End of Week Notes July 20, 2012

Quotes of the Week
Inspirational: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.

Humorous:
* The hypothalamus is one of the most important parts of the brain,
involved in many kinds of motivation, among other functions. The
hypothalamus controls the "Four F's":
1. fighting
2. fleeing
3. feeding
4. mating
-- Psychology professor in neuropsychology intro course

Events and Happenings
1) Education Week Webinars. Register at http://goo.gl/Gys5
- Transitioning to a Weighted Student-Funding Formula
July 24, 2012 @ 2 p.m. ET
- Math Practices and the Common Core
July 26, 2012 @ 2 p.m. ET
- Changing Mindsets
Aug. 11, 2012 @ 2:00pm ET

Notes and Jokes

1) The needs of suburban school districts are as challenging as any other seen in urban and rural school districts. A consortium of large suburban school districts have formed an official network to address these needs and issues particular to the suburban schools and students. In an excellent article by Christina Samuels in Ed. Week the details on this network. http://goo.gl/6a9nd

2) Summer educator humor: Do teachers work in the summer!?

3) A report by PBS's Frontline examines the work of Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Robert Balfanz, who suggests there is a key period in middle school that determines whether a student will eventually drop out. http://goo.gl/6a9nd

4) Summer educator humor: I would say it is hot as hell, but I don't believe in heat.

5) Wonderful article on why school leaders need to be connected, and using social media such as Twitter and Facebook could be a positive force for creating change and modeling leadership. http://goo.gl/UIPo7

6) Summer educator humor: It might look like I am doing nothing, but on a cellular level I'm quite busy.

7) My blogs from this past week:
Meaningful activities for professional development July 18
Creating animosity not accountability July 17
Begin with the end in mind. July 16
Turn the statue around...make him look the other way July 13

8) Thus ends another week in the summer of 2012. Hope you find these items interesting and useful for your future work as a 21st Century School Leader.

Thank you forall you do for the students of your schools.