While I am becoming more and more dissatisfied with Delta as my preferred airline because of treatment by most (not all) gate folks and flight attendants, I am finding that I am enjoying the networking opportunities with the folks I meet there more and more. I travel. A lot. Because of that I often get bumped up to First Class and in First Class you meet the most interesting people. People who really have a great deal of knowledge and are willing to share it if asked. The dynamics are interesting actually, networking in-flight has its own norm.

I am a big fan of my adult kids. I really am. If I wasn’t their parent I would surely want to be their friend as they turned out to be really fun, creative, decent people. (on a side note– I am really glad too since my mother constantly told me I would reap what I had sown as a kid when I had my own– it just wasn’t true). I guess I find myself taking stock once again in my life and my children’s lives because my youngest just graduated from college. I felt like whew… I made it; four well adjusted children Amb.

Would love your comments on these ideas — let’s have a conversation. OTHER FORMATS Portable (iPod) http://blip.tv/file/get/Snbeach-Reflection1ToTEDxNYED352.wmv Audio-only http://blip.tv/file/get/Snbeach-Reflection1ToTEDxNYED604.wmv

I am driving home from NYC and while I know I should be devoting my time to the PLP communities, I couldn’t help myself- I had to come here first and reflect. It is such a rare thing when I have a chance to attend an event as a learner only and at TEDxNYED I was just that “learner only.” Don’t get me wrong,  I learn a great deal while I am presenting and engaging  audiences in the workshops and keynotes I am invited to give, however, it is rare that I am ever able to attend an event with no pressure to perform-where I.

I had an epiphany today. For most of you who lead change, run a company or ministry this is probably obvious. But for me– not so much. I was listening to John Maxwell on TV today and he shared something I had never considered. My mission, my purpose in all the work I do, whether keynoting, conferences, working with for profits like Intel or Microsoft or non profits like the EETT grant work and especially in the building of PLP, has to be about adding value to the lives of others. I know..I know.. for you guys it is a no brainer, but for.

Definitions of smart on the Web: showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness chic: elegant and stylish; “chic elegance”; “a smart new dress”; “a suit of voguish cut” bright: characterized by quickness and ease in learning; “some children are brighter in one subject than another”; “smart children talk earlier than the average” fresh: improperly forward or bold; “don’t be fresh with me”; “impertinent of a child to lecture a grownup”; ̶.

In education we do not get to see the fruit of our labor until many years have gone past. But when it happens it always makes a profound impact. Today was just such a day. As many of you know I worked with the Alabama Best Practices Center for four years in Alabama with schools across the state on a 21st Century Learners project. We worked with schools  on reconceptualizing their teaching, classrooms, schools and districts in ways that would meet the needs of the networked learner. We pushed hard for reculturing and a shift in curriculum towa.

My daughter Grace (pictured above wearing the “optical Illusion” threadless) loves Threadless T-shirts. She always asks for them for Christmas. I recently got this email and thought I would share. Hi There, I wanted to let you know about a new program that is being hosted by Threadless which is a community-centered tee-shirt company based out of Chicago, IL called Threadless 101. The idea is this: students are given an assignment to create an original design for a tee-shirt-any and all specifications are up to the teacher!.

I had the opportunity recently to facilitate a group of business, education, political and community leaders in a discussion about developing a workforce ready group of graduates in the 21st Century. I was given the task of relaying the experience. I have decided to share with you to see if you agree or disagree with these leaders’ ideas and action steps and why. I encourage you to read and weigh in in the comment section below. I look forward to your responses. Executive Summary Newport News Public Schools is moving quickly to address.

In his book, Shirky describes a "ladder of activities that are enabled or improved by social tools" in which "The rungs on the ladder, in order of difficulty, are sharing, cooperation, and collective action." (Here Comes Everybody, p.49). While I am sure Shirky never intended for anyone to use these steps as a planning tool for scaling lessons and helping students own their own learning and build their own networks, I do think the four verbs work nicely for 21st Centuryizing (if you will) what we could be doing in the cla.