Technology transforms the world in which we live. It can make the impossible possible and is the key to doing more with less. It’s not the technology—it’s how you USE it and more importantly WHO we become because of that experience. Students are not motivated by technology. They are motivated and transformed when they get to use the technology to connect, create, collaborate and contribute to a world outside of their classroom. Technology CAN make all of that possible — but only if it helps the learner achieve these things. This presentation and framework help reframe and refocus our attention on what matters most; the learner and the learning. In order to get "TECHNOLOGY right", we must first get "LEARNING right" and see the technology we use through these lens: Opportunity, not Obligation Impact, not Integration Compelling, not Cool Epic, not Engaged Significant, not Sufficient Yesterday, I had the honor of having this conversation in person with education leaders in the State of Texas. The following resources were shared as a way to help them and other school leaders through the process of effectively deploying technology in a way that not only engages the learner but transforms them in the process. Sai from Angela Maiers Additional Resources:  An Open Letter to School Leaders, about using social technologies. This Google Doc for links to the resources referenced in my keynote, and more of my advice to educators, as leaders & learners. The Passion Gap Unlocking the Potential of Millennials to Change the World Secure Students’ Hearts, or You Don’t Have a Shot at Their Brains Reframing, Rebranding and Re-Energizing the STEM Conversation STEM in Words: Let’s Make What We Say Count

  Leadership is a topic about which a great deal has been written. But if you want a clear definition of what it means to be a leader, just ask a kindergartener!  I recently had the great privilege of spending two amazing days working with the collective genius of the students and teachers of Coppell Independent School District in Texas.  The lesson showcased in the following response by kindergarten teacher Torrin Garrison came from the students in her class. Learners of all ages have important thoughts to share with the world! *** "Last week I had the privilege to hear Angela Maiers speak to teachers at my elementary school (Cottonwood Creek), as well as parents in the community. I also had the opportunity to watch her incorporate a lesson using the habitudes with learners of all ages, including two from my kindergarten class. Inspired by her lesson, and hoping to help my students reflect on what it means to  be a leader, we created a circle map, after partner brain-storming on qualities that we find in leaders. We had a class discussion, and much like Angela, I gave my learners freedom to speak up and tell me what it means to be a leader. We documented these in this Circle Map inserted at the top of this post. I was thrilled to hear my learners mention words found in Classroom Habitudes. We hope hope to add to the list as well as brainstorm ways that we can demonstrate these habitudes in our classroom." By Torrin Garrison

  Arin Kress, a science and math teacher at Park Street Intermediate School in Ohio, is a member of the Choose2Matter team, and author of one of the most popular posts on this blog this year. She is tenacious in her quest to share the message of Choose2Matter and to effect positive change in the lives of the students with whom she works. This year, she began a Choose2Matter after-school club, which has attracted nearly 50 students, more than twice the number Ms. Kress had hoped for. During the first two weeks, students brainstormed about things they care about in the world and things they would like to change.  They came up with seven topics (staying active, homelessness, etc.) and were split into groups in which they’ll work for the rest of the year to create solutions. Arin chronicles her experiences and thoughts about Choose2Matter as an after-school club on the club’s blog. Follow along as it develops and see why Choose2Matter is the Hot New After School Club. Arin also wrote this brilliant guest post for Oliver Schinkten’s Compassion-based Learning blog. You can also follow along, and benefit from Arin’s other ideas, via her blog, Hate Chalk, and on Twitter.  She is a powerful writer with many positive, insightful messages and her blog is full of inspiring gems.      

My co-founder, Mark Moran, presented Choose2Matter today at EdTech NJ. Here are links to some of the resources he discussed: Video: Angela Maiers at TedXDesMoines: You Matter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FHdHUzRnms The Science of Mattering  Mallory Fundora, Project Yesu Easton LaChappelle Life in a Jar Young People Are Geniuses Who Are Changing the World Video: My Invention that Made Peace With the Lions Choose2Matter on Quora (Question & Answer site) YourSphere for Educators Angela Maiers: Two Days I’ll Never Forget Video: Choose2Matter at Downingtown STEM Academy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v1ONw3agzY   Video: Downingtown Students - How Quest2Matter Changed Our Lives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJHdU0ZgT-A

  For many years, I’ve been visiting schools, education conferences and businesses to tell everyone who would listen, "you are a genius, and the world needs your contribution." This is a call to action; an invitation, and an expectation, that you will recognize your genius and contribute it to change the world. As the Choose2Matter movement has accelerated and begun to coalesce into a formal program, we’ve sought out opportunities for students to present their ideas to audiences outside of the classroom, and to be recognized by the world at large. A team of six students from Downingtown STEM accompanied Choose2Matter to the prestigious Business Innovation Factory Summit in Providence, RI in September 2013. These students had the opportunity to network with scores of business executives and other like-minded students, and to present their idea on stage to an audience of 400 innovators. Click here to watch the full video of the presentation at BIF #9. In a similar vein, a few days after the BIF #9 Summit, we presented the first-ever Bammy Award for Student Initiative to Mallory Fundora, a 13yo who has been affiliated with Choose2Matter for several years and who has raised tens of thousands of dollars to support a group of orphans in Uganda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atKnB6yl-3k Mallory reported that being honored with a Bammy meant that many of her teachers took her work seriously for the first time. Mallory recently presented her work to educators at RSCON4. We’re also connecting students with mentors and advisors in the business community. For example, we’ve put into place a program where determined students coming through the Choose2Matter program can be mentored by graduates of an entrepreneur fellowship program at an Ivy League school. We’ve also just launched this page on Quora.com where students can ask questions about how to bring about change in the world; we’ll do our best to find qualified people to answer all questions. Please follow this blog and Choose2Matter.org for information on the new and exciting ways we plan to honor student initiative in the future. We will not let student genius lie dormant! Educators, click HERE to learn more about how to become a part of Choose2Matter. Follow this blog for announcements in the next month or so about the new Choose2Matter community on Yoursphere. Businesses, click HERE To learn more about Choose2Matter Sponsorship opportunities.  

  This week I appeared on "Resiliency Matters," a television program hosted by Dr. Mollie Marti, CEO of the Community Resiliency Project. The show appears in Iowa on Mediacom’s MC22 and is replayed often. It should also be hosted on the Community Resiliency Project website by the end of November. These are the currently scheduled replays: Thursday, November 7, at 7:30 pm Sunday, November 10, at 11:00 am Monday, November 11, at 5:00 pm. Resiliency:  What it is and Why Does it Matter? I want to "push" the definition just a bit. Most are familiar with relating resilience to  the capacity individuals and organizations have to cope with change and challenge, and to bounce back during difficult times But I also believe in and speak to leaders and learners about "Bouncing Forward" - going beyond what the naysayers said, and saying back: I matter. I am more than you say. I matter, and I am going to SHOW you just how much, and in the process, not only uplift myself but the naysayer who doubted. Once we realize we have that power, it must become our responsibility to convey this, especially to young people.This is the essence of You Matter and the Choose2Matter movement. We share with the universe all that exists within every one of us, in order to solve challenges that confront all of us. Raising "RQ" - the Resiliency Quotient: What Parents and Schools Can Do 1. ACCEPT: In our urgent attempt to prepare our children for unknown futures, we often forget to notice and honor who they are today. Accepting our child fully, especially when they are not "living up" to what we think they can be, is challenging. A key factor related to a child’s ability to become more resilient is the child’s ability to feel that he matters and has "everything you need to succeed." There are many opportunities for parents to convey to children that they are loved and appreciated. One of the most powerful messages we can give is that we accept them for who they are. 2. BELIEVE: Strength does not come from what you can do-it comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn’t do In essence are saying we don’t believe you are capable of. In order to foster resilience, learners need to genuinely believe in their own potential. They need to know how to accurately assess their strengths and weakness, and adopt the practice of setting brave and bold goals. A child’s sense of what and how they believe is directly related to how often the adults in that child’s life child’s life-a parent, a grandparent, a teacher-reassure him/her their belief in their abilities to succeed. There is a strong correlation between a child’s belief that he or she can work hard and do well, and his or her eventual success. 3. CHALLENGE: When you have something so precious to protect, it is easy to worry too much or hold on too tight.  As parents and teachers it our innate instinct and desire to protect our children from the pain and suffering the world is full of. Yet, it is that behavior that proves the riskiest move we make. As they grow, if we don’t give children a chance to struggle, to experience adversity, to feel pain….they are not going to get the chance to find out how very strong they are. Children must encounter adversity in order to realize their human potential. As Aimee Mullins said in her brilliant Ted Talk, the question is not whether children will encounter adversity - but how they will deal with it. Our goal is no longer to solve the problem or circumvent the struggle; it is to help them understand and discover how capable they are by having the experience of handling a challenge. When kids realize that they are full partners in their learning and full participants in their own story of success; they will astound and amaze you, and themselves. Resiliency in Action Children don’t learn to read and write by wishing it; they learn to become readers and writers because they were taught. In that same spirit, kids can and need to be taught the skills, strategies and behaviors that will help them become more resilient. The good news is that we can start anytime. In my research over the past decade, documenting the learning biographies of hundreds of resilient people ages 5 to 105 — I’ve discovered that great learners — research scientists, leaders, entrepreneurs, writers, professors, and activists — had very basic, identifiable components and habits of mind. that pushed them to keep going beyond insurmountable odds. These great learners and leaders have what I call the Habitudes of Resiliency. These are a set of disciplined habits and a battle hard attitude to face all that comes their way. Please see my Habitudes lessons,resources, and support materials that support these conversations in and out of school.

  Last week I received a Tweet from Marialice BFX Curran. She was trying to get Internet users from all over the world to comment on a blog post to demonstrate the power of social media to her education students. Marialice mentioned that her 7 year-old son, Curran, took a great interest in the project and began to plot on a map every state and country in which commenters lived. This led to Curran wanting to create his own blog so that he, too, could interact with people from around the world. Because I know: that the act of contribution changes people, for the good; that digital literacy is a human right; and what an extraordinary opportunity it is for students to learn directly from others, I invited Curran to share his first blog post here. You will find below is the first entry in a life-changing journey for Curran. Please read it, visit Curran’s blog, and leave him a comment and let him know where you are writing from! ***** My name is Curran and I am seven years old. I live in Connecticut with my mom and dad and two dogs. I am in the first grade and I just started my first blog, Around the World With Curran. This weekend I helped my mom blog. She got comments from around the world and I found them on the map. I like to learn about new places and I like to travel. I also like to play baseball and hockey. I am starting my MLB park tour this summer in California. I like animals and sport teams with animals in the logo. My friend Jerry Pallotta is a children’s book author and I like to write books too. My blog will be a place for me to write and I like to get comments from different places. I keep a list and tally all the locations. Getting comments is like having a lot of penpals. I really like geography and learning new things about new places. My advice to other kids to start blogging is to write about something you know about already and something that you really like. My advice to teachers is to start a classroom blog. My mom said that KidBlog could be a good place to start and you can get comments from other students and classrooms around the world. Please read my blog and leave a fun fact about where you live. I hope I can get a fact from all 50 states and around the world too.    

Serendipity is the name given to those "happy accidents" we experience throughout life - finding a person, idea, or resource we didn’t expect, but greatly needed.  These encounters enrich our lives with new experiences, connections, and insights. Using social media is a great way to find and increase serendipity in your life.  I have built a network of fascinating and generous people online, and these connections have blossomed into everything from meaningful conversations to significant partnerships. I wondered how much of this was truly random, and found that my personal serendipity could be traced back to certain consistent, actionable, and replicable behaviors.  I now employ such tactics on a daily basis to summon and shape my own serendipity.   I call this process "Tactical Serendipity" — please read my full article about it on HuffPost, here.          

We are so thrilled that student blogger Kendall Haines took the time to share the story of what the YOU MATTER Manifesto means to her.  Please read on to discover how your life changes when you realize that YOU MATTER! ***** What does the phrase "YOU MATTER!" mean to you? I’ll give you time to think while I tell you what it means to me. When someone told me that I mattered, I rolled my eyes and blew it off. I didn’t think much of myself. I cared more about other people than myself. My teacher caught me rolling my eyes and asked me to come see her after school.  I went after school, and she spoke to me…for an hour.  I then continued to talk to her…about everything. Talking to her made me realize I mattered. Talking to someone you trust is always a resource for starting to see yourself in a better light. I now realize that I matter, and that I should believe in myself and think positive. The "YOU MATTER" manifesto, along with my teacher, saved my life. It means more to me than words can say. What does the phrase "YOU MATTER" mean to you? What do you stand for? I believe you matter because you have a great amount of potential. You’re smart and have a lot in store in the future for you. YOU MATTER!! Now what do you think?

  There’s a powerful new post on Seth Godin’s blog with an interesting take on bullying. It is not just a youth issue - it is a human one. A BULLY is a person of any age who intentionally uses power to cause physical or emotional distress with the purpose of dominating the other person. Period.  Bullies: Intentionally work to marginalize people. In an organizational (or online) setting, choose not to engage in conversation or discussion. Do not use legitimate authority or suasion; instead, they depend on pressure in the moment to demean and disrespect someone else—by undermining not just their ideas, but their very presence and legitimacy. Do you know anyone like this? Read on to see what to do about it.