Living Connectedness

Dear Principals and Vice-Principals,

How are you? It is a very sunny day in August 2012. My hope is that each of you are finding some well-deserved time to enjoy the slower and different pace of the summer months. Smelling the flowers and watching the time fly. Thought it was timely for me to reach out and connect with you through a letter as we begin to gear up for September start up with our students, staff, parents and community. I'm sitting alone outside at my trailer listening to the dragon fountain gurgle, birds chirp and the breeze rustles through the pine trees. My focus is solely on the tap, tap as my words appear on the page for you to read. It's peaceful and this space allows me to deeply reflect on where I hope to journey with you as lead learners in 2012 - 2013 school year.

Over the summer, I've been spending time thinking about what it means to be connected in the digital-age because there is a tendency for us to disconnect during the summer as leaders because our feet are not planted in the classrooms, hallways, offices or playgrounds of our face-to-face physical spaces. In fact, come to think of it, I haven't seen many of you except for those of you with whom I connect online and in the cloud.

So, here's a question for you in mid-August as you prepare to start a new school year: are you a connected lead learner? A lead learner who knows how to learn from the Web and it's related technologies with online communities, networks and DIY PD. The answers may be yes, not really or no. Here's my next question, for you as a lifelong learner: what are your next steps? As I sit here and wonder about your responses to these questions, I am mindful how each of your answers will be different based on your experiences as a connected lead learner. May I suggest that we begin to create common definitions for our collective understanding as we grow together in our learning teams this year? Let's learn with and from each other on how to be a connected lead learner in the digital age.

We must practice being connected lead learners. That's right, you learn first. Let's do more than ask and talk about what does it mean to work in a participatory web 2.0 world. Let's participate and contribute! Connected learners are people who collaborate online, use social media to connect with others globally, engage in online conversations and bring back what we learn online to our schools and districts. Our students and many staff are well on their way and they wonder out loud very publicly on the Web why more of us are not connected in this digital age. Yikes! We must take collective action.

So, is your 'connectedness' showing and making a difference in how you learn and lead? It better be because that's how we (meaning the world) live and learn today. Leaders we must be visible, be open, be transparent, be googleable, be shareable, be participatory and be connected. As we learn and practice 'to be' connected, it's okay to not know, just be patient, be persistent and be passionate. Do what connected educators do: learn first.

What do you wonder about connected learning and leading in your role as a principal or vice-principal? What do you think about when you hear the words: connected educator? Let's get together and chat. So very much looking forward to learning alongside with you this upcoming year.

Take care,
L