Reflection Essay #2

Assignment #5

Developing my own PLN is going to be about branding.  I have a feeling that once I can develop my brand I will be able to better connect with people with similar branding.  As I am working on branding I know I will be connecting with multiple people and groups that will exponentially grow as I continue my pursuit of developing me.  Not until this class have I really taken it seriously or given it time that I hold the key to unlocking the PLN and name for myself.  I also need to think about not just focusing in one direction or topic.  I need to be aware of being diverse in my approach to developing my PLN and brand.  Staying true to myself and my core values is something I will continue to assess as I move along in this leadership this journey.  Finally, to develop my PLN I will have to post more to blogs, follow more blogs and news, read more articles and research journals, invest more, knowledge and create more shared resources in order to build my brand in hopes of others wanting me to be a part of their PLN.  

To influence others in the district/building I plan to be ahead of the trends.  Taking risks to and being an innovator are great ways to start to show others you are a digital leader.  Once staff observe the principal taking risks and innovating, they'll begin believing they too can do the same.  Many a conversation I've had with teachers that they're too scared to fail in front of the students or staff and are unwilling to get past that.  Instead of showing staff a new technology tool, I plan to work with level 1 staff on learning a new tech tool with them to show empathy.  Many times that is all some staff needs.  Another way to influence others in the district is to continually look for barriers to implementation and integration of the technology.  Sometimes it is the little things that need to be arranged to make the technology that much more functional.  In our school it was a matter of 5 feet more of an HDMI cable that made the difference in a teacher's ability to implement the tech.  Another situation was developing online resources with our social emotional curriculum because CDs and disk drives took too long to load.  Also, creating this resource helped the district because everyone had access in one location anytime, anywhere.  Because the curriculum was online the collaboration increased with the teachers and students.

Looking for new ideas and celebrating change is something I've spent the last two years pushing in regards to implementing technology.  Teachers have an amazing way of thinking people will think their idea is dumb or not that impressive.  Teacher are so very humble!  At any rate, I set up a schedule for teachers to share new tips or tricks they used with their technology either personally or professionally.  The first 3 meetings we shared nothing but Instagram, Twitter, and fFacebook tips, but then we started in on class dojo, google docs, and forms.  By blending the sharing with the personal and professional teachers became more comfortable with the process of sharing and began opening up their minds.  The process was awesome.  I hope they continue with the atmosphere we created at DVE.

Assignment #4

When asked to write about the failures of others as we implement 1:1 and BYOD I am not sure how to respond. Everywhere I read explicitly states that we do not have enough research or data to suggest we are succeeding or failing. Thus, I have to answer with a question; What is failure? Is it failure of students not meeting standard? If so, does making growth counter the "failure?" Did we fail to close the achievement gap? If so, was it because we widened the gap by giving access to some outside of schools and not others? Or did we succeed in doing our best to give more access to students who would've otherwise not had any access? Failure is such a challenging word for me to listen to because I look for the opportunities in most things. So, I would like to take this opportunity to look for the modifications and improvements of the innovators and leaders in implementation of 1:1 initiatives. Off the soap box...

We can learn much from the leaders in 1:1 and BYOD such as: technology roll out plans, infrastructure problems or pitfalls, security issues and updates, process and protocols within schools, tracking devices vertically and horizontally within schools and district, best resource for the money, professional development rollout and sustainability programs, multiyear cost analysis, instructional materials support, OERs versus whole curriculums or even supplemental curriculum supports, replacement costs, new buildings and renovations to support 1:1 or BYOD, off site access for disadvantaged, internet provider subsidy programs, technology curriculum, device checkout programs, new policy for checkout programs, and I'm sure a whole host of other topics that we can learn from. It would be nice to have a systematic checklist of expectations to ensure we are attending to for the district, school, classroom, and student level. I wonder if there is such a thing? Of the items on the list the thing I learned with the 1:1 initiative in our school district was the importance of common language and expectations in the classroom level. If we had this from the district prior to deployment we might have avoided some pitfalls of replacement, tracking, and overall safety of the devices being used. However, as a paperless classroom I enjoyed the freedom to set up expectations and common language in my classroom that was definitely different compared to other classrooms in my school.

The opportunity CCSS presents for technology leaders is the ability to share, collaborate, create, modify, and other endless possibilities, on the same topics and subjects others are teaching around the country. With Pinterest, shared Google docs, social media outlets, and the vetted digital library, finding resources is at the tip of your finger. As for integrating technology into our curriculum, there are so many more open educational resources available to us. School districts are beginning to create positions dedicated to finding these resources for core and supplemental instructional resources.

As for the steps needed for me to improve my readiness to be a digital leader I need to learn more about OERs and their influence/support of the CCSS. Being aware and knowledgeable about their significance is critical as I see it as a turning point in the technology and curriculum connection. Also, continuing to read about the research for and against the implementation of technology with the understanding that self-reporting is a slippery slope. Using a good cycle of analysis with the data from core subjects will help in determining if what we perceive is actually based on findings in our data. I would hope this is already going on in classrooms around the country as the rollout of 1:1 is beginning to take hold.

Assignment #3

To begin building my personal and professional brand I need to have an understanding for who I am and what I’m about. This past year I was about building a paperless classroom designed to help motivate and engage students in new and innovative ways that pushed them to collaborate more and build systems for efficiency and effectiveness (NETS-A 2.4). While I was doing this I realized my brand was around developing opportunities for students who had less and showing them that when given the tools and opportunities they could achieve at levels they never thought possible. Now, as I head off into the journey of becoming a principal, I will need to reevaluate the brand I want everyone to see. I am not sure if I want it to be the same message or brand, but I do know for sure the belief that everyone deserves opportunity will stick.

I would like for others to view me as a professional who is empathetic, communicative, and supportive of innovation (NETS-A 2.1). I have spent most of my teaching career trying to be innovative with standards, curriculum and processes within the systems our administration created. By taking risks I knew people were watching and were more willing to take calculated risks when they knew it was for student progress and better instructional practices. I know others will be watching and because of that it will be important to model the idea of failing forward and yet continuously reflecting on what worked and what needs to be modified. Because technology is continually evolving, being aware of emerging technologies and the culture that supports them is critical to gaining new followers and engaging with your students (NETS-A 2.3).

The tools I will use to advance a positive school brand is a clear and shared focus on our core values and beliefs that all viewers are aware of. These core values would be succinct and on all publications. I would also work to distinguish our school by using technology tools like facebook, twitter, blogs, infographics, etc to set us apart from others, but also to reach as many followers as possible. Both articles express and stress the importance of being true to yourself and setting yourself apart from the competition by gaining power (in a positive light). This power is used to influence and maintain the brand you worked so hard to help build. Branding your school will be about doing what nobody else wants to do. It is about putting in time and effort when we think nobody is watching or listening. However, if we are using the tools correctly people will always be listening and watching.

Reflection Essay #1 Sheninger

Lately, with all of the information coming at me I am constantly trying to compartmentalize the information and place it into a graphic of some sort. Go figure I would be using multiple technology tools to create this and then share on a social media site. At any rate, I created the graphic below using Gliffy which is a flowchart/mind mapping web based service. The graphic is unfinished, but it shows how things are interconnected and yet separate. I decided to breakdown the topics in Sheninger's book into the 3 B's. While branding is one of the 7 Pillars, I thought of it more as a broad topic that uses multiple sources for branding one's image. Bolstering is needed in the areas of professional development and student engagement. When it comes to technology implementation we can get lost quickly without enough quality PD and at times student engagement can look like learning, but actually isn't. And finally, building capacity among and within your staff to lead others in a continuos cycle of improvement and analysis for their own technology understanding is how I believe a digital leader continues to grow and develop among peers.


As I read the book I realized that it seems school districts follow the prescribed layout of the pillars in regards to how they are chaptered in the book. Having only been in one school district doesn't give me a great sample size, but I would be curious to see what you think. The way the book delivers the 7 pillars is:
1. Communication
2. Public Relations
3. Branding
4. Professional Growth and Development
5. Increased Student Engagement
6. Learning Environment and Spaces
7. Opportunities

How would you reorder these 7 pillars with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important? Click the survey link here.

As I did this myself I realized the challenges districts must face in rolling out technology with so many working parts that don't always seem to mesh. In my experience the communication of these 7 pillars is needed for staff to see the interconnectedness of the pieces and also to see the effect one has on another. Honestly, there is no one most important piece to Sheninger's 7 Pillars and I'm hoping you had as much a challenge as I did trying to order them in importance. Furthermore, what is important to the school district, parents, teachers, students and community may all be very different. It would be interesting to have parents and staff do this quick little survey as well.

The most interesting read of the whole book had to be in the area of learning environments and spaces. I found this information to be a large piece missing from current 21st century classrooms. Right now everyone is trying to play catch up and I wonder if new schools or renovations are having to meet a specific code or requirement for the needs of 21st century students and devices. Sheninger's blog shows pictures of the high school he references in the book, Clark Hall, as one that has made significant changes to the learning environment that supports creativity and function for today's learners and instructors. It will be exciting to watch as new buildings are developed and renovated in the coming years.

Assignment #2

I am learning that I can improve my digital leadership by modeling for my staff, parents and community that I look for value and potential in everything I use in regards to technology.  Also, that I am I am always learning new technologies that bring value to my professional and personal life. Another way I can immediately improve my digital leadership is to learn about the emerging cultures from the varying age levels and and communities. Which means I need to be more connected to multiple platforms of communication.

The cautions I should attend to in the change process are: What are people losing in the implementation of the new technologies? In this situation I believe people believe they will be losing time. Sure they may "lose" time on the front end, but how much time they gain on the back end will be exponential. This year was spent showing and explaining to teachers how implementing technology will give them back their time to do more. Do they have a real emotional pull towards what they are giving up in terms of implementing new technology?  Many staff love specific activities they have been using for many years and have an emotional connection to. However, could their activity still be done in a way that is more efficient, effective and engaging to students if only they were willing to make a shift? I believe staff could still love to do the same activities and yet realize the possibilities are endless when using technology. Also, what are people’s capacity for learning the new technology and am I providing PD time or support in the form of allowing them to fail forward? Because there are varying levels of teacher capacity and readiness, there needs to be a system and assessment in place to help determine where the need is and who staff can rely on for support. The self assessment tool online was a great resource and a valuable on to implement in the fall.

In the six secrets of change I feel like the first  four can be accomplished together.  If you love your employees, you will want to connect with your peers over purpose; this then is how you build capacity about the learning at hand.  These four seem like a no brainer to support.  The challenge I believe lies with being transparent about the learning and systems used to continually engage, motivate and learn.   The reason for the challenge is that sometimes employees will feel like there is a hidden agenda or motive.  Once we can move past this idea that we are trying to “fix” people, then we can begin embracing the learning, teaching, and technology used to connect us.

The NETS-A and ISTE table 4.1 (p.75) is a great resource that shows where the standards from multiple frameworks align.  This table seems to pull the guesswork out of determining if you are in line with the standards.  I would love to create a linked document or form that allows one to put in a social media link or process and populates what standards you meet with it.  This would be a great productivity tool to assess your tools?  

1. Communications - Facebook, Twitter, Class Dojo, PiktoChart, etc.
2. Public relations - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat,
3. Branding - Logo, Messaging on Sites, Followers
4. Professional Growth and Development - Systems where teachers can model and observe with and through technology.
5. Student engagement and learning - Collecting and analyzing student perception data about the specific technology tools and instruction being used.
6. Opportunity - Being aware of technology in and out of the classroom for students who are disadvantaged
7. Learning environment and spaces - As technology changes and the way in which we communicate does as well, we will need to be aware of how to transform our current environments.  

Assignment #1

As future principals, what do you take away from these "generational differences" readings?

Merriam-Webster.com defines literate as: able to read and write, or having or showing knowledge about a particular subject.

I believe to be tech-literate one needs to move beyond having or showing knowledge about the technologies we use. We have to be able to communicate, integrate, access, evaluate, create, and distribute information in a way that enhances and produces effective and efficient methods for all topics and communities.

As a future principal I am beginning to realize the real need to frame technology processes in a way that shows a real application to everyday life of a teacher and student. Digital Native and Digital Immigrant captures the idea that we are in a society with vastly different communication styles and platforms (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, Texting, etc.) than any other time in history. Because we live in a vastly different world than when we grew up, the need to adapt to the current realities is crucial to reaching the vastly different students we now teach. I can completely relate to the theory of generational differences regardless of the lack of research. Because information is at the click of a button, the need for retaining information for long periods of time has diminished. Technology now retains the information we used to retain. How do we combat this lack of retention as teachers, administrators, parents, communities? The information retention that comes to mind was the ability to remember phone numbers growing up. I had a great system for retaining numbers. However, ask me now to recall 5-10 phone numbers and it would be a challenge. Does this mean I have somehow lost my ability to retain information? Or, does this now mean that I have the ability to retain other information that may be more critically important.

As for thick accents of digital immigrants, I believe it is simply about process and lack of need to conform. I believe that when people rely on old technology, it isn't so much about comfortability, but rather urgency. As I continued to coach teachers this past year with technology integration I realized it was more about the lack of urgency to implement the technology. Not necessarily urgency in a form of immediacy, but rather urgency in the form of efficiency. I am curious how we create a sense of urgency to use technology to enhance learning and instructional practices that provide efficiency and effectiveness for thoughtful citizens.

"Digital Nativism, Digital Delusions and Digital Deprivation," by Jamie McKenzie seemed defensive in nature. While there is a lack of research/data to support the broad generalizations by Prensky, I find it hard to believe that our societies, cultures, brains, and systems are not fundamentally and physically changed as we adapt to the ever changing daily technological advancements. For goodness sakes we have drones, video casts from the other side of the world from a wireless device that uses data from a satellite in space, 3D printing, and many more technologies being worked on as I type this. I would love to get a hold of McKenzie and learn about his uses of technology and discuss with him the transformations that occurred within my students with the use of technology.
Here is another article link for McKenzie Link.

In sum...

1. Technology is here and now. Accept it and learn to use it appropriately and responsibly. Technology isn't the answer, rather a vehicle. 
2. Frame technology in a way that shows everyday application that is useful for efficiency and effectiveness. 
3. Develop urgency for the use of technology in the form of efficiency and not necessarily immediacy. 
4. There will always be skeptics. Perhaps McKenzie is just on a different ladder of inference. Considering the article was from 2007 and the technologies we use today didn't exist with Google and Microsoft the way we use them today, would he be more accepting of Prensky's perspective? 

In relation to standard 5 Digital Citizenship:

1. Ensuring equitable access for all - Work on procuring internet access for the school's disadvantaged students.

2. Promote and model policies for ethical use of technology - Apply the SAMR model and continually assess my movement within the SAMR ladder.

3. Promote and model responsible social interactions with technology - Continually modeling for staff and parents how I use technology for one-way, and two-way communication with multiple platforms to communicate with everyone.

4. Model and facilitate the development of a shared understanding and involvement with multiple tools -  Model the use of communication tools, assessment tools, analysis tools, and interactive tools to improve staff development and student achievement.