Today I am speaking with Ron Fortunato, President of Trillium Learning and employee of NASA AMES research center. Listen to learn how you can get more information about to get your students more engaged in REAL projects!

• Project-based vs activity-based projects.
• Coupling students with real-life working projects.
• If students are able to keep up with the real-world work, they are given an opportunity to be at the table.
• Relationships with NOAA, NASA, and other institutions.
• Identify real problems, and get students involved in those projects.
• How Ron got involved with NASA.
• Winning a proposal with NASA: Pick a project they would have done.
• Meeting with the scientists that put Viking on Mars.
• How predicting earthquakes works.
• First earthquake sensor ever created installed in Kodiak.
• Real world projects cross many disciplines.
• “We don’t learn a darn thing when we do something right!”
• Rapid prototyping process - iterate and learn piece by piece.
• How students have actually discovered that earthquakes were coming with up to 48 hours notice.
• NASA gave actual reviews to high school students.
• Life-saving potential of predicting earthquakes is very important.
• Kodiak, Ketchikan, Craig, Copper River, and Old Harbor have the earthquake systems installed.
• Tasks and organizations for students are similar to tasks given to scientists.
• NASA Directors sit in with students on status reviews.
• Other projects kids can get involved with. Nano-agriculture
• It looks like chaos at first, but then it becomes transformative.
• Challenges of doing real-time and real-world project-based learning.
• Teachers need to adapt to this new way of doing things.
• School board has to support the project.
• Build a foundation so the entire district can participate. Ramp Up!
• How to make it for more than just the gifted or smart kids.
• 6th grade class suggesting how to improve the sensor.
• The process of learning how to learn.
• Trainer of Trainers model.
• You move at the speed you can go.
• Contact Ron
• What to do to start: Look at local organizations and what problems they’re trying to solve.

Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher. 

Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools.

Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show.

Buy Communication Cards

Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com

Download Paperless Principal.  

Today I am speaking with Ron Fortunato, President of Trillium Learning and employee of NASA AMES research center. Listen to learn how you can get more information about to get your students more engaged in REAL projects!

• Project-based vs activity-based projects.
• Coupling students with real-life working projects.
• If students are able to keep up with the real-world work, they are given an opportunity to be at the table.
• Relationships with NOAA, NASA, and other institutions.
• Identify real problems, and get students involved in those projects.
• How Ron got involved with NASA.
• Winning a proposal with NASA: Pick a project they would have done.
• Meeting with the scientists that put Viking on Mars.
• How predicting earthquakes works.
• First earthquake sensor ever created installed in Kodiak.
• Real world projects cross many disciplines.
• “We don’t learn a darn thing when we do something right!”
• Rapid prototyping process - iterate and learn piece by piece.
• How students have actually discovered that earthquakes were coming with up to 48 hours notice.
• NASA gave actual reviews to high school students.
• Life-saving potential of predicting earthquakes is very important.
• Kodiak, Ketchikan, Craig, Copper River, and Old Harbor have the earthquake systems installed.
• Tasks and organizations for students are similar to tasks given to scientists.
• NASA Directors sit in with students on status reviews.
• Other projects kids can get involved with. Nano-agriculture
• It looks like chaos at first, but then it becomes transformative.
• Challenges of doing real-time and real-world project-based learning.
• Teachers need to adapt to this new way of doing things.
• School board has to support the project.
• Build a foundation so the entire district can participate. Ramp Up!
• How to make it for more than just the gifted or smart kids.
• 6th grade class suggesting how to improve the sensor.
• The process of learning how to learn.
• Trainer of Trainers model.
• You move at the speed you can go.
• Contact Ron
• What to do to start: Look at local organizations and what problems they’re trying to solve.

Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher. 

Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools.

Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show.

Buy Communication Cards

Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com

Download Paperless Principal.  

This is my second interview with Will Parker. Will wrote a book called Principal Matters: the motivation, courage, action, and teamwork needed for school leadership, and so we talk about his wisdom that is contained therein. Go ahead and buy it.

I interviewed Will in Episode 24 of Transformative Principal.

• A little discussion about technology.
• Some information on his book.
• How to make decisions.
• Write things down when they are still fresh so you know how to do it next time.
• Write processes down now so that you have them next time.
• Make a list and prioritize.
• How to delegate effectively.
• Importance of taking time off to recharge.
• The power of good mentors.
• Writing a letter of resignation.
• How to live without putting out fires all the time!
• Give instruction on the front end to make expectations more effective.
• Great teachers teach with both sides of their brains at once.
• More about KRAs (which we spoke about in Episode 24).

Part 2

• Dealing with difficult people.
  • Make sure you are not the difficult person.
  • Seek to understand before being understood.
  • Be firm but friendly.
  • Change your posture or use humor when appropriate.
  • Agree to disagree.
  • Consider bringing all parties to the table.
  • What can I do to help you?
  • Sometimes it is inevitable to have difficult conversations.
• Communicate privately with staff members when there is a difficulty.
• Big fan of just being honest.
• Talk straight with each other.
• Relationships are so important for every teacher and staff member.
• “It’s not an issue of me and you, it’s an issue of you and you.”
• Buy his book!

Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher. 

Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools.

Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show.

Buy Communication Cards

Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com

Download Paperless Principal.  

This is my second interview with Will Parker. Will wrote a book called Principal Matters: the motivation, courage, action, and teamwork needed for school leadership, and so we talk about his wisdom that is contained therein. Go ahead and buy it.

I interviewed Will in Episode 24 of Transformative Principal.

• A little discussion about technology.
• Some information on his book.
• How to make decisions.
• Write things down when they are still fresh so you know how to do it next time.
• Write processes down now so that you have them next time.
• Make a list and prioritize.
• How to delegate effectively.
• Importance of taking time off to recharge.
• The power of good mentors.
• Writing a letter of resignation.
• How to live without putting out fires all the time!
• Give instruction on the front end to make expectations more effective.
• Great teachers teach with both sides of their brains at once.
• More about KRAs (which we spoke about in Episode 24).

Please take a moment to rate this podcast in iTunes or on Stitcher. 

Ready for a Modern Web Site for your school? Simple School Sites is the place to go for high quality Wordpress sites specially designed for schools.

Please follow me on Twitter: @jethrojones for the host and @TrnFrmPrincipal for the show.

Buy Communication Cards

Show notes on TransformativePrincipal.com

Download Paperless Principal.