A successful district PD day

August 15, 2014,  I took 17, 819 steps before my fitbit died.  It was a long day!  Thank god I had my #petk12adminteam there to help me.  The plan was to have the afternoon of workshops at my school.  This turned into all elementary and half of the secondary on site all morning.  Then, all 400 teachers there all afternoon.

The schedule was key.  I worked with the district office to create a schedule for the day.  I learned a lot about how to put out the schedule and the changes I would make next time in the structure of the document.  I tried to take a lead from #gafesummit, but I ran out of time to pull it off.


The morning went well.  Teachers were in the classrooms working on one of the three district goals or the year. The internet seemed ok and there were no real complaints. Lunch came the district organized a BBQ for all the teachers.  This went well and then the Superintendent addressed all teachers in the gym.



The afternoon was full of workshops.  When we hosted #nbcue in the spring, I didn't attend or teach any workshops.  I wanted to be available to solve problems.  This time I decided I wanted to teach.  My sessions on Google Draw went well.  I need to practice to #gafesummitt Marin in October.  However, not being around for tech/facility support was a problem.


I realized I should have had some of my secondary admin folks help out a little more.  I need to remember to ask for help.  I also realized how united the elementary admin are in their efforts.  I feel so honored to be included with the group of admin.

Going 1:1... and not going gray! The Roll out

Our chromebooks arrived really late.  Three days before schools started, to be honest.  There was no way we were going to get the 900 chromebooks unboxed, taken out of the plastic, scanned into google's management system, organized and to the schools without some help.

Help came in the form of our amazing admin team.  Elementary, Junior High, High School, Alt Ed, and District office all came together for 7 hours and unboxed, took out of the plastic, tagged and loaded into the management system 700 chromebooks.  As you can see, we even made 4 years help us!

There was no way we could have done this without the help of Ron Everett, Steve Bolman, Mila Kell,   Deb Richardson, Fran Hansel, Linda Scheele, Bennett Holley, Becky Lofton, Sheila Garvey, Catina Haugen, Amy Fadeji, Emily Kleinholz, Ashley Williams, and Nancy Emanuale.

Then it was time to roll out the chromebooks to the kids.  It took us 2 days to organize 476 chromebooks. The first day was spent organizing the chromebooks into classes (they arrived not sorted).  This took 3 people to complete.  The second day was checking to see who had not attended a chromebook orientation meeting and marking those chromebooks.  Students did not receive their chromebook until they attended. (My last 2 chromebook meetings were packed!) The last step was putting the chromebooks into the cases and putting labels on the cases.  We did all hands on deck for this part.  We had 3 hours and 8 people working on this.  We hit the target.  At 3pm on Friday we were done.  Roll out started Monday at 8:30am.

During the actual roll out, our Assistant Principal, Mr. Holley, addressed the students.  He reminded them of the rules about the chromebook, where you could use them, to charge them, and to be careful.  Then students were taken into a classroom where we passed out the chromebook.  We made sure every student could log into their account and wrote their email address and password on a piece of paper  with also had the chromebook rules on it. They left ready to go!  Four months into the process and the kiddos finally have the chromebooks.

The "we" is the PCS 1:1 team of +ReneeSemik (@ReneeKSemik),  +LoriDeen (@lorideen), +JaneEscobedo (@jescobedo101) and me (Emily Dunnagan).

Going 1:1...and not going gray! Preplanning

This year my 8th graders are piloting 1:1 for the district.  It is a very exciting, innovative, and stressful time in my career.  I spent the summer learning and planning with my co-planners (Thanks +Renee Semik (@ReneeKSemik) , +Lori Deen (@lorideen) and +Jane Escobedo (@jescobedo101) .  (See summer posts).  We decided that one of the first things we needed to do communicated with the parents.

In July, we created a parent orientation.  The team felt we needed parents to understand the cost and the value (both educationally and monetarily) so that they would help their student be more responsible. We planned to pass out the chromebooks at orientation.  In August, we scheduled 5 or 6 parent orientationshoping that the Chromebook would be like a "Carrot" and get people to come.  Well, the chromebooks were late, really late. So late, that we passed them out the second week of school.  No chromebooks, no carrot.  Therefore, we needed way more than 6 or 7 meetings.  Personally, I did 20 chromebook orientations to get all 476 parents and students to attend them.

Each parent meeting was about 90 minutes of my time.  Between setting up, greeting parents and students, presenting, answering questions and collecting the technology donation, that was 1800 minutes or 30 hours.  Plus, I needed a Spanish translator at all trainings and someone to help me collect the monies.  (The technology donation is their insurance for first lost or broken chromebook).

Parents truly appreciated hearing why we were going 1:1 and how it was to help their student.  In fact, I only had 1 student's parent out of my 476 students say their student could not bring home the Chromebook and asked for it to stay at school.  I made sure they had access at home and accommodated this.  I was impressed that the other 99% were on board to this "new" thing for our area.


So far, so good.

The "we" is the PCS 1:1 team of +Renee Semik (@ReneeKSemik), +Lori Deen (@lorideen), +Jane Escobedo (@jescobedo101) and me (Emily Dunnagan).

#GAFESUMMIT reflection

I love google summit.  It is always so great to see my favorite presenters and to learn new things.  Coming of the the heals of #ISTE2014, I was worried about tech conference burn out.  I really was coming to socialize with my peeps and have a good time.  I also, of course, wanted to see my #googlecrush Jim Sill (@mistersill).

When you surround yourself with all these fabulous people, you have to learn a thing or two.  The first thing I learned was, I do know a lot.  I know I have a lot to learn, but I often doubt my knowledge.  I need to be more confident about this.

I need to put myself out more.  I have never presented at a conference, I am not nervous about it.  I present in my school, district and area all the time. Just never wanted to present at a conference, I am selfish and just want to learn.  After my ISTE and GAFE experiences, it is my turn to share.

Another take away I had was learning about Google Art Project, part of the google cultural institute.  This site is amazing! Over 70,000 pieces of art in the collection, virtual tours of museum, primary source documents, it goes on and on.  There is so many possibilities for use of this in the classroom.  You can take students on tours of museums and see art for the time period you are studying.  In science, you can look at the different materials art is made out of gold, bronze, metals, paint, and connect History to the metal.  Such as, why are most bronze pieces from a particular time period?  In Math, you can find art pieces that show fractions have students use this to demonstrate understanding. One of the most powerful things is you can create collections.  You can link videos to these collections or add text.  The possibilities are huge!! Here is a link to a math gallery or this example has a video in it.   Now, I have to figure out how to share with my staff.

The other big take away I had was about Google Maps Engine Lite.   This app allows you to create maps with data from lots of different sources.  You need to check this out. It can be used in any curricular area.
English: students collect locations, pictures and information from a story and plot it on the map
Science: students research earthquakes and volcanos and plot this on a map
History: Take a trip through the major battles in a war.
PE: Running logs with pictures
Math: DATA! (Need I say more).

I learned so much more.  But these take-aways are my "Top two".  Check them out.

My summer part 2

So, it is the first Friday of the summer I haven't work.  It is 10am, I am sitting on my sofa, with a cat in my lap, in my PJs, and what am I doing? Working!! I finally have some time to reflect on my #ISTE2014 experience.

One of the workshops I went to was the NASSP digital principals of the year.  They are Daisy Dyer Duerr (@DaisyDyerDuerr). Jason Markey (@JasonMMsrkey) and Derek McCoy (@mccoyderek).  I was so inspired by them.  They all have 1:1 or BYOD schools.  They are where I want to be in 2 years.

I heard this great idea from NASSP digital principal of the year, Jason Markey, called innovation time at #ISTE2014.  I loved it.  It was on the tails of a tweet one of my teachers sent me on June 9, three days after school was out.  She was at the #iesonoma event and tweeted "To admin: when teachers say they don't have time to collaborate, they don't."  This tweet really stuck with me.  At first, I was annoyed, because it was three days after students got out of school and I was in master schedule hell.  I was like "cut me a break".  But, hearing Jason talk about innovation time, brought me back to that tweet.  It showed me how I could support that teacher and all my teachers.

Basically, the nuts and bolts of innovation time is to create an innovation calendar, a Google Calendar that will have appointment slots displaying when either Bennett (my AP) or I are available to substitute for a teacher.  We plan on having 50+ periods available for teachers to choose from throughout the year when we will sub for their class to create a 20% release (1 of their 5 classes) from their teaching assignment for the day to work on an idea they have.  Teachers simply have to reserve the appointment slot on the calendar and then make an appointment to meet with us the day before to discuss their sub plans and share with us the idea they are working on.  

So, in my PJs, on the sofa, with the cat this Friday morning, I am making my presentation and working on the write up.  

My summer part 1

Every year I take at least 4 weeks off to vacation and recharge.  However, for the first time, I don't get this.  My summer is packed with work stuff and I am struggling with my feelings  about it.

I was asked to help my district plan a 1:1 pilot.  Part of this planning process was attending ISTE in Atlanta.  I went to ISTE in 2012 and was overwhelmed.  This time, I knew what to expect and how to navigate it.  I went with a focus, to attend all the 1:1 workshops I could.  It just scared me more.  It hit me like a ton of bricks that what we are doing is changing education.  I walked away with a lot to think about.  Some of the quotes from ISTE that inspired me were:

1. 1:1 does not meet the learners' needs, the learning it can provide does.

2. Technology is not the silver bullet.  It is a tool to enable and support great learning.

3. Collaboration is the new normal. Education is an individual sport in a team base world.

4. Iteration is the new failure.

5. Remember your end goal is to change instruction and develop thinkers!

Now, I have to work with my team to do this really big thing and act like we "got this".  The quotes above are driving my thoughts as we plan PD and the roll out of 1:1 in the 8th grade.  

After attending a bunch if 1:1 workshops, I went to a couple to inspire me (and I needed this!). I got up at 6am to make sure I had a seat for Jamie Casap (@jcasap).  I have heard him speak a few different times and he always motivates me.  I needed to connect 1:1 to my love for education.  He did this.  As I am now working with my colleagues to impliment 1:1, a quote from him runs through my head "disrespect for the impossible."  Because we are educators, it is our superpower, and nothing is impossible!

Technology is my PD superhero!

My district has the hardest time getting our secondary schools to agree on PD.  All the schools are in such different places that it is hard to come up with a plan and do "something" together.

On Monday we had a district wide PD day.  The plans for this day changed a few times and finally, on the Thursday before, the district settled on teachers working together at their sites.  So, this meant I needed to be in 7 rooms at once and overseeing 7 different groups.  Here comes technology to the rescue!

First, you have to start the day on the correct foot.  I had bagels and coffee for everyone to enjoy while they visited from 7:30-8:30am.  This was great.  I saw so many teachers in the staff lounge I never see there. Then, the day began.

I emailed staff on Friday what my expectations for the day were.  I set up a schedule for the day.  On the schedule, I included a link to the backchannel run on todaysmeet.com.  I asked departments to post their goals for the day, evidence of their work, and resources other may find useful.  Then, I would comment back on the backchannel when I was in other rooms, always encouraging groups.  As I moved around the school, the departments were doing some great work around reading and incorporating reading in all the content areas.  PE was even working on a video lecture series about health and nutrition for their students to watch in a blended environment.

After lunch, I delivered milk and cookies to all staff members.  A little sugar in the afternoon is always helpful.  I also wanted to make sure people were still on track.  A whole day of PD without a devoted leader can get off track quick.  Everyone was right on schedule and were working towards their goals they set..

In my email on Friday, I also included a link to a google doc.  I asked departments to post their completed products for the day on this document.  Then I asked them to comment of their colleagues work.  I really wanted them to see what other departments were doing, so they can integrate with each other.

The departments did post of the google doc, but no commenting happened.  Upon reflecting on this, I decided to have another go at it.  So, I send out a thank you email to my staff for the amazing day.  I also included the link to the doc and reminded them to take some time this week to comment.  I need to remember that it takes time for teachers to feel comfortable commenting on others work in public.  However, if we want the students to do it, we need to do it as well.  I started the process by making a few comments of the doc, so no one would have to be first.

As I start planning PD for 2014-15, I will remember my #pearlofwisdom from this day.  Backchannels work!  Google docs work! Growing culture takes time, but can be done.

The best staff meeting...

We had a big decision to make at the staff meeting, whether or not to change the cell phone policy.  The seed was planted via twitter one Sunday morning at 7am.  One of my #eduawesome teachers tweeted me about cell phone policies and the remainder the day was a twitter conversation about how to make change in this area.

Making decisions as a large staff is a challenge.  I am always struggling to find a way to make sure all voices are heard.  My staff meeting last week was an example of a ¨principal win¨.

The first step was discussing it at the Principal advisory committee meeting.  I made sure that teacher who started this was there as well as a good representation of the staff.  This committee decide to move forward and take the issue to the staff.

A week before the staff meeting, I had done some research about cell phone use in class for educational purposes.  I sent out the staff meeting agenda with the links and information about different cell phone policies.  I asked my staff to inform themselves.

The cell phone conversation went well.  All 50 on my teachers logged onto google moderator (conversation that occurred is here) and wrote questions.  Then, I gave them time to vote on questions they wanted to discuss as a group.  The conversation was rich and deep, just what I was looking for.  However, the online conversation is what surprised me.  The "quiet" staff members felt open to replying online.  The "quiet" staff members asked great questions.  I finally figured out a way to hear from them!!! SO EXCITED.

I will definitely use google moderator again for staff discussions.  It was a great way for all 50+ teachers to work together and make an informed decision.  Thanks +Sergio Villegas (@coach_sv) for the google moderator tip!

The 4pm call...

We all have experience "the call".  When you answer the phone and you know the person on the other end wants something, they need your help, and you know you have to say yes.  This was my Wednesday call at 4pm.

I haven't been at school for 2 days (Monday and Tuesday) because I was at SIS training.  So, Wednesday was super busy.  To top it off, I had to meet the painter for my home remodel at 5pm.  I live 30 minutes from my school.  And then I get the 4pm call.

We were having a district-wide CCSS day on Thursday.  I am in charge of the math committee for 7-12.  I had worked with my facilitator and we had planned the day.  I also worked with my Assist Superintendent to set up the ELA/History workshop for the day.  I was set to go.  And then I get the 4pm call.

In my former life, before I crossed over to the dark side (administration) I was a Middle school science and math teacher.  So, the idea of the Next Generation Science Standards were interesting to me.  I thought that integrated science in the middle school makes so much sense and would help students understand science better.  However, I had not spent much time with the standards and hadn't even read them through.  My life had been about CCSS math and ELA.  And then I get the 4pm call.

So, the 4pm call.  My awesome Assist. Superintendent calls and says she needs me to run NGSS science training for middle school tomorrow.  My thoughts were "What? Are you kidding me? I have a painter in an hour!  I don't have time for this!  I already did my thing, ask someone else."  Luckily, my filter was on and none of that came out of my mouth.

Fast forward 24 hours to 4pm Thursday, I finish my NGSS presentation to the jr high science teachers. I feel they walked away with a better understanding of design, expectations, changes is instruction and came up with good next steps.  It was very successful.  I could barely remember my stress from that 4pm call!

The pearl of wisdom, it is about relationships and people.  My assist sup knew she could ask and I would say yes.  I knew that most of the science teachers need help and I could lead them.  I knew my people could take care of the school so I could work on this. And my painter was understanding on why I didn't have my colors chosen yet!

Trying to find my groove!

Today was a great day! I am struggling getting my groove back after the Winter Break.  Wow, January has come in full force.  I came back to school running and can't seem to caught up.

What is truly getting to me it the lack of time I am spending in classrooms.  All of my tricks are not working.  I schedule time for it and an emergency happens. I am walking out the door of the office and something needs to be dealt with right now.  There have been 9000 meetings I have had to attend at the district office.  I am going crazy!!!!

Today, I managed to do it all, however, I am not sure how I pulled it off.  I got all by paperwork done by 8:29am.  Had 25 6th grade parents come and tour the school, It is shopping season.  Then at 10:3am I observe one of my fabulous new teachers that I want to clone.  He is so common core it hurts and the students drink it up.  I was in heaven for 45 minutes.  Then, I was only in my office for 15 minutes to send out my weekly parent newsletter before student lunch.  At lunch it was "name that tune" Disney style.  The junior high kids were singing and dancing.  Kenilworth became the happiest place on earth.

Before 1pm I had see more classrooms then I had in a month.  Now the challenge, how do I do this again tomorrow?

So, I am calling out to my PLN, help!  Any share any thoughts, ideas, tricks you do to make sure you get in the classrooms to drive instruction. Please!!  I need a repeat of today before any more gray hairs show up.

Sacrifices we make...

This week was the #gafesummit in napa.  I love the #gafesummit.  It is the best PD I have experience in my professional career.  I have attended two summits in the past 18 months.  I was honored to attend the first #gafesummit ever in July of 2012.  I am all about learning and being a life long learner.  I am a google freak.  I can't get enough of google and all that it what's done to change education.

This week I sent 11 staff members to #gafesummit.  They had a blast and learned so much.  I chose to stay behind and make sure the 925 students were ok and that the school survived 1/4 of the teaching staff being gone.  Someone needed to stay, so I put on my big girl pant and did it.  I had to take one for the team.  At first I was bitter, I mean really bitter.  I refused to go on twitter and didn't want to answer text messages from people at #gafesummit.  I wanted to distance myself from the whole thing.

What I discovered after talking to my friend, I needed to get over it.  I was only hurting myself by avoiding my PLN and going into my cave.  So, I went over twitter.  I learned so much from what people were posting on the #gafesummit hashtag, it was great.  

I was reminded about two things from this experience:

1. I need to get out of my own way. (My pearl of wisdom)

2. You can learned anywhere with the technology we have now.  I am sure I would have learned a ton at summit, but I still got something out of it on my sofa at night.

But, I will be at the next summit, I can't miss two in a row!!!

And @mrsfadeji, thanks for the sunshine award.  I will work on that next :-)