LTucker360

Some things are just meant to be shared! First, I know that I am a public school employee, and I understand the separation between church and state. Second thing, I know that overzealous, hard-core, religious fundamental messages tend to turn folks off rather quickly. That is not what this is about, or at least, that is not what it is meant to be. This past week, I had the unique opportunity to travel to Orlando, Fl as a chaperon for the Gibson County High School BETA Club. Six of their members were attending the National Beta Convention. One of their members was on the program to introduce a speaker, and GCHS was representing the state Beta Club in the individual talent competition. A quartet of talented young ladies had worked on a medley of old-time, religious songs for weeks, since early spring. They performed a cappella and they are very, very good. I was initially invited to hear them sing in a practice session at a local church. The performance was recorded and placed on...

Having the right tools available to do the job is always important to overall success. In my current role, I sometimes talk about the similarities of what I do and that of someone on a high wire, riding a unicycle, juggling balls in one hand, spinning plates on a stick on the nose, and spinning rings on the ankle of one foot all at the sametime. Sounds pretty complicated. Let's break part of the task down into its simplest form. Here we can see how the right tool make may a big difference. Being on a highwire appears treacherous, and there is a certain level of risk involved. Many daredevils attempt such feats while holding onto a weighted pole. Now, that is where a simple principle of physics comes into play. The weight of the pole lowers the center of gravity below the wire itself, and the force of gravity actually pulls the performer tightly onto the wire making what appears to be difficult much easier. This simple video will explain this. Enjoy...

Nothing new here, I am just sharing some observations. Yesterday started early. Long before the sun came up, I was in route to a daylong judging session in Rutherford County. Although I did not know the location of their board of education office, I was not concerned. I have a GARMIN. The rain was relentless, and patches of fog added to the mounting tension. Literally, muscle tension was rising from the base of my neck and moving forward to my forehead. I think squinting, as if it would make me see better, was the contributing factor here. As I entered Madison County, I thought about a colleague traveling to the same destination and wondered if she was having the same difficulties that I was experiencing…so I texted her. I did not pull over. In a blinding downpour, I managed to punch out a brief text. Fat thumbs and an archaic phone only contributed to making an easy task extremely difficult. One-handed maneuvers kept the Ford off the shoulder and out of the ditch, althoug...

We have reached the time when it is necessary to involve you in the “next steps”. In an effort to engage all of our teachers and administrator in the use of more of the Web 2.0 tools, we are turning our immediate attention towards blogging. I know that you are aware of blogs, and many of you may already be actively blogging. The reason that we are bringing this to the forefront today is related to a future activity for professional development. All school faculties will be participating in a book study as part of their local professional development during the fall. One of the ways that principals can incorporate the use of Web 2.0 tools into something they’re already going to be doing would be through a blog. It is my “hope” that some of our teachers will see the possible uses of a classroom blog…etc We have to start somewhere and we can not continue to wait for everybody to get on board. We have to gently push...may even have to shove some. I want to meet one afternoon, prior...

Life is GOOD!!! Although the water was higher than usual and the was weather cooler than usual (for this time of the year), not all of the big fish got away. This one is only 15.5 inches long, and that earns him a release instead of a one-way ticket into the ice chest. Catch and release is the only way to continue to enjoy the sport. This was probably my 167th trip to the White River in the Norfork area. I have been going since 1971 and have gain some knowledge of the art and science of drift fishing on this beautiful stretch of water. My childhood friend first took me and we continue to travel together most of the time. I have stories to tell (or write), and some are actually true. On the early trips, we stayed in a tent, and have stayed as long as 5 days at a time. So I guess if you are into the math, I have traveled almost 100,000 miles on this Arkansas journey. I sometimes tell people that I have lived in Arkansas for about two years. I just don't tell them that it was...

Looking ahead and forever thinking, I decided that I needed to actively engage you in your own learning. So if you are still wondering why you received an invitation to my "current" blog, I will explain briefly. I have often heard from clients and associates, that our school administrators aren't necessarily up-to-speed with today's technology. In recent conversations, when the topic of Web 2.0 has surfaced, I have noticed looks of confusion and heard low grumblings of discontent. Rumors have begun to circulate that the "district might expect a higher level of performance" actually using some WEB 2.0 tools. Let me dispel this rumor. It is true. We are increasing our expectations; and therefore, I am going to help you develop your skill set. (Remember, ISTE standards for Administrators are coming out this summer.) On Wednesday afternoon, after the regular staff meeting, we will engage in some simple dialogue and look at possible ways that we might use...

Spring Break - I don't think so. First, no one in the world of email care if you are on "break" or not. The emails just keep coming. It takes 30 - 45 minutes a day just to maintain. Some break, huh? Now, don't get me wrong, I value the ability to stay connected to the real world, it is just difficult to know what is real in this world. Second thing...The timing on the ARRA (stimulus money) is not great either. We need the immediate effect of pumping money back into the economy; I am in favor of that. The timing thing has to do with...you guessed it. SPRING BREAK. I can't stop thinking about how I (we) are going to spend our additional million bucks. It must be done timely, done efficiently, done legally...it must be done. I am actually in Memphis for a brief event (spring break). Even as my partner and I set in the beautiful Orpheum listening to the Celtic Women, I am thinking about spending money and wondering how many emails I am getting. I think you...