tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91809519315738354982024-03-05T17:48:30.667-06:00New Educational FutureThoughts about how we can change how we teach and learn to help give kids the best education possible.mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-81971896943668083602016-08-24T15:01:00.001-05:002016-08-24T15:03:07.303-05:00Reflection: The Reality<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my beliefs is that reflection builds profound understanding. I love reflection. I love to stop, pause, breathe, think, write, and wonder. I thrive on pondering and tinkering and thinking of the what ifs. I think that is the spark that causes real change, when you really think deeply about something and jot a few words on a sticky note or a Whataburger receipt. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Except I don’t do it enough. We all say we reflect. I mean, we really want to.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But things happen. Someone pulls the fire alarm or a parent causes a stir in the front office or you have to make 4,538 more decisions today than you made yesterday. Your brain fatigues, and the last thing you want to do is ponder and reflect. You just need a really quiet, dark place to take a nap, but it’s only 9:30 a.m., and you are the principal. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my staff members gave me a journal at the end of the school year and suggested I use it to capture the awesome and not so awesome things which happen each day. I am usually a little too scatterbrained to keep up with a daily entry of things, but I made a goal to at least fill the thing out twice per week during this school year, partly because I could turn it into a book called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Things You Would Not Believe Happen at School</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and partly because I believe that reflection builds profound understanding. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s pretty awesome to look back, even to last month (because I can’t really even remember what happened last week, let alone last month) and see that what I was afraid of or what I was worried about had been resolved or didn’t matter as much as it did in the moment. Looking at the good things is even better and will lift your spirits and give you hope for a better day tomorrow.</span></div>
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mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-23645629920794755572016-06-04T18:37:00.001-05:002016-06-04T18:37:08.638-05:00The Vulnerability in Praise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb3xN2PInf2ssbVI_GiDIC9owUT7v7N4rRg7pdc-NIih8m_tUFSoYJtTa-JQql53Ifu9tNexk-MOwwb8drmZtt2qN6KeL6bIR0-S93IGcmui5q6sx4ypGi1slJ_fl0RW8K-dojLZWHHU/s1600/praise+quote.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb3xN2PInf2ssbVI_GiDIC9owUT7v7N4rRg7pdc-NIih8m_tUFSoYJtTa-JQql53Ifu9tNexk-MOwwb8drmZtt2qN6KeL6bIR0-S93IGcmui5q6sx4ypGi1slJ_fl0RW8K-dojLZWHHU/s320/praise+quote.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It amazes me the amount of positive praise one receives at the end of the school year. The end of an era. Why do we wait until the end of an era to make public our deep, visceral thoughts and insights?<br />
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When eulogizing someone, we remember the amazing things that someone accomplished during their life, but do we tell them these rememberings <u>during</u> their life? Do they know what kind of a difference they have made in the lives of others? Do they know why people followed their lead? Do they know how one little phrase they uttered stuck with someone for ten years? Do they know why they are your friend?<br />
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Why not? Why don't we make this a priority?<br />
Praising someone creates a need to expose your thoughts feelings. It takes a great deal of vulnerability.<br />
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I received a beautiful email message from one of my teachers who reached down into their soul to write the following to me upon my bittersweet announcement of my new position at a new campus:<br />
"Thank you for being a teacher and a mentor.<br />
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Thanks for being an administrator who actively encourages
and models teaching strategies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for making us feel like individuals and feel like we
are irreplaceable. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for finding the good in your staff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for setting the bar high. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for your presence and support at events such as
Science Olympiad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for offering opportunities to grow professionally (I
wish I would have taken advantage of aspiring administrators). <o:p></o:p></div>
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And most importantly, thanks for making this the best place
for teachers to work and for students to learn. </div>
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Congratulations on your new adventure!"<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Let go of the notion that praise should be done a certain way.</b> Receiving this message caused me to remember certain conversations and situations which I shared with this teacher. It is specific and follows the journey of my time at the campus. Receiving even one of these statements would have been magical, but to receive all of them was surreal.<br />
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<b>Don't let vulnerability weigh you down</b>. It takes time to let others know your innermost thoughts, and it takes an ability to be "okay" with vulnerability. It can be like telling someone you love them when you don't know if they are going to say it back. Sometimes saying "it" is more important than the reaction. All the time, "it" is worth saying to the recipient. This teacher bared their soul in the messages which were carefully written, and I am forever thankful for the honesty and openness contained within.<br />
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<b>Devote time. Create time</b>. Lean into the feeling of vulnerability enough to tell people around you what an impact they have on your life. Tell your kids how much they mean to you, Tell people why you trust them, why they matter, and what about their life you admire. You may think it is going to take too much time to create just the right message, but when you speak from the heart it is the right message every time. <br />
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Take the time to be open and vulnerable with your praise. It is worth every ounce of courage you summon, and it creates a new, deeper connection to those around you. mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-14644024617229559952016-03-10T13:30:00.004-06:002016-03-10T13:48:25.166-06:00Journey to Understanding<div class="MsoPlainText">
I was recently having a conversation with several teachers in
conflict, and I had the realization that teaching philosophy was the deeply embedded factor
in the disagreements. The expectations and clarity needed to be reset, and so I started my Journey. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My ELA Instructional Coach and I sat down to capture our own written, standard,
non-negotiable philosophy for our campus for deep and meaningful reading and
writing learning. We pondered teaching strategies and structures, reminisced about the good things that worked when we were English teachers, separated the doable from the dead, and enjoyed molding our vision together.</div>
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After we were finished, I was left questioning what kids wanted in all of this, how they would feel about our vision, and what their vision held. I led
my IC down to the 7th grade hallway and gathered 5 kids to start that
conversation. <br />
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What we learned yesterday on our Journey to Understanding:</div>
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<li>The kids deep down want to write more. Really?!? More!!??! Yes, but very deep down. </li>
<li>They want to experience more group conversation about their books. The "chit-chat" of adult-like book club conversation. Questions and challenges and prove your statement-type conversation.</li>
<li>They value picking their own books, but like to be exposed to different genre.</li>
<li>They want to talk through scenarios or debate with a group: the "what ifs" and "how comes" and ponderings involved in dissecting literature.</li>
<li>Most importantly, they want all kids to get help and to grow, from kids who get A's to kids who get C's as well as those who really struggle. </li>
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It was validating to see their thoughts, hopes and wishes mirror those of our vision. We are all constantly trying to improve for the better, and talking to kids is such an important checkpoint on the Journey.</div>
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Don't forget their voice while on <u>your</u> Journey. Stop and talk to them; listen and learn from them. </div>
mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-68464150571428678892015-01-25T08:11:00.001-06:002015-02-05T13:46:49.680-06:00The Brick Wall<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Texture: Brick Wall Free Stock Photography" src="http://freethumbs.dreamstime.com/7/big/free_71717.jpg" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #246eac; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/morrhigan_info" itemprop="author" style="color: #246eac; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Paige Foster</a><span style="color: #246eac; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> | </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/" style="color: #e22882; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; outline: 0px;">Dreamstime Stock Photos</a></span></div>
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Sometimes the problems or roadblocks you encounter on a daily basis are small mounds of dirt. They might be a rolling hill you can meander around through a meeting of the minds or two. Sometimes, though, they are like a brick wall which goes on for miles. <br />
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Brick walls can be large-scale cultural or academic values discussions and changes in your current system. The really tough stuff. The kind of stuff you feel is insurmountable, not possible, because of all of the work you will have to do. <br />
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When you are faced with a brick wall situation, it calls for seeds and jackhammers. One of my Administrators is fantastic at the seed. When working with seeds, one approaches staff members in isolation and has the same conversation, plants the same seed, in each of them. The plant grows into a small idea within that person. You need to plant lots of seeds and make small comments or find small quotes or articles from others to water and feed the seed so the idea grows. <br />
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Just like the weed in the garden, the seed will take over, and that's the point. Imagine having planted twenty seeds, and those seeds working their way into the brick wall. The wall will start to have cracks, parts where the other side shows through. Places where it starts to crumble. <br />
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Enter jackhammer. The discussion with the whole staff about the seeds and ideas and the why behind the brick wall coming down. The look into the other side of the wall and discussion about what it can become. The benefit to them and for the end result.<br />
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Plant seeds and get those walls down. It takes time, just like gardening and is a bit messy, but the end result is beautiful.mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-88922005184473483552015-01-14T20:39:00.001-06:002015-01-14T20:39:56.289-06:00Outside PerspectivesInviting other leaders into your school building gives such a unique perspective. They can sense the culture, talk to kids and look with a new lens at your facility. Feedback is given through the eyes of what incoming parents see or how your campus feels to others. It is awesome to get a different glimpse of what you have organized and built. <div>
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A big thank you to Jimmy Casas (@casas_jimmy) and Joy Kelley (@joy_kelley05) for our outside perspective view today. Such great feedback for our campus. </div>
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mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-17490185243049009252014-11-22T15:44:00.002-06:002014-11-22T15:44:22.388-06:00Aspiring Administrators GroupAs principals, one of our roles is to grow others. We are to give people the tools needed to to succeed in their current role or get the next job, or inspire them to think outside the norm. One of the ways in which I have started to give out tools is to create an Aspiring Administrator group. This group features:<br />
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<ul>
<li>An open invitation to any and all meetings</li>
<li>A glimpse into the interviewing and hiring process for APs and Principals</li>
<li>Article studies within the meeting structure</li>
<li>Facilitation and staff development tools, tricks and tips</li>
<li>Inbox activities featuring topics and what-ifs related to discipline, handling of poor teachers, parent interaction, and more</li>
<li>An open invitation for our group members to request discussion topics of interest</li>
</ul>
I started the group last year and had two members from another campus join our group and our discussions. I am excited to have started in on year two of this structure with additional members. Our conversations are rich, deep, and they inspire each other and me to try new things, look seriously at what-ifs, and help each other through internships and interviewing. <br />
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How are you inspiring those teachers in your building, some of whom are ready and some of whom don't know they're ready? Try hosting a few meetings--You'll get just as much out of them as your participants. mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-83677761402672558832014-11-22T15:29:00.000-06:002014-11-22T15:29:40.787-06:00Vulnerability & Silent Perspectives<br />
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As a principal group, we have been studying about vulnerability in our role as leaders. I thought of several groups these past two months to whom I have shown vulnerability as I have opened up the campus to our parents and opened up my bag of tricks to my Aspiring Administrator group.</div>
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<b>Chalk Talk</b></div>
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Opening yourself up to feedback from parent groups is always a risky, but extremely rewarding, move. I recently hosted a Principal Coffee where I discussed the district and our campus vision and goals. I was excited to get to speak with around thirty parents whom I have not necessarily seen around the campus. I shared our vision which was compiled by parents, teachers and kids throughout the school year last year, and asked for feedback in a format called Chalk Talk. </div>
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In this feedback-seeking method, parents/teachers/students are invited to give written, silent feedback on different ideas, themes, and areas in which you are seeking feedback. If you want feedback about your campus communication, place the word on the butcher sheet and ask for feedback of any kind. What you ask for is not only for people to write a comment on the paper, but to keep circulating and add affirmations, additional questions and new ideas on the sheet. I love this method because you not only get one set of information, but you get to see how many agree, disagree and a few outside the box ideas as well. </div>
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<b>Silent Perspectives</b></div>
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Try the Chalk Talk method with a group, whether it be students, parents, teachers, or principals. I've participated in several and it is very interesting to see what others place importance upon and what they value. It gives the facilitator glimpses of different perspectives without starting a verbal complaint session. It is a great way to ease into vulnerability.</div>
mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-1759543142394395072014-11-15T20:03:00.002-06:002014-11-15T20:03:24.593-06:00Change: Know Your People and Plant SeedsI have been learning about and experimenting with change as a principal for ten years. What I have repeatedly found is not shocking: people don't like it. In fact, their face will fall and a white pallor will overcome them at the mention of a new ____ (insert term here). It could be a program for them to win $10 a day for life, and there would still be a cautious, narrow-eyed stare. <br />
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<b>Knowing your people</b> is the first step to implementing change. Which employees will barrage you with questions about logistics, which will cry, which will nod their head but fantasize about cutting your tires, which are excited about the new change but social conventions forbid them from showing excitement, which are confused by change, and which are going to dig their heels in and scowl. When you can put your people into these and/or your own categories, you can tackle change individually BEFORE the change is rolled out. <br />
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What we'll focus on today is what I call <b>planting seeds</b>. When you have a large or small change initiative to implement, whether beneficial, tough, or mandated, you need to pre-load and beta test the change elements. Go to your "question barrage" people to ask their opinion and get feedback so you will have all of the questions hammered out when roll-out begins. Go to your "excited, but reserved" group to talk about their perspective and the "what-ifs" and "it would be cool ifs" to give you ideas about next steps. Talk with your "digging heels in" group to see their perception of the current state of affairs in the arena of the change--is it bad/good/crazy enough to warrant change--and how as a matriarch/patriarch of the campus or corporation they can they help define some of the change for their team or division. <br />
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Once you have planted the seeds, you will have enough pre-conversations to make the rest of the crowd look to those aforementioned groups for guidance as to how to react. When your "question barrage" folks are less question-ey and your "digging in" group become the ones in the know about the change, the rest of the group seems to take a breath and you can move forward. <br />
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Knowing your people and planting seeds are part of your change arsenal. Additional steps and insight will be discussed in upcoming posts. mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-40514673313798080652012-10-24T19:26:00.001-05:002012-10-24T19:26:23.433-05:00Project Based Learning--ContinuedI love talking to kids about their PBL projects and hearing that the project is "really hard" or it doesn't have really clear instructions. Kids are designing their own learning and that is "really hard" for many of them to grasp. They want us to tell them what to learn and how to do it. This is how we "do" school. <br />
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I'm really proud of my teachers, all of whom have gone out on a limb to give kids a truly unique learning experience. They are pioneers and are making awesome decisions for kids each day. They know when to look back at the kid and say, "Wow, how WOULD you do that?" Which goes against everything in a teacher's brain. mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-73042175576889317542012-06-26T22:57:00.001-05:002012-06-26T22:57:09.438-05:00Wouldn't it be nice<div>
Wouldn't it be nice if we could trade the desks in for tables and chairs, teach based upon kids' passions, and s l o w d o w n?</div>mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-7676793023813315392012-06-26T22:56:00.000-05:002012-06-26T22:56:26.565-05:00PBL & Mobile LearningPBL and Mobile Learning go hand in hand! We are utilizing mobile learning through research during our PBL projects. How exciting!mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-87171896098178701982012-06-26T22:55:00.002-05:002012-06-26T22:55:56.879-05:00PBLWe embarked on a journey through Project Based Learning as an admin team and small campus pilot group this past semester. What an amazing group of leaders, from my Assistant Principals to my teacher leaders. I am continuously amazed by the powerof a few to make such an impact on a large group. My kids benefitted from the teachers who were willing to let go, and they became willing as well. What a great life lesson they learned from each other in that no matter your age, you can learn and teach others new things.<br />
Thank you to my incredible team at BDJH, including teachers and students. I am in awe of you!mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-63136339186618544802012-02-22T14:45:00.003-06:002012-02-22T14:51:51.668-06:00Five Realities/ChallengesFrom <a href="http://willrichardson.com/">Will Richardson's </a>discussion at a workshop last night.<br /><br /><strong>5 Realities or Challenges to Education</strong>:<br /><br /><ol><br /><li>The ability to learn anytime, anywhere is pushing the boundaries of education. Students are "nodes in a broad network of distributed learning."</li><br /><li>There is a movement to privitize education (online learning). If your goal is to pass the test, companies will reign over traditional schools.</li><br /><li>Standardized tests are problematic and catastrophic to education and demeaning to the profession.</li><br /><li>Technology is happening so fast! Teachers have no context for what to do with that different learning. </li><br /><li>There is a disruption in thinking about higher education. Don't simply focus on "college readiness."</li></ol><br /><p></p>mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-51687183232733196122012-02-22T12:57:00.002-06:002012-02-22T13:00:30.509-06:00PBL Resources<a href="http://bie.org/">http://bie.org</a><br /><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning">http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning</a><br /><a href="http://pbl-online.org/">http://pbl-online.org/</a><br />twitter: #PBLChatmindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-73730703508125536142012-02-22T12:27:00.002-06:002012-02-22T12:31:03.262-06:00PBL JourneyWe have been on a Project Based Learning (PBL) journey this spring! My 7th grade team is working through creation of PBL units for 6th 6-weeks. We just spent three days discussing, planning, plotting, researching, and making rubrics. I am so impressed with their determination and their inherent need to drive on and make it to the end! The excitement and fear they feel will be the same as their students!!!<br />Way to go, BDJH!mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-28996184230289720932011-09-28T19:15:00.002-05:002011-09-28T19:17:43.190-05:00PublicityI talked about mobile devices and BYOD with a representative from Cisco earlier this week. It was a great chat. Cisco will publish it in October/November. Exciting!mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-90173717844203819622011-09-14T08:55:00.002-05:002011-09-14T09:27:57.441-05:00BYOD first story!We have started a BYOD system here in Katy, and we are so very excited about the transition to students having the ability to access and utilize knowledge when they need it most! Quick story: We do announcements on video (just started two days ago). I made mention to my news anchors of an app for the iPad in which the iPad acted as a teleprompter. Yesterday one of the students brought in the iPad and the kids used it as a teleprompter for afternoon announcements. They were able to look at the camera and interact with the audience!<br />How cool!!!mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-42549632068904845712011-09-11T08:34:00.002-05:002011-09-11T08:39:42.648-05:00Holy Moly!It's been a while.<div>This summer I got the opportunity to jump to junior high, and I took it! I am thrilled to be able to discuss education and life with pre-teens! They have been amazing, just as the staff has. I have been working on building background knowledge in technology in education. Friday I got to help 7th grade kids use <a href="http://www.storyjumper.com/">storyjumper</a> to create books about Native American tribes. I am super excited to start our staff Book Club and meet with my first Student Roundtable group this coming Friday! Exciting Stuff!</div>mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-16882592497437821092011-06-19T08:46:00.003-05:002011-06-19T08:52:34.424-05:00Mobile Learning Paradigm Shift<div>We have a long way to go in shifting teacher and administrator thinking to gain the acceptance of mobile learning devices in each classroom. Teachers want to hold on to the control of information in the classroom and principals don't want to deal with the additional (and sometimes unknown) issues which arise from having technology in the classroom. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am excited about the possibilities we have in giving kids power over their learning. What an amazing gift we can give!</div>mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-48731283585618877232011-05-17T20:53:00.002-05:002011-05-17T20:58:05.843-05:00Philosophical DifferencesHow do you settle differences between 52 principals on philosophy of education? G/T pullout or push in? 9-week vs. 6-week grading periods? Professional development vision?mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-21592177109433936932011-05-07T14:17:00.000-05:002011-05-07T14:18:04.166-05:00Change<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; ">"The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking."<br />~Albert Einstein</span>mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-7498030187836297762011-05-07T13:25:00.004-05:002011-05-07T13:56:25.559-05:00Positive Daily Parent Report = CheckbookWe are experimenting with and kicking around the idea of having a checkbook as our daily parent report. At this time we have a "mark" system where students receive marks for making poor choices. The emphasis is on negative behaviors.<div><ul><li>2nd-5th grade will have an individual checkbook register and will record deposits (for doing positive things) and withdrawals (for making poor choices) in their register. Each teacher will have a classroom chart so the teacher may have a record of the poor choices in order to report these on the report card under behavior. </li><li>1st grade will use pennies and will transition to nickels, dimes, quarters as they are ready.</li><li>Kindergarten will have a class penny jar and will earn money and give back money as a class until the 4th six weeks when they will transition to an individual plan</li></ul></div>mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-56330099781490461122011-05-01T20:01:00.002-05:002011-05-01T20:03:54.450-05:00Made to StickMade to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath is an incredible book! I love how they have placed numerous keywords per chapter in the table of contents so you don't have to freaking tab everything. The way they tell stories is easy and humerous. Such a great read.mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-8079557942633127842011-04-15T21:39:00.002-05:002011-04-15T21:44:31.472-05:00"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." --Mark Twainmindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9180951931573835498.post-35881421644842344402011-04-09T11:12:00.002-05:002011-04-09T11:20:11.301-05:00What if . . .<div>What if . . .</div><ul><li>We could have wi-fi on the school buses like a district in South Carolina?</li><li>We ran a report of all taxpayers over 60 and asked their opinion on things. They have been a "forgotten" stakeholder who have time on their hands for assistance such as volunteering, mentoring, or tutoring. </li><li>A class made an app together. It is a way of writing and critically thinking about a real world situation.</li><li>We had a "Napsterfication of learning" --Graham Brown-Martin</li><li>We used QR codes on district announcements, mailouts, and things going home from campuses?</li><li>We had a New Tech High School like Coppell ISD?</li><li>We had an app for iOS and Andriod like Comal ISD?</li><li>We looked at a different system like the FB page or app or twitter for disseminating information?</li></ul>mindy dickersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379398519697145921noreply@blogger.com0