Eric C. Sheninger's Blog, page 52
July 5, 2015
InvolvEdu: Changing the Extracurricular Landscape
The other day I had a great conversation with Nick Alm, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota studying Entrepreneurial Management and Social Justice. For the past few months he has been working on a tech start-up called InvolvEdu. As a former high school principal I was really intrigued by the concept. InvolvEdu is free web and mobile app for high school and university students that allows them to get credit for what they do outside of class. InvolvEdu can be used by student groups for student outreach and promotion, by students for event discovery and tracking, and by school administrators for student group management.
InvolvEdu regulates a historically unregulated market. Besides just taking a student’s word for it, there's no real way to know for sure whether or not a student actually attended computer science club, or was an officer in the economics students association. InvolvEdu not only makes it easier for students to find these activities, but it also tracks and validates their involvement in them. In 2014, the University of Minnesota’s annual “Biz Pitch” gave InvolvEdu the “Most Socially Beneficial Business Concept” Award and InvolvEdu was also a semi-finalist in the 2014 Minnesota Cup.
Why InvolvEdu?
Letter grades have been gradually inflating for decades – which is causing the in-class GPA to become much less relevant. As a result students are turning to student groups and other activities to find new ways to stand out. By tracking and validating involvement, students are able to export all of their activities into their own, personalized co-curricular transcripts that can be used in college applications and as supplements to resumes for job interviews. One of their goals includes making sure that InvolvEdu is a service that students from any background or socio-economic standing can access and use to further their academic and professional goals.
How does InvolvEdu work?
InvolvEdu is completely free for both students and groups to use! Students are able to find events that they’re interested in and rsvp straight from their phones. They can also toggle on/off notifications and automatic calendar sync/updating per student groups that they follow. Student groups are also provided with key data prior to their events – such as rsvp count, demographic information of attendees (year in school, major, etc.), which students are the most active, etc. Additionally, student activities personnel are given tools to manage everything from group registration, to officer turnover as well as insightful analytics into the health of their activities programs.
What’s next for InvolvEdu?
After a successful small beta with a select group of students and organizations at the University of Minnesota, InvolvEdu has been iterating and developing on a much larger release of their platform. They have also just recently launched a Kickstarter in order to raise the funds that are needed in order to expedite the development of their v.1 product due out prior to the start of the Fall 2015 semester.
Please make sure to check out and donate to their Kickstarter campaign so that InvolvEdu can continue on its journey of making it as easy as possible for students to get involved, while also providing them with the platform to showcase their involvement.
InvolvEdu regulates a historically unregulated market. Besides just taking a student’s word for it, there's no real way to know for sure whether or not a student actually attended computer science club, or was an officer in the economics students association. InvolvEdu not only makes it easier for students to find these activities, but it also tracks and validates their involvement in them. In 2014, the University of Minnesota’s annual “Biz Pitch” gave InvolvEdu the “Most Socially Beneficial Business Concept” Award and InvolvEdu was also a semi-finalist in the 2014 Minnesota Cup.
Why InvolvEdu?
Letter grades have been gradually inflating for decades – which is causing the in-class GPA to become much less relevant. As a result students are turning to student groups and other activities to find new ways to stand out. By tracking and validating involvement, students are able to export all of their activities into their own, personalized co-curricular transcripts that can be used in college applications and as supplements to resumes for job interviews. One of their goals includes making sure that InvolvEdu is a service that students from any background or socio-economic standing can access and use to further their academic and professional goals.
How does InvolvEdu work?
InvolvEdu is completely free for both students and groups to use! Students are able to find events that they’re interested in and rsvp straight from their phones. They can also toggle on/off notifications and automatic calendar sync/updating per student groups that they follow. Student groups are also provided with key data prior to their events – such as rsvp count, demographic information of attendees (year in school, major, etc.), which students are the most active, etc. Additionally, student activities personnel are given tools to manage everything from group registration, to officer turnover as well as insightful analytics into the health of their activities programs.
What’s next for InvolvEdu?
After a successful small beta with a select group of students and organizations at the University of Minnesota, InvolvEdu has been iterating and developing on a much larger release of their platform. They have also just recently launched a Kickstarter in order to raise the funds that are needed in order to expedite the development of their v.1 product due out prior to the start of the Fall 2015 semester.
Please make sure to check out and donate to their Kickstarter campaign so that InvolvEdu can continue on its journey of making it as easy as possible for students to get involved, while also providing them with the platform to showcase their involvement.
June 28, 2015
The Philosophy Behind Maker Success
For many students school has become an irritating experience grounded in boring lessons and learning activities. A national focus on standardized testing and accountability has only made the experience worse for kids who only crave relevance, meaning, and value out of the hours of time spent in classrooms each school year. To make matters worse many states, districts, and schools made knee-jerk reactions when the budget ax came down a few years and cut traditional hands-on courses such as wood shop, agriculture, metal shop, and cooking. In many cases elementary schools have even taken fun out of school for kids by cutting recess.
These courses represented a lifeline and a glimmer of hope in what has become a day fraught with relentless preparation for college and careers. However, the powers that be found that they consumed precious time from the school day that could have been spent on more important curricular endeavors. In the end, students, especially those most at-risk based on learning needs, have immensely suffered. They desperately need an outlet during the long school day. If not, their motivation to learn in all their other classes will wane resulting in either a lack of effort or desire to even attend school. The bottom line is that many schools have deprived students of real-world learning experiences that are needed now more than ever.
This might seem like a bleak scenario that I describe above and it should. Our students deserve activities that will not only prepare them for vital trade careers, but also allow them to openly explore the solving of problems that are relevant to them. During my tenure as New Milford High School Principal our district cut wood and metal shop. Over the years I have also seen recess time dwindle for my own kids and others who attend the New York City Public School System. All hope is not lost though for any school looking to create a better learning environment that works for kids. The solution for all schools comes in the form of makerspaces.
Image credit: https://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.co...
A few years back I had heard of the concept when I was principal. When I hired Laura Fleming in 2013 to take over the traditional library she was tasked with giving it a reboot and was given complete autonomy to do so. Her vision and subsequent plan resulted in a collaborative learning space open to all students where they could come to tinker, invent, create, and make to learn. It was like having a 21st Century version of wood and metal shop back in school with the main difference being the infusing of technologies for students to engage in informal, self-directed learning tasks. Her Worlds of Making theme gave hope back to kids that had lost and needed it most. Don't just take my word for it. Read about what the makerspace did for Chris HERE.
There is a great deal of content out there about maker education. In addition to Laura’s website and book, I highly recommend you check out the work of Jackie Gerstein and the book Invent to Learn by Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez. Laura also collaborated with Steven and Debby Kurti from Tabletop Inventing to publish a series of articles featured in Teacher Librarian magazine that not only discuss the philosophy of makerspaces, but also provide practical implementation tips. Below are the three articles:
The Philosophy of Educational Makerspaces: Part 1 of Making an Educational MakerspaceThe Environment and Tools of Great Educational Makerspaces: Part 2 of Making an Educational MakerspacePractical Implementation of an Educational Makerspace: Part 3 of Making an Educational MakerspaceSchools today have a golden opportunity in makerspaces to increase relevancy while providing powerful ways for students to engage in self-directed learning. When embarking on this initiative don't discount the importance of leadership during the planning, implementation, and evaluation process.
These courses represented a lifeline and a glimmer of hope in what has become a day fraught with relentless preparation for college and careers. However, the powers that be found that they consumed precious time from the school day that could have been spent on more important curricular endeavors. In the end, students, especially those most at-risk based on learning needs, have immensely suffered. They desperately need an outlet during the long school day. If not, their motivation to learn in all their other classes will wane resulting in either a lack of effort or desire to even attend school. The bottom line is that many schools have deprived students of real-world learning experiences that are needed now more than ever.
This might seem like a bleak scenario that I describe above and it should. Our students deserve activities that will not only prepare them for vital trade careers, but also allow them to openly explore the solving of problems that are relevant to them. During my tenure as New Milford High School Principal our district cut wood and metal shop. Over the years I have also seen recess time dwindle for my own kids and others who attend the New York City Public School System. All hope is not lost though for any school looking to create a better learning environment that works for kids. The solution for all schools comes in the form of makerspaces.
Image credit: https://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.co...A few years back I had heard of the concept when I was principal. When I hired Laura Fleming in 2013 to take over the traditional library she was tasked with giving it a reboot and was given complete autonomy to do so. Her vision and subsequent plan resulted in a collaborative learning space open to all students where they could come to tinker, invent, create, and make to learn. It was like having a 21st Century version of wood and metal shop back in school with the main difference being the infusing of technologies for students to engage in informal, self-directed learning tasks. Her Worlds of Making theme gave hope back to kids that had lost and needed it most. Don't just take my word for it. Read about what the makerspace did for Chris HERE.
There is a great deal of content out there about maker education. In addition to Laura’s website and book, I highly recommend you check out the work of Jackie Gerstein and the book Invent to Learn by Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez. Laura also collaborated with Steven and Debby Kurti from Tabletop Inventing to publish a series of articles featured in Teacher Librarian magazine that not only discuss the philosophy of makerspaces, but also provide practical implementation tips. Below are the three articles:
The Philosophy of Educational Makerspaces: Part 1 of Making an Educational MakerspaceThe Environment and Tools of Great Educational Makerspaces: Part 2 of Making an Educational MakerspacePractical Implementation of an Educational Makerspace: Part 3 of Making an Educational MakerspaceSchools today have a golden opportunity in makerspaces to increase relevancy while providing powerful ways for students to engage in self-directed learning. When embarking on this initiative don't discount the importance of leadership during the planning, implementation, and evaluation process.
June 21, 2015
The BrandED Difference
When I first dipped my toe into the social media waters in March 2009 I really did not know what to expect. My sole purpose for embarking into this uncharted territory was to improve my professional practice by becoming a better communicator. This was a natural connection to my work as a high school principal as you will not find an effective leader who is not an effective communicator. So there I was churning out tweets about everything going on at New Milford High School. Little did I know that my tweeting would lead to a feature story on CBS Channel 2 NYC during November 2009 and in the process catch the eye of business maven Trish Ruben. It was at this point in time that I was exposed to the concept of branding in education.
Image credit: http://www.eminentbrandidentity.com/
Now when Trish contacted me out of the blue I was really caught off guard. She passionately explained that what I was doing was creating a brand presence for my school as well as me professionally. At first I wasn’t buying it, but after some more time speaking with Trish and analyzing how I was strategically using social media in my role as a school leader it began to make perfect sense. On the surface I always thought a brand in a traditional sense was a term specific to the corporate world and revolved around selling. I later learned that a brand promises value through the evolution of a unique identity that relates to a specific audience or stakeholder group. Value can be defined in many ways. Some brands promise durability, health, style, safety, taste, convenience, or savings. Brands are designed to stand out and ultimately influence the consumer in a fashion that builds trust in the product. Sustaining a sense of trust is an integral component of a brand’s ability to promise value.
The definition above provided clarity, but it was still missing some integral components in order to make the concepts of branding more applicable to the education world. Trish recently provided a fantastic synopsis:
As a high school principal, I felt that it was my responsibility to continually develop and enhance my school’s brand through innovation, risk-taking, building of relationships (students, teachers, parents, community stakeholders, institutions of higher education, businesses/corporations, etc.) and a commitment to the community. In my opinion this vision can assist all educators in establishing a brand for their respective schools that not only promises, but also delivers value to residents of the district.
By developing and enhancing one’s school and professional brand we move past a developed perception of our admirable work by providing a necessary reality for all stakeholders to embrace and celebrate. Thus, a brand in education has nothing to do with selling, but showcasing work of students, staff, and leaders in an effort to become more transparent. Digital leaders understand the importance of branding in their work and by leaders I mean any and all educators who take action to improve learning opportunities for their students and themselves. A positive brand presence is developed with consistent attention to the following Pillars of Digital Leadership:
Communications – We must begin to meet stakeholders where they are at by employing a multifaceted approach to engage them in two-way communications. Digital and non-digital strategies are used to not only communicate important information, but also become more transparent.Public Relations – If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. When you roll the dice and take this gamble it typically results in a negative story being told. In education we do not brag enough and as a result we pay the price dearly. By becoming the storyteller-in-chief you can turn this tide and take control of public relations for good. There is so much power in stories and we must do a better job of sharing them.
When it is all said and done, the most important and crucial outcome of a brand presence in education is the building of powerful relationships with all stakeholders in ways that were not possible before social media. The end result will be a greater appreciation for the work you and your students are doing in your district, school, and classroom. Let your amazing work and that of your students turn perception into reality by developing a BrandED mindset.
Image credit: http://www.eminentbrandidentity.com/Now when Trish contacted me out of the blue I was really caught off guard. She passionately explained that what I was doing was creating a brand presence for my school as well as me professionally. At first I wasn’t buying it, but after some more time speaking with Trish and analyzing how I was strategically using social media in my role as a school leader it began to make perfect sense. On the surface I always thought a brand in a traditional sense was a term specific to the corporate world and revolved around selling. I later learned that a brand promises value through the evolution of a unique identity that relates to a specific audience or stakeholder group. Value can be defined in many ways. Some brands promise durability, health, style, safety, taste, convenience, or savings. Brands are designed to stand out and ultimately influence the consumer in a fashion that builds trust in the product. Sustaining a sense of trust is an integral component of a brand’s ability to promise value.
The definition above provided clarity, but it was still missing some integral components in order to make the concepts of branding more applicable to the education world. Trish recently provided a fantastic synopsis:
"BrandED tenets are about trust, loyalty, promise, and creating better offerings and innovations that distinguish the educational brand experience for every user including kids, parents, teachers and community. A brand isn't a short-term fix or a fad, but a way to strategically build a school's assets in a transparent digital world. No more Ivory Towers. BrandED is about a genuine personality that can impact school culture, achievement and resources."The statement above clearly identifies the importance and power of establishing a positive brand presence in education. In the field of education, schools are considered a brand. They promise value to residents of the district in terms of academic preparation to succeed in society. Many families will chose to reside in a specific district if the schools have a track record of academic success. Specific variables that are ultimately imbedded into an educational institution’s brand are state test scores, curriculum, teacher/administrator quality, number of AP courses, college acceptances, and extracurricular activities. By establishing a school’s identity or brand, leaders and other stakeholders can develop a strategic awareness of how to continually improve pedagogical and management practices that promise, as well as deliver, a quality education to all students. More detail on this is provided in Chapter 7 of Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times discusses this in detail
As a high school principal, I felt that it was my responsibility to continually develop and enhance my school’s brand through innovation, risk-taking, building of relationships (students, teachers, parents, community stakeholders, institutions of higher education, businesses/corporations, etc.) and a commitment to the community. In my opinion this vision can assist all educators in establishing a brand for their respective schools that not only promises, but also delivers value to residents of the district.
By developing and enhancing one’s school and professional brand we move past a developed perception of our admirable work by providing a necessary reality for all stakeholders to embrace and celebrate. Thus, a brand in education has nothing to do with selling, but showcasing work of students, staff, and leaders in an effort to become more transparent. Digital leaders understand the importance of branding in their work and by leaders I mean any and all educators who take action to improve learning opportunities for their students and themselves. A positive brand presence is developed with consistent attention to the following Pillars of Digital Leadership:
Communications – We must begin to meet stakeholders where they are at by employing a multifaceted approach to engage them in two-way communications. Digital and non-digital strategies are used to not only communicate important information, but also become more transparent.Public Relations – If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. When you roll the dice and take this gamble it typically results in a negative story being told. In education we do not brag enough and as a result we pay the price dearly. By becoming the storyteller-in-chief you can turn this tide and take control of public relations for good. There is so much power in stories and we must do a better job of sharing them.
When it is all said and done, the most important and crucial outcome of a brand presence in education is the building of powerful relationships with all stakeholders in ways that were not possible before social media. The end result will be a greater appreciation for the work you and your students are doing in your district, school, and classroom. Let your amazing work and that of your students turn perception into reality by developing a BrandED mindset.
June 14, 2015
Excellence Should Not Be Isolated
Through social media many of us regularly share examples of excellence in classrooms, schools, and districts across the world. Twitter and other tools provide me for one with a daily and continuous dose of inspiration. In many cases students have been empowered to take ownership of their learning by being allowed to pick the right technology tool for the right task in order to showcase what they have learned. Conceptual mastery is now being demonstrated through the creation of artifacts that align to more rigorous standards and the attainment of essential skill sets. In these cases learning has become more meaningful and relevant for students, which in turn sets the stage for increasing achievement.
Image credit: http://www.serviceexcellence.com.au/
The amplification of these stories through the use of social media would make the unknown observer think that this is common place, but in reality it is the exception. Once one moves beyond the lens of social media, innovative practices, especially those involving the purposeful integration of technology, are mere isolated examples of excellence. When it comes to technology integration in schools transformation has been painstakingly slow. It can no longer be acceptable to pat a select few on the back while others either are unwilling or not pushed to change. This does not best serve the whole child or every child for that matter. We must not only make a habit of modeling these practices online, but also in our schools. Isolated pockets of excellence need to become the norm, not the exception. Regardless of your position it is on your shoulders to help usher in change at scale across your respective system to create schools that work for all kids.
Image credit: http://www.serviceexcellence.com.au/The amplification of these stories through the use of social media would make the unknown observer think that this is common place, but in reality it is the exception. Once one moves beyond the lens of social media, innovative practices, especially those involving the purposeful integration of technology, are mere isolated examples of excellence. When it comes to technology integration in schools transformation has been painstakingly slow. It can no longer be acceptable to pat a select few on the back while others either are unwilling or not pushed to change. This does not best serve the whole child or every child for that matter. We must not only make a habit of modeling these practices online, but also in our schools. Isolated pockets of excellence need to become the norm, not the exception. Regardless of your position it is on your shoulders to help usher in change at scale across your respective system to create schools that work for all kids.
June 7, 2015
The Need For Digital Literacy
The following post is cross-posted at edu@scholastic.
With 1:1 technology initiatives and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs increasingly being implemented in schools across the globe, the need for digital literacy education has become more important than ever. Although technology enables students to access more information in much less time, it does not always foster learning. Teaching digital literacy helps to manage all of the benefits of technology while helping students understand how to safely weed through the vast amounts of information online.
Image credit: http://writingforelectronicmedia.wiki...
Technology in the classroom has the following advantages:
Allows students to manipulate information and media to construct their own meaningsEnables students to share their ideas quickly and easilyEngages students of all cognitive levels and abilitiesPrepares students to be college and career readyThese benefits, among others, are why technology has become a major part of the global curriculum. However, teaching digital literacy has its challenges. The aspects of e-safety, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and finding and evaluating information must all be addressed. Many teachers lose sight of creativity and collaboration because Common Core and other initiatives focus on gathering and evaluating information with very little emphasis on creativity.
Educators need to embrace the creative and collaborative aspects of digital literacy. So much great learning happens through the creative and collaborative processes. Bridget Burns, Michael Crow and Mark Becker noted the benefits of collaboration in their article Innovating Together: Collaboration as a Driving Force to Improve Student Success, March 2, 2015. They state that collaboration spurs innovation because bringing together groups of people who have different ideas, approaches, experiences, and areas of expertise creates a fertile environment for generating new concepts and methods. Sharing insights allows ideas to be refined and improved. Charging a group with developing a promising idea incentivizes the group—not just a single individual—to commit to its success and paves the way for trusted collaboration.
Giving students the opportunity to broaden their ideas and experiences opens up pathways of learning that can be extremely beneficial.
Brianna Crowley, an educator in Hershey, PA, successfully teaches her students digital literacy while infusing creativity throughout. She says it took a series of small steps to begin the process. One thing in particular she does is refrain from introducing any new tools into her classroom unless she knows they are going to enhance learning. Often she utilizes tools to engage her students, such as A Google a Day which is teaching her students to search for information in a safe yet creative way.
Another challenge teachers face while teaching digital literacy is the differing views on social media in education. Many schools have strict policies in place to avoid educational use of social media, while others feel that these restrictions are stifling the creativity and collaboration capabilities of today’s students. Dan Haesler, a teacher and educational consultant, believes in proactive social media education, and allowing students to make use of all that it has to offer.
When asked by Common Sense Media about social media bans in schools Haesler replied, “What if we approached driver’s education in the same way?” He concluded: Driving lessons would be taught by adults with little or no driving experience, they would only focus on what not to do, and they would never take place in an actual car. Both driving a vehicle, and navigating the internet require experience and knowledge of safety precautions so as to avoid any major incidents.
The students at Maker’s Place in Homewood, Philadelphia, PA, are a prime example of digital literacy at its finest. Children from the inner city get together to work on their digital literacy through creative and collaborative projects. Instructor Jomari Peterson teaches the students to “take control of your destiny and change the world.” Her students work together to utilize different apps and programs that help them first build a business idea and then use collaborative tools to bring that idea to life.
Although there is no “secret sauce” to effectively help educators teach their students digital literacy, there are some key points to focus on:
Allow students to maintain blogs or webpages that enable them to track their own learning. Google Drive easily allows students to create blogs and sites that they can share and collaborate on with their peers.Have students create digital stories that they can share and publish. Edu.buncee.com is a site where students can utilize hundreds of custom stickers, animations, multimedia and even record their voice into their project so they can make it “their” own, both figuratively and literally. For example, “My Day at the Beach” a student tells her story with stickers and animations and her voice recording. “Come to Istanbul” describes the city and all it has to offer. Getting creative with Buncee is a breeze.
Offer students the ability to email and video chat with students in other countries. Skype Translate allows students to have a real time conversation with immediate translation.Don’t get caught up in the need for strictly finding information and evaluating it. Always allow for creative ways to learn and produce.With the help of great Ed Tech tools and dedicated educators, students can gain digital literacy and become fluent in safely finding and evaluating information, creating, and collaborating.
I'll be speaking about this an other digital leadership issues at the 23rd Annual Model Schools Conference this month. I hope to see you there!
With 1:1 technology initiatives and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs increasingly being implemented in schools across the globe, the need for digital literacy education has become more important than ever. Although technology enables students to access more information in much less time, it does not always foster learning. Teaching digital literacy helps to manage all of the benefits of technology while helping students understand how to safely weed through the vast amounts of information online.
Image credit: http://writingforelectronicmedia.wiki...Technology in the classroom has the following advantages:
Allows students to manipulate information and media to construct their own meaningsEnables students to share their ideas quickly and easilyEngages students of all cognitive levels and abilitiesPrepares students to be college and career readyThese benefits, among others, are why technology has become a major part of the global curriculum. However, teaching digital literacy has its challenges. The aspects of e-safety, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and finding and evaluating information must all be addressed. Many teachers lose sight of creativity and collaboration because Common Core and other initiatives focus on gathering and evaluating information with very little emphasis on creativity.
Educators need to embrace the creative and collaborative aspects of digital literacy. So much great learning happens through the creative and collaborative processes. Bridget Burns, Michael Crow and Mark Becker noted the benefits of collaboration in their article Innovating Together: Collaboration as a Driving Force to Improve Student Success, March 2, 2015. They state that collaboration spurs innovation because bringing together groups of people who have different ideas, approaches, experiences, and areas of expertise creates a fertile environment for generating new concepts and methods. Sharing insights allows ideas to be refined and improved. Charging a group with developing a promising idea incentivizes the group—not just a single individual—to commit to its success and paves the way for trusted collaboration.
Giving students the opportunity to broaden their ideas and experiences opens up pathways of learning that can be extremely beneficial.
Brianna Crowley, an educator in Hershey, PA, successfully teaches her students digital literacy while infusing creativity throughout. She says it took a series of small steps to begin the process. One thing in particular she does is refrain from introducing any new tools into her classroom unless she knows they are going to enhance learning. Often she utilizes tools to engage her students, such as A Google a Day which is teaching her students to search for information in a safe yet creative way.
Another challenge teachers face while teaching digital literacy is the differing views on social media in education. Many schools have strict policies in place to avoid educational use of social media, while others feel that these restrictions are stifling the creativity and collaboration capabilities of today’s students. Dan Haesler, a teacher and educational consultant, believes in proactive social media education, and allowing students to make use of all that it has to offer.
When asked by Common Sense Media about social media bans in schools Haesler replied, “What if we approached driver’s education in the same way?” He concluded: Driving lessons would be taught by adults with little or no driving experience, they would only focus on what not to do, and they would never take place in an actual car. Both driving a vehicle, and navigating the internet require experience and knowledge of safety precautions so as to avoid any major incidents.
The students at Maker’s Place in Homewood, Philadelphia, PA, are a prime example of digital literacy at its finest. Children from the inner city get together to work on their digital literacy through creative and collaborative projects. Instructor Jomari Peterson teaches the students to “take control of your destiny and change the world.” Her students work together to utilize different apps and programs that help them first build a business idea and then use collaborative tools to bring that idea to life.
Although there is no “secret sauce” to effectively help educators teach their students digital literacy, there are some key points to focus on:
Allow students to maintain blogs or webpages that enable them to track their own learning. Google Drive easily allows students to create blogs and sites that they can share and collaborate on with their peers.Have students create digital stories that they can share and publish. Edu.buncee.com is a site where students can utilize hundreds of custom stickers, animations, multimedia and even record their voice into their project so they can make it “their” own, both figuratively and literally. For example, “My Day at the Beach” a student tells her story with stickers and animations and her voice recording. “Come to Istanbul” describes the city and all it has to offer. Getting creative with Buncee is a breeze.
Offer students the ability to email and video chat with students in other countries. Skype Translate allows students to have a real time conversation with immediate translation.Don’t get caught up in the need for strictly finding information and evaluating it. Always allow for creative ways to learn and produce.With the help of great Ed Tech tools and dedicated educators, students can gain digital literacy and become fluent in safely finding and evaluating information, creating, and collaborating.I'll be speaking about this an other digital leadership issues at the 23rd Annual Model Schools Conference this month. I hope to see you there!
May 31, 2015
Finally, an SIS Worth Switching For
I’ve recently discovered an exciting new company called Alma, which has built a groundbreaking new Holistic Student Engagement Platform (an SIS/LMS hybrid) that I believe in so much that I’ve joined their Advisory Board.
Here’s why I’m excited about Alma’s potential to make a big impact on K-12 education:
It’s actually easy to use. You don’t need to be a database administrator or techie to make it work for you. Most of the SIS’s out there are just good enough to get the job done, but take awhile to learn and can still be challenging. Why should we as educators settle for that? We are increasingly accustomed to using extremely intuitive software on our smart phones, tablets, and laptops. Why shouldn’t our school and district management tools be just as intuitive? We deserve this. It saves a ton of time for admins and teachers. We all know how stretched for time we are. If a system’s tools and ease of use can save us just 30 minutes a day, wouldn’t that be a huge win for both educators and students? Think of the positive impact on educator happiness and work/life balance, not to mention the potential gains for student improvement as a result of reclaimed time to focus on students. Many in the K-12 space don’t think an SIS can impact student outcomes, but when you consider the potential time savings for teachers, it can actually have a huge impact. It saves schools and districts money. With most schools and districts using up to ten different systems serving niche needs to operate, a lot of time and money is spent trying to integrate and connect these systems to each other. Because Alma offers SIS, LMS, and communications tools in a single platform, business managers and principals save big by consolidating. And much less is required to be spent on training due to the ease of use. It fosters communication like no other. Alma has woven communications tools into virtually every aspect of their SIS and LMS, so that you don’t have to leave whatever you are doing to engage any member of the community in seconds. Building these tools right into the workflow increases efficient communication, and we all know how important that is for success.'All in one' is the future of school management software. Think about it. How many different tools do you have to remember and save passwords for, not to mention learn how to use? It just doesn’t have to be that hard. With more capability in a single platform, you have less to learn, fewer disparate places to go to get things done, and a simpler existence. Why pass the data though so many systems and put data privacy and security at risk in the process? It’s like going to the doctor’s office and filling in the same information on so many different forms – it just doesn’t have to be that complicated. These are the big reasons I’m so excited about Alma. But don’t just take my word for it – I encourage you to see for yourself at www.getalma.com and requesting a demo. It’s unlike anything else you’ve seen – in a good way.
Here’s why I’m excited about Alma’s potential to make a big impact on K-12 education:
It’s actually easy to use. You don’t need to be a database administrator or techie to make it work for you. Most of the SIS’s out there are just good enough to get the job done, but take awhile to learn and can still be challenging. Why should we as educators settle for that? We are increasingly accustomed to using extremely intuitive software on our smart phones, tablets, and laptops. Why shouldn’t our school and district management tools be just as intuitive? We deserve this. It saves a ton of time for admins and teachers. We all know how stretched for time we are. If a system’s tools and ease of use can save us just 30 minutes a day, wouldn’t that be a huge win for both educators and students? Think of the positive impact on educator happiness and work/life balance, not to mention the potential gains for student improvement as a result of reclaimed time to focus on students. Many in the K-12 space don’t think an SIS can impact student outcomes, but when you consider the potential time savings for teachers, it can actually have a huge impact. It saves schools and districts money. With most schools and districts using up to ten different systems serving niche needs to operate, a lot of time and money is spent trying to integrate and connect these systems to each other. Because Alma offers SIS, LMS, and communications tools in a single platform, business managers and principals save big by consolidating. And much less is required to be spent on training due to the ease of use. It fosters communication like no other. Alma has woven communications tools into virtually every aspect of their SIS and LMS, so that you don’t have to leave whatever you are doing to engage any member of the community in seconds. Building these tools right into the workflow increases efficient communication, and we all know how important that is for success.'All in one' is the future of school management software. Think about it. How many different tools do you have to remember and save passwords for, not to mention learn how to use? It just doesn’t have to be that hard. With more capability in a single platform, you have less to learn, fewer disparate places to go to get things done, and a simpler existence. Why pass the data though so many systems and put data privacy and security at risk in the process? It’s like going to the doctor’s office and filling in the same information on so many different forms – it just doesn’t have to be that complicated. These are the big reasons I’m so excited about Alma. But don’t just take my word for it – I encourage you to see for yourself at www.getalma.com and requesting a demo. It’s unlike anything else you’ve seen – in a good way.
May 24, 2015
Leaders Don't Boss
"Leaders care about why things get done. Bosses just want things to get done. Bosses maintain order for the sake of order. Leaders introduce order for the sake of progress." - Akshay Kapur
Do you work for a boss or with a leader? Are you a boss or a leader? This is an extremely important question where the answer is probably indicative of the climate in which you work and the success (or lack thereof) of change initiatives. The fact of the matter is people choose to be either a boss or a leader. This choice can have a monumental impact on any organization. The image below really got me thinking about leaders vs. bosses:
Image credit: http://msl-cdn.radiantforestllc.netdn...
The image can be interpreted in many ways while helping to bring some clarity on how we can all improve. Leadership is a choice that evolves over time through one’s actions. Leaders look to constantly improve and help others to do the same. Bosses care very little about self-improvement and are more focused on extrinsic motivational factors.
More than one individual
Change does not come from one person. Leaders believe in servitude while embracing the collective strengths and abilities of all people in an organization. They work hard to build a team and use the hiring process to surround themselves with smart people. Great leaders do not shy away from hiring people that are smarter than them and are not afraid to admit it. Consensus and shared decision-making are strategies commonly used to foster embracement for change, which ultimately leads to success. Leaders work tirelessly to build relationships with everyone through collaboration, trust, and respect. The power of many always trumps that of one. Bosses on the other hand expect everyone to serve them. Their specific title and self-perceived power that comes with it leads to a sense of entitlement.
Example moves the masses
Leaders never ask others to do what they are not willing to do themselves. They model the way and use their example as a means to move a change initiative forward. Leaders understand that talk is cheap and opinions do absolutely nothing in the long run to successfully implement change. Their actions speak for themselves and are used as catalysts to inspire others to join in. Bosses command and direct others to do what they are not willing to do themselves. They use talk and rhetoric as the main drivers to force an agenda forward or have others do their bidding. Bosses do not see the inherent value in spending the time and effort to participate in actively building a better culture leading to improvement.
Implement vision into action
Leaders work with others to develop a vision to help move a mission forward. In the case of schools, these people ensure measures of action result in the vision becoming a reality so that all students learn and overall achievement increases. Great leaders focus on the vision for the mission’s sake. Bosses set the vision themselves, usually in the form of a mission statement. They then sit on top of this mission statement and use it to promote themselves when others succeed.
Expect more and work harder
True leaders set high expectations of themselves. They understand by doing so the workload increases as progress is made. Leaders that have raised the bar and let their work be the example motivate and inspire others to do the same. They focus on solutions instead of excuses. Bosses on the other hand expect to reap rewards and benefit from the hard work of others.
Bosses come in many forms, as do leaders. They are not just with people you might work for, but also those in positions of authority. When I look at current education reform efforts across the globe I see endless examples of bosses, but very few leaders. I can also say the same about the social media space. There needs to be less telling educators what to do and more showing them how to do it. If not, then those individuals are no better than many of the bosses that they complain about.
Image credit: http://sinsip.com/st.jpg
Bosses tell others what to do. Leaders on the other hand take them where they need to be.
Do you work for a boss or with a leader? Are you a boss or a leader? This is an extremely important question where the answer is probably indicative of the climate in which you work and the success (or lack thereof) of change initiatives. The fact of the matter is people choose to be either a boss or a leader. This choice can have a monumental impact on any organization. The image below really got me thinking about leaders vs. bosses:
Image credit: http://msl-cdn.radiantforestllc.netdn...The image can be interpreted in many ways while helping to bring some clarity on how we can all improve. Leadership is a choice that evolves over time through one’s actions. Leaders look to constantly improve and help others to do the same. Bosses care very little about self-improvement and are more focused on extrinsic motivational factors.
More than one individual
Change does not come from one person. Leaders believe in servitude while embracing the collective strengths and abilities of all people in an organization. They work hard to build a team and use the hiring process to surround themselves with smart people. Great leaders do not shy away from hiring people that are smarter than them and are not afraid to admit it. Consensus and shared decision-making are strategies commonly used to foster embracement for change, which ultimately leads to success. Leaders work tirelessly to build relationships with everyone through collaboration, trust, and respect. The power of many always trumps that of one. Bosses on the other hand expect everyone to serve them. Their specific title and self-perceived power that comes with it leads to a sense of entitlement.
Example moves the masses
Leaders never ask others to do what they are not willing to do themselves. They model the way and use their example as a means to move a change initiative forward. Leaders understand that talk is cheap and opinions do absolutely nothing in the long run to successfully implement change. Their actions speak for themselves and are used as catalysts to inspire others to join in. Bosses command and direct others to do what they are not willing to do themselves. They use talk and rhetoric as the main drivers to force an agenda forward or have others do their bidding. Bosses do not see the inherent value in spending the time and effort to participate in actively building a better culture leading to improvement.
Implement vision into action
Leaders work with others to develop a vision to help move a mission forward. In the case of schools, these people ensure measures of action result in the vision becoming a reality so that all students learn and overall achievement increases. Great leaders focus on the vision for the mission’s sake. Bosses set the vision themselves, usually in the form of a mission statement. They then sit on top of this mission statement and use it to promote themselves when others succeed.
Expect more and work harder
True leaders set high expectations of themselves. They understand by doing so the workload increases as progress is made. Leaders that have raised the bar and let their work be the example motivate and inspire others to do the same. They focus on solutions instead of excuses. Bosses on the other hand expect to reap rewards and benefit from the hard work of others.
Bosses come in many forms, as do leaders. They are not just with people you might work for, but also those in positions of authority. When I look at current education reform efforts across the globe I see endless examples of bosses, but very few leaders. I can also say the same about the social media space. There needs to be less telling educators what to do and more showing them how to do it. If not, then those individuals are no better than many of the bosses that they complain about.
Image credit: http://sinsip.com/st.jpg Bosses tell others what to do. Leaders on the other hand take them where they need to be.
May 17, 2015
A Time and Place For Buy-In
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t stand the term “buy-in” when it comes to change. It is one of these phrases that has outlived its usefulness, if in fact sustainable change leading to transformation is the ultimate goal. More often than not, this leadership tactic is put into play to get educators on board with specific mandates and directives that have been pushed down from either the state government or central office. In my opinion, this is the only time when looking for buy-in is appropriate because you really don’t have much of a choice in the matter. It is in these situations that leaders have to “sell” others on the importance of change whether or not they actually find value in it themselves. We have to do so by developing a concrete strategy comprised of compelling reasons to get staff on board with these changes even though we ourselves never actually bought in.
Image credit: http://www.bizmanualz.com/wpblog/wp-c...
As a principal this was always a tough pill for me to swallow. I often felt guilty as I addressed my staff with an elevator pitch loaded with reasons as to why these changes were needed. In these situations my role became more about selling change. Thus educational leadership in many regards has morphed leaders into sales reps who have to move an agenda forward even if the outcome will not help to positively transform school culture. It comes as no surprise that initiatives implemented through a buy-in approach rarely are sustained to a point where there is a noticeable lasting impact on culture.
Real change that is sustained does not come from buy-in. If you have to sell people on change then you will always have to spend precious time keeping people bought-in. With buy-in the leader becomes, and remains, the focus of the change initiative. If there is one thing I learned during my time as a school leader, where many successful changes were successfully implemented over a short period of time, it was that change has to be embraced by all stakeholders. When educators have to be coerced through a buy-in approach animosity and resentment often follow.
Our approach focused on putting our stakeholders in a position to experience the value of change firsthand. Instead of a one-size-fits-all methodology to moving the masses to where we wanted them to be, we instead identified those among the staff who exhibited powerful leadership attributes and empowered them to be agents of change. I still provided an overall explanation to my entire staff as to why we needed to change certain things and how we could go about it, but allowed everyone to go at their own pace initially. This allowed me to focus time, energy, and resource on a smaller group of go-getters who I had hoped would be the key. The calculated gamble paid off. This team of teacher and student leaders was put in a position to experience the value of changes we supported as administrators, but they championed through their successes. They owned the process and I shared their successes far and wide.
I might have played my part by bragging about the successes this group experienced early on, but it was their actions that compelled their colleagues to move in a different direction and embrace change. There is nothing more powerful than the act of modeling when it comes to initiating and sustaining change. It is at this point that stakeholders embrace new and different ways of doing work because they want to, not because they have to. The true leaders of change are our teachers and students. Great leaders, in my opinion, remove all excuses by providing the necessary support. Place people in a position to experience firsthand the benefits of the change and they will do the hard work of moving the masses.
Image credit: http://usercontent2.hubimg.com/818724...
Think about changes that you have made on a professional level. Did you have to “buy-in” in order to make those changes or did you embrace them once you experienced the inherent value for yourself? I would guess the latter and that is why the change took hold resulting in an improvement of professional practice. For change to be successful and last the test of time it has to be embraced. The next time you are in a position to implement needed change think about how you will approach it in a way that focuses on embracement as opposed to buy-in.
Image credit: http://www.bizmanualz.com/wpblog/wp-c...As a principal this was always a tough pill for me to swallow. I often felt guilty as I addressed my staff with an elevator pitch loaded with reasons as to why these changes were needed. In these situations my role became more about selling change. Thus educational leadership in many regards has morphed leaders into sales reps who have to move an agenda forward even if the outcome will not help to positively transform school culture. It comes as no surprise that initiatives implemented through a buy-in approach rarely are sustained to a point where there is a noticeable lasting impact on culture.
Real change that is sustained does not come from buy-in. If you have to sell people on change then you will always have to spend precious time keeping people bought-in. With buy-in the leader becomes, and remains, the focus of the change initiative. If there is one thing I learned during my time as a school leader, where many successful changes were successfully implemented over a short period of time, it was that change has to be embraced by all stakeholders. When educators have to be coerced through a buy-in approach animosity and resentment often follow.
Our approach focused on putting our stakeholders in a position to experience the value of change firsthand. Instead of a one-size-fits-all methodology to moving the masses to where we wanted them to be, we instead identified those among the staff who exhibited powerful leadership attributes and empowered them to be agents of change. I still provided an overall explanation to my entire staff as to why we needed to change certain things and how we could go about it, but allowed everyone to go at their own pace initially. This allowed me to focus time, energy, and resource on a smaller group of go-getters who I had hoped would be the key. The calculated gamble paid off. This team of teacher and student leaders was put in a position to experience the value of changes we supported as administrators, but they championed through their successes. They owned the process and I shared their successes far and wide.
I might have played my part by bragging about the successes this group experienced early on, but it was their actions that compelled their colleagues to move in a different direction and embrace change. There is nothing more powerful than the act of modeling when it comes to initiating and sustaining change. It is at this point that stakeholders embrace new and different ways of doing work because they want to, not because they have to. The true leaders of change are our teachers and students. Great leaders, in my opinion, remove all excuses by providing the necessary support. Place people in a position to experience firsthand the benefits of the change and they will do the hard work of moving the masses.
Image credit: http://usercontent2.hubimg.com/818724...Think about changes that you have made on a professional level. Did you have to “buy-in” in order to make those changes or did you embrace them once you experienced the inherent value for yourself? I would guess the latter and that is why the change took hold resulting in an improvement of professional practice. For change to be successful and last the test of time it has to be embraced. The next time you are in a position to implement needed change think about how you will approach it in a way that focuses on embracement as opposed to buy-in.
May 11, 2015
Turn Students from Passive Listeners into Engaged Learners with imakiku
The following is a sponsored blog post by imakiku.
Student engagement that leads to actual learning is the goal of any pedagogically sound lesson. With that in mind have you ever pondered the following questions?
What do the students think while in class?What are students interested in now？How do I know if they are actually learning?
These questions are a major concern for many teachers, as they want to know what the students think while in class. Advances in web-based technologies now offer teachers the ability to answer these questions in a more holistic manner. Today I introduce a new web browser based tool called imakiku, which is sure to enhance formative assessment in your classroom.
Imakiku enables real-time voting, posting, and survey capabilities through the use of smartphones, tablets, or laptops. It is specifically optimized for these mobile devices. Simple, intuitive interfaces make everything easy for both teachers and students alike - from creating and asking questions, making comments, designing and completing surveys. You do not need extra devices. There is no software to download and registration is not necessary. Your students simply log in using the participation code that is provided.
The teacher goes to imakiku.com and prepares the questions.
Students go to sugukiku.com; login and participate.
It’s that simple!
For Teacher: imakiku.com
Here are some more detailed instructions for the teacher:
Before the class go to imakiku.com to create questions and topics for the students to respond to during the lesson.As the class begins, ask the students to use the participation code to log in to sugukiku.com via their devices.During the class the student responses will appear as bold informational graphics in real-time.
For Students : sugukiku.com
Instructions for the students are as follows:
As the class begins students login and participate during the class using their devices. During the class students answer the questions with “one click”. They can also submit comments and questions during the class, which the class can see and “vote” on.You can access a free trial until 12/31/2015 for general use. For readers of A Principal's Reflections the trial is free until 3/31/2016 by using a special code. Visit imakiku, click on the orange sign up button, copy and paste this code in the promotion box: 20150505_ZVMQODFJSA
After you give imakiku a try, please send your comments/feedback to contact@tenmondo.com. They will then better develop imakiku to reflect your feedback.
Once you grasp what your students think in real time, you can begin to develop even better lessons and learning activities based on their feedback. Students will feel more respected when afforded the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in real-time, thus increasing their active engagement. It will enable your class to keep concentration and motivation high. Above all, your students are more likely to enjoy taking your class.
Give imakiku a try and turn your students from passive listeners into engaged learners.
Visit imakiku’s website to learn more!
Student engagement that leads to actual learning is the goal of any pedagogically sound lesson. With that in mind have you ever pondered the following questions?
What do the students think while in class?What are students interested in now？How do I know if they are actually learning?
These questions are a major concern for many teachers, as they want to know what the students think while in class. Advances in web-based technologies now offer teachers the ability to answer these questions in a more holistic manner. Today I introduce a new web browser based tool called imakiku, which is sure to enhance formative assessment in your classroom.
Imakiku enables real-time voting, posting, and survey capabilities through the use of smartphones, tablets, or laptops. It is specifically optimized for these mobile devices. Simple, intuitive interfaces make everything easy for both teachers and students alike - from creating and asking questions, making comments, designing and completing surveys. You do not need extra devices. There is no software to download and registration is not necessary. Your students simply log in using the participation code that is provided.
The teacher goes to imakiku.com and prepares the questions.
Students go to sugukiku.com; login and participate.
It’s that simple!
For Teacher: imakiku.comHere are some more detailed instructions for the teacher:
Before the class go to imakiku.com to create questions and topics for the students to respond to during the lesson.As the class begins, ask the students to use the participation code to log in to sugukiku.com via their devices.During the class the student responses will appear as bold informational graphics in real-time.
For Students : sugukiku.comInstructions for the students are as follows:
As the class begins students login and participate during the class using their devices. During the class students answer the questions with “one click”. They can also submit comments and questions during the class, which the class can see and “vote” on.You can access a free trial until 12/31/2015 for general use. For readers of A Principal's Reflections the trial is free until 3/31/2016 by using a special code. Visit imakiku, click on the orange sign up button, copy and paste this code in the promotion box: 20150505_ZVMQODFJSA
After you give imakiku a try, please send your comments/feedback to contact@tenmondo.com. They will then better develop imakiku to reflect your feedback.
Once you grasp what your students think in real time, you can begin to develop even better lessons and learning activities based on their feedback. Students will feel more respected when afforded the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in real-time, thus increasing their active engagement. It will enable your class to keep concentration and motivation high. Above all, your students are more likely to enjoy taking your class.
Give imakiku a try and turn your students from passive listeners into engaged learners.
Visit imakiku’s website to learn more!
May 10, 2015
Meet Your Stakeholders Where They Are
Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to have an article published in the digital version of ASCD's Educational Leadership. The title of the article was Transforming Your School with Digital Communication. As technology continues to evolve it will continue to become an even more embedded component of society. With that being said it is important for school leaders to meet their stakeholders where they are at and engage them in two-way communications. Digital leadership calls for a multifaceted approach using both traditional and new age strategies to ensure that the right message is reaching stakeholders in a timely fashion. We can't assume nor rely on communication staples such as snail mail (i.e. paper mailings), newsletters, or websites are the most effective and only ways to get information out.
Image credit: http://cw.iabc.com/wp-content/uploads...
In the article I highlight four reasons why all leaders should embrace a digital communications strategy:
Transparency - Leaders can tackle the constant perception battle by providing more frequent and accurate updates about the daily work occurring in schools. This requires sharing challenges as well as successes and opening yourself to feedback from anyone. In the end transparency through digital communications helps to build positive relationships with key stakeholders.Flexibility - A multifaceted digital communications strategy allows all stakeholders a choice as to how they want to consume information and interact with the school. An added bonus is that there are so many free tools such as Twitter, Google+, blogs, Facebook, and Remind that are free for all to use.Expanded access to learning - In my case digital communications opened my eyes to new and more powerful ways to learn. I then began sharing with groups of teachers several ideas, strategies, and tools I'd acquired from my personal learning network (PLN). As our learning culture began to change it was critical that I was able to articulate these changes to my stakeholders.Sharing the good news - Digital communications compliments and/or enhances any public relations plan. In a time when good news about schools is hard to come by in the mainstream media school leaders can now become the storyteller-in-chief. Digital communications act to amplify the successes that are taking place in schools every day.
Image credit: http://www.sais.org/resource/resmgr/2...
To use social media effectively, you need to see yourself as a learner, not just a leader. Making the shift from traditional to digital leadership demands that you question your own assumptions, acknowledge how much you don't know, take risks, and learn from failure. Just as teachers differentiate instruction for a variety of learning styles in the classroom, school leaders should differentiate communication efforts if the goal is true partnerships between home and school. Leaders have the power to shape the culture of schools. Using social media and digital tools as a lever, you can open the door to new ways of learning, thinking, and communicating for all members of your community.
Image credit: http://cw.iabc.com/wp-content/uploads...In the article I highlight four reasons why all leaders should embrace a digital communications strategy:
Transparency - Leaders can tackle the constant perception battle by providing more frequent and accurate updates about the daily work occurring in schools. This requires sharing challenges as well as successes and opening yourself to feedback from anyone. In the end transparency through digital communications helps to build positive relationships with key stakeholders.Flexibility - A multifaceted digital communications strategy allows all stakeholders a choice as to how they want to consume information and interact with the school. An added bonus is that there are so many free tools such as Twitter, Google+, blogs, Facebook, and Remind that are free for all to use.Expanded access to learning - In my case digital communications opened my eyes to new and more powerful ways to learn. I then began sharing with groups of teachers several ideas, strategies, and tools I'd acquired from my personal learning network (PLN). As our learning culture began to change it was critical that I was able to articulate these changes to my stakeholders.Sharing the good news - Digital communications compliments and/or enhances any public relations plan. In a time when good news about schools is hard to come by in the mainstream media school leaders can now become the storyteller-in-chief. Digital communications act to amplify the successes that are taking place in schools every day.
Image credit: http://www.sais.org/resource/resmgr/2...To use social media effectively, you need to see yourself as a learner, not just a leader. Making the shift from traditional to digital leadership demands that you question your own assumptions, acknowledge how much you don't know, take risks, and learn from failure. Just as teachers differentiate instruction for a variety of learning styles in the classroom, school leaders should differentiate communication efforts if the goal is true partnerships between home and school. Leaders have the power to shape the culture of schools. Using social media and digital tools as a lever, you can open the door to new ways of learning, thinking, and communicating for all members of your community.
