Learning Network -- Weekend Homework

"No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals." -- Brian Tracey


What a great quote as I sent an invitational e-mail out this morning to encourage my network of educational leaders and providers to join our blog and share their expertise. The feedback that I have received from many educators that we have worked with is that they don't take enough time to reflect on their own personal goals, identify people who can help them succeed and actually tap that expertise by taking action. So, here is a quick exercise to get you started:

1. Write down 3-5 goals you would like to accomplish in the next 12-15months (personal/professional).
2. Create a list of the people/groups that can help you be successful at accomplishing these goals.
3. Write down the specific knowledge, skills, information, resources and support each is in a position to provide you with (be specific).
4. Set-up a meeting with a minimum of one of these people each week until you have talked with them all (in-person, phone, etc.)
5. Send a follow-up note with regards to how they have helped you move toward your desired goal along with a thank you.

If you are skeptical, take the 10min to go through the process with just one goal and with just one contact. Then you be the judge.

Have a great weekend! Let the network know your thoughts.

Protocols

From this month's Tools for Schools, NSDC. Protocols are simply an agreed upon set of guidelines for conversation. Protocols help educators take conversations and learning to the next level. The need to have a more challenging conversation, reference protocols @ www.nsrfharmony.org for more information. Volume 12, No. 3 provides examples of three protocols that you can use to improve learning and development in your educational team - 1) Wagon Wheel 2) Three Levels of Text and 3) Success Analysis. I am looking forward to integrating these protocols into our upcoming educational team work, coaching and training.

Please share some of your thoughts and experiences with protocols.

Also, you may want to pick-up Professional Learning for School Leaders @ store.nsdc.org.

Professional Learning in the Learning Profession

This morning, NSDC releases Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad. The study, conducted by Linda Darling-Hammond, Ruth Chung Wei, and a team of researchers from Stanford University's School Redesign Network, presents a comprehensive look at teacher professional learning in the U.S. and in other high-performing nations. The report examines how teachers in the U.S. experience professional learning compared to teachers in other high-performing nations. NSDC members can access the report as well as the longer technical report and the press release at www.nsdc.org/stateproflearning.cfm.