What A Year
It has been a year of change, around the world, where I work, in my family, and personally. I am not sure anyone was prepared for the political climate that occurred this year. Our stance as a nation has swung significantly in the last 12 months. I fell asleep the night of the presidential election in a hotel room with the TV on and woke up at 2:30 in the morning and the world had changed. It didn't stop there though. A bizarre event would occur and would be all over the news; before we could wrap our minds around it, another bizarre event would occur, then another and another, coming at us faster and faster, battering the nation with a Category 5 hurricane-like weirdness that left us hunkering down, clinging to our sanity, no longer certain what was real.
In the midst of all the bizarre things that occurred this year, there were good things too. We have seen many technological advancements that will assist us as a society for years to come. Artificial Intelligence, Augmented/Virtual Reality, 3D printing, the availability of inexpensive solar cells, and even self driving vehicles made this spotlight this year. If I had to point to one person's influence of much of this, it would have to be Elon Musk. His goals for his companies Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity revolves around his vision to change the world and humanity.
A highlight of this year for me personally, our team, and the district would be telling our story. We have done an incredible job of documenting this journey. One event that I would like to highlight was our participation at ISTE this last summer. It was clear that through the amount of presentations and being a big part of Microsoft's Hack the Classroom event at ISTE, we have made progress that others see value in. I use this as a dipstick to measure our effectiveness as a team and later I highlight how I use my kids as a measurement of our student experience.
In the next three segments, I will focus on district, family, and personal reflections over the past year. Each has their own challenges, advancements, and opportunities.
Our Growth As a District
Our $421 million dollar bond issue in November of 2014 has provided many resources that Omaha Public Schools needed. Before that, there wasn't a bond issue for over 15 years. The needs assessment that was completed before the bond showed $1.2 billion in needs. As much as this first bond issue is allowing us to build and provide, (Belle Ryan and Western Hills elementary schools slated to open in a couple of weeks, for instance) there is so much more that needs to be done. The next bond in May of 2018 will help address the space needs at our secondary schools.
2017 has been a year of transition as far as leadership. Mr. Evans decided to stay one more year after a turbulent Superintendent search process with the board. I must say it was good to spend one more year with Mr Evans, this being our 13th year working together. Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Kehrberg retired at the end of the 2016-17 season creating a vacancy that was replaced with Chief Academic Officer, Melissa Comine. We also brought on a couple of new Executive Directors of School Supports. All of these are good transitions, but transitions are challenging and require time.
From a technology standpoint, we have made efforts towards planned obsolescence of devices. In 2017, we experienced budget constraints that made us adjust the frequency by which we refresh devices. One thing the refresh process has done is show how necessary digital equity and access is for all of our students. In the future, we will make decisions differently as a district through the progression to digital equity through the strategic plan. I can't wait to see what we can accomplish with digital curriculum and open educational resources that provide unique learning experiences through technology. Personalized learning is the way to go. Our students should be picking their unique pathway in opportunities that aren't even thought of yet. For more information on our unique process for devices, click the image below for the blog post on planned obsolescence.
Anytime you are shifting focus with student learning, you need to incorporate parents and community. Digital citizenship and literacy was a major focus in Omaha Public Schools in 2017. We certified over 50 schools with Common Sense Media Certification to receive the district level certification. This was not all though. We also implemented the Mobile Learning Unit, a vehicle that provides programming to students, parents, and community through a partnership with Cox Communications. What was once a 1991 bus has now transformed into a highly engaging learning environment.
Our relationship with Microsoft has continued to progress. These strategic relationships have been beneficial for our students. We are able to give authentic feedback in what the learning experience students should receive in a high technology environment. Communication is different, as well, in today's working environment. We should reflect this shift in education as well. Our team uses Microsoft Teams everyday. This article discusses how Omaha Public Schools and Microsoft are working together to bring this collaboration shift in using Microsoft Teams.
One of the fundamental areas that needed to be addressed when Mr. Evans became Superintendent was looking at our processes. The district had a tendency to on-board a system and not continuously update it. You can see that now with our PeopleSoft upgrade that started this year. The district had not completed an upgrade of that system in over 12 years. The world has changed in 12 years. Think about what wasn't here 12 years ago in technology:
With all of these things in mind, it is important to consider what we face by constantly updating our systems. Think about it, all of our social media mediums update without training us, many times even without informing us beforehand. We use them frequently enough that our own digital literacy skills improve naturally. The same needs to be done with our "systems" we utilize in our districts. This includes pedagogy.
These "systems" are what drives cultural change. Systems create behaviors and this is important in an district because, as I say sometimes, districts do what they're organized to do. To bring about actual change within an district, Superintendents or other leaders, before they cast big vision and before they announce a change, must sit down and look at systems and ask the question, "What are the behaviors that need to change in order to move in the direction we need to move?" In my past work with the BLEgroup, Gates Foundation, and GreyED Solutions working on tech audits or strategic planning, it became evident that these are the fundamental things that drive necessary change. So, simply talking and casting vision doesn't change the direction of a district. Systems create behaviors because districts do what they're organized to do.
I am excited to see where we go in 2018 with teaching and learning in Omaha Public Schools! With the shifting of leadership, continued adoption of systems that produce efficiency and great staff in every facet of Omaha Public Schools, we are better - you can see it. Check out our transformation page for what our district has done through the use of technology.
My Family's Growth
I have always measured my effectiveness as an educational leader through my kids. It's an easy mechanism since I see them everyday. At some points in life I have had one in every level at the same time: Elementary, Middle and High School. Every night I would listen to them and gather their experiences. During the last two years, this dynamic is changing. Now Emily is a Sophmore in college, Aiyana is a senior at Omaha Central High School, and Bailey has joined her as a Freshman. From a parent perspective, the light is at the end of the tunnel. I am going to have to figure out a way to measure my effectiveness differently.
In 2017, we took a much needed vacation to Colorado. The kids had a blast, and Amanda and I did too. It was one of those moments where you begin thinking this could be the last one we do as a family with our kids graduating and moving on. Amanda and I love to hike. Colorado was just the place to engage with the whole family and climb a couple of mountains, see waterfalls, and see some old friends that moved out that way. Amanda and I also took some time and rode up to a lake with our bikes and saw some wildlife. From there I mounted my GoPro and coasted down the mountain, it was the best adrenaline rush of the trip.
My Growth
Where to start. 2017 showed me how much I love to learn. I read 12 books this year - yes 12. It wasn't just reading either. Many times it was a group effort with a lot of collaboration. Creating "quotures" - yes we made that up - and posting them to twitter after a chapter. We participated in #1ChapterADay activities, taking notes and using OneNote to document the journey. I have to give a mad shout out to Eileen Heller - she has kept up with me all along the way. You can check out her blog here. We also blogged about a couple of books. Check out this one Eileen Heller, Rebecca Chambers, and I did on Learning Transformed.
What's In Store For 2018?
A new Superintendent,new Board of Education Officers, and budget conversations will start in January of 2018. The Instructional Technology Team did an incredible job of applying for a Title IV grant that was awarded to us that will help drive Future Ready and a new Professional Development System in the district this spring. 2018 will again be a year of change, around the world, where I work, in my family, and personally.
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Successful Productivity
Love this article. I love sports, and this reinforces the hard work it takes to be the best you can be. I have the same morning routine every week day:
21st Century Skills needed to succeed
These skills are so very critical:
Communication
I heard Andy Stanley talk about clarity in one of his speeches and its importance. Communication is critical in leadership and in the day to day operations of a district, school, or classroom. Five things leaders can do to ensure that their organization's vision really sticks:
This is what stuck out: Two words: don't assume. Take the time to think about your audience--what they know, what they care about, and what they want from you.
The Future Workforce
You can either be scared of this information or embrace it.
From the article: History can help soothe some concerns, when we see that in 1900, 41% of the US workforce worked in farming. By 2000, that had sunk to just 2%, mostly as a result of the arrival of machines. While the developed world has shifted from agriculture to manufacturing and then to services, the number of jobs has always climbed. That is quite a significant difference in just a 100 years. So how are we preparing students for a changing work environment like this?
EdLeadership
Here is an article with some amazing quotes to start your day. I have included some that resonate with me:
A Different View of How Schools Could Operate
Summit Schools are interesting. The base-camp model is one that focuses on mastery and begins to develop into competency based education. Truly if we could remove grade levels and move into that direction in public education, it might be for the better. You can really see the effects that personalized learning can bring - as well as understand that you are meeting students where they are at, not by the average. Only time will tell how this model prepares students for a job market that is unpredictable.
EdTech Resources
If you know me, you do know that I do love to tinker around with gadgets. This next article encourages us to tinker with some inexpensive open sourced materials to build things. Cool things. I am going to encourage some of our educators to do this.
EdLeadership
by: Jeremiah Owyang
Content that sparked my interest:
Eric Sheninger. UnCommon Learning. N.p.: Learning Forward, n.d. Print.
Productivity
by: Chris Danilo
Content that sparked my interest:
EdLeadership: How to Create Experiences and Scale Environments That Change Lives By Tom Vander Ark
Productivity: What Successful People (Who Are Actually Happy) Do Differently Dr. Travis Bradberry
Here is what struck me: The researchers found that people who were both successful and happy over the long term intentionally structured their activities around four major needs:
“To be normal is the ideal aim of the unsuccessful.” - Carl Jung 
Leadership:
Digital Footprint:
Professional Development:
Here are the articles today that brought some value to my thoughts:
Creativity:
Professional Development:
Technology
STEM
Love this Lego Boost from CES this week.
College
What are colleges looking for? Grit. To get things done. Why?
Student Centered Instructional Methods
Great infographic on how to engage students
Future of Education
Noteables:
Surface Pro I currently use a Surface Pro 4 for my primary device. I love it for the portability, battery life, and power. One negative is the keyboard. Today at CES, this was shown. It has some promise  http://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2017/01/04/brydge-launches-laptop-style-keyboard-for-microsofts-surface-tablet/#9727f7112607 As you can see, it is the only keyboard that removes the need for the kickstand.   Website
One of the topics of change for OPS will be finding a solution for our website. It really has to be a focus of a communication system. With that in mind, I read this article this morning that is thoughtful about the approach. https://www.ducttapemarketing.com/website-storyteller/ By John Jantsch Content of interest:
And finally, a quote from Simon Sinek: “What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.” – Simon Sinek  As I have been thinking about creating a blog and expanding my network from consumption to creating and sharing, I wanted to share some articles and notes that have influenced my decision making process. Global Literacy and Documenting Learning http://langwitches.org/blog/2016/12/09/global-literacy-and-documenting-learning/ By: Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano Content that stood out:
Network Literacy and Documenting Learning http://langwitches.org/blog/2016/12/25/network-literacy-and-documenting-learning/ By: Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano Content that stood out:
Blogs - Do they Serve Any Real Purpose http://edge.ascd.org/blogpost/blogs-do-they-serve-any-real-purpose By: Tom Whitby Content that stood out:
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