CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE ATMOPAV EXECUTIVE BOARD
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Bob Lochel - President. Contact Bob.
Mary Palladino - 1st Vice President. Contact Mary. Sue Choi - 2nd Vice President. Contact Sue Beth Benzing - Immediate Past President. Contact Beth. Sonya Wassmansdorf - Recording Secretary. Franci Dempsey - Membership Secretary. Contact Franci Mark Wassmansdorf - Treasurer. Contact Mark. |
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Browsing my news feed recently I came across an article about the once-ubiquitous Blockbuster movie chain. Remember movie stores? – rows of boxes, hoping they had your preference available, “be kind – rewind”, rushing to get the movie back in time – it doesn’t seem that long ago. The article mentions an opportunity in 2000 for Blockbuster to purchase a fledgling, little-known start-up – Netflix. A small decision back then to be sure, but think about the juxtaposition of these entities now. An opportunity to adapt is missed, and the vision needed to advance an already successful company forward blows in the wind. Do you think Blockbuster wishes they had a business “rewind” button? A new school year is a wonderful time to think about new ideas and adaptations to successful programs. What is your vision for taking what you do best in your classroom, and making it even better for your students? For me, the challenge of moving to a 1-1 computing classroom will be a heavy challenge. It’s quite intimidating to think about the many tech tools, initiatives, and internal and external pressures which factor into my classroom. It can be helpful to take a step back and think about the One Good Thing to work on, rather than stressing over many small things. Finding an active professional learning community (PLC) is vital to crafting a vision for classroom change. This can take the form of a cadre of teachers in a building sharing their One Good Thing and adapting together. Technology now allows PLC’s to move beyond the building walls – twitter and blogs can provide rich professional development on your own time and an opportunity to find teachers who share your vision, and who have perhaps experienced those helpful growing pains. Professional organizations also provide valuable resources for helping teachers adapt and learn, and build their PLC. At ATMOPAV we strive to provide relevant professional development through our network of local educators, and a mechanism for Philadelphia-area teachers to discuss their classroom vision. There are a number of ways you can actively engage in our rich community: attend a conference, become part of the executive board, or share your ideas by writing an article for our online newsletter. At the national level, NCTM is adapting its business model – a plan which includes differentiated membership options, changes to print journals, and new conference options. In a recent President’s message, Positioning NCTM for a Second Century, Matt Larson outlines a strategic framework which moves beyond simply classroom resources for teachers (though there are loads of great stuff to find!) and highlights NCTM’s critical advocacy work. As an affiliate president, I encourage you to visit nctm.org, find something great to think about for your classroom, and consider becoming a member if you aren’t already! So as the new school year begins, I challenge you to think about how to move from a Blockbuster classroom to a Netflix learning experience. Press the “pause” button, and consider One Good Thing to adapt your classroom for your students! Bob Lochel - ATMOPAV President |