Tell your story: Listening to Podcast - A Passion for Storytelling and Equity with Ken Shelton

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT BIG IMPORTANT THING TO SHARE?
"Story telling needs to be more amplified. Make sure your story is appropriately represented and distributed. You tell the story in the capacity that would be proud of that tells the real story and not someone else's." - Ken Shelton

This was the last question that Creative Learning Strategist, Barbara Bray of Rethinking Learning, asked Edtech Team keynote speaker Ken Shelton in the podcast A Passion for Storytelling and Equity with Ken Shelton. The entire podcast, in fact, had great passion with the moderator, Barbara, and Ken Shelton. Speaking on topics ranging from Mr. Shelton telling his life story, how he got into education, and eventually his drive behind educational technology, in particularly, how educational technology can impact minority students.

There were many viewpoints in the podcast. In fact, I was so moved by it, that I created a topic in my Online PD Google Classroom (called Troy Academy Online), asking my fellow administrators, teachers, and outsiders who are apart of the classroom, to review the podcast and begin a discussion.

A question that stood out amongst teachers, that I have worked with during my professional learning sessions, is in regard to how school systems use certain jargon to distinguish students. Is there really an equitable divide when schools use the terminology AP, Honors, remedial, and then regular classes? To me, this is intriguing because at times, when educational technology professional learning opportunities are brought into the school, by default, some teachers instantly think of which student group - AP, Honors, regular, etc. - would benefit and actually learn from those skills learned. For instance, when you enter a classroom and suggest a great app to use or a new project to try, I see the look on a teacher's face as they think and say, "which period would this work best" or "this may work for my AP students".

I can get deeper into that topic (maybe for another blog post). However, the last part of the podcast was just as much intriguing. As the conversation is ending, Mr. Shelton speaks on how the impact of technology in the classroom, if use effectively, can give students a voice.

"...In an ideal equitable environment, you have to have technology so each and every student has a platform for their voice. How many stories are going on right now in classrooms that we don't know?...I would like to see telling stories more amplified. If you don't tell your story, someone else will."

This message has carried me from the time I listened to this podcast, and prayerfully, throughout my life. What is your story? How do you represent your story. Can you represent your story, in a way that you are proud of and that no one else can tell?

We all will have different stories. From the administrator who strives to promote equity and equality in their school system, to that teacher who works overtime to give his or her students an engaging and impactful day that makes students not want to leave the class. To the technology directors (shout out to my TC family), who make sure the network and all devices are operational, and no one notices it. Everyone has a story to tell which is great, but make sure it is YOU that is telling the story.

Be sure to tell your story and how it is impacting your students and possibly the world.

A Passion for Storytelling and Equity with Ken Shelton : Rethinking Learning

Evening Out: Chats on the Square

On a Thursday night, students of Troy City Schools, along with teachers and community members, got together and had a chat. This particular day, called Chats on a Square, was inspired by the popular Ted Talks, but with a twist. Instead of just having talks, different genres of art were displayed. There were music selections, poetry, artwork, and inspirational speeches at Chats on the Square. You heard dialogues from University professors, songs and acting from dram club students, and powerful poetry and speeches from several individuals from Troy City.

To top off the evening, were two motivational chats from community members who grew up in Troy, went to school, and are now key figures of the City of Troy.

This year's Chats on the Square, was based on having powers; powers of persuasion, purpose, process, and the power of poetry and prose. The evening started off with a light selection of music by Henry Everett. After Mr. Everett's selection of jazz music, senior Kat Deal performed several songs with her guitar. This sparked the interest of the community as they walked downtown Troy, which led some to sit and listen.

The MC for the night, Ms. Elizabeth Huggins, welcomed everyone and gave a brief synopsis of what was in store for the night. Each session had a teacher to give their thoughts on a particular power, followed by selections from students and other community members.

Carrie Rice gave a revelation on why it is important to express yourself through poetry. She was followed by two students, who recited poems, which placed them in this year's Poetry Out Loud competition. Sherrell Walker, a senior for Charles Henderson High school, performed "Living", while Reagan Gross, a junior, performed "A Poison Tree", by William Blake.

Mrs. Judith Park, Theatre teacher for CHHS, allowed us to take a sneak peak at some of the upcoming attractions, she and her class will be performing. Their first selection was "Someone in the Crowd", from La La Land, followed behind a scene from their upcoming play "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. Both selections had the crowd applauding and laughing at the humor from the selections.


 

During the middle of the night, there were more chats and dialogues from community members, Mr. Quinton Cockrell of Troy University Theatre Department, gave an outstanding dialogue; Mallory Hughes and Marley Park, owners of Confetti Crate, spoke on perseverance and how they are where they are today; Charlotte Walden explained the process and journey it takes to create a work of art; Pam Smith, a retired teacher, explained the joys and benefits of traveling the world.

To persuade the crowd, Ms. Huggins explained the different ways of persuasion, and was then followed behind three presenters, that made you shake your head in agreement with their thoughts and words. CHHS senior, Orion Nokes, had everyone believing that "reaching for the sky" isn't enough anymore. He spoke on the importance of having programs in school such as FBLA and how it influences him daily.

Ending the night, were the keynote presenters for Chats on the Square. It began with an introduction by Mrs. Casey Moore, as she explained that there is so much time we have, but aren't using it at all. That the time we have in a day, after work and before bed, is critical to our growth as a person, whether it is growth to your family, growth to your own business or even yourself,  we all have time. This was followed by Dan Smith, of Troy Parks and Recreation, and Mitchell Sneed, owner of Suso Enterprises.




"Its ok not to be liked when it lines up with your purpose. Your movement sometimes, everyone will not be okay with it. But that's fine. Because this is your purpose...you define who you are". These were some of the passages from Mr. Sneed's message for the night, as he challenged everyone to define their passion, know who you are, and continue to let your passion drive you.

Classroom Design: Flexible seating with a Cup of Coffee

You walk onto Charles Henderson High School's campus. You take a right and head towards building 200. Now, if you aren't familiar with the campus, you may find it difficult, as I did when I first came to Troy City Schools, to locate building 200.

But once you get there, you enter classrooms with unusual settings. There is coffee brewing, pitchers of water, smart televisions, and books (not textbooks) as you enter the classrooms. There are student stations, couches, and even antique tables and chairs in some of the classrooms. These flexible, or comfortable seating arrangements, gets rid of the old ways of teaching. Traditional classrooms are normally designed in rows. The following teachers, explain why they decided to change their classrooms from traditional to a more flexible, "comfortable" setting.

"Have you sat in a desk for over 30 minutes? I want them to feel comfortable in my classroom. Lots of times, we may have conversations where Ss need to be in a place where they feel comfortable expressing themselves. I want them to feel like they can talk to me and/or their classmates. They have to learn to articulate their thoughts and how to be good communicators to people they work with and their bosses in the future. I'm just trying to foster the environment. Also some students can get too uptight and too stressed about school. I want education to be fun, and I want school to be a place where they feel relaxed and laid back....somewhere they look forward to going. Selfishly, I teach best when I feel comfortable... I am sure they learn best when they feel comfortable!! I really did it for everybody! So far, so good. -Mrs. Allie Singleton, English 

"I want my classroom to inspire confidence and creativity. I want students to feel excited to come into my room and I want them to feel like it's their space as much as it's mine. I want them to feel like they have some freedom and choice when it comes to where they sit, read, rehearse, or record videos. The tall tables in our Learning Lounge simulate a cafe at a bookstore. The couch, coffee maker, and dim lighting in our Green Room allows students to feel relaxed and open to reading or rehearsing their lines in peace. My new wall of mirrors gives my room a professional feel that inspires my performers take class more seriously when it's time to polish pieces. Overall, I want them to enjoy and look forward to theatre class and I think the new design helps with that." -Judith Park, Theatre Teacher

"In a more student-centered classroom, the students feel valued; they know that they matter and that we want them to feel comfortable in their surroundings. I, also, like that the students feel comfortable taking control in the classroom and co-teaching." -Casey Moore, AP English

Empower and Engage

Summertime is normally a time for relaxation. Yet, for most Technology Directors, this our time to prepare for the upcoming school year. Now I know there are several employees, like administrators, Central Office personnel, and others, who can argue that they are just as busy. But, I would say refreshing devices, technology planning, scheduled meetings, and Erate paperwork can take up an entire summer. So we are excited at the beginning of the school year, if we don't get tons of calls of complaints and issues.

One thing that I was able to do more of this summer, was read. Out of the many books I've read, one sticks out to me, and is the driving force for this school year. Now, I am not big on being a critic, or giving book reviews. That's not what this post is about. But, I do want to recognize the powerful reading of The Innovator's Mindset, by George Couros. One thing about being a Technology Director, you have to have some type of knowledge with Educational Technology. This can hurt some, because a lot of TDs have a technical background. I also have a background of technical skills, but was told that my "mindset" had to change. I had to understand how administrators and teachers view technology usage in the classroom.

That advice was given to me well over six years ago (thank you Dr. Chris Blair). Fast forward to today, my driving force as a Technology Director, is to make sure that I can not only manage the network and make sure all data is secure, but I also strive to work with administrators and teachers so they can understand how to truly integrate technology.

I have always preached to administrators and teachers that in order to really make change and great things to happen in a school, first and foremost, the culture and the mindset has to change. Most school systems miss this idea, by thinking that throwing technology in the schools, without proper training, will solve the problem of student achievement. It actually makes it worse. The mindset of your school system comes first. So what does this mean? Well, of course, I have my own theory behind this. But reading The Innovators Mindset has really open my mind to thinking differently as well. In fact, before reading further, I can't say if the idea came from Mr. Couros, or if it was a thought of my own. So, once again, I am going to thank Mr. Couros for writing this book, and apologize that I am not truly siting and reviewing his book.

After reading The Innovator's Mindset, two words stick out to me; empower and engage. Now being Technology Director, and slowly comprehending educational technology, I always encourage teachers to engage. "Engage your students, engage other teachers, engage the community", and the list goes on. But, I never thought about empower. As a matter of fact, I was in awe when I read that you "should empower your students first, then engage them" (yes, that is all George Couros). This one statement alone, has put me on a roller coaster ride for this school year and now I have a different tune for teachers and administrators. We have to empower students more in the classroom.

Now I don't feel that empowering students means giving them full control over your classroom. We all know how that will end up if you did. But we do have to change our "mindset" and understand that students do need some type of say in the classroom. I think that was the entire reason years ago, we began bringing mobile devices into the classroom. Was it not the wondering minds of the students, and the way they feel comfortable receiving information from technology, is the main reason we all went down this path? So now that we are here, let's make sense of it.

"Empowering students means giving the kids the knowledge and skills to pursue their passions, interests, and future." Engaging students "means getting kids excited about content and curriculum". So I can see where the two have to work together. AND, how empower has to come first. Because we can engage our students all day, but ask yourself at the end of your lesson, are they pursuing your passion, or theirs?

So, the mindset that I encourage our school district to begin changing (it's not going to happen overnight) is to find ways to empower our students. Let's take some of the control off, let's migrate from a teacher-centered classroom to a flexible seating, student-centered one. Give students privilege to have ownership in the class at times, meaning they can lead the discussion. Give student choices, but real choices that will still meet your standards. Continue to reach out to other teachers who are doing great things and collaborate with them (tell them Mr. Anderson sent you).

Closing, because I am not a teacher, I always ask, what are you doing currently that you feel is empowering and engaging your students? What are you planning on doing if you feel you aren't empowering and engaging? Are you willing to help other educators who need guidance?

Have fun in the Sun! #SummerSelfieBingo #TroyCS2017

School is out and teachers are enjoying their time off! But as we all know, there really isn't much time off, as teachers and administrators prepare for the upcoming school year. This includes summer professional development. Here at Troy City Schools, we are looking to help our educators with their professional development for the summertime. What better way to get started, than to join the #SummerSelfieBingo Challenge!

The Rules.

1. Participants need a twitter account to play.
2. Share your pictures from the bingo challenge using the hashtags #SummerSelfieBingo and #TroyCS2017. (Please use both so we at Troy City can all enjoy the photos).
3. Use the following link to get your Bingo Board.
4. No double selfies can be used on the board (use a different selfie per bingo slot).
5. Try to get as many Bingos as possible; in fact, try to fill the entire board before summer is out!
6. Encourage others to join, and maybe take selfies together.
7. Enjoy your summer, and any other PD opportunities you attend.

SARIC and Satsuma School District Summer Technology Bash

I am thrilled to be one of the trainers for this year's SARIC (South Alabama Research and Inservice Center) Technology Bash in Satsuma. I would like to thank Jana Hoggle, for having me (and taking a chance lol). This will be one of the many training sessions that I will be presenting this summer.

My session, By the Power of G-Suite, will focus on educators sharpening their skills with G-Suite, from organizing Google Drive, to creating quizzes with forms. We will even look at Google's new feature, Team Drive, and then we will dive into Google Classroom.

Troy Academy

Troy Academy Day at Troy City Schools

It's 7:45 in the morning. The parking lot is filling up at Charles Henderson High School. Administrators, teachers, and others are getting out of the cars and are heading to the cafeteria. As you walk inside, you are greeted with a warm smile from some of the Central Office staff, as they asked you politely to sign in before you take your seat. Is this the beginning of school all over again? No, it was Troy Academy Day!

Troy Academy Day, was designed for all of the educators of Troy City Schools. The day started off with a keynote of gratitude. Dr. Lee Hicks, Superintendent of Troy City School, delivered a great keynote, where he was thankful for all of the staff members and their hard work at Troy City. "Now, for us to get you all together like this again, that all we have to do is feed you, we will make certain that we bring out the entire pig, so we can have all of the sausage, bacon, and ham for you guys. But, seriously, thank you". The teachers definitely felt appreciated as the lines for breakfast grew. More than anything, it was a time to just chat and relax.

Then the excitement began! Teachers were sent over to Charles Henderson Middle School to begin the teacher-led sessions. What was great about Troy Academy, was the fact teachers from all three schools were able to interact and collaborate with each other on topics that interested them. Blogging, Skype, Flipgrid, Chrome Apps, gifted, and Reality Pedagogy, were some of the topics that teachers discussed at Troy Academy. When I had time to walk through the classrooms, I could see the excitement on teachers faces as they listen to topics, lead discussions, and ask questions.



"If you are uncomfortable with their culture, they are uncomfortable with yours too". This was a powerful statement that one of the teachers made during a session. Casey Moore, teacher at Charles Henderson High School, said this during her "Hip Hop" session, as she explained to teachers the benefits of using the Reality Pedagogy model. She referenced her work to Dr. Chris Emdin, Associate Professor in Mathematics, Science and Technology, at Columbia University, who is also the author of For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood.

Overall, with all of the sessions and collaboration, I feel that Troy Academy was a success. We even had teachers who never used social media before, create accounts, and even use our hashtag #TroyAcademy. Hopefully we can continue to grow this community of Professional Learning at Troy City Schools.

#TroyAcademy

What is a Leader? By Clint Anderson

This topic that I am about to speak about is more serious than any of us may realize. We have to cease the moment with a sense of urgency.

 I would like to ask each of you a simple question.  What is a leader? What qualities does a great leader possess? Are some of us born with innate leadership qualities? In actuality this is a very complex question. Perhaps when we hear the word leader, we think of a person who always does what is right even if they are alone in their

Credit: alice-photo/Shutterstock

endeavors. Good leaders are innovative and are always seeking new ways to better themselves and others around them. Great leaders are constantly seeking new ways to evolve to new levels of thinking.

When I hear the word leader several people come to mind. Mother Teresa was a great humanitarian and leader.  Whenever I think of great leaders, people such as Alexander the Great, the great African King of Mali Mansa Musa, Napoleon, former presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama come to mind. Let’s move away from the historical figures. There are great leaders everywhere. The student body president of the local middle school is a leader just as the captain of the basketball team is a leader. What qualities did an unknown state senator from Illinois possess that made people want to follow him in 2004?

Edwin Friedman is famous for saying, “Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands the vision of the future.” In my humble opinion there are two types of leaders; those who lead people to achieve higher standards and those who lead people down the wrong path”.

I am going to share a secret with you all. Most of us in this room are educators or worked with students in some capacity and that makes each of leaders.

Some of the most impressive leaders that I have ever met in my life are educators. I recently read a book about becoming a better educator. The book is titled “TheLeader in Me”. In the book the authors discuss the 7 Habits which are based on timeless principles. This means that regardless of a person’s nationality, age, creed, ethnicity, health or economic origins, the principles can be applied to varied circumstances. These principles are hundreds of years old. I can guarantee that they will not cease to exist anytime soon. If an educator masters these principles they can in turn teach them to their students.

The first three habits are to be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first. If we master these habits we can teach our students to be more independent. These first three habits teach discipline and responsibility. They also help individuals to take control of their lives and gain needed independence.

The next three habits are win-win, seek first to understand, then to be understood, and synergize. They include skills for conflict resolution, respect, problem solving, ethics, honesty and openness, teamwork and valuing diversity. The aforementioned habits help us to realize that we live in an interdependent and global society.

The last habit or principle is the whole person philosophy. It focuses on the health of a person. This last principle is very important. It is known as sharpen the saw approach. It teaches us to care for the body, heart, mind and spirit. This includes our mental and physical wellness, emotional stability, desire to learn, social skills and even having fun. As I stated earlier if we can master these steps in our lives, and model them for our students we can began the process of teaching them how to transform their lives.

·      For this discussion I referenced thebook “The Leader in Me” by Sean and Steven Covey.

Questions to ponder:

1.    Where do you see yourself in the chain of command in your learning community, regardless of what title is in front or in back of your name?

2.    What motivates you to go further in your learning community?

3.    What makes a person an effective leader?

4.    Are people born leaders or do we become leaders?

5.    What I am doing to help my learning become progressive?

6.    What am I doing to empower my colleagues?

7.    What is my end goal within my personal learning community and am I really moving towards them?

8.  Being a leader is all about motivating and guiding people toward accomplishments. But how do you know if you're actually getting "leadership" right? - See more at: Are you an Effective Leader? 

Edcamp Phirst

Had a good time with this bunch at edcamp Phirst. This small group of educators had interesting discussion on education of today. We were able to discuss some of the best practices that goes on in their classrooms, to using different applications and websites to enhance learning. Some of the key points at the edcamp included that educators need more professional learning to assist them with learning how to engage students in the classroom. Classroom management has become a challenge, that we all agreed upon, that should be handled together. From policies that are put in place by the administrators, to network security by the IT team, and even from lead teachers working with new teachers, we all have a part. 

Some of the topics discussed at this edcamp, included tools that the educators can take back with them and use in their classroom. Screencastify, a popular video recording tool, was one of the main discussions at the edcamp. Educators were thrilled at working together as they recorded their desktop screens and spoke into the laptops. It was exciting to watch them playback their videos and show them to each other.

To end the edcamp, we used one of my favorite apps, Flipgrid, as our exit ticket. Flipgrid, is a tool used for students to ignite conversations with each other and their teachers. This quick 90 second video can do wonders when it comes to sparking the excitement of students to give their answers in the form of a video. The educators of edcamp Phirst really enjoyed using Flipgrid to thank the sponsors and organizers of the camp.

Google Classrooms and Lesson Plans

Google Classroom and Lesson Plans

Creating lesson plans with Google Classroom is an effective way for administrators to help organize and receive information from teachers. Lesson planning is vital for teachers in the aspect of having guidance in the classroom so teachers and students can follow what's going on in the classroom. Click here to read more.

AETA Winter Conference and ALCTO

It's always a great time for the Technology Directors to get together to learn from each other. These past few days, I had the privilege of meeting with our AETA group during our AL CTO training and Winter Conference. The AL CTO training for this week, actually tied into our Winter Conference message. Technology Directors in the Beta group had training on CTO Roles and Responsibilities, and Laws, Ethics, and Policies.

Both of these courses were great and it was definitely something we technology directors needed to talk about. The role of the Technology Officer has evolved over the years. What started out as probably a simple position, which was mainly given to a librarian or teacher with technology skills, has drastically changed. During the Winter Conference, AETA spoke of these roles and majority of the room agreed with those duties. "If it plugs into the wall, or powers on, we are responsible for", was the phrase that we agreed summed up our position. However, with the AL CTO training, we learn, that it's more than just that. Well, a lot more.

The goal of the training, was not to bash how much work we have as technology directors (well, yes it was, just a little), but it was to get an understanding of it and how we can help each other, when we are lacking in those roles. It's obvious, that the technology director position can become quite overwhelming. Those who have a technology background, struggles with understanding education; likewise, those with an educational background, has no clue about technology. That is why it has been extremely helpful that technology directors in the State of Alabama get together and work out these obstacles.

 #alcto #aeta17 #aeta

This year's Winter Conference, was also a celebration. We celebrated the technology directors who were certified in the CTO cohort. We celebrated the vendors, and thanked them on working with us on our needs and the needs of the students for our school systems. Without them, we wouldn't be able to get the devices or software we need for our students. We celebrated each other. Anything, small or large, that has happened in someone's district, we celebrated. From 1:1 initiatives, to upgrading network equipment, we celebrated. We especially celebrated our biggest accomplishment known in our AETA group; the Alabama Ahead Act or what's also known as the WIRED bill. This celebration is actually seen in the faces of students. Students who smile as they turn on their devices. Whether it's a tablet, a laptop, or chromebook, we are thankful for this Act. We are thankful to see the students when they are engaged and are learning from teachers in these classrooms. This Act, made it possible for majority of the school systems in Alabama, to upgrade existing network equipment and wireless. Also, schools were able to purchase devices for the students.

I, especially, am celebrating the committee who thought to make this possible. Speaking for my school system, in Troy, we are thankful. We have been able to advance our initiative at our school, and give the students and teachers the chromebooks they need to increase student achievement. With upgrading our network infrastructure and wireless, Troy City Schools now has the wireless capacity that we needed to move our initiative forward. So we say thank you, and we celebrate!