My take. The end of the #BammyAwards as we know it.

A little history...

When I first learned of the Bammy Awards I was thrilled to discover there was a formal way to share with the world the work of some seriously amazing educators. Personally, I was thrilled educators had the opportunity to let their peers know what an inspiration their work had been and how it touched the lives of so many. How wonderful to be able to introduce our country to those whose work and ideas were generally only celebrated in the small circle of educators.

I was equally excited to learn the Bammys were planning to recognize connected educators who had worked so hard, often putting their own livelihood on the line, to speak up and share ideas that matter. While many may stand out locally, often in uncomfortable ways as disrupters, and even outcasts, the Bammys provided validation to educator voice not just via the awards, but also by providing opportunities for educators to host and be guests on BAM Radio’s professionally-produced shows which help shine a spotlight on and share this work to a wider audience.

After the Bammys first year there was room for improvement. Two biggies were 

1) student recognition and 

2) the addition of a few categories, like librarian.

The present...

In their second year they heard this feedback and adjusted adding new categories (including librarians) and concluding with the recognition of a student named Mallory Fundora who was doing work to make our world a better place. There were also some wonderful surprises such as their decision to honor Ed Camp, EdChat, and a Jesse Hagopian, a teacher who had the courage to speak out and help his school take action to ensure students were not unfairly accessed.

Not surprisingly for a fledgling endeavor, in addition to all the wonderful experiences the Bammys provide,  there was also room for improvement. Some were disappointed and even angry about parts of the event. I understand it. Educators have been under attack in this country and we have HIGH sensitivities, but we also need to recognize when organizations are not the enemy and could potentially partner with us to bring much needed attention to educator and student voice in this country. In those cases, it is our job to take note and advise by working to do our best to inform, rather than attack, a group that is trying to recognize, bring attention to, and help amplify the voice and ideas of educators.  

Too often, when a new endeavor is getting off the ground, should they make a misstep, we write them off before they’ve really had a chance to get their legs. We are teachers though. If we reconnect which our chosen profession, it can serve us well to help lift up, rather than tear down, the efforts which might benefit our profession.

I am pleased to share that this was the case with the Bammy Awards who heard the feedback from educators like Pernille Ripp, Chris Casal, me, and others, and as recently announced they are adjusting. In fact, they are discontinuing the Bammy Awards as we know it.

Many knew the Bammys to be about winners, but as the organizers pointed out before the most recent awards: There Will Be No Winners at the Bammy Awards. Unfortunately, though, this message had not spread widely enough. Many still many knew the awards as just that – a celebration of winners.

The future and end of the Bammy Awards as we know it...

The Bammys are putting a deliberate discontinuation to what many knew these awards to be.

Going forward, the Bammys intentionally will not be about winners, but rather they will explicitly focus on selecting one of the many extraordinary educators in each sector of the education community to "represent" his or her part of the education village in a collective, national celebration of all the good being done in American education.

They will serve as a chance to come together to collectively appreciate and acknowledge the contributions of the various members of the school community celebrating teachers, administrators, students, librarians, school board members, parent leaders, students and all who are vital to the process of helping to ensure young people are ready to pursue happy and successful lives.

Perhaps what is most exciting is that Bammy honorees represent the recognition of the contributions of their peers to the grand collaboration. Letting those who make the short list, or ultimately receive a Bammy Award recognition, know that they are an important part of a community-wide honor for being a model contributor.

What's next?...

This blog, in part is about celebrating great ideas and the people behind them. I’m already thinking about who it is I’d like the world to recognize in a bigger way in 2014. What about you? Who are people doing work you’d like to see receive wider recognition?

5 ideas to strengthen the home-school connection in the 1:1 classroom

This article originally appeared at Partners in Learning - 1:1 Hot Topics. 

Family involvement is important to student success in every classroom. In 1:1 classrooms, the traditional note home in the backpack can be replaced with new methods allowing innovative educators to access a whole new set of tools that can strengthen the home-school connection. If you’re still connecting with parents the way you always have, here are some ideas to update your practice.

1) Open Access  

• Make sure you provide time for parents to access computers and the internet at your school. There are plenty of computers and they’re not always in use. Be creative. Work with the school’s PTA and provide access for parents who need it.

2) Student-led parent workshops 

• Your students are learning some awesome new things in a 1-to-1 environment. Have them share with parents via student-led workshops showcasing their work.

3) Livestream

• Invite parents into your child’s classroom via livestreaming using services like Google Hangout, UStream, and Livestream. Maybe a parent can help with a lesson or just watch some student presentations. Maybe you have parent volunteers work as tutors at certain times via livestream and set up a virtual tutoring station.

4) Facebook 

• Start a Facebook group or page to give parents a window into their child’s classroom. Have students do the updates. Not only is this a great way for parents to stay in the loop about what is going on, it also gives students a chance to publish for a real audience. See how Ms. Schoening did this with her first-grade class here.

5) Twitter

• Give parents a live ticker into what is happening in class via Twitter which can be embedded in any online space like a website, blog, or wiki or delivered right to their phone using Twitter Fast Follow.
  
  See how educators are using Twitter Fast Follow to stay connected with families here.

These are just some ideas for getting parents involved in their child’s education. Which of these ideas would you consider trying? Do you have some ideas that are not listed here? If so, please share.

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
If you're not preparing your students to use social media... Oct 29, 2013,	5639
Stop trying to figure out if screentime is good for kids ... Oct 30, 2013,	3491
Think before you send or post Nov 1, 2013,	2790
5 Ways To Open Up Learning & Engage Students Oct 15, 2013,	1951
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1592
When and How Should Kids Learn to Type? Feb 8, 2011,	1350
Tasting in Technicolor - A Story of Learning Diffe... Nov 3, 2013,	1256
Has Google replaced teaching? Oct 22, 2013,	1225

What if we let students design their own schools?

What if we let students design their own schools? That's exactly the question that was explored with The Independent Project. The program provides a model that empowers students to design and learn in their own school. The project was proposed by students. Their principal agreed to allow students to create and attend this school within a school located  Monument Mountain Regional High School, a public school in Massachusetts. In this video teens share how this model worked well for them. Especially those who weren't thriving in a traditional setting.  

Want to learn how they did it? Here is The White Paper.pdf, a formal document outlining the details of The Independent Project. It was created as a guide for others interested in bringing a version of the model to their own schools.  

Interested? Watch this video too.

The principalship: 6 ways smartphones have changed the landscape

Guest post by John Falino. Cross posted at ON PRINCIPAL

As noted in the “The Principalship: What’s Most Important?” (Post: 9/13), the nature of the Principalship has changed dramatically in a very short period of time. As the demands continue to increase due to the CCSS, standardized exams, and new teacher evaluation systems, perhaps the greatest “game changer” for Principals is the high level of accessibility and connectedness that is now possible due to technology and social media. In fact, a whole new skill set is now required for Principals as the position has quickly become a 24/7 endeavor. Though there is plenty of room for debate on whether this level of access is necessary (or healthy!), the bottom line is that Principals need to be prepared for anything at all hours. There is no such thing as an “off” switch.

While many technological innovations have undoubtedly transformed the position in a relatively short period of time, perhaps there is none greater than the advent of the Smartphone. Since making the switch a little over a year ago to the iPhone, my ability to stay connected to the school community has reached new heights. In fact, this small device is in many ways the mobile “hub” of the school as information on all aspects of building operations comes my way both day and night. It is singularly the most powerful device that a Principal can have.

Here’s why…

Tasting in Technicolor - A Story of Learning Differences from a Teen with Synesthesia

Guest post by Rylie VanOrsdol

When I was in early elementary school, I thought everyone experienced the world the way I did.  Then, in 5th grade while working with a group of kids on math at school, the answer to the problem was 30.  I commented, “Well that’s a nice red number.”  You can imagine the ridicule and chaos that ensued.  I decided to start keeping things to myself.  In retrospect I should have taken a hint from my third and fourth grade public school teachers, who chastised me for coloring around the numbers and letters I had written in pencil on my worksheets in “their” color, when I was finished early in class.  I was a well behaved student and didn’t understand why this angered them so much.  I didn’t want to be “bad”.

When I was being home schooled in 6th grade, I abruptly came to my mom crying and very upset.  It startled and scared her because I didn’t have outbursts like that.  She was worried something was seriously wrong.  I asked through my sobs, “If something was wrong with me, would you tell me?”.  My mom was so surprised by my questions because I was a “great student, well liked by my peers and an all around terrific kid”.  I continued, “Do I have a disability that you are hiding from me?”.  She reassured me that I was more than fine.  The conversation ended.