Change

I read somewhere that no one likes change except a baby with a wet diaper. I imagine that this is a timeless truth. For the baby, change means less irritation, a more comfortable setting (or should I say 'sitting'?), and possibly relief from a hefty load that has become quite burdensome to carry. For the rest of us, change often means the exact opposite-- irritability, discomfort, and an increased work load due to short timelines and multiple tasks on the high-priority list. During the past weeks, I have been reminded of how difficult change can often be. Though this fact of life is inevitable and expected, even small changes can cause much anxiety and frustration. It has been helpful to remember that the murky gray mist in the middle of change soon dissapates and usually brings something brighter and much better. Then, one looks back and reflects on the change with admiration-- remembering the tough times with stories and laughter; energized by new ideas and "ah ha's" generated along the way. During my ten years in the PDS department, I have learned to embrace and welcome change because the changes always offer a chance to grow, learn, develop or to move to a new level. It has been interesting to watch the various reactions to the many changes going on in our district, department, and divsion. In a educational setting, change certanly happens. How do you manage change?

Who needs subtlety?

I think the titles of these posts say it all. Just in case you were wanting to but struggling...

8 Rules to Develop the Habit of Blogging

How to start a professional blog: 10 tips for new bloggers

What should you blog about?

Top Ten Reasons to Start a Blog

You Should Write Blogs (don't let the name of the blog fool you)

How To Successfully Integrate Blogging Into Your Busy Life

19 Reasons You Should Blog And Not Just Tweet

New Learning

The C & I managers are attempting to work together in a more efficient and effective way. This, of course, means we have to learn new things. Just like the students we serve, we need encouragement, feedback, and lots of practice in order to become proficient. It has been a bit challenging, but I am finally feeling confident that we are making progress. I have noticed things about our various learning styles as we have progressed. Without differentiated instruction and reteaching, we'd still be stuck in the muck of TTWWADI. Thank goodness for those who responded with interventions! Very soon we'll be celebrating our acheivements, and we'll be eager for more new learning. Our experience has reminded me of the challenges of teaching and learning. Both are hard work, but if we persevere, even the most difficult students (like me) can achieve.

The August Frenzy

Several years ago I began describing our department's bustling, busy time before the kids return to school as the August Frenzy. Things always tend to get a little crazy in PDS right around that time. Despite the last-minute calls for service, cancellations, late nights, long days,and short tempers-- there are always wonderful (and sometimes extremely funny or distressing) stories shared by those returning from the field to pick up supplies or to prepare for the next day's professional learning.


I have already heard stories about mysterious disappearances, passionate principals, and divine intervention. What is your memorable moment from this year's August Frenzy?

What Happened Here?

Today, while surfing the internet and reading blogs on other interesting sites, it occured to me that our team has a blog, and that I had not visited our blogspot in a while. I located the link from my Google history, but had difficultly logging in-- user names and passwords are easily forgotten when you don't stop by often, you know.


I quickly skimmed the list of bloggers on the home page, and my heart sank as I noted the various time frames since last visits. 4 months, 3 months, 2 months, 6 weeks. The pdscni blogspot felt like a ghost town or some devastated country after a horrendous nuclear catastrophe. The place that was once filled with vibrant chatter and links to videos and articles was basically quiet. Still. A mere shadow of its former self. An aging artifact to remind others of what once was or might nevermore be. It made me wonder, "what happened here?"

My heart skipped a beat when I discovered a sign of life-- four entries had been posted within the past four weeks! One-by-one, I read each entry-- fighting back feelings of nostalgia...wanting to respond but, for most, it was too late. I read a few more entries and was refreshed by the aging thoughts and comments, and by the memories of what had been.


Has the busyness of the day to day grind taken us away from something that has added so much value to our work and team? We MUST rebuild this place. But how? Please share your ideas and help us start the process.

Palooza Specifics

Please follow the link below for information regarding specifics of Professional Learning Palooza

http://paloozaplanning.pbworks.com/minute-by-minute

Cyber Summit on 21st Century Skills

Have you ever participated in a cyber summit? You will have an opportunity June 1-12 when the Partnership for 21st Century Skills launches it first Cyber Summit. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity. Register today and be sure to tell all your friends about it. http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

Tech Talk--It's in the Air!

During the past few weeks (and months), I have noticed quite a buzz of tech talk going on in the department and district. Today in a meeting I saw a wiki that had been created as a working tool for a CIA summer event. Yesterday, someone wanted to know more about Web 2.0 tools. Last week, two individuals described a ning they had created for target groups of teachers. It's apparent that people in HISD are beginning to talk about and use Web 2.0 tools to engage teachers and to enhance their work. What have you recently heard or seen?

Symphony

After hearing Daniel Pink via skype on yesterday, I decided to revisit his book, A Whole New Mind. I spent time reviewing the chapter on Symphony and found many connections to our recent discussion on innovation. When you have a chance, please revisit the chapter and think about the implications for our work.

MTB - Yes, That's Me

Yes, MTB is Moss the Boss. Sorry about that, Cheryl, I thought everyone would catch on!LOL

State of the Team Webinar- What's the Buzz?

Please share your thoughts, comments, and questions about the State of the Team webinar. We are interested in critical feedback, questions pertaining to the information shared, next steps, or anything else you would like to share.

Palooza!

Please click HERE to access the Palooza Presentation Template. Also, be sure to check out the conversation on the front page regarding Palooza planning.

Weebly.com

The Organizational Development team members have created personal websites to showcase their knowledge, skills, and offerings. Some are cute, some are techy, others are a bit drab and uninviting. They all captivated my interest and got me thinking. The main thought I had was that I, too, wanted to create one. When I find the time, I intend to investigate that idea. I like the cni blogspace, but my Steffie Stuff blog is not what I want it to be. Maybe a change is needed. I know that some of you already have websites, so identify yourselves and I'll seek your advice as to the best mode to use-- blog, wikispace, or webpage- based on the purpose for my tech place.

By the way, the ABRAZO team members are developing wikispaces.

C & I, I believe you are the "cool" folks that created this departmental tipping point.

The Ebb and Flow

The constant motion of the workplace intrigues me. I am also intrigued by the ways in which different people react and respond to this movement. Some welcome the busyness and sporadic changes with energy and excitement. Others shy away or are annoyed by the chaotic ebb and flow. I also wonder if this is how work life is in other professions, or if it just this way in education (and particulary in staff development). Does this feverish pace hinder us, or is it the thing that helps us get the job done? There are busy days ahead. How will you respond to the ebb and flow?

Ready, Set...Action Research!

A group of our team members met on last Friday to discuss the action research project our team will implement and showcase during the Summer Leadership Institute. Our research question is :

What impact has the use of blogs had on the professional learning of the C & I team members?

The action research team will need the assistance of each team member to ensure the project's success. Beginning this week, you will need to periodically check the pdscni.blogspot to read a reflective question pertaining to the blog. Then, prepare to be a part of our video diary as we hear what you have to say. We will randomly choose 6-8 team members to answer each question and use the data as part of our research. The first question is below. Please note, ALL TEAM MEMBERS WILL BE ASKED TO RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION. Feel free to share your thinking on the blog, but all responses will also be captured via video. Happy thinking.

QUESTION: What experiences have you had using blogs as a learning tool? What has encouraged or impeded your blog use?

Where are the Children?

As I think about the differing technological skillsets of digital natives and digital immigrants like me, I've often wondered how far ahead of us the natives are. Just where are the children in their use of todays new technologies? An old email from my eleven year old nephew, Evan, reminded me that they are far ahead of us. Click on the link to view a website Evan and his two friends created for "fun." They are using it to promote their 21st Century "lemonade stand" called Hummerghini. The interesting part of the site is the Facts/Info link where you can read their blog. My sister and I added the two comments. The boys' response will make you laugh. Where are the children? The children are miles ahead of us. We need to be about the business of sharpening our skills so we can guide them along the way. (And they do need guidance. My sister was appalled to see her real phone number listed on the site!)

http://www.hummerghini.webs.com/

The Dip

I have the blogging blues. On two occasions I have spent time creating a response and attempted to publish, only to have my thoughts disappear into cyberspace. I have heard that every change comes with an implementation dip-- a time of struggle and frustration that makes one want to abort the change. I am not going there, but I do need some guidance on how to avoid such catastrophes. My time is limited and a response disappearing into cyber oblivion is quite annoying. Help and encouragement is needed (as it always is when one is experiencing "the dip").

Job-embedded Professional Learning?

I just participated in a webinar which I enjoyed immensely. Actually, I have realized that webinars really work for me as a professional learning option. They are short, convenient, and filled with valuable information. Still, I wonder, is this job-embedded professional learning at its best? Webinars are great learning tools and certainly have gained a solid place in the field of professional development. I could see us using them to convey critical information to teachers, but what must we do to make the learning even more collaborative and meaningful. I propose a concept call "webinars plus". The question is plus what? Any ideas?

Ready for the Ride

I must admit that all the recent techy talk in the department has my head spinning, yet I am excited about the new changes and opportunities that will arrive in the near future. I have been primed and poised for action ever since the Ian Jukes presentation at the TSDC conference and am truly ready to "embrace change!" My personal goal is to be much more technologically literate by this time next year. I also plan to challenge and engage other "digital immigrants" along the way. I am counting on the C & I team to help me get there. Beware my techy and tech-less friends....Moss the Boss is ready for the ride!

Practicing what we preach

Join the conversation - check our family of blogs on the right side of this page :) It's amazing what you can learn from your colleagues when you read the ideas they don't have the time to bring up in the course of the "normal" day.