OK...I am back...not that I went anywhere

OK...I am back...not that I went anywhere...I just took an unannounced hiatus due to multiple life events which also caused me to take a 90 day leave of absence from my school work, which as of January 1, 2011 is no longer authorized. So you either have to withdraw or get back on track. Along with my return to school, I am back to blog entries.


Lessons learned:

• Being one part of the sandwich generation causes personal growth, good, bad, or indifferent. Who knew Sandwich Generation Month was celebrated every July?
• Life events can be challenging...but learn from them, go with your gut, and if you mess up, admit it, learn from it, and keep moving forward...or in my jargon, adapt, implement, and overcome (AIO).
• As long as you are a parent, you will always love your child (ren) even when they hit their lowest of lows and even when you cannot skull drag them for assistance.
• If you are contemplating seeking a degree...go for counseling. Mental and behavioral health issues impact people which make up communities...everyone can use a little assistance.

Now for the ed techie part of this post:

A Retrospective on Twenty Years of Education Technology Policy 2003

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/bb/edlite-Retrospective.htm

National Educational Technology Plan  2010, 2004....and archives

On November 9, 2010, Secretary Duncan announced the new National Education Technology Plan as part of his keynote address at the 2010 State Educational Technology Directors Association Education Forum held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. We appreciate the tremendous amount of assistance we received in the form of comments, ideas, research and perspective from the entire education community throughout the development of this plan. Follow the (US) Office of Ed Tech on Twitter http://twitter.com/OfficeofEdTech

The National Education Data Model is a conceptual but detailed representation of the education information domain. The Education Data Model strives to be a shared understanding among all education stakeholders as to what information needs to be collected and managed at the local level in order to enable effective instruction of students and superior leadership of schools.

The Education Data Model can be used by educators, vendors, and researchers to understand the information required for teaching, learning, and administrative systems. The Education Data Model answers questions such as:

What data do schools need to collect and manage in order to meet the educational needs of their students?

What information is needed to effectively manage education organizations such that teaching and learning is successful

The Connected Online Communities of Practice project will steward a scalable, sustainable ecology of online communities in education to improve teacher and leader effectiveness, enhance student learning and increase productivity. There are already many online communities through which educators can connect with people and resources, but these communities tend to be isolated from each other, leading to redundancy of effort, missed opportunities for collaboration, and difficulty in finding appropriate support and resources. Through more efficient and coordinated online participation, education professionals will be better able to share practices, access experts, and solve problems that require systemic solutions in order to improve the opportunity to learn. The first iteration of the project report will be published in March 2011. 

The Learning Registry makes federal learning resources easier to find, easier to access and easier to integrate into learning environments wherever they are stored -- around the country and the world. This will enable teachers, students, parents, schools, governments, corporations and non-profits to build and access better, more interconnected and personalized learning solutions needed for a 21st-century education.  

Archives of National Ed Tech Plans:

The National Education Technology Plan was officially released at a launch event on Friday, January 7, 2005. Read the remarks given by Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Director of Education Technology Susan Patrick.

Tear Down Those Walls: The Revolution Is Underway

Action Steps from the 2004 NETP 

Archived data: http://www2.ed.gov/Technology/index-archive.html

Archived Information from the Office of Educational Technology—U.S. Department of Education

This page links to archived pages posted by the Office of Educational Technology (OET) under previous administrations.

Latest TRADOC Pams:

TP 525-8-2 The Army Learning Concept for 2015, 20 January 2011

TP 525-8-3 The Army Training Concept for 2012-2020, 7 January 2011

http://www.tradoc.army.mil/tpubs/pamndx.htm

Keep moving forward!
Many thanks to my PLN who kept me connected and motivated during the hiatus...RSS feeds are awesome!


Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can - there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did. Sarah Caldwell

What is an AAR? Why do an AAR?

An AAR, aka After Action Review or hotwash.


“The Army's After Action Review (AAR) is arguably one of the most successful organizational learning methods yet devised. Yet, most every corporate effort to graft this truly innovative practices into their culture has failed because, again and again, people reduce the living practice of AAR's to a sterile technique.” Peter Senge


I learned to facilitate and participate in AARs while in the military but the process meets the requirement for formal or informal assessments, with yourself, one on one, or in a collaborative environment. I use it in assessments in my roles as a parent, student, employee, community member, with HS students, military students, peers, supervisors, and other participants after all types of events.


Some key points to remember if you decide to conduct an AAR with yourself, learners, family members, advocacy groups, and/or community groups:



Determine what participants have learned from the experience, exercise, event --
a. Solicit questions and explanations.
b. Ask questions and receive answers from the participants to encourage self actualization/awareness and identify other methods of doing things.
c. Provide immediate feedback in context to the material and correct misunderstandings.
d. Remain unbiased in the facilitator role.
e. Focus on learning and improvement.
f.  Document recommendations, solutions, lessons learned and connect to next steps of learning, exercise, events and/or self improvement.
g. Follow through.



Wikipedia entry for after action reviews. 


The US Army published a training circular (TC 25-20) in September 1993, A Leader's Guide to After Action Reviews.


Big Dog & Little Dog's Performance Juxtaposition AAR page. Provides definitions, diagram, steps to conduct, strategies, and references.


After Action Review Appendix G, FM 25-101, Battle Focused Training, 30 September 1990 (FM 25-101 superseded by FM 7-1)


The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program provides links for references to AARs.


Do you conduct AARs? What do you learn from an AAR? Have you facilitated/participated in an event like an AAR with a different title or label?


Comments, recommendations, and feedback are always welcome.

Another lesson learned

This post is a reflection of my humbling experience while attempting to turn in my daughter's military ID card.


My daughter made the decision to move on and out...I was cool, actually excited for her regardless of her other life choices and decisions, happy that she made the decision...but that is an entirely different blog post.


Since she is my military dependent...connected through Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) which entitles her to medical and dental care through TRICARE I told her to give up the military ID card. I went to the Soldier Service Center to turn in her ID card.


The waiting room was full as I signed in and I sat down until they called my name. It was probably my shortest wait in a military ID card facility. Others who signed in before me were called and issued numbers...my experience went like this:


Service rep:  What can we do for you today?
Me:  I am here to turn in my daughter's ID card and remove her from DEERS.
Service rep:  Did she join the military or get married?
Me:  No, she has moved out of her registered address.
Service rep:  OK, so you want to update her address.
Me: No, I want to turn in her ID card and and remove her from DEERS.
Service rep:  The current DoD (Department of Defense) ruling states that the child family member (aka dependent) are entitled to the ID card including medical care until they are 21 even if they do not live with you. They are only required to turn in their ID card if they join the military (then they receive their own card) or get married.


I can only imagine the look on my face as I wanted to complete the effective communication process by stating what I believed I heard.


Me:  So you are telling me that I have to continue paying for her medical and dental insurance and she can have access to the rights that come with the military ID card yet I can't claim her on my taxes, she can run off and get married and I wouldn't know it to turn in her ID card because I am the military retiree?
Service rep:  Yes...and she can keep the ID card until she is 23 if she can provide documentation that she is in college.


So in my learning experience I was humbled...no more or less than any other day.  For anyone else out there who may have a child with a military ID card, who is also a legal adult, who you thought may come off your DEERS, TRICARE, or any other military benefit simply because they moved out...the times have changed. 


To my daughter: Be safe, be strong, enjoy life, learn from your decisions, enjoy the transfer from college to the school of life, and from our favorite book, Love You Forever, (Munsch):  I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as your living my baby you'll be. Thank you once again for enlightening my world...I will continue to learn from you, with you as you continue on your own journey...and don't forget to make that dental appointment before that cavity gets the best of you.