The other night, I sat with my family and watched the announcement from Ferguson in shock and disbelief…not because I expected the announcement to be different but because they were actually making this announcement in the dead of night in a community that was already deeply wounded. The fact that not one person thought against that decision is still appalling. Did he/she/they honestly think that the people "of"…and "not so of" Ferguson would NOT riot?? Let me be clear in saying that I definitely do not condone such violence and destruction but then again, I don’t condone a person not even getting a trial for his part in the murder that led to this but…what do I know? I hated seeing the destruction of Ferguson, the teargas, smoke, gunshots, fire, armored vehicles…a revolution that could have been avoided. I watched my son care and then not care because in his words… "What’s the point?" I didn’t expect everyone to feel my grief in hearing that decision but I also didn’t expect such hate. Through Facebook, I watched people from my own local community and learning community cheering about an officer not charged while justifying his actions with Mike Brown’s apparent lack of respect for the law because death by firing squad is the new accepted penalty for the unarmed fleeing. I think that the comment that hurt the worst was this comment…"I don’t understand how people are completely excusing the actions of this marijuana smoking thug"…or something to that nature…because this was from a fellow educator with a now questionable belief of what constitutes "a thug". Maybe I expected too much in people understanding the ramifications of living in a community that has been historically plagued with racial divisiveness.  It’s a bit odd but I thought that people would have understood that in a community like Ferguson, a fair grand jury was just as impossible as a fair trial. Unfortunately, I had to endure reading all about the "crime excusing" evidence and wait for it…the inclusion of three black grand jury members. (Yes, someone actually mentioned that) Personally, this was tough because I could not think about Mike Brown without thinking about my own brother, a young man who has had his own bouts with the law in many forms. He is days aways from being off probation and I have watched him struggle for years with finding his place in life through multiple crimes and even a gunshot wound that was inches away from taking his life. Yet, he is still here and thankfully doing quite well. Sadly, I imagine that many of the same people would have also ignored my brother’s right to live. I think of my son and the road that lies ahead for him. As much as I am fighting like crazy to help him become the man that he was created to be…I struggle with knowing that he too could in fact make some bad decisions. I pray that he refrains from being a chalk mark on the ground because I can only imagine what people might have to think about him. Honestly, there is no imagining what people think of my brother or my son because I read what people thought. My son…my brother…my cousins…my friends…are all Mike Brown. At least we are clear on that part. Call me naive but maybe I expected a little bit of humanity and humility. I didn’t get that at all. What I got instead was a big dose of "Oh my gosh…did you really just type that and hit enter?" What Now? If this case has shown nothing, it has clearly drawn a line showcasing what people believe. Please stop saying that this is not about race because it is. The first step to healing is acceptance. Right now, we’re still stuck in denial. We can’t move forward until we face the obvious.

Years ago, my son was enamored with science. He loved learning about how the world worked and "tinkering" with objects just to see their reactions. I imagine that he did this because internally, he developed his own theories and "testing them out" was just his thing. Then he entered 5th grade and with that came state mandated testing in science which, in my opinion, destroyed the "natural curiosity" that learning science provided. His learning of science, for years, has been reduced to textbooks, packets, power points and test prep questions. Yesterday, I saw my son ignited in a way that I have not seen in years and all it took was a family outing to the Dallas World Aquarium and the Perot museum. Over the years, it has been interesting hearing peers talk about the learning habits of teens as if it were biologically normal that they give up on high school learning. They do not. As a matter of fact, it’s not that they dislike school. It’s that school is sometimes not that interesting. I’m sorry but we, as adults, hate the "death by powerpoint" experience and to be clear…so do kids. I saw my son throw himself into the arms of science. I saw him getting excited about the wonders of the world while wondering quite a bit himself. I purchased a family membership and that purchase guarantees that on any given day, he can explore and tinker in the museum…a place that houses a robotics playground in the Texas Instruments Engineering Hall, an Energy Hall, Physics Hall and more biological discoveries than he will ever receive in school. The best part was taking this journey with him while also providing early exposure to 9 year old Braeden, who until yesterday had never experienced any of those things. As a parent, I wonder how much I may have impacted my son and nephew by spending about $100 and committing to their learning. For my nephew, who has been drawing animals with a vengeance lately, this trip was especially meaningful because he has only been drawing what he knew to find on google. He has never seen any of the things that he creates in person. Spending the morning at the Dallas World Aquarium was earth shattering for him. Heading over to the museum was priceless. I handed him my phone to capture "his wonders", things that he can research later. Our next stop…The Dallas Zoo! I wish that every kid had these opportunities and I am so grateful that I KNOW the importance of these moments. Again…I am deeply cognizant of the fact that I am their privilege. More Parent-Educator Wonders… 1. Why did we cancel school field trips again? The Math Alive Exhibit would be perfect for classes to experience!! 2. Why can’t everyday learning be filled with more of this in lieu of "STAAR test questions"? 3. I wonder if teachers need to go to places like this with interactive inquiry based exhibits in order to "get inquiry". Click to view slideshow.

As a high school student, I remember being so insecure. In my mind, I wasn’t smart, pretty, athletic or thin enough. It didn’t help at all that I was often teased by my peers or at times second guessed by certain teachers. I was the poster child for insecurity and for a certain period, I not only questioned my worth but also my continued place in the world. I am lucky to be amongst the numbers of kids who managed to refrain from being "a completion". If you are a counselor, you know exactly what I mean. This morning, I reflected on how far I have come and I thought back to that insecure girl from long ago. She was the reason that I wanted to teach as I vowed that any child that I met would not feel what I felt. I knew that I wanted to provide not only a welcoming learning environment but plenty of love, understanding and empowerment…the things that were missing for me. What is amazing about my experience into teaching is that as I aimed to empower others, I found it easier to empower one person that needed it most…me. Of all of the things that I have accomplished, I am most excited that somewhere in the midst of continuing this journey of helping students and teachers "See" themselves, I also managed to finally rid myself of the shadow of insecurities that have lingered for years. What I found along the way was that I was not the only person that carried such self-doubt. Many of us do and we attribute it to "perfectionism" but in reality, it’s not that at all. It is our internal need to be "validated" and our negligence to see that our self-validation matters much more than what others think. Why do we do this to ourselves? The other day I was trying to craft my bio and as a means of inspiration, I compared mine to others (big mistake). I allowed myself to believe that my accomplishments were nothing more than "bells and whistles". I consulted with a friend who, in only the way that he could, reminded me to check myself because I was talking pure nonsense. In a space where being "tech focused" can be seen as negative, I forgot for a second that my tech accomplishments are worth mentioning because this is a part of who I am, the change that I have influenced and a small yet significant piece of what I have to offer. I needed that reminder and I won’t make that self-doubting mistake again. I’m not perfect by any means but I am the best ME that I can possibly be and with each passing day, I am getting stronger and stronger…because Growth Is Powerful. Dear Rafranz, You are not that insecure girl anymore. You are brilliant, beautiful and fantastic. For the record, that insecure girl was just as amazing as the woman that she is today. Own this and maybe…just maybe someone else may own it in themselves too. You are more than enough and the world is brighter because of your presence in it. In case you missed it, that insecure kid grew up and did this.

What happens when you put 50 "forward-thinking" educators into a room and ask them to devise a plan to change their educational landscape or even the world? They not only attack their "self-selected" problem. They also unearth dynamics that they did not even realize existed. This is life right now at Google Teacher Academy and I can honestly say that I have never been challenged to think to the depth that I was today…and it’s only day 1. Since the arrival of our official invites, we have connected through voxer, twitter and our google plus community. We’ve shared our lives, communities, families, ideas, professional problems and collaboratively ideated solutions. As much as we were all seemingly prepared for this day to come…I can honestly say that none of us were really expecting to feel what we felt today… Like "inspired" game changers who were truly challenged to think… That does not happen that often…not in this way. There is a reason that many of us did not get into previous cohorts. I needed to spend 3 days with Beth Still in Austin learning by day and reflecting at night. I needed to sit down with Minnesota’s own, Geri Feiock, and hear about how her district is using SMART in transformative ways along with chromebooks to provide blended learning opportunities for students. I needed to learn alongside the brilliantly talented John Stevens, creator of Would You Rather Math, which I include in all of my "math trainings". I needed to connect with Rebecca Vieyra, currently serving as a teaching fellow for Nasa Aeronautics. I needed to hear Shaelynn Farnsworth’s passion fueled talk about how technology can be a voice conduit for the voiceless. In my book, The Missing Voices in Edtech, I encourage women and people of color to seek career related honors such as this. I need to add that yes, we should do this….but do it because it will certainly make you a better person. You will think. You will be inspired. You will leave with a charge to identify a problem and follow through with addressing it. You will not leave as the person that you were when you arrived. You will be better…along with your entire cohort. In case you missed it, this was only day 1…

In a perfect world, all teachers would not only have the desire to be instructionally creative but also the freedom to do so. Academic excellence would not be based on test scores but on the backs of students excitedly learning and basking in the glow of the learning process. In a perfect world, there would be no "genius hour" nor would there be an "hour of code" because students would explore their interest at will and computer science would be embedded as early as kids were learning sight words. Also…these opportunities would be accessible to every child…EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. If the world were perfect… But it’s not… Technically, my job is to help teachers integrate technology. I’m supposed to be an expert of the tech. The perception of most is that all I know is tech…until we sit down to talk and then like clockwork, I watch the eyes of the other party bug out because clearly…I’m about much more than tech. I want to see kids learn in interesting ways and I don’t believe that technology is always a part of that. I don’t view tech as a "product" that kids must do in order to "show learning". At the same token, I think that it should be accessible because for some…the tech is how they learn and I’m good with that. Yesterday, I posted a series of tweets about "Hour of code" and as a result, my timeline pretty much imploded with digs about corporate initiatives taking over educational curriculum and how this was a bad one for kids because, "people have been coding with kids long before hour of code". Apparently saying that "before ‘hour of code’, schools were not universally talking about it", is a bad thing…even if it is true…from my lens, anyway. I am a mother and aunt who is watching her kids being "tested to comatose state", with zero access to technology. For years, I have watched and worked with teachers who have had creative freedom but refuse to take advantage of it. I’ve also worked in schools where teachers have no choice but to follow the framework in front of them. I fight these things with all of my might everyday and anyone that thinks otherwise should spend a weekend on my blog before questioning my dedication to those marginalized voices. With that said…as much as I too despise "universal initiatives", I also believe wholeheartedly in exposure to the existence of opportunities and for me, coding is one of those…just like "genius". Maybe seeing how kids bury themselves into the excitement of learning will open the eyes of a reluctant teacher, principal, superintendent or school board member. Maybe…just maybe, a kid will rush home completely inspired to not just play the games on his/her game system but create them. Maybe that one hour sparks much more than most kids or adults knew was possible. The fact is that for many teachers, this "universal initiative to code", is their first stab at any ideas related to coding. Whether we choose to admit it or not, this need was born because we’ve created a system where we wait until HS to teach these skills because that is when "we" decided that kids were ready. Maybe this "universal initiative" can spark conversations to change that. Of course, what do I know?

Years ago, one of my students asked me a question that sent me on the weekend reflection that would forever change my life. He asked, "Hey Miss, other than teaching, what were your dreams? What is the one thing that you always wanted to do but didn’t?" Until that moment, I never considered any other dreams aside from being in the classroom. I take that back. I did consider other dreams but once I became a teacher, it was as if I stopped dreaming. I "settled" into the life that chose me and decided to work to become the best teacher that I could be and that was not a bad thing since the best teacher that I could be was one who taught kids first. Beyond teaching math, I enjoyed moments where provoking the innermost thoughts of students led to great discovery. The question above was born out of a discussion with students about whether or not they could achieve multiple goals or dreams. Once they realized that they could, the attention turned to me. They wanted to know what else I wanted to do other than teaching and why I had not pursued those goals. More questions… "Why settle on one dream? If I say that I want to run a successful business, do I stop working once I reach success or should my goals change? You are a great teacher. You can say that you wish to be better everyday and that is great but what else drives you? There has to be more." For me, being an educator is the ultimate dream and within this dream are many possibilities. At the token, my reality did not include leaving the classroom as the opportunities to do so did not exist. I thought that I would remain in my hometown and teach our kids until retirement. With that said, I knew that I could impact more kids by working directly with their teachers and the conversation above jumpstarted this dream from being a nightly occurrence to real life action because as my students challenged me to face my own visions, they also reminded me that "dreaming was okay"…even for adults…NO, especially for adults. As one of my students so eloquently stated, "How can you tell me about the importance of fighting for your dreams if you aren’t fighting for all of yours?" That was my wakeup call and now consider this…YOURS. Years ago, on that day, I confessed to my students that I dreamed of impacting education through working with teachers. I told them about the journal that I kept in hopes that I could rely on my classroom experiences to change education and one day possibly even authoring a book. I shared a TED talk with them because I knew that one day I wanted to share our story in the same way. I confessed my dream to travel outside of our city limits. Finally…I told them that I had every intention of starting my own school with their hopes and dreams in mind. In the last few years, so many of those dreams have come to fruition even more vividly than I dreamt them. Some are still a work in progress but are coming along in such a way that I have no doubt that they will certainly happen…including starting my own school. What I have learned along the way is that dreams are nothing more than visions of what is possible. Making those dreams a reality is all about persistence to achieve through hard work and in most cases, countless do-overs. If you model nothing else for your students, model this act of dreaming, acting, reflecting, re-envisioning and evolving. What better way to share the power of embracing what is possible than through active pursuit of possibilities…dreams "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Back in October, Pernille Ripp wrote an article about the Downside to being a connected educator. I actually have that article bookmarked because I connected to so much of it. The parts about losing time from certain things, being perceived a certain way and becoming a target seemed to be taken directly from moments in my life…well before "connectedness" was a thing. Being connected actually amplified those moments. A few weeks ago, I sat at a table with educators who shared a certain commonality of being the "outliers" of their schools or districts. They felt that they were the only ones who were not only committed to self-directed growth but also in being passionate about sharing the journey from their classroom lens. I certainly empathized with their situations because I have definitely been there. To be honest, there are moments in the present when I am there. Let’s just say that we connected deeply on this topic and even as our conversation gave way to giving a platform for a group of clearly muted voices, we did not get to discuss solutions…how to stay true to yourself, maintaining your voice…while working through difficult days. For me, that conversation sparked so many feelings that had been repressed. On the surface, I know how to put on my "brave face" and push through as I have done it my entire life but at some point you have to realize that once you give in and allow yourself to be reactive, professionally silent and academically muted…you give others permission to write your experience. So, the question remains… "How do you progress and remain positive with so many barriers in place?"  Below are thoughts from my experiences that have truly helped me over the years. 1. Remain Goal Driven: Do Your Job First with a Vengeance For me, it is important that I handle my business at work and take care of my campuses and teachers, which isn’t a simple task by any means. I have "work goals" and also "personal goals" but from 8am-4:30pm, the only goals that matter are my work goals and my priorities are to my school district first. The crazy part is that I have always been this way but with the onslaught of opportunities that have fallen my way due to my social sharing, there have been whispers regarding my ability to do my job and all of the "extra things" while maintaining the sanctity of my "district time". The reality is that people have no idea that I am so passionate about contributing to the present and future state of education that my commitment to growing in my job while being an active connected contributor often means that what I give up sometimes is sleep, time with my family, personal/vacation days and my own financial security in order to be present for the "extra things". Let me be clear in saying that I am not complaining about these sacrifices as these are the moments that I am truly passionate about. What I am saying is that even when those bad days happen and you feel that your voice is hidden behind the perceptions of others, hold your head high and continue with your goals in mind. In other words, let others do the talking. Instead of going on the defensive…let your work speak for you. The rest? Distant…meaningless…whispers 2. Maintain Your Sanity: Find Your Circles of Trust I have to say that I did not take this advice as much as I should have. I’m so used to "self-guiding" that typically when I have reached out, my heart and mind were already blocked. I have a few people who support me unconditionally but who will also be critical when I need it. Sometimes, some of my issues were that I needed to approach a situation differently or be more open minded. The people who are in my circle of trust have no problem with helping me to see that. We all need these trustworthy/honest people in our lives who will have our backs while also reminding us to check ourselves. There have been days that I have felt nearly broken and needed sound advice and having my "circle of trust" means that I am connected to countless pillars of strength and quite frankly…one heck of a cheering section when I need it. You need these people and if you have yet to identify who "your people" are, it’s time that you extended your PLN. 3. Let NO ONE Rain on Your Parade When I was accepted to present at or invited to various conferences, I hesitated to tweet. I still haven’t really talked about going to the White House. I have speaking engagements planned that very few people know about. My book releases 1/13 and celebrating this huge feat may not happen beyond my trip to the TIE Conference. I became a Google Certified Teacher and much of my "Action Plan" was to be completed on the down low. That was the plan anyway. I have no idea why but we have created this environment where a person cannot have success without backlash. My mother used to say that if you did not have people talking, you weren’t doing something right. To quote Eleanor Roosevelt… "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." When you are doing great things, let those accomplishments motivate you to stand a bit taller and let those personal accomplishments and lessons learned be the fuel that helps you to be even stronger in your day to day work. Don’t hide behind your accomplishments. Stand not only proud in them but firm in your expertise. That does not mean that I am going to walk around announcing, "Hey…look at me! I did this thing!". What I will do though, is continue to share loudly and proudly. I’ll continue to share the power of voice, innovative ideas and the exponential benefits of being connected…even if that means doing it from the lens of the "extra things" that I have done. One last thing… If you’re trying to be a prophet in your own land…understand that unless you have "real power" to stimulate change, you may be fighting a losing battle. You need to know that this is okay. That does not mean that you must stop fighting. What that means is that you have to go back to understanding your goals. Mine are simple… 1. Be the best me that I can be at my job. 2. Continue to push for change in education…even if that means that it happens in every other place but the grounds in which my feet touch.

It’s only fitting that my first post of 2015 is about my 15 year old son…my motivation for equity and advocacy. The phone rings. It’s his principal… "I’m calling to inform you that I am putting your son in ISS because he was talking in geometry and his teacher said that she asked him to stop talking twice. I really don’t know what happened. I have to check but he’s going to ISS. He also has some work that he hasn’t done so I’ll get her to send it there." My reply "So let me get this straight. Without investigation or question, you are sending my son to ISS for talking? Let me repeat that…talking?!" Principal "Yes, he is going to ISS." My son, the same kid who will admit to the most ridiculous of things that he has done, who owns up to his consequences like a champ…who often does NOT tell me what happens to him because he knows that I lose it in these cases, responded… "Mom, that referral was wrong. I’m not going to ISS. Can we talk about this?" FYI: ISS = In School Suspension….where he sits on a stool all day in silence…100% Inhumane Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place I’ve taught high school kids so I know that kids will often present a different side of the story to their parents. My son is a normal kid and he is not perfect but when he’s wrong, he says it…every single time. I’ve also been a high school teacher at THAT school and I know how teachers write referrals of insignificance and BECAUSE it was sent to the office, the AP’s stance is to abide by the referral with zero question. Something as minor as talking can get a kid placed in ISS. Let me rephrase that. Something as minor as talking gets black and hispanic kids placed in ISS. White kids don’t go to ISS for talking. White kids are not written up for talking. That is a distinction most often reserved for black and hispanic kids…the ones without parents in the friend/family ring of the teacher. My son wants to fight it. He wants to defend himself against what he believes are false accusations. Unfortunately, he can’t defend himself. His self-advocacy is considered insubordination. He has no voice. He has no choice. He has no chance. In case you missed it, THIS is why Educolor is 100% necessary Because #BlackKidsMatter

When my daughter was three, we enrolled her in her first ballet class with gymnastics soon thereafter. The natural progression from that point was competitive cheerleading which she participated in until she was in high school. My niece followed the same pattern. As a matter of fact, our girls were the most "girliest" of girls growing up with huge bows to match every outfit, socks with ruffles, purses, pretend makeup and dolls of every kind. Their first favorite color? Pink…because we made it that way. My son had a bit more freedom but he too was subjected to who he was through our purchases and desires. We bought him footballs, wrestlers, super heroes and clothing of the most "boyish" type. He played football at 5 years old because we enrolled him, which he hated. It killed me to force him to go to practice but in a space where boys were meant to play sports, he had no choice…until I stared listening. He finally quit and only returned when he wanted to do so. There are moments that I wish that we could turn back the clock to the days when we decided who our children would be and undid those decisions. As a matter of fact, every time I watch Braeden create some new amazing piece of art, I think of where he would be had we not allowed him the freedom to pursue his own interest. I also think of how we may have deprived our other children in choosing for them. When I shop for clothes with Braeden, he opts for neutrals, game based or more artistic attire. He won’t wear things with "boyish" sports themes or "rude kid" themes. (Yes, my son wore those too…unfortunately) He is his own person and we respect that. He is the architect of his own identity. Every kid should be. I’m glad that we learned from our mistakes and refused to rob him of the person that he is becoming. Choice starts with the very young. It should anyway.

Braeden and his entry into the TCEA cardboard mascot challenge For over a year, I thought that my nephew found a love for puppetry after watching the muppet movie which then led to a binge night of creation culminating in an epic facetime call with me. Last week, at TCEA, while listening to my nephew share his story during his session, I learned that his drive to create puppets started long before that. Two years ago, while Braeden was in 2nd grade, his teacher assigned a "recycling" project where kids were to take things found around the house to create something new. According to Braeden, he chose to make a puppet marionette (He has no idea why he chose this) which did not work as planned. I remember him being upset about it because someone in his class broke it. Even though the project was over, he wanted to make a new one but decided to take a fuzzy wallet and turn it into a puppet…for his own personal fun, instead. This is what brought on the need to see the muppet movie and why he started learning through youtube to make puppets. Two years, 8 puppets…1 mascot suit…and more art created than we could ever have imagined later, I can say without a doubt that Braeden’s itch for creating did in fact start in his classroom…but was certainly cultivated at home. Sparking Wonder in the "Braedens" of Your Classroom Braeden’s story of creativity, as amazing as it is, isn’t that unique. There are children like him in every classroom…waiting to have their "wonder" sparked…waiting on an opportunity to explore…waiting on the chance to shine. I remember Braeden’s time in 2nd grade and it wasn’t pretty. As a matter of fact, it was a year of "district aligned" drill & kill but this project…this chance to create…mattered more than anything because his assignment TO CREATE led him along a path of wonder and into the arms of authentic learning. That one "time killing" project…started this entire journey of passion driven inspiration and we will forever be thankful for it! If you are wondering how to spark wonder in your students, look no further than re-evaluating what we think has value. Don’t say…"We don’t have time to do that project"…Find it. Don’t say…"My kids can’t do that"…Believe in them. Don’t say…"Their parents probably did that for them"…Kids are capable of much more than we often give them credit for. Don’t say…"We can’t do that unless I can grade it"…Embedding a love of learning is grade-less. Say instead… While this activity may seem silly at first, I have no idea which creative soul may awaken. I have to do this because when I give my students the opportunity to freely express…they are afforded the chance to connect to the unexplainable fire within. Every kid deserves this opportunity. Every…Single…One

Yesterday, I was shocked to open my email from Common Sense Media’s Graphite to find a recommendation and review for the game, Mission US: Flight to Freedom as a recommended piece of technology to "celebrate black history month and beyond" (It has since been removed).  Flight to Freedom is a role playing game in which users step into the character of Lucy, a 14 year old slave, as she attempts to run away to the north to escape slavery. Flight to Freedom is a simulation of slavery meant to give students an interactive look into history. It features everything the "edtech" buzzword community loves…role playing, badges, student choice and reevaluation of failure. The problem here is that IT’S ABOUT SLAVERY…one of the darkest times in American history that STILL holds deep wounds…irresponsibly presented as a "too easy fix" on the part of the slaves themselves through decision making. Yes, Lucy…you’ll get a beating and it’s not because you are a slave who is owned by an evil slave owner…but because you chose the wrong path…thus, consequences. The game is full of these moments. At one point, Lucy finds herself trying to find "the papers" proving that her "uncle" is free and in doing so encounters a random white man. She has a choice to tell him the truth that she’s trying to help her uncle or lie and stay quiet. It doesn’t take a genius to know that in those days, there was no good choice either way. Playing it safe, I chose to stay quiet. I was rewarded with… Yes, he prefers "quiet negroes" and in case I needed it…there is sound…plenty of "authentic sound". Eventually Lucy is captured and carted off to be auctioned where we got to hear this description…"Niggress for $800″ Yes…Niggress I honestly can’t even give this atrocity of a poor decision a thought beyond…Why? Why did the creators of this game find it necessary to create? Why put children through "decision making" as a slave? Why would any person think that slave simulation is a necessary component of curriculum? Why did no one question this prior to now? How does a game about slave simulation get funded even when a game similar to it resulted in a lawsuit by black parents? Why and how did the black researchers participate in this? Do you really believe that this was the way to honor our people and the best way for children to learn about slavery, the underground railroad and the countless numbers of people who died while trying to become free? Let’s reflect on the fact that this is a tiny snapshot of history but one that certainly deserved more thought than this. If you want to create a role playing game about history…fine…do it…but choose moments in history that are not about the rape, beating, degradation, mutilation and murder of a people. Do we really need to step into those shoes anymore than we have already? Let me be clear in saying that learning about this time in history is necessary but doing so in a role playing game is not appropriate. If your idea of "celebrating" the contributions of Black people during the month of February is a lesson in slavery…you are the one that needs a lesson in history and the countless contributions that we not only have made but are still making. Our enslavement is not and should not be your lesson on resilience and grit. In the Words of Sabrina Stevens @TeacherSabrina (shared with her permission) 1) Simulation is almost impossible to do ethically, which is why so many people end up being fired for missteps in this area  2) Enslavement happens between two peoples, it doesn’t just happen to one. Talking about black people being enslaved without adequately discussing the economic motivations of the slave holders and the centrality of slavery to America’s founding/ the origins of capitalism is erroneous and problematic. It reinforces the idea that black people are somehow innately "slave-ish" versus illuminating the fact that white slave owners did this for a reason, and that the society benefiting from this brutality created elaborate legal, social and moral codes to justify it, including stereotypes that remain with us to this very day. You can’t understand oppression by rehashing/pitying the experience of the oppressed; only by also unpacking the motivations and actions of the oppressor. You can’t "celebrate" a people by constantly discussing up the worst thing that ever happened to them in an incomplete and misleading fashion, while absolving the people responsible for it of their guilt.

my great grandfather, a product of slavery It’s been four days now of complete and total commitment to bringing forth awareness about PBS affiliate, ThirteenNY‘s "game" on slaves escaping to freedom in which badges are awarded for risks along the way. This "game", which received exceptional reviews AND AWARDS from teachers and media affiliates from all over the country, has been used in classrooms since at least 2012. Reviews like… (as posted to their website and linked) KOTAKU - They Made a Video Game About Slavery, And It’s Actually Good "It’s not only an engaging video game, it’s a harrowing, illuminating look at the realities of life as an American slave… I was struck by how effectively the game placed me in the shoes of an American slave. The precarious nature of my existence was readily apparent…  USA TODAY - 4 out of 4 stars - Kids relive history with free role-playing game "realistic" "brilliant" "ingenious" "fascinating" "a powerful game that all kids should experience" The branching storylines, each tied to your possible decisions, are brilliant in their diversity and ingenious in how they weave together to create the fascinating story path of this game. School Library Journal - "Media Mix: ‘Flight to Freedom’ for Black History Month" The game is educational, fun, and will definitely hold the attention of students in grades 5 to 8. Ground Control Parenting - "Mission U.S.: Helping Middle Schoolers Enjoy Learning American History" A game to teach middle schoolers about slavery? Could be cringe-worthy; I had to try it. I enlisted my 7th grade son to play it with me, and off we went into the world of Lucy the slave. Two minutes in, we were hooked. As an educator, parent and aunt of a student in this age range, I am disheartened that the consensus on learning for students in this age range is that it needs to be "gamified" and fun" to be interesting. Engaging? Yes Interesting? Yes Fun? Not if "fun" means simulation and badging built on the premise of a horrific event such as slavery How/Why Does This Happen? The development of a series of games starts with hefty planning. The idea of learning history in an interactive format is a great one. It is. However, when choosing which acts of history to play, consideration should have been given as to which moments were appropriate and how to do them justice. The slave mission was built on the idea that users could  "understand what a real slave felt" while walking around in Lucy’s shoes. Unfortunately this is also where the game failed because one cannot simulate the emotional scars of slavery. Read more about "why simulation should not be used" from the Anti-Defamation League in reference to the Holocaust. No matter how "uncomfortable" one is while playing a game, it’s still absent of the worry of physical abuse, rape, mutilation or death. It’s still not the emotional scars of being "nothing" in the eyes of the people whose lifestyle you are in fact enabling. So again…how does this happen? There’s research on the part of those with the idea, planning, more research and meetings with potential funding groups. Those funding groups typically make awareness known about what types of projects they are funding which often results in projects created to meet the needs of the money being issued. This game was groundbreaking in that no one else has successfully done it. Wait…it WAS done and did in fact result in a lawsuit being filed by parents in 1995. At any rate, many people said "yes" to this game and not one thought that it was inappropriate including a group of historians who not only supported it but advised along the way…which begs the question… While we know that our stories and narratives are absent from schools, was this the way to do it? While I cannot and will not speak for the entire black community. As a teacher, technology specialist, daughter, mother and aunt…I say…NO Fast forward to the launch of the game itself. Press releases are sent out. Contacts are made with potential high volume reviewers. Sometimes those reviews are pre-written and sometimes a person is asked to review. (I’ve been approached for many different apps to review and have declined) Too many people should have and could have stopped this insanity and no one did. For that, I am still annoyed with the greater Edtech Community about. Studying Slavery I want my kids to examine primary documents, research, interview real people, watch revelations captured via film, discuss and maybe even do some writing to reflect and think. I want them to look at the wholistic aspect of slavery and not just on the part of slaves but on the slave owners too. I also want them to examine their own history and the role that their family played. There are rich lessons that can be had if we stop assuming that all lessons need the glitz and glamour of animation, interactivity through technology and badging. While I do believe in using games for learning, I do not believe that slavery is an appropriate place for it. It’s too important of a topic to be minimized by "fun".

In 2009, I was fortunate enough to visit New Tech High School in Coppell, TX…a "New Tech Network" school centered on project based learning and authentic student-led experiences. Prior to that visit, everything that I understood about education involved teachers as the holders of information with students waiting to grasp onto every word. Within a few moments of walking through the halls of New Tech, I knew that I was experiencing something life-changing. It was as if the doors of learning were unlocked ever so slightly and I haven’t been the same educator since. It was on that day that I first experienced what freedom to explore and learn meant. I saw kids, deeply draped in trust, collaborating, researching, discussing and even studying from all corners of the building. I saw a "grading system" that had zero numerical value but a life value far greater than a red pen could mark. I saw kids, excited about the "global awareness" project they were collaboratively creating…entranced by their ideas as well as the ongoing feedback of their peers…while also editing final videos for online submission to youtube. I remember leaving New Tech full of excitement and wonder and I was eager to try implementing some of those ideas into my own math classroom. I started with changing the way that I taught by giving much less and asking much more. That simple change, while not easy, profoundly changed who I was as a teacher. Over the last few years, I’ve been to many different schools and I have only felt such a life-changing jolt on two other occasions. One…after visiting Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia and the other…Anastasis Academy in Colorado. Like New Tech, both schools are inquiry driven and project based, with one (SLA) being a public magnet high school founded by a man with a transformative vision and The Franklin Institute. The second…a private school (Anastasis) formed because a pair of teachers wanted to create a "new paradigm in education". In both situations, the differences in belief and approach to learning versus traditional schooling were obvious from multiple views. Kids were empowered to think, dream, act and learn with many iterations of thought. Partnerships between students, teachers and parents were clearly evident. Students were trusted to be human and teachers were trusted to be their own curriculum writers instead of forced to teach from a district box-set of ideas. Both locations boasted students who spoke of the privilege that they felt to learn in such an authentic manner that their voices and ideas were not only heard but empowered to ignite their individual paths. Each trip, while months apart, forced me to think about the possibilities for kids and the future leaders that they can become if we stopped living in the traditional sense of school and shifted our thinking to be truly focused on empowering kids to be architects of their own thoughts and lovers of the art of learning. It should not be surprising to adults when students can articulate their own thoughts. We should not be shocked when a teenager makes some incredible scientific discovery or creates a work of art "beyond his/her years". When I am told, "…designed/created by a student", I do not want to live in a world where my response is, "Are you serious?"….but instead… "of course". If we listen to our learners, our schools should be empowering… Ideas Voice Passion Activism Creativity Curiosity Relationships Community Research Cultural Cognizance Invention Learning If we aren’t doing those things, why should we question when kids lack a spark or intent when approaching school? Why should we be concerned when attendance lacks while discipline referrals reach new peaks? Why should we wonder why parental support falters? Why question the social connectedness of teachers to ideas or opportunities for growth? Why question what we haven’t established, implemented or supported…in the traditional sense? Why have we created and accepted a system where authentic learning is a matter of privilege? We all speak of educational change and/or reform but no such change is possible until we cut the leashes of traditional learning and redefine our purpose for school. The key to getting there is tucked in the dusty boxes that are currently holding the muted thoughts of our greatest assets. Our Kids What do they think about learning? What do they think about school? How would they change it? What small change can you make in your classroom/school to empower "untraditional" growth? What needs to happen to support more meaningful and authentic approaches to growth? (Noticeably absent from the list above…Technology. We don’t need to empower technology. We need to empower our learners…who they are and who they can become. The technology should be accessible…supporting and empowering all of the characteristics listed and more)

If you asked me five years ago if I would have ever left the halls of my high school, I would have laughed and said…"No way!" I loved it too much. I still do. I also would not have ever considered leaving my home town…nor would I have seen myself traveling the country to talk about the state of education or collaborating on ideas for change. There is no way that I could have pictured myself having any form of impact outside of my classroom or city limits. It was not within my reach, vision or possibilities. I have been fortunate to have had many great experiences since my journey in education began. I always knew that I would eventually train teachers and so did my students as we took great pride in sharing our deepest dreams and encouraging each other. My dreams are possible because of them and I know that I have had great impact on theirs. A few weeks ago, I submitted my official resignation to my school district and April 1st will be my final day with Arlington ISD, a school district that will always hold a special place in my heart as it really is a spectacular place to learn. The reality is that to do the work that I believe in and know needs to be done for teachers and students, it is almost impossible to stay within a public education contract. I always said that if it came to be that my time out of school was shifting the focus away from my real job, I would need to make a choice. And so I did. The risk is worth it. What’s Next? I wish that I could share some big earth shattering announcement but I cannot because as with most things done outside of the norm…great impactful ideas take work and many iterations of thinking. What I will say is that during Google Teacher Academy, I wrote a massive "moonshot" and it is very much so happening! As soon as I can share…believe me, I will. In the meantime, I am scheduled for the next few months to work directly with schools all over the country on learning goals (with technology) for students and teachers. I’ll also be doing more consulting with developers as educator voice is certainly an often absent necessity. It’s safe to say that my message of creativity, curiosity and innovation isn’t changing. It will only get louder and one goal is for certain… I plan to move heaven and earth to make sure that all of our children, especially those of poverty and of color, will have the access and opportunity needed to be creative agents of passion and change in this world.  So, with that said….I am not leaving education but spreading my wings. My passion is to serve and resigning from that isn’t an option.

A few weeks ago, I attended a great session led by Katrina Stevens (US Office of Edtech) and Chike Aguh (Advisory Board Company) called, "Building an Edtech Bill of Rights". In this session, Katrina and Chike masterfully facilitated a necessary discussion on purposeful innovation amongst teachers, EdTech leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs and students…with a focus on teacher/student voice. During the session, we were challenged to listen to teachers about current educational problems and come up with some "technology based" way of solving them…in a limited amount of time. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been on many sides of edtech but this was new territory for me as I have never been asked… "What’s your biggest problem and how can we fix it?" Of all of the sessions that I have been to over the years, this one seems to have struck a nerve because it certainly informed a few thoughts that had been brewing concerning the evaluation of the necessity of tech. I want to know about the discussions and research that went into ideating and creating the product. Who does it serve, how does it solve and why? How does your product compare with others which have similar functions? I also want to know if your infrastructure supports product improvement and your plan of growth accordingly. In other words…where is your market research and how are you using it? As educators, we believe wholeheartedly in the power of feedback and if I am using your tool in my classroom, you most certainly should be listening to feedback from users and adjusting accordingly when necessary and possible. Not every tech specialist/teacher will ask these questions but when we consider the number of products on the market and how many make their way into classrooms, someone should be digging deeper. At a minimal level, we should be considering at least 5 questions BEFORE the tech is thrown into the training rotation. 1. What simple problem does this application solve? This is a question about purpose. If I can’t use the tool and understand why I need to use it…how can I possibly communicate this to teachers? With that said, people see tools from different perspectives and someone may find some use that I have not…like augmented reality. However, during the planning/pre-funding phase…that developer had to answer this question and should certainly be able to communicate their "why" to you. 2. If the application was made specifically for education, how much educator feedback was considered and was that feedback from a diverse space? I read an article in Edsurge about the Silicon Valley Education Association and that they have a program for edtech developers to get their product in Silicon Valley schools for testing. To be clear, if this is the ONLY place that your product has been tested and the only place where you are getting feedback, I am going to question this thinking. In addition, how can a product address a need in education if educators are not informing that need?  3. Does the privacy and terms of service align with my students, myself and our district? I have to credit Bill Fitzgerald and Audrey Watters with teaching me everything that I know about privacy, terms of service and the language of them. I read their work religiously. This came in handy as I sat in a room looking at potential products for a future venture and as shocking as it was for the men on the other side of the table to be asked about their TOS and privacy…it was necessary as it unlocked a slew of issues that they did not even know that they had. It’s not just about the age of student that can use it. That’s critical, of course. It’s also about ownership of product, life of your service if the product goes away and privacy of all stakeholders.  4. What type of data is collected and how is that data used? This should be a "no-brainer" to ask. Data = dollars. Believe that. This is especially important if your parents have signed district documents limiting the use of their child’s data. In addition, if you or your teachers are uploading lessons, how will those lessons be used? Who owns them? If uploading my lessons means that I no longer own them, I should not be uploading them. This information should be located somewhere in the terms of service and if it isn’t…ask. 5. If we are creating and storing within the platform, can our work be exported to use elsewhere? Visibly, if the platform includes a "download" feature, do it. Upload it to your external hard drive as you never know when that small step will come in handy. Not every product has an "export" feature and for me…that is a deal breaker. If there is no visible export function, ask about it. Again…see the section in TOS about…"If our product is sold…"  Not every product that we use in schools was made for education but every tech creator should have no problem answering a few questions that are not immediately visible. Gone are the days that we can be oblivious to what happens on the other side of tech. Innovation is a shared responsibility and we must be a part of those discussions as our goals should always be to impact student learning…with effective technology.

For the past few years, I’ve shared many social media postings about my #edtechdad, who earned that name because of his adoration of tech company branded t-shirts. He has never actually used any of the products that he freely advertises around town but that doesn’t stop him from talking about them. As a matter of fact, until a month ago…aside from his former employee entry computer, my father has never been on an internet enabled device himself. Back in February, after engaging in an online mission to disrupt the Slave Simulation game, created by Mission US, I started researching the slave roots within my own family. This was unchartered territory as it is known widely within my family that my great great  grandfather insisted upon avoiding the conversation at all cost as he was considered a product of slavery even though slavery itself had ended. So, even though my father knew the names of his relatives, he did not know anything about their lives and learning about them intrigued him. As we searched and uncovered details, my father became more and more interested in the tools that were enabling him to make connections that he always longed to do. He could not believe that so much of his family history was located online, searchable at any time. Eventually we handed him his own ipad and he has been hooked since. My Dad’s Journey Into Tech My father’s adoption of technology was not an overnight process. As a matter of fact, if you told him one month ago that he would be toting around an ipad mini, he would have given you the best "get away from me" face ever and walked away. These days, my dad is using his ipad to further dig into his history…searching digital archives and artifacts for the gaps in our family history that he never knew. So far, he has traced back at least 12 generations of our "Adams/Hearne" relatives from Hearne, TX to Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, Maryland and London, England. He has located primary documents that further connected not only the missing roots of his great grandfather but also the financial ramifications and gain of his family as slave owners and slaves…with no identity. Yesterday, my father asked me to share a few postings to my social sites so that our family could benefit from some of his stories. One of his postings was about the teacher from his primary years who passed away Thursday. He wanted her story to be shared. In addition, my father suggested that he could and should start putting as many of his stories online as possible so that our future generations would know of the history that he uncovered. My father wanted me to post this dedication to his 1st grade teacher who passed away Thursday. In 1959 Berry Joyce Whiteside, fresh out of college, taught her first class of 1st grade students at Blackshear Elementary in Hearne, TX. My dad is on the top row 3 students to the left of Mrs. Whitehead. My dad still remembers how she made learning fun with relevant reading and games. She loved her class and they loved her too. Today, we salute her memory A photo posted by Rafranz (@rafranzdavis) on Mar 28, 2015 at 11:26am PDT Learning from my Father This past January…I published my book, The Missing Voices in Edtech: Bringing Diversity into Edtech. In chapter 2, I talked about the perception of teachers when it comes to tech. In it, I described four types of teachers… Tech-Fearless Educator (leads, teaches, shares, creates, adopts, mentors) Tech-Compliant Educator (learns what is asked and uses) Tech-Reluctant Educator (fear hinders progress) Anti-Everything Educator (not trying to hear about anything new) I found several correlations between these descriptions and my father as he made his trek to becoming a tech user/creator. Although he was not that into using technology, my dad has always been a little curious and I would definitely go as far as calling him reluctant. The difference for him was that we found his "trigger"…something that made technology necessary. He wanted to know about his roots and he wanted to do it himself without our assistance. I joked around that he did it all without any professional development. Technically, that is true. However, he did have help. Between myself and the kids of our family, he has learned not only how to navigate the device but search, curate and even share. As I mentioned earlier, he has asked about ways to put his stories online and we are currently exploring those options for ways that are simple enough for him to get started yet searchable for our family and friends to find it. My dad, a man of 63 years…who has only been a technology user for about one month, is about to get a domain of his own. In his words…if he can do it, anyone can do it. All you need is "the trigger", access and support.

Over the past week I have been looking a bit more deeply into the Future Ready Summit coalition partners in order to learn more about how each one contributes to the #FutureReady initiative. One of those is Digital Promise, an independent, bipartisan nonprofit, authorized by Congress in 2008 as the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies. Earlier today, I came across a blog post written by Krista Moroder called, Words Matter: Let’s Talk About Learning, Not Technology. In it, Krista reflected on a moment from her training experience in which she came to understand the power of focusing on learning outcomes in lieu of the "tech tool" heavy phrasing that is too often utilized in learning spaces. She goes even deeper by offering alternative phrasing that tech trainers can use to better adhere to the needs of classroom teachers. This is a topic that has been near and dear to my heart for some time and as a matter of fact, I wrote about it in October from the lens of the edtech conference which also too often relies heavily on tool focused sessions. Remember…It’s not about the tool. …Unless you are talking about access instead of professional development because for schools without technology, it IS about the tools. "It’s not about the tech. It’s about the learning" has become a buzz phrase no different than the buzzwords of tech that it’s said against. There are two different sides to this conversation and it’s important to acknowledge that. I agree with the phrase completely in the case of school learning and implementation when it comes to technology as Krista described and even as I described from the tech training circuit. However, the phrase does not apply in schools where there is no technology. A few years ago, I led a technology implementation initiative at a school where teachers were using the equivalent of "overheads" by way of document cameras that were only connected to projectors and not computers. Picture…stacks of notebook papers of notes being used for lectures. School policies prohibited cell phone use and 150 classrooms sharing two common labs plus one cart of broken netbooks, meant that technology use was limited unless students took technology courses. Professional development involved a projected ppt, foldables, TAP evaluation rubrics and the Marzano book. Teachers, under a distict paper limitation mandate, had to find creative ways to help kids learn. So…we focused on "the learning" but there was always something missing…the technology…and by default, the opportunities. Again…I agree wholeheartedly that we must refrain from letting tech tools dominate PD but at the same token, let’s not forget that as many of us have access…too many do not. At some point in time, no matter where we are in the spectrum of learning, there exist a period of time that it is about the tools. There also exist a transition when it is not about the tools. It’s important to acknowledge this as we work to make access to digital learning the norm.

I’ve been an Adobe Voice user and have used it countless times with students. However, there was a piece missing for students who needed a platform to liven up projects or ideas that required much more text. A few weeks ago, I was able to get a peek inside Adobe Slate and I’ve been anticipating its release since. Simultaneously, my father…with his ipad…has been thinking about publishing his family history based on his research. Today, Adobe Slate released and I put it to the test with my dad who at 63 years young is a complete tech novice who has never used an app beyond safari and the photo album. Ironically, I was asked today if I have ever used this app with students. In a non-traditional sense, my dad is a student. We all are…aren’t we? As a matter of fact, my work with my father is something that I recommend for all of us to do. Whether we capture these stories via video, portfolio or web…capture them. This is necessary. Adobe Slate was simple enough for him to use and we appreciated that. A Few Tidbits The app was created with schools in mind although it definitely has applications beyond school. For now, sign-ups are limited to Adobe and "Facebook". For many schools, this is limiting and even more so when students do not have email. Come on Adobe? Work with us here! Typing was problematic so we’ll definitely have to purchase a keyboard. The app includes an internal image search and cites it accordingly, which is awesome! Adobe boasts that stories can be embedded yet, that option is only available via the ipad app so to embed his story, I had to copy the code to a note file and then share it. The published web piece should have an embed option, somewhere at the bottom or where ever the share options are, but it does not. Adobe Story allows videos to be saved to camera roll. Adobe slate should at least export as a pdf. It does not and that alone almost made us not use this app. Where is the option to copy the published link to share? Yes, we can post to social media and then grab the link but if I wanted to embed a Slate story into thinglink, I have to share it to social media first and then grab the link. Updated below! When the research supports that schools using Chromebooks outweigh those using ipads, why make an application that works on an ipad only? Creative storytelling via the web should always be a thing! I recommend this app for grades 5 and up or any age when a person is writing full stories, research, essays or letters. (The sign-up will continue to be problematic for the under 13 crowd) My dad’s first creative app was Slate and so far, he is pretty happy with it. Now, to work on his space to house his published library! Edited to add… Thanks to Ben at Adobe, the "copy link" mystery has been solved. "To embed and get the kink, go to the Projects, click the … and select Share, you’ll see an option to Copy Link. You’ll also see Copy Embed Code." Check the image below!

There’s a really huge myth that kids come to class with zero experience in the grit area…that somehow "struggle in school work" is supposed to magically teach that. By definition, grit is about courage, resolve and strength of character in the face of obstacles. In real life, those obstacles can be hindering and impossible sometimes to just "do"…because of grit. Some kids thrive and some struggle beyond school. With boys, especially black boys…those obstacles can be crippling, especially in a world that immediately judges them unfairly because they have those obstacles to begin with and not by how they rise above them. I am a mother of a son who struggles. Over the past year, I’ve experienced his highs and lows, mostly in private yet still very much so out in the open. He has struggled emotionally with the constant rejection of his father and financial hardships of his mother working to support him alone. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders but his spirit in doing so is empowering and motivating…especially to his mother. No one knows his real story. They see him, the son of a "seemingly successful" educator and assume that he is belligerent and just needs a little grit. Trust me…he doesn’t need any more grit. He needs meaningful experiences, curiosity and the ability to escape into wonder…to be inspired. He has plenty of grit…even when you don’t see it and especially when you refuse to see it. I can’t talk about grit without talking about my son’s good friend. He’s a young man who is learning how to survive in the face of obstacles and he is certainly trying hard. His mother, gone from his life indefinitely, is locked up and his father, unable to cope and deal, threw him from the home. He’s now thriving, in the face of hardship and rejection…living with his grandmother. …An yet, he smiles But…you want to teach him grit??? These two boys, for me, represent much more than the lives that they live. They are the epitome of hope. What their teachers/schools need to do is focus on how they can build a culture of support for them. How will they know that there are opportunities that can help them transcend the cards that they are dealt? How will they channel the anger and hurt into positive outcomes? How can they question the world that they live in and know that they too can contribute ideas and maybe even innovate to change their future? If you’re focusing on grit, you’re focusing on the wrong thing because the ones who you think "need grit" the most…are the ones who are already drinking a full cup of it. More of us need to sit back…learn from them…and create the system for their success. Right now…it doesn’t exist. One more thing… Technology is not accessible to either of these boys at school. So, there’s that.

I’m writing you this letter because I think that you should be much more intentional about connecting with the education community. To be honest with you, for a platform that fundamentally enables users to share stories, you are missing out on some of the most amazing stories involving twitter. I know that you are fully aware of the impact that you are having on education. You see the stats and you may even be aware of the educational hashtags that scroll amongst the billions of tweets per second but I wonder if you truly "get it"…how deeply your platform has supported the transformation of teaching and learning. Think about that for a second. Plenty of tech companies have tried but not many have done what you are doing…without really trying. I’m not asking you to provide any form of sponsorship, send money to schools or even change your platform in any way. (Although a private periscope channel would make that app a bit more user friendly for education) What I am suggesting is that you have a more intentional presence in the education community. There is an initiative going on right now to connect more kids, teachers, schools and communities. As a former teacher who used to be limited to the boundaries of her hometown, this connecting is critical and can be life changing. I had no idea that there were so many different ways to disrupt learning (in a good way) until I started connecting via twitter. I am one teacher. There are thousands more just like me. There are schools who have completely changed the way that they approach learning because their school leaders and teachers engaged in conversations beyond their school walls. Teachers that could barely talk to the teachers in their halls are connecting daily with other teachers all over the world. That’s huge! There are kids gaining more opportunities because through twitter, practices were questioned through thought provoking questions…all in 140 characters or less. It’s not just our teachers. Our students are connecting to each other and also to professionals in the field…real people who want to help support education. I know that I may be asking for quite a bit but, it would be awesome if you had a presence at our educational events. You…dear czars of open communication…could even participate in conversations ranging from principles of learning to impact beyond textbooks through social justice. You could be a part of the conversations about tech, diversity, equality and equity. You could share amazing stories of connectedness on your blog or even help promote stories as they are being told. The key, though, is in recognizing that we are an audience worth sharing about. Can you imagine the impact of capturing those stories on the ground in schools and sharing videos from around the globe? Think about the thousands of schools that are not connecting and that are not using your platform yet. Why aren’t they and how can you help them? We share the power of twitter to anyone who listens because we know how much it has changed many of our lives and classrooms. Maybe you could start sharing these stories too.   Thank you! Rafranz PS: At minimum, you should have a section on your blog that shares stories specifically from education. There are plenty of them…as long as your are intentionally grabbing them.

Before traveling to New York for the Games for Learning Summit, I talked to my teenage son about his love of gaming and why he is so captivated by the game, Assassin’s Creed. My son looked at me and said… "Mom, I know that you have some influence in education…or at least you think you do. But, if you say or do anything that makes Ubisoft change Assassin’s Creed from what it is to some watered down game for schools, I will hold you personally responsible [insert smile]" My son loves this game because of it’s captivating graphics and brilliant integration of fiction and history. He also loves the video vignettes that take place throughout the game and has quite honestly, learned more about history through gaming than he did sitting in his desk…listening to lectures and writing down notes from powerpoint. During my keynote at "G4L15", I shared my son’s words as well as how he learns through playing games like Assassin’s Creed. I was also clear in saying that this is not a game for K-12 schools but that the intentionality with which the game was created to immerse players into a real historical experience was something that we should not ignore. Gaming in My Classroom As a classroom teacher, I integrated games but my games were specifically math based. I even blogged about them and how "great" they were. If my only focus was on skill development, those games would have been okay. However, my students demanded more than that. They were just beginning to download mobile games and wanted more "education-less" application that didn’t care whether they found the value of x but cared more about if they understood the why and when of the math itself. Our deep dive into gaming started with Angry Birds but eventually landed in the territory of games like Farmville, Plants vs. Zombies and even certain sports games like Madden and the Tony Hawk series. Kids began to recognize algebraic and geometric patterns that existed within the context of gaming and that is how they often made their real world connections….ironically in a world that wasn’t real. What they wanted to know was… Why is it that math games created for school are boring and seem to follow the same formulaic pattern…skill practice, test, mini-game? Why is it that games created for phones and consoles seem to apply more skills without making it seem "educational"? Why aren’t we just playing the games that we want to play that use these skills instead of playing games that focus on the skill? (translation…math games = glorified worksheets with sound) My Son’s Ideal Game I asked my son if he could design a game for school, what would it be. His response is below… "If I could design a game, I would make it a cross between The Sims, World of Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto…except without violence or stealing. I want the characters to speak languages of the world and even learn them, go to work/school and solve real problems in school and even in the community. If they go to a class in school, I want them to sometimes complete real assignments on their own and sometimes work collaboratively with their peers on projects in the game (project based learning). I want them to have social interactions and even experiences like trying out for the basketball team, going to dances and playing games. I would create a game about about the things that we experience as teens but I would make sure that it included things like anti-bullying without being too preachy and some way that kids could play, learn and feel good about themselves in the process. Oh, and I definitely want it to be in a realistic 3d world." My son told me that he has been dreaming about doing this for 3 years now and although he has been trying to learn to code, it’s not as simple as he thought. He’s also not giving up on the idea of game designing which is a great reminder about the importance of kids learning to design their own games which is still an entirely different but necessary conversation. Also…My son’s game + adding elements of financial responsibility that can’t be solved with simple cheat codes would be a remarkable game and if anyone wants to make this or help him…he’s in. Reflecting on G4L15 If I learned anything at the Games for Learning Summit…it is that there are entertainment game developers and organizations with a vested interest in education who want to find some way of engaging in this space. It is also important to have educators immersed in these discussions as well as development. If you think that this is not worth exploring consider this… Educational Gaming 2015 = Britney Spear’s Dance Beat (2002) I should know. I owned, played and beat that game…because in 2002, dancing via controller was a thing. (Yes, I am admitting this in public) Our kids deserve so much more than this. One more thing…to the teachers that say that games are not for learning and continue to bar such amazing experiences like Minecraft, I challenge you to spend one day with me, my son and any device. Game on!  

Earlier today, one of my former principals shared this quote… "When a seed is planted, the creative urge is to grow. It never stops trying… The audacious hope of rooted things…" From the novel "Ruby" by Cynthia Bond.   The beauty of this quote is in its direct relationship to the art and science of being a learner. If we get education right, we will in essence be creating a culture of growth just like a seed…all types of seeds that grow in their own way…their own purpose. Over the course of my career, I have had many great mentors, experiences and opportunities for growth. Some I excelled at immediately and some were epic failures…all of which leading to lessons that I continue to learn from today. When I left Arlington, I envisioned myself doing full time contracting and continuing to work with a team to develop a system of learning. As with all paths, sometimes there are forks and we must choose. I’ve always known that my heart belonged in public education and when a friend offered a nudge to look into a career opportunity in Lufkin…I pondered, prayed and decided to take the leap of faith and try. It’s now been about 1.5 months since that initial nudge and here I sit as the new Executive Director of Professional and Digital Learning for Lufkin ISD…a role that I’ve dreamed about my entire career…before I knew that it existed. I am extremely honored to join such a student and community centered school district like Lufkin and as I take the time to look, listen, learn and build relationships…I am proud to continue to be the seed…growing with each moment, conversation and experience. I am fortunate to have worked with many amazing educators over the years while also being connected to some of the best educational leaders globally. With that said, I could not be more excited to work in a district with such a prolific superintendent and executive leadership staff that completely understands the power of innovative learning with countless opportunities for all learners. Aside from myself, I am also excited for my son as this change will be just as significant for him with a move three hours away from the only home that he has ever known. I will admit that even after our visit to Lufkin, he was understandably apprehensive about moving. With my family living in Ennis, he could still opt to stay and graduate with his peers. This path will be his to choose. As of now, I am watching him as he looks through the extensive course guide of Lufkin High School…verbally commenting on classes that he would love to take…classes that are not offered in our home town. I have a feeling that he’ll soon understand the importance of taking the leap into his own future. Growth is amazing like that. The audacity of it…  

  The following is an excerpt from my book, The Missing Voices in Edtech: Bringing Diversity into Edtech. It is the chapter on teacher voice in edtech decisions where I describe ways that campus leaders can help teachers grow as digital leaders. As a classroom teacher, I would have definitely described myself as a "Tech-Fearless Educator". I’ve always enjoyed exploring to learn and definitely embraced that in my own teaching and learning. Any opportunity that I had to either train other teachers or serve on decision making committees, I jumped at it which helped me to swiftly develop as a leader. In thinking of my own experiences, I have to wonder if we are in fact offering teachers on our campuses the opportunities to do the same? In other words, are we creating an environment in which teachers feel that they not only have a voice but a platform in which to grow?  Are we creating a community of developers or a community that needs developed? Ideas for Developing Teacher Tech Leaders on Campus Don’t make the "fearless-tech" teacher your only go-to for all things technology. When you do this, you are creating an environment of  "only them" instead of  "us too". The fearless-tech teachers is one of your greatest assets in terms of willingness to tackle new ideas but we must be careful that as we continuously validate the ideas of the teachers with automatic buy-in, that we don’t inadvertently invalidate the others. Many teachers will not automatically jump at the chance to share because they don’t realize that what they are doing in their classrooms is in fact transformative. As you see those moments, encourage those teachers to share with their team or even staff. Have an unconference led by your campus teachers.  What I love most about "edcamps" is that they are 100% driven by the collective knowledge of the group. An unconference isn’t about the "star" of the room but about amplifying what participants want to learn and their comfort in leading the learning. This is an excellent way to help teachers become more confident leaders which will only further the cause when it comes to technology. In addition, this a great way to pose an open discussion where teachers can freely voice their technology concerns. Have an open policy for when teachers want to teach official campus training. This should be a priority. When teachers want to lead training, they should be given the platform to do so. Yes, your "fear-less" educator may be compelled to lead sessions as much as possible but by encouraging teachers to be collaborative, they will only gain more through developing together . Encourage your teachers to submit proposals to speak at conferences. As a frequent conference attendee/presenter, I actually love hearing from teachers who are currently in practice versus a specialist who is not. In addition, it is a proven fact that when a teacher or trainer is faced with sharing with a broader audience, they almost always become even stronger experts of the content that they are teaching. Form a committee to explore campus technology goals and give teachers ownership of ensuring that goals are met. This option is like killing two birds with one stone. Teachers get to not only lead a charge but have a voice in its development. For campuses that are in charge of their own technology purchases in lieu of a district office, this is huge. Get teachers connected. As cliche as it may sound, being connected can be a game-changer for anyone with a vested interest in education, especially teachers. Through social media, teachers will not only have access to the global dynamics of classrooms but also to learning events that are often not communicated about in school. While twitter is not the only platform for connectedness, it is one of the most widely used. Rethinking My Educational Perceptions For the first time, I sat in a department meeting of a school that was not my home. In my current edu assignment, I’ll do many more of these visits across multiple campuses. I envisioned myself in the role of the teacher attendee…doodling, sort of ignoring directives, rolling my eyes and thinking about the kids in my room who needed my attention much more than the whine-fest that was our meeting. I then remembered my life, one year ago, as the person leading those meetings and watching the battered faces of the educators that I saw. I had a few realizations… Meetings should be more conversational. We wonder why teachers feel beat down. Here’s a clue…in most cases, they are absent of a voice. Someone is always talking at and not including their input or ideas. The department chair should not "run" the meeting but should facilitate the conversations. Admins shouldn’t be there overseeing or overtaking those meetings. Empowered teacher leaders should be trusted to facilitate this process with the goal of student learning being the focus. Teachers should not meet just to say that they met but to share in ideas to accomplish goals. You can’t expect teachers to "be innovative" and "think outside of the box" when it’s not happening at the top. This one is so deep that a new post will follow specific to this thought. Technology, to some, is still a "thing"…It’s now the new "district thing"…not a reflection of normalcy. Moving reluctant teachers is one thing. Changing the thoughts of an entire school is another. Regardless, it’s still a process that must be approached purposefully.  

A few weeks ago, my nephew arrived home from school with a plan. He still needed to get about 15 points for his AR (Accelerated Reader) total in order to attend the school shopping trip where kids were able to cash in points for money. He was determined, and not because he was dying to go spend what would amount to about $10 in junk but because he could not bear the thought of being left behind to write. Yes, those that did not get the points required would be left behind on campus with a "two page" writing assignment about why they did not read the required number of books in order to earn their points. (Completely bad practice) Yesterday, my nephew offered this feedback for such "writing as punishment" assignments. I love writing stories, especially fiction. Writing gives me the chance to be creative because I can make up characters and have them do whatever I want. Why do teachers punish us with it though? I hate to hear, "If you don’t do this, you’re going to have to write." I hate that so much. Sometimes when they do that, I just want to write anyway and make up everything just to annoy my teacher. Don’t they know that making us write like that just makes kids hate writing? Please stop using writing as punishment. I like to write but when you punish us with it, it’s not fun. -Braeden, age 10 Punishment or to Waste Time Writing as a time waster is just as bad. Upon the return from the shopping trip, Braeden’s teacher then told them to sit and write about what they bought and why they bought it. The problem with this writing is that it begins and ends in the same place…on the student’s paper. This could have actually been creative writing and it could have even been more powerful if the experience was not limited to items but truly focused on the experience itself…and shared in some capacity for feedback. Except…it wasn’t…so there’s that. I utilized writing in my math class frequently. My students wrote reflections, "what ifs", wonderings, how-to letters and sometimes…just because. I read them…and gave feedback. We gave each other feedback. When were were able to write online via blogging through our LMS (My Big Campus…which I hated with all of my being), my students wrote and received feedback from their peers. It wasn’t about punishment or "time wasting". It was a human form of communication…sometimes real and sometimes, fictional…but always relevant. If you are a teacher or decision maker using writing in this horrendous way, please rethink that practice. Writing is such a poetic form of expression and the moment that we turn it into something related to punishment or non-purposeful…we destroy a bit of our students’ desires to engage in such powerful practice. Let’s rethink this…shall we?