A New Challenge

For those of you that have read my previous posts, or possibly even followed my blog for a while, you know that I have taken on a new position as Admin Curriculum/Technology Integrator for the Rye School District in Rye, NH. It's not a big change in theory from what I had previously done for the past 5 years in York, Maine, however, it does expand my grade span from K-4 to K-8, and the title eludes to a few more dollar signs and a lot more responsibility!

As an administrator, I have already been in the schools (K-5 elementary and 6-8 junior high school) getting things in place, and meeting with other administrators to plan for the upcoming school year. Our official school year starts on Tuesday August 28th for the kids. By far the best way to break into a new school year is with a three day week (followed by a 4 day weekend), a four day week, and then finally a full 5 day week on week three of the new year. Children really seem to transition much better with this format, and who can argue with getting out a little earlier in June?

Between you and me, I could use an easy transition into the school year as well. Ya right! Anyone in the technology field that works in education, knows that this just isn't possible. Putting out fires is among the first call of duty for any education technology savvy person in the first month of the new year. But hey, I'm used to that!

These past two weeks have been just a bit stressful though, getting things in place, and making sure the technology is ready for the teaching staff and students upon their arrival. The biggest challenge is stepping into a new role with very little guidance, as the typical tech staff was given the summer off as well. Now, I'm not complaining, but I did feel like I had to do the job of at least three people over the past two weeks as I touched over 310 computers (just at the elementary school) to get them ready for testing, assigning network logins, and scheduling software updates individually. We also had the server go down at the Junior High School the day before I had planned a full day tech integration workshop with staff from both schools. That was a two day fix. Not to mention, I came from a district that was nearly 90% updated Mac computers (mostly given to us by the state) and iPads, and walked into a school district with 7 year old Dell desktops, laptops and Acer netbooks. "Great Scott! Send me back to the future Doc!"

The great news is, I get to team up with an old colleague of mine from Kennebunk, Jason Saltmarsh the Tech Director of SAU 50. Both his and my position are brand new to the district and SAU. It's great to know, that in challenging situations such as these, there is another brain to bounce ideas off of and work towards a clearer vision to promote tech integration and professional development within our schools for the future.

Another highlight so far has been the teachers and staff at both schools who have been very welcoming as well. I truly look forward to working closely with them, and assisting them in planning out curriculum in the weeks, months, and years to come. I may have felt like I stepped back 10 years when I walked into my first classroom in Rye and saw the technology that was available to the students and teachers, but I know that the future is bright and there is a lot of excitement building amongst the teachers. Which is the most any educator can ask for, because where there is enthusiasm, there is a life long learner ready to try something new!

Professional Development for the Summer 2012

First off, I apologize for not publishing this entry sooner. This was suppose to go live at the end of June, but I must have thought I had done it when I really hadn't.

As a student, I loved the summers in Maine. It meant a break from school and the stress from assessments and grades. It’s also the perfect season to get outdoors and enjoy Maine’s coastline and mountains.

As a teacher, I value these same concepts. I still love summers in Maine, although I do not have as much free time during the summer months as I once did as a student. It still is a mental break from the daily grind and wear-and-tear of planning, administering, assessing, reflecting and re-tweaking lessons. The summer months have never been a break from learning for me though.

I find the summer months to be my best times for learning, reflecting and getting inspired to try something new for when I return to school in the fall. New experiences, books or blogs that I have read, inspirational videos or new web tools that I come across while surfing the Internet, all seem to creep into my daily life during those summer months when I do have a few extra minutes to breathe. It’s because of these moments, that I have extended my professional learning development throughout the year. It is a perfect opportunity for me to dissect these materials and see how I can best bring it to my classroom, school, or learning environment and adapt it to my learners.

It would be great if every educator could build in an hour a week, at the very least, into their work schedule to read or write a blog, create or watch a video, or just share wonderful ideas via social networks with other fantastic educators around the globe. It would make us all just a little bit better!

This summer, I will be taking on a new adventure, as my career’s journey moves in a new direction. I’m very excited about the possibilities and the challenges that this new endeavor will bring. I’m also a bit saddened as it means I will be leaving colleagues and some great friends. The beauty of the world today though, is that we can always stay in touch with those that mean the most to us, and to those that help inspire us every day. Therefore, I don’t feel as though I’m leaving a group behind, as much as I understand that I am meeting new people to add to my Professional Learning Network.

Collaboration is the key, and breaking down the concrete walls of our schools or communities, to expand on our learning and with individuals in which we can learn from, can be the greatest professional development of all. I still look forward to connecting with past colleagues and friends to inspire, learn, collaborate and create great and wonderful things aligned to the curriculum through integrated projects.

My advice for professional development this summer, is to try something new. Read up on a new web 2.0 tool, or observe how an educational social network space works. Take a look at successful project based learning activities and lessons and think of ways that you could implement this style of learning into your own curriculum and classroom. Browse a few blogs of leading innovative thinkers in the world of Education Technology and see what they are doing in their every day lives to inspire life long learners. Watch a YouTube video from a TED talk, like the one above and get inspired to try something new next year. Don’t be afraid to pull your students in to the learning as you learn as well. Students can often be great observers and helpful in problem solving and setting up meaningful learning.

For example, York will be deploying an iPad cart with 30 iPad2 tablets on them in grades K-6 next year. App selection is going to be key. Why not have your students, especially those that already have tablets or iPods at home, help in the selection and evaluation process of apps? There is a great example of iPad app evaluation strategies from Richard Byrne of FreeTech4Teachers.com below. I have also listed three wonderful apps to try out over the summer months to the right to inspire professional development and good teaching strategies. I hope you enjoy the summer, because you all deserve a break. Keep in touch and take care!