A collection of good reads from other bloggers, not necessarily connected:
Aggregators: What's the Right One for You?Jeff Utrecht blogged about
different aggregators in a recent post. I've stuck with Bloglines since I started subscribing to RSS feeds but wonder if it's time to explore other options. Sometimes I think it's better not to know what you are missing as ignorance can be bliss. But am I missing out on some great features from some of the other aggregators?
Jeff's post is particularly timely since the pace of summer is slower and we can spend time exploring other options.
LeaderTalk
Greg Farr has written a powerful post over at Leader Talk, a group blog for school leaders by school leaders, entitled
Effective Principals: Rebels with a Cause. His post starts,
The time has come for action.
and ends with:
It truly is our moral imperative to take action. And we know from history that if we are doing the right thing, we will only be rebels for a short time...eventually those who take the right risks for the right reasons are called heroes.
Consistently thought-provoking posts there and this one has real substance. A call to action, not reaction.
Including Our Most Important StakeholdersDoes your district include students in decision-making? Are they valued members of school committees or included in the development of district plans?
One of the things that I valued most during my recent unsuccessful campaign for school committee in my town, was the opportunity to listen to junior and senior high school students during focus groups held in my home. The students were respectful, thoughtful, engaging, genuinely interested in sharing their thoughts and provided wonderful insight and perspectives. It was an honor to hear their suggestions.
To tap into student voices, a frequently overlooked resource, use the excellent material at the
Generation Yes blog, and explore their website
here. One of their resources is called, "Vision to Action - Including Students in Your Technology Plan." Print it out and pass it along to your administrators!
It's time to include our students, our most valuable resource!
