Power Searching Google

Type in a term or question and Google will present you with results. This works well most of the time. However, sometimes what you seek is not there. Below are tricks that will amaze you.

1. Use an asterisk “*” to find words or phrases you can’t remember. Google sees an * as a missing word they should fill in with the most relevant result.

2. Search for exact phrases using quotations around the words or phrases.

3. Exclude certain keywords using “-“

4. Search within a time frame using “…”  

5. Use “or” when you can’t remember which topic you’re considering.

We’ve listed only five ways to use Google more powerfully. The website “Educational Technology and Mobile Learning” provides this easy-to- use infographic with the tips above plus seven more. The link offers a PDF version so that you can print and post near your computer or share with students.

Be sure also to check out other material on the linked website. It has a wealth of information.

Please note that all work in EdTech and mLearning is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs CC VY-NC-ND, meaning you can download, print, share, or distribute it the way you want-- provided you include a link back to our blog, keep it free of charge, and use it only for educational purposes.

PROPOSE TO ME –The JOY of De-Cluttering

Do you have a drawer in your home that is the “catch all” for batteries, buttons, bills (paid and unpaid) and various items that have no home to speak of? Do you consciously avoid opening this drawer?  Do you put off reorganizing that drawer knowing full well that you need to eliminate antiquated, non-functional items stored there?

The Constitution and International Standing Rules house items similar to the “catch all” drawer in our homes. Since September committees and members have been giving a “close” read to our governing documents. They have located excess information and have proposed changes that will streamline and reorganize the contents. They have considered simplifying committee names while modernizing the makeup and function of committees and boards. Some proposals have recognized that several items are best housed in DKG publications other than the Constitution. Others have eliminated components no longer needed due to technological venues that are in place.

EVERY DKG member has the opportunity to propose changes this biennium. Your proposal may result in promoting more use of the governing documents by more members at all levels of the Society. There is no better feeling than getting everything in order and functioning to an optimal degree. By proposing amendments to the Constitution Committee you are helping DKG put its house in order, one drawer at a time.

Focus on Finance: Dues Collection Ideas

Many ideas about collecting dues have been generated by the International Finance Committee and state organization treasurers. We continue to share these ideas and hope they will be useful to chapters. Any and all efforts to collect dues are appropriate before a member is dropped.

• Include a scholarship in the chapter budget to pay the dues of a member who has a financial need. This would be confidential between the president, treasurer, and the member.
• Do not charge the chapter president her chapter portion of the dues. This may encourage members to take leadership roles.
• Transfer dues on-line to the chapter account directly from the member account.
• Use a mobile credit-card reader for members wishing to pay by credit card.
• Start collecting dues in Spring.
• Give a discount on chapter dues if a member pays early.
• All members who pay early are entered into a drawing, with the winner having her dues paid by the chapter. 

As always, we cannot emphasize enough that collecting dues is a team effort and is not the sole

responsibility of the chapter treasurer.

Videos to Inspire Key Women Educators

Delta Kappa Gamma members understand the benefits and camaraderie of membership. Many, however, find it difficult to put those feelings into words. This is especially true when talking to potential new members.

Over the past several years, a number of videos have been produced that address these concerns. Although most of these videos are best shared in a group setting, some can be appreciated one on one.

Pick the one(s) that fit(s) your needs. Share your feelings about DKG with Key Women Educators who would be a good fit for our Society.

DKG Founders: Gutsy Women Educators

This video was produced by a California member, Christine Fuller, for Founder’s Day in 2015. It is about 15 minutes long and begins with a portion of our DKG song. Great dialogue accompanies our history.

Founder’s Day Tribute

This video was produced in 2010 but remains a favorite to share on Founder’s Day. A little over 7 minutes long, it was produced by Odalis Tavares using Animoto. The music is great!

Why Did You Join?

Heather Waugh, from Ohio, produced a video using Animoto and answering the question “Why Did You Join.” The video was produced in 2015 and is about 3 minutes long. Its combination of short videos, photos, and text make it particularly good for potential members!

What Does Delta Kappa Gamma Mean to Me?

Amy Buddock does a great job explaining what DKG means to her. The video is about 1 ½ minutes long and would make an excellent introduction to DKG.

Proud to Be a Member

Cindy Roder shares her feelings about membership in DKG. This video is a little over a minute long and also provides a great introduction to DKG.

Advantages of Delta Kappa Gamma Membership

In a 1 ½ minute video, Betty Bertram explains the advantages of DKG membership. This video is another good one for potential members.

Which one will you use? Why not try more than one?

AWB: Be Brave

I urge you to BE BRAVE. Does your chapter need an update? Do you meet on the same day of the same week every time? Do you often have too much social time and not enough program time to satisfy your busy members? Well, BE BRAVE. Raise your voice and ask what could make your shared time better? What do members really want? Would varied meeting times allow those members who are committed to family and community schedules to attend more often? Would meeting at a different hour help? Does your chapter meeting involve buying a meal? What if it did not? Do your members know each other and feel committed to each other? Is there value in your programs? Do you make each member feel valuable? Does someone contact those chronically absent members? Do you know why they are absent? Do you know how they do want to contribute even though they cannot attend the meetings? 

BE BRAVE! Ask the hard questions—and listen to the responses. YOU do not have to do this alone. The international Membership Committee WANTS to help you and has resources for you. The 2016-2018 goals of the Membership Committee can be readily translated into attainable goals for your chapter: 

• Develop a Communication Strategy 
• Cultivate a Plan for Content Development 
• Implement a Member Engagement Plan 
• Create Meaningful Connections 

One strong voice—YOURS—can lead to a better way. ONE person speaking out can have a lasting influence for the better. BE BRAVE. Ask ALL your members to participate in creating a chapter that fulfills all seven Purposes for ALL. But BE BRAVE. Don’t just ask. Listen and risk trying different practices and methods that will sustain members in their professional and personal lives. 

BE BRAVE. Use your voice. Use your conviction. Use your resources for the benefit of all. When you create and ensure opportunity for others, you too will grow too. 

DO YOU KNOW THAT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE RECENTLY AWARDED 12 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREES? THE HEAT IS ON FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT, AND DKG HAS BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST ITS MEMBERS!

DKG has given $10,000 each to nine doctoral candidates and $6,000 each to three advanced degree candidates.  These members were vetted by the International Scholarship Committee through a rigorous scoring process, and we are thrilled to be able to assist these educators in their quest to reach for a “higher degree” of excellence within their chosen educational pathways.

These recipients have varied backgrounds in education that include work in the following areas: elementary, subject-specific secondary, special education K-12, elementary reading and language arts, university level, and even director of education for a zoo. There is a Fulbright Scholar, as well as classroom teachers and school administrators. We are so very proud of these members!

Focus on Finance: Annual Chapter Treasurer’s Report

Soon it will be time for chapter treasurers to send in their Form 15 reports for the fiscal year July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 to their state organization treasurer.  Reports are due to the state organization treasurer by July 15, 2017.

You may already have received this financial report form from the state organization treasurer.  If not, you can find it on the Society website at www.dkg.org  under forms.

Remember to send the report to your state organization treasurer and keep a copy for your chapter files.

State organization treasurers are reminded to complete Form 16 and send it to the business services administrator no later than September 1, 2017 along with a year end finanical statement, audit or financial review, budget for upcoming fiscal year and—for U.S. state organizations—proof of the 990 filing.

Treasurers are responsible for the financial and legal reporting for chapters and state organizations.  Thank you for your continued compliance in these areas,

Newsletter Styles

State organizations and most chapters produce one or more newsletters each year. Although content varies widely, there are only a couple of publication styles used: magazine, hyperlinked, hybrid, and simple. The style frequently depends on the editor’s choice and expertise.

Magazine Style: Most state and many chapter newsletters use the magazine style. The layouts vary but include columns, article boxes, and illustrations. Such newsletters are usually multi-paged. The articles are complete, with no hyperlink to “continue to read” because these are frequently printed. Even in those states and chapters that distribute most of their newsletters via email attachment or link, some members still get a hard, printed copy.  

Template for magazine style

Magazine style 

  

Hyperlinked Style: This style may follow the magazine style to some degree, but most articles are only begun, with the reader expected to click a hyperlink to finish the article. These newsletters are usually sent via a provider such as iContact.

Hybrid Style: The magazine style is followed but contains hyperlinks throughout the newsletter. This is used when all members have access to the Internet and can click the links.

Simple Style: This style frequently looks like a simple letter addressed to the members, usually from the president and addresses several topics. This style is seen more often at the chapter level.

Which style are you using? Why?

Attachments vs Hyperlinks: How do you send your state/chapter newsletters?

More and more states and chapters are getting their newsletters to their members by using hyperlinks rather than attachments. In either case, using a PDF file is preferred because a PDF uses less memory and can be opened by anyone.

The Problems with Attachments

• Attachments can raise flags by both spam filters and recipients because attachments are viewed with suspicion.
• Attachments have file size limits. While it is still best to keep file sizes small, many quality images in a newsletter can make the file quite large. An old rule of thumb is to limit files to 10 MB, but that is becoming less practical.
• Attachments can use up a lot of storage in the email account. Some email accounts will bounce a message if the storage is full, preventing the message from getting through to the intended recipient.

Advantages of Using Hyperlinks

• Providing a link eliminates the issues of spam filters and file sizes.
• You can link to a cloud service such as Dropbox or a page on your website.
• Sending members to your website may encourage them to look at other pages on the site.
• Sharing via Dropbox allows you to track who has accessed the file.
• Should you catch an error and edit a file, the link will always be to the latest version.

In the Beginning.....

My primary purpose for founding The Delta Kappa Gamma Society was to empower women educators. Because of the climate in the United States and some European countries toward women who had JUST been given voting rights, I knew it was risky to form an all-female organization. I also knew that women teachers were sometimes marginalized and not given deserved opportunities. They were often passed over for career advancements that were awarded to men who were frequently less qualified. Women teachers were watched and criticized if they were deemed to be morally, spiritually, and intellectually imperfect--because they were unmarried and did not have a “man” to direct and protect them. Many--men and women--did not trust a group of women to make decisions for themselves and their intent. I saw that there had to be changes for the sake of women teachers, changes that would be slow and very painful, if they occurred at all. Because a woman was not allowed to teach if she married, teachers were often lonely. Some did not marry because they were the sole support for aging parents, for example. I realized that women needed the safety of a group of other women to support and encourage them. And I knew that encouragement and sense of worth were essential to lifting the spirits of teachers and to improving the delivery education. 

That is the reason we Founders formed secretly and gave the organization the accoutrements of a social sorority--a Greek name, membership by invitation, secret meetings, symbols, a song, an identifying membership pin--most of which survive to the present. The cultural norm in 1929 was for women to convene for social purposes. Presently, the parts of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society that grew from social sorority practices are unifying because they represent the long advancement of professional women educators, but they are not the reason for being a member of the longest and largest professional organization of women educators. 

Now, it’s safe to be part of an all-female organization, to meet openly, to speak out about women’s concerns and to make decisions for ourselves without fear of being dismissed from one’s job, being ostracized, or punished. Women educators hold leadership roles in their professions and communities. I like to think that Delta Kappa Gamma helped them to reach this status more quickly and solidly than was possible without the support of the organization. 

I am proud of the fact that Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is international, survives and thrives, and continues to improve educators’ lives, schools, and communities. Just remember that one voice can make a difference and that many voices make a better difference. 

Are You Using Images Legally?

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Time and time again, members want to find and use images but are still unsure how this whole process works. Typically, the first thing they do is search Google. More often than not, the images they find and want to use are copyrighted. What can be done?

Google

You can limit your Google search to images that allow you to use and/or modify. First search for your image (e.g. owl). Click on the “Tools” icon at the top. Next click “Usage Rights.” Choose either “Labeled for reuse with modification” or “Labeled for reuse.” See the screenshot below. The resulting choices are available to be used legally. You can also use this for a search for “owl clipart,” as illustrated in the second screenshot.

Screenshot 1:

Screenshot 2:

Creative Commons

Wikipedia defines a Creative Commons (CC) license as one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work. A CC license is used when an author wants to give others the right to share, use, and build upon a work that he or she has created. CC provides an author/creator with flexibility. For example, the author/creator might choose to allow only non-commercial uses of his or her own work.  CC also protects the people who use or redistribute an author's/creator’s work from concerns of copyright infringement--as long as they abide by the conditions specified in the license granted by the author/creator for distribution of the work.

A number of excellent sites use Creative Commons (CC) attribution to identify which CC license is being applied. Use this link to find many images as well as videos and music. Pixabay is a favorite for many users.

Society Icons

The ONLY images/graphics on the DKG website that you are permitted to use are the Logos. Note that all logos have an embedded trademark. Other images found on the DKG website are not available for members’ use.

Logos may not be modified or altered or used in a misleading way, including suggesting sponsorship or endorsement by DKG, or in a way that confuses DKG with another organization.

                     

Something New: The graphic designer at DKG Headquarters has recently developed “signature logos” for each state organization. A PDF is available that explains the DKG Brand Guidelines.

Bottom Line

If in doubt, leave it out.