PILOTed

Changing nature of IT in schools and districts

It seems just a few years ago that the role of IT in districts was

1. Purchase and maintain equipment
2. Say no to teacher requests

The CoSN conference last week made clear that IT or Tech is specifically responsible for

• Privacy and security
• Infrastructure and the network
• Device selection
• Implementation and configuration
• Administrative systems
• Tech training and support
• Compliance
• Maintenance of content and systems tools that facilitate teaching and learning

But because tech has become so embedded in all aspects of schools and districts, the CTO/CIO is seen as an integral part of the leadership team that guides district and school vision and then plans and implements. This more expansive role is new, and probably why so many leaders for all aspects of schools and districts attended.

Tom Vander Ark and Lydia Dobyns pointed out what makes this all so complicated in the graphic below:

Ann McMullan’s panel, What Superintendents Want From Their Tech Leaders, noted that

1. We want the tech director to have been in the classroom and to have empathy for teachers
2. We want them to change the conversation from what tool do you want to what do you want to accomplish and what are the different ways to achieve that
3. Tech needs to help us ensure that we align the resources needed for implementation and support with our hardware and software initiatives
4. We love when Tech puts procedures in place to make sure we were using what we bought, and if not, that we stop buying it and move on to something more useful

It was also fascinating that there were four sessions on Mindfulness and Happiness, including the concluding keynote.

Shannon Pitcher-Boyea instructed us in mindful communication (and not just from IT Directors) and how constructive communication requires 5 gates:

1. Are the words we are about to speak true?
2. Are they necessary?
3. Will it be beneficial
4. Are they kind?
5. Is this the right time?

And Neal Pasricha’s closing keynote explored 5 practices, any of which can make your life happier when done daily:

1. Nature walks
2. Doing things that help others
3. Expressing gratitude
4. Meditation
5. Keeping a Journal

Who would have expected tips like those from an IT conference?

At CoSN, IT leaders learned how to be more expansive in helping the district advance learning effectively and efficiently, communicate in a way that gives dignity to all, and live happily ever after.

One more note. If you're interested in discussing some of the important issues facing schools and districts, take a look at the upcoming (free) discussions on Edchat Interactive.

#SxSWEdu 2018 Roundup

A 4^th grade black girl is talking to a white teacher:

“I love your hair.”

“Why thank you.”

“It’s so nice and soft, mine’s really frizzy.”

“Oh, yes, sometimes mine is frizzy, too.”

Perfect example of an enlightened teacher showing empathy, right?

Guess again.

This was just one of the tidbits learned in the SxSWEdu session Let’s Teach About Race.

A black teacher overhearing the exchange felt a dagger had been thrust into her heart. Hair is an important factor in self-esteem for girls. With her statement, the teacher was actually reinforcing any insecurity the girl had. One of the many better responses, “I love your hair, it’s so beautiful.”

We all strive to be more sensitive to different cultures, races, genders, orientations, and experiences. I blogged about what I recently learned reading White Trash and The Color of Law.

As part of that journey, Edchat Interactive is having a live online discussion on March 22 led by Rodney Turner, What a Black Educator Wishes White Educators Knew About Students of Color. It’s going to be epic (and fun) so please register and join us.

Back to SxSW Edu.

In Startup: 21^st Century Intrapreneurship, Sarah Sherrill and Tiffanie Harrison of Round Rock High School talked about how they built two courses around creating and running a print shop. They were able to get a Perkins grant to purchase the equipment, and local businesses coach and mentor the students and teacher. In the business class, students learn how to sell, service customers, make a profit, account for cash flow, revenues, and expenses, and manage projects. In the design class, students learn design skills, operate professional printing equipment, and have to learn how to design for a customer. The print shop operates primarily to serve the school’s custom printing needs and, in just 6 hours a week of operation, saves the school about $100,000 a year.

Imagine if more school found ventures that could inspire students with real life skills while also generating a return!

In Students Can Build the AR/VR Worlds of the Future, Rafranz Davis, Mark Suter, Jordan Buisantoso, and Jessica Lindl, related some of the cool ways students are learning to build in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. AR is definitely more accessible: it works on virtually any tablet or smartphone (and with special triggers on Chromebooks), but you can’t beat the immersion of VR. Teaching kids to develop in Unity can have a steep learning curve, but Adam Crespi of Unity showed how Unity Technologies offers a bunch of starter lessons to ease kids into the process.

Oh, and I participated on two panels. In Can Evidence Keep Up with EdTech, Denis Newman (and I wish I had a video of the crowd chanting his name!), Jason Palmer, Malvika Bhagwat, and I discussed how effective research practices can both inform continuous improvement and help educators make informed decisions without breaking the bank. And in Assistive Tech Innovations That Change the Education Landscape, Kevin Custer and I led a discussion in ways that technology can help every student learn and grow.

And back to Teach About Race

Akiea Gross, Tierney Oberhammer, Timothy Jones, and Yvonne Tackie had a wealth of insight and guidance (and hopefully some will join us on March 22!).

If you are white American, obviously you’re not black, Asian, or Latino. For example, the way you as a white person, have a conversation with a policeman is different from their discussions and interactions with police. Acknowledge that you are different. Appreciate, don’t denigrate. Give students of color agency, Help them be proud of their culture. Teach how to embrace differences.

We all need to learn how to have discourse and disagree, and we can teach kids how to have a disagreement discussion effectively and civilly. Like the one we will be having on March 22 here.

When is the right time?

Daniel Pink's new book, When: the Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, is all about determining the optimum time to act in order to reach goals and achieve results.

 

Why is timing important?

 

Well, in a series of studies, it was shown that when faced with 6 presentations, decision makers selected the final presentation over 50% of the time. So when you present may be much more important than what or how you present.

 

The way most of us make decisions in the morning is very different from the way we make them in the afternoon. Most people are more willing to carefully consider evidence, even if it differs from conventional wisdom, in the morning, while most of us are more likely to select the tried and true and go with the flow in the afternoon. If you want to convince people to try something new, which time would you opt for? Or if you wanted to convince people to do more of what they were already doing, what time of day would you select?

 

Will you accomplish more if you work 3 or 4 hours straight, or if you take breaks? And what types of breaks work best? And is it beneficial to take a nap?

 

It turns out that breaks rejuvenate people and generally allow all of us to accomplish more than if don't take time out (and that goes for children/students, too). What types of breaks are optimal? Being outdoors, spending time with other people (and especially spending time with other people outdoors), exercise, and light snacks are all good breaks. And naps, the absolutely ideal nap is to grab some caffeine (like a cup of coffee), take a 15-20 minute nap, and then go back to work? Naps longer than 30 minutes, while they may help in the long run, actually result in a 10-30 minute trough after the nap. And why caffeine before the nap? It takes 20 minutes for caffeine to take effect, so you get a slingshot effect by drinking coffee and then napping for 20 minutes or less.

 

Mid-project is also an interesting time, in two different ways.

 

When groups of people (including students) work on, say a 1-3 month project, there is a preponderant pattern. In the first half of the project, the group gets together, discusses, establishes ground rules, bonds. But they don't generally accomplish anything. But about at the mid-point, someone notices that half the allowed time has passed and the deadline is approaching, and successful groups then go into overdrive and start progressing rapidly.

 

On many other types of longer term events, there is a flurry of activity in the beginning and a rush at the end, but little actual engagement in the middle. 

 

What are some techniques that can keep motivation throughout a project?

 

• Setting interim goals with due dates
• Go public with the goals and commitments
• Break in the middle. (This reminded me of a good mystery or video series. Each chapter or episode ends in the middle of a problem. Then the first half of the next chapter solves that problem and builds to the next one, ending before that problem is solved. So when you have a project and you are going to move on to something else for a while, don't stop at a good breaking off point, stop in the middle of something interesting and it will pull you back in.)
• Imagine one or more people who are going to benefit from your work, and let that connection motivate you toward completion.

 

And for me, one of the more interesting points in the book is the distribution of happiness during one's life. It turns out that people are generally very happy as they become adults in their early 20's. And then their happiness dips, reaching a low about 50 years old. Then it starts rising again, and people are often happiest in their 70's and 80's. For people in their 40's, 50's, and 60's, that gives us something to look forward to. And for you in your 20's or early 30's who are reading this? Look what you did to your parents!

 

And it's always a good time to check out the discussions that are coming up on Edchat Interactive at http://www.edchatinteractive.org/upcoming-seminars