You say the word selfie and so many images come into your mind (and some you don't want). But mostly it is ONE person taking a photo of themselves. By definition, a selfie is a self-photo done with a smartphone held in your hand so you can share on social media. I mean really, we... Continue Reading →

I felt so lucky to be asked to be a featured speaker at LearnFestATX in January and didn’t know the impact the experience would have on me. Now I do and want to share the experience. I didn’t know what exactly I would be doing, and then I get the email. I was excited to... Continue Reading →

Developing impactful professional development can not just “happen.” It takes careful and purposeful planning. Over my many years as a principal and district leader, there have been a few common elements that need to be a part of the planning and launching of impactful PD. Creating the schedule is my first step. Trying to balance... Continue Reading →

These ideas can create a high level of energy to enhance learning and head into the summer break on a high note State testing is done (or will be), the weather is getting nicer, and the school year is coming to an end. It’s hard for students to stay focused and sometimes even harder for... Continue Reading →

I had a great two days of learning at the Blended & Personalized Learning Conference in Providence (#BPLC19).  The sessions I found myself in focused on blended and personalized learning design (great session @csanford42 and @ShawnCRubin) , increasing student voice, and supporting educators take the next step in their own growth. Today’s students are experiential learners;... Continue Reading →

Get to know these education technology tools because they will help your instruction, student learning, and growth. The Expo Hall showcased even more edtech tools that are changing and enhancing today’s learning. When you walk on to a vendor floor at a large national convention two things happen: You get overwhelmed with the magnitude and... Continue Reading →

More than 7,000 educators from around the globe gathered in Chicago March 15-18 for deep dish pizza, green drinks for St. Patrick’s day, and to participate in ASCD's #Empower19 conference. From the opening welcome reception to the final moments, the keynotes, sessions, and conversations were free-flowing and high level.  #Empower19  kicked off with an opening... Continue Reading →

Technology and digital communication are changing at a rapid pace. As school and district leaders strive to implement more effective communication with families, they must take these changes into consideration. Communication is critical to student achievement. Leaders send communication to parents via emails, newsletter, and tweets, just to name a few. As new platforms for... Continue Reading →

A leader is someone who has a certain amount of expertise in a field and actively shares their insights with those around them through writing, speaking, and acting. Leaders take pride in teaching others how to apply knowledge and reach their full potential. I believe a school leader has two main responsibilities: ensuring students have... Continue Reading →

Co-Written with Rae Hughart. Rae Hughart (@RaeHughart) is a Middle Level Math Educator in Illinois and the Director of Training & Development for Progressive Mastery Learning, LLC. Conference presentations, networking, and notebooks filled with innovative next steps—oh, my! At the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) in Orlando in January and Illinois Computing Conference (ICE)... Continue Reading →

Changing pedagogy is not only about thinking differently, it’s also about acting differently. The key to this is determining first what we want our students to know and, second, letting them have choice in how they will demonstrate, or apply, their learning. One tool that teachers can use to change their pedagogical approach is Voxer.... Continue Reading →

I am very excited to be speaking at the Illinois Computing Educators. The ICE Conference is a teaching and learning conference that attracts educators, educational leaders, and pre-service teachers from PreK - Higher Ed. The conference engages educators  in an exploration of pedagogical strategies and resources connected to instructional technology. Last year was the biggest... Continue Reading →

Schools are experiencing a dramatic shift from how they’ve been run and structured for over a century. Leaders must establish direction, influence others, and initiate sustainable change as they navigate the ever-evolving landscape of education. Such leadership requires a dynamic combination of positive mindset, influential behaviors, and effective skills. Stepping into a leader role requires... Continue Reading →

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools.” -Jim Collins, Good to Great As we enter the season of applying, interviewing, and moving into leadership roles (new or upward movement)... Continue Reading →

I had a wonderful time collaborating, speaking, and learning at #FECT.  Below are the  resources from my sessions.  Enjoy and hope to continue to collaborate. Connect with me on social or through email to continue learning and growing together. email: drmatthewxjoseph@gmail.com LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/MXJlink Twitter: @MatthewXJoseph YouTube: X-Factor Channel Session Resources Click here for Active and... Continue Reading →

Smarter job search strategies are required to get a teaching job. Finding a teaching job in today's market is not easy; many public schools have gotten quite competitive. This doesn't mean that a teaching position is out of reach, it just means that you must be more prepared than ever. School districts are always on... Continue Reading →

In my opinion, one of the keys to academic achievement is active student learning. Research tells us that personalized, collaborative, and connected learning experiences enhance student engagement, in turn, driving student success. By integrating blended and digital learning into the classroom, educators can take learning experiences to the next level and improve student performance.  ... Continue Reading →

The last blog post focused on components of a lesson plan.  Part of that planning is discussing and understanding the educational language involved in lesson planning and collaborating around instruction. We as educators throw around buzz words and not know the meaning or the purpose. But you maybe nervous to ask because you feel “everyone... Continue Reading →

A solid lesson plan should provide you, the teacher, the direction and the ability to visualize the path of learning that consists of the “what, why, and how” of the teaching-learning activities. Your lesson plan is a sequence of well-organized learning experiences that connects instructional events. I believe an effective lesson plan also provides opportunities... Continue Reading →

Shifting students from absorbing information to becoming creative thinkers Information from an interview with Dr. Rod Berger and his thoughts about our conversations.  Click here to listen to interview. I sat down to talk with Dr. Matthew Joseph recently and we discussed his current role as the Director of Digital Learning and Innovation at Milford... Continue Reading →

It was a great pleasure to attend the New Hampshire Christa McAuliffe Tech Conference (@nhcmtc) recently, where I had the opportunity to facilitate three sessions. On the second day, the morning keynote was delivered by the talented Tom Murray (@thomascmurray) from Future Ready. Tom made many points that resonated and motivated me. But one made... Continue Reading →

In my 11 years of being a principal and now the past three years as a district leader, I have seen the role of school administrator evolve from a building manager into an instructional leader. Today's school administrator has an overabundance of duties and responsibilities to balance with the mandates from state and national reform.... Continue Reading →

I have been a dedicated listener to “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd for years. One of his many rants (when he is not loving up Lebron, or busting on QB’s for wearing their hat backwards…or many fun Russell Westbrook rants) is that we have to work to GET IT RIGHT, not rush to just “be... Continue Reading →

Today is Halloween, traditional associated with “candy day” or “where’s the treats”. This is also associated with kids (unless you get that awesome neighbor handing out “adult” Jell-O shots during a candy visit). Well, how about some “treats” for teachers. We are all looking for strategies to increase student engagement, so today I thought to... Continue Reading →

Today  Sylvia Ellison‏ @SylviaEllison asked the question on the #hacklearning daily chat  Q1 What are some practical “hacky” ways we build positive environments that support educators and help avoid burn out? 280 characters were not enough for my answer - so added a blog post. Here are a few ideas leaders you CAN put into place tomorrow... Continue Reading →

Todays’ students are using technology to collaborate, learn, research, and communicate while at school. Blended and personalized learning with digital tools has flooded classrooms, but most teacher-prep programs do not incorporate digital citizenship as requirements for teacher certification. This leads to a cross roads of districts pushing digital learning into schools with teachers who may... Continue Reading →

One of the latest buzzwords in education is “active learning,” but what does this really look like in the classroom? Active learning refers to the idea that students are actively engaged in the learning process, rather than passively absorbing content. The benefits of using such activities are many, including improved critical thinking skills, increased retention... Continue Reading →

The role of school administrator is evolving from a building manager into an instructional leader. This shift is not easy, and all leaders strive to be the best they can. Being a school leader isn’t easy and you are not going to make the right call all the time. However, you can learn to avoid... Continue Reading →

How are you driving your Ed Tech instruction? When the song “Life is a Highway“ comes on, it is one of those songs you turn up a little, maybe even smile, roll down the window, and sing the chorus. One line sticks out to me “Life’s like a road that you travel on.” I hear... Continue Reading →

This morning I logged into twitter and what do I see… Craig Martin (@CraigCMartin12) having a dance party in his office and over-the-top fired up for a day of school. So of course, I joined in because enthusiasm is contagious. I promptly responded with my own video sharing my excitement for the day and WHY.  This... Continue Reading →