Friday, January 23, 2015

After spending some time with my fifth graders and reviewing our District's Climate Survey given to all students, I decided to conduct my own impromptu survey. I felt like I needed some more concise information from my kiddos if I was going to help them work on making our campus a "kinder" place to be.  I used Socrative. It was a wonderful tool that allowed me to survey my students and quickly create a plan to move forward.  It's a great tool in the classroom for giving quizzes with immediate feedback--which is crucial for the learning process. Socrative has great components such as allowing open-ended questions and it automatically compiles the data in charts & graphs for referencing. Having quick turn around times with data allowed us to immediately form student groups that are in the process of creating projects they feel will enhance the atmosphere here at Joy James El. Student driven using student data.  It's exciting to have tools that empower us(students/teachers/administrators) to make a big difference in our world.

The link below will take you to the Socrative website. Use it! It's teacher and student recommended!
http://www.socrative.com/

Digital-Age Leadership Academy Reflections by Leigh Ann Turner


My first blog discussed a "technological journey" that I was beginning as a Principal in this amazing district of Castleberry.  It has been up and down and back and forth but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I'm proud to be a part of this district where leaders are pushed to greater heights so that our students reach even greater heights. Below you will find a few reflections on my year so far.  The video clip is part of a larger presentation that will be given by our fearless leaders Dr. Laina McDonald and Renee Smith-Faulkner at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference.


Monday, January 12, 2015

Being Present...it's not just about roll call

A few weeks back I had a sweet reminder that my work as a Principal is to see the masses AND see the individuals. Our fabulous Joy James Librarian, April Scott, asked me once again to participate in the Scholastic "Read Your Heart Out" challenge for Principals.  I looked at my "to-do" list and through grinding teeth I said "SURE!"  In case you missed the sarcasm, I was not wanting to devote an entire day to reading. I had deadlines to meet and walkthroughs to do.  Then I stopped. Wow! Isn't the core reason for our career to teach the love of reading and learning?  It is easy to get caught up in the details of the daily "to-do" list and testing challenges etc. What I got out of this day was inexpressible through words.  However, these pictures may capture the moment and offer you a reminder as well--It's always about the children no matter how busy we get.  Being "present" isn't always easy to do but it's at the heart of true leadership.     And yes...we took a selfie!!