#14 Edmodo

I have really liked what I have seen with Edmodo and the ability it has to connect students, teachers, and administrators. With  society's new found love of social networking having an educational social network seems like a no brainer. Edmodo has an app for the iphone that allows people to connect with each other and keep track of educational things going on in their classes at the touch of a button. With the ever growing need for instant information why would a website like this not be beneficial. Parents can connect to keep up with their children's assignments and contact the teacher. Questions can be posted for others to see and respond to. Administrators can see what is going on in the classroom and be able to see how connected their school is. Connect to Edmodo and connect your classroom and school to the community.

#13 Procrastination

What is it that keeps most people from staying on task and getting their work done? Is it the same things that our students face in our classrooms? Some people are very task oriented but most are just like me and struggle to stay on task and finish the work in front of me. I've learned that if I don't find the task relevant or pertinent that I place no priority on it and inherently wait to the last minute to get it done. Our students face the same things in school. They are not challenged enough to make the work pertinent to them or a priority. As teachers and educators I think that it is imperative that we change the way we look at assignments and grades and place the importance on learning rather than completing an assignment. If we make the information relevant the assignment will become of greater importance to the student and then the grades will come. So the next time we assign something we need to ask ourselves what is the goal of this assignment. The assignments mean nothing if they are not relevant.

Resistance to Technology

Why would a teacher resist using technology in their classroom? Its the greatest thing in education in the past 100 years. Could it be that the teacher does not know how to use or incorporate the technology? If I had a resistant teacher I would ask them why and determine how we can ease their concerns. From the conversation I would figure out if the technology was a good fit for the teacher and look to see if there are other options that would suit the teacher better. I would arrange for professional development to train teachers and show them how beneficial the technology can be if they give it a try. The most important thing would be to show them why we want them to use this and how we think it will help student achievement. Teachers have to understand that we are dealing with students much more technologically advanced than we are. They are different learners and we have to engage them differently. This video makes it very clear that we need to change our approach and leave the white boards behind.

Miracles happen every week

For the past few years I have been apart of something that has changed my life for the better. Once a week I help coach a baseball team for students with special needs as part of the Miracle League. We have a brand new ball park off of Bob Wallace. My team the Hot Rods are children from all over Huntsville but includes 4 students from Buckhorn. The purpose of this league is to give kids who have been excluded from sports a chance to play. When I started helping out with this program I never would have dreamed that it would be something that consumed my life. For a long time I have been one of those people that looked forward to College football season starting each year and lived for it. In the past 3 years I look forward to Miracle League starting more than football season.

I tell you all of this because I went down there to help in hopes of making a difference in someones life. Instead these kids have made a difference in my life. I have always encouraged my students to come down and give it a try if they have time. Many students have come down to help thinking it would be a one time thing and found themselves there every week. I have seen students graduate and still show up to play and help every week because it changed their lives. Miracle League is contagious and if you come once you will come again and again.

This past Monday we finished up our Fall season with a double header. The first game was a regular season game against another Miracle Team. But the second was versus the Buckhorn Varsity Baseball Team. The team came in full uniform to the surprise of the kids. Along with team came other student organizations that brought food for a celebration after the game. It was the largest crowd in Huntsville Miracle League history with students sitting everywhere. The Bucks lost 54-5 but after the game said that it was the best loss of their baseball career. Its amazing how special a group of students can be and how a school can come together to create memorable moments for everyone. The picture is of everyone from BHS that were involved. Go Hot Rods and Go Bucks

#10 Principal's Principles of Technology

As an administrator the idea of integrating new technology into the curriculum is a very exciting idea. With the excitement comes the fear of how to integrate it with great success. To integrate successful technology into the curriculum means that an administrator must have a set of rules that apply to the technology. I would first ask myself if the technology is backed by research and has proven results. Then I would go to the teachers and ask what they think of the technology and find out if they are willing to use it in their classrooms. If the teachers are not willing to use it then the money should not be wasted on it. Another principle would be is there professional development available to train the teachers to use it successfully. And then how would we measure the success of the new technology.

#9 The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round

Every teacher should be required to drive a school bus a couple of days a week. Driving the bus has given me a greater appreciation for students and the conditions that they come from. I have the pleasure of driving a route through the roughest neighborhood that feeds our school. It is not scary or uneasy cause at the end of the day they are all still just kids. These kids get on my bus everyday and I have learned that they have much better attendance than students from more affluent neighborhoods. Most of them live below the poverty level and come from homes that are broken. But these kids get on the bus with a smile everyday cause they are going to school. School provides them an escape from the reality at home. I have seen drug deals going down and people smoking crack on their porches. But somehow the students on my route ignore all the bad things that are going on around them and instead try to make something of themselves by getting an education. So remember before you judge a student and make assumptions about why they are the way they are you should take a ride on their bus and see for yourself.