http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-apJDi7cx9o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Check out this teachers video regarding a "Blended" classroom.  Loving it!

     

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av162x3FoIc
Have you checked on your buddy today? Does your buddy need a pep talk?

     What makes a great first day of school?  Is it the teacher?  Is it the group of friends you work and learn with? Can you express joy and learn in the mist of change?  The answer to all of these questions is, yes.  Thank-you, James Dukes family for making our first day of school the BEST EVER!!! Every day is GAME DAY and yesterday we all came ready to win!!!

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/best-teaching-advice
I love, love, love this teacher's advice about teaching! 

What opportunities are missed everyday with our students?

  
Life is always full of surprises. Can you imagine how this young man must of felt on this big stage without the support of his family and without a life of love ones telling him that he could do anything?  Bravery comes in many different forms.  As educators, what must we do to help our students take risk and live their dreams, even when life doesn't seem fair or opportunities possible?

lorislatestlinks.com

Check out this website!  One of my teachers attended the Kindergarten conference in Las Vegas and had the opportunity to hear the author of this website speak and she was instantly in love with her message.  Lori has created a great website and blog that will make any educator seem like a technology genius!  Love that!

http://tweentribune.com/

I am in love with this online paper.  I can just imagine students loving these articles and topics.  This is a rocking resource!

Apps that can change our lives!!!

Book Retriever - This app allows you to scan, level and inventory your entire classroom library. Leveling choices include Guided Reading Levels, Lexile, Accelerated Reader, Reading Counts, DRA and Reading Recovery.

itunes.apple.com

What are you doing to be part of the conversations regarding learning, leading, and education?  Start today to branch out into the world and redefining what education means to the nation by not only being part of the conversation but starting conversations.  Join a twitter feed, blog, or start of preview a pinterest page.  It is exciting to see how educators across our nation and world think and it is fun to be part of a bigger network of learners and adults.

 

 Do you believe in your students?  Do you believe that you are an exceptional educator?

 Decide to be exceptional in all that you do, today!  

AJ Juliani wrote a book titled, The 2.0 Teacher.  The very first page of the book notes, "The main difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is simple: Web 1.0 users could only search and retrieve information, while Web 2.0 users participate in the creation, development and sharing of information." 

Rate your school?  

Where does our school fall on the Teacher's iPad Spectrum?

Is is possible to get past the digital worksheet/cosume mode, if we are still stuck in creating learning with hard copies and struggle with e-mails?  As a team of educators, we have to dedicate ourselves TODAY to learn, collaborate, and produce online using a variety of technology.  It begins with us. We have to start the journey and catch up with our students that have been on the 21st Century train since they came out of the womb.  

Decisions determine your destiny!

What decisions can you make today to make your destiny or dreams come true?

I love this quote from Allen Shawn:

"A species in which everyone was General Patton would not succeed, any more than would a race in which everyone was Vincent van Gogh. I prefer to think that the planet needs athletes, philosophers, sex symbols, painters, scientists, it needs the warmhearted, the hardhearted, the coldhearted, and the weakhearted. It needs those who can devote their lives to studying how many droplets of water are secreted by the salivary glands of dogs under which circumstances, and it needs those who can capture the passing impression of cherry blossoms in a fourteen-syllable poem or devote twenty-five pages to the dissection of a small boy's feelings as he lies in bed in the dark waiting for his mother to kiss him goodnight...."

As I read this quote, I thought about how no one is expected to approach life in the exact same manner as someone else, yet we often hear comparisons of teaching styles, leadership styles, or learning styles as if they should be the same as someone else's -- that is not you! We have to embrace our differences and use them as strengths. If we did embrace differences, than the judgements of each other would be eliminated and true team work could really begin. Just a thought or maybe a goal?

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-digital-footprints
What is your digital footprint?  Today--if your students googled you, what would pop up?  This is a constant conversation that I have with my husband regarding where all the information that we are creating online is being stored. Do our students and do we understand the ramifications of our digital footprint? Do we avoid posting online or joining online networks because of the fear of what might be happening with our information or do we create a profile that can be used as an asset for college and career opportunities in the future?

 The video link noted above illustrates some great ideas about how to begin to teach students about creating a positive digital footprint. Have you googled yourself before?  If not, type in your name and see where your footprint takes you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xulCSbJ4n8

Our NEU application video is complete and the entire application will be sent in on Monday!  YEAH! 

     Last week I visited my niece's high school.  It is a performing arts high school and the entire school was filled with energy.  The dancers were dancing to music that was being played in their orchestra pit, by their orchestra students.  The walls and trash cans were painted by the students.  The halls were filled with choir music. My heart ached!  I want this for our students.
     Then I came across this music program that was created at a school site using music apps on the iPad. I thought about the many possibilities of this program for our school.  It is something to think about as money gets tight.  How do we are the leaders and teachers of our school provide the opportunities for the arts for our students? We have to think outside the box.

  Ode to an Aide

      (a Special Education Aide)

 Dearest Aide, it's really true,

I'm thankful for the things you do.

Like wiping noses green with goo,

you're always there to help me through.

Chasing kids and marching in place,

and cleaning Gracie's pizza face.

I can't forget the silly songs

you're forced to sing all day long.

Coloring pictures and reading books,

dodging snot and dirty looks.

Screaming kids who sometimes slap,

by 3 o'clock you need a nap.

Coaxing Freddy off the slide,

every day is a wild ride.

Feeding Jaedan cheese for lunch,

those dirty diapers pack a punch.

All jokes aside, I have a hunch,

you love this wild and crazy bunch!

  Written with love and much appreciation,

  by Katie Skahan

http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/ipad-education-case-studies

This internet link has a list of school that have implemented iPad programs and talk about their case studies. It is interesting to see how so many different districts across our nation have implemented these devices.   I definitely think we need to review as many different case studies and pilot programs as possible to learn from their best practices. 

 As we approach utilizing digital-literacy in ways that we never have before, it is going to be essential that we teach our students how to use it properly.  This link gives a few great suggestions on how to get started with this process. 
https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2012/05/15/3-video-lesson-guides-on-digital-literacy/

I love this video noted in the link below!  Can you imagine the conversations that these students are having at the dinner table with their parents?  These students are creating, innovating, finding a voice, and audience for their work.  This is something to think about as we invest in technology next year.

How will we use it? What is innovation? How do we teach creativity?  This school/ teacher has found a way to bring real world experiences into the classroom and make the students' work meaningful. How will we foster creativity and innovation next year with our students and school?

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/project-management-technology-lesson

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cc/
The internet site listed above goes right to the Core Common Standards page. 

Today was our teams' first glance at the Common Core Standards and I have to say that it was exciting to hear everyone talk about the possibilities that they could see in their own instruction with the new set of standards.  I think this next educational journey is going to be a great opportunity for everyone across our nation to really focus on learning and progress in the classroom with a clear set of expectations and targets. 

This week is teacher appreciation week and words can not express the gratitude that I feel for the teachers at my school site.  The teachers at my school site are truly "Exceptional"!  Although I have only been at this school site for one year, I am blown away by the love and dedication that my staff has for their students.  Teachers come early, stay late, give free guitar lessons, tutor for free after school, bring snacks for hungry students, and never stop thinking about how to help their students succeed.  Thank-you, teachers for all you to make our school a place of learning, fun, and love.  Research has proven that the biggest indicator of a successful school is the teachers!  Our school is definitely proof of that! Our teachers are rock stars and their expert skills, big hearts, and dedication to helping every student success has been noticed and is appreciated!

https://www.teachingchannel.org/

I am loving this website.  The teaching channel has short little videos regarding teaching, professional learning, and the Common Core Standards.  I see this type of resource in our future. How great would it be for our school to have our own JD channel that we could refer to when we have a question regarding student learning or a place we could share our best practices.   

Think about everything that we have accomplished this year.  We are almost done with our NEU application, we have completed shifted our thinking to focus on student learning, we have worked all year to create our 6 Exceptional Systems on our campus, we have all documented our work and progress with S.M.A.R.T goals, we have all "Unwrapped our Standards", we have all utilized technology, we have all used a school-wide assessment program (D.A.R.T), and we have worked as a collaborative team on common grade level and school goals. Who can say that their entire school has accomplished all of these strides in one year?  Oh-- we can! I see our school going viral in the future with our rock star classrooms!

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-standards-ela?resume=0

The Common Core Standards are coming our way soon!  As we begin this journey over the next two years, there are a variety of resources for us to review and learn from. The video link noted above summarizes the new standards and a few ideas that other schools across our nation have utilized to roll out this work. 

 Blog is included in the ELA plans......

http://helloliteracy.blogspot.com

Check out the blog noted above. This blog was created by a Lake Myra Elementary literacy teacher leader, who has documented their best practices at her school.

Lake Myra Elementary School opened three years ago and this school has implemented a very impressive RTI program, 21st century thinking and teaching, and the Core Common Standards.

                                         

T

RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING!
I love, love, love the true joy in the eyes of our teachers! The idea of universal achievement begins with the belief that we really believe that all students can go to college.  I think when you look at this picture that there is no doubt that this teacher would do whatever it takes for this students. 

 Check out our dedicated teachers...... blogging as a Team! 

 We are so 21st Century!

http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/

Check out this summary regarding the "Flipped Classroom". 

Twitter Door- The kids can tweet about what is happening. There are 30 laminated sentences strips so everyone (including the teacher) has a place to "tweet" on the door.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uit1Ll0aWcg

This video proves that anything is possible!

                        How did you use your superpowers to make a difference in the life of a child?
                        What did you do to promote innovation, creativity, and thinking today?

We are prepared and can live in the moment!  We know that we have done our best to prepare our students for this day!  Our school is going to rock the star!!!

The "Art Fair" was a great success!  What a great opportunity for our students to feel like gallery artist for a night!  Thank-you, to the art docents for all they do to provide art in our classrooms! 

Check out this great passage from the online book, The 2.0 Teacher, written by AJ Juliani.

AJ Julinai writes, "What is the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is simple:  Web 1.0 users could only search and retrieve information, while Web 2.0 users participte in the creation, development and sharing of information.  Without going into too much detail, Web 2.0 has trasformed our world by giving "us" the power to inform, create, and mainifest information, programs, software, and authentic content (p.4)."

As I reflect about education, I can't help but wonder, how can I help transform my thinking into a Web 2.0 perspective and get past the --retrieving information stage?  I think I am addicted to Google.   


   

There is nothing better than a fun school tradition!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ3ph-Cstmw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Check out a small snapshot of our annual egg event.

Teacher Spotlight!

Check out this great example of how a stellar teacher has begun to utilize technology in her classroom to help her students to have a voice and address academic demands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo4VM7Kcf1A&feature=relmfu

What is worth fighting for?

     In Tony Wagner's book, The Global Achievement Gap, he summarized the conversation that he held with the "... vice president for Global Talent Management at Dell Computers." This business leader told Mr. Wagner, "... that his greatest concern was young people's lack of leadership skills. "Kids just out of school have an amazing lack of preparedness in general leadership skills and collaborative skills," he explained. They lack the ability to influence versus direct and command." In other words, the only kind of leadership young people have experience is one that relies on obedience versus the kind of reasoning and persuasion that is the new leadership style demanded by businesses organized in teams and networks (p. 26)." 

     Do you agree with the Vice President of Global Talent Management at Dell Computers?  Do you notice students relying on obedience verses problem solving and reasoning?  What best practices happen at your school to promote leadership?