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September 26, 2007 08:51 AM

Everthing Goes Wrong

The end has to be told first. I think this was one of the best Montana cadre meetings to date. A huge success and I really pushed the group to apply their learning. But it must be told the process to get here could have led one to peril or early suicide.

Just imagine, put yourself in my shoes.
It all started on the travel day to Bozeman Montana. It was the first time I traveled with a work colleague and Darren, bless his heart, started his first workday at OETC on a rather chaotic day of travel.

My mind did not process the time I needed to be at the airport until I was leaving for the airport. I looked at the clock twice and I realized I needed to be going through security in ten minutes. Did I say I live an underestimated thirty minutes away? As I left a message for Darren that I may miss the flight, I actually pulled into the overcharged parking and raced in to check in (yeah the one time I didn’t check in before I got to the airport). Ironically, Darren was late also. So we decided to carry our bags on instead. Opps oh yea, we both got our bags searched because we had liquids over 3.5 ounces. Bye bye professional hairspray, sorry Darren, no shaving or hair gelin’. As we race down the gate, we were met with a thirty-minute delay. From there it only proceeded to get worse, and only deserves brief bulleted recognition:

  • Didn’t have time to get coffee and our flight to Seattle didn’t have coffee either.

  • Flight in Seattle to Bozeman was delayed a bit at the last minute.

  • Flight in Butte was delayed 3 hours, and then cancelled.

  • We rented a car.

  • Then the airline offered a bus to Bozeman.

  • We drove anyway.

  • When we went to get our luggage outside, it started to rain. When we walked to the car, it was a downpour.

  • Over the mountain it started to snow. I didn’t bring a coat or anything but sandals.

  • There was a bad car accident in the snow, which looked to be fellow air travelers who rented a car also.

  • Best of all, when we got to the hotel and checked in, we overheard the internet was down. Had been down for two days because a tower fell. Yeah that is what I thought also… what will we do?

  • So I went to a coffee shop with internet to plan a two-day agenda without connectivity.

  • As Darren and I planned an activity using one of the staff development books I brought, we headed to Kinko’s to make copies. Hmmm, Kinko’s closed just as we entered. Yeah we thought they were open 24 hours also. Not this one.

  • I decided to call it a night and besides my digital camera not working I ironically NEVER ONCE felt stressed bothered or uptight at the dilemmas and road blocks in my path.

Darren did great. He is a super addition to OETC and he was a thoughtful tremendous help. And EVERYTHING worked out for the cadre, INCLUDING the internet coming back up and working perfectly. OK, I must end with this, the internet, went down after the cadre was over. LOL.

If you would like to see the Montana evaluation results, feel free.

Recently found on jena's weblog. | in Montana Cadre | Comments (0)

September 20, 2007 03:39 PM

Cadre's

I am sure it is not true, but my head thinks right now that I have never been so stressed out and busy. It seems worse than ITSC, but I think I am deceived. Planning for Oregon and Montana cadre's has consumed me this week, and that is all I can say.

Oh, we have 90 participants for Oregon and 25 for Montana and we charged $150 membership fee this year.

Recently found on jena's weblog. | in Montana Cadre, Oregon Cadre | Comments (0)

September 19, 2007 03:52 PM

Board Report


Don't forget to take the poll on the right side--->

Recently found on jena's weblog. | in Top Story | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007 03:41 PM

New Hire

We received the OVSD Award to provide professional development in Oregon. So I called up Darren Hudgins and offered him a job at OETC as the Instructional Program Coordinator. He accepted and I have him flying off too the Montana Cadre for his first day of work.

He has a steep learning curve ahead of him, but I am confident of his stellar staff development skills, and look forward to the energy and diversity he will add to this department.

Recently found on jena's weblog. | in OVSD | Comments (0)

September 14, 2007 03:32 PM

PulseMedia

AMAZING! This week I met with Ioanida Costache, a senior at Milwaukie High School. She is the CEO of PulseMedia the group that does digital video not only for a class but for businesses. I hired this group to film the Oregon Cadre for the year and to film all of ITSC.

Jeff Linman, their teacher said, "I didn't know anything about video cameras and making movies five years ago when I started this group and I still don't know that much. I don't have to. It is about authentic learning opportunities for students." Now if that isn't 21st Century Learning I don't know what is. He emailed me after the meeting saying how cool this project is for the students and how I gave them curriculum for a year.

In addition to the conversation, it became apparent that Jeff and the students need to tell their story. So we decided to have them come to the Essential Skills Task Force meeting at ODE in October. As the task force has widdled down the essential skills for students to know and be able to do when they graduate, they have eliminate Creativity and Innovation, which are building blocks for America to be culturally competitive in the future. I think Jeff's students can help show how important that skill is.

Recently found on jena's weblog. | in Oregon Cadre | Comments (0)

September 7, 2007 03:23 PM

Oregon Cadre Leadership Team

I was reminded this week that my best asset is not facilitating small planning groups. I will admit it now. I met with the leaders for the Oregon Cadre this week. The meeting was wonderful, and they are an INCREDIBLE group of educators that I am proud to work with. I on the other hand did not get my desired outcome, which would have been the full Oregon Cadre agenda planned.

What I did get was a brain stretching and challenging discussion on what the goal of the cadre is. The predominate message being, sure teach the emerging technologies, but don't forget the Jane Doe of Tiny School District. Teach them at their level. I do not disagree with that concept. It took me days after the meeting in which I was stressed out, to assimilate what that means for me personally and for the Oregon Cadre. How do we push educators toward's the necessary change to help students be ready for the 21st Century. We cannot afford to be thinking 20th Century roadblocks and thoughts.

It was the next week that I heard Aaron introduce OETC Instructional Programs by saying, "We deliver professional development on cutting edge technologies." Shortly after that I received an instant message saying the motto of the cadre should be "We're not afraid to be beta." This really encapsulated and help give me focus about the cadre. I only wish I would have had that focus sooner to facilitate the leadership team more effectively.

Recently found on jena's weblog. | in Oregon Cadre | Comments (0)