In what ways are you a connected educator?
I believe a connected educator is a well-rounded educator. I strive to be connected to be a better educator for the students in our school. As an Assistant Principal, I am constantly looking for ways to improve in my job performance. I consider myself a lifelong learner and have a passion to share that learning to help others. As an administrator going through the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System, I am gaining immense knowledge in the Danielson Framework. I use Feedly to keep up to date with education related blogs and information. I use Evernote to help keep my life in order. For me, being “connected” is to be on the forefront of all education related news. As an administrator I am constantly looking for technology and organizational tools to make life easier. In my experiences people believe being “connected” refers to technology but I also have a love for notebooks and pencils. This brings me back to being a well-rounded, adaptable and progressive educator. I was recently voted on to the Board of Directors of The Bluegrass Center for Teacher Quality, a nonprofit offering high quality, research-based professional learning opportunities to teachers in Southeastern Kentucky. This has provided me with an expanding knowledge of professional learning and ways I can help teachers in our school. Most importantly, being connected is a benefit to our students.
How does being connected impact your practice in schools/classroom?
Being connected has made be a better educator and a better leader for our school. If I adopt a system that simplifies tasks, then I will have more time to be available to teachers and students throughout the day. Staying on top of education news helps to provide faculty and staff with up to date accurate information. Having a vast knowledge of technology, I am able to communicate in a more effective way. I stay connected to better serve the parents, students, and staff at our school.
How does being connected impact you as a professional?
As a married father of three and school administrator, my daily routine is down to an exact science. My life would be chaos without the tools I use to keep me connected. Apps I currently use to keep my life running include: Dropbox, Swipes, Swiftkey, Drive, Evernote, Sunrise Calendar (my favorite ios calendar). Workflowy and Any.do are extremely helpful with tasks and to dos. These apps hold pictures, documents, notes and I would be lost without them. I firmly believe the ways I stay connected help just as much with my personal life as it does my professional life.
What advice or resources would you recommend to colleagues interested in becoming connected?
I started with research and hours of reading. As I stated before, I stay connected with blogs through the Feedly app. “The Together Teacher” is a wonderful blog and one that I visit daily. The information I learn and use then goes into Evernote notebooks (using Evernote Web Clipper -google app). Once you start, it is very difficult to decipher what is best. Use the system that best fits your lifestyle. One of the most important tools in my arsenal is the Bullet Journal system, a notebook and pencil.
BIO: Josh earned a BS in Elementary Education from Campbellsville University in 2003 and a MA in Educational Leadership from Union College in 2008. Josh began his career at Lillington-Shawtown Elementary School where he taught Kindergarten. A year later, he returned to Kentucky and began teaching at Bell Central School Center in Bell County, KY. During his tenure in Bell County, Josh has taught elementary level students and is currently the assistant principal at the K-8 Yellow Creek School Center in Middlesboro, KY. Josh currently resides in Barbourville, KY with his wife, Christina and their three children; Seth, Harrison and Caroline.
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