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  • TURN IDEAS INTO IMPACT: FETC 22

    TURN IDEAS INTO IMPACT: FETC 22

    As I got out of my Lyft at the Orlando airport Friday, I realized I was saying goodbye to some great new connections I made. This year’s FETC made a considerable impact on me. My next challenge will be to take the connections and learning to enhance education in my district and grow as a leader. I sat at the airport a little numb. Maybe from all the walking (possibly from carrying around my books -I need a cart on wheels like I saw Jenallee have), a little sad about just meeting some new connections and now leaving, or just could be too many “complementary” refreshments. My guess is a combination of all. I did know two things Jen Womble is a true superstar to stay the course, create a safe learning environment, and built a kick-ass event! I wanted to write a blog to share and urge everyone to reflect and take what they learned and implement it. When I began to reflect on the flight home and thought to myself, “I often give advice, and I want to achieve so much after this event; but how. So here are some ways I thought to turn all your FETC ideas into action.

    REFLECT: It’s important to take time to reflect before jumping into new ideas or strategies. Four days full of speakers and breakout learning at FETC gave everyone a lot to soak in. Even with a Google doc filled with every note your fingers could type, there’s no way to remember it all. So collect your notes, set aside time to revisit them, and identify some specific action items.

    DRAFT A PLAN: Give yourself a week to draft out a plan to implement any new learning. As tempting as it might be to put things into practice right away, mapping out a plan is often the most effective strategy.

    ASK YOURSELF, “IS THE IDEA REALISTIC?” Unrealistic ideas, goals, and strategies are almost worse than not having any at all. Just because you heard a great idea doesn’t mean you can implement the same idea when you don’t have the environment or tools to do that.

    SET ASIDE TIME TO PLAY: The implementation of new ideas is only as good as your ability to understand what impact a change would make. Try out two new resources or tools a week that you didn’t know about before the conference. Make a list of all the tools you want to try and set aside a few minutes a week to play with the new technology.

    MAKE THE IDEA YOURS: Tailor any new strategies to fit your style. The implementation will not be believable and sustainable if you repeat a speaker’s message, as valuable as it may have been, without making the idea your own. Take the idea and combine it with your teaching strengths and your students. Only then will it have an impact.

    CONNECT YOUR LEARNING TO OTHERS: As you review your notes, you may discover tools that would benefit other colleagues. Please don’t keep them to yourself. Instead, share your notes and links with that educator. Although you may not be in a position to make this knowledge purposeful, someone else may be able to make the idea blossom.

    TWITTER CHATS: Find chats with common interests and discuss these topics and trends from the conference. Allow the conference topics to be a starting point or stimulus for taking things further, rather than an ending point.

    BOOK STUDY: Many speakers at conferences like FETC have either written books themselves or suggested books for further reading during their presentations. This is a wonderful opportunity to bounce your ideas off trusted colleagues. If you need ideas for a book – I know a few I like : )

    REACH OUT TO SPEAKERS: The speakers and panelists at any conference are likely key experts in your field and also very open to sharing. Don’t be afraid to ask these presenters questions via email or social media. This platform we’re all developing here are K12Leaders, as well as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Voxer can be great avenues to connect with your favorite presenters and learn more.

    I was so fortunate to have had this experience and honored to be mentioned in the same lens as educators I look up to on the administrative track. I also say a lot, “So what, NOW what.” How can we take all this learning and grow as a profession? It is OUR time, FETC, to take your new ideas and put them into action!

  • Tell me!

    Tell me!

    TELL ME what your grading practices say.

    TELL ME what they say to the student who gets up at 4 am and rides a bus for close to two hours to get to a goo犀利士5mg d school.

    TELL ME what they say to the student who works a Job when they are not in school to help make ends meet.

    TELL ME what they say to the kid whose parent is busy with “other stuff” and the fridge is empty.

    TELL ME what they say to the kid who looks picture perfect on the outside package but is riddled with anxiety.

    TELL ME what they say to the kid who is trying to desperately figure out who they are and how they fit into this world.

    TELL ME what they say to the kid who has no one to advocate for them.

    TELL ME what they say…

    Do they say that you care, are compassionate and show grace?

    Do they say that you are data and policy driven and that they are just a line in your grade book?

    Do they say that you may not get them to learn your subject matter, but you will certainly teach them life lessons that will teach them that this world is cold and hard and uncaring?

    Do they say that you work to create a fair and even playing field as often as possible?

    Do they say what the student has actually achieved or simply what they have scored?

    Do they say that you see each child as a part of the collective whole as well as an individual?

    Do they say that you are caught up in archaic and ineffective practices that were used when you were a student and so now you use them?

    Do they say that you don’t grade for the sake of grading but with a clear and thoughtful purpose?

    Do they say that the student may have done the work befitting one grade and yet receive another for making errors that have nothing to do with what you are charged with assessing?

    Do they say that your assessments highlight achievement or errors?

    TELL ME what they say.

    I am not there. I have not arrived. I wrestle with these questions daily…but I continue to wrestle. I will continue to wrestle because THIS matters and I NEED to do better. We all NEED to do BETTER.

  • The Big Quit and the Problem with Big (and Old) Data in Education

    The Big Quit and the Problem with Big (and Old) Data in Education

    Human resources, I’ve come to learn over my career, is as much about risk management as any OSHA policy, equipment maintenance, or investment strategy. A company may choose not to perform maintenance on its conveyor belt to save cash for a year or two, but the risk of that critical component failing and causing major disruption increases every year they put that off.

    Human resources is similar, even in K12. They just manage risks that hit us more personally. What do we need to pay staff to ensure they come to work? What contracts should we negotiate to ensure we can deliver services? What benefits? How do we keep our staff safe? All these things, while in a workforce’s best interest, also ensure the sustainability of a business. Or school.

    The unfortunate reality is that while the bearings on a conveyor belt have a well-documented life span, a teacher’s career does not. Humans are also more flexible resources than bearings, and often get stretched beyond recommended safety guidelines. That’s my personal observation.

    But there have been a couple of articles in the last weeks with wildly different perspectives on “The Big Quit” in education. The first is Mark Perna’s article in Forbes which describes a looming crisis, largely due to teacher burnout. And another more recently by Chad Aldeman in The 74, that claims there is no Big Quit in education, and that any “Discrete labor challenges should demand targeted compensation solutions.”

    Aldeman’s article cites some robust data from the Colorado Department of Education and The Calder Center, but it’s also a prime example of the problem with data in education. The Calder Center article is from 2015, relying on data collected even before then, and the CDE study is speaking about retention rates at the beginning of the pandemic. That lag in data is typical, and in many cases unavoidable. And those making any policy decisions are in the tough spot of relying on data that doesn’t necessarily reflect their current or pending risk profile.

    Examples of that include the accounts of student behavior from school and district leaders during the fall of 2021. (See our earlier article, The Kids are not Alright…). But student disciplinary referrals are only reported to the state periodically, and generally at the end of a semester… so how can any board of education respond in real-time to bearings (meaning teachers) burning out on their conveyor belts (meaning schools)? It’s not by looking at outdated data.

    K12Leaders is publishing a real-time survey to gauge the current state of the K12 workforce, and the unique stressors on it this year. Please consider sharing with your educators and staff. We will share that data freely, as well as in upcoming articles on resignations, retention, and recruitment in K12 education.

    Sources:

  • Social And Emotional Learning Resistance Confronts K-12

    Social And Emotional Learning Resistance Confronts K-12

    Social emotional learning (SEL) has come under fire in some U.S. districts when, ironically, it appears to be needed most

    Christine Ravesi-Weinstein, an assistant principal in Massachusetts, is worried about her students.

    “2022 was without a doubt the most trying return to school we’ve ever experienced,” she said at a recent K12Leaders online event. “The amount of discipline issues we’re dealing with that were intense, large discipline issues – vandalism, violence, threats – was not something that I was at all prepared for. The number of students in dire need of counseling is off the charts.”

    Yet some groups in the U.S. have started targeting social and emotional learning and mental health education.

    In Carmel, Indiana, activists demand this past fall that a district fire its mental health coordinator from what they said was a “dangerous, worthless” job.

    Some parents are telling school board meetings that emotion-related lessons should be taught at home. Some call even talking of mental health at school brainwashing, indoctrinating students in unwanted progressive ideas about race, gender and sexuality.

    One parent at a school meeting this past September in Southlake, Texas even called the district’s lessons on suicide prevention “advertisements for suicide.”

    SEL experts have responses.

    Good programs tarred by bad ones?

    Driving some of this mistrust is mixed quality in the breadth of what are now called SEL-related services or resources. As with any burgeoning trend, a wide selection of related assets at varying levels of effectiveness have recently come available. Not all these resources are grounded in science, sometimes giving well-meaning initiatives aimed at students’ current mental challenges a bad name.

    “Mental health education is vital. But it’s very important that schools adopt evidence-based approaches and aren’t just bringing in any program or lesson plan they find on the Internet. You want an organization with a track record working with mental health in schools, with programming that’s science-based to show it does no harm and actually improves kids’ mental health and emotional literacy,” said Dr. Molly Lawlor, Director of Curriculum and Research at the Goldie Hawn Foundation’s MindUP social and emotional learning program in a recent online event answering hard SEL-related issues.

    “SEL does well when when it’s a reputable program,” agreed Dido Balla, Director of Educational Innovation and Partnerships at MindUP. “At MindUP, we start with the brain. We aren’t teaching opinions or any new agenda. We show: ‘if you have a brain, this is how it functions.’ Or in other words: no matter what you believe, biologically, anxiety can still affect you. Here’s what to expect, and here’s how to manage it.”

    Children clearly need help today

    Some critics of SEL harken to a time when schools in America only felt they needed to teach core subjects, plus the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. But children today face greater challenges than previous generations, like school shootings and social media. And the modern impact on mental health is measurably growing. Factor in the burden of COVID-19, and the more than a million children around the world even as of the summer of 2020 who’d lost a parent to the virus, and experts say we’re facing an unprecedented mental health crisis among kids.

    “Pre-pandemic, we already had 5.2 million children aged 3 to 17 affected by anxiety disorder. And after working with thousands of educators throughout the pandemic, I can tell you those numbers are not going down. They’re going up,” said Balla. “One in five students in a classroom is going to be experiencing a mental health issue over the course of their education.” 

    Educators see today’s challenges up close and feel obliged to assist. Experts say the need has never been greater for strategies, grounded in research that wasn’t available to previous generations, instead of leaving young people to cope with modern stresses themselves.

    “If you don’t talk about it, kids are going to look for information. Especially high schoolers. They’ll go to each other and often they don’t have accurate information about mental health. Not everything they see online or on TV or in movies is good advice. Some kids then adopt habits that aren’t healthy,” said MindUP’s Lawlor.

    “A program that promotes resiliency, improves kindness, improves emotional control, improves perspectives? I’m struggling to see how parents could object to it. I would invite critics to have conversations with people who actually understand what good SEL is, and see how it connects to the goals that you have for your own children. You might be surprised how much alignment there is with what good SEL is teaching,” said Balla.

    Silver lining: conflict management practice

    The uproar itself in some quarters around SEL has benefit. Listening to others, having empathy for others, listening to different perspectives and managing conflict are all emotional skills to learn and exercise.

    “Social and emotional learning helps us appreciate differences. Here we have a great example of a difference of opinion: a group that doesn’t believe that social emotional learning is valuable. Well, we need to listen to that and hear what they’re saying. Even if we may not agree. That’s a skill everyone should have,” said Lawlor.

    Are kids showing up ready to learn?

    Lawlor and Balla spoke at an online event answering hard SEL-related questions submitted in advance by school district leaders in the U.S. and Canada. The event was sponsored by Edsby, vendor of a popular online K-12 learning platform worldwide that recently introduced a system to enable students to share how they’re feeling and then present research-based, age-appropriate strategies and resources to students, including materials from MindUP, to help students regulate their emotions. Finally, Edsby also incorporates mechanisms for educators to take action to help their students succeed. (Disclosure: Edsby is a sponsor of K12Leaders.)

    Other approaches, such as a new add-on to Teams from Microsoft, and standalone systems such as Skodel and School Day, address the issue in more lightweight fashions.

    There are unprecedented challenges facing K-12 students today. Educators, especially trying to teach remotely, need to know how ready their students are showing up to learn. K-12 leadership should defend investment in emotional awareness and infrastructure in the face of criticism, especially when approaches and content are irrefutably grounded in science.

    Ravesi-Weinstein, the assistant principal in Mass., shared another story in her K12Leaders online event, a story from home when she was having a tough night emotionally. Her 8-year-old son came up and said, “Mommy, put your hand up like this. We’re gonna breathe.” Her son put out one hand up with his fingers spread apart. Then, tracing his 日本藤素 fingers with the other hand, he had Ravesi-Weinstein take a deep breath at the tips of each finger and breathe out in between.

    “Feel better, Mommy?” he asked.

    “Where did you learn that?” she replied.

    “School,” he said.

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  • Bold Predictions in Edtech for 2022

    Bold Predictions in Edtech for 2022

    Every year I embark on this tradition of trying to be “bold” in my predictions of what the twelve months ahead will entail. Some years I hit the mark, such as in 2015 when I predicted that the state of Texas would end its testing contract with Pearson. Or like in 2019 when I said Netflix would make an EDU version of their platform (ok, that one still hasn’t happened…yet).

    Still, it’s fun to make predictions, so with the turning of the calendar and a new year upon us, why not put something out there in writing to see how right or wrong I will be.

    The last two years have greatly impacted my predictions more so than any previous time. With the pandemic, industries far and wide are changing behaviors and practices. Having groceries delivered or meeting on a Zoom call are now commonplace.

    All of these changes have also impacted education. The course correction in funding with ESSER funds finally gives K-12 schools a chance to balance out what has been a severely underfunded aspect of our society.

    But first, a disclaimer. As I mention in the title, these predictions are meant to be BOLD. It’s one thing to say that education will change, but it’s quite another to actually specify the method in which it will change. I also realize that public education is heading into a bit of crisis mode when it comes to staffing shortages and the great resignation.

    With that, here are my thoughts on what the year 2022 will hold.

    The Great Edtech Buy Out Continues

    With the influx in ESSER funds, companies peddling education technology are feeling the pressure to grab a slice of the pie before it’s all gone. Companies consolidate and partner pretty regularly, and recent trends would indicate this will only accelerate this year. Last year Nearpod was bought out for an astounding $450 million by Renaissance. LineWize expanded its offerings by purchasing classroom management and analytics wizard NetRef and adding the UK filtering company Smoothwall.

    Doing this gives companies looking for the next big RFP greater coverage to check those boxes and potentially land a large district such as LAUSD or NYC. With the deadline of ESSER funds coming in 2024 (and likely most of those funds allocated by 2023), I predict this year will see a rapid increase in companies joining forces or buying one another. Will they all be owned by Pearson or PowerSchool? I’m not sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me if by the end of this there are only 3 or 4 big-time players in this space.

    The Great Resignation Will Force Schools to Think Differently About Online Teachers

    We are in the midst of what many are calling the “Great Resignation,” and with the shift to increased remote work, people and companies realize they can do a lot more with less. (Some folks have even realized they can work multiple careers at the same time, like yours truly.) Schools are feeling the pressure from this with both a shortage of substitute teachers and superintendents migrating to retirement at a rapid pace.

    One of the biggest obsta犀利士
    cles secondary schools face is what can be offered to students in terms of courses. Small districts are limited in offerings based on who is qualified to teach which class. For example, if a group of students wants to take Italian as a foreign language, they have to have a teacher who works physically at the school to be able to offer it. Many school leaders also are burdened by traditional thinking when it comes to hiring, believing a full-time employee is the only way to go. So now you might have a teacher teaching Italian one period per day and then other “catch all” subjects the rest to make up their paycheck.

    I predict this year we will see a rise in schools outsourcing course offerings via part-time online instructors. Companies such as ElevateK12 and Rex Academy have already started to realize this, and are providing part-time certified educators to remotely teach some of those hard-to-reach classes. With the shift to 1-to-1 devices, schools will use vacated computer labs to serve as staging ground for students still attending class in-person. Alternatively, students can take a “zero hour” course while at home on their own time, much like you would take a Master Class online.

    A New Social Media Platform for Educators Arises

    With the increased pressure in education and the lack of social connection due to the pandemic, the outlook on our industry is pretty bleak. Educators need to connect more so now than ever to solve our ever-increasing issues. The only problem is, we are scattered everywhere on social media. Twitter, TikTok, Facebook Groups, Instagram, etc. – these platforms connect us but only in platform-based silos.

    Last week I announced the launch of a new social network that I’ve been working on with a group of forward-thinking and compassionate educators for the last several months. The goal behind K12Leaders.com is to provide a free platform for educators to connect, grow, share and learn. While this platform is still very much in beta (you can try it out here), our hope is that this becomes a tool for reversing the trend of educators leaving the profession. This is literally a professional learning network and something I think we’ve sorely needed in education.

    Ok, so as this is a bold predictions article, time to be bold. As of this writing we have 145 members and my bold prediction is that we’ll be at 10,000 come December 31, 2022.

    TikTok University Will Launch

    Those clever dances. Those funny little reaction videos. The insane challenges. Kids (and adults) love TikTok. (I even broke down and finally joined this year too) It’s now the second-most used social media site by teenagers (after YouTube). Much like YouTube, people are drawn to this tool for both entertainment and information. My prediction is that this year we will see the launch of what I’m calling TikTok University or TikTokU for short.

    This education-friendly version of the popular social media platform will feature teacher influencers rapping to the times tables or dancing on the periodic table. (Yes, I said “on.”) Just like TeachersPayTeachers, TikTokU will be a great source of additional revenue for underpaid educators while also keeping students engaged and inspired.

    Now if only the next big TikTok challenge would be to surprise your teacher with a coffee instead of destroying the school restroom….

    ISTE22 Will Feel Like A High School Reunion

    A lot has happened since the last in-person ISTE in Philadelphia in 2019. Jobs have changed. People have gained and lost weight. Educators have gone three years without being able to network and connect in person. And now we are all going to be together for the first time in a long time in America’s most epic party city, New Orleans.

    What could go wrong?

    For the last three years we’ve experienced online happy hours and virtual conferences, but coming this summer that all ends (fingers crossed considering the current pandemic trends). As someone who’s been at a couple of major state conferences in the past month, I can tell you the release of pressure is real. Educators need to mix and network with like-minded souls and catch up on old times. We are in the people business and not being around our PLN has really drained us emotionally and mentally. I for one am excited to see the spectacle…er…magical experience that awaits us in The Big Easy.

    An Amazon “Alexa” Academy Will Be Established

    Do I think teachers will be replaced by robots? No. Do I think some of our time spent teaching basic facts should change? Absolutely. We are facing a “time famine” in schools yet we still focus much of our day and energy addressing basic facts that our phones or digital assistants can answer. Instead, we should be spending time helping kids ask critical thinking questions and taking risks.

    What better way to demonstrate that than by using artificial intelligence in the classroom? With AI, teachers can demonstrate how to get Alexa to listen to you when you want to hear that next great Doja Cat song, or how Google Home can help you figure out what the square root of pi is.

    My prediction is that Amazon will take the lead on this and attempt to implement the first-ever “Alexa Academy.” Teacher facilitators in the classrooms can help students ask questions, but the room will be outfitted with one-to-one Amazon Echo Dots.

    I would recommend for those seriously considering this that for the education addition, each Echo should be given a personalized “wake” word so the Echos don’t get confused. I’m sorry, could you repeat that again? I’m having trouble understanding you….

    A New Digital Divide Emerges

    The gap between those with and without access in schools has rapidly narrowed. The digital divide is still a real thing, but now I’m seeing other trends when it comes to technology use in schools, particularly when it comes to academic support. Underserved communities traditionally use edtech as remediation and repetition practice of core academic areas. Meanwhile, affluent districts promote project-based activities and entrepreneurial classes that employ edtech more creatively.

    I wrote a more extended thought piece on this phenomenon recently when reviewing how schools support students struggling academically. With 20% of ESSER funds earmarked for “learning loss,” it’s natural for edtech to play a role in this recovery.

    I think this year we will see a new digital divide emerge in terms of how we are using edtech. The truth is this isn’t a new phenomenon, however, now that we are closer to ubiquitous access we will start to see some gaps widening being the haves and have nots.

    Augmented Reality Will Push the Need for NFT Education

    We’ve all enjoyed playing with our Merge cubes and watching fun little videos using HP Reveal (now defunct), but generally augmented reality (AR) has been largely a consumptive edtech tool, which is why many companies have come and gone when it comes to implementing AR in the classroom (remember Aurasma?) The other major roadblock for AR is that it has been limited to those with iOS or Android devices.

    These challenges have kept AR off on the sidelines and saved for those special “Fun Friday” classroom activities. Now with companies such as Australian-based Eyejack and its AR Academy, I predict AR will finally start to shift to the creative side of education. Eyejack even recently became available on platforms such as Chromebooks, giving students another method to create and express themselves. This shift toward device-agnostic use of AR removes one more barrier for what I see will be a major new creative outlet for kids.

    The interesting thing about creating in the AR space is that now students can actually sell their virtual creations as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The conversation around intellectual property and creativity should be happening in schools yesterday. Making creative overlays, virtual murals, and living posters means an exciting future possibility for how kids demonstrate their learning (and possibly earn a few bucks as well).

    Metaverse Will Be a Not-So-Fun Version of Ready Player One.

    The book (and movie) Ready Player One gave us a preview of what this new idea known as “The Metaverse” might look like. Amazing avatars interacting in cool zero-gravity dance clubs and races through New York City with monster trucks were just the periphery, but at the heart of the book was how education was now freely accessible to all with a VR headset.

    Companies are now scrambling to throw their energy and money into building this Metaverse (see graphic below) but will it really be like the book? Will I be able to fly on a luck dragon or play some classic Commodore 64 games in a virtual representation of my childhood home?

    I think the short-term experience will be a little clunky and not nearly as fun, however, the potential for what the Metaverse can bring to schools could finally change the face of education. This could potentially create another digital divide when it comes with headsets, and raise concerns for screen-time warriors, but I, for one, am all in. Now, does anyone know a good real estate agent on the Metaverse? I don’t necessarily need a house next to Snoop Dogg, but just some nice digital acreage.


    My New Book Will Be a Success Because of Failure

    Every year I predict I’ll write some sort of book. Almost every year that prediction fails. This year is an exception as I just finished my latest book Ready Set FAIL!, which is set to launch in late January 2022 (pre-order here!). This book embodies much of what I believe we need more of in education…failure. I have always taken risks in my life that I think have had a positive impact on either my own learning or that of others. This was not something that was nurtured during my own experience as a student in K-12 or even at higher education institutions.

    Just writing this book and having it published is a success in my world (shout out to XFactorEDU publishing for taking a chance on me). We are not going to survive as an institution of learning unless we start making great strides in using risk-taking and failure to help unlock creativity in our students (and adults). My prediction (and hope) is this book will motivate some schools to rethink the traditional method in which we deliver learning to our students.

    Speaking of failures, I’m excited to see how many of these predictions will come true in the coming year. Like the Netflix series Black Mirror, all of these seem plausible, if not possible, with the right motivation and creative risk-takers in our space. The future is bright and uncertain all at same time. After all, who could have predicted a global pandemic would bring about a change to our daily lives? That’s one bold prediction I failed to make, and I’m okay with that.

    Happy 2022 everyone…here’s to the future!

  • A Look Back at Bold Predictions for Edtech in 2021

    A Look Back at Bold Predictions for Edtech in 2021

    Wow. That year flew by! Like many of you, we have been teetering in and out of pandemic stress in the Hooker household. We kept our youngest kids out of school until they were vaccinated making it the longest Spring Break ever. I started going back out to conferences, but I’m already seeing some cancel this spring. I’m not sure exactly what 2022 will hold (that post comes out tomorrow), but as always, I like to review and reflect on my predictions from last year.

    Before I do that, I always like to highlight a couple of my biggest hits when it comes to predictions. As this was my 9th year of writing this post, some came to fruition eventually, while others didn’t.

    A non-Apple Tablet will rule them all (2013)

    Pearson will lose its testing contract in Texas (2015)

    A Boba Fett movie will be announced (2018) – technically a series but ….

    The 2020 election will be heavily influenced by TikTok (2020)

    These were great but my biggest flop was not predicting a global pandemic in 2020 that would impact schools (and these predictions) greatly. With that, here’s a look back at my predictions from 2021 and how I would rate the outcome.

    Prediction: The mega face-to-face conference dies…and is reborn as hybrid

    Outcome: Close to spot on

    If I’m being honest with myself, this isn’t that bold. I keynoted the NYSCATE and VSTE conferences late in 2021 and both had hybrid sessions being posted online. I think this will be the model of conferences forever going forward. There will always be a want for some sort of face-to-face element when it comes to conferences. (at least until the Metaverse is fully functional – hint at predictions for this year).

    Prediction: Esports becomes a national varsity sport

    Outcome: Not quite ready player one yet

    The pandemic would surely bring a need for eSports as an option for schools around the country. I still see epic growth in this field but as of this writing, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and other sports are still king.

    Prediction: Every high school will offer high-quality online options from now on

    Outcome: Not quite online

    I think this one will be accurate in 3-5 years. With the growing national teacher shortage looming, this will become more of a need as schools try and figure out creative ways to offer unique courses to their students. If you think about it, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to only offer courses based on what teachers can teach it in your geographic area. With some creative funding and programs like Rex Academy’s online CS teachers, there’s no reason why this can’t eventually happen. Students can do these classes at any time and if they still need to go into an actual building, there can be an adult monitoring a computer lab full of virtual students.

    Bad weather days become obsolete

    Outcome: partly sunny

    This one ties heavily into the previous prediction. Here in Texas we faced a “Snowpocalypse” that meant we were out of school for almost two weeks. My kids were attending virtually and were able to carry on for the most part, but a new issue came as a result of the weather; Lack of internet. I’ll call this one mostly true, with a realization that in really bad weather, the lack of internet could be the disruptor for learning. Plus, sometimes we all need a mental health day now and then.

    Prediction: Classroom air quality becomes a priority

    Outcome: Breathing a little easier

    With the arrival of ESSER funds dedicated to upgrading school filter systems in the spring of 2021, this prediction was almost nailed. But then in November, the federal government passed an infrastructure bill that no longer had $100 billion dollars in it dedicated to upgrading old school buildings and portables. So while we should be able to breathe a little easier, we still have to look up at those water-stained, moldy ceiling tiles.

    Prediction: The Roaring 20’s will be a thing

    Outcome: I see more people dancing…on TikTok

    Honestly, I wasn’t expecting a bunch of people to be running around in flapper dresses and sequin ruffle skirts. With the pandemic still hanging around like an in-law overstaying their holiday welcome, I think there is still time for the Greater Gatsby to make an appearance this decade. I will say this, from my brief encounters at social events at two conferences, people are ready to get out and move. But in the mean time, just watch them dance on TikTok.

    Prediction: Schools will adopt a “racial justice” curriculum

    Outcome: We still have a long way to go

    I had no idea the political hotbed this issue would raise this past year. When parents weren’t yelling at school boards about mask policies, they were yelling about DEI. Honestly, with the political turmoil in this country, I only see this happening in certain parts of the country. It’s sad too, because if we are truly trying to raise a nation of critical thinkers, how can we do this without having a hard conversation about our country’s racial past?

    Prediction: The Hot Ones episode of UnDisruptEd goes viral

    Outcomes: Flamed out

    Every tech leaders favorite podcast UnDisruptEd did a lot of different things in the first 4 seasons. But one thing it didn’t do was go viral. This video still only has 155 views as of this writing and I’m pretty sure half came from our kids watching their dads cry on camera. That said, something else unexpected happened with the podcast; Adam and I got to do it as a keynote live! We opened up the Confluence event and VSTE with a live and interactive version of our podcast to thunderous and at times awkward applause.

    Prediction: 90% of face-to-face meetings will be eliminated in education

    Outcome: Let’s have a meeting to discuss this

    I don’t know that we’ll ever see a time where this happens completely (Metaverse anyone?), but I there has been an increasing acceptance in attending meetings virtually. I think as leadership changes in future years and Millennials start to take over, this will become much more of a norm.

    Prediction: There will be a Star Wars spinoff about a school on Tatooine

    Outcome: Failing grade

    I’m still hopeful we’ll get to see little Grogu go to Jedi school on the next Mandalorian, but this one is doubtful. Maybe it’s time for someone to finally open up a Star Wars themed school?

    Prediction: I finally write and publish my children’s book

    Outcome: It’s a failure…but….

    I never would have predicted that I would be spending a large part of 2021 writing a book about failure. But that’s what happened. Later this month my new book Ready Set FAIL will hit the Amazon book store (preorder here). It’s somewhat appropriate that my failure in writing a children’s book would actually become a book. My new book explores all the science behind why it’s important to let kids (and adults) take risks and fail. I loaded it with stories of my own failures and also included strategies and activities for encouraging more of this concept in schools. After all, failure makes a great teacher.

    As I look back at my predictions from 2021, I don’t feel like there were any that were particularly bold. My goal for this year’s predictions is to really ramp up the risk and see where it leads. Stay tuned!

  • Can Graduating Early Solve the Problem of Teacher Shortages?

    Can Graduating Early Solve the Problem of Teacher Shortages?

    Nationwide, it is called The Great Resignation. Sadly, our education community is not immune.  Whether lured away by early retirement, opting for a career change, or as a result of waving the white flag, we are losing valuable employees and the K12 industry is struggling to fill empty positions left open by these professionals in all areas.  Social media, news reports, employment sites and emails are a daily reality check of how many qualified individuals are needed in education right now.  Everywhere, people are looking for creative solutions to fill the void to provide for our students and their futures.

    I was listening to the local TV news while making dinner this week and had to rewind to be sure I was hearing correctly.

    “The district raised its daily rate of pay for substitute teachers from $95 to $135 on Monday to hopefully attract more substitutes. We are still struggling to recruit new substitutes despite that increase and we are using all available staff, including paraprofessionals and district administrators, to cover classrooms,” a Brockton Public Schools spokesperson said in a statement.

    https://whdh.com/news/mass-school-districts-scrambling-to-find-substitute-teachers-as-covid-19-causes-crippling-staff-shortages-3/

    The story talks about the challenges of personnel shortages during the pandemic and the call for higher education institutions to graduate education majors a semester early to fill those gaps.

    I work in K12 education and I am living life affected by those gaps. Our staff members at all levels are feeling the stress more than they did last year when we were in a hybrid environment.  I’ve seen district leaders and administrators substitute teaching in classrooms and performing bus, recess and lunch duty. I know how shortages are playing out in the school house. In my online groups, I read post after post after post of weary professionals trying their best to provide for their students while preserving their health and sanity.  I’m not convinced we are preserving either.

    Our current environment is NO place to invite preservice teachers to come aboard. The final semester of most preparatory programs is where the culmination of acquired academics meets actual practice.  The end of professional programs is where preservice teachers work alongside master educators under the supervision of their university professors. During our final semester is where we all struggle while being supported, learn from our failure, strengthen our wings and grow our network as a way to prepare for our burgeoning career.

    And let’s face it: even before the pandemic, teacher retention rates weren’t something to celebrate.  A quick Google search will inundate you with examples of disappointing data points. For example:

    In her article “Why Do Teachers Quit?” Liz Riggs revealed that for those who are enrolled in teacher education programs, 40 percent of those potential educators never even enter the profession, citing a “lack of respect” and describing teaching as a “very disempowered line of work.”

    In our book Modern Mentor, Matthew X. Joseph and I talk about the importance of a robust mentoring program to overcome these statistics.  A reality we cannot ignore is that thousands of students are investing hope, time, work and money to enter the education profession, only to leave their dreams behind before they are even actualized.

    Do we forgo residency to get surgeons into the operating room? Can we eliminate flight hour requirements for pilots to seat them in the cockpit? Should we cross bridges designed by engineers with incomplete training?

    No. We are ALL professionals. We don’t. We can’t. We shouldn’t.

    No matter how much we need them, we cannot tempt fate by encouraging preservice educators to leave their preparatory programs before they are prepared.

    None of us can afford that.

    We are back to the same challenge, though, aren’t we? Districts everywhere are experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals.  Where can they be found, and how can we bring them into our schools? How do we support them so they stay? Our K12Leaders team is having this conversation on a regular basis. As our community grows, so does our capacity to problem-solve.  We invite you to join the platform and join the conversation.

    Share your thoughts here in our K12Leaders HR Group: https://k12leaders.com/group/k12hr/

  • STRATEGIES FOR BEING MORE PRESENT AS AN EDUCATOR

    STRATEGIES FOR BEING MORE PRESENT AS AN EDUCATOR

    I, Matthew X. Joseph, have worked in public education since graduating from Springfield College in 1993. For the past 17 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a school and building leader. One thing all schools have in common (besides the need to stay away from the break room around the holidays if you are on a diet) is how compassionate and devoted educators are to making a positive difference in children’s lives. Unfortunately, due to their compassion and drive, another common thread for all educators is burnout. My goal in writing this was to share with other educators the importance of being present and maximizing things we sometimes take for granted.  Two weeks ago I received my new book, Stronger Together , in the mail, I picked it up, looked at it, and thought, “Okay, what’s next?” I never even took a moment to celebrate the accomplishment. Being more present is something I’ve never been good at. Being present is now more important than ever; we can’t always count on the next event.

    When I can be reflective, I learn best. That is why I write. And I am sharing these words to support other educators who may be experiencing the same, constant “What’s next?” feeling. Trying to be more present can be hard. For me, to be present, I like to collaborate. Collaboration allows me to focus because someone else is relying on me to be the best I can be. One of the individuals I like to collaborate with is mental health advocate Christine Ravesi-Weinstein, author of the book Fighting Your Inner Voice . Together, we want to share strategies you can use to be more present and give others the best version of yourself possible.

    Too many educators are not as equipped for the social/emotional learning (SEL) demands of today’s classroom: high-stakes testing, m犀利士
    ental illness, severe trauma, and a constant “Go! Go! Go!” mentality. With many high-stress days, educators can feel discouraged, burnt out, and ready to quit. During these uncertain times, it’s essential to find ways to manage fear and anxiety to alleviating day-to-day stressors. We’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with many higher education institutions on teacher preparation throughout our careers in education. Most teacher training programs focus primarily on content and pedagogy; they overlook the social, emotional, and cognitive demands of teaching. We need to draw awareness to educators’ social/emotional needs and promote calm, relaxed, and enlivened classroom environments.

    Educators are always thinking about homework, assessments, projects, grades, lesson plans, conferences, etc. Now they’re also focused on Zoom, EdTech tools, and connecting and ensuring engagement from home. They’re understandably focused on and driven by the day-to-day parts of the classroom and don’t often take a step back and consider whether or not they’re teaching effectively. Present is a word that serves as a constant reminder for us to slow down and enjoy the moment. But today, our “present” looks significantly different than it did months ago. Worry and anxiety about all the possible “what ifs” right now aren’t helping us stay focused on the moments happening right before us. Since life today is filled with changes that can be unsettling, here are some suggestions for educators to help you maintain a sense of focus in the present.

    Celebrate small wins.

    It’s important to celebrate small achievements. We often celebrate holidays, birthdays, or advancements in a career, but what about the regular accomplishments? Finally, grading a stack of papers that have been sitting in your bag for a week, submitting your evaluation evidence after a year’s worth of collection, sending a parent email you’ve been dreading; all of these things are accomplishments and deserve to be celebrated too. Maybe you participated in virtual PD or created a Flipgrid for the first time. We are always working in overdrive and looking forward, we tend to ignore these small accomplishments. But when that happens, we miss out on a lot of happiness in our lives. Small wins are opportunities to reflect on how far we’ve come, which gives us the strength to stay inspired.

    Identify the moment you are in.

    Take a minute to reflect and identify the moment you’re currently in. Focus on your surroundings and your current state. Most of us are never fully present in our lives because we continually get distracted. Our focus may be on one thing for a few moments, but suddenly another idea, question, or task comes up, and we’re onto the next thing. Try thinking about what you physically see around you. Consider sounds you might not normally hear. Try focusing on something you can smell. What is it that you can physically feel? Identify the moment you are in, minimize distractions, and make a conscious effort to make the most of the PRESENT.

    Listen without intending to respond.

    When you’re engaged in conversation, do you listen, or are you more focused on what to say next? Usually, we’re only half-listening because we’re already thinking about our own stories and what we can add to the dialogue. Instead of thinking about what to say, be more PRESENT in your conversations and think about what you hear. By merely listening with curiosity, rather than anticipation, you will be inherently more present.

    Be okay with not knowing all of the answers.

    Part of the reason we get so caught up in the unknown is that we want all of the answers to our questions immediately. We feel inept for not knowing how to handle certain situations, which only leads to self-criticism and self-doubt. The less you try to attain the answers, the more likely they are to come to you. Sit in the moment and be okay with unanswered questions.

    Listen to your body.

    It’s easy to start thinking that you need to eat a certain way or exercise for a certain amount of time because you see other people doing it. One of the best ways that you can be PRESENT in your life is to listen to what your body is telling you. Are you craving a particular food? Eat it. Does a run sound fun? Go for one. Do you want nothing more than to sit on the couch and watch a movie? Do it. Your body will let you know when it wants to move and when it needs rest.

    Get away from the digital world.

    We have been fully engrossed online during remote learning. However, taking a break can be powerful. Spend time away from your phone and computer every day. Read, write, go for a walk, or eat your lunch without an electronic device nearby. Do something daily that doesn’t require a connection to the internet. Consider getting a watch to check the time so that when you go to do so on your phone, you’re not compelled to check your messages. Furthermore, consider shutting off all but the critical notifications on your device. The fear of missing out keeps us tied to our phones. The truth is that being attached to email means we’re missing out on something even more critical — ourselves and the moment right in front of us.

    Declutter your desk/office/workspace

    Messiness affects us because it reminds us of unfinished business. The stacks of folders, papers, books, random wires in the closet, and old mail affect us more than we think and prevent us from being PRESENT. Even when we shove the mess in a drawer, we know the stuff is there, waiting for us. It’s hard to be PRESENT in a cluttered space.

    Being present is a wonderful thing. It relieves stress caused by focusing on failures of the past and worries of the future.

  • Whose Voices Are Missing? Brainwriting Propagates Ideas From Everyone!

    Whose Voices Are Missing? Brainwriting Propagates Ideas From Everyone!

    These recent two school years have brought many of us to the realization that reaching ALL students is challenging, but more critical than ever.  We use strategies to individualize instruction and make student thinking visible.  Believe me, typing that sentence is far easier than putting it into practice.  To that end, I like MindTools.com. It is a website designed for professionals to improve functionality on their teams and in their business. They have a membership offering on their website, of course – but even if you only read 3 articles (that’s how many you can access for free), you’ll be inspired as a K12Leader to find new ways of reaching learners in your community.

    Ironically, I was in a webinar (on Student Data Privacy) and we were talking about different strategies to use in adult Professional Development. The idea of Brainwriting came up as a tool that works better than brainstorming because everyone has a voice and the opportunity to contribute.  It becomes quickly apparent – this strategy is not limited to PD.  Think about staff meetings, working with students, engaging parents….and more!

    After the webinar was over, I did some Googling, read a few articles online about Brainwriting and really like the concept. It reminded me of the SEI strategy many of us learn called a “Write Around”.  Whether done on paper or online, the idea of Brainwriting is to pose a question with the hopes of generating many ideas.  Individuals jot their answers down, and then they move on to another paper/document to read others’ ideas.  This ongoing exchange helps to propagate more creative thoughts and allows everyone to participate and be heard.

    While you are on the MindTools site, be sure to check out a couple more strategies that draw your attention. I am always excited by how we can take “corporate practices” and make them super relevant in K12 education.

    https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newct_86.htm

    What do you think? How can this strategy (or others) be used in your K12Leader role?

    Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

  • Standing in the Gap: Responding to Intolerance and Committing to Safe Schools

    Standing in the Gap: Responding to Intolerance and Committing to Safe Schools

    Just days after a student was harassed by an adult for openly identifying as gay during a school board meeting in Massachusetts, the MASCD (Massachusetts Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) had an organized response to the incident.  Gathering dozens of educators and advocates from across the Commonwealth into a webinar to discuss and work-through how individual educators can support LGBTQIA youth, MASCD demonstrated how to respond swiftly, appropriately, and effectively to help make sure educators have the resources they need to encourage a safe environment in schools.

    “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.”

    Audre Lorde

    Here are some numbers that help paint a vivid picture beyond that single school-board meeting: 

    • 32% of high school students who identify as LGBTQIA have attempted suicide.
    • 52% of LGBTQIA youth have been subject to serious bullying.
    • 13.7% of LGBTQIA students have witnessed an adult intervening on their behalf.

    Let’s read those backwards…

    • 13.7% of LGBTQIA students have witnessed an adult intervene during bullying.
    • 52% have been bullied.
    • 32% attempt suicide.

    And what is the Queer Agenda in schools?  Because this panel admits there is one. And it’s simple. “Embrace all our students, and make all LGBTQIA students and staff feel safe in their communities of learning.”

    One presenter, who identified as an “ally,” put his situation this way, “I don’t understand their life, but I know I need to be standing in the gap to support the young people who need me!”

    And that “gap” is easy to define as well: 100%-13%= 87%.  

    That “gap” is to make sure 100% of students recognize that there are adults standing up for them, valuing them, and committed to providing a safe learning environment.

    And how can an educator fill that gap, especially in an environment that can politicize student safety so quickly?  The panel offered some really simple, and inspiring, suggestions.

    And at the top of the list, the most enabling tool of any that was mentioned, was something very simple. Simply say you care about student safety. Safety for all your students.  If that’s not part of your school’s mission, it can be part of your own.  Owning that value empowers decisions that might otherwise be distracted by politics, or frenzy. And if you truly do value safety for all students (and staff), then demonstrate that by

    • If your school’s mission doesn’t already include something to indicate your commitment to student safety, welcomed, and included. That lays the groundwork for conversations around what that looks like…
    • Understand that when you do this work, you’re doing it for all your students.
    • Look at the language you use… is it fully inclusive?
    • Normalize all kinds of families.
    • Think about where students see themselves represented in classroom materials, and make sure teachers can get that material into their classrooms. It’s not enough for it to just be on a shelf. It needs to be actively incorporated.
    • Listen to families that don’t agree, but don’t allow that to negate the identities of your students.
    • Identify your fears… “what is it I’m actually scared of if I commit to this more actively.” Then, if you are afraid, you can to ask the question “is this worth it.” Which comes back to your mission… If it’s in your mission, then yes- it is worth it.
    • “Lean in” to your discomfort. It’s okay. Progress is not comfortable.
    • Don’t expect students to initiate leadership, but empower and welcome them to.  This is life-or-death important. 32% of LGBTQIA students attempt suicide.
    • Sometimes it’s important to understand how you’re seen first… It’s okay to rely on friends’ and allies’ more privileged voices if that’s what needs to happen.
    • If your community seems to value its homogenous culture, remember: We are not preparing students to stay in their own zip code. The rest of the world is infinitely more diverse than many of our communities. 
    • Do not assume that no one in your school is wrestling with these issues.
    • Do not just share stories about persecution and suffering. Understand there is joy ahead for your students! 

    And I think that last point is particularly important.  This webinar was initiated by an instance of conflict. And there is plenty of conflict. But as one of the presenters said, “This is a joyful community! Represent that for your students, not just the suffering.”