All is well

This thought came from a short article I read this morning about looking at the world as "fundamentally good." Each year, the PCSD#2 board hosts a Christmas gathering for staff and spouse/guest. A great meal is served and everyone seems to have a good time and enjoy the camaraderie. The thought that all is fundamentally good resounds around the holidays and is something we could keep in mind throughout the year. I am certain that at various times throughout our work and relationships, each of us is confronted with people or issues that challenge us. Reminding ourselves that while we may have different philosophies, values, and ideas, the world is fundamentally good for the most part and the challenge becomes to find that goodness and commonality and build on it.

Help

"Accepting help is not a sign of weakness, but an opportunity to further our progress."

As I was reading a daily meditation book I like to look at each day, this quote struck me as something that could apply not only to one's personal life, but to our professional lives as well. You may have heard it said that many schools have individual "silos" within which each teacher closes his or her door and teaches the curriculum. I've seen colleagues unwilling to ask for help and continue doing what they have always done even if evidence points to a need for change.

However, if we look at it from a different angle, without help, none of us would be where we are today. We needed help when we were young in order to survive, then later to learn. Considering that many, if not most, of us are working for someone else, we needed help to get the job we have. Asking for help can certainly help us learn more quickly, which in turn provides us with the skills and knowledge to succeed. Sometimes all we need is a small change or bit of knowledge to grow exponentially.

Now, I know men are notorious for NOT asking for help. I'm coming to realize that this may do more to slow down progress than just biting the bullet and asking. Just don't tell my wife I admitted that.

Thanksgiving 2011

I've been doing quite a bit of reading lately on giving thanks, saying thank you, and being grateful for all we have in our lives. I've included a couple of links below to provide some reading material on the benefits of an attitude of gratitude.

Sometimes we overlook the simplest of things for which we are grateful. Our lives, the air we breath, and if you're reading this, our sight. I've read many authors who have stressed being grateful in some way every day. Whether this is writing a thank you note every day for a year, as this man did, writing in a daily gratitude journal, or some other form of giving thanks, it is important to consistently do it. At first, it seems either awkward or repetitive, as there are days when you may not be able to think of anything different than what you have listed before. But that is okay, as being grateful daily for the most important people and things in our lives helps us appreciate them.

So, I encourage you to give daily gratitude a try if you don't already. It can and will change your outlook and provide opportunities you may not have seen before.

Live your own life

The quote below, by Steve Jobs, reminded me of another quote I read a long time ago. I had gotten a plaque that said, "To live your life in your own way, to reach for the goals you have set for yourself, to be the you that you want to be, that is success." One of the philosophies I've always tried to live by is that we need to model the things we want our children and students to learn. It's time we all start, if we haven't, to teach our children to live their own lives and give them the skills to follow their heart.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

11-11-11

It's Veterans Day today and a special day at that. Not only the 11th day of the 11th month, but it is also the 11th year of the century. (Okay, I know technically it is not the 11th year because 2000 is the first year of the century, thus this is the 12th year, but allow me the discretion to use the symbolism.) Guernsey-Sunrise schools held the third annual Veterans Day celebration/assembly today and General Kathy Wright gave a keynote speech. She talked about the "story behind the uniform" and encouraged us to learn that story from our veterans and servicemen and women.

In a conversation with her after the ceremony, something she said struck me as a lesson we could all use to get better individually and collectively. She mentioned that she was never looking to the next promotion or aspiring to a certain rank. She said she just focused on doing the best she could in her position and learning how to get better and when opportunity happened to appear, she was ready. So, immediately after hearing that from her, an article I read had the following quote: "The only real measure of your value is the tangible contribution you make, each and every day." While this came from an article on entrepreneurship and was discussing the skills and attitudes necessary for starting your own business, I felt it could be applied to anything we do.

It reminds me of the phrase, "what have you done for me lately?" While many will lament the fact that we have to keep proving ourselves day in and day out - and our past successes and contributions may or may not be recognized or considered - it provides a basis for continual improvement in the pursuit of excellence. Happy Veterans Day.

Kids and technology

Yesterday I wrote about PLNs and how they can be a valuable resource for learning and ideas. I have also mentioned previously, the importance of reading, and finding time to read things not only in your area, but outside your area of expertise and knowledge as well. Valuable insights can be gained by looking at and learning about different perspectives. This link is for an article from Parade magazine about kids and their use of technology. It provides data about what and how often kids are using different technologies. It's an important reminder that kids are more and more likely to use technology to connect with people and ideas outside their communities.

Personal Learning Networks

How many of you have a personal learning network (PLN)? If you don't, it's time you got one if you want to a) have a wealth of resources for questions you might want answered; b) want to keep up with the ever-changing world of education; and c) be a model for life-long learning for your students.

PLNs are social networks of like-minded people willing to share their expertise, answer questions about topics you are passionate about or interested in, and provide resources that you may have never found or don't have the time to find. I have found several resources that I have used myself and/or passed on to staff. In this article, Kevin Honeycutt reviews a book by Gallup's Jim Clifton on the need to "teach our kids to invent, create and innovate and not in the near future but right now, today." It came from the social network Plurk and is a jpeg, so I think you can get to it without being a member.

Another blog I came across was about "Freelance leaners" and the fact that more and more people are able to be entrepreneurial in nature and become basically freelance workers. They may work on a project until completion, disband, and then get together with different people on another project. Are we teaching our students to be able to do this or are we still expecting them to get a job and stay with it for their career? Or are we giving them the skills to change careers multiple times based on their interests and opportunities?

A PLN provides us with tools to learn more, create more, and find more resources than we could on our own. Getting started is easy and helps streamline our learning process.

Extra Hour

I almost forgot tonight was the end of Daylight Savings time and the clocks get turned back an hour. so, what will you do with your "extra hour?" Like most people, I'm guessing I will sleep with that hour, although I'm actually hoping not to do that and get some work done.

But what would you do if you could find an extra hour every day? And the more important question is "can you find an extra hour each day?" We're all given the same 24 hours, but the choices we make determine how we use our day. If you could find that extra hour every day, what would you do? Would it be time to relax and read a good book or maybe extra time to exercise? There are a lot of things you could choose to do and finding something you enjoy and is productive for you will be a great use of that hour.

Movember

The 19-day challenge to write a post everyday results: 15/19 days with 16 posts. Not perfect, but the momentum is turning. Just as in any challenge, there are obstacles to overcome and I feel pretty good about not going more than two days without posting. Hopefully, there were some interesting items that either helped you learn something or spurred some reflection or thought.

On to the next 30-day challenge - Movember.

No, I didn't spell it wrong. It is officially Movember, the month when men around the world will grow moustaches to raise money and awareness for men's health. As an advocate for better health for all, this particular drive has a personal touch for me. My dad died of prostate cancer when he was only 70; way too young. It is my goal to help men and women become more aware of the importance of good health and exercise. Plus, I don't have to shave for a few days. :)

So, check out the Movember site, participate if you would like, donate to a good cause, or just follow along and have fun watching the progress.

Encourage!

Encourage!

That's a statement, a call to action, not just an abstract thought.

We need more encouragers, according to Jon Gordon, and I couldn't agree more. How many times have you heard someone say to be more realistic or something along those lines? How many times have you said that? For many of our students, that is all they hear, whether from home, peers, or teachers. Today, make it a goal to encourage someone. If we would all do that, the world would certainly be a better place. Nobody thought the Wright brothers could fly or Edison could make a light bulb. However, they kept trying and eventually discovered they could reach their goal. This is what we need to instill in our students by encouraging them to reach for the stars and keep trying. It might make all the difference in the world for our students and the world.

The world doesn't need more negativity and impossible thinkers.

The world needs more optimists, encouragers, and inspirers.

- Jon Gordon

It's in the Cards

As I watched the end of Game 7 of the 2011 World Series last night, I thought perseverance would be a good theme to post on today. The St. Louis Cardinals overcame some perilous situations - both in the regular seasons and Game 6 of the Series - to pull off the championship. While I can't say I'm a Cards' fan, particularly since they beat the Brewers, I can say I am a fan of those teams that seem to find a way to make things happen.

This same attitude of perseverance can certainly pertain to everything we do, from educating our children to our own personal and professional lives. It is certainly understandable that many of us face circumstances and situations that try us and look to be difficult at best or almost impossible at worst. It is at these times that we remember that perseverance can take us a long way. There will be obstacles on our way to success, but it is those who are able to continue hammering away at the obstacle or diligently finding a way over or around it that seem to find success time and again.

There is an adage that what we focus on, we realize. If we can persevere through the difficulties and focus on staying the course, success will come. It's not always easy to see, but perseverance can see us through to the end.

Ben's early maxims

Reading Ben Franklin's biography, I am amazed by the variety of things he did during his lifetime. From a writer/printer to a scientist and diplomat, he was well known for his practical and straightforward principles. In his younger days, he offered four maxims that everyone would do well to follow:
1. Be frugal,
2. Be truthful,
3. Work hard, and
4. Speak ill of no man.

It is interesting, however, that Franklin wrote many articles under various psuedonyms, which allowed him to stretch #4 above somewhat. A lot of good could certainly come from following these principles in everything we do, including business, personal life, and education. Ben's biography is certainly interesting and I look forward to learning other valuable lessons.

Ronald Reagan

I wasn't sure how to title this post, but since it had to do a little with Ronald Reagan, I would title it as such. For some reason, I recall a debate in a high school class about the upcoming presidential election between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. If I remember correctly, though somewhat hazily, most of the girls supported the incumbent Jimmy Carter and the boys the challenger, Reagan. I remember following that election and Reagan's subsequent terms as president as I grew through high school and college.

This memory came back to me while reading an article in the May 2008 edition of The School Administrator. Joseph Cirasuolo wrote about connecting and introduced his piece with the story of how Reagan managed to get many bills passed even though he faced a divided Congress his first two years and both houses controlled by Democrats the next two years. Cirasuolo's claim is that Reagan's ability to communicate directly to the American people, who then pushed their representatives to support those initiatives, was key to his success.

Cirasuolo goes on to outline the connections that Reagan built and the connections educators need to build to combat the array of critics taking aim at public education. While this is true, I think many of those connections are already built. Each district and school has built connections with the community in which they reside, with the community and business leaders, and the parents. What is truly needed is the direct communication that Reagan used so skillfully. As educators, we must continually communicate the positive things that schools and districts are doing for our students. Without that critical piece, the naysayers and critics will continue to overwhelm the populace with their negativity.

Deciding on Action

I came across a story as I was reading The Noticer (p. 111) and thought I would reprint it and comment.

"Five seagulls are sitting on a dock. One of them decides to fly away. How many seagulls are left (on the dock)?"

"Well . . . four." (was the reply)

"No. There are still five. Deciding to fly away and actually flying away are two very different things."

For some reason, that struck me as funny as well as quite to the point. Intentions are fine and good, but without action, they are of little consequence. One of the reasons for the 19-day challenge was to make a point of taking action, even if there are times when I can't decide on a course of action (or a topic to write on) or don't particularly feel like writing. By getting into the habit of committing to a course of action, the things that inhibit our opportunities due to inaction are lessened.

Volleyball to State

Congratulations to the Guernsey-Sunrise volleyball team making it to state. They go in as a number 2 seed and play Cokeville at 6:00 pm Thursday. Go get 'em Vikes.

Student voice

Having come back from the NNER conference, I am more convinced that student voice is a powerful condition for learning. Over the course of the last couple of days, I got to see two groups of students from Bulkeley High School in Hartford give presentations on various aspects of their curriculum and capstone projects. The Teacher Prep program is an excellent avenue for students to gain valuable skills in any college or career they choose. One part of the program consists of mini courses that students can take that enhance their public speaking and presentation skills. The kids that presented were very confident and interacted with adults with ease, not only in their presentations, but in question and answer sessions afterwards. By teaching students how to use their voice, and giving them opportunities to do so and improve their craft, we give students a great head start on their post-high school careers.

Excuse Me

Excuse me.

As I think about these two words, different meanings come to mind. "Excuse me," as in I'm sorry, I almost ran into you or I did bump into you accidently. Or is it "Excuse me," I'm about to run you over if you don't get out of my way? Not quite the same and of course it depends on the tone of voice used to say it, either politely or impatiently might give it different meanings to the receiver. There is also "Excuse me?" with the inflections that determine the message here. Maybe I didn't hear you and asked that or maybe I did hear you and disagree with you and am expressing it with that phrase.

However, for some reason, the thought that came to mind (and I've been reading, so beware) was not a way this particular phrase is generally used or is even grammatically correct. I see another use as one of "Excuse me (I'm making one)." Granted, the parenthesis certainly give it a different meaning that may not be quite right, but it's one that made me think about a chapter I just read in the book A Traveler's Guide, by Andy Andrews. In chapter 1, Andrews writes about taking responsibility and the phrase, "The buck stops here." There is no place for excuses when we take responsibility for our situation. We are here now and if things are to improve or change, we have to be responsible for the actions that make that happen.

So, excuse me if this doesn't make sense. On second thought, No Excuse; me.

Reflection and self-honesty

From A New Day: 365 Meditations for Personal and Spiritual Growth: “Rigorous self-honesty is essential to recovery and spiritual growth” (p. 288). I would say something similar is true for districts attempting to grow. Rigorous self-honesty is essential for growing, whether from fair to good, good to great, or great to excellent. Without such straightforward reflection, we can get caught up in rationalizing actions instead of digging deeper for the true motives for the actions.

This has to be a continuous process (going back to doing the little things consistently) if we are to improve.

October 19 - barely

I finally made it to my hotel in Manchester, CT at 11:40 ET. While the day was quite long - the 2:00 flight from Philadelphia to Hartford was cancelled, as was the next one and the one after. And when I went to get a car to make the 3.5 hour drive, there were none available. That meant either flying to Boston and driving for a couple hours or waiting until morning with the airport hotel booked solid. Weather can do that to you.

However, it was a good day! No, it was a great day!

I got the chance to get some work done and read a book by Andy Andrews called The Noticer. While there were many insights in the book, the one that came early and made me think about education, was the call to read books about great persons. One of the main characters in the book is an old man named Jones. He states the importance of reading when he says, "Other people's experience is the best teacher. By reading about the lives of great people, you can unlock the secrets to what made them great" (p. 9).

It reminded me of why it is so important we as a society - educators, parents, and community - do all we can to help our children read better. Studies have shown the importance of reading to young children as well as the benefits to having a larger vocabulary and this book reinforced for me why I must continue to read all I can. Particularly on the lives of great men and women. I'm going tomorrow to pick up a book (after I go pick up my luggage :) - who will you read about?

Defining Success

I read somewhere that reading outside of your areas of expertise or knowledge can help you become better at what you do. One of the reasons, if I remember correctly, is that seeing things from a different perspective can help us solve problems more quickly and possibly find better ways to do things in our work.

That being said, I found an article in Entrepreneur magazine that was about answering three questions before writing a business plan. While this activity doesn't seem to pertain to schools and education, I was intrigued by the first question, "What does success look like?" This most definitely pertains to education, as researchers, legislators, and educators argue about the answer to this question.

The author of the article claims this is "by far the most important question that almost nobody asks." I think it is the same in the educational field. Just as most of us would measure success in business by profits and business growth, so too do too many feel success in education is measured by standardized student achievement tests. And, just like business success is different for different entrepreneurs - flexibility in time to attend family activities or time to volunteer for example - school success may be different for each student, school, and community. Without the knowledge of what success is, what it looks like, and how it is determined to be achieved, the actions taken by districts, schools, administrators, and teachers may not be leading toward a common definition of success.

Digital Legacy

Last week in Guernsey, Kevin Honeycutt spoke to the students about having a digital legacy. The importance of remembering that everything we do with technology is destined to become part of our legacy cannot be understated. The anonymity of the internet tends to cover up the fact that once something is published on the web or sent as a text, etc., it can be accessed forever. Hopefully, our students realize this and think before they type/text/respond electronically.

On a related note, I found this short video (4:24) interesting. I guess I hadn’t really thought of the amount of information that is out there about each of us. This site also has information on digital citizenship and "your digital presence."

Tech & kids

If you didn't think technology was a powerful tool for kids' learning, spend some time with a child with an iPad in his or her hands. My 7-year old nephew got his hands on my iPad yesterday and today and we spent time talking about constellations, music, and math. Of course, I don't have empirical evidence that he learned any of it, but he was engaged and excited. I know in the hands of a skilled teacher, technology is a great tool.

When graphing calculators first came out, there were those who didn't think students should be using them to graph equations, etc. It certainly saved me time as a math teacher to take a couple of days at the beginning of the year to explain and practice using the calculators, then use them to graph sometimes complex equations that would take much more time by hand. It only made sense to do that and get to the deeper concepts and understanding than to spend time on graphing by hand. It is the same with technology today. Engaging kids and getting them excited about learning through technology can only help improve learning overall. Because, in the end, its about the learning, and however we can get that to happen, we should.

Commit to Consistency

In part 3 of this I don't know how many parts post on consistency, I address a comment I received on yesterday's post. While consistency is a good thing, the fact that we could be doing something consistently wrong would not be taking us in the direction of our goals, unless our goal was to fail or not do the right thing.

It reminds me of my coaching days. We tried to get our players to be consistent in their fundamentals to be successful. Often, players who had grown up shooting a basketball a certain way or throwing with a certain motion would have a difficult time breaking the habits that had become ingrained in their actions. Many times, these players struggled to be consistently good, showing flashes of success, but unable to maintain that throughout a game or season.

We, too may find ourselves heading in the wrong direction, if we're not paying carful attention to what we're doing. The commitment to taking consistent action doesn't help much if we're not willing to always reflect and evaluate on where the action is taking us. It's a little like driving the car, flying a plane, or riding a bike. Rarely is the vehicle going in a perfectly straight line, but continuous micro adjustments get us to the intended destination. It's very similar in our daily lives, professionally and personally. If we are to arrive at our intended goal/destination, we must continually see where an action leads and make adjustments if it is not in the direction we are traveling.

Staying Consistent

Having posted on a consistency challenge yesterday, traveling most of today to spend time with family, and not having the skill or knowledge to post from my phone, I find myself up later than usual producing a post and catching up on work and email. I read a couple of items today that bear repeating and continues the conversation from yesterday. Not only did I challenge myself to be more consistent with yesterday's post, but I also sent an email to teachers about the benefits of consistency. One of the responses that came back to me was that consistency also had to begin with leadership.

I couldn't agree more.

If leaders aren't consistent, how can they expect their constituents to be? We tend to see that in our political leaders quite often - crafting speeches and responses that cater to the group to which they are talking - but it can certainly occur in leaders at all levels. One suggestion for leaders would be to ask the people you work with about your own consistency. Honest self-reflection can also help a person determine the level of consistent action he or she is taking. The following quote from Dave Kekich says it all: "Achievement comes from the sum of consistent small efforts, repeated daily.”

19 days

This is actually a shortened version of the 30-day trial I wrote about several years ago. Of course, one might think the reason to do "only" 19 days is I don't think I can make 30 days, but that is not the case. The reason I picked 19 days is . . . there are 19 days left in the month of October and I plan to start my next 30-day trial on November 1. Call me weird - as many people do - and yes, I realize some months have 31 days, but I've decided that is the best way I can think to make sure I'm focused for that amount of time. So maybe this is actually a one-month challenge, after this one of course.

So my goal for the rest of October is to write something every day. There are several reasons for this. First, I need to get into the practice of committing to doing something every day or my dissertation will never get done. Setting aside a certain amount of time each day to read and write will help me toward that end. And I know the question begs itself, "Why don't you just do the dissertation for the next 19 days? Wouldn't that make more sense?" Of course it would. Maybe that's why. Or maybe I'll do both, but the shorter challenge is something I don't or haven't done much recently. Of course, that is true of the dissertation.

Anyway, another reason for this is the fact that consistency has come up various readings the past week or two and I can't deny the synchronicity any longer. From Scott Ginsberg, who has consistently worn a name badge every day for the past 10 years, or something like that: "Consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness." From Harry Wong, who spoke at the Wyoming School Improvement Conference of consistently applying effective processes and processes (to) lead to the continual improvement that is necessary for growth." And Craig Ballantyne, editor of Early to Rise, wrote "as you gather momentum with simple efforts performed on a consistent basis, it will get easier and more rewarding as you see progress being made."

Let's get started and see where we go.

Common Core Changes?

Here is a link to an editorial in the Casper Star-Tribune on possible legislative changes to the State Board initiative to improve the Wyoming state Standards. The State Board is hearing comments toward adopting the Common Core Standards as part of the Wyoming state Standards in November. While the increased rigor the Common Core brings will certainly have districts working hard to help their students improve, I believe it is important to keep looking at getting better. One of the issues in the past with No Child Left Behind legislation was that states were allowed to create their own standards and assessments and were then compared on proficiency rates. Although NAEP provided a comparative measure, schools and teachers did not have criteria (other than sample questions) on which the assessment was based. The Common Core will provide districts and teachers a roadmap to higher levels of success.

Back to School 2011

(This article will appear in the August 2 Guernsey Gazette.)

As Guernsey-Sunrise Schools begin gearing up for a new school year (yes, it is less than a month away as I write this), I am reminded of how quickly summer seems to go each successive year. The theme for this year is “Saddle Up for Success” and I’ve taken a little different turn than when I first started thinking about this theme.

July means different things to different persons. It’s Independence Day, mid-summer, hot days, swimming, and the month before school starts again. It is also the month for the Tour de France and as this grand bicycle race nears the end, an exciting finish is in store for those that follow it. While saddling up in the West is generally connected with horses and cowboys, bicycle riders also saddle up and the Tour reminds me of some principles that educators, students, parents, and community members can use to help our students achieve the kind of success we all envision.

The Tour is a 21-stage race that covers a lot of miles, through high alpine mountains and long days in the saddle. It takes a lot of work and determination just to finish a grand tour such as this, much less find a podium spot at the end. Education is a little like that; covering a lot of days and years, through many different content areas to reach the finish line. But like the Tour, even though it ends at a certain point – a school year like a stage or graduation akin to finishing the Tour – there is more to do. Students must be prepared to exit one point, whether that is a school-year or their K-12 career, and move on to the next event or experience in their life, ready to resume learning.

Another similarity between the Tour and school is the way teams work together to achieve success. Particularly on the flat stages, sprinters’ teams work hard to reel in breakaway riders and give their teammates a chance for a stage victory. In the mountains, teammates can help guide a top rider to better place in the overall rankings.

In education, teachers, students, parents, and community members working together provide their students a much better opportunity to be at the front of the pack at the end of a year and the end of their career. Just like breakaway riders, outside influences – legislation, accountability rhetoric and rules, and state and federal regulations – force education teams to work together to help students in their quest for true success. And having teammates during the grueling “mountain” stages that can crop up during their education provides students with support to go the distance and finish strong.

At Platte County School District #2, we continue to work at providing opportunities to collaborate. This past year, a 1-to-1 computer initiative was implemented to help students take advantage of technology, collaborate with each other and staff, and use “on-demand” learning opportunities to learn more deeply. Teachers are continuing to train to integrate technology into lessons and motivate students through project-based learning. As we race further into the 21^st century, we will continue to find ways to provide our students the best education that will prepare them for their Grand Tour through life.

Get in control

Steve Siebold is the author of Mental Toughness, and gives pretty good advice on what it takes to be successful. In a recent email, he talked about focusing on the things we can control and not wasting time worrying about those things we can't. This particular message centered on getting fit and thus having the energy for opportunities when they arise. Too often, it seems, we worry about things outside our control and don't focus our energies on getting better in the areas we have under our control. It reminds me of the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Passion-based learning

Here is an interview about passion-based learning. Quite similar to finding student interests and helping spark a fire for learning in each student.

Graduation and Bob Dylan

As graduation gets closer here at Guernsey-Sunrise and is happening across the country this month and next, I am drawn to items that tie into that theme. Of course, so many of the lessons we would like graduates to learn and take with them are lessons we all can be reminded of from time to time.

This one comes from an article on Bob Dylan. I find it interesting as I am a big fan of his and used to write Christmas letters with musical themes in the past, one of which had one of his songs embedded. I've gotten away from some of those things, but this article and some of the thoughts in it bring me back to thinking about how it relates to success.

In the article, the author writes about Dylan "owning the room." In it, he emphasizes that "owning the room isn't about being larger than life - it's about making the room larger by injecting it with life." Dylan certainly did that and the one point that was made, he seemed to do better than most. That was point 6 - daring to "live by a different script." We all have our own way of seeing the world and must strive to not let the world take away our authentic self. If graduates, and all of us for that matter, can work to make their own unique voice heard and their talents surface, the world would be better off for the effort.

Continuous learning

One of the nice things about having "Learner" as a strength is the ability to come away with something from just about every conversation, meeting, or experience. Attending last night's GS athletic banquet, I was struck by something coach Glenn Freeburg said about his track athletes - their goal was to improve their times every meet. As I thought about that this morning, I had a thought that continuous improvement should be the goal in everything we do. This is true for track athletes, in our relationships, in our job, and in everything we put an effort into doing. As our graduates prepare to leave high school, beginning with commencement on Sunday, that is one message I hope they hear. Continue working hard to get better and continuously look for ways to improve whatever it is they decide to do. While there will certainly be setbacks along the way, thinking that way will certainly make for success in many areas.

Listen to the Music

I watched the movie August Rush this weekend and thought a quote I heard from the movie lent itself to school and education particularly well. August/Evan says "The music is all around us, all you have to do is listen." The reason this struck me is that as educators, we are trying to help students gain the skills to listen and hear the music that is inside them. Each of us is unique and has our own "music" that often whispers to us to become great. Choosing a path is not always easy, but if we can teach students to listen to that oft-silenced voice, we can help them find their talents and follow a path that takes full advantage of those talents.

Wayne Dyer is credited with saying "Don't die with your music still inside you." Helping students (and others) to carefully listen for their music can certainly make sure they don't succumb to such an ending.

Speaking of music - Guernsey-Sunrise music students will perform Tuesday, May 17 (JH/HS) and Tuesday, May 24 (Elementary). For many of these talented students, music is their "music."

Finish strong

Here's an article on finishing the school year strong. It provides tips for teachers and students to continue working hard at the end of the year. As I read it, a comparison came to mind. Why is it that in sports or the business world, as the end of a game, project or sales year nears, teams or groups play or work harder to reach their goal, but that isn't the perception of education? Interesting.

24/7

Awaking at 3:30 a.m. today, I had a follow-up thought to yesterday's post. It must have been something I was thinking about because I could not get back to sleep and decided to get up and get some work done. As I lay awake at that early hour, I was thinking about how not only has information become readily accessible, it has become readily accessible whenever we want or need it; basically 24/7 availability. Not only is it available, it is updated seemingly continuously.

I recall in my younger days babysitting my younger siblings and staying up late to watch television. Those of us my age or older recall the flag waving on TV and the national anthem playing as the station signed off for the night. Updated information was certainly not available to all at every hour. However, today, one can find not only television shows on throughout the night, but the internet is abuzz and updating constantly. While most of the United States is asleep, people around the world are busy working and adding content to the web.

Twenty-first century skills certainly play a role in helping our students navigate this vast sea of information. One of the key skills in a 21st-century education is information literacy. With this skill, students are able to evaluate and make sense of information they may uncover. With so much content available, it is very important students have this skill in order to make proper decisions and create optimum, quality learning. Thus the need to continue our work to create a 21st-century education for out students.

Personalized Learning

I just happened to be browsing the web recently and came upon two great articles on personalized or individualized learning. Both speak to the necessity for schools to change the way they do business in order to prepare students for the twenty-first century. As the school year nears an end, and quickly, I would like to reflect a bit on some of the things Guernsey-Sunrise has done this past year to begin to move in that direction.

One of the biggest changes we made was to implement a 1-1 computer initiative this winter. While the district had several mobile laptop labs for teachers and students to use in the classroom, going 1-1 meant students would have access to computers whenever they needed them during the day, and for most students, away from school as well. This provides the opportunity for "on-demand" learning, or the ability to find information very quickly when needed as well as providing avenues for students to pursue individual topics of interest that may relate to the subject or topic at hand.

One aspect of 21st-century education is the need for students to be able to collaborate. The district has been laying the foundation for project-based learning for the past year or more. Projects provide a basis for integrated learning, where multiple subjects may be taught within a single project. This also requires collaboration, not only for students, but teachers as well as they work together to develop lessons that provide not only interest to the student, but tie into each others' content and the project as well. While only in the beginning stages, and small steps are important to create success for future work, this promises to be an exciting development in the future.

Digital Leadership

There were several articles in the Washington Post on leadership in the ever-increasing world of digital media and social networking. This one discussed some ways leaders can stay abreast of fast-moving information and address issues as they arise. One of the more salient points I thought was the author, John Baldoni's quote, "the challenge is to connect with stakeholders in ways that are meaningful." While this may certainly be true in the social networking environment leaders now face, it is also true throughout the realm of leadership. By connecting in meaningful ways with our constituents, in all our relationships for that matter, we provide fertile ground for creating great solutions and great relationships.

Mr. Fitness

As you may be aware, Jack Lalanne died Sunday at the age of 96. Seth Godin has a nice little blog post about Jack's life and how he made a difference in his live and the lives of others (here's another from Fox News). The thing I take from his life is his unwavering beliefs about what it took to stay healthy. I think his longevity is testament to his optimistic outlook on life and his strict perseverance to a healthy lifestyle. His message, the message that he lived - we can accomplish great things when we put our mind to it.

What's your word?

Jon Gordon shares an interesting concept in this blog post - reflecting on your direction and choosing one word to guide you throughout the year. It reminds me a bit about the One thing I wrote about in this post. It seems that simplifying matters tends to help us focus on what is really important. In Gordon's post, we're focusing on one word and letting that guide our actions. It will be interesting to see how much this little exercise helps focus you. I'm still reflecting on my - getting close. Post your word in comments and when I come up with one, I'll let you know.

Relinquishing control

After reading an article by a fourth-grade teacher on discipline, I began to reflect a bit on not only the practice from a teacher perspective, but from an administrative and leadership view as well. In the article, the teacher realizes her practice of rewards and punishment are not having the effect she desired. (It also helps that she happened to read a book by Alfie Kohn, who writes quite a bit on the subject.) Her change to a more democratic classroom that deals with discipline in a more subtle and one-on-one method has her fearful that chaos will ensue. This was not the result, as seen in her quote "A lot of the time, I just listened to these amazing students come up with solutions to problems, listened to them explain how they envisioned our classroom, how they wanted fourth grade to be."

As I think about leadership and creating an atmosphere of excellence, I realize that leaders must set the same kind of expectations and have one-on-one conversations with people in order to get results. The fourth-grade teacher used "listened" several times and I think that is the key for leaders. By listening to and then clarifying and asking questions about how current practice meets the level of expectation set, leaders can create an environment that leads to greater success. This is true whether in the classroom, the school, a district, state, or nation.

Accountability?

A West Virginia lawmaker is writing a bill to hold parents accountable for their students' truancy. Certain to be a hot topic.

Thank You Walk

Here is an nice idea from Jon Gordon. I especially like the part about not being stressed at the same time one is thankful. That certainly makes sense and provides an easy way to not only de-stress, but find the peace of mind that comes with expressing gratitude daily. And the nice thing is that it only takes 10 minutes a day to complete. Doing this regularly should certainly help anyone who tries it.