The Time is Now.

With three full months of school left, there is plenty to be accomplished in this academic year. Teachers are providing lessons full of passion, students are gaining knowledge by the moment and the school community is thriving to the fullest. There is much yet to be done.

The reality is though that for many of us the current school year is winding down faster than the calendar suggests. As difficult as this sounds, many of us in administration are already in the planning stage of the school year that awaits. Staffing, budgeting, scheduling and more has become our focus. The 2015/2016 school year will be upon us before we know it.

The time is now.

To start next year, after an in-depth technology task force completed hours of work and reported their findings to the school district and community, our middle grade students (6th through 8th) will all start the year with Ipad mini's in their possession.  We will roll out 3600 devices in a district of 16,000 students. This is no small feat. And, for those that have already participated in something like this before, you know there is work to be done.

The time is now.

As we close in on Digital Learning Day on March 13th, there is a level of anticipation like never before. Our teachers and our students are preparing for what lies ahead. Our district is blessed that we have embraced technology integration over the years in our buildings. Each school and each teacher is incorporating the Blended Learning mindset and creating a culture that supports an online component. We have been planning, we will be ready.

The time is now.

While many of our teacher have been using Ipads over the past few years, some staff are less familiar with the opportunities that await them. Therefore, to ensure a level of readiness, my staff is doing the following as we close out this school year to prepare for next:

- Familiarizing themselves with the Ipad and it's potential with instruction.
- Discovering apps and programs to implement into learning.
- Exploring the device and it's various forms to interact with students and parents.
- Connecting globally with educators to hear of successes and failures.
- Collaborating with colleagues within the building and district to discover its layers.
- Risk taking and allowing themselves to fall forward with trial and error in the infancy stages.
- Supporting one another on this journey of teaching and learning.

As educators, we realize that in order to be ready for what lies ahead, we must plan ahead. The time is now. Each day is a celebration of our successes. Let's be ready for tomorrow and be ready to support this next layer on our professional academic journey.

Digital Literacy - Why Wait?

(courtesy retailsolutions.com)

Can you imagine a time when you had to wait for a book, a conference or a conversation in order to learn the best practices in your field? Think back a few years and how you would gather knowledge from colleagues that worked down the street, across town or in a different part of the world.

If we had the time, or made the time, we would pick up the phone, make a road-trip or schedule a conference in order to gain the greatest information in an attempt to improve our teaching and our learning.

(courtesy edudemic.com)

Educators are learning, at a lightening pace, that being connected is a must. The catch is that where we are today is still years behind where we need to be. Just when we think we have mastered one form of digital communication and interaction, another appears. Instagram and texting are almost a thing of the past when it comes to sharing of information. Unimaginable.

Franki Sibberson shared her experiences this morning on the final day of the Ohio Innovative Learning Conference of how she embeds technology, digital literacy, into her classroom instruction. She is quick to emphasize that her addition of blogging, using twitter chats and bringing in devices is not about replacing her instruction, it is about enhancing the learning experience and continuing to meet the needs of her students. And, it has taken time and failure. The take-away though is simple, we don't have time to wait to bring these tools to our students and their learning. 

Here are some reflections via Twitter during her presentation:

The reality is though that Franki is experienced. For years she has been teaching herself, through working with others, these best practices for the benefit of and for her students. It is impressive. However for many in the audience, it can be daunting. 

As you consider what you can introduce to your students, try not to overwhelm yourself. Rather, take one tool, one path, one piece at at time and spend time each day (a few moments) and teah yourself. In time you can arm yourself with an arsenal of tools that will support your students learning interests digitally.

It will be worth your efforts. So, ask yourself, "Why Wait?"

For more information and to learn more from Frankie, go to: http://clickherenext.com/