Time flies...when did I get old?

Today I feel as though I am officially old. At 6:00 p.m. today, my favorite class (1st grade) graduated from high school. Our flower girl was part of that class. As I watched each of my former students walk across the stage, I could still see them as a first grade student. Some look the same only taller. Others were unrecognizable.

As the ceremony drew to a close, I thought to myself...how different is their first grade classroom from the first grade classroom of today? Sadly, I would say not much. Yet, as you stand outside wading your way through the graduates and their families, you can see all of the different ways these students are communicating. But we are not using it in most classrooms.

To the Western Alamance High School graduates of 2008, I salute you. To those who were in Miss Hamilton's (I wasn't married then...) first grade class, I am so proud of you. You are the best!

The Winds of Change

I am going into my 8th month in my new job. I decided in January that I wanted to visit all 75 schools we have in our district to determine the concerns, needs, and wants of technology and leadership. Some visits have been better than others. I have been fortunate in the last couple of weeks as my boss and I have been invited to come and talk tech with a few middle school principals and tech facilitators. I love to see the lightbulb come on when leadership finally gets it! We have talked equipment (my least favorite of the discussions), furniture (surprisingly fun when we are looking at cyber cafes in schools!), and staff development. There are so many possibilities for these schools and I can't wait to see it develop.

Making a change

I am again reminded how easy it is to become locked into your four walls and forget that other people have different realities and ways of doing things. I left my former school system and have started working in a system a little over double the size.

Where I have always felt tech literate, I am realizing that there are a lot more ways to do things with technology. My new school system uses technology for EVERYTHING! Grades, attendance, progress reports, report cards, automated calling to parents/staff, staff development registration/tracking, approval/tracking of leave, approval of software, lunch menus, data warehousing, locating/scheduling substitutes, and much more! It truly gives me a picture of what our students are going to face in their futures.

I am so excited about the possibilities and the amount of learning ahead of me. It is time to grow...