3 References - Do your students have them?

One of the many challenges I encounter when working with our youth is their inability to provide a minimum of 3 references that are not family members or some unknown digital connection made through social media. Most adults do not have an issue with providing three references because of their life experience.

Working with students and even some adults while developing a student resumes, you can see the struggles as they learn to document their own accomplishments. Many of them discount what they do in their community, schools, churches, and extra curricular activities.

One thing I kept for my daughter throughout our travels was a binder that we titled, "Me book" which contained everything from certificates of accomplishment/achievement/appreciation that she received over the years. This binder played a role when she created her first student resume in middle school. The "Me book" continued to be a repository for points of contact and organizations, which allowed her to reflect about adults she could list as references during her job searches and volunteer activities.

This activity also ties into them setting up Google Alerts for their own names and searching for those they list as references. Some students want to list their high school teachers as references when they apply for jobs or volunteer activities because it is where they spend the majority of their high school life. They are also encouraged to contact everyone they want to list as a reference and ask their permission and to verify contact information.

So encourage and work with your students, your children, your neighbor's children to get involved and make the community connections needed. If someone asks you if they can list you as a reference, be honest. Some people do not want to be listed as a reference and other people do not mind at all, they just want to be aware if and when their name is being used. It can be challenging to hide the surprise when recieving a call about a particular student and to reference their work, character, or lack of when an organization calls to verify a listed reference.

If you had to provide 3 references for a career or volunteer position, could you?

If your students wanted to list you as a reference, how would you respond?

Research Topic Ideas

For one of my assignments I had to narrow down my ideas and list research areas of interest and potential research topics.

Like many students I hit times in my day or night when I struggle with writer's block. To kick off ideas and have some fun I like to throw ideas and key words into Wordle or peruse the Wordle gallery. So here a couple of the results.


I modified the number of words to use, different layouts, and palettes, but creating the Wordle helped jump start my writing for the homework assignment.




How do you use Wordle?

Consolidating References

I am consolidating references from previous assignments created during my last few classes. NCU will switch from APA version 5 to APA version 6 in January 2010, so the references are listed in a text format. Web sites, books, and articles are consolidated and this blog post will be used as I progress through the disseration phase. Any of the research/scholarly articles were found in many of the databases through NCU's library and referenced in the Research Strategies blog post and making connections through Twitter.

This list is not all inclusive, simply a blog post with many references which may or may not be used in future assignments. Any of the books listed are also linked in my Google Books library if they are available in Google Books. Please feel free to comment and provide recommendations or improvements as you read through the post.

How cool would this be if I could have everything I have ever read in my ePortfolio? Another great reason that students should be creating one...if for nothing else a collection of references for reflection.

Adams, D. (2008). Gaga for Google in the twenty-first century advanced placement language classroom. Clearing House, 82(2), 96-100. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Badke, W. (2009). Google scholar and the researcher. Online (Weston, Conn). 33(3), 47-9.

Barrett, H. (2009). Google apps ePortfolios. Retrieved from: http://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioapps/.

Blachman, N. (2009). Google guide. Retrieved from: http://www.googleguide.com/.

Bodzin, A. M., & Cirucci, L. (2009). A land-use-planning simulation using Google earth. Science Scope. 32(7), 30-38.

Braender, L., Kapp, C., & Yeras, J. (2009). Using web technology to teach students about their digital world. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2), 145-153. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1755224741).

Braender, L., Kapp, C., & Yeras, J. (2009). Students meet and create knowledge (SMACK). Retrieved from: http://ismack.org/

Branzburg, J. (2006). Use Google maps mashups in K-12 education. Technology & Learning. 26(10), 32.

Brown, J. S. & Adler, R. P. (2008). Minds on fire: Open education, the long tail and learning 2.0. EDUCAUSE Review, 43(1), 16–32. Retrieved from: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0811.pdf

Buske, C., Dingman, J., McNally, D., Phil, J., & Wallace, B. (2009). Google tutor. – Tutorials, tips, and advice for Google users. Retrieved from: http://www.googletutor.com/.

Chillarege, K., Nordstrom, C. Williams, K. (2003). Learning from Our Mistakes: Error Management Training for Mature Learners. Journal of Business and Psychology. Vol 17, Iss 3.

Couros, A. (2006). Examining the open movement: Possibilities and implications for education. Campus-Wide Information Systems. Retrieved from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3363/Dissertation-Couros-FINAL-06-WebVersion

Duffy, P. (2008). Engaging the YouTube Google-eyed generation: Strategies for using Web 2.0 in teaching and learning. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 6(2), 119-129. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Fisch, K. & McLeod, S. (2009). Shift Happens. Retrieved from: http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/

Goodstein, A. (2007). Totally wired what teens and tweens are really doing online. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

Google Apps. (2009). Go Google. Retrieved from: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/gogoogle.html

Google Books. (2009). Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/

Google For Educators. (2009). Google web search - classroom lessons and resources. Retrieved from: http://www.google.com/educators/p_websearch.html.

Google Scholar. (2009). About Google scholar. Retrieved from: http://scholar.google.com/intl/en/scholar/about.html.

Google Teacher Academy. (2009). Resources - tools. Retrieved from: http://sites.google.com/site/gtaresources/tools.

Hargis, J., & Wilcox, S. (2008). Ubiquitous, free, and efficient online collaboration tools for teaching and learning. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), 9(4), 9-17. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Harzing, A. (2008). Google scholar - a new data source for citation analysis. Retrieved from: http://www.harzing.com/pop_gs.htm.

Holland, J., & Anderson, S. (2008). Google earth and GPS activities for U.S. history & geography, grades 5-8. Eugene, OR: Visions Technology.

Kousha, K. & Thelwall, M. (2007). Google Scholar citations and Google web/URL citations: A multi-discipline exploratory analysis. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(7), 1055. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global.

Petra, T. (2009). Using Google earth in the math curriculum. Retrieved from: http://realworldmath.org/Real_World_Math/RealWorldMath.org.html.

Pletka, B. (2007). Educating the net generation: How to engage students in the 21st century. Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press.

Rienzo, T., & Han, B. (2009). Microsoft or Google web 2.0 tools for course management. Journal of Information Systems Education. 20(2), 123-127.

Stephens, K., Houser, M., & Cowan, R. (2009). R U Able to meat me: The impact of students' overly casual email messages to instructors. Communication Education, 58(3), 303. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals.

Vogel, C. (2009). A call for collaboration. District Administration, 45(5), 22-25. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Weinberger, D. (2007). Everything is miscellaneous: The power of the new digital disorder. New York: Times Books.

Windham, C. (2005). Father Google & Mother IM: Confessions of a net gen learner. EDUCAUSE Review, 40(5), 42-58. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global.

Yenerall, J. D. (2003). Educating An Aging Society: The University of the Third Age in Finland. Educational Gerontology. 29(8).

As always, comments are appreciated.

RCSS and APA Dropout Prevention

On September 19, 2009, the Richmond County School System (RCSS) in partnership with America's Promise Alliance hosted a dropout prevention summit.

The session consisted of individuals who presented information, a Youth Panel, and breakout sessions. This organized occasion was held at Davidson Fine Arts School. This event is one part of what RCSS must do to justify the grant from APA and support the five year plan.

RCSS recently launched a Facebook page and as of today has 240 fans. Like the RCSS website, the social network connection is still one way transmission from the RCSS. In support of the dropout prevention summit, I created a Ning, RCSS APA Dropout Prevention to allow those who want to support the effort virtually and remain informed about opportunities to assist RCSS students to be successful but cannot attend events.

Many people in Augusta, GA are not given opportunities to virtually interact with others and support the RCSS Mission statement which is, "to educate students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens." The RCSS APA Dropout Prevention Ning allows those to continue on the lifelong journey and be productive citizens. Another purpose of the RCSS APA Dropout Prevention Ning is to provide some assistance to RCSS diminish their perceived reputation as The Tower of Power and/or the Puzzle Palace.

People want to do something to see the students in Augusta graduate and be productive citizens but are not always sure where to start or what they can do. The RCSS APA Ning allows individuals to join others and become aware of things they can do to share knowledge and learn from others who yearn to see Augusta students succeed.

Want to help? Check out the RCSS APA Ning and join if you want to see students succeed.

Research Strategies and Twitter Connections

As I come to a close on my latest course, Research Strategies, I wanted to share a few Twitter connections I discovered which are not mentioned in a syllabus or in the online classroom. Online libraries and databases can be intimidating to students new to the online learning environment so I thought I would share the Twitter connections I discovered while waiting for these online libraries or databases to produce the results for my key words.

As a seasoned online student, I have to give props to EBSCOhost. Of all the online databases used in this course, EBSCOhost has improved the most over the years. Options for storing notes, export citations to Bibliographic Manager, and offering different formats for citations.

The options to export citations to the Bibliographic Manager are:

Save citations to a file formatted for:

Direct Export to EndNote, ProCite, or Reference Manager

Direct Export to EndNote Web

Generic bibliographic management software

Citations in BibTeX format

Citations in MARC21 format

Direct Export to RefWorks

The formatting options for citations by EBSCOhost are:

AMA - Reference List

APA - References

Chicago/Turabian - Author/Date - Reference List

Chicago/Turabian - Humanities - Bibliography

MLA - Works Cited

Vancouver/ICMJE Style - References

Now for the Twitter connections to the different online databases and the public websites associated with the source:

@credoreference - Customizable general reference solution for learners and librarians.

@EBSCOPublishing - Service provider of e-journal, e-book and e-journal package, print subscriptions, e-resource management tools, full-text, secondary databases, and services for all types of libraries and research organizations.

@LNAcademic - LexisNexis Academic - Research references and for libraries worldwide.

@OCLC - Online Computer Library Center

@ProQuest - Creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning.

@RefWorks - Creates tools for faculty, researchers, students, and librarians that enhance and enrich the process of discovery and research.

@safaribooks - Safari Books Online - Depending on your school or employer your access may vary. Free trials are available.

@SAGEeducation - A leading international publisher of books and resources for education professionals.

@worldcatorg - The largest network of library content and services.

*The list is alphabetical, not based on any rating system, personal preference or priority.

This post is meant to share information that I wish was available when I started the Research Strategies course. I do not suggest that the Twitter connections replace your online library resources, but provide a supplementary means to keep informed of scheduled updates/outages, knowing whether a particular resource is available with a mobile app, connecting to a source on Twitter (or other social networks), being able to search FAQs or connect with someone who can provide real time information about your school's connection with a particular online database or service and to improve your awareness of the tools available today.

If you have additional resources to share or recommendations, please leave a comment, shared knowledge empowers us all.

Reflection and Perspectives

How often do you pause and reflect on your efforts, accomplishments, and adjust your avenues of approach? How do you encourage others to self reflect and view different perspectives in the learning environment?

Whether I am in a formal or informal learning environment I am often reminded of the story of "The Blind Men and the Elephant". Today you can see the various credits in the Wikipedia article or through the 1000+ titles in Google Books.

So how often do you put yourself in the position of the blind men and the elephant to see another person's perspective?

I am not sure how old I was when I first read this story but I know it factors into my life, regardless of my role of the hour. Wikipedia describes a few versions of the story but this quote from the Buddhist version caught my attention: "Just so are these preachers and scholars holding various views blind and unseeing...In their ignorance they are by nature quarrelsome, wrangling, and disputatious, each maintaining reality is thus and thus."

So for those who are sharing knowledge in any learning environment, ensure you are not right fighting for a truth which may only be a half truth, take a moment and listen, and see if you can "Seek first to understand then be understood" (Steven Covey).

The learning process is not an "us vs. them" battlefield. The lifelong learning process is one part of the "unity" within the community. What role do you fill?

Some quotes that have caught my attention during my homework and research assignments this week:

Quotes from Robert M. Hutchins:

"The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives."

“It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts…it is to teach them to think.”

“Education is a kind of continuing dialogue, and a dialogue assumes different points of view.”

“My idea of education is to unsettle the minds of the young and inflame their intellects.”

From Peter F. Drucker:

We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.

So how often do you pause and reflect on your efforts, accomplishments, and adjust your avenues of approach? How do you encourage others to self reflect and view different perspectives in the learning environment?

Comments are always welcome.

Ever spent time with a School Nurse?

Thank You Nurse Jones!

Nurse Belinda Jones presenting health & welfare information and statistics about student health.

Ever spent some time with your school nurse? I know the experiences vary from one school to another (if a school even has a school nurse) but this blog post is just a simple appreciation for School Nurse Belinda Jones. School Nurses and Georgia came together to petition Governor Sonny Perdue's eradication of school nurses. While people look for test scores and AYP stats, it is rare to find the death statistics for a school district. With privacy issues and medical records, critical thinking is imperative for students today.

Even if you have the healthiest of children, does your child know how to provide or seek assistance if something happens in the classroom? Just as adults prepare for emergencies in a working environment, students have a need to know how to seek help when something happens. While great strides are improving technology, most schools still ban cell phones. Just like knowing where the emergency gas shut off is at a gas station, students need to know how to seek help and what to do in the mean time.

Believe me...Nurse Jones is not a school nurse for the $$$. Butler HS' Nurse Jones gets to spend time between an elementary and a high school and on emergency calls for other schools. Between trying to get students to return the medical cards and emergency contact information, she treats students w/allergies, asthma, accidents, pregnancies, diabetes, bruises, bloody noses, broken bones, MRSA, H1N1, and whatever other ailments she is notified of in the realm of a day and manages prescriptions and consent forms from parents.

We encouraged Nurse Jones to fill out a "Teacher Wish List" because she also takes care of our students. You have never seen such a smile when delivering some basic personal hygiene items, a few boxes of band aids, and plastic bags for ice packs. You would have thought we brought her the best gift in the world. With budgets being cut left and right, have you checked on your school nurse lately?

Mark your calendars May 12, 2010, National School Nurse Day.

From Past to Present

I came across the first blog I started in support of Butler High School. It is titled, Part of the Solution and allowed me to share information with others about things anyone could do to help out this school, the students, and to help eradicate the "Disgusta" mentality that so many of our students associate with Augusta, GA.

My last post on that blog is associated with a written response to 15 questions we presented to the school board after 90 days of submitting the written request to them and after they attended a "Meet and Greet" event at the school. To this day, responses to some of those questions have not been answered. It doesn't mean I gave up, I just redirected my efforts to support the students who will one day replace those making the decisions.

I was looking at the blog post in reference to encourage people to register their Target cards in support of their school of choice.

GEORGE P BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL AUGUSTA, GA 30906
Target’s most recent donation(September 2006): $136.97
Total of all of Target’s donations through September 2006: $2422.34
Amount accumulated so far toward Target’s next donation* 0.0
Number of Target® Visa® and Target® Card holders who have designated this school: 213

Here is the latest information:

Butler High School Augusta, GA 30906-3547

The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $84.45

Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $3223.83

Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation: *$57.45

Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 33

So if you have a Target card, support a school you never know how far a few extra cents will go if you designate a school you used to attend, a school your children or grandchildren attend, or a school in your community.

More information on Target's Take Charge of Education

When people discover the blog they question why I have not deactivated the blog or deleted any information...I remind them that many of the posts support my own educational pursuit in the field of Educational Technology Management and they provide an audit trail which can be used for personal and professional references.

What are you doing with Google Books?

Create your own Library in Google Books. Add books to your digital footprint. Find relevant information about your favorite book in the book overview, with book reviews, common terms and phrases, web references, maps, and other information associated with the book.

College students - Add the textbooks for courses. Save $$ if the textbook you need for the course is available online. Document all of the textbooks required for course work. Easy access to all references used in assignments. You can view My Library.

Avid readers - Add the books you read. Your Library becomes a quick reference point whether you are at the library or the bookstore.

Summer readers - Keep track of all the books you read during the summer.

Students - Keep track of all the books read during a school year, a favorite subject, or create a reference point for the books you have read.

Parents - Keep track of all those bedtime stories you read.

Employers - Share your reading list with others.

Educators - Add the textbooks your students are assigned to read, create supplemental reading lists to share, and/or subscribe to other educators' libraries through RSS.

Check the history of Google Books.

Search for book and magazine content using Advanced Search options.

Read about the future of Google Book Search in the groundbreaking agreement with authors and publishers.

Your Library is associated with your Google profile. So as you are discovered through your digital footprint, future employers, college recruiters, parents, future educators will see the books associated with your Google profile.

You can follow Google Books on Twitter @googlebooks and/or subscribe to the Google Books blog.

Share your Google Books library link or share your method of using Google Books.

What are you doing? Leadership Day 2009

For the 3rd year, Dr. Scott Mcleod, is "Calling all bloggers - Leadership Day 2009". Many bloggers have already created their blog posts in support of this annual project. I am taking a homework break to do my part.

Leadership means more to me than a textbook answer, primarily because of my military experience. Working with people so they can replace you is just part of the job. In the field of technology, there are self proclaimed leaders, self made leaders, and leaders leading the way just because they chose to move forward even though the world was against them. However you define it, just search #leadershipday2009 and see the blogs, tweets, images, and events occurring all around you in support of Dr. Mcleod's Leadership Day 2009, blog call to action.

I want to know, "What are you doing to improve the situation"? Lifelong learning is a personal choice. Some school districts incorporate lifelong learning into their mission or vision statements, yet do not encourage, support, and provide guidance about lifelong learning. Technology is here to stay, you can ignore it, discount it, blame it for world problems, but the students who will replace you...and yes we are all dispensable will bring self taught technology skills if we are not engaged, as educators, administrators, parents, guardians, and community members.

You want to do something but don't have any ideas? Start with your local library. Many libraries have computer labs even when schools do not. Sign up for a computer workshop...or better yet...give one. Some of my better experiences have been with diverse audiences in library computer labs. The environment is relaxed, everyone who is there signed up to be there, and sharing knowledge just comes with the workshop. Then challenge others to do the same thing. Do something that improves your technology skill level then find someone else and issue the same challenge, you will be amazed at what you can learn from others, reading blogs created by others, or even following people on Twitter.

We all agree, the technology will never replace the educator but technology provides the resources that cannot be found in a siloed classroom. So ask yourself, "What have I done to incorporate self directed learning to improve my own educational technology leadership skills?" You will never know it all, even the best of the best, network with others who can be called upon when assistance is needed, from homework help, troubleshooting advanced network issues, to core subjects. So go ahead, jump into the lifelong learning journey and bring at least one other person with you. You never know, you may start a new trend and everyone might learn something new. Just remember, you don't know what you don't know, so you might as well jump in and get your feet wet. We all started somewhere, from tearing a computer down and putting it back together to teaching someone how to do email and setting AUPs in our home, businesses, and communities. In the words of the infamous Nike commercial, "Just Do It" anything technology related, from learning to point and click to checking out the other commands on a menu bar to implementing a security checklist to back up your data then share the knowledge with someone in person or to the world through a blog.

ISTE recently released the NETS for Administrators. I have used ISTE NETS in many of my own homework assignments, newsgroup posts for my daughter's high school, and even sent the links and information to our local elected school board members. ISTE NETS also exist for Students and Teachers. I have seen ISTE NETS mentioned in school board's plans of action, yet in a discussion with educators and administrators, you get the deer in the headlight look.

So if you are interested in reviewing ISTE NETS:

For Administrators (2009)

For Teachers (2008)

For Students (2007)

For those not familiar with the acronyms:

ISTE - International Society for Technology in Education

NETS - National Educational Technology Standards

If you don’t have a blog or you are intimidated by the thought of commenting on someone else’s blog you can send your thoughts to me and I will post them for you. If you wish to remain anonymous that is OK too, all I ask is that you provide recommendations over groans, gripes, and complaints. Everyone can complain, it takes a leader to do something about it even in the face of diversity.

So in support of Leadership Day 2009, "What will you do?" Send a link from Dr. McLeod's Dangerously Irrelevant blog? Research your own school, district, or state board of education to see if standards exist that may not be enforced? Contact some educators and see what you can do together to make a difference? Conduct or attend a technology workshop at a local library, coffee shop, technical or state college? Fight the ban on cell phones in schools by providing links to educators' blogs and sites who are incorporating cell phones as learning tools. Listen to students who may have recommendations to improve the technology situation. Have an idea that isn't mentioned...post a comment.

Thanks to Dr. Scott McLeod for taking time from his own busy schedule to keep the Leadership Day blog call to action a positive and shared learning experience.

Be sure to visit Dr. McLeod's Leadership Day 2009 blog post, where he also provides links to the summary of posts from Leadership Day 2008 and Leadership Day 2007.

Just think of the difference you are making or could have been making if you started participating in Dr. McLeod's Leadership Day challenge in 2007.

Books for next course

My next course, Research Strategies, requires three textbooks. If you have used these books, have an opinion, or a favorite textbook source, please leave a comment. As a grad student and a parent of a college freshman, we check out all sources for textbooks from used bookstores, online textbook rental sites, Google books, and college book swap sites because the college bookstores are overpriced. If you have a favorite textbook site or source, please share it as a comment.

Research Strategies for a Digital Age
Tensen, Bonnie L.
Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 3 Edition - June 9, 2009

The Craft of Research
Booth, Wayne C., Colomb, Gregory G., & Williams, Joseph M.
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 3 Edition - April 15, 2008

And of course the infamous APA Manual 5th edition...but the 6th edition is available on the same day my class starts. But it is OK...Adapt, implement, and overcome...just reformat a template as required by the standards.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts - Creating Google Alerts was something we did during the computer scholarship workshops with high school students. Creating Google Alerts made them self aware of their web presence, whether they put it out there or another source was responsible. Parents found themselves in mentions from newspapers and church notices.

The students also created Google Alerts about their favorite topics, homework assignments, or personal interests.

As a student, Google Alerts is a great way to receive notifications about your research topic, whether you are a K-12 student, a freshman in a F2F college, a non traditional student in a graduate course, or a lifelong learner pursuing an interest of choice. So what are Google Alerts and how does one get started?

From Google Alerts FAQ:

1. What are Google Alerts?

Google Alerts are emails automatically sent to you when there are new Google results for your search terms. You can also choose to have your alerts delivered via feed to the feedreader of your choice (e.g., Google Reader or add the feed to your iGoogle page). We currently offer alerts with results from News, Web, Blogs, Video and Groups.

2. What are the different types of alerts I can sign up for?

Google Alerts currently offers 6 variations of alerts - 'News', 'Web', 'Blogs', 'Comprehensive', 'Video' and 'Groups'.
Click this link for the rest of the Google Alert FAQs

So go ahead, create a Google Alert, learn about yourself or a query of your choice.

Do you already use Google Alerts? Leave a comment and share your Google Alert story.

Would you work or learn from you?

Colonel Garland Williams, Ph.D presented the keynote address to the Intermediate Course Class 9-09 from the Army Management Staff College. He reflected and shared with us how many keynote speakers he remembers/ed throughout his military and educational graduations.

This caused many of us to reflect on our own graduation ceremonies. Do you remember the keynote speakers or themes during any of your graduations?

So he asked, "Would you work for you?" He then took us through some key points to consider.

Time - Are you generous with your time and stingy with your people's time?

Reliability - Are you there during the good and the bad times? Are you there for the personal important events like birthday parties, graduations, funerals, etc.?

Unwavering support to your people and Underwrite honest mistakes - People don't come to work to intentionally screw up; Underwrite honest mistakes so that they can continue to grow, experiment, and learn.

Stability - Do you take good and bad news equally well? Don't shoot the messenger.

Transparency - It is OK to protect secrets from the enemy, but your vision and thoughts need to be transparent to your people. They need to be able to make decisions in accordance with (IAW) your intent when you aren't there.

Then he asked us what did the first letters of the key points spell out. TRUST

The TRUST acronym can also be used in self reflection as an educator, formal or informal. In your daily, weekly, and/or monthly reflections, remember...someone is always learning...from you, in spite of you, around you, and/or imitating you. If you haven't participated as a student in the lifelong learning process lately, take a day and participate as a student.

So would you work or learn from you?

Want to know more about CES? Transforming Leaders Through Education

The three major underpinnings of CES are Student Centered, Problem Based, Experiential, and Inquiry Learning establish the foundation of success in the Intermediate Course on how to develop a cohesive organization, while applying leadership skills to achieve results. These underpinnings are supported using Army doctrine; educational and leadership theories; small group instruction; along with a combination of behaviorist, cognitivist (information processing), and constructivist learning theories.

Congratulations to Terence Dalbert

Congratulations to Terence Dalbert. This young man has a full 4 year scholarship to MIT.

His story is featured on WJBF in Augusta, GA. Why not WRDW, WAGT, WFXG, Augusta Chronicle, Metro Spirit? If the young man had made bad news, it would be all over every media outlet. This young man is headed to MIT on a 4 year scholarship and he needs everyone's support. MIT is a much different environment than Lucy C. Laney High School, but know that you made it and others are looking to you as an example to follow.

Congratulations Terence. Fraendy Clervaud reports, "Graduating with a 4.0 GPA, and getting an 1850 SAT score, Terence was this year’s valedictorian at Lucy C. Laney High School" (2009).

Lucy C. Laney High School graduation rates.

Check out the story and video on WJBF's website.

Terence, thank you for demonstrating that you do not have to settle or that being a victim of your environment is an expected behavior. If we expected this from all of our students, more students would graduate and move on in the circle of life.

Go to MIT, do great things, and we look forward to updates on your successes, failures, and shared experiences.

Thank you for representing!!!

Community as Curriculum

I participated in David Cormier's Community as Curriculum webhead event today. I would like to defend my dissertation this way. Of course, I understand that I have to eradicate some barriers.

But why shouldn't I have an opportunity to defend my dissertation this way? The degree is Educational Technology Management...I chose the Ed.D degree because I am a practioner, not the researcher wanting to develop a new theory or change existing theory.

Watch this UStream . The chat room was busy, the doodling of responses on the slides was collaborative, so even if you missed something, everything is archived to review later at your own pace and convenience. Once Dave's time was up, the UStream was available.

Don't have time to watch the Ustream? Check out the slides that display everyone's participative comments.

Wiaoc2009 - Nicer version of the slides created by the audience of my community as curriculum presentation

View more Keynote presentations from coarsesalt.

Even if I can't defend my dissertation this way, why not change the options now for future students?

As always, comments are welcome!

Pay cuts, raising locker and parking fees

So the RCSS held the preliminary budget cut meeting. Bottom Line Up Front aka BLUF: Everyone is going feel the pain. If the school board voted to cut $750 from my pay, I would make suggestions until the cows came home.


So go ahead, make a suggestion No names or email required.

AC article on the RCSS budget: Members say options open to make cuts

So today's AC headlines on the RCSS budget: Richmond schools could raise parking, locker fees

Do I know there are people who care? Absolutely. Do I know that the RCSS protocol is siloed? Yes. Do I know people that want to do something but do not know what to do? Yes.

But I have been told, "You can't do that" or"That is just the way we have always done it."

What I am tired of...is everyone doing a great job of griping, groaning, and complaining. If they spent that much effort in trying to do something for a student in RCSS, we might see a change in the "us vs. them" attitude.

As I move from my specialization courses into the Research and Dissertation courses I thought I would give it the old Ed Tech try and prove people wrong who swear that people in Augusta, GA would rather post gripes and groans through the Augusta Chronicle articles than to be proactive with solutions or submit a recommendation that might possibly be viewed as a possible solution to the most recent RCSS $24.5 million budget shortfall.

So what are you waiting for? Fill out the form or just leave a comment on the blog.

Hang in there Dr. Bedden, you inherited the soup sandwich and with your annual salary, some people expect you to produce a feast. Just know, that some of us are out here doing the right thing, supporting students, being involved and engaged adults because the students today are the leaders who will replace us.

Suggestions for the RCSS and $24.5 million budget shortfall

Another Augusta Chronicle article titled, School board faces tough financial calls and my last homework assignment prompted me to create this form and publicly display the results.

There are many issues in the RCSS and room for improvement in many areas, including incorporating a suggestion improvement program. So rather than complain, gripe, and/or groan I created this form.

I encourage all of my blog readers to participate in this informal survey and to forward the link with those who have been successful during budget cuts and educratic bureaucracy.

You can fill out the form below or access the form through this link. The results can be found here.

Names and email addresses are not required, just in case you are an employee, student, or parent who fears retribution. As an adult student in the lifelong learning process and a RC taxpayer, I had to do something. Even when board members and administrators do not listen with or without their permission, the Internet is a powerful tool.

I need your assistance for my homework assignment

I am calling on all of the readers of the blog for help with my homework assignment. If you have a few minutes to spare, complete this survey on the 3 Minute Walk Through.

I created this Google form/spreadsheet to demonstrate to my professor the functionality and ease of use of Google Docs. The assignment is the 3 Minute Walk Through as a writing assignment. That part is complete. This part of the assignment supplements my paper and provides a working version of the 3 minute walk through checklist.

The checklist is not formal, nor does it include everything an educator or administrator would look for during a walkthrough. Just a few basic questions and you can fill it out whether you manage a learning environment or not. I just need some responses to demonstrate the functionality of Google Docs.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.
You can take the survey through this link or below right in the blog.

It is that time of year...Thanks

It is that time of year again as we jump into Teacher Appreciation Week, School Nurse Appreciation Day, Mother's Day, 2009 graduations, Memorial Day, and Father's Day.

With the economy being the way it is, many people are asking, "What are we going to do?" So what are you going to do?

Some schools go all out for Teacher Appreciation Week, others...well, not so much. The longest journey begins with the first step...so go ahead...take initiative, write a thank you note, thank you email, a thank you blog post, or a thank you video. Whether you are a teacher by profession or a lifelong educator as a parent, those two words, "Thank you" mean more than can be measured.

Remember The Dash ? Linda Ellis also published A Teacher's Dash (2007). Visit the site and send the link to someone and say thank you.

We are in this together, through good times and bad, students today are the leaders (or not) of tomorrow. To those who teach by profession, by volunteering, by survival, remember...learners are everywhere.

So to all the teachers, through formal and informal means, please know that you are appreciated for every ounce of knowledge, skill, and ability that you share with others.

And to all parents and guardians who are the lifelong educators of children and doing everything they can with what they know...enjoy this week but know that you are appreciated year round for what you do!!! It is OK to collaborate considering the end result is the success of students long after they leave a formal learning environment.

Some ideas that only cost time and effort:

• Say Thank You. In person, online, or both. Write a blog post, call your local radio station and shout to the listeners, email the mayor, shout it from a roof top. Sample press releases are available all over the Internet, and the PTA and NEA sites both offer sample press releases.
• Send out a press release thanking the teachers at your school, highlighting why teachers are so important to our children, and advertising your Teacher Appreciation Week activities.
• Read the 3 page PTA (pdf) document of ideas to participate in Teacher Appreciation Week.
• Join the PTA's Thank a Teacher Facebook group.
• Read NEA's Ideas and Actions website for more ideas.
• PTA's Virtual Gallery for Teacher Appreciation Week

So to everyone who teaches in the variety learning environments, THANK YOU, from one of many, lifelong learners.

Keep on learning...wherever you may be.

What are you doing for the next 100 days?

Everyone has an opinion on President Obama's first 100 days, the media covered it, people discussed it over dinners, meetings, and the Internet. What about your last 100 days? What about your next 100 days?

It is also a time to reflect on the 100 days left in school or personal, professional, and educational accomplishments of our own 100 days. For some people, documenting their productivity or accomplishments is easy because of some type of audit trail or results measured by a tool. For others, it was not so productive.

So what have you done during President Obama's first 100 days? What are you doing for your next 100 days? It is never to late to start a self assessment on your own 100 days.

As always, comments, feedback, and recommendations are welcome! Here is to making the best of your next 100 days.

Dropout Prevention Summit

America's Promise Dropout Prevention Summit is visiting 100 cities. Is your city on the list?

If not, it is OK. The America's Promise website provides a list of resources if you want to conduct a summit and be proactive.

The resources include tips, templates, reference materials and other resources to help you plan a successful dropout prevention event that integrates critical components for success.

Some resources are shared from cities such as Detroit, Louisville, Tulsa, Denver, and some resources are consolidated by state: Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York.

Georgia is on the list for September 2009 with no specific date in Atlanta and Augusta. What disheartens me is the summit in Augusta is scheduled to be held at one of the ten high schools that does not have a dropout and wins numerous awards at local, state, and national levels. Mass transit is not available for the majority of Augusta to allow those who want to attend but cannot get downtown due to extenuating circumstances. RCSS will conduct this summit and then complain that parents and community members did not attend. Because we are sharing this information 6 months before the scheduled event, there is enough time for students, parents, teachers, and community members to get involved through their school board members and do what needs to be done, and if not...then conduct their own summit.

Want to have your own summit? Check out the list for Steps to planning your own summit.

So many resources for those who want to do something. Check out the Action Plans, Youth Engagement, Special Needs, policies, and resources shared from other summits.

What are you waiting for? Anyone and everyone can make a difference. From self-awareness and education through the website to volunteering at a local school or community center to the multitude of ideas from the America's Promise website.

Remember, these are the future leaders and they will make the decision about who rocks your rocking chair.

2009 Totally Wired Teacher Nominations

Nominate a teacher for the 2009 Totally Wired Teacher Award

Deadline for nominations: May 15th, 2009 at 5 p.m. PST
Criteria: Must be a U.S. public school classroom teacher (grades 3-12)

From Anastasia's Ypulse blog, "The award is inspired by my book, Totally Wired: What Teens & Tweens Are Really Doing Online, and the challenges I observed around integrating technology into public school classrooms. We will recognize a teacher who has overcome these challenges and is inspiring to both students and other educators". (Goodstein, 2009)

Anastasia Goodstein visited Augusta, GA on the Totally Wired book tour in October 2007. Turn out wasn't the greatest due to a ruptured sewer line in the library earlier that day.

The Augusta Chronicle article, Writer takes parents into the online world was published on October 18, 2007. I have my signed copy of Anastasia's book and my teenager read this book in one sitting when we supported the students taking SATs at Butler High School.

Anastasia posted the 2009 Totally Wired Teacher Award on her blog on 4/15/09.

So take a minute and nominate a teacher that is Totally Wired, overcomes the challenges, and inspires others.

What BBPs do you implement?

What best business practices do you incorporate to protect your network/personal information?

Conficker is on the radar. People are updating protection services and some are completely disconnecting from the network until April 1, 2009 passes.

Implement best business practices for your own network, your data, and mention in your letter of intent about how to handle your hardware, software, and network data once you pass on.

So what best business practices do you incorporate to protect your network?

One of the diary entries from the SANS Internet Storm Center under the title of, "Feeling Conflicted about Conficker?" states, "As always, we want to remind our readers that if you are doing what everybody considers to be best business practices (firewalls, unneeded services turned off, systems patched, current antivirus software, user education and awareness, good policies, an incident detection and response mechanism, etc.) then you have very little to worry about. If you detect anything new with respect to Conficker over the next 24 hours please let us know via our contact page. We'll sound the alarm should something bad happen. Otherwise, back to work and Happy April Fool's Day!!" (2009, Sachs)

If you have everything set up, automatic downloads, pre-scheduled scans, backups, take the time and check your own system and improve your own user awareness. If your BBPs are in place, take the time to share your knowledge with someone who is not implementing any safety practices for their network, personal or professional. Don't wait on anniversary of a virus or botnet attack to check your system, take care of your data on a regular basis. As with most things in life that we consider valuable, preventative maintenance is always more affordable than reactive maintenance.

As always, comments and recommendations are welcome.
Share your best business practices!

Have some fun with binary and text

During this time of transition, as an empty nester, from Information Technology to Educational Technology in education, changing my blog title, and Twitter name I decided to do this post.

010001000110111100100000011110010110111101110101001000000110
011001101111011011000110110001101111011101110010000001101101
011001010010000001101111011011100010000001010100011101110110
100101110100011101000110010101110010001000000100000001000101
011001000100010001011111010001010110010001010100011001010110
0011011010000101111100110100010011010110010100111111

If you really want to know what this means check out http://tr.im/hWOm

Ever wanted to know what your techie friends are writing about when they write in binary code? Exercises with this site can add some fun in those subnetting classes, intro to computing, and for those just experimenting with binary code.

Have fun while learning something new. Work your mind like you work your body!

Used these textbooks?

My next course, Instructional Leader as Creator of Learning Culture requires three textbooks. If you have used these books, have an opinion, or a favorite textbook source, please leave a comment.

As a grad student and a parent of a college freshman, we check out all sources for textbooks from used bookstores, online textbook rental sites, Google books, and college book swap sites because the college bookstores are overpriced. If you have a favorite textbook site or source, please share it as a comment.

Gupton, S. L. (2003) The instructional leadership toolbox: A handbook for improving practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. ISBN: 9780761978268


Ornstein, A., Behar-Horenstein, L., & Pajak, E. F. (2007) Contemporary issues in curriculum. New York: Pearson Education. ISBN: 0205489257

Wiles, J. W., & Bondi, J. C. (2007) Curriculum development: A guide to practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 9780131716889

Reflection and Transformative Learning

Well another blogging dry spell...writer's block, school assignments, experiencing life as an empty nester. So this week's writer's block...wasn't so much of a writer's block...but I got caught up in the activity of reflection. Reflecting on life events, school assignments, and blog drafts.

As I completed the assignment and reflected on self reflection and collaborative reflective activities I kept coming back to blog drafts.

Transformative Learning was stuck in my gray matter. How many of you engage in Transformative Learning?

We cannot encourage students to engage in transformative learning if we are unwilling to do it ourselves (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, Pg 202). Palloff & Pratt go on to quote Stephen Brookfield (1995) notes that 'those of us who are trying to get colleagues to identify and question their assumptions, or to look at their practice through different lenses, must do the same" (pg 205). This is followed by a list of questions designed for self-reflection.

In Chapter 9, there is a section titled, We Are The Experts When It Comes to Our Own Learning. When students are empowered to become experts at their own learning, they cannot help but be transformed as people. Their self esteem rises, as does their confidence in their abilities. The main task of educators/instructors as facilitators of this process is to bring forth their best instructional practices and then get out of the way (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, pg 205).

How do you engage in Transformative Learning with your students? Peers? Superiors? Family? Community groups? Other groups in your lifelong learning process?

Meaningful Feedback

This week I had some writer's block issues with "Meaningful Feedback". As a practitioner, giving and receiving feedback has never been an issue. Learning to write about it academically was a little more challenging.

So as I submitted my assignment and had some days to reflect on scenarios, situations, and mentors who shaped my experience with feedback I wondered, "How many people give feedback to help others improve performance or project outcomes?"

We only know...what we know.

Are we teaching students (traditional & non-traditional) today the role of meaningful feedback in the process of lifelong learning? Are you a silent sideline critic? Have you ever sought feedback from peers, mentors, or supervisors which helped you improve your own self assessments? How do you incorporate meaningful feedback?

As always, feedback, comments, and shared knowledge are always welcome.

Remote Participative Parenting Continued

My daughter took this picture during one of our VTCs. Only the digital generation will take pictures of their parents and post them on their social networks to let their friends know mom is just a click away.

I enjoy our communication through email, text, and VTC. We say what mean and we mean what we say. Even grandma enjoys the VTC and "blowing me up to full screen".



I went back for a visit and we had a couple of meals together but she had to work and of course her college social life has her committed with friends.

While my daughter didn't have this type of technology in her public school education, at least she has participative family members who incorporate technology to stay connected. I am proud to call her a gadget girl.

While I am enjoying the empty nest status, blogging has fallen down the list of priorities as I explore new interests and enjoy getting outdoors and exploring the different parks in NC.

I do not miss all of the negative press about our students from the media sources in Augusta, GA. I could return to Augusta and not read the local news about students being arrested, suspended, or harangued. It doesn't mean it didn't happen, I just chose not to view any of the local media.

Any one else out there practicing remote participative parenting as the child moves off to college, the parent moves on for career progression, or deploys in support of our country? Your comments are always welcome.

Remote Participative Parenting

So I haven't posted a blog entry in three weeks. With the move from GA to NC, the job transition, and continuing with my graduate work, blog posts and tweets just fell down the list of things to do.

I have left the proverbial nest and with email, GMail's v-chat, text, Facebook, MySpace, and cell phones the connections are still there and my participative parent status has migrated from F2F to virtual.

I am contemplating on what to do with the blog because my participative parent status has moved from F2F to virtual and the child is a college student. One more specialty course in the Educational Technology Management graduate program before the thesis courses coupled with the security involved in my new position I am not sure I have enough time and relevant information to continue posting valuable posts. Part of the blog serves as an audit trail so I may start a new one focusing on the Ed Tech side as I adapt to the empty nest status.

The transition is interesting, apartment hunting, learning new state laws, seeing old friends, making new ones, saying hello and goodbye to those who do not use technology.

My ties to Georgia are not cut with my daughter and mother still residing in the house which I still pay property taxes for in GA. I have not lost contact with those who still reside there but where do the blog posts tie into this transition?

I will make the decision this weekend and keep everyone posted.
As always comments are always welcome.

Shadow Issues

One reading assignment describes shadow issues that can be experienced in the online learning environment.

For those of you who teach or attend school online...how do you deal with shadow issues? For those who use an personal learning network for personal and professional growth...how do you deal with shadow issues?

I know that everyone has some type of agenda when they enter a learning environment, online or F2F. This sentence caught my attention from the text book: "But speaking from the Jungian perspective, community also has a shadow side-elements that are buried and unconscious-elements that we do not want to face" (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p 53).

Coming from a military background and a committment to mission accomplishment, ground rules are established up front, best and worst case scenarios are discussed, and AARs provide information for lessons learned. The old soldier adage, "Adapt, Implement, and Overcome" is ingrained.

How do you deal with shadow issues?

7 Things Meme

I have been tagged by Penny Lindballe in the " 7 Things you did not know about me" meme.

I will post 7 things that you won't find out about me through my blog, without threatening national security, or my security clearance. If this was an email, I would be the one listed as least likely to respond.

1. 20 years ago this year, I was in the middle of my best assignment with the US Army. I was a Basic Training Drill Sergeant. The best two years of my military life and so busy that I didn't realize I was 2 years older than when I started "On the Trail".

2. My mother subscribes to my blog and my daughter does not.

3. I obtained a $5000 Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant for Butler HS. I spent more time at my daughter's high school than I did any of her middle or elementary schools. Not because she needed me too...but for so many other reasons. I did this without ruining her "coolness" factor.

4. I have driven through or visited 35 of the 50 United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. I have also been outside of the US to Thailand, Korea, Japan, Germany, Spain, France, Holland, and Iraq.

5. I have always been a lifelong learner. I learn something from everyone and everything I do. I view life through various perspectives such as the Six blind men and the Elephant.

6. One of my top wishes: That everyone spend as much time in resolving an issue as they do griping, groaning, and complaining about an issue.

7. I floundered as a college freshman straight out of high school but I have flourished as a non traditional adult student through the BSIT (Information Technology), MAEd (Adult Ed & Distance Learning) programs, and now in the Ed.D program for Educational Technology Management.

Seven people I tag for participate in this 7 Things Meme are:

Darren Draper
Dr. Scott McLeod
Vicki Davis
Eric Tremblay
@USArmy Twitterer
@AFPAA Twitterer
@schools4me

What is a meme?

Gentleman's Agreement - Does your administration have one?

The local school board met to elect the President and Vice President of the board on Saturday 1/3/2009. The local newpaper article is titled, "Barnes elected President" and subtitled "Members protest role of race in vote".

The Augusta Chronicle article, written by Mr. Greg Gelpi, states, "Since the early 1990s, the board has alternated between electing a black president and a white president. The "gentleman's agreement" also dictates the board select a vice president of a different race than the president.
Joe Scott proposed ending the agreement Saturday".

Does your school board, local administration, or any other group have a "gentleman's agreement" that the people are not aware of? What message does this send to our students?

Gentleman's agreement issues came up in July 2005 when the Mayor of Augusta resigned to take a position with the Housing and Urban Development.

So how many of you are aware that your local school boards, city and/or county commissions have "gentleman's agreements"?

If other people are aware, does it prevent them from moving to Augusta, GA unless you are a part of the "gentleman's agreement? Do these agreements factor into the community apathy?

Not growing up here and not being aware of the "Who's Who" except during Masters Week , I can see why Augusta, GA continues to have issues, has a nickname like "Disgusta", and a school system that continues to teach with Passive Acceptance as a guideline.

Some of the above questions are rhetorical, but I cannot put into words how this issue irritates me on many levels. I was raised to believe that we are all part of the human race. If we are cut open, we all bleed red. As a female veteran, as a successful single parent of a multiracial child, and as a nontraditional student I have battled "good old boy" systems and a variety of biases and stereotypes.

So now what?

Were you taught Passive Acceptance?

One of the many reading assignments I have this week opens a chapter with this quote from Bertrand Russel (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970):

Passive acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought, and seems rational because the teacher knows more than the pupils; it is moreover the way to win the favour of the teacher unless he is a very exceptional man. Yet the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one later in life. It causes man to seek and accept a leader, and to accept as a leader whoever is established in that position.

Some students never overcome their learned passive acceptance, whether the environment was a brick and mortar classroom or part of a lifelong learning journey. How did you overcome your teacher / parent / mentor / influencer taught passive acceptance?

Did you have an influencer in your life that taught you to question authority, research a topic until the topic is dissected, or is passive acceptance an accepted norm?

How do you help others overcome their passive acceptance? How do parent / community involvement projects and programs help others empower themselves? How do we teach others to question sources of information and seek the variety of perceptions?

As we enter 2009, how will you overcome any personal passive acceptances you may have acquired over the years?