3-21-14

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

"Unless school technology enables students to do more, solve more difficult problems & make better decisions, it's of little use!"  Marc Prensky

It's a shame that this class isn't using Technology to enhance instruction!

LOOKING FORWARD-THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW...

•3/24 Skyline Walkthrough (Team 2)
•3/24 Leadership
•3/24 Grade 3-6 Evening Math Staff Development @4:15
•3/25 Solana Santa Fe Walkthrough (Team 3)
•3/26 Solana Vista Walkthrough (Team 1)

EDUAWESOME DROPS IN OUR BUCKET...

•Oh My Gosh-What an exciting week in the Instructional Services Dept.  We had so much fun visiting Carmel Creek, Solana Highlands and Solana Pacific.  The walkthroughs were amazing!  Thank you Matt, Terri and Elysa for planning such a productive day for all of us! We should all be so proud of our teachers!  They are working hard, taking risks and providing our students with an unbelievable education!  Check out the pics down below. Also, follow me on twitter @julienorby to see what the rest of the world learned about your school!
•Thank you to Caroline for planning and facilitating the Secretary/Clerk JobAlike meeting!
•Kudos to Shabir and his staff for making the District Office Administrators look like we know what we are doing at the Staff Appreciation Pancake Breakfast!

•Yeah Sal!  I do believe this is the first time in MANY years that we were able to notify our Temporary Teachers that they will have a contract next year-Before Spring Break!
•A big hug to Kristie for arranging lunch for the principals during our early lunchtime Leadership Meeting!  How nice for everyone to be together...and get to eat lunch at a decent time-sitting down no less!!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK 

•Marc Prensky (Digital Natives/Digital Immigrants) talks about FUTURE-cation.  The video is not very polished, but the message is worth the 11 minutes!

BLOGS, TWEETS and PINS-OUR VERY OWN PLC

Another great person to follow on twitter is: TerriDavis@CC_Cougars

Timely Articles for Principals
•8 Things we know better but do anyway...
•100 Action Steps for Today's Busy Principals
•Twitter for Beginners-Especially Educators-Easy Video to watch and understand

Timely Articles for Teachers
•What is Student Engagement?  5 Rules of Student Engagement
•Teaching Students to Embrace Mistakes
•What Makes a Great Teacher

FINAL THOUGHTS TO PONDER

"You want to become more passionate?  Surround yourself with passionate people." hmmm...Who are the passionate people in your life?  Are you someone that people consider as passionate?  Just Pondering....

Pics from the Walkthroughs-All I can say is WOW!!

 Can you say Pictures, Numbers and Words?!

 So Many Strategies,
 So Little Time!

How many ways can you
 show the number 8?

 We all could remember these simple
"2nd Step" Strategies for Calming Down!

Isn't it nice to know that our students have so many tools available to support their math understanding!

3-7-14

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

"Yesterday's Future is Here!"

LOOKING FORWARD-THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW...

•3/10 Leadership with a Twist!  SBSD Draft:  Start Time 2:30-Don't forget your staffing cards-see Terry Deckers Email for more information
•3/11 Tech and Music Job Alikes
•3/12 Secretary/Clerk Job Alike
•3/13 PE, Science, Art Job Alikes
•3/13 School Board Meeting 

EDUAWESOME DROPS IN OUR BUCKET...

•Thank you Angie Tremble for setting up the amazing "Field Trip" to Design 39 Campus-The new Poway "Outside of the Box" School opening in the Fall.  Absolutely amazing and inspiring!  Check out their website-(link above)
• A Drop in the Bucket for John Leland for all of his efforts to coordinate the visit to Los Altos to see their STEM project in action!
•Congratulations to our new TOSA's:  Cara Spitzmiller and Katy Anderson-We are so lucky to have them join the Instructional Team in SBSD!
•Thank You to Carlos for gathering the "dollar data" on various Staffing Scenarios to support some innovative thinking!
•Kudos to Sal for meeting with the Temporary Teachers and giving them the "low down" on the process and what they can expect in the upcoming weeks and what our process for "re-hiring" looks like.
•Drop in the Bucket to Becky Gauthier who has been dealing with a group of disgruntled parents-She has handled the situation with grace!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK BLOGS, TWEETS and PINS-OUR VERY OWN PLC

•Teacher's Guide to Using Videos

BLOGS, TWEETS and PINS-OUR VERY OWN PLC

Another great person/site to follow on twitter is:  @Wonderopolis 

A great site that provides daily "Wonders" for kids-Wonderopolis

Timely Articles for Principals
•10 Conversations You Need to Have in Your School
•5 Ways to Make a Change Happen Faster

Timely Articles for Teachers
•The Things that Linger After They've Forgotten Everything You Taught
•3 Simple Strategies for More Rigorous Instruction

•5 "Degrees" to becoming a Common Core Ninja 

FINAL THOUGHTS TO PONDER

I would also prefer the newest and most current practices

hmmm...What tools/practices are we still using that might be outdated...Just Pondering...

Too Funny...Or Not...

Is this You?  Do you know someone like this??

Let failure motivate you...A rejection letter to Bono from a record label in 1979!

2-28-14

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

21 Quotes That Will Change the Way You See Education

Education allows you to see better...

LOOKING FORWARD-THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW...

•3/3 Leadership Cancelled-Enjoy the gift of time!

•3/10 Leadership-Bring 3x5 Cards (see sample in Leadership Notes) for the SBSD Staffing activity. Also, please bring your proposal for how to compensate teachers for additional closure of the Computer Lab as it relates to SBAC.  Consider how much "additional" time students are missing their lab time, based on amount of time lab is closed compared to when we did STAR testing.  REMEMBER-SBAC takes the place of STAR.
3/27 FREE Online 2014 Virtual School Leadership Summit-Click on Link for more information-Thank You Angie for always keeping us on the cutting edge!

EDUAWESOME DROPS IN OUR BUCKET...

•A Drop in the Bucket to our K-2 Teachers for the active participation in the Math Training this week! And to those principals who were able to attend!! Great for our teachers to see us learning right along side of them!

•Kudos to Terry Decker for supporting the Media Center Teachers and the Lab Techs to better understand the upcoming SBAC Testing protocols!  He makes all of this so comprehensible for everyone!

•Gotta Love our Tech Dept!  Check out these 10 Steps that Technology Directors can take to stay current...So Validating that our Tech Dept is ON IT!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK BLOGS, TWEETS and PINS-OUR VERY OWN PLC

•Free Video Series: High Performance Instructional Leadership (Justin Baeder)

BLOGS, TWEETS and PINS-OUR VERY OWN PLC

Another great person to follow on twitter is: Patrick Larkin @patrickmlarkin

"ANATOMY OF A TWEET"

Timely Articles for Principals

•How Do You Define 21st Century Learner? 

•Flipping Faculty Meetings (PD) Page

•Everything You Need to Know About SAMR in 3 Graphics

Timely Articles for Teachers

•3 Instructional Learning Strategies for Distracted Readers

•Myth:  Flipped Learning is All About the Videos!  NOT!

5 Strategies to Teach Listening

FINAL THOUGHTS TO PONDER

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more and become more, you are a leader!" John Quincy Adams

Just Pondering...all of the amazing ways that the SBSD administrators inspire each other and our staffs...What do you think?

Too Funny...Or not...

 

Not Every Student Whose Mind Wanders is Lost..."

Hmmmm...Just Pondering...

2-14-14

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK...

"In a fast moving field like technology there are NO "best practices." Only "good practices" & the need to continually invent better ones."

Marc Prensky

LOOKING FORWARD-THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW...

•2/17-2/21 Enjoy Your Break!!!
•2/24  Board Update and Topics Due
•2/24  Leadership
•2/24 & 2/25 TK-2 Common Core Mathematics Professional Development-Which one are you attending?  (<:
•2/27 (9:00-11:30) SBAC Testing Meeting with MC Teachers and Tech Lab Teachers
•2/27 (4:00-5:30) ACSA Social Gathering @ WineSteals in Cardiff

EDUAWESOME DROPS IN OUR BUCKET...

•Congratulations to Jerry Jones-Solana Ranch Staffing is well on its way!
•Thank you to All of our Principals and members of Cabinet who attended the STEM Envision Team Meeting!  Thank you also to Caroline, John, Angie and Jo for working with me to plan and debrief the meeting.
•Kudos to Carlos and Terry Decker for an EDUAWESOME presentation to the Board on LCFF & LCAP!  You two ROCKED!!
•Yeah for all of the teachers and administrators who attended the iPad Summit-Two EDUAWESOME days dedicated to celebrating and digging deeper into how technology can support effective Teaching and Learning.
•Congratulations to Elisa and the Solana Pacific staff for being granted a Distinguished School validation visit!  Yahoo!!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

•From Janitor, to Teacher, to Principal...All at the same elementary school!  Great Story!

BLOGS, TWEETS AND PINS-OUR VERY OWN PLC

Pin Me:  Be My Valentine Great ideas to support Valentine's Day to teach social and emotional learning + fun crafts and recipes.  (I know that this Pinterest Site is a little late for this year, but maybe for next year...

Timely Articles for Principals

•10 Little Things That Make a Huge Difference
•The SAMR Model in Real Life 
•What Dog Sled Teams Can Teach Us About Leadership 
• Making Time to Lead and to Learn:  Action Step for Busy Principals

Timely Articles for Teachers

•25 Things to do Before/During/After Reading 
•Thomas Edison's Insanely Ambitious To-Do List 1888 ...And We Think That Our To-Do List is Ambitious! 
•Let the Games Begin! Have a Learning Olympics in your class/school. (PS our filter block this site...but you can access the site at home.  Worth the effort)

FINAL THOUGHTS TO PONDER

•"Principals don't have all of the answers, but can engage, support, ask Questions & Listen! Affirm, clarify & continually LIVE the vision."

@Bill Sterrett

hmmm...Just pondering, about all of the ways that we as Instructional Leaders model this concept...

Too Funny...

1-31-14

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

"When you were made a leader you weren't given a crown, you were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others."  -Jack Welch

LOOKING FORWARD-THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW...

• 2/3-DELAC mtg-Thank you to everyone for getting their parent names to Melani!  We are going to have a great turn out!
•2/3-Leadership (Admin Professional Development-LCFF/LCAP)
•2/3 & 2/4 TK-2 Evening Common Core Mathematics Professional Development-Plan on attending one of the trainings.
•2/4 & 2/5 iPad Summit

EDUAWESOME DROPS IN OUR BUCKET...

•Thank you to Lisa D. and the Skyline Staff for hosting our Walkthrough.  Such great things happening at Skyline-So evident that everyone is working on the Shifts-especially in Mathematics!  In the words of one 4th grader..."I get it NOW!!"  And isn't that why we all went into this profession-for the moment when the light bulb goes off for a student-it was an honor to witness that moment this week!
•Congratulations to Lisa Ryder and Tabor Samuelson who were selected to be our Summer Enrichment Principals!
•Thank you to each of the principals who were able to attend the 3rd-6th grade Mathematics training this week!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

•Just Add Rigor!  It's not as easy as we sometimes make it sound...

BLOGS,TWEETS AND PINS-OUR VERY OWN PLC 

Another great site to follow on twitter is: Connected Principals @conprin

Timely Articles for Principals
•5 Questions to Evaluate Curriculum for Rigor
•21st Century Educational Technology Classroom Infographic
•7 Myths About Rigor in the Classroom

Timely Articles for Teachers
•Don't Discount the Use of Lecture as a Teaching Strategy-How to make it an effective tool in our Teaching Tool Box
•12 Rules the Best Teachers Live by...

FINAL THOUGHTS TO PONDER

"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." Ralph Nader
Hmmmm...Imagine what our schools would look like if Principals embraced this philosophy with their staff; and teachers embraced this philosophy with their students...Just Pondering....

TOO FUNNY...

SAMR-STARBUCKS STYLE!!

1-24-14

Quote for the Week

"Personal Greatness is what we want to instill in children.  Teaching these simple traits is key to a growth mindset!"  -Jerry Jones, Principal of Solana Ranch-via Twitter @jerryjonesranch

Looking Forward-Things You Need to Know…

1/27/14  Walkthrough-Skyline School
1/27/14  New Principal Meeting to Review February Calendar & Events @ 12:30
1/27/14  Leadership-Thank You Becky for bringing the Snacks! Be thinking about "how much time specific grade levels should have for a pull-out?  ie: Kinder 30, 40 or 45 minutes? 6th grade 30, 40 or 45 minutes?  Is it the same for each grade level?
1/28 & 1/29  Grades 3-6 Common Core Mathematics PD (Which day are YOU attending?)

EduAwesome Drops in Our Bucket… 

•Hooray for Lisa Platt and Becky Gauthier!!  The Walkthrough team had a blast at each of your schools!  Our teachers are really stepping out of their comfort zone and trying new things!  And our students are increasingly being the ones "doing the work!"  Gotta Love it!!

•Thank you AGAIN to Terry Decker for another EduAwesome parent presentation on the Common Core!  Great turnout at Skyline-Including 3 hecklers-Julie Norby, Nancy Lynch and Lisa Denham!  Just kidding-we were very well behaved!
•Yeah for John Leland who was finally able to hook up a conference call with the Palo Alto School District-It was a blast picking their brain about STEM in their Elementary Schools-Can't wait to set up a time to visit them and see it all in action!
•Our TOSA's ROCK!!! The amount of technology integration into the classrooms was markedly higher (and more transformative) during our Winter Walkthroughs than in the Fall.  Every principal credited that, of course to their teachers' willingness BUT also to the EduAwesome work of our TOSA'S!  These two ladies are really making a difference in our schools!

Video of the Week

•  5 TED Talks Teachers Should Watch

Blogs, Tweets and Pins-Our Very Own PLC 

Another great person to follow on twitter is:  @Billsterett

Timely Articles for Principals

•  8 Things We Know Better Do Anyway
•  The Advantages and Disadvantages of Having Computer Labs in our Schools 
•  Can We Teach Grit? 

•  Short on Time?:  100 Action Steps  for Today's Busy Principals

Timely Articles to Send out to Teachers

•So, I gave up Punishment and My Students Still Behaved 
•10 Tips for Slowing Down •Positive, Not Punitive, Classroom Management Tips•5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students

Final Thoughts to Ponder

School becomes more student-centric when adults realize that "covering content" and "discovering content" are opposites. Hmmmm....We noticed a lot more instances of students "discovering content" on our Walkthroughs this time!  Just pondering the power of continuing to look for opportunities to praise your staff when you see this happening...

Too Funny...

1-17-2014

Quote for the Week

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do."  Steve Jobs

Looking Forward-Things You Need to Know…

• 1/20/14  MLK Holiday-Enjoy your day offf!!

• 1/21/14  MAP Assessment begins!

• 1/22/14  Solana Santa Fe Walkthough-Team #1

• 1/23/14  Solana Vista Walkthrough-Team #3

• 1/27/14 The Great Kindness Challenge Week begins?  Have you registered?  Need More information?  Click Here!

EduAwesome Drops in Our Bucket… 

• Kudos to Terri Davis, Matt and Elisa!  Everyone LOVED visiting your sites this week!  We talk about looking for trends across the district as we do these walkthoughs-and I am noting many trends! Primarily, I noticed an overall excitement for teaching and learning at each of the schools!  Teachers are genuinely excited about what and how they are teaching!  Additionally, it was apparent that teachers are taking risks and trying new things; collaborating with each other and implementing what they are learning during Apple PD and the Common Core Math Trainings!  So fun!

• Thank you to Jerry, Lisa D, Terry D, Mary Ellen and Nancy for attending the first Envision (STEM) team!  The committee is very excited about their task and I have no doubt that they will come up with something AMAZING!

• Congratulations to the Negotiations Team (Lisa D, Terry Decker, Sal, Carlos, Matt Singley, Katie Zimmer, Jeff Montag, Vicki Pilling, and Becky Gauthier)  Rumor has it that a Tentative Agreement has been written!  YEAH!!

• Hooray to our Grades 3-5 Teachers who gave up their evening to come to the Dinah Brown math training!

• Positive Energy for Mary Ellen-I know that she has been working diligently on a very tough case!

Video of the Week 

• TedTalk Tony Wagner talks about the importance of Play, Passion and Purpose in our schools!  Very Powerful!

Blogs, Tweets and Pins-Our Very Own PLC 

10 Leadership Resolutions to Make It a Very Good YearWhy Collaboration and Communication Matter

Another great site to follow on twitter is:  @Kidsforpeace

Timely Articles to Send out to Teachers

Teach Kids to Use the Four-Letter Word? (Great Article on G-R-I-T)
100th Day of School Resources (Feb 5 marks the 100th day of school)

Final Thoughts to Ponder

21 Day Instructional Leadership Challenge (click on the link...its' not too late to join)

Pondering how everyone did with week 1 of the 21 Day Instructional Challenge?  What did you think about Justin's comments re: Classroom Walkthroughs?  Were you able to get 10% of each of your classrooms and leave a note for the teacher?  This all made me think about our Book Study (Kim Marshall's Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation) last year and the importance of frequent classroom walkthroughs AND specific feedback to the teacher. 
I was "pondering" and wondering if a "face-face" with the teacher might be more powerful than a note?  It would be interactive and open up the conversation about teaching and learning-SO...I tried it this week-after each of our school walkthroughs, I engaged in at least one conversation with a staff member about something that was happening in their classroom-The teachers were so excited to elaborate on what was going on and the conversation was rich and interactive!  Made my walkthroughs even more meaningful and powerful not only for them, but for me!  Then again, we all know how much I value the power of a handwritten note...Hmmm...Maybe a combination of follow up Notes and Conversations might be something to strive for...Just Pondering...