The kids were prepared and ready to go... and in an effort to document and backchannel all that we do, today's first few segments aired on Periscope. All performers were asked before their group went if they felt comfortable being live streamed and the one group who objected to being seen, allowed me to use Voxer to record their presentation. In year's past, once the presentation was over, there was no record of it anywhere. Now, students can review what was presented and hear the ensuing conversations which can help strengthen their learning.In addition to using Periscope and Voxer ...

Things won't happen as quickly as I want, but they will happen and great change is possible. My being able to be vulnerable about these changes and my fears about them is a testiment to how change is hard but still worthwhile

Twitter's poll function has lots of great uses for the classroom. It's super easy to use and is a great way to gather quick data. Check this out to see how you can use Twitter to gather data quickly using the polls function

Although old challenges may no longer be present, new ones will certainly arise, but the benefit of starting over with the prior experience I have is what will help me and others grow. Walking into a new opportunity can be scary but it is that fear that will either force me to improve or force me into submission of some kind. Since I'm not a quitter, it can only be up from here.

Aside from everything that is new, I'm really grateful to the few colleagues who have gone out of their way to really make me feel at home, answering my millions of questions and coming to my rescue when I have that "deer in headlights" kind of look on my face. What an exciting new adventure! I'm keeping my mind open. For those of you starting new jobs or welcoming new people into your job, what advice can you share?

It's time for me to reconsider and get creative. Chalk, no chalk. Computers, no computers. Cell phones or not, kids can learn and the more we recognize that, the more likely we are to move them forward in the ways we can.

Read on to share the letter I've written to myself at the beginning of my 15th year. What message would you write to yourself in a letter?

Every year I go into the school year not really knowing what to expect. And since this year is so drastically different, not just in the specific perimeter of my job but also in the school community I will now be a part of. Rather than let fear consume me, (there have been moments throughout the summer that it has), I choose to stay really centered in what I know and can do. Because I know when I keep myself open to the miraculous occurrences that exist within this world, many opportunities show themselves in the most unlikely places. I ...

Whether in a club or on a school newspaper looking to raise awareness about perceived injustice, students have the power to take action and the first amendment supports their right to do so. We must continually engage students in meaningful dialogue that encourages them to take big risks that can can potentially change the way the system runs. At the very least we need to help them find that thing that inspires them to want to make change by not being afraid to do it ourselves.

Children's books often share major life lessons that morph into more complicated plot lines as fiction grows longer. Seeing things simply does have it's place. As the world grows more crazy, we can take solace in the wise words of children and continue to understand that our imaginations never stop working if we choose to continue to exercise them.