Beyond Chocolate and Jeans

Teacher Appreciation Week is over, now we can all go back to normal.

A great question came across my eyes this week and it had to do with how leaders support faculty and staff. Good question, how would/do you support. The plethora of responses ensued with “chocolate and jeans”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with chocolate and jeans, that is unless it is used in a ‘Sheldon’ like behavioral modification scheme. Take your leadership to the next level and move beyond trinkets and gimmicks by thinking through the question a little deeper. What does the question of support really entail? It goes deeper, much deeper. It has to do with value.

Restate the question as a statement and present it this way, “I know that I am valued when…” It is a question of value. Am I important and how do you demonstrate to those under your care that they are valuable to you?

Four things immediately come to my mind when I think of value. I know that I am valued when I am acknowledged, heard, included, and affirmed.

  1. Acknowledged. I know that I am of value and you support me when you recognize that I am here. You take the initiative to greet me and call me by name. You take the time to recognize my presence and declare that I am more than something and that I am a someone.
  2. Heard. I know that I am of value and you support me when you listen to me. You take the time to focus on what I am saying, comprehend what I mean, and thank me for my input.
  3. Included. I know that I am of value and you support me when you ask for my opinion and you make me a part of your decision making process. I realize that you may not agree with me, but you keep me informed and you demonstrate that my thoughts and insights are a part of your commitment to excellence.
  4. Affirmed. I know that I am of value and you support me when you call on me for my expertise. I am a highly educated professional who knows stuff. I am a continual learner who is not a novice. You realize that I am tenured in the world of experience, mistakes, and successes. You seek me as a source of substance and I am grateful.

Move your leadership beyond symbolism and into substance by acknowledging, hearing, including, and affirming those entrusted to your care.

 

 

Bait Post

Deciphering the Sensational Headline
 
Social Media is full of bait posts. Clever headlines and curious graphics that tempt us to click in order to further explore content. 
 
  1. If it is too good to be true, then it is not true. Don’t click through.
  2. If you do click through and the content is camouflaged by advertising, don’t go on.
  3. If you do move on beyond the advertising,  and the content is not immediately available, close the tab.
  4. If you actually find anything to read and it has nothing to do with the initial headline, you’ve been had. 

fish-jumping-for-bait-hook_Gkm3MwLO

Trademarks Are Not Verbs

Your Digital Citizenship reminder for the day.

Trademarks are not verbs.
Correct: The image was enhanced using Adobe® Photoshop® software.
Incorrect: The image was photoshopped.

And if you do not know for certainty that the image was enhanced using Adobe®Photoshop® software, you would be correct to say that the image appears to have been “enhanced”, “altered”, or “modified”.

http://www.adobe.com/legal/permissions/trademarks.html

#makeschooldifferent

When it comes to education, we have to stop pretending that…

  1. There is a magic bullet.
  2. Chasing your tail is better than sitting still.
  3. Today’s fad is better than yesterday’s fad.
  4. Symbolism is a substitute for substance.
  5. Merry-go-rounds make great transports.

 

I think that I will dip my toe into the rapidly rising current of Scott McLeod’s #makeschooldifferent challenge. And as I dip my toe, I think I will grab a raft to navigate the waves of the rising current.

I will also continue to add to my Evernote “Stop Pretending” page. I will expand the list of things that stimulate my thinking and challenge my paradigm. I will take my initial five as topics to later expand upon. Yet more importantly is the challenge to actually stop pretending and influence others to do so also.

Goldilocks & The Three Twitters

In the never ending search for things that are just the right size, there is the freedom to use various Twitter Clients interchangeably. For those Papa Bear moments there is always TweetDeck or HootSuite.  The standard Twitter interface on a desktop or laptop is always just right for those Momma Bear needs. And Baby Bear needs on a non mobile device are best served by using Twitter Mobile on a desktop or laptop. You can even search your favorite app extension store for browser add on’s that meet your custom needs.

TweetDeck or HootSuite will allow you to customize to your hearts delight and flood your screen with a flurry of activity that resembles the movie theater pop corn popper in full action. Plain ole Twitter will sometimes be just right with not too much and not too little. And then there is TwitterMobile on a non mobile unit. Just like on your phone or tablet, but right on your desktop.

My favorite, glad you asked. It depends on what the need of the moment is. I am always in the search for just the right thing at just the right time.

tdeck

Doodle the Google

Never underestimate the value of the Google Doodle and never assume that everyone knows about it.

The 155th Anniversary of the Pony Express sets the stage for an Interactive Google Doodle. It also provides the opportunity for kids to play the app and ask questions. Questions like “Why are those guys on horses”? Questions that have me responding, “I am glad you asked”.

A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepage that is intended to celebrate holidays, events, achievements and people.

Food For Thought. Have your students explore a Google Doodle and then write a six sentence paragraph, or a six slide presentation, or an info-graphic, or any other digital composition about the Doodle of the day topic.

More Food For Thought – Tell another teacher about it and they will think you are a genius.

     Pony Express

 

For More Than Just Labs

Lab Scheduler is a unique resource scheduler designed for schools, that uses periods or blocks to schedule rather than times.

Lab Scheduler is a great Google Chrome Add On to set up Lab Schedules and you can use it to set up any row and column event that requires dates and class periods. So give it a try and see if it may or may not be of any benefit to you.

And as always, “Try it, keep it or toss it, and keep moving forward”.

Sample Bit

Well now, let’s sample this app that claims that I can take journal notes and then post to blog.

Continue reading →