Filed under: Change Agent, Modeler | Tags: cpchat, Modeler, Personal Learning Networks, Risk taking, Social Networking
On my recent trip to New York I happened to see the Naked Cowboy in action. He seemed very comfortable in only his hat, underwear and boots and he was putting on quite a show. He’s obviously quite the extrovert and performer and I could not help but think about how comfortable he was exposing himself to thousands of strangers. It got me thinking about how much I’m willing to expose about myself online with blogging and social networking tools. While I may have been timid in the past, I actually find myself becoming more comfortable exposing myself online. My thinking is that it will offer a wider audience some insight into my thinking and personal life.- Write assuming your boss is reading.
- Gripe globally; praise locally.
- Write for edited publications.
- Write out of goodness.
Filed under: Change Agent, Leadership, Modeler | Tags: 1:1 Laptop Programs, 21st Century Schools, change, Leadership, Learning, Modeler
Cross posted on 1 to 1 Schools.
We know that practices change when teaches, students and administrators have ubiquitous access to technology on a daily basis. In the classroom, teachers and students have to explore different strategies for teaching and learning. In the administrative offices, school leaders should, “promote and model effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders using digital-age tools.” (From ISTE’s NETS-Administrators). These changes don’t happen overnight because it can be difficult to develop new skills and knowledge and to change habits. What does the school leader who suddenly finds him/herself in a 1:1 environment do? In what ways do they change their practices to effectively leverage these new tools?
Let’s look at the following scenario: The principal and/or administrative team members are in charge of facilitating a planning session(s) with community stakeholders and all members of the group have access to a wide variety of resources and technological tools.
It’s very likely that the sticky notes and chart paper will not be needed for this meeting.
Let’s begin with Jeff Utecht’s four questions that Nick mentioned in his post entitled, “I’ve got to think of a new job title.”
- Is the technology being used “Just because it’s there”?
- Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in Old ways?
- Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in New ways?
- Is the technology creating new and different learning experiences for the students?
These questions can certainly be used by the leader to guide his/her planning. It seems to be a real challenge to develop a planning session that will create a different experience for the participants.
Some of the possibilities include:
- Using the tools to cut down on the face to face meeting time. Only meet in person when it’s really necessary.
- Using software to organize thoughts and ideas into visually stimulating digital images.
- Providing the group with a wide variety of online resources that they can review anytime, anywhere.
- Encourage the participants to seek out related information and resources throughout the session.
- Start the discussion off with a blog post for people to comment on.
- Communicate key concepts and ideas with stimulating visuals instead of the traditional bullet points.
I’d love to hear how school leaders are changing their practices to capitalize on this new environment. How are you “creating new and different learning experiences” for your community?
Filed under: Modeler | Tags: Educational Leadership, Geek, Leadership, Modeler, Scott Klososky
As you know, I’m a strong believer that school leaders today need to model the use of technology daily. The modeling should be in ways that help him/her do their job more effectively. They don’t necessarily need to be using technology the same way that teachers do. The modeling also sends a message to teachers that he/she is willing to change his/her behavior and to learn new things.
Well, for quite some time I’ve struggled with how to refer to a school leader (like myself) who strives to model appropriate use. I’ve never really thought of myself, or liked the term “geek” because I don’t really care about what is happening behind the technology and I don’t like troubleshooting. I just want to be the end user. Well, Scott Klososky in the video The Great Speaker Search of 2015 provides us with the new label, “Wannabe Pseudo Geek Management Types”. I kind of like it. I like the “not actually” part of this definition.
| 1. | not actually but having the appearance of; pretended; false or spurious; sham. |
| 2. | almost, approaching, or trying to be. |
So, the next time that someone tries to label you as a “Geek” you can tell them, “Actually, I’m a “Wannabe Pseudo Geek Management Type”. I think that it will lead to a chuckle and maybe even a discussion on what it means.
