Multi-faceted Refractions

Like many of you, especially those of you who work at independent schools, you are asked to do a variety of different tasks. In my case, in addition to the responsibilities as the Director of Academic Technology (teaching one class per year, working with teachers to develop and deliver individual professional development plans, working with classes of students and teachers as they acquire the discrete sets of technology skills), I am a student adviser, I am the person responsible for creating our High School Master Schedule, I am one of the co-founders of our Middle School and High School Science Olympiad teams, and for the past four years, I am the adviser to our school’s yearbook, the Mirror.

At our school, the yearbook is an extra-curricular project. When I started four years ago, my editorial team and staff were one in the same, six outstanding seniors who were amongst the most active students at the school, involved in athletics, the dramatic productions, and many other outstanding opportunities that we provide for our students.

Although we have been more successful in growing the program by increasing the number of staff members who apprentice as underclassman, at this time our leadership team is comprised of seniors who are interested in telling the story and documenting the year, but do not have any previous experience with a project of this magnitude and importance.

This year, in addition to the lack of experience in the process, the leaders that I am working with are from three distinct groups. Part of the challenge at the beginning is to build a cohesive team that is able to work together able be able to tell a story from one common voice. I find it challenging to have the students leave strip away their biases and agendas when they enter the room.

Experience and failure are great motivators. There are five distinct deadlines that our plant requires us to meet, the first fairly light and then increasing in intensity. This year, I have opted to let the students fall short of the requirements expected in the deadline. It was during the adrenaline filled last three days that the realized the level of commitment required of the position. Now that we have come short, I believe theyare poised to accept the challenge ahead of them.

I wonder what strategies that others in similar positions employ in similar situations to mold a cohesive team of students ready to tackle a challenge such as this?

The past three weeks have provided wonderful professional development opportunities for me and at the same time have created a tension which these new opportunites create. During this time, I have been trying to keep with the content and conversations provided by both the K12 Online Conference and the New York City Independent School Technologists conference in Mohonk.

Because both of these conferences have made their presentations available via a variety of different modes, podcasts, vidcasts, and screencasts. Via the variety of blogs and aggregators, such as hitchhikr, I have been able to gather the notes and follow the conversation not only of the attendees, but of those who are like me who are remotely participating in the conversation. There are also the new wikis that many are creating for their handouts which are like a siren inviting me to participate and share my thoughts and ideas. Unlike an actual conference where I am physically limited to what I am able to do, here I can have it all.
From these experiences, I find myself invigorated by the conversations and the intellectual challenges that these experiences allow me. But not being physically there, I am contently pulled back into reality by both personal and professional demands on my time. While having the iPod and car adapter does allow me the opportunity to listen hauling my children around, they are getting tired of hearing about Ed Tech and would rather listen to their own musical choices.

It is especially difficult this week, as it is Interim Week at our school. This is a week where classes are suspended and students select a week long, immersive experience from those which are presented. I am once again offering a film-making interim, where students create films of their own choosing.This year I have 15 students who are creating five different films. This being Thursday, they are trying to get their last scenes shot and trying to get their films edited so that they can be shown to the group Friday afternoon, at least a rough cut. I have been interrupted four times since starting this to help troubleshoot various different problems. I really enjoy this week at our school, although it is more exhausting than a normal week due to the fact that you are always on and having to guide students who are equally immersed in their projects. There is a tremendous amount of learning going on.

Layering my desire to continue my learning when the energy levels are tapped has been tricky. I will continue to try to keep up with the pace, but I am finding myself lagging behind. The fact that these conversations are just beginning and will continue and that I can participate a when “life” is a bit more relaxed is reassuring, but I wonder when that time will come.

So I will have to continue to persevere and forge onward. I look forward to our future conversations.

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