Third and fourth grade students from Cockrill Elementary in Nashville, Tennessee, gathered together in a circle and listened intently as principals read the five nominated books for the second annual Principal's Read Aloud Award.
What Is School 2.0?
By Kaylen Tucker
"We're not in Kansas anymore," said Timothy Magner, director of the office of educational technology for the United States Department of Education. Using the example of the leap in technology from public telephones to the proliferation of cell phones, Magner argued that new technologies and the Internet will continue to transform the way we live our lives. Because young people use the Internet in different ways than adults-text, instant messenger, self expression, and community groups, for example—"they have fundamentally different expectations about what is possible," said Magner.
This new Internet-savvy world will have a significant impact on education as we reconsider how to retool services, re-engineer processes and structures, and realign existing technologies to better compliment learning.
The technology that many schools have now is disaggregated. To remedy, Magner suggests that education administrators centralize the technology platform by taking a systemic approach that is driven by educational and administrative needs to:
Magner presented the U.S. Department of Education's School 2.0 Map, a tool to assist schools and districts in integrating technology into their school's culture and classrooms. Magner also described School 2.0 as a "learning ecosystem" that links technology use for home, school, and community. Educators can use School 2.0 as a blueprint for starting the conversation about connecting services between these three sites.
Visit the School 2.0 Web site to access an interactive map that will help you develop a new vision that can be supported by technology.
Mentoring Black Males
By Kaylen Tucker
Eric Brown was the featured speaker Sunday for the Minority Networking Session, Mentoring African American Males for the 21st Century. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Brown about leading minority students to their highest potential. Brown is the co-founder of a program in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that is tailored to meet the needs of black males. He is also the principal of Killian Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina.
What is the biggest challenge for leaders of schools that have predominantly minority student populations?
Brown: The biggest challenge is that we can't change the situations that our children face each and every day. We can't change what society thinks of them, nor can we change the circumstances or conditions that they are exposed to. However, it is my belief that no matter what obstacles they face, it is our job as principals, teachers, etc. to ensure that the children who come to us get our very best each and every day. Children don't get to choose their parents or the situations they face. Principals, however, have the resources, education, and hopefully the determination to make a difference in the lives of these children.
Why is the mentoring process important to the academic success of black male students?
Brown: The mentoring process is key because society and the media have painted a picture of black males as only being able to effectively exist as athletes, singers, etc. Black males, however, have many more talents than that. Exposing young black males to the careers and opportunities that exist for them will help dispel the myths that are associated with them only being proficient in areas that do not require a good education.
What do principals need to know and be able to do in order to be effective leaders of schools serving minority populations?
Brown: In order to effectively serve as a leader of a minority school, principals must have passion for what they do. They must commit to doing whatever is necessary to successfully educate the children in their school. They need to be innovative and have vision. They also need to identify and hire teachers who buy into the vision that all children can learn. Principals must commit to creating an environment where "excellence is the expectation" and they must never stop holding every teacher and child in their school accountable for teaching and learning.
| Brown's book, My Soul Looks Back And Wonder: Empowering African American Children for Success, is available in the National Principals Resource Center Bookstore at the convention and online. |
Kickbusch Weaves Inspiring Story at Third General Session
"I'm not a speaker," are the words keynoter Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch opened with during the Third General Session. "I'm just a storyteller, a conversationalist. And what I've come to share this afternoon are words from my heart."
With that, Kickbusch—who was raised in a tiny Texas barrio and overcame the challenges of poverty, discrimination, and illiteracy to become a successful leader—began to chronicle her life from first grade through college and beyond.
Throughout the heartfelt story, Kickbusch explained to the audience how her first-grade teacher insisted that she be called Connie instead of Consuelo; how her fourth-grade teacher called her a liar for telling the class she was rich (rich in culture, values, and traditions, Kickbusch's father had told his young daughter); and how a high school teacher, Mr. Cooper, became the one person throughout her educational career to actually believe in her.
Words that she holds dear are those that came from Cooper. "Miss Castillo, you are brilliant," he told her one day. Cooper presented Kickbusch with a dictionary and helped her to become literate when he found out that she needed assistance. "The dictionary is the most powerful book next to the Bible, for many," Kickbusch said.
When he saw progress in her, Cooper told her: "You're doing wonderful, Miss Castillo. I have great hopes for you," Kickbusch recalled. So it was with his assistance and dedication that Kickbusch was able to graduate high school and go off to college—and eventually become the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army.
"If a heart is good, we should never be afraid to hug a child; to tell them they are special," Kickbusch said. "A leader's greatest gift is to be a listener," she added. "What a gift we can give ourselves when we can listen to each other, especially children."
Kickbusch's immigrant parents were also a significant part of her life growing up, she said. They instilled in her valuable lessons about life—integrity, ethics, hard work, respect, and love, Kickbusch mentioned. "Little did I know that having so little would mean so much to me," she said.
Kickbusch drew upon her insights and lessons learned from her personal experiences to inspire principals to keep believing in and supporting their students so that they can succeed.
Are Personality Preferences Impacting Your Leadership?
Do interruptions drive you nuts, or do they energize you? When asked to write a memo, are you more focused on the details or the strategy and vision?
On the surface, they may seem like minor differences, but for Jane Kise and the principals she works with, they can make or break a career. Like differentiated instruction, Kise's differentiated leadership can help school leaders better meet the needs of all of their key audiences, including teachers.
During her Author Presentation on Monday, Kise discussed the success she has had helping principals and teachers identify these preferences. Together, she and her business partner, Beth Russell, have developed a research-based program that identifies eight personality preferences and 16 personality types that can be used to help principals become better leaders and teachers become better instructors.
The traits analyze everything from how individuals gather information to how they make decisions. Are you more analytical or more feeling in your approach to things? Do you gain energy from interaction with the outside world or through solitude and reflection? Kise admits it sounds like a lot of common sense, but the clients she works with suggest it's more complicated in practice.
In her presentation, Kise drew on the experience she had with one client, a principal of a K-8 school. Staff evaluations, Kise said, cast the principal as either the Wicked Witch of the West or Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. After interviewing both the administrator and her staff using her personality type pairs, she was able to zero in on substantial style differences between the principal and her teachers that were contributing to the disconnect. The principal eventually acknowledged she had some work to do—difficult though it was to change—but knowing her personality preferences has helped mend fences in her school.
"The successful manager knows what their style is and tries to look for the other side to balance them," said Kise. "When you have a common framework like this, you can collaborate and make changes. It has huge implications for how we run our buildings."
By Vanessa St. Gerard
By Jocelyn McCabe
| Jane Kise's book, Differentiation Through Personality Types: A Framework for Instruction, Assessment, and Classroom Management is available at the National Principals Resource Center Bookstore and online. |
Students Attend the Principal's Read Aloud Award
By Raven Padgett
Third and fourth grade students from Cockrill Elementary in Nashville, Tennessee, gathered together in a circle and listened intently as principals read the five nominated books for the second annual Principal's Read Aloud Award.
The students laughed and clapped as Kentucky principal David Poer read Sweet Tooth; Virginia principal Darnella Cunningham read Wide-Mouthed Frog; Idaho principal Ted Popplewell read Big Al; Michigan principal and creator of the Read Aloud Award Bill Rich read Dogzilla; and Montana principal Sharon Redfern read the winning book, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type.
The students belong to an early morning book club and the school's student council. They were accompanied by their principal, Catherine Prentis; teacher Chastity Shipp; and family school coordinator Loretta Shipp.
"Our teachers read aloud to children all the time," said Prentis. "It's very important that principals read aloud as well and that children see and hear them reading."
More than 900 principals from across the country selected Click, Clack, Moo as this year's winning book. To begin the selection process for the 2009 award, NAESP is asking members to nominate a favorite title. Many of you have already responded but if you have a book that you have enjoyed reading to children, please submit the title, author/illustrator, and publisher along with your name to childrensbookaward@naesp.org. We are looking for books that are currently in print and therefore readily available to members.
Getting Answers for a Successful Retirement
By Vanessa St. Gerard
Retirement is a hot topic for many principals, as evidenced by the number of people who attended Monday's session, Retirement: Learning for OUR Next Generation of Life, with Kevin O'Connor. Having retired just last year after a 21-year career in education, O'Connor admitted that he didn't have all the answers, but wanted to use his session as an open forum for everyone to dialogue and share experiences, fears, issues, joys, and questions about life after the principalship.
The attendees were a mixture of recent retirees, principals retiring this year, and principals who were simply planning for the future. "Retirement is a very important aspect of our career span," O'Connor said.
The session opened up with O'Connor asking participants to complete one of the following analogies:
Participants offered such responses as "Retirement is like Woodstock because it's the freedom to do what I wish" or because "it's wild and free." Retirement is like "Happy Days," one person said, because "it's about spending more free time with friends" and, as another said, because "it's full of possibilities."
One analogy that most of the room agreed with came from one participant who said that retirement was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get. The floor then opened up to the retired principals in the audience, who offered advice from their experience thus far.
One retired principal said that he's definitely enjoying his retirement because "there are things that I can do with the family and for the family now" without worrying about balancing his time with work responsibilities. Another retired principal advised that you should not make any promises to others regarding what you'll do for them once you retire because you want to maintain your flexibility. "You'll end up breaking those promises," she said.
O'Connor then instructed participants to gather in one of four groups to discuss either:
When the floor was opened back up to the entire group, two of the points that generated numerous comments and responses were:
"I don't think there are solutions [to retirement]; it's like an exploration," O'Connor said. "You can design it."
Lead Like You Mean It
By Vanessa St. Gerard
"Why would anyone want to be led by you?" This is the question that Ronald Areglado asked participants at the New and Aspiring Principals' Forum Sunday afternoon. Included in the long list that attendees generated were "I'm motivated," "I have a vision," and "I'm a problem solver."
"In order to do the job well today, you have to be a master of many, many things," Areglado said while pointing to the long list the participants produced. He described three layers necessary to become an effective leader: culture, leadership, and change.
There are four lenses you must look through in dealing with school culture.
"You have to be all four as a leader," Areglado said.
Leadership is a purpose-driven activity that has at its basic premise in interpersonal accountability, Areglado explained. He described the five leadership imperatives necessary for lasting change in organizations that author Michael Fullan details in his book Leading in a Culture of Change:
An absolute in being an effective leader is having personal integrity, Areglado stressed. "If you don't have personal integrity, give it [leadership] up," he said. He told participants to consider "What am I willing to fall on the sword for when push comes to shove?"
Avoid the word "change," Areglado suggested, because it usually breeds negativity. Instead, use "improve" and "strengthen" to garner greater support from staff. "The only people who like change are wet babies," he said.
Areglado went on to explain an eight-step change process adapted from Kotter and Cohen's The Heart of Change:
In closing, Areglado advised participants to "understand what it is that makes your school successful and why they want to be led by you." He continued: "This work...is not for the faint at heart; but it is doable."
Simple Strategies to Help Students with Autism
By Vanessa St. Gerard
According to the latest research, one out of 150 people is diagnosed with autism and the disorder is typically identified in a child's early years. For this reason, K-8 principals must be prepared to learn how to best make their school and classroom environment conducive to educating children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
During their session, Strategies for Providing Developmentally Appropriate Environments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, speakers Christy Isbell and Clarissa Willis presented a solid foundation of the difficulties children with autism have and how to offer a school setting that helps manage their behavior.
Children with autism have difficulty with social interaction, communication, behavior, and sensory integration, the speakers explained. "It is one of the most puzzling issues that we face in education, especially special education," Willis said. This is because it is such a complex disorder that causes delays or problems in varying ways with different people.
The biggest enigma in autism, Willis explained, is that you may find one strategy that works extremely well with one student with ASD, but it may not aid at all for the other student with the disorder.
The strategies that both Willis and Isbell offered during their session are a starting point for any teacher and principal with a student with ASD. They said that it was critical for children with ASD to know what's going to happen next, so clear schedules (perhaps using pictures instead of just words) are important for these children. The speakers also suggested simply tapping the child on the shoulder five or 10 minutes before a new activity begins so the child can be ready for the change.
For those students who need to be constantly moving, give them regular "movement breaks," which could entail allowing the child to run an errand for the teacher, such as returning a few books to the library.
Also, every classroom that has a student with ASD should have a "quiet center." This is a small area in the classroom where a child can go to diffuse when they are over stimulated by sensory inputs. For example, some children with ASD are sensitive to clutter; there's just so much to look at that they get visually over stimulated. If they get to a point where they sense they can't focus, the quiet center in the classroom can become a brief escape for them to regroup before returning to the general classroom area.
Bright lighting is also visually distracting to many children with ASD. So, limit the use of fluorescent lighting, use table or floor lamps, and use incandescent light bulbs in your classrooms. For students who are sensitive to loud noises, use sound-soaking carpet and rugs, pillows, curtains, and even plants in the classrooms, Isbell and Willis said.
"These changes will not only help the ASD student, but all the students," Isbell said. "Change the environment for all children to make it conducive to learning."
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NAESP Webinar Understanding Autism and Aspergers Syndrome: The Guiding "Principals" Learn what you need to know about students with autism spectrum disorders, including identification, teaching strategies, and classroom management techniques. Download the Webinar at https://secure.naesp.org/pdev/processPDEV.php. Cost for members is $25. |
Building Communities in New Orleans
By Candice Johnson
NAESP's 88th Annual Convention and Exposition, April 2-6, 2009, will be the place for principals to start building everything from learning communities to neighborhood communities in New Orleans.
Next year's convention will bring an impressive lineup of speakers, hundreds of informative sessions, and a fun-filled exhibit hall to New Orleans. Also, NAESP is arranging for a unique service project for convention attendees to help a New Orleans-area school and its staff members get back on their feet in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
There is a new spirit in New Orleans. The most celebrated and historic core of the city—including the Faubourg Marigny, French Quarter, Central Business District, Warehouse and Arts District, Magazine Street corridor, Garden District, Audubon Zoo and Park, and the beautiful St. Charles Avenue, lined with shady oaks, stately homes and historic mansions—is thriving. The cultural riches, lavish indulgences, and unparalleled service that define the New Orleans experience continue to flourish, as they have for centuries.
New Orleans remains the Crescent City, rich in culture and history, a city of chefs and delectable cuisine, and the birthplace of jazz. It is a city teeming with music heard from the streets, immersed in art and architecture, and burgeoning with celebration and beauty.
Come and see for yourself what this lively city has to offer when you attend NAESP's 2009 convention. Make sure you visit www.naesp.org frequently for updates on the convention, including registration deadlines, call for proposals, housing information, speaker information, and more.
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It may be a year away, but it is never too early to get ready for the next convention. NAESP is already preparing for the 88th Annual Convention and Exposition in New Orleans, April 2-6, 2009. And now here is your chance to do a little preparation and see how much you know about next year's host city. 1. The colors of Mardi Gras are? b. Green, Purple, and Gold c. Pink, Green, and Orange 2. New Orleans is the birthplace of what American music form? b. Country and Western c. Rock and Roll 3. The area known as the Louisiana territory has been owned by how many countries? b. 1 c. 3 4. What is the difference between Creoles and Cajuns? b. Creoles are native New Orleans residents. Cajun is the name of the food they prepare. c. Creoles are the Spanish descendents in New Orleans and Cajuns are the French descendents. 5. Which one of these foods is not a New Orleans standard? b. Gumbo c. King Cake d. Jambalaya 6. New Orleans is home to how many cemeteries? b. 42 c. 2 7. The invention of what waterway mobile led to New Orleans' importance to the U.S.? b. the tug boat c. the steam boat Answers
1. Answer: b
2. Answer: a
3. Answer: c
4. Answer: a Cajuns, on the other hand, are descended from a specific group of Catholic, French-speaking trappers and farmers exiled from Nova Scotia by the ruling English Protestants in 1755. About 10,000 eventually settled in Southwest Louisiana, in what is now called Acadiana. Some later came to New Orleans neighborhoods like Westwego. More than 1 million people of Cajun descent live in Louisiana.
5. Answer: Trick Question.
6. Answer: b According to lore, an American millionaire named Charles Howard was denied admission to the clubhouse, his sin being that he was not a Creole. The miffed millionaire vowed to buy and bury the track and the club. In 1872, the site did become a cemetery, and in 1885, when Howard died, his eternal resting place was on the grounds of the former Jockey Club. His ornate mausoleum features a statue of a man with his finger to his lips.
7. Answer: c New Orleans was pivotal in this economic exchange of raw material for fine finished goods; and, for more than a century, row after row of steamboats stretched for miles along the city's Riverfront. The Mississippi was alive with their comings and goings. While the old packet boats are gone from the Mississippi River today, their legacy lives on in New Orleans. Several excursion boats offer daytime and evening cruises that give modern-day visitors the same view of St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square enjoyed by steamboat passengers more than a century ago. |