My Goals for 2010: Goal 1 & 2

Every New Years, I end up setting goals for myself. May it be personal or professional I am a goal setter, sometimes I meet my goals and other times they fall to the way side. This year starting a new decade I find it more important to truly look at where I am coming from and where I would like to go. I think sometimes I set too many goals and I get overwhelmed, so here are two goals I really want to keep.

Goal 1: Enjoy my family & friends
I want to make sure that I don't let life get in the way of truly enjoying my family and friends! I cannot believe Will is already 9 months and Jori is in Kindergarten. Finding the balance between family, work, projects, conferences, my PLN, and other passions can be tedious. The key for me is going to be to prioritize and not do so much that I can't enjoy anything. I am actually presenting at Educon 2.2 with @thespian70, @tcmgrath, and @lorisheldon on this very topic. It has been something I have been interested in talking about for a very long time. So here is family & friends and enjoying the time I have with them!



Goal 2: Blog, Blog, Blog
First and fore most blogging is something I have always wanted to do, but I end up failing at it. My excuses always seem to be I don't feel like I am a very good writer, but what is the best way to become a better writer...WRITE! I also have some other motivation in that my wife, Michelle Lutz @mrsblutz01 on twitter has started her own blog and is writing her second entry next to me. I also, have started doing the 365 pictures in a year challenge, in a way that is a blog within in itself. My other focus of this blog will be to share technology integration tips with the teachers I coach and others who would like to read my blog.

So here on January 3rd 2010, I am starting Goal 1 and 2 by posting a blog. Hopefully it will continue!

WolframAlpha

I heard about this site on NPR, a search engine based on Computational Data. Ask questions about all kinds of things and get the data on them. I put in my name and it told me its rank (33rd), how many people are given my name in a year (11,342), Average age (18), and other info.

You can calculate all kind any mathematical equation and even figure out your Body Mass Index by putting in your age, height and weight. You can put in any date and get a lot of information about that date and it also tells you how long ago it was and the importance of that date. There are a ton of things you can check out on Wolfram Alapha. I think it could be used as a valuable classroom tool, check it out and see what you and your students think!

http://www.wolframalpha.com

Centralizing My Digital Footprint

I feel like sometimes my digital footprint get away from me, I have user names and passwords for close to 100 different web 2.0 sites and I am involved in 25 different wikis and groups. Balancing real life and life in the cyber world can be tedious and hard to balance. When I get onto my computer I check professional and personal e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, all my different wikis and I could lose hours and not be sure what I just did. I try to streamline my time, but something always sucks me in. In order to keep myself and others who follow me focused, I just created a new wiki. Where I can centralize what I do professionally and personally into one place when it comes to the integration of technology into teaching and every day life.

As for my blog I thought about getting rid of it totally and sharing through the portal. But then I decided that all the post I have before this one remind me of how far I have come and where I have the potential to go. This blog might not be updated every day and be the most well written or grammatically correct, but it comes from the heart and hopefully people will read because they care about my journey and the journey of teacher who integrate technology and push the envelope when it comes to engaging and educating students of all ages and creeds!

Here is my new Blutz01 Portal and all the projects I am involved in!

http://blutz01.wikispaces.com/

Thanks for reading, I hope to have more posts soon!

Brandon

Change... is always a good thing...right?

OK, I know I haven't blogged in a while, but that is all going to change. A week ago, I was hired as a Classrooms For the Future Coach for 30 teachers in three schools in the School District of Philadelphia. So updating this blog and its focus will change with my new job. I will use this blog to share ideas of integrating technology into the classroom, provide great examples of utilization of technology in the classroom, web 2.0 tools to try and a lot more. The focus of this blog will be my teachers and hopefully will be a good resource for others. I will probably repeat a lot of great resources that we have seen in the past, to remind and to share with new teachers coming into the 21st century thoughts of teaching!

Are we ready? I am excited to start this new journey, spreading my passion of the use of technology in our classrooms to better motivate and engage our students.

Let the fun begin!

Reflection on First PTEC Professional Development

I tried using Gcast to create a Podcast reflection on the Professional Development that Tracey McGrath and myself presented. Here is the podcast of my thoughts.


Subscribe Free  Add to my Page

Technology Teacher Leader Blog

One of my many duties as an instructional technology teacher is a position titled Technology Teacher Leader (TTL). Going to PETE&C and seeing the many ideas and best practices made me take a look at my title of TTL. As Technology Teacher Leader, at this point, I pretty much troubleshoot computer problems, help with professional developments, assist with the technology we have in the school and install new equipment we receive. Am I leading teachers in the use of technology in my school? No. I am too caught up making sure the technology is up and running, and I have had issues with teachers not using the technology once it's working.

After this realization, I have decide to take a step back and change my priorities to my teachers and helping them become comfortable with the technology in their classroom. If I give them the tools to be comfortable with the computers, then my job will become less about computer problems and more about computer integration in every day learning.

My Plan

• Provide professional developments before/after school on multiple topics
• Use my TTL periods to visit teachers that want to integrate technology into the classroom
• Share Professional Developments with other TTL's...collaborate!
• Find a way to get a technician in house for at least one day a week.
• Split technician cost with 4 others schools
• Write grant for technician

I am trying to do my part to change the world, and I need to start with my own teachers and collaborating with others in my position. Together we can get the word out and share resources. We have all this knowledge: lets share it and change education!

May be the end, but its just the beginning!

This has been a year of awakening for me, one in which I will look at fondly. Looking back I am not quite sure where the year went. This year I was accepted as a Keystone Technology Integrator, went to the Keystone summit, received my masters in Instructional Technology, started a professional blog, started Morpheus' wiki and blog, joined a great educational network (Thank you Twitter!), and began to create a professional identity.

Now the work begins, I have started all these things, but how do I maintain and keep up with everything else going on in my world? I have mentioned this before, and for starters, Google calendar look out! I am going to plan out my weeks and days, so I can be more efficient. One of the key things is feeling good about myself, I feel as if sometimes I am in over my head, so I need to build my confidence and empower myself to feel as if I can do anything I put my mind to!

Goals for this year:
1. Read more! Stay on top of RSS feeds and some old fashioned books. I caught myself reading online and not siting down with a good book.
2. Blog more! I need to set a schedule to blog and create some podcasts! I actually would like to podcast my blogs at some point.
3. Puxatany Bill/Phil? A new stuffed animal to go abroad...stay tuned!

Most importantly as the 2007 year ends and 2008 begins, I wanted to thank everyone who has inspired me this year, and helped me grow. Without the "Network"; professional, personal or family, none of what any of us does would be possible. I have learned to not let the "tech" part of my life overrun and overwhelm. Family and friends matter most and I'm thankful for the time spent with everyone this year and every year.

Have a great 2008!