As the school year starts to wind down, some people have been asking about where others might get their summer professional development. Last summer I had the opportunity to attend several professional development opportunities and that extended throughout the school year as well. I almost always attend NECC as that is important to my boss and to the future of the school from a technology integration standpoint. I also debated on whether to attend Alan November's BLC '08 or Gary Stager CMK '08. I chose CMK08 and while I can't exactly tell you why, I have absolutely no regrets.
This summer Gary is putting on CMK '09 again being held in Manchester, New Hampshire and has prepared a great lineup. I encourage you to consider this very worthy week long event under the direction of Gary and his great lineup of folks. You want to truly have an opportunity to think, play, reflect, be challenged? This is the place to be in my opinion. Nothing laid out for you step by step, you get to create (exactly what we want our students to do); you get to reflect (another thing we want our students to do); you get to hear some great minds, see some great places and spend some quality time with people who want the same thing - the chance to create modern knowledge together and go back to the classroom with all kinds of great ideas, software and tools.
NECC is just that NECC. You have the chance to explore, cruise the aisle of the largest vendor spectacle around or you can sit in the hallways and participate in true conversations. Between Edublogger Con, Second Life playgrounds, and myriad of sessions that you can either pay for or walk into for free, you have the chance to work and play with people of the same mindset - what can I do to help my students? Don't be afraid to seperate from the herd and learn on your own or by asking questions of those who seem to be in the know, just about all of us want what is best for our students. Whatever you do come up with something more original than "Hey I follow you on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, etc., etc." Come for the conversations. Come to explore our Capital.
But why just stop with those two? You in Texas or close to East Texas? Scheduled to be featured presenters are Dean Shareski, Alec Couros, and Jennifer Wagner along with great Texas talents Maria Henderson, Stephanie Sandifer, Randy Rogers, the GIS team from Bishop Dunne High School (Christine Voigt & Kyle Stevens), Diana Benner, 2009 TCEA Educator of the Year Pam Cranford, Janet Corder, and Joan Gore. If nothing else come by to see what new dish Mike Gras has cooked up for folks to try. Again chances for good conversation around technology, integration, people and food. Might even have a literacy conversation or two and you never know who might Skype in from the outer reaches of the U.S.A.
But what about during the rest of the year. There are so many good things and the best thing I can recommend is to make sure you don't get in a rut. I branched out last year and went to Educon 2.1 at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia and I can truly say that by far it was the absolute best conference I have attended in my lifetime bar none. True, deep, intensive, free flowing conversations from all involved. The two teachers I took with me were blown away and very grateful for what they experienced.
There is so much professional development all year long from so many people willing to share and stream, and tweet and mogulous, and skype. There are all sorts of people blogging, podcasting and willing to share what they have and do with anyone, anywhere, anytime. If you aren't getting enough professional development, then you aren't making the effort. Don't leave your students behind by not being willing to participate. Their future depends on it. Prpeare them for their future and not what is left of yours. Don't just participate in professional development during the summer, it is waiting for you 24/7/365!
So much to share and participate in. I hope to see you somewhere.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
One Year Later
One year and 45 posts later, I reflect on some of the things I have learned.
A personal learning network is only as powerful as you want it to be. Many times I feel that I don't contribute as much as I should because I am constantly wowed by the truly knowlegeable and brilliant minds that I follow.
I have learned that it is OK not to post all the time. I have spent a lot of time reading and watching the conversations, and when I do jump in I am blessed by the openness of the people there and their willingness to converse and contribute to my thinking.
I have learned that writing helps me to remember. Some times I feel as though I have so far to go in this world of ed-tech and yet I look back to some of my earlier posts and I think I am doing OK. It does however cause me to want to get other people close to me to at least try some of these things.
I have learned that all I have to do is ask and there are people more than willing to lend a hand, say a prayer or just tell you a joke. People are wonderful and this is a great way to meet them and learn about them and share life with them.
I have learned that we all struggle with life, with faculties - those employed by a district or simply my own personal ones, with technology or just work and the trials that electronic equipment brings to us. I am always looking for a different way to help our faculty members reach out to our students and make them more aware of what the future holds for them and not what my future is for them. I have learned many new ways thanks to the people in my life here.
Above all I have learned! I continue to learn and I want to share my learning with so many others so that they may learn. I look forward to the continued discussions about walled gardens, literacies, skills, tools, what is going to show up on a Dean stream, and who will be close to my location so I can go and sit with them and learn some more, or when will the Texas boys teach someone else about the good "Q" down here. When you coming back David?
But as much as I have learned, I have also learned that it is so very important to share. Share as much as possible. I thank you for being a part of my PLN, I thank you being a part of my learning, and I thank you all for helping me be a better person because you are in my life. Here is to each of you and to many more years of the opportunity to learn lots and share more.
So much to learn and share and so little time.
A personal learning network is only as powerful as you want it to be. Many times I feel that I don't contribute as much as I should because I am constantly wowed by the truly knowlegeable and brilliant minds that I follow.
I have learned that it is OK not to post all the time. I have spent a lot of time reading and watching the conversations, and when I do jump in I am blessed by the openness of the people there and their willingness to converse and contribute to my thinking.
I have learned that writing helps me to remember. Some times I feel as though I have so far to go in this world of ed-tech and yet I look back to some of my earlier posts and I think I am doing OK. It does however cause me to want to get other people close to me to at least try some of these things.
I have learned that all I have to do is ask and there are people more than willing to lend a hand, say a prayer or just tell you a joke. People are wonderful and this is a great way to meet them and learn about them and share life with them.
I have learned that we all struggle with life, with faculties - those employed by a district or simply my own personal ones, with technology or just work and the trials that electronic equipment brings to us. I am always looking for a different way to help our faculty members reach out to our students and make them more aware of what the future holds for them and not what my future is for them. I have learned many new ways thanks to the people in my life here.
Above all I have learned! I continue to learn and I want to share my learning with so many others so that they may learn. I look forward to the continued discussions about walled gardens, literacies, skills, tools, what is going to show up on a Dean stream, and who will be close to my location so I can go and sit with them and learn some more, or when will the Texas boys teach someone else about the good "Q" down here. When you coming back David?
But as much as I have learned, I have also learned that it is so very important to share. Share as much as possible. I thank you for being a part of my PLN, I thank you being a part of my learning, and I thank you all for helping me be a better person because you are in my life. Here is to each of you and to many more years of the opportunity to learn lots and share more.
So much to learn and share and so little time.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Are you adaptable?
I had a chance recently to go on a hike with my older brother. I am fortunate that I live outside the city of Dallas in a small suburb that currently is know for the fact that 43, 000 citations have been issued with a red light camera at one intersection and that number is greater than the population of the city itself. There also happens to be a great creek running several different directions throughout the city and it comes close enough to my house that we decided to go "creeking" the other day. Having recently been discharged from the hospital, I took my ID and cell phone just in case and I am glad that I did so that I could take some pictures. As we walked along we came across this tree that you see to the right and I was fascinated by the fact that the roots of that tree were continually adapting to whatever the creek brought it's way. As a result the tree continued to make it in the real world, our world.
This caused me to ask myself whether or not I am adaptable or am I as adaptable as I think I am or should be? While I feel that I am, the discussion that came about with my brother was how adaptable do our students have to be today? At my school our students may have 4 classes on one day and 3-4 on the other depending on their schedule. This is also known as an A/B block schedule. A teacher may have anywhere from 15-25 students depending on the class and the level for 4-6 periods in those 2 days. We all know that students have to be pretty adaptable because they continually adapt while they "play school" to get out. They adapt to the teacher so as to get a decent grade. They adapt to the day as they encounter other students and faculty be it in the hall, at athletics, extra-curriculars and on and on.
As I pondered this more and more, I got to thinking maybe the students don't have to adapt at all since a lot of teachers stick to the tried and true methods that they have known and how they were taught. Maybe we could all learn from the students. Maybe it's time for us to take a closer look so as to be able to see what the students need as opposed to what is going to get me through my day in the easiest way possible. I don't know as I am still trying to figure this one out.
Are you adaptable? If so how so? I would love to see if I am going the right direction. Let me know.
So much to learn and the time gets shorter and shorter.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Conference Envy Anyone?
This morning as I was catching up on school email, Lisa Durff sent out a tweet with the words "Do you agree or disagree?" I clicked the link she provided and read the post by kwhobbes titled "What's the rest of us to do?" I encourage you to read the post and add your thoughts. Last I checked my comments were waiting moderation so I thought I would go ahead and post some additional thoughts here.
Unfortunately, these are economic times that we will all have to struggle through. We never have enough funding for the things we think we want much less the things we truly need. Mandates from the government be it National, State or local and little to help back it up continue to frustrate all of us even without the thought of trying to convert my school to an SLA look alike. So we all have to be more creative. Yet the thing to think about in my opinion is that if we continue to do things the same way over and over again, our children will follow suit.
We have to work with our students to try and reach each and every one of them in some form or fashion. We need to model life long learning and passing that on. I think of the signs posted in every room and in the hallways at SLA that say "CORE VALUES - Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, Reflection." I start thinking do I do that, do our teachers do that? Do we approach all we do in that manner, so as to model it? While I may not go to every conference or see everything I think I need to see or even hear the same thing others hear, it is important to get out there, to be aware, to take teachers to these things so they can be a part of the conversation or at least be within earshot of the conversation, to bring them to the water and let them decide to drink or not. But I do so knowing full well that if I can get there, many others can as well.
There are plenty of frustrations out there without suffering conference attendance envy. Then we we get to conferences the frustrations are also many because we keep hearing the same phrases. In our buildings we continue to beat our heads against the same walls and feeling like we are not moving, but we have to continue to strive to help others make the "shift."
We do that by continually modeling, giving links for the K-12 Online Conference as well as the Not K-12 Online Conference, for Educon for NECC and we have to keep offering people opportunities to make the shift. We have to continually spoon feed and work with and supporting the believers and recruiting new ones all the time.
Frustrating I know, but after 32 years, these are exciting times and I am glad I am here able to be a part of it. On to SLA to learn more so I can share with anybody that wants to listen.
Unfortunately, these are economic times that we will all have to struggle through. We never have enough funding for the things we think we want much less the things we truly need. Mandates from the government be it National, State or local and little to help back it up continue to frustrate all of us even without the thought of trying to convert my school to an SLA look alike. So we all have to be more creative. Yet the thing to think about in my opinion is that if we continue to do things the same way over and over again, our children will follow suit.
We have to work with our students to try and reach each and every one of them in some form or fashion. We need to model life long learning and passing that on. I think of the signs posted in every room and in the hallways at SLA that say "CORE VALUES - Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, Reflection." I start thinking do I do that, do our teachers do that? Do we approach all we do in that manner, so as to model it? While I may not go to every conference or see everything I think I need to see or even hear the same thing others hear, it is important to get out there, to be aware, to take teachers to these things so they can be a part of the conversation or at least be within earshot of the conversation, to bring them to the water and let them decide to drink or not. But I do so knowing full well that if I can get there, many others can as well.
There are plenty of frustrations out there without suffering conference attendance envy. Then we we get to conferences the frustrations are also many because we keep hearing the same phrases. In our buildings we continue to beat our heads against the same walls and feeling like we are not moving, but we have to continue to strive to help others make the "shift."
We do that by continually modeling, giving links for the K-12 Online Conference as well as the Not K-12 Online Conference, for Educon for NECC and we have to keep offering people opportunities to make the shift. We have to continually spoon feed and work with and supporting the believers and recruiting new ones all the time.
Frustrating I know, but after 32 years, these are exciting times and I am glad I am here able to be a part of it. On to SLA to learn more so I can share with anybody that wants to listen.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Tagged and Passing it along
Lately there is a meme tag going around and Jen Wagner tagged me for "7 things you did not know about me." I have seen people tagged for different ones in the past and I thought it would be fun to be tagged but now I am not so sure. I have read several other people's 7 things and now I am trying to think what to come up with or what I might consider to be important. Oh well with that in mind:
1. I have always wanted to be a psychologist, but maybe for the wrong reasons. As an 8th grader one of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart where I went to school asked each of us what we wanted to be when we grew up and my response was a "Psychologist." The response of the class to my response was to laugh. I still remember what that felt like. That was back in 1968. My desire was to help people then and it still is today.
2. One of the most influential people in my life was a nun by the name of Miriam. She is a wonderful Sister of St. Mary of Namur nun who is still around today and I still see and visit with on rare occasions. We would talk about many things while I was still a student. The fascinating thing about her is she was a relative of one of the members of the band "The Monkeys." Well that wasn't the only fascinating thing about here as there were many. She however took the time to talk, listen, question me as well as make me feel that I was important and had a purpose for living. Because of her time and energy I left for college and came back to teach and coach at the very school I graduated from and have been there for 32 years. She was my department head when I first came back to teach at Dunne. I think she also had a lot of influence on my being a deacon but more on that later.
3. I took steroids in high school. Sorry to say that and I wished I hadn't but I did, all for the love and the desirous glory of Texas Football. I liked the way I grew, I liked the muscles that I built, but then I learned to absolutely hate football and a lot of the things I enjoyed around me. I still feel as though I have some of the after effects of the steroids but I doubt I would have come to my next point in life had I not taken them.
4. As a senior in high school I spent many months considering suicide. The phrase I have heard lately is a "convergence of circumstances" or "the perfect storm" related to my senior year. I held several offices in the school, I was probably more popular than I thought, but everything about myself and my life I questioned. I felt so out of place, I felt as if I was at a totally different level than so many of the people I was in class with and as a result the only out at that time for me was the one out I work to make sure no other student ever feels. I often refer to it as a long term solution to short term problems. High school should not be that way for anyone and my hope has always been to help people see the good in the whole situation.
5. I gave serious consideration to becoming a priest while I was in college. I quit dating totally (what was I thinking?), I actually drove to different places in the US and visited seminaries since my parents told me that did not want me to go to the one in Dallas (how interesting that is looking back on things now) but I could go to any seminary in the US. I finally decided that I truly liked women and that the two conflicted so I stayed single for a good while after that but of course I did date often however.
6. I hate accolades of any sort. Most of the recognition I have received are things associated with my job. My feeling is that I am paid to do my job and therefore I don't need to be recognized for doing my job the right way. I do however like to be told thank you on occasion. That is more than enough for me. I think a large part of the not liking the accolades is the fact that I hate crowds and having to schmooze. I guess due to shyness but a lot of people say they would never know it.
7. In a continuing pursuit of trying to help people I entered the formation program for the Diocese of Dallas to become a permanent deacon. The program is a long and hard journey of 5.5 years. My wife had to be there for the first 2 so that she would know what we were getting into and then she stayed through the other 3.5 years with me the whole way. I am very fortunate that she accepted my desire to enter the program and even more grateful she has stood by my side all these years, before and after the formation program. It is a tough program but I feel it is worth it. What time I had that I thought was my own now no longer is. I am assigned to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Duncanville, TX where I can baptize , marry, bury, distribute Communion but can not consecrate, I can't say Mass but I am allowed to assist, I can't hear confessions but I talk with a lot of folks that need to be heard, and on occasion I get to preach. Miriam had a lot to do with forming me in the early part of my life and enabling me to get here.
Seven things you probably don't need to know about me but now you do. Jen, I thank you for tagging me I think. So let's see if we can get a few more folks in on this and if you have already been tagged feel free to pass it along. I tag:
1. Miguel Guhlin
2. Scott Floyd
3. Kyle Stevens
4. Carolyn Foote
5. Clif Mims
6. Randy Rodgers
7. Alan Lutz
1. I have always wanted to be a psychologist, but maybe for the wrong reasons. As an 8th grader one of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart where I went to school asked each of us what we wanted to be when we grew up and my response was a "Psychologist." The response of the class to my response was to laugh. I still remember what that felt like. That was back in 1968. My desire was to help people then and it still is today.
2. One of the most influential people in my life was a nun by the name of Miriam. She is a wonderful Sister of St. Mary of Namur nun who is still around today and I still see and visit with on rare occasions. We would talk about many things while I was still a student. The fascinating thing about her is she was a relative of one of the members of the band "The Monkeys." Well that wasn't the only fascinating thing about here as there were many. She however took the time to talk, listen, question me as well as make me feel that I was important and had a purpose for living. Because of her time and energy I left for college and came back to teach and coach at the very school I graduated from and have been there for 32 years. She was my department head when I first came back to teach at Dunne. I think she also had a lot of influence on my being a deacon but more on that later.
3. I took steroids in high school. Sorry to say that and I wished I hadn't but I did, all for the love and the desirous glory of Texas Football. I liked the way I grew, I liked the muscles that I built, but then I learned to absolutely hate football and a lot of the things I enjoyed around me. I still feel as though I have some of the after effects of the steroids but I doubt I would have come to my next point in life had I not taken them.
4. As a senior in high school I spent many months considering suicide. The phrase I have heard lately is a "convergence of circumstances" or "the perfect storm" related to my senior year. I held several offices in the school, I was probably more popular than I thought, but everything about myself and my life I questioned. I felt so out of place, I felt as if I was at a totally different level than so many of the people I was in class with and as a result the only out at that time for me was the one out I work to make sure no other student ever feels. I often refer to it as a long term solution to short term problems. High school should not be that way for anyone and my hope has always been to help people see the good in the whole situation.
5. I gave serious consideration to becoming a priest while I was in college. I quit dating totally (what was I thinking?), I actually drove to different places in the US and visited seminaries since my parents told me that did not want me to go to the one in Dallas (how interesting that is looking back on things now) but I could go to any seminary in the US. I finally decided that I truly liked women and that the two conflicted so I stayed single for a good while after that but of course I did date often however.
6. I hate accolades of any sort. Most of the recognition I have received are things associated with my job. My feeling is that I am paid to do my job and therefore I don't need to be recognized for doing my job the right way. I do however like to be told thank you on occasion. That is more than enough for me. I think a large part of the not liking the accolades is the fact that I hate crowds and having to schmooze. I guess due to shyness but a lot of people say they would never know it.
7. In a continuing pursuit of trying to help people I entered the formation program for the Diocese of Dallas to become a permanent deacon. The program is a long and hard journey of 5.5 years. My wife had to be there for the first 2 so that she would know what we were getting into and then she stayed through the other 3.5 years with me the whole way. I am very fortunate that she accepted my desire to enter the program and even more grateful she has stood by my side all these years, before and after the formation program. It is a tough program but I feel it is worth it. What time I had that I thought was my own now no longer is. I am assigned to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Duncanville, TX where I can baptize , marry, bury, distribute Communion but can not consecrate, I can't say Mass but I am allowed to assist, I can't hear confessions but I talk with a lot of folks that need to be heard, and on occasion I get to preach. Miriam had a lot to do with forming me in the early part of my life and enabling me to get here.
Seven things you probably don't need to know about me but now you do. Jen, I thank you for tagging me I think. So let's see if we can get a few more folks in on this and if you have already been tagged feel free to pass it along. I tag:
1. Miguel Guhlin
2. Scott Floyd
3. Kyle Stevens
4. Carolyn Foote
5. Clif Mims
6. Randy Rodgers
7. Alan Lutz
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