Graphic Organizer Interactives & 18 Literacy Strategy Site (Vermilion Parish)
iPod Touch - Mansfield ISD - Put technology in the hands of your students!
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
New Posted Resources 03/09/2010
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Getting The Word Out For A Fellow Educator...
Earlier this evening I wrote an incredibly long post in which I described in detail the administrator position that is expected to be advertised for very soon. I’m going to paraphrase that post those of you who are willing to help me out by cross-posting on your blog can do so without taking up too much space. People who want to read more can track back to the original post.Please feel free to copy and paste this summary on your blog.
ESU13, a service unit in western Nebraska, is expected to make an announcement very soon that they are seeking to fill the position of high school principal for their alternative education program. This is a truly unique position that is ideal for a rising star who is looking to make their mark in education. As I said in the original post, I hope we end up with the next Chris Lehmann. We need someone energetic, creative, and brilliant to help maximize the potential of our three schools. The administrator of this program is responsible for three different and completely unrelated programs:
- an alternative high school that serves the needs of up to nearly 50 students
- a educational program that is housed in a juvenile detention center
- an brand new online school that is slowly gaining momentum
Many of you know me as bethstill on Twitter. I am using my blog, Nebraska Change Agent, as a tool to help promote this position at my school. If you are an innovative and visionary leader then you owe it to yourself to drop by my blog and read the full post. There is much more to this position than meets the eye. If you are full of great ideas, but cannot put them into practice because of strict filter issues or a reluctant staff, then this might be the fresh start you are looking for. Our philosophy is to open the filters up as much as possible and treat mistakes as learning experiences. ESU13 has a clear vision of the future of education in Nebraska, but they need the right people on board to make that happen. Could you be the one? There is only one way to find out.
Do you know someone? Let Beth know or feel free to let me know and I will pass the word along. Oh and you are read the original, longer post about the position here.
Image from Google CC Search
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Morale...Get Some!
I allowed her to control me and my feelings and my morale.
This week on #edchat the topic centered around teacher morale, what can be done in situations when it is low and what do classrooms and school look like when morale is high.
Here is just a taste of what was said:
- Low teacher morale creates atmosphere of teachers "clocking in & doing time"; innovation does not happen when teachers don't feel safe.
- Teacher morale can be contagious. We must surround ourselves with positive others with good sense of humor.
- Supported and empowered teachers are more likely to have high morale.
- I find that the kids are the best way to boost my morale...reminds me why I teach.
- The morale of an organization will only be as high as its leader. Low teacher morale is the result of low leadership morale.
- My morale would be boosted by recognition for hard work. When I became NBCT, only congrats I got was blurb in district newsletter.
- My PLN is a morale boost for me everyday!
Here are some of my thoughts...
Morale can make or break a building. When morale is high, teachers think they can teach anything, any way, any how. They are unstoppable. And that rubs off on the kids. When students see teachers who are happy to be in the classroom and enjoy what they are doing, the kids follow along.
But...
On the other hand, when morale is low everyone suffers. Imagine a whole building of teachers just like the one who taught next to me. Or a building where no one wants to be and hates everything. That also translates to the classroom. In every school I have every worked in I can recall the teachers who had the lowest morale. And those were the teachers who complained the most about test scores being low and student discipline.
If the teacher is unhappy, the kids are unhappy. And when kids are unhappy there isn't any learning going on.
So, who is responsible for morale in a school? Is it the administration? Is it the teachers? I think it is a combination of both. The administration helps to drive morale in the building. They are the cheerleaders and should do all they can to keep it high. And it is the little things. Slipping a note in a teachers box everyday. Or a simple pat on the back when they do something awesome. Think of things that make you feel better and try to do that for teachers.
But teachers can also help boost morale in their buildings. Negativity is a morale killer. We all understand that you are gonna have a bad day and that it helps to vent. But do it in the right ways. Bad mouthing administrators or policy do nothing to make everyone feel better about being in the building. I am not saying you have to agree with everything that goes on but disagree in constructive ways.
Look, the point is, just what I said before. Morale can make or break a building. Be excited about what you do every day. It rubs off on people.
Be awesome today!
Image from Google CC Search
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Why A PLN?
Later this week I will be presenting at the North Carolina Technology In Education Society (NCTIES) Annual Conference. For one of my sessions I will focus on how I discovered the power of the Personal Learning Network (PLN), how I built mine and how other educators can do the same.
Whenever I do sessions like this I always get the question, why? Why a PLN? Why do I need to connect to other educators? What is the point? For me, the advantages are obvious. But just like when I do a technology workshop, the points of view of other educators are more important. I can stand up all day long and tell how wonderful they are and give evidence of that but there is something about hearing it from another classroom teacher that makes it meaningful.
So how could I do this in my session? I guess I could secretly fill the audience with members of my PLN and I could "call" upon them randomly and ask them. But educators are smart and they might get wise to that. I could Skype a some teachers but that can get complicated. Then it dawned on me. Voicethread. I recorded what I needed and put it out to my PLN. I wanted to hear stories of how the PLN did something for them or if asked the same sorts of questions, what do they say. I got an overwhelming response and I wanted to share what was shared with me. So below is the Voicethread that I will share in my session. I encourage you to listen to and read every response. They all tell the story of Why A PLN.
If you have a story or a reason to Why a PLN please leave a comment on the Voicethread. The more comments the better!
Whenever I do sessions like this I always get the question, why? Why a PLN? Why do I need to connect to other educators? What is the point? For me, the advantages are obvious. But just like when I do a technology workshop, the points of view of other educators are more important. I can stand up all day long and tell how wonderful they are and give evidence of that but there is something about hearing it from another classroom teacher that makes it meaningful.
So how could I do this in my session? I guess I could secretly fill the audience with members of my PLN and I could "call" upon them randomly and ask them. But educators are smart and they might get wise to that. I could Skype a some teachers but that can get complicated. Then it dawned on me. Voicethread. I recorded what I needed and put it out to my PLN. I wanted to hear stories of how the PLN did something for them or if asked the same sorts of questions, what do they say. I got an overwhelming response and I wanted to share what was shared with me. So below is the Voicethread that I will share in my session. I encourage you to listen to and read every response. They all tell the story of Why A PLN.
If you have a story or a reason to Why a PLN please leave a comment on the Voicethread. The more comments the better!
On a side note: If you will be at NCTIES this week you can catch my sessions both on Thursday. The first at 3:30 in Room 301B. There I will be talking about the tools that Administrators need to start their journey to being tech savvy. And of course my PLN session at 4:45, also in room 301B. Hope to see you there!
New Posted Resources 03/02/2010
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
New Posted Resources 02/27/2010
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