This morning I met with our school’s Technology Task Force. We will be starting a large project this year, writing the school’s official technology plan- which is slated for release February 2008. We are also looking for new members who would be willing to join our Technology Task Force, we meet roughly once a month and collaborate through email at other times. You may email me for further information.

Other things that are going on, well, I am starting a journalism club students in grades 5-8 will be getting invites this week. Students will be introduced to yearbook production and also movie production. We have a lot of ideas/projects this year- so keep your eyes open and ears perked!

Each year teachers at SRS are asked to create a focus for their professional development. My first year, I was observed three times by the principal, as I was getting my feet wet and learning how to be a better teacher. My second year, my focus was educating others. I was presenting to the Parish Finance Council, at our State of the School, and our first Technology Spring Fling, I was according to my mentor, “very busy.”

So what is my focus this year? Well, over the summer I have been trying to learn more about my generation (yes, I am a millennial) and how I can effectively work with the other generations. I was talking informally with the principal today and she brought up a good point, I do not know how to not be busy yet I rebel when I am given a schedule. As I reflected on my teenage years, I had a daily schedule that included getting up, going to school, going to practice, riding the bus for an hour home, doing my homework and heading to bed. I called my mum this evening and said, “I did have the supermom of the 90s.” So I guess my focus will be how can I use this new found data and direct it towards projects such as marketing.

So as I was writing this blog posting, I was being my true millennial self- multitasking. I was chatting with friends over AOL IM, watching a little TV, and posting links to del.icio.us. I guess it does pose questions for people who do not understand how these millennials work.

Last May we hosted the first SRS Technology Spring Fling, the goal was to help other schools learn about technology integration. We sent invitations to all the archdiocese schools and our local public schools. We had twenty different schools represented and were able to network with a variety of schools. The communication from this event has continued past the event. We have had small informal talks with principals and technology coordinators to a more formal event of presenting to a group of teachers. our goal is to allow schools to reach out within the archdiocese. While, we were preparing our plan we had to reach out to other schools, we are connected to schools in Memphis, Chicago, and many other places. I have enjoyed several ning’s to help me learn more about using technology in the classroom.

So about our presentation: Today we presented to one of the school’s who attended our Spring Fling. Over the summer I have been working with this school and their technology coordinator. We talked about how we could get technology in the classroom, she had described her visit to our school as a lightbulb moment. We presented about our views of why technology integration is important. We asked the school’s technology coordinator to invite teachers and her principal to join us. In my opinion the presentation went well, I hope that we are able to give them a solid direction in which to head.

One of my favorite parts of when I present is when I show my schedule. Most technology coordinators smile in joyful anticipation that it to could become their schedule one day. Most principals scratch their heads and wonder what I do. And by far my favorite, the teacher who says, “it doesn’t look like you work at all.” What none of them know, I am extremely busy.

The Presentation

Early last school year, I kept hearing from my principal, “I need a mac.” When I asked what would be done with this mac, the same response was always said, “I want to make an iMovie”. Before we were leaving for winter holiday her PC went “pop pop” and turned off. The computer was dead and it was never going to be turned on again. She smiled and said, “I guess I can get a mac now”.

After getting her first mac, she made an iMovie about her holiday trip to Scotland. Then came the Disney Cruise, The Pottery Dude, the trip to Sweden and today it was “A Message from the Chief Learner”. This iMovie talked about how there are six facets of educating the millennial student, the digital native. The goal was to give teachers the inspiration to continue technology integration.

As the team of teachers sent by SRS left the 2007 NECC, we talked about how we could next year contribute to the energy of the presentations. There is an interesting dynamic at SRS in regards to the teachers. There is a few of the mature generation, large number of baby boomers, a few gen-xers, and a one millennial teacher. However, we are educating the millennial population (our students) and understanding how the millennial operates will continue to help SRS move forward.

So, this past summer we have been looking in depth to the idea of the generations. Born in 1980 to baby boomer parents, I identify myself to be a millennial. Even though I am part of the earliest wave of this generation. However, I see the defining characteristic of the millennial generation is the need for “communication and connectedness”. As I was enjoying an afternoon with my friends from school, we all sat around with our cell phones most of them were the “smart phones” with non-stop access to our email and the internet. Our cars are equipped differently than our parents, they include iPods and GPS with real-time traffic updates. The need for cigarette lighter adapters is at it is greatest.

Today my principal and I prepared our submission to the NCEA 2008 conference in Indianapolis. We talked about a more simple dynamic: digital immigrants and digital natives. As a digital native do I present an interesting dynamic to the workplace, I find technology as the most integral part of student learning. How can I help the digital immigrant become comfortable with technology? How can an administrator prepare their school to hire the digital native? I will be interested to see if our presentation is selected as one of the programs because I truly believe that this dynamic will begin “rearing its head” in the coming years.