Wrapping It Up (and It's Not Even a Gift...)

Around 20 months after it started, this looks to be the final post-for this blog.  Hard to believe, but the last class to attend has finished.  I have to tidy up some last minute stuff, but the journey for the Master's has come to an end.  Here are some musings about the journey...


It's Almost Impossible to Keep Up with Technology
I feel like I'm WAY ahead of the game in terms of being aware of the resources out there in the technological world.  However, even with all of the tips, tricks, and tools that I've obtained throughout the last 2 years, there is still so much more out there to learn about.  For as much as an expert as I feel I can be sometimes, I have to be humble enough to see myself as a novice sometimes as well, and not be afraid to ask for help.  I'll continue to try to use whatever new technologies exist, but there aren't enough hours in a day to thoroughly explore all of these new innovations that appear on a daily basis.


Public Education Isn't Ready for Technology
I say that not to spark any reaction, but for the reality that I don't think that our schools are ready to fully embrace the technology that exists.  I see hesitancy; whether it be on behalf of administration or staff, I just haven't gotten enough consistency to believe that technology is a priority.  That's a shame, because there's so much potential out there; there's just such a fear to leave comfort zones that I don't know when the shift will happen.  What worries me is the fact that we're teaching a generation that is essentially a technology generation.  We are not serving our students well if we're not on board with the technologies available today.

10 Years Makes a Difference
It's amazing how much has changed within the last decade.  I could even look at the last 2 years, and there's been a huge change.  I say that now because I know teaching will be different by 2020.  It constantly evolves, and I hope to continue to be someone who evolves with it.  What I do with the kids today might seem ancient a few years from now.  I have to start somewhere, though.  Using podcasts, digital stories, screencasts, movies, and the like could be building blocks to something much bigger down the road.


Collaboration is NO JOKE
The one thing I will say is that we did a TON of group work.  As for me, I learned a lot about myself.  For example, I really changed how I planned time.  I became more organized (all about using the iTouch calendar), and less cluttered.  Well, for the most part.  I also learned how to work with others.  You know, you teach  by yourself for 10 years, and you sometimes forget that.  I had two partners who had to deal with me and all my eccentricities (that's a polite way of putting it), and I learned to adjust my styles of working.  I tend to be a controller, and it was really hard stopping that.  I can't say that I've made huge improvements, but I've made attempts.  Having to do EIGHT MILLION collaborative projects helped with that.

You know, I could go on and on, but I've always been one who believed in "actions speak louder than words."  If you happen to come across my name somewhere in the future (hopefully not for illegal or negative reasons...), then you'll know that this wasn't just a class or a degree for me.  It was much more, and I intend to show that through my actions.

For all of my professors, advisors, and instructors:  Thank you for preparing me and giving me the support and tools needed to be a difference-maker.  I will not let you down.

To all of my partners:  Thanks for putting up with me.  I know it wasn't easy, but I hope I was as supportive of you as you were to me.

To my family:  Thanks for supporting and believing in me as I went through this journey.  I know it wasn't easy, but you were my inspiration throughout all of this.

Virus Protection (or What I Could Use In the Real World, Too)

There's nothing more ironic than writing about Viruses while sick.  Oh well.  Anyway, at least you don't have to hear me gag up whatever my lungs decide they don't want anymore...

Well, anyway, we did a lot of items pertaining to protection from viruses, spyware, and other forms of malware.  We also had to create an Emergency Plan just in case.  For me, this was probably a good idea.  Within the last year, I made the mistake of not renewing my virus protection software.  You would think that someone taking a course in Instructional Technology would know better, but that wouldn't be the first time someone's said that about me.  Anyway, I began to realize something was wrong when I started getting A LOT of pop-ups on my computer.  Also, it seemed to take forever to load up my computer.  This wasn't good (especially during the HTML course, where I had to be on my computer a lot.)

Through searching, I found The Shield.  The first scan was nasty---lots of items found.  There was definitely a reason why I was running so slow.  The Shield would catch lots of attempts as I was on the web; I began to realize that some of the sites I frequented had adware or other items that really liked my computer.  As a result, I began to use a little bit more thought in regards to the use of my computer.

For now, my computer runs fine.  The Shield updates my computer several times per week, and I rarely get messages from my program about attempted attacks on my computer.  That makes life much easier for me.

So how on Earth did that story connect to class?  Well, I wish I would've had this prevention plan last year, or even 2 years ago when my hard drive fried.  I lost a lot of stuff (mainly iTunes stuff) that I didn't back up.  I learned my lesson.  I also didn't even realize that I pay for coverage through insurance.  Duh.  As for all of the malware, I realize that I had Adware on my computer.  That would explain the pop-ups asking to scan my computer, even though I didn't arrange anything to do so.  Glad I never clicked those options.

So, in all, BE PREPARED.  You never know what's going to happen, and if something bad does happen, be ready for it.

How a Computer Works (or, at least what the guys at Best Buy told me...)

So, for the last few weeks, we've been discussing parts of a computer, and looking at what they do, and how integral they may be to a computer system.  As of late, I've detailed one specific part, watched many others, and for this week's class, I had to construct one myself.

After discussing options with people online, in store, and through general conversation, I came to a conclusion of what I want, and that's accessibility.  I want to be able to access my network wherever I am, without worry for finding a password for a site or receiving slow access points to connect to.  I came to some realizations about myself, and what I need in a computer, and that's radically different from what I wanted a few years back.

I realize that I use way more online programs than I do installed programs.  I can use PowerPoint and Word, but I've been using Google Docs much more frequently, and that is something that I now take into consideration with my computer.  I think it's good to have a video editing program, but most laptops come with some sort of program already installed,  There's a lot of freeware out there, and I'm fine with that.

So where do I spend the money?  Processing.  I want to be able to run many items at once, and the processor is the key there.  I literally have no clue previous to this class if I ever really thought about the RAM, hard drive, or processor.  With the amount of online items that I have, I'm not sure that I really need a ton of hard drive, anyway.  However, I do need the power to run through my programs quickly, and processing is the key.

Also, it sucks to lose EVERYTHING on my computer.  That happened 2 years ago.  Since then, I've invested a bit more in backing up and protecting my computer.  I used to think that was a waste of money.  After Dell warranties covered my new hard drive, though, I changed my tune.

Overall, I could go into every single part, but this is what stood out to me the most.  You can choose to agree or argue, but either way, I'll be ready to discuss.  Hear from you soon.

OOPS!

Here are all the OS Activities that I did.  I originally had them as a Google Docs page, so the responses are right HERE.

Thanks.

OS----What Did I Learn (Other Than What OS Stands For...)

For the last few weeks, I've been toying around with different activities involving OS, or Operating Systems.  Here's my insight on the situation.

One, I understand more than I think that I do.  I think that the overwhelming part is that all of these OS systems will change within the next five years.  I originally knew about OS systems because of games I wanted to play on my computer as a kid.  Different games had different system requirements, so I learned what my computer had, and what I could put on it.

Once I got into teaching, I guess I really didn't think about it much.  By that, I mean that I had a PC at home for 10 years, and a Mac at school.  I was using 2-3 different operation systems without putting a lot of thought into it.  Yes, there were some differences, but nothing to the extent that I couldn't use it.  I just adjusted and used whatever was in front of me.  With Grad. School, I've been the same.  I could use a Mac if I needed to.  They're just so pricey, I haven't ever seriously considered buying one.  Not that I'm cheap, but there is a considerable price difference, and I've been thinking of that over OS systems.

However, a lot of items and assignments have at least opened my eyes to what the OS systems can do.  I think the item that stood out the most was the security.  It sounds like the Mac OS systems are very strong and protective; I guess I wish I could get similiar feedback about my Windows Vista system!!!  Oh well...

So what has this done for me?  If anything, it's informed me.  I have an idea about what OS systems to maybe think about using in the future, especially when purchasing a new computer.  I have a bit of a better understanding about the positives of both, as well as the shortcomings.

Overall, I'm nowhere near a master in this category; on the other hand, I'm not necessarily a goober about it, either.

Well, by all means, please do share your comments below.  Thanks, and I'll hear from you soon.

Computer Architecture (aka What Does This Part Do?)

Well, it's down to the wire, and we're on to the last class-computer architecture.  I just got off of the phone with my dad, and I joked with him that I could actually be able to keep up with him in conversations after this class!  I guess that what I'm saying is, I'm not quite so good at the technical part of computers.

How can that be?  I'm the Technology Leader for my school!  Well, it's simple-I never had an interest in it.  I like to drive my car; it doesn't mean that I want to know how every car part works, though.  I've had that same attitude towards computers.  There are people in this world who get paid to take care of that aspect of technology, and I trust them.  However, I suppose I should learn a LITTLE about the make-up of computers; it would certainly up the authenticity of my position as the Tech. Leader if I could actually define and detail specific parts of the computer.

So what do I currently know about computer parts?  Not much.  I know the components of a computer, and I've done a little with replacing and upgrading parts, but I'm a bit of a novice in that area.  To be honest, I haven't had to replace much on the computers, other than the ENTIRE HARD DRIVE for my laptop a few years back.  For the most part, though, I've been lucky with my computers.  With that in mind, I haven't had a necessity to take apart a computer, and other than the buying process, I don't give much attention to the specifications of a computer.

However, after class, I think that I know more than I'm letting on.  I do have general knowledge of the parts of the computer, and the history aspect with computers I found very interesting.  I knew about the revolution of sorts in the 70's, and I was aware of the exploration of computers from the 40's to the 60's.  However, I find it amazing that we find crumbs of history hundreds of years ago.  That's something that simply blows my mind, that people had these ideas and were clearly ahead of their time.

Now, I simply need to explore more about the components of a computer system.  I think that's where my confusions lie, and I'm the kind of person that isn't going to learn about it unless I dive head-first into it.  So, if you'll excuse me, I have to go take apart a computer and figure out what those parts are.  Where's the sound card, again? 

Until next time...

I knew I forgot something...

MY BLOG POST!!!

That's what happens when spring weather hits, I guess....


No, in all honesty, I simply forgot, so, better late than never, I suppose.

This week, simply, what am I pulling from all of this.  For me, it's simple; a LOT!  Seeing as how I immerse myself into what we're doing, there's a lot that I'm going to take from this class.  The major ones are what I'll focus on today.

1. Google Reader---I've become a bit obsessed with this, as I check for updates on all of my sites mainly through this now.  Most of the time, I'm checking through my iTouch, which reduces the amount of time I spend pecking around on my favorite websites.  Also, I found a few that have given me a GREAT DEAL of information, which also reduces the amount of time I spend looking for this stuff.  I tend to use this more than Twitter, where I often catch repeats of the stuff I have on Google Reader.  Overall, it saves me time.
2. Screencasting---This is one of those tools and skills that I've wanted to do for years, and I just didn't know how.  Now I do.  I've already begun using Jing to record narrations for students, parents, and teachers.  This hopefully cuts down on the amount of time that I need to use to explain how to do the same process again and again.  That, and it's EASY to do!
3. Podcasting---Again, something that I wanted to do for years, and now I can.  It's forced me to use Audacity, allowing me to create edits of items and clean them up.  My students are jacked up about podcasts, and want to record multiple shows.  That's something that I can deal with.  More importantly, I'M excited about podcasting---I, too, am trying to record my second episode of my podcast.

There's so much more out there, but those are the three new tools with technology that I plan on continuing my usage of.

If any of you would like to elaborate on this, I'm more than happy to hear from you.

Take care!

Putting It All Together (Like a Puzzle...)

For this week's class, it was a partial time to reflect on everything that we've been introduced to (or re-introduced to) in class.  So this week's blog will look at all that I've done over the last few weeks.  Here we go...

My Accomplishments

1.  The Wiki Page
2. The Classroom Blog
3. The Podcast
4. Photo Sharing
5. Video Conferencing
6. Screencasting

I'll try to group them to save on time, but let's analyze what I've done, and what I continue to do.

I began with the classroom wiki.  I had a pre-existing one, that, to be honest, didn't get a lot of use in the first semester.  I was a bit overwhelmed with everything else in life, but I tried to make it more of a priority in the 2nd semester.  As a result, I've gotten more collaboration out of my students.  Due to this, I was motivated to create a 2nd wiki, something that I could share with parents and students.  As a result, I created a classroom wiki that details everything that's being accomplished in class, along with resources and due dates.  This is something that I'd like to continue next year, and with a year of experience under my belt, I think it will be more successful.

Next is the blog.  I've been blogging for the last 2 years, but I wanted to create something to inform the families as well.  I found myself doing a lot of repeating of instructions, and I wanted to create something to alleviate that.  Now in its second month, the classroom blog is a step in the right direction.  I'm trying to share items with the parents that we're working on in order to give them tools and ideas to help their child complete projects successfully.  I've incorporated screencasts into this, as I am finding it's easier to narrate a visual than explain it 30 times to 30 people.  I plan on expanding on this in the future.

That takes me to podcasts.  This was something that I really wanted to jump into; I listen to a lot of podcasts, and I've wanted for years to create my own to host on iTunes.  I can now say that I've accomplished that.  I see merit in this; I could create podcasts to go along with the wiki page to give the students and teachers another tool to help them succeed.  This is what I've gained the most out of class; I will definitely continue to explore and use this in the future.

That sums up this week.  I've immersed myself into a lot of these tools, and I don't want it to simply be something I explored for 6 weeks and never revisited again.  I WANT to use these tools; now I need to figure out how to better manage my time.

Well, as always, I'd love to hear your feedback.  Thanks, and have a good one...

Putting the Twit in Twitter (and Other Random Thoughts...)

This week's topic-Social Bookmarking and Networking.  For me, a little bit of dread, as these are ideas I dread introducing to my staff, who easily get overwhelmed by topics such as e-mail and Power Point.  So, where do I go from here?  A few ideas...

• Twitter in the Class-Unfortunately, I can't use this as much as I want (my district does not allow for cell phones in the class).  However, I could experiment with this on assignments.  I think that it could be a quicker way of getting assignments, links, activities, and other information out to your class.  More importantly, it can be done OUTSIDE of class time!  Furthermore, it could allow kids to contact you with support or continuation of the topic right back to your Twitter account.  You would have immediate feedback (isn't that what we want, anyway?), and you would also be informed of who has responded to your posts.  There is potential there; I think the main issue is that many of us don't know how to correctly use it.  I fall into that category as well.  However, I'm attempting (follow me @bryandadamaja) to become more active in my use of it.
• Ning-The Social Networking site.  A bit like a wiki, with a little more for connections for similar styles in between.  I think that there's some merit to this as well; it sure would save me a lot of time from digging through archives for good links when there are thousands out there like me who may think the same way (scary thought there...)  Unfortunately, I won't be exploring this with my class---there are age limits, and I don't have 13 year olds in my class yet.  Maybe if I change grades.  However, this could be a good benefit for the teachers to have their own network, and to see that there are branching opportunities out there.
• Delicious-This is a bookmarking site, and one that I've used frequently before, well, at least in waves.  You know how life gets sometimes...  Anyway, I think this may be the one that I use first with my class.  I get frustrated by the amount of links that get lost by students, staff, me, etc.  I think through the class and the reading, I became a bit re-energized though this.  I'd like to go through this with my class; it may help them to discover new blogs, sites, activities, research articles, and countless other things that they normally wouldn't remember.  I think this will be my emphasis, especially as we have research papers to do for the next 2-3 months.

That's what stands out for now.  I'm testing out a few new ideas (Jing-although to the tekkies out there, I doubt that's new at all.) and learning through my successes and failures.  For me, it's vital that I immerse myself in this and actually attempt to use it, or else it disappears, like so much else in my life when I don't make it important.

Well, as always, please share, post, argue, do what you want.  Your opinions are greatly appreciated here.

RSS-PECT, find out what it means to me!

For this week's class, we started talking about RSS.  I remember going into a little bit of RSS a year or two ago, and sure enough, I found my Google Reader site (with 850 unread articles!)  Needless to say, I haven't checked my Reader lately.  Now it's time to get back into it, but it's important to get into why I need to try this again.

Right now, I'm currently managing 45 websites from my students, along with the Moodle page for the school, the wiki page for my class, and another 45 websites that my students just created.  It's literally a guess-and-check hunt to try to see if everyone is updating their pages.  That, and it takes a LONG TIME to check everyone's page.  As a result, I'm trying to toy around with RSS to set up a feed in which I can get automatic updates from my students when they update their sites.  This would allow me to directly visit the sites that I know have changed, and be able to evaluate and assess right away.  I think I was overwhelmed with RSS 1 year ago; now, I'm looking at it for purposes to help me manage my time and efforts better than I normally do.

I think that it will also help me with organizing the sites that I visit for information.  I tend to visit 15-20 sites every time that I'm on the web, and that easily takes an hour or two.  Again, to better manage my time, I really should subscribe to my favorite sites, and filter through the updates to see what I want to read and what I don't.  I think I really just need to have the time to sit down and set this up.  Of course, it's due for class this week, so that may motivate me a bit to get it done.  In all honesty, though, it may help me cut 30-45 minutes of jumping around and searching sites---instead, I can have it all sent to me.

Overall, there's a lot to be learned about RSS.  I don't think that I'm an expert by any means.  However, I do see myself becoming a bit more comfortable with using it.  I think that as I understand it more, I'll become more effective at utilizing it in my everyday routine.  The key now is to just start using it.

Anyway, here's the link to my Google Reader---follow if you'd like, or give suggestions as to what I'm missing.

http://www.google.com/reader/shared/corcoranbryan?hl=en

Well, that's a wrap.  As always, leave any feedback below.

The Quickie Wiki Review

After exploring the blog last week, this week focused on the wiki. For the class, this was nothing new. We've been using wikis for a while; actually, since the first class.

So, then, what's the goal this time? Using them as a teacher, not as a student. I'm actually OK with this, as I had initially planned to do this last year; I just kept putting it off until it was the school year. I placed it on the backburner, telling myself that I'd do it next year.

Looking at some of the wikis this week, and talking about it in class, I'm going to try to motivate myself to start it up again. I'd like to start it up in either my Language Arts or Writing course; there are a lot of projects that I do, and it may allow for better pacing for the kids, as well as me. Sometimes I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. Creating a wiki for class usage may allow me to have the foresight to see ahead to other classes or dates. It sure would make my principal, happy, too, to see my planning (because if you looked at my planning book, you sure wouldn't believe that I prep!)

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the fact that I need to have an idea in my head of what I want. I think that's the issue. I'm not sure exactly how I want to set it up. The nice part about a wiki, though, is that I can change it if I don't like it.

Well, that sums up this week. If I actually get to making the page, I'll post it on my blog. Thanks for reading, and have a good one!

Taking What We Learn, and, Actually, Ummmm, Using It!

Well, for this course, it feels like a bit of revisionist history. We're going over Web 2.0 tools, and it feels like a bit of a refresher course. There were some things we went over in class (wikis, blogs) that we've been using in our studies over the last year or so. However, it seems as if there have been innovations with these tools, or at least new uses for them since they were introduced. I'll go into that now.

It looks like the main focus is the blog. Now, obviously, I've been blogging for a while. Exploring some of the other blogs in class, though, I've been inspired to try out a new type of blog. I already have a website for the class; I think I'm going to develop a blog for my class as well.

Why now? Especially since there's been a website for over a year? Simply put, opportunity. This gives me more opportunity to connect with the families, and to update them on various projects that we're working on in the class. It also provides other avenues for the families and the students to post their questions as well. I think that providing as many possibilities to connect to the students and families as possible can only be a good thing. I feel bad starting it this late in the year, but I can use this as a building block for upcoming years. You gotta start sometime, right?

Well, keep your eyes posted to my blog. I'm sure that I'll update it with my attempts at a class blog, and I could use all the advice possible.

Until then....

Leadership---Wrapping It Up...

As we wrap up the end, I was asked to summarize my experiences by answering the following questions:

* How has your definition of leadership altered or been reinforced? Your definition of teacher leadership?

I think that it's helped me to see the areas in which I'm deficient. I might not agree with some of the decisions that are made, but I need to see what's best for the school, and that I may need to give a little in order for things to continue to flow in a positive manner. I also need to do a better job shielding my thoughts; many emotions or thoughts that I have are painfully obvious, so I need to do a better job masking that. As for my definition of leadership, I think it's changed a little. I still feel that the qualities I originally identified as leadership qualities still exist; this class has helped me to elaborate on those qualities, and point out specifically where I see it in the school.

* Has your opinion of your leadership potential changed?

I think I've adapted to try and see the leadership styles that younger teachers may have. I was stuck in my own world, and it never occurred to me that, even though I was only 13 years out of college, my ideas and abilities would already be considered 'old school.' That has allowed me to look for newer qualities for the young teachers, which is a bit difficult at my school, as I'm one of the younger teachers myself. However, I'm now trying to scan and scour to find young leaders that I can be part of a new school nucleus to exist after the veteran teachers eventually move on. That's how I've changed.


* Do you agree with our textbook's assertion about "improving education from within"? If so, what will you do to help?

Yes, because I believe that if you don't emulate and present the qualities that you want your students to have, it just won't happen. As educators, we constantly need to look at our performances, and see if there are areas that can be improved. It's fine to be content with our performance, but we should always strive for improvement. Isn't that what we want the students to do?

As for me, I plan to lead by example. I plan to show through my actions that I plan to constantly review my class's work to try to find new and innovative ways to improve upon it. I plan on exmperimenting with new activities and programs, and dabbling with differentiation in order to try to make my students as prepared as possible for the future that lies in front of them.

That sums up my experiences with class. As always, please leave any feedback for me, and I'll happily respond.

A Simulation of Administration

This week's class was different, to say the least. This week, we took the form of a team in a 3-hour simulation of what it's like to try to win over an entire school system with a new idea or plan. I wish it only took 3 hours in the real world, too...

Well, the simulation was interesting. We spent a lot of the first year of our administration trying to come up with a plan that the staff would buy into. Luckily, the team I was on was agreeable and flexible; there weren't any hidden agendas that others were trying to force, and I didn't notice anyone trying to be the "Alpha Male" who tried to take over all decision-making (wish I could say the same for real-life school situations, too...) After a lot of confusion, we were able to get through the first year with some progress. We didn't blow our budget, either.

Year 2, we began learning from our mistakes. There were fewer miscues with the budget, and we started to look past the step we were on. For a lot of the first part of the simulation, we were SO focused on making one step work, that in some cases, we weren't thinking of the next item to do. In this part, though, we started thinking ahead. Another strategy we came across was trying to level the field. We didn't want 1 individual at mastery; we were looking for several. Our strategy became one in which we tried to involve as many characters as possible in the act of progression. In 90% of the situations, it worked. The only negative; again, we didn't utilize all of our budget.

The final year, year 3, we had our system down, and jumped right into it. After 2+ hours of learning from mistakes, we certainly had our strategy down pat. Our poor runner barely had time to sit; by the time he would come back, we already had our next step of the program in place, and we were planning for steps 2-3 levels down the road, with specific people in mind. This part of the simulation flew. For the first time, we utilized all of the budget.

Simulation ending, I now have a chance to reflect about this and the real world. I was able to make a lot of connections to my current situation as Instructional Technology Leader and Teacher. We realized as a team that no matter how good the plan, you may not get 100% support from your staff. As the ITL for my school, I need to realize that as well. I may be able to share hundreds of great ideas, but not everyone will commit to it. The reasons are many, but the results may not be the ones that I want. Instead, I need to focus on those who DO want to commit to improvement; they are the key to progression.

In terms of my team, I learned that communication and sacrifice are key. There may have been decisions that I didn't agree with, but I had to support the team if a majority of them believed in it. The same could be said for my ideas. By all means, there wasn't arguing within my team. I'm just saying that you need to be willing to meet others halfway in order to get progress going. If your peers or subordinates see you and your team arguing, what motivation does that give them to follow you and your ideas?

Overall, it was interesting, far more than I was expecting (no, I'm not sucking up...) I saw a lot of connections to myself and my situation, and I think that I may be able to see my situations differently once I step back and look at the "entire level playing board", to connect it back to this week's activity (sorry, lame connection, I couldn't think of anything witty to say...)

Well, any comments, please feel free to share.

Making the Change

For this week's class, we began a further investigation into items such as Data Retreats, and the goal would be to look for areas in which you would want to bring eventual change to the school in order to improve its performance and standing. I find this interesting, due to the waves that my district has made (again) in the news.

It's no secret; MPS is in need of improvement. I've been on both sides of the argument, both as a teacher of a successful school and as a failing school. From those experiences, I see a large amount of inconsistency. This is where I see it.

From the failing school aspect, it seemed as though we jumped at the "magic bean" theory, the idea that there was one set thing to put in the curriculum that would make everything better. Unfortunately, I saw lots of those "magic beans" for 10 years, and I still see my district doing that today. It's almost like our district HAS to get that brand new, hot, popular toy that everyone else wants, only to discard it for the next big thing. I remember the waves of Whole Language, Direct Instruction, Target Teach, and many other ideas meant to shape up the curriculum. There was no consistency, though. By the time you got used to a new idea, WHAM! Guess what? We're dropping it and going to a new plan. Teachers wouldn't buy into the programs, knowing that they would likely be changed 3-4 years down the road. The same pathetic cycle happened again and again and again...

Now, I'm at the successful school. And guess what? The SAME changes and requests are being made. Whatever data that our school has generated is pretty much dumped when looking at the curriculum. Right now, all schools are getting the same reading curriculum and the same request for the amount of time teaching. However, there are a large number of schools, successful schools, mind you, that are being told that THIS is the way that we do reading now, without regard for the years of performances that supported a strong reading program.

So where does this lead me? We need to be careful with the data. Too many people generalize and come up with conclusions without looking at the big picture, as well as the tiny pieces that make up that picture. The next time my class bombs an exam, I shouldn't re-teach to ALL of the students; not all of the students need that. By making everyone re-learn it, I'm doing exactly what I dread whenever I get notices from my district---making a change without thinking of everyone.

So, that's my thoughts for now. By all means, weigh in with your thoughts as well.

Roadblocks in Leadership

For this week's class, we had a lot of time to independently look through the materials and really get a chance to gather our own opinions of various items related to leadership. This week's focus---dealing with adversaries and enemies while on the leadership path.

For me, this was something that struck close to home. I am currently in my second school; I worked at my first school until it closed, and I was a teacher there for 10 years. Much of what the book talked about were things that I witnessed firsthand as a new teacher. I saw many power struggles between staff and administration, and I dealt with constant change, as my school seemingly changed principals every 2-3 years. Our school was full of issues; the atmosphere in my school is one that I wouldn't recommend to anyone as one to benefit from. Depending on the administrator, the levels of support or criticism changed severely. Throughout all of this, our performances continued to flounder. Too much individual agendas being presented led to our school's ultimate downfall. I look back, and I'm not sure what I could do to improve that. I taught my tail off, because I felt it was best for the kids. I was afraid to sometimes share my opinion; I didn't want to be written off as the new "know-it-all" teacher. As now all I can do is look back and simply wonder what could have been different.

Fast forward to now. I'm at a school that has a strong reputation and a lot of consistency. However, I see some trends that I dealt with for 10 years at school #1. I've actually started to speak up, as I've been dragged through the mud as a school, and I have no desire to do that again. Am I reaching through? Not sure. I certainly hope so, but I'm finding myself starting to look at these situations as a veteran teacher, not a new teacher. I was struck a lot by how to deal with the conflicts that exist at a school. That struck a chord with me. As the Instructional Technology Leader, I get that tone from some, who still look at my position as the guy to come in and teach computers. I took some of the suggestions and strategies to heart; I think that they might be of great benefit if I don't want history to repeat itself.

Leadership Positions---The Realities and Responsibilities...

This week's class dealt with items that pop up when being a leader. In the readings, items such as interview teams popped up, which made me reflect upon my times interviewing for positions, and most certainly the interviews that will be in my future. Reading the attributes that are recommended when interviewing, I saw a few qualities that I feel that I have and some that I feel I lack. However, something must've stood out, because I've been hired a few times (I have yet to be fired, though. Let's keep that streak alive...)

Another part that stood out to me was the non-verbal communication that we give off. That's something that, in my circles, I'm notorious for. I'm not the kind to roll my eyes at someone, but apparently, I've always been one who isn't good at hiding irritation or anger. One of my old college roommates would always joke about seeing "the face", something that signaled to him that the meeting wasn't going well (we participated in many groups and activities during college...) It made me think---does the principal recognize any non-verbal signals that I do? What about the Literacy Coach? That's something that I need to keep an eye on...

Finally, the idea of data retreats was brought up. As part of my Learning Team, I'm looking at data for the entire school on a weekly basis. As a teacher, I look at it daily. I'm taking part of this course as an opportunity to try and improve my skills at data research. In other words, can I narrow my time dealing with data by narrowing focus onto data pieces that are important to the good of the school? Or am I just looking at a piece of the big picture? Sometimes, I tend to focus on my own little piece of the pie, instead of taking a step back and looking at EVERYTHING. Again, I'm hoping that this class gives me some strategies to use for a long time.

Well, that's all that I have for now. As always, leave me a message or an idea if I missed out on something. Later...

Technology and Leadership

This week's course began, and we jumped into a new topic---Technology and Leadership. The focus looks like it will be working on how to use our current skills and abilities as leaders to effectively incorporate technology into the school curriculum. I may be totally off, but that's the read I got in it.

For me, this class definitely has merit. I'm the Instructional Technology Leader for my school, and I'm also receiving opportunities to present throughout the district. With these opportunities come responsibilities. I want to serve well, but I want to be effective, as well. From what I see and interact with, I don't know how many teachers and colleagues are ready for take on leadership in this category, and I think that many feel uninformed in this area. Within my school, I feel like that questions and requests that I receive are more basic tasks, and I'm not sure how ready that my staff is for the higher level tasks possible. I see that throughout the district, to an extent, too. I want to be careful in these opportunities and positions as well---I want others to be comfortable contacting me.

As a result, I'll be taking in a lot of the class on a personal level. I don't feel as if I'm reaching as wide an audience as possible, and maybe tweaking my style a bit might change that. (Then again, I'm sure sarcasm doesn't help much, either, huh?)

Well, that's what I got for now. By all means, feel free to comment or continue the conversation...

The Website

For this last week of HTML, we were to design our own website. For me, this was stress-free. I've been toying around with this for the last year, and I currently finished up a series of websites for my students to use as portfolios.

As a result, I could've been casual about it, and just submitted something that I've done. However, I decided to add onto the existing site that I currently run, and the final project was creating a subpage in which my students could access information to a debate that they will be producing for me in the next few weeks. Setting it up isn't bad---my recommendation, though, is to really plan out what you want to do before you set out to do it. I had to draw out what I wanted to do before actually sitting down to design it.

Is this something to do with the students? Definitely. I think that I'd like them to design their own and get an actual "real-world" activity to participate in. So, yes, this is definitely something worthwhile to do.

Well, that sums it up for now. By all means, leave any comments, questions, or concerns if you have them.

Web 2.0

This week, we went into a comparison of Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0, and it was interesting. I've heard about Web 2.0, but I never really grasped what it was about until now. It's truly amazing how far the innovations have come in the last 10 years or so.

During the conversation, items such at Netscape brought me back to the days of Dial-Up, AOL Online, and a bevy of other innovations that existed in the past. Today, here I am toying around with my iTouch, and I'm sure that it's already on the fast track to becoming obsolete. I hope that I'm more prepared now for helping my class than I was a few years ago.

I think that's the key, here. This time, I'm aware of the tools that are out there. I try to look at this with a bit of humility---I don't have to be the innovator and creator of every tool; instead, I simply need to broaden my horizons and try out new items as they become available. In the last 1 1/2 of class, I've learned a ton that I've already used in the class. I hope to continue that in the future.

So, back to Web 2.0. Am I embracing this? I believe so. I currently have 45 students on Google Docs performing research papers in which they have to work with partners, and all of this is being done online. I believe that I'm preparing my students for the future; the scary part is, I don't even know that future looks like...

Continuation of Web Design on an Empty Stomach

Of course, when you've had stomach flu all week, then it's understandable to not want to eat. I mean, for real, it couldn't wait 'till AFTER break? Aargh....

Well, right now I have a webpage designed, and now it's just about adding bells and whistles to it to enhance or update it. I think that it's just a matter of me sitting down and doing it. I'm using the Google Sites application, and I've been using it for about a year, now. The page in question is something that I'm having the students use to plan out a project that they have to do throughout January. So, in other words, it's something that I will definitely use.

Other than that, I'm slowly but surely transferring all of my portfolio stuff from one site to a new one. I had already completed and submitted my first draft of my site, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out that I had to re-do all of it through a template that I wasn't aware was in existence. Oops. Oh well, at least I have a lot of the hard work done...

Well, that's all that I have for now. I'd love to talk more, but I'm not sure that the stomach flu is gonna allow that... Gotta run!!!