Image via Wikipedia

This entry cross posted to Leadertalk.

I found Scott McCleod’s PDF handout on the 100 Principal Blog project almost 3 years ago when I took the initiative to start my school principal‘s blog. My tech integrator at the time, Jeff Utecht, was so proud. He had been gently encouraging me to think about taking it on as a way to communicate to our school community. One weekend, I sat on the couch, laptop at the ready and leapt into a wordpress blog provided by Scott.

One of the key reasons for principals to blog that Scott mentions in his handout is “Reason 10: Thought leadership”.

A blog can be a great place to put thoughts out there for the community to chew on. Is a school considering a new initiative or an important change? Does the school want feedback on a particular topic or issue? The principal could post some information and questions on the blog and solicit community participation. This is similar to setting up a meeting with an advisory board or interested group of stakeholders, except that the potential reach is much greater since everyone in the school community can see and participate in the conversation, not just the few individuals who might attend a face-to-face meeting.

Hmmm… great I thought. I wrote. I wrote. I wrote some more. Then it happenned! Proof that somebody out there (except the few who actually left a comment) is reading my thoughts and perhaps internalizing some of my message! My personal blog was cited as a source of information in a committee meeting this week at my school. The teachers and administrators noted value in the post “When is it too much? AND When do we say “DO IT or GO!”?, which was posted on my blog and here at leadertalk and the post “I am probably jumping to conclusions here but- Professional Conferences/Seminars Probably DON’T work!”

Most notably, I write in the post about professional conferences about the need for follow through and deeper learning opportunities. I stated:

The key question that comes to my mind though is when will leaders be held responsible for the follow-up for their entire organization and when will we as learning professionals take on the sustained follow-up ourselves. Isn’t that what a PLN created to do for me? Can we not sustain our own learning?

Then I walked into the room yesterday and there on a piece of chart paper under the words “professional development” was “Andy Torris’ blog post”. The first words out of my mouth were, “Just another reason to be careful what you post online!”- which got a pretty good laugh from my colleagues! The follow up conversation was about what I had written- nothing to earth shattering if you ask me- but it did help the discussion as the ideas around the commitment of administrators in our organization have to deep, followed up professional devleopment. More importantly though, are the high quality comments to this post. Jon Nordmeyer, a colleague of mine, left some great links to the a site at Berkley. Another leadertalk contributor, Blair Peterson left a comment pointing to a post by Seth Godin.. And yet another blogging administrator Ed Shepard, who also is one of my twitter friends noted that my post made him realize that:

I am under the firm belief that I can get my staff to change or focus on doing one major thing really, really well during the school year. This could be anything from curriculum to classroom management. Either way it is a broad to specific focus designed to create a common practice and develop a common language within the school community. This focus is kept in the forefront and is ingrained in everything we do the entire school year. It requires a bit of research and development, but insures a long-term and long-lasting effect in the school. After the year ends, we start the whole process again with a new focus.

Well stated Ed! Can’t that same thought hold true for administrators and blogging educators as well. Many, many educational bloggers and web-designers are quickly realizing that over time, your personal professional learning network is enhanced and thus your “Thought Leadership” is sharpened by leveraging the use of the web 2.0 tools available to us on a daily basis. This learning is not work. It is engagement. It is engagement on the deepest level, as it meets the needs of a social learning WITH access to a rich research base AND expert advice!

I can’t close here unless I offer some common sense advice though.

1. Remember: What you write and create is essentially your professional persona that will follow you for years. Use the tool wisely. As I said in my last post on Sentiments on Common Sense, “You really do have to be careful what you write!”

2. BE CLEAR that your blog is YOUR BLOG or the SCHOOL’s Blog. I need to go back to my blog and make sure it is plainly stated. People seem to know who I am. People probably know where I work. I hope they see my writing as professional and also a bit personal. I also hope they see that I am not crazy about the content.

3. Embrace the comments and respond to them. I am more apt to read blogs that I get notes back from authors after I have left a comment. Let the commentators know you have read the note and maybe even responded to their notes. It expands the learning!

In the end, it really is about reflecting, learning and modeling that for our community. Don’t you think?

Blog, commenting, Education, Feedback, Principal, Professional development, Seth Godin, Web 2.0

Powered by ScribeFire.

Let’s apply a little common sense to our blogposts!

I am sure I am preaching to the choir but…  let me make this clear. You really have to be careful what you write!  It can get you in big trouble and could possibly ruin your career.  On my recruiting trip I found this article in the February 9 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle with this lead:

(02-08) 17:04 PST –
The Web 2.0 movement, which ushered in an interactive Internet, sought to put power in the hands of the people by tapping the so-called wisdom of the crowds to change the world – and to keep such a digital democracy in check.

This is all pretty heavy handed languague for some common sense if you ask me.  Doug Johnson has written about this, I have have even tip-toed down this path as well.  The fact is that our professional reputations and now our POCKETBOOKS are on the line when we decide to take on a individual or an organization.  Libel, as defined means:

An untruthful statement about a person, published in writing or through broadcast media, that injures the person’s reputation or standing in the community. Because libel is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person can bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. Libel is a form of defamation , as is slander (an untruthful statement that is spoken, but not published in writing or broadcast through the media).  Thank you Nolo.com

The Cronicle article notes:

Just last week, Juicy Campus – a Web site that was banned from some colleges for its postings of vicious anonymous gossip – abruptly shut down, its traffic redirected to a site called College Anonymous Confession Board, whose owner said he hosts “a higher level of discourse.”

One has to wonder what will be the result of these measures on those websites out there who slander international schools. I won’t name any names, but those of us who wander the circuit know what and whom I am speaking about. All these so-called professionals, cloaked behind avatars, and citizen’s band radio-like handles slamming schools, administrators and their colleagues.  How long will it be before these websites are taken to court or asked to edit and review the content of their own site which was posted “anonymously”.  The definition of “anonymous” in the Web 2.0 world also probably needs to be defined.  I am pretty sure just about anybody could be tracked down with the right resources.  Kinda makes you think doesn’t it?

The key concept here: Stick to the facts.  Just the facts.  The words of Jack Webb in Dragnet need to ring in your ears.  “Just the facts ma’am. Only the facts”. And then you need to be careful whose facts you are using.

Perhaps Thumper‘s words should really stick here…. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Related articles by Zemanta

• JuicyCampus Dries Up (techcrunch.com)
• Why Wikipedia’s Policy to Blacklist Blogs is Outdated and Wrong (readwriteweb.com)
• Does a Negative Online Review Constitute Libel? (inquisitr.com)
• The Cloak Of Invisibility (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• How To Use Your Web Influence Wisely (confidentwriting.com)

I was always told that it was unsafe to be facicious when writing.  Many people don’t get the subtly of the written language, and one might be accused of being a bit… well…. rude, or cruel, or STUPID…. or any other of the many derogatory names that are used in blogs today.  So, when I started reading the article “When “21st-Century Schooling” Just Isn’t Good Enough:  A Modest Proposal” by Alfie Kohn, I had to laugh, giggle and then it made me think. I immediately thought about my colleague and friend Jeff Utecht who states, adamantly, that the 21st Century is 9 years old. When are we going to start teaching the skills necessary be successful in it! 

I have always admired Dr. Kohn. He knows his stuff. He communicates in strong, consistent and understandable terms.  He has a strong sense of humor, and this article is buried in irony, sarcasm and thought-provoking imagery. 

At the end of the article- the last paragraph- which is also published in the February 2009 issue of District Administration he states:

One last point.  We will of course continue to talk
earnestly about the need for a curriculum that features “critical thinking” skills
– by which we mean the specific proficiencies acceptable to CEOs.  But you
will appreciate the need to delicately discourage real critical
thinking on the part of students, since this might lead them to pose inconvenient
questions about the entire enterprise and the ideology on which it’s based.  There’s
certainly no room for that in the global competitive economy of the
future.  Or the present.

The question of the day: Does the readers of District Administration have the critical thinking skills to figure out that he’s trying to make a point?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Review of Alfie Kohn’s Unconditional Parenting (parentingbooks.suite101.com)
• Incentive For Grades – Good or Bad Idea? (incentive-intelligence.typepad.com)
• 21st Century Skills (downes.ca)
• Seven Survival Skills for 21st Century Students (q-ontech.blogspot.com)
• QuickEd – The 21st Century Skills Curriculum (laf.ee)

I’ve been writing a lot about the importance of my own reflections recently.  One of my favorite blogs is written by a wonderful author and practicing school principal is Yardsticks, by Chip Wood a veteran educator and author of thirty-five years. He’s worked with and for children from pre-school through eighth grade as a classroom teacher, teaching principal, and teacher educator.  ALL elementary school teachers and administrators should read this blog!  What a great resource!

In his most recent post, A Most Important Time in the Classroom he writes:

I want to identify for teachers what I consider the most
significant time-related strategy to use with children in the classroom
in these days of the “hurried curriculum.” We’re so busy doing one
thing after another to accomplish all the lessons and assessments that
must fit in the academic day that we often feel we don’t have time for
this critical activity. What is it? Allowing time at the end of
instructional periods, but most especially at the end of the school
day, to teach and practice with our students the skill of reflecting
about their learning on their own, with each other, and with the
teacher.

Imagine what would happen if a school could institutionalize this sort of activity for all of it’s community members. Would be not be enhancing and embedding a life-long learning skill that would enhance not only retention of skills and concepts but also build a mentally healthy approach to our lives?

Something to think about.  Please go read Chip’s blog!

Yardsticks, Chip Wood, Reflections, A most important time in the classroom this year

Powered by ScribeFire.

Recently at my school, the focus on of many a conversations in meetings, in staff rooms and in hallways is the need for forthcoming, open and honest communications between home and school. I spent some time this weekend doing some online research on some information to share with parents both online and in blogs written by administrators.  Below is my article which will appear in our publication later this week. Readers of Sentiments on Common Sense get a slightly edited preview.

————————————————-

Family-School Partnerships – A Recipe for Success

According to the National Parent Teachers Association family involvement promotes student success. There’s more than 30 years of research to back that up.

• No matter what their family income or background may be, students with involved parents are more likely to:
• Earn higher grades and test scores.
• Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits.
• Attend school regularly.
• Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school.
• Graduate and go on to postsecondary education.

Plus, when families, schools, and communities work together,

• Student achievement improves,
• Teacher morale rises,
• Communication among parents, teachers, and administrators increases,
• Family, school, and community connections multiply.

As a former elementary school teacher, I urged the parents of my students to let me know if there were problems or concerns right away.  Most people were great about it.  They would let me know if I wasn’t communicating enough or if I was communicating too much!  They voiced concerns about their children’s learning progress.  Unfortunately, some of the parents of my students made the mistake of hold back their concerns till parent conferences. Some even held them back to long that they left me letters and notes on the last day of school. Those notes, while helpful for me, failed to help the one person that needed it most- the student!  In the case of a classroom teacher’s work, no news is not necessarily good news.
One of the best ways that parents can help their children succeed in school is to be involved with their education. This starts with communicating well with your child’s teacher. Basically, good communication involves meeting with the teacher, being a positive and courteous partner in your child’s learning, and keeping the lines of communication open in various ways throughout the year.

Consider these tips from the University of Florida:
1. Meet the teacher. Go to your child’s school open house or meet-the-teacher day. Even though time may be short, a few simple steps can show your interest and support:

• Introduce yourself and your child.
• Collect any information the teacher provides.
• Offer to help by signing up to donate items to the class or to volunteer for other jobs.

2. Go to parent-teacher conferences. Often schools schedule these sometime during the year. More information about how to get ready and what to ask can found at the following Web site: http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/succeed/part8.html
Make sure that you schedule a conference if:

• Your child has special needs and your teacher needs to know this early in the year.
• Your child’s grades drop suddenly.
• You suspect that your child is having difficulty understanding her or his schoolwork.
• Your child is upset about something that happened in school – with peers, or with the teacher.
• Your child does not seem to have any homework.
• Something changes at home that may affect the student’s learning (e.g., new baby, parental illness, divorce, or upcoming move).

3. Find the right time to talk to the teacher. If you are at school, you may run in to teachers and be tempted to ask about how your child is doing.

• At school, ask the teacher if it is a good time to talk or when is most convenient for him or her. Just before or after school may not be the best times.
• If you run into a teacher around town, simply exchange pleasantries. This is not the time for a parent-teacher conference.

4. Write short notes and follow up. If you want a quick response to a question:

• Send a brief written note or an email message (if allowed) to the teacher with your question clearly stated.
• Include your phone number and/or email address.
• If you don’t hear back in a few days, follow up with a phone message to the school.

5. Follow email etiquette. Email is often a convenient and helpful way to communicate with your child’s teacher, but should follow the same guidelines for any professional communication.

• Be aware that teachers get many email messages – and have many other responsibilities during their day–and may not be able to respond immediately to yours.
• Identify your child and sign your name. Include a phone number where you can be reached if needed.
• Be diplomatic. You can’t take back an email message and email can be easily forwarded. Be calm, choose your words carefully and avoid criticizing the teacher. Don’t write and send an email when you are angry.
• Be brief and stick to the point. Don’t include animations, pictures, and graphics.
• Use upper and lower case, not all caps (that’s considered shouting).
• Stick to school-related matters. Don’t forward chain mail, jokes, or frivolous information.

6. Be positive and courteous. Many teachers are overworked and underappreciated. Speaking in positive ways opens up the lines of communication so you can work together to help your child succeed in school.
References:
http://www.pta.org/family_school_partnerships.asp
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Communicating_Childs

Technorati Tags: parent communications

“Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.” – George Bernard Shaw

I am thinking that being unreasonable is certainly my path of life for the next few weeks. Budget is upon us, planning is behind us.  The single thing standing in the way of progress is the budget and “reasonable” people. My colleague pushed on me yesterday afternoon the book “The Power of Unreasonable People”, by John Elkington, Pamela Hartigan and Klaus Schwab. I told my Superintendent today that in order for us to keep our school moving forward after several years of hard fought progress, is to be a bit unreasonable.  In other words, we MUST insist on moving forward toward our vision for our school.

Am I being unreasonable?  If you agree, I say thank you!

Technorati Tags: Unreasonable People, Vision Focused

If I wasn’t on vacation and relaxed, I might have lost perspective this morning.

4:59 AM- Alarm goes off.  Make coffee, run bath for wife.
5:30 AM- outta shower, wake up baby and 5 year old.
6:15 AM- Load up car and family… chase cat through yard and catch him thanks to a can of Tuna.
6:30 AM- Leave for Airport to find that the flight was canceled. Rebooked on a flight at 5:00 PM!
7:15 AM- Return home….

Sigh….