10 tips for starting a technology revolution

I've had the opportunity to work in several different capacities in my education career. In all these roles I've been a vocal advocate for integrating more technology in education. Ideally, we really shouldn't be having a separate conversation about technology, but the reality is we still have quite a lot of room for improvement in this area. Some of the 10 following tips have been learned the hard way, while others just happened to work out well. Either way, these 10 tips should hopefully provide some assistance as more and more buildings and districts start their very own technology revolutions...

1 - Make sure the administration is on board...

This first tip is not always 100% necessary, but I can say from experience that it will certainly make things easier. Approach your building and district administration with concrete examples of how integrating more technology will increase student engagement, thus increasing student learning opportunities. Additionally, provide real life examples of how social media and technology have improved your abilities as an educator. Share with them how social media and technology can be a valuable asset when it comes to educator growth and development, as well as how these tools can be used as a foundation for professional development.

2 - Lay the groundwork and foundation by asking simple questions...

In order for this technology revolution to start you must have an idea of where your fellow colleagues are when it comes to technology knowledge and background. Simply take some time to both formally and informally ask questions. This will help you when it comes to knowing where to start, as well as what information could be skipped over and/or re-emphasized to get the technology revolution underway. Additionally, use these questions to find out what pieces of technology and social media are already being used, and in what ways they are being used.

3 - Some educators will be advanced...but most will not be - GO SLOW...

I have probably heard "You need to slow down" more than any other comment thus far in my career. The excitement and passion some educators have for technology and social media is awesome...however, this excitement must be contained and released on a slow and controlled basis. Going slow ensures you won't lose anyone simply because you were going too fast. Remember, some of these concepts and ideas are 100% brand new, so consequently going slow and not overwhelming anyone is key.

4 - Do not drown your fellow educators with too much too soon...

Please don't forget that our colleagues are learning and have similar characteristics and qualities as our students do. Furthermore, you can't and shouldn't give them too much to bite off at one time. Take it slowly and present one or maybe two concepts at a time. By limiting yourself to one or two concepts, your fellow educators have a much better chance of fully grasping those topics before moving on to any new ones. A stressed and confused brain shuts down...make sure you don't help in creating a room full of shut down brains.

5 - Support and encourage your shining stars...

As the year progresses and the technology revolution is more underway, a few sparks and shining stars will begin to emerge. These educators will be embracing the technology revolution. They will even be using some of the concepts they have learned in their classes. These educators need to be encouraged and supported, because they are taking a chance and a risk by trying something new (in case you didn't know, this is really difficult for most educators). Allow these "superstars" to discover and explore, but keep them also in close contact. Be there to help at the first sign of struggling, but only if they want help. These shining stars are the first sign of a successful technology revolution. They will be alone and at times alienated for trying something new, they will need your support and guidance.

6 - Use the largest, loudest, and most listened to group in the school - the students...

Invite and encourage students in your school to help teach and lead social media and technology sessions. Can you imagine a better way to get students more involved and engaged than this? This will also help educators to realize it is okay to not know all the answers. We can learn from students just as we expect them to learn from us. The students are and will continue to be a great resource that unfortunately, most schools never tap into...let's change that.

7 - Get constant feedback from your colleagues...

Just as educators use formative assessments to get feedback and information from students, we need to get feedback and information from our colleagues. Ask them how these new ideas are impacting their classrooms; ask them if they are using any of these tools to grow professionally; ask them if they see value in learning about technology and social media integration. You have to not only ask these questions, but you also have to respond to their answers. Simply asking the questions is not enough, you will need to change, modify, and adapt based on their responses. This is a vital key moving forward as you continue the technology revolution.

8 - Offer your time to help others (off the clock)...

Busy is the default. We are all busy, but when you are starting a revolution, you will need to offer your assistance and services when others are available and have time. This will require you to stay after school to help. This will require you to use your conference period to answer emails and trouble shoot problems people might be having. It is absolutely crucial you are available to help answer some of the questions your colleagues WILL have. The first stages of any revolution are the most difficult...this one will be no different.

9 - Help make technology and social media applicable to their class / content area...

When somebody asks, and they will ask, "How does this work for me in my class," you will need to have an answer. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment and think about how these new tools can have a positive effect on their classroom. Provide your colleagues with lists and resources of other people teaching the same or similar classes. If your fellow educators don't see how technology and social media integration can help them or their students, they will not take part in the revolution.

10 - When you get discouraged, don't - the revolution will be long and hard...

As hard as it is to imagine, there will be fellow educators who will be critical. They will purposely try to derail the technology revolution. They will talk in the shadows about how this is just one more thing and by next year it will be gone. They will relish in any setback or problem that arises. DO NOT LET THEM GET YOU DOWN. You see value in what you are doing, and you know it can positively affect the lives of both students and educators. Remain steady in your resolve and do what is best for the kiddos. Your colleagues will be looking to you for leadership and inspiration, and it is your job to be the unyielding voice of optimism and hope. Are you ready for the revolution...? 

The Savvy School Leader: Part 1

Last week I read a blog post by @drtroyroddy titled "Suggested summer reading for teachers and parents." One of the books, "Seven Secrets of the Savvy School Leader", immediately grabbed my attention. I decided to purchase the book through amazon after reading a little more about the author and the book's content.

In this blog post I will share some of the more profound and enlightening quotes from the first 3 secrets. It is my hope to challenge and stimulate thoughtful reflection for both current and aspiring educational leaders.



The First Secret: When you go to see the wizard, take Toto

"The popular leadership fads typically have much less relevance to schools than to corporations," and once these fads "heat up in educational circles, they cool in the corporate world."

"Leadership is a matter of a whole person in a whole environment interacting in concrete ways with other whole persons in the immediacy and unpredictability of the moment."

"Even if it were possible to change leadership styles, this would only complicate and weaken leadership."

"Leadership that is based on techniques and styles is actually not leadership. It is manipulation, and it is ultimately self-defeating."

"The leaders of high-performing organizations are not would-be "stylemasters." Rather, they tend to be people of strong character with strong commitments who maximize their strengths."


The Second Secret: They'll never understand

"In leading, as in so much of life, there is simply no substitute for actual experience; those who haven't done it can't truly know what it is like."

"Routine work drives out non-routine work and smothers to death all creative planning, all fundamental change, and make whatever grand plans you will, you may be sure the unexpected or the trivial will disturb and disrupt them."

"Teachers become principals in part to make a difference, to right wrong and correct flaws that chafed them as teachers and to assert a vision of schooling as it should be. The first great shock awaiting them is discovering how little power they truly have."

"The higher a person rises (in an educational system), the less direct contact he/she has with the organization's staff and clients, the more attenuated and filtered his/her personal influence becomes, and the more subject to misinterpretation are his/her actions."

"The leader's actions send powerful messages, which, over time, shape the school community to its core."


The Third Secret: Change is what it means

"Human beings are pattern-seeking animals, thus change almost always causes ambivalence and resistance."

"Change and innovation threaten competence; Educators are required to abandon something they know how to do and adopt something they don't know how to do."

"A leader must challenge his/her colleagues to face the realities they have preferred to avoid."

"Change agents must demonstrate their caring and support, their commitment to work with staff to take the difficult steps in new learning."

"Leaders must help colleagues link the new with the old, to see the future not as disconnected from the past but as related to it."

"Teachers must be permitted time to complain. This opportunity can't last forever, but if it is denied altogether, resistance simply goes underground and undermines the necessary change."

"Pressure without support leads to resistance and alienation; support without pressure leads to drift or waste of resources." Michael Fullan


Hopefully these quotes will get you thinking and reflecting. Stay tuned for Part 2, secrets 4-7.

My top 5 superstars for Educational Leadership

Dr. Troy Roddy has been blogging for only a short time, but his impact on the blogging community and school leadership has been huge. At "The Art of Education," Dr. Roddy blogs predominantly about school leadership and the ways school leaders can reflect and ultimately effect change at their schools. I have found Dr. Roddy's blog posts to be inspirational, motivational, and extremely pertinent for anyone looking to have a strong positive impact.



Mel Riddile is a secondary principal who continually gets me thinking and reflecting on school leadership. His blog posts are specific and objective-oriented, as well as being concise and to the point. Mel's blog, The Principal Difference, should be followed by ALL school leaders.

Follow Todd Whitaker on Twitter, and read some of his great books. Todd is a former administrator who offers great insight into the world of school leadership. One of my favorite things about Todd is that he will engage in a conversation with you on Twitter without hesitation. Great resource here!



As someone who is still fairly new to the social media scene, Dwight Carter has been extremely influential when it comes to providing a realistic and relevant approach to school leadership. Dwight is a high school principal who has been sharing his principalship journey. I am most impressed by Dwight's unyielding positive attitude and commitment to excellence; "Be Great." Mr. Carter's Office is Dwight's blog.




Lastly, I would recommend you follow Chris Lehmann. Chris is the principal of The Science Leadership Academy. Though Chris' blog posts are not always contained to school leadership, he does a great job of highlighting some of the major issues school leaders need to be considering and need to be aware of. Chris blogs at "Practical Theory."

What great Educators would you add to this list...?

An open letter to administrators...

Dear administrators,

We have a lot of respect for what you do. Your job is extremely difficult, and there are lots of aspects of your job that we don't fully understand. Your ability to lead an entire staff and student body is frankly amazing, and more importantly, you always seem cool, calm and collected. There are times where we would love to have your job; there are other times where we couldn't imagine having your job. Your job is definitely not an easy job, but as teachers, here are a few things we would like you to keep in mind:

1) - When making decisions that are going to affect our classes or our students, we would really appreciate it if you would ask for our opinions and feedback first. We know you can't ask for feedback for every decision, but more often than not would be much appreciated.

2) - Will you please come to our classrooms more often. We are really doing some awesome, innovative and creative things with our students, and we would love to share our experiences and successes with you and our staff.

3) - It would really mean a lot to us if you would participate in our professional development days. As Educators, we all need to be lifelong learners, and the staff would be quite receptive if you were learning side by side with us. We know your presence can skew the way some Educators respond, but we feel that would only be temporary until your presence becomes common practice.

4) - Can you please refrain from blanketing the entire staff with a punishment/lecture when the problem lies with a small group of Educators, and not the entire staff. Just as we don't do this with students, it's not fair to do it with us either.

5) - Your time is extremely limited and you are always busy, but we would really love it if you were more visible in the hallways between classes. Establishing and building a school community are crucial to the school's success, and this is one of the easiest ways to show students and teachers we are all in this together.

6) - It would be much appreciated if you would include teachers, students and community members when developing the building's vision and goals. Additionally, it would be wise to revisit and redevelop our building's vision and goals, as society and the needs of our students are always changing. Lastly, we should really believe and follow through on our building's vision and goals.

7) - We love any new idea or initiative that can improve the education we offer at our school, but if we are going to add new programs would you please consider eliminating other programs that aren't quite as effective. Speak with students and teachers to determine which programs are really helping, and which programs we could probably do without.

8) - Lastly, the more autonomy and voice you give us Educators, the better we will perform. Allow us to do the jobs that you hired us for. Support us, empower us, and encourage us, but please don't control us. Tell us it's OK to take chances in an effort to do something awesome with our students. Provide time for us to see the awesome things other Educators are doing in our building. Please be the instructional leader you were hired to be.      

Don't take this open letter as us trying to tell you how to do your job. As Educators we must all be open for suggestions and advice, and we would hope that if anyone had any advice or suggestions, they would take the time to inform us. As previously mentioned, there are parts of your job that we don't always understand because we have never been administrators, but we hope this letter provides a small reminder of how much your decisions and actions affect others.

Thank you for your time, and we look forward to your response,

The teachers

Check out my "open letter to teachers" as well.

Embracing the Reality of Change...

As I often do, I speak with my wife about issues and theories related to education. Though my wife is not a full time teacher, she does teach as an adjunct professor at a local community college and works for a school district. Thus, I feel she is knowledgeable and a worthy audience when discussing educationally related topics.

Our most recent discussion revolved around how education needs to be more effective and applicable to the ever changing needs of the student population. There are so many fantastic things going on in education, but we still have room for improvement when it comes educating students. Looking at education with a glass half full approach, we can be encouraged because there is always room to change and improve the way we conduct our business as educators.

One of the beauties of being in education is we have the right and obligation to be change agents. We go to work every day looking for new ways of improving education. That is our job...make education as relevant, applicable and as necessary as possible to prepare students to be successful in their future lives.

I prepared a presentation about change and how we can all be change agents. My wife had one question for me, "Don't you think you are asking too much of educators?" When I thought about how I would answer this question, I realized the answer was simple. "No," I am not asking too much of educators, because our duty and job as educators is to do what it takes to get the job done. Just as society and students have changed, we need to change and evolve to ensure we are positively affecting our students. We need to change the culture of education and make sure we are reaching all of our students preparing them to be lifelong learners and successful democratic citizens.

7 videos that WILL ignite a discussion...

One of the biggest reasons I enjoy using Twitter is it enables me to connect with educators from all around the world. Additionally, Twitter has proven to be an efficient and effective platform to discuss pressing educational issues. Unfortunately, most educators don't have the opportunity to discuss educational issues during the course of the school day with their actual building and district colleagues. As a professional development representative, I see great value in trying to incorporate time into the schedule that allows educators to sit and discuss. Here are 7 videos I have selected to use in an upcoming professional development day. Please feel free to comment or suggest additional videos that will initiate a healthy, productive and necessary discussion.

1) - David Letterman - The top ten things you DON'T learn about teaching in college...

 

2) - Dan Brown - An open letter to educators...

 

 
3) - Todd Whitaker - What great teachers do differently...

4) - Dan Pink - RSA animate - Drive - The surprising truth about what motivates us...

5) - Alfie Kohn vs. Dwight Schrute...

6) - Steve Spangler - How to be an amazing teacher...

7) - Pursuit of happiness - Protect your dreams...

Can't access Youtube at school...no problem!

How do you define learning...?

I will start this post off by saying you will not find any answers here.  At best you might be more confused than when you started.  This year has been the year of change for my German students and myself.  We have been pushing the envelope when it comes to technology integration in a foreign language class.  Overall, I can honestly say things have been going quite well.  Students seem to be actively engaged and interested, and most importantly they have taken great strides when it comes to taking control of their own individual learning.  After reading this one would think everything is going perfectly well, however the realist in me believes when it sounds too good to be true, it's probably not true...

In the past week I have had two of my best students vocalize their dismay with some of this year's activities.  Whether the students are my best or my worst students I will always listen to what they have to say. However, in this instance I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt just a little more coming from two of my best kiddos.  Their claim was simple and straight forward; "We don't think we are learning as much this year in your class as we did last year."  Who would have thought a simple sentence like that could hurt so much, but I felt as if the air had been knocked out of me.  The sirens and bells were going off in my head and I immediately thought, "What am I doing wrong?"

The more and more I thought about these piercing comments the more I focused on the particular students making the claims.  They are two of my B.O.B.S (best of the best students), and obviously if they think they aren't learning as much this year then I must be doing something wrong. Or am I...?

I have been trying to infuse a little of Dan Pink's book "Drive" into my classroom.  Additionally, I have set a goal of transforming my role as the teacher.  I no longer want to be the only person with knowledge...I no longer want to lay out the learning process for my students like a puzzle...I no longer want to be a teacher; I want to be a guiding hand helping to facilitate an environment of exploration and discovery. No longer will the responsibility of learning be on my shoulders; I want my students to share that burden with me.  I want my students to teach themselves, each other and even me.

Though I still remain hurt by the comments of these two great students, I think something much more devastating is being revealed.  Even amongst our best students, we have ingrained the idea of book work and worksheets as the only source of learning.  I am just as guilty as any other educator in creating this misconception, but I now have an added motivation to rectifying it.  I will continue my assault on traditional book work and worksheet learning.  I am not saying it should be entirely eliminated, but I think we might have a problem when our best students associate learning only when they have a book or worksheet in hand.  Or, I am entirely off base, and my two awesome students are 100% correct in their findings...

5 ways to encourage fundamental change...

This post stems from the thoughts of @gcouros' most recent post Is Change the True Barrier?  Change has been and will be for the foreseeable future the most pressing issue in our schools, our communities, and in our society as a whole.  George's question was simple: What is holding us back...is "change" at the heart of the problem, or is it the process leading up to the "change" that is really holding us back?  Most people who will be reading this will be educators, and consequently I have included 5 ways to encourage other educators to embrace fundamental change in an educational setting:

1) - Ask lots of questions...then listen and don't talk...

Change is not easy. Change is even more difficult if you have no idea where your colleagues or staff are in terms of their willingness to evolve and transform. Go on a question rampage and find out as much as you can about your colleagues and staff. Once you have an idea of where they are, you can then begin to formulate an action plan. It is imperative that you use this step to empower and encourage collaboration through discussion (remember, the discussion is one sided - they talk, you listen).

2) - Have a goal...but expect it to change...

We all want what is best for kids...some are just willing to do more than others (this is a reality - both in schools and in the "real-world"). Have an idea and an action plan on what change you would like to implement. Just as important as having a starting place, it is crucial you accept the fact that your action plan will be forced to change. If your original plan is what you end up with in the end, most likely your change is superficial and not well-rooted in the staff and your colleagues. "Real" change can start with you, but it must end with "them"...

3) - Find that one person (or group) who will fight change to the death...

We all know who this person or group is...they exist in every school, and whether you agree or not, they do and can serve an important purpose. I challenge you to utilize this person or group and encourage them to fight your plan tooth and nail. This can be a gamble, but let them know what change you would like, and ask them why it won't work...and most importantly, give them an audience! Give this person or group the opportunity to tell everyone why your plan to help students won't work. Force this person or group to think and reflect about why the plan won't work, and then hope they flip to your side and become your greatest asset and ally...If this works you are golden...risk big to win big (aren't the kiddos worth it?)  

4) - Support and encourage the baby steps...

By this stage you are hopefully beginning to see some small sparks (as long as "that" person or group didn't completely extinguish the flame). Continue to encourage and support these small sparks, no matter how small or faint they may be. Treat each small spark as you would a new born baby...tending to its every need and  desire. Your new roll is now that of a mother and a cheerleader at the same time...good luck!

5) - Remove the training-wheels and let them ride...

Your first job was to initiate change, and once the change has started, your new job is to get out of the way. Drop your pom poms and let the change run its course and allow your colleagues or staff to take the autonomy for doing what is best for kids. They are professionals, and if you want this change to stick and be truly fundamental change it needs to be in their hands. If you made it this far it is time to back off!

I encourage you to leave feedback and comments so I can add to the list. I would also like to thank George Couros for the inspiration. Also, thanks for taking the time to read, and hopefully this will help you both at the classroom or building level...remember, teachers are just bigger and older kids... 

REBEL - Education Reform Blog - revisit...The factory model does not work for schools...

Tom Whitby has encouraged all education bloggers to write a positive blog on how we should reform the educational setting.  I have decided to revisit a previous post of mine...

If you have ever walked into a factory that produces a finished good from raw materials, it is frankly an amazing process.  Dating back to the early 1900's, Henry Ford revolutionized the world and the way it manufactures goods.  How could one argue with a process that can take different materials and products, and in one smooth motion put them together to produce a brand new flawless product exactly identical to the previous one produced.  The assembly line process used in factories around the world is graded on its ability to produce the same product over and over again in the shortest amount of time possible, and for the cheapest price possible.  We are making a dire mistake by approaching public education in the same manner.

In a factory you start with the same exact pieces before beginning the first stage of the assembly line process.  In education we start with a unique child with different characteristics than every other child.  In a factory you follow the exact same steps to put the exact same pieces together as fast and as cheap as possible.  In education we treat each child as an individual, and we use a different set of steps to help that child no matter  what the cost, or the time involved.  In a factory you are assessed by how many identical finished products you can produce in a certain time frame.  In education we are assessed by how well we prepared our students to be responsible, independent and lifelong learners who are able to be successful contributing citizens in a democratic society.  Isn't it time we treat students like students, rather than treating them like manufactured products from a factory?

With state budgets being cut on a nationwide basis, it is imperative we reach out to our policy makers to insist on continuing to fund education.  As difficult as it sounds, we need to fund education in a way it has never been funded before.  We simply need more...more teachers, more SMALLER schools, more opportunities for students to develop their own love of learning, and more opportunities for teachers to grow personally and professionally.  This is a battle, despite the restraints financially, that we can win.  If we approach each child as a unique and different individual, meet every child where they currently are, give every child a part in the process, trust every child to do what is right, and most importantly, believe that every child can and will make a difference, we can overcome the easy street of the assembly line. 

Please respond to this post with strategies and ways you have achieved this in your classroom, school or district.  We need to spread the word and provide the necessary help and resources to change our factories into schools. 

Never underestimate the power of a child...

I watched this video on TED: Ideas worth spreading (which I highly recommend) http://www.ted.com/, and I have to say I was really intrigued by the topic.  Every day at school I get the opportunity to see students growing and developing...some more than others, and some not enough.  However inconsistent their growth may be, one thing is for certain...the growth and development of children can be summed up in one word - amazing!  If we give students the power and freedom, I can guarantee we will be impressed by their natural ability to connect with others, as well as their ability to empower others.  Embracing and unleashing the creativity and individuality of students is the first step in creating a world-class educational system.  Enjoy!    

Human nature - why sometimes we should fight to ignore it...

I will preface this post by saying I am only 15 pages into the book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, by Diane Ravitch.  Despite not being too far along in this book, I feel empowered to share my experiences thus far.

In my short 5 years in education I have learned many things, however for this post I will concentrate on just one.  There is one thing for certain in education...and that is, there is nothing certain in education.  The education system in America has been going through, and will continue to go through a process of change.  Ironically enough, this process of change is continuing to change and evolve.  What we started with just a mere 5 years ago, is now something completely different.  If you talk to an educator who has 30 years of experience in education, you would be amazed to hear all of the different trends and changes that have taken place over the last 30 years.  Unfortunately, for better or worst, many of these trends and changes have changed, stayed way too long, or completely died.  How can such an important piece to our democratic society be in such a constant state of turmoil?  There is one thing to blame...human nature.

As humans, we are wired to adapt and change.  Throughout the existence of mankind we have evolved and transformed our way of life, and because of our ability to adapt and evolve we have not just survived, but we have thrived.  As with many strengths, there is also a downside.  Specifically with education, we are constantly looking to change and transform the educational process for the better.  Because of human nature we tend to jump on board with any idea or proposal that claims to solve all of our educational problems.  Human nature is jumping on the train before asking if it is the right train, or checking to see where the train is going.

By no means am I advocating we ignore change and educational reform, but rather I would advocate taking a step back and really evaluating new ideas and measures before implementing them.  I think we should use the quality over quantity approach when addressing educational issues and ways to improve.  We should use caution and ask as many questions as possible before using classrooms and students as guinea pigs.  We should take risks, but take calculated risks that have really weighed the potential benefits and costs of such measures.  I am 100% for innovation, creativity, transformation, and any other type of progressive change that can improve our education system.  If we have analyzed all the available data and information while considering and including all stakeholders, we will be doing what is in the best interests of the students.

"If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone"         

John Maxwell       

Why we shouldn't treat schools like factories, even if it is more cost effective...

If you have ever walked into a factory that produces a finished good from raw materials, it is frankly an amazing process.  Dating back to the early 1900's, Henry Ford revolutionized the world and the way it manufactures goods.  How could one argue with a process that can take different materials and products, and in one smooth motion put them together to produce a brand new flawless product exactly identical to the previous one produced.  The assembly line process used in factories around the world is graded on its ability to produce the same product over and over again in the shortest amount of time possible, and for the cheapest price possible.  We are making a dire mistake by approaching public education in the same manner.

In a factory you start with the same exact pieces before beginning the first stage of the assembly line process.  In education we start with a unique child with different characteristics than every other child.  In a factory you follow the exact same steps to put the exact same pieces together as fast and as cheap as possible.  In education we treat each child as an individual, and we use a different set of steps to help that child no matter  what the cost, or the time involved.  In a factory you are assessed by how many identical finished products you can produce in a certain time frame.  In education we are assessed by how well we prepared our students to be responsible, independent and lifelong learners who are able to be successful contributing citizens in a democratic society.  Isn't it time we treat students like students, rather than treating them like manufactured products from a factory?

With state budgets being cut on a nationwide basis, it is imperative we reach out to our policy makers to insist on continuing to fund education.  As difficult as it sounds, we need to fund education in a way it has never been funded before.  We simply need more...more teachers, more SMALLER schools, more opportunities for students to develop their own love of learning, and more opportunities for teachers to grow personally and professionally.  This is a battle, despite the restraints financially, that we can win.  If we approach each child as a unique and different individual, meet every child where they currently are, give every child a part in the process, trust every child to do what is right, and most importantly, believe that every child can and will make a difference, we can overcome the easy street of the assembly line. 

Please respond to this post with strategies and ways you have achieved this in your classroom, school or district.  We need to spread the word and provide the necessary help and resources to change our factories into schools. 

Do you speak their language?

How often do you hear students complaining about a teacher who told them to put their cell phone away, or turn their iPod off?  If your school is anything like my school, then I am sure you hear this on a daily basis.  Integrating technology into the classroom has been a hot topic over the last several years, and as our society continues to embrace new technological advances, Education 2.0 will hopefully continue to gain traction.

I have been using a lot of my summer to research and learn about new ways to use technology in my classroom.  The great thing about using technology in the classroom is that we for the most part won't have to teach the students how to use the technology.  Ironically, the students might be doing a majority of the teaching, by teaching the teachers how to use THEIR technology.  More importantly, I want to bring the 21st century advancements in technology into our classrooms so we can close the gap between our schools, and the "real" world.  Unfortunately, going into most schools is like going 20 years into the past in terms of applying current technological trends.

This upcoming school year I plan on using Twitter in my classroom to stay connected with both students and parents.  Additionally, I want to give my students and parents the opportunity to voice their comments and concerns in an open and transparent forum.  I hope to also utilize the many resources available online to "engage" the students in the learning process.  I want them to help me integrate technology into the classroom.  I will ask them for advice and suggestions that could prove to be influential in gaining their trust, as well as their attention!

This video highlights the importance of using current technologies (which the students already use) in the classroom to address student disengagement and student boredom.  "When I go to school, I have to power down," perfectly illustrates exactly why it is imperative that we change the way we approach technology in the classroom.  Enjoy!

Bring on the learning revolution!

A fabulous resource to educators is available, and the best part about it...it is free! Visit the website http://www.ted.com/ and watch videos about "ideas worth spreading." I chose this particular video by Sir Ken Robinson because I feel Robinson makes a wonderful point about education. When we talk about education we need to forget about the evolution of the school system, but rather we should concentrate on the revolution of the school system...

Sir Ken Robinson is an author and speaker and is well known on the international stage for his presentations on education. Robinson uses several examples from his life to show the importance of education not just going through a few changes and adjustments, but education being completely transformed and revolutionized to address the needs of our ever changing society.

Robinson compares our out dated and broken school system to the fast food industry. Too much of education has become standardized with an emphasis on assembly line principles. We should be "customizing" the education system to fit the needs of particular communities and the needs of our society. Robinson, said a line that was disheartening as an educator, "Education dislocates many people from their natural talents." As educators shouldn't we be tapping into the natural talents of our students? Shouldn't we be encouraging students to follow their talents and their interests? The educational system our students deserve needs to incorporate words of encouragement and pats on the back; not barriers limiting creativity and passion.

Would anybody like some change?

As I often do, I speak with my wife about issues and theories related to education. Though my wife is not a full time teacher, she does teach as an adjunct professor at a local community college. Thus, I feel she is knowledgeable and a worthy audience when discussing educationally related topics.

Our most recent discussion revolved around how education needs to be more effective and applicable to the ever changing needs of the student population. There are so many fantastic things going on in education, and at times I am extremely proud to call myself an educator. Unfortunately, there are other times where I am not so proud of some things done in education. Looking at education with a glass half full approach, we can be encouraged because there is always room to change and improve the way we conduct our business as educators.

One of the beauties of being in education is we have the right and obligation to be change agents. We go to work every day looking for new ways of improving education. That is our job...make education as relevant, applicable and as necessary as possible to prepare students to be successful in their lives in the future.

I prepared a presentation about change and how we can all be change agents. My wife had one question for me, "Don't you think you are asking too much of educators?" When I thought about how I would answer this question, I realized the answer was simple. "No," I am not asking too much of educators, because our duty and job as educators is to do what it takes to get the job done. Just as society and students have changed, we need to change and evolve to ensure we are positively affecting our students. We need to change the culture of education and make sure we are reaching all of our students preparing them to be lifelong learners and successful democratic citizens.