2012 and beyond....

Just read a blog I follow written by Justin Tarte. Felt it was all very wonderfully said and you can read it yourself if you have time.http://justintarte.blogspot.com/
His last paragraph is something I would like to remember and focus on for the coming year.

"Finally, try to be better than you were yesterday every single day of your life.
Try to do something new every single day of your life. Try to build a new
relationship with someone new every single day of your life. Try to be thankful
for something in your life every single day of your life. Try to take a moment
to reflect every single day of your life. Try to imagine a world that does not
yet exist every single day of your life... Actually, the more I think about it,
don't try to do all of these things, DO ALL OF THESE THINGS!"

I was going to put this as a comment (to myself of course) but thought it would be easier to view if it was a post. Plus someone from the great beyond or CHINA (come on China I want more readers!) would be able to see this post easier than a comment. Just one thing to add to the list Justin Tarte posted for the new year. Always remember....
"If you are not having fun...WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?"
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 !!!
(I really have a lot more things to add just thought it would get boring. Oh I almost forgot since I am a blogpack of one I would only be boring myself...which is not impossible...more later I am sure!)

Changing Education..

I like to watch 'Ted Talks' it inspires me and fills me full of questions.

So today I watched one called 'The Philosphy of Wrong', it was thought provoking in itself but it also got my mind wondering about Education.

I went to an SAI conference where Scott McLeod led a conversation on 'what is learning'.

I have thought about that ever since and enjoy asking others the same question. Now I want to go a step further and question," Why should education be changed?"

Do you see where the philosphy of wrong led me to this question?

Now I am going to think about this for awhile and then comment on my random and organized thoughts on the topic of changing education.

You are invited!

Yoda vs. Harry Potter...

So during Christmas with my family my oldest son started a debate conversation. Who would win a fight Yoda or Harry Potter and why. Great conversations started with even my youngest son who is 10 contributing. (While playing Lego Star Wars on his DS). So who do you think would win? I will save my decision for my comments.
Then I started these debate conversations:
Who would win a fight Star Trek or Star Wars and why?
Who was more intellegent Gene Rodenberry or Einstein and why?
Okay now your are thinking that my entire family are a bunch of geeks. Not so but sometimes we think like geeks which is not all bad.
Add to my debate conversation list if you have one.
Let the fighting begin, and may the force be with you!

Blog Stats Basic Interpretation...

BlogPack of One status is fine with me. I own up to it and am not dreaming up ways to increase my numbers to say... three. I am not Scott McLeod and have no ambition to compete.

So I looked at my stats after a fellow blogger was commenting on his stats and decided to give my interpretation of what stats mean on my blog.

Disclaimer: this is my own personal interpretation of my blogs stats, it may or may not be accurate, it does not represent any other stats or blog interpretations, and is not meant to demean or negatively portray my blog as not being worth reading or following.

Now lets begin.....

Countries which my blog has been viewed in

USA960 (that makes sense since that is where I am writing from )Russia78(really ? What a pain to translate accurately) United Kingdom26 (You know England)Germany19 (my favorite I love the idea that someone from Germany might wonder what I am blogging about, I think my last name probably pulled that audience in)Japan19(2nd favorite to image someone reading my blog but don't believe it)South Korea19( that one floors me , voted most unusual and unexplainable)Iran17 (I am not sure at all about this one)Canada9(Canada why not thank you and with 9 I believe that)Ukraine5(Wonder what my blog translates to there)China4 (really wanted more from China especially since they have a huge population so step that one up)

Page views 1237, time to dance in the street and then brag on facebook ! Now the interesting part since I did not block my own page views I estimate 99% of those are just me and my blogpack of one. Do I feel bad....NO...going to keep counting my own page views it just makes me happy!

Most viewed Posts...There are two that jump off the page and the pretty graph looks great, the winners are...

Being a Principal can be lonely... 88 views

Blogsafear 42 views

Now I am realistic person and titles seem to pull the viewers in. I really did not mean to pull viewers in by indicating I was lonely but feel that perhaps I sent mixed messages with this blog post. So I am just going to negate the 88 views except for the 10 that were from me.

My pride...Blogsafear...love the name. Might make a movie about it. Might have to do with a blog pack of one and the fear that installs in blogkind. Just wish I had the time to write it. Hmmm wonder what kind of viewing stats I would get with the title. ...Blogsalove...nah!

Viewers that referred me..wow thanks ...not sure exactly why but makes my day.

Search keywords///What is that about , it seems really odd. Can't explain some of them.8

Comments: One of my posts got 8 comments. What a great discussion. Oh wait 7 of the comments were by anonymous, yeah they were me. Wonder what a psychologist would say about that. So to keep me from conversating with myself someone needs to step up and comment. Is that so much to ask. I comment on other blogs, sometimes because I am interested, and sometimes just to be nice. If you want to just be nice that would be fine.

So this has gotten a little long and I will eventually have to post a comment so the blogpack of one signs off...............

Plumbing for Principals 101

There is an old saying ...if you can't be smart or good looking at least be handy!

Now I would like to adapt that saying to my new position as Assistant Principal...

If you are not the smartest or best looking principal at least know your plumbing!

Last week was so busy with reports due and parents to be called that just finishing was almost impossible. To add on that student issues seemed to crop up every half hour. Okay bring it on! I then got a call that the bathroom stall door was hanging off it's hinges and might fall on a kid. Okay take it off and put it in my office till I get there. Then the call that it can't be put back on. Okay just leave it off and I will look for new hardware. Then a report that all the stalls are locked and the girls can't go into the stall without crawling under the door. Okay I go and get a chair and my yard stick and off to open the doors (yep done it more than once). Then a call that the bathroom floors are sticky in the TK room and not sure why. Okay off to see what they mean by sticky...wrong floor cleaner used and reacted with the wax. Write up a maintenance request and get a wet mop to do the best to clean up. Then a call that someone has written with poop on the stall walls. Okay go and look (really don't want to) and it is not poop but tootsie rolls , thank you God. Then a report (it is Friday oh yeah!) that their is water all over the floor of the boys bathroom. Okay another look and find the seal that is not working, get the floor mopped up, another maintenance report and almost time to go home.

I know that in all my training in education , knowing how to evaluate and fix bathroom stalls, floors, and toilets never came up once. Now put on top of that the other maintenance issues such as bleachers that won't pull out, keys that don't work, PA systems that need fixed, and the list goes on. Is this the principals job and part of educational leadership? No and Yes... If the principal can't help with a solution who will? It is the principals job to lead the way to make teaching easier by solving maintenance issues. I will say that too much time can be spent on maintenance so I am trying to understand how to walk that fine line. Any comments? (I only have one tootsie rolls to write on stalls and look like poop, that is really creative!)

Snow

It is truly a beautiful day in Iowa today. Snowing , looks like a snow globe. I like snow, always have always will. As an educator I know that it also means students without boots, snowpants, gloves, hats, and sometimes even a warm coat. I was not poor growing up but came from a big family and never had snow pants, wore boots that were too small, socks for gloves, but always had a coat that kept me warm. I was lucky. I applaud schools in my two districts for having extra outer clothing for students who perhaps forgot or don't have their own. I hope that is how it is all over the great state of Iowa. Let every student enjoy the snow at recess time.

Building Community...

Went to visit the principal of Jacobson Elementary, Mike Thompson. Thank you to Belmond Klemme and Mr. Lewis for hosting me. Thanks also Mr. Duncan Principal of Prairie Valley Elementary and MNW Elementary for giving me the opportunity and time to visit. My schedule has been busy as any asst. principal and only got about two and one half hours of conversation but the time was worth it's wait in gold. I had a list of questions and not all got answered but what a great conversation. Since it was a school day Mike had to continue with his duties such as discipline and bus duty. I know the most important part of the day for me was the idea of building a network with another administrator. I am fortunate as an assistant principal I always have one person that I can network with. I have met a lot of administrators since I have started but it is difficult to have time to talk with them and build working relationships. I feel I have that started with Mr. Thompson and Jacobson Elementary. I am building a community of administrators and school districts one person at a time. Sincerely thanks...

Decisions based on Courage....

Found this quote, it says a lot about mankind...

The primary social
fact which blocks and hinders the success of our experiment in self-government
is that our citizens are not educated for self –government. We are terrified by ideas, rather than
challenged and stimulated by them. Our
dominant mood is not the courage of people who dare to think. It is the timidity of those who fear and hate
whenever conventions are questioned.
Alexander Meiklejohn

I try to be courageous.

Waiting for Superman....

Thanksgiving break is for family, eating, and lately watching movies. So the one I selected for my break was..." Waiting for Superman". Here are some of my thoughts , observations, and conclusions.

Ideas the movie commented on....

Wanting to believe in our schools and take a leap of faith.

The idea that a public school can work.

Reality set parents and students fear that they may have failing schools.

When there is a great public school there are not enough spaces.

Flat lines on Math and Reading scores show minimal growth for years.

What kind of feeling do you get when you walk in your child's school?

5th to 7th grade students fail they don't graduate.

Noticed a lot of talk about the negative aspect of the teachers unions.

I did not realize how much money goes to the Democratic party. An eye opener.

How sad to see children and parents put through the lottery for a chance at a good school.

It really hurt emotionally which I am sure what the film maker intended.

Glad to hear about the great teachers out there and not just the bad teachers.

Now the MAIN IDEA IF YOU WERE WATCHING CAREFULLY!!!!

The LARGER THE SCHOOL THE HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO FAIL!!!

Let me repeat that LARGE SCHOOLS GRADUATE FEWER STUDENTS!!!!

Now why in the world are all the small rural schools closing due to finances (not because they are not teaching effectively) and merging to get larger numbers of students in one place? Iowa wake up there is enough money and technology and great teachers and innovative ideas to keep small schools open. Look at how much money society pays for students who do not graduate and ask yourself why we should not keep small schools open who do well with graduating students.

IT JUST DOES NOT MAKE SENSE!!!

Black Friday, Shopping, and other thoughts...

I pretty much (after looking at my STats) have figured that I blog solo, alone, a wolf pack of one. Most of the time I really don't care at all, once in a while when I think I have some great contribution to man kind, I do feel little bad about the blogpack of one identity. Not today because I feel like rambling...here goes.
Everyone wanted to know if I was going shopping on Black Friday!!! Why do they care? I don't plan on buying them anything, I have five kids, 4 grandkids, son in laws, daughter in law, sister, niece and nephews, friends, staff, and gifts for teachers and of course the gift which I am buying myself. With all of that you would think I would be out there shopping at midnight till I drop. Why!!! The onley sale price that would make me stay up late and fight through crowds of crazy people would be , EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANT IS FREE. Almost sure I did not get that add. If you did tweet me or facebook me about it (oops don't tweet or facebook and my phone has the cheap plan of call someone answer and then pay). So I though maybe I needed to stay up and buy stuff on line. Love the idea of on line because it does not make me go out in the cold and deal with clerks that can't count change back. Well I thought I would try so got on the sites had my codes for free shipping and discounts and everything I wanted to put in my cart (that is just funny computer nerds are laughing everytime someone pushes that button) was not the size not the color or just plain out of stock. So after an hour of getting nothing, yeah I took a break in the middle shopping on line is boring, I quit. So lets get back to black Friday. Some one asked me if I knew why it was called black Friday. My DAD used to work at Hormels and in the good old days the employees used to get their Black checks for Christmas and that told us how much we would get for presents. Of course I know what Black FRiday means, stores are making money. Amazed at some peoples definition of black Friday. Oh well google it people , don't guess. Black Friday I cleaned my kitchen spotless and will admit that at 7:00pm I did go to Menards (which the sign had the MEN off it so Jared and I laughed quite a bit about that..who is ARD and what do you buy there?) I baught what I needed and found Tesla Balls there on sale for $12. Could not pass that up so I baught four. So everyone is getting Tesla Balls for Christmas, might even go back for more. How fun it that....

Just listening...

I know I need to listen more and talk less. I often get so busy that when I have a conversation with staff, student, or parent I try to hurry the conversation. I don't do it to be difficult but rather because I have list two pages long. I also will admit that I have always been a busy person and have a lot of things to accomplish. Last week was the week before Thanksgiving break. Students were very irritated, some because they needed a break, and a few because they did not want the break. I also noticed parents seemed to be irritated with communications with staff . So on Wednesday (early out) I decided to stop and listen. I listened to a student tell me about his card collection and found out that he knew every name from memory. I listened to a staff member tell about concerns she had over testing and student success. I listened to more than one parent about concerns about thier child's progress and also about their lives. With all this listening I did not get done my two page list, hopefully the less important items will wait. I also did not get early like the rest of the staff due to calling parents back. I got home later than I expected but still had time to get my Thanksgiving food made. Now I need to remember to listen to my family. Listening seems easy but it isn't always....but it is necessary.

I CAN Hear....

Just got back from a Commission for the Deaf meeting held in Des Moines. I was appointed by the Governor to be the 'at large' commissioner. What that means is that I am not deaf, hearing impaired, nor do I have family members that are. My purpose on the commission is to give it a hearing individuals perspective. This is the second meeting I have attended and I come away with so much more than I ever expected. Of all the commissioners I am the only hearing member. We do have another member with a cochlear implant but I also am the only member who does not sign or read lips. When I get to a meeting we have 6 interpreters. I feel embarrassed that one is mainly for me. When everyone is talking I usually just sit and smile and nod and hope that someone will try to speak so I can read lips. Even if the people present try to slow down the signing I still don't get much out of it. The conversations are very animated and I know I am missing vital information before and after the meeting. During the meeting I can read the teleprompter but it is often a sentence behind the speaker and yes you can tell. If I try to watch the person signing I can't read the teleprompter and if I watch the interpreter I miss the person speaking and the expressions that go with the conversation. Both meetings I have come away with a headache. So much going on and so hard to focus. I also am not sure when it is polite to jump into a conversation and how to get the speakers attention. I am learning though just wish I had more time to take a crash course in signing. ALL OF MY OBSERVATIONS I AM SURE ILLUSTRATE HOW A DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING INDIVIDUAL FEEL EVERYDAY !!! Wow what I thought I knew about deafness was not even close to the actuality. Thank you to the Governor for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to the commissioners and the Department of Deaf Services for being patient with me. I would like to invite anyone to come to the next meeting in February and experience what quality people work and volunteer for this department of Human Services.

Grading Why?

The article. Grading to Communicate at http://t.co/wd8BzW03.

ad the article. Seemed like the author was still trying to grade but in a more creative way, or at least in a way that validated what he did. In observing young children that are usually not graded (unless you count an S, S+, S- which probably still is just not as mathematical) from ages of preschool to 3rd grade, I notice that the younger they are the more learning is enough and they love it and beg for it. I have had kindergarten students actually plead to start a new letter or unit. The older the student and the advent of grades the less the student seems to want to learn for the sake of learning. (not speaking of all students just most). I read an article about bonuses and work performance (can't remember the author) and the more a bonus is linked to a desired outcome over time the less productivity the employee achieved. I often think that grades are related to learning in a similar way. One example that I used with HS students was:In college I had to take a class called 'Women in Politics'. I was interested in the class but found out the instructor was natorius for being abusive and difficult . First day of class we all expected a syllabus with the requirements of how to get our grade. Instead we got a list of books. She said read the books and come to class prepared to discuss what you had read. If you do not contribute to the discussion don't come. A students asked how discussion would be graded , by how many responses? She said no the discussions would not be graded. Another student asked if there would be a final paper. The instructor said yes. Next questions as to length , form, sources sited etc. The instructor said just write what you learned from the readings and responses from the discussions. Next question was how was the final graded. The instructor said "I will take them home, go into my living room, throw them up in the air, those that fall to the right get a B those that fall on the left get a C those that stay in the air get an A, not completed work get and F. Every one laughed. She said 'laugh all you want that is how I do it'. Next class was much smaller since many students quit. I thought about it but did not. I checked out the books , read them, discussed them,(great conversations I must say) and even brought in books of my own. I wrote my paper turned it in. It must of landed on the right because I got a B. I feel sorry for those who quit the class because the students that stayed learned so much about 'women in politics' but so much more about learning for the sake of learning!

Evaluating staff...

Just finished attending a SAI informational meeting about the evaluation and discipline of staff. It was worth going to mainly because I needed a professional example of how to discipline. I found the techniques very similar to how I disciplined students in the past. With students I have always tried to work with them and build a relationship of trust knowing that if discipline did happen that the student would understand that I was trying to help. Some times they did, sometimes they did not, at least right away. Well...I hope to always build relationships and if discipline is needed that I always intend for it to help. I am learning every day what it takes to be a principal and every day I learn how important education really is to everyday life.

Govenor Brandstad Blueprint for Iowa Education

Govenor Brandstad, thanks for the conversation that you started with the 'Blueprint for Iowa Education'. Have been hearing a lot of conversation from teachers and administrators. Read a lot about it on line in teacher forums and the newspaper. What I haven't heard is conversations from parents and students. HMMMM???

Social Networking

Just read an article from the Washington Post about lawsuits from employees who had been fired due to postings on social networks. The postings involved criticism of company they worked for , procedures, or other employees. Many employees that were fired did not win the law suit to regain their jobs or salaries, a few did. What I noticed was that the employees that did win the law suits had criticized the company or management not only on a social network site but also in person and had filed complaints. So what did I learn from this article.

1. Social networks are public forums and that should always be remembered. Never ever think that someone will never read it.

2. Freedom of speech is freedom of speech even on a social network. Freedom of speech does not mean that you are not going to be held accountable for what you say, even if you have the right to say it.

3. If you have a legitimate complaint about the business you work for, management, procedures, or employees don't let your social network be the first or only place that you report it. Follow your companies procedures and then if the need arises use other reporting procedures such as a social network.

Any other tips?

Now , what do you think about companies that urge employees to use social networking sites and blogs and even expect it?

What social networking guides have you been made aware of at your job?

What a day!!!!

Well there are lots of first... first day as a teacher...first day as a S.A.M....first day as an assistant principal. To me today was bigger than each one of the last three in a different way. I witnessed a student meeting success in all areas that many thought would never happen. I give credit to the parents, the student, the teachers, and the educational environment that the student was in. Teamwork is what is needed in successful education and what I witnessed. Thankyou!!!

Sunday Night...

Well another Sunday night... and tomorrow who knows what kind of Monday it will be. I have found that being a principal means that Monday is never, ever routine. So I have checked my e-mail, plugged my phone in, packed my bags, arranged with the kids who is going where, checked my calendar for appointments, put my clothes out, and wondered what I have forgotten. How is this different from being in the classroom? As assistant principal not only do I worry about what i might of forgotten but also have to deal with what other staff members have forgotten. I always hope for the best of scenarios but plan for the worst. I think I am learning with every Monday that goes by.

Car seats and education...

I had the joy of watching my twin granddaughters for the weekend. They are 13 months old and so interesting and beautiful!!! The first chore was to get the car seats into the back of my car. That entailed putting the bases into the hooks behind the seats, leveling the seats using the bubble on the seat base, moving the front seats forward, locking the seats in place, using my knee to pull the strap so tight there was no movement, and then using a three point harness to secure the girls in. Blah, Blah, Blah... Well it took me 15 minutes and when I was done I was a little aggravated. REALLY were we blasting off to the moon? Was all that really necessary? The answer to their parents, of course!!! The answer for me, of course !!!

Now what does this have to do with education.

Often times when I was teaching , teachers, administrators, community members, and others said why are the schools doing all the things for children these days. Breakfast should not be served that is the parents job, kids should sit and be quiet, what is the problem with continual recall and memorization. Why do the kids these days need the new playground equipment, computers, and IEP's. We did fine with none of those things. Education does not need all the new updates.

I will admit when I used to buckle my ten year old in to his car seat it was easier. But I was glad he had a car seat and was not held on my lap like my Mom did for me. All the new updates in education are what I want for my kids and for my grandchildren. I will always be happy to learn of new ways to educate children because it REALLY is IMPORTANT! BECAUSE EVERY STUDENT IS SOME ONE'S CHILD IN A CAR SEAT....

Being a Principal can be lonely...

I have been told by more than one administrator that being a principal can be lonely. (Maybe a little like blogging alone Ha, Ha). Well I will say that in one of the schools I have great friendships; made through years in the district, and in the newer school district I hope to create great friendships. I will admit that is not what the advice from administrators was about. The loneliness is the decisions that have to be made, the confidential situations that can't be shared, and the countless hours working late, early, and at home. Now I will admit there is a level of that loneliness that teachers also experience but not like administration. The numbers tell the story. So what to do about it. I was reading a blog I have been following and it suggested getting administrators together to experience weekend or even week long excursions. I really liked the idea. It was all about getting rid of stress and trying new things that did not evolve around administration but were learning experiences in themselves. An example was 'white water rafting'. The problem I have with idea is that being a woman administrator it is more difficult to find groups to get together. I will say that I am going to try to figure it out. Some ideas I would like to try.... 1. Motor cycle ride across the state of Iowa. 2. Canoe down the Mississippi river. 3. Tandem parachuting. Just three ideas. Any other great ideas please leave a comment.

The Funnest Thing EVER!!!

WEll the first full week of school is over and the 2nd week has just begun. Life as an assistant principal has been mind blowing. I need a second me just to keep up with the email. I haven't figured out the three different email accounts, calendars, and the new computer I was given. I have been running from one fire to the next and not really putting too many out. I have forgotten student and staff names because of the over load of new information I have to remember. But I will tell you the funnest thing ever is getting into the classrooms and watching teachers teach!!! Discussing with staff the educational philosophies , new trends, and practical ideas is the upside to any down side I may be feeling. Wow, Wow, Wow!!!

Teaching Excitement

I started out the day with the usual 'manage mop up' tasks. When my e-mails got to be endless I decided to walk around the halls and see which teachers had come in (non-contract dedication) to work in their classrooms. I have always been proud of the teachers in the district who work all summer long on curriculum, classroom environment, and even cleaning. I was invited into a classroom by a teacher who had been busy working on bulletin boards and organizing. Her class next year will be larger than usual and suspected to be very energetic. She explained several classes she had taken during the summer that she took just to target curricular and behavioral needs that would increase student learning. She explained that the behavioral system she used seemed to stress the punitive and she and her team teacher wanted a more positive based approach. As she continued to explain her changes for the year and also how the students motivated her to learn more , I just wanted to yell , WOW! This is what education is all about. This is professionalism. This is intrinsic motivation. This is a life long learner!!! This is just an example of what I witness with the staff up and down the halls. Students start in a week but the opportunity to learn has started !!! Thank you staff!!!

The School Year Begins...for administrators and staff...

Well August 1st is here and many administrators and staff members are reporting to their buildings and classrooms. The truth is many have been there all summer. The idea that educators have the summer off is a myth. The contract may say they have time off but in reality the summer work is just as important as the school year activities. I have experienced that as a classroom teacher and school administrative assistant and now as an assistant principal. What was I doing? Interviewing staff for positions, going to classes, working on school data, reading and researching new learning techniques, the list goes on and on. Perhaps this sounds like quite a chore? Not really , I am a life long learner and I am really learning a lot!

Ready, Get Set, Lead...

Went to a great meeting on Monday (yes I said great meeting)! It was for beginning Elementary Administrators and offered through the School Administrators of Iowa. The meeting focused on tips for success, Law issues, and round table discussions with veteran elementary administrators. What made this meeting GREAT? All the people attending were in the same boat and found out that it was impossible to know everything but with help we can make a successful start. Everyone was willing to leave email addresses so that networks could be created. The veteran principals were willing to be part of the networks and also had great sound advice but also admitted they learn new things every day. The SAI staff was also part of the networking component and encouraged everyone to call and call often. Everyone went on with an idea of how to get started and where to go in the process of becoming an educational leader. A big thank you to SAI and everyone involved. The beginning of the school year is just around the corner and I am excited to start the process of learning more than I could ever imagine!

Life is that way...

I like to ride my motorcycle. No it is not a Harley but I love it anyway. Yesterday it needed gas so I took my 10 year old son with me to the small town of Otho to get gas. This was also the day it was 110 degree heat index. We were enjoying the ride going the long way around on the river road and just started up the hill which winds through beautiful trees and is very park like and the bike starts sputtering. I was running out of gas...who would of thought? So I choose to give it all the gas that was left and cranked the throttle back. Well we made it to the top and rolled into the gas station. My son reflected that we could of pushed it up the rest of the way... he is so young and positive minded. Well at the gas station for a reward I bought us a king size chocolate candy bar. Did I say it was 110 degrees outside? By the time we got our helmets on and the bike started we were practically drinking the candy bar. We had chocolate all over everything , the bike mirror , gas tank, hands, seat, and helmet. Time to go home. What a great ride! Why? I was with someone I love, we were doing something we loved, eating something we loved , what is not to enjoy? The running out of gas and getting chocolate all over just adds to the story.
Now the segway.....
I hope next year as my first year as assistant principal that I appreciate that I am with people I love, doing something we all love (teaching ), consuming something we love (education, learning). All the other things just add to the story....AND I MEAN IT!!!!!!

BLOGSAFEAR !!!

I was having a discussion just the other day with a non-blogger. The comment was made that once you post on a blog it is there forever. Is that what you really want and could that come back to haunt you. Well I had thought of this concept when I started my blog and every time I was commenting on another blog. That was before I became an assistant principal. Now I am thinking the concept over in a new light. I know of professional people who blog all the time and have blogs at work. I also know those who do not. Is there such a thing as a public blog and a private blog. I suppose so but as far as I know the private blog can be accessed also. I hope that anything I have ever posted on a blog is an open discussion and that it would be viewed that way. I also hope that people will also understand that with that open discussion I may change my opinion especially with more information and the passage of time. So I will continue to blog and if I ever run for a political office I am sure the news media will have fun with endless open discussions that I have posted and commented on.

Just dream reality....

Went to an auction where a school district was auctioning off all the items in a school and the school itself. I started to dream... What would I do with the building if I could buy it and if I couldn't how could I? What would a school look like if I could create it. Yes I said create! Well at first I would have to conceptualize what my main idea would be. Why would I want to create a school? I guess it is because I love to learn and I would like to pass that love on to others and also learn from others. So Learning is the idea ...now how to create an environment that would encompass that. Just random thoughts now. Please add to or comment...
-Open it up to all ages birth to death (sounds a little morbid but so much to learn from every stage of life
-What would they learn and teach? Everything, I really mean everything!( Everything is huge but so much is so interesting).
-Who would teach , anyone with the ability. ( No degree is mandated just knowledge)
-How would it be funded? ( How much does learning cost?)
I really have been dreaming about this and let me tell you it is a dream that is revisited daily!!
Dream with me...

Team Work

I do have my coaching endorsement...haven't used it but I remember the concepts. I always enjoyed being part of a great team (not all teams I have been on have been great so when they were it was a joy). I often stayed with a team and was happy even if I did not get a lot of playing time. So Team Building is an important part of what I enjoy about education.
Can't wait to be part of a true team and help to build the team into something outstanding. I am ready for the team work to begin.

Iowa 1 to 1 Conference April 20th

Well what can I say... 1 to 1 Conference ....HMMMM!
I felt very fortunate to attend the conference with two of Prairie Valley High School Math teachers. They are more on the digital native spectrum than I and I truly enjoy learning from their efforts and natural ability. They are impressive in the fact that they search out ways to use 1to1 technology in their classroom but not just for the sake of technology; but rather for the idea that it helps the students learn. When I can learn from a professional educator in my building , it is always a plus. Note to myself: Use these people more!!!!
Took time to hear what was good or not so good from these two staff members. Well they both said it was a lot like the Newell Fonda event they went to at the beginning of the year (Just bigger). Most sessions were perhaps more on the 'First Year 1 to 1 " wow this is great level. They were looking for something they had not been exposed to previously. One session that I also attended was awful. What do I mean by awful? Not true 1 to 1 level but more, look we have a computer and some kids and see what they made... When asking the students what else they do with the computers they aswered honestly,"Nothing we put them away in the other classes".
Not was expected with the third year of 1 to 1 initiative in a school district.
They also commented on how the wi-fi wasn't working and that sessions were difficult to access the sites that were being demonstrated. A lot of sessions were so crowded you could not get in.
What did they like??? Talking with other teaching professionals and picking up a few new ideas from teachers who have been into 1 to 1 for more than a year.
Also attended the conference with the Prairie Valley High School Principal. Always good to bring administration along. The Principal did not attend the Newell Fonda conference and so was more new to a lot of the ideas. He found it frustrating that you could not get on to the sites also. He did enjoy the administrative sessions with google apps.
Okay now what was my opinion? My goal was to get staff excited. I only had two staff members attend...guess I should of worked harder on the sell. I also wanted to excite and interest the administration.... yet again it worked but still need to work harder. I also was very interested in finding out about school districts that have had the 1to1 initiative for at least three years.
I do feel the conference was directed at first year or thinking about it school districts. That is okay ...just hoped for more long term discussions on 1 to 1. Maybe next years theme?!

The ability to get on line was really disruptive!!!! I brought two computers just in case one system worked better. I wish I had left both at home. I got in and bumped out so many times I just shut everything down. Now I know how the students feel on those days at school. A good lesson I suppose. The best part of the conference was the discussion rooms.. which were face to face due to the computer wi-fi problems...maybe a better idea than the chat idea. I did attend a discussion on learning with Scott McLeod which I found very beneficial. No I am not brown nosing ... no reason to...it just was a great opportunity to listen to the thoughts of others in education and I think a discussion that should be started in every school board meeting, Professional Development, and classroom.
What is LEARNING? HOW DO YOU KNOW?

So on a scale of 1-10 with one being the lowest and 10 being the highest I would give the Iowa 1 to1 conference a ...5.

Funny now... maybe in 10 years not funny at all!!!

My son showed me this video and it was so funny!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRmwis_HF_M This is probably being developed as we speak. Remember the Star Trek days and everything that was thought impossible and we now use everyday? So enjoy.! Just a side note ...I need an app to get youtube videos on my blog site. I have uploaded this #@! for 15 minutes now and nothing. Tried copy and paste, sending it to an email...nothing works. So now I am just hoping that writing it down on a piece of paper and then typing it in the post works. But if you are counting on my typing to be accurate (along with my spelling) that might be the best joke of all. Soooo...(yes I am using the dots again) if nothing works go to Youtube like I did, search under these exact words (exact right) April Fools joke app smell and taste. If it is funny you found it (should be two newscasters).

Grass Is Always Greener...Yeah I Know....

Just got back from the Area 5 Iowa Artist show. I volunteer every year to bring the easels and set up. I am always glad I go and sometimes even push myself to enter a piece of my art work. Oh by the way I am an artist , that is a great description of my personality and the way approack everything I do especially education. Basically what is true education... a creative endevor to learn more and by doing so create. Okay now to what this post is about... I WOULD LIKE TO QUIT MY DAY JOB (SCHOOL ADMINISTATIVE MANAGER) AND BECOME A FULL TIME ARTIST. Why wouldn't I? I would be around like minded creative people, I would be pushing my limits of creativity, I would be fulfilling my passion. I would be learning new art techniques and medium applications. Wow when can I start!!! What would I be giving up? Pay and benefits (don't like that but I think I could work around it as long as I did not starve). Frustration (not having to follow state guidelines for testing, budget, and everything involving state and federal unfunded and funded mandates. Hours of working on forms and data and correspondance. Stress. Heartache ( students who can't succeed know matter how much you help). Now the flip side: I would also give up teaching children ages 5-20. I would up being part of a child's learning process. I would give up working with top quality staff. I would give up the sense of helping families. Much more also. SO I GUESS THIS IS AN EXCERCISE FOR MY MIND... Not sure if when Monday comes I might still want to quit but I hope not. BUT TODAY I AM GOING TO BE AN ARTIST... AT LEAST UNTIL I HAVE TO MAKE DINNER WHICH IS NOT MY CREATIVE SUITE.

Wow, What a Day!!!

Spent the day touring the Algona Community School District. I was treated to walk through tours of all the buildings, discussions with staff on programs and philosophies, and great opportunities to watch teachers in action. It was so interesting and reminded me of why I do what I do. Everyone in education should have the opportunity to do the same. Thankyou Algona School District!! Now to bring the conversations back to staff...

My Grama Has A Dog With Three Legs

I really do not have to time to write another post for this blog...but sometimes you just have to do this.

Reflect on the pure joy of teaching children of all ages.

Time to enjoy and hope you do also!!!

A beautiful pig tailed 5 year old student waved her had back and forth during breakfast at school last week. This usually means she has to go to the bathroom and wants permission to leave her tray and then come back to eat. Not today. With a look of concern she said," Mrs. K. my Grama has a dog with three legs." of course my response is "I hope that the dog is okay". She nodded yes and then said, " Grama says two legs got ran over Mrs. K.". Okay what to say next? I could not think of anything, my mind was busy with the thought process of ... does that mean it only has one working leg? ... or it had five legs to start with and now only has three?. I am going with the five legs to start since that is what I think a five year old might think. What fun to think like a 5 year old.

Switch age levels....

Same day a tenth grade boy walks into my classroom/office with a huge smile on his face. "Mrs. K. he says did you hear about my ticket?" I said no of course and asked about what happened. He told me he was pulled over for speeding 93 miles per hour in a 55 MPH area. I wanted to ask a couple of more questions to see if he had learned anything about the experience (teacher in me). I asked "What did you say to the officer when he came up to your car? The student replied "The officer asked me if I knew how fast I was going and I told him yes of course, I had my cruise control on!" Enough said...
Now add to my list of stories and of course I will too.....

Let the other Team Score!!!

My son had his last basketball game of the season. It went really well and I can say he played his heart out. Second game the team stepped on the floor and the crowd could tell they were no match. Okay 3rd grade are in it for the experience so play. That being said my son is a good 12 inches taller than most 3rd graders and for this game maybe even more than that. When the game was getting ridiculous his coach (generous man that he is ) told many of the players (my son being one) to play only outside the zone. Okay I did agree with that. Our team has been on whipping end of the game before and at 3rd grade I think that was appropriate. My sons comment after the 2nd game was "I thought basketball was supposed to be fun, what fun was that?" He has trained the entire season to rebound and shoot and the two things that he does well he does not get to do?
So how does this blog relate to education?
Well think about it. How much money is spent on struggling schools when schools that are successful go without? How much time and tax money is spent on legislation that concerns low achieving school districts. How much federal money is put into states that have failing educational systems. How much work goes into working with a poor teacher and not towards an innovative idea a successful teacher is trying to implement. How much time and money is put towards a drop out when the student in the middle keeps swinging and the student at the top just watches.
Now I am not advocating 'educational survival of the fittest" but I do know that is how China and India get the test scores that make the USA look bad.
What I am advocating is how can this be more balanced?
I am searching for more ideas... as always

Bartleby Project 2011: Do not take your state tests!

Standardized Testing-Get er Done!!!

I have been fortunate this year to get an upclose and personal view of standardized testing

TK-12.

Yes I said fortunate...

The experience has helped me to see so many levels of testing process that it boggles my mind. I used to think testing students was pretty basic.

School districts have to do it, and that was it.

Now I wish it was that simple.

It goes like this...

1. Set testing dates the spring of the year prior.

2. Order all testing materials.

4. Sign up for all test meeting updates.

5. Organize staff training and updates.

6. Familiarize yourself on test results from previous years.

7. Start testing the second week of school. (Yes and in a small school district this means you have to give many of the tests)

8. Continue testing through out the year. (This also involves working with technology to make sure the tests can be taken on the system your school has. Remember to visit classrooms for pre-testing lessons so students know what is expected.Oh I forgot you have to box everything up,inventory everything, sharpen no. 2 pencils, listen to staff complaints, hope for no snow dates, and find all the students who were sick during the testingdates or out of district.)

9. Gather test results and analyze.

10. Organize test results for the superintendent, school board, principals, staff, parents, students, community, and the most important... the state.

11. Enter all testing data into the state sites.

12. Try to rationalize what tests are valuable to students and staff instead of just required by the state.

Now all these testing activities have usually been completed by the school guidance counselor... but in the times of budget cuts and staff RIF's it falls on who ever might be around.

Now listen to this Youtube video on testing called 'The Bartelby Project" (located on my blog site)

So what do you think about standardized testing?

What do I think?

More to comments to come....

What do you think?

Tri-District Communications

Rural school districts are islands . They have miles and miles of fields between and fewer and fewer students and resources. They also have top notch teachers, talented students, and supportive communities. These school districts have accepted the idea that sharing 'scarce resources' is a must. These resources may be transportation, text books, teachers, and support staff. Now the difficult part of school district islands sharing 'scarce resources'...communication. It can be very similar to the game that is played in an elementary classroom, called telephone. Whether it is using the telephone, email, or face to face; communication often gets lost in the shuffle. If a telephone call is made it needs to be relayed verbatim to several sources or small details like location of meeting or starting time gets left out. After making calls all morning it is difficult to remember what was said to whom. E-mail sounds fantastic but be careful with that assumption. Email messages get sent to the wrong address, tech issues happen, and who got left out of the instant forward list. Face to face is great but remember the island and miles of fields part of this post. So my solution. I have a couple but would like to hear how this issue is handled by others in other school districts.

Technology the answer and the question...

Working with on-line educational resources has been a real learning curve for me this year. I have had to look at teaching students in an entirely new way. The students have had to look at learning in an entirely new way. Some of the learning has been great but a larger percentage has been nothing but pure frustration for students and staff. The same can be said about any new teaching technique or concept. I remember the frustration of learning how to teach 'Guided Reading'. The frustration left after a couple of years and now the technique is accepted as every day teaching practice. So I do feel positively that on-line learning will eventually become something everyone accepts as common teaching practice.

Until then I have the following questions:

1. Curriculum staff select curriculum when will they review and select on-line learning services.
2. On-line classes work great to open schedules for flexibility but what can you do if students do not have computer or wi-fi access.
3. Working with services that are not compatible because each school has it's own service installed... when will schools all join the same compatible program.
4. What are the staff needs for on-line classes...certified staff (student ratio), non-certified staff (qualifications)
5. Standard rules for reporting on state mandated information such as Carnegie Units and coding for Easier reporting.
6. When technology goes down what should staff and students do with the down town.
7. What grade level should start on-line classes?
8. What kind of parent information is needed?
9. Who and how can cheating be monitored?
10. Should parents and or students be able to find courses and if so how does the school embrace that type of self learning?

Some of these questions seem simple some will take time. Start the conversation....