Get "Connected"!

So as the dust settles from Edcamp Leadership and the reflection begins, I think of all the meaningful conversations that took place yesterday (not to mention the fact that we may have contributed to a hour long Twitter crash...but that's another story).  Anyway, if you couldn't make it to the "unconference", here is the link to their website for some of the after-thoughts: http://www.edcampleadership.org/


If you want to skip over all of the Academy Award-like love, such as the "thank you to all of our sponsors..." and get right to the heart of the matter, you may want to check out the google site mid-way down the page that lists all of the session topics and the contact information of the presenters/fascilitators.  I recommend "Flipping The Faculty Meeting" @Damian613 (on Twitter), especially if you are looking to take your faculty/department/administration meeting and turn things "upside down".

Speaking of admin meetings...while sharing some thoughts with my principal, who happened to be on the Edcamp Organizing Team, I was give the pleasure (and challenge) of leading a discussion on why it is important for school leaders to "be connected"...I am assuming she meant technology and not any "Godfather" stuff!  I am obviously excited to do it because I love to share my ideas (although my brother will say it is because I like to hear myself speak), but I do not consider myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination!  What the hell am I going to say that will be poignant and meaningful?!?  After the initial panic subsided, I decided to gather some information from a few known experts on the subject.  Please see below:

Michael King, Principal, Dodge City (KS) Middle School http://digitalsandbox.weebly.com/

Patrick Larkin, Principal, Burlington (MA) High School www.patrickmlarkin.com

Eric Sheninger, Principal, New Milford (NJ) High School http://www.ericsheninger.com/

I follow all three of these guys on Twitter and frequent their websites.  Let me tell you, they have done some amazing things and have equally amazing resources to share.  Please, do yourself, and your school a favor and check-out what they are doing and saying.  I will certainly reference them in my upcoming discussion with my administrative team.  Also, I will share there two powerful blog post (in addition to my own...not so powerful, but hopeful post) which really helped motivate me to branch out as a digital learner.  See below:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-PLNs-school-leaders-george-couros

http://21stcenturylearning.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/letter-to-my-co.html

I will close with the words of Dean Shareski, another educator I follow on Twitter, who really sums up why social media in education is not only a good thing, but absolutely necessary if we hope to reach and teach our 21st Century learners.  By the way, the 21st Century in already more than ten years old...it's time to "get connected"!

"By opening up your own learning to the world, you will be surprised not only how your knowledge elevates, but how your passion for teaching and learning will benefit as well."  - Dean Shareski

How do you like your PD served?

So today I attended a professional development workshop on de-escalation strategies in school.  It was delivered by my colleague, Jack Marcellus of the CCTS, Pennsauken Campus.  He did a nice job fascilitating a discussion on crisis prevention.  The twenty-or-so attendees shared personal experiences and brainstormed on what strategies worked for them.  All-in-all, it was a good and worthwhile workshop and I am glad I attended.  I have to be honest, though.  Jack began the PD standing in front of the room speaking, Power Point a-blazing, and I thought to myself, "OH NO!  NOT ANOTHER ONE OF THESE!"  To my relief, it was just his way, albeit very traditional, of "setting the table" for the day's discussion.  It goes to show you that inspite of all the critics of traditional education models, when used skillfully, they can be very effective.

Tomorrow, I am heading up the NJ Turnpike to the NJPSA headquarters for the Edcamp Leadership "Un-conference".  Nothing could be much more un-traditional then the Edcamp PD delivery method, where the schedule is...TBD, the presenters are...TBD and the "Law of Two Feet" always applies (read below).  Sound crazy?  Here is an excerpt from their website, www.edcampleadership.org/:

    "Edcamp Leadership is a free unconference for school leaders devoted to K-12 education issues and ideas. Its goal is to assemble forward-thinking school administrators, board of education members, classroom teacher leaders, parents/community members – anyone interested in K-12 education – for a day of conversation, reflection and inspiration...If at any time you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing: Give greetings, use your Two Feet and go do something useful. Responsibility resides with you."

I don't know exactly know what to expect, but I know and work/have worked with several of the Edcamp-ers, so I also know it will be great! I also know that it will not be, "your grandfather's professional development workshop" and for some, that may be scary.  For me it is an exciting change of pace and a possible sneak-peak into the future of teaching and learning.  If you cannot make the trip upto exit 8-A, you should follow some of the discussions that are bound to make you think differently.  If you are apart of the "Twitterverse",  follow along at #EdcampLeadership.  If not, check out the website (above).  Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream...why not have more than one flavor of professional development? 

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". 

-Lao tzu    (http://www.quotationspage.com/author.php?author=Lao-tzu)

A famous quote from a famous Chinese philosopher that sums up the beginning of my blogging career.  I know, many of you established bloggers who are (hopefully) reading this may be thinking, "awefully late to the party, Shappell".  Yes, it is true, and although I am a firm believer in being early to most things I suppose I am taking the "better late then never" approach to blogging. 

I never really thought of myslef as a writer.  After all, I never thought I had very much to say of any importance, but after reading far to many twitter postings to count from the likes of Patrick Larkin (@partickmlarkin) and Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal), I realized that true educational leaders must be a part of the "bloggasphere", "Twitterverse" and other social networking environments.  By the way, if you are reading this and you are not following the two aforementioned school leaders...what the hell are you waiting for?  Great stuff!

I hope you read, I hope you comment (like or dislike...agree or disagree), I hope you share, and I hope you take this journey with me as part of my professinal learning network.  Follow me on Twitter: @robshappell, e-mail me at robshappell@gmail.com, or just check in from time to time on Adminsanity.  A thousand miles is one hell of a journey.  Why not walk together?

mailto:robshappell@gmail.com
Twitter:@robshappell