Quick Fix: It Works!

It seems that everyone is looking for a quick fix to the issues that trouble them in their lives. As a woman who recently turned 40, I'm bombarded with opportunities to purchase products to fix what growing older is breaking. From wraps to reduce my waistline to serums to reduce my age lines, it seems that folks have found the answers, and they are advertised as a "quick fix".  These quick fix products promise to keep us looking younger and thinner. So what did I do? I jumped in and gave these products a try. After all, we've seen folks experience results through some of these methods. When you ask the success stories what they did exactly to achieve their results, the answer is always the same. They share how their "quick fix" resulted in a lifestyle change. This illustrates the fact that progress of any kind requires consistency. While the commitment may be as subtle as making a regular purchase of a particular product, or adding an additional step to your morning beauty regiment, it does take effort. Taking on a consistent practice is far from a quick. 

I believe that the same holds true for our professional learning and instructional practices: Consistency is key. Crash courses in operating new systems or having students demonstrate understanding through a variety of apps will give you results you can see, but do they really change the instructional landscape of the classroom?  It's not until we consistently implement technologies with purpose that we truly see the impact they can have on learning. Teachers need to make the integration of technology less of an event and more of a constant in order to get the best results. That's right my friends, I do not believe in quick fixes. I do however believe quick fixes can be just the motivation you need to continue to learn and grow (or shrink;) depending on your goal. When you begin to see your waist getting smaller thanks to the help of a few wraps, you are inspired to hit the gym a little more often to maintain that progress. I constantly encourage my teachers to take steps to improve their classroom instructional practices with the help of technology. Maybe that change starts with the help of a "quick fix" like investigating a new tool to increase their own or their students' productivity, leading to increased online workflow. Or perhaps it's utilizing pre-made digital content to help differentiate a lesson of which they know some of their students will struggle, leading to teachers creating their own authentic digital content. With consistent effort and commitment to change, teachers start to see results. It is these initial results that inspire them to continue on with their efforts, and ultimately when we begin to see the impact quality, purposeful integration practices can have on learning. 

So embrace those quick fixes and stick with them. They may be just what you need to inspire a real change.  

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A Never Changing Government

This year my spring break was less of a vacation and more of a field trip. My husband Scott and I had begun to feel the time crunch regarding the number of spring breaks we have left with our kids; five more with Isaac, six with Jonah, and a few more with Zoe. We started evaluating all of the experiences we wanted to give our children before they move on from us, so along with my mother we decided to plan a trip that would help our children see some of the sights that we feel all Americans should see. The eight-day excursion included four days in Washington DC followed by four days in New York City (my favorite city on Earth). 

We saw many sights on our trip, including several governmental buildings and national monuments. Access to most of the attractions in both DC and NYC included "airport style" security, with the latest technology including metal detectors and body scanners. Security was heightened due to the attack in Brussels, so in addition to the usual security measures, there were armed law enforcement officers standing guard as well. My mom had arranged a private tour of the Capitol through Senator Dan Coats' office, so upon our arrival to DC we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed straight to Capitol Hill. After clearing the scans and beeps of security for the second time that day, our guide Blake took us through some of the most amazing areas. This access allowed us to see places where much of our nation's history took place, as well as areas where our current legislators work and policy is made. During our tour, we were able to see what used to be the House Chamber. Today it serves as a statute hall and is lined with the likenesses of Americans who help to shape our nation. Even today there are plate markers on the floor indicating where notable men such as John Adams and Abe Lincoln once sat as our early laws and policies were formed. In addition we saw the original Supreme Court chamber, preserved to show where our nation's early court cases were presented and decided. No surprise that these areas were void of technology, indicative of the days these areas were politically functional. The greatest technology modeled was the whispering capabilities of the former House Chamber's wall arches, where early lawmakers would eavesdrop on the discussions of those on the other side. (Very cool, BTW!) The surprise came when we visited the current day work areas, including the room were the Appropriations Committee meets, as well as the Senate Chamber where legislators happened to be voting on a bill. While in these areas, I was surprised with the minimal technology present in these rooms as well. No TV/display screens. No electronic voting equipment. Few mobile electronic devices. Instead all information was shared by mouth. Each senator milled informally through the chamber, glad handing and talking, until pausing to get the attention of the clerk recording the votes (by hand on paper) to vote on the proposed pieces of legislation. The clerk would call out the vote for all to hear, then stop every few minutes to count by hand the number of yea or nay votes. No doubt this same process has been in place for centuries.

Now I'm not judging the process of our national government. Far be it for me to criticize a system that establishes our laws and keeps order in our great country. Perhaps the lack of technology is the result of national security requirements, and bringing the processes into the 21st century would put us at risk. Again, not judging. Maybe I just didn't see the technologies being used, however I did peek into the offices of several senators and their staffs. What did I see? A couple of desktop computers at best. Can't take those with you. I continually passed lawmakers and staff members in the halls, including House Speaker Paul Ryan. No tablets or phones in hand. Friends, I don't leave my office without my phone for fear one of my teachers or administrators will need to contact me. Why? Because in this day and age there is an expectation for constant availability and access to information. I need to be accessible to perform my job well.  I can say with certainty that most all of my K-12 counter parts feel and behave the same way. The expectation of availability is not limited to the education world. There wasn't a professional on the street or subway in either city that we visited that wasn't "teched up", working as he/ she moved about. Which leads me to wonder, is this lack of technology the reason our government often runs slow and at times seems to be inefficient? Could our nation's leaders be more "connected" to each other and their constituents?  Could many of our governmental processes be expedited with the help of technology? And what would it take to make these changes? It wasn't until we were attacked on American soil in 2001 that security technologies were put in place, prompting the very measures my family passed through on our trip. What needs to happen before lawmakers understand the power of being connected? Does the lack of technology correlate to the age of those serving our country in those positions? It is my hope that as our generation of students move into governmental positions, we will begin to see a more accessible kind of leadership, leading to more efficient processes. Honestly, I'm not sure this group of Americans is capable of disconnecting. I know my boys can't. 

As we head home from our adventure, I'm thankful that the #StachlerSB2016 field trip turned out to not only be a learning experience for the kids, but for momma as well. I'm interested to see if this experience caused either of my boys to get bit by the political bug. Who knows, maybe there will be a Stachler on the ballot in years to come.

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Don't Blink

I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m beginning to understand what people mean when they say, “Don’t Blink”. As a teenager and even as a young adult I spent my days wishing time would speed up so I could experience what was coming in the next phase. When I was in high school, I longed to experience college. When I was in college, I was excited to get my first teaching job. After I got married, I was excited to have children. Then you know what happened? I blinked.  Last week I attended a high school registration meeting with my oldest son. It seems like just yesterday Isaac came into this world, and just a minute ago I was taking him to kindergarten round-up. High school registration doesn’t seem possible.

In the relatively short time I’ve held my k-12 position, I have become versed on the requirements of all educational levels in our district. I understand what is expected for our young students coming into kindergarten. I understand what is required for our third graders as they embark on that pivotal year with IREAD and ISTEP. I even understand the course requirements of our high school students who are striving to earn a particular diploma. So why did it take me sitting next to my own son at a high school registration meeting to realized just how quickly our children have to put these skills into place? High school is not what it used to be. The demands placed on our Yorktown students (and all students) today are much greater than when I attended the same school, I won't say how many years ago. Which brings me to my point. The world changes in the blink of an eye. Students are required to apply certain skills, while at the same time adding to their content knowledge base. School has changed because jobs have changed. When they say we are preparing our students for jobs that don’t yet exist, they aren’t kidding! The depth of knowledge required and the skill set to think critically, problem solve, and collaborate is no longer celebrated in the few who possess it, but rather an expectation for anyone stepping into a career. That’s a change. The clear shift from the industrial age to the information age has happened and while things will continue to evolve, we aren’t going back to the way things were. It’s not the same world and it will continue to change. Requirements, along with the competition have become tougher, bringing with them a sense of urgency for us to start developing our students’ critical skills at a young age. It is irresponsible for us to educate our children in the same manner that we developed our content knowledge and soft skills. As a result, the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality has to change.

In my position I advocate for the need of an instructional shift so students can develop 21st Century skills along with the understanding of course content. I preach how the use of technology can help students develop those skills in addition to conceptual understanding. I provide a model for this type of learning through our teacher professional development. As an Integration Specialist, that’s my job. As a mom, I can only hope teachers are open to instructional redesign and are willing to grow and learn as well. Isaac’s registration meeting helped me to realize just how little time we educators have to help our students develop the skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives and how it passes with just one blink.

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Servicing Customers vs. Customer Service: Hmmm...

As a basketball mom I spend a lot of time hanging out in the bleachers with other parents. This past week I spent more time in the stands than at my own dining room table. Bleacher time can lead to interesting conversations. This week I was talking to another mother who recently returned from a work conference. She was obviously excited about what she had learned and eager to tell those of us sitting with her. This particular woman is in sales, specifically sales for an exclusive line of women's clothing. (I know what you're thinking. What in the world does this have to do with education? Bear with me.) After filling us in on the highlights of the spring collection, (Great new Kelly Green jacket for us Yorktown folks, BTW.) she began talking about the overall message of the conference; servicing customers instead of customer service. This is the idea that if you serve your customers in a proactive manner and meet their personal needs upfront, the need for reactive customer service will decline. In their world this equals a better buying experience, a base of loyal customers, and in turn more sales. 

"Servicing customers instead of customer service".  It got me thinking how this same mantra could apply to the world of educational technology. I pride myself in providing my teachers with opportunities to develop their integration practices. I also feel members of my tech department and I provide quality service to our teachers. When issues arise we swiftly take care of their needs to see that instruction is not interrupted. Could we be better about anticipating the needs of our teachers in terms of additional tools, support, and their varying curriculums? Could I customize my sessions, even individualize them to see that each teacher gets the best "look" for him/her, just as my friend does with the clothing line she sells? Could I be better about explaining to teachers why quality technology use in one room may look different than that in another, just as one woman may need a size small sweater while the next needs a medium for the best fit possible? Could I service my customers in a more effective way? 
Everyone wants to feel and look his or her best. I believe this to be true whether we are talking about appearance or job performance. Perhaps this is why I am constantly reflecting on my "closet" of practices; deciding what practices I can keep, which ones need to be boxed up for donation, and which new ones I need to pick up to be my best. My conclusion; I need to transition to a bit more of personalized PD system, anticipating teacher needs and helping them to customize the learning experience that have with me to ensure the best integration fit. You know what? I think that I'll get that Kelly Green jacket too! 

https://media.cabionline.com/wp-content/uploads/social-media/S16_CAbi_Look_Book_Final_Web.pdf

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Big Apple in Education

This year I was fortunate enough to be able to usher in the New Year with over a million people from around the world in Times Square. My husband surprised me with this trip, as it was on my bucket list to be in the city and experience the biggest New Year's in the nation. As part of my 11-hour wait (yes I said 11hours), I worked on my resolutions and I resolved to be more consistent with my posts. In case you haven't noticed, I've struggled with that in 2015. Fresh starts, right?

I learned a lot through my first ever trip to the Big Apple.  I observed many common practices that if implemented in the world of education, would change the way students, teachers, and administrators feel about the school experience.

The hotel where we stayed was located right off Times Square and shared the block with several Broadway show venues. Each night as we were walking the block, I noticed audience members standing outside of the building after the show waiting for the performers to exit. Rather than moving on to their next Big Apple adventure, these folks waited for quite some time to shower the performers with cheers and applause for their performance when they finally emerged. What if we did this for students who had given it their all at the end of long week, or for teachers as they emerged from their classrooms after facilitating an outstanding learning situation?  What if we did this for administrators after they have spent hours, days, weeks, and even months developing plans to improve district performance or implement a new initiative? Would celebrating these educational "performances" not give those in the trenches the motivation to come back each day and do it all again, just as it does those performing on Broadway?

In addition to my introduction to Broadway traditions I was introduced to another fascinating and complex system...The New York City subway system. Let me tell you, it's not as easy as you'd think. There are maps and guides to help you determine how to get where you are going; however, there are both local trains and express trains and with several options to meet one end result, it's rather difficult to know which train to select until you get used to it. While I am VERY directionally challenged, my husband is typically masterful at navigating us around the cities we visit. Imagine my surprise when we ended up in Brooklyn one night instead of back in Times Square as we intended. (Side note: Brooklyn is one place we had been advised not to go to at night.) Oops! We spent the next 30 minutes hopping on and off trains and transferring until we were able to navigate our way back to our hotel. While it was incredibly frustrating to not know for sure where we would end up, the underground adventure we were on was well worth it due to the experienced gained. After that, we were subway masters. In my position at school, I see many teachers and administrators find themselves in the same situation Scott and I found ourselves. They have expectations set for where they need to go in regard to the implementation of initiatives and tools (including technology), but many seem to get frustrated when they cannot reach there expectation destination via the quickest/shortest route. Some even try to ignore that these changes/expectations are happening. You've gotta get home, people! What if instead of getting bogged down with the stress of ourselves to these educational destinations, we all embraced the adventure of reaching our goals; how much we are learning, the baby steps of change? We will get there eventually (where ever "there" might be). It is up to us how we will feel along the way. Feeling scared or anxious about ending up in the right place sure won't get us "there" any faster.

And then there was the communication factor. Communicating with folks in New York City can be a challenge in and of its self. Did you know there are actually guides online that tell you how to do this properly? Wish I would've paid more attention to those. What I found is that although language can be a barrier in city that is made up of people of so many different nationalities, there is one universal truth. Most people want to talk and are willing (and even excited) to exchange with perfect strangers so long as you are willing to initiate the conversation. During our time in the city we met and spoke with people from around the globe, including England, Syria, Canada, Mexico, Spain, various U.S. states, and yes, even many very friendly New Yorkers. That was by far the best part of the trip. Discussing the customs, experiences, and viewpoints of people from around the world and watching as them as they took what we said in and to heart was incredible. What if we allowed for that kind of communication in schools? Would students and educators, educators and parents, and educators and educators not be better off if we all listened (really listened) with an accepting ear a little bit more? If we listened to those we interact with every day as attentively as we do those we just meet, would that not provide clarity and result in us being more tolerant of our differences in opinion?

Needless to say I loved my NYE trip to NYC. That short trip provided a lifetime of take-aways for me. (I'm not saying I don't need/want to go back, Scott! ;) I hope that after reading this you will see why we need to put a little of the "Big Apple" back into education!

Image Source:

KyariTheKonverseKidd

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WeLearn...Boy, Have We Ever

For the past three years Yorktown Community Schools has hosted an IDOE Summer of eLearning conference. Each year I've had a front row seat to the conference planning process. The first year I was a presenter, but jumped in on the planning a week before the conference to help with the last minute details. The past two years I've served as conference coordinator, planning everything from the keynote speakers and schedule of sessions to the design of the name tags. I've done a lot, but I haven't done it alone. My small but mighty tech team, our media specialist, and even our superintendent have all worked tirelessly to see that our conferences have been successful. It is their dedication to detail that has made each event a truly professional learning experience for those who attend. Each year our attendance has grown and conference feedback has been positive from those who have attended. Last year we branded our conference "WeLearn", a title/theme that promotes collaborative learning and embraces the idea of making learning a game, complete with avatars similar to those on the Wii system. (Get it? ;) 

Each year our conference has featured topics that are important in the world of EDTECH. We have been mindful to provide sessions that meet the needs of our own YCS teachers as well as the needs of those in the neighboring districts whose teachers often attend. But aside from all of that, so much more learning goes on at WeLearn. Lessons about who WeAre, how WeLook, and where WeLack were learned by those of us doing the planning. That’s right we were learning too, even before we ever sat through a single conference session. These lessons cannot be documented with PGP points, but rather with wisdom that impacts how we function as a district as well as how we interact with others.

WeLearn has taught us who WeAre. WeAre a corporation that truly believes that access to technology provides students and teachers with opportunities that would otherwise not exist. Opportunities to connect, create, and facilitate learning using methods that mirror the world we live in. The caliber of sessions that our own YCS teachers present each year is evidence of this. It is no doubt thanks to the leader of our district who has developed and continues to promote our vision. Her leadership has a direct impact on the attitudes about technology of all stakeholders in our district. As a parent of three YCS students myself, I appreciate that.  WeAre preparing our students for their world.

WeLearn has taught us how WeLook to others. The saying "perception is reality" is spot-on in the world of education. The comments and feedback from those who have attend WeLearn show that Yorktown is viewed as an EDTECH leader in our area and in the state. Folks look to us as an example, which can be a both a blessing and a curse. While the compliments and recognition are great, it is added pressure on us to deliver. This poses challenges when hiring new teachers and administrators, developing professional development plans, and ensuring quality instructional practices in classrooms. Nothing changes more quickly than tech. Seeing that we are keeping up is a constant challenge, but we are committed to seeing that the way WeLook represents the reality of who WeAre.

Finally, WeLearn has shown us where WeLack in resources. Lacking in resources in not new in education. The conference planning process brings full attention to how lean we are administratively and in our tech department. We are fortunate to have access to devices in our district, but the number of people assigned to see that these work and are used well is very low compared to other districts functioning at our same integration level. This becomes clear each year during the six months of planning for WeLearn as we struggle to keep up with our regular assigned job responsibilities while taking on the second job of organizing this event. So why do it? That PD piece, the "use it well" part of our job. Teacher buy-in is often a battle that folks in a position like mine face. YCS teacher participation in this summer learning opportunity is voluntary. While not all YCS teachers attend, the number of YCS teachers and administrators who come to WeLearn has greatly increased over the past three years. This year we had five times the number of YCS employees attended than the year our conference debuted. While we are still not at 100%, WeLearn is inspiring and motivating a number of teachers enough that they want to attend in an effort to improve their tech integration skills despite the fact they are not compensated for doing so. It is this type of dedication that further illustrates who WeAre.

I'd like to thank the IDOE for providing us with this opportunity the past few years. Not only has WeLearn helped hundreds of Indiana educators improve their integration practices, but it has helped us as hosts learn more about our district. So whether you’re a WeLearn attendee, presenter, or a conference planner I guess our conference slogan applies.  iLearn, uLearn, WeLearn...TOGETHER. 

For a snapshot of this year's conference, check out our #ycsWeLearn Storify. 

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