As someone who is new to the role of planning an entire school district’s professional development plan, let me first start by saying that this is not as simple of a task as it sounds. It is a huge responsibility…one that cannot be orchestrated on a whim. Think of it like being a kid with the key to the candy store…only it’s not about you eating the candy but about everyone else. It’s not a free for all, but then again it can be. A few months ago, I was handed feedback from within our district. For the most part, our teachers WANTED sustaining professional learning with choice…lots of choice. Experience reminds me that there also must be guidelines…and not because one person may learn more than they should but because whether we choose to admit it or not, there are those who will attempt less than they should. The real trick here is to make those guidelines based on empowerment and not compliance. That’s where the magic happens, right? As a former classroom teacher, I take this part of my role with exceptional care as this is the ONE thing that can build or destroy a culture of growth. I’ve been a teacher forced to choose from an extremely select menu of "PD"…one without room to choose my own adventure. It was horrible. I’ve also been one leading PD full of teachers who were there "just to get those hours in". In many cases, those sessions still worked out because teachers walked away with something and wanted to learn more, even though they were there purely out of compliance. There were also those that could have been given magical golden nuggets during those sessions and it would not have made a difference at all. Compliance does that. While I am charged with leading instructional technology too, our plan must offer much more than tech sessions as our classrooms are much more than technology. My job is to create a plan that in essence supports the learning of "the whole teacher". This thinking is critical. I started with talking to a few of my personal friends and mentors in the world of professional growth. All of them immediately offered me the skin from their bodies, with no hesitation. I gladly obliged. Dear teachers of twitter, it is not as simple as saying "get on twitter and learn everything". It may inspire that action, but a great plan must be more than that. We have to be mindful of this when communicating this message. I bookmarked some great pieces… Ben Wilkoff‘s two Edsurge articles (Thanks for the phone call btw Ben!) Building the Basics of Personalized Learning (Part 1) Building the Basics of Personalized Learning (Part 2) Others The Future Ready District: Professional Learning Through Online Communities of Practice Capture, Curate Share: Building a Personalized PD Culture How Districts Get Personal: Retooling Professional Development PD Is Not a 4-Letter Word: My Ignite From #ISTE14 Also…Everything that I have ever learned from Diana Laufenberg and Chris Lehmann. (Personal anecdotes void of links) The Questions… Qualitative and Quantitative thoughts… What are our district needs? Where do our teachers need to be? Where do our teachers want to be? What do our students need? How will we evaluate effectiveness? Percentage of compliance? Percentage of empowerment? Percentage of passion? (Shouldn’t this just be 100%?) At the end of the day, our plan must be fueled by one fundamental thing…Learning. The key is in remembering who owns it.   Stay tuned!

While places like New Jersey, who the New York Daily News recently reported, have passed a bill requiring schools to teach acceptable use of social media, cyber safety, cyber security, ethics, and cyberbullying, the NYC Department of Education goes even further. As evidenced in their newly released student social media guidelines, they recognize the importance of social media beyond just using social media responsibly. They understand that students can embrace social media for social good, as a way to celebrate our stories, as a tool to create a positive online identity leading to college and career success, and as a way to build powerful learning networks.  What makes these guidelines even more unique is that they were not only created for students, but also with students across New York City. Teachers and parents contributed as well. As DNAinfo recently shared, Jane Pook, the DOE’s executive director for digital communication policy and strategy explained, "It was the students who wanted this." This has not only been good for NYC DOE students and staff, but it's also been a relief to the Department's legal office as reported in DNAinfo.  I want more »

Last week NBC news announced that some Colorado school districts are creating tougher social media policies for staff in hopes of preventing inappropriate relationships with students. While banning staff from connecting with students is certainly the easy way out, doing so not only fails to prevent inappropriate relationships, but it also fails to prepare students for success in the 21st century.  The problem with such policies is that they are based on the premise that social media causes inappropriate behavior. The reality is that social media doesn't cause inappropriate behavior. It catches it. Policies like this don't address the real concerns a district may have about inappropriate behavior. It just drives it underground while also criminalizing teachers. I want more »

While it is no longer unusual for teachers to embrace and understand the value of personal learning networks, few are supporting their students in doing the same. I went on a search for educators involved in this work as part of a chapter I am writing for a book on the topic of student liberation being released by Steve Hargadon later this year,  In the below Q&A you will get a look at the insights from one of these educators.  As you read what this teacher is doing consider how you might integrate such practices into your work.  If you are already doing this, please share what you are doing in the comments. I want more »

Join me this evening at 4pm Eastern Time and hear me discuss why social media is an essential tool for K-12 classrooms.While there are some educators who feel the best advice when it comes to social media is to stay away, I disagree. In fact, I tell teachers that if they’re not preparing students to use social media effectively, they're not doing their job. Why?Because, the role of today’s educator is to prepare students to thrive in the world in which they live. In today’s world, if you want to run a business, run for office, or change the way things are run where you live, play, or work, you must be savvy in the use of social media. If we do not ensure our kids are equipped to do so responsibly and effectively, we are robbing them of the real and relevant education they deserve. In tonight’s webinar, I share how educators are using social media such as Facebook and Twitter both as powerful tools for professional development as well as how to use them as a vehicle for student learning. I’ll share how one teacher uses Facebook with first graders to strengthen the home school connection, and how another uses Twitter with second graders to increase tourism in their community. You’ll also discover how schools are using social media to share the stories of their classroom with the world and even use it as tool to increase enrollment.  I hope you’ll join me today to get some great ideas on how to use social media for teaching and learning in your school or district.Details: Topic: Social Media: An Essential Tool for K-12 Classrooms When: Wednesday, January 29, 2014- 4pm / Eastern TimeCommunity URL: www.edweb.net/digitalcitizenshipWebinar Room: www.instantpresenter.com/edwebnet16Registration Link: www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EC57DE80854CThe webinar will be recorded and archived in the community after the event.

Thank you to the 300+ folks from around the world who joined me for the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship webinar on EdWeb. In case you missed it, the webinar was called "Social Media: An Essential Tool for Today’s Classroom." You can view the webinar here http://www.instantpresenter.com/edwebnet/EA59D688824C.In the webinar, I shared case studies of amazing students, parents, and teachers. Below are the people behind the stories I mentioned, how to learn more and a way to reach each of them via social media. Courtney Woods - 2nd grade teacher who connected her students to the world with TwitterTwitter:  https://twitter.com/CourtneyM_WoodsLearn more: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-on-earth-would-2nd-graders-use.htmlZak Malamed - Founder of Student Voice: Using social media to give students a voiceTwitter:  https://twitter.com/zakmalLearn more: http://stuvoice.org/ Sara Cottone - Strengthening the home-school connection with social mediaFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sara.c.cottoneLearn more: https://www.facebook.com/pages/PS-46-Parent-Coordinator/100570000004967Chris Casal - Celebrating school success with social mediaTwitter: https://twitter.com/mr_casal Learn more: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/07/8-real-ways-facebook-enriched-ms.html#uds-search-resultsArmond McFadden - Student with a powerful learning networkFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/armond.mcfaddenLearn more:  http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/11/differentiating-instruction-is-not-hard.htmlMatt Brown - Principal who uses social media to catch teachers & students being awesomeTwitter:  https://twitter.com/PrincipalBrownLearn more:  http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/11/six-ideas-for-administrators-who-want.htmlErin Shoening - Uses Facebook with first gradersFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/erin.smithschoeningLearn more: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/07/8-real-ways-facebook-enriched-ms.htmlResources MentionedTwitter Fast Follow: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2013/05/3-ways-to-use-twitter-fast-follow-to.htmlNYC social media guidelines and AUSP from the NYC DOE: http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/SocialMedia/default.htmUsing Twitter for teaching and learning : http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/search/label/Twitter%20in%20EducationUsing Twitter and Google Docs:http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/10/pln-powers-activate-tech-teacher-taps.htmlPosts on assistive technology / special needs: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2011/07/free-assistive-technology-tools-to-make.htmlhttp://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2013/08/fab-five-for-educators-of-visually.htmlhttp://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2012/01/3-ways-to-use-cell-phones-with-special.htmlStay connected with me:My books:  http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/p/my-book.htmlMy blog: InnovativeEducator.com Twitter:  https://twitter.com/InnovativeEduMy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheInnovativeEducator

Crossposted at SmartblogsDistricts across the nation are determining teacher effectiveness in part using a rubric created by Charlotte Danielson. The rubric contains four domains and 22 components. You can download the full evaluation instrument here. The framework below outlines exactly what administrators will look for when evaluating teacher practice.With four domains and 22 components, teachers might want to come up with a way to beautifully showcase and celebrate the work they are doing.  To do that teachers must be familiar with what they are being asked to showcase. Teachers are responsible for demonstrating effectiveness through evidence and artifacts. In places like New York City, up to eight artifacts may be used to demonstrate effectiveness. They can only be used in domains one and four. Teachers should keep in mind however, that one artifact may demonstrate effectiveness in multiple components.  For example, if you have a class Facebook page that you use to interact with students and their families, that Facebook page can serve as an artifact for both 4c - Communicating with Families as well as 1b - Demonstrating Knowledge of Students. This means, that should a teacher choose, they can use eight artifacts to demonstrate 12 components. For domains two and three teachers must provide evidence of effectiveness. This evidence is generally collected during formal or informal classroom observations.  Teachers also have the option to choose to videotape a lesson for their formal evaluation to provide evidence. It might be helpful for teachers to document, and have readily accessible, examples indicating how they are effectively engaging in each component.Here are some ideas for showcasing and celebrating work using the Danielson Framework.  I want more »

With or without the guidance and support of educators and parents, students across the globe are developing and building their personal learning networks. Knowing how to do so effectively is a key to successful learning independence. Below you will hear from Courtney Gressman. A young lady in the midst of building a learning network to help open the eyes of educators to students feelings about school and learning.  Read on to discover how this has impacted her as well as how both her teacher and mother supported this work. I want more »

Social media is a valuable tool when used appropriately and with common sense.I pointed this out last week when I conducted a webinar where I explained why social media is an essential tool for K-12 classrooms. This week, eSchool News has taken the highlights of that webinar and turned it into an article that shares my advice for successful classroom social media use. In the article eSchool News shares my overview of what social media is, what you should not do, the new rules of social media, recent studies, and more. Hop on over to http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/02/04/successful-social-media-835 to read more or check out the webinar and resources at http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2014/01/resources-stories-and-connections-with.html. When you do, tell me what you think. Did you like what I had to share?  What was helpful to your practice? What would you add? Was there something I missed?  

Districts across the nation are asking teachers to provide artifacts and evidence of effectiveness aligned to the four domains of the Charlotte Danielson framework. (You can download the full evaluation instrument here.) This model provides an incredible opportunity to do something that is rare in the teaching profession. It provides an opportunity for teachers to release the great work they are doing from the classroom and share it with the world. It also provides a common language and method for looking at and sharing the work we do.  Innovative educators take great pride in their work and they are determining ways to showcase this work using digital portfolios. Some are creating websites, others blogs or wikis, and some are using resources such as eduClipper. These digital portfolios enable educators to share their work, not only with the administrators evaluating them, but also with parents, students, peers, and anyone else who might be interested in what goes on in schools everyday. Here are the five steps you'll need to get started.I want more »