Episode 40 - Daphne McMenemy - Who is Gracie?

Join Adam & Jeff as we speak with Daphne McMenemy! Living in Oakville, which is 45 minutes outside of Toronto, Canadian, Daphne is an educator, author, speaker and the Managing Director of Code Breaker, Inc. Learn more about Daphne here:

Daphne’s Educator Journey

15 years ago, teaching primary - K-3;

3,1, & finally KDG

Looping - teaching kids two years in a row

Learned this was exactly where she was supposed to be - KDG

½ day vs. full-day

Back teaching 1,2 grades now

Books:

Gracie, What Happens When I Learn to Code, Grace: The Maker

Who is Gracie based on?

• Started over a twitter DM with Brian Aspinall
  
• When do you start writing a book…you just start.
  
• Gracie is based upon four different students.
  
• Grace Hopper is one of the first female programmers.
  
• Perseverance and collaboration
  
• Young students can solve problems and use higher order thinking.
  
• Many personal attributes are woven within the story.

CodeBreaker, Inc

Leadership doesn’t mean administrator

Kid first, not content.

Foster risk taking

Educational/Leadership Challenge

8 years in, needed a change, discovered EdTech

Lone Wolf at her school at the time (with EdTech)

Plowed ahead, didn’t pay attention to her colleague’s pushback

Even if you are right, to keep thinking that you are and saying that you are can hinder your progress and burn bridges

What I learned is that I had isolated myself

As soon as I became a listener, I became a learner

Hopeful….that a result of the massive changes that educators are seeing in education in another way for the betterment of our children.

GUEST CONTACT INFO:

Daphne McMenemy Twitter

Website

HOST CONTACT INFO:

INSTAGRAM

Dr. Jeff Prickett

Adam DeWitt

TWITTER

Dr. Jeff Prickett

Adam DeWitt

FACEBOOK

Principal Leadership Lab

Dr. Jeff Prickett

Adam DeWitt