Serving Others & Making "Change Work for Us"

UUpdate for Jan 18-22

Last year on MLK Day, I wrote about the energy of our words and how leaders like Dr. King continue to guide us towards a better world through words that were spoken decades ago.

I thrive on the words of others -- Their ideas shared through blogs, videos, and Tweets make me a better educator.  But an idea isn’t much without action.

And Dr. King wasn’t just about ideas either -- He was about action.  He was about taking steps to create a better future for all.  

When Dr. King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”, he was calling on all of us to take action towards making a better life for others.  He was asking us to commit to leadership in the form of service to others.

For me, it means to act in this time of rapid change in the field of education.  It means committing to creating a learning experience that lifts up the very best of what we have to offer as educators and connecting that to the interests, learning styles, and natural curiosity of each of our students.  It’s recognizing that we will never truly arrive and that we will always need to evolve with the world.  

Six years ago this April, the first iPad was released.  Think of how dramatically teaching and learning has changed within these past six years.  

Now consider that our kids are currently experiencing the worst technology they will ever know.

The writing is on the wall -- Change is inevitable and it does not follow any rules, protocols, or timelines.  

What lies ahead in the next six years?

Last week, President Obama delivered his last state of the Union address to Congress and had this to say about change:

“We live in a time of extraordinary change — change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet, our place in the world. It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families.

It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists, plotting an ocean away. It’s change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality. And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.

America has been through big changes before — wars and depression, the influx of new immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, movements to expand civil rights.

Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future, who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, who promised to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears.We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the dogmas of the quiet past. Instead we thought anew and acted anew.

We made change work for us, always extending America’s promise outward, to the next frontier, to more people. And because we did, because we saw opportunity where others saw peril, we emerged stronger and better than before.

What was true then can be true now. Our unique strengths as a nation — our optimism and work ethic, our spirit of discovery, our diversity, our commitment to rule of law — these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.”

I am committed to making “change work for us” in education.

What actions will you take to move education forward?

Have a GREAT week!

-Herb

Articles Worth Reading -- 


"What Teachers That Use Technology Believe" http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/technology/teachers-use-technology-believe/ via @teachthought


"Supporting Young Artists in Our Schools" by @staceygoodman http://edut.to/1W5v7WK


This is one of the better articles I've read in a while.  Well worth the read! -- 

"You Don't Need New Ideas, You Need a New Perspective" http://99u.com/52479 via @99u


Something to think about -- 

In order to be creative and productive, we must lose our fear of being wrong.

— Marc and Angel (@marcandangel) January 18, 2016

Upcoming Dates --

Jan 19-Feb 29 -- Scholastic Reading Inventory window (Grades 2 to 5)

Jan 20 - ADDC Staff Meeting, 3:45 - DCR Media Center: R-Factor Training

Jan 23 & Feb 20 -- NUMATS (gifted) test (by invitation/recommendation only)

Jan 25 -- Yearbook Sale Begins (Ends Feb 5)

Jan 25-Feb 26 -- Calkins Writing Assessment window (Grades K to 5)

Jan 29 -- K-5 Interim Reports

Feb 1 -- ADE PTO Meeting, 7pm

Feb 2 -- ADE Kindergarten Registration Day

Feb 5 -- Yearbook Sale Ends

Feb 8-11 February Conference Week

Feb 10 -- Conference Evening

Feb 12 -- Parent/Teacher Conference Comp Day, NO SCHOOL

Feb 15 -- Presidents’ Day, NO SCHOOL

Feb 23 -- K (AM) & 1st Grade (PM) ½ Day Data Team Meeting

Feb 24 -- 2nd Grade (AM) & 3rd Grade (PM) ½ Day Data Team Meeting

Feb 25 -- 4th Grade (AM) & 5th Grade (PM) ½ Day Data Team Meeting

Feb 26 -- End of K-5 Grading Period