PD by the Pool 2k17

As we look ahead to a refreshing and relaxing summer, I hope that all of my teachers will sign-up for our PD by the Pool course in Google Classroom. Designed to help teachers get a jump on next school year while earning a handful of technology proficiency credits, the course consists of four "techie tasks." Please go to Google Classroom and use the join code below for more details!

Task #1 ~ Communicating with Parents & Students

To get started, teachers are tasked with exploring the presentation posted here, updating the classroom website & Teachers.io, and setting up accounts for any other communication tools to be used in Fall 2017. Once completed, teachers are asked to post a reflection in Google Classroom.

Task #2 ~ Technology Tools for Workflow in the Classroom

For this assignment, teachers will access resources for archiving and refreshing accounts for the apps shown below. They are tasked with rebooting accounts for the 2017-18 school year, and writing a post in Google Classroom about which tools they intend to use with students. 

Task #3 ~ Digital Breakout

In order to introduce teachers to BreakoutEDU Digital, teachers will use the posted link to complete a pool-themed Digital Breakout. Then, they'll simply post a reflection about the experience. I've invited anyone interested in working on creating a similar experience for their students to contact me over the summer! Hopefully, a handful of teachers will take the risk and be willing to give it a try in the coming year. *I've already had a few teachers contact me for a hint to get them started on completing this one. ;)

Task #4 ~ Multimedia Tools for Introducing Yourself

For the last task, teachers will explore the Thinglink below to select an app for creating a multimedia presentation to use at the start of the school year. It is always fun to see the unique introductions that teachers are able to create!

SC EdTech 2016

Last week, Kristen Gunter and I had an opportunity to attend SC EdTech in Myrtle Beach, where we facilitated a BreakoutEDU session. It was a great chance to connect with other Instructional Technologists across South Carolina and to grab ideas for future PD sessions. One attendee created the Padlet below to share session resources:

Looking ahead to future sessions, we really liked Greta Flinn's Iron Chef Technology session. In between sessions and fun in the vendor hall, Gunter and I brainstormed ideas for Tech Speed Dating, Technado, and Tech Trivia sessions. As a teacher, I always loved feeling renewed and full of fresh ideas leaving a conference, and SC EdTech did not disappoint!

Guided Math Workshop #excitingtimes

Linking the professional development offered to my teachers to the instructional focus at each school has already helped to truly integrate technology in meaningful ways for my teachers. Recently, I was able to work together with Melissa Tollison to plan and conduct a three hour workshop session on Guided Math for teachers at Powdersville Elementary. The goal of the session was to give everyone a broad overview of the components of Guided Math, get everyone on the same page, and help teachers feel more confident in implementing Guided Math in the classroom.

During this three-hour session, we really wanted the teachers to experience the components of a Guided Math approach. As the Instructional Technologist, I tried to embed the use of technology in authentic ways throughout to show the teachers how the tools can be used effectively in the classroom. We started with a quick Google Form that asked teachers to rate themselves and used this data to group teachers later in the session.

Next, teachers added their ideas, comments, and questions to posters created for each component. This allowed us as facilitators to see what they already know and to address their questions specifically in our overview.

It was an awesome day with Ts @pvespride #guidedmath #thisiswhatitsallabout #ilovemyjob #asd1 pic.twitter.com/MdNNCBfD4g

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) August 25, 2016

For classroom environment, teachers paired up to discuss areas in the classroom, making manipulatives accessible, and creating a numeracy rich environment. To keep the discussion moving forward, one person from each pair posted a summary of their ideas to Today's Meet.

Prior to getting in groups to discuss ideas for warm-ups, the teachers completed four 4th Grade Math questions in Socrative. I used the data to demonstrate how this tool can be used to gather data that informs instruction. Teachers worked in grade level groups to talk about this in more detail.

We spoke very briefly about appropriate use of whole group instruction and the limitations before distributing MAP data for each class. This was the perfect opportunity to show that teaching to the middle does not meet the needs of our students! The group also had a meaningful discussion about equality vs. equity based on the popular image below.

My favorite portion of the day was the portion on small group instruction and stations. During this time, teachers were able to visit a variety of Math Stations while Mrs. Tollison and I met with small groups for discussion based on their self-ratings. The stations were organized by color, allowing us to assign everyone to complete the orange "must-do" stations and differentiating the blue and purple "can-do" stations based on comfort with technology. This strategy was an effective way to show teachers what this component could look like in the classroom. It also allowed us to respond to the needs of teachers new to Guided Math as well as those who already had experience using this approach in the classroom. 

The most exciting thing about these sessions was the response of my teachers. Those who were initially nervous or anxious about using Guided Math, left feeling more confident about what it could look like in their classrooms, and many were excited to get started the following day. For me, this was so rewarding, and I've been excited to visit classrooms. I look forward to continue supporting teachers as we implement Guided Math at Powdersville Elementary this year!

Mrs. Melton's Ss are busy during #guidedmath using @DreamBox_Learn @poppletny & versatiles #pvespride #asd1 pic.twitter.com/6uonDMgo7x

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 2, 2016

Ss @MrsWaynePVES getting the work done in #guidedmath #pvespride #asd1 pic.twitter.com/E4CNRPM08H

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) August 29, 2016

Ss @MrsWaynePVES are hard at work in #guidedmath #flexibleseating #pvespride #asd1 pic.twitter.com/iQOZPS0yDp

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) August 29, 2016

Tech. Integration Professional Development 2016-17

This year I am excited to be able to offer professional development opportunities that are tailored and custom fit to the needs of my teachers! The scheduling for this was a little crazier than the past, but I look forward to meeting with the teachers in smaller groups and co-planning some amazing lessons, projects, and assessments for our students.

Click on your school below in order to view specific dates and times!

Teachers must remember to register in PD Express each month and complete the correct Google Form in order to receive re-certification credits. To sign up, simply search the District PD Express Catalog using the word "TECH," and a list of Technology Integration Check Up sessions for each month will appear.

The Google Form to confirm your participation is a self reflection that requires you to choose one lesson, project, or assessment that you have used with students during the month to evaluate. I will be posting a separate form for each school each month in Google Classroom and sharing those during our planned meeting times. Please let me know if you have any questions!

February Updates

It's hard to believe that February is already here! I look forward to getting to see everyone in person again this month! #lovemyteachers

Our Transform Session this month will start with a quick look at what the AdvancED External Review team will be looking for regarding technology use in the classroom. Next, we will be collaborating with the goal of transforming some of your favorite lessons, activities, and/or projects. You will need your laptop or iPad (with Google Slides app). It would also be helpful to bring along a favorite lesson idea, activity or project to transform and share with other teachers across our district. I'll bring some delicious treats and tech badges along with some ideas for transforming your lessons!

Check out the Thinglink below for this month's Tech Tip Calendar, upcoming PD dates, and other useful resources!

January Updates

Our Transform Session for January is designed to be flexible and self-paced. All of the resources are located in Google Classroom, and you may complete the assignment on your own or during one of the live sessions. Based on the results from the survey last month, the resources focus on using recording tools to move toward Modification and Redefinition as described by the SAMR model.

Please see the Thinglink below for upcoming PD dates and other great resources!

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!

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!

So proud of our Ss & iTeachers @pvespride #apptoberfest #a1digitalinnovation pic.twitter.com/8OKHJhmYWo

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) October 20, 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.

Enjoyed working with Ts @CPSCrickets exploring what they want to learn more about! #a1digitalinnovation #supercricket pic.twitter.com/r0dQhFeKPQ

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) October 2, 2015

It was a great day with Ts @pvespride! #transformsession #a1digitalinnovation pic.twitter.com/Kb2boWTtvp

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) October 6, 2015

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...

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.

Thanks, #iTeachers! Always fun @pvespride #digitalplayground #a1digitalinnovation pic.twitter.com/1n5pYhrQQO

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 15, 2015

Ts are playing with a variety of creation apps @pvespride #digitalplayground #a1digitalinnovation #blessedinpville pic.twitter.com/4YxNGulXFX

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 15, 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."

Ts @OfficialWren are off to a great start with PD #tranformsession #a1digitalinnovation #OfficialWren pic.twitter.com/G4PBZwwM4a

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 1, 2015

Ts @pvespride are taking personality #selfies in today's #tranformsession #a1digitalinnovation #pvespride pic.twitter.com/tTznrDz2OR

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 1, 2015

Ts @pvespride are having fun in today's #tranformsession #a1digitalinnovation #pvespride #tlap pic.twitter.com/Q8jAHguYG4

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 1, 2015

Lots of learning and laughing at today's #tranformsession #lightofPVMS #blessedinpowdersville #a1digitalinnovation pic.twitter.com/OqHIiQkq3q

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 2, 2015

Ts @CPSCrickets have fun during our #tranformsession #a1digitalinnovation #supercricket pic.twitter.com/8fzI55nxtZ

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 3, 2015

Always a good time with my Ts @PowdersvilleHS #transformsession #patriotsInspire #a1digitalinnovation pic.twitter.com/uGbzBjiDDv

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 8, 2015

Ts were asked to list adjectives that Ss will use to describe their class this year #ourcompass #a1digitalinnovation pic.twitter.com/Rq1ZuHGm5p

— Jessica D. Preisig (@PreisigJessica) September 8, 2015

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!

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!

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

Based 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

Our 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!