Top LYS Tweets from the Week of April 8, 2012

Wake up, technophobes. I was recently reviewing some research conducted by some graduates students. In a survey of high school students, they found that those that frequently use computers in class, 55% reported that they felt challenged by their course work. Of those who did not regularly use computers in class, only 5% reported that they felt challenged.

Obviously, I would take this with a grain of salt. But it is an interesting factoid that reminds us that gap between the world that students live in and world that adults live in can differ dramatically. In most cases, it is our job as educators to help students transition successfully into our world. But in the case of technology, the transition to a new world is solely our own. Embracing bootleg technology is a critical step in our remaining relevant. We don’t want to end up being the next generation of beeper salespeople.

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 April 8, 2012.

1. School Improvement Demystified: 1 - Teach the right thing. 2 - Teach the right thing, longer. 3 - Teach the right thing, longer and better.

2. Coach Abernathy has 60 students in her PE Class. All 60 are on task (soccer drills). Four of the Fundamental 5 practices are in play. Awesome!

3. Strange how the teacher who gets frustrated when kids don't get it on the first try believes change that effects adults should be eased into.

4. BRILLIANT: People who read on digital devices are much more likely to increase, not decrease, how often they read. (By @anniemurphypaul)

5. When you have students discuss what they have read, with each other, Rigor and Relevance invariably increases. It works every time.

6. Teaching in a cluttered, messy or disorganized room is like running a 100-yard dash while wearing a 50-pound backpack.

7. Easiest teaching tip of the year. You can improve student performance by simply opening the blinds and letting in the sunlight.

8. The more I observe classrooms the more I believe that teacher personality is a primary factor in student discipline referrals.

9. Moneyball: "Old school baseball is asking all the wrong questions... and challenging that makes you an outcast". Note to self: Be the "outcast" (By @tlonganecker)

10. Texas ranks near the bottom in funding. Shock. (By @DrJerryBurkett)

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
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
• Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASB Conference; TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)