Having just completed my first year as building principal, I continue to hear the words of a former Science instructor at every turn, “The only thing constant is change.” As someone new to the world of Educational Administration, this phrase helps describe my first year as an Elementary Principal. I use these words as guidance and continue to reflect upon them throughout the process. This past year I found many "changes" in store for me and no doubt for my staff as the principal of @HickoryHillElem, a K-6 building in Nebraska.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK
As a new principal, there are many "firsts" to experience throughout the course of a school year. Some take much time, consideration and thought, while some just happen and you must respond. No matter the situation, I have come to rely on several things while experiencing many of these these firsts. Never underestimate the power of your PLN (Personal Learning Network). My PLN serves many purposes; it is my support system, my personal trainer, my magic mirror, my coach/referee, and my charging station. As a new administrator I quickly realized the benefits of connecting with other educators and began expanding my PLN as a part of this process. While my network includes those within my own district team (13 Elementary Principals, Central Office and Building-Level Staff), I also began seeing the benefits of extending my connections beyond the walls of my own district.
It was at this point that I began making @Twitter work for me. Up until this point in my career I had a Twitter account and little understanding of the benefits it could provide. My network consisted of a few close friends and a few other "big name" leaders in the world of education. I would classify myself as a lurker and someone who was passively using the platform. I had little to no idea of where to begin and was only receiving information through those I followed. It was during the end of my first quarter as a principal and I was beginning to feel my ability to keep up on educational issues slipping and my energy for staying current with the most recent literature waning. This was not me and it was not who I wanted to be and I knew a change must take place.
IMPACTS ON THOSE AROUND YOU
As an educator, it's o.k. to grow slowly, but it’s mandatory that you grow. Your PLN is a great support in this process. One great benefit I've reaped from a more active approach within my PLN has been my incorporation of and now reliance on @evernote. I have found Evernote to be a very effective tool when it comes to providing frequent, timely, and specific feedback to teachers & staff. While conducting formal walkthroughs and visiting classrooms Evernote allows me to meet these three requirements for effective feedback, allows me to record conversations with students and to take pictures of the classroom environment or student work. I am then able to instantly email this information back to the classroom teacher or staff and engage them in reflective conversation regarding the observation. It also allows me to create "notebooks" for each grade-level and organize my notes through the use of common "tags". This application allows me to foster collaboration throughout the school building by sharing the great things that are occurring within our classrooms on a daily basis. This promotes teacher connectedness, the development of internal capacity and a system that relies on the sharing of ideas and risk taking. I will continue to look for ways to maximize and enhance my use of Evernote as I move into the 2012-2013 school year.
I will leave you with a recommended reading that came to me via Twitter http://t.co/2ebC3wlB (7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals) by Jennifer Demski. The three interviewed educators in this article (@L_Hilt, @bhsprincipal & @NMHS_Principal) would make a great addition to your PLN and are definitely worth a "follow". Moving forward, I continue to read and reflect upon this article, the 7 Habits that are outlined and where I am in this process. Where are you in this process? Is Social Media and Tech integration a passing fad or here to stay? Remember, "the only thing constant is change."
About the Author
Josh Snyder is an Elementary Principal at @HickoryHillElem (K-6). He has a wonderfully supportive wife and two beautiful daughters. He is currently working in the EdD Ed Administration program through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln @Huskers. Josh also enjoys spending time with his family, reading, technology, fishing and golfing. He feels “Life is full of multiple learning opportunities.”
Twitter - @JoshLSnyder
Jennifer Demski (6/7/12) 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals (the JOURNAL; Transforming Education Through Technology)
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/plugusin/7339375376/in/photostream/
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Original Image Credit: Baseball by Paco Mexico
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Licensed Creative Commons Attribution on May 22, 2012
Concept from The Method Method
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Slide by Bill Ferriter
The Tempered Radical
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