I woke up early this morning, planning to make the 2-hour drive to our state's Education Technology Conference... today was to be my only day of attendance. Two years ago, I wrecked my car on the way to the conference driving through conditions similar to today's snow. I chose to stay at the office today -- turned out to be a snow day.
So the natural question I often get is "What does a Principal do when the students and teachers are away?"
Here is my attempt to answer that question on our 1st snow day of the year (This post was inspired by "The Principal's Principles" blog):
Follow the Conversation... Since I couldn't make the conference, I will follow the #OETC12 hashtag on Tweetdeck all day, hoping to learn, connect, and get inspired.
Read... There are always a few books on my short list and plenty of professional publications stacked on my desk.
Clean my desk... this one is usually at the bottom of my list. Everything else seems more fun. But today, I am thinking more and more about going paperless (inspired by the Beyond Paperless info on Ryan Collins' blog) -- an effort I have been making for several months now. For me, Evernote is the tool of choice.
Play with my kids... my 6 year old just called to ask me when I was coming home to play with him. Maybe I can carve out an extra couple of hours this afternoon to get out the Wii or maybe play a game of Scrabble Jr. Who knows, might even go sledding!
I just did a presentation for a great group of administrators in Tipp City, Ohio on using Social Media to engage the school community (check presentation files under the Social Media Tab). A great topic for discussion... and such a broad one. Probably one of the most under-utilized tools in education, Social Media is a great tool in a lot of avenues... from Professional Development to Public Relations and even a little bit of fun mixed in, Social Media has revolutionized the economy, the world, the media, and our social and personal lives. It is definitely time for schools to jump on board by:
using social media to promote the school and connect/engage with the community
using social media to develop as professionals
teaching social media skills and etiquette to students
Feel free to add your comments and share your social media resources below. Mine are under the Social Media tab (work in progress).
Well, maybe Google isn't taking over the world, but we sure better invite them into our schools and classrooms with open arms!
After attending today's 'Ohio Goes Google' conference (#ohiogoesgoogle), any doubts one might have had about the usefulness or ability to implement Google into K-12 education should be subdued! Despite our lack of useful Wi-Fi access within the conference (ironic for a 21st Century Skills type conference!), the sessions and networking opportunities have certainly given many of us useful ideas, wonderful links, and fantastic insight that can be instantly taken back to our schools and implemented for increasing student achievement.
Obviously, I am a Google user (Googler?)... I maintain multiple Blogger blogs, cram Google Docs down the throats of my staff, and upload ALL of my pictures to Picassa. In fact, I also use You Tube, Calendar, Reader, Gmail, and Maps, and I have a Droid powered by the Google Android Market. What don't I do with Google? Very little. As I said about a year ago (to a small circle of people!), Google is taking over the world. If you don't believe me, imagine one hour without Google...
But what does Google mean to education? For most of us, this is a game changer... there are so many ways to be innovative and to engage learners in (and out of) the classroom using the Google Tools.
Here are a couple of resources shared with me today... check them out:
So, if Google hasn't taken over the world yet, Ohio should at least brace itself for a take-over after the Ohio Goes Google conference. This is a great step for education in Ohio. Its great to see over 700 educators talking about 21st Century Skills... sorta feels like we are beginning to head in the right direction!
What's the next step? For me, its all about passing this information on to my teachers. Beyond the many ways I discovered today for sharing and collaborating, I also host 'Tech Tuesday' to share ideas with others -- every Tuesday we discuss a different tech tool that can be used in the classroom. We also share and collaborate on a staff blog and through Google docs.
Please share your thoughts on Google, ways you spread the word, or links you took away from the Ohio Goes Google conference.
Let me begin this post by stating that my opinions do not necessarily represent those of my employer. It should also be noted that I am by no means a political guru or a college football expert (although I am a fan of the latter). Furthermore, I should clarify the title by stating that this is more about what I hope that I, as an educator. have in common with two prominent Ohioans.
Allow me to bring any non-Ohioans up to speed briefly:
Recently elected Governor of Ohio John Kasich has been making some waves. Among other things, he has been behind a recent piece of legislation (Senate Bill 5 or SB5) currently in the Ohio House of Representatives that seeks to do away with collective bargaining in Ohio (in addition to several other initiatives that will have a deep and lasting impact on education in Ohio).
Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has also been a primary subject of recent Ohio news when it came to light that he knew of certain NCAA violations committed by some prominent members of his football team months before the university knew of the violations. His failure to report these violations has gotten him into some hot water.
My knowledge of either of these subjects is relatively limited as I tend to surround myself with mostly positive news! However, both of these events have in some way reminded me of one of my guiding principles as a leader in education. Seems odd that two controversial and public issues might remind me of my leadership morals, but there is a connection!
In my work, I try to make decisions based on what is best for students. Ask any of the teachers or other educators I work with on a day-to-day basis... when approached with a controversial issue or some new initiative, we try to approach the issue with a mindset of "think about the kids". That is what we are here for, right? The students?
So, here is my political opinion for our state leaders. I am sure there are reasons for bringing about Senate Bill 5. Maybe they are good reasons, maybe not. But whatever decision is made in Columbus, I certainly hope that our leaders think of the students. As politicians, I am sure they have many things on their minds; I just hope the students are at the forefront on this issue.
As for the NCAA... The violations committed by OSU players involved exchanging memorabilia for money and gifts. Its about money. Always about money. So often we see players in trouble for wanting money. Why then, when the NCAA found out about the violations right before a big bowl game -- that was not yet sold out by the way -- did they NOT suspend the players immediately. If the NCAA was trying to send a message (that's what discipline is for, right? I should know... I do it for a living!), I think they sent the wrong one. In my world, the purpose of discipline is to teach a group of [young] people a lesson. So, what was best for students here? What lesson did the NCAA teach the students? That it's OK to do things for money, as long as the NCAA is the one getting the money?
And how about Tressel? Did he really do something wrong here or was he trying to 'Do what was best for students?' I am sure the NCAA and OSU took many things into consideration when doling out punishment to both the players and to Jim Tressel; I just hope the students were at the forefront on this issue.
Again... sorry to get all political and athletic... but these events did indeed remind me of my guiding principle as an educator and leader and the thing that I hope I have in common with the above named individuals & groups:
'Do what is best for students... NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES!'
Recently, we began discussing (in our district) the possibility of going to a 1:1 program. The discussion has evolved from conversations, tech sessions, and our observations of what other schools are doing. For the past several years, I have watched as a neighboring district implemented a 1:1 program for their 4th grade students via MLDs (aka Mobile Learning Devices) and soon after, our district did the same. Both districts have expanded their program and now, we are considering how the evolution of this technology will impact our current 5th graders (who all have a device) if we don't change how we operate in the high school classroom.
So this is where we are... how do we prepare to teach a different type of student? The 'Networked Student' (see video below)? We have been saying for years that students' needs are different today than they were 5 or 10 years ago. So how do (or should) we as educators adjust and change to meet the needs of these 21st Century students?
Going 1:1 (putting a device in the hands of all students) is not the solution. This new tool can certainly be used in the process, almost as a vehicle for getting us to a 21st Century classroom. But it is in no means the end-all, be-all. 21st Century classrooms must teach students how to collaborate, how to innovate, how to communicate (digitally and otherwise), how to investigate, how to research, how to use every tool at their disposal in order to problem solve.
In a discussion with a group of teachers recently, the issue came up as to whether or not we were degrading the basic skills by using too much technology. Making students memorize facts that they can Google isn't educating them. Teaching students how to find information and then evaluate, synthesize, and analyze that information in order to solve a problem or create a solution is educating them.
In a recent conversation with my good friend and teacher @SNewco, we were discussing a math problem he had given his students. He had expected them to have to use paper and pencil to come up with the answer. One student, however, used Google and some other intuitive internet research on his MLD to arrive at the correct answer. While stunned, @SNewco couldn't have been happier with his student's ability to find the correct answer. This is 21st Century Learning! We have to change how we question and teach our students, knowing full well that they have the ability to 'Google' the answer!
To me, going 1:1 next school year is no different than it probably was to give every student a book 100 years ago. Sure its the next big thing, but it is becoming a standard item. I would be willing to predict that within 5 years, the word 1:1 will be nearly obsolete. A learning device (i.e. smart phone, iPad, netbook, ipod, etc.) will be the standard, not the anomaly. In reality, long before my career is over, a student device with be as standard as a 3-ring binder or a calculator is today.
So the question isn't should we or shouldn't we go 1:1... the real question is will we be ready when the students are?
In our school district, the latest and greatest buzz phrase is 21st Century Skills (you might have noticed this is a tag on every one of my posts!). Recently, I had a teacher ask me if we could talk more about these 21st Century Skills at a future faculty meeting. Loaded question... and one that we will address at a future faculty meeting (more to come soon!). One of my typical responses to this question is that students are different today... their learning styles and educational needs are different. They walk into our classrooms used to being engaged in technology and digital media (my 5-year-old loves the iPad!).
My boys are 2 & 5 and are already learning to use a laptop and iPad. For a while, I was worried that my 5-year-old might need a desktop at home so he could 'get used to using the mouse'. But last night, he asked me to "Log onto Playhouse Disney" (his words!) to play some games. His intuitive use of the touchpad mouse amazed me. I only had to tell him once to 'click' with the left button. My kids are 21st Century Learners. I don't think they will have textbooks when they go to school. I don't think they will use much paper. I may never need to buy them a pencil...
But 21st Century Learning is more than just technology...
I sit here, typing this blog post from a conference that I think is addressing some of those 21st Century Skills (Free Tech 2011), getting ready to present on blogging (I would like to think blogging is a 21st Century Skill), surrounded by hundreds of other fantastic educators interested in learning more about these same skills. Many times, I think that we get these skills mixed up with technology -- i.e. 21st Century Skills = Using a computer/mobile phone/iPad, etc. While tech is an important skill for students today, it is not the end all, be all.
In my opinion, 21st Century Skills extend beyond the standard 3Rs and other core content. Today's students are going to need more. We are preparing them for jobs that don't yet exist in a global market that extends beyond our small community. So in my mind, its all about teaching students life & career skills, communication, problem solving, and collaboration all with an undertone of technology and media literacy. Its not about flash and dazzle. Sure, we have to entertain students to keep their attention, but more importantly, we need to ENGAGE the students in their own learning.
I just had a conversation with a group of teachers yesterday that centered around student interest in their particular content. We all eventually came to an agreement that we would only be able to capture their attention if the content became important and valuable to the students in some way. THIS is 21st Century Learning -- its education that matters to the student. Not because its on the test, or because 'I told you its important'. Learning that means something (personally) to the student that they are engaged in is 21st Century Learning.
My how far we have come! Imagine where we might be 15 years from now. When we talk about students being different today than they were 5 or 10 years ago and having different learning needs, we must take this into consideration. 21st Century Skills have become the big buzz phrase, but is it out of the question to think that these skills will be standard practice and commonplace 15 years from now in the year 2025? Or maybe (hopefully) even sooner.
Nick Sauer from the 1 to 1 Schools blog recently stated "Schools sitting around making minimal changes while waiting for that perfect reform take opportunities away from many of their students." I couldn't agree more. We must move forward with what is best for kids, not what is cheapest, easiest, or most comfortable for teachers/administrators.
So what is best for students when it comes to 21st Century Skills? How can we change what we do in classrooms and schools in order to prepare our students for the global world they are about to enter or for the job they will have 5 years from now that doesn't even exist today?
Follow the Conversation... Since I couldn't make the conference, I will follow the #OETC12 hashtag on Tweetdeck all day, hoping to learn, connect, and get inspired.
Clean my desk... this one is usually at the bottom of my list. Everything else seems more fun. But today, I am thinking more and more about going paperless (inspired by the Beyond Paperless info on Ryan Collins' blog) -- an effort I have been making for several months now. For me, Evernote is the tool of choice.
