Michigan Educational Policy Fellowship Program

I'm a Fellow!  Saying that makes me chuckle.  Seriously, I was just accepted into the Michigan Educational Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  What is this, you ask?

From the EPFP website:  "The Michigan program is designed to provide a forum for exploring public policy issues, link participants to key figures who shape and influence the process, and develop new leadership skills for education and community leaders.  The Fellows meet monthly for seminars, presentations, workshops, interactive learning, and leadership development activities.  Michigan's EPFP is affiliated with The Education Policy Center at Michigan State University."

I am involved with many groups and organizations, mainly groups that consist of people who are like me - they share my passion for using educational technology to improve educational experiences for students.  EPFP joins people from many different backgrounds and I really look forward to broadening my perspective of what is needed to create policies for widespread positive change.  I so much enjoyed meeting the other Fellows and hearing about what they do.  All of them work in education fields that I do not know much about... education of prisoners, working with families of newborn-5 year olds with disabilities, MDE grant coordinators, special education administrators, college professors, charter school principals, online learning teachers, etc, etc, etc.   I look forward to learning alongside other educators with such varied experiences. 

In the afternoon we had a guest speaker; Lou Glazer from Michigan Future Inc  presented an update on Michigan’s transition to a knowledge-based economy that opened my eyes.  He shares his presentation on Slideshare.  The outlook for Michigan is grim at the moment, and understanding why is key to the goals and objectives of the EPFP program.  He shares the 4 most important trait of prosperous states:

1. High proportion of wages from knowledge industries (includes industries such as professional and business services, finance, education, hospitality, and public administration).


2. High proportion of college graduates.


3. Big metropolitan area with higher per capita income than the rest of the state.


4. Largest city in that metro area with a high proportion of college graduates.

Looking at the data in his presentation gives you lots to think about.   There is much work to do! 

Lou's conclusion:  The places with the greatest concentration of talent win!

I'll be writing about my involvement in the program here over the next year.

Spice it Up!

It's been a week since our local Spice it Up! technology conference and I still feel a bit high/giddy.  It was a fantastic day of learning and networking, and so much worth all the time I put into the planning and preparation for it.  Over 300 educators attended and there were 50+ breakout sessions.  Kevin Honeycutt was our keynote speaker; his message and way of delivery was perfect for our crowd. 

Our Superintendent pulled out about 5 minutes of Kevin's keynote to include in his "back to school broadcast" that all district employees saw on Wednesday morning.  I didn't know  he was going to do this, but I am so glad!   Kevin explained that teachers don't have to know everything about a technology tool (software, online application) before using it with students.  If the teacher has a basic knowledge of a tool and knows what it does, they do not need to wait until they "know it all." The students can figure it out with the teacher and will appreciate having the opportunity.  Another point from this 5 min clip was that we worry too much about not having a computer for every student so that all students are working on the same project.  Instead, he suggests that we set up the expectation that students demonstrate their learning in a way that makes sense to them, with and without technology.  The students differentiate themselves.   "Empowerment comes from being trusted to attack learning according to your own strengths."

As the primary organizer of the conference, I so much appreciate the time and efforts of many people.  There were 50+ presenters who stepped up to offer their colleagues the opportunity to see how they use technology in their own classrooms; giving their colleagues the courage to try similar lessons with their own students.  Sarah Banks Middle School graciously hosts the conference, and the leadership of Brad Paddock, the principal, was invaluable.  The Banks custodians and secretaries helped to make the building look  inviting,  and the teachers seemed happy to prepare their classrsooms and share their equipment.  The entire IT department worked behind-the-scenes making sure the wireless network was working, sites were unblocked, etc.  Amy Stasak and Cheryl Roden provided tech support throughout the day.  My husband manned the registration desk and handled all the lunch orders.  I thank all of these people who helped to make the day a success. 

I'm thinking about ways to keep the m0mentum going and am considering trying to facilitate an unconference several times throughout the year.  When I was in Boston with the Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council, I experienced an unconference for the first time, and I think this format could work well for us. 

For those who were unable to attend, electronic handouts from breakout sessions are available on the Walled Lake Instructional Technology website.  Photos I took at the conference are here.