MELT Update
Melt 2018 is fast approaching and preparations are well underway. This year there are over 30 sessions to choose from per hour. There are many new sessions offered this year as well as some popular sessions from years past. Some groups will also have the opportunity to network.Registration
Last year we experimented with sending out the MELT brochure a couple days prior to sending the registration link. This allowed people to set their schedule and read through the descriptions prior to registering. This seemed to work really well. The process will be the same this year. The brochure will come to you on Monday December 4 from your Principal. The link to register will come to you on Wednesday morning from your Principal. Principals, look for this information from Mary please.
We cannot stress enough the importance of registering as early as possible. Some sessions fill really fast, therefore the later you are in registering, the greater the risk of not being able to get into those sessions.
TIES Conference
The biggest educational technology conference in the midwest is happening December 9-12 in Minneapolis. The TIES 2017 Education Technology conference takes place at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis. This conference is jam-packed with tons of breakout sessions and excellent keynote speakers. You can preview the breakout sessions by looking at the schedule. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #TIES17. If you are going, feel free to send Brandon an email or a Tweet as he will be attending as well. If educational technology interests you at all, this is the place to be in Minnesota in December!Simple Ways to Help Young Kids Develop Self Control
I stumbled across this article on Edutopia the other day. It is about ways in which to help kids develop self control. As a parent of a nine, four, and one year old, the tips provided here were very helpful and easy to do. This is a great article for any teacher to read and could also be something to provide parents in your newsletters home.
Simple Ways to Help Young Kids Develop Self Control by Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers
Tech Tip of the Week - Peergrade
Have you ever had students provide feedback on their peers work? Peergrade allows you to do just that, but digitally! Students can turn in their assignment, and the program will randomly distribute the work to students to provide feedback on. The basic plan is free! Check it out today!Innovator's Mindset - Learn, Lead, Innovate
We are on Chapter 5 of the Innovator's Mindset by George Couros. This chapter is full of great information, so we'll cover only a snippet of the chapter. If you haven't already obtained the book, you still have plenty of time to get it and get caught up through chapter 5.Chapter 5 is titled Learn, Lead, Innovate and the main purpose of this chapter is to show the characteristics of someone who can lead people through innovation. It rings loud and clear throughout the chapter that you first must be a learner in order to lead.
One of my all-time favorite quotes is in this chapter, "Would I want to be a learner in my own classroom?" (Couros 83). This is so true! You need to put yourselves in the shoes of your students to feel empathy toward their school experience. If you know what they are feeling, you can create real and authentic learning experiences for them.
Couros identifies 8 characteristics of the innovative leader:
1. Visionary - You need to see beyond the obvious
2. Empathetic - Feel for the learner
3. Models Learning - Be a learner yourself
4. Open Risk-Taker - Model risk taking
5. Networked - Open your mind to new ideas and people
6. Observant - Really look at the world around us
7. Team Builder - Need to be collaborative
8. Always Focused on Relationships - Foster the relationships
If you are going to lead innovation, you need to model learning & risk taking. If people see you doing it, they are more likely to follow along. Open your mind to new ideas and people and be willing to venture into the uncomfortable to make innovation happen. It wouldn't be innovation if it wasn't uncomfortable.
MRVED Meetings:
December 1, 2017 Title III Teachers
December 14, 2017 TAC
December 15, 2017 Principals' Council
December 20, 2017 Superintendents' Council
December 20, 2017 MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
