Fueling the Wonder of Kids

Update for Nov 23-24

Wind plus leaves = pure joy! 🍃😊 @AltonDarby pic.twitter.com/jcTJx026Ek

— Adrianna Kruse (@AdriannaKruse) November 18, 2015

Last Wednesday, Adrianna Kruse captured the moment above, recognizing the "pure joy" of her kindergarten students playing in the leaves on a windy day.

Later on that afternoon, I was heading out to my recess duty a little early and noticed a group of kids playing in the same leaves.  The kids ranged from 1st grade to 5th grade, but each was captivated by the "leaf tornado".  One of the kids noticed I had stopped to watch them having fun and said, "We were wondering if leaves turned into soil or compost when they die?".

"What does everyone think?" I asked.

"Well, I think they turn into compost and he thinks they turn into soil," the student replied.

With a smile, I asked, "What's the difference between compost and soil?"

"I don't know."

Ah, the perfect response for starting a learning opportunity!

"I have an idea. Let's ask Wonderopolis if they know the answer," I suggested.

I told the kids that there is a website called Wonderopolis that has hundreds of posts questions, or wonders, that kids have asked.  They post information including videos and resources that help answer the "wonder".

I took a picture of the kids standing in the leaves and tweeted Wonderopolis:

Our kids are wondering if leaves turn into compost or soil? They wanted to see if @Wonderopolis had the answer. pic.twitter.com/npizx3xoCr

— AltonDarbyElementary (@AltonDarby) November 18, 2015

Wonderopolis is great about interacting with others!  Here's what they said later on that day --

@AltonDarby (1/2) Great question! We don't have that exact Wonder, but you can submit it to the Wonder Bank! https://t.co/gKD0PqFRop

— Wonderopolis (@Wonderopolis) November 18, 2015

@AltonDarby (2/2) Also, check out Wonder #741: WHAT IS COMPOST? https://t.co/hUW6MB2F5s

— Wonderopolis (@Wonderopolis) November 18, 2015

While this is a great example of recognizing when we can take learning further, it actually made me reflect on the way kids learn and make sense of their world.

Kids are naturally curious.

They ask lots of questions, they create their own hypotheses, and work out meaning through play.

As adults and educators, we need to remind ourselves that kids are naturally curious and build off of that.

How much would our unit or lesson plans change if we started with the fact that kids are naturally curious?

How much more would the learning experiences we create for kids reflect inquiry and build on a sense of wonder?

We should commit ourselves to letting the curiosity and wonder of children inspire us to create learning experiences that fuel their learning.

Here's to fueling the wonder and curiosity of kids!

Have a GREAT week!

-Herb


Articles Worth Reading --

When Students Drive Improvement

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/jun15/vol72/num09/When-Students-Drive-Improvement.aspx

Service Learning: Growing Action from the Roots of Passion

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/action-from-roots-of-passion-jessica-cambell

Real-World Problem Solving: Project-Based Solutions

http://www.edutopia.org/practice/real-world-problem-solving-project-based-solutions

Video Worth Watching --




Upcoming Dates --

Nov 23 - Board Meeting at ADE (Preschool is hosting in Cafeteria)

Nov 25-27 Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec 1 - BIT Meeting -- Please have your wish list items submitted by Dec 1 to be considered by PTO.

Dec 2 - Yearbook Picture Day; ADE Staff Meeting, 8:00 AM - Media Center

Dec 3 - Admin Meeting (Herb)

Dec 7 - PTO Meeting, 7PM

Dec 8 - 3rd Grade ELA State Assessment; Steering Committee Meeting, 3:45 - ADE Media Center

Dec 9 - Spec Ed Team Meeting, 12:30; IAT Meeting, 3:45

Dec 10 - PD Series by Donna - "Dealing with Challenging Children", 3:45 ADE Media Center

Dec 11 - KG Toys for Tots Fire Station Visit

Dec 16 - ADCC Staff Meeting, 3:40 - ADE Media Center

Responding Positively to the Moment

Update for Nov 9-13

Labeled for reuse -- https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3209/3057284879_d211bd3af6_b.jpg

It was in the moment just before a big meeting that someone asked me, "Are you ok?".

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I replied.  "Are you sure? You don't look okay, " she replied back.

"Yep.  I just needed to clear my mind."

I was trying to get my mind right just before our meeting.  We were coming together to talk about our next steps for our Re-Imagine Elementary Education project, so I wanted to be fully tuned into what we were going to be doing.

I had a far away look for many reasons - I was unpacking the things I knew I would need to attend to that night (emails, phone calls, etc); I was trying to think of the things I wanted to say during the meeting; and I was tired. Very tired.  My wife tells me all the time, "You always say you're tired," but on this day I was just drained.

My colleague told me that principals can get this way around November.  She suggested that October is when teachers are starting to feel the pressure of the year and principals feel the need to keep the energy up and going for everyone.  November is when principals are starting to come down.

True or not true - That described me in that moment, so I believed it. And I realized I needed to work harder on that thing called balance.

This rest of the week I spent my time keeping my eyes open for some positivity - Articles, videos, whatever crossed my path that would pick me up.  I didn't actively seek them, I just kept my mind open. I needed things to lift me back up.

Social media helped me hit the jackpot!  Check out some of the great articles and videos I ran across since Thursday below. Each one lifted me up and helped me get my mind right.  The challenges we all face at school and in life won't go away and we can't change that. We can only change how we respond to those moments.


Video - "Life Is Meant To Be Epic" -- https://youtu.be/-nIsOMGgCdo

This 3 minute video talks about how many of us are always longing for that next phase in life because we are seeking comfort.  John Spencer suggests that the discomfort of life is what life's all about -- Life's meant to be EPIC!  

Article - "Not Waiting for Tomorrow" -- http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/5747
This is a great post by my education hero, George Couros.  My favorite line from the post is this quote:

"We need to make the positive so loud that the negative becomes almost impossible to hear."

Article - "I'll Never Resign" -- http://venspired.com/ill-never-resign/

There was a post going around about a teacher who resigned because of the state of education, more or less.  I loved this response to that post from Krissy Venosdale about lifting up the positive in order to make a difference.  

I know that we are in some turbulent times in education and that some of us didn't sign up for this when we got into this profession. But here we are. We have to decide how we are going to respond. I hope you will join me in lifting up the positive in order to make meaningful change.

In other news...

Ask a steering committee representative to share about the great work we engaged in from our ½ day meeting on Thursday. Some highlights to hear about:

--Parent Survey

--North Carolina Trip

--Designing a lesson in 7 minutes

--The building of houses and neighborhoods

--Project Time line 

Upcoming Dates

Nov 10 – 1^st Grade Data Team Day; Picture Make-up Day

Nov 11 – BIT Meeting, 8am; 2^nd Grade Data Team Day; Special Ed Team Meeting, 12:30; IAT Team Meeting, 3:30, Board Meeting, DCR, 7pm

Nov 12 - -3^rd Grade Data Team Day; “Making Math Personalized” w/ Donna Farland-Smith (DCR Media Center, 3:40); HEF Dinner

Nov 17 – Team Connection Time w/ Herb, if needed

Nov 18 – 4^th Grade Data Team Day

Nov 19 - -5^th Grade Data Team Day

Nov 20 – End of 1^st Grading Period

Nov 25-27 – No School, Thanksgiving Holiday

Connected Learning? Keep it simple!

Update for Feb 9-12

Photo credit: https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8251/8551487389_3e88f2f314_b.jpg

I'll be the first to admit that I spend a fair share of time reading up on education topics. When you have access to a world of information through your phone, it makes it so easy to learn.

My learning tools are Twitter, Feedly, Delicious and Google+ and they all help me connect to new ideas on-demand. When I co-taught a professional development series on being a "connected educator", my colleagues asked me how I had time for reading and curating content, pointing out that it seemed like it was a lot of work.

Well, maybe to them it seems like a lot of work. But to me, learning this way is fun and it doesn't even feel like I am working.

I have learned more about myself as a learner, as a father, as a reader, as a writer, and as a mathematician than I ever have in my life and it's all because I am having fun connecting with others and their ideas.

There are some who have defined characteristics of "connected learning", but I say being a connected learner means using connection tools such as Twitter or other social media platforms in a way that awakens your passion as a learner, that helps you connect with others and that allows you to share your new discoveries.

That's it! Don't make this complicated!

And before you make the argument that technology gets in the way of connecting with others, I'm going to suggest to you that technology helps us connect with others in ways which we were never able to before.  Take a look at this ad from Apple that helps me make my point:

If connected learning is a concept that is completely new to you, remember to keep it simple and focused on connecting with others -- Start a book talk, join a Google+ community, or join a Twitter chat.  Why should you wait for the learning event to happen when you could create your own?

Just keep one thing in mind: This is a connected world.  Our students are jumping into social media as young as 8 years old.  So why not show them how they can use these tools to learn?  And if you feel that's important, then you should be a connected learner so that you can lead the way.

A Video That Inspires...

How do you react when things don't go as planned?

Articles Worth Reading

"To Go Fast, Direct. To Go Far, Empower" from Educational Leadership 

8 Reasons You Should Have A Professional Blog | The Curious Creative.

"They Will Follow Your Lead" http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/5050 

"Give the people what they want" http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/

Upcoming Dates

Feb 9
Testing meeting (Herb), 1:15
PTO Meeting, 7:00pm

Feb 10
Community Outing (Shively), 9am

Feb 11
Herb at ILC for meeting, 10am
Herb at CO for Dream Big Project update, 1pm
Conference Night

Feb 13-16
No School

Feb 17
Waiver Day -- Hilliard U
Parent Committee Meeting, 7pm at Bradley HS Aux Commons

Feb 19
Admin Meeting (Herb), 8am
Testing Protocol Meeting for Staff, 3:30-4:00pm  CANCELED

Feb 24
Wellness Committee Meeting, 7pm

Upcoming Assessments:

Tuesday Feb. 24th	PARCC - English Language Arts  PBA Unit 1	4th and 5th grade students
Wed. Feb. 25th	PARCC - English Language Arts  PBA Unit 2	4th and 5th grade students
Thursday Feb. 26th	PARCC - English Language Arts  PBA Unit 3	4th and 5th grade students
Tuesday March 3rd	PARCC - Math  PBA Unit 1	3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students
Wed. March 4th	PARCC - Math  PBA Unit 2	3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

Digital Tools for Digital Learning

Update for Feb 2-6

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8201/8244333625_0b9f61d10a_b.jpg

Last week I shared some thoughts about developing a "brand" for yourself and the implications branding might have for students.  I argued that students are going to have to leverage themselves through the use of digital tools in order to be able to have access to opportunities.

This week, I want to expand on the idea of using digital tools to create a brand and connect it more to our own learning and development as educators.  I want to share some of the tools I have been using as a learner and how it has helped me begin to think about the implications this kind of learning has for the work we do for kids.

Social Media -- aka, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.  All of these different platforms have a different way to access ideas and to connect with others.  I treat Twitter as a river of ideas and information where I occasionally "go fishing".  It's impossible to keep up with all of the different ideas, so just let that go and connect when you want to connect.  Just remember that connecting can help you strike gold, so don't be afraid to reach out!

feedly -- This is an extremely powerful learning tool for me.  feedly is a "news aggregator application".  In plain English?  It's a web-based application that allows you to subscribe to all of the different blogs and websites you check frequently.

Let's say you love reading Seth Godin's blog, but you don't always have time.  Adding Seth's blog to your feedly account tells feedly, "Collect any blog post Seth publishes and keep it here so that I can read them when I am ready."

You can do this with hundreds of other blogs, too.  I know it sounds like a lot, but reading articles on feedly is how I start each morning.  I feel like I have learned so much from this practice; more than I ever have from a PD session.  I highly recommend checking it out.


Google Apps -- The apps are getting better all the time. Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and more.  The apps give you a full range of tools to help you create and explore.  I used Google Apps to do all of my grad school work, even my 8 billion page portfolio, using only Google Apps.  I love the ability to collaborate with any of the apps, which is one of the skills we all agree is important for students to develop.  We know that it is a powerful tool for students, but how many of us teachers are using it for ourselves?  Isn't it time to start making the move?


Kindle app -- This has been another huge learning tool for me for a couple of reasons.  First, I can read the same book on many devices.  I never have to have the book with me as long as I can connect.  I can read a book on my phone while at soccer practice, on my iPad at home, or on the computer at work which is especially helpful when I want to remember something I read the night before.

Second, the highlights! Let's say you read some great line or passage in a book and you want to be able to find it quickly.  Just highlight it in the Kindle app.  Here's the great part: Amazon gives you your own place online where all of your highlights are housed. I love that I can have every single thing I have highlighted from a book at my fingertips.

The bottom line for me is that these tools have helped me begin to understand how to learn in a digital world. I believe that it is important for us to be using these tools so that we can develop a deep understanding of how learning is different with digital tools and the implications it has for the work we do for kids.

Next week, I'll some characteristics of a connected learner.


Have a great week!

Articles worth reading:

Check out this awesome assessment flow chart: #edchat #unionrxi pic.twitter.com/uFrwz0oYvT
— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) January 26, 2015

A Principal's Reflections: Leading Schools of the Future http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2015/01/leading-schools-of-future.html?spref=tw


Why Even ‘Good’ Schools Benefit From Trying Fresh Ideas | MindShift http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/01/why-even-good-schools-benefit-from-trying-fresh-ideas/ via @MindShiftKQED


The SAMR Model In 120 Seconds: The SAMR Model http://bit.ly/1tJsLCX  @TeachThought

Upcoming Dates:

Feb 3
BIT meeting, 8:00am
Kindergarten Data Team meeting, 1:00

Feb 4
Children's Mathematics Book Talk, 8:00am
3rd Grade Visit to ILC, 9:30-11:00
Special Education Team meeting, 12:30

Feb 5
Admin Meeting (Herb), 8-11:00am
3rd Grade Data Team meeting, 9am
4th Grade Data Team meeting, 1pm

Feb 6
Yearbook Sale Ends
Newsletter home
BAC meeting, 8am

Feb 9
PARCC Testing meeting (Herb), 1:15
PTO Meeting, 7:00pm

Feb 10
Community Outing (Shively), 9am

Feb 11
Conference Night

Feb 13-16
No School

Feb 17
Waiver Day -- Hilliard U

Feb 24
Wellness Committee Meeting, 7pm

Upcoming Assessments:

Tuesday Feb. 24th	PARCC - English Language Arts  PBA Unit 1	4th and 5th grade students
Wed. Feb. 25th	PARCC - English Language Arts  PBA Unit 2	4th and 5th grade students
Thursday Feb. 26th	PARCC - English Language Arts  PBA Unit 3	4th and 5th grade students
Tuesday March 3rd	PARCC - Math  PBA Unit 1	3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students
Wed. March 4th	PARCC - Math  PBA Unit 2	3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

What's your brand?

Update for Jan 26-30

On Jan 1, an improbable event happened-- a third string quarterback led OSU to a victory over Alabama in a convincing win.

During the broadcast of the game, there was a quick shot of a fan wearing a sweater with a phrase that summed up how many OSU fans were feeling that evening :

http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads//2015/01/B6UTPjfIAAAWhQ0.0.0.jpg

"Ohio Against the World" captured the range of emotions that many including myself were feeling during the Sugar Bowl -- The frustration of hearing sports analysts predict our demise and the sudden reality that there was a good chance of a victory despite these doubts.

And I wanted one of those shirts!

So I jumped on my phone’s web browser and went right to Homage.com.  Homage is a Columbus-based vintage sports t-shirt company that sells some of the most comfortable clothes and who has this sort of eclectic reputation.  Basically, there was a reason why I thought to immediately go to Homage to find this shirt.

However, no luck finding the shirt.  So I checked out Twitter to see if Homage had posted anything about the shirt.  Sure enough…

Thanks for the love guys, but the Ohio Against The World shirts aren't us. But they are available here: http://t.co/iba1FourgT
— HOMAGE (@HOMAGE) January 2, 2015

That was a pretty classy thing of Homage to do -- to share the actual website where you can get the t-shirt -- which is why I will continue to be an Homage customer.  And I also think this is a great example of why a “brand” is so important to develop. Check out this video about the Homage story:

So where am I going with this?  It’s more of a question than a point.  What implications does “branding” have for schools, for educators, and for students?  

In an era when access to information is getting easier, it’s going to be increasingly important to be able to stand out. I have a belief that it’s important to create a “brand” for yourself by sharing what you are passionate about, sharing your ideas, and sharing your reflections in a way that helps others learn and grow and also helps them connect with you. I think it is increasingly important for educators to do this so that we might be able to show our students how to understand and use branding in the future.

Is this important now? With 3 billion internet users in 2014, a case that this is important can be made.  Let’s put it this way -- If you were a human resources manager, which gives you more access to someone: A paper resume or an online resume?  [Here’s a hint…]

Next week, I’ll share some of the tools I’ve been using to establish a digital footprint to help me create a brand. Until then, think about what your “brand” might be. It may just be one more way to consider utilizing your passions!

Articles Worth Reading

It's Not All Bad...
http://willrichardson.com/post/108751397315/its-not-all-bad

[VIDEO] "Your Digital Footprint: School Leader Edition"

http://midcareer.gse.upenn.edu/innovationslab/video-your-digital-footprint-school-leader-edition

What Happens When Students Are Simply Free To Learn? 
http://www.teachthought.com/technology/what-happens-when-students-are-simply-free-to-learn/ via @teachthought


Expert insights: Math in modern times 
http://smartblogs.com/education/2015/01/12/expert-insights-math-in-modern-times/ via @SBEducation


A Principal's Reflections: How Digital Tools Improve Teaching and Learning http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2015/01/how-digital-tools-improve-teaching-and.html?spref=tw



Upcoming Dates

Jan 26
Yearbook Sale Begins (Ends Feb 6)
Student Committee Meeting, 10:30

Jan 27
Children's Mathematics Book Talk, 8:00am

Jan 28
5th Grade Data Team meeting, 1:00
AD/DC Staff Meeting, 3:35

Jan 29
1st Grade Data Team meeting, 9:00am
2nd Grade Data Team meeting, 12:30

Jan 30
FAMILY GAME NIGHT! 6:30-7:30pm

Feb 3
BIT meeting, 8:00am
Kindergarten Data Team meeting, 1:00
Teacher Steering Committee, 3:40 at ADE

Feb 4
Children's Mathematics Book Talk, 8:00am
Special Education Team meeting, 12:30

Feb 5
Admin Meeting (Herb), 8-11:00am
3rd Grade Data Team meeting, 9am
4th Grade Data Team meeting, 1pm

Feb 6
Yearbook Sale Ends
Newsletter home
BAC meeting, 8am

Feb 9
PARCC Testing meeting (Herb), 1:15
PTO Meeting, 7:00pm

Feb 11
Conference Night

Feb 13-16
No School

Feb 17
Waiver Day -- Hilliard U

Update for August 4-8

Summer Days...

Crickets are chirping in the evening and the number of daylight hours are decreasing each day, both signs that the first day of school is right around the corner…

Using a blog may be considered an unconventional way to deliver a weekly building update, but I am doing so for two main reasons. First, I believe in being transparent with you, with our students, and with our families. This blog is a way for me to be transparent with you all. Second, social media has become an important communication tool for us personally and for schools. We can reach a broader audience by utilizing social media to share our stories of learning with our community. 

I wanted to share with all of you something that I have been reflecting on during this summer in the hopes that it may inspire you to reflect.  

Since being chosen to be the next principal of Alton Darby Elementary my world became incredibly busy. This came as no surprise and I fully expected that to happen.  It was like jumping on a treadmill that was running at max speed. I'll never forget it and I loved that time because everything was new and exciting.

What I didn't expect was that the emails, the meetings, summer school, and ending the school year started to take me away from the "why" of wanting to be a school leader in the first place. Let me explain what I mean. 

Simon Sinek, who wrote Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, said "People don't embrace WHAT you do, they embrace WHY you do it". The WHY that Sinek talks about is our purpose, the reason for doing what we do.  My reason for wanting to be the lead learner of a school is to help others, especially students, discover their passions and interests and to know themselves as learners. I am committed to that purpose and it is what makes me wake up each day with a smile on my face. (Sinek did a TED Talk on this topic. It is one of the best videos I have seen in a long time and I highly encourage you to watch it). 

The details and the WHAT of being principal started to take over my focus and it took some downtime this summer to realize that if I wanted to be the best leader I can be for students, teachers, and families, I needed to start each day with my WHY. 

I spent some of my time during vacation changing my morning routine around to give myself time to meditate and visualize my day. I started my mornings by reading and by doing some writing before I did anything else. I am amazed at how much more focused I am during the day. I am getting more done and the time that I spend working is more focused. I believe that I am in a better position to keep my WHY in focus this school year.

As we begin the school year, I encourage each of you to define the WHY for yourself. 

What was it that inspired you to want to be an educator?

How can you share that WHY with others?

How can you use your WHY to inspire others to take action?

All the best to you and your family as we begin this school year!

Herb

____________________________________

ADE Upcoming Events

Monday, Aug 4 – Friday Aug 8 – Ohio Innovative Learning Conference, Hilliard Bradley High School:

-There is still time to register if you haven’t done so already.  Here is more information about the conference: http://ileohio.org/.

-Friday, Aug 8 is the FREE EdCamp.  I can’t wait to be a part of this participant-driven professional day of learning! Here is more information about EdCamp CBus: http://ileohio.org/about-edcamp-ile-columbus/

-Tuesday at 12:30, see Jay and Karen present Reenergize, Inspire, Reconnect with Your Passion in room A13!

Monday, Aug 4 & Thursday, Aug 7 – Poverty Simulator presented by Son Ministries, Alton Darby Elementary

We are the host site for the Son Ministries Poverty Simulator that is one of the breakout sessions during the ILE Conference.  The simulator will take place in the gym.  Thanks to Dave for getting the gym setup! I highly encourage all of you to attend one of the simulations. 

I am proud that we are making our building available to Son Ministries for the Poverty Simulation. I met with Kim Emch, Executive Director and Founder of Son Ministries, today at one of the Hilliard Free Lunch sites.  I met some of our students there and all of the kids were having a great time. Kim is a passionate advocate for providing programs and services for families in poverty or who are in need. She wanted to make sure that we knew that we could reach out to her if we discover that there is a family in need in our building.

One of my goals as a principal is to build partnerships with other people and organizations outside of our building to provide amazing experiences for kids and families, and I am glad to be working with Kim and Son Ministries.

Monday, Aug 4, 6:00PM -- PTO/ADE Staff Get-together at El Vaquero, Hilliard-Rome Road

Wednesday, Aug 6 -- Kindergarten and 1st Grade Assessment Day

_______________________________________
Articles Worth Reading 

-"Ten Tips for Personalized Learning via Technology": http://edut.to/agWUYo  via @edutopia
-"The power of digital student portfolios" http://smartblogs.com/education/2014/07/29/the-power of-digital-student-portfolios/ …
-"5 easy ways to improve your classroom learning space" http://www.justintarte.com/2014/07/5-easy-ways-to-improve-your-classroom.html …