Making an Impact, Part III

How can we, as educators, impact legislation, whether at the local, county/parish, state or federal levels? Furthermore, can we have an impact on legislation?  Remember to call, write, e-mail, text, and visit your representatives. When your Congressional Representative or Senator is home from Washington, be sure to attend updates and visit the local office to let it be known that you are interested and care about issues and policies dealing with women, children and education. Head to the state capitol building for lobby days if your school district or city has them. Stay in contact.

Steve Tobak (CBS Interactive News August 9, 2011) talks about “a ripple effect that, over time, can actually impact thousands over generations.” Further, he posits “a broadening effect since one person influences many, like multiplying tree branches.” We as women and educators can make hundreds of ripples and impact thousands, over weeks, months, years and generations to come.

We can also broaden one person’s (legislator’s) experience, deepening it, and causing it to influence others in his/her circle. Let’s strive to influence others to support our causes, so they in turn will impact others in their circles of influence, who will then impact others. Let’s strive to deepen our legislators’ understanding of issues important to us. It takes time and commitment, but it will be worth it for our children, our profession, and our collective health and well-being. Of course, the ultimate answer for anyone who’s gotten “charged up” by political discussions and elections is that person should run for office.

Make Plans to Focus on DKG’s Schools for Africa Project

Spring and summer are the times when chapters start planning for the next year.  One of the more challenging tasks is finding quality programs which appeal to various groups of members:  new teachers, seasoned teachers, and retired teachers.  When making your plans this year, why not schedule a program which focuses on DKG’s Schools for Africa project?  In partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the Society provides an opportunity for members to support sub-Saharan schools in various areas:  training teachers, providing educational materials for students, educating children re: proper hygiene, building and improving schools and equipment, and so much more!

            The DKG website has a wealth of information about the Schools for Africa project.   After logging in, click on the Programs/Projects heading and choose Schools for Africa from the drop-down menu.   Among the things you’ll find are Schools for Africa Newsettes which include program ideas,  PowerPoint presentations which could be used as part of a chapter program,  a FAQ section,  a link to the DKG Schools for Africa at UNICEF site, and a donation flyer.

            Why not expand your chapter’s work internationally?  Investigate the many good things that your chapter can accomplish through its support of DKG’s Schools for Africa project.  You’ll be glad you did!

Learning the New Electronic Dues Process

“The process of sending in our dues was impressively easy. When I first heard it would be an electronic process this time, I was a bit concerned since I am not real computer savvy. Thanks to excellent tutorials and detailed explanations from international and our state organization treasurer, it was a smooth transition from paper/pencil reporting to electronic reporting.”
Sheralee Boe, Nu Chapter treasurer

Training for chapter treasurers took place at the 2019 Nebraska State Convention. International President Cathy P. Daugherty held the group’s attention as treasurers learned of the new electronic dues process.

The training began with clarification of the dues payment aligning with the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). This follows the amendments adopted during the 2018 convention. June 30th is the new deadline for paying 2019-2020 membership dues.

Treasurers then were instructed on how to connect via MyDKG to their chapter membership rosters. Through the use of a Power Point presentation, treasurers learned how to process dues electronically. Chapter treasurers learned they will also be able to update membership records electronically.

State Treasurer Dr. Margie Nowak was able to provide clarification on certain points as state organization treasurers had been provided the opportunity to utilize the training videos in advance.

Many hands were in the air for the concluding question and answer session, but chapter treasurers walked away with a very positive reaction to the changes. “I finally got up the courage to tackle the new treasurer procedure. Thank you for your wonderful directions. Anyway, I think I can do it. The real work now is to get dues collected, and I'm getting on it. Thanks so much for your guidance and encouragement.”
Jeanne Walter, Rho Chapter treasurer

A NEW DESIGN

Through the years the Leadership Management Seminar, now known as DKG: Ignite, has taken on several redesigns. In the beginning years, the seminar was held each year, but cost constraints limited it to being held as a pre- or post-convention seminar, as it is today. The length and extra activities have varied over time while the curriculum has not reflected changing trends in the field. Through studying the overall program and the cost of maintaining the program as it is, the 2018-2020 Golden Gift Fund Committee’s findings show the program is not sustainable for the future without major changes.

The committee has discussed ways to maintain the quality of the program and provide for sustainability. These considerations include:

• Focus on members active in leadership roles or pursuing leadership roles
• Reduce the program from two weeks to one
• Remove activities that do not support the program
• Recuse the number of participants from 30 to 20
• Include short evening sessions that focus on the Society and/or participant well-being
• Provide a curriculum designed for 21^st Century leader.  One that …
• provides insight into new ways of exercising leadership
• utilizes effective strategies to address the extraordinary demands placed on leaders today
• supports ethics, values and principles.

The committee believes these changes will enhance and enrich the training for our future leaders.

Value of Conference Themes: Part II

In the last blog, I discussed the relevance of the arts and humanities theme and the leadership theme to members in both their professional and DKG lives. Clearly, the next two conferences in the five-event lineup accomplish the same goals.

To say that technology has woven rapidly and irreversibly into the fabric of education is to understate its vast impact on how we teach and learn in the 21st century. No modern professional can be ignorant of technology if she hopes to meet the needs and interests of young people today, who are immersed in social media, interact with information (and disinformation) on the Internet of all things, and are comfortable transacting with the world via multiple devices and apps. Whether one believes the current technological path is a positive one or not, the fact remains that students and teachers alike have come to embrace technology tools to expand teaching and learning opportunities. On the more personal level, of course, members also increasingly understand the power of technology to open avenues of growth, to assist in organizing complex information for daily living, and to extend relationships beyond traditional boundaries. Whether one is on the cusp of understanding the power of technology or on the cutting edge of using technology, the international conference on technology will provide a powerful setting for growth.

At least part of the wonder of technology has been the increased ability of educators to share professional research and practice, the focus of the fourth international conference. Although many educators rely on experiential “data” derived from many years in the classroom, ultimately any profession is defined by its ability to identify a coherent knowledge base derived from both practice and research. This conference’s focus on enhancing the learning community and the 6Cs—character education, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking—not only emphasizes the importance of a coherent knowledge base in these areas but also defines key issues in education today. Any professional will benefit from expanded understanding of these topics and of what colleagues in the field do and discover as they work to expand the knowledge base of the profession in general.