Teacher as Coach

Outside the education realm, there is a great deal of activity emerging around the notion of "coaching."

We see evidence of life coaches, career coaches, business coaches, etc.

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So, doesn't it seem to you that a career teacher is a natural candidate to serve as a coach?

Would you hire a life coach?

If so, why? If not, why not?

Have you served as a coach to others?

If so, what did you do? If not, why not?

As I study the nature of these new coaches, I am pleased to hear that the structure of life coaching, etc., is including many of the concepts that we discuss as classroom teachers. So, the bridge to this new career seems open and clear.

I just heard one coach say that "vision affects the way we move forward." Then, the coach went on to explain the difference between vision and eyesight. Following that, the coach described how, as a person develops the ability to be visionary, one's life improves. Things become clearer. Problems are avoided more easily. Many excellent concepts followed during this discussion to which I was privy.

So, what do you think? Do you want to create passive income? Do you want to extend your service to others? Maybe you are tired of "trading your time for money" (a REALLY weak idea!!) and would like to use your life to provide more value to society.

What about a teacher as a coach?

Let me hear from you.

21st Century Learning: Who's on First?

Okay, friends....  Here's your chance to speak up.

With all the "hoopla" about 21st Century Learning in schools around the world, many of you are working hard to ensure that students gain essential skills that allow them to be competitive in a global economy.

So, among all the skills listed as essential by the various organizations, which skill do you think is most important?

Please leave your feedback here.  I believe your opinion will "seed" the thinking of other readers...and create an inspiring dialogue.

Be sure to comment, then come back and read others' thoughts.

Where's the accountability?

This past week, I led a full-day seminar on technology auditing (seminar title: Technology Audits Made Easy (TAME)) for several school districts.  As introductory information, I displayed charts that showed Federal funding levels for educational technology for the past 5-6 years.  

Then, I showed similar charts for Federal funds that came to their State.

Naturally, they were amazed.  

But, my question to them was, "Yes, but what do you know about how these funds are being used?"

As you might suspect, nobody had answers.  

The reality?  Accountability for ed tech funds going to schools in the US is, for all practical purposes, nonexistent! 

Does that fact bother you?  Does it cause you to remember that all these federal funds going to schools are actually YOUR money??

Just to emphasize the point, ponder this:

Federal $$ for EETT & E-Rate 2002-2006 = $14,021,625,084.93

Average per year = $2,804,325,016.99

This means that U.S. schools have received, on average, almost $3 Billion each year since 2002, yet we have almost no attention paid to accountability.  Amazing!

• What were these funds used for?  
  
• Who received the money?  
  
• What is the ROI (Return on Investment) for our tax dollars that have been provided to support and promote educational technologies? 
  
• Who is keeping track of these data?  
  
• Where are the records?  
  
• Is there any guarantee that current success with the money will yield future investments? 
  
• Was the distribution of these funds reasonably equal?
  

So, what do you  think?

Am I overreacting?  Or, am I simply making the point for all of us who want to ensure that our tax dollars are being used properly?

I know this is only one aspect of accountability, but it is one!

Leave your comments here.  What do you think?

Ed Tech 2008

Yesterday, I had the privilege of being a featured speaker at Ed Tech 2008 in Ashland, VA.  The conference was held at Randolph-Mason College and was co-sponsored by the Virginia Commonwealth Public Broadcasting.

Several hundred eager educators attended this conference that is now in its 21st year.  What a terrific group of people these are -- and so imaginative, creative, and willing to strive for perfection in their classrooms.

My presentation was one of four in a series specifically for administrators.  The overall topic was "21st Century Learning."  Dr. Sara Armstrong led off in the first session by educating all of us about the various models of 21st Century Skills proposed by the: Partnership for 21st Century Skills; Metiri Group; and ISTE NETS•S (International Society for Technology in Education National Education Technology Standards • Students).

Following Dr. Armstrong, a collection of grass-roots educators at ITRTs (Instructional Technology Resource Teachers) from the Goochland, Powhatan, and Henrico County districts showed us working solutions from their schools.  This was an amazing presentation, delivered by fantastic young educators.  I was immensely impressed!

Following lunch and the conference keynote by Dr. Armstrong, I delivered my 50-minute session, 21st Century Learning: Practical, Proven Strategies for Implementation, as requested by conference organizers.  The time just FLEW!  Before I knew it, it was time to wrap up.  Attendees gave excellent suggestions and examples of implementing technologies to enhance these skills.

Now, my hope is that they will allow me to return next year in 2009!

What Makes You Plan?

WHY do you plan?

We surely do hear a lot about planning, don't we?  But, is all this planning talk just something we do to occupy our time?  Or, is planning really a worthwhile experience?

What positive benefits come from planning?

So, I'm wanting to hear from you.  Send your comments and thoughts.

Just why do you plan?

What makes you plan?  Is it an internal drive to improve?  Is it a desire to make things better than they once were?  Or, do you have a specific goal in mind, and planning is the tool that will get you there?  What is it that really drives you to engage in planning?

So, imagine this.  A person walks into your office and you pull out your tech plan.  You give it to the person and say, "Here's my technology plan.  It will show you what I want to accomplish."

The person responds with a one word question that reverberates in your mind:

"Why?"

What do you say?

Leave your comments here.  I really, really want to know what you think!

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Leader 2.0? Is it real or Memorex?

In scouring several magazines and journals related to educational technology recently, I have been struck by the fact that our U.S. schools may be beginning to have some leaders who truly "get it." Do you find this to be true, as well? (Your comments are solicited.)

So, I have been wondering....are the "legacy" leaders fading away, succumbing to attrition brought on by encroaching age? Or, are those organizational leaders (superintendents, principals, tech directors) who were in place when schools began using technologies just moving on to other areas where their tradition-bound approaches to learning aren't so obvious?

Mind you, I am not intending to issue a blanket condemnation for all administrators who were in place 20 years ago. I am merely wondering if our current school leaders received preparation that enabled them to see the advantages of employing technologies wisely for student achievement and institutional advancement.

We hear talk of Web 2.0—and most of those who advance this concept speak of the myriad ways that student learning can become so much more exciting when these new technology capabilities are leveraged. We are told that Web 2.0 tools make learning more authentic, interactive, and engaging.

Is it possible to imagine school leaders who are the same? Authentic, interactive, and engaging leaders? Given that we understand what is meant by the phrase, "Web 2.0," how can we characterize a leader who has advanced as far beyond the traditional mold as the web technologies have?

How would a "Leader 2.0" look? What would be the characteristics? How would you promote this level of leadership as being more effective than the prior model?

Further, what advice would you give to Ed Leadership departments in universities where the new breed of school leaders is being developed?

What do you think?

Let me hear from you.