Top LYS Tweets from the Week of December 18, 2011

And we’re back. Happy New Year’s to all and I hope that you had a safe and restful holiday.

In regards to bootleg technology I often get the question, “Where should we start?”

Let you people try their bootleg technology at a personal level, first. And this is the best time of the year do this. A lot of your staff just received an e-reader, smart phone, tablet, and/or a notebook computer as a present. At one of your first staff meetings of the new year, take an hour and create three to six stations. Have each station focus on a bootleg technology use (examples: Twitter, Facebook. Photos, Apps, Reading, Scheduling, To-do Lists, etc.) Have a staff member serve as a facilitator at each station and then let the rest of the staff rotate through the stations of their choice. Reduce technophobia and leverage current staff expertise, sounds like a win/win to me!

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using your own 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 December 18, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Congratulations to Blue Ridge HS! A new Blue Ribbon School! Kudos to the two LYS Principals (both now Superintendents), Dr. Mike Seabolt and Dr. Chane Rascoe who took BRHS from unacceptable to national prominence!

2. BREAKING: LYS Principal Dale Mitchell is the new principal at Sterling HS! Who will be next?

3. Here's the LYS STAAR test solution: 1 - Teach the TEKS at the appropriate rigor; 2 - Assess in short time windows; 3 - Adjust at full speed.

4. The focus on social and economic issues to improve schools ignores the variable we most control. Ourselves.

5. The ultimate goal of behavior management is to help students behave responsibly - not pay for their actions. (By @kimbarker25)

6. If we graduate a student who can't meet exit requirements, what did we actually accomplish in 12 plus years?

7. Timeline for fixing Texas school finance issues? 2-3 years minimum. (By @Dr.JerryRBurkett)

8. Dear Texas Politician: In 2012, will you lead, be forced by the courts to lead, or neither? (By @tlonganecker)

9. @LYSNation Considering Foods with Minimal Nutritional Value and holiday parties...what are your thoughts on bootleg popcorn? (By @cheadhorn)

10. Bootleg popcorn is the secret to increased partygoer engagement. Hosts should look for ways to embed its use in their events.

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
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation
• Get the Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan App at the App Store – Fun 5 Plans
• Confirmed 2012 Presentations: Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principal’s Mid-Winter Conference; Region 16 ESC Leadership Academy (Keynote Address); NASSP Conference; NASB Conference