Leadership Day 2010: Why Blog?

"Many of our school leaders (principals, superintendents, central office administrators) need help when it comes to digital technologies. A lot of help, to be honest. " Those are the words of Scott McLeod.

In an attempt to improve the situation, McLeod has invited bloggers around the country to step up to the plate with their suggestions, and for all of us to do so today. The initiative is being called Leadership Day 2010, and you can read about it here.

The Ant Philosophy

Over the years, I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful concept: the Ant Philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy. These are the words of author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn. With thanks to Kerry Palmer for introducing me to it, read about The Ant Philosophy.

What I Did on My Holidays

I look forward to the day when the answer would be "yes." What if children were interested enough in writing that they chronicled the events of their lives? What if they chose to share their writing with the whole world? What if they developed a sense that if the world will be reading their work, their work needs to be quality stuff? What if children got interested in writing that is interesting?

Yes, young lad, instead raising your hand to ask, "How long does it have to be?" and scrawling down just enough to get by, please do e-mail me that link to your blog. Let me read the vivid details of the days as they are unfolding. Share with me the pictures you take on your vacation and fashion into an Animoto presentation. Explain to me why some of those pictures are significant, realizing that of all the things I could be doing, I am choosing to read your work. So, don't disappoint me.

And young lad, I dare you to write so well and make your story so interesting that I add you to my RSS feed and continue to read your work, because you have the creative spirit for which this world longs. Yes, please e-mail me that link...

Thanks to Jennifer Malone, Principal of Eaton Elementary in Lenoir City, Tennessee for bringing this cartoon to my attention.

SDE Conference

Thanks to everyone who attended one of my workshops at the Staff Development for Educators National Differentiated Instruction Conference! Please stop by this blog often. In addition, you will see an option on the right-hand side where you can subscribe to this blog and bring all new posts straight to your e-mail. Just below that is a button that will let you sign up for my free monthly e-mail newsletter.

Rubrics in a Fraction of the Time

Rubrics are great, but they are time-consuming to create. RubiStar is time-saving tool that makes rubrics easy enough you may actual use them! Check out this post from the Eye on Education Blog.

Cell Phones Revisited

Look in any school handbook today, and you are sure to see some type of policy on the use of cell phones. The devices are generally banned, being viewed as a distraction from the educational process.

On the other hand, cell phones have become part of our culture. A generation ago, a student who needed to telephone a parent to pick him up after athletic practice went to a pay phone. Just try to find a pay phone today. Many would argue that a cell phone is a necessity in today's world, yet schools continue to ban them, and kids find ways around to still use them.

I think the key is not banning the cell phones, but eliminating the interruptions that they can provide. A year ago, I encouraged people to read a post written by Vicki Davis on her blog. Vicki is a computer teacher from Camilla, Georgia. In her post, she explains exactly how students use their cell phones in her class. She goes on to explain how she handles inappropriate use of cell phones in her class.

The big picture to me, however, is not the distraction cells phones may cause. It's the opportunity either seized upon or lost to teach kids how to use a common tool in a productive way. That's why I thinking reading Vicki's article is a must. It sheds a whole new light on what is possible for kids now. We are trying to teach them how to function in the 21st century, and we are going to have to use 21st century tools to do it.

As a next step, I am not saying everyone should allow students to use cell phones anytime, anywhere, or however they like. What I am saying is that as a next step, read Vicki's article. In light of her thoughts and the thoughts of others like her, begin the discussion of what is going to best help our students to be productive in the 21st century. Right now, it looks like using cell phones as a productivity tool is a pretty good component.

The post I have referring to can be found here.

What are the policies on cell phones in your school? What are your feelings on how we should be using them?

Common Core: What States Have Adopted?

48 governors have endorsed the Common Core Standards, but how many states have actually adopted them? This map, courtesy of Education Week, shows the status of this movement as of July 9, 2010.

SDE Conference in Las Vegas

For those attending the SDE Differentiated Instruction Conference, I invite you to attend three sessions I will be presenting:


Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders     8:50-10:05
In this workshop, we will examine the five keys necessary for an organizational and time management system.

5 Habits to Help Students Get Their Act Together     10:35-11:50
We have the opportunity to go beyond personal and professional organization. We have the opportunity to give the gift of organization to our students. This workshop examines how.

Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less     1:15-2:45
Blogs are easy, free, and a great way to get your message out to other people. Learn what they are all about and how you can create your own.

Education Grants

Tech &Learning has published a list of education grants available for the coming year. The list can be found here.

Quizlet...Helping Students Learn Material

Quizlet is a free site which helps students learn terms and their definitions. This demo walks you through the various capabilities offered.

Phone Numbers Available on Facebook...Good Thing or Bad Thing?

I found out today, through a post from a Facebook friend, that you can see the phone numbers of all your friends. Go to the top right of your screen, click "Account" then "Edit Friends." Go to the left side of your screen and click the link that says "Phonebook."

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Personally, I think this is a pretty neat feature to have and will make getting in touch with my friends by phone easier. After all, publishing phone numbers is nothing new. If it were not for phone companies publishing those phone directories, what would people tear in half to show off their strength?

The thing for us all to think about is whether we want our phone number visible to others. To edit this information, go to "Privacy Settings." Click "Customize Settings." Scroll to "Contact Information." beside each drop-down menu, scroll to "Customize" and choose "Only Me" to completely hide phone numbers from everyone, if that's what you want to do. It's sort of the same thing as having an unlisted phone number in the directory. Of course, if you never put your phone number in Facebook to start with, Facebook is not going to be able to give it out anyway.

Actually the people I would really like my phone number from are all of the political candidates with their recorded messages, but that's another story for another day.

Help Needed

Eye on Education is planning a second printing of Organization Made Easy! As carefully as we proofread before the book went to press, there remains the likelihood that a typo slipped in here or there.

For those who have purchased the book, have you found any typos? We have a short window of time where we can fix them before the second printing. If you have found a typo, simply click here and let us know what you found. We have until July 22 to identify errors. Thanks!

Need Help With Memorization?

If you need help in memorizing a speech, a poem, or any other text, check out a great site called Memorize Now. It's free, and you don't even register.

The idea is that you paste the text you are trying to memorize into a box. Controls on the website allow you to hide progressively more and more words. You can scroll over the "blanks" it inserts to see the first letter of a hidden word or click to the see the entire hidden word. By clicking another icon, you are shown only the initial letter of each word. Here again, controls allow you to substitute blanks for those initial letters. In other words, you can supply yourself with just he right amount of memory jog.

Since there is no registration, each time you go to the site, you are starting fresh. The site provides instructions on how to download the project to your own computer as an html file, allowing you to review it anytime, even if you are not connected to the Internet.

Just one way to make memorizing those poems for high school English class a little easier! Have fun with it.

Receiving the Monthly E-Mail Newsletter?

One of the perks of attending a workshop I have conducted over the last several years is receiving my monthly e-mail newsletter. Twitter  users who follow Eye on Education are today receiving invitations to sign up for this free publication.


Would you like to sign up as well? Click here and complete the information.

Want to see a sample? Click here to download the July issue.

Eye on Education Insights

The article on this blog was listed as one of the top 8 posts on Eye on Education's blog this past month. Read more here.

Two Questions

I have enjoyed reading Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind, as well as hearing him speak in person. This video is a promotion for his new book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

Daniel Pink asks us to ask ourselves two questions:

1. What's my sentence?
2. Was I better today than yesterday?

Both questions will make more sense after watching the video.


Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

Understanding Facebook Privacy Settings

Facebook's privacy settings seem to be ever-changing, yet staying on top of them is naturally of concern to most of us. This video explains the latest in Facebook's privacy settings.

Fife and Drums for the 4th

This is the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) Fife and Drum corps (filmed in 2007). Enjoy their music on this Independence Day!

Staff Development for Educators Differentiated Instruction Conference

For those attending the SDE Differentiated Instruction Conference, I invite you to attend three sessions I will be presenting:


Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders     8:50-10:05
In this workshop, we will examine the five keys necessary for an organizational and time management system.

5 Habits to Help Students Get Their Act Together     10:35-11:50
We have the opportunity to go beyond personal and professional organization. We have the opportunity to give the gift of organization to our students. This workshop examines how.

Your Own Blog in 10 Minutes or Less     1:15-2:45
Blogs are easy, free, and a great way to get your message out to other people. Learn what they are all about and how you can create your own.

Configuring Outlook

Throughout Organization Made Easy!, we refer to Outlook as a tool to help the teacher with the calendar, to-dos, e-mail, contacts, and reference information. Appendix B in Organization Made Easy! provides a concise guide for setting up Outlook so the teacher can make maximum use of this software.

Join the Conversation

Blogs provide an easy way for a person or a group to have a web presence and move from from the role of observer to the role producer in our digital world. In this particular case, a nationally-known composer and an eager group of middle school students find each other through a blog. Posted below is an e-mail I recently received. the author of the e-mail is Danielle Todd, band director at Zora Ellis Jr. High School in Talladega, AL:

Hi Dr. Buck,


I wanted to share this with you. This just shows that a small place like Talladega can get out there in the world through use of Technology.


Below is an email that I received from Kevin Mixon. He composed the 2nd piece, Dancing the Skies that we played at MPA. How random for him to find our blog and then in turn email me. I am sharing this info with you because he would have never found us had you not encouraged us to start a blog. I am also sharing it with our students and Mr. Bailey. They will love it.


Danielle


----- Original Message -----


From: Kevin Mixon
To: Danielle Todd
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 6:00 PM
Subject: Dancing the Skies


Dear Ms. Todd and the Zora Ellis M. S. Band Students--


I came across your band website and Ms. Todd's description of your recent festival appearance. I was honored that you performed "Dancing the Skies". I hope you enjoyed the piece and that it helped you grow as musicians--that's why I wrote it, of course!


I was very impressed that you did so well at the festival and that you have advanced so much in such a short amount of time. This is because of your hard work and Ms. Todd's great teaching, so applause to you all!


As you continue to perform in band, consider composing. I began composing band pieces in middle school, and though they were not good then, just like with practicing on instruments, my pieces got better as I continued to write. I love to play music, of course, but there is a particular form of expression that I love most with composing. Give it a try, you might feel the same way!


But in any case, please continue to excel as performers as you have done so far! Best wishes! --Mr. Mixon


Kevin Mixon
National Board Certified Teacher, Early and Middle Childhood/Music
Fine Arts Administrative Intern, Syracuse City Schools
Composer, Alfred Publications and Carl Fischer Music

Ms. Todd is right. Technology is the great equalizer. Someone who has something significant to say is no longer at a loss for a medium through which to say it. The internet is the same whether it's being accessed at the Library of Congress or the library of a rural school. The opportunities to participate in significant conversations are available to us.

What do you have to say that other people might just want to hear? Could a blog be just the answer? Why not get started right now?

Top 5 Leadership Tips of the Year

Eye on Education logged the top 5 most clicked-on leadership tips from e-mail newsletters for this year. One of those five was from Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders. Read about it and the others that made the list.

Making a Case for Music Education

Economic times are tough, and education is certainly feeling the crunch. Budgets are being cut and cut again only to be re-visited again for more cuts. Every area of the educational arena must be prepared to make its case or face elimination.

Today begins Music Education Week in America. There is perhaps no better time to introduce a site designed to help supporters of music the case for the importance of music in our schools. "Support Music: Make Your Case" provides a database of materials that may be just the thing to get the point across. Whether you want to talk about budgets, are in search of quotes, or need to address scheduling, this site provides help.

Database of Award Winning Childrens Literature

Looking for children's literature for a particular age? What about literature which has won a certain award or belongs to a certain genre? Whatever your need, the Database of Award Winning Children's Literature is your answer. Using the tool could not be easier.

Try your hand at a search.

For those who work in elementary schools, this one is a keeper!

E-Mail Newletter

If you attended a recent workshop and signed up to receive my free monthly e-mail newsletter, you should have already received something by this time. If you have not received anything, check your spam filter to make sure your newsletter has not been caught. Want to sign up to receive the newsletter series? Have a friend who could benefit from this resource? This link will allow you to begin your free subscription.

Successful Week in Troy and Montevallo

There is an easier way to organize our lives, as educators from a number of school learned at workshops sponsored by the regional inservice centers at Troy University and the University of Montevallo. Some of the comments on the evaluations were as follows:

• Great seminar!! Energetic, informative, and practical!
• Speaker was engaging as well as knowledgeable.
• Great workshop--excellent ideas that can be used immediately.
• Very thoughtful and professional; addressed all areas of time management and organization--very applicable!
• Amazing!!
• As a new teacher and over-organizer, this presentation was life changing for me!
• Absolutely wonderful!

It was fun to work with groups that were so interested in the tools and techniques presented. The presentations are meant to consist of "nuts & bolts" ideas that can be put into practice immediately and refined over time. Every time one workshop ends, I can't wait for the next one.

Eye on Education Blog

Thanks to Eye on Education for featuring my blog on their blog. The post can be found here.

Dealing With Small Spaces

Just because you have a small office or live in a small apartment does not mean you must live in clutter, nor does it necessarily mean you have to throw away all of your stuff. Check out what some ingenuity has done for this Hong Kong resident.

Red Skelton's Pedge of Allegiance

In school all across America, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is part of the daily routine. In this video, Red Skelton recalls a teacher who took this recitation a step further, and explains the words contained in the pledge.

As we celebrate Flag Day, this is the perfect time to revisit the meaning behind the words we say.

Montevallo Presents "Get Organized With Your BlackBerry"

The one-hour workshop at AETC was enough to show that there are some easy-to-learn techniques that make a difference in your ability to use the BlackBerry. We were able to scratch the surface. Several people have asked me if a do a longer workshop, and the answer is "yes." This coming Wednesday (June 16), the University of Montevallo Regional Inservice Center is sponsoring a three-hour BlackBerry workshop.  

A growing number of people are opting for a cell phone which can do far more than make a phone call. The BlackBerry has the capability to be a total life organizer that fits neatly in your pocket. However, a lack of training exists on how to use its capabilities. Contents of the workshop include:

• Enter it once and forget it—The magic of repeating appointments and repeating tasks.
• When do I want to see this again?—Make that decision as you create a task. Watch it disappear and then re-appear on just the right day.
• How convenient! —Program the two convenience keys to open your calendar and task list.
• The one and only address book you will ever need—E-mail, address, phone number, birthday, and a wealth of personal information. “Contacts” will handle it all.
• The “Fab Five”—Making sure what’s really important gets done.
• Stress be gone—The crystal clear, organized task list.
• A wealth of information at your fingertips—What to keep in “Notes.”
• “In” to “empty” every day—Becoming the master of e-mail.
• Taking your data anywhere—How to synchronize Outlook with a smartphone.
• reQall here—From your voice to your e-mail on the fly.
• The Devil is in the details—How to store and access all of the details related to an appointment, task or contact.
• Find it fast—Take advantage of the tremendous search capabilities of the handheld.
• Tricks and tips—Use these timesavers to make handheld experience more productive. 

The workshop will be held June 16 from 1:00 to 4:00. Registration is free and open to the entire state. Registration is done through STIPD. Search for PD title number UMINS10. The Inservice Center is located at2790 Pelham Parkway in Pelham.

John Wooden from 2001

Few figures in coaching have had the lasting impact of John Wooden. I found this TED Talk from 2001 to be fascinating in terms of his approach to teaching others not just the game of basketball, but the game of life.





After listening to Coach Wooden on this video, I invite you to visit his official website. It is a virtual treasure trove of wisdom from one of the great leaders of out time.

Update from Yesterday's Workshops

Thanks again to everyone that came to one or more of my workshops at AETC. I have made the revisions I needed on the "Data That Matters" spreadsheet. It is ready for you to download and use. You can click here to go to the Free Reources page on my blog, 

I have removed the password from New Alabama Graduation Rate Calculator. Just below it on the Free Sources page, you will see the "New Alabama Graduation Rate Help Document." It will serve as a guide for how to use the calculator.

Instant Grader

For those who attend "The End of Paper Forms" session, this post is a follow-up to that session. Our last example was the use of the form aspect of GoogleDocs to allow students to take a test on a GoogleDocs form, have the answers appear in the GoogleDocs spreadsheet, have the individual answers marked correct or incorrect, have the spreadsheet calculate the individual student scores, and have the spreadsheet conduct item analysis on each question.

If you would like to take the sample test, click the link below:

View a sample test here.

You may wish to make up a name, since I have set this example up so that anybody can see the results for everyone's work.


After you have taken the test, want to see how you did? Click this link:
Here is what the teacher sees.


You will see two tabs at the bottom of the screen. On the tab marked "Enter Answer Key," you will be able to view your answers. On the tab marked "View Results," you will see your work graded. You will also see the graded work of others, and an item analysis for each question.

The End of Paper Forms

For readers on Alabama, you are invited to join me on July 10th at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference. Among the four sessions I will be presenting that day is one I am premiering entitled "The End of Paper Forms." Here is a look at what you will learn:



In addition, we will be giving away a copy of one of my books at each of the four sessions. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Workshops

There is still time to register for upcoming workshops. Click on the links for addition information.

June 14—Southeast Alabama Regional Inservice Center (Troy University) "Get Organized With Outlook" and "A Day in the Life of a Digital Administrator"A drawing will be held for a free copy of one of my books at each session.

June 15—Southeast Alabama Regional Inservice Center (Troy University) "Get Organized! The Five Keys to Organization and Time Management" (4 hour session)(Registration on STIPD) Those who are within the Southeast Alabama Region will receive a complimentary copy of my original book.

June 16—University of Montevallo Regional Inservice Center (Pelham) "Get Organized! The Five Keys to Organization and Time Management" (1/2 day session) Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of my original book. "Get Organized With Your BlackBerry" (1/2 day session) A drawing will be held for a free copy of one of my books. (Registration on STIPD for both)

June 17—University of Montevallo Regional Inservice Center (Pelham) "Managing Digital Data With Ease" (1/2 day session) A drawing will be held for a free copy of one of my books. (Registration on STIPD)

Dual Monitors Revisited

In the pencil and paper world, how often do you find yourself referring to one book or document while working on another? Hand-copying a recipe from a book onto a piece of paper is one example. How would you arrange your materials? My guess is that you would lay the book and the paper side by side. Never in a million years would we consider placing one on top of the other and constantly swapping positions as we read from the book and copy to the paper. Why should things be different in our digital world?

How many times do you find yourself copying from document and pasting into another? How often do you work on one electronic document while referring to another? Are there times when you need to refer to two websites simultaneously? How to arrange your work in these cases?

If you are like most people, you wind up minimizing and maximizes one window, then the other. You may reduce the width of each window in an effort to view both on the same screen. What happens far to often is that we simply print the document we are referring to and lay it beside the monitor as we work on our other document. There's got to be a better way, and there is.

If placing our documents side-by-side works in the pencil/paper world, then its logical counterpart in the digital world is to place two monitors side-by-side.

After having read of the benefits offered by a dual-monitor arrangement, when I changed positions from the principalship to a central office position, the one thing I requested was a second monitor. I could not believe the productivity boost this arrangement offered. I found myself printing far fewer documents. I could work on a document while referring back and forth e-mails or my calendar or a website.

After retiring from the school system and setting up my home office, a new computer system featuring dual monitors was at the top of the list. After tasting what's it like to operate with two monitors, I would hate to work any other way.

If you want to make the move and need to know the next steps, here is an excellent article.

Microsoft Office 2010

Want to know what's coming up in Office 2010? Check out this post from Lifehacker which provides a series of short videos previewing the upcoming program.

A Salute to the Class of 2010

As a salute to high school graduates across America. Seniors, this is your life...in rap…the last 18 years condensed into 4minutes.

The Last 18 Years In Rap from Week in Rap on Vimeo.

Memorial Day Tribute

"Hymn to the Fallen" was composed by John Williams and is part of the soundtrack from the movie "Saving Private Ryan." As a tribute to fallen soldiers everywhere is this rendition, performed by Katherine Jenkins.

Update on Troy University Workshops

Previous posts have describe the three workshops I am offering through the Troy University Inservice Center. Here is updated information about how to register:

Get Organized! The Five Keys to Organization and Time Management. Sign-up can now be done on STIPD. Previously, a message was being displayed that sign-up was not allowed. That has been corrected.

Get Organized With Outlook and A Day in the Life of a Digital Administrator. Sign-up is handled through a form found here.

Amazing Artistic Display

I was blown away by this display of artistry. Sand art designs are made effortlessly and the scenes continue to change throughout the demonstration.

Spend the Day With Me at AETC

If you want nut and bolts tools to make your life easier, spend anywhere from an hour to the whole day with me on June 10 at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference.

Here are the workshops I will be presenting:

Get Organized With Outlook    9:15
Whether you organize with a BlackBerry, Palm, or other smartphone, the common denominator is the ability to synchronize with Outlook. Learn strategies for using Outlook to access, store, and retrieve information easily. The aim is increased productivity in a complex world.

Get Organized With Your BlackBerry     10:30
The BlackBerry is a common tool, yet methodology for how to manage your life with it is sparse. This session provides the nuts and bolts strategies that will allow the handheld to hold a very complete calendar, prioritized to-do list, contacts, and a wealth of reference material.

Data That Matters     12:30
Are you drowning in data yet searching for meaning? Learn how to put all of your “data that matters” on a single spreadsheet, set goals, and tell at a glance whether you are on the right track. Participants will be able to download the “Data That Matters” tracking tool free.You can get away from having your data strewn through various folders and various filing cabinets. Get away from those piles of paper and gain clarity about your data that matters.

The End of Paper Forms     1:45
There is no reason to ever distribute a paper form again. Learn to use the “forms” function of Google Docs to collect and assemble your data effortless and with no paper. Whether you are giving a survey, composing a directory, and giving a test, the forms feature in GoogleDocs is huge time-saver. This one is almost too good to be true. Oh, did I mention it’s free?

All sessions are in North Hall Room A.

"Managing Digital Data With Ease"

The final workshop being sponsored by the University of Montevallo Regional Inservice Center is "Managing Digital Data With Ease."

Today’s educator is flooded with an ever-increasing amount of information, and much of it comes in digital form. The result presents both opportunities and challenges.

• After this session, you will be able to answer “yes” to all of these questions:
• Do you have a logical system for organizing your computer?
• Can you find data on your computer quickly?
• If your hard drive failed do you have a complete backup of your data somewhere else?
• Are you aware of the wide variety of capabilities Google offers?
• Do you know how valuable iGoogle is as a homepage?
• Can you get to your bookmarks from anywhere in the world through Del.icio.us?
• Do you have a single document which links to all of the digital resources you will use throughout the year?
• Are your e-mail practices time-savers and not time-wasters?
• Is your e-mail Inbox empty at the end of every day?

The workshop will be held June 17 from 8:30 to 11:30. Registration is free and open to the entire state. Registration is done through STIPD. Search for PD title number UMINS10.

Montevallo Presents "Get Organized With Your BlackBerry"

A growing number of people are opting for a cell phone which can do far more than make a phone call. The BlackBerry has the capability to be a total life organizer that fits neatly in your pocket. However, a lack of training exists on how to use its capabilities. Contents of the workshop include:

• Enter it once and forget it—The magic of repeating appointments and repeating tasks.
• When do I want to see this again?—Make that decision as you create a task. Watch it disappear and then re-appear on just the right day.
• How convenient! —Program the two convenience keys to open your calendar and task list.
• The one and only address book you will ever need—E-mail, address, phone number, birthday, and a wealth of personal information. “Contacts” will handle it all.
• The “Fab Five”—Making sure what’s really important gets done.
• Stress be gone—The crystal clear, organized task list.
• A wealth of information at your fingertips—What to keep in “Notes.”
• “In” to “empty” every day—Becoming the master of e-mail.
• Taking your data anywhere—How to synchronize Outlook with a smartphone.
• reQall here—From your voice to your e-mail on the fly.
• The Devil is in the details—How to store and access all of the details related to an appointment, task or contact.
• Find it fast—Take advantage of the tremendous search capabilities of the handheld.
• Tricks and tips—Use these timesavers to make handheld experience more productive. 

The workshop will be held June 16 from 1:00 to 4:00. Registration is free and open to the entire state. Registration is done through STIPD. Search for PD title number UMINS10.

University of Montevallo to Sponsor "Get Organized!"

As a part of their summer workshop offerings, the University of Montevallo is again sponsoring several workshop. The series will begin with a three-hour version of Get Organized! We will explore the five keys necessary for a complete personal and professional organizational system.

The workshop is free and open to the entire state. The UM Regional Inservice Center is providing a complimentary copy of Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders to those who attend.

The workshop will be held June 16 from 8:30 to 11:30. Registration is free and open to the entire state. Registration is done through STIPD. Search for title UMINS10.

Troy University Offering "Get Organized! The Five Keys to Organization and Time Management"

The second day of Learning Fest '10 will feature this 4-hour workshop designed to give you a total system for organizing your surroundings and managing your time. This interactive workshop will help you create a comprehensive system for bringing order and control to your personal and and professional life. Your level of stress will diminish as your level or organization and time management increases.

TOPICS
• Handling the paper blizzard.
• Using a single “signature tool” to organize your life.
• Establishing a system for tasks which repeat.
• Mastering the flood of information.
• Handling multiple projects.

LEARN
• How to organize using digital or paper tools.
• How to document effortlessly.
• How to get your e-mail to empty every day.
• How to use the “Fab 5” to give focus to your day.
• How to reduce stress and increase the joy in your job.

The workshop will be held on June 15 from 9:00-2:30. Registration is free and open to the entire state. For who are within the Troy University Inservice Center region will receive a complimentary copy of my original book Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders. Registration is done through STIPD. Search for PD title number TU421.

A Day in the Life of a Digital Administrator

As a part of Troy University's Learning Fest '10, you will have the unique opportunity to experience what life is like for a "digital administrator."

A growing number of people are opting for a cell phone which can do far more than make a phone call. The BlackBerry has the capability to be a total life organizer that fits neatly in a pocket. However, a lack of training exists on how to use its capabilities. In this workshop, you will learn:

• How to enter an appointment once and have it appear on the calendar every week, every month, etc.
• How to create an “organized task list” which presents items clearly and in the order they need to be done.
• How to handle tasks that must be done every week, month, or year.
• How to use “Contacts” as the one and only address/phone list you will ever need.
• How to keep a wealth of reference information at your fingertips using “Notes.”
• How to use the search capabilities of the device to find any information quickly.
• How to get your e-mail Inbox empty every day.
• How to synchronize Outlook with a smartphone.

The workshop will be held June 14 from 1:30 to 3:30. Registration is open to the entire state. To register for complete and submit the form found here.

"Get Organized With Outlook" to be Offered at Troy University

Troy Universityis sponsoring several of my workshops as a part of Learning Fest '10. Below is a description of what you will get from "Get Organized With Outlook"

Whether you organize with a Palm, a BlackBerry, or other smartphone, the common denominator is the ability to synchronize with Outlook. This workshop teaches strategies for using Outlook to access, store, and retrieve information easily. The aim is increased productivity in a complex world.

Most people know Outlook as a program which can manage e-mail. The workshop shows how this powerful program can organize your life. In this session, you will learn:
• How to enter an appointment once and have it appear on the calendar every week, every month, etc.
• How to create an “organized task list” which presents items clearly and in the order they need to be done.
• How to handle tasks that must be done every week, month, or year.
• How to use “Contacts” as the one and only address/phone list you will ever need.
• How to keep a wealth of reference information at your fingertips using “Notes.”
• How to use the search capabilities of the software to find any information quickly.
• How to get your e-mail Inbox empty every day.
• How to synchronize Outlook with a smartphone.

Today’s world moves quickly. Outlook can keep the busy teacher or administrator on track.

This workshop is being offered June 14 from 10:00-12:00 at Troy University. Attendance is being opened to the entire state. To register, complete and submit the form found here.

Check back for information on other workshops being offered this summer.

Or Could This Be in Your Future?

Thanks to Dave Sherman for the comment he left on my past post. If you follow the link, it will take you to a post on Dave's blog where he had actually posted the same video. In that post, however, Dave also included a TED Talk video that takes things to a whole new level. I have included the TED Talk below.



If you would like to read Dave's commentary, go to the post on his blog.

Could This Laptop be in Your Future?

"Google Goggles" for Android Phones

Traditionally, we search for information by typing text into a search engine. The concept with Google Goggles is that you take a photograph and Google Goggles searches from there. Google Goggles is available for Android phones

Here is a short video which explains the concept:


Here is an example of an actual search:

Click here for more information on Google Goggles.

More on Principal Blogs in Education World

Education World is featuring an excellent article on blogging for principals. A large portion of the article talks about the Raymond L. Young Elementary School blog. Pattie Thomas, the principal at Young and a close personal friend is the primary author of the blog. To read the article, click on the Education World logo below.

Did You Know?

"Did You Know?" is perhaps the most thought-provoking video I have seen in terms of how our country fits into the global picture, what the future is likely to hold, and how technology fits into that picture. It's implications for education are huge.

Three years ago, Karl Fisch was asked by his principal to speak at one of the beginning-of-year faculty meetings. He put together a PowerPoint, and the rest is history. If you have seen a version of "Did You Know?" then perhaps you may wish to visit the author's blog where he explains the story behind this powerful message. That original post is found here.

Over the last three years, various versions have been produced and updates have been made. Here is latest version. What does it mean for our schools? What does it mean for you and me? What are we going to do about it?

A Short Answer to The Long URL

We have all been confronted with a long URL here or there. It's not so bad if we can simply click on the link. What if you or someone else needs to copy down that URL by hand? What if you need to insert that URL into a paper or article? In those cases, a long URL is a pain. Fortunately, there is an answer.

You have surely seen addresses that began "tinyurl.com." What you may not know is how easy it is for you to convert any URL into a shorter, or "tiny" URL.

Simply go to this address:
http://tinyurl.com

You will see a box which looks like this:

 Paste your long URL in the box and click the button that says, "Make TinyURL!" The next thing you will see is a screen with your "tiny URL" created. Is there a certain address you would like the tiny URL to be? Paste your long URL in the box and fill in the box below it with your choice. For example, you might choose your initials and the current date in the form MMDDYYYY. The site will either accept your preference or let you know the name is not available.

If for some reason you or those with whom you work are having to write URLs, Tiny URL can be a real time-saver. Check it out!

Leaving a Job? Prepare a List of Exit Tasks

Changing jobs can be an overwhelming experience, but it does not have to be. The key is planning. I year ago, I was in the midst of planning my retirement. Many months before my last day, I was making notes about tasks large and small that would all need to happen within a fairly short time frame. When those final days came, it was early a matter of putting the plan into motion.

Below is a list of my exit tasks. Everyone’s situation is different, so my list will not work necessarily work for you, but it provides a start.

Letting your associates know where to find you:

1. Look at your Outlook Contacts for who will need to know our new address, e-mail, and phone.
2. Look at your pay stub for those who take payroll deductions and talk to your payroll department on how to make these transitions to your new employer.
3. Think through journals, magazines, and other regular mailings which come to your business address which should now be mailed somewhere else.
4. Determine how your old school or office will determine what mail addressed to you needs to be forwarded and how the process of getting your mail to you will be handled.
5. Talk to the IT department to determine if mail coming to your business address can automatically be forwarded to your new e-mail address.
6. Compose a single-mail containing new contact information and send to everyone who will need it.

Letting the world know where to find you:
Is there a web presence which should be updated with new contact information?

1. Personal website or blog (including profile)
2. Facebook page
3. LinkedIn page
4. Webpages from other companies which make reference to you

Who else might need to find you?:
List the online services for which you have accounts for which you will need to update contact information (especially new e-mail address)

1. reQall
2. Animoto
3. Blogger
4. Edulogs

Getting ready to move:

1. Make a list of what you own personally.
2. Are there personal belongings you want to leave behind? Prepare a letter stating what you are donating. Save for tax purposes.
3. Has anyone borrowed something of yours? Work on getting that stuff back now.
4. Do you have anything that belongs to the school or office that you have at home or in your car? Make plans to return.
5. Have you borrowed anything from a co-worker? Make plans to return.
6. What electronic documents do you need to copy and take with you? Copy them to a flash drive.
7. Copy your Outlook pst file to a flash drive. If you archive your Outlook data, copy the archived pst file to a flash drive. Install them on your new computer now if possible just to be sure your data is secure.

Erasing your tracks from your phones:

1. Delete speed dials programmed into land line and business-issued smart phone.
2. Delete any other information programmed in your land line or smart phone.
3. Change your greeting to provide your new location to callers. Do this on both your land line and smart phone.
4. Reset mailbox password to the default on the land line.
5. Research how to delete all information in mass from your model. When you turn it over, it should void of:

• Speed dials
• Contacts
• Pictures
• E-Mail messages
• Calendar events
• Tasks
• Voice mails

Erasing your tracks from your computer:

1. Identify what information will be needed by others, organize it, and provide copies to the appropriate people.
2. As stated earlier, copy information you will need to a flash drive. Be sure to copy your Outlook pst file and outlook archives.
3. Wipe the entire hard drive clean before leaving. Use a program which overwrites every sector, in effect filling the entire hard drive with bits of information.

Get ready for a hectic final couple of days. Invariably, people who have had a month or more to ask you questions will wait until the last day to ask you to "make a list" of one thing or another or want to know where they can go to find certain information. It's tough to handle what you need to do while filling those requests at the same time.

With a little luck and a lot of planning, the last day can be the stress-free, enjoyable experience that it should be.

Saving Word 2007 Documents as PDF

Would you like to be able to save your Word 2007 documents as pdf without purchasing a separate program to do this for you?

Click here, and it will take you a Microsoft download page where you can download a free tool which will allow this capability. To create your pdf, choose "Save As." Under "Save as type," choose "PDF."

Thank Someone Who Has Touched Your Life

When we think about those who have shaped our lives in a positive way, the name of at least one teacher generally comes to mind. But, are those who meant so much to us aware of the lasting impact they made? They won't know unless we tell them, as this video illustrates.



During "Teacher Appreciation Week," there is perhaps no better time to contact one of those special teachers to let him or her know that they made a different...a lasting difference, and how much it is appreciated.

Technology in Education

Just a quick video on how far technology in education has come...