Leading Change? Creating Innovation?

The old saying is that "No one likes change but babies in diapers." (Barbara Johnson) If that is true, how does a district make systemic change? Kotter International states, "Urgency is becoming increasingly important because change is shifting from episodic to continuous. That means there is a constant need for an urgent focus on what is important." Change is around every corner. There is no longer a period of breathing room in education. In North Carolina, it is no different. Our districts are facing very large changes:

• Focusing on 21st century skills
• NC Teacher/Administrator Performance Evaluations
• Common Core/Essential Standards curriculum changes
• Online assessments to be given statewide in 2014

We must communicate a sense of urgency to all education stakeholders. Parents, teachers, students, and community must be involved in how schools do business. They must understand the WHY of change as much as they want to know the HOW of change. Without a sense of urgency, it is easy to put off what needs to be done (spoken by a true procrastinator by the way!). Most change needs immediate action. By waiting, it can compound issues to where you have to climb a mountain to solve a problem rather than a small hill.


When I took my first leadership role, someone recommended I read the book "Our Iceberg is Melting" by John Kotter. This is a very quick read (within an hour) and is presented in a narrative format. Through the example shared, Kotter reveals several steps to bringing about change successfully. These steps have helped me throughout my career. Upon reflection, I realize that I have developed my own off-brand approach.

• Build the infrastructure: As a leader, you must know the political landscape and the resources that you have at your disposal. Are there structures in place for communication? How does everyone collaborate? Find out what is there and see if it can be used to accomplish your goals.
• Know the players, build a team: People are important. If you are not a "people person", education is not the place for you. A good leader will take the time to know the players of the game and figure out how to strategically place them to bring about the best results. Find strengths and play to those. If weaknesses are too great to ignore, figure out how to grow strength in those folks or help them find a place better suited for them.
• Answer the "so what?" factor: Everyone wants to know what is in it for them. Why should I care? I remember asking my own high school teachers that very same question. It is the same for leadership. Teachers have tons of responsibilities on their plates. It is the job of the leader to make connections so that everyone understands how to work smarter. I use the analogy of "Chopped" on Food Network. On the show, chefs are given random ingredients and told to make a meal from them. The key is to make something that tastes good, looks good, and is good. Leaders in schools have to do the same with the different issues, programs and responsibilities on that teacher plate.
• Bottom-up: Change needs to be a grassroots effort. If you can get buy-in by those affected the most, it can be very successful. There is a great video about leadership from the perspective of the "first follower." Although funny, it illustrates perfectly how change can become a movement.
• Top-down: Leaders need to lead change. Period.
• Differentiate for the learners (a.k.a. give them choice): Have multiple methods for teachers to get on board. This might be in timing (letting some go first or let those who need to be last, be last), in presentation of the information (multiple formats), or in application of the change (let them choose where they will contribute to the adoption of change).
• Meet them where they are: Don't make the assumption that everyone is the same. Figure out the needs of your audience/staff and work towards that. My husband is NOT a technology person. He gets overwhelmed with the technical knowledge I have. If I tried to teach him on my level, he would shut down. Instead, it is important for me to teach him something about technology WHEN he needs it or wants to learn it. Then he embraces the knowledge instead of kicking back.
• Be ready to drop back and punt: Not all change will be smooth sailing. Give the change time to take hold but if the writing on the wall early on says that this is not the way to go, don't be afraid to stop the implementation of change and work toward a better solution.

 Image by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mabi/208649874

Read More

Taking My Own Advice...a.k.a. Learning is Important!

When I first came to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, I never missed an opportunity to share the importance of learning something new every day especially when it comes to technology. We talked about Personal Learning Networks and how they can be the best professional development system. Yet sometime in the past couple of years, I have fallen into the "too busy" or "too lazy" rut and have left the seeking knowledge habit to the fabulous team I work with.

So last week, I attended NCTIES as a participant (have been on the board for several years and wasn't able to attend sessions). I presented a session with Dorene on TPACK and PLCs but then I spent time on my learning. It started with an awesome smackdown of tools run by Steven Anderson and Richard Byrne (list found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l651HXTK0lmvx7WPsq-CMe2q_gPR3C8SEg208LOPm3A/edit). The format of this session was perfect to motivate and inspire! I attended sessions on Eportfolios, the NC Teacher Evaluation System and tools for teachers online. I plugged back into my Twitter PLN and used my Pinterest addition for good (http://pinterest.com/mrhgaddis/ncties-ideas/). I used the rest of my time to connect with others- vendors, co-workers, and the most awesome PLN ever (the NC Ed Tech Chat group). By time I went home, I was exhausted but rejuvenated and ready to focus again.

This weekend, Steven posted a link on Twitter to a Lifehacker post: http://lifehacker.com/5892446/dedicate-30-minutes-a-day-to-learn-something-new. Taking time in my day to learn is so important to my attitude, focus, and creativity. Rekindling the passion for learning has made a huge difference for me this week. I need to continue and not allow myself to fall off the wagon.

If you are not spending your 30 minutes, try it. There are a few things to remember:

1. Find a tool that works for you. When I started this process 5 years ago, I chose Twitter. The quick and easy to read messages allowed me to have personalized PD whenever I wanted it. Some people like reading and subscribing to blogs, others use Facebook or other social media tools. I don't even care if you use print. Just find a tool that lets you learn in the best way you can.
2. Connect to others. In Twitter, I found people I admired in technology and followed them. Then I followed the people they followed.
   
3. Be a part of the conversation- don't lurk around. No one likes a stalker! :) If you read blogs or other sites, be sure to connect with the authors through commenting. Share what you know.
   

You will be amazed in how learning new things can inspire and motivate you even when you face burnout or adversity. So if you follow me on Twitter (@mrhgaddis), Facebook or Pinterest, beware. I am on a mission to learn. Join me.

Read More

Are you addicted yet?

My name is Marlo Gaddis. I am addicted to Pinterest.



Pinterest is the latest tool for organizing and sharing content on the web. Visualize a large corkboard where you can collect ideas, plan events, or find inspiration. Now make it digital so that you can browse the ideas of others. Add a dash of collaboration and you have Pinterest.

By connecting with your social media accounts in Facebook and Twitter, you can easily find your friends, family and co-workers. As they pin new things, you can see what they find valuable on the web. Most people have boards that sort by recipes, books to read, fashion, home design, and much more. But as always, smart educators are finding a way to make this tool a great way to collaborate with other educators. As a former elementary school teacher, I love seeing my educator friends and co-workers share lesson ideas, posters, crafts, websites and so much more! The best part about Pinterest is that the links are visual so that you don't have to guess what they are.

If you have a smartphone, you can download the Pinterest app in the iTunes Store or in the Android Market.

Read More

Knowing What's Right- Part 2 of 4

Last week I wrote a post that posed the question:

Are we using the RIGHT tools at the RIGHT time with the RIGHT people?

Let's focus this post on the RIGHT TOOLS. We all know there are plenty of tools we can use in teaching and learning. There are web-based tools, software, hardware, print resources, writing utensils, manipulatives and so much more. The question is how do we know what is the RIGHT tool?

Our district, like many I am sure, have studied Robert Marzano and his Classroom Instruction That Works book. We even have the 9 High Yield Instructional Strategies incorporated into our Classroom Walkthrough data. The biggest ah-ha! moment for me as I learned about the strategies came when I heard him speak about the erroneous understandings most people have about his research.

Marzano tells educators to stop viewing the strategies as a checklist that has to be done every lesson/day/week. Even the best strategy when used can produce negative results. Teachers need to know which tool to pull out of their toolbox for the right situation (which I will address in the next posts). To apply this reasoning to the use of technology or instructional materials as a whole is very appropriate. There are times when the best tool to use for teaching and learning may be to use a pencil and paper (I realize as a technologist I am committing blasphemy here). The key to planning is to start with the curriculum FIRST and then find the right tool. The lesson should never be about the tool. We do not start planning a math lesson saying, "What am I going to do with this pencil?" We need to match the tool to the content not the reverse.

The job of a teacher is to make sure he/she has the knowledge of what tools are available and how to best apply that tool. This can be done through workshops, reading professional journals and magazines, talking with other teachers, sharing on Facebook and Twitter, and so many other ways. For me, Twitter became the learning network I tapped into early. There I get short (140 characters or less) bits of information on resources that others are using and how the may have implemented it. The most satisfying part is being able to pass that same information on to others easily. One of my closest friends is a media coordinator/guidance counselor in Virginia. She follows my Facebook and Twitter feeds and then shares it with her staff at school.

Having a personal learning network (PLN) can be the key to understanding what are the RIGHT tools. I use my PLN to find tools that others are successful with integrating into the curriculum. Below are some of my favorite posts (found through Twitter over time and saved in Diigo):

The Technology Toolbox: Choosing the Right Tool for the Task By Kim Cofino
http://kimcofino.com/blog/2008/01/19/the-technology-toolbox-choosing-the-right-tool-for-the-task/ 

State of New Jersey Department of Education Technology Toolbox
https://www13.state.nj.us/NJCCCS/TechnologyToolbox.aspx
 
70 Tools in 70 Minutes Presentation by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano
http://langwitches.org/blog/2010/03/29/70-tools-in-70-minutes/ 

50 Web 2.0 Tools Your Students Want You To Use
https://sites.google.com/a/students.halldale.org/tech-tool-reviews/family-profiles/design-tools/cr

Once a teacher understands the tools available and fills his/her toolbox, the next stage is to understand the RIGHT TIME to use those tools.

Read More

Knowing What's Right- Part 1 of 4

Several months ago, I presented a session called "What Makes a ___ Teacher?" at the NCTIES conference in Raleigh, NC. During the presentation, we discussed the new Teacher Evaluation instrument created by McRel for the NC Department of Public Instruction. This instrument is aligned with 21st century skills (as outlined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills) and includes the integration of technology. As teachers and administrators were trained on the new instrument, there was an outcry from many stating that they could not be held accountable for these skills if there was not a high level of technology readily available for use at their schools. There was also a wide scope of what schools considered to be Proficient to Distinguished. The goal of my session was to narrow that understanding and start a conversation that could be spread statewide.

The key to understanding what can and should be done with technology integration in schools is standards. ISTE updated the National Educational Technology Standards for students, teachers and administrators over the past several years. These standards were created and reviewed by educators from all over the country and include scenarios of how they look in schools (even includes my friend Cathy Evanoff and the work she does in Nags Head, NC). When our district was trained in the instrument and we looked at technology's role, I asked our administrators to consider whose standards they were using to measure their teachers- our school, district, or do we look at the bigger picture?

If we understand that issue, we then need to understand what is happening in a classroom. The success of technology integration relies on three things...

Are we using:
The Right Tools at the Right Time for the Right People?

I will be sharing my thoughts on this over the next few posts. I would love you to be part of a conversation that delves deep into how we help support teachers with this growing problem!

Read More

How Do I Know I Know?

Assessment is not a new trending topic in education. As teachers, we use various methods of assessment tools to try to figure out what our students know/learned or how well we taught a particular objective. Multiple choice, true/false, and other paper and pencil testing methods are prevalent in schools. However, in schools that believe in Problem-Based Learning or Project-Based Learning, teachers have to be more creative and flexible in how they assess their students.

This morning, our district Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services (Dr. Meg Sheehan), shared a resource for rubrics that was more extensive than I have seen in a while. The website was developed by and for the University of Wisconsin-Stout for their online professional development. They offer quality rubrics on using web 2.0 tools with students, collaboration evaluation, writing, multimedia, webpages, gaming, and much much more. I recommend that you check it out!

http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.cfm

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/409924867

Read More

Becoming the Change

One of my favorite quotes of all time is:

"We must become the change we want to see in the world." Mohandas Gandhi

At this time of the year, conversations revolve around New Year's resolutions and making change in our lives. And although I have been in education over fifteen years, I don't think I have ever been a part of a school or district that takes this time to refocus/discuss/rewrite their mission for change. It seems sort of natural, a "doh!" moment (to quote Homer Simpson). Educators continually talk about change and what needs to be done, but rarely do we do temperature checks along the way. It usually takes a report being due for us to look at what we said we would do and re-evaluate.

I recently wrote on my personal blog about Defining 2011. Taking inspiration from Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project, I developed my own 12 Personal Commandments. What if every classroom, grade level/department, school, district developed their collective commandments? What would that look like? Would there be consistency from the ground up? Do we know what our mission for change is? Does every member of the team know and believe?

The Instructional Technology Division will be developing our own list of commandments and we will share them next week on the blog. Be on the look out! But in the meantime, how are you going to become the change you want to see in your school(s)? What commandments will you follow to get there? Please share with us!

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamfish/3368619008/

Read More

Centricity 2 is coming!

This week, Melissa Edwards and I attended an workshop on the latest version of the Schoolwires Centricity 2, our district web hosting solution. When we transitioned to Schoolwires in March, we knew that a newer version was soon to follow. It was very exciting to hear how much the company has listened to its clients as they developed Centricity 2. WSFCS is currently scheduled to begin our upgrade on December 29, 2010. I would like to share just a few of the changes we will see once the upgrade is complete:

• You will no longer have to navigate to your allowed section to login and see Site Manager. You will be able to login to Site Manager from anywhere and it will open what you have rights to edit.
• Groups can be created by webmasters to better able sharing and collaboration. They do not have to be linked through LDAP.
• Webmasters will have the ability to unlock their users rather than waiting for district staff to do so.
• Hierarchy of pages will be drag and drop.
• Webpage design will offer editor layouts where you can choose to add specially designed sections like widgets (called apps). This will allow teachers to have more creativity in how pages are laid out but will also allow for sharing of apps (with live updating). For example: If I teach first grade at my school, I can create an app for our first grade team calendar. I can share that app with my team mates, have them add it to a page and then as any of us update the calendar, it changes on our page. This can be done for podcasts, news events, and much much more!
• We will be able to push certain events to collections of schools or teachers. We can push events up, down, and sideways! (up and sideways will require approval)
  
• Each site will have the ability to see the usage statistics for their own site.
• Webmasters will be able to create short urls for sections.
• Content Moderation- we will have the ability to approve content before it posts. For example: a teacher could create a page for a project at school and give students rights to edit. Before those changes show live, the teacher will have to approve the changes.

There are many other new aspects! Stay tuned for more updates!

Read More

Time to Learn

It has been awhile since my last written post and I find that each day it becomes harder to take the time to sit down, think, and write. As technology advances in school, I seem to have less time for it and on most days, that is frustrating. You see, I preach to the folks in my office how it is important to spend a part of each day learning something new. I love to be on the cutting edge of new technology resources and yet that is something that doesn't happen without some time management.

I say this in part because I have spent the past day and a half in a SMART Lesson Developer workshop for our district teachers. Last night (Friday) and today (Saturday), 14 teachers have been learning about best practices in developing Notebook files and incorporating the SMARTBoard in their classroom routine. They are talking and sharing and learning new things. Every few minutes you can hear someone say, "Wow" or "That is so much easier!" Teachers, like me, have less time for their own learning as the demands of the classroom increase. We had many more slots for teachers to participate and as the time has passed, the teachers here say they wish more people had taken the time to come.

I want to be creative and think outside of the box to give teachers that time that they so desperately need to play, learn, create, and share. That is difficult for me as I am not a school-level administrator yet at the district it is my job to do just that. How do we find time for such a valuable resource when time is already at a premium? I would love to hear about district and schools who have examined this problem. How do they evaluate the use of time and budget it wisely? How can you get the most benefits (student achievement) with so little? How do you prioritize?

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robbie73/4244846566/

Read More

What makes a great facilitator of learning?

For the past 2 days, we have been working with WSFCS principals on best practices with Classroom Walkthroughs, Reflective Meetings, and Data Feedback. As a district, we use Teachscape to gather data on instructional practice in our classrooms. For the past three years, we have done a great job at getting into classrooms but we have not used the walkthrough data with teachers as much as we would like in order to improve student achievement.

As part of the workshop, Leslie Baldwin asks the groups to develop a non-linguistic representation for a great facilitator. Each group worked on a list of characteristics that included:

• good listener (doesn't talk much)
  
• organized
• serves as a guide
• open minded
• respectful
• comforting
• energetic
• neutral
• asks guiding questions
• sees the big picture

Some of the groups had fantastic ideas for their non-linguistic representations. We had drawings of farmers, sherpas, big-earred heads, and much more. One group of middle school principals even came up with a song! In our first session, however, one of the groups developed a visual that I cannot get out of my head. So much so that I cannot say the word "Facilitator" correctly without really thinking about it. As part of my speech therapy, I developed an image to help others remember "Phyllis Tater," facilitator extraordinaire. Phyllis has eyes (for vision), ears (for listening), is comforting (who doesn't love mashed potatoes?) and when steering the boat with the oars, provides guidance to those around them.

What do you think makes a great facilitator?

Read More

Moving on up!

The administrative staff for WSFCS recently listened to Chip Madera talk about coaching employees. He shared that leaders/coaches should work to develop people up, over, or out. We should be growing leaders and helping them become highly effective.

One of the best things about my job as Director of Instructional Technology is working with the fantastic people in our department and in the schools. In my first year, our team hired two great technology facilitators from within our district. For the past two years, they worked with the team to build our instructional technology integration and training in the schools. Both focused on implementing long-term, sustainable technology integration staff development in over 20 schools (about 25%) and building our Online Learning PD Environment in Moodle.

Their efforts and talent are not going unnoticed. Although WSFCS is losing two leaders in instructional technology, they are moving up to higher education to affect more educators, staff, and students. I wish them both the best of luck and know they will do WSFCS proud!

We will begin the hiring process again this week. If you or someone you know are interested in joining a fun, hard working team in instructional technology, be sure to check out the Employment link at the top of the WSFCS website (http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us). It will be posted by the end of the day today.

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordon_mckinlay/

Read More