Building a culture of sharing

One of my professional goals as you know is to begin sharing more.  This morning, I attended a roundtable discussion on the connected educator paneled by 10 of the greatest minds and authors in educational leadership today.  The session was filled with ROCK STARS and they rotated through our smaller groups to share with us and allow us to glean from them their 'pearls of wisdom'.  It was awesome session...almost perfect...I say almost for a reason.

Two of the presenters who rotated through were Pernille Ripp and Peter Dewitt.  While speaking of ways to build a culture of sharing in schools, I posed a question to Pernille via twitter.  I also tagged another blogging hero of mine, Tom Whitby.  The response I got made me do the Homer Simpson style 'Doh'...

Initially, I was looking for a quick answer.  This response, though caused me to pull together all the tidbits of knowledge that I have gleaned from a myriad of sessions here at ISTE.  Well, played Pernille, well played.  So here goes a few of the ideas I have to foster a culture of sharing at our school this coming year.  

Call out the elephant in the room:

Admit that sharing is hard and scary, and even more scary in front of your peers that you respect.  Start there are then move on. 

Modeling

Model sharing and living your passion for those around you.  Starr Sackstein (@mssackstein) may have said it best 'None of us start as experts'  Couple this with quote attributed to Angela Maiers (@AngelaMaiers) 'The smartest person in the room, is the room' 

Shout out sessions in traditional and virtual meetings

Take the time to stand and recognize the genius and skill of those around you and encourage them to be recognized and share with the group in that moment the great things they are doing.

Create a brand and write your own story

I don't remember where I heard this one from or who I am stealing it from, but 'Tweetable Moments'.  I hope to make it a habit to find tweetable moments everyday.  I hope to inspire my peers to do the same share out 1 tweet a day with our school hashtag and use the already existing hardware in our commons area to showcase the awesomeness that is taking place in our school everyday.

Speed Geeking

This idea is one that a colleague of mine, Patty Wolfe (@wolfep).  Speed geeking, or organizing a regularly scheduled time for our staff to share 3 minutes of genius with other staff members in a rotating speed dating style session.  I see some potential for this to fit into our weekly breakfast club meetings we have on Fridays.

Walkthrough Wednesdays

This idea is inspired by Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) while he was walking through the poster sessions at ISTE.  I am hoping to use the Periscope app to record videos of students every Wednesday as they are answering the question 'What is the greatest experience you have had this week in school'.  I then plan to upload these to YouTube and curate these experiences over the course of the year and give teachers some 'lift' as they hear the joy kids are experiencing in their classrooms.

 Start a Blogging Clan

This is an idea I had a little over a year ago.  One of the obstacles most people find when blogging, is not having a dedicated time to get it done.  Life happens, right?  This idea is to create a blogging clan that meets regularly to blog, and help others who are wanting to start blogging.  I know we have several people who want to blog but just need the input of activation energy!

 Mini Ignite Sessions

This is an idea that I am going to bring to our administration for the kickoff to our school year.  Have our fellow teachers get up and share 5 minutes of passion with the rest of the staff.  It is time to drop the self consciousness and self defeating talk.  We wouldn't tolerate it from our students, so why do we tolerate it from ourselves.  Lets share our talents and passion with the world.  You never know the impact you will have.

So, this was my list of ideas.  The challenge I give to you if have read this far:  What ideas do you have to build a culture of sharing?

Sharing Your Genius - It's not a choice, it's an obligation

For quite some time, I have had these thoughts:

'As educators, we have a moral obligation to share our genius.'

'As educators, we need to share our genius with others more often'

'As educators, we need to have the courage to share our passion in front of our peers' 

So, this post is serving two masters for me: I have set the professional goal to do more than think outside the box, it is time I have the courage to model what I preach to others.  A second goal I have set is to share my 'genius' with others through blogging.

You see, for me, this process of blogging is where I work through inner dialog.  It is where I hash out the inner workings of ideas.  It is where reflect on my JOB to get better at my PASSION of being an educator and leader.  Over the past couple of years, I have written probably somewhere around 100 blog posts and then later deleted them because I didn't have the courage to post these outside the box ideas for others.

To accomplish these two goals,  I am setting the goal of having a meaningful blog post once a week.  I am going to be action oriented when I return to work in the fall.  My role in our school has grown into one where I am the person who calls it like I see it and isn't afraid to cast away tradition in the hopes finding a better way to do it.  Luckily, I have a boss who relies on me to 'rock his boat'.  Now it is time, I take another step and be willing to model the leadership thoughts, educational actions and new ideas that I generally take to others.  So, stay tuned for more.

The real impetus behind sharing this post came from a 'Honey-Slap' moment as Adam Bellow (@AdamBellow) calls it.  I was lured into an experience for the honey and slapped with the reality of truth.  That honey-slap moment for me was sitting in the #HackKeynote by Adam and Dean Shareski (@shareski).  The one and only Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) sat down behind and me and it was go time baby!  Those who know me best, know the giddy excitement I experience from meeting my EDUCATION heros, so this was like nirvana for me.

This was my nirvana moment as I was surrounded by rock stars Adam Bellow, Tony Vincent, and Dean Shareski...not to mention fellow #CozadMakers Patty Wolfe & Karen Berreckman

And then it dawned on me...The people that I idolize are ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things...and they make others more extraordinary by sharing their genius.  The slap was this - We have a moral obligation to share our talents and live our passion for the world around us'.  There is no doubt that these guys are rock stars and uber talented, but the reality is that they have made a conscious choice to share their genius with us.  Their sharing has made me better and I owe it to others to share that with them.

I wonder how the culture of school would change if, we as educators and leaders, had the courage to share our genius with our peers and not be self conscious in showing our passion to our fellow educators.  When others are showing their passion it is contagious.  It is a contagion that lifts your spirits.  I can assure you that this year I am moving forward in my work as an educator to share my genius and just maybe I will be able to elevate those around me.

Lastly, I must give credit to a few of the people who have inspired me to be more awesome.  Thanks Adam Bellow for imploring all of us to make education better.  Thank you to Angela Maiers for encouraging other to share their genius.  Thanks Pernille Ripp for modeling blogging and authentic sharing.  Thank you Tony Vincent for being such a confident down to earth rock star.  And lastly, thank you to my fellow educators and friend for inspiring me to grow.

ISTE 2015 Reflection: Part 1 of ????

One of things I love about my job is the opportunities I get to engage in quality PD with my peers.  The last 3 summers I have been lucky enough to attend the ISTE conference and this years ISTE in Philly is just as great as the last two I attended.  Here is my David Letterman style top 10 list of take aways from ISTE...so far...

10. HackED 15  The all day conference as part of the EduBlogger Con event.  It was a full day Ed Camp style presentation facilitated by some big hitters like Adam Bellow (@AdamBellow), Angela Maiers (@AngelaMaiers) and more. The  smackdown portion of the day showcased those of us in the audience who shared our 3 minutes of genius smackdown style.  Click here to see the link of topics covered this day or click here to see the list of smackdown showcases

9. #SatChat This event featured your typical twitter chat, but was held in a meeting hall and then streamed on Periscope.  It was awesome to hear the voices of those tweeting and speaking in a panel type discussion.  My takeaway from this was, it is all about connections.  Not just connections in the digital sense, but connections with people.  I believe a CORE VALUE of our school ought to be RELATIONSHIPS.  It was powerful to see the multiple layers of conversation that take place during a twitter chat and see the authentic interpersonal relationship building that was taking place.  One of my goals for #TYIW is going to be to bring this to our school and community.


8. There is no 'Arrived'- Feeling like a rock star one minute with your grasp of technology and educational practice and turning around to seeing those around you and realizing your are but a grain of sand on beach.  The diversity of the professionals who attend ISTE is a key ingredient to what makes this experience so great.  It humbles you, it inspires, and motivates you make connections and 'Be More Awesome'

7. The Expo - About the time you are thinking you know what is out in the world for tools/sites/apps/providers/etc a walk through the expansive expo will blow your mind and prove you don't know jack about the who or what is out there for EdTech and education in general.  There is tons of swag to be had (and for us cheepos a great place to pick up a toy to take back home for our kids).  It is also a nice place for a change of pace of learning when visiting vendors like the Google Booth.  Google and many other exhibitors are conducting learning sessions on the use of these educational tools, pedagogy, or have show and tell sessions from teachers.

6. Social Media as instant PD - The idea of using social media, such as twitter, for professional development is not new.  My PD at ISTE  via social media can only be summed up as: PD on steroids, hyped on caffeine, all while experiencing a sugar high.  At ISTE it is easy to immerse yourself in the 'social media thingy' and expand your PLN.  My twitter feed was blowing up and Tweetdeck made it simply to follow a focused stream or my general stream.  It was a constant barrage of links, articles, blogs and tidbits of PD.  I honestly feel like I grew as much through my social media reading as I did in actual sessions while at ISTE.

5. Quips & Witticisms Piggybacking on the social media is the overwhelming number of quips and sayings you see in the form of meme's and cool pics.  These are great graphics that have been doctored to inspire and make you wonder and THINK.   And better yet, it happens in your social media feeds without you needing to do anything. These small tidbits of info and thoughts are great little mental pinups to keep you centered for the other 361 days of the year when not at ISTE.

4. Debreifing and Connecting Some of the most powerful conversations that happen at ISTE are those that take place after the doors to the conference close. ISTE powers the gears inside your head and those gears stay in motion well after the conference ends.  These reflective thoughts and passionate experiences lend themselves to great conversations.  After the sessions each day our group meets up and enjoys some food and great conversation.  The ideas that come out of these sessions are 'priceless'.  They are the ideas that will transform our classrooms and schools.  They are the ideas that will make our classrooms the place that will be transformational for students.  

3. Ignite Sessions  This fast paced inspiring session gave 15 presenters only 5 minutes each and 20 slides to share their message and inspire the audience.  Some of these were presented by average Joe's who wanted to share their genius but the most remarkable one was without a doubt the BE THE CHANGE message shared by Pernille Ripp (@PernilleRipp).  Her energy, passion, conviction and message sent chills up spines and tears streaming down cheeks.  I couldn't help but wonder why couldn't we bring and IGNITE style session back to Cozad to kick off our school with our teachers sharing their 5 minutes of genius.  Click here to  watch the video of the ignite sessions.  Pernille Ripp was the 2nd one and is about 5 minutes into it and it is worth the watch.


2. 'Fanboy'itis' Having the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the most respected educational leaders in the world today.  Adam Bellow, Angela Maiers, Pernille Ripp, and Chris Lehman are just a few of the 'Rock Stars' I had the chance to meet, talk with and most importantly listen to!

1. The opportunity to recharge my batteries and be grounded once again in my pursuit to change the world one student at a time.  Cozad is lucky to have such great educators and I wouldn't trade the world for the time I spent collaborating, laughing,  dreaming,  and sharing with those who attended ISTE.  Thanks to Cozad Schools for believing in my professional development and caring enough about me as an educator to help me get better at making a difference.

Here is a link to a folder containing some selected resources from the conference.

Showcasing students work...Is it time to rethink the focus of schools?

Once again this summer, I am blessed to have the opportunity to travel to a couple of national conventions/conferences.  As such, the wheels of thought are spinning as I have had the opportunity to engage in great conversation with our schools leaders as well as witness some presentations and showcases that humble me in my own work as an educator.  I am eternally grateful to the #CozadMakers schools system for believing in my work and investing in my professional development, so that I can work to enrich the experience our students have at Cozad Community Schools

The first of these conference has been the Skills USA National convention in Louisville Kentucky.  Sixteen thousand attendees have gathered to watch students engage in an authentic showcasing of their technical skills across the spectrum of vocational, technical, and academic areas.  Students from high school and post-secondary institutions across the country have earned the right to compete and showcase their skills in every competition from industrial technology to robotics to health care and beyond under one roof at the Kentucky Exposition Center.  A national champion will be crowned in every competition, scholarships and prize winnings will follow, along with job offers from America's leaders in every industry as they jockey to secure the next Michael Jordan of their field.

Don't be fooled that these vocational competitions are for the 'other' kids.  These are the best and brightest in schools across the United States.  The worlds demand for workers with the skills to apply the theory they learn in academic settings is insatiable.  The world  needs people who can perform.  Their earning potential in many cases is higher than those who work in what are typically seen as the 'prestigious' jobs in America.

Unfortunately today, schools and our society seem to think that career and technical education is the 'ugly duckling' of education.  These STEM opportunities, may be receiving a great deal of press due to the buzzword phenomenon, but few schools are taking the leap to make these new programs the common occurrence as opposed to being the rarity in new program implementation.

So why is that so?  Why are schools so remiss in putting these CTE classes and programs as their flagship?  Why are we resistant to the experiences that are driving growth and innovation in the world?  Tom Whitby (@TomWhitby), an educational leader, blogger and 34 year veteran of education published a blog today, where he proposed an answer to all these questions: Because innovation is change, and we are afraid of change.  

To focus on career and technical education, in the same way we focus on the core areas, would be to change from what we have done for decades in education.  It would be to resist the forces that are mandating standardization and quantification in education.  It would require that we admit education can be done differently and it can be better.

After this week at Skills USA National Convention, I can assure you that I will be bringing some new ideas back to my alma mater where I work.  A few of the thoughts and questions I will work on finding answers to are:

• Lets rethink the course offerings we have as a school.  They nearly identical to the classes we offered 20 years ago when I was a student.
• Can we envision a school where we tap into the hidden genius in EVERY student?
• What opportunities can we offer our students by partnering with our business community that engage students in real world learning and application of skills and knowledge?
• If we believe that the word FAIL stands for First Attempt In Learning, then lets not be afraid to try something new and Bobbi, thanks for the reply. The booking reference is one that I ready a few years ago and I agree it's a great book. Your question at the end of what you do to turn those teachers around her still reluctant to change, in my opinion focuses on the concept of creating the shared vision. Once you have that  thanks for the reply. The booking reference is one that I ready a few years ago and I agree it's a great book. Your question at the end of what you do to turn those teachers around her still reluctant to change, in my opinion focuses on the concept of creating the shared vision. Once you have that 

It is easy to sit behind the keys of a blog and post these thoughts.  It is another to delve into the muddy waters and work to find a solution.  I can assure you, that I am vested in what is best for our students.  I can assure you, that I will never be satisfied with good enough.  I can assure you that as I watched the best and brightest in the nation competing here at Skills USA, I was pompous enough to believe that our students could be on this national stage.  I was confident enough in our teachers to believe with a focused and shared vision, we could be the best in the nation.

I am excited to head out to ISTE in Philadelphia Saturday and continue my journey to answer the existential call to improve the great education our students at Cozad receive.  I look forward to once again learning with my fellow #CozadMakers teachers.  I look forward to the great ideas that arise, the hard questions we will have to ask ourselves that will follow, and heart and soul of work that it will take to make things great.

There are two quotes I think about often.  The first one is one that is also a favorite of great friend Jed Droge (@ibejed)

The second one is a quote I use while with athletes as a coach.


I am excited to see the #CozadMakers teachers, students and community join me in moving from good to great and making our better best!