​One of the wonderful aspects of being an educator is that once a year we get to have a fresh start.  Every Aug/Sept, we begin anew with a new group of students, and for students, they get new teachers.  At times, we switch to new positions or new schools.  This is one perk of my profession that I relish!  I love being able to revamp courses and assignments, and most of all, I like have a “do over.” 
 
And with this “do over” mentality, I go into the fall semester feeling refreshed and ready – ready to take on all the negatives that seem so insurmountable to overcome in February each year. 
 
For the past few years, I have taken on one particular task to focus on and do well with over the course of the new school year.  Last year I worked on work/personal life balance.  I made a promise to myself that I would not work on weekends.  I would take that time for my own private world.  With the exception of 3-4 weekends, I was able to accomplish it!  My attitude and work ethic changed dramatically.  I realized I had to work harder during the week to get everything accomplished and could not allow myself to be lazy on a random Wednesday afternoon.  Part of this promise to myself meant I had to reap the consequences of not getting work completed if it wasn’t finished by Friday afternoon.  For several months, that was quite difficult to not have weekends to finish up projects or start new ones.  At times, I was not fully prepared for the coming week.  But after being unprepared a few weeks, I quickly got my time in order during the week.  In the end, I was able to enjoy my life each weekend free of the stress of work.  On Monday morning, I faced my students and tasks with a much better attitude.  I wasn’t exhausted by small annoyances so easily.  Ultimately – I was happier.  And that made me a better teacher. 
 
This year my goal is to improve my organization.  I begin each year with everything organized, but then it slips.  I get lazy; I get busy.  I don’t STAY organized.  So this coming year I hope to remain organized even if it takes a few extra minutes each day to get my desk in order for the next day.  I’m taking this on because I think that if I get certain routines in order and established as habit, then on down the road, I will be able to actually save time and stress for myself. 
 
No matter what I pick each year, the hope is always that I will come out a better teacher at the end of nine months. 

It had long since
come to my attention
that people of accomplishment
rarely sat back and
let things happen
to them.

They went out and
happened to things.

-Leonardo Da Vinci

Just as constant as the sunset and sunrise or the push and pull of the tides, another school year has ended and the time for reflection and rejuvenation of summer is beginning.  At this point last year, I was finishing one adventure and headed out for another….at Spring Hill College.  I had no idea what was in store for me. 

This past year at SHC has been a wonderful first chapter, and the reason is connected to my students.  In the beginning they were quiet, and they sat cautiously in class trying to figure out my teaching style.  I challenged them on many levels, and transformed many traditional assignments.  Some of them were nervous; some were excited.  But everyone – everyone – surpassed my expectations. 

I congratulate my graduating students, and I look forward to seeing them in another life as they become teachers.  I will so enjoy celebrating their successes along the way.

Then I realized this week as I talked with my students during their final exams week and prep for graduation, that I am teaching at a school where I can connect with my students and move them forward – move them toward becoming the type of teachers they’ve idolized. 

I know that my SHC preservice teachers will achieve amazing accomplishments because most of the students who have passed through my classes this year don’t just believe the spirit of the Da Vinci quote listed above, but they live it.  And isn’t THAT the kind of teacher you want your child to have?  Isn’t that the kind of teacher you want working next to your classroom?  Isn’t that the kind of teacher you want to hire for your campus?

Those are the kind of teachers I’m fortunate enough to get to mold.  So when people ask me how my first year at SHC has been, I don’t think of me.  I think of my students and how this year has been for them while in my class.  I hope it has been a challenge and hard work.  I hope it has opened their eyes to new ideas and new perspectives.  I hope it has given them an understanding of the responsibility they possess as a teacher.  I hope they experienced that happy exhaustion of accomplishment once turning in the final project, exam, or paperwork.  I hope they  learned.  I hope they evolved. 

I hope my students experienced all of these things and more because I worked hard to make it happen.  I plan on enjoying my first graduation at SHC under the massive oaks.  And then I’m ready to start making exciting things happen for Fall 2014. 

My father always used a phrase while I was growing up: “Just because you’re in a garage doesn’t make you a car.”  Think about that for a moment.  I believe we can apply that phrase to our current model of professional development (PD).  Just because we claim to have PD doesn’t mean it really is working.  The US federal government spends $2.5 billion on professional development.  Once the individual states contribute, the number increases to $5 or $6 billion.  Arne Duncan, the US Secretary of Education, comments: “I'd argue that's by far the worst money we spend.  We get the least bang for the buck."

Now mix into this equation the need for teachers to have ed tech PD.  Teachers are being bombarded with a tremendously mixed signal to make their classrooms more engaging and include 21st century skills, yet the learning provided to them is nothing short of archaic at best.  Teachers are provided PD opportunity a few times of year and typically sit in large rooms and listen to a speaker who is considered an expert.  I’ve been that teacher sitting in that room, and all I wanted to do was get back to grading papers or catch up on email.  I wanted to be anywhere other than sitting in that room wasting my precious time.  Another stumbling block to this current model is money.  School districts do not have the resources to continually train large numbers of teachers and keep them current on ed tech trends.  As a result, many teachers have resorted to spending their own money for training.

Let’s stop wasting teachers’ time and money.  Let’s start empowering them to find the knowledge they need and create effective learning communities with other educators that does not require large budgets or days spent out of the classroom.  

Currently the need for understanding, using, and implementing digital literacies in our modern classrooms is enormous.  And professional development is the key to meeting this need.  Correction: QUALITY professional development is the key.  The current model of PD will not meet these needs.  In fact, I would argue the current model of PD barely keeps teachers awake - much less teaches them anything of value.  I would further argue that professional development could be strengthened by moving it into the realm of authentic professional learning connections.

Some would argue that they have attended PD that has been life-changing.  They have walked out of the training and gone back into their classrooms the next day and implemented new strategies.  Fair enough.  But then what happened.  Nothing.  Connections weren’t established, and learning was rarely shared with other educators or enhanced or expanded upon.  

Recently I attended EdCamp in Madison, Alabama, and they started the day explaining that we would make face-to-face connections that day that could then be fostered digitally.  That idea is meaningful to me because PD is NOT about one day or one hour.  Teachers should be life-long learners, and they are operating in a world that is giving them the perfect opportunity to stay connected.  And by staying connected - they keep learning. Education is changing.  Our students literally have a world of information and knowledge at their fingertips.  And they are using it.  So should our teachers.  Let’s start having PD that is ongoing and can fit into their busy schedules and can be tailored to their needs.  And let’s do it at a fraction of the cost we are currently spending.  

So how does this happen?  How do we transform a model that has been used for so long?  Where do we begin?  What does it look like?

I don’t know all the answers to those questions.  But I do know how to start this change in my immediate world, and here is how I plan to do it.

Change begins with preservice teachers.

Next fall, my ed tech students will design, organize, and present an ed tech conference for other preservice teachers at Spring Hill College.  They will present ideas in short 20-30 minutes presentations.  Hashtags will be required to be used by presenters so as to provide easy organization for participants. Presentations will be interactive and engaging.  Participants will be strongly encouraged to only remain in sessions that are helpful and applicable to them.   Participants will be expected to bring their own devices and use them during the conference.  Instead of simply wearing nametags, participants will be able to display their Twitter call sign in large letters.  The one-day conference will also include a Tech Smackdown (where participants quickly - in 2 minutes or less - share an app that they find particularly useful) and a Tech Connection (learn about who to follow on Twitter and connect with other participants on Twitter).

The model of this conference is very similar to the one used by EdCamps,TeachMeet, etc...  I do not claim that our conference will be wildly different.  I only claim that our conference will now be available to preservice teachers and educators in this area of Alabama.  This conference will focus on helping preservice teachers learn (& practice) how to construct their own learning connections.  That’s how we being to make an impact - by starting with our own corner of the globe.

• The obvious goal will be for participants to learn about ed tech ideas and strategies that can be effectively used in the classroom or somewhat morphed to meet the needs of students.  

• The second and more lasting goal will be to establish connections with other educators so that the learning and collaborating continues.  Those connections can then exist through Twitter or other social media or email or in-person meetings.  Connections are important because learning should only be ignited at this conference; the learning should continue. 

• The third goal will be to provide my students who are preservice teachers with the knowledge and ability to walk into school districts in the future and be teachers who take responsibility for their PD instead of depending on the broken model of sit-and-get sessions that happen a few times a year.  

• And the final goal is to give area teachers an outlet to learn and ask questions and make connections.  I believe education departments in higher education have a responsibility to give back to the K-12 world.  We constantly ask K-12 teachers to welcome our preservice teachers into their classrooms to observe and learn without any compensation.  It is time we give back.

But to make this conference a reality in 2014 and the following years, I do need help.  I need the following:

1. Interested area educators and administrators to contact me and let me know how they can contribute to sessions and what type of sessions are needed
2. Connections with businesses and organizations that can help sponsor the conference by providing food, prizes, general office supplies (and hopefully some really cool t-shirts)
3. SHARE - pass along this info to someone who might interested or can help

Throughout the process I will be collecting data - from my students - from participants - from involved teachers and principals.  I hope to use this data to design a better conference the next year.  Creating an effective PD model for preservice teachers to take part in and help create is the way we empower them as educators.  

Nicholas Kristof writes  in The New York Times this past week about how professors are hidden deep in the university walls and have distanced themselves from integrating their knowledge and skills in the public world: “But, over all, there are, I think, fewer public intellectuals on American university campuses today than a generation ago.”  Sadly, I do think he makes some valid points in this article (http://nyti.ms/1cOO8EM), but I refuse to allow this blanket statement apply to me.  

I’m not hiding.  I don’t have time to hide.  I’m too busy creating teachers who are going to be amazing educators.  Are you interested in helping me?

This morning in class I decided to go out on a limb and share an idea I have for a future project with my students.  I told them my vision and asked for feedback.  And they gave it - eagerly.  They listened and were thoughtful and then gave me some wonderful ideas for turning my idea into a reality.  I kept the vibe going throughout the afternoon when I had some students stop by my office and later when visiting a student teacher at a local school.  

Several ideas came out of these collaboration sessions, but I will only detail one in this blog post.  Stay tuned…more to come!

I've been trying to figure out a way for my preservice teachers (and teachers) to seriously utilize the powers of Pinterest.  After conversations with several students, this is what we put together……

Create a board on Pinterest dedicated to one teaching unit, and put all your resources, handouts, links, etc…. that will be used when teaching that unit on that board.  As you come across resources, you can quickly pin them to your board.  You can easily share your unit with other teachers by just directing them to your board (no need to email a ton of files or links).  Instead of having students create these large and unwieldy black binders stuffed with handouts and lessons, let's use a FREE and easily accessed digital source to organize and store that information.  One of the student teachers I supervise even admitted that he has all those binders stored in his attic.  Do we realistically believe (as professors) that our preservice teachers will crawl into the attic and pour over those giant binders i

Over the past twenty four hours, I have posted several proud tweets about my students' work.  I only picked three videos to highlight with tweets, which is misleading because there were other videos that deserved the same attention.  But I hated to bombard my Twitter followers with constant tweets.  I felt it would be equal to how a mother of a new baby constantly is posting baby pictures. But I AM SO PROUD of my students!  I asked them to step out of their comfort zones; in fact, I REQUIRED them to do so.  They were hesitant and did not know how they would accomplish it, but the results are wonderful!  When you watch the videos (all are uploaded to my YouTube channel), you will see imperfections.  Some videos could have better sound, and others should probably refine the timing.  But those details are not as important to me as the fact that they worked very hard to produce a product about which they had no experience or substantial knowledge.  They had to learn, experiment, and collaborate with one another.  In my opinion, THAT is what teachers are doing every day.