I'm Not a Techie

Technology Cow via http://goo.gl/XR2MYi

In 1976 I went to the University of South Carolina to be a dual Math and Computer Science major. I got my math degree but gave up on computers after spending hours at the card punch machine at late hours on the university's one computer (that also had to do research and university business).

In 1985 to 1987 I attended the Naval Postgraduate School where I majored in Weapons Systems Engineering. I got a masters in engineering and the equivalent of a bachelors in physics while studying robotics. I worked on an IBM AT and an IBM XT for the robot work and I had a computer built to my specs for home where I could connect to the school's mainframe.

In 1992 I finished my masters in education and I co-taught a computers in the classroom course at Old Dominion University. We used the Apple IIE and I got to see teachers experience the world wide web (and accidentally find porn sites).

In 2008 I started work at Manor New Technology HS and the first question I was asked was whether I was a Mac or a PC person. I had never had a Mac but I knew the correct answer - give me a Mac! A couple of years later we added iPads to our repertoire.

During the years 2008 to present I actively reached out to like-minded teachers who were on Twitter, used Macs and iPads, and were discussing the future of education. So many of my first Twitter friends have become, what I like to call, Twitter Gods! They go to all of the cool conferences, hang out with all of the coolest people, and write books and have well-followed blogs. And many (most?) of them are techies. But not me.

That's right. I'm not a techie. I appreciate technology. I use technology to help me work more efficiently. I love discussing the latest apps, the latest websites, or a great blog post. But I'm not a techie. I still want to be where all of the "cool kids" are like SXSW, ISTE, or Ipadpalooza. But you know what? I can't afford to go to these conferences and I'm not in technology at a school district so I can't expect anyone to help me financially. Because I'm not a techie.

What I am is an education nerd. I love talking about curriculum and pedagogy. I love finding ways to help kids enjoy learning. I try new things in the classroom and want teachers to be better because our kids deserve the best teachers they can have. And if that means a cool app that improves inquiry and helps a student go deeper with their learning, then I'm all on board. But if a teacher has the latest bells and whistles tool, but can't reach the kids, then I don't want to hear about it.

Too many education conferences are focusing on those "precious" things called technology. Teachers by the hundreds are attending these and hanging out on the vendor floor with stars in their eyes. But what about learning about becoming a better teacher! What about finding ways to get students more involved with the content?

I just finished 3 weeks where I spent 11 of the 15 work days in front of teachers wanting to learn about PBL. They designed projects built on their content standards. And they designed these projects to help students make connections to the learning. Not once did I suggest an app, some software, or any hardware. Because I'm not a techie.

What I did do was help them understand how to turn the verbs written into their standards into some real-world, authentic, activity or problem. If, through examining this authentic problem their students might need some sort of technology we'd discuss that but technology was never at the center of the discussion. Because these were teachers - not techies.

It is 2015. It is time to FINALLY get to the point where we were at Manor New Tech 7 years ago - technology is the invisible tool. It is a tool. That is all. A tool. Like a pencil or pen. Like a chalk board, a white board, or a SMART board. A tool. We need to be tool masters not techies. What tool do we need to use to successfully complete this task? Whatever tool works best.

Can we finally stop sucking on the technology teat at education conferences? Probably not. But can we please get principals to the point where they see technology as just a tool? Then, and only then, will we be able to push teachers away from their "precious."

We just might get back to where we were in 1976 when I graduated from high school - we used the best tools that we had available. It just happened to be that it was a stick of chalk and a chalk board - although some of the rich kids could afford a Smith Corona electric typewriter - now THAT was cool!

Post NTAC 13 Reflection

The New Tech Network Annual Conference (NTAC) is where I come to recharge my battery, eat a few brains, and fill my sea bag. And everyone looks like these folks to the left:

When Day One arrives, each year, I am allowed to take a much-needed break from the hectic pace of teacher trainings and conferences. Places where I find myself on both sides of the dais. 

It feels like I’m heading home to my brothers and sisters who have adopted me over the years. There are hugs, handshakes, and smiles everywhere. It is truly a perfect setting to refresh and recharge.

And some (many? most?) of these people, who I am hugging and shaking hands with, are incredibly SMART! Oh-my-god type smart. So I get to spend a couple of days immersing myself in their knowledge and eating their brains. Yum! There will be so much knowledge flowing that I will be drunk with the stuff and my head will throb from my failed data relief valve. (It’s NOLA, I had to use the food and drink visual.)

Much of what I hear and learn will be in the form of ideas for my own teaching practice, practices that I will be sharing with my teachers, and practices that I will suggest be included in our district professional development. I barely have room for the myriad concepts I find myself stuffing into my professional sea bag. But I will persevere. And come July 2014, I’ll be back to plug in once more.

The Ninth Essential Element of PBL

BIE.org

I am about to work in my last co-facilitation with the Buck Institute for Education (BIE.org) doing what they call a PBL 101. A basic, 3-day, course in the planning, managing and assessing of a PBL project.

Within a project most people can agree that there are certain items that make it successful and BIE has narrowed the list down to 8 items that they call the 8 Essential Elements of PBL (see the diagram to the left).

Anyone who has truly done PBL knows that there must some sort of significant content, there must have been a way to establish a desire for inquiry (in this case by having a driving question and by overtly discussing what it is the students will need to know), and there must be a public audience so students feel an added desire to do their best.

Through group work, research, and the inquiry process students end up having to do, what most people call, 21st century skills.  These skills include, but are not limited to, collaboration, critical thinking, communication (orally and in writing), and creativity. Finally, there must be a chance for students to have their work assessed. At that point, they must be allowed to revise their work and reflect on their assessment. This ensures the final product is something the students are proud of and the product demonstrates the knowledge that the students have gained during the project.

As I said, most people can agree that these 8 elements are key components of a classroom or school that uses PBL as the primary mode of instruction. But these elements are not as connected as the diagram might suggest. The glue that holds these 8 elements together is the classroom, school, or even district culture. Culture is the 9th Essential Element. Without a proper culture students might not be allowed to have voice and choice in the products they work on. Without a proper culture students might not be willing to do revisions of their work or they may not feel a need to reflect on their learning.

Even the 21st century skills can be restricted when there is not a culture of collaboration; students aren't encouraged to think critically; student communication is not allowed or shown as unimportant; or when students have no outlet to show their creative side. Each of these issues with students comes directly from the way teachers and administrators interact.  If the teachers don't collaborate, communicate, or get a chance to try creative things in the classroom then there is a shadow upon the entire school culture that can't be ignored.

So, teachers, as you finish your PBL 101,  your New Teacher training with the New Tech Network, or some other PBL training this summer, remember to work hard and stay positive. You can do this. But get your fellow teachers and administrators involved in what you are doing. Get the PTA or other parent organization involved too. It is time to work on the entire educational system so that you and, more importantly, your students can be successful pursuers of inquiry.

A Chance of a Lifetime

Student Photo MNTHS

The fact I got to see President Obama was not a given. I'm not teaching at Manor New Tech (MNTHS) any more. Yes, I do a lot with PBL in our district but the fact is I am not a teacher at the school being visited by the President.  But Steve Zipkes, the MNTHS Principal, told me his goal was to have all of the former teachers at the campus when Mr. Obama was there.

Finally, Tuesday night, I received an email from the White House advance team representative that I would be part of a group of "Volunteers" and I would have a meeting on Wednesday to get more information.

Wednesday afternoon there were about a dozen of us from around the district who were given assignments for the big day. At the beginning of that meeting we were told the layout and we knew that some of us might end up in the cafeteria where there would be a live stream of the speech. Again, I knew that I might just be there and not get to see the man in person. But I was asked to be at the entrance making sure students, staff, and guests entered in an orderly fashion. And I was told "when they close up you can go into the gymnasium for the speech." 

As it turned out things went incredibly smooth and about an hour before the arrival we had closed up and I was inside tweeting and talking with many of our guests. Being "in the loop" I knew when the motorcade had arrived and that he had entered the main part of the building to see the student presentations. He was free to spend as much time as he needed so when he hadn't arrived in about 20 minutes I knew the students were getting maximum time with their President.

During the waiting time I started getting tweets and texts from friends around the country who were watching the live White House feed, online.  They could see me and all of my actions so we started having some fun with strategic hand gestures and comments about the brightness of my bald spot.  Then a really cool thing happened.

They had anticipated almost 200 press for the event and there was plenty of room in the gym for that number of people. The advance team wanted it to look full and so they invited the entire student body to come in and see the speech live.  It was a little cozy but as the advance team had said, "we need it to be crowded with lots of happy cheering people."

Before the President came into the gym, he was introduced by a senior at MNTHS, Tevyn Washington.  Tevyn was one of my favorite students and his introduction was well thought out and moving. Listening to his speech caused tears to well up in my eyes for the 2nd time that day.

The president's speech started out, as was expected, very presidential but he quickly got to talking about what he had seen during his tour of the school and he included the sound bytes that had been provided for him. It was a pretty emotional time for those of us who had been at the school for a while. His entire speech can be found here. I thought I could keep it together, but he still managed to get me teared up a couple of times.

Thanks to the military I've been in the presence of Presidents,Vice Presidents, Secretaries of State and Secretaries of Defense. But once I had left service I really didn't picture being able to see the President. Especially in a small town in central Texas.

Mr. Obama spoke the truth yesterday. He didn't embellish his remarks and his speech writer didn't make up statistics.  We are doing good things in this district. We feel that we have such a long road to go to get where we want to be. We see the blemishes. We know where we are lacking. But for one day a school district and a town could stand together and beam with pride as the whole nation recognized the efforts of some of their own. It was a day none of us will ever forget.

Starting PBL at Decker Middle School

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This year all of our 6th grade (core) teachers will be teaching with PBL and will be under the New Technology Network (NTN) umbrella.  In addition to teaching with PBL, the teachers will be grading with Learning Outcomes based upon "21st Century Skills."  The learning outcomes they will be using are Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, Work Ethic, and Digital Citizenship.

To meet these expectation we had to recruit a group of teachers who were willing to take chances and get messy (as Ms. Frizzle would say).  Each of our teachers came from our district and over half of them came from our school.  But whenever you are introducing something as different as this you have to have buy-in from the teachers and that means everyone had to be willing to commit to the change.

As of this point there are two teams of teachers for nearly 270 students.  These 8 teachers are not only about to start teaching all of their classes with PBL but these teachers are committed to planning what the culture of this school will become and what steps we will take to become a New Tech school.

Some might say that having teachers teaching with PBL is all it takes for you to be a New Tech school.  But there is much more than that simple step.  The real key is building a school with a culture of Trust, Respect, and Responsibility(TRR).  Decker Middle School (DMS) has established itself as a school that is improving and a school that has set in place a sense of structure and discipline.  To try and create the TRR piece without this in place would be much more difficult with our demographics.  Our teachers must learn to set boundaries and then trust that the students will operate "freely" within these boundaries.

Giving more freedom to students can be a HUGE issue for some teachers.  If you have ever taught in a school where there are discipline and consistency issues then you know that it is really nice to have a structured, scheduled, consistent plan for discipline.  And some teachers worry that giving the students more freedom could lead to anarchy.  And the first step towards this anarchy (in their eyes) is working in groups.  We had to come to an agreement of what we could all agree upon as a schedule for successfully shifting to PBL.

Our list of "non-negotiables" had to include the fact that we would want at least one project during the first nine-weeks grading period.  Again, if you haven't taught with PBL, this may seem like a small requirement.  But we have the words "at least" in there.  A couple of our teachers will have their students in groups from day one and will end up with more than one PBL unit during this period.  But those who need to establish their classroom rules and regulations have the opportunity to slowly shift from rules and regulations for students in rows, to the same basic rules and regulations with students in collaborative groups.

Two weeks to go and our teachers have been working as a team.  They have agreed upon norms that we will follow when meeting.  They have created our learning outcomes and the weighting that goes with them for grading.  They have agreed to have a grade-level "project" during the first five days that will cover classroom rules and expectations as well as how to function in a group.  They have agreed to create one full-blown project from Entry Event to Presentation during the first 9-weeks grading period.

I look forward to writing on this blog about their trials and their successes as they go through the year.  I have ideas for them to try and I offer a shoulder to cry on if they fail.   We will be successful because we are already a team.

New Tech Conference Grand Rapids 2012: A Survival Guide

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     As we get ready to attend the annual New Tech Conference in Grand Rapids (NTAC 2012).   Here are some tips to get ready for the conference and some of my favorite things to do in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

     This is an update to my New Tech Conference Planning Guide (NTAC 2011)  including some thoughts from this year.  One thing to know is that although THAT Guide covers everything you can think of, the link in that post takes you to last year's sessions!  For this year's draft of the 2012 sessions click on this link.

     As I get ready I am wearing a new hat:  Instructional Coach for Decker Middle School in Manor Tx.  I'll be bringing 8 teachers who are new to New Tech and new to Grand Rapids.  And so I have created a Wall Wisher for them to let me (and the others) know what sessions they will attend and their one take away.  In addition to that I have a room set aside to meet each day to discuss what they saw and how we might include that in our school as we bring in on line.

     I have also selected some sessions that I think they shouldn't miss.  For example the math teachers need to attend anything with the idea of Problem Based Instruction (PrBL) and anything with Geoff Krall's name on it.  And, since our district is trying to improve literacy, anything with Alix Horton's name or the word literacy in the title is a must.  And finally, because he is always insightful,  anything with Kevin Gant's name on it is a must.  I made sure I included many more of my "must see" facilitators in my recommended sessions list but you can't go wrong with those three names.

     Please take time to read my post from last year (in the second paragraph and here) and, if nothing else, you must watch this video (with nearly 5 million views).  It was shot all around the conference center and it's just fun!

     I hope we get a chance to talk during the conference and make sure you do what we do as New Techies:  Work Hard, Learn Hard, Play Hard.

You Want Me To Do What? Creating School Culture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelkeen/

     Last week I sat down and took a serious look at what I need to do between now and the first day of school and I had to pause and shake my head (while saying "holy crap!")  It was one of those days.

     So, this transition thing - how hard can it be?  To answer that I took a look at an 8 day training plan I am putting together for the 6th grade teachers as they change from being regular classroom teachers to PBL teachers in our New Tech school.

     I decided that they needed to find out what it means to wear the label of New Tech (NT).  Anyone can become a teacher using PBL in their classroom.  There are 100's (1000's ?) of teachers in the United States who are trying out PBL or have been using PBL, successfully, in their classrooms for years.

      But what does the PBL look like in those classrooms?  How strong are the inquiry and the questioning?  How open-ended are the products being created?  And what is the school culture like for the school within which these classrooms reside?  In my opinion, it is this culture piece that is the biggest difference in schools with the NT label.

     If you are to be a NT school you must be willing to create a culture of Trust, Respect, and Responsibility.   And, you can't just give those three words lip service.  A bunch of posters in the hallways or the classrooms with what those three words mean doesn't mean they actually reside within your school culture.

     We will start building this culture with our teachers in Grand Rapids, MI as they attend the New Tech All schools Conference (NTAC12) during the week before we officially start the 8 day training.  The teachers will have assigned breakout sessions to attend and then share at the end of the day.  During the end-of-day get together we will be discussing and creating our meeting norms.  And, we will be establishing our School-wide Learning Outcomes (SWLO's).

     These teachers will never have used learning outcomes to grade student work.   When schools attend the New Schools Training with NT they spend hours upon hours establishing their learning outcomes complete with written definitions and rubrics of how they will be assessed.  Our teachers will not have had that benefit and so I will have to facilitate this conversation.

      To make life easier for them I intend to put the learning outcomes used by our district, in its Strategic Plan, on the table as a starting point.  They are: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Digital Citizenship, and Work Ethic.  Our teachers will have at least a cursory vision of what each of these look like and this will be easier for them as they make these outcomes our own learning outcomes.

     At the end of our discussion each night it will be time to bond.  Too often we forget to take the time to get to know each other.  Gone are the days where teachers lived in their little classroom never to mingle with the other teachers.  And so, for us, that may mean sitting together for dinner, it may be having a drink together, it may be doing some of the fun night-time rituals NT schools do in Grand Rapids like the Piano Bar Sing-a-long.  The most important thing is creating memories, outside of work, that will stay with us as we tackle the more difficult issues during the following weeks and months.

     Then, with this week of getting to know each other behind us, we will really be able to tackle culture during our 8 days of training.  Here is a brainstorming list of what I will have for them to work on:

          a. Specific ideas for Culture –  (Something every day)

1.  Use a PBL approach to this with an Entry Event and agenda within ECHO  (a Moodle-like platform used by the NT schools) so they are seeing how to use a project briefcase.
2.  We will use team building activities each morning and after lunch each day.
3.  We need to set the Norms and the decision making process.
4.  We need to discuss the Learning Outcomes, define them, and create a rubric for each.  We will use the 5 mentioned in the district strategic plan:  Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Digital Citizenship, and Work Ethic for our first year.
5.  We need to weight the Learning Outcomes – Content 40 – 60% with the others adding up to 100%.
6.  We need to discuss a 6^th Grade Orientation.  Do we want to use MNTHS (Manor New Tech High School) students who graduated from our middle school?
7.  We need to discuss how we will conduct Classroom Observations and what we will do during late start Mondays (our district has late start Mondays for PD).
8. Have a "Day of Celebration" when we get to the end of the first 9-weeks (or other significant date).

          b. Specific ideas for PBL – (2^nd week only?)

1. Teachers will plan their first project.
2. Teachers will plan a 2-week culture project (for the whole school to create the culture).
3. We need to have a literacy component to the project briefcase.
4. Have a critical friends day, in the middle of the second week of training, to see what they have planned for their first project. 

          c. Specific ideas for ECHO – (Something every day)

1. Who will be the ECHO liaison? 
2.  We will create a standard project briefcase that every teacher will use for the first two 9-weeks grading period (minimum)
3.  We need to create a School Resource Library in ECHO
4.  We need to have a Low Tech version of the Project Briefcase.  This could be a “White Binder” for each student with pre-set tabs where each of the sections will be electronically. 
5.  We need to show them what is available in the NTN Resource Library also in ECHO.

     The culture we create will need to be refined and worked on throughout the school year and beyond.  Culture is not something you create and then "it's done!"   This up-front time without distractions will pay dividends as we move through the school year.  Wish us luck.

It's That Time of Year, Again

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     I had a conversation with a teacher today that was very refreshing and revealing.  It seems I'm not alone in feeling like I am giving up on some of my students.  The last few years I have really just gotten tired around the first of May and there are some students who I just don't want to deal with any more.

     My liberal, help-the-world, brain feels incredibly guilty about this.  And the advice given to me by my father-in-law when I went into education, "you can't save them all," seems to make more sense every day.

     I wrestle with myself as I write my agenda for the next day - will Jimmy be able to understand and will he do his work with his group, or will I have to deal with his off task behaviors (again)?  And will I just give up and let him be off task - as long as he isn't disturbing anyone else?

     This mental state is especially acute this year as I sit between jobs.  I'm 90 (98?) % sure that I will not be back at Manor New Technology High School in the fall.  The students feel that I'm 100% gone and they are yelling at me for not being there for them next year.  With 10 school days left I am really getting, what we would call in the Navy, a short timer's attitude.  "I'm so short I can barely see over my shoe laces;" "I'm so short I need help getting up to each rung on the ladder," etc..

     I'm convinced that this happens more these days because of all of the standardized testing.  (It's NOT because I'm getting old!)  Once the testing is done the teachers are tired and the students have decided that there isn't anything else to work for.  It is really bad for AP students who, literally, are finished with their classes and have taken their AP exams.

     And so my wish for these last 10 days is additional energy.  A little more positive attitude on my part would be nice as well.  I have my students for 180 days.  They deserve my attention for all of those days.  I can rest in the 2 or 3 days between the end of the school year and the start of my new job that might, just maybe, be happening.  Wish me luck.

     If this new job happens I will be filling the pages of this blog with information from my experiences there.  And, yes, it will be a PBL environment.  Once you have taught with PBL you won't ever go back to the regular classroom.

Why Are You Trying to be Like Us?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27594459@N04/4569339597/

     Too often I hear "Can you teach me how to do PBL?"  Or, "I would love to be in a school like your school."  But PBL is not the same in every school.  It's not even the same in every classroom in my school.  PBL is a way of teaching that should, no must, be taught by a teacher who is willing to put their own stamp on what is being done in the classroom.

     Now, can PBL be done wrong?  Absolutely.  As a matter of fact it is that fact that lead me to write this post.  Whenever I see a group of teachers learning the basics of PBL I see some who are frustrated and confused.  I feel that many teachers would just like a recipe for success that they can take into their classroom and, poof, they have a PBL environment.  It just isn't that easy.  I would venture to say that all of our teachers are struggling with how they are doing PBL in their classroom.  Some of them are teaching in their 5th year of PBL and came to the school with instruction on how to plan and lead a PBL classroom.  But they are still tweaking their presentation.  They are creating new projects every year.  And they continue to request Professional Development by others, outside of our school,  on how to be a better PBL teacher.

     So, getting back to the original question, yes I can teach you how to do PBL.  As a matter of fact I plan on doing that in about an hour during my Conversation at Educon 2.4 next month in Philadelphia.  If you, or your school district, wanted to pay the money you could attend our district's Think Forward Institute which gives you 4 days of intense PBL training.  Or you could talk with a representative of the Buck Institute to get instruction.  They can point you to some wonderful training.  But I'm here to tell you that the training is just the beginning.

     To be an effective PBL teacher you must hone your skills each year.  You need to be a reflective teacher.  You should be willing to have an outside observer critique your teaching and ask you tough questions.  As a matter of fact if you take PBL out of the first sentence then the rest of this paragraph would just be telling you what you need to do to be a good teacher.   And that's my underlying theme - you need to be a good teacher first.  Incorporating PBL is just another tool in your tool belt.

     PBL is about getting students fired up about their learning.  PBL is about students wanting to delve deeper into a subject.  PBL is about students being able to unlock their creative juices.  And, PBl is a chance for teachers to lead their classes to a place that no one anticipated when they set out on the journey.  It is NOT a culminating "project" where students get to take what they've learned and create something related to that learning.

    PBL is like a recipe that mixes a question to be answered with a set of standards.  The amount of standards that gets mixed may end up being different than what you anticipated when you started "cooking."  You may have been able to make a dense, rich concoction with more standards than you thought could fit into the recipe.  Or, you may have had to cut down on the standards because you realized that the original recipe called for too much of that ingredient.  If that is the case then you will need to incorporate the unused standards into a later recipe.

     It really is just like cooking.  The best cooks know the recipe but are willing to change amounts based upon how things are mixing.   And, you must always be looking at the batter to understand how the end-product will turn out.   This leads to one of the best parts of PBL.  On each day I get to observe learning going on.  Is it going the way I anticipated?  Maybe not.  If things aren't going well then I need to redirect the students in a new direction.  But sometimes they are heading in a direction that will force them to ask to be taught something new.  Even better, the students might learn something that they can teach me.  Now, we are all learning.

     Can I teach you how to do PBL?  That's like asking can I teach you how to bake cookies.  I can give you recipes.  I  can show you where the measuring cups and spoons are and where all of the ingredients are located.  But until you step into the kitchen and put that apron on you can never really start cooking.  When you take out that first batch you are going to taste them.  Is there something you could have added to make them better?  Could you have cooked them longer or shorter?  Could you have adjusted the temperature because your oven is a bit hotter than average?  These are all questions that you will have to answer the NEXT time you cook.  But next time you may be working with a recipe for a cake.  How will these very similar ingredients react to the way you mix them and cook them?
 
      You should stop trying to be like us and try to be the best you can be.  That may end up being much, much better than us.  And, more importantly you will be like - YOU.

   

Hiring Teachers in the Digital Age

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     Yesterday and today I was honored to be interviewing candidates for 2 positions at our school. Honored, yes, because in these trying economic times the candidates came to us with incredible resumes. Teacher positions are hard to come by and only the best (or luckiest) are getting hired. Add to that the fact that our school is considered to be a great school, where innovators of education reside, and there really isn't a dearth of applications.

     An added strangeness to this school year is the fact that school districts were late to the game in releasing openings for positions. This was directly linked to the late passage of the state budget.

     So, here we are 3 weeks until students are coming through our door, and we are just starting the interview process. Our principal had narrowed the more than 70 applications down to a dozen or so. Many of these came with recommendations from people at the University of Texas and Texas State University and were easy pushes to the interview round.

     And so with laptop and iPad in hand we entered the room to sort through our interviewees. I had an initial list of questions on the iPad Notes app and was able to (if needed) do more extensive searches with my laptop. (Note: that was only the case because I've only had my iPad for a month or so and I really don't have my driver's license for it yet).

     When the interviewer came in I would try to tell them that I was going to be keeping notes on my iPad and that I wasn't reading emails or on twitter during the interview. Two of the interviews were held via Skype and so I didn't have to make a reference to using my iPad.

     What I found myself doing was a quick Google search of their name while they were introducing themselves. I would look to see if there were any interesting things that popped up on the first page, good or bad. None had anything bad come up by the way. But I was able to pull up school websites and see what the environment of the school they were coming from, or had done student teaching at, was like.

     If they threw out that their school had 80% Low SES (an indicator of students on free or reduced lunch) I could pull up those statistics to see if they were trying to sway us with these numbers (again, none were wrong). And, I could instantly see that there were some things (all good) that hadn't really been pushed to the forefront. One candidate was the Head Baseball Coach at his high school and another was on the U.S. Paralympic Team at the Nagano Olympics and brought home a Medal!

     Should we have had time to do a more extensive study of our candidates I would have checked their Twitter stream (if they had one), their LinkedIn Profile (if...), or their Facebook Profile and status.  Because that's where we are these days.  Nothing is, or should be, a secret unless it is so small it is insignificant.  For example our district is pretty conservative.  Although what you do in your private life is of little importance to me, there are people who would take offense to what you do if you are involved in something that's, say, less than Christian.

     And so we forwarded a couple of names to our principal and one of those will become part of our Manor New Tech staff.  We feel very blessed because there wasn't one candidate that I interviewed that I wouldn't be happy to work with.   When I find out the selection I'll have to invite them to twitter and Facebook and see if they are the type I would send a Google + account to.  Only then will we really be connected as a co-teacher.

Conference Preparations

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   As I get ready for the New Tech Conference in Grand Rapids I have been hearing lots of commentary by teachers on what they are bringing.   Invariably I hear them lamenting the costs of checking baggage.   But, in our world (home), the thought of checking bags is a non-starter.  "Do NOT let them get your hands on your bags."  That is the battle cry of my wife, Sheila Scarborough, who is a social media trainer for the travel and tourism world.

     So, as I get ready for my trip the number one thought going through my mind is what not to bring.  That makes it much easier than if I had my heart set on a certain item and had to give it up to make it fit.  When I arrive at the check in I will have my carry-on luggage and a computer bag.  Nothing else.   So where do I start?

     Since I live with the woman I always ask my wife to go through my packing with me to make sure I haven't forgotten anything and to make sure I'm not taking too much stuff.  For those of you who don't live with her she has created a great video on "How to Pack a Carry on Suitcase."

     As you saw in that video, you really can pack a lot in there if you plan right.  And to plan right you need to look at your itinerary.  Mine?  Well, I fly into Chicago on Saturday for a conference that is in Grand Rapids on Tuesday.  I fly out of Chicago the following Saturday and the conference ends on Thursday.  That gives me days before and after to travel and see a bit of Michigan.

     But, that means I need clothes for seeing a baseball game and having a few beers (maybe a nice dinner) in Chicago.  It means conference attire and workout wear for the conference days.  And it means clothes to go hiking or a run along the beach at Sleeping Bear Dunes  Northwest of Grand Rapids.

     I've already decided that I need enough clothes to make it until Wednesday.  I will have to wash clothes on Tuesday or Wednesday during the conference.  A bit inconvenient but worth not checking a bag and paying to worry about it not arriving at my destination.

     You can do a conference with minimum clothing.  But, you really do have to plan out each day in advance.  Watch the video and make a list of what you want to bring and you can successfully avoid those baggage handlers who so lovingly take care of your luggage.

New Tech Conference Planning

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     It's almost time for the New Tech Network's annual conference for all schools in the network.  As I get mentally ready for the conference there are things to think about, sure, but I just received a tweet from a new teacher " what should I do at the conference?"  Well, here's the answer:

     First, you are going to be spending time in an incredible city - Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Yes, it's a sleepy city on the weekends and it's mostly business people during the day but at the same time that's an even better deal for those of us attending the conference.  We, the New Techies, get the whole city to ourselves.  Take advantage of that fact.  Take some time to be a tourist.  You can start by watching this video that was shot all around the conference hotel.  You'll definitely get the lay of the land.

     This next piece of advice is needed, only because I've seen teachers who don't listen to this advice.  And that is to take it easy!  You will be working your brain all day.  You will want to be with your friends and faculty mates at night.  And this can cause some long days.

     There are some simple things to do to combat this fatigue.  First get some rest and some exercise.  There are plenty of places to walk to or you can go for a run.  The paths along the river are well lit and I never felt uneasy while going out for a morning run. Second, go to breakfast early.  There is plenty of time for breakfast and even if you aren't a breakfast eater there is time to talk with friends and set up your planning for the day.  Speaking of planning here are the (2011) topics to be discussed at the conference.   Another great thing about the conference is that breakfast and lunch are provided and the Amway Grand does a nice job with the catering.

     Now, at night, there are going to be LOTS of opportunity to go out and have some fun.  I have seen too many teachers arriving in the morning looking less than sprightly thanks to their escapades during the previous night.  Pace yourself.  The B.O.B. will still be there many years from now.  And so will the piano bar.  Really.

     For those of you first year New Tech teachers, you will be apart from the rest of your faculty during the day.  Take the time to meet other teachers who are new to this thing called PBL.  Especially in your content area.  Thanks to Google Apps, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+  there are a number of ways to connect with these people after you leave the conference.  Use these people to help you in your frustrations and share your successes with them during the school year.

     For those of you who are returning teachers, get to know other teachers in the network.  It is so tempting to spend every minute with your fellow teachers.  Instead spend the day with people who, until the conference, were total strangers.  Or, find someone who you follow on Twitter and get to know them F2F.  And, with the passing of Betty Ford, there will be plenty to do across the river at the Ford Museum while we are there.  Take time to see it.  Admit it, more than once you have looked across there and said, "I need to go check that out sometime."

    I'm so fired up about going this year that I've arranged to fly into Chicago and I'm driving to and from Grand Rapids.  After the conference I'm taking some time to see some of the sights within a couple of hours drive.  If they have the conference here again next year I'd suggest the same for you.  Enjoy, collaborate, and learn.  That's what we do at the New Tech Annual Conference.

Sometimes It's Hard Being a Guy....

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    This week there was a blog post which was the first in a series of posts by "Emma," a New Technology High School teacher with her thoughts on teaching 21st Century skills.  

     The post was brought to our attention by our school's coach and, unfortunately for me, I decided to read it.  After reading it I really felt awful for "Emma" who was in just a miserable position at, what sounds to me like, a miserable school somewhere in this country.  What hit me the hardest was that "Emma" was teaching in a school with the same title as my own, a New Tech school.

     Now I could have just said, "Gee, that's too bad for Emma."  But, NO, I had to write a rebuttal in the comments section.  And, to my credit, it didn't really show how emotional this post got me.  You see she was, it appeared, telling the world that the reason she was so miserable was that she had to teach using Project Based Instruction which didn't allow her to teach her content.

      Emma went on to say that her students were just told to do google searches and to create end products that were flashy but had little umph.   She had many examples where PBL was limiting the learning going on in her classroom and I responded to them in my rebuttal but here's an example I didn't talk about in those comments:  "After all, it’s not about what individual students learn but the final product."  Wow, that is so counter to what we learn when our teachers go to training each summer.

     You see the New Tech Network (NTN) gives us training each year called the All Schools Conference where teachers and coaches from schools in the network conduct training in all facets of PBL.  In addition we have Fall and Spring Meetings of the Minds (MoM's) conducted by the coaches in each region which emphasize best practices.

      So, I write a rebuttal and I move on, right?  Well, along comes some guy who goes by Ben F. who decides to write the following:  "I would recommend that Sara, Patrick and Chris read E.D. Hirsch, Diane Ravitch or Stanley Fish, but their continued employment at New Tech would be imperiled by entertaining such heretical thinkers’ ideas. Safer to keep a closed mind, alas."  To a "real man" - thems fightin words! 

       Let me preface what I'm about to write by saying that I am 53 years old, I'm out of shape and over weight, and I've never been in a good fight.  But if Ben F. had been sitting in the room I might have walked over and, well, I would have...well, you get the picture.  My blood was boiling.  My heart rate was maxed.  My respiration was maxed.  I couldn't focus on my students I had to refute his remarks.

       Luckily for all concerned our Master Teacher, and good friend, was present and she let me write my comments and then she read them over.  She simply smiled, chuckled, and said, "no, you're not submitting that."  But I would have if she hadn't stopped me.  I would have told him.  He would have known just how mad he had made me.

       I calmly went back to my classroom and wrote the comments that you can read on the post.  But I got my jab in when I wrote, "But, I can’t think of one person, including me, who would like to ever see you “round these parts,” as we hicks from small town Texas say."  Now that's maturity!  I didn't let that high level of testosterone affect my thoughts.  (Sometimes it's hard being a guy...)