The downside to being naturally reflective is that sometimes you have to take a step back and not beat yourself up too bad for mistakes and failures. I found myself staring at the crossroads of my decisions in the last few days and being the reflective person that I am, I wanted to address my choices head on. I went through the cycle of "what did I do" and "how could I have approached this situation better"…which is typical. Maybe I needed to take a message back. Maybe I needed to not be so free with my thoughts. Then, I realized that my greatest mistake was in trying to overanalyze…a trait that has extended since my GT years. When you live long enough and you go through the challenges that life presents, you’re bound to make errors along the way. It’s human nature to do so. It’s important that as we grow, we understand that a part of that growth is facing ourselves for who we are and dealing without prejudice. I’m not perfect by any means. I am always a work in progress. I own this with fierceness. What I will no longer do is worry so hard about trying to "undo" or "fix" the hiccups. When they happen, I will deal and move on. If you have the right people in your life that get this side of you…they move on right along with you. Those people are the ones that I consider my friends…my inner circle. While my big life change is to be more fierce, my greatest change is to deal with life’s "snowball fights" and allow myself to be more human. Like leaving the typos in hurried tweets, there will be no more stress about that which I cannot control. I will be reflective, non-punishing and patient. #lifelessons In case you missed it, I am not perfect. No one is.

We are a society of instant. We set goals but in actuality we want those goals to occur much swifter than we allow. In education, there’s a mad dash for raising scores. We pull kids from music and PE to throw facts and figures into their heads hoping that it sticks at least until the test. As much as we know about project based or task driven learning, we’d rather "flip it" or direct teach in lieu of allowing kids to grow from their own experiences. Heck even on social media, we tell teachers to sign up for twitter because it’s "life-changing". They sign up and then discover that those networks do not build themselves overnight. Over time, being connected is a game changer… but it’s not instant. Every year around this time people create resolutions. Heck, in the past so have I. Most of them fail because we make them about the "intended outcome" and when that outcome doesn’t happen as fast as we would like, that resolution becomes yet another statistic. What I’ve learned in the last year is that the journey to the destination is much more poignant than the destination itself. Compare it to a couple just beginning their journey of building a relationship. No one in their right mind jumps directly to the point of marriage. You have to have a relationship first…a friendship. Relationships take time. People forget that. On a personal note, I know that I need to live a healthier lifestyle but making it about the pounds lost or the caloric intake, for me, was a recipe for failure. Making my journey about rebuilding myself from within has been a thoroughly poetic experience. I want to enjoy nature around me. I may even learn a bit of science along the way. I want to understand the pain in my body as I move muscles that have been stagnant. I want to enjoy the sound of the music playing in my ears and the peace that I feel within as my physical self is engaged. I want to experience the entire journey because through the journey, as we recognize the bumps, bruises, highs and lows…we grow even more. We have to be more cognizant of the paths towards our goals and less settled on the goals themselves. That is what respecting the journey is inherently about. Success for me is if I engaged myself at a much deeper level than before. It’s not about a specific success or failure, it really is about sustainable growth. After all, what’s worth attaining is worth the time, patience and effort in receiving it. Time + Patience + Effort = Journey Respect it.  

Taking a stroll into many conversations around the edu twitter chat world, one may walk away wondering if they are doing an effective job compared to those that they read. It seems that no one is ever struggling. No one fails. Schools are perfect and teaching, while hard, is still perfect. Every student and teacher has "choice"…whatever that is. That’s the message that is being communicated…"We are all perfect." I think that the problem with the chat is that when it comes to having reality-based conversations, we have yet to figure out how to keep it real. We’re not sure yet how to communicate about our true selves without losing ourselves and our jobs in the process and that makes for a pretty "vanilla" conversation. What it boils down to is that when we have chats beyond the typical "tech chats", we chat around topics…barely scratching the surface of our needs. We answer chat questions as if they were test questions. Heaven forbid that we offend someone. That could be "twitter deathly", right? (Believe me, I’ve been called "Debbie Downer" on many occasions.) We want to make sure to post the "right" answers because truthfully, when the "truth" is vastly different from what we want…we can’t handle it. If our intent in a conversation is to challenge ourselves and grow, how can that possibly happen if we aren’t willing to admit our struggles? You can’t grow without facing the truth of your own actions.    Yes, we must be careful to not throw our schools, co-workers, parents or students under the bus. Doing so would be career suicide. However, what is the harm in saying these words… "I struggle"  Followed by… "I struggle with ______________." I won’t pretend that I have all of the answers because I don’t. However, I do have faith in our collective intent and based on the responses that filled my "mentions" last night, I believe that others are ready to truthfully deal with the "chat truth" as well. As a moderator, I have an idea of where we can start and it begins with holding ourselves accountable for crafting better questions…no different than we expect in a classroom. Don’t craft questions that can be answered with a simple, yes or no. Instead, craft questions that challenge the person on the other end to think deeper and reflect. In essence, your questions should in fact lead to more questions. As a chat participant, please stop feeling the need to answer with the perfect response. If you have more questions, ask them! It’s okay and you need to know that not every response fits in a perfect A1, A2, A3 format.  Sometimes there aren’t straight answers but more questions. For me, chatting isn’t about posting the most amazing "re-tweetable" response but about leaving the conversation with deeper understanding of a topic, myself or my actions. I cannot speak for my school or district as a whole and I shouldn’t. I can only speak about my role and my own growth. I can talk freely about my successes and struggles without fear of the opinions of others because at the end of the day, the reflection on the other side of the mirror is my own. It’s about time that we face our truths and handle it.

Today, I found myself pondering over my approach to professional development. As our department prepared to lead sessions, we were asked to consider what we could do with our sessions to make them more engaging, learner centered and aligned with the ISTE standards. In other words, we needed to look at our instructional plan for teachers from a similar lens that teachers would look for students…which makes perfect sense. I’ve always considered myself a pretty "non-standard" trainer, making sure to incorporate active learning experiences into my sessions. However, today I had to take a hard look at my own practice and decide if my "active" was in fact truly "active". In other words, is it enough that teachers create and develop during PD or should they be doing more? According to the ISTE Standards for coaching, one of the goals of the technology professional developer should be to… Coach teachers in and model design and implementation of technology-enhanced learning experiences using differentiation, including adjusting content, process, product, and learning environment based upon student readiness levels, learning styles, interests, and personal goals We must model effective use of technology while also modeling how we make adjustments to meet the needs of learners through tech enhanced experiences and differentiation. The more that we model best practices, the easier that it becomes for teachers to garner a better understanding of how technology can work to enhance learning in their classrooms. What does this mean? For starters, the idea of "choice" is often one that is thrown around conversations as if it is simple to understand. Choice goes well beyond a question of, "should I do the work" or "shouldn’t I". Choice speaks greatly to the idea of "how". For example, instead of teaching an "active" session in which I lead and guide the entire class from beginning to end, I should be constructing learner driven units where the entry and exit of learning is guided by the learner. Think of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books that you may have read in school and it all makes sense. We have to take into account what teachers already know. It’s a waste of their time sitting through "intro" that they do not need when they could be evaluating their knowledge levels, considering the application in their classrooms and making decisions about what they want and need to get out of a session. I like to refer back to the ISTE Standards for Coaching on this one… Coach teachers in and model design and implementation of technology-enhanced learning experiences emphasizing creativity, higher-order thinking skills and processes, and mental habits of mind, (e.g., critical thinking, meta-cognition, and self-regulation) Now, before going back to our standard…"teachers do not know what they do not know", let’s consider how we can make this happen. Start the session with your minimal expectations. If learning a platform, briefly share the greatness of what it can help learners do and then have teachers develop their own criteria for understanding. Tasks cards are awesome and structuring the self-evaluation part in the form of tasks are a great gauge of learning for teachers. In other words, it’s not just a matter of can I use it, but can I apply it. (critical) Determine a series of "starts" based on teacher application of #3…but make these a teacher choice as well. Incorporate collaboration with training and/or global peers. Design so that teachers leave with a "ready to implement" created model of their own. Your role is that of a facilitator. You are the support. Don’t coddle…guide. As with any development, all of the above largely depends on the goals of the session and that of the teachers. The bottom line is that if we want to see transformation in the classroom, we must be ready to transform within our own role as staff developers. We can’t expect different if we aren’t willing to model it.  

In the last week, I’ve watched my nephew switch between molding clay figures, designing minecraft worlds and developing a new puppet. Creativity, or "making",  is a part of who he is. He just loves "doing" and we are fortunate enough to experience the worlds that he creates. I’ve watched him as he uses his ipad to search for ideas, save parts of each idea and develop his own piece. Even when the idea seems "unimaginable", it’s never out of his reach. He finds a way. Earlier this week, Braeden decided that he was going to make a "pirate goblin". With clay, styrofoam, paint and a little research, the "pirate goblin" became a reality. You can view the process in the Haiku Deck Below. You can also click here  for the pdf version with his notes. Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app for iPad Engineering and Clay Pieces Through research, Braeden has seen that not all clay figures are stationary. He has created a technique to make his objects movable. Using toothpicks and wiring, the heads move. The arms move and sometimes the legs are bendable as well. He created a vine video to illustrate. The kid is learning design and engineering and has no idea. Engineering and Puppet Parts Friday, Braeden had a day off from school and in lieu of doing nothing all day, he decided to learn. While researching "puppet mechanics", he came across a video which led to another video which led to yet another video teaching him how to make movable eyelids on his puppet. So, using two ping pong balls and parts from a coat hanger, he created a mechanism that will allow him to attach fabric pieces to form eyelids that open and close for his puppet. By the way, the new puppet character, a fuzzy monster, will be done soon and will join the likes of Lenny the Lizard in front of the camera soon.   Fostering Creativity: What I Learned A while back ago, Braeden talked about his principal’s opinion that kids could not learn through art. I’ve watched this child transition from the "physical and mental disruption" that school is to being a disruptor of such an antiquated idea through his passion for creating. He didn’t need to be in a specific "engineering or design" course to become an engineer but those are the skills that he is developing. Many of my Facebook friends, mostly classmates, that have seen Braeden’s journey often ask me how to help their kids enjoy learning like Braeden does. I have to say that it’s not that Braeden enjoys all "learning". He enjoys the learning that he owns. He enjoys the learning that stems from his own curiosities. He enjoys the learning that is authentic to him. I won’t say that Braeden does not learn in school. He most certainly does and it shows in what he comes home to create. He doesn’t enjoy it though. He complies. However, when the "required work" is done, the curiosity begins. The ipad comes out and we get to witness excitement for learning through the eyes of a 9 year old. The world is his genius hour. We’re just participants.

Typically, I download apps and they live within my ipad in a bit of an "app graveyard" until I find a purpose. I will say that I was intrigued by StoreHouse from the start. Storehouse enables users to share media files from their camera roll, instagram, dropbox and flickr into a web page where they can then add text to form digital stories. Published pages can then be shared via twitter, facebook or by email. Technically, the interface itself is friendly enough for a younger crowd but the 12+ rating satisfies its terms of service. I’ve shown it to a few high school students and they actually loved the sleekness of the app itself. You can view my created Storehouse HERE or scroll below! How it Works: Users are prompted to select images or videos from their ipad camera roll. In addition, users can import from their dropbox, flickr or instagram accounts. Once the media is imported, users can resize to adjust the layout, change the header and add text to highlight specific parts. The completed project is a web page that can then be shared via a link to twitter, facebook and email. At this point, users are only searchable and followable through the app. However, once in app users can follow other users and find other stories which explains the 12+ rating. What I Like About StoreHouse 1. Minimal design tools keep the focus on the content although I will admit that a few more text options would be nice. 2. The "modern" feel and interactive features make it a fun piece for students to use to create 3. Publishing to share to a global audience via twitter is simple as a touch and so is sharing via email which satisfies the "turn it in" problem for schools that block access to social media. What I would like to see… 1. Google drive integration! Come on, really??? Why would you NOT include that from the jump? 2. I would like to be able to designate "sound off/on" while in design mode. I like the idea of mixing movable media but the sound can be annoying. 3. An iframe embed wouldn’t hurt or even publishing to pinterest. (I embedded my own iframe but the average user may not know how to do this!) 4. Search the database via hashtags of flickr and retain licensing. EDU Uses 1. Create and publish a digital portfolio incorporating all of those amazing articles saved to the camera roll as well as across social platforms! (Thanks to Tina Zita for the reminder!) 2. Explain ideas through digitally created items as well as text 3. Create a "game day" page and share the results of the big game! 4. Create a media board for prom. (My niece LOVES this for this purpose alone!) 5. Create a unit overview showcasing socially shared media along with key thoughts using the text feature 6. Tell any story Below is a video that I created with a brief overview

One of the best pieces of advice that I have ever been given as a classroom teacher was to leave the pen/pencil on my desk when helping students. I used to be "that" teacher…the one who would work the problem out for kids, while oddly thinking that somehow I was helping them. I was not helping them at all. As a matter of fact, I’ll even admit to engaging in such practice because it helped me to get to the next kid faster. When we do the work that our students should be doing, we are benefitting no one but ourselves. I would even go on to categorize this terrible practice as an "adult decision" in lieu of a "student decision". Any time that we engage in practices that are self-serving, we have to take a hard look at the realities of who we should be serving instead. Leaving the pencil out of the equation opened doors for me to push my students to dig deeper in the learning and find their own way. I was no longer in control and they needed that desperately. When students gain control and responsibility of interpreting information, they are well on their way to owning their learning, which should be the ultimate goal in every classroom. The Trainer Hat As a teacher trainer, I am often thinking about ways to improve and methods to use to help teachers take ownership of their own instructional design. How many times have we defined tasks for them? How many times have we provided the means to the end…the application? How many times have we walked them through each step because "that’s how they learn best"? Standing at the front of a room to walk teachers through every single step is a matter of control. It’s not what is best for teachers. It’s what is more convenient for the trainer. I would not do this in my classroom. Why would I do this in a classroom where I should be modeling best practices? For me, the right way to conduct training is no different than the best way to work with students. We have to ask more questions, tell less information and place the questions of mastery on the teachers. In other words, plan to be less structured and more flexible. That Moment When You Remember What Teaching is About This particular reflection did not pop into my head from thin air. It was born, like many of my thoughts, from playing with my nephew. He worked all weekend creating his new puppet and I watched as he planned, changed his plans, sewed, un-sewed and finally settled on his finished product. Every mistake that he made led to a new discovery. I watched and said nothing…choosing to observe and learn instead. I found myself wondering what would happen if someone interjected and told him what to do at each step. Would he work with the same level of intensity or care? How would it benefit him if I took the needle and thread from him to complete the sewing? What if I corrected his patterns for size? Would he remember to think about "child size puppets" and "adult size" puppets"? I watched and smiled because in this moment I was taken aback to what learning is about. The lesson is this… I leave the pencil on my desk because I want my students to wonder, question and think of their own way. I want students to make their mistakes and work themselves from them. The moment that we relinquish control is the moment that students can begin being autonomous learners. This also applies to adults.

Today, we all go back to our schools and into our respective buildings and classrooms. The service and celebration of Dr. King is well in our rear view mirrors.  The parades are done. The costumes are put away and the paths to community service are already showing signs of diminishing numbers. Today is just another ordinary day. Yet, today can be a day that leads to extraordinary if we so choose. In my "spare" time, I get to speak to teens about their educational journeys. We talk about their perceptions of the way that the world works and how they can make their mark. All of these students are young black children who feel alienated in their own school environments. No one sees them for who they can potentially be. Instead, they are seen and judged based on how others view them now. They are children of poverty from difficult backgrounds. They have gaps in learning and even more in social skills. At the same token, if one were to actually invest in learning who these children were…they would see that they are amazingly brilliant perceptive thinkers…who just want a chance to be great. They want to be seen in a world that refuses to see them. As we talked about Dr. King’s legacy yesterday, I was reminded about the importance of kids seeing representations of themselves in multiple forms. These kids go to school and are taught by people who have zero grasp of their background. They go home, in some cases, to more chaos than imaginable. There is no outlet…no chance…no view beyond what IS. Their normal is not a celebration of Dr. King’s legacy. Their normal is the exact opposite of that. Today, I challenge you to take King’s legacy of love and understanding into your classrooms. Find ways to help each child, even the most difficult, find their paths to understanding and growth. You may not have the direct connection to a child’s background but by seeing them for who they can potentially be and believing in them enough to get there…you can make an impact on them in ways unforeseen. It was Dr. Rita Pierson who said that every kid needs a champion. Focus on the word, EVERY. They all deserve someone who will love them unconditionally. Love them enough to reach, support, challenge, praise and do all of those things even when they fight the process themselves and they will. Every child can be reached in some way, shape or form. Our goals must be to find the path to reach them even in spite of them. Only then can they be truly "seen" for who they are and can potentially be.    

I knew that I would one day visit SLA long before I knew what Educon was about. I sat in my office last year watching the Whitehouse Google Hangout in awe of those students and their passion for learning. SLA, for me, represented something that I have I’ve never witnessed… idea that an entire school could be truly transformational regardless of race, gender or economic background. I remember watching and thinking…. 1. I want to go to there. 2. I wanted my son to go there. 3. We need schools like this in TX I grabbed my principal and made him watch with me, I tweeted and connected with Diana Laufenberg who shared links to the projects that students published. Again, I grabbed my principal and made him look. I called my mother and made her watch! It’s normal for me to be this excited about cool technology but this was different. I was inspired and motivated by the opportunities to experiences and passion for learning that those students had. It was and is breathtakingly beautiful. When I heard about Educon and all that it entails, I was equally excited to partake in such meaningful conversation. I was excited to connect with so many more forward thinking educators that I’ve come to know through their writing. I have to admit that the reason that I proudly funded my own trip, heading through apparently 15 inches of snow…is because of the SLA experience. The actual Educon sessions are simply a nice bonus.

Yesterday, while walking the halls of SLA during their lunch period, it was refreshing to see kids in pretty much every space of the building…their space. Seeing kids have the free range to be themselves in every sense of the word was a reminder of how the rest of us manage to get this small piece all wrong. In my former high school, headphones on heads would have been taken up. Cell phones in the classroom would have been confiscated. Screens not in view of the teacher would have been frowned upon. Kids reading in a windowsill or sitting in an un-monitored corner would have never been approved. As I spoke to the amazing students and parents present at SLA, I asked the question…"Why SLA?" Every single one mentioned that SLA was a place that they felt they could be themselves. How many of our kids feel the opposite of that? School should be the place where kids begin to explore who they are in the world and what they can contribute. How can that happen when we typically spend the majority of the time telling kids who THEY are and who they should become? I know that SLA is its own entity and what works at SLA may not work in every space. However, we have to explore this idea of allowing kids to be themselves…to figure it out…to have choice. We have to explore the idea of kids taking ownership of their school spaces…their learning…themselves. One small change could make the greatest difference.