Blog Post #6 - Educator Uses for Pinterest

                Investigating and researching Pinterest this week opened my eyes to the world of sharing interests with people within my circle of friends, as well as, friends I have never met.   Until I read the articles about Pinterest, I had no idea why so many people consider it a world changer.  In the article, “What is Pinterest? A Database of Intentions?” Evan Sharp describes Pinterest as a kind of utility where people save and organize things for a later date, so that they can discover new things.  It’s the world’s largest set of objects that people care about.”  Educators are always looking for ways to create and sharpen their skills, as well as sharing their ideas with others. Pinterest is an agent for discovery because it helps people discover their interests or things they are passionate about.   Even though Pinterest could be considered social media, it seems more inspirational than social.    People who make a difference inspire others and many connections are built with inspirational people through the sharing and pinning process.

                Linda Darling Hammond, an education professor at Stanford University, conducted a survey among teachers in 2009 about their views on professional development.  Most of the teachers complained about attending workshops that had little to do with the well-being of the students.  However, they commented on the value of sharing ideas and indexing them in categories through the web by utilizing Pinterest.  Last year, education pins climbed from 500,000 to about 1.3 million last year. In another poll conducted by Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, it was reported that 38% of educators use Pinterest on a daily basis.  Teachers can find lesson plans, projects, motivational and inspirational charts, ideas for behavior, and strategies to engage the students for every subject. 

Our kinder department at Immanuel Christian School uses Pinterest for educational games in their “morning meetings.”  Both teachers have hanging charts with objects for counting, calendar, and story time that were discovered on Pinterest.   Sitting in the classrooms this week, I saw their ingenious ideas and the strategies implemented during carpet time.  They pinned a board from another teacher in South Carolina and copied her chart to a tee.  The charts are an interactive way to connect with the students and the process of receiving the inspiration from a fellow educator clear across the country is fascinating!

Our cafeteria entrepreneur, Mrs. McCardle, loves Pinterest.  She and her staff are amazing cooks who are always willing to try new recipes.   At the front of the cafeteria, Mrs. McCardle displays a huge whiteboard with pictures of recipes.  The students can vote for their favorite recipe and then she will have her staff cook it on Friday.  She prints off recipes that she likes from Pinterest boards and posts the picture for the students to vote for their favorite.  In my opinion, this is a wonderful example of caring for the well-being of the students.

Lastly, our drama teacher, Mrs. Zaragoza, peruses Pinterest looking for scenes, sets, costumes, and even acting tips.  If she finds a particular set or design she likes, she shares it with our art department and the students create the set for the school plays and musicals.  It is a wonderful way to select from a vast array of ideas from talented people and also share ideas among colleagues.  When her drama cast performed Alice and Wonderland last year, many of the ideas came from the drama department of a school in Waco, Texas.    In conclusion, the concept of web navigation through Pinterest has the ability to formulate connections between creative people across the globe, who may never meet face to face, but still form a special bond- one that makes a difference. 

 

 

Check out my Pinterest Board titled  "Inspirational and Motivational Insights for Educators.


Linda Johnson  http://www.pinterest.com/looey

Blog Post #5

REFLECTION- USING EVERNOTE FOR TEACHING (BLOG POST #4)

 BLOG POST 4- USING EVERNOTE FOR TEACHING

               One of my favorite quotes is displayed outside my office at school.  It is a quote by Henry Dowd and it describes my life as an administrator.  The quote states, “I used to think that interruptions kept me from doing my job until I realized interruptions are my job.”  There is not a day that I don’t gaze at my list of “to do” items and realize how difficult it is to check them all off.  Being organized is a necessity in my world, and yet, I often get lost in the day to day issues.  It seems that every turn has a situation that needs to be dealt with immediately.  Learning about Evernote this week has truly given me hope that there are tools at my fingertips to aid in the day to day hustle and bustle. 

                Chapel is an everyday occurrence at Immanuel Christian School where speakers are asked to give a message to the students.  After learning about Evernote, I decided to devise a notebook for my chapels.  About two years ago, one of our sixth grade teachers begin writing daily devotions that she sends out daily to the members of the school community.  Because I loved the idea of having a digital notebook to publish and share with others, I thought it would be a wonderful way for Mrs. Saucedo to organize and digitize her thoughts, prayers, and devotions.  She loved the idea and registered for Evernote this week.  Her devotions span across an audience of present students and parents, alumni and their parents, and whoever they decide to share them with. Plus, Mrs. Saucedo has the opportunity to categorize her devotions into topics which makes locating the right devotion for just the right occasion.  She is also a musician and having Evernote will help her clip songs and videos to her notebooks.  Can you imagine the vast possibilities of reaching beyond your own circle of influence by using Evernote?

                Our AP English teacher would benefit from using Evernote.  She loves the classics and is a huge annotation fan.  The critical thinking skills that the students learn while annotating will be beneficial when they go to college.  Mrs. Campos loves guiding the students through a novel and engaging them in deep thinking. I loved the capability of being able to annotate in Evernote.  Mrs. Campos has an innate ability to organize her thoughts and lessons; however, I feel that she and her students would benefit by using Evernote.  Instead of using folders she could enter the digital world of notebooks.  We discussed it this afternoon and she is very interested in learning more about the process.  She has a conference period where she will watch our video from David Rivers and I hope to tutor her in the coming days. 

                We are blessed at Immanuel to have an incredibly talented art teacher.  Miss Berger has years of experience both in the classroom and as a museum curator.  She is always investigating new artists, techniques, and creative art projects for the students; therefore, I thought I would see if she would be interested in Evernote.  After meeting with her, she is all in!  Miss Berger devised a plan to have the children write a paragraph in their notebooks, clip the drawing they are working on, and provide an auditory explanation of their masterpiece.  Fine arts is such a broad category and it is difficult to break it into categories, but purely art is artistic design; therefore, a notebook could be titled, Artistic Design.  You could also have a notebook for each artist the students are learning about.  One thing that Miss Berger realized is the benefit of being able to comment and guide the students throughout the lesson because Evernote is web-based.  She is very excited and wants to begin the process in the second nine weeks.

                Each day holds so many obstacles no matter what job we hold.  To me, it is beyond a blessing to learn new things and be excited, but what matters even more to me, is a positive attitude of trying something new from the teachers.  As an administrator I can mandate that teachers do things “my way”, but that is not my heart.  Having the buy-in from the teachers is a gift to me.  They do have a voice, they do have the largest part in making a strategy work, and they also must have the heart to follow the path.  An obedient heart is God-given, and no matter what I dictate to happen, the teacher needs to see the purpose and have the passion to carry the torch.  I am truly blessed to work alongside teachers who make a difference.

               

               

 No matter what our weaknesses are we can learn new things.  Sometimes we are afraid of entering the unknown, but when we take the first step wonderful things happen.  I have been blessed by this week being able to share a small snippet of what I do as a private school principal.  Using Evernote has opened my eyes to being better organized, as well as, having important things at my fingertips.
Please enjoy my first ever Evernote!  Linda Johnson

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s477/nl/152657590/7ecf023b-833c-45d4-a44b-150f14aa10dd?title=Special%20Devotion%20For%20Chapel

Reflection #4- Ed Tech Blogs

     Most of us fear the unknown; however, we realize the importance of walking through, conquering, and growing in the process. As we step from the “old way of doing business” into the 21^st century, we must recognize the evolving process of communication and be willing to allow change.  When I put my principal hat on I often silently pray that I will never cease to see things around me through the eyes of a teacher; therefore, I was elated that one of the educational blogs was titled, “The 21^st Century Principal.” Learning to blog has been an enlightening experience for me and it has helped me overcome my fear of the unknown. 

 

   Having a teacher’s heart, even though I wear the badge of a principal, is something I pray to leave as my legacy. Interestingly enough, the article that caught my eye was written by a principal who sees that teachers impact their students in ways that reach beyond academics. In the article,” Teachers Impact Student’s Lives in Immeasurable Ways” (July 17, 2016) Eisner calls a teacher a “midwife of the child’s creative nature.” The picture of a midwife is a perfect one because they assist in the birth, come alongside the mother, listen to her heart’s cry, and they guide them through the tough times.  An elementary teacher listens to the stories of their students, inspires them to devise ways to handle life’s circumstances, and guides them to find their own solution to the problems that arise.  When I evaluate a teacher, I look for the teacher who is concerned about her student’s academic performance, but even more so, one who has the ability to never lose sight of the importance of character.  I often tell the teachers without reaching a child’s character; you will never be able to reach them academically.  The character of a student often determines their ability to grasp foundational concepts.

 

   My sixth grade teacher instilled in me the importance of loving to read, and to this day I grasp the importance of reading and how it affects everything.  It is the foundation to learning- it is necessary.  Mrs. Books ignited within me a curiosity to learn and a love for learning that could never be measured by a test.  Academics and student learning outcomes are very important, but I would rather concentrate on a teacher who sees the learning process as a treasured gift and has the willingness to walk with a student, who may not have the highest score, but they have the character to persevere through the journey of learning. In the article, “The Arts and Creation of the Mind,” Elliot Eisner states, “The effects of teaching may not show up until long after student’s leave school and in ways the teacher never dreamed of.” (2016).
  

   Recognizing the importance of the teacher through positive communication from administration is another responsibility that falls on the shoulders of a principal.  Another website, Edudemic.com showcases an article titled, “How Can We Keep Teachers in the Classroom?”  In years gone by, a study was done by the Department of Education determining that 50% of new teachers leave within five years; however, a new study denotes that 17% of teachers leave before five years.  Teachers seem to be staying due to higher pay and mentor- ship programs in some states. According to the Alliance for Excellence, teacher attrition costs the U.S. up to $2.2 billion annually.  To me, this is a sad state of affairs.  Being an effective principal means pouring out your bone marrow to serve those under your care.  The qualities of a servant leader are humility and a professional will to continue learning no matter what title you hold.  A teacher who leaves their profession due to a lack of support from administration is a hard fact to swallow.  Too often it is the mandated curriculum, lack of support from administration, and no ear given to a teacher’s opinion in the decisions at hand, that determine whether a teacher stays where they are called.    This principal believes in supporting and serving those around you.  We are not miracle workers; however, the human element and the relationships that formulate a school community should be of utmost importance in the eyes of those “who sit up in the tower.”
 

   I consider it a privilege to work with many of the educators I do at Immanuel Christian School.  Just being in the classroom brings a smile to my face.  Every teacher at ICS has a procedure in place for the start of the morning.  When I was perusing the website, Edutopia.com, I found an article titled, “Ring Their Bells: A New Way to Deliver Bell Work.”  From the very first moment, after being greeted at the door with a hug or handshake by their teacher, a child knows that their brain is going to be engaged in the learning process.  The article brought up the importance of a having a safety net in place as the children enter the classroom.  I see this as a “catch and release” model.  You catch the child’s interest immediately and hopefully hold it until you release them at the end of the day.   Also, a teacher never knows how the student began their day, so releasing their emotions with a willingness to learn no matter what, helps engage them.  This is the purpose of a “bell ringer” or a “do now.”
 

   Two examples of excellent bell ringers that are in place at ICS are in 5^th grade and 2^nd grade.  In 5^th grade, the teacher has a “Ted Talks” three days a week, where the students listen and then a designated student turns off the video before the finish.  The students must write the outcome in their journals and then they discuss the written outcomes.  In 2^nd grade, three days a week, an item is displayed on a table with four questions on the projector to answer.  The children must develop a story in their journal by answering the questions on the board, using their creative minds, and becoming storytellers.  I love the fact that from the very moment the children enter the realm of learning, they are enlightened, they are controlled, and they are beginning a day filled with obstacles, where they will learn how to persevere and never give up. 
 

   In conclusion, the unknown is often fearful; however, our willingness to embrace it, conquer it, and learn from it, makes us far better prepared to face the day to day pressures of what we are called to do- teach!  Even though I am a principal, I will never stop learning and gleaning from those who are so much more knowledgeable than me- not until……. the Lord calls me home. Even then, I will have a book in my hand. 

Reflection #3- Blogging

    Stepping out of the classroom eight years ago to become a principal widened my responsibilities and classroom walls, but it also gave me an opportunity to marvel at the numerous ways the teachers instruct, engage, and facilitate learning in their classrooms. I love being welcomed into the classrooms when the teachers are showcasing their student’s work or watching a particular project being unveiled.  Interestingly enough, there has been a lot of blogging going on! Putting the three D’s to life is happening here at Immanuel Christian School.

DISTRIBUTION:  Our Academic Counselor (College Prep Instructor) devised a College Readiness Blog for her students and parents.  The sole purpose of the blog is to distribute articles on college research based assessment and readiness for the college bound senior.  Many of her links, articles, and journals have to do with forecasting and predicting student learning outcomes and how they match up with particular colleges.  The students are also given an opportunity to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, through an uploaded assessment test called Strength Finder.com.  I visited with two parents with seniors this year and they mentioned how helpful the blog has been in preparing them for the future. 

DISCUSSION:  Two blogs with the purpose of two way communication are trending at the school.  First, our 4^th grade history teacher set up a blog for a unit in Texas History.  She utilized the website Weebly to engage her students in the Texas State Notebook she does yearly in her classroom.  Weekly questions are posted concerning the facts and events surrounding the history of our great state.  The students are encouraged to answer the questions through written discussion as well as respond to others comments.  The students receive grades for their reflections and answers, all the while, learning about the 21^st century and all of the digital resources available.  Secondly, our technology teacher devised a blog this semester having to do with the digital revolution and how it has changed cultural engagement in society.  Through “then and now” articles of technology trends in social media, she engages them in Q &A involving the changing times. Both of these are examples of discussion blogs that I would implement in my classroom if I were teaching.

DEMONSTRATION:  An excellent example of blogging for the purpose of demonstrating student work is found in our Algebra II and Calculus class.  Mrs. Martinez has a “flipped classroom” this school year.  She uploads teaching videos of herself in which the students are to view, take notes, and be prepared to implement what they learned the night before.  Her daily classroom time is spent helping the students grasp concepts while they work out the problems and methods that have been taught the night before.  Twice a week, she has students show their own method of working on a math problem.  They must formulate a two to three minute video to present to their classmates about how they obtained a particular answer to a math problem.  The results in her test outcomes have improved and the students are learning from one another.  In last week’s reflection, I wrote about the students knowing more about the digital age than their teachers do, now, I have actually seen it in action.

            In conclusion, if I stepped back into the classroom, I would want to be just like the teachers I have mentioned above.  Being able to navigate through learning and utilizing the resources available can be overwhelming on its own; however, taking it one step further in the student learning arena is another obstacle to overcome.  My hat is off to every educator who steps into the unknown and makes something special out of it to make a difference in the lives of their students.