BISD Direction

We have talked a lot recently about possible changes in Curriculum and Instruction in BISD. To keep you in the loop as much as possible, I will pass on the things I learn at principal meetings. After listening to Dr. Clark last Tuesday, I believe we can expect a much cleaner delivery of curriculum next year through Eduphoria. I also expect we will be looking at research based instructional strategies and structures such as Kagan and Criss. If you are not familiar with these terms, never fear. Dr. Clark has emphasized that healthy training is essential to making these things work. My commitment to Walker Creek is to make sure our new learning connects with the things we already do well, and that we have the appropriate training and resources to use our new learning well. I am excited about our direction, and I hope that you see the possibilities for growth in the coming months. How we approach these changes will have a tremendous impact on our success. You heard Dr. Clark on Friday. How do you feel about the the direction Birdville is going?

Spring Break

Spring Break is right around the corner. I know that everyone is looking forward to the break, but the stress of all the things that need to get done can get in the way of enjoying it. I want to encourage you to truly take the time over spring break to recharge yourself. In the language of the 7 Habits, this is Sharpen the Saw. It may be tempting to do a lot of school work over break thinking you're, "Catching up," but the truth is, you'll come back tired, bitter, and less productive if you don't take advantage of your time off to enjoy family, friends, and fun times. Taking the time to renew will allow you to came back sharp and ready to go. One of the best ways to understand this is with a question, "Have you ever been too busy driving to stop for gas?"

Using DATA to see into the FUTURE

One of the most difficult things to do in education is connect the dots from year to year. It sometimes feels like we reinvent many data systems without taking full advantage of the information we put together the previous year. I pitched the idea of having a scholar data wall to Design Team recently. This is something WCE has done in the past, so they took the initial idea and developed plans for a pocket chart system to look at our scholars from K through 5. That pocket chart system is starting to take shape in my office. The idea is to collect usable data based on RTI and pass them along year to year. I have invited the Birdville Cluster Elementary teachers to get together to look at this and other systems for collecting relevant data and passing them along effectively from year to year. I'm looking forward to getting these systems up and running this year so we have good information in August to start next year. Take a minute to see the data wall, and think about other ways we can collect the pass along scholar data to strengthen our verical alignment. Your comments on this post will be helpful in my planning session with the other principals.

Dads and Male Role Models

I was very interested in the Watch Dogs program at Walker Creek, and I asked about it at PTA on a couple of occasions. I am pleased that staff members have brought it up recently and I hope I adequately explained why we don't currently have the program. I think most would agree, generally speaking, that moms dominate the parent volunteer ranks, and we need to find ways to attract our dads, grandpas, and male role models to be part of the Walker Creek experience. Research, observation, and common sense all say that involvement from the men in our scholars' lives is a good thing. How would you structure a dads group at Walker Creek. What things need to be in place, and what direction would you like to see this go?

Birdville Cluster PLC

Our Birdville Cluster Professional Learning Community is all about collaboration. What part of the work done on January 2 did you find beneficial to you? How will you contribute to the collaborative effort for all teachers in your grade level or department? What would you like to see next from our PLC?

There is nothing quite like being with family for Thanksgiving. Jeanne and I took Charlie to Carlsbad where my folks live. We got to spend some time with my 93 year grandmother and the food was amazing. What else would you expect from parents who own a bakery/restaurant. We would like to hear your Thanksgiving stories if you want to share. By the way, this picture was taken 2 days ago with an iPhone app called Hipstamatic that makes your photos look vintage.

Technology Tools

You've heard the expression, "A tool is only as good as the person using it." I think that is a good thing to remember as we gear up to spend more than $20,000 on technology for Walker Creek. We want to make sure the things we buy fit in with our bottom line of learning and that scholars are able to actually use the tools. I have received some very good ideas from individuals and site-based team members who have conferred with their colleagues. We will have Jeff Samuelson joining us on Monday, November 21 at our faculty meeting to talk about viable technology tools. I encourage you to do some research on your own before then and be prepared to ask Jeff questions. Some of the tools that have been discussed include smart boards, laptops, digital cameras and video cameras, itouches, and ipads. Feel free to email Teresa, Jeff or any of the ITS if you have questions.