Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Digital citizenship Who's Job is it??
"No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form." J.P. Morgan
"'Sexting' by teens a punishable offense" was the headline of last Saturday's paper. I can't help but think about how we must get a handle on this as soon as we can. What are we doing, letting our children run amuck with no guidance on how to be good digital citizens? Parents are buying their children digital phones with cameras, they are texting nude photos of themselves to others. Oh my! Where is the problem and who is going to take care of the children? Sexual exploitation of a child means sending and receiving seually explicit photos of anyone under 18. We need to be teaching our kids this....at home, at school, any chance we get. We can't afford to let our children ruin their lives just because we don't know how to lead them in this new era of digital tools. This job belongs to all of us!!!!
"'Sexting' by teens a punishable offense" was the headline of last Saturday's paper. I can't help but think about how we must get a handle on this as soon as we can. What are we doing, letting our children run amuck with no guidance on how to be good digital citizens? Parents are buying their children digital phones with cameras, they are texting nude photos of themselves to others. Oh my! Where is the problem and who is going to take care of the children? Sexual exploitation of a child means sending and receiving seually explicit photos of anyone under 18. We need to be teaching our kids this....at home, at school, any chance we get. We can't afford to let our children ruin their lives just because we don't know how to lead them in this new era of digital tools. This job belongs to all of us!!!!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Balanced leading
Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. - Gandhi
My former superintendent, once told me that technology only gives the illusion of saving time because we quickly fill the time we save with new tasks resulting in our professional lives being even busier than before. In many ways I think his perception is true. It as if we have this empty void we are all trying to fill. We are all looking for that sense of purpose in knowing what we are doing will matter in the end. It is the struggle of balancing the tension of change- wanting change, realizing that something different is needed and yet being terrified of losing something valuable in the long run. As school leaders in this digital world we must help students and staff learn to keep a balance in what we do with our time. Our ultimate goal is to focus on student learning and engaging students in appropriate projects to help them develop careers for their future. In order to do this, we must come to know our own place and role in this digital environment. As teachers we are leaders, as administrators we are leaders, but we are also teachers, and we have the responsibility to teach our community to take responsibility for the needs of the students?.even if we have to go beyond our comfort zone.
My former superintendent, once told me that technology only gives the illusion of saving time because we quickly fill the time we save with new tasks resulting in our professional lives being even busier than before. In many ways I think his perception is true. It as if we have this empty void we are all trying to fill. We are all looking for that sense of purpose in knowing what we are doing will matter in the end. It is the struggle of balancing the tension of change- wanting change, realizing that something different is needed and yet being terrified of losing something valuable in the long run. As school leaders in this digital world we must help students and staff learn to keep a balance in what we do with our time. Our ultimate goal is to focus on student learning and engaging students in appropriate projects to help them develop careers for their future. In order to do this, we must come to know our own place and role in this digital environment. As teachers we are leaders, as administrators we are leaders, but we are also teachers, and we have the responsibility to teach our community to take responsibility for the needs of the students?.even if we have to go beyond our comfort zone.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Creative Leaders
Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there's no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done. - Rudolph Flesch
The changes required for the future of our students in these hard economic times requires visionary and dedicated school leaders. What traits set these leaders apart in this digital learning environment in these economic times.
1. Dedication to learning and a focus on empowering teachers to learn and grow for and with their students.
2. Investment in time, resources, data, collaboration, and professional development to sustain efforts for the future needs.
3. A whole system approach to improving learning for all with long ranged planning and shared vision.
4. Continually learning new ways of motivating students and staff and building a culture of trust so teachers are willing to try new methods and new resources that go beyond tradition.
5. Are in the middle of learning new things themselves, and willing to take risks and try new ways of administering and using new technologies to understand the needs of the digital learner.
6. Dedicated to building digital citizenship in themselves, their community, their staff, and their students.
7. Understand that these economic times are an opportunity for change and the elimination of out of date traditions that are no longer needed.
The changes required for the future of our students in these hard economic times requires visionary and dedicated school leaders. What traits set these leaders apart in this digital learning environment in these economic times.
1. Dedication to learning and a focus on empowering teachers to learn and grow for and with their students.
2. Investment in time, resources, data, collaboration, and professional development to sustain efforts for the future needs.
3. A whole system approach to improving learning for all with long ranged planning and shared vision.
4. Continually learning new ways of motivating students and staff and building a culture of trust so teachers are willing to try new methods and new resources that go beyond tradition.
5. Are in the middle of learning new things themselves, and willing to take risks and try new ways of administering and using new technologies to understand the needs of the digital learner.
6. Dedicated to building digital citizenship in themselves, their community, their staff, and their students.
7. Understand that these economic times are an opportunity for change and the elimination of out of date traditions that are no longer needed.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Social networks
"The illiterate of the 21st century won't be those who can't read & write but those who can't learn unlearn & relearn" - Alvin Toffler
We need to work on developing our professional social networks within our school culture so that we can be comfortable with the web 2.0 tools that our student crave to use. These tools are constantly evolving and changing and saying "we don't have time", is really not professional in this day and age. We have an obligation to learn these tools, and better yet administer with them to our staff and community. What better way do we have to connect with others than by using the tools our students use. We will always be behind in the use of technology, that is the nature of the beast. But at the very least school administrators need to create accounts with the major providors and get in on the conversations so that we can collaborate and lead this generation with good decision making abilities.
We need to work on developing our professional social networks within our school culture so that we can be comfortable with the web 2.0 tools that our student crave to use. These tools are constantly evolving and changing and saying "we don't have time", is really not professional in this day and age. We have an obligation to learn these tools, and better yet administer with them to our staff and community. What better way do we have to connect with others than by using the tools our students use. We will always be behind in the use of technology, that is the nature of the beast. But at the very least school administrators need to create accounts with the major providors and get in on the conversations so that we can collaborate and lead this generation with good decision making abilities.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Time for Twitter
Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand. Confucius
Yesterday I asked the administrators if they used Twitter. All eyes went down, no one wanted to think about what that meant. Immediately, a principal commented, I don't have time for that. Administrators are busy people, and no one has time for one more thing. But, my belief is, that if we are to lead this digital generation, we have to know what it feels like to be in their world. We have to take time to learn about what turns them on. We have to do this so we can create good digital citizens. Otherwise, we are missing out on an opportunity to learn and teach them how to be better users of the digital tools. They need our wisdom and our guidance.
Yesterday I asked the administrators if they used Twitter. All eyes went down, no one wanted to think about what that meant. Immediately, a principal commented, I don't have time for that. Administrators are busy people, and no one has time for one more thing. But, my belief is, that if we are to lead this digital generation, we have to know what it feels like to be in their world. We have to take time to learn about what turns them on. We have to do this so we can create good digital citizens. Otherwise, we are missing out on an opportunity to learn and teach them how to be better users of the digital tools. They need our wisdom and our guidance.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Digital administering...
We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.
R. Buckminster Fuller
As I reflect on the digital skills required of educational leaders, I think we must develop our leaderhip skills for this digital environment that is so quickly changing the way our students learn and interact. What is our role in this environment and how to we develop our own learning in order to lead for the future? In reading over the ISTE standards for administrators, visionary leadership is first on the list. A shared vision for learning is one of the most important things a leader can provide to the system. If everyone knows the direction the tools can be incorporated into that vision. Setting the vision is important. Without vision we flounder.
R. Buckminster Fuller
As I reflect on the digital skills required of educational leaders, I think we must develop our leaderhip skills for this digital environment that is so quickly changing the way our students learn and interact. What is our role in this environment and how to we develop our own learning in order to lead for the future? In reading over the ISTE standards for administrators, visionary leadership is first on the list. A shared vision for learning is one of the most important things a leader can provide to the system. If everyone knows the direction the tools can be incorporated into that vision. Setting the vision is important. Without vision we flounder.
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