TagMyDoc: Interesting Way to Use QR Codes to Share Docs

There is no doubt, the Web is all about sharing documents, and new tools are arising all the time that facilitate our ability to do just that. Recently, someone shared a new Web tool developed called TagMyDoc.com which allows users to share their documents through the use of QR codes.

TagMyDoc basically allows users to use QR codes as a means to share and provide access to documents. For example, during a presentation you want to provide your audience with immediate access to your presentation using their smart devices. With TagMyDoc, you upload the presentation to their web site, and you are given a QR scan code. Make that QR available to your audience and they can immediately access the document. No need to type in lengthy URLs or key words. You can even download their scanner app for your Apple device and scan away. I used my Android scanner and was able to seamlessly access my document. I can easily see how this tool might facilitate the use of smartphone technology in both the school and the classroom.
Currently, TagMyDoc offers both free and relatively inexpensive accounts. Try it out here:  TagMyDoc.com

FindTheBest.com: Search Tool with Consumer in Mind

All of the resources I've shared in the past on this blog have involved some kind of educational value. During the Holiday shopping season, we all find ourselves looking for tools to help us make the best decisions regarding which products to buy. Recently, someone shared an interesting consumer tool called "Find the Best."

"Find the Best" appears to be a web tool designed with the consumer in mind. Users can use this tool to locate the best rated products in a large number of categories.It is an excellent way to perhaps begin your search for the best items during this holiday season.

Check out FindTheBest.com for yourself below.

http://www.findthebest.com/

7 Suggested Apps for the New Kindle Fire Owner

After working with several apps on the Kindle Fire during the past few days, I have struggled with the fact that some of my favorite Web tools like Diigo do not yet have an app in the Amazon App Store. Still, I have found the following apps useful so far.

Evernote:  Evernote,  as I have posted many times before, is my favorite note taking app. I wasted absolutely no time downloading and installing this app for the Kindle Fire. It works very well in the Kindle environment, allowing me access to my notes and to my to-do list.

CalenGoo: This app allows users access to their Google Calendar. I keep everything on Google Calendar so I was glad to find this app. I can check my calendar just as I can on my iPad or smartphone.

Tweetcaster Pro: I experimented with some of the other Kindle Fire Twitter apps such as Hootsuite and Seesmic, but I came back to this one. It works well in the Kindle Fire environment. It is easy to use and has an attractive interface.

JustReader: I spent a little time looking for an RSS feed reader for the Kindle Fire. Several had really bad ratings. I have tried this one and it works as well as any of the others I've tried. Right now it is the best I've used.

ColorNote: This simple to use note app works well in the Kindle Fire environment. It allows users to easily make notepad notes and check lists.

Dropbox: This app is not offered in the Kindle Fire App Store, but I was able to download and install it directly from the Dropbox web site. It gives one more level of access to my Dropbox folders.

KeePass: This is my favorite password safe program. I have it on all my desktops, my Droid phone, and now on my Kindle Fire. I can access my passwords from anywhere.

There will no doubt be more and more apps added to the Kindle Fire app store in the coming months. I have downloaded a few others like Diary Mobile, Pulse, and Springpad, but I haven't used them enough yet to make a judgement.  These apps are my top Kindle Fire app recommendations at this time.

Kindle Fire: Perfect Media Consumption Device

Let me disclose upfront that I am a regular Kindle fan. Even though I now have a Kindle Fire, I refuse to give up my old Kindle, so don’t anyone ask if I’m willing to sell it. I love its compact size, it’s simplicity in use, and it’s no glare display. About the only thing about the old Kindle I struggled with was the fact that I had to use an external light to read. Of course the Kindle Fire’s display takes care of that problem. This device reinforces once more why I love Amazon’s e-reader devices. If I were to make some early observations about the Kindle Fire, here they are.

• The Kindle Fire is almost the exact same dimensions of my older Kindle. (See picture below.) It is just a bit heavier and thicker, but it still fits right in my single hand, small enough to curl up with. No doubt, Amazon’s Kindle designers had that in mind when they designed the device. It’s dimensions, thickness and weight still make it easy to hold when reading.

• The Kindle Fire display is perfect for the e-reader and for the light media and app-user. While I know there’s a great deal of talk about this device encroaching on iPad’s domain, I’m not sure I would go that far yet. However, if you only use your iPad for e-reading, media consuming, social media, and email, then I would say that perhaps you would be happy with the Kindle Fire. It easily does all of those things. It is a media consumption device only, not a media production device. If you want to create media too, then get another tablet device. If you only want to read, listen, view, or use apps, then get a Kindle Fire. Why buy a device that takes pictures or records audio if all you’re going to do is consume media anyway?
• The E-Reading app on the Kindle Fire captures all the features of the iPad Kindle app that are useful. Highlighting text and taking notes works just as it does on the iPad Kindle app. You can also control the background color of the page, text size, margins, and choose your font. The folks at Amazon did not sacrifice a thing for those of us who use these devices primarily for e-reading.
• The Apps available for the Kindle Fire include some favorite desktop and iPad apps. There’s Seesmic for Twitter users. There’s also Evernote for those of us who rely heavily on the note taking application. For Angry Birds enthusiasts, you’ll find your favorite versions too. I noticed that the Amazon app store is also offering apps like Quickoffice too. I am sure Amazon’s app store will only expand with demand for additional apps.
• The Kindle Fire’s high definition display makes watching video pleasurable on a small device. Honestly, when I want to watch a high definition movie, nothing beats my Samsung 60” LED TV. But, watching video on the Kindle Fire is pleasurable as well. It’s high definition screen made watching some of the pilot episode of Lost enjoyable.

Kindle Fire's Compact Size

In my opinion, whether or not to purchase a Kindle Fire depends entirely upon what you want to do with the device. If you want to be able to consume and create media, then an iPad or other tablet device is your best bet. If all you’re going to do is read, get an older Kindle, especially now that you can purchase one for less than $100. But if you want to be able to do these three things:

• read, listen and watch media
• check email and engage in social media like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn
• use and access your favorite online apps like Evernote

then get a Kindle Fire. It does these three things as well as any tablet.

The Kindle Fire effectively combines the perfect size and simplicity of the old Kindle with the features we love about all tablets, and gives users a perfect media consumption device.

5 Ways to Engage Others Using Twitter

There is a bit of art in composing engaging and thoughtful tweets. The ultimate question as a tweet composer is, "How can I say what I want to say in only 140 characters? And, how can I convey tone and mood through as few words as possible?"  The real fun of tweeting is trying to communicate the most you can with as little as possible, but you only know you have communicated it successfully when someone responds to your latest tweet.

Of course, like anything we write, what good is what we tweet if we do not have an audience? How can we possibly feel good about what we tweet if no one ever responds to us? The ultimate positive feedback as a Twitter user is to have someone respond to something we've tweeted, or have someone re-tweet our last post. If all you do is post tweets and no one ever reacts, are you really engaging in the art of microblogging? It seems to me you're only yelling in the darkness and you don't even get the satisfaction of an echo.

How can one really engage in connecting with others using Twitter? Here's some ideas that move beyond posting "What's happening?" Perhaps some of these will help you engage in art of Tweeting for Engagement.

• Compose a tweet on something controversial. Sometimes the best responses I have gotten using Twitter are posts that capture a rather controversial topic. Of course a bit of caution is in order. Controversial doesn't mean offensive. Controversial is expressing an idea not readily accepted or thought about. Post a Tweet that goes against the grain of what others are tweeting and see what happens. Don't be rude or offensive. Post your thoughts in a matter of fact manner.
• Post a provocative and powerful quote. This is one of my favorites since I am always reading anyway. I collect quotes constantly. Sometimes I'll post a thought-provoking statement by an education researcher and see what happens. This is an extremely effective way to get an education conversation going on Twitter.
• Post a thought-provoking and engaging question. This is similar to the quote Tweet. The difference is that you post a question that has no simple answer, or if it has an answer, it is provocative. Questions beg for a response, especially those questions you know your followers are likely to have opinions about.
• Share link to a thought-provoking and controversial article. By far there's nothing like a provocative article or blog post to stir up Twitterverse. Share a study that seems ludicrous. Point out a blog post that is likely to cause an eruption. Twitter is an excellent place to provoke debate where everyone is limited to 140 characters so it's easy to get a word in edgewise, even the shy person.
• Respond to other's tweets with questions or additional responses. As you read through your timeline, find a tweet that begs for a response. Tweet out a question that demands an answer. Or, post a response that is sure to engage the other person in an exchange of ideas.

Perhaps I am bit too strong when I say a good Tweet is a  form of art, but it is true that if you want to engage others using Twitter, you've got to post more than, "I'm standing in line at the grocery store." Bottom line is this, if you want to engage others in conversation when using Twitter, you've got to be controversial, thoughtful, provocative, and maybe just a bit artistic. What do you think of the art of "Tweeting?"

21st Principal’s Big List of Must-Have Administrator Tech Knowledge

Just the other day, I was asked, “What 21st century tools would you say every administrator needs to know and understand how to use?” It’s an important question, and I think I have tried to answer that question continuously through this blog.  While there are the technological tools that help with administrator’s duties, there are other tools administrators need to know and be able to use simply because of their potential impact on instruction.


This first list describes some of the "tech-knowledge" I think administrators need to have to understand technology as it exists today, and the direction in which it is going. Here's a list of what I consider to be important 21st century administrator general technology knowledge and abilities.

• Use and understand cloud-based applications: With so many of our school functions moving to cloud-based applications, administrators need to understand what the cloud really is, what it means for data, and how to use cloud-based applications to enhance educational initiatives. There should never be an administrator who asks, “What’s this cloud they keep talking about?”
• Use and understand social media platforms: Instead of giving in to fear and trying to find ways to limit access and use of social media platforms by educators, 21st century administrators need to be engaged heavily in the use of these platforms to both promote their educational organizations and to communicate with stakeholders.
• Subscribe to RSS feeds: While there are fewer options for engaging in following RSS feeds, it still is one of the best ways to mine the information morass on a daily basis. Using a feed reader allows an administrator to be more selective in both information sources and in the amount of information they have to sift through to stay current professionally and personally.
• Use web platforms to post information and communicate with stakeholders: Being able to engage in communicating with others in a cyber-environment is a must for 21st century administrators. To really be able to take advantage of the cyber-media, administrators need to be able to understand its intricacies and quirks. They need to be able to take advantage of its features. This means being able to engage in effective 21st century communication.

Web 2.0-Cloud Tools: If I were to select specific Web 2.0-Cloud tools that administrators should know how to use, here’s my not-so-short list.

• Evernote: This is a note taking and Web collection tool. It has both web and desktop applications and a premium version that can be obtained at low costs. http://www.evernote.com/
• Diigo: Diigo is a social bookmarking site. With its tools,  the administrator can share 21st century information and tools with staff and others. It is also an excellent way to share notes too. It is a collection tool too, just like Evernote, but its sharing ability makes it more of a collaborative tool. http://www.diigo.com/
• Dropbox: Dropbox is a way to get to rid of the need to use flash drives. It is the easiest way yet to store files online and access them with any device. It is also an easy way to share files too.  http://www.dropbox.com/
• Edmodo:  Edmodo is the premier social classroom environment. It is an easy way to engage with others in a social, cyber environment. http://www.edmodo.com/
• Engrade: This is one of the simplest to-use online gradebooks I’ve found. It allows administrators to access student grades, and parents too. A few added features like online quizzes and flashcards make it even more useful. http://www.engrade.com/
• Google Reader: This is one of the easiest to use RSS feed readers. Google reader allows users to bring what they want to know to their desktop. www.google.com/reader
• Google +: Google + is relatively new, online social media environment. It allows users to connect synchronously and asynchronously. It is also possible to organize those you communicate with into circles which are groups. https://plus.google.com/
• Google Apps (Email, Calendar, Google Sites, Google Docs): This collection of apps only get more and more powerful. Users can also engage in real-time collaboration with these tools.  http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/edu/
• Twitter: Twitter is a most used microblogging website on the web. Tweeting out information in 140 character bursts are the norm. http://twitter.com
• Facebook: You have to have been living in a cave lately to not have heard of Facebook. I include this one on the list because administrators need to both learn how to use it and understand it. Too often it is being banned and thrown out because of the bad things that have happened with its use. http://www.facebook.com/
• Blogger (Or another blogging platform): Blogging is an essential way to connect with others and to disseminate ideas and information. In my opinion, administrators need to be bloggers to see its true potential as a provider of authentic writing experiences. www.blogger.com
• Kindle E-Readers and Nook E-Readers (All Devices):  Being able to engage and use an E-reader by all educators is a 21st century must-have skill. Download the free Kindle apps here: Free Kindle Apps. Download the free Nook apps here: Free Nook Apps.
• Wikispaces (or other wiki platform of preference):  Being able to engage in the use of wikis, no matter which product, is a must for the 21st century educator. Understanding how to use them helps administrators see their educational applications. Also, there are collaborative administrative tasks that could also be carried out using a wiki. http://www.wikispaces.com/
• Prezi: Prezi is a presentation application alternative to PowerPoint and other slide-oriented presentation programs. http://prezi.com/

Other Web Apps or Honorable Mentions: These are applications I have used, but that haven’t become a regular part of my own Web 2.0-Cloud Apps toolbox.

• Symbaloo:  A personal Desktop sharing tool. Can be used to share links or bookmarks with others.  http://www.symbaloo.com/
• Springpad: Another note taking and task management application. http://springpadit.com/home
• Wall Wisher: A presentation program of sorts that allows users to post notes on a virtual wall. It is fully collaborative too.  http://www.wallwisher.com/
• Wordle: A tool that allows users to create appealing representations using text and words.These are called word clouds.  http://www.wordle.net/

Software Knowledge

• Office Suite Programs (Whether MS Office, Open Office, or Libre Office) Obviously, all 21st educators need to be able to engage in the most common software tools found in an office suite. http://www.openoffice.org/ and  http://www.libreoffice.org/
• Photo-Editing Software (I Use Picasa 3): Being able to edit photos and alter them using editing software is a must. My tool of choice is currently Picasa. It’s free.  http://picasa.google.com
• Inspiration: I consider this one of the best buys in educational and productivity software. Inspiration allows users to create informational maps or outlines. http://www.inspiration.com/

Device Specific Knowledge

• Basics of Smartphone Technologies: Being able to use and understand these devices as a 21st century administrator is a must.
• iPads and other Tablets: Administrators still fighting to keep these devices out of their schools are already fossils. Administrators need to know how to use these devices and be leading the way in exploring how to use them instructionally.
• Smartboard Technology: Understanding smartboard technology is paramount. Too often administrators see these devices and immediately think they need one for every classroom. If administrators were more knowledgeable, they would perhaps see that having one in every classroom isn’t necessary.

I realize my list of all things Techie and administrator might want to know about is lengthy. I also realize that the individual apps and devices are subject to change rather quickly. Still, the 21st century administrator engages in using and understanding technology constantly. Perhaps this list will help guide technologists in deciding which kinds of training they want to conduct for their administrators,

NC to Test Every Subject K-12 and Tie Teacher & Principal Evaluations to Test Scores

In a meeting this past Monday I attended, representatives from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provided educators with a presentation describing how our state is adding a sixth standard to our teacher evaluation and an eighth standard to our principal evaluation directly tying those evaluations to test scores. What I discovered at that meeting was that the standards proposed are worded innocuously and can hardly be questioned. For example the teacher standard reads:

"Teachers contribute to the academic success of students. The work of the teacher results in acceptable, measurable progress for students based on established performance expectations using appropriate data to demonstrate growth."

I would think just about all teachers hope that what they're doing is contributing to the academic success of their students. The big difference in opinions among educators, however, is perhaps what this "academic success" is and whether growth measured by a test score is accurate. The principal standard is also written in this hard-argue-against language:

"ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT LEADERSHIP: School executives will contribute to the academic success of students. The work of the school executive will result in acceptable, measurable progress for students based on established performance expectations using appropriate data to demonstrate growth."

Both of these standards make sense on the surface. There's no educator alive who would argue that teachers and principals are not responsible for the achievement of their students. In my years as an educator, there's not a day that passes where concern about whether our students are learning what we're asking them to do isn't on my mind. The problem is not with these standards, but it is with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's interpretation of what "student achievement" is. Under their plan, student achievement = growth on standardized test scores. While that is a nice, neat simplification of what achievement is, it ignores all learning that can't be tested with standardized testing. By interpreting student achievement as test score growth, the state is simply making testing in North Carolina even higher-stakes than before. With this test-emphasis, we will be well on our way to becoming test-prep factories that don't churn out educated students, but excellent test-takers. North Carolina is going to subject students to tests early and often, not to measure student progress, but to measure how well the teacher is doing. This betrays an underlying, but mistaken belief that tests can be used to tell you how teachers and principals are doing. North Carolina has defined "effective teaching" and "effective school administration" as simply growth demonstrated (by whatever model they can create) by test score performance.

Ultimately, the meeting I attended was billed as an opportunity for educators like myself to provide "feedback" to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction personnel on this proposed teacher evaluation change. However, in practice, it seemed more of a here's-what-we're-going-to-do-to-you session, but we want to give the "appearance that we're listening to educators." (That's a tactic perfected by Arne Duncan.) During the session, when educators expressed concerns about what the state is planning to do, they were often cut off by DPI personnel who interrupted to defend the state's plans rather than sincerely allowing educators to voice their concerns and listening. They felt the need to stifle honest opinion by cutting off people while they were speaking. Instead of being an opportunity to express concerns, it was an opportunity for the state of North Carolina to try to summarily dismiss those concerns.

To this educator, there are two equally frightening things about this whole test-centered approach to teacher and principal evaluations that I and other educators at this meeting tried to bring up, but the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction representatives quickly let us know that we were wrong.

• First of all, North Carolina is planning to evaluate teachers and administrators  by using test scores this spring even though they have not decided what growth model they are going to use, nor do they know exactly how this evaluation is going to take place. What's worse, they will not know at least until February of this year when the State Board has an opportunity to hear the first reading. In typical bureaucratic fashion, they are rolling out a program and implementing it even before it is finalized and clearly defined. Historically, I can recall two other examples of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction initiatives that were rolled out before they were defined well. These were when the state during the 1990's rolled out the ABC Accountability Model, and in the early 2000s, when the state rolled out the NC WISE student data system used throughout the state. Both of these were rolled out without any deep thought on its practical application in the districts. They were both rolled out bugs and all, and classroom teachers and educators had to suffer while the state got its act together. Now, it appears our State Department of Public Instruction is doing it yet again, except this time there are much higher stakes tied to it. North Carolina will be evaluating educators' careers based on something that isn't even clearly defined, and won't be until three-fourths of the year is completed.
• Secondly, North Carolina is also planning to create tests for every single subject taught, administer these tests, and use the results, not to see how students are doing, but to see if teachers and principals are able to raise test scores. Recently, Charlotte-Mecklinburg proposed this "test-everything-that-moves" approach, and it blew up in the administration's face so bad, they had to take money from Bill Gates and the Broad foundation to hire public relations personnel to try to sell it. If something smells so bad that you have to repackage it to sell, then perhaps there's something fundamentally wrong with it. In spite of the fact that educators at this meeting expressed concern over how much more time we will spend testing under this proposal, and how problematic it will be to implement, the Department of Public Instruction personnel at this meeting dismissed these concerns outright repeatedly, and told us how wrong we were. 

As an administrator and educator, I understand the need for accountability. I understand the need for testing to see how our students are doing. I even cynically understand why our state is doing this. They are not doing it because it's what's best for our kids, because how could testing students' every move be beneficial? No, the state of North Carolina is doing this so that they can keep their Race to the Top money, plain and simple. As a 22 year veteran educator, I've seen education measures come and go. Most of those have been benign and simply were discontinued, and no one noticed their passing. However, this time I'm afraid it's going to be quite different. The state of North Carolina is using a program that is not fully defined yet, and a strategy that "tests-everything-with-a-pulse" that is going to destroy public education in this state. It is going to turn our schools into the test-prep factories that Diane Ravitch has spoken about so eloquently so many times.

Note: Here's the link to the presentation used if you would like to see it for yourself.

Administrators: 3 Reasons Your School Needs An Online Gradebook

There is no doubt that true innovation using 21st century tools begins with the teachers, and sometimes the best thing an administrator can do when they want them to use technological innovation, is to remove barriers to implementation and get out of the way.  This fall, my teaching staff decided to use Engrade, an online gradebook, as their gradebook. After setting up a school account, we've had an extremely successful implementation.  If your school is thinking about using Engrade or another online gradebook, here’s 3 good reasons to do that.

• Parents and students have access to their grades at any time. Too often, grades are hidden from view until progress report time or report card time. That's way too late! Students often do not see the immediate effects of not turning in assignments or low test grades with traditional gradebooks. With Engrade, students can check their grades on their own to see how they are doing. In addition,  parents can check their child’s grades each day or as often as they wish. The whole “surprise factor” is taken out of the grading process. Since implementation, our parents have repeatedly expressed their satisfaction of being able to check their child’s grades at any time.
• Engrade is simple to use. Often, my experience is that online gradebooks are ponderous things that try to do too much. One example of this kind of gradebook is the one employed by our state. It is a massive grading program that does lots of things, but it takes a PhD to figure out how to run simple reports. It simply tries to do too much. Engrade is simple by nature and design. Teacher assignments such as adding tasks and grades is a cinch. As administrator, when I want to run a report listing how all students in my school are doing, I don’t have to worry about filters and queries. I click on a button and it happens. Simplicity rules!
• It’s free. Our whole school is currently using the free version of Engrade. Just the free version has been successful. However, we are exploring whether to purchase the premium version because it adds some functionality we would like to have such as custom reports and school-wide grade reports.

When it comes to true innovation, it doesn’t take a complex technological product to make it happen. It also doesn’t take a product that serves every single need we have as educators. Engrade works for us because it fulfills our need for a simple gradebook that provides access to both our parents and students, that's simple to use, and it’s free or low cost.

For information about Engrade, check out their web site, http://www.engrade.com/.

Note: For those wondering, I did not receive anything for endorsing Engrade in this post.  In fact, I would add that any online gradebook that offers all stakeholders access, that is simple to use, and that is low cost or free, is the kind of online gradebook educators want.

21st Century School Leaders Are Bloggers Too!

I have been blogging for almost 4 years now. My first blog was an experiment on Blogger in 2008 that I'm not even sure anyone ever read. I posted to it infrequently, and to be honest, I can't even remember the name of that blog. I've long since taken it down. My second blog was a staff blog I created while principal of a middle school. I used that blog instead of a weekly newsletter, or even an email update like this one. The problem I discovered was the same. How do you find the time to blog, even if it is for your staff? In 2010, I closed down that blog as well, and I opened my current blog, The 21st Century Principal. In December, The 21st Century Principal turns two. Yes, I have been blogging away at it for almost two years now, and with this blog, I have been just a bit more successful, but perhaps not in the way you might think.

I recently earned my first pay check from Google for blogging. Perhaps I can now say, "I am a professional blogger," but I don't think I'm ready to blog full time. I’m not even close to reaching the six figure income level that the Probloggers claim you can reach, so receiving this check was just a novelty. The truth is, I never began blogging because I thought I could make money. I began blogging because I basically wanted to do four things: 1) Share my own thoughts and ideas about technology, leadership, and public education, 2) engage others in conversations about the same topics, 3) connect with others. and 4) satisfy my own fascination with writing that led me to be a high school English teacher many years ago. But, if I were to measure my own success at blogging, I would measure it by the simple fact that I have successfully met these four goals I originally had for blogging.

Since I began blogging two years ago, I have shared my thoughts and ideas 260 separate times. Unlike my first blog, as I look through my page view counts, I've had one particular post that was viewed over 6,500 times. So I do feel that I have successfully shared my own educational experience and thinking with others. I have to come to see page visits as an indicator that people are at least visiting the content I write. Whether they stay long enough to engage in all of the content is another question entirely.
In addition, I also feel I've engaged others in educational topics of interest to me and them. While I have only had around 266 individual comments on my blog posts, I have also received countless emails from educators around the world, sharing their ideas and thoughts too. So, I've no doubt been able to successfully engage in a global conversation with others.

In addition to engaging others in educational topics of interest,  I have also successfully connected with others. Through my blog, I have connected with Technology Directors in New York state, Portland, Oregon, and even Sidney, Australia. I connected with authors of books I've read and blogged about. I connected with teachers and other administrators worldwide. Out of those connections have sprung relationships where freely sharing ideas and resources is the norm.

Finally, I have been able to satisfy my "inner writer" through blogging. The had been one big fundamental thing about writing that has been reinforced by my blogging, "There's nothing like having an audience who reacts to what you write." Having something to say and someone to say it to is fundamental to the writing process. My blogging has made that very clear to me.

The truth is, I believe blogging to be the perennial tool to engage students in authentic writing. It is also the tool to get educators, especially school leaders plugged in to the global education conversation. When I started teaching 22 years ago, trying to find authentic audiences for my students' writing was impossible. They wrote in "essayese," which is stilted and inauthentic in language and in style. Very rarely did I read student writing in which they were truly engaged. From my own blogging experience I have learned that writing in the 21st century is engaging a global audience. Educational leaders need to be engaging in the use of 21st century tools like blogging too.


Blogging is one of the tools by which school leaders can demonstrate what it’s like to be a 21st century communicator and technology leader.