Top LYS Tweets from the Week of May 29, 2011

The United Nations recently announced that access to the internet is a human rights issue. Which makes sense. The internet is the world’s most powerful communication tool and the largest, most accessible library and research engine in the history of mankind. To limit access to both knowledge and others is the hallmark of authoritarian regimes. Which brings us to the issue of bootleg technology. The easy answer is to ban its use in your classroom, school or district. It is the “go to” policy of authoritarian regimes (oops, schools. And as a school and district administrator, I too was guilty of this). But summer, the challenge must be to find ways to leverage the use of bootleg technology in classrooms to engage students and improve instruction. As leaders of learning organizations we need to lead the way in using the emerging tools of our profession. Plus, as an added benefit, when we do so we become grassroots human rights activists. Who knew?

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using bootleg technology devices to follow Twitter. If you haven’t done so yet, we want you to join us. To let you see what you are missing, here are the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of May 29, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. LYS & Game On school Austin Elementary is exemplary (with no exceptions or exemptions). Over 90% of Austin students are economically disadvantaged. Way to set the mark for the rest of the district!

2. LYS & Game On school Hairgrove Elementary is exemplary (with no exceptions or exemptions). Hairgrove has over 900 students with over 85% of them are economically disadvantaged. Keep raising the bar for the rest of the district!

3. Have you started thinking about next year yet? LYS has schools that are already working on what they will do during the first week of next year.

4. If you are blaming students for your low test scores, you just don't get it.

5. Reality check: The Republicans truly believe that underfunding education is a good thing. But other than for themselves, good for whom?

6. If an educated populace is key to economic growth, how is not educating the populace a sound policy?

7. Found out today that our book, The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction, is going to be used in a Texas university's teacher prep class.

8. Educators gave up economic reward for economic security. Now that politicians have changed this equation the results may well turn out ugly.

9. Anchor charts are rebuilt every year because your students have different needs every year. L. Cain quote

10. Tonight's Run Thought: Just ran 5 miles thinking about TAKS results. Don't stop the thinking. Stop the sitting.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Louise ISD is searching for a Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com

Follow Sean Cain on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Upcoming Event / Presentation Schedule

June 11 (TASB) - The Fundamental Five; Improve Now!

June 15 thru June 17 - TASSP Conference

June 16 (TASSP) - Conference Breakfast, hosted by E. Don Brown (LYS travel tumblers for the first 1000 attendees, last year we ran out)

June 16 (TASSP) – Book Release Event for “The Fundamental 5”

June 18 - TASB Conference, Fort Worth