It was one year ago today and I only did it because someone dropped the gloves. The Director of Information Management Services (@dj_turner) challenged me. How can you lead a portfolio with technology when you don’t know anything about social media? About Facebook, Linked in, Twitter, etcetera? It was something like that—perhaps not phrased quite…
The Prezi Party
My calendar was pretty full but the teacher was strategic. She sent me an email invitation with an embedded video of her three students inviting me to their party. There I was, face-to-face with three girls. It was pretty hard to look them in the eye and think of saying no. I was also curious…
Meeting the shift head on!
In 2007, then Deputy Superintendent of Surrey Schools, Peter Drescher, asked a poignant question to a room full of teachers: What will we do when students arrive to class with hand held devices that have answers to all the questions we ask them? This question has stayed with me for some time now. As a…
The Co-Blogging Writing Experiment
Co-blogging with my son for spring break was an experiment. Typically when we go on a really long adventure vacation I would stash drawing and writing journals in the car along with books, games, snacks and toys. As we have camped across Canada as well as to the tip of Baja California, we have…
A Movement for Radical Social Innovation
Think of yourselves as a movement not attached to the union or the government. Charles Leadbeater I was fortunate to attend the BC School Superintendent’s Winter Conference along with over 425 other attendees. I heard from Charles Leadbeater, Larry Rosenstock, John Abbott, Geoge Abbott and Bruce Beairsto. It was Charles Leadbeater’s comments, however, that were the…
Innovative Learning—For Teachers, For Students and For Me
I have the privilege of visiting schools. Once a week I head out for a site visit with Dan Turner, the Director of Information Management Systems (IMS), to the Innovative Learning Designs schools. We send a list of questions out to the principals ahead of time. For example, Where is the integration of technology working…
From Teacher-Librarian to Digital Literacy Impresarios
The Teacher Librarians’ role in our district is evolving and expanding in the digital landscape and they need an innovative tool as educator leaders to push professional practice forward. The iPad is a learning and creation tool that will help Teacher Librarians to promote innovative teaching and learning in their schools. TLs, in collaboration with…
Creating Cadres of Digital Champions
When we talk about mobile technology, and begin to implement it, we must stop treating it like a savior of education. There are no quick-fixes that technology offers, and any positive results that students using mobile devices show are the result of hard work, good teaching and research, just like any school-based achievement gains. Derek…
To Gel or Not to Gel
Some days I just want a really good gel pen and a brand, spanking-new journal notebook. Those are the days when I am tired of hearing about, talking about, and learning about technology. It can all be a bit overwhelming. I think some of the people that tweet and blog have some genetic predisposition to…
The Paradox of Work & Joy
I just want time to do my one life well. Ann Voskamp What does it mean for me to set my sights upon the coming year? My commitment as an educator, whether teacher, principal or Director, has always been to make a difference from where I stand. I do not want to wait for some…