Technology...my new best friend

I blog.  I tweet.  I've grown.  As an educator who lacked the knowledge and confidence to embrace technology I can honestly say I have taken the opportunities provided in this class to expand my "technology" horizons.  I have always believed in the integration of technology into lessons, curriculum, and into the daily life of the classroom, but I lacked the personal tools to try.  Thanks to Jeff and his extreme patience I am forging a new path.

Here's one way I am utilizing what I have learned:
This past week my principal and I presented a new idea to teachers.  We wanted to create a day where students received information from any source other than the teacher.  Students were given an essential question or topic and told to find out as much as they could using three sources:  the textbook, fellow students, or the internet.  My district has a strict policy against open access on the internet.  Even as a adult on campus I have no access to the use of YouTube and many sites are blocked.  Students are told not to bring computers, ipads, or cellular phones to school.  But here's the exciting part about creating a day where teachers and students had to think outside the box - my principal allowed students to bring and use mobile devises on this unique learning day.  It's a small step, but it's a step.

Next steps:
My next goal is to present the reasons technology needs to be more available to students and teachers at VUSD to the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.  I plan to gather research which supports the positive results that would happen if and when students are given access to the world outside their classroom.  I believe that then and only then are we truly providing universal access and social equity in learning to all students.  

Final Reflections

Being a culturally proficient leader in the 21^st century is going to require an innovative approach to leadership.  Leaders should not be measured by the color of their skin but by the integrity of their leadership.  The best leaders are those who understand the needs of people and seek ways to help them reach their highest potential.  As a leader I hope to serve students, teachers, parents, and colleagues through a lens of social justice.  Social justice is about leveling the playing field or giving the same rights and opportunity to all people.  In order for this to happen, all stakeholders must actively support the vision of the school.  Students deserve to learn from an equitable standpoint and culturally proficient leadership is one way of focusing the efforts of a school in a specific, unified way to achieve common goals.  I firmly believe that the practice of culturally-aware leadership will promote the mutual respect, responsibility and accountability that is needed not just in today’s schools but throughout our communities as well.  

Common Core Assessments are on the Horizon

Last weekend I presented at California Mathematics Council's annual conference in Palm Springs.  After my presentation I attended several conferences that focused on the 2014 adoption of the Common Core Standards.  For educational leaders who are not familiar with the Common Core Standards I highly recommend that they begin to educate themselves with what they are and how they will be assessed.  What I learned is that these new assessments are being modeled after the successful ways in which students in Singapore are being educated.  Starting in 2014 students will no longer be taking CST's.  Instead students will take performance exams designed to evaluate multiple mathematical (and language arts) measures.  No more fill-in-the-blank.  Students will actually be required to explain their thinking - something American students have not been expected to do on end-of-the year assessments. 

I feel that this type of assessment will alter the way students are currently being taught for the better.  Teachers must learn to prepare lessons which allow students to explore concepts through multiple modalities and hands-on activities.  Students will learn to apply their knowledge and begin to take ownership of their learning as they write about how they get an answer.  This change is causing panic among today's teachers as they face the unknown about assessments.  For the past 15 years many teachers have learned to teach to the test.  This only creates students who are unprepared to compete in a competitive world.  It is well known that the United States' students rank poorly against their counterparts from around the world.  It is time for America's future leaders to be able to compete in a global market.  As 21st century educators we must start preparing our students for this radical change now!