Introducing A Strategic Shift

I have thought about writing this blog for a couple of years now. The problem was that I always struggled with where, when, and how to start. I solved the where by setting up this blog, A Strategic Shift, on Blogger. I am solving the when today. I always thought that when starting a blog, I had to start at the beginning. But the question was the beginning of what: a project? the school year? The problem was I could never find the beginning, so I decided to start at the end of the school year. And the how, well, the how meant sitting down and typing. It seems that the “how” has been solved.

Now that the where, when, and how have been resolved, I need the “what.” The “what” is the easy part. A Strategic Shift is based on the thinking, learning, and pedagogy of the people I get to work with every day. I work with amazing teachers, inquisitive students, and innovative leaders who observe what is happening around us and seek to identify strategic shifts in our practice that impact student learning. I can’t wait to share the work of these amazing individuals, or “shift shapers” that I get to work with every day!

Two of the “shift-shapers” I work with are Kristen Magyar and Jevina Lackahn. Kristen is an Instructional Technology Coach and Jevina Lackhan is a 5^th grade teacher in the Highland Falls – Fort Montgomery Central School District. I have had the great pleasure of working with them for the past two years on the Technology Leadership Team, where we investigate best practices for using technology as a catalyst to engage students in learning. Recently Kristen and Jevina presented at a regional meeting for instructional technology on how they used iPods and iPads to help them complete the Great Race, an interdisciplinary activity that required strategy and research. This year's theme was the “Presidential Run”. To kick-off the race, the students in Ms. Lackhan’s class connected with students in 13 other schools around the United States via videoconference. This set the tone for the race and the students were able to meet the coordinator of the race and their opponents. Next the hard work began. The students had to race from the birthplace of George Washington in Westmoreland County, 
Virginia to Honolulu, Hawaii the birthplace of our new president Barack Obama. The challenge was to determine how they could get from one place to the other the quickest and for the least amount of money, while meeting the criteria for the race. In the end, the class placed 5^th in the challenge. They traveled 7,728.35 miles, a total of 147 hours 46 minutes, and they spent $2,517.96. During their travels, they visited the birthplaces of 13 of our nation's presidents, Revolutionary & Civil War sites, Underground Railroad stops, and important civil rights movement locations.  To complete the challenge the students used mobile apps to research transportation, lodging, routes, and weather and to calculate distance traveled, time traveled, and total cost. Some of the apps they used included Priceline, Hertz, The Weather Channel, and Maps. Congratulations to Mrs. Magyar, Ms. Lackhan, and the 5^th grade students for their hard work and perseverance!