A Reader Asks... What About an Android App

A LYS reader asks:

SC,

How about a PowerWalks App for all of us Android Phone Users?

SC Response

Do you mean this app?

Just click on the icon and it will take you right to it.

Please note that the PowerWalks CLC Apps only works if in conjunction with a campus and/or district level PowerWalks subscription.

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/Fundamental5
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool)
• Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations)
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Principal Writes... Minutes Instead of Days - Part 3

In response to the 10/20/15 post, “Credits Earned – Minutes Instead of Days,” a LYS Principal writes the following:

LYS Nation,

75,600 minutes is what is required for the school year. To get this, you need to have a 420-minute (7 hours) school day. The minute count includes recess and lunch, so this is time in the building, not necessarily time in class. This probably provides a district with more flexibility. A school cannot complete the year earlier than May 16^th.

Teachers are still paid by the day (after all, we are professional staff). Early release and bad weather days have to be accounted for.   I agree with Cain’s concluding assumption. This gives the illusion of some type of reform, without really amounting to anything of substance.

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/Fundamental5
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

State of the Blog - The Last 100 Posts (1,900 and Counting)

Hello, LYS Nation.  This is the 1,900^th post to the column, so as has become a tradition, we will review our progress. 

First, the review

The 1^st post was on Monday, February 16, 2009.

The 100^th post was on April 14, 2009.

The 200^th post was on June 10, 2009

The 300^th post was on September 2, 2009

The 400^th post was on December 16, 2009

The 500^th post was on April 7, 2010

The 600^th post was on August 2, 2010

The 700^th post was on December 17, 2010

The 800^th post was on May 17, 2011

The 900^th post was on October 5, 2011

The 1,000^th post was on March 7, 2012

The 1,100^th post was on August 24, 2012

The 1,200^th post was on February 1, 2013

The 1,300^th  post was on June 5, 2013

The 1,400^th post was on October 30, 2013

The 1,500^th post was on April 7, 2014

The 1,600^th post was on September 18, 2014

The 1,700^th post was on February 20, 2015

The 1,800^th post was on June 25, 2015

The 1,900^th post is today, November 12, 2015

The top 15 posts, in terms of distribution, have been:

1.     Your Best STAAR Preparation Plan – Section 2 (3/6/2014)

2.     Your Best STAAR Preparation Plan – Section 1 (3/5/2014)

3.     Student Test Taking Anxiety is 99% on Us (3/12/2014)

4.     Maximize Your Instructional Time (8/20/2015)

5.     Campus Security Checklist (12/18/2012)

6.     Be the Best Me in the Classroom (11/14/2014)

7.     Closing the Lesson – It’s All About the Plan (10/22/2014)

8.     New From the Lead Your School Lab... The Fundamental 5 Classroom App (8/26/2014)

9.     A Reader Writes... Lesson Framing – Part 1 (10/11/2013)

10.  A Reader Asks... HS Math Lesson Frames (2/19/2014)

11.  The Five Fundamentals of Classroom Environment (8/19/2015)

12.  How to Turn “Pencil on Paper” Activities Into Critical Writing (10/28/2015)

13.  Your 6-step STAAR Preparation Strategy (12/14/2012)

14.  A Principal Asks... Should We Frame a Test (11/6/2013)

15.  Make the Last Month Count (4/25/2014)

There are now international readers and e-mail subscribers, with the following 46 countries represented: 

Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Venezuela

A little blatant self-promotion

First, if you like the blog and you haven’t signed up for the e-mail subscription, please do so.  I find that it’s easier to write to people than it is to write to web hits.

Second, if you like the blog and find it useful, tell three other people.  This blog is a much more powerful resource for school improvement when it is a dialogue.

Third, if you have not sent in a comment yet, please do so.  Education research points out that the act of critical writing actually makes the learner smarter.  Let the blog assist you in sharpening your saw.

Finally

Thank you so much for reading and responding.  This network, which started out as a way for just a handful of principals to stay connected has turned into a small nation of board members, central office administrators, campus leaders, and teachers who are focused on redefining student success.  Who knows what we will discuss in the next 100 posts.

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/Fundamental5 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

PowerWalks CLC - The Updated App Is Now Available

For PowerWalks users with iPhones and iPads, the app update has been completed and is now available at the App Store. Just search for "PowerWalks CLC." Or if you already have the app, just download the update.  We apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience.

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/Fundamental5 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of November 1, 2015

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of November 1, 2015 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. "Grades don't motivate kids. Teachers motivate kids!" (By @edtechkeith)

2. Modeled behavior is repeated behavior. Model what you want to see. (By @clwilkens)

3. The issue isn't that teachers need to stand or sit, more or less, the issue is are we teaching in a way that maximizes student learning? (By @vhsaldana)

4. Effective monitoring of student learning will focus not just on test scores but on the adult practices that led to the test scores. (By @DrKing_BBJH)

5. Socorro ISD - Where they Frame the Lesson, engage in Frequent Purposeful Talk, and Write Critically... during Principals' Meetings!! (By @LYSNation)

6. “The mere imparting of information in no way qualifies as quality education.” (By @DrRichAllen)

7. Remember, a decrease in student engagement correlates to an increase of misbehavior. (By @DrJerryRBurkett)

8. Asking teachers to do more without taking something off their plate, is like asking students to do better without reteaching. (By @vhsaldana)

9. The math on critical writing is overwhelmingly positive. (By @LYSNation)

10. The Texas Senate is once more charged to study a voucher policy they don't want, the people of Texas don't like, and our school children don't need. (By @pastors4txkids)

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/Fundamental5 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The Fundamental 5 Summit - It's a Big Deal

Just 500 Close Friends 

Getting Together To Talk About Instruction

Join Us For Day Two!!!

The Fundamental 5 Summit - Day One - Today

Same Day Registration Available