Why Blog? 2017 the year of “WHY” #Engage109

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
– Marcus Aurelius

 

From time to time people ask why I strongly and frequently advocate for the leader’s use of social media so often. Others inquire as to why I share so much about my district and professional views publicly on Twitter, via this blog, and in other communication media. Still others ask how does this use of social media tools improve learning for students and staff.

For the first blog post of 2017 I decided to concentrate on the “why” – the why I blog; this year I plan to write about the why I lead, the why I advocate for all children, the why I do what I do and I believe what I do.

I believe this will be an amazing year!

To start with the “why” I blog, I review the Welcome Section of this blog:

Excerpt: 

Welcome to the blog for the superintendent of the Deerfield Public Schools.

Communication is an evolving process reflective of the needs of the community, and as such, this blog and the district’s methods of communication – pushing and pulling – speaking and listening – are likely going to change and evolve as a result of needs and actions of the district and the superintendent’s office. I welcome and encourage your comments and input!I am grateful to be a part of the educational system and the community! I am grateful to work with an outstanding group of educators, community members, parents, students, etc. I am grateful to learn and grow and support the learning and growth of others as the chief educational leader in the community!


Continuing on the subject of why I blog I consider other social media tools that support my growth as a leader. First I look to blogging and next I look to #suptchat, the international monthly Twitter chat I co-facilitate with Nick Polyak. From #suptchat I learn many leadership tips and ideas and I gain access to resources from a large PLN (personal learning network).

In addition, from other social media sources and through personal professional relationships, I continue to learn so much from contemporary leaders, like Chris Kennedy in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Joe Sanfelippo in Fall Creek, WI (#gocrickets), Jeff Zoul right here in Deerfield, and so many other leaders and educators featured in and through AASA, NASSP, NAESP, and many other professional communications.

In addition, the social media connections and relationships are enhanced and humanized through conferences and workshops and from books and literature. I find great value in reading currently published and recently published books from members of my PLN (Sanfelippo, Zoul, Gustafson, Creasman, Burgess, and so many more!)

One of the ways I learn evidence based ways to support leaders in my organization is through reflection, review, study, connection, and learning from others through various connection modes. One of the ways I share reflection is through blogging!

From  http://blogbasics.com/what-is-a-blog/ they share a definition of what is a blog:

So What Is a Blog?

Let’s begin with some definitions. A bit dry, we realize, but this is a necessary evil. First we’ll define the word this whole site is based around – blog.

A blog is a frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your passions. Really, it’s anything you want it to be. For our purposes we’ll say that a blog is your own website that you are going to update on an ongoing basis. Blog is a short form for the word weblog and the two words are used interchangeably.


With this first 2017 blog post I’m also sharing my thoughts on what constitutes effective blogging from an article published this month in the January 2017 edition of the AASA Magazine.

Social Media
What Constitutes Effective Blogging?
By Michael Lubelfeld/School Administrator, January 2017

A superintendent plays many roles and wears many hats — chief educational officer, chief spokesperson and chief communicator to name a few essential and high-profile roles.

Social media as a communication medium has proven to be an effective tool for school leaders. In particular, blogging is an effective mode of communication, and something I have been doing since 2010 when I first became a superintendent in suburban Chicago.

Like other forms of social media, blogging allows for a blending or integration of professional and personal messaging. The district website and official e-mail systems are 100 percent work-related and represent the official statements and positions of the school district. A blog allows for the representation of the district while enabling the superintendent to be a person, a professional with human emotions and interests who can share using her or his own voice.

Posting Periodically
An effective superintendent blog is updated at least monthly. Blog posts should have links, photos and videos relating to the topic being discussed while showcasing learning and leading. Photos and videos showing the schools and communities tend to have a greater viewing impact than generic, nonrelated imagery.

The blog itself should be visually attractive and easy to locate and read with an ease for sharing comments. I follow several blogs because I find the communication timely, relevant and valuable, and I aim to improve my own craft as a blogger by learning from others. The blog should have compelling and well-written content that is fitting for the local audience as well as the profession. It should be a blend and balance of personal reflection and values while serving as a communication arm of the district.

Since the start of the school year, I’ve used my blog to comment critically on the failure of our state to adequately finance public schooling and to reach back to my 8th-grade teaching days to share a homemade vehicle for improving teacher-parent communication in the pre-electronic mail era.

I reflected in another recent post on a life-changing experience participating in a Lifetouch Memory Mission to the Dominican Republic. Several of my narratives attracted comments of followers.

Two superintendent blogs I follow and recommend are the Culture of Yes (https://­cultureofyes.ca) by Chris Kennedy, superintendent in West Vancouver, British Columbia, and the Superintendent’s Corner (https://superintendent.hcpss.org) by Renee Foose, superintendent of the Howard County, Md., schools.

In the Culture of Yes, the reader will find timely and appealing posts relating to education, leadership and highlights of the West Vancouver district. I enjoy the 500- to 1,000-word posts that are easy to read, force me to think and allow me to apply concepts to my own practices as a leader. Foose’s blog is visually unique in that the posts appear as
blocks on a page with images. This distinctive look allows the reader to consider the intended message before reading the posts. Foose generally writes shorter posts than Kennedy and hers typically offer photos or other media capturing students and community.

A Public Journal
I blog out of a desire to share, from a balcony perspective when appropriate, and from the “dance floor” when apropos for describing what is happening in the 3,000-student system I lead. I believe it is useful for the superintendent to share publicly his or her in-depth educational philosophies. Reflection is a valuable skill for all, and blogging serves as a public journal for public reflection.

My social media use enables me to share deeper connections. Because social media drops barriers and boundaries, I am able to learn and grow and communicate with leaders all over the world. In addition, the stories of my schools are shared widely thanks to the ease with which one can connect using social media. My blog shows how professional learning of the superintendent relates to best practices in school leadership, instruction and innovation. The blog is another tool for communication in the modern school leader’s bag of tricks.

Michael Lubelfeld is superintendent of Deerfield Public Schools in Deerfield, Ill. E-mail: mlubelfeld@dps109.org. Twitter: @mikelubelfeld. He blogs at https://dps109supt.edublogs.org.

ENGAGE, INSPIRE, EMPOWER

Digital Leadership Day – August 15th

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”
– Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society

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A blogger I follow, http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/, annually calls for digital leaders to share thoughts, reflections, ideas, concerns about digital leadership and trans-formative/innovative education. From his post about Digital Leadership Day:

“Over the past 7 years, we’ve had nearly 500 Leadership Day posts. That’s awesome because, to paraphrase what I said seven years ago, 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. As I’ve noted again and again on this blog, most school administrators are still struggling with what it means to prepare students for the digital, global world in which we now live; how to recognize, evaluate, and facilitate effective technology usage by students and teachers; what appropriate technology support structures (e.g., budget, staffing, infrastructure, training) look like or how to implement them; how to utilize modern technologies to facilitate communication with internal and external stakeholders; the ways in which learning technologies can improve student learning outcomes; how to utilize technology systems to make their organizations more efficient and effective; and so on…”


I am proud to participate in this national digital leadership blogging day! On Twitter, if you would like to read other posts from folks around the world, please visit Twitter and use the the official hashtag #leadershipday14

The purpose of this blogging challenge/call to action is part of the overall call to action for educators and educational leaders around the country and world to support the future of our country, world and lives of our students.

I’m posting as I participate in a three District joint Technology Camp day of workshops with leaders from my district, the neighboring district as well as the high school district to which we matriculate our chilren. As a proud public school administrator I support connected educators. I support connected education, and I support leading in a culture of connectivity.

In this post I am responding to some prompts from Scott McLeod the blog author:

Do administrators have to be technology-savvy themselves in order to be effective technology leaders in their organizations?

This is a great question! I think it helps greatly if the administrator is technology literate – savvy helps but it is not required. Though if the administrator truly understands the functionality of connectivity he/she is more likely to learn with the other teachers and leaders in the organization. If the administrator is not aware, he/she may thwart the efforts of innovative teachers. For example, a friend of mine is a teacher and he received great push-back from his principal when he wanted to use Twitter in support of his instruction. Two years later, under a new administration, this same teacher taught a summer school math class completely online – and via Twitter! So I can only imagine how much growth and opportunity this teacher and his students would have had if his earlier administrator was technology savvy/literate – or supportive of a connected culture. Clear this teacher is a digital leader; clearly this teacher is inspiring his students and empowering them to connect with the world of mathematics (his subject area) through their world of communication (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Google Apps for Education, etc.).

What are some tangible, concrete, realistic steps that administrators can take to move their school organizations forward?

Administrators should reach out to their own professional associations as well as local in-person groups of administrators to move their local organization forward. For example, the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) both support, promote, model, and encourage digital literacy. Visit their websites, both have modern up to date interfaces with Twitter feeds and blog feeds from other leaders around the country and the world. Administrators can join Twitter and attend an “ed chat” and view how other leaders are interacting with the world digitally.

It also helps to find a friend or colleague who is technologically savvy who can support their individual growth and progress. Administrators should also be sure to read professional journals and stay current with practitioner published blogs and publisher books so they can stay up to date and current with what forward thinking organizations do. Start a blog, for examples visit: http://www.aasaconnect.com/List-Of-Blogs

Leading Innovative Change

“We must look for ways to be an active force in our lives.  We must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance, and truly begin to live our dreams.”
– Les Brown

Since taking the helm of a school district as the superintendent in 2010, I have made it a mission to “walk the walk” with regard to instructional and communication technologies. I’m humbled to have been nominated by a colleague as someone whose practices are worthy of recognition:

“We at EdSurge and Digital Promise are delighted to inform you that your colleagues have nominated you for consideration for the Walk the Walk Award for the first annual Digital Innovation in Learning Awards! The awards have been created by EdSurge and Digital Promise to spotlight great practices in education–and to share those practices with others. So thank you for all the great work you do!”

 As part of the application process, I produced a short video as required (password to watch  is DILA). In the video I show examples of how I use digital innovation in my daily practice of leadership to support our mission. In addition, colleagues of mine share comments about how I (WE) support the growth and progress of students and staff through digital innovation. To me the video is a great source of pride because it showcases how our community is impacted by digital innovation in support of the District motto: Engage, Inspire, Empower.

Over the years I have made it part of my personal and professional mission to Model the Way and Inspire a Shared Vision and Challenge the Process and Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart in support of innovation and progress!

Examples  of digital innovation impacted directly by my leadership  are shared through a video presentation made for the state superintendent’s association that details the initial journey in the first District I served as superintendent. In support of innovative digital leadership, I/we also support and/or use  Facebook, Twitter, my blog, use of Present.me, slideshare, Podomatic, AudioBoo, VoiceBo, and HaikuDeck. These also serve as examples of regularly integrated hands-on digital innovation and usage in “real life” in my practice of leadership as an elementary superintendent of schools.

In addition, I proudly share District implementation of digital innovation by classroom teachers – this is about which I am most proud – paying it forward and modeling that which I support and expect for all members of our learning community. The award nomination is secondary or tertiary and truly it is really for all of the teachers, administrators, students, and community members who carry the torch of educational success every day! I am but one of many (e plurbus unum) and my hope is for the spotlight to shine on everyone else and not on me!!

The long lasting impact our collective journey towards transformative communication, learning and teaching for the learners in DPS109 is also shown in professional development and those seeking us out. Some numbers that reveal the lasting impact in terms of communication reach: # of followers FB 881 DPS109 page, # of followers on @DPS109 541, District hashtag #Engage109, # of followers of @mikelubelfeld 1843, # of Subscribers to this Blog 134.

In addition, as we approach the start of school this August, we are proud of the planned transformation for all of our classrooms into 1:1 Transformative Learning Environments. This year all students in grades K-2 will receive an iPad and all students in grades 3-8 will receive a Chromebook just like we used to issue textbooks. methods for today’s learners.  Other long lasting impacts can be seen in the voluntary professional development in which our teachers have engaged this summer in anticipation of changed learning environments.  This summer we offered 17 two hour sessions. More than 110, or 38% of our (out of our 290) teachers have signed up to attend one of these voluntary “kick starter” 1:1 transformative learning environment sessions.

Our teachers are committed to the success of their own learning as well as the learning of our students. Another example, or “metric” of change impact is found in the number of teachers who already have signed up for a new (free) learning management system (LMS): 100 teachers or 34% of our teachers have already signed up for Edmodo – this is not required until school starts. Change happens when people are committed to the changes! I’m proud to share and report that our teachers are part of the solution, part of the progress, part of the change process and part of the solution! I am so proud to be part of this progressive and modern minded learning organization!

 My work encompasses the award for which I was nominated; I truly do walk the walk when it comes to digital innovation in learning! I support the notion that all children can learn and grow and they each deserve learning environments with high expectations and no limits.

Please share how you are leading innovative change, please share how you are participating in innovative change.

Leadership and Change Reflections in May

chess

In my leadership I would like to think I am a chess player as opposed to a checkers player. As I learned and had affirmed in a leadership summit, some leaders play chess and spend extra time getting to know the individual strengths and talents of their leaders while others play checkers and treat everyone the same. I hope I am a chess player in that I individualize leadership development in the same manner as I hope our principals support teachers in differentiating learning for our students. As a leader my focus is on equipping others. My focus is on helping everyone see and find clarity! Another reflection and learning I knew about but had reinforced at a conference is the concept of “weeding the garden”. Annually, Dr. Tim Elmore suggests, we should ask three questions:

1. What (do we do organizationally) needs a facelift?
2. What needs an overhaul, and
3. What needs a “funeral”.

As we reflect upon a highly successful school year based upon results including satisfaction, climate surveys, culture surveys, student performance on state and national assessments, and other metrics, we must take the time to identify answers/responses to the three questions so we update/adjust that which is good but needs tweaking, that which was once good but needs a retooling, and that which no longer is relevant.

Leadership and Change are two very popular words and concepts for educational leaders. In our school district we have experienced a lot of change in the last few years. For example, last year we welcomed five new leaders including the superintendent and an assistant superintendent, an assistant principal, student services coordinator and a district program coordinator! Next year we welcome two newly appointed principals and assistant principals and we are engaged in the selection process for student services coordinators as well.

In addition this year we refined our mission: Engage, Inspire, Empower and we refocused our energies on the Big 5
“Big 5″: 1. Common Core State Standards 2.  Danielson frameworks/DPS109 STEP Teacher evaluation 3.  Technology 4.  Organizational culture 5.  Superintendent’s Task Force for Middle Level Education

We have reformatted professional development with an EdCamp and a Teaching and Learning Conference, and we have worked with our visionary Board of Education to Transform the Middle Level Educational Programming!

As we wind down the 2013-2014 school year we are filled with pride, excitement, anxiety, sadness (to bid farewell to our graduates) and joy that we once again had the good fortune to impact the lives of our students, develop the talents of our teachers and staff, and impact our community in a positive manner! This year I have learned a lot! And of course there is still tons more to learn.

I learned that the teachers in DPS109 love their children, their schools, their professional development. I learned that the principles of leadership as found in the literature (including in the Leadership Challenge) have direct applicability to the development and growth of our leaders (administrators, teachers, etc.).

While we wind down this school year and gear up for some pretty intense construction this summer (science lab construction/renovation, new Smart Labs, Life / Safety work, completion of the air conditioning projects at Walden and Kipling and in the Caruso gym) we reflect and give great thanks for the vast support and resources our Board and community bestow upon us each and every day!

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I learn each day that the culture of our organization is dependent upon our focus on and communication of results. I learn that there are beliefs and perception about issues like what impacts student learning even though we have facts about the effects about what in fact impacts student learning (see posts on Hattie research). I learned that while we do an exemplary job of communicating the various happenings of the school district, we must constantly focus on how our messages are being received and if our messages are being understood. I have learned that our award winning school district has so much about which to be proud and so many opportunities to positively impact student learning and success.

While we have tons of awesome changes in place and planned, and while our Big 5 will govern us next year as well, I know that organizations still fear change – even when all know changes will be good. My job is to support people as we go through organizational changes, leadership changes, results changes, culture changes, policy changes – in essence – through all changes.

Our journey continues and our year still has a lot of learning left! As part of my continued participation in the Blogamonth challenge I am sharing some “almost end of year” reflections. As always we will continue to listen to our stakeholders as we aim for the stars in creating, sustaining, and nurturing world class educational opportunities for children! Our organizational culture is based upon shared vision, customs and language. Our organizational culture is focused upon excellence.

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