Mustang Message
1/4/2015
Message from the Principal
The new year is a good time to reflect on the year gone by; of our successes and missed opportunities. The first half of the school year is now behind us and we can benefit from taking stock of what has happened thus far, and also put aside regretful events or actions that might hold us back from a good start to the New Year. It is a perfect time for you to log in to iObservation and review your deliberate practice plans. What were your professional growth goals? What have you been able to accomplish during the first semester? What work still needs to be done? What support do you need to help you accomplish your goals?
The new year is a time to try something new and that is exactly what we will be doing at Monday’s “Unconference”. ‘’ The “Unconference” concept is based on the idea that we can learn from each other and further extend the personalized professional learning time provided monthly by allowing the time and space to do so on Jan 5th. It is generally more informal and interactive (i.e., discussion and/or ‘hands-on’) than a traditional conference session. You have created a Deliberate Practice Plan and had the chance to tell us your interests. If we couldn’t match up everything for you, take the opportunity to pick each other’s brains during lunch, breaks, and reflection time. Take responsibility for your own learning – follow your passion by attending and contributing to sessions that interest you! And as we embark on this concept for the first time, please ‘go with the flow’! The schedule can be found on the LW Campus wikispace.
Breakfast (Chick- fil-A , fruit, and coffee) will be available starting at 8:00 a.m. in Mustang Alley. I look forward to a great year and to seeing your smiling faces on Monday.
TECH CORNER
Trends in Educational Technology - One thing certain about instructional technology is that it is flexible to the times. This article looks at recent issues and trends in the field and ‘grades’ their value. In a nutshell, the panel weighs in on the following as
- “HOT”: BYOD, iPads, Social Media as a Teaching/Learning Tool, Learning Analytics, while the following are
- “Losing Steam”: ePortfolios and Learning Management Systems.
- Game-based learning and Digital Badges along with others are considered “Lukewarm”.
HAPPENINGS
- New Student Orientation - Tuesday, January 6, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Building 2- 2nd Floor.
- District Administrators will be on campus the morning of January 6th for an in- service in the dining room.
- The Marzano 2015 Building Expertise Conference is being held in Orlando, June 17-19 and there is a possibility that I will be able to send a couple of LWIT/LWTHS teachers. Let me know by January 15th if you would like to be considered to attend the conference.
REMINDERS
- Submit your grades by January 6th at the end of the day
- Junior and Senior schedules will be distributed before school on Wednesday, January 7th for the new semester
- If students indicate that they need to make-up a midterm/final exam, please provide Jeff Rexford/Lynne Bruce with the name(s)
- If you have any information to add to the January Parent Newsletter, please provide it to Jeff Rexford by January 7th.
Kudos to . . .
- Jorge and Robert for making sure that the computer labs were up and running during our busy midterm/final exam week.
- Ed Laudise who worked on COE during the break.
- Melissa Casanova and Angie Imbriale who organized the various storage areas
Happy Birthday
- Samantha Green
- Henry Norona
- Eileen Schoenknecht
Staff Meetings and Trainings
- 1/5, Teacher Professional Learning Day, 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- 1/6 Teacher Planning Day
- 1/6, New Student Orientation, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
- 1/6, LWIT PLC Meetings, 2:35 - 3:00 p.m., Cancelled
- 1/7, LWTHS Team Meetings, 2:00-2:35 p.m.
LWIT/LWTHS
Email: floresyo@collierschools.com
Website: lwit.edu
Location: 3702 Estey Ave., Naples, FL
Phone: 239 377-0900 239 377-3300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorenzo-Walker-Institute-Technical-High-School/594212217283585
Twitter: @LwitLwths