What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media

Just finished reading this book by Chris Lehmann and Scott McLeod.  As technology reshapes teaching and learning in the twenty-first century, school leaders would do well take into consideration the insights and advice shared in this book. With dozens of concrete examples, it offers something for education leaders no matter their prior experience with technology tools and issues.  Digital technologies and social media continue to evolve and are transforming the way in which we communicate, teach, and learn. This is a must-have toolbox for educational leaders who choose to be agents of change.

If you have a chance, pick up a copy.  It is worth the investment, especially for school leaders.

Blogging, not just the numbers

 

Early in the video Godin notes that blogging is not about the number of readers, but about the other benefits gained by blogging. That is a great point for all bloggers, but especially new bloggers to remember. Focus on consistently (it doesn't have to be every day, some of my favorite bloggers write only twice a week) producing quality content that you find beneficial to yourself and a small group of peers or colleagues and eventually your audience will grow. I started this blog for the purpose of keeping a record of things that I found interesting and for keeping in touch with friends. If you're just starting out in the blogging community, remember that blogging is about learning, reflecting, and sharing.

A year and five months

How is it going? Well, let's just say that the trend of events have not disappointed me. I always tend to work for those female individuals who have "perceptions" rather than taking the time to get to know my intentions. Well, low and behold it has happened.

I reflect and think what I am doing. Yes I have a strong personality. What can I change? The only things I can change are the behaviors. So, I decided to look this up and see what defines "behaviors" that I can change. This is what I found.

This is what Wikipedia stated, "Humans evaluate the acceptability of behavior using social norms and regulate behavior by means of social control. In sociology, behavior is considered as having no meaning, being not directed at other people and thus is the most basic human action."

I decided to search further and see what social norms were. Wikipedia states, "Social norms are the behaviors and cues within a society or group. This sociological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit. Failure to follow the rules can result in severe punishments, including exclusion from the group."

So, where does that leave me? I am working in a group that does not find my human behaviors acceptable to the social norms and would like to regulate that behavior. This does not apply to the organization; however, applies to the immediate constructs of the bureaucratic arena I report to.

Do I think I will be there and make it to year 2? Not sure if I will stay in that arena or move on to another pasture. Life goes on and we live with these "social norms" or a group. It is our choice to adapt or modify these social norms for ourselves.

Linchpin

Many interesting things have happen and this sums it up.

Ishita Grupta wrote,

"Every day is a new chance to choose.
Choose to change your perspective.
Choose to flip the switch in your mind. Turn on the light and stop fretting about with insecurity and doubt.
Choose to do your work and be free of distraction.
Choose to see the best in someone, or choose to bring out the worst in them.
Choose to be a laser beam, with focused intention, or a scattered ray of light that doesn't do any good."

"This is all about the power of choice. Do not let your circumstances or habits rule your choices today. Become a master of yourself and use your willpower to choose." - Seth Godin

"Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson

I was fortunate to receive this book and spent some time to read it. After reading the first few chapters I had to encouraged myself to push forward to engross myself in the story. However, I am very glad that I did.

Greg Mortenson took an idea of passion and went forward. In his book Three Cups of Tea, he shares the adversity and challenges he encountered such as being kidnapped by the Taliban or receiving tons of hate mail from Americans, but Mortenson still went forward. His philanthropic vision to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan over the past decade is inspirational for what one person can do. Also, his humanitarian spirit has resulted in 55 schools, especially for girls, to attend school in forbidden terrain, which was previously occupied by the Taliban.

Although the book focuses on his journey of creating these educational facilities, he has impacted the larger educational community to do more for their communities. Mortenson said, "There is a saying on my mirror in the bathroom that reminds me every day, when you heart speaks take good notes."

This book reminds me of our organization and the passion Bernice Pauahi Bishop had for educating the children of Hawai'i. The saying you hear often is "one person can make a difference." What should be added to that phrase is "one person can persevere to make a difference with results."

Kamehameha Schools envelops this type of passion one person had for educating the future generations. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and her husband Charles exemplified this same philanthropic mantra of infusing the cultural values, but also the values to be community contributors in all facets.

With our organization moving toward the three focus areas: education engagement, cultural engagement, and civic engagement, it really goes back to Pauahi’s Will and passion for the humble beginnings of this organization and how it was established.

Mahalo to Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and Charles Bishop for creating an institution and enterprise so that I may have the opportunity to work for an organization which personifies my passion for education.

To read more about Greg Mortenson, go to http://www.threecupsoftea.com.

Pixar University's Randy Nelson

This was a great video. The key concepts to innovation: depth, breath, communication and collaboration.

Watch as Randy Nelson explains this so well, especially collaboration.

Trials and tribulations

When you just think life is going well the overwhelming financial obstacles come crashing in. What it would be like to go back and keep things simple. Being a kid or teenager you have other crisis episodes that happen. As an adult, there are financial responsibilities that I understand now that I didn't as a kid. Now that I am an adult, money comes and goes faster than I can gain some interest on it.

Each day I pray that God will forgive me for the mistakes I have made in the past and for his guidance for the future. I am sure he did not invent stupidity and that was derived from another source.

God, I don't know if you read blogs, but I know you see and hear my heart. With all the thoughtful things that I think I am doing right, there are so many wrongs that come back at me. Help me to persevere and strive to turn the other way and just deal with the situation. As my dad has said, "you may have won the battle, but you lost the war." I never understood what that meant until recently.