Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Digital Playground ~ Today's Meet

At Powdersville Elementary, the iTeachers and I host an optional after school tech session in the media center each month. The goal is to bring teachers together for fun, sharing, and learning! I believe that it is in these informal sharing sessions where the real magic happens... where teachers have an opportunity to talk and share with one another.

For our December session, we transformed the media center into a coffee shop with cocoa, cappuccino, coffee, creamer, and toppings. Thanks to Melissa Wilcox and Rachel Wayne for making some delicious goodies and to our local Starbucks for donating some cups and coupons! Also, thanks to Brenna Wilkie for putting together a slideshow for teachers to enjoy as they came together today.



To get started, each table of teachers chose a team leader and a group name. The team leader was responsible for signing in and recording responses in Today's Meet. I opened a room for our "chat," and posted questions throughout the session using Twitter chat "language." Click here for the list of questions! These questions sparked some great conversation. This was a great way to help those that have not yet participated in a Twitter chat to feel more comfortable. It was also a great way to show how this website can be used in the classroom.
To end our session, teachers were asked to use a Christmas Photo Booth app to decorate a selfie. Selfies were posted to Twitter using #pvestweets, and I used these Tweets to put teachers into a random name generator for giveaways.



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Friday, December 11, 2015

On the Road Again...

Based on survey results from my last session, our December Transform Session focused on presentation tools for teachers and students. In selecting the apps/tools to share this month, I again tried to balance already familiar apps with the "new" in order to meet the needs of two different teacher groups: those who want to dig deeper into tools they already know and those who are always on the lookout for new tools!

Quizalize was a popular webtool shared last month, so I decided to use this quick assessment (Code: mbh692) to kick off our December Session. This warm-up gave me great feedback on teacher knowledge of the assessment tools from last time and served as a pretest covering a few of the tools for this session. Additionally, I was able to show my teachers how to access the quality item analysis features within Quizalize.

Next, teachers selected an article on student choice to quickly review and discuss with the group. Many groups commented that we are too often telling students what they must learn, how to learn it, and how to show what they've learned. Technology allows us to offer so many opportunities for student ownership and choice in their learning!



Using the information presented in their selected article, teachers were given an opportunity to explore Keynote, Prezi, FlowVella, Haiku Deck, Google Slide, Nearpod, ClassFlow, Pear Deck, Canva, and/or Buncee with the goal of choosing one to create a quick sample presentation. These presentations were shared with me via Google Classroom.

Haiku Deck was very popular among all groups K-12, and those in the early grades were very excited about Buncee. Teachers continue to enjoy having choice during the sessions, and feedback was encouraging. One teacher commented, "I really liked learning about these tools, and we had great discussion today. I actually wish the session could have been longer. This would be a great way to spend a technology in-service day because we could work together and go over multiple tools and actually create content for classes." Another teacher wrote, "Loved getting to create my own presentation. This enabled me to actually learn how to use the app, and I now have ideas for incorporating this next week!"











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Monday, November 23, 2015

December Updates

Our Transform Session for December is based on the results from the survey last month and focuses on presentation tools for students and teachers. Teachers will be given an opportunity to explore Keynote, Prezi, FlowVella, Haiku Deck, Google Slides, Nearpod, ClassFlow, Pear Deck, Canva and/or Buncee with the goal of choosing one to create a quick sample. Please see below for upcoming PD dates and other great resources!




Don't forget about our 2nd Annual Tech the Halls Contest this month. You'll earn an adorable tech badge just for participating, and last year's winners took home some great prizes! Let those creative juices start flowing and get inspired by watching the video linked above.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Transforming Teaching & Learning... #thisiswhatitsallabout


Teachers who strive to make a difference in the lives of students and those who are trying to transform teaching and learning in classrooms today often wait years to see the results of those efforts. There are days when you wonder, "Am I really making an impact on my students? Are the changes I make in my classroom truly transformative and worthwhile? Does what I am doing really matter?" Making a difference and changing the "way we have always done things" is hard work!


Back when I was teaching Math to my sixth graders, I decided to begin differentiating instruction for my students. To be effective, this required careful planning and solid classroom management. It required me to use data to provide my students with appropriately leveled tasks for each strand, and my class time was spent working with students in small groups to address misconceptions and having meaningful conversations about Math. Truly differentiating instruction for my students was the most challenging work of my teaching career; however, it was also the most worthwhile and rewarding experience. I found that I loved teaching students... even more than I loved teaching Math.

As an instructional technologist, I spend most of my time teaching teachers in small groups and working alongside my teachers to plan for meaningful learning experiences. Differentiating instruction for my teachers is important to me, and I have found that I love teaching teachers... much more than I love teaching tech. But there are days when I wonder, "Am I making an impact on students? Does what am I doing in professional development and conversations with teachers really make a difference in the classroom?" Change can be even harder when you are working with grown-ups!

One of my favorite things to do in between PD sessions and planning with my teachers is to get out into classrooms. I walk the hallways in search of students using iPads, and I talk to them about what they are doing. I go into classrooms to observe and interact with students to find out how they are using our 1:1 technology to learn. I ask them about what they are creating and what they are learning. I ask them about what they like... or don't like. Getting out into the classrooms helps me stay connected to students, and it's also an effective way to gather important information and feedback!


Last Thursday, I had a chance to walk around and observe students when I was at Powdersville Elementary, and it was AWESOME to see the way that our 1:1 technology is beginning to significantly change teaching and learning! Teachers are able to implement Guided Reading and Guided Math more effectively because of the meaningful work students are creating and the interactive resources available on the iPads. Teachers are gathering feedback to inform instructional practice using formative assessment tools in ways that are not possible with pencil and paper. Students are doing research to find information and creating recorded lessons to show what they know and to teach other students. It is so exciting to see that change is really happening, and I'm looking forward to seeing the amazing things that are happening at all of my schools in the weeks ahead!



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Monday, November 9, 2015

Stopping to Check the Gauges

Differentiating instruction for my students was the most difficult and worthwhile task that I chose to take on as a sixth grade Math teacher. Providing students with differentiated lessons in small groups and assignments based on their readiness required strong classroom management and careful planning, but it was rewarding to see students grow and flourish in this type of learning environment. Teaching my students in small groups and working as a facilitator of learning allowed me to get to know and love my students on a more personal level.

It is my goal to find ways to differentiate instruction and allow for choice during my professional development sessions with teachers this year. During my October Transform Session, I provided teachers with an opportunity to choose their own topic for learning and exploration. Though the feedback from teachers was excellent, many of them had a difficult time deciding what they needed/wanted to learn. As I planned for this month, my goal was to find a solution that allowed for choice without overwhelming anyone or triggering an "I don't know what I don't know" response.



We started the session by revisiting an AnswerGarden of teacher responses from September that lists words we want students to use to describe our class at the end of the year. As the first quarter closes and a new nine week period begins, this was a great opportunity to reflect on how the year is going so far! With the words FUN, ENGAGING, and EXCITING in mind, we used Charades Kids to play a quick "Name that App" Challenge.

With exams approaching in December, it was the perfect time to share a collection of apps/tools that teachers can use for assessment and review. Using Google Classroom, I shared a copy of the Slides presentation, throughout which I included informational links for each of apps or websites shared. After a quick overview of the seven tools, teachers were asked to choose and explore just one by creating a quick assessment or study tool for students. As they were exploring and creating, I was circulating to answer questions and assist those who are less comfortable with technology.

In selecting the apps/tools to share, I tried to find a balance of "old" and "new" in order to meet the needs of those who want to dig deeper into tools they already know and those who are always looking for something new. One teacher commented, "I did not feel rushed through this session. It was a great review of some of the apps that have been introduced previously. There were also some new apps that I am going use in the next few weeks!" Many other teachers left similar comments and included positive feedback on time to explore and create. Quizalize was the most popular new tool this month.




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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

November Updates

As November approaches and first quarter comes to an end, I feel like things are beginning to settle down. So many wonderful things are happening in our classrooms each day, and it is amazing to see what students are researching and creating as I walk down the hallways. It is also exciting for me to be able to get into classrooms to work with students and teachers where the magic happens!

Our Transform Session for November is focused on assessment and study tools for upcoming exams. Teachers will be given an opportunity to explore Google Forms with Flubaroo, Socrative, GradeCam/ZipGrade, Charades, Kahoot!, and Flashcards by NKO with the goal of creating something to use with students.

For other excellent resources and updates, please checkout the Thinglink below!

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Friday, October 23, 2015

Apptoberfest

Last October, each high school in Anderson One hosted a community event to showcase and celebrate the amazing ways our students and teachers were using technology in the classroom. At Powdersville High, each grade level decorated a table in the Commons and invited students to come and share recent projects or favorite apps with parents and other community members. There was also a "Digital Playground" where parents and students could play with and explore some of the apps, as well as participate in a Kahoot!

This event helped to get parents and community members on board and excited about our 1:1 initiative, but one of the most amazing unexpected outcomes was the awesome learning that occurred from student to teacher, across grade levels and between schools. Teachers were excited to visit other tables to see what younger and older students were doing with technology in their classrooms.

 

 

Though we were not able to get this large community event on the calendar again for this year, we used this idea for a PD session at Powdersville Elementary School! The faculty was invited to enjoy fall themed snacks in the Media Center, and each iTeacher invited a student or pair of students to share their favorite apps with the faculty. Each of the students had a table, and faculty members were able to move from table to table in order to learn from the students. It is always amazing to see what the students are able to do when you give them an opportunity to lead!
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Sunday, October 11, 2015

Navigating the Road Ahead

My September Transform PD Session "Finding Direction" focused on preparing for the journey ahead. As we are navigating our way through the school year, it is important to reflect on what is working well and what is not in order to make informed instructional decisions. It is my goal to help teachers during this process to find what works best for their classroom and content area.

For my October Transform Session, I wanted to give teachers an opportunity to dig deeper into the tools that they are using or would like to use with students this year, while modeling instructional strategies that they can use in the classroom. I started by creating a separate Google Slides presentation to use at each of my schools. After a brief introduction, I created a KWL slide template for each group of teachers to edit. 

I asked one teacher in each group to add their topic as the title on the slide. Another teacher in each group was in charge of creating and posting a Popplet to show what the group already knew about the topic. A third teacher posted the questions. After exploring the topic by looking at available resources and discussing together. The group worked together to create one PicCollage, which was then posted under the "Learned" column of the slide. This was a great way to show how Google Slides can be used to allow for students to collaborate!



Teacher feedback from this session was great! One teacher commented, "Glad to have time to ask questions, play, and discover new things." All of the teachers really enjoyed working in groups and having an opportunity to choose their own topics for learning.

I was surprised at how many teachers struggled to select a topic. Some had trouble narrowing it down, and others commented, "I'm not sure about what I don't know." It was helpful to have a Drive folder full of resources for them to look through for inspiration and some suggestions about what they might want to learn. The sessions that happened later in the advantage of seeing what others were doing, which was helpful.

So far, I've really enjoyed using Google Classroom as a launching point for the sessions. It is great to have my presentation, links, and Google Form Survey all in one place for the teachers. I plan to continue to highlight different ways that Google Classroom can be used during each session. Because we have a lot of teachers interested in using Google Classroom with their students, this has also been a great way for those teachers to get a student perspective of how it works.


Looking for ideas for November Transform session. Thinking I might do something with SAMR model that allows teachers to look for ways to "bump up" activities they've used in the past...
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Sunday, October 4, 2015

October Updates

It is hard to believe that October is already here! Our team of iPad experts, technicians, and instructional technologists worked hard throughout September to get the Approved Apps Compliance Policy fully functional at all of Anderson One's schools. Students are now only allowed to download apps from the school's catalog of approved apps, and we are able to identify and correct students who download "unapproved" apps. Thank you to everyone for your patience and teamwork!

In order to share some updates and resources with all of my teachers, I created the Thinglink below:



Though we are currently experiencing some problems with the wifi speed in our buildings, I know that the team from Technology Support Services is currently working to correct the problem. Despite the frustration of these issues, it is amazing to see all of the awesome things our teachers and students are doing and creating with iPads. Creation Apps that do not require wifi (PicCollage, Popplet, Skitch, Venn, Canva, Puppet Edu, My Talking Avatar, Chatterpix, Book Creator, Notability, etc.) are working exceptionally well right now. Check out the Flipboard below!


In addition to the October Transform Session: Navigating the Road Ahead, I encourage teachers to check out the two Lead and Learn Technology Sessions being led by our own iTeachers this month.



I'm also looking forward to another Digital Playground Session with the iTeachers at Powdersville Elementary on Tuesday, October 20th! This month we are planning to invite students to share their favorite tech tools and apps, like our own little Apptoberfest event. 






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Sunday, September 20, 2015

Digital Playground ~ Creation Apps

The iTeachers at Powdersville Elementary and I have decided to host a Digital Playground session with a different theme for each month. Our goal for these sessions is to provide teachers with a fun way to explore new apps for the classroom and to encourage collaboration & sharing between grade levels.

For this month, each of us selected a creation app and created a station activity for the teachers. I chose to share Tellagami and My Talking Avatar, which can both be used by students to create a talking avatar to describe an image of something they've created or learned about. Book Creator, Puppet Edu, Popplet, and Thinglink were the other app selections for this month.



Teacher feedback from this session was excellent. They liked that the session was "self-paced," allowing them to move from station to station at any time. One of the teachers commented, "I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with other teachers about these apps as we were exploring." Several others made comments about the session being "informative" and "fun."

Thank you so much to Melissa Wilcox, Brenna Wilkie, Rachel Wayne, and Melissa Tollison for working together to make this a great learning opportunity for our teachers! Thanks also to Principal Brad Moore for supporting this event and providing drinks & snacks.


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Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Finding Direction

I started this month by kicking off a new monthly "Transform" PD series for teachers at each of the schools I serve this year. My goal for this monthly professional development series is to offer teachers an opportunity to dig deeper into the tech tools they have been discovering and to provide the necessary support for teachers to begin transforming instruction. The schedule at my schools will allow me to meet with groups of fewer than 10 teachers throughout the day during teacher planning. To start each month, I will be asking my teachers what they want to learn, need to learn, and wish to accomplish during our time together.

September's Transform Session, "Finding Direction" was a great way for me to lay the foundation for future sessions and get to learn more about the teachers I serve. 



Prior to this session, I created a Google Classroom for each of my five schools and invited teachers to join the class. By using Google Classroom as a launching pad for my professional development, I am able to stay organized and share resources, while also giving teachers an opportunity to experience the app from a student perspective.

During the session, I introduced teachers to Waze, a navigation app for their personal use. Though the app is similar to Google Maps, it differs in one very important way... Waze connects drivers with others using the app. After a quick explanation of how the app works, I related it to teaching: The most effective educators know where they are and have a goal for where they plan to go with instruction, while also recognizing the importance of collaborating with other teachers. The experiences of others in their building, in our school district, and around the world (using Twitter) offer valuable insights and information about the road ahead.

Next, I created an activity that allowed teachers to tap into their creativity while reviewing some basic iPad skills. This activity was built around the idea that the Waze app needs to know 3 things in order to work: who you are, where you are, and where you want to go. (For more information, see Google Slides above.) Teachers used Google Classroom to submit a PicCollage, and Answer Garden was used to collect adjectives for their "Destination."






To close each session, I reminded teachers that our next session will be based around their ideas for their own classroom and encouraged them to bring ideas, interests, and questions. Teachers also completed a Google Form to provide me with useful feedback, and I was so excited about their enthusiastic responses!

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Friday, September 4, 2015

September Updates

It has been a wild first few weeks of school, as our team has been working hard to get iPads set up and distributed to the students! Though we have had our share of bumps in the road, I feel like we are in far better shape this year than we were at this same point in 2014. We still have a way to go before the process is as smooth as we would like it to be, but I feel like things are headed in the right direction. It's so exciting to see students and teachers using the devices as a regular part of instruction already!

In order to share some updates and resources with all of my teachers, I created the Thinglink below:

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Friday, August 14, 2015

#firstdayfun

Administrators Melissa Tollison and Brad Moore at Powdersville Elementary organized an awesome scavenger hunt for their faculty's first day back to school, and it was definitely an idea worth sharing!



With several newly hired teachers and a lot of physical changes in the building, Mrs. Tollison and Mr. Moore were looking for a creative way for everyone to learn the changes. The scavenger hunt they put together was a great way to accomplish that goal, promote teamwork, refresh technology skills, and promote a Twitter culture!

Teachers were assigned to groups in an effort to mix new teachers with veterans, techie teachers with not so techie, and different grade levels. Within each group, the teachers selected jobs from the following: QR Code Scanner, Notability Note Keeper , Social Media, and Models. The teams stayed together to scan the QR codes, find the correct locations, take creative photos at each of the locations, add the photos to the notes template, and Tweet about the journey.


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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Welcome Back, Teachers!

I'm so excited to begin welcoming teachers back to school tomorrow morning! It is hard to believe that this will be my 12th Opening Meeting at Powdersville Middle School.

To help with organizing the many resources that I would like to share, I created a Thinglink. In addition to being more visually appealing than a long list of links, teachers can also bookmark this one web link instead of creating multiple bookmarks for all of the resources.



The background image was created using Canva, which is one of my favorite tools for simple graphic design. I hope everyone will find these resources helpful as they prepare for those first few weeks of school!
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Monday, August 10, 2015

Induction Teacher Tech Day

Every summer our first year teachers begin training in early August to prepare for the start of school. One full day of their training is devoted to technology, and this year we also invited the experienced teachers who are new to our district. Team Innovation worked hard to put together fun and meaningful sessions for this awesome group of newbies!



Inspired by Dave Burgess' Teach Like a Pirate, Team Innovation created a poster to put on the front door and started the morning with PlayDough! We asked teachers to use the PlayDough to show where they are on the technology spectrum and post a photo of their creation to Padlet. Not only was this a fun way to tap into their creativity, but we were also able to show how to post a photo to Padlet and to collect some information about the new teachers' comfort with incorporating technology into the classroom.


Following the opening session, we had five breakout sessions for our newbies, who were split into groups based on grade-level. To inform everyone of where to go and other important information, we gave each teacher a personalized agenda.



The sessions were: Google Basics with Tamara Cox, First Days of School with Kristen Gunter, Core Apps with Kristen Hearne, App Gallery with our iTeachers, and 1:1 Classroom Management with me. Instead of just talking TO teachers about strategies for classroom management, it was my goal to facilitate a discussion WITH the teachers based on their own experiences.


Management Tips for iPads in the Classroom - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
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Thursday, August 6, 2015

A1 iTeacher August Training

With just three Instructional Technologists serving 14 schools, our army of iTeachers is critical to the success of our 1:1 initiative. We started with just one teacher per school to help with professional development at the school level and our district conference. Throughout last year, we continued to add teachers to our iTeacher program and provided training on presentation skills. These teachers presented at our Transform 2015 Conference.


Over the summer, we selected another group of iTeachers to add to our growing army. For many schools, we now have one iTeacher per grade level! In order to prepare them for the year ahead, Team Innovation planned a fun day of training.

Team Building
We started the training session with professional headshots by David Hearne for iTeachers to use as profile pictures on Twitter, Google+, blogs, and classroom websites. Following the headshots, iTeachers were treated to a craft session with Toshia Leistein from Burlap and Ribbons. The adorable apples seen below will be used to decorate their classroom doors this year!


 Model Classrooms
The next portion of training focused on creating model classrooms. This school year, our district will be hosting a Digital Transformation Institute for leaders in other districts to come tour classrooms and learn more about our 1:1 initiative. We are counting on our iTeachers to create model classrooms for this event and for others in our district to visit.

We began with a discussion about what makes a "model classroom" using AnswerGarden to create a word cloud of  responses. Next, we split the teachers five groups and asked each group to narrow the indicators for one of the ISTE Standards on a Model Classroom Rubric using a Google Doc. After showing how to make their own copy of the Doc, each teacher used it as a self-evaluation. Finally, the iTeachers moved into grade-level groups to share ideas and reflections.

iTeacher Training - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires






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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Google Forms for Administrators

It has been a busy summer planning and preparing for the awesome school year that lies ahead! In addition to organizing teacher training and getting ready for iPad distribution, I have spent some quality time working with the administrators in our district as they get ready for a new year.

Here are a few of the ways administrators are using Google Forms!

Teacher Information Form
In years past, I started each school year by completing a green information sheet at my school, which the office staff then entered into a spreadsheet for mail merges, faculty phone lists, etc. When a Google Form is used to collect the same information, data is automatically entered into a spreadsheet.

Click HERE to make a copy of a sample responses sheet.
Once you make a copy, click "Form > Edit form" in order to make changes and personalize.



Because my school district has set up a GAFE Domain, it is easy to automatically collect email addresses from those who complete a form. Simply, check the first two boxes under "Form Settings."



For more help, check out this awesome Google Forms Quick Start Guide created by Alice Keeler.

 Walk-Through Observation Forms
This has been a very popular request from administrators this summer, and I have enjoyed showing off how using a Google Form paired with Autocrat makes managing observation feedback a breeze!

Try this Sample Observation Form. After you submit the form, you should receive an email with your feedback as an attached PDF. In addition to the PDF you receive, the feedback is stored in the Responses Spreadsheet and in a Google Drive folder. The best part is that once everything is set up, it all happens automatically!

Setting this up involves three components: a Google Form, a Google Docs template, and the Responses Spreadsheet with Autocrat add-on. To get started, check out the step-by-step instructions that I created for administrators in my district. (If you are looking for another type of observation form, here is another template created by Brad Moore and Melissa Tollison.)  

Discipline Referral Forms
It has been exciting to see those I've helped this summer find other ways to apply and personalize what they've learned about Google Forms. Many found that they were able to use a variety of add-ons and features in Google Forms to expedite and improve upon their process for dealing with discipline referrals.

Assistant Principal Lauree Cole and I came up with a Google Form (based on PowerSchool data) for teachers to complete that notifies the administrator team via email when student behavior is referred to the office. The administrators can use the spreadsheet to communicate with one another about who is dealing with the behavior issue and what consequences are being given. We also found that using Autocrat is a great way to email a final copy to teachers and/or parents once the student has visited the office. If you'd like to learn more about how this form was created and set-up, click HERE. 
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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

A1 Core Apps Symbaloo

An important aspect of my job as an Instructional Technologist is to pull together resources for my teachers to use. In the same way that creating recorded Math lessons for my students allowed them to "take me home" with them each night, curating and providing quality resources is a way that I can provide help even when I am in another building! It is important for the resources to be organized and easy to access, so last school year I created an organized Google Drive Folder full of cheat sheets, video tutorials, and student samples to share with the teachers in my area.

Though the teachers and I love the accessibility, organization, and ability to search in Google Drive, I wanted to find a more visual way to show what resources were available. Yesterday, I decided to try using Symbaloo to share file and folder links from Google Drive.



One of my favorite things about this is that I can easily update and make changes! As I add files into my shared folders, they will automatically become available here. As app icons change, it is easy to edit a tile and change the image. If we want to add or delete an app to our core, it is also simple to add or delete a tile from the Symbaloo. I hope this will be useful way for my teachers to access the resources that our A1 Digital Innovation Team is pulling together.
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Thursday, July 9, 2015

Get a Jump on Technology

Powdersville teachers are excited to use Google Classroom with their students next year, and the summer is an excellent time to give it a test run!

As a way to support teachers over the summer, our A1 Instructional Tech Team put together four tasks to help teachers "Get a Jump on Technology" before August arrives, and we are using Google Classroom as a platform for the course. This is a great way to experience Google Classroom from the student perspective before diving in with students in the Fall. The tasks listed below are designed to give teachers an opportunity to create things that will be useful in the year ahead.

Task #1 Make Google Forms Work for You
Teachers are asked to create a useful Google Form for next school year, (i.e. a student introduction form, reading interest survey, parent night survey). Then, create a QR code that links to the form and turn in the QR Code image. (Thanks to Alice Keeler for sharing her Quick Start Guide!)

Task #2 The 4Cs: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking
For this task, we asked teachers to watch a Common Sense Media video on the 4C's and use a Google Docs template to transform a particular unit of study to include the 4Cs and technology tools. I have enjoyed getting to see the exciting things that teachers are planning and adding comments to the doc. Adding comments to a Google Doc is simple and effective!

Task #3 Creating Task Cards to Spruce Up Your Centers
This task has been my favorite! We asked teachers to watch a video from Learning in Hand, view some sample task cards, and create their own station/center task cards in Google Slides. Instead of turning in the presentation as an assignment, I asked my teachers to post the link as a comment and mark the assignment as done. This is a great way to have students share work for the entire class to view! I created a Padlet Wall to share their work here.



Task #4 End of Summer Presentation
For the final assignment, teachers are to create a multimedia presentation to document their summer using one of the following apps: Adobe Voice, Adobe Clip, Adobe Slate, Book Creator, Haiku Deck, Flipagram, or PicPlayPost. Again, I asked teachers to post a link in the assignment comments for all to view their final product. I'm excited to see the fun things Powdersville teachers create!

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Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Upstate Technology Conference 2015

Each summer, Greenville County Schools hosts UTC at Wade Hampton High. This was my third year attending, and I enjoyed presenting with others from Anderson One and making some new contacts over the course of our two days at #2015UTC. It was also exciting to meet some of my Tweeps in person! Here is a quick look at what was shared during my sessions...

Turning the Tables
Flipping the idea of an expert panel, in this session our Anderson One Instructional Tech team provided a list of questions and issues for the room to discuss. As a facilitator of this session, I left with a lot of new ideas and friends to follow. The small group setting, with a handful of people sharing each day, encouraged an authentic and interactive discussion in which everyone was able to participate!

Documenting the Journey with Flipboard
In this solo session, I shared how I combined Twitter and Flipboard to create a "Year in Review" magazine to document and highlight the amazing things happening with 1:1 technology in my area during the 2014-2015 school year. Check out the resources in the Thinglink below:

Flipping Out in Math
My good friend Melissa Wilcox and I shared some helpful tools and tips for flipping instruction in elementary and middle school Math. There was also time to share some excellent Math resources. Feel free to interact with the Thinglink here!



 Discover. Transform. Excel. @ PD
Reflecting on our first year going 1:1 with iPads, our Anderson One Instructional Technology team shared the variety of professional development opportunities we've offered to support or teachers and administrators. Looking at our presentation, I am so proud of the things our team accomplished this year, and I look forward to creating new and exciting learning opportunities for Anderson One teachers next year!

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Thursday, July 2, 2015

Transform 2015


Each year, Anderson One hosts two-days of professional development for teachers and administrators from within our school district to end the school year. One of the coolest things about this event is that nearly all of the presentations and course offerings were led by teachers and administrators from within our own district! As part of the Instructional Technology team, I had the opportunity to be directly involved in planning this event, and I'm excited to share some of the great things we were able to put together.


A Quick Look...
Teachers used #a1digitalinnovation to tweet about #Transform2015 throughout our conference, and I used Flipboard to pull together photos and tweets.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

Technado
TechnadoBased on an idea inspired by The Daring Librarian, our team of Instructional Technologists put together a session in which we presented 60 Apps in less than 60 Minutes. Each of us selected and shared 20 apps for teachers followed by a fun "Brain Break" to get everyone up and moving. Because of the volume and pace of information, we made sure to share the link to our presentation: Technado 2015 Slides. Feedback from this fast-paced session was excellent!

Weapons of Math Instruction
As a veteran sixth grade Math teacher, I am always pumped to put together PD sessions focused on Math instruction. For this Weapons of Math Instruction Session, I pulled together 8 stations with activities and resources for Middle School Math teachers and invited attendees to self-select stations and the length of time spent at each one. Teachers worked collaboratively and shared with one another in groups and via Padlet. 

Innovator's Lounge
IMG_2205.PNGOur team came up with the Innovator's Lounge as a way to allow teachers a time and space for spontaneous collaboration during the conference. As a facilitator in the Innovator's Lounge, it was encouraging to see how this time was used to put learning into action!
App Gallery
Instead of a traditional vendor hall, we decided to ask our A1 iTeachers to help us create information stations for 36 educational apps to put on display in the gym. Teachers were then able to drop in and peruse the tables, scan QR codes, pick up donated swag, and gather ideas at their leisure. Our iStudents were on hand to answer questions and provide feedback as teachers visited the stations. 
 

Tech Gadget Table
For my App Gallery table, I pulled together a Collection of Tech Gadgets to share. This was a "hands-on" station where teachers could play with a variety of my favorite gadgets. Though many of these were pulled from my own tool bag, I was also able to get donations from several companies and to borrow gadgets from students and colleagues. 

AppMazing Race
Over the course of the two-day event, we had several groups of teachers working to complete the AppMazing Race, a list of ten creation-based challenges. Click here for details. This was a fun way to encourage teachers to experiment with many of the creation apps that we would like to see students using the in the classroom! During our closing session, we were able to show the final submissions on the "big screen" before we announced the winning team. Click here to see the winning entry. 

Family Feud
The closing session of Transform 2015 featured our own version of the Family Feud based on a similar session done at ISTE and posted online. To put this together, our team sent out a Google Survey and gathered these responses. Next, the presentation was created using SMART Notebook, and our "host" Todd Binnicker was selected and trained. Finally, two teams of participants (Elementary vs. Secondary) were selected, and we were ready to go. The final show was HILARIOUS and an excellent way to end! 



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