Top LYS Tweets From the Week of April 29, 2012

Last week (Tuesday, May 1, 2012), I wrote about making the month of May count.  I listed four examples of things that schools could do during May to keep students engaged and instruction meaningful.  But I saved example number five for today’s post.  Make May your bootleg technology beta-testing month.

This is your chance to unleash your innovative teachers to try to figure out how to better embed bootleg technology in daily instruction.  Let them figure it out so your campus is in a position better implement this powerful tool with improved frequency and effectiveness next year.  As one LYS Principal told his teachers last May, “We have better computing power and speed in our pockets than what the district has put in our classrooms.  Let’s figure out how to take advantage of it.”

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 29, 2012.

1. "The Fundamental Five was one of most useful studies I have ever engaged in." From a teacher's self report in PDAS. Enough said. (By @principalkinney)

2. The secrets for efficient passing periods: 1) Less transition time. 2) One-way halls 3) More supervision. 4) No warning bell.

3. A simple trick for improving the climate and culture on your campus. Have an administrator visit the classrooms where substitutes are teaching, each period.

4. Does anyone really believe that the vocabulary word search puzzle is a quality instructional activity?

5. The lesson is not framed, the teacher is lecturing from desk. A student falls asleep. Who is at fault?

6. Enrolled my son in kindergarten tonight. He's one of the 80,000 unfunded students from the 82^nd Texas Legislature. (By @DrJerryRBurkett)

7. 1) Increase rigor. 2) Reduce resources. 3) Ignore inequity. 4) Shout crisis. 5) Blame teachers. 6) Privatize. (By @johnkuhntx)

8. Classroom clutter is the friend of vermin and security threats.

9. All the money I spent on Pac Man growing up, I could have saved to buy an I-Pad... to play free Pac Man. (By @DrJerryRBurkett)

10. A quote from my good friend, Dr. Rich Allen. "Teaching does not improve by chance, but by change.

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: TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)