A Principal's Reflections

A Worthy Widget

2012-01-28T15:09:00.000-05:00

Dell has been identifying new ways to support the education community on the web. One of their developments is a Wordpress plugin called Education Connect that will help connect education blogs to each other. With the help of some of the top education blogs in the industry they have come up with a great tool to link bloggers to each other.

Let me first explain how it works. Education Connect is a widget/plugin that helps connect education blogs around the World. The widget is a content aggregator that takes articles from the highest quality EDU blogs and presents the titles within the widget. The widget has a special crawler that goes to a pre-set list of education blogs that are selected based on content quality. It then takes the title of the latest articles written by that blog and populates the widget sitting on the installer’s website. Articles within the widget are then ranked based on a variety of social media factors to present only the best, freshest articles.

Special crawler goes to a pre-set list of education blogs that are selected based on content quality.
Crawler takes the article titles back to the widget installer’s webpage.
Drops the article titles in the widget or installer’s web browsers to discover new educational material.
Create an educational community that is connecting and innovating the EDU World.
Ability to select which blogs you want to pull articles from.

The goal of the EDU connect widget is to help users and publishers discover new content and better connect with the EDU community. With the widget you can discover articles about educational technology, education news, education lessons, and more.

So what are you waiting for? Help connect the EDU World and install this Wordpress plugin. Visit any of the following links to get started.

Wordpress install page

Instructions on how to install or submit your blog for widget consideration

Using Innovation to Combat Texting While Driving

2012-01-25T18:26:00.000-05:00

The following is a guest post by Doreen Zacher, New Milford High School's Student Assistance Counselor. She recently collaborated with graphics teacher Walt Pevny and NMHS students in the U Got Brains Challenge 2nd Annual Champion Schools Program. Their efforts resulted in NMHS being selected as a champion school in the battle to stop students from texting while driving. NMHS is now competing against other champion schools for a driving simulator.

Distracted operation of a vehicle occurs when the driver is engaged in non-driving activities, which hinder their overall ability to operate the automobile in a safe manner. While all distractions can endanger the overall safety and well being of occupants, texting and the use of cell phones are by far more prevalent. “Twenty percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashes, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes)” -NHTSA.

New Milford High School wants to assure that our students arrive safely at their destinations and do not make a fatal decision to use cell phones while behind the wheel. New Milford High School was an active member in the 9^th Annual “Get It Together” Challenge. The “Get It Together” challenge was a local competition between high schools designed to increase seat belt usage. The faculty and administration championed this competition to assure the safety of all New Milford students, families, and community members. There were two unannounced checks for seat belt compliance. The first was September 28^th, 2011 and the second was October 6^th, 2011.

To continue our dedication to the overall safety and well being of our students, and community members, Mr. Walt Pevny developed the “Safe Box” which was entered into the “U Got Brains Competition”, sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey. This revolutionary device helps to promote “text free” driving among teens. Upon entering into the automobile, the students place their cell phones into the “Drive Safe Box”, the phone will be automatically charged and the student will not be able to remove the phone. The driver will be unable to text or use the phone with hands; however they can still utilize and enable their blue tooth systems. The “Drive Safe Box” can only be opened from the rear with a key, which has been attached to their car key ring.

Mr. Pevy’s multimedia class is developing a “Public Service” video on the dangers of texting while driving (to be included with every product sold). Also, his Advanced Desktop Publishing class will develop a “marketing campaign” for the product (ads, brochures, website, etc.) The prototype will be manufactured by Dr. Asa Awuku and his engineering club. New Milford High School has received notification that the “Drive Safe Box” was selected as one of the top ideas and was awarded the $1,000 stipend to develop our product.

“Let’s not have a life stolen from us, use the DRIVE SAFE for a safe and hands free environment.”

Besides the initiatives listed above NMHS has joined a campaign sponsored by My Parking Sign and received two FREE signs seen below (pictured are Doreen Zacher and Walt Pevny). These signs will be placed on two areas of our campus where they will be clearly visible to our student drivers.

It is Time For Schools to Seriously Consider BYOT

2012-01-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

This piece is cross-posted at the Huffington Post.

As we continue to move even further into the 21^st Century, technology becomes more embedded in all aspects of society. As a father, I see this firsthand with my son, who is in first grade. The gift he wanted the most this past Christmas was an iPod Touch, which Santa was kind enough to bring him. Then there is his younger sister who will regularly ask to use my iPad so she can either care for her virtual horse or dress Barbies in creative ways. As I download all of the apps on these devices, the majority of their time is spent engaged in games that require thought, creativity, and sometimes collaboration. My point here is that many children across the world have access to, and are using, technology outside of school in a variety of ways. Not only do many have access, but also older children possess their own devices (cell phones, smart phones, laptops, tablets, e-readers, etc.).

Image credit: http://blog.eboardsolutions.com/?p=118/

As society continues to move forward in terms of innovation, technology, and global connectivity, schools are being stymied by relentless cuts to education. This has resulted in the reduction of staff, larger class sizes, lack of follow through to repair aging buildings, and the inability to keep up with purchasing and replacing educational technology. It is essential that we rectify all of the above mentioned impacts of budget cuts, but when it comes to technology the perception is that it is the least important area in which to invest precious funds. This is why the time is now for districts and schools to seriously consider developing a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) initiative.

The world of education is often defined by the “haves” and “have nots”. It is this separation that ultimately drives decisions when it comes to educational technology. Why should students in less affluent districts not be afforded the same opportunity as those with large budgets to utilize technology as a learning tool to create, collaborate, connect, communicate, and develop essential media literacies? A BYOT initiative makes sense as we can now leverage a variety of devices that many of our students already possess. It is how we utilize these student owned devices in schools that is the key to a successful BYOT initiative.

There are many well-respected educators that I greatly admire who feel that BYOT has no place in schools. Their main reasons for this are equity in terms of students that have devices and the belief that it is each district’s responsibility to provide all technology to be used by students in schools. I wholeheartedly agree with their positions, but those of us in the trenches must play with the cards that we have been dealt. As educators, it is our duty to do everything in our power to provide our students with the best learning opportunities possible and in many cases allowing students to bring their own devices to school assists in meeting this lofty goal.

We launched our BYOT program at New Milford High School this past September after just piloting it with the senior class last spring. There have been many lessons learned from this journey, the most important being that the students have greatly appreciated this shift. Policies have been developed for students to bring in their own computing devices, a ban on cell phone use during non-instructional time has been lifted, and educational programs have been put in place to teach our students about digital citizenship, responsibility, and footprints. We did not let excuses, such as equity, stop us from moving forward with an initiative that is turning out to have real value to our students and teachers. Key components of a successful BYOT initiative include the following:

Begin to change the way students view their devices by changing the language when they are referenced. Students need to fully understand that they are tools for learning. Make consistent efforts to refer to them as mobile learning devices.
When using these devices in the classroom, the teacher must ensure that there is a specific learning outcome connected to the device.
Ensuring equity is important and we must be cognizant of those students that might not own a device. Determining those that do not in a confidential manner is very important. If using mobile phones, teachers can easily pair students up.
A BYOT initiative can actually supplement what a school might already have in terms of technology and increase access. For example, let’s say a school has a laptop cart with only 20 devices because that is all that could be afforded, but there are 25 students in the class. Student owned technology could then be utilized to close this gap.
Develop appropriate support structures that align with current Acceptable Use Policies.
Provide professional development and resources to teachers so that they can be successful in implementing mobile learning devices.
Treat students like 21^st Century adolescents. Many of them own and use these devices outside of school. If we can focus use on learning, then why would we not allow them to bring these tools and use them in school?
Unacceptable use is dealt with accordingly based on a school’s discipline code. This should not be considered different than any other infraction. When it comes to off task behavior in the classroom, this is most likely the result of a poorly planned lesson or ineffective classroom management techniques.
Promote use of student owned devices for learning during non-instructional time. At NMHS, one can now routinely see students using their devices during lunch to conduct research for projects, complete homework assignments, and organize their responsibilities. Additionally, we have seen a dramatic reduction in behavior issues.

Instead of bashing BYOT and coming up with ideas on how and why it won’t work or how it is unfair, we would be best served to brainstorm ways in which it can become an educational component of our schools. The excuses to write off BYOT only serve to undermine the students that we are tasked with educating. A BYOT initiative will be unique to each district and should be carefully constructed based on socioeconomics and community dynamics. To begin the process students should be asked for their input. What are your thoughts on BYOT in schools? If it has worked for you, please share your experiences.

Getting Started With Web 2.0

2012-01-17T17:57:00.000-05:00

The following is a guest post by Wendy Mackey, one of my Special Education (English) teachers at New Milford High School.

The problem with Web 2.0 is that it takes time to understand! There are so many great technology programs out there to choose from, that it can be very overwhelming for us teachers to narrow down exactly what to use. I, however, feel like I hit the nail on the head with Glogster.

My students just finished reading an alternative novel by MT Anderson called FEED. There were many themes that the story dealt with, but one that I found the kids most were interested in was the fact that a teenage girl was dying, and she was making a list of the things that she still wanted to do while she was alive. This chapter prompted a class discussion, and I explained to the students what a “Bucket List” was. They all discussed their ideas of what they wanted to do during their lifetime, and I knew that this was my opportunity to create a meaningful project for them.

Glogster, an online poster website, was the perfect forum for my students to create their Bucket Lists on. As a teacher, I took a week or so and created my own poster, simply so I could show the students how to navigate around the website. I was able to set up a free (for 30 days) teacher’s account, and I added my students on my page. They were all given nicknames and passwords, and I had the control to see what they were working on every step of the way. Once I presented my Glog, and showed them all of the fun options that were available, they were off and running. I wasn’t surprised to see that they picked up on it immediately. (And I’m slightly embarrassed to say that they even showed me some features that I had missed!) We spent two class days working on brainstorming ideas and finding graphics to portray them. I then allowed the students one extra week to work on their Glogs from home. During my personal trial run, I recognized that once this concept was in my brain, I kept coming up with new ideas each day and wanted to add them to my Glog, so I gave the kids the same opportunity that I had - the gift of time.

I am proud to say that all of my students did very well with their Glogster Bucket Lists. Many of the students had ideas that made me laugh out loud, while other students gave me a deeper understanding of who they were through their posters. Below you will find links to view some of the Glogs that my students created. All in all, I am extremely pleased with this authentic and meaningful project.

Jesus's Glog

Mo's Glog

Alexis's Glog

The Real World, Not MTV Style

2012-01-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

One of the main objectives of a sound lesson is for students to find meaning and relevancy in terms of what they are learning. Typical questions students ask include the following:

Why do we need to know this?
What am I going to do with this later in life?
How is this going to help me get a job?

This can sometimes prove to be a difficult task as real world contexts are either not established or properly articulated. One effective strategy is to leverage local resources by bringing in experts as guest instructors. Not only is this cost effective, but students can hear from actual practitioners in the field whose experiences connect to what they are currently learning about. They can also provide concrete connections between different content areas. This is a fantastic way for students to acquire additional essential understandings of concepts and how they connect to specific lines of work. It is one thing for students to learn concepts, but another to see how they are actually applied in a professional line of work. Guest instructors serve as a great resource to answer the common questions listed above. All of these reasons listed above are sure to increase engagement and instill a greater sense of relevancy and meaning amongst learners.

Image credit: http://catechesisinthethirdmillennium.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/786044_bright_idea.jpg

Each month my teachers bring in a variety of guest instructors. Recent guests include alumni, local business leaders, and fellow teachers. Below are some some examples during the month of December:

On December 13, 2011, Art Coughlin from Nelson-Patterson Insurance Agency in New Milford was a guest speaker in Mrs. Vicari’s Business Strategy classes. Mr. Coughlin spoke to the students about the Insurance Industry, types of business insurance, as well as, what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Additionally, Mr. Coughlin has graciously volunteered to give the students “mock” insurance quotes for their start-up businesses. The students have to research the costs associated with starting a business and are then to ask for a loan as part of a business plan competition.
On December 15, 2011, Mr. Tusa of the Social Studies Department guest lectured on the history of racism in America in Mrs. DePoto’s AP Language and Composition class. The AP class is studying nonfiction works on a variety of themes this year; Mr. Tusa volunteered to bring a historical perspective to a piece the class was studying by Thomas Jefferson called “Notes from Virginia”. The class was able to trace the history of philosophical movements that impacted some of the earliest writers of our nation and are to see the connection between their ideas and various contemporary figures such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Future collaboration between the Social Studies Department and the Language Arts Department is planned.
Mr. Thomas Jaworski, an alumnus of New Milford and a professional engineer visited the high school and delivered a presentation on civil engineering on Friday, December 16. His presentation to the engineering class covered many of the fields of civil engineering. He discussed bridge construction in detail, citing local and familiar examples including the George Washington and Tappan Zee bridges. The engineering students responded very well to the presentation and continued the discussion well after the class had ended. Mr. Jaworski offered to assist Dr. Asa-Awuku and Mrs. Bergoffen with developing an activity for “Engineering Week” in February of 2012.
New Milford High School is obviously a place where students feel safe and comfortable while they are here as our students. This can be seen each year as former students come back to visit, work as substitutes, and in some cases even get hired as teachers. For two days this December, in Mrs. Collentine’s Global Perspectives in Literature Honors classes, NMHS class of 2005 alumnus Jonathan Silver was a “guest” speaker/teacher/actor and taught and performed Shakespeare’s Hamlet for Mrs. Collentine’s students. Jon, who is currently serving as producer and director of this year’s NMHS spring musical, is a professional actor. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Dramatic Performance, Jon was thrilled to teach for two days when Mrs. Collentine asked if he would come into her classes. Jon spent a summer in London studying Shakespeare and even performed on the famous and historical Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts stage. He is a natural and a force to be reckoned with as he brought a palpable passion to Mrs. Collentine’s classes. He discussed why Shakespeare is so challenging for young adults, he gave them techniques in terms of approaching the text, and he logically compared the analysis and reading of Shakespeare to math problems like calculus and trigonometry. His booming voice took on the roles of Hamlet, the Ghost and King Claudius. The kids read with him and he joked and laughed with them as he compared Hamlet’s world to the world of today’s teenager: Britney Spears was mentioned and the word “emo” was as well, along with other 21^st century references. As hard as English teachers work to bring any text to life and off the page, there is always a welcome burst of energy when a professional actor comes to town.
Visiting artist Clifford Smith, a New Milford High School Alumnus, came to share his paintings with students in Ms. Bettini’s class. Smith’s artwork is in exhibits at the Spanierman Galley (NYC), Fashion in the Hamptons (NY), Scott White Contemporary Art Gallery, the Travis Hansson Fine Art Gallery (CA), the Rosenbaum Contemporary Gallery and the Elaine Baker Gallery (NJ). He is known for his paintings of oceans, fields, landscapes, and portraits.

Technology can also greatly assist educators in bringing in a variety of experts from all over the world in virtually every field. Some fantastic free video conferencing tools include Skype and hangouts within Google+. Establish your own unique real world learning experiences within the walls of your school today!

To see other guest instructors that have visited NMHS check out the archive of my monthly Principal's Report.

Creativity Fuels Innovation

2012-01-02T08:24:00.000-05:00

I am a firm believer that creativity fuels innovation. The problem though is the the majority of schools all over the world work as hard as they can to get learners to conform to a curriculum and standards while preparing them to perform at a level on standardized tests. This is as uncreative as it gets. In the age of misguided reform the challenge becomes transforming institutions of learning and steering away from irrelevant pedagogical techniques in a way that not only meets the needs of society, but most importantly that of our students.

At New Milford we have taken a big step in placing creativity at the forefront with the creation of our Academies at NMHS as well as the introduction of new courses such as Digital Journalism, Digital Photography, Business Practice Firm, Engineering, and Biotechnology. Teachers are also beginning to embrace a variety of Web 2.0 tools and integrate them in a way that allow students to unleash their creativity (see this Glogster example). The PLC I am a part of with the rest of my administrative team focuses on a classroom walk-through process targeting student-centered instruction. This is a small snapshot of what we are doing to promote creativity.

I am hoping the video above can become a catalyst for a more detailed discussion on the following: How can we nurture creativity in educational contexts? What has to be done to transform schools in a way that embraces creative instructional strategies and thought amongst learners?

Social Media is Not Just For Students

2011-12-21T19:15:00.000-05:00

Cross-posted at the NJ Principals and Supervisors Association.

When principals hear the words Twitter and Facebook they cringe. Immediately, visions of excessive socialization, time wasted, and meaningless conversations in the form of updates come to mind. This is true, in many cases, when these tools are used for personal use. I am here to share ways in which principals can harness the power of these free resources to improve communications, public relations, professional growth, instruction, and create a brand presence for your school. Quite simply, social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook have improved my effectiveness and efficiency as an educational leader.

Image credit: http://gurureviewbonus.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/socialmediabandwagon1.jpg

Twitter is a microblogging platform that allows users to send free messages called "tweets" in 140 characters or less. Character limits and the ability for people to receive tweets as SMS text messages make this a powerful communications tool. Why spend money on expensive information delivery systems when you can use Twitter for free? One of the benefits of using Twitter is that you can communicate information whenever and wherever you want, making it extremely convenient. Principals can use Twitter to easily and quickly communicate the following information:

School events (concerts, art shows, Back to School Night)
Meetings (PTO, PTA, Athletic Boosters)
School closings
Live athletic scores, updates, and final results
Student honors
Teacher innovations
Emergency information
News

At New Milford High School I have created an official Twitter account to send out the above information. I developed a simple instruction sheet and disseminated it to all of my parents because many people still don’t really know what Twitter is or how it can be used for professional communications. This sheet explains how to sign up, activate updates on their cell phones, and the types of information that will be sent out.

As I learned from my students, many more people use the social media tool, Facebook, than use Twitter. As a result of their advice, I created a NMHS Facebook page. The same information sent out using Twitter is also placed on our NMHS Facebook Page. Using these two resources together can allow principals to take control of their public relations and deliver positive information into the hands of stakeholders. Where principals once relied on the media, press releases, and websites, we now have the ability to get out links to media articles and website updates as well as pictures and video that highlight school programs. By doing so you ultimately create a brand presence for your building, one that conveys a message of success, organization, innovation, and achievement.

Principals can also use social networking tools for professional growth and development. My journey started in March 2009 when I took a chance and began to utilize Twitter as acommunications tool. After lurking and learning for a little while, I quickly discovered this vibrant community of passionate educators actively collaborating to improve educational practices. With this new knowledge in hand I began to formulate my own Personal Learning Network (PLN) that is based on global collaboration, active discussion, acquiring and sharing of resources, consistent feedback, proven strategies, and reflection.

As my network has grown, so has my growth as an educational leader. With new ideas and strategies in hand, I am now working collaboratively with my staff to transform the teaching and learning culture of my school. Through a combination of sound pedagogy and effective technology integration, student engagement is on this rise. We are making learning relevant, meaningful, and creative!

Twitter opened my eyes to a variety of Web 2.0 tools that could be used to improve my knowledge of educational leadership, effective instructional practices, and technology integration. Principals and schools should embrace Twitter, and social media in general. As leaders, it is our job to communicate effectively, promote all programs (academic, athletic, extracurricular), cultivate innovative teaching practices, and model life-long learning while growing professionally. Using social media to accomplish these goals in the 21st Century not only makes sense, but also is time well spent.

Appreciation for Change

2011-12-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

I often talk about change whether it be through this blog or during presentations to various education groups. It is hard work to change cultures, systems, and perceptions that have been firmly entrenched for a long time. The transformation taking place at New Milford High School to create a 21st Century culture of teaching an learning would fit this bill. This is why I was so pleased to learn about what two of my dynamic history teachers were doing in their classes.

Image credit: http://exchange2pt0.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/change-sign.jpg

For a recent assignment, students in Ms. Perna and Ms. Millan’s American History II classes were asked to conduct interviews with people that they believe to be modern day “progressives”, or reformers. Many students chose to interview teachers, administrators and staff from within the high school building. This interview assignment gave students the chance to partake in conducting an interview and they were able to learn about modern day progressives and reformers within their school and community.

Upon conducting their interviews, students shared them in class, which led to a rich discussion of all the great things going on both within the school and the larger community. The discussion proved to students that there are many people working to try to change things for the better. Students were inspired by the great stories and work of these individuals, and hopefully they are now motivated to become activists for change in something they are passionate about!

A fantastic lesson in my eyes!

Here's a Thought: Reform Driven by Passionate Educators

2011-12-13T18:47:00.000-05:00

Ask yourself why you or someone you know chose a profession in education for a living. Is it because of the paycheck? Do you like the hours? Do the working conditions suit you? Is it because you couldn’t decide on a major until halfway through your Bachelor’s Degree and figured that teaching would be your best option? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you are definitely in the wrong line of work. If you answered no and are committed to working tirelessly to ensure that all children learn and are successful at it then why do you not have a place at the education reform table?

Image credit: http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2009_12_23_archive.html

Being an educator means that you are a part of the noblest profession. Each day is a gift as it provides you with an opportunity to make a positive difference in the life of a child. Quite frankly it takes a special person to be an educator. You understand that your reward for a long days work is not money or bonuses, but instead the satisfaction of knowing that the lesson you spent a great deal of time preparing resulted in student learning. One of the greatest gifts you can ever receive is the acknowledgment from a past student thanking you for never giving up on him/her when others would have. You realize that the summer months are an opportunity to become better. As a result you use this time to engage in professional growth opportunities, read the latest research, and prepare innovative lessons. In your eyes the glass is always half full.

The educator that I just described is driven by passion. They love working with children, will do what it takes to do the job right, never fall victim to the bitterness that is found in all schools, and are committed to continual improvement. Educators driven by a passion to help children learn are the most important components of our society and should be treated as such. Those driven by passion:

Understand that all students can learn.
Are not afraid of failure because they realize that this is a means to improve their craft.
Are compassionate even when pushed to the brink.
Treat professional development as an opportunity as opposed to an annoyance.
Openly share their ideas, lessons, and opinions with others. Their mantra is “together we are better”.
Regularly communicate with parents regularly before and after the school day to keep them abreast of their child’s progress.
Consistently model life-long learning, especially during the summer months.
Regularly reflect in order to enhance teaching and learning.
Create and foster a student-centered learning culture.
View the evaluation process as a growth opportunity.
Realize that there will be some bad days, but these are far outnumbered by the great ones.
Serve as unofficial mentors to others that need support and feedback.
Embrace change that is in the best interests of the entire school community.
Are not afraid to admit when they are wrong.

Reform in education begins with passion. Educators, those who are in the trenches working tirelessly to help all children learn, should be in the driver's seat when it comes to reform. They have not only experienced success in terms of increasing achievement, by are driven by a passion to guide all students on a path to success. These are the change agents we need to reform education, not those individuals or groups that have no vested interest or experience working with students in a public school.

Use of Case Studies as a Student-Centered Approach to Learning

2011-12-03T09:59:00.002-05:00

The use of case studies is a powerful pedagogical approach to incorporate student-centered learning activities into lessons. As a science teacher I routinely utilized case studies as they provided a relevant context to what I was teaching. Claire Davis and Elizabeth Wilcock conducted an excellent literature review and created a phenomenal resource called Teaching Materials Using Case Studies.

Image credit: http://www.amiraclecomputers.com/images/case_study.png

Below are some excerpts and thoughts that I would like to share:

They define case studies as student-centered activities based on topics that demonstrate theoretical concepts in an applied setting.
Using case studies as an interactive learning strategy shifts the emphasis from teacher-centered to more student-centered activities.
Case studies promote the following skills that are at the heart of authentic learning: problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.
They expose students to real-life issues.
Incorporate characteristics of both problem and project-based learning.

One of my math teachers at New Milford High School has begun to integrate the use of case studies in her classes. Mrs. Chellani's key goal is to connect key mathematical concepts to real-life and other disciplines so students are able to better comprehend the content, understand the significance of the material being taught, and recognize how each discipline is interrelated. In order to achieve this objective, Mrs. Chellani goes beyond solely discussing these connections in class. She utilizes a more complex approach by assigning a case study at the end of each unit so students are able to see these connections in practice. These case studies are centered around real-world and interdisciplinary examples and provide another means to reinforce the learning in class. Furthermore, these case studies involve the use of technology (i.e. MS Office applications, Internet research, trend/statistical Analysis, etc.) and higher-order thinking skills (i.e. drawing conclusions) that prepare students with essential skills sets. Here are 2 examples provided by Mrs. Chellani.

I applaud Mrs. Chellani's commitment to making mathematics more meaningful to her students through the use of case studies and feel that teachers in all disciplines can benefit from this approach. Here are some other resources on the use of case studies in education:

Case-Based learning from the UMDNJ Center for Teaching Excellence
Using case studies to teach science from Actionbioscience
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science from the National Science Foundation
Case method website: How to teach with cases from the University of CA (Santa Barbara)

The Flipped Classroom Explained

2011-11-27T08:55:00.000-05:00

There has been a great deal of information lately on the World Wide Web and in the media on the flipped classroom approach. I still get the sense that many educators are unsure of what this actually means and entails. I myself have done quite a bit of research as of late to gain a better understanding.

Image credit: http://blog.wsd.net/skamp/files/2011/10/The-flipped-classroom.jpg

There are two main components associated with the flipped classroom approach to teaching and learning. The first is that students watch lectures and consume other forms of content outside of school at their own pace while communicating with peers and teachers using online tools. The second is that students in school work to actively apply what they have learned through concept engagement with assistance from the teacher. For a more detailed description and an infographic on this approach check out this great article at MindShift. There is also fantastic information at The Digital Sandbox including this description: "The flipped classroom provides avenues for teachers to become facilitators of learning and move away from the sage on the stage approach to teaching. The goal is to extend learning time conversation to outside of class through threaded discussion."

Below is an introductory video on what it means to "flip" your classroom. Please be aware that there is a brief product pitch at the end of the video.

For more resources on the flipped classroom approach visit Cybraryman's page on the topic. So what are your thoughts on this topic? I would love to hear from those educators that have found success with this. Will schools and educators find value in this approach and begin to flip their classrooms? Or will the fear and anxiety associated with standardized testing and new teacher accountability reforms stop this phenomenon from taking off?

Student Voice Matters

2011-11-20T09:24:00.000-05:00

This past September I was fortunate enough to attend a professional development program on the Chromebook at the Google offices in New York City. At the conclusion of the workshop, I immediately began to think about the potential of this computing device in my school. However, something was missing. The missing piece to making a decision of this magnitude was the thoughts and advice from the most important constituency in schools, the students. So I floated an idea to Google, which at the time I didn’t think would ever pan out. I asked them if I could bring back a group of students from New Milford High School so that they could try out the devices and provide me with feedback as to whether or not they would be a good fit for our school. The idea was enthusiastically embraced.

Image credit: http://devilsworkshop.org/google-dominate-netbook-market-with-chromebook/

On Monday November 14, 2011, I took ten students from our STEM Academy on an amazing adventure to the Google offices in New York City. This would turn out to be the most exciting and meaningful daylong trip of their high school experience. The agenda for the day was as follows:

Tour of the offices and themed floors.
Chromebook overview and hands-on time with the device.
Special meeting with “Googlers” to learn about what it is like to work there, the application process, and the diversity of programs that they work on.
Lunch in one of the five specialized cafeterias.

Since this was an Academy experience, I gave the students an assignment that had to be completed after the trip (which comes back to why we were at Google in the first place). Each student had to write a persuasive essay explaining why I should or should not purchase Chromebooks for the school. I reinforced the fact that they, not me, would make this important decision. I don’t know who was more excited about this, the students or me. Students have begun to send their essays to me using Google Docs and I can’t resist sharing one of them here. The following is the persuasive essay by senior Amanda Howell:

On Monday November 14th, myself, along with a small group of students, had an unparalleled opportunity. We were able to visit the Google offices in New York City, and try the Chromebooks that Google has come out with. Not only was the trip to Google an amazing experience, but also to be able to test out technology that could be beneficial to my fellow students was an amazing personal experience.

I found the Chromebooks would be a great investment for New Milford High School for several reasons. These reasons include the computers simplicity, speed, and value.   The first, and perhaps best quality of the Chromebooks, is its simplicity. This I personally love, but I also think will be a great quality for the student body. The Chromebook has the least hassle of any computer I have ever surfed the web on, and it was an extremely refreshing experience to be able to boot up and go. The students here at New Milford will be able to turn on their Chromebook, enter their information, and begin working on whatever they desire. I believe that this feature will be particularly useful for a classroom setting because students will need no instructions on what to do. It wastes time in a classroom when teachers have to give their students instructions on operating devices, but not with the Chromebook. 

Time, and speed in particular, is another fantastic aspect of the Chromebook. Personally, my P.C takes what seems like forever to boot up, but not the Chromebook. You press the power button and within eight seconds you have access to the World Wide Web. Eight seconds is extremely fast, and will save time in classes. This high efficiency will also be beneficial for a classroom setting because the students will have an ample amount of time to perform research, or whatever else the class requires. This is in contrast to the laptops teachers have access to now, which take what seems like the whole class period just to start up. Not only is the start up for the Chromebooks fast, but also the computer itself operates faster than any other computer the school has.  

The final aspect of the Chromebooks that make them beneficial is value. The Chromebooks are extremely reasonable compared to other laptops, such as Macs. The value of the Chromebooks is so high because of accessibility. There are many times that students are working on a project, or doing research, but when they sign on the next day, the computer they were using is not available. This problem is completely eliminated with the Chromebooks because students can pick up and go from any of the computers. Students are not saving their work to the computer, but rather to their account. This not only increases accessibility, but security as well because without your password no one has access to your account.

Over all, I believe that because of all these aspects of the Chromebooks, they would be a great asset at New Milford High School. The book’s simplicity, speed, and value place them in a category, which no other technology is in. They would be extremely helpful in bettering the student’s education and learning experience here at our school. They are an extremely smart investment, and I am even considering one myself.

Once all of the essays have been submitted and reviewed I will meet with this group of students and inform them of my decision to purchase or not. This decision will be made entirely from their input. The point here is that students are being placed in positions to make important decisions as part of our school transformation efforts. By involving them in this process it is our hope that they will take more ownership of their learning. After all, students are the reasons why we do what we do. It only makes sense to involve them as much as possible.

Profound Impact

2011-11-09T21:22:00.001-05:00

As educators we routinely wonder whether or not the advice that we impart on our students actually has had a positive impact. Sometimes were are given direct feedback, but other times were are left to wonder. During the past couple of weeks we have organized two assemblies where I have educated the entire student body on cyberbullying, as well as digital responsibility and footprints. My goals for the assemblies were for students to fully understand the negative impact and consequences associated with bullying online, the need to advocate for others who are targeted, the importance of demonstrating responsibility online as it can potentially impact college acceptances and future employment, and the creation of a positive digital footprint.

Image credit: http://www.positiveimpactmagazine.com/how-to-get-involved/advertise/

For each class I utilized a PowerPoint presentation complete with testimonials, emotional videos, and relevant examples. During each assembly students were extremely attentive and respectful, but I was still unsure about whether or not my points were made. Fortunately someone shared with me the email below that was sent to our middle school principal by a student who attended one of my presentations. Please note that I have removed all names.

Hi Mrs. XXX, I'm not sure if you remember me but my name is XXX XXX. I'm a junior at the high school. I also wasn't sure who to come to about this, but at the high school we recently had a presentation on cyber- bullying, and I have a Facebook account. A student's Facebook page at your middle school came up on my Facebook news-feed. Her page wasn't blocked, which is why her information was visible to view. I didn't want to just overlook this. Last year when I was a sophomore, this girl came to the high school football games with her dad and she was very friendly, but I noticed other girls from the middle school bullying her. I remember telling the girl to ignore them and not to hang out with them. However, on this girl's page there were cruel comments and sarcastic remarks leading this girl to believe they liked her when from my point of view it seemed like bullying. The girl's name is XXX XXX, I don't know her, but I just wanted to bring it to your attention if it wasn't already known. I just wanted to say something, because at the high school the presentation on cyber-bullying really made me realize how much of a difference saying something can make. If you need me at all feel free to email me back.

I can't even begin to explain how proud I am of this student! Messages like this make me realize that when we take the time to educate our students ourselves it really does have an impact. We are in the process of conducting all of our assemblies with in-house personnel because it is cost-effective, convenient, and most importantly we are the ones who have established connections with our students. Find out who your experts are and empower them to deliver important messages during assemblies and I can assure you that they too will have a profound impact on your students.

The Questions I Ask

2011-11-03T09:54:00.001-04:00

I have been fortunate over the past few days to have attended the Authorspeak Conference. This experience has allowed me to listen to and connect with some of the best minds in education (i.e. Robert Marzano, Rick DuFour, Carol Tomlinson, Doug Reeves, Will Richardson). Additionally, I have been able to network with other amazing educators from all over the world and actively share how we are transforming the culture at New Milford High School.

http://www.printinghub.org/files/2011/10/Questions-to-Ask-Yourself-Before-Adding-Marketing-Services.jpg

During the second day of the conference I presented on Communicating and Connecting With Social Media with my co-authors Bill Ferriter and Jason Ramsden. Throughout the 45 minute presentation we shared proven strategies to harness the power inherent within social media tools to enhance communications, establish the foundation for a positive public relations platform, connect with other educators to learn, and create policies to ensure effective use. I believe our session went very well and attendees left with a vision and strategies to begin integrating social media tools into their professional practice. For a brief summary check out the synopsis by Nick Provezano at The Nerdy Teacher blog.

However, after reflecting on the session and speaking with some of the attendees, it is apparent that the embracement of social media in schools and by educators will continue to be an uphill battle. For those educators and schools that are either resistant to or unsure about using social media I pose these questions to you:

Why would educators and schools not want to use free social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to communicate important information (student honors, staff accomplishments, meetings, emergency information) to stakeholders in real-time?
Who would not want to take control of their public relations and produce a constant stream of positive news? If we don't share our story someone else will and we then run the chance that it will not be positive.
Why should establishing a brand presence be restricted to the business world when schools and districts now have the tools at their fingertips to do this in a cost-effective manner?
What educator would not want to connect with experts and peers across the globe to grow professionally through knowledge acquisition, resource sharing, engaged discussion, and to receive feedback?
Why do many schools refuse to allow educators to use free social media tools to engage learners, unleash their creativity, and enhance learning?
Why are schools missing the opportunity and failing students by not teaching digital responsibility/citizenship through the effective use of social media?
Who would not want to tap into countless opportunities that arise through conversations and transparency in online spaces?
When will the profession of education catch up to society?

These are the questions that I believe many of us who are engaged in social media ask. I encourage you to share these with other schools, administrators, teachers, and board of education members who still question the value of social media in education. Together we can continue to be the change that we want to see in education.

Who's Your Buddy?

2011-10-26T17:48:00.001-04:00

\Who's Your Buddy?Tonight my Student Assistance Counselor, Doreen Zacher, is running a program for parents called STOP Bullying. At NMHS we have always been proactive when it comes to protecting our students to ensure that they have a learning environment free from physical, social, and emotional distractions. Even so, the passing of N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15, otherwise known as the Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Law (HIB), has moved our school to adopt additional measures to deal with an epidemic that plagues schools across the country.

Image Credit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Be-a-buddy-not-a-Bully/194231010600193

Doreen has spearheaded many innovative initiatives designed to educate students on the negative impacts of HIB in order to prevent situations from occurring both in and out of school. At the heart of each initiative are the students themselves. I invite you now to read the thoughts of Jesus Collado, a current senior at NMHS, on one of these programs:

“B.U.D.D.Y.” – Bullying Undermines Developing Diverse Youths; the name of the group conveys the message that about 30 high school students and their mentor, Ms. Dorene Zacher, are trying to spread. The idea is simple: organize a group of students to help regulate and teach other students about the dangers of bullying, intimidation, and harassment. These students are called “Buddy’s”, and each hold very strong and personal views about the bullying issue that is plaguing the country today. It is because of this that I have come to feel so comfortable in New Milford High School. I feel amazed and joyful that so many teachers and students have come together to support this program to work towards a more united future. There is a heart-warming quality to seeing a school, not only the students, but also the faculty, coming together for such a righteous cause. It truly makes me eager to be part of a movement that is marching towards a better future. Be a Buddy, Not a Bully!

All students in the B.U.D.D.Y. program have received an intense day of training by Doreen. The students themselves will be running the program tonight. They are also are sent out to the other schools in our district to educate younger students on HIB. Students learning life lessons, modeling good citizenship, and being empowered to make difference in their school and beyond is what education is all about. We must empower our students to be involved in every facet of their educational experience if we want to truly create a system that they find valuable, relevant, and meaningful. They should be the catalysts that drive reform. Let their voices be heard!

The Future is Here: Take Advantage of It

2011-10-20T10:02:00.000-04:00

At New Milford High School we have begun to leverage technology that many students possess. This has led to a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) initiative, where students are encouraged to bring in their mobile learning devices, which include cell phones or personal computing devices (laptops, tablets, iPod Touches, eReaders, etc). Students that bring their own computing devices have the ability to connect to our secure wireless network. Check out the recent story CBS New York did on our initiative below.

We highly value equity in terms of access to technology. In the case of mobile learning devices (cell phones), if a student does not have a device my teachers have been instructed to pair or group them when using polling sites like Poll Everywhere or conducting research. Students that bring their own computing device primarily use them in the cafeteria during their 48 minute lunch to conduct research, work on homework/projects, or for organization. It is at the teachers' discretion whether or not to allow a student to use their personal computing device in class. Many times students that have brought their own devices will us them in lieu of school-provided options (laptop carts, computer labs).

The mobile learning revolution is upon us. Isn't it time schools and some educators stop making excuses not to move forward and leverage the technology that our students already possess? How mobile learning devices are adopted in each school will vary as there is no one-size-fits-all approach due to the uniqueness of communities. If you have pondered or are against BYOT at least engage your students, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders in a conversation to elicit their thoughts. If you do I am willing to wager that you will take advantage of mobile learning devices as well.

Be the Change You Want to See in Education

2011-10-17T20:14:00.004-04:00

“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

On a beautiful Saturday morning in October hundreds of educators from numerous states in the Northeast descended upon New Milford High School for a day of learning, connecting, and reflecting at The Edscape Conference. As I addressed the crowd to begin the event I was in awe of all the passionate educators who took the time to gather on a weekend for the sole purpose of getting better at their craft in order to better meet the needs of their students. Do the reformers know or even care about events like this? I’m guessing it wasn’t even a blip on their radar as there wasn’t a single session on standardization, accountability, performance pay, or the Common Core. Instead session after session provided educators with fresh ideas, proven strategies, invaluable connections, and the confidence to pursue innovation.

As the co-host I had the luxury of popping in on every single session to get a feel for the presenter and the learning environment that he or she had established. What I saw in each room were engaged educators eager to learn and open their minds to the possibilities that the 21^st Century presents. From Diana Laufenberg’s keynote, to the exciting hands-on sessions provided by Teq, to the inspiring discussions at lunch, Edscape was about transforming schools in a way that benefits all of our students.

So how should school be structured and operate? This is something that must be decided by those in the trenches (teachers, administrators), stakeholders (parents, BOE), and most importantly the students. As Diana described so eloquently schools should be inquiry-driven, student-centered, relevant, foster creativity, community-based, and emphasize mentoring. I could go on and on, but I am fortunate that members of my PLN and the media (The Record and Patch) have already shared detailed reflections and analysis on Edscape. Please take the time to read their thoughts, which portray an event that I was honored to be a part of:

#Edscape by Tom Whitby
Edscape Reflections by Maureen Devlin
My First Conference Experience by Ms. Sullivan
The 3 Ls of #Edscape by Lyn Hilt
#Edscape by Michelle Lampinen
Edscape 2011: A Retrospective by Lisa Fusco

When reading the powerful quote by Gandhi at the beginning of this post, I believe that the greatest takeaway from the Edscape Conference was that individual educators need to be the change that we want to see in education. The reform talk and subsequent push is not going to subside anytime in the near future, but each of us has the capacity to initiate positive change in order to create a teaching and learning culture that pushes our students to think critically, unleash their creativity, actively solve problems, promotes service, and inspires students to challenge themselves. This is the type of reform that I want to be a part of. Thankfully, this is my reality.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!!!! Edscape will once again be held at New Milford High School on Saturday October 13, 2012.

(A special thank you goes out to Teq. Without this educational partner, Edcape would not have happened or been a success.)

Simple Idea, Huge Impact

2011-10-09T10:26:00.000-04:00

Recently we have been brainstorming ways to motivate students to begin thinking about college at an earlier stage while in school and believing that it is an attainable goal for everyone. One idea suggested by my two new guidance counselors (Michelle Harle and Rebecca Chabrow) was to host an event during the school day that would help us achieve the goal stated above. After intense planning NMHS held its first annual college mini-fair on Thursday, September 15, 2011. The not so mini, mini-fair took place in our main gym with more than 70 colleges from across the country attending.

Colleges from as far south as Florida and as far north as the Canadian border were here. College representatives set up tables full of information about their schools, academic disciplines, tuition, popular programs, clubs, location, and much more. All students in the school had the opportunity to visit with college reps, fill out response cards and some students even applied to schools on the spot. This was made possible as we scheduled the event during our three 48 minute lunch periods. Students either went before or after they quickly ate their food and thoroughly took advantage of the experience. The event was a huge success in creating awareness about different types of universities, majors and minors, and reinforcing the fact that there is a college for everyone.

Planning for an event of this size started in late spring and continued on through the summer. Feedback from the reps was overwhelmingly positive, and we expect our 2^nd annual mini-fair to be even bigger. This is just one small, yet important step in helping out students actively pursue greater learning opportunities that college provide if this is what they aspire towards. Thanks to the Guidance Department for organizing and hosting the event.

Instructional Upgrade

2011-10-04T20:00:00.000-04:00

With the first month of the school year in the books, I am extremely pleased with how more staff members are embracing educational technology and effectively integrating a variety of tools into instruction. At New Milford High School we clearly articulate that technology is a powerful tool. Together, with a sound pedagogical foundation, these dynamic 21^st Century tools have the ability to assist in transforming learning environments where students are engaged and excited to learn. Here are some highlights from the past month:

Image credit: http://www.custom-build-computers.com/Upgrading-CPU.html

Students in Ms. Perna’s US History I course worked on developing a colonial road trip project this month. Students were to develop a trip that someone could take today to explore colonial history through one of the three colonial regions. Students created detailed trip itineraries, after conducting research, and used Google Docs to put together their itineraries. After completing itineraries, they created visual representations of their trips to “sell” it to their peers, and then in class, students set up their trips for a “fair” in which they walked around and viewed other students’ trips. Students enjoyed the project and made colonial history come alive!
Since the start of the school year, technology has been a huge part of Mr. Fiscina’s lessons. Each day students are greeted by the interactive SMART board. The students in Geometry honors have learned how to use the board’s construction tools. They now can come up to the board and use the compass, ruler, and protractor (all within the SMART notebook software) to construct different Geometric relationships. Students from Algebra 1B and Elements of Geometry have used Poll Everywhere in order to answer multiple choice questions. A live chart, showing results from the classroom, is posted on the SMART board during this question and answer time. Students can see how they are doing compared to the rest of the class and Mr. Fiscina can assess the class as a whole. Also, in the beginning of the month, Mr. Fiscina used a program called Jing in order to help a student with a problem. Jing is a program where you can select part of your screen to be recorded and make a short film featuring picture and sound. Mr. Fiscina used Jing and the SMART notebook software to make a short video instructing the student on how to use the problem. Mr. Fiscina plans to post videos throughout the year in order to help with difficult problems. The biggest complaint students normally have with math is that they understand the problems in class, do fine with the work in class, but when they go home they have no idea how to do their work anymore. Now with Jing, they can bring Mr. Fiscina home with them in order to help study.
One of Mrs. Chellani’s goals at NMHS is to infuse technology into daily math instruction to make the learning process more interactive, engaging, and relevant for students. She has employed a variety of methods in order to accomplish this goal. A recent initiative has been integrating a Smart Board interactive game at the beginning of each class to review key mathematical concepts taught in prior lessons. This initiative not only acts as a cumulative review on previous material, but it creates an engaging, student-centered learning environment and serves as an alternate means to individually assess the learning of each student.
Mr. Hawkins has been developing a website for his math classes. This was developed for students to get extra practice on their studies in a variety of ways. It includes random problem generators, solver pages, and videos.
Mrs. Morel has been having her art classes utilize their students’ smart phones to look up definitions to art terms, which are shared in class, and design images to further stimulate and influence students’ creativity. The students are excited to share their findings with one another and, if they find images they desire to use as references, they can print them using the computer and printer in the art studio.
The World Language Department at New Milford High School has recently gained access to Voki Classroom, a website in which students create their own avatars (graphical representation of the user), and use them to improve oral communication in the target language. The World Language teachers are currently collaborating and working on different lesson plans using Voki Classroom and plan to implement them within the next month.
Mrs. Levy has been creating websites for her courses using Google Sites. The main website is used for all activities, classes, and communication. The two websites Mrs. Levy created just for her classes are: U.S. History I - This website allows students to find out what homework is assigned, provides all handouts given in class, lists dates for projects and tests and allows students to submit their homework online via form to Mrs. Levy’s Dropbox. It also enables students to take online polls. Each week in our newsletter section, Mrs. Levy brags about the superstars of that week who really stood out in class and they get a phone call home too. World History - This website allows students to find out what homework is assigned, provides all handouts given in class, provides dates for projects and tests and allows students to submit their homework online via forms to Mrs. Levy’s Dropbox. It also enables students to take online polls. Each week in the newsletter section, Mrs Levy brags about the superstars of that week who really stood out in class and they receive a phone call home for additional reinforcement.

These dedicated teachers have made a point to upgrade their instruction this year with 21st Century tools, many of which are free, to facilitate authentic learning. It is an exciting time to be at NMHS to witness this transformation. The end result, engaged students excited to learn. How is your school transforming the teaching and learning process?

It's All in the Design

2011-09-25T09:59:00.000-04:00

The other day I was fortunate to attend a training session on the new Chromebook at Google's New York City offices. The Chromebook itself turned about to be an intriguing device that clearly has an upside as an educational tool in schools. It boots up in 8 seconds, has a sleek user interface, is very light, and allows you to pick up right where you left off when you log onto another device. While engaging in professional development throughout the day I was amazed by the Google office and workspace structure as we had an opportunity to explore a little bit as me moved between sessions and lunch. I have heard many rumors about life at Google and was extremely surprised to see that most of them were true. Here is a quick snapshot:

Use of scooters as a means of transportation. There were even racks throughout each floor for Google employees to park their scooter.
Lego wall in a lounge area. The wall was lined with bins of different sized and colored Lego's. It was clear that employees are encouraged to unleash their creativity when it suites them. The Angry Birds and super-sized Ferris wheel designs were extremely impressive.
Specialized areas/rooms: A few that I noticed were the gaming and massage rooms.
Mini-kitchens galore. It was obvious that appetite contentment is a priority at Google. Some of these kitchens were decorated in particular themes. One of the most elaborate mini-kitchens I saw was decorated as a jungle complete with hammock-like chairs, small waterfalls, decorated trees, and live frogs. It was so relaxing that I could easily see myself napping in there from time to time. Equally impressive were the massive espresso, cappuccino, and coffee machines in each kitchen as well as the overwhelming selection of food and beverages.
Google-themed artwork throughout the building. Company pride was apparent everywhere.
Clever reminders not to do certain things. One sign throughout the building was a picture of an alligator with it's tail propping the door open. Each picture was accompanied with this reminder, "Beware the Tailgator!" Obviously Google didn't want some doors propped open for security reasons.
Office spaces where entire walls were whiteboards, perfect for brainstorming and outlining creative ideas. These offices had a large table that could seat approximately 12-16 people.
Open spaces with collaborative and comfortable furniture (leather couches, plush lounge chairs, etc.) not to mention more coffee stations.
Bistro dinning area that provided employees with an unparalleled lunch. This place was not even normal. Lunch was truly a dining experience here and I was in awe of the immense selection of choices. I couldn't believe that fresh sushi was available. The chef preparing a special of the day was a nice touch as well.

The atmosphere described above along with Google's 80/20 Innovation Model really inspires and motivates employees to perform at a consistently high level. Who wouldn't want to work here in this type of environment? Now imagine if schools adopted a similar thought process and designed learning as well as common spaces using several of the principles described above? It gives me chills thinking about the potential this could have on increasing achievement, motivation, and developing a passion for the learning process. School would become a place where students couldn't wait to get to and at the end of the day would be reluctant to leave. School re-design needs to become part of the education reform conversation. Is my thinking that far-fetched? What would your perfect school environment include?

Desire

2011-09-19T20:59:00.001-04:00

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure" - Bill Cosby

As I welcomed my staff back two weeks ago I wanted to craft and deliver a meaningful message that would hopefully resonate with them throughout the school year. So I stepped out of my comfort zone (as a science teacher I tend to be very concrete sequential and analytical) and developed an acronym focused on the word "desire". Here is a quick summary:

Development: As educators we must always model life-long learning for our students and continually pursue avenues for growth. I remember during my time at the Google Academy for Administrators hearing the term "lead learner" for the very first time. How can we expect our students to embrace this concept if we do not? In addition to a District PLC initiative, my administrative team and I worked over the summer to reduce non-instructional duties so that the majority of the staff would have time embedded into the day to pursue a variety of growth opportunities, including those associated with a Personal Learning Network (PLN). You can read more about this initiative HERE.
Energy: "To teach is to touch a life forever" - Anonymous As educators we must exhibit a passion for what we do because each day we have the opportunity to positively impact the life of a child. It's our energy and passion that convey to students that learning is fun, possible, and important. If we lack the energy to instruct each and every learner to the best of our ability day in and day out we might possibly lose one of the most precious gifts in our profession.....helping all of our students accomplish and exceed their goals.
Solutions: Change, increasing student achievement, and getting better is hard work. Educators must diligently strive to eliminate the excuses, collaborate, and respect one another. With this in mind, a culture will be established that seeks to find solutions as opposed to focusing on just problems.
Innovation: Abiding by the status quo is not an option. We must continually reflect upon our pedagogical techniques to cover the curriculum in a way that enables our students to develop critical thinking skills, foster problem solving techniques, work collaboratively, build technological/media fluencies, and make interdisciplinary connections. Innovation also requires us to integrate 21st Century tools into our instruction, take calculated risks, and relinquish control at times.
Resolve: "His resolve is not to seem, but to be the best" - Aeschylus It is imperative that we continuously exhibit resolve in our quest to provide our students with essential skills to be successful in college or the workforce. A collective mindset on becoming and being the best educator possible must always be our goal.
Environment: Learning environments must be transformed in a way that best meets the needs of our learners. They should be student-centered, integrate technology, flexible, allow for creativity, support higher-order thinking, and celebrate student accomplishments. I even discussed the push to move away from traditional seating arrangements in order to promote collaboration.

I asked my staff and now ask you the same, do you have the desire to:

go above and beyond to ensure that all students succeed?
model life-long learning?
collaborate with peers, share resources, and be pillars of support when needed?
take calculated risks without the fear of failure?
share student and personal accomplishments?
create a student-centered, rigorous, and relevant learning environment?
extend yourself outside of the classroom and in the community?

If so then it is time to put these desires into action! Best of luck to all of you in your quest to bring out the best in your students and put them on a path to exceed their goals.

Note: All teachers received this acronym on poster board for display in their classrooms. It has also been placed on the walls in offices.

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

2011-09-10T08:06:00.000-04:00

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire" - William Butler Yeats

I am across this video recently and wish I had it for my opening day with teachers. It is definitely a discussion starter in regards to what should be occurring in the classroom, our respective roles in the profession, and how we should be working with our students to unleash their potential.

Is there more that can be added to this discussion?

Advancing Mobile Phones as Learning Devices

2011-08-31T09:47:00.002-04:00

This morning I read a great article on PBS Media Shift by Audrey Watters entitled "Why Schools Should Stop Banning Cell Phones, and Use Them For Learning." Up until this past year the rule of thumb was that students could bring their phones to my school, but they could not be on, seen, or heard. This rule applied throughout the school day, on or at any school-sponsored functions, and was strictly enforced. I cannot begin to explain all of the battles with students and parents that my administrative team and I had to deal with because of the established policy.

Fortunately for me I have already begun to work with my staff and students to transform the teaching and learning culture at New Milford HS as it pertains to cell phones as mobile learning devices. As a principal, it took me a while to accept the fact that these small, but powerful computing devices could play an important role in the classroom. This shift in mindset can be directly attributed to what I have learned from innovative educators in the social media spaces that I now delve into on a routine basis. The knowledge that I have acquired from my Personal Learning Network (PLN) provided me with the ideas and strategies to utilize student cell phones as mobile learning devices.

Image credit: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751073

Last year some of my teachers began to utilize student devices as tools for learning, mainly as student response systems. For the most part they used a program called Poll Everywhere to check for understanding, review prior learning, and informally assess. The key to effective integration, in my opinion, is the message that was sent to the students prior to use. Each teacher clearly articulated to their students that they would be using their phones in class during a particular time in the lesson for learning. Since we were just beginning to embrace this shift, my teachers would usually convey this message the day before. This also helped to ensure that each student brought their phone to class the next day. In the rare case that a student did not have a cell phone with them my teachers would pair or group them with those that did. Even though there was still a policy in place prohibiting the use of cell phones we did not let it hinder our progress to create a more engaging learning environment for our students.

By the end of last school year many more teachers were incorporating mobile learning devices into their instruction. I provided a workshop on Poll Everywhere and some tutorials, but many of my teachers experimented on their own time and quickly figured out how to use this web 2.0 resource. As students arrive to school next week they will learn that we are lifting the cell phone ban in the cafeteria during lunch. During my opening remarks to each class I will explain that this change in policy is our effort to empower them to use and view their devices as tools for learning, not just socialization.

As educators we must establish a vision for our students and model the use of cell phones as mobile learning devices in order to empower them to embrace the same view. We live in a world where these devices are a huge part of our student's lives. Schools should positon themselves to not only take advantage of this resource as budgets are tight, but also teach students about the powerful tool they possess. I am excited to work with my staff to expand our use of mobile learning devices in our persistent effort to improve teaching and learning. The challenge now becomes convincing other schools of the importance to move forward with and advance the use of cell phones as mobile learning devices. How can this be accomplished? What needs to happen? I encourage you to share successful strategies, ideas, implementation plans to assit other schools yearning to leverage the power of mobile learning devices.

For more information on integrating a variety of mobile learning devices check out this book by Kipp Rogers from Solution Tree. Here are some other tools that educators can use with mobile learning devices:

Positive Impact

2011-08-24T09:32:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month I was fortunate to speak at #140edu in New York City. The title of my 15 minute presentation was "School Improvement One Character at a Time." I used this opportunity to discuss the positive impact that social media has had on the culture of my school and professional growth as a school leader. Here are 6 ways I am using social media in education to improve teaching, learning, and leading:

Communication
Public Relations
Branding
Professional Growth/Development
Student Engagement
Opportunity

The video of my presentation below describes each of the categories above in more detail.

Is social media having a positive impact on your work as an educator? If so how?

A Milestone

2011-08-17T12:08:00.000-04:00

Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would be here writing my 100th blog post. I never considered myself much of a writer. To be quite honest, I actually hated it. As I began my journey into the world of web 2.0 two and a half years ago, I found myself reading blogs for the first time. In my mind, reading was as far as I ever wanted to go and I literally swore that I would never become a blogger.

So what changed? As I began to construct my Personal Learning Network (PLN), I was virtually approached by Ken Royal from The Educator's Royal Treatment. He convinced me that I had some great ideas to share and coerced, I mean encouraged, me to write a guest post for his blog. Little did I know that Ken's confidence in me, and this guest post, would be the catalyst propelling me into the world of edublogging. For the next few months I wrote a variety of quest posts for different blogs until I finally established A Principal's Reflections on March 6. 2010.

Since my blogs inception I have tried extremely hard to submit a new post at least once a week. This has proven to be an arduous task at times as I have continued to question my writing ability. I was fortunate that another mentor from my evolving PLN arose in the form of Bill Ferriter. Bill is an extremely talented and passionate writer who has firmly established himself in the blogosphere. He has had a profound impact on me as a writer by providing honest feedback and positive reinforcement. To me, Bill has served as both a mentor and teacher. Had it not been for Bill, I would not be a published author or possess the ability to craft my messages and reflections in a meaningful way.

I would be remiss at this point if I did not send out a special thank you to my mom, Jean Sheninger. My mom was a beloved first grade teacher and one of the brightest people I know. At times I lack patience after completing a post and rush to publish it. She made it very clear to me early on that I needed to fully proofread my posts (as has Tom Whitby) and volunteered to look each one over prior to going live. It is the best feeling in the world when your mom tells you how proud she is of your writing. If I want to gauge the effectiveness of a post I just ask my mom.

To everyone else that has had a positive impact on my journey as a blogger, I cannot thank you enough. Your comments and feedback on posts have further fueled my desire to consistently find the time to blog. If I can do this, anyone can. Hopefully more educators will develop confidence and take the time to share their ideas, successes, and failures in order to help all of us grow professionally. This, in my opinion, is the greatest and most powerful form of professional development.

Glogster EDU Gets Even Better

2011-08-16T18:59:00.001-04:00

For those of you not familiar with Glogster it is a fantastic web 2.0 tool that allows educators to create FREE multimedia posters called glogs. Here is how the company describes their product:

Simply put, a Glog is a kind of poster —fully designed by you! A Glog is a unique creation made up of text, images, music, and video. It can be colorful, edgy, emo, or rock—it’s up to you to make your Glog stand out. Glogs are a perfect way to express who YOU are!

Check out one of my personal favorite glogs on the topic of Web 2.0.

Glogster EDU provides educators with a collaborative portal for their students to express their creativity, apply knowledge, demonstrate mastery of skills, and develop ideas. Many of my teachers are members of this learning community and absolutely love making glogs with their students. Recently the company announced some exciting new enhancements to improve the experience for users. You can check out these product changes HERE.

Happy glogging!

(Note: I am an Ambassador for Glogster EDU)

Moving Forward

2011-08-11T21:14:00.001-04:00

Cross-posted at Edutopia.

School leaders across the country are meticulously planning for the upcoming year. This process has become more difficult as mounting challenges such as budget cuts and what seems like a relentless attack on the profession of education have taken their toll on staff moral. With this being said, quality leadership becomes even more essential in order to cultivate a school culture whose primary focus is on the learning and achievement of each and every student. Here are some of my leadership strategies for making change during challenging times. Please feel free to share any other ideas in the comment section below.

Make No Excuses

Success in this endeavor relies on us to take a no-excuse attitude. Ask yourself this: What am I prepared to do to improve all facets of my school? How will I accomplish more with less? Think and reflect upon the ways to accomplish the goals you set as opposed to the challenges, roadblocks, and pushback you will experience. These are all common complications that arise during the change process and should not be used as excuses not to push forward.

We must be the pillars of our respective institutions and focus on solutions rather than problems. Succumbing to the negative rhetoric, abiding by the status quo, and having a bunker mentality will do nothing to initiate needed changes in our building to improve teaching and learning.

Each day we are afforded an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of our students through our role as education leaders. Our passion for helping all students learn and assisting staff in their growth should be the driving motivational force to make our schools the best they can be, regardless of the obstacles. Everything is changing -- the world, learners, job market, technology, access to information -- the sad reality though is that schools are not. We need to be catalysts to drive this change! Consider meeting with your administrative team and teacher leaders prior to the start of the school year to identify issues where excuses routinely arise. Begin to map out collective responses focusing on positive solutions to these problems.

Model a Vision for Excellence

Begin by articulating a clear vision to your staff. The consensus has to be that every student can and should learn. Getting your entire staff to embrace this concept is at the heart of effective leadership. I prefer to use the word "embrace" rather than "buy-in," a more commonly used word synonymous with change efforts. We should not be trying to sell our staffs on pedagogical techniques and other initiatives that will better prepare our students for success once they graduate.

In order to promote the embracement of new ideas, strategies, and techniques we need to collaboratively work with staff to transform traditional classroom environments into vibrant learning communities where all students are authentically engaged. Engage your staff in a brainstorming session during the first faculty meeting in order to develop a collective vision on how to transform the school for the betterment of all students.

Embrace 21st Century Pedagogy and Curriculum

A vision begins with talk, but will only become reality with action. As society evolves due to advances in technology we as principals must ensure that instruction follows suit or we run the risk of our schools becoming irrelevant. By irrelevant I am referring to our ability to prepare students with the skills to think critically, solve problems, demonstrate learning through creation, and compete in a global society.

As instructional leaders it is our primary responsibility to observe and evaluate instruction. With this comes the responsibility to ensure that teachers are provided the freedom to take risks, knowledge of effective practices, resources to make it happen, and flexibility to incorporate innovative teaching strategies. With these parameters in place, principals must then be able to consistently identify, foster, support, and 21st Century pedagogy.

Image credit: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/21st+Century+Pedagogy

Inherent within this shift is the need to re-evaluate the curriculum as the real-time web and information age present new challenges to instruction and student engagement. The time is now to lay the foundation to ensure that our students evolve into critical consumers of content, understand the importance of digital citizenship, as well as possess the ability to create, analyze, and interpret an array of media messages. Start the year off by gathering key stakeholders to collaboratively revise your curriculum to emphasize essential skills necessary for today's learners to excel beyond your walls.

Breathe Life Into Professional Development

Most teachers cringe when they hear the words "professional development" and rightfully so. The traditional model utilized by many schools forces educators into structured silos based solely on district and school goals while ignoring staff interests and passions. If you thirst for an innovative culture focused on student achievement begin the process of transitioning to Professional Learning Communities (PLC's). To take it a step further, model and encourage your staff to form their own Personal Learning Network (PLN). Then step back, give up some control, and watch your staff thrive as their passion fuels a transformation of the teaching and learning culture at your school.

Stay Connected

Principals need support -- here are some resources to help you stay connected to others making change:

Connected Principals: community and resources for principals.
The Educators PLN: digital discussion forum with over 9,000 educators.
Administrators discussion group at Edutopia.
edWeb.net: connect with other colleagues in education.
ASCD Edge: a professional networking community for educators.

Change begins with a no excuse mentality. Don't waste one more minute pondering what could be. There is a revolution going on right now in learning, and it is up to us to lead the way. Please share any leadership strategies that are making a difference in your building.

Affirmation

2011-08-02T08:31:00.001-04:00

I routinely blog throughout the school year about my staff and the great work they are doing to create learning environments that are engaging, rigorous, and student-centered. Social media has allowed me to share my staffs' continuous development of innovative learning activities to a diverse audience of stakeholders in my community and well beyond. This is something I take great pride in each day.

Image credit: http://0.tqn.com/d/healing/1/0/r/D/1/september-affirmation.jpg

As a result I often field requests for visits to my school to take a more detailed look at how my teachers are effectively integrating technology to improve teaching and learning. Last year representatives from Pearson reached out to me about visiting NMHS to observe some of my history teachers in action. It should be noted that this visit had absolutely nothing to do with Pearson trying to get us to purchase or review any other their products.The following is an except from an email that I received today from one of the representatives.

"Every day, I continue to find connections between my work at Pearson and the activities I observed at New Milford High. I’m so appreciative that you welcomed me into your school. The teachers were inspiring, and their openness to new ideas so refreshing. I hope it will be possible to continue our connection in some way in the coming school year."

For change to occur in any occupation people must be open to new ideas. Hearing this from an outsider affirms the fact that NMHS is moving in the right direction and it is because of the passionate and dedicated teachers that I am fortunate to work with each day.

Turning the Tide

2011-07-27T08:35:00.002-04:00

Over the past two years I have seen some dramatic shifts in an effort to transform New Milford High School into a 21st Century institution of teaching and learning. With a change in mindset and a great deal of support, I have been able to successfully empower my staff to integrate a variety of digital tools, including social media, to engage learners. The other day USA Today writer Greg Toppo highlighted some of the advances we have made in his article entitled "Social Media Find Place in Classroom." I'm not going to lie, I was a very proud principal reading this article as it clearly showed me how far we have come in terms of creating a vision for learning and communicating that is more in line with societal shifts. This vision has now become our reality.

Photo credit: blogs.oxfam.org

The problem though is that a large majority of stakeholders throughout the world think that the integration of technology is not essential in the classroom. Furthermore, the perception out there is that educators and schools who are utilizing 21st Century tools for teaching and learning are doing a disservice to learners. Here are some of the specific comments from the USA Today article:

It is a shame they don't worry more about the kids not knowing how to read or write. Most of the high school grads don't even know their time table.
Stupid educators teaching stupid kids, sad.
More evidence of the "dumbing-down" of society. Stupid media like USA To-shmay buying into it, of course. Put the cell phones and calculators aways, stay off the waste-o-time websites and GET TO LEARNIN'!
Okay, now I have heard it all. Digitally literate is not the same as having literacy skills that are useful for employment or in our greater society. This just encourages illiteracy in the skills that are most important to make these kids productive members of society.
Lowering the bar yet again. I would say that they'll pay for it in the long run, however, I'm finding that the employers are dumbing things for the dumber workforce they are getting. And the sad thing is, they'll never know or care what they are ignorant of.
Nothing like a digital kid showing up for a hands-on job. Makes for great humor.

Unfortunately the comments above represent the never-ending battle that passionate educators face across the world who understand the pedagogical significance of effective technology integration. I know I am preaching to the choir, but it really angers me that people who have no background in education, have never stepped foot in a school on a regular basis, and are so disconnected from the real world, can make assumptions that ultimately inhibit change. In terms of the context of the USA Today article, social media is NOT replacing anything. At NMHS we place an emphasis on sound pedagogy, and only after this is ensured technology is integrated. All one has to do is read THIS POST to see all that NMHS is doing with and without technology in order to provide our students with a quality education.

It is time to turn the tide! Technology is a tool, just like a blackboard, pencil, paper, or transparency, utilized during the teaching and learning process. The difference though is that it is a dynamic tool that allows students to communicate, connect, collaborate, and create like never before. It allows teachers to measure and schools to promote. Schools will become irrelevant unless they evolve and stay in line with societal shifts. To do so, we must open our eyes and better understand today’s learners. I am proud to say that my school, and many others, are up to this challenge and will continue to ignore the naysayers. If you need even more rationale for effective technology integration in schools read this post by Scott McLeod. George Couros does and exceptional job highlighting some concrete examples of successful technology integration in his post entitled "Tell More Stories."

I hope to expand this post and submit a piece to the Huffington Post. Please consider providing a counter-argument to the statements above in the comment section. Let’s collectively send a powerful message about the important role technology and social media play in preparing all students with a blueprint for success.

Framework for Embedded Professional Development

2011-07-20T19:25:00.001-04:00

Life-long learning is an essential characteristic found amongst effective educators and something that should be modeled for our students. With so many changes occurring in the field of educational technology, curriculum, pedagogy, and law, it is imperative that educators receive opportunities for growth in their school. Additionally, they should be provided with the knowledge and foundation to develop a Personal Learning Network. This will enable them to learn more according to their diverse interests and passions.

Time seems to a common theme when it comes to lack of teacher participation in after school professional development opportunities. This is completely understandable as many teachers are involved with students after school through athletics, extracurricular activities, and extra help, not to mention grading and getting materials ready for the next day. During a conversation with teacher leaders last year about improving how professional development is offered in a meaningful fashion, a model from the business world was suggested. This would incorporate training and other professional growth activities embedded within the school day.

Image credit: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Lightbulb_idea.jpg

After some thought and discussion with colleagues in NJ, the light bulb went on for me . I quickly realized that the current school schedule presented the perfect solution to make better use of the time available in order to offer meaningful professional development during the day in the form of non-instructional duties (waste of valuable time in my opinion). The plan that my administrative team and I are now developing drastically reduces the amount of non-instructional duties the teachers have, such as lunch, hall, and in-school suspension duty. It also reduces the periods during the week that staff members will perform those duties that are retained. This change would then free up virtually every teacher for 48 minutes 2 or 3 times per week depending on the semester.

The vision then for staff members during this professional growth period will be to create innovative learning activities, develop interdisciplinary projects, and engage in professional development. At the heart of the professional development piece could be PD 360, which we are currently researching. We are ecstatic about this more effective use of time. What do you think? Any feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Qualities of Effective Principals

2011-07-14T10:22:00.001-04:00

Cross-posted at the Huffington Post: Effective Leadership in the Age of Reform.

School improvement efforts rely heavily on quality leadership. Educational leaders are tasked with establishing a collective vision for school improvement and initiating change to spur innovation, ensure student learning, and increase achievement. On July 13^th I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. James Strong, from the College of William and Mary, deliver a keynote address at the NJ Department of Education Leadership Institute entitled “Qualities of Effective Principals.” Dr. Strong emphasized that the job of a principal, or school leader for that matter, is about making a difference in the lives of children. Leading and teaching is challenging work that requires a high level of understanding and patience.

What do good principals do? The audience at the leadership institute identified what they perceived to be the top elements. These included the following items below where I have added some of my personal thoughts:

Great communicator: Principals need to be able to communicate what the school is all about. School leaders don’t always do the best in terms of epitomizing effective communication. In terms of evaluations, we can’t keep telling teachers that they are doing good work when they are not. Being a direct communicator is often lost during discussions on teacher performance.
Difference maker: Principals need to be able to keep the focus on important initiatives and culture characteristics that have an impact on student learning and achievement. They establish accountability measures to hold teachers and students accountable for learning. Great principals see solutions, not just problems.
Risky, but not too risky: Principals have to be willing to try new things and have a mindset to keep trying until improvement is the end result. They need a backstop of support that allows them to fail in these efforts. The most effective decision makers take risks, but do not bet the farm or take quantum leaps without knowing the end result.
Manage by walking around: Principals that consistently walk around know the students, can better identify areas where teachers can improve, and set the tone for practices to be emulated throughout the building. The human factor is extremely important. Great principals establish a positive school culture by treating people the way they would like to be treated. How we smile, say hello, and engage in conversations all are important factors in setting a positive tone.
Address problems: Strong principals will do the hard, dissatisfying work associated with addressing and removing ineffective staff. This requires addressing problems head on with a positive attitude. When hiring new staff, principals need to go to great efforts to hire educators that align best with the vision of the school.
Cares about students and staff: Effective principals never give up on kids and their support staff. They are the epitome of instructional leadership and will show teachers how to become more effective based on evaluative data.

As noted by Dr. Strong, the elements above are important at a personal level. He then identified the following indicators of principal quality that is supported by research.

Instructional leadership: building a vision, establishing a shared leadership model, leading a learning community, using data, and monitoring curriculum & instruction. The most effective teachers seamlessly use multiple instructional strategies during a lesson and good principals can identify them.
School climate: creating a positive culture, establishing high expectations, adhering to a practice of respect.
Human resource administration: hiring quality teachers & other staff, inducting & supporting current staff, providing meaningful opportunities for growth, retaining quality staff, and effectively evaluating teacher performance.
Organization management: safety, daily operations, facilities maintenance, and securing & using resources to increase student achievement.
Communication and community relations: effective communicator with all stakeholder groups.
Professionalism: ethical standards, serves as a role model, models life-long learning.

Now more than ever schools need great leaders. As the reform movement continues to swell across the country more eyes will be on the principal, as well as other district leaders, and their ability to ensure student learning and increase achievement. The task now at hand is to develop a plan on how to support principal effectiveness while developing an evaluation tool that will help us do the best job possible for the students that we serve.

For more information in this area check out the resources at NASSP.

The Noblest Profession

2011-07-05T08:39:00.000-04:00

Cross-posted at the Huffington Post: What is Wrong With This Picture?

All across the country, education is under attack on numerous fronts. No matter where you look, educators are to blame for the economic woes in many states. This is extremely puzzling to me, as it is well known that this downturn in our economy was a result of misguided, unregulated, or greedy practices of the private sector. Educators then became the scapegoats as a message of “shared sacrifice” swept the country.

How this makes sense to anyone is beyond me. Consider that the average starting teacher salary is $40,000 and may approach $85,000 after 25 years of service, nearing retirement. So now, as states cry foul about their unprecedented budget gaps, educators are made to look like kings and queens because of their pensions and health benefits. Isn’t it funny how everyone made fun of educators for choosing a profession that paid so little when the private sector was raking in the cash from the late 90’s through 2006? Like virtually every educator in our country, I didn’t go into this profession to become wealthy. I wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of students and hopefully inspire them, like so many of my teachers did me, to be life-long learners and pursuers of dreams.

Recently NJ was the latest state to pass landmark employee legislation curtailing the collective bargaining rights of state employees, including educators. It was an extremely sad day for me personally, as I saw my grandmother and parents, retired educators who dedicated themselves to helping all students learn, have their pensions targeted by politicians who have never stepped foot in a classroom. Is this how we now treat people that made one of the most important decisions of their lives to make less money in the field of education as opposed to more lucrative positions in other lines of work? How do we not value the work that these retirees did for our schools and children to help catapult our country to such an elite status?

What concerns me even more is how the work of educators is being devalued to the point that no one will want to pursue one of the most rewarding careers available. More than ever the field needs passionate individuals who have the drive, patience, and character to work with students that have diverse learning needs. As the seemingly relentless attacks continue, the incentive to become a part of the noblest profession decreases to a point that might be irreparable.

One might ask why I refer to education as the noblest profession. My answer stems from the fact that education is what makes all other professions possible. Take a minute and think about other career paths – doctors, lawyers, engineers, mechanics, scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs – and ask yourself if any level of education has had a impact on that person’s ability to perform and succeed in those jobs. I think your answer would be a resounding yes. It is time for the negative rhetoric, demonizing, and punishment of the education profession to stop. If anything, we need to work harder to establish education as one of the most esteemed career paths as other countries have done. We have to treat those people who are, or were, in the classrooms with respect and dignity. In my opinion, blaming teachers for economic turmoil caused by others will continue to have an adverse effect on the quality of those entering the profession as well as a domino effect on every other profession. I see something wrong with this picture, do you?

Edscape 2011: Innovation Now

2011-06-30T11:09:00.000-04:00

Last fall I hosted a conference at my school that turned out to be a great success. The idea was to create an event at a high school like no other in the area where passionate presenters and a major conference feel would have attendees leave inspired to initiate innovative change in their instructional practices. Building upon last year's event I am proud to officially announce Edscape 2011 will be taking place at New Milford High School on Saturday October 15, 2011. The site just went live this week so there will be many exciting updates in the near future. For those that attended last year our goal is to provide an even better learning experience!

Edscape 2011 is a conference intended to bring together passionate educators who firmly believe that innovation is essential to increasing student engagement and achievement. Innovation begins with a desire to change. Edscape 2011 will provide attendees with the inspiration, strategies, and the confidence to actively pursue a transformation in teaching and learning practices.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Innovation Now”. We will explore how learning environments can be established to promote critical thought, inquiry, problem solving, and creativity. Attendees will leave with a greater sense of how to authentically engage all learners through meaningful and relevant instruction.

The 2011 Eduscape Conference will feature presentations and workshops by innovative educators who believe that change is essential to meet the diverse needs of all learners in the 21st Century. They will share best practices, success stories, applicable strategies, and pedagogical techniques that address the following:

Meaningful, cost-effective professional growth opportunities to improve teaching and learning.
Effective technology integration as a means to promote student creativity, apply knowledge, and increase engagement in the classroom.
Design of authentic learning experiences to enhance critical thought, inquiry, problem-solving, and relevancy in the classroom.
Essential leadership practices to articulate a vision for school improvement and begin the implementation process.

Highlights for Attendees

Learning about exciting, free Web 2.0 tools
Hearing from esteemed educators who are innovating now
Leaving with an array of applicable strategies and ideas to being the change process
Complimentary breakfast and lunch
Networking opportunities
Sharing of best practices by other school districts, teachers, and administrators
Opportunity for hands-on experiences with innovative digital tools

One major change this year is the $35 registration fee. As many of you might recall last year's event was free. The problem with this was that 575 people registered, extra food was ordered, and then 100 people didn't show up. With all this being said I can guarantee that $35 is a steal considering we will still have a vetted keynote, exceptional presenters, giveaways, an interactive innovation learning lab, and delicious food (breakfast/lunch) just like last year. We will be accepting proposals to present up until July 15, 2011. If you have procrastinated now is the time to submit. You can access the form to submit a proposal here. Stay tuned for hotel information, updated sponsors, and other exciting events associated with Edscape 2011.

Curriculum 2.0

2011-06-23T11:31:00.000-04:00

I came across this interesting video this morning entitled "Curriculum 2.0". Check it out below:

This video, as well as the information found at the Curriculum 2.0 wiki, reinforces what I and many others believe, that technology is just one of many tools to assist in engaging students in the 21st Century. As technology and access to information continue to evolve at a rapid pace my question is when will we see curricula in schools shift accordingly?

Summer Learning Loss: A National Dilemma

2011-06-15T08:40:00.003-04:00

As the summer break quickly approaches in the Northeast I have come across various articles focusing on summer learning loss and the negative impact that time off has on students. In 2010 Time Magazine published an article that clearly articulated The Case Against Summer Vacation. Even though there is a great deal of research on the loss of learning that occurs during the summer I am perplexed by the fact that many schools and parents are not doing more to prevent this. Here is a video that shares some stark statistics as well as a few great strategies that parents can utilize at home.

Photo Credit: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VHNXuqzW4x4/Tcsd5GQQcqI/AAAAAAAAAQc/mpNCUQrbVR0/s1600/summer.jpg

As a district we have always assigned summer readings (view this years assignment here). This year we are taking it a step further as we have developed assignments in both Language Arts and Mathematics to lessen the summer slide while retaining a focus on specific skills and concepts learned throughout the past school year. The math assignments developed by my teachers can be found on our Math Department web page. When I reminded the students of their summer assignments at our academic awards ceremony yesterday many parents in attendance began to clap and cheer. This provided some nice validation in terms of our shift towards implementing summer learning assignments.

As a result of a recent $10,000 donation to New Milford High School all students in grades 9-11 have access to Study Island in mathematics and language arts for the next three years. Certain 12th grade AP students will also have access in the following AP courses: Chemistry, Biology, U.S. History, Calculus AB, English Language & Composition, and English Literature & Composition. The expectation going forward is that teachers will develop standards-based assignments for all students to sharpen and retain skills, review concepts, and get a taste for the content to be learned in upcoming courses.

I am really interested to learn what other schools and educators are doing with their students over the summer to reduce and/or prevent learning loss. More importantly, how do we construct meaningful, relevant, engaging assignments that the students will want to complete? We all can agree that this is a major problem across our country that the traditional school calendar of 180 days has created for us. If you have developed successful programs, projects, or assignments PLEASE SHARE! In the meantime here are some articles that I have come across that present some great strategies for reducing summer learning loss:

Preventing the Summer Slide with DIY Tech and Science Projects

Using the Calendar gap to Narrow the Achievement Gap

Preventing the Summer Slide in Reading

National Summer Learning Association

Preventing the Summer Slide in Math Skills

50 Websites and Apps to Keep Students Learning Over the Summer

Learning Shouldn't Stop When the Last Bell Rings

2011-06-09T11:28:00.001-04:00

A few months back Verizon Wireless visited New Milford High School and we had a fantastic meeting. The end result was the formation of a pilot program where students and a teacher would be given a tablet device and then be tasked with developing a plan to extend learning beyond the school day. About a week later the devices arrived at my office. Each of the ten tablets (5 iPads and 5 Samsung Galaxy tabs) came with 3G access for the duration of the pilot program.

For the pilot group I selected nine students that were currently enrolled in Virtual High School courses as I felt that these students would provide the best possible feedback. I then reached out to Jeff Fiscina, one of my tech savvy math teachers, who was to provide a perspective as to how teachers could develop assignments to be completed outside of school and tailored to these devices. Jeff and I then created a Google Group called the “Tablet Ten” to collect information on how the tablets were being used to extend learning beyond the school day, provide feedback, and eventually develop a plan for Verizon Wireless.

Needless to say, the students and Jeff were extremely excited when they received their tablets. On the day that I distributed them I had students at my office door by 6:50 AM. After signing an acceptable use and liability form, each student was challenged to utilize their respective device to improve learning and achievement. As we near the end of the pilot program, I wanted to share some of the student reflections and ways in which they have been using the tablets outside of school. Here are some of their thoughts:

Anita wrote:

My iPad was surprisingly most useful with the defaulted notes application. Since it is the end of the year, I was running short of notebook paper and I actually took notes in English, biology, and Spanish in my Notes app. In biology, we had to read a book online. The iPad helped because I had Internet access and could read the book from my iPad if I didn’t have access to a computer. If I had to look up a word that I did not know, I could quickly go onto my Merriam Webster Dictionary application. I downloaded an application called “free graphing symbolic calculator” which actually helped me more in AP Calculus than my actual calculator. Since an iPad is touch screen, you can pan and zoom as much as you like and control different parts of the graph. I have the “Periodic Table of the Elements” application, which helped me in chemistry. After the AP chemistry test, we started organic chemistry. I downloaded the “organic chemistry essentials” application to help me with new concepts, such as biomolecules and synthesis strategy. My CNN application kept me updated, and I was actually more comfortable using that application rather than the Internet or watching the news. The graphics were very sophisticated and the application was easy to use.

Shanen wrote:

What I love about the tablet is how simple, yet useful, it is. I use the tablet for a variety of things such as keeping myself organized with lists and notes, quickly searching something up on the internet, keeping up with current events, easy references using the periodic table and the dictionary, and more. I also have a couple of apps that supplement the learning done in class through amazing pictures, news articles and even actual magazine clippings. Having the calendar is great because it keeps me organized and helps me to plan what I have to do accordingly. One of the greatest features is simply the notepad that is already installed on the iPad. I keep a “to do” list, prom expenses list, a 'do now' so I don't have to carry around an extra notebook for biology, and more. Also, I use the mail app to check my college mail, yahoo and Gmail accounts and even to converse with Mrs. Keesing about my VHS project. Speaking of VHS and the independent learning opportunity project, I found this app called 'CNET Exposure' which is pretty much an exhibition of professional photographer's photos and the techniques and inspirations behind each photo; this app is especially important to me because my VHS course is called photography as a means of personal expression, and it is good to be exposed to different photographers' shots. As I stated earlier, having reference apps such as the periodic table and dictionary/thesaurus are great because you can access them quickly. One reference app I downloaded is called elementals, and even though it is pretty much an interactive periodic table, it is even better because the interface is fun, yet very informative and you can even understand the periodic trend of atomic radius better. I also downloaded an sat vocabulary app and a geography quizzes app to brush up on knowledge. Apps such as the Discovery Channel app, National Geographic magazine and VideoScience are great apps to supplement the learning done in AP biology and chemistry classes because there are a lot of articles and pictures that make our classes much more real and purposeful. As a student hoping to enter the medical field one day, I found myself in the 'medical' category of the app store. Here I found a couple of apps that were really interesting such as the MCAT Question a Day which was interesting because I answered a couple of questions and to my surprise I knew the answers from my chemistry and biology classes. I also found an upper respiratory virtual lab, which is pretty much a virtual walk through of your upper respiratory system. As Mr. Fiscina said, the 3D brain was pretty cool, but I also found another app called 3D medical images. This app has some of the coolest pictures ever, even if you don't want to go into medicine. Lastly, there are a bunch of anatomy apps and a dictionary for general diseases and syndromes called Eponym.

Alvin wrote:

The Samsung Galaxy tablet is very convenient when it comes to note taking. Sometimes, I've typed my notes on the tab instead of writing them down on paper. This is convenient because I don't have to worry about loose papers. Everything is organized and structured into one application. If there's anything I need to look up, I can use the 3G connection to Google my query right from my desk. ThinkingSpace is a brainstorming application that allows me to list my ideas in a web. I used it recently to organize my thoughts into a research paper. It's a great app for planning and studying purposes as well. I'm thinking of using it to outline study guides for any tests that I may have. ThinkFree Office is an app for the Android tab that acts as a word processor. Whenever I'm away from home but I want to get work done, I activate the app and continue typing up any documents. The app also works well with Google Docs, so I can make sure that my work is saved online if I need to work on it from a computer. ES File Explorer is a great app for managing my files on the tabs. I can manage downloaded content right from the file explorer, which is really convenient if I want to clean up the memory. Another useful app I have used is Google Sky, which maps the positions of objects in the sky according to my location. This application was particularly useful in my VHS Astronomy Course, as I could locate stars and planets from my tab even when the skies were cloudy.

Mr. Jeff Fiscina wrote:

I have downloaded many apps that assist with notetaking, document sharing, and organization. Dropbox can be used to send documents to one another to share assignments, tests, projects, and other assessments. Any kind of pad or note taking app is great for organizing all your notes into one place, and saving on paper. You never have to worry about not having a pen, running out of paper, or losing something. It’s all right there for you to keep in one space. Organizational apps, such as Stickyboard, keep you organized as a person. You can make post it notes for yourself, reminders of dates, tests, and meetings, and lots of other stuff. I downloaded an app called SAT from yourteacher.com and it has videos on anything you can think of in math. Very basic, short, and to the point. It’s great for extra help outside the class such as reviewing for tests and doing homework. Another app I downloaded was color effects which takes your pictures and makes you redecorate them in color and black and white and is great for art projects. Other apps I downloaded included 3D Brain in order to help in science/pyschology to identify parts of the brain, CNN which can keep you up to date with current affairs in social studies, and Free Translator or foreign language.

How do you see 3G tablet devices extending learning beyond the classroom?

Perspectives - Looking Back...Thinking Forward

2011-06-06T18:13:00.000-04:00

The following is a summary by New Milford High School teacher Colleen Tambuscio on this year's Holocaust Study Tour. The post speaks for itself in terms of the impact this authentic learning experience has on our students as well as people all over the world.

The Holocaust Study Tour always provides new and exciting learning opportunities because, although there is an itinerary, the schedule flexes as new educational experiences arise. However, this year, our group expanded to 22 students, the largest ever. While learning about the history of the Holocaust, we became more than just a group of students and teachers. We became a family.

One of the many highlights was the opportunity to meet Eva Vavrencka, the daughter of Felicitas (Lici) Wolf Garda. Lici was the sister of Otto Wolf in theDiary of Otto Wolf (required reading prior to the trip). We are so grateful that Eva, who has never spoken in public about her family's history, was willing to meet with us at our hotel in Prague. We discovered many new aspects of the story including that Otto's diary was smuggled out of Czechoslovakia and brought to America in the 1970's by Lici's half brother, Thomas Mandl. Eva was able to give us insight into Lici's post-Holocaust life, and we are incredibly grateful to Eva for bringing this history from Salvaged Pages to life.

As always, Pavel Stransky continues to inspire us each year telling his story and guiding us to Theresienstadt, the camp where he and his wife, Vera, were interned before being sent to Auschwitz. As Pavel talked to our students, all 22 pairs of eyes were riveted to his face. Pavel, now 90 years old, compassionately and bravely tells of his time in both Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. Tears flowed down the faces of our 22 teenage children, who are now barely younger than Pavel was when the Holocaust began. All day our students approached Pavel and gave him hugs, posed for pictures and asked questions. We are thankful for Pavel’s friendship and the important historical and personal lessons he gives us.

This year the Olomouc Jewish Community invited us to celebrate the Passover Seder with them. Welcomed by Petr and his grandfather, Milos Dobry, our own Sarah Schrenzel sang the four questions in Hebrew. What an incredible evening: first listening to Milos tell his story of surviving Auschwitz; then celebrating what, for many of us, was our first Passover Seder; and finally, being able to share in this experience with the Jewish Community of Olomouc, which includes many of the Holocaust survivors that we interviewed during last year’s Holocaust Study Tour. How thankful we are that the Olomouc Jewish Community is helping us next year with our dedication at Trsice.

A new facet to our relationship with the community of Trsice was the presentation of a special pin by Colonel Zuffa-Kunci of the Czechoslovak Legions in Olomouc, to our group’s leader Colleen Tambuscio, in recognition of the special relationship which has developed between the Czech people in the Olomouc region and American students through the Holocaust Study Tour program. We have been working with the local community to further commemorate this story by building a memorial to mark the site of the underground hideouts in which the villagers of Trsice hid the Wolf family for three years during the Holocaust.

The most unexpected learning opportunity occurred inside the villa of Amon Goeth, commandant of Plaszow Concentration Camp, where Spielberg filmed parts of Schindler's List. After visiting the area of the camp where today lay the ruins of the Jewish Burial Hall and a memorial to Sarah Schenirer (this is the area of the camp that the HST 2009 participants cleaned up), we walked to the villa of Amon Goeth. While looking at the house from the street, we saw a gentleman come out of the doorway and wave us up the walkway. We, of course, approached the house with Shalmi, our historian for the trip, and Ewa, our Polish guide, and immediately took him up on his offer to come inside. This was an incredible chance meeting that demonstrates the importance of experiential learning and its possibility for rare opportunities that become profound teachable moments.

New this year was our overnight hotel stay at Auschwitz--actually in the town Osweicim. We entered the town, passing by Auschwitz I, which is now a museum, and also passing through Auschwitz III, the industrial complexes of Monowitz and Buna. The hotel and town center are just down the street. It is impossible to believe that anyone who lived here during World War II can say they didn't know what was happening in these camps. By the time our group reached Auschwitz, we had bonded completely. Before dinner, we debriefed about our visit in Trsice, and ended the session with a giant family hug.

Each night we ended our day of learning with journaling and discussion, and of course, the blog. Our blog has taken on an important, impactful role in the Holocaust Study Tour. Not only is the blog a way for us to focus and communicate what we are learning as we travel, it is has tremendous impact on student learning. Each night we choose students to post their reactions to the day, using their reflections from their journals. Our followers post comments, and students react and really process their learning.

The Holocaust Study Tour is unlike classroom learning not only because students experience the history through firsthand encounters, but also because they learn that history is dynamic, and that as time passes, we unearth more of the history. History is not just about the pages in a textbook. History is the story of real, living people, like Pavel Stransky, Mrs. Ohera, and Eva Vavrencka. The history lessons will continue to impact all of us who journeyed together in our Holocaust Study Tour 2011 family.

How Are You Changing the Culture of Teaching and Learning?

2011-06-02T08:11:00.000-04:00

Small Changes, Huge Results

2011-05-25T16:55:00.001-04:00

Cross-posted at the Huffington Post.

Last week my school was fortunate to have the NJ School Boards Association (NJSBA) visit to produce a live event called Learn@Lunch: Technology as an Engagement Tool. You can view the archive of the event here. A little over two years ago something like this would have never happened at New Milford High School. Yes, I was the Principal at that time, but my perspective and philosophy as to what constituted a 21st Century learning environment was vastly different than what it is today. Back then I felt that being a tech savvy administrator just consisted of purchasing the tools for my staff and letting them use them as they felt fit. I was also adamant that social media had no place in an educational setting, but most of you who read this blog know about my radical change of mind in regards to this. To put it bluntly, no educational organizations in NJ would have even thought of approaching me to talk about the innovative use of technology at my school.

We have seen many shifts in terms of instruction, communication, and learning at NMHS resulting in a transformative culture that is more in line to meet the needs of our students. So what changed? There wasn't really one big "ah ha" moment or school epiphany, but rather small changes on the surface that have resulted in some significant changes. The first small change was my philosophical enlightenment as to the educational value to web 2.0 technology, including social media. It was at this time that I saw the error in my ways and began to leverage the power of a Personal Learning Network (PLN) to effectively integrate an array of tools that I had never knew existed. This small change evolved into my present philosophy on how schools can, and should, use social media. This short list includes:

Effectively communicating with stakeholders
Establishing a consistent public relations platform
Developing a brand presence that promises value
Authentically engaging students in the learning process
Providing cost-effective professional development that is meaningful
Discovering opportunity for my school (i.e. our tablet pilot program discussed at Learn@Lunch)

The second small change was educating my staff on the value of web 2.0 technology in the classroom and beyond. Instead of mandating that every teacher integrate technology, I instead chose to empower my staff to create a stimulating learning environment. Little things such as support, encouragement, flexibility, and modeling have gone a long way to provide my staff with the confidence to take risks with technology and create meaningful learning activities that foster creativity, problem solving, and participation by all students. This is now a collaborative effort and more and more teachers are beginning to embrace a vision that pairs sound pedagogical techniques with technology. Refer to the archive mentioned above to see some of the amazing things my teachers are now doing.

The third small change was realizing that students had to be instrumental in any effort to transform the culture of our school. We had to give up a certain amount of control in order to successfully implement a bring-your-own-device program where students are granted access to the school's wireless network during the day using their computing devices. We also had to trust they would use their mobile learning devices (i.e. cell phones) responsibly as a tool for learning in certain classes using free programs such as Poll Everywhere.

The fourth and final small change was becoming a more transparent administrator and sharing the innovative practices taking place within the walls of my school. With Twitter I have been able to give my stakeholders a glimpse into my role as an educational leader. Facebook has been an incredible tool to share realtime information, student achievements, and staff innovations. Both of these tools combined have given my stakeholders and the greater educational community a bird's eye view into my school and the great things happening here.

These small changes, combined with many others, are beginning to have a huge impact on the teaching, learning, and community culture of my school. Even though I have highlighted examples specific to technology, there have also been changes focused on curriculum and programming. Politicians and self-proclaimed reformers routinely throw around the word change and think that a one-size-fits-all approach is what's needed to increase student achievement and innovation. Each school is an autonomous body with distinct dynamics that make it unique. It's the small changes over time that will eventually leave a lasting impact. Schools and educators need to be empowered to make these changes as they see fit. In my eyes, this is the type of reform that is needed.

Student Driven Schools

2011-05-18T16:57:00.000-04:00

The following is a guest post by Disha Dass and Jessica Milne, two New Milford High School students. They approached me with an idea and as a school we let them run with it. Nothing like this had ever been organized at NMHS. The end result of their unwavering commitment to make their peers aware of of an issue had a profound impact on the entire school community. Students making a difference and having a say in the culture of our school are two of the many defining characteristics that make NMHS a special place. Our job is to serve the students by listening and putting their ideas into action in order to improve all facets of education. They should be in the driver's seat.

If you had walked down a hallway in New Milford High School on Friday, April 15th, you would have seen students greeting each other in silence, laughing silently at a silent joke, and a mass of red shirts, all reading: Day of Silence: A Million Voices. April 15, 2011 was the National Day of Silence, a movement protesting the bullying and harassment faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) teens.

In New Milford, two students took the initiative to make the Day of Silence happen at their high school. They had witnessed firsthand some of the negative attitudes towards LGBT kids in the school, and decided to do something about it. Fueled by the knowledge that their cause was a good one, these students (senior Jessica Milne and junior Disha Dass) gained the support of Mrs. Zacher, the Student Assistance Counselor and head of BUDDY (Bullying Undermines the Development of Diverse Youths), an anti-bullying group at the high school. Along with BUDDY, Disha and Jessica approached Mr. Sheninger about New Milford High School participating in the Day of Silence.

Throughout the entire process, the staff and administration of the high school was nothing but accepting and supportive. Mr. Pevny designed and printed t-shirts; Mrs. Zacher organized lists of participating students and printed out "speaking cards," which students could show others on the fifteenth to explain their silence. Other teachers asked what they could do to help out, even if they themselves could be silent. Mr. Sheninger was there every step of the way to ensure that the day was a success.

On April 15th, the National Day of Silence came to New Milford High School. Shirts, stickers, and speaking cards were handed out. Students walked the halls in silence, some writing down messages to fellow students or teachers in order to communicate. In Mrs. Swarctz's chorus class, students listened to the music that they were learning to sing for the spring concert. In Mr. Tusa's A.P. U.S. History class, students nodded along with their teacher's words as they took diligent notes. The silence was only broken at 2:55, the end of the school day, when Disha made the announcement thanking everyone for participating and officially breaking the silence.

The experience could not have gone better. A small high school experienced the silence faced by LGBT teens every day of their lives. Students learned that if they have the initiative and the drive to get something done in their school, all they have to do is ask. The faculty at the high school was supportive, the administrators caring, the students open-minded. We hope this will be the first of many Days of Silence at New Milford High School.

Please share your thoughts on this initiative and the concept of students driving changes to school culture as both Disha and Jessica will be reading the comments.

Making Progress

2011-05-15T10:20:00.000-04:00

Over the past 2 years I have worked collaboratively with my staff to cultivate a culture of learning that engages students, is meaningful/relevant, promotes critical thought/problem-solving, and is flexible in that risk-taking is encouraged in order to promote innovative practices. It has been a gradual transition and we are beginning to see shifts in instructional practices, staff members wanted to integrate technology, and students advocating more for the type of learning culture they prefer. What makes this transformation even more significant is that were are doing more with less and not using budgetary constraints as an excuse of crutch to not improve.

Our efforts have grabbed the attention of some of the most prestigious stakeholder groups in NJ. This Thursday (5/19) the NJ School Boards Association will be visiting New Milford High School to host a live event called Learn@Lunch: Technology as an Engagement Tool. Here is a description:

Across New Jersey, schools are focused on 21st Century Learning and integrating technology in the classroom. At the same time, school boards and administrators are exploring how they can use technology, the web and social media to engage both students and their communities. New Milford High School Principal Eric Sheninger will be joined by several of his teachers, students, board trustees and members of his community to discuss how New Milford High School uses technology as a student and community engagement tool. In addition to discussing the technology that students are using in his school, Sheninger will talk about how he uses social media as a community engagement tool.

I am extremely proud to have my school share some of the progress we have made in creating a school moving towards relevancy in the 21st Century. Please consider joining us at 12:00 PM on Thursday 5/19 as members of my staff, student body, and community share some of the little things we are doing that are making a big difference. Register for free HERE and consider passing along this post to other school districts that might benefit.

21st vs. 20th Century Education

2011-05-11T10:51:00.000-04:00

I came across this video that compares and contrasts pedagogical techniques, learning environments, student/teacher characteristics, and expectations associated with education during the past two centuries.

What are your thoughts on the various points made in this video? How can we better meet the needs of learners and educators in the 21st Century?

Communicating and Connecting With Social Media (An Excerpt)

2011-05-05T20:56:00.001-04:00

Here is a sneak peek at my new book co-authored by Bill Ferriter and Jason Ramsden. The book is entitled Communicating & Connecting With Social Media: Essentials for Principals and will be available from Solution Tree on May 19, 2011

Using Twitter to Build Your School’s Brand

The good news is that open-communication practices in a social media world don’t have to be intimidating. For principals, experiments in open communication typically begin with Twitter (www.twitter.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com). These two services have been broadly embraced across all social and technical profiles and make it possible to reach large audiences in the blink of an eye. More importantly, they enable the kinds of two-way interactions that made Comcast a social media success story—and a characteristic of the communication practices that consumers have grown to expect from businesses and schools (National School Boards Association, 2007).

Twitter and Facebook provide principals with real-time tools that are far superior to traditional forms of communication. Social media services paired with high rates of Internet connectivity allow multiple forms of information—web links, videos, audio files, images, text messages, and documents—to be delivered and consumed in multiple ways. With almost no effort, principals can share compelling, detailed messages that are readily accessible from mobile devices, tablets, and computers connected to the Internet with their school communities.

Implementing Twitter as a Communication Tool

The most approachable and least-intimidating tool for principals interested in using social media to connect with their communities is Twitter. One of the most popular microblogging platforms, Twitter allows users to post short, 140-character text-based messages called tweets to a designated page on the Internet. Tweets often point viewers to other web-based resources, providing principals with the means to deliver real-time school information in a matter of seconds.
Since each tweet is limited to 140 characters—the average length of one well-written sentence—messages are easy to generate for busy administrators. More importantly, updates to a school’s Twitter website—commonly called a Twitter stream—can be made from any device that has access to the Internet, enabling on-the-go communication. (See figure 1.1 for a visual.) Principals using Twitter can always craft messages from traditional locations like their offices, but with cell phones, PDAs, or Internet-connected mobile devices, they can also begin messaging from the sidelines of the homecoming game, the back row of the band’s first concert, or the table with the winning entry in the school’s science fair.
Imagine using Twitter to immediately communicate the following to stakeholders.

Calendar reminders: The school year is full of important dates. Twitter can be used to remind parents and students of athletic and performance schedules, standardized testing dates, end of marking periods, upcoming holidays, and school closings.
Celebrations: The school year is also full of accomplishments. Sadly, publicly celebrating the successes of students and teachers can be hard to do in a timely fashion. Twitter allows immediate announcements of great achievements to the entire community.
Helpful resources: Most parents would be happy to extend learning beyond the school day if they had the knowledge and skills needed to support their children. With Twitter, it’s easy to share links to valuable web-based resources on parenting, teaching, or the content being studied in your classrooms.
Decisions and details: Schools and the organizations that support them are constantly making decisions with far-reaching implications. Boards of education pass new grading or promotion standards, parent-teacher organizations sponsor after-school programs or grade-level field trips, and booster clubs and educational foundations fund scholarships for struggling students. Using Twitter to share these decisions spreads information quickly and makes the inner workings of your organization transparent to everyone.
Emergency updates: While principals never want to imagine scenarios for dealing with school-based emergencies, planning communication patterns before natural disasters or human tragedies strike is a responsible practice. Because Twitter updates can be posted from mobile devices, they can become a part of a comprehensive plan for easing community fears and getting messages out to parents and support professionals in emergency situations.

Getting Started With Twitter

For coauthor Eric Sheninger, using Twitter began by taking about five minutes to create a free account that communicated a bit of general information about his school. Knowing that he first needed a username that would be easy for parents and students to remember, he chose NewMilfordHS. The NewMilfordHS Twitter account follows a clear naming structure that parents could probably guess even if they weren’t sure of the school’s Twitter name. The direct address for New Milford’s Twitter stream, www.twitter.com/newmilfordhs, is posted on the school’s website and shared in as many parent messages as possible.

The second step to making any school-based Twitter stream easy to find is filling out the simple bio information that Twitter publicly displays about each user. Eric included a short sentence explaining that NewMilfordHS is a Twitter stream for New Milford High School in Bergen County, New Jersey, so that the parents and students could be certain that they had landed in the right place when checking Twitter for updates. To make the page stand out and to establish a brand presence, he used the school’s colors, mascot, and logo; he also provided a direct link to the school’s website.

Once a school’s Twitter account has been created, updates can be added at any time. In fact, Eric started posting messages immediately, trying to see just what he had gotten himself into. Within minutes, he shared details about an upcoming parent night, a celebration of students on his school’s honor roll, and a link on parenting teenagers he thought his community might find interesting. He explains, “To get that information on our traditional website would have taken a week’s worth of emails and action by two or three different staff members” (Sheninger, 2010c).

Principals using Twitter to reach out to the communities they serve, however, may discover that initial efforts to use Twitter as a tool for school-based communication are met with raised eyebrows. While most of the adults in any community are likely to have heard of Twitter—recent studies estimate that 87 percent of Americans are aware of the service—only 7 percent of Americans actively use it (Webster, 2010). Parents and other important stakeholders may see such efforts as fads until they are shown what communication in social media spaces looks like in action. Without convincing your community that your school’s Twitter stream is a valuable source of information, your work in Twitter will quickly become obsolete.

Ferriter, W, Ramsden, J, & Sheninger, E. (2011). Communicating and Connecting With Social Media: Essentials for Principals. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

Egg Babies and Wedding Planning

2011-05-04T17:38:00.001-04:00

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself" - John Dewey

There are many views on the role of schools and teaching in general. Education is everything. How we teach, assess learning, and engage students is crucial to their success once they leave our buildings. Will our students apply what they have learned? Are we teaching meaningful lessons that reflect societal challenges?

As I ponder these questions I can't help but reflect on some of the learning activities that one of my teachers - Rebecca Millan - has been utilizing in her Sociology class. In one example she has had her students engaged in some projects and experiments to promote awareness and help them experience the potential difficulties in getting married and raising children. While using Mac Books, students were assigned as couples and provided with a budget to plan a mock wedding. Through the Internet and the use of their cell phones, students’ researched and called different venues and businesses to budget their wedding. The process proved difficult for some as they saw how stressful wedding planning can be and how much goes into the process.

Currently in Ms. Millan's Sociology class students are partaking in an experiment in which they are caring for an “egg baby” for six days, including the weekend. Students are keeping a daily log of how they took care of the baby, what types of problems and encounters were faced, as well as their reaction to these problems. Each day the egg is also checked by Ms. Millan as well as the students' own parents. This experience is proving enlightening for some and she hopes it will help students understand the importance of all decisions and choices they make throughout their young adult lives.

Photo credit: http://www.photoshopnerds.com/new-born-baby-egg-crack.htm

It is important that schools take the time to impart crucial life lessons that students will find relevant and meaningful. I personally find that these types of activities get lost as the pressure mounts to prepare for and have students succeed on standardized exams. My final question is this, will students find more meaning learning about egg babies and wedding planning as it relates to life decisions or skill and drill lessons? As E. Lindeman stated in 1926, "Education is life--not a mere preparation for an unknown kind of future living." As such, students should understand that what they learn in schools can be and should be naturally applied.

Time Well Spent

2011-04-28T07:29:00.000-04:00

A slightly altered version of this post entitled "The Social Media Time Debate" can be found at the Huffington Post

There has been a great deal of discussion lately as to the necessity of Administrators utilizing social media as a part of their professional practice. There was even a comment on the Facebook page that I manage for my high school stating that I spend too much time on Twitter. With all of the positives that I feel are associated with social media, and no matter how I utilize various mediums in a professional manner, there seems to always be a large number of skeptics. It is obvious that they do not take the time to read the content that I either create or share, which is quite frustrating. Nor do they care to engage me in a discussion as to why I spend valuable time with Twitter or my blog.

Back to the real topic of my post, which is time allocation. To get a flavor of some views on this, please check out these fantastic posts on the topic by some of my colleagues that I have come to know and respect through Twitter:

Don't Look at Me: Why Blogging is Not For Self-Promotion by Pernille Ripp
My Principal Doesn't Need to Blog by Ryan Bretag
Inspired, Selfish, or Both? by Lyn Hilt
Is Blogging Really Worth It? by Justin Tarte
Blog on, Principal, but Relationships Come First: Lessons from RISD's Maeda by Jonathan Martin

Let’s face it, we can all agree that we could use more time in the day. As an administrator, during the school day I spend my time in a variety of ways. A typical day consists of crafting a morning staff email, observing teachers, conducting classroom walk-throughs, attending meetings, engaging teachers/students in conversations, and being a presence in the halls/cafeteria. Obviously, this is a general list of duties, which changes greatly depending on the time of year. Other major responsibilities include evaluations, budget preparation, development of action plans, mentoring, and professional development.

So where, and how, does social media fit into all of this? Let me first discuss blogging. I swore that I would never blog as I strongly felt that I was not a gifted writer and who would really care what I had to say anyway? I blog as a means to reflect on my work as an educational leader and to open up my ideas to elicit constructive feedback from a global collection of exemplary educators. Why do this you might ask? The answer is simple, to become better in order to improve the teaching and learning culture at my school. Blogging is also used to share student achievements and staff accomplishments. It also creates a layer of transparency and gives stakeholders a glimpse into what I do, how I think, and what I am passionate about. I am not going to sugar coat this, blogging takes a great deal of time. This is the main reason I only write about one post a week.

So when do I blog? I blog at times that do not interfere with my responsibilities as a Principal, father, or husband. For example, I am writing this post sitting in the back seat of a car with my kids on the way to see family in Long Island, NY for Easter. Yesterday I wrote a post during a rainy Saturday morning as my wife worked on schoolwork and my kids played with their cousin who was visiting (this took about 40 minutes of my time). Another popular time for me to write is on Monday evenings from 6:00 – 6:45 as I sit in the car waiting for my kids to get out of dancing school. The point here is I am an opportunist when it comes to blogging and take advantage of what little down time I have. I do not blog during the school day as I aspire to be the type of principal that Ryan Bretag so eloquently spoke of in his post.

Then there is Twitter. In 140 characters or less I can communicate with stakeholders by sharing useful information (@NewMilfordHS) for free! At the advice of some of my parents, I only send out a tweet or two a day using this account. It literally takes me seconds to do this. I am a bit more active on my other Twitter account (@NMHS_Principal). Here I share/acquire resources (I add those that I feel my teachers will like to either Delicious or Diigo), engage in thoughtful discussions on educational issues, and acquire knowledge to grow professionally at my convenience (see my PLN post). I will use my Blackberry during the school day to tweet out examples of student work (pictures) and other great things that I see during the course of the day. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate excellence and exhibit pride in the work being done in their school in a timely fashion?

So when do I tweet? The majority of my weekday tweeting takes place during the early morning hours and from the late afternoon on. During my brief lunch every day (5-10 minutes if I am lucky) I will peruse through my Twitter stream to see if anyone has shared some great links to educational news, commentary, or websites. If I find value in the information, I retweet it. It is difficult to quantify an exact amount of time that I spend on Twitter, but each tweet read, typed, or link followed is directly correlated to my role as an educator.

The entire purpose of this post is to paint a clear picture of how my time is well spent when it comes to social media. My sacrifice comes during down periods, not at the expense of professional and personal roles that I fill. What I gain is invaluable to my growth as a Principal and learner. These are just some of the avenues that I utilize to become more effective, efficient, and better at what I do. For me, time will never be used as an excuse to streamline communications, share the many great things going on at my school, critically analyze educational issues, reflect, and model life-long learning. This is my path. What is yours?

Chrome Extensions for Educators

2011-04-23T11:42:00.000-04:00

As a result of being off the entire week for spring break I have had the opportunity to explore the many extensions available for Google Chrome. These free extensions not only optimize my Internet experience, but also provide a great deal of enhanced functionality to my work as an educator (especially as a blogger). I have begun to compile a short list of extensions that I am currently using. Some are popular, but others are relatively new.

Google Dictionary: View definitions as you browse the web. All you have to do is double click any word on a webpage to view it's definition.
After the Deadline: Check spelling, grammar, and style right in your web browser.
bit.ly: Those of us that love Twitter are well aware of this great service to shorten URL's. This extension allows you to shorten, share, and and track your links right from your browser.
Diigo: An educator friendly social bookmarking service, this extension allows you to highlight portions of web pages, add sticky notes, archive, and bookmark. A must have for educators!
AdBlock: By far the most popular Google Chrome extension. It blocks ads from all over the web.
CloudMagic: This extension allows for instant searches of your Gmail, Google Docs, and contacts. You can read more about this fantastic extension here.
Google Translate: Translate entire web pages into a language of your choosing with just one click.
Click & Clean: This is like having a maid for your computer! Click & Clean deletes typed URL's, browsing history, Flash cookies, and other types of online activity.
Clip to Evernote: Many educators use Evernote so it just makes sense that there is an extension to save things that you see on the web right to your account.
RSS Subscription Extension: This extension automatically detects RSS feeds on any website you are visiting and allows you to subscribe in one easy click.
Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer: Get quick, easy access to preview PowerPoint presentations, pdf's, and other types of documents. This extension eliminates downloading large files and/or launching another application to view these documents.
Chromed Bird: An extension for all the Twitterholics out there.
feedly xt: Transform your Google Reader and Twitter accounts into a personalized magazine.

Obviously I am just getting started with Google Chrome extensions. If you have any thoughts on the ones I have listed please share. Also, please consider adding your recommendations of other extensions the comments section so we can create a more expanded list.

Managing For Success

2011-04-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

The other day one of my veteran teachers came to my office to tell me that she had decided to retire. This was a bittersweet moment for me as I highly valued her commitment to the students of New Milford High School and knew I would have a huge void to fill, but was happy to see that she was at peace with her decision. During our conversation she told me how much she appreciated that fact that I never once micromanaged her, which promoted creativity in the classroom. Her comment literally made my week as I stive to avoid micromanagement of both my teachers and administrators.

It has been over a week since my teacher told me this and I still find myself reflecting on not only my leadership style, but that of other educational leaders as well. In my opinion many leaders feel pressured as a result of high-stakes testing and micromanage as a means to ensure that curriculum and instruction are solely focused on preparing students to succeed on these assessments. Others gravitate towards this leadership style because they are either unwilling or don't know how to give up control. Then there are those who want to have their hands in everything so that when an initiative or idea succeeds they can take credit for it.

Regardless of the reasons, excessive micromanagement in education tends to have a negative impact on school culture. It builds resentment, squashes creativity, lowers moral, and tends to place educators on a path to surviving rather than innovating (see Consequences of Micromanagement). Micromanagement should be avoided as much as possible (Avoiding Micromanagement). Leaders should think about managing through collaboration, consensus, flexibility, and modeling in order to attain desirable changes that benefit students. With my administrative team I find myself challenging them to make decisions on their own and give them the autonomy to do so.

Is my style perfect? Not in the least bit. Will I still have to roll up my sleeves from time to time and make directives? Of course, but making directive after directive is no way to lead in the 21st Century in my opinion. One can still have their hands in a school initiative without smothering the collective group through micromanagement tactics. A shared leadership model where all voices are respected seems to have a positive impact as everyone feels part of the change process.

I am always analyzing my actions and trying to get better. Inherent in this quest is exhibiting confidence in the decisions of my staff, celebrating their ideas, respecting their opinions, and trusting the variety of ways in which they choose to teach the curriculum and grow as professionals. With the proper support, guidance, and oversight I am confident that I am on the right path to managing for success, but there is always room for improvement.

Cultivating Authenticity in Learning

2011-04-13T18:20:00.000-04:00

A slightly altered version of this post entitled "Learning Like Never Before" is cross-posted at the Huffington Post.

Let me start off by saying that I work at an incredible school. When I came to New Milford High School in 2004 there were many amazing programs in place. One was the Holocaust Study Tour. This global learning endeavor provides some of our students the opportunity to travel to Europe for at least 10 days and study the Holocaust in depth. This authentic learning experience cannot be reproduced in the classroom. For detailed information on the program please visit The New Milford Holocaust Project.

Technology now allows the students and staff at NMHS to share in the authentic learning experiences taking place in Europe (Germany, Poland, Czech Republic). Last year we launched a blog where the students in Europe chronicled and reflected on essential questions, focusing on a dark time in human history. Meanwhile, students and staff back on the campus of NMHS are using the blog as a catalyst for a variety of other learning experiences. Some teachers even have their students respond to the posts each day. The first Holocaust Study Tour 2011 blog post should be up tomorrow so be sure to check it out.

Skype has also brought a whole new element to the program. Prior to the trip, students Skyped numerous times with their guide who resides in Israel. This year we even Skyped in a Holocaust survivor to our elective course on the topic. I use Skype to keep in contact with my teacher while on the trip and to sometimes converse with the students about what they are learning. We also encourage our history teachers to Skype with the study tour if the times can be worked out. At our District Open House this Thursday, I plan to Skype the group in from Europe to kick off the event. The theme for the event is appropriately centered around what it is like to be a student in the 21st Century.

It is an exciting time to be in education. Technology has really added a whole new dimension to learning. Schools that confine themselves to a bland curriculum, textbooks, worksheets, or learning activities that do not go beyond the walls of the brick and mortar building are really doing a disservice to their learners. In a society that is now globally connected through easy to use and cost effective web 2.0 tools, opportunities to engage and make the process of learning meaningful to all students has quickly become a reality. Teachers now have at their fingertips many tools to add a global context to any lesson. For example, Skype in the Classroom is a free community that assists teachers in establishing connections between teachers in different countries to help their students learn. 　

Unfortunately, many schools across the country block blogging tools and Skype as well as a variety of other web 2.0 technologies that foster creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills. Schools have not evolved in step with societal changes. In order to best prepare out students, we must move away from an industrial model of instruction and let go of control in order to meet the diverse needs of today’s learner. This will only happen when schools realize that technology is not the enemy and when combined with passionate teachers and visionary schools the end result for students is learning like never before.

Spicing Up Spanish

2011-04-03T19:01:00.000-04:00

This past week as I was collecting information for my monthly Principal's Report I was happy to learn about how technology was being integrated into some Spanish classes. For example, students in Ms. Schwarz’s Spanish 1 class had to write a dialogue based on the following situation. “This is your first day of school and you are introducing yourself to a bunch of classmates. You are in a Chemistry class and your teacher gives you ten minutes to get to know the person that sits next to you.” The students had to compose a dialogue using an outline that was provided after which they followed directions to create an avatar using Voki. Voki is a service that allows students to create personalized speaking avatars. Students created their avatar by customizing each of the options below:

Create a character from one of the different styles.
Customize the avatar by changing the look, clothing, and accessories.
Add your own voice via phone, microphone, text to speech, or upload a file.
Choose a background from website library.
Click on publish and e-mail it to me.

Ms. Schwarz’s Spanish 3 students created a comic strip that illustrated their daily routine. Students used Make Beliefs Comix, which is a website that enables students to create unique comic strips. Students can use this tool to make their own characters and customize their looks and mood. They also have the capability to write words and thoughts for their characters. Students were truly engaged and enjoyed incorporating technology in the learning process.

I am extremely proud of the work Ms. Schwarz is doing to spice up her Spanish classes. Even more exciting is the fact that she discovered these web-based tools on her own and took the initiative to develop authentic-based lessons that engaged her students.

Reflecting on ASCD

2011-03-28T12:50:00.000-04:00

As I sit here in the San Francisco airport after my flight was cancelled (I got on a later flight though) I cannot help but reflect on my first ASCD Annual Conference. What an incredible experience! The excitement began back in the late summer when I was notified that my proposal to present was accepted. The title of my session was Exploring Best Practices in Social Networking. I absolutely love to share what we are doing at New Milford High School through the lens that social media provides. Things got even better when I learned that I would be participating in the 2011 ASCD Conference Scholars Program. As part of this program I was able to share my insight on change in education, which was published on the ASCD Inservice blog as well as ASCD Express. The program also allowed our cohort to connect virtually on two occasions and discuss leadership through a series of blog posts.

The lead-up to the conference created a great deal of anxiety as I couldn't wait to connect and learn from some of the best educators in the world. Once the conference began I hit the floor running. I attended multiple sessions on the classroom walk-through process as I am not only part of a PLC investigating this back at my school, but have also been conducting walks throughout the school year. The sessions reinforced what my administrative team and I have been doing thus far and provided me with many strategies to further engage my staff in reflective discussions focusing on the data collected. Other sessions I attended investigated the need for integrating technology to better prepare our students to compete globally and ways to improve schools.

Probably one of the most important aspects of the 2011 ASCD Conference were the engaging conversations that I had with colleagues from all over the world. Whether it was sharing innovations taking place at NMHS such as The Academies@ New Milford HS, having a quick conversation with Robert Marzano, or learning about successful strategies being used to radically transform other schools, I came away with more knowledge to improve my school. The conversations that I had with my fellow ASCD Conference Scholars were inspiring and thought-provoking. I leave the 2011 ASCD Conference with an expanded network of passionate educators to learn from, new ideas on how to improve my school, and reinforcement that NMHS is moving in the right direction.

How was your ASCD Conference experience? What were your takeaways?

Shining Moments

2011-03-21T16:52:00.004-04:00

Recently one of my math teachers experienced a personal tragedy, which resulted in her missing over a week and a half of school. A day or two later after this tragedy, first year math teacher Jeff Fiscina approached me about being relieved from his lunch duty. He explained to me that he wished to use this time to develop video lessons for the Geometry and Algebra 2 classes of the teacher that, at the time, was out indefinitely. In his verbal proposal he stated that he would seek out fellow math teacher April Millian as she is our resident expert on using the AverMedia document camera to record the solving of mathematical problems (April uploads these to her Google Site for her class to use outside of school). I was so blown away by Jeff's initiative that I immediately approved his request.

For the next week Jeff spent time during his duty period and after school developing these video lessons that were 7-8 minutes in length. Each lesson completely covered the topic that would normally have been presented that day. He then personally made sure that the videos he created were viewed in class. Check out this one example:

(You can view 6 of the videos HERE).

As a Principal I was so proud of Jeff and his commitment to his fellow colleague as well as NMHS students that he did not even have in class. Then I received this email from one of the students that was a recipient of the videos:

Dear Mr. Sheninger,

Please forward this email to Mr. Fiscina to let him know that I appreciate his math videos, and I appreciate how helpful he has been. He has been very nice, and giving to all of Mrs. H's classes.

Thank You! :)

Teachers like Jeff and moments like these truly define our profession. Education is so much more than just standardized tests, lesson plans, and teacher evaluation methods. It is about the embedded lessons that we might not realize at the time are being taught, inspiring others, and making the time to help all students succeed. Thank you for this shining moment Jeff! You are an inspiration to New Milford High School and beyond!

Teaching in the 21st Century

2011-03-13T09:51:00.000-04:00

I came across a great video this morning that really does a nice job illustrating how teaching should be evolving to meet the needs of 21st Century Learners. Watching the video reinforced for me the direction that we are taking New Milford High School.

The question now becomes are the pedagogical shifts described above taking hold in classrooms? If not, which I assume is the overwhelming answer, what has to be done?