What if you took a one two month break from Facebook? Facebook itself would argue that Facebook can be bad for you. What could you do with the time?

Instead of writing “Happy Birthday” on someone’s wall, what would happen if you sent them a kind note in the mail?

Instead of posting about your life, what if you blogged about it and then self published a physical copy to have as a keepsake.

Instead of scrolling endlessly while waiting in line at the grocery store, what if you messaged someone and told them what they mean in your life.

Facebook is like gluten. For some people it is no problem and for others it is a hazard. Maybe try being Facebook free for one month and then decide how it makes you feel.

 

The science of being there: Why face-to-face meetings are so important
https://wapo.st/2Gjzv6w

The Atlantic posted a wonderful video on Beatrice Vio. She is a Paralympic champion and currently “and the only fencer in the world who competes without arms or legs.” As a pre-teen she had all 4 limbs amputated in order to survive meningitis.

She is a wonder and an inspiration about the possibilities of the human spirit.

But you already knew about the possibilities of the human spirit. You have more inside you than you can possibly say. What are you waiting for. Go do your own great work.

Complaining is unloading on a friend to make yourself feel better.

Don’t Complain.

Write.

Journal.

Reflect.

Protest.

Ask for advice.

Search for Books.

Watch a Ted Talk.

Connect with a group searching for a solution.

Reflect on how you contributed to the problem and figure out a solution.

Take Action. Now.

 

If error looks at a formula, and if it it produces an error an error does a second thing.  That second thing could be displaying a message, or using a different formula.  If there is no error, it will display the results of the formula

So

=Iferror(ErrorCheck This Formula,  Action – Do this if you find an error)

The process looks like this

• Step 1: ErrorCheck Does this formula have an error?
  • No?  Cool. Just Display the results of the Formula in Step1
  • Yes! CRAP! Do the action in STEP2!
• Step 2: Action – Do this if you find an error in step 1

You can also nest multiple errors together

=Iferror(ErrorCheck this formula,  iferror(ErrorCheck2 this formula, Action – Do this if you find an error)

The process looks like this

• Step 1: ErrorCheck1 Does this formula have an error?
  • No?  Cool. Just Display the results of the Formula in Step1
  • Yes! CRAP! Do the action in STEP2!
• Step 2: ErrorCheck2 Does this formula have an error?
  • No?  Cool. Just Display the results of the Formula in Step2
  • Yes! CRAP! Do the action in STEP3!
• Step 3: Action – Do this if you find an error

 

Vlookup

1. is easier,
2. Only search from left to right
3. May select multiple columns.
4. Vlookup Pattern
   1. =vlookup(Lookup Value, Rows to Search, Column # you want to return, False)

Index/Match

1.  Allows you to search in both directions (left to right, right to left.)
2. Select only the columns you want.
3. Adding additional columns to your data does not screw everything up.
4. Index/Match is easier to copy to the next column.
5. Index/Match Pattern
   1. =Index(Column with the answer,Match(Lookup Value, Column with the lookup Value, 0)

 

 

Not providing Value

• When you spend your time sorting through the piles on your desk rather than working in a state of flow, you are not providing value to the customer.
• When you spend your time your time searching for your files instead of using your files you are not providing value to the customer.
• Your overflowing inbox does not provide value to the customer.
• Collecting and looking up information in Excel that you could automate with a google form and vlookup does not provide value to the customer.

Providing Value

• Helping teachers feel more comfortable with the digital tools provides value to the customer.
• Empowering students to take charge of their own learning provides value to the customers.

 

Listening to The Upgrade Podcast that featured Charles Duhigg, he suggested taking your big “to-do list” and writing the three things you want to get done today. That is supposed to help you focus and be productive on the most important things.

Yesterday I did not accomplish everything on the post-it note, only one item was crossed off. This is my post-mortem to figure out how to not have that happen again.

Positive

I triaged my mail in the morning.  Transferred everything needed to the Bullet Journal. I then went through and added my three things.

Stumbling Blocks

I left my email open and kept getting off task by emails. Someone sent me a help request but left off some details on what she really wanted. I should have just emailed late and continued to work on the list instead. But, it was a puzzle. I emailed her back.  And the next email she sent actually didn’t make anything clearer. So I had to solve that problem, so I spent more time emailing. And then once it was clear what she wanted, I stopped my list and helped her instead.

Goal to Work on

Don’t stop to work on other non-emergency things.  Finish the list.

 

Why have I never just made a movie using iMovie on my iPhone?

 

 

In his book 2 Second Lean, Paul Akers has a wonderful phrase “We want to have maximum value to flow to the customer.”

We just collected all of our 1:1 devices. Mostly it went well, but I messed up two things with sixth grade, which so far has taken me two hours to fix.  One was my fault, one was not.

So, the value of those two hours did not flow to the customer.  Students. Teachers. The larger Instructional Technology Resource Teacher group around me. The value of those two hours were eaten up by fixing the defects that I had created.

Paul talks about the concept of waste in Lean Production.  Getting rid of the waste is a thoughtful framework when looking to improve a process.

The canonical lean wastes are (This is from Wikipedia)

• Transport (moving products that are not actually required to perform the processing)
• Inventory (all components, work in process, and finished product not being processed)
• Motion (people or equipment moving or walking more than is required to perform the processing)
• Waiting (waiting for the next production step, interruptions of production during shift change)
• Overproduction (production ahead of demand)
• Over Processing (resulting from poor tool or product design creating activity)
• Defects (the effort involved in inspecting for and fixing defects)

Some people apparently add an eighth or ninth waste.

• Not using the people and talents in your building.
• Not meeting customer’s expectations