SAVMP Assignment #21 by George Couros Online Portfolios by gcouros and Paul McGuire's post in response to the assignment Principal Musings on Education. I completely agree with George's points which were based on the premise that we need to move to Online Portfolios / Blogging et al. :

1. The Google Factor
2. Searching and Organization
3. Anywhere, Anyplace, Any Time Access
4. Create Opportunities Instead of Looking for Them
5. Continuous Sharing

Here is why Blogging and Developing an Online Presence works for me:

1. Collections of Learning



I have always been a collector. I collect quotes. I collect articles and research about best practices. And, I am a REFERENCER! Some how, some way, these things stay in my brain as sort of a shadow of their full meaning. So.....when I want to find their full meaning or the exact quote I plan to use, I just run to my collections and find what it is I need. These "collections" make up the sum total of my learning and the items that have led me to the vision I currently have for my school, my occupation, and my life. And, can I just tell you, that sorting through my binders and journals and various "collections" is time consuming. I feel like the past few years I have become freed by the amazing apps out there like GTasks, EverNote, GoogleKeep and my all-time favorite NoteShelf.





For example, I take copious notes during the sermons at church, and when I would fill up a notebook or a journal with notes, I would end up storing it in some dark corner only to be "referenced' every blue moon. Well, now, I don't have to worry about where to store them or if I will ever use them again. Using NoteShelf, I have digital notebooks of pages and pages of notes that don't take up ANY space. They are all customizable which is always fun and adds a personal flair. And, I can save them as a .pdf and print individual pages or save the full notebook to another location if I like. This is my favorite app. because I can take pictures of anything and embed them in the notes. I JUST LOVE IT! I can Tweet pages, email pages to team members; it is extremely versatile.  Here is a screen shot from my iPad of a few levels of shelves containing my notebooks.



I am no longer held captive by the search for a piece of paper. This completely matches George C's point about "Searching and Organization." I am quickly navigating to a Paperless Existence, and...

MY BLOG SERVES AS A... COLLECTION OF MY LEARNING.

2. Transparency

Transparency is a way of life for our children and our students. I am aghast at what some of them share with the world, and I know that time and maturity will help many of them develop the skills to be more discretionary with their online presence; however, I also admire their bravery. The new generations are not afraid to say what they think, to engage, or to grapple with life "out loud" and sometimes online. When I first started BLOGGING I was terrified. Some days I still am about what people will think about what I have to say....like my December post where I shared about my most recent tattoo. Yes, I said..."most recent". LOL. But, I ultimately feel the transparency is one of the best parts of my BLOGGING. If anyone reads my posts, they get a true sense of who I am. Some day, my children may be able to look back at these posts and discover some tidbit about their mother they didn't know. --Hi Kids :O)--

Most importantly, I believe that we all need to be our own chief storytellers. We need to control the story that is told about us. When someone "Googles" you, what do they find?

3. Shared Learning

This morning I was searching my brain for when I first heard about George Couros and the work he was doing. I can't remember, but if I went and searched my own Twitter feed, I would be able to find my first RETWEET or FAVORITE of his work. I remember, one day, I was clicking through his links everywhere in my typical DIY learning mode, and I found his BLOG as Portfolio YouTube video. I thought to myself, back then," I want to do that". AND, 1 and 1/2 years later, I have begun my portfolio. My BLOG represents a collection of my online learning. From Canada I have taken this concept to Florida. One of my fellow principals began BLOGGING soon after me, and I like to think that my BLOG entries have encouraged him to have the commitment to the task because I shared my learning. I hope others will follow.

4. Modeled Learning

With BLOGGING, I have to step out and take risks all the time. I do this so that I can understand the world my students live in and even the future ahead of them. Entire school districts have been using Digital Portfolios with their students K-12. I am modeling this learning for others, and I am experiencing it side-by-side with our current generation of students. It is a challenge, it is authentic, and it is highly rewarding.

5. My Goal

As I grow in my capacity to develop an online presence, I will be adding more pages to my BLOG and stepping out more often with other programs. After I went to FETC, I created my own Vizify which is a sort of bio program that grabs all parts of your online persona and meshes them together. It really took just a few easy clicks. Here is my Vizify Bio:

Vizify Bio for Enrjtk-Educatr

Also, after reading Paul McGuire's post, he shared a great site called About.Me which I have on my ToDo list for upcoming goals. It is one more way to begin developing this online resume or portfolio or presence or, or, or.....

The sky is the limit here. There are so many paths to innovation with the online platform. Give it a try!

Musings from the Florida Educational Technology Conference -

The first time I attended FETC (Florida Educational Technology Conference) I was a beginning teacher. It was 1994. Exactly 20 years ago, I began my journey into #edtech. It has advanced much in that time, and some predict it is about to entirely transform education as we know it. I would like to take a team of teachers with me next year to attend this conference. We all have a lot to learn about #edtech in the coming year. The first thing I learned is that I am proud of how much technology our campus is using. We have students using email, Prezi's, Google Docs., BlendSpace, and more for writing. We have numerous teachers using Class Dojo to assist with classroom management. We have faculty with websites, and several of them have Voki’s. Cherry Street is using numerous technology tools to support elevated engagement by students. We use FaceBook, Twitter, Remind 101, and the MySchool App. to keep families involved in our campus events.

Here are some quotes from the great speakers:

“We are preparing our students for jobs that don’t exist with tools we have not made yet.” and, “Broadband is the new electricity.” or, “The best technology you have today is the worst technology your child will ever see in their lifetime. It will be a relic to them. Are our schools ready for that 5 year old?”

Jamie Casap, Google Education Evangelist  

“Schools have to be agile in the same way the world around them is evolving. There will be an eradication of the line between school/ and home/ and anywhere anytime learning.”

Lucien Vattel, CEO GameDesk 
     and Playmaker Schools








    

“The sum of all human knowledge is at our fingertips.” We used to go to a library or research in books. We have access to 100,000 libraries in our back pocket.

                 Will Richardson
           Author of Why School?  

                                     

In the session called "Run Your Classroom Like Google," Juan De Luca demonstrated the new virtual resume using the Vizify site. I made one in about 10 minutes that just pulled content from my various social media accounts. I have started an early version of it, and I will add to it over time.



Click here to preview MY Vizify Bio at:
   Enrjtk-educatr's Vizify

·  During the numerous TechShare sessions, I picked up multiple new tools. Here is one that is so EASY to use called Google Story Builder. It took me about 5 minutes to create: My Google Story about FETC

·   Also, check out this great YouTube video for a laugh that was shared in Adam Bellowes’ session: Font Conference. Caution, there are a few incidents of profanity in this, so skip this video if you prefer.

·   Here are several sites that I shared with our classroom teachers that I felt most valuable and worth exploring for classroom integration:

·   Class Badges

·   Fotor

·   eduClipper

·   Recite This

·   If This Then That     

The transformation of education is something I want to be a part of--the more personalized, engaging, interesting learning environments.

Every Batman Needs a Robin

Week 20: The Art of Delegation #SAVMP

Delegation, has over the years, been an area of personal growth for me. As I began exploring this week’s topic, I waxed nostalgic and pulled out an early assessment of my leadership capacity. At the start of my leadership journey, our former Superintendent saw some potential in me and selected me to attend what I lovingly refer to as…Administrators Boot Camp. My “pet” name for this program is much simpler than its real name: The Florida Principal Competency Assessment Center.

To go through the program, a group of potential leaders is selected and undergo several exercises to demonstrate their leadership capacity. While they are navigating the exercises, they are watched by a panel of objective viewers who rate their abilities according to various leadership competencies. This “boot camp” happened many years ago for me, but from what I remember, it was actually quite fun. One of the other members of the group I was in is now an Assistant Superintendent, and it was exciting to be around other leaders who I could learn from as well as develop friendships with that would later lead to my personal network of friends.

After we concluded the activity, the raters scored us and debriefed us on our strengths. I dusted off my copy of their findings today and was truly astonished at what they revealed so very long ago when I started this journey toward being a Principal.

My strengths were:

• Proactivity
• Continuous Improvement  (Always striving to get better)
• Communication
• Facilitation (Getting others to work together effectively)
• Critical Thinking (Analysis of data before arriving at a solution)
• Organizational Abilities (Knowing how to design, plan, and organize activities to achieve goals)

Ironically, my one area of Growth that the team referred to as an “Adequacy” was the competency of delegation. All those years ago, following that exercise, I chose to work on that skill as a personal goal. And, since, as the report indicated, I have strength in continuous improvement, I have grown enormously in that area. I now have some delegation swag. LOL.

Over the years as I have set goals to improve in this area, I have learned just how critical a skill that delegation has to be for a successful leader. Here is why I believe this:

1. Leadership Delegation Is Necessary for Personal Survival

My approach to taking on new challenges is usually to learn as much as possible about a new situation. Sometimes this means that I will get down in the trenches and learn something from the bottom all the way to the top. This helps me make wise choices because I have a deeper understanding of the whole picture. However, I try and quickly move on to delegation once I learn the new program or process. If I didn't, I would drown under the weight of trying to juggle all the nuts and bolts of the system. Once my knowledge base is developed, I can look to the qualified specialists around me and I can move into the background and just facilitate. 

I was able to attend a fabulous leadership training this summer by some job coaches. One analogy they used has stuck with me and continued to be an anchor for me as I move toward more efficient delegation. The job coaches compared the system leader to a baseball manager. The team manager should be overseeing and making certain the team has what it needs to win. If the team manager is out on the field playing 1st base and 3rd base, the manager will not only fail to develop his players whose position is 1st and 3rd, but he will be inefficient at managing the whole process because he is busy playing all the roles. I love this analogy, and I have used it to help my faculty and leadership team understand when I refer them to other leaders on campus. I can not be the sole source of knowledge for the campus, or else when I am away from campus, things will collapse. It is my greatest goal to build such a strong team and strong infrastructure that it runs without me. 

2. Leadership Delegation Is Necessary for System Survival

So let's talk about the team. Wow. This takes time because you have to have the players with the capacity to partake in the execution of the vision. It is a delight when I get to bring on new staff members who are malleable and can quickly adopt the campus vision and then can align their skill set in ways to promote and protect that vision. 

I am always looking for folks who are ready to own the campus challenges and lead others in the ways that we can meet the challenges. 

First, the appropriate people must be identified. 

Next, the resources to support them must be provided. 

To encourage their success, they need to be given the matching authority and trust to complete the task. 

They need to understand the expectations clearly. 

Lastly, I need to follow up to make certain they stay on the correct path and ultimately reach the destination.

If the delegation works, then the system gets stronger and stronger because the power base is distributed among all the team members. If EVERYONE wants to win the game, then everyone will play their hardest. This creates a strong team. 

3. Leadership Delegation Is Necessary for Success 

Ownership by all stakeholders is critical for the system to succeed. We are still in the process of building this ownership across multiple leadership groups on our campus. Two great examples are our Safety Committee and our Positive Behavior Support System. We have been working to have members of both of these teams make critical decisions for the whole school so that they understand the process and implications for how those decisions impact everyone at the school .... from the teacher all the way down to the student and their family. After a recent safety assessment by our District Safety Officer, our Safety Committee broke down all of the recommendations from the officer into individual action items. Each team member carried out those action items to completion because they saw how a break in the safety plan could impact the safety of our students and staff. Team members were checking campus evacuation maps and confirming that current maps were posted in every classroom. Our PE Coach worked with the custodian to develop a rotating schedule for determining if fire extinguishers are in working order monthly. AND...this has enhanced everyone's awareness of what it means to be "safe" on our campus. No longer is the safety of the school a prescient thought in the Principal and Assistant Principal's minds only. Now, we have a team of folks who are aware and proactively working on the behalf of our school's safety goals. This makes us so much stronger! We are more successful for the leadership that has been delegated to these team members.

Leadership delegation works, and it creates a strong organization. Now, there are problems to address when you have employees without the willingness to lead or participate. There are great resources out there for those situations such as Todd Whitaker's book Shifting the Monkey. 

Whatever the case, as a leader, FIND WAYS TO DELEGATE. You and your team will be stronger for it.

Communication is All about Listening! #SAVMP 19

     Week 19 of the #SAVMP Project is about “communication essentials”, and I think most people will take the spin to write about how they're using social media to communicate. I decided to use a different twist for this assignment. I would have to say the greatest communication essential is the art of listening, and I have tried to develop better listening skills over the years. It has been a personal goal of mine to increase my listening capacity and, of course, I am still growing.  I take some solace in that I do believe I have shown improvement in this area. I am often trying to listen for longer than I speak.

     I consider myself a student of leadership, and many times over the years I have observed my Principals. When you are seated before them in the Principal’s office, I can recall having worked for different leaders who, when you would go into speak with them, they would turn away from you and begin working on their computer or clicking through emails. I would describe that feeling as feeling devalued as a human. I felt like they didn't care what I had to say or they were too busy to give me the time I sought from them.

     To be fair, though out the day, I have people who want to pop in my office. There have been times when I might be very, very busy, and their brief visit may keep me from leaving at closing time. BUT… no matter how long it delays my workday, I always keep my door open, and I always turn a watchful eye to my visitors. I sit and listen to what people have to say; it is part of leading. I want to develop the relationships with people.  It is sometimes difficult for me to stop and listen because I am so task oriented. It has been tough for me to develop this skill, but each year I get better and better at it.

     The benefits of listening outweigh the costs. I think the most important thing I gain from listening is that I begin to understand the people that make up our workforce, and they are most definitely people with human needs. For example, if someone is late to work two or three times, and this is not typical behavior, you cannot just attack that behavior. If you listen first and try to understand…you may learn that perhaps they have been late because they are having a rough time, or they are going through a divorce, or they are a single mom and they have got a sick child they are tending to… there so many factors that make up the human condition. You have to value the whole person.

     Let’s be honest.  I'm a really strong employee. Bosses have always loved me because I give my job 110%. But, even I have the need for a reprieve from exemplary work. Being full-on every single day can be exhausting. There are some days that my friend calls “needs improvement days.” AND… we all experience a needs improvement day every once in a while.  SO…. when someone misses a deadline or has a rough week or something just seems off about their performance, it really is very valuable to understand the person and that helps you to support them. Further, when your work relationship is grounded on trust and listening, it is easier to help folks grow through feedback….because they are ALSO willing to listen.

     One of the best books I've ever read that has helped me and shaped me as a leader was Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. One of Covey’s Habits is to “seek to understand first.” He describes communication as the most important skill in life. Typically, people spend years learning how to read and write and even learning how to speak. However, how much training do we have learning to listen? What training have you had that enables you to listen-- to really deeply understand another human being? We don't have a lot of training in listening. The way most people operate is that they seek first to be understood. Many people are only listening to you so that they can provide their response. They are awaiting their moment to get their point across because for the majority of the human race it's Me, Me, Me, I, Me, and Mine. Successful people, however, take the listening tactic. If you ignore the other person, of if you just pretend that you're listening or only hear certain parts of the conversation, you will miss the meaning entirely.

     Here is a powerful quote from Covey in regards to listening: “People listen with the intent to reply not to understand.”

     Many times you're running your own private thoughts through your brain. You are considering what you will say when it’s your turn, and pretty soon you're not even hearing what people are saying to you. The biggest area where I am growing right now is in my response time. I do get excited, and I do want to reply. I'm learning to bite my lip and listen before I reply.

Also, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to increase relationship building at work and get to know the people behind the faces. So listening is a good growth area for me as I continue to improve.

     Over the summer, our administrators had training by the Studer Group on Instructional Rounding. One of the items that was shared was about Employee Engagement Surveys. The information revealed what employees want when they come to work every day:

1. Tools, equipment, and resources to do their job
2.  A leader who cares about them
3.  Help to be successful
4.  A healthy work environment
5.  Recognition when doing good work

     Numbers 2 - 4 and especially Number 2 are really things that Leaders can provide for employees if they take the first and most important step of….. LISTENING.

     If you listen to your employees, you'll know their needs.

{BLOG prepared using Voice Recognition Technology -- Errors will be worked out as

they are discovered. Thanks for your patience!}

Starting the New Year with Gratitude

     I was recently reading about a couple’s trip to Ghana. The story goes like this…”The couple shared a story about a smart three year old child—taking a soapy bath in a bucket outdoors in a nice rain. She looked at the camera and grinned, laughing about the wonderful little bath she was getting due to the rain. On her face was a confident look of blessed joy. Her humble village had only one deep well. ‘Children walked for miles every day to bring back their family’s water.’ So when the skies opened and poured down rain ‘everybody grabbed buckets and bowls, catching the water.’ Then on cue, the little girl’s mother handed her soap and a towel,” and the child tore off her clothes, scrambled into a bucket, and before you knew it, she was soapy from head to toe.” And…she was laughing about it all.” She didn't even have plumbing, but she had joy!

     As I thought about this story, I reflected on my toasty, warm showers in my own home. I thought about my comfortable bed and my refrigerator that contains all my favorite tasty treats. I was reminded of my precious family and all the amazing gifts that we have and should be grateful for—but often, we forget how much others suffer or how much we REALLY ARE blessed.

     Then, when I was on Twitter this weekend, I came across this Tweet (see below). I liked the Tweet so much that I retweeted it, and then a local reading coach and another principal retweeted my Tweet. This really brought it home to me …the thought of how much of a blessing we are to our students. We are often the only smiling face a child sees, and some of them prefer our classroom to their homes. Please remember, as we begin this school year anew in 2014-- remember that you make the difference for our students. Love them, listen to them, and equip them with the skills they need to create a safe and successful future. Ask them about something they did over the break. Build those relationships. They will love you for it!

                

Work Hard! Play Hard!

I am going to deviate from my normal business minded posts tonight. Actually, my favorite Blog to read is AuburnChick. She always talks about the coolest personal things such as her Juicing or Vegan Recipes....her Harry Potter Ravelry knitting projects....her dogs....her children. I adore reading her posts because she is so REAL.

I long to post like she does, but I often find myself thinking, "Who cares what I have to say" or "What can I say that anyone hasn't already said?" I guess I have to remember the purpose of my Blogging adventure was to stretch my technology wings and do something that would be uncomfortable and cause me to grow....like many of the things that my faculty and staff are doing. We are all growing. So, I continue to BLOG. {BIG GRIN}.

Tonight I want to write about things that are important to me. :O)

Last Christmas, I worked during a lot of the break because I was a new Principal, and I was trying to get to know my school and the task at hand. Well, here I am a year later, and I promised myself that I would truly relax. AND I DID!

The motto driving this post is "Work hard! Play hard!" And tonight I want to write about the playing hard part. I relaxed and refreshed during this break. Here are a few of the things that occupied my time.



I got phase 3 of my ankle tattoo completed, and then I got another inspiration piece for my wrist.

Based on the verse, Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I got the word, "Strength" on my wrist. I absolutely LOVE it!

I was able to finish a scrapbook I had been working on for my niece. This is my favorite page from the scrapbook. Yes, I know...tattoos and scrapbooks are quite the paradox. 

I sewed a new tree skirt for our Christmas Tree next year. I DESPISED the one we had under our tree this year.  

I started a new devotional. The new year is always a time for goal-setting and renewal for me. I spend a great deal of time selecting my devotional as it will set the theme for the year ahead. This past year, I finished The Uncommon Life by Tony Dungy. I selected it because I knew that my first year as a Principal would be a tough one, and Tony was a Super Bowl winning coach. What could be tougher than that?

I selected my new devotional called, God's Great Blessings Devotional by Patricia Raybon. I chose this one because I want to focus on gratitude for the upcoming year. I am truly blessed, and I need to constantly remember my blessed life.

I caught up on all my DVD SEASON purchases and finished at least three full seasons (CSI, DD, and Dexter) of the following:

      CSI Season 3, CSI Miami 4, Justified Season 4, NCIS Season 9, Duck Dynasty Season 1. AND... I finished the final season, Season 8, of one of my all-time favorite series, Dexter.

I cooked family meals and made Christmas cookies for friends and neighbors. 

I caught up with friends: Had coffee with Lisa, breakfast with Sandy, coffee with Angie, and dinner with the Wanamakers. 

I had several date nights with my adorable hubby who got me the best gift for our anniversary along with a dozen roses and some beautiful jewelry:

I upgraded to a Galaxy S4 that is the slickest of phones.

I exercised to my heart's content in my new Nike's. Yes, I have a fetish for Nike shoes. 

AND... there were many more wonderful, playful hours that filled my two weeks. I am grateful for my job which allows me chunks of time to reflect and renew. To carry me into the new year, I have also ordered two new books in my favorite genre, Science Fiction. Asimov and Heinlein.

For posterity, and for my dear children, this post is proof that I play just as hard as a I work! Work hard, play hard!