I had a nice compliment this week from visiting consultants we had at school. In our debrief with them at the end of an intense week of embedded PD, they noted to me that they liked working at my school because I keep my job focused on the big picture. Hmm… I thought… the “big picture”.   What exactly does that mean?

After it is all said and done, my search for the view from 35000 feet continues to keep me up at night. I wake up suddenly with a start and realize that we had not thought of this or that, and I really need to hone in on that idea further.  One of those is the role of libraries in our effort to provide a balanced digital and print environment to our students.  Yes… that’s right.. BALANCED!  Seeing as how the idea of balance needs to be defined, I was glad to see that one of my favorite blogger authors Doug Johnson (note:this site is blocked in China) has co-authored an article with Joyce Kasman Valenza in the School Library Journal titled “Things That Keep Us Up at Night”. (SLJ, 10/1/09) The article is targeted at librarians, but really has hit home with our administrative team at my school this week as well.  They write…

The future of the school library as a relevant and viable institution is largely dependent on us and how quickly we respond to change.

Libraries are no different than the classroom environment in many ways. The library, like the classroom is beginning to face an identity crisis of sorts.  The role of the learning space is being stretched by always available, always accessible and always relevant resources at the fingertips of the students.  The people who run libraries and classrooms are facing a sea of changing faces, with our students being completely at home in the digital environment and engaged in what seems like so many, many things simultaneously. Some of it good, and some of it bad and some of it useless and some it needing the guiding hand of a

trained professional educator, while other parts of it can be easily mined, harvested and mashed-up and republished.  Johnson and Kasman Valenza note that the challenge of keeping up with these trends will keep us all busy. Again, speaking to librarians they state,

Look around your state conferences. How many of your colleagues graduated from library school more than 20 years ago? Remember what the landscape looked like in 1989? How do we stay one step ahead of our staff and students in information accessing, evaluation, use, and communication in order to be seen as experts and collaborators? Do we know more about current information strategies than our school’s technology coach? No excuses. We must! If we are truly information professionals, we need not only to keep up, but also be on the cutting edge of changes in the search and information landscapes.

My favorite part of the article though speaks to “Advocacy by nonlibrarians”.  Here they write:

Rather than creating a perfect library, we need to reshape our thinking and create the perfect library for our individual institution. We can do this by changing our mind-set from adopting best practices as defined by our own professional organization to adopting a “customer service/support” orientation by crafting goals that support the larger goals of the organization.

Should this not hold true for all parts of our schools?  The best part of this though is that this is librarians thinking about and discussing their craft knowledge and reapplying it to a potentially new setting with a focus on the goals of the larger organization.  This is big picture thinking in action!  No wonder they can’t sleep. This is exciting stuff!

The authors write at the end of their article a bit of a call to action for libraries and librarians.  The word apathy certainly is written here, but I that the gist of the message is that without urgent action educational change, technological change and the variety of political forces in schools will define the role of the library for us.  I agree with the authors when they state their clear warning that:

Our best librarians will evolve, adapt, and thrive in effective
schools. But will they be called librarians? And will they be in
sufficient numbers for the profession as a whole to survive?

From 35000 feet I know that some things will be changing soon.

—————————————————-

Flickrstorm Photo Tagged “38800 FT” on : http://www.flickr.com/photos/20420218@N04/3903688501

I’ve been saving this bookmark in my computer for quite a while.  Sean Nash from the blog “Nashworld” wrote July about the “Four Pillars of Technology Integration.” and has created a very nice graphic to go along with the post (noting there that he spent too much time on the graphic).  I on the other hand will use it here (to the left) with FULL attribution!  Thanks Sean! Please check out the post!

What I want to write about today though is his initial insights into technological transformation. We worked through some training with our teachers over the past two weeks focusing on what we tried to represent as Challenge Based Learning to our teaching community.  The idea, sprouting from input from Apple Distinguished Educators who are part of our teaching staff, grew into a two day experience for all teachers in the classrooms which will be part of our 1:1 laptop implementation this year.  All in all, the workshops are going well, and have show to have teachers experience what I expected.   Some teachers to be struggled with technology. Some teachers found initial, early and dynamic success. Some teachers rebelled against the idea of the computers taking over their classrooms (and thus their lives). Other embraced the ideas shared and discussed and will be successful right away.  I also continue to believe that success will find us in our classrooms around this program due to our classroom teacher’s drive to use all the tools that are in their reach and the students love of the digital environment that they live in right now.  I believe our school has made some strong, agressive and noteworthy steps to get from what Mr. Nash states as “behind the curve” of technological transformation and instead get out in front of the crowd to distinguish our program from those that have come before us.

What initally connected to me in his post has nothing to do with the specifics of the Four Pillars of Technology integration, but instead it was his statement about the filters one applies as we consider as we retool schools along the lines of technological transformation.  Sean states:

If there is no way to see any of the individual trees in a forest, you are likely going to be forced to start your mission with a whole-forest view to begin with.  This is not a bad thing.

He then outlines two important thoughts:

1) You don’t need a flashlight.  It’s not that dark in there anymore.  Trust that there are others who have proceeded down this path before you, and they have learned many important lessons.  Collaborate.  Learn from their successes and failures.  Do not go it alone.  Resist the temptation to slap a digital device in the hands of each student and call it success.  Have a plan.

2) Rarely do we get to make decisions with the clarity that a little distance provides.  Take your time (but hurry).  Ask yourself: what can we do with these new tools available today that we couldn’t do before?  If we could remake our curriculum any way we wanted, how would we do it?  Think transformation of the way teaching and learning is done in your district, as opposed to integration into it as it exists.

This is just the message I wanted to have the teachers EXPERIENCE in the workshops we have been providing. That’s right… EXPERIENCE.  If we spend time taling at the issue (which we also did a very, very small amount of in the two days together), we miss our own point.  Frankly, I am a strong believer in the common sense approach that says that you can tell people things like this over and over, but as I learned in “Influencer” if you show and demonstrate, rather than tell will garner fuller more expansive results in our efforts.

Thus our results show (after reviewing the progress and the exit survey results) that we did a decent job of addressing the following goals:

1. To provide teachers with the opportunity to become more aware of the power of the laptop computers the students will have full access to through this program.
2. To provide teachers an opportunity to engage in a collaborative and collegial learning experience in the same way the students may engage in our classrooms.
3. To provide the teachers in the 1:1 classrooms time to examine the challenges of classroom management in a technology rich environment and develop thoughtful strategies on how to address these concerns.
4. To provide teachers an understanding of the logistical processes involved in getting technical help, additional resources and integration support at Shanghai American School.

Did we feel like we needed to give out teachers a flashlight like Sean mentions?  No, we did not.  Some, admittedly stumbled around in the dark a bit, but for the most part we met the needs of the groups (which were large and diverse).  We encouraged teachers to “Collaborate.” Some– no most– “Learn(ed) from their successes and failures. Teachers in our school learned that they “Do not (have to)go it alone”. No, we did not “slap a digital device in the hands of each student and call it success.”

Thanks Sean for the inspirational post that helped my reflections. I will reflect more on the remaining part of the post later.

I have written before about my belief that staff development needs to be addressed as a long term effort, and not something that can be taken on as a short term effort to solve a particular problem.

Let’s face facts!  Common Sense tells us that to really learn to do something well, guided practice with a trained expert will result in success far more times than a single “sit and get” lecture of a visit to our local or regional conference. It is how our BRAINS work!

Sure, there are exceptions out there, but teachers who do apply knowledge garnered at a single sit down session are either 1) unusual, 2) probably educational risk takers or 3) a little bit nuts.  Perhaps some of us are a combo of the three, but I won’t write about that today!

Today when I opened my email, I found the digital version of ISTE’s Learning and Leading magazine. In it is an article called “Getting to the Heart of Technology Integration and focuses on the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher Program in the State of Virginia. The article is written by Teresa Coffman, associate professor at the University of Mary Washington.  From what I read of Professor Coffman’s writings, these folks are close to getting it right.  The State Department of Education in Virginia mandates that the 134 school districts in the state employ tech teams built around two key positions.

Those positions are:

1. An ITRT, who is responsible for training teachers to use technoloyg and software effectively, as well as helping teachers integrate that technology into their curricula.
2. A technology support staff persons who is responsible for managing the school’s information network.

From what I read, in the Virginia model the program relies on the collaboration of the classroom teacher and the ITRT.  Wow! The state is mandating that the ITRT and the classroom teachers communicate and strategize the implementation of the technology tools and provide direct support in the classroom environment.

The ITRT staffer has a wide vareity of responsibilities, but some include:

• Modeling instructional strategies for teachers
• Providing direct training and professional development
• Researching technology-based instructional strategies
• Evaluating software and hardware
• Meeting with administrators and content supervisors at the school or district level to coordinate services
• Serve on building and district leadership teams
• Creating and implementing a plan for communication on progress and activities to school faculty and admininstration.
• Maintaining records where and when appropriate to document progress

So… What’s Missing?
Where is the administrator support?  Why is it that the administrators are left off the list? Why does the state not recognize the importance of administrative leadership in the implementation of technology. Nothing will do more to raise the bar at a school level than to hold the administrators responsible for (at the minimum) the NETS-A.  To be fair accountability applied to any member of our learning communities without support of those members, is like taxation without representation.

Let’s just simply add one bullet point:

• Provide direct training, support and professional development to building and district level administration on the building of their digital leadership skills which focuses on the use of technology tools for administrative work and on the evaluation of the use of technology in the classroom programs.

I think that without that step, the $500 million dollars dedicated to this effort will fall well short of the effectiveness that the designers have hoped for in the long term.  The implementation of this program is merely focused on and dependent upon the ITRT position.  The good news here is that Virginia has at least recognized this as a key component.

The article states that:

Of the recommendations that researchers made for the ITRT program’s continued success, perhaps the most compelling was the idea that administrators should become more involved in the program so that they can recognize effective technology use and support their teachers’ integration efforts.

The author goes on to state that:

A Technology Resource Teacher Coaching Academy…. echoed this sentiment. It found variable levels of administrative involvement in the county. Some ITRTs indicated that their administrators provide ample support adn encouragement, and this was both necessary and beneficial.

Necessary and beneficial- yes, I could not agree more. It is in many ways like the air we breath.  It is not only necessary but also beneficial.  Without administrative support, technology integration efforts, no matter how well financed and resourced will struggle and suffer.

An analysis of the program (written in 2007) can be found at this link: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Technology/OET/info_brief_itrt.pdf

Leading and Learning, ISTE, ITRT, Technology Integration Specialists, Administration, Digital Leadership

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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?

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“Randy”- left an anonymous comment to “First Posting… Recruiting on the Road”:

Why so much emphasis on technology? Focus on teachers who remember how to function without the latest gadgets, especially when the power goes off. I’m personally saddened when I see kids unable to walk without a wire in their ear or with “text-messaging” addictions. Maybe the focus on technology is one of the reasons education is failing. I was shocked one year when my university added remedial courses in order to bring the high school students up to par.

I don’t want a kid who has the latest gadgets. I want one who can figure out that half of eight is “0″ or “3″ or “6″ or “2.” Or if I ask a group of kids how many bricks it takes to finish a job, hopefully some will know the answer is “one” and not run off to actually count the bricks.

And I would hope your reply to me is not “well, that’s the way the world is.”

My response:

Randy, you missed the point.  The point of the questions is to focus on whether this person is a risk-taker and learner.  These 5 questions are not about yes or no. They are about conversation, collaboration, risk-taking, learning.  A favorite gadget could be a paint brush or a personal organization tool.  We need flexible, adaptable, creative and open-minded teachers.

What is the way of the world, Randy, is that we as schools have high expectations from our clients (parents and students) to provide quality content embedded in useful, widely applicable skills (including the use of modern technology) which will be used in higher education and the workplace.To ignore these tools (which sadly many do) could be considered educational malpractice.  I am not of a mind-set that people either DO use technology tools or DON’T use technology tools, but…. I have plenty of evidence building that is beginning to turn my opinion.  As you are probably aware, an interview is an opportunity for the employer to set the stage for expectations. In our school, the use of appropriate, powerful, technology tools is an expectation, and is often one that is ignored in the interview setting.

I could respond to your comment about your university having to “bring the high school students up to par.” I won’t here, but I suspect there may be about 500 educational bloggers out there who would love to have a shot at that remark.

Randy, I don’t know who you are as you did not leave a last name or a web-address, but I suspect you found the posting from a website that discusses international schools (I have been getting a lot of links from that site lately).  I generally would not approve anonymous comments, but I thought this comment was worth further response.  I would encourage you to come out from under the shade and participate openly in the conversations on the web. It will bring you great connections and build your personal professional learning network. Think about it.  You might also want to connect to David Warlick’s blog post on How to Hire Tech Savvy Teachers.

If you are looking for a job I wish you good luck.  It is this sort of passion and common sense you have tried to address in your comment that good schools are looking for out there, as long as it is approached with professionalism and an open-mind.

Photo courtesy of CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/8168864@N06/499525700

Technorati Tags: recruiting, interview questions, comments

Technology Tools in Classrooms: Computers and the Internet
Computing in the classroom setting has been around for approximately 30 years. In those thirty years we have seen a variety of computing companies come and go (remember Radio Shack computers?). We have see a variety of resources be developed.

It is our hope that as our students visit the back corners of their memories of their school experience, they can tell the story of school that took bold steps to give them the tools to learn, collaborate and share both locally and globally.

“When I visit the back corners of my life again after so long a time, littlest of things jump out first”.

The line strikes me now much as it did when I first picked up the book about a year ago. It makes me realize that the little things we do for our students in our classrooms are really what is going to matter most in the their lives, years from now. I think back to my 4th grade classroom, which in retrospect was my best year in elementary school.

That year was a tough one for me both educationally and health-wise. It about this time of year in 1974, I ended up requiring surgery, which I am sure scared, my poor mother to death. I ended up in a hospital bed in the shadow of my elementary school for what seemed like eternity. During that time period my teacher visited me a couple times, dropping off schoolwork and a copy of Black Beauty, the book she was reading aloud to us at the time. After Black Beauty was Old Yeller, and we even got to watch the Disney version of the film after we finished the book. Besides the books and the visits, I remember distinctly watching MASH with my father in the hospital room and trying not to laugh as it hurt the stitches on my abdomen. Hawkeye Pierce was even funny to a 9 year old.

The school probably had one film projector, and I am sure that my teacher had to fight to reserve it for the 3 or 4 days it took to complete the 4 reels of  the film. Even back then, teachers struggled with access to technology tools, but that did not stop my teacher from using the tools as often as she could and focusing on creating a  strong classroom community. In fact she used the tools to reinforce the idea of community, while using the tool broaden our horizons and show us there was a bigger world that what was the small  attendance area  we called home. Much like today as our teachers at SAS fully exploit the tools that they share through the school; technology tools that make a difference to each and every student in our school.

Technorati Tags: Black Beauty, Old Yeller, Classroom Community

It has been a long week.  Lots of action at work and now my wife and I are just enjoying a quiet day at home with the kids, the cat and the dog. My future career goals are on my mind….

This whole microblogging thing is so new.  Whew! I am getting confused and my PLN filter is getting clogged!

I went through my Twitter follower list and unfollowed a few people out there who I was not feeling particularly connected to recently.  No offense. I still have your blogs in my aggregator, but I don’t want to get involved on a personal level with your life.

You see, my reason for using twitter is to enhance my professional AND personal learning network. Hey Jeff Utecht... Hey David Warlick…..don’t you think we should call it our PPLN?? Our PPLN must have balance.

This morning I read a post by Jonathan Chambers that states….

One of the problems with the modern ability to publish is that if you’re going to choose to publish a poetic journey through your each and every thought, then you may want to look at which channel/forum/genre you choose to do this with. I’d like to introduce a new word into the discussion of microblogging: “microbugging” – a proclivity to share every thought with one’s social network, as opposed to actively editing one’s thoughts in order to relay and collect useful communication.

Hmmm… interesting!  “microbugging”!  May I suggest some PPLN Twitter guidelines? (Jonathan goes on further at this post too!)

1.  If you can’t say it in 140 characters and have a need to send multiple tweets then use your regular blog (macro-blog).  Even if you have just a “few” tweets… consider my 10-20-30 rule!  Shorter is probably better.  Really short… USE Twitter!

2.  Don’t use Twitter to send PUBLIC personal messages.  Use a “D” message– direct message, NOT an “@” message.  Frankly, a misplaced message in the public forum is poor form and potentially embarrassing.  I have seen messages about job apps, arguements and “personal” information shared in @ messages. Sheesh folk!  We can all see these messages. TMI!!!

3.  Embrace the technology but don’t over apply its use.  For a while my family was using twitter for everything but…. in the end we learned a well written email or skype message works so much better.

For those of you out there who are not going to follow these suggestions, well… I suspect you will end up in the filter.  Sorry. No offense.  I am with my colleague Jonathan.  I won’t be a victim of filter failure!

Photo from cc http://www.flickr.com/photos/73514861@N00/1471007491

Technorati Tags: microblogging, macroblogging, twitter

“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….