my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

Tacos & Technology: a parent tech night!

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Tonight is our tacos and technology night! We’re inviting parents in to hear where we are going as a campus using Twitter and to help them understand/get involved in our conversation!

My initial invite for Technology & Tacos spelled out the “who” should come, modeled after Sam LeDeaux, up in Chicago, who was so helpful while I was planning this event.

Technology & Tacos1

We also mentioned it EVERY day until the event. A local mexican restaurant gave us a great deal on tacos (!!!) and we will be providing devices for those who don’t have one to bring. I have staff and an amazing number of parents helping facilitate as well as watching lil’wildcats that come with their parents.

I’ll be distributing this click sheet for them to take home Signing Up for Twitter (spanish: Cómo empezar en Twitter) and talking through this presentation, Final T&T tech night.

This site will also be able to be accessed through this QR code. 🙂 I plan on streaming this event and will link that broadcast back to this site as well, for those parents who are unable to make it.

T&T qr code

taco twitterN,

Amber

 

 

A power point Christmas? No thank you…an alternative!

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I am in charge of our campus Christmnas card each year. I consider it my badge of honor (albeit, a badge  made up in my head) that I’ve not done the same style of card in 4 years. (It’s the little things.)

When I started thinking about something for this year, I remembered a tool that I had heard of from my favorite lil’ol podcast, Techlandia.

Jon, Curt, & Allison had talked about VideoScribe HD a few weeks ago and it was the perfect solution! The app was less than $5, even when I paid a little bit more to get the branding removed when it was rendered.

 

The result? A unique greeting that looks like it took me forever…but didn’t.

Clever, eh? Also appreciate @ipadsammy being at my beck and literal, call! 🙂 This is an easy tool that turns any presentation into something fancy…and we all know power point is very 1997. (**quote from Grey’s Anatomy**)

If you don’t listen to Techlandia, I highly suggest you do so, it genuinely provides me so many resources that benefit me, my campus, and ultimately, our students.

Jingle bellN,

Amber

 

It’s the little things…how to bounce back from a bad day!

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We all have bad days. We all have days where things didn’t go right…or as planned. Days that derail even th most positive of attitudes.

 

The real question is what you do when you have them. As a teacher, your mood affects the class. As an administrator, your mood affects the building. (When the principal sneezes, the whole school catches a cold.) So what do you do?

You could:

** Take a page from Venspired and just let it go.

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**Appreciate the little things on your campus, like the funny jokes your SPED teacher posts each day outside his room.

(seriously, I chuckle.every.single.day.)

 

**Have someone you can Vox with that will give great “chin up, butter cup!” advice! (High five, @mrmacnology!)

** Borrow cheetos from your school counselor.

Photo Dec 04, 9 10 14 AM

 

** Walk from classroom to classroom and be amazed at the incredible learning that is happening around you each day. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we do what we do. We didn’t get into this profession for money, for a fame, or for a campus rating. We got into this because we wanted to make a difference, and make education better. For all these kids and our own.

And you can’t do that if you’re being a Mr. or Mrs. Grumpy Pants. So put that smile one, channel your inner Mrs. Ripp, and get into those classrooms.

 

Who knows who is looking to you to be their sunshine?

 

Smilingly,

Amber

 

 

Sunshine Award…who, moi?

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I am honored to be nominated for a Sunshine Award. Blogger, principal, runner, ad cab caller extraordinaire  Ben Gilpin…@benjamingilpin nominated my blog for the Sunshine award. I was lucky enough to meet Ben (albeit ever so briefly) at ISTE this year. I am motivated by his weekly memo to his staff that he shares on his blog each and have even modeled ours to his style. Thanks, Ben! 🙂
Sunshine Award! This is how it goes. . .
The Sunshine award gives others an opportunity to learn more about me as a blogger and then, in turn, I will send sunshine the way of 11 other amazing bloggers for you to get to know!
Here are the rules listed by Ben on her blog:

 

  1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
  2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
  3. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
  4. List 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love!
  5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.)
11 Random Facts about me…
  1. I am obsessed with fuzzy socks and put them on as soon as I walk in the door each day, even when its 110 degrees outside.
  2. We don’t have cable. Which drives me CRAZY. 🙂
  3. I’ve been to multiple games for all four major sports franchises here in Dallas.
  4. When I was in the first grade I wished on my birthday for a baby brother…and got one! He’s one of bestest friends…and was even my maid of honor.
  5. My big girls initials are “TD” which, literally, was for touch down.
  6. My Master’s Degree is in Technology and Curriculum, and I went back for an admin certification.
  7. I am speed reader and have been known to finish two books in a day..on a good day. 🙂
  8. I am deathly afraid of snakes. Like panic attack afraid.
  9. If I get my Doctorate I would love for it to be in some asinine aspect of Women’s Studies.
  10. I can throw a football REALLY well. Like…really well. And a baseball too, in fact I was captain of my softball team in high school.
  11. I am not a big sweets eater…but love me some fritos and bean dip! 😉
Now For Ben’s Questions:
1. Do you prefer to shop in stores or online?   I love thrift store shopping. It’s makes me REALLY happy to tell you how little I paid for each outfit…and I don’t usually wear an outfit more than once a season. (Sigh…I know, I know…)
2. How many pairs of shoes do you own? over 75. Stop judging!
3. What is your favorite type of music? Favorite band or song? Love country music. Love dancing to country music. I mostly listen to sports radio though, 🙂
4. Cats or Dogs? Why… Dogs. Because I think cats try yp kill you when you sleep. I’m just saying.
5. What is your typical bedtime? By 10-10:30…which is a new thing for me! Used to be by 9, gulp.
6. Favorite twitter chat? #cpchat
7. Democrat/Republican/Other?  Apolitical. Pluh.
8. Best place you ever vacationed? We looooove Lake Murray as a family. As a grown up, anywhere there’s sun and sand.
9. Best book you’ve read in 2013? The Paris Wife.
10. Favorite television show when you were growing up? Alias.
11. What is one thing you never/rarely share that you are exceptionally proud of? Hmmm….I am extremely sensitive. Almost to a fault…but I am learning to appreciate and respect that I react/act a certain way because that is who I am and it should be an embraced quality, not one that I should be embarrassed or ashamed of. It doesn’t reflect on my professionalism or abilities…

 

Yea! My turn! I have to nominate 11 other bloggers, 🙂 whom I am SURE will love me for it!

1. Melinda Miller (@mmiller7571)

2. Amanda Dykes (@amandacdykes)

3. Jessica Johnson (@principalj)

4. Jon Samulson (@ipadsammy)

5. Matt Gomez (@mattBgomez)

6. Daisy Dyer Duerr (@DaisyDyerDuerr)

7. Leah Whitford (@leah_whit)

8. Hal Roberts (@HalLRoberts)

9. Jamie Vandergrift (@JaimeVanderG)

10. Aimee Bartiss (@aimeegbartiss)

11. Todd Neselony (@techninjatodd)

 

My questions for you are the same ones I was given above. 🙂

 

Even if you don’t all participate, please know you’re all a lil’ray of sunshine in my world and I’m thankful you’re in my PLN! Part of being a “leader” is being approachable and someone that you can “relate” too and that is what my PLN teaches me each and every day.

 

sunshiny & sensitive,

Amber

 

 

Voxer: an Edcamp on my phone

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voxer-logo-horizontalWhat do you get when you combine a free walkie talkie app, a New Yorker, some Wisconsins, a Missouri-an, and a Texan?

Day after day after day of professional advice, personal support, and a LOT of smiles.

Jessica Johnson introduced me to Voxer while planning our Indiana Leadership presentation. I have to admit, I didn’t quite get the point…why couldn’t we text? or email? or tweet?

Did I really need another techie tool?

Thank goodness she was persistent! Daily now I am in conversation with Jessica Johnson (principalj), Curt Rees (@curtrees) Tom Whitford,(@twhitford), Leah Whitford (@leah_whit), Jay Posick (@posickj ) Joe Sanfelippo (@Joesanfelippofc) Tony Sinansis (@TonySinanis) and Melinda Miller (@mmiller757).

From the crazy events that happen throughout our days to the how would you handle this moments, we have a group to add ideas,thoughts, and advice.  Tony mentioned today that these convo’s have become mini edcamps on our phone and I completely agree. We throw out random questions or thoughts and get feedback from in a safe, non-judgmental, different perspective environment.

What have I gained from random, when we have time, less than a minute each (Curt’s rule) messages? Well, considering that this is a group of rock stars…a lot. All principals and a superintendent….I’m literally hanging with the cool kids!

 

  • “That’s me!” An activity in whole group settings where you ask questions and the participants all say, “Hey, that’s me!) A great way to show that we all have more in common than we think…
  • How to handle staff situations gone awry
  • Instructional writing programs, a debate on a package versus organic teaching/learning
  • Inspirational videos on demand
  • How to get out, take a break, reflect on difficult situations
  • Ways to support our teachers and provide communication tools to help them connect with parents
  • Social media management, handling multiple accounts for a campus and a personal one
  • That the FC crickets are THE team! (And I have the tee shirt to prove it!)
  • That seasoned, experienced administrators struggle, that we all have bad days, but that we do all LOVE our jobs!

 

I am SO thankful that I have this group daily to hear from, learn from, and laugh with. Considering that I’ve only “met” Jessica, it sure is ironic that I talk more with these “online” peers than I do some of my closest friends.

 

Thank you, Voxer fam, you are such a great addition to my PLN world!

 

beep beep,

Amber