originally posted on "all that inspires me"

A few weeks ago, I ran across this graphic on All that Inspires Me, a Posterous site by Keith Stoekler (@keithstoekler).  What a great way to approach life!

After all, I am…

• an artist who can not draw.
• an author who struggles to write.
• a photographer with limited vision.
• a blogger of average talent.

But, I am a creator.

As an educator, I hope that I inspire a creative approach to education – and life – in my friends, colleagues and students.

cc flickr photo by nyargle

The relationship between perception and reality is not a new concept, nor is it rocket science.  There are numerous familiar quotes that remind us that attitude is everything.

• Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.  ~ Albert Einstein
• Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.  ~ Winston Churchill
• Excellence is not a skill.  It is an attitude.  ~ Ralph Winston
• Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and actions.  ~ Harold S. Ganeen
• Attitudes are more important than facts.  ~ George MacDonald
• Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.  ~ Thomas Jefferson

Given all of the reminders, admonitions, and encouragement, why can it be such a challenge to remain positive?  Shouldn’t we know better?

I haven’t written much in the past month – largely due to a busy school schedule that has been a steady barrage of meetings, professional development, planning and evening events.  My perseverance has been average, at best, as the plethora of activities and commitments has kept me struggling to maintain a positive attitude.  Stress and fatigue have resulted in diminished optimism, more complaining and fewer smiles.  Not good…especially as I consider the potential impact this might have on staff, students, and most importantly, my family.  Without the slightest egotistic inclination, I am aware of the substantial effect my attitude has on others.  The same could be said for you.

As part of my reflection on the issue of attitude, I have come to the conclusion that not only does negativity have an impact on others, but the root of the problem is often selfishness.  By choosing to display a negative attitude, openly complain and generally be discontent, are we not actually asking for attention?  For sympathy?  For pity?  As the familiar adage goes, misery loves company, and finding company is not difficult – family, friends, colleagues or even students are easily drawn into the fray.

So, bringing this back to the realm of education, we have to be diligent…remembering that we are in a profession of service and checking to ensure that our attitude doesn’t put self before others.  We are all keenly aware that education (and life for that matter) is not all sunshine and flowers.  Sometimes we need encouragement.  We need to vent.  We need to lean on colleagues.  But, as Haim Ginot alludes to in his comments on the classroom environment (below), via our attitude, we possess tremendous power to do good, or inflict tremendous harm.  It is our choice – one we make on a daily basis.  My attitude matters.  Your attitude matters.  In fact, it may make all the difference.

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom.  It’s my daily mood that makes the weather.  As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous.  I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.  I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.  In all situations, it is my response that decides whether crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.  ~ Haim Ginot

cc photo by Jeff Delp

Lately, being in my office has been causing feelings of claustrophobia.  The tether to my desk has seemed more like a steel chain – email, paperwork and a plethora of issues trapping me in a space that is reasonably effective for rote completion of tasks, but seems to squelch efforts at creativity.

This has me thinking about the importance that physical spaces play in our job performance, and more importantly in student learning.  With all of the reforms (and budget issues) on the plate of public education, it is understandable that the physical environment of our classrooms and schools takes a back seat.  That being said, I can’t help but wonder if we aren’t missing the boat on this issue.  Is the physical environment in which we (and our students) work, inextricably tied to the quality of our performance–specifically efforts to encourage creativity and innovation?

I will use my situation as an example.  When I walk into my office, I generally gravitate toward my desk and computer.  Doing so inevitable results in time spent reviewing my e-mail inbox and completing paperwork.  Although I generally have an open door policy when I am in my office (both literally and figuratively), I am relatively isolated from my staff, students and what is happening in our classrooms and on campus.  The structure of “the office” lends itself to this type of activity (e-mail, paperwork, etc.) and isolation.  A Pavlovian response…if you will.

 Office => Desk => Computer => E-Mail => Disengage/Isolate

My fear is that many of our students suffer a similar response when they enter our schools and classrooms.  Consider the structure and setting of a typical classroom.  A teacher’s desk and chair, student desks (generally with the chair and writing surface connected), limited number of windows, sterile paint (i.e. eggshell), and perhaps a bulletin board or two.

 Classroom => Desk => Notebook/Textbook => Disengage/Isolate

Our school has recently had the opportunity to work with several leaders from a collaborative community called Gangplank.  Derek Neighbors (@dneighbors), Jade Meskill (@iamruinous) and Mike Benner (@refriedchicken) have some fantastic ideas about shifting the educational paradigm.  It has been great working with them to identify innovative approaches to the issues we face at our school–but that is another blog post.  A collateral effect of working with Gangplank has been the way it has challenged my thinking about our use of physical space.  During our last session, we met at the Gangplank headquarters, and I have to say that it was liberating to get out of my office, away from classrooms with the traditional student desks, and into an environment that was set up to encourage collaboration.  It can be a bit confusing for those used to a traditional office hierarchy, but it is evident that the work space at Gangplank offers something different.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I am not saying that the physical environment of our schools is “the” difference maker, but I do believe it can be a significant contributor to the atmosphere of positive energy, creativity, engagement, enthusiasm and innovation that we are trying to create.  My recent experiences at Gangplank have me considering crazy questions like:

My initial thought is that it would be a good thing.  Who knows?  Maybe I will give it a shot.  Technology gives me the opportunity to take my office mobile — setting up wherever I need to be in order to remain an engaged educator/learner.  Perhaps an experiment with trying.  Until then, I challenge you to reflect upon your educational environment and I will try to keep from getting lost in the issue of space.

cc flickr photo: Loren Javier

I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy watching Phineas and Ferb with my daughter. I have seen many episodes, enjoyed the humor, but rarely have I had any “a-ha” moments while watching the inventive pair of boys, their pet platypus and his evil genius nemesis – Dr. Doofenschmirtz.

This changed over our holiday break when we watched an episode in which Phineas and Ferb were sent to a “reprogramming” camp to relieve them of the potential dangers of their creativity. As I watched the following musical montage, I immediately thought of Sir Ken Robinson and his discussions about school’s effects on student creativity (I tweeted out the video and was thrilled to get a retweet and comment from Sir Ken himself).

I frequently hear, and see, frustration with the apparent lack of interest and motivation shown by students at our junior high school. Based on the number of books, blog posts, and discussions related to this topic, I know we are not alone. I also understand the frustration. Being a great teacher is truly a tremendous challenge requiring a commitment to ongoing personal growth and an investment of substantial amounts of time and energy. The persistence, flexibility and patience required to plan instruction that is both meaningful and engaging is one of the most difficult requirements of the job. Apparent student apathy strikes at the heart and soul of who we are as educators.

But, consider for a moment, a child who has gone through six years of an educational system, as described in the RSA Animate presentations by Sir Ken Robinson – Changing Education Paradigms, and Daniel Pink – Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us. Like Phineas and Ferb, many of these students have become convinced that school is not about them. It has nothing to do with creativity, innovation, or their interests – instead it is about whatever the adults decide is important.

Changing this perception is not going to happen in a single lesson, class or even school year. Instead, our schools must be committed to an ongoing process of “re-purposing” our educational system to encourage creative endeavors, instill innovation and convince students that school IS about them. Given the current climate related to accountability and testing, this will not be an easy task, but it is possible, and it is necessary.

We can start be ensuring that our students are given every opportunity to actively participate in their own education by creating, innovating, collaborating and sharing their work with an authentic audience. Allowing students to pursue individual interests and produce work that encourages passion and develops pride goes a long way toward breaking the chains of apathy.

What will you do to give students these opportunities in 2012? Make it a great year!

I am probably the last person who should be writing a blog post on productivity – there are many who would attest to this fact. I often struggle to balance responsibilities and I frequently feel like I am scrambling to efficiently manage my time. That being said, I am also a firm believer in the purposeful use of technology to improve productivity and accessibility to critical information. As a school administrator, I have had to adjust my time and task management systems to address a wide variety of responsibilities and a plethora of paperwork and emails. While paper has its place, I am a firm believer that, in education, we use way too much. The printers and risograph machines whir incessantly. Scantrons, homework assignments, referral forms and even printed emails pile upon on desks, baskets and notebooks. Not only is the use of paper often an unnecessary waste of resources, it can be a substantial financial drain on the school budget.

In addition to be good stewards of our resources, believe that an important responsibility of a 21st educator is the purposeful modeling of instructional technology. That being said, neither teachers or administrators have time for contrived implementation of tech tools – it should serve a purpose and lead to more effective practice. Over the course of my school administrative experiences I have gradually developed systems for managing tasks and duties that minimize the necessity of paper and provide nearly universal access to the notes, paperwork and documentation needed to effectively carry out my responsibilities. It is a work in progress, but I have decided to share the web 2.0 tools I use on a day-to-day basis to improve my efficiency and model technology usage for our teaching staff. While these descriptions have a decidedly administrative slant, each tool is easily adapted for classroom use.

1. Google Docs

Google Docs has become a “go to” app for collaborative documentation. Meeting agendas are developed and distributed via a shared document. Data and required information is collected using forms and spreadsheets. This might include student interest surveys, parent feedback forms or school-wide data collection efforts from staff members. The sharing options make it easy to collect, organize and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets and presentations. In addition, documents created using the Google suite are nearly universally accessible via any computer or mobile device.

2. Evernote

Evernote is a virtual filing cabinet, complete with an extremely functional tagging and search system. It is great for taking notes, but for me, the beauty of Evernote lies in the ability to capture images and save those scraps of paper and information that find their way onto my desk. Many times, these are reference items that I am never quite sure how to handle. With Evernote, I simply scan, or snap a picture of the item and upload it to my account, thus eliminating those papers that tend to create piles in my office. The Evernote mobile app is great for making notes during classroom visits, recording examples of student work, and documenting professional development activities. As with Google Docs, access to Evernote is nearly ubiquitous – keeping critical information at your fingertips.

3. Dropbox

There have been many education related uses for Dropbox documented on the web. I primarily use my Dropbox account to store current project files so that I am able to access them wherever they are needed – at home, the office, in classrooms, or meetings. It is great to have this information at my fingertips when it is truly needed and it saves me from having to carry around multiple notebooks, files, and loose papers. File sharing with Dropbox is a simple task, allowing for collaborative endeavors. Many apps provide opportunities for syncing with Dropbox, providing an easy method of consolidating work in one place.

4. Wunderlist

Wunderlist is the newest addition to my suite of productivity applications. For some time I have had an unhealthy obsession with finding the perfect task manager – one that might tell me exactly what to do next, or possibly even complete my tasks for me. Well, Wunderlist doesn’t exactly do either of those things, but it does meet other criteria for an effective productivity app: it has an intuitive interface, is easy to use, is accessible from virtually anywhere, and has enough functionality to effectively manage a multitude of tasks. Wunderlist allows the user to collect tasks in an “inbox” and then organize items (if so desired) into an unlimited number of lists. Lists may be shared with others so that teams may work collaboratively on identified tasks. As much as I have enjoyed using Wunderlist, I am anxiously awaiting the release of another 6Wunderkinder product, Wunderkit. I am hopeful that Wunderkit, due for beta release in early 2012, will provide even greater (yet still affordable) opportunities for project management and team collaboration.

5. Posterous

Sharing information and staying connected is a vital aspect of educational professionalism. Posterous is a simple blogging platform that allows users to easily share ideas and participate in conversations to enhance professional development. I currently utilize Posterous as an addendum to my WordPress blog because it is so easy to create and share posts. Meteoric Musings allows me to publicize quick thoughts, examples of student work, and ideas that don’t require a great deal of fleshing out. This year, I plan to use Posterous for a 365 day photo project and will be making a more concerted effort to post on a regular basis. Posterous is a great platform for beginners and they have a great mobile app that makes posting on the go an easy task.

6. Twitter

There is not much need for me to go into a lot of detail about the benefits of Twitter for educators. I have written about the value I see in this social media tool in other posts (see 5 Reasons I Use Twitter and You Should Too). Twitter has been a professional development goldmine – providing access to engaging conversations and outstanding resources. It is so important for educators to develop connections with colleagues in different schools, districts, states, and countries. Twitter is an invaluable tool for doing just that.

These are just a handful of the tools I use in an effort to increase my personal productivity and model the use of web 2.0 tools for colleagues. There are many others worth considering (Pinboard, Diigo, Prezi, etc.). Whether using one of these applications, or anything else, the key is to find tools that work for you and share your experiences with others.

Feel free to share your favorite web 2.0 productivity and networking tools.

The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise –with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.  ~ Abraham Lincoln

A new year is nearly upon us, and with 2012 on the horizon, many will undoubtedly participate in the process of developing annual resolutions.  It is a refreshing activity.  An opportunity for a fresh start…a clean slate, so to speak.  New goals and aspirations…a chance for personal improvement. Perhaps this will be the year that I achieve fluency in Spanish, or develop a “go-to” system for personal organization.  Maybe I will stick with a regular exercise routine and succeed at eating healthier.  Or maybe I won’t.

Resolutions are generally about change, and as longevity and success rates of new initiatives exemplify…change is challenging.  Whether altering exercise habits or changing classroom instructional methods, making changes require us to face a significant fear – the potential for failure.  The beauty of New Year’s resolutions is the opportunity to hit the reset button on unsuccessful endeavors…a chance to refocus.  The problem is that we frequently approach resolutions, and change, with an “all or nothing” mentality.  It either works, or more often than not, it doesn’t.  But what if we changed our view of failure?

Change requires that we take chances.  If we make the assumption that the changes we undertake are purposeful and necessary, it is imperative that we accept failure as a natural – even necessary – part of the change process.  Unless we are willing to do so, we risk paralysis of action.  Failure forces reflection, encourages innovation, necessitates creativity and leads to problem solving.

So, back to those resolutions.  When we make a commitment to change, it is imperative that we allow ourselves the opportunity to fail.  Instead of approaching resolutions, with an “all or none” attitude, give yourself a break and allow opportunities to make mistakes and benefit from the learning process that ensues.  Failure does not have to be fatal…in fact, it can be a sign of thinking anew.

My New Year’s resolution is to be unaccepting of the status quo, be reflective of my actions, be willing to change, and take failure in full stride.  It’s part of the learning process.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.  ~ Winston Churchill

cc flickr photo by simon dukes

As a school principal, I do my best to stay up to date with current best practices in the education field.  I read, blog and tweet.  I visit classrooms, interact with students, and utilize a shared leadership approach to administrative practice.  I try to create a school environment in which teachers feel comfortable taking appropriate risks — one where innovative practice is encouraged.  I would like to think that I am a forward thinking administrator who makes decisions based upon the best interest of students and staff members.  However, I have recently been struggling to keep my head above the proverbial water level, dealing with a plethora of distractions, and it has led to some rather intense reflection about my role as an administrator — specifically, the ways in which I stay connected to what is happening in the classroom.

I recently wrote a post about my social media practices — What’s the point?  Blogging and tweeting…my two cents.  An admired colleague, Bill Ferriter (@plugusin), left a very poignant response to my post, suggesting that an additional reason for school administrators to participate in social media endeavors is to build credibility with teachers by making their learning transparent.  He supported this statement with the following comments:

You know, the honest truth is that it is hard for us teacher folks to buy into “the principal as instructional leader” label when we rarely see y’all instructing — or even thinking actively about instruction.

And because of the ridiculous demands of your job, it’s hard for y’all to find the time to instruct — or to engage in meaningful conversations with EVERY teacher about instruction.

What an incredibly insightful, and all too often accurate, depiction of school administration.  In light of my recent time management issues, it was like a punch to the gut (in a good way, if that is possible).  A litany of questions began popping into my head.

• Am I doing enough to be an instructional leader on my campus?
• What am I doing to stay actively connected with the classroom?
• How do I relate to my teaching staff — developing a true understanding of their daily challenges?
• Am I still a teacher?
• Why would my staff lend credence to what I have to say about classroom instruction?

I obviously don’t have all of the answers to these questions, but I think they deserve careful consideration.  As a school administrator, how do I balance my administrative responsibilities (hiring, paperwork, meetings, budget, etc.) while maintaining relevance and credibility as an instructional leader?  As Bill pointed out in his comment,

When you’re actively making your learning transparent by sharing what you’re reading and by writing about what your reading in social spaces, you have the chance to stand as a thinker in front of anyone who wants to look.

I certainly agree, but I am also thinking that it has to go beyond that.  School administrators have to be diligent and purposeful about staying plugged in to what is happening in classrooms and the challenges faced by their instructional staff.  I guess the essential question in this dilemma, is whether or not that is possible without teaching on a regular basis.  How should the role of the school administrator change in order to ensure the effective practice of instructional leadership?  Should we be required to pack up our offices and teach classes on a regular basis?  Are school administrators necessary, or could this role be assumed by teacher leaders?  As always, your thoughts and suggestions are welcomed.

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.  ~ Henry Ford

The Edublog Award nominations are out, and with them, a flurry of blog posts and tweets making the social media universe aware that voting has begun, and addressing the pros/cons.  In the process of scanning some of these posts, I ran across a piece by Josh Stumpenhorst, that (along with accompanying comments) struck a chord.  In Complaining and Campaigning, Josh emphasized that the Edublog Awards should not be about “winning,” but he pointed out that they are a great venue for sharing work and that they provide an outstanding opportunity to expand our personal learning networks.

Those who read my blog know that I am a strong advocate of both Twitter, and blogging, as professional development tools.  I can not overstate the degree to which interactions via these social media venues have provided professional connections and shaped my thinking about a wide variety of educational topics.  On a DAILY basis I utilize social media to expand my professional interactions well beyond the walls of my school – gaining access to current events, innovative practices, and encouragement from people (many of whom I have never met face to face) who I consider colleagues.  Without a doubt, blogging and tweeting allow educators to develop a diverse professional learning network and participate in ongoing and dynamic professional development.

These tools also provide opportunities for perhaps the most important practice in education: reflection.  I can not begin to tell you how many times my beliefs about educational practice have been challenged by what I have read in a blog, or on Twitter.  Over the past couple of years, my concept of what is possible in education has been stretched.  When I hear that something can not be done, I often know of a teacher, administrator or school that has done it.  I have learned to question my daily practice, never settle for the status quo, and consistently be asking if there is a better way.  Writing this blog provides me an opportunity to organize my thoughts, and reflect out loud — so to speak — with the added benefit of receiving diverse feedback.

So back to those Edublog Awards.  Like Josh, I am honored to have been nominated for an Edublog Award — primarily because of the high esteem in which I hold those by whom I was nominated.  That, in itself is the honor.  The truth of the matter is, when it comes to recognizing those who contribute to the discussion of improving education in this world, there are thousands (perhaps even millions) deserving of the honor.  As partial evidence, check out this collection of education blogs created by Clive Elsmore (@clivesir).

As I was thinking about it last night, I sent out a few tweets with the tag #feedyourreader (as in RSS feed reader), providing a few names of bloggers/tweeters that are a part of my professional learning network and who regularly inspire and challenge my thinking.  I could have gone on for hours.

If you are a tweeting regular, I would encourage you to send out your own #feedyourreader tweet and recognize colleagues who have inspired, challenged, and stretched your thinking.  It could be a long list!

cc flickr photo by pink.polka

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.  ~ Albert Einstein

I am new to this “principal thing”, but I think I am slowly getting better — learning daily.  I began the year with grand ambitions and a broad vision about how we could improve our school.  It is a good school, but one that suffers from public misperception — something I am determined to alter, not through smoke and mirrors, but through thoughtful reflection, meaningful change and genuine focus on what will benefit our community of learners.  I truly believe we are capable of building something great, but as the old adage goes — change is rarely easy.

I started the school year by sharing the following Prezi with my staff – Willis Junior High School: Learning and Leading with PRIDE.  Typical of a newbie, it was probably too much, too quickly, but I wanted to share my enthusiasm and passion for educating kids…and I wanted to develop a sense of what “could be” at Willis.

As one might predict, there have been a few more challenges to implementing my vision than anticipated.  That’s what happens when you work in a “people centered” profession.  Daily life is unpredictable.  There are unanticipated roadblocks, negativity and frustrations — from students, from parents, from staff members and sometimes, from within.  But, increasingly, I find these obstacles to change less frustrating, and more invigorating.  Each one presents an opportunity, and in fact, validation for the change process.  Dysfunction, unrest, and frustration are indications that something isn’t working and that it is time to try something different.  Suddenly the very things that cause us to throw our hands in the air, present an invaluable opportunity to affect meaningful change, and hopefully improvement.

• Student behavior still not what we want to see?  Maybe it is time for us to re-examine our practice of consequences and rewards.  Is there a better way?
• Tired of addressing gaps in basic skills?  Lets look at how we are delivering remediation and consider alternative options.
• Frustrated with class sizes and student grouping?  Perhaps we should rethink our current scheduling practices.  Is the schedule driven by what is best for students, or is the schedule built for the convenience of adults?
• Kids not completing their homework assignments?  Maybe we need to carefully consider what it is that we are assigning and develop a different approach to homework.
• Not enough collaboration in the classroom?  Perhaps we should reconsider the arrangement and design of the physical environment.

Obstacles…or opportunities?  Too often, I believe we feel trapped by the constraints of the current educational system — unable, or unwilling, to try something different.  But instead of feeling overwhelmed and upset by these “obstacles”, we should seize them as opportunities to make meaningful change to a profession that looks eerily similar to what it did 100 years ago.  Of course there are going to be challenges in what we do.  We work in a dynamic profession.  Not only do we have to keep up with changes in teaching pedagogy, testing requirements, standards and every additional policy that comes down the educational pipe–we have to keep up with changes in our students and the world in which we live.  That is no small feat.

When we started the school year, I asked our staff to take a deliberate and reflective approach to their daily activities at school.  I encouraged them to ponder the following questions:

I still like the questions, but I believe I left out a critical piece: does what you are doing work for students?  If the answer to that question is anything but a resounding yes, it is time to head back to the drawing board.  In education, we are frequently guilty of forging ahead with current practices, even when there is substantial evidence to suggest that what we are doing isn’t working.  That must change.

To be honest, that is what I love about this profession.  It isn’t predictable–teaching is perpetual trouble-shooting.  No day is ever the same.  I may be tired, stretched to my limits and, at times, frustrated, but I am never bored.  I am still learning, but I have re-committed myself to staying positive in spite of the obstacles thrown in my way, and remaining determined to use these as a platform for change.  As a wise man once said,

When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade.  ~ Dale Carnegie

cc flickr photo by striatic

This week, I attended the Virtual Schools Symposium (iNacol) in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Attending conferences, and leaving with a nauseating mix of frustration, excitement, confusion and a multitude of questions has become a common occurrence.  This conference was no different.  I am sitting on my return flight to Phoenix, sorting through a plethora of notes and ideas, and struggling to identify the next steps for our school.  My cognitive dissonance is actually the result of conversations, and a session I attended,  with a fellow administrator I have been following on Twitter – Stephen Harris (@Stephen_H).

Stephen is the Principal at the North Beaches Christian School in Sydney, Australia and the Founding Director of the Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning (SCIL).  I think you will find a quick view of the following video about Stephen’s school both thought provoking, and inspiring.

The Quest: Tomorrow’s School Today at SCIL from SCIL on Vimeo.

During his presentation, Stephen made the comment that we don’t need to tweak the current educational paradigm, we need a new paradigm.  After only a short time visiting with him, and hearing about his school, it became apparent that Stephen, and his staff, are serious about revolutionizing education–they are truly engaged in innovative practice.  Almost immediately, I began considering my role as a new principal, and what I might be able to learn from Stephen, and a school that is half a world away.

Our school is in the beginning stages of developing a blended learning program, and while I have a vision of what that might look like, I still struggle to clearly identify the steps required to develop a truly innovative school.  We are flying the airplane as we build it, so to speak, and it is quite possible that our destination will change mid-flight.  After attending VSS, and hearing Stephen discuss his school, and hearing Brian Bennett (@bennettscience), talk about how he implements a flipped classroom model, I am concerned that I may not being doing enough to push the envelope.  Am I working toward the development of a new paradigm, or just using technology to “spruce up” an old one?  So now what?  I need some answers, but right now, I just have a lot of questions.  As a school leader, am I meeting my responsibilities in the development of a blended learning environment that will inspire our students and address their academic and social needs?

What am I doing…

…to create a school climate that encourages innovation and creativity?

…to develop a school culture that allows staff members to feel safe taking appropriate risks?

…to give teachers and students access to the technology tools that allow them to engage in a meaningful and collaborative learning environment?

…to be creative in the acquisition of resources – time, technology, professional development, etc.?

…to encourage staff members to participate in reflective practice?

…to give staff members access to meaningful professional development and exposure to innovative practices occurring elsewhere?

…to drive instruction to the level of the individual student – personalizing learning for every student that attends our school?

…to encourage change in the way we use physical space at our school and communicate how those changes might dramatically impact our learning environment?

…to go beyond evolutionary change and advocate for a revolutionary approach to school improvement?

The answer to the majority of these questions is “not enough”.   I have come to the conclusion that trying to categorize our blended learning program, or make it fit into a box defined by others, is not only fruitless, but detrimental (thank you Stephen).  I am comfortable with it being a work in progress, using what works for our students and setting aside what doesn’t.  I believe my job in this process is to serve as an advocate – seeking resources, challenging current thinking and practices, and removing barriers, so that our students and staff are able to build an educational environment that meets the needs of our learning community.  In order to do that,  I will have to keep asking myself: what am I doing?

Please share…what are you doing?