Devices Need to Support Learning

So yesterday as I was scanning the #NJED hash tag on TweetDeck I came across this intriguing image shared by Mike Marotta.  It really puts into perspective why we make many of the decisions that we do at New Milford High School as to why we decided to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative and don't mandate the use of one specific tool to support learning.

His tweet contained this message, "Don't let the device drive instruction. Let it support learning."  When it comes to educational technology I often get the feeling that the learning is often secondary.  Using technology just for the sake of using it equates to a huge waste of instructional time that could be dedicated to deep, meaningful learning. It also equates into a huge wast of money.  All to often I have seen schools put interactive whiteboards (IWB's) in every classroom or go 1:1 with very little focus on learning. 

The key is to determine what we want our students to know and let them have a choice as to how they will demonstrate and/or apply their learning.  At NMHS we place a great deal of emphasis on creating artifacts to demonstrate conceptual mastery. Technology can become a nice pedagogical fit when viewed this way.  Our motto is pedagogy first, technology second if appropriate when integrating mobile learning devices.  Another image created by my friend Bill Ferriter puts into perspective the importance of establishing learning outcomes when integrating technology as part of the teaching and learning process.

Image credit: Bill Ferriter

When it comes to technology we must always ask ourselves how will this tool support learning and allow students to demonstrate conceptual mastery. There must be more of a concerted focus on learning outcomes, construction of new knowledge leading to authentic application, and the development/enhancement of essential skills (creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, digital citizenship, entrepreneurship, media literacy, technological proficiency, communication, collaboration).  The assessment and feedback pieces are also critical. Now let me attempt to tie this back to the first image contained in this post. Technology can be a powerful learning tool if we don't focus on the one marker, but instead what we want our students to be able to do with their choice of makers to support and demonstrate learning. I welcome your thoughts on this.

Communicating in the Information Age

In case you didn't know we had quite a bit of snow last night in the Northeast. As I was outside in the bone-chilling cold shoveling piles of snow I began to reflect upon how my professional practice has changed in a few short years when it comes to snow days.  Typically in the past, I would have received a phone call compliments of a meticulously developed phone chain.  The only problem was that if one person missed their call then the chain was broken. This fact of life posed quite the problem for many years.  In my early years, I often misplaced the snow chain or my wife would throw it out accidentally. Talk about throwing a wrench into the system.  Thankfully technology came to the rescue and I wised up by saving it on my computer. I had a bit of a paper addiction that had to be overcome. 

Fast forward to 2014 and my district, like many others, now uses an automated notification service.  Talk about convenience. I now, like everyone else in the district, receive a pushed-out call with a message that district leadership develops. This message is then delivered by a polite robotic voice basically telling me that I can sleep in if I wish or spend the day slaving over my snow shovel.  Now don't get me wrong, this service is great, but like anything in life it is not full-proof or the preferred way to receive information.  There is also a cost associated with any service like this.  

Now here is the part of my night yesterday after receiving the snow day call that I left out.  Without hesitation, I immediately went to my computer and sent out the news using the NMHS social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) as well as pushing the notice out using the official school app developed by Beeonics.  To some, this might seem a bit redundant, but in reality, I am covering all of my bases to ensure that my stakeholders get the information. In my opinion, the "Information Age" demands this now. 

As a digital leader, I can no longer assume that an automated telephone call will reach everyone.  With all of the free social media tools we have at our fingertips today it is important that we leverage them in a variety of situations to get information out to our stakeholders.  We now live in the "Information Age" where access is 24/7. People routinely consume information on a variety of devices in an array of places.  Virtually every other profession has not only acknowledged this fact but has seized on the opportunity to provide the information that potential consumers want using a multifaceted social media strategy.  Education and schools have been notoriously slow when it comes to adjusting to changes in society.  This no longer has or should be the case.

In my opinion, schools need to embrace a new vision for school communications both externally and internally. We need to think about how we also provide information in real-time to our most important stakeholder group - students. In turn, think about how our students then communicate information related to learning and school culture with each other as well as members of the community.  Here are a few tips and ideas that have worked well for NMHS over the years:

• Create a school Twitter and Facebook page. Make sure information is updated consistently
• Have a company develop a school app or have your students create one
• Develop, use, and promote a school hashtag that can be used across multiple platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+). We use a school hashtag (#NMHS) as well as one that our Digital Journalism students created for their class (#NMHSdigijourn)
• Use a Google Doc for student announcements that cab be accessed through a school website and pushed out using social media
• Create QR codes and place them around the building. Information is then just one click away for a variety of stakeholders
• Move from a traditional school newspaper to a digital version
• Begin using ZippSlip, a tool for going paperless

Give your stakeholders options when it comes to accessing and receiving information related to your school. Even though snail mail and even email still have its place in a school communications plan we must press forward with the use of digital technologies to increase authentic engagement with our stakeholders.  So what did I miss?  Please feel free to add other ways you have enhanced school communications to align with the Information age in the comments section below.

Why Digital Leadership? #digilead

If you haven’t noticed, I have been a tad bit excited over the past couple of weeks leading up to the release of my new book.  This is something that I could have never dreamed of prior to social media as I felt that writing was definitely not my strong suit.  Social media not only helped me find my voice, but it helped me find the voices of so many passionate and amazing educators from across the country and globe. Surrounding yourself with smart people willing to share could possibly be one of the best decisions you could make whether as a leader, educator, or learner.  Almost every chapter of Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times opens up with a vignette that illustrates specific characteristics, behaviors, skills, and mindsets in action.  

The Pillars of Digital Leadership

Here is a breakdown:

• Forward – Some wisdom from the great Yong Zhao.
• Preface – What is digital leadership?
• A Day in the Life of a Digital Leader - Summary of what a typical day for me looks like at New Milford High School.
• Chapter 1: The Evolving Educational Landscape 
• Chapter 2: Why Schools Must Change (Pam Moran)
• Chapter 3: Keys to Leading Sustainable Change (Spike Cook)
• Chapter 4: Leading With Technology (David Britten)
• Chapter 5: Communication (Joe Mazza)
• Chapter 6: Public Relations (John Carver)
• Chapter 7: Branding (Trish Rubin)
• Chapter 8: Professional Growth and Development (Lyn Hilt)
• Chapter 9: Increasing Student Engagement and Enhancing Learning (George Couros, Patrick Larkin)
• Chapter 10: Rethinking Learning Spaces and Environments (Dwight Carter)
• Chapter 11: Discovering Opportunity (Robert Dillon)
• Chapter 12: A Call to Arms (Peter DeWitt)
• Appendix: A collection of reproducibles and resources

Their voices and stories, as well as the work of so many other practitioners mentioned throughout the book, will help guide any educator looking to initiate meaningful change in the digital age.  This is not about bells and whistles or smoke and mirrors tactics to preserve the status quo, but rather a systematic approach to transform schools in a way that works for our students and inspire those with whom we work.  It is about taking a hard look at the type of school culture leaders are currently sustaining and asking is this really preparing our students for success.

I have witnessed and been a part of a dramatic transformation process at NMHS that began in 2009 when I gave social media a try. The process continues today where a culture has been built that preserves important traditional elements while pursuing an innovative agenda for growth and improvement.  We are actively engaging a variety of stakeholders, who in turn have embraced the renaissance taking place.  It is my hope that the collective stories, strategies, and ideas in this book will help you become an agent of change.

Three Ways to Get Digital Leadership

Now that the dust has settled since the book officially became available on January 14 the electronic versions are now ready for download.  Here are the specific links:

• Hardcopy (Corwin Press)
• Electronic eBook (eBooks) - PDF replica of the print version and can be viewed on almost any device except Kindle.
• Kindle (Amazon)

#DigiLead

If you want to talk about digital leadership at anytime I have created a hash tag. My hope is that we can use this on Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Facebook to extend the conversation and our learning on this topic.  Feel free to use it to ask me questions, acquire resources, or just to chat openly about how we can all become more effective leaders in a digital world.

Virtual Book Club

There is even a Google+ Community that has been established as a virtual book club/chat for anyone to join for FREE.  This is a great way to connect with other digital leaders across the world to learn, grow, and transform our schools for the better.

Daily Inspiration is the Norm

I'm not going to lie, New Milford High School is an amazing place to work.  We have fantastic students, supportive parents, a Technology Director that gets it, and a Central Office and Board of Education that provide us with the autonomy to take risks. With these elements in place the stage is set for innovation and the creation of a school culture that works for students in the digital age. Change does not happen when all of the gears are not working in concert. What more could a Principal and learner ask for in a place to work?

Makerspace at NMHS

You know what else I love? The fact that there is so much going on these days at NMHS that it is near impossible for me to know all of the great things taking place. This is where my incredible teachers come into play. Not only are they working extremely hard to adjust to the many new mandates enacted in NJ, but in the face of this adversity they have not departed from what makes NMHS a special place to teach and learn.  Instead of shying away from taking risks to improve professional practice, my teachers have readily embraced the autonomy they have been provided.  Not only are they innovative and consistently redefining teaching and learning at NMHS, but they readily share their great work on a routine basis. Below is a snapshot of some of their latest work with students:

• Mr. Devereaux's AP Biology class used the apps iMotion HD and Stop Motion Studio to create stop-motion videos showing the process of meiosis. They used iMovie to put voice-overs into their videos to describe the process. 
• Mr. Groff’s US history classes piloted Paperlet, a new educationally based technology platform where students create digital stories that incorporate various multimedia elements including video, sound, and image files. The students worked with Mrs. Fleming on new Google Chromebooks in the library to design their e-books. As part of the pilot program students made recommendations to Paperlet designers on needed changes and enhancements, which were immediately made to improve student experiences. 
• Mrs. Chellani continues to search for new ways to make the learning environment more engaging and interactive for her students. In addition to playing a review game of jeopardy via the Smart Board in her Calculus classes, she decided to have students use an interactive whiteboard on their phones by downloading the sketchpad app. As opposed to final answers being submitted on paper, Mrs. Chellani had her students use the app to submit the final answers. The learning process was much more enjoyable for the students through the use of the game and much more relevant to them through the use of the phones
• Students in Mrs. Groff’s Voices in Poetry and Prose classes have been reading independently since the beginning of the school year. They choose their own books to read based on their interests and reading levels. Students then worked with Mrs. Groff and Mrs. Fleming to create book trailers on their favorite books. Students will use WeVideo, Windows Movie Maker and other available technologies to create their videos. These trailers were then loaded onto an NMHS book trailer.
• Mrs. Fleming provided opportunities for the students and staff (and the district) to participate in Computer Science Education Week and the Hour of Code. Students were invited into the media center to used the computer programming tool Scratch to create interactive holiday cards. In addition, Mrs. Fleming collaborated with Mrs. Haskill’s math class as they used coding to create various things including creating their own games.

This is but a small sample of what is happening at NMHS.  Each day I can start my morning off with a bang by stopping by our digital journalism class to see what The Lance is up to.  I count my blessings everyday that I work in a school where daily inspiration is the norm.