Formerly a high school English teacher and a new teacher coach in Palo Alto Unified School District (Palo Alto, CA), Jennifer Abrams is currently a communications consultant and author who works with educators and others on new teacher and employee support, being generationally savvy, effective collaboration skills, having hard conversations and creating identity safe workplaces.   Jennifer’s publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicate, Collaborate & Create Community, Hard Conversations Unpacked - the Whos, Whens and What Ifs, and Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives.  Her upcoming book on being our best selves in our workplaces will be out in 2021.   Jennifer has been invited to keynote, facilitate and coach at schools and conferences worldwide and is honored to have been named one of the “18 Women All K–12 Educators Should Know,” by Education Week’s ‘Finding Common Ground’’ blog.  More about Jennifer’s work can be found at her website, www.jenniferabrams.com, and on Twitter @jenniferabrams.

• Writing books so you can learn something.
• There wasn’t a book out there to help me find how to say something.
• Robert Keegan Author & Psychologist
• Eliie Drago Severson
• If your way of meaning-making suits where you’re at, there is no reason to move forward.
• As a responsible educator, we need to stretch ourselves.
• We have to know our identities and where we might see bias
• How our upbringing affects how we perceive work
• Suspend our certainty
• Take more responsibility, not just for work product but also how we speak
• Engage with reciprocity.
• Build our own resiliency.
• Recognize how to deal with ambiguity.
• How to deal with our own emotional issues.
• How to reconcile how our upbringing affects what we do now?
• There are limitations to what you are seeing as you wake up in the world.
• Growthedgecoaching.com
• It’s like a fish in water.
• Externalizes the issues.
• If you mess it up, you clean it up.
• Framework: I did ____. Here’s why it was wrong: and here’s how I would like to make it right:
• Peter Bregman “13 Ways We Justify, Rationalize, or Ignore Negative Feedback”
• Humility and vulnerability of apology and responsibility.
• The thing that gets in the way is that we are the expert.
• How to provide accountability when you didn’t know that things were happening?
• You apologize for the impact.
• It’s about the shame and the guilt.
• Suspend certainty.
• Can we be humane and growth-producing?
• How to be a transformative principal? Slow down and say “say more”.

Sponsors

TeachFX

Innovative school leaders across the country have started tracking online student participation using TeachFX because it’s one of the most powerful ways to improve student outcomes during COVID — especially for English Learners and students of color. Learn more about TeachFX and get a special offer at TeachFX.com

InControl SEL for Middle School

In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at.

The videos are 5–6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level.

They’ve thought of everything– because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches.

Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night–and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way.

If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/.
Learn more about some of the newest titles:

• Michaela: The Power of Culture by Katharine Birbalsingh
• Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli
• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley
• The Teaching Delusion: Why Teaching In Our Schools Isn’t Good Enough (And How We Can Make It Better) by Bruce Robertson
• Stop Talking About Wellbeing: A pragmatic approach to teacher workload by Kat Howard

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves
Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Research

2020–09–14 What Is Digital Hygiene?

https://www.seaglasstechnology.com/what-is-digital-hygiene/

2020–04–01 Hackers Play Dirty, So Practice Good Digital Hygiene

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/04/01/hackers-play-dirty-so-practice-good-digital-hygiene/

2020–01–16 5 digital hygiene tips to start the new year fresh

https://www.cira.ca/blog/cybersecurity/5-digital-hygiene-tips

Show Notes

What Is Digital Hygiene?
“the practice of cleaning up your electronic/information assets and regularly updating them.”
Cybersecurity Is the Responsibility of All of Us

Password Managers

• Strong Passwords - A password is typically considered “strong” if it is long (at least 8 characters) and contains a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters
• Avoid reusing passwords
• Avoid using new passwords that are too similar to existing passwords
• Password Managers
• 1Password
• Dashlane

Avoiding Malware (Viruses, Keyloggers, RATs, Ransomware)

• Use antivirus and antimalware sofware
• Built into both Windows 10 and Mac
• Microsoft Defender Antivirus
• macOS Security
• Keep existing protective software up to date
• Use firewalls
• Use pop-up blockers (some browsers are better than others)
• Minimize downloads and practice safe computing
• Know where you are downloading from
• Minimize or block automatic / unauthorized downloads
• Keep Operating Systems Properly Updated
• Practice Safe Surfing
• Avoid using public/open wifi connections without protection
• Do-it Yourself Online Safety Guide

Use a Virtual Private Network

How They Work
* Cisco: “A virtual private network, or VPN, is an encrypted connection over the Internet from a device to a network. The encrypted connection helps ensure that sensitive data is safely transmitted. It prevents unauthorized people from eavesdropping on the traffic and allows the user to conduct work remotely. ” Cisco
* How to Choose
* A Complete Guide To Choosing and Using a VPN
Great review of VPN services:

Check out this episode!

Travis Lape is entering his fourth year as Innovative Programs Director for Harrisburg School District in Harrisburg, South Dakota. In this role Travis has helped shift the Harrisburg School District to a system of personalized learning. In 2015 Travis was recognized for his work with integrating technology into classrooms by being named TIE Technology Leader of the Year. Travis believes that by empowering learners to drive their learning we can start to create a new system that honors all learners and their cultures.

• Creating a virtual school for learners in Harrisburg -
• Face to face since august, but offering other options.
• Zoom sessions all day wouldn’t work well.
• Distance learning playbook.
• We really partnered with out parents.
• What does the model look like today?
• Math, reading, writing time, experiential flex time.
• 20–30 minutes small group instruction.
• New weekly schedule personalized for each child.
• Really careful with how we schedule families.
• How to make our schools nimble.
• Lots of fighting with kids when they are home.
• Kids can be in breakout rooms to have some additional support.
• We need to think about what is important.
• We are moving at a snail’s pace compared to what we can do in a classroom.
• It has really forced our kids to ask questions.
• With any shift in education, it really comes back to our mindset.
• How can we still provide a learning opportunity for these kids?
• The “What if” question changes our perspective.
• We need to allow teachers to make decisions
• Lead Like a Pirate - People are less likely to destroy something if they help build it.
• Kinder teacher distance learning - morning and afternoon group.
• Reflect, grow, and do it again
• It comes down to feeling valued
• Giving them time to wrestle with what is and isn’t working.
• That love of learning is going to be gone.
• It’s not about your kid vs the rest, it’s about their own personal growth.
• If anything, the comparison hurts some of our kids by preventing them from reaching their fullest potential.
• How to be a transformative principal? Pause and go into classrooms and watch staff do what they do. Enjoy what your staff is doing and recognize that through a note. “Thanks for daring to fly!”
  
  

Sponsors

TeachFX

Innovative school leaders across the country have started tracking online student participation using TeachFX because it’s one of the most powerful ways to improve student outcomes during COVID — especially for English Learners and students of color. Learn more about TeachFX and get a special offer at TeachFX.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/.
Learn more about some of the newest titles:

• Michaela: The Power of Culture by Katharine Birbalsingh
• Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli
• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley
• The Teaching Delusion: Why Teaching In Our Schools Isn’t Good Enough (And How We Can Make It Better) by Bruce Robertson
• Stop Talking About Wellbeing: A pragmatic approach to teacher workload by Kat Howard

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves
Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Scott is an interactive media specialist who joined the digital marketplace in 1998; he provides advertising business development strategy and management support for entertainment, ecommerce, technology and digital media brands worldwide. Over the past 22+ years, his body of work has included managing more than $200 million in online advertising campaigns, as well as advisory and hands-on marketing, advertising, business and corporate development roles, for a mix of brands in many industries. Scott was among the first digital marketers to profitably source direct response traffic campaigns for pay wall enabled subscription content sites in multiple age restricted industries. Having unique experience in support of content delivery online via search engine marketing, Scott serves the civil litigation system as an subject matter witness on matters of search engine marketing & digital media compliance policy issues.
Spanning his time working around the internet content and traffic management/advertising sales industries at large, Scott has also contributed commentary and articles to various interactive media and entertainment industry outlets, including BrandChannel, Marketing Sherpa’s ContentBiz, the New York Times Online and WebmasterRadio.fm. A passionate advocate for online child protection issues in the digital age, Scott served on the Advisory Council for ASACP, an internet entertainment industry organization solely focused on child protection best practices by entertainment, traffic and technology hubs online.
* Questions and Themes
* In this episode we discuss how advertising works and what people should know as they interact with advertising enabled platforms online.
* Why should parents add ‘advertising recognition’ to the short list of what kids know when they go online?
* Native advertising -
* Are all online ad formats clearly marked to allow people to avoid the ad or not?
* What are the most common ad formats and symbols which can help a child or an adult identify what is an ad and what is not?
* In-app purchasing on mobile devices. Why is this an issue?
* How much of our childrens’ data is being shared by social networks with advertisers?
* Native advertising

Check out this episode!

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. Ryan is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of “Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership.” He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton.

• Vertical development vs. horizontal development.
• Horizontal development is like adding an app onto an iPad - allows us to do more.
• 95% or more of all development is horizontal.
• Elevating who we are as a person. Vertical development is upgrading the operating system.
• At some point in time, we are relevant to the marketplace.
• 2 things that lead to vertical development - crisis or deep learning
• We have control over one of those factors.
• Necessary but not sufficient.
• There needs to be heat to lead to this happening.
• child development vs adult development.
• Child development is a function of their age.
• 3 main stages of adult development.
• Most adults do not get past the first stage of adult development.
• Adult development is a function of effort.
• Almost all leadership development approaches are rooted in philosophies dated pre–2005
• Growth development practices often overlook the mind.
• Add the mind to our developmental components.
• The circuit board for the mind is our mindset.
• Global Neuronal Workplace.
• How do we work on mindsets?
• Just talking about other mindsets helps people start to focus
• Fixed - Growth
• Closed - Open
• Prevention - Promotion
• Inward - Outward
• Positive desires
• Trauma can inhibit them from wanting to look inward.
• When we experience trauma, we try to cut off that pain.
• Childhood trauma and the impact it has on kids’ ability to learn.
• Integrating the mind is a form of vertical development.
• Someone is more likely to leave if they don’t feel like the system is open to change.
• Focus on what is being measured.
• Lagging indicators are test scores.
• Leading indicators. Which is better to focus on?
• Personal mindset assessment.
• There is no time that vertical development is more important than right now.
• Those who have navigated well, have vertically developed well.
• How to be a transformative principal? Listen to teachers specifically.

Sponsors

TeachFX

Innovative school leaders across the country have started tracking online student participation using TeachFX because it’s one of the most powerful ways to improve student outcomes during COVID — especially for English Learners and students of color. Learn more about TeachFX and get a special offer at TeachFX.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/.
Learn more about some of the newest titles:

• Michaela: The Power of Culture by Katharine Birbalsingh
• Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli
• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley
• The Teaching Delusion: Why Teaching In Our Schools Isn’t Good Enough (And How We Can Make It Better) by Bruce Robertson
• Stop Talking About Wellbeing: A pragmatic approach to teacher workload by Kat Howard

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves
Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Show Outline

• An introduction to web tracking technologies and their impact on personal privacy
• Goals of web tracking
• Improve web site performance
• Conduct web site analytics
• Develop information for business operations
• Feed targeted advertising to visitors (which often supports free services)
• Types of web tracking technologies
• Statistical -* browser used, geolocation, pages visited, operating system, device type, etc. Statcounter, Google Analytics, etc.
• Cookies
  • Invented in 1994 by Lou Montulli
  • It is a small data file stored on your hard drive when you visit certain web sites (almost all of them)
  • Flavors of cookies
  • First-party cookies -* created by a domain (web site) that you have visited
    • Session (‘temporary’) cookies -* cookies designed to store information about a user’s web site visit while they are on the site; once the visit is over, the cookie is deleted
    • Permanent (‘persistent’) cookies -* these remain even after a browser is closed. Typically used to store user ID and password for a particular site so that you don’t have to enter them each time
  • Second-party Cookies -* in some limited instances, a domain will share its cookies with a trusted partner; for instance, an airline might share with a hotel chain, which would then send you ads for loding
  • Third-party Cookies -* cookies created by a company or web domain other than the one you are visiting, typically by an advertisement of some kind. Web sites earn ad revenues by allowing the third-party ad network to use their site to place cookies. These are the cookies that can track your movement around the web, so they are responsible for the somewhat creepy appearance of ads for things you just looked at.
• Pixels (aka ‘pixel tag’)
  • Tiny images (1 pixel) that are stored on a server but embedded
  • Criticized by privacy advocates because they can collect extensive information about the user/email recipient without their knowledge
  • They function even if the browser cache and cookies are regularly cleared
• Fingerprinting (‘a data portrait’)
  • A system that identifies you by creating a profile based on largely unchanging information associated with your device
  • screen resolution
  • operating system and model
  • browser version
  • Once enough data is collected, a virtual ‘bar code’ can be compiled that uniquely identifies you
  • This process occurs when your browser interacts with a web site; no data is stored on your computer
  • As a result, it is very difficult to block
• Breaking News
• In February 2020, Google announced that its Chrome browser will no longer allow third-party cookies
• This month, Google also announced that it will NOT be developing alternative technology to track individuals and it will not include such technology in its products
• Security issues
• Web sites cannot read cookies from other web sites
• However, advertising networks that deploy third-party cookies can track a lot of your online activity (because the ad networks are so ubiquitous)
• As our use of the internet expands, online tracking could reveal behavior that might be embarrassing or dangerous to the individual being tracked -* personal behaviors, lifestyle choices, political beliefs, activism, etc.
• Steps you can take to limit web tracking
• Minimize what you do online
• Use a browser that blocks third-party cookies (Mozilla Firefox is particularly good)
  • Keep in mind that automatically blocking third-party cookies may cause some sites to pop up messages asking you to disable the adblocker. Others may simply not work at all.
• Test what information your browser shares
  • Electronic Frontier Foundation “Cover Your Tracks”
  • https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/
• Make your browser and email settings as restrictive as possible, including requiring permission for downloads
• Regularly clear your browser cache, your cookies, and your internet history (just Google it)
• Browse anonymously
  • Avoid using log-in services
  • “Private” mode on mainstream browsers
  • Use a VPN that you actually pay for …
  • Use TOR to surf the Web

Research and more information:

• Google won’t join efforts to build new online ad trackers - The Washington Post
• A Brief Explanation of Cookies
• Cookies, Tracking, and pixels: Where does your Web data come from? | by Julien Kervizic | Hacking Analytics | Medium
• Cookies, Pixels, and Other Ways Advertisers are Tracking You Online | Webroot
• Third-Party Tracking: Cookies, beacons, fingerprints and more - Our Data Our Selves
• Behind the One-Way Mirror: A Deep Dive Into the Technology of Corporate Surveillance | Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Google claims it will stop tracking individual users for ads | Ars Technica
• Google says it won’t track you directly in the future as it phases out cookies
• Google will stop selling ads based on tracked individual browsing history - CNET
• Google says it won’t adopt new tracking tech after phasing out cookies | TechCrunch
• Google to stop tracking users for targeted ads | TheHill
• How Google’s snub of tracking will upend the industry | Ad Age
• Daring Fireball: The EFF: ‘Google’s FLoC Is a Terrible Idea’
• First-Party & Third-Party Cookies: What’s the Difference? - Clearcode Blog
• The Death of the Third-Party Cookie: What Marketers Need to Know About Google’s Looming Privacy Pivots
• Internet Tracking Has Moved Beyond Cookies | FiveThirtyEight
• What are Tracking Pixels and How Do They Work?
• Website Tracking Technologies | Knowledge Base | CookiePro
• ‘Fingerprinting’ to Track Us Online Is on the Rise. Here’s What to Do. - The New York Times
• Google will end behavioral targeting, profile-building in its ad products

Mission Partners:

Buoyancy Digital is proud to be the inaugural Mission Partner for the Cybertraps Podcast series. A digital advertising consultancy with an ethos, Buoyancy was founded by Scott Rabinowitz, who has been in digital media since 1997 and has overseen $300 million in youth safety compliant ad buys across all digital platforms. For IAB, Google and Bing accredited brand and audience safe advertising sales solutions, media buying and organizational training for media publishers, let’s chat.
For more information on working with Scott & Buoyancy Digital, visit BuoyancyDigital.com or @scottrmedia on LinkedIn.

Check out this episode!

Breaking Down the Need for Control with Rebecca Muller Transformative Principal 393

• My days were spent filling out charts.
• An engaged learner is someone who is doing.
• I’d rather have a noisy classroom with kids laughing and having a good time AND learning.

Rebecca Muller is a special education teacher in New Jersey, host of Exceptional Circumstances for Exceptional Learners on Learning Revolution. 12 years as a teacher, Masters in Education and Educational Leadership from University of Pennsylvania.

• Breaking down the need for control in classrooms- the who, what, when, where, and why.
• Kids aren’t successful, we test them to prove it, then put them in a box because it is easier for us.
• People have a view of what school should look like.
• An engaged learner is someone who is doing.
• I’d rather have a noisy classroom with kids laughing and having a good time AND learning.
• Do we want them to behave or want them to learn?
• How much control should we have on how they’re interacting with one another.
• We’ve spent so much time on safety that we’ve forgotten that learning is our priority in education
• You can’t learn if you’re not well.
• Behavior is a signal that there is something else.
• We can’t focus on just the learning when there are so many other issues.
• My days were spent filling out charts.
• The kids figure it out and it’s a game.
• Kids need to see their levels and progress.
• There aren’t kids who want to be bad.
• Where they are and where they want to be.
• Kids should not have to earn a treat every time they do something well.
• We get stuck there, because we know them and they have worked.
• Special education has taught me to be flexible.
• Motivation, intrinsic vs. extrinsic.
• Don’t take things personally.
• Trauma-informed practices.
• Justification for procrastination of doing the hard work of pushing through the challenges that we are facing.
• Specific learning disability is the least specific label in special education world.
• What is school for?
• Teachers are considered “infrastructure necessary“
• I have an addiction to learning.
• How to be a transformative principal? Don’t ever write off any student or educator. If they are in the build they have potential? Always look for everybody’s individual strength.
• Acting without boundaries.

Sponsors

TeachFX

Innovative school leaders across the country have started tracking online student participation using TeachFX because it’s one of the most powerful ways to improve student outcomes during COVID — especially for English Learners and students of color. Learn more about TeachFX and get a special offer at TeachFX.com

John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/.
Learn more about some of the newest titles:

• Michaela: The Power of Culture by Katharine Birbalsingh
• Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli
• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley
• The Teaching Delusion: Why Teaching In Our Schools Isn’t Good Enough (And How We Can Make It Better) by Bruce Robertson
• Stop Talking About Wellbeing: A pragmatic approach to teacher workload by Kat Howard

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves
Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal