Technology to Help 21st Century Administrators: Using Google Alerts to Maintain Professional Learning Network

In the previous post, I attempted to explain Google  Reader’s place in my Professional Learning Network. It is through this tool that I am able to control the flow of web information that I pay attention to. Trying to mine the web for information of interest is a difficult task because any search string typed into a search engine returns an enormous amount of information.

Another electronic tool that I use to keep up with information from the web is Google Alerts. Google Alerts is free and available to anyone with a Google account. What Google Alerts does is send you an email any time a new web page appears in the top 20 web results or top 10 news results based on the search words or phrases you specify. For example, I am currently very much interested in the Obama administration’s new education initiative “Race to the Top.” So that I can follow the latest news and web pages discussing this topic, I have set up a Google Alert to catch the top 20 web results and top 10 news results on this topic. I have done the same thing with No Child Left Behind since discussion of its reauthorization is becoming more and more frequent. Google Alerts gives you the ability to stay on top of current educational topics, all from the comfort of your email inbox.

How to set up a Google Alert? It is really simple.

1.  Access the Google Alerts Main Console page by entering the web address below. You can also access the Alerts page from Google’s main page by selecting the drop down menu more, then even more. Then click on the Alerts hyperlink. (You must have a Google Account to do this.)

http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en

2. The screen below should appear.

Screen clipping taken: 3/6/2010, 6:07 PM

3. To create an alert, just type in the watch words or phrase in the search terms box.

4. Choose the type of alert that you want. The choices are as follows:

• News: This means the alerts will only be drawn from news sites such as the New York Times or CNN.
• Blogs: By selecting blogs, you are choosing to draw the alerts only from the Blogosphere.
• Web: By choosing web, you cover any new web pages in the top 20 search items.
• Comprehensive: Choosing this means you want the alerts to be drawn from all of the choices.
• Video: If you are only interested in video alerts, select this option.
• Groups: By selecting this option, you want the alerts drawn from Google Groups content.

I usually choose “Comprehensive” because I would like to see anything published on that particular topic.

5. Choose how often you would like the alert sent to your email box. The choices are: 1) as-it-happens, 2) once-a-day, or 3) once-a-week. I have tried “as-it-happens.” If the issue or search phrase you are following is a particularly hot one, be prepared to have an email inbox full of Google Alerts. I usually select once-a-day because in the evenings, I sit down with my laptop and go through them.

6. Choose how many results you would like in the Google Alert email sent to you. There are two choices 1) up to 20 results or 2) up to 50 results. Most of the Google Alerts I have set up return up to 20 results. This is sufficient because the Alert items I am following rarely have more results.

7. Choose the email address to which you like the email alerts sent. I choose my Gmail account simply because I really do not want my professional school account to become a collection point for these alerts. I archive them in case I need to refer back to them.

8. The final step is to click the “Create Alert” button and you have set up your alert.

If you click on the “click here to manage your alerts” link the screen below comes up.

Screen clipping taken: 3/6/2010, 6:33 PM

In one screen you can change each of the settings of all your Google Alerts. One interesting feature is that you can choose to send alerts to one email account or the other or both. You can change any of the settings at any time.

Google Alerts is an information management tool that helps control only the information you would like to see. As school administrators, we have a great deal of information coming at us at any one time, which makes staying current in any of the topics that are part of the education dialogue that much more difficult. Using Google Alerts is a great way to follow the current discussion on any topic you choose.

This is one of a series of posts I am making on topics related to how technology can make the job of a school administrator easier.

Technorati Tags: Google Alerts. technology,school administration,information overflow

Three Areas Technology Can Help 21st Century Administrators: Using Google Reader Effectively to Maintain Professional Reading Library

IMPORTANT NOTE: While I speak mainly about using Google Reader as an RSS feed aggregator in this post, I know there are others out there. I chose focusing on just Google Reader for simplicity sake and because of its accessibility. It requires no additional download, and it can be set up rather easily. There are many administrators out there who are put off from trying these technologies because they become too complicated. Google Reader seems to me to be the easiest RSS reader out there, though some of you might disagree. The old rule “Keep It Simple” I think applies as we try to encourage more of our administrators to use technology.

My previous post pointed out that there were three challenging issues I have faced as a 21st Century school administrator. These three areas are: 1) Developing and Maintaining a Professional (Personal) Learning Network, 2) Managing all the tasks and dates that come across my desk, and 3) Maintaining effective communication with stakeholders. With this post, I would like to continue the exploration of technological tools and how they can address some of these issues.

As I posted earlier, Twitter is a center piece in my Professional Learning Network. I use it daily. It provides a more or less instantaneous connection to a group of like-minded professionals. Another component of my Professional (Personal) Learning Network is Google Reader. I have always been an avid reader, typically reading four or five books at a time. As a professional, trying to remain current in the educational dialogue can be a daunting task. By using an RSS reader, I am able to follow hundreds of sources, and focus on just those of interest. Trying to do this with ordinary journal and periodical subscriptions would be costly and a great deal more time-consuming.

There are several advantages to using RSS feeds to create a professional learning RSS feed library to enhance your professional learning network.

1. As a Google Reader user, you are your own librarian. You control the content flowing in. In the typical traditional library, the person purchasing the journals, periodicals, and books can be said to control the flow of information in. Using an RSS reader like Google Reader gives you that power. As a user I decide which feeds I will follow. For example, as a school administrator, this means I can include the RSS feed for US Department of Education so that when they make announcements, I can follow these without waiting for a copy from secondhand media outlets, or hearing it from someone else. I can subscribe to as many feeds as I wish and to whom I wish. If I subscribe to a feed that offers information that is no longer useful, I simply unsubscribe. That information will no longer be included. The RSS reader places the user in control of the information flow.

2. Using Google Reader allows me to scan hundreds of items (articles, blog posts, etc.) quickly and efficiently. RSS feed readers like Google Reader gives users the advantage of being able to collect a large number of articles, blog posts, and other items and pull them into one place so that a reader can quickly scan for interesting and relevant items. Because of this, Google Reader places you in charge of the information flow. You can simply star items that you would like to explore further, or even email them to yourself for deeper scrutiny.

3. Using Google Reader allows me to get the latest updates from the sources I choose.  For example, I subscribe to several news outlets which provides me with headline updates throughout the day. By subscribing to several news outlets I am able to get a broad overview of the most current news items available. The same applies for those sites I subscribe to in other areas of interest. Let’s face it, the information coming out on the web is the most current available.

4. Using Google Reader is more secure than using email to receive updates and newsletters from sites. When you give a web site your email address, there is the potential of that site providing your email address to an advertiser so that you start getting unsolicited advertisements. This is not an issue with using Google Reader.

5. Using Google Reader allows you to sort the RSS feed sources into categories. Using these categories allows the user to sort the incoming information. For example, if there are favorite RSS feeds (or web sites) you can place them in certain folders so that you know where they are. I currently have a “News” folder that contains feeds from major news outlets. I consult this folder often when I want to know what is the most current news.

I realize that this article assumes some level of understanding regarding RSS feeds and RSS feed readers called aggregators. It is simply difficult for me to write a blog post that addresses a broad audience on this topic. However, there are some great introductory materials out there regarding RSS feeds and using RSS readers. I would suggest someone wanting to understand more visit the sites below.

Google Reader Help: Its section on “Getting Started with Google Reader” begins by providing an overview of RSS feeds and setting up the different features found in Google Reader. It is a very useful tool.

Getting Started with Google Reader

CNET’s RSS News You Choose: CNET provides a slightly more technical overview of RSS feeds and how they work. They also include their own favorite RSS feeds and links to some other feed aggregators or readers users may wish to try.

CNET's RSS News You Choose

There has been a great deal published on the web about using RSS feeds and feed readers in the classroom. There is a bit less that discusses how administrators can take advantage of this tool as well. Maintaining our Professional Learning Network means being able to stay as current as we can regarding the educational dialogue.  RSS feeds and feed readers like Google Reader gives administrators a tool be both active consumers of the most current information, and by default, that means we can be a part of the professional conversation.

This is part two of a series of posts I am using to explore technological tools that can assist school administrators in developing and maintaining professional learning networks, managing the many tasks and events an administrator faces, and maintaining and fostering effective communication with stakeholders.

Technorati Tags: 21st century Principal,RSS feeds,school administration,software

Three Areas Technology Can Help Administrators: Using Twitter to Develop and Maintain Professional Learning Networks

Three of the most challenging areas I have faced as a school level principal are: 1) Developing a Professional Learning Network, 2)managing and keeping up with all of the tasks and events that come across my desk, and 3) maintaining effective communication with stakeholders. This is first in a series of blog posts where I am going to explore tools that school administrators can use to address these challenging areas.

When you walk into your first principal’s office for the first time, the sudden feeling of isolation can be daunting. You are in effect in charge of a school. This means that perhaps President Harry Truman’s maxim that “The Buck Stops Here” becomes your maxim whether you like it or not. It’s just part of the job. That’s where having a network of like professionals becomes vital. While some school systems do provide mentors for new principals, they often do so on a very limited basis. I had a mentor only for my first year, and we met just about once a month. The frequency of these mentor sessions provided for some support, but there were times when I needed answers to questions much quicker, and answers from individuals who were experiencing the same problems I was facing. Or, I just needed vent a bit to whoever would listen. This is where the Professional, or Personal Learning Network comes to the rescue. Developing this network is made possible by just using a few technological tools that are mostly free.

One component that I use to foster, develop, and maintain my Professional Learning Network is Twitter. Many administrators dismiss this technology tool as a frivolous waste of time. The idea of using 140 character messages to post messages in cyberspace just does not seem to useful. But Twitter can be a primary tool for a school level principal to maintain connections with other principals around the country. After using Twitter for about two years, I have learned some principles that might just be useful for school administrators who want to take advantage of Twitter to develop their own Professional Learning Network.

1. Be persistent and patient about using Twitter. Just like it takes time to foster and develop a network of friends and acquaintances, it takes time to develop a network of Twitter followers. Obviously to develop a list of followers, you have to post Tweets regularly. Lots of people post what I would call status tweets. In these, Twitter users post brief updates about what they are doing at a particular time. Others will post informational tweets. These updates contain bits of information of interest. I like to post quotes from books I am reading. Then there are link tweets. I call these link tweets because they provide a link to some resource found on the web. Finally, there are opinion tweets which are just what the title suggests. A twitter user in this instance just shares an observation or opinion about an issue. I am sure there are other kinds of tweets, but the idea is to post a variety of tweets that others will find interesting or useful. Doing this will attract other followers.

2. Carefully manage both your follower list and the list of those you are following. Too often new Twitter users will see individuals they want to follow and start adding indiscriminately users to follow. At some point, you get a fairly unmanageable list of Twitter users that you are following. By approaching your follow list in this manner, you end up getting more and more updates about things for which you do not have an interest. As far as those who are following my updates, the more the merrier, but I sometimes get the suspicious follower like everybody does.

3. Pay close attention to those you choose to follow. In Twitterverse there are those I like to call “screamers” which are people who are constantly bombarding the twitter stream with updates. They actually can pollute your personal Twitter stream with constant updates about topics for which you have no interest. Of course, one person’s pollution is another’s interest. That’s why you have to watch carefully the individuals you choose to follow. For example, I chose to follow one individual because she chose to follow me. It seemed like the polite thing to do. The only problem with the idea was that all of sudden I started receiving what looked like ten updates a minute about things I should buy and places I should visit. I eventually had to un-follow this individual because it was becoming impossible to wade through her updates. That’s why being selective about who you follow is important.

4. Visit a site like Tweep ML. Tweep ML is a web site that allows Twitter users to manage and share lists of Twitter users. For example, one principal has created a list entitled Educational Administrators. You can select to follow all of them, or you can choose those you want to follow. This is a great site to find like-minded individuals to build up your following list.

5. Find and use the Twitter Client program that you like. I have tried several and my personal preference hovers between Tweetdeck and Seesmic for Windows. One of the joys of being a Twitter user is selecting the client program you like best. I have included below some of the clients I have used and a brief description of them and links to the pages where they can be downloaded. Try them all.

Tweetdeck: This client is probably one most often used by Twitter users. It basically arranges your updates, mentions, direct messages and other columns you choose horizontally across the screen. It has the capability of tying in to Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. When you copy and paste URLs in the update box, it will automatically shorten them.

http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/

Twirl: Twirl was the first Twitter client that I downloaded and used when I began using Twitter. I am not really sure why, but it does have an easy to use interface. Its colors are customizable and it was one of the easier clients for me.

http://www.twhirl.org/

Seesmic for Windows: If you have used Tweetdeck, using Seesmic for Windows is easy. It’s screen layout is similar but simpler for those who want an easy to use Windows client. I read once that because it is a Windows client it is not as memory intensive. But to be honest, I have not had any problems using those Adobe Air clients either.

http://seesmic.com/seesmic_desktop/windows/

Seesmic Desktop: This client operates in your web browser. If you do not want a separate client from your browser this is the one to use. My school system’s security prevents the installation of software programs so I use Seesmic Web. Of course I could use the Twitter web site too, but this application displays both my home updates and the mentions column. I can also list other columns as well.

http://seesmic.com/

Seesmic Look: I have downloaded and tried this new product from Seesmic, and I honestly do not know at this time what to say about it. I do not really like the interface too much, but it claims to be the client for those who are not Twitter power users. Try it out.

http://seesmic.com/seesmic_desktop/look/

Blu: I downloaded this client a few weeks ago and used it for a few days. It has a really attractive appearance and interface. Operates similarly to Twirl. I had some problems with the URL shortening. It did not want to work on several occasions.

http://www.thirteen23.com/experiences/desktop/blu/

I know there are other clients out there, but these are the ones that I have personally tried. When it comes to becoming a regular Twitter user, you need to find the client that fits your ability level and personal preferences.

It seems like everyday, Twitter reaches a new milestone. As of February 23, 2010, Twitter had reached 50 million Tweets per day. As a Professional Learning Network tool it can become just one of the tools to keep you connected professionally.

This is one of several posts I am going to make over the next several days that explores Tech Tools that administrators might find useful.

Technorati Tags: Twitter,school admninstration,technology,software,twitter clients

Trying to Explore Uses of Google Wave

I am currently trying to find ways to incorporate Google Wave into administrative practice. I have had an account for some time, but as you well know, it really takes time to explore and find a use for a new technology. I want to use Google Wave to carry on a discussion about Race to the Top and the other educational policies of the Obama administration generally and those espoused by Secretary Arne Duncan. If you would like to be a part of this technology exploration send me an email at 21stprincipal@charter.net. I have some invites left and would like to carry on a more detailed discussion and explore how to use the Wave at the same time. Who knows, we might just solve a problem or two.

Callousness of the Obama Administration and Mal-Practice of Secretary Arne Duncan

I don’t really have a “I-Told-You-So” personality, but after reading about the backlash President Obama and secretary Arne Duncan are experiencing after their callous remarks regarding the teachers who were fired at Central Falls High, I just can’t help myself. I TOLD YOU SO! If they were somehow able to dig into the pile of email they receive, they would find an email from me just two days ago pointing out how hurtful and callous their statements are to teachers and educators. There is just no logic to heaping all of the blame for a school’s failure on just the teachers. If we really want to spread blame and “hold people accountable” as Obama keeps saying. (I wonder if he realizes he sounds just like President Bush when he says that?) But in all honesty, if we want to begin the process of holding people accountable for the failure of a school let’s make a list. Who else will we fire because they are not doing their part to make a child’s education successful? The list is endless, and in all honesty, the blame game is a time-waster and unfruitful exercise.

I am thrilled that teachers are letting the Obama administration know that they do not appreciate his using them as a scapegoat for all that ails in education. They need to be even more vocal by writing emails, sending letters, and speaking out. All educators have a stake in this debate, whether they are teachers, administrators, or central office personnel. The Obama administration’s education policy under Race to the Top and his stated efforts to address the drop out rate stand to do even greater damage to the education system.

We educators need to continue fighting this administration’s education policy. We need to push the Obama administration to get rid of Arne Duncan, whose sledge-hammer tactics is going to destroy public education in this country.

An Educator without a Party

Today, I continued to reflect on the desertion of the Obama administration regarding its promise in “Change We Can Believe In.” I have an old campaign sign gathering dust in my garage with that slogan on it. Somehow it is quite fitting. The promises of change made by our current president are also gathering dust. The Obama administration and Secretary Arne Duncan have only continued the same policies of the Bush Administration. There is absolutely nothing new in Race to the Top, proposed changes to NCLB and President Obama’s announcement of additional funds to address the drop out problem. It has the same flavor of the agenda followed by his predecessor. Now that is certainly fine if you believed in the promises of the previous administration. But for me, I am saddened. I am hurt that the President who promised change is basically bringing about more of the same, especially when it comes to educational policy. I am hurt by the fact that the Democratic Party has chosen to offer educators as a sacrifice on the altar of expedience. The party for which I have supported in election after election since I was old enough to vote, has deserted educators. Perhaps it is time to change affiliation.

What can we do? Well, the educators I have worked with over the years are a trusting bunch. They often look for the best in people, and many no doubt give our politicians the benefit of the doubt. Not one of us educators would say that our education system is a total success. But good educators tend to be so self reflective, that when someone says something is wrong, they scramble to see if it is true. Many bought Goals 2000, NCLB and now Race to the Top simply because they trust the minds of our government. This is not as it should be. We need to do three things.

Firs of all, it is time for all educators to stand up to politicians like Arne Duncan and the Obama administration and tell them that their ideas are junk. (I would use a more choice word, but the educator in me won’t let me.) We need to be critical, especially when what they propose is bad for our students first and education in general. Race to the Top, NCLB, and Obama’s proposal to address the drop out problem are not new solutions. They are simply repackaged ideas. They are not the kind of “Change I Can Believe In.” Teachers, principals, and all other educators need to start calling our politicians on their junk educational practice suggestions.

Secondly, I believe in bombarding the Department of Education, the Whitehouse, and our Congress with emails and letters telling all who will listen that we are tired of tonic-peddling politicians promising the “cure for what ails us” in education. Our politicians need to hear from us. Otherwise, they will dismiss us as irrelevant. We need to keep sending letters and emails relentlessly until we are respected for our contribution to the debate as well.

Finally, it’s OK for educators to get tired of all the negativity about education being promoted by our current President and the media. We need to communicate to all who will listen that there are places where students are learning. There are schools where teachers are dedicated and teach effectively. There are schools that truly exist for our kids. We need to keep reminding the naysayers in this administration that we are not all members of unions seeking only to preserve our jobs. We became teachers for a variety of reasons, but we remain teachers because we want to hope and promise to the lives of our young charges.

Arrogance of the Obama Administration and the Force-feeding of National Standards

I have tried really hard to avoid saying anything further about the “Race to the Top” initiative and the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind because I have been fairly vocal about this in the past. There comes a point when you keep yelling about something that people stop listening. Yet, the arrogance with which Arne Duncan specifically, and the Obama administration generally, continues their efforts to force more federal control over education makes me regret every day my support for this administration in the last election. I realize that we probably should not let one issue drive our selection during an election, but darn it, I trusted this president to change the course of education away from the failed policies of the Bush administration and No Child Left Behind, and instead, educators actually end up with even worse policies that focus on more of the same: Testing is still the salvation of the American education system and the mistaken belief that “free-market” forces will transform education which are also the tenets of Arne Duncan and President Obama.

So where do I go from here? I have tried to contact the Obama administration and any one else who would listen and let them know how I feel. I guess my mere hundred dollar donation during the last election cycle can’t measure up to the thousands donated by the insurance industry and others. Sadly, all I received from my efforts was a call from the Democratic Party asking me to donate more money to fight the health-care battle. Honestly, I am concerned about the state of health-care in this country, but as an educator, I am more frightened of the unproven education policy of this administration and Arne Duncan. Arne Duncan has simply transposed initiatives from his efforts in Chicago to the national stage, and sadly, from what I read, they have not been successful there either. After 2o years as an educator, I am simply tired of education being a political football. Every politician talks about how important it is. This administration even pushed “Change We Can Believe In.” Sadly for me, I bought it lock, stock, and barrel. The Obama administration no longer has change I can believe in. All of my Republican friends are telling me loudly and clearly “I told you so.” They told me that this president would not make a difference in education, and I am afraid they are right. I am sure the Democratic Party really does not care if I go tomorrow morning and change my party affiliation to Independent, after all, there are still plenty others who will remain. But you know, it will make me feel a great deal better. That is “Change that I Can I Believe In and Make Happen.”