To Start The Year

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It is almost that time of year where kids and teachers look forward to the start of the year with nervous excitement. Sales have started on back to school supplies and supply lists are being formed and filled. For me it is a special time of year as a parent and a teacher. I get to revel in all the excitement

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of not only my kids but also my colleagues & students as they head back to school. As a parent I want to make sure that my kids are prepared and ready to go for the first day. However, I have been thinking that so much is put in to the first day if not the first week that sometimes there is a let down the 2nd or 3rd week as we settle in to routine. Also I have noticed that as we get into the routine we sometimes forget about all the things we said we were going to do and try out in this new year. I know for me that happens almost every year. If it isn't forgetting to do something new or engaging it is abandoning it early on because it appears to not be working out or isn't going as I had it planned in my head. This year I hope to be different and power through the beginning of the year slump and keep the momentum going. To help with that I want to tell you about some ideas I am going to try out this year as well as some apps/websites that you might find helpful. So lets get started!!!!

Getting to know you students 

As we come back to school a lot of us like to do get to know you projects like all about me speeches, slide decks, collages, etc. This is a great way to get to know your students and what their interests are. In this digital day and age it would be great to spice up the get to know me project by having kids do a Flipgrid. For those who don't' know what a flip grid is or have been wondering how to use it here are some great ideas. Flipgrid (recently purchased by Microsoft is a simple social video recording site that allows users to create a topic/gird and then have others post a simple video on that topic. All that is needed is a computer/laptop, phone, or device with a camera and Internet connection. There is some background setup to do on the teachers part (setting up grid, sharing access code, etc.) which is pretty self explanatory. One thing to be careful is that kids need to be 13+ to create an account or have parent permission. These are usually short videos that can be done in class or as homework. What I like about this project is that if you are like me and find some names difficult to pronounce, you have the kids saying their names as an introduction and you have a recording of them pronouncing it correctly. For those kids who are shy or don't want to be recorded (for various reasons) you can do a more traditional project. 

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More traditional projects are the all about meet speech, poster, slide deck, etc. One thing to be careful of in this digital day and age is not to abuse fair use. I have heard at various conferences and training that what we as educators enjoy as fair use is not what it used to be. In the past teachers and students could clip pictures, songs, etc. from the Internet and use them in presentations without citation and claim fair use. Those days are gone. You will notice when I use pictures in my blog I include the website where I found the pictures. I also use an advance setting in my search engine that lets me search for pictures that are labeled as "free to share and use". This is something we want to encourage students and colleagues to do as good digital citizens. To help with this is a website called Tineye. Tineye is a website that lets you upload a picture or URL then do a reverse look up to see where that image is or has be used online. It searches the actual picture and not the title or file name. This is a good way to see who might own the image so you can contact them to see if the image is available for use. When in doubt I tell me students to contact the website they found the image and ask for permission. This also something to keep in mind as we have kids do reports or presentations. We ask them to cite their sources. It is important that if they included digital images, videos, recording, etc. that they don't own themselves they need to get permission. 

Along with getting permission and citing sources something that teachers and students need to be aware of is their districts policy on digital work and who owns it. There are more and more cases of teachers writing curriculum, lessons, projects, books, etc.and finding out that they don't actually own the rights to the work. What they have found is that since they did the work during regular work hours and/or on district owned equipment (even outside of regular work hours and/or at home) that the district owns the rights to the work. One way around this is to keep work separate from personal endeavors. Do your writing or development on your own time and on your own computer. Although it is important to check your contract to see what your district policy is on work you create. 

Time Management

As teachers we have many skills we want/have to teach kids. I know that one thing I struggle with personally and see kids struggle with is Time Management. Students seem to think they have all the time in the world before an assignment is due and if they have a device connected to the Internet in from of them (cell phone, laptop, computer, etc.) the opportunity for distraction is even greater. There are a few apps I have learned about that help with this. Although before I get into this I want to talk about a tool I have kids use for project/time management, a Gantt Chart

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/MindView-Gantt_Chart.png

. A Gantt chart is a simple chart that one can create using an spreadsheet application although I use a preset up  excel template. In a nutshell kids type in the parts of the project that need to be done assign a duration (weeks or days) and then track how far along they are on the project (usually as a percent). they can also include a predicted start and end time. The chart gives them a graphical representation of how long the project will take and an actual representation of where they are at. I use this as part of the 20% time projects I have kids do and it helps them meet those due dates. 

Other tools to help them are some online apps/chrome extensions. One that helps with goal setting and tacking is called Win the Day. It is a chrome extension that allows you to set goals and then track how you are doing on those goals as well as online time to help you stay focused. Another extension is called Forest. This is a cute extension that helps with keeping kids and you off line on your phone or other device. If enabled this app it tracks your time off the Internet by planting and growing a "tree". The tree will die if you spend too much time online. The more time you focus the more trees you grow thus creating a forest. The cool thing is that the Forest app is connected with the organization Trees for the future  and works to plan real trees based on app use. 

One last extension that I will share is called onetab. This is an extension for the chrome browser that takes all the tabs you have open and puts them into one tab as hyperlinks. This is a helpful tool if you are like me and are guilty of having tons of tabs open throughout the day of sites and things you want to share kids. Where it's power really lies though is in sharing multiple sites with kids. You can create a onetab page with all the links kids might need for a project or assignment and then share just that one tab with them rather than trying to create a page with all the links.  

I would love you hear about your projects, apps, etc. you use at the beginning of the year and how you plan to keep the momentum of the summer going throughout the whole school year.

As always go forth and do great things.

Managing it all

Over the past 16+ years I have worked in a computer lab and as a technology building leader at both my middle school and at the district office. As I started out teaching in a a computer lab my biggest fear was how do I manage 30+ kids on computers. I stressed to make sure they were:

• working on what they should be
• not going to websites they shouldn't 
• not playing games
• not installing files or programs they shouldn't

it was a huge stress and I never felt I was doing enough. As I moved forward with my career I learned many management strategies and tools to help with managing the lab. This past year our district went 1:1

https://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-common-learning-disabilities.htm

with Chromebooks. There were tons of questions and fears that I got, but by far one of the biggest was around how to manage these devices and kids. Which is the topic of this blog.

http://ecocitiesemerging.org/driverless-cars-bad-idea-driverless-cities/

First off I will warn you there is not silver bullet when it comes to managing 1:1 and/or a classroom full of computers. The closest I can find is rely on your best management practises. I have tried many different tools &/or strategies and found as with any good management strategy it has to be your own. In this post I am going to talk generically about strategies and tools as I don't want to endorse one over another. If you have questions regarding recommendations feel free to email me with what you are considering I will offer my opinion via email. My hope is to give you some tips and tricks as well as spark some conversation by others.

I am serious when I say find something that fits your style and personality. If you do you will have more success and less stress. That being said my style is more of being what I have heard as Lead Learner or as a Project Manager (although personally I like to call it lazy teacher 😁). In my classroom I focus on making sure kids know:

1. what they are to be doing
2. when the work is due
3. how to get help if needed
4. finding resources need to complete what they are doing

If all 4 of these are met I have few to no issues with kids working. It was hard to get to this point but once I let go of the list I mentioned earlier I was a much happier teacher and kids were much happier. That being said here are my thoughts on some tools and strategies that I use to support the above.

https://www.worksafetyposters.com.au/product/clear-instructions-quality-poster/

Knowing  what they are doing

This is possibly the biggest thing I struggle with. You have to make sure you and your students are on the same page as to what needs to be done. If students don't know what to do then they will fill their time with work they want to do, and it won't be what you want them to be doing. This ranges from playing games, searching for pictures, work for other classes, to simply sitting reading a book. They will find a way to keep themselves busy. To help with this I use google classroom and skyward to send out assignment details and resources. I start each class with what I call an opening routine, basically a list of instructions to start the class and our class agenda for the day. I also give students the first 5 minutes (although I am thinking of reducing that this year) to get materials out and get started on the entry task. During that time I don't bother them and ask they don't bother me as I am doing my opening routine as well that helps me get ready for instruction.

Speaking of instruction it is important that you give clear instructions on what they are to do. This is something I continually work on as I often find that what I think of as clear instructions can and are interpreted differently. It is important that you get to know your kids and their needs and their personalities for this one. I am talking more than just knowing the IEP's/504's in your room and who your ELL kids are as well. You need to know who prefers to read and who prefers to watch videos, who likes to work in teams and who likes to work independently, you also need to know who your creative kids are that like to do things their own way and who are the list followers. Every kids will look at your instructions and see them differently. You need to be prepared to be flexible and open minded so you are able to handle the curve ball that comes when you least expect it.

What I have found works best is to give clear instructions on what you want and then invite conversation. I often times don't show examples of what I want because I want to encourage kids to find their own solution and not just do what someone else did. If they do that on their own that is fine but I want it to be their choice. Those who do need an example I will work with them to find it on their own if they are showing signs of being stressed. 

I have tried various online management systems as well as having monitors facing me. What I found found is that as I give better instructions the need for these tools/strategies goes down. I will be honest kids hate the online management tools. They hate them because they feel their trust is eroded because the teacher will post the classes screens on the big screen for all to see. I see this as a sure fire way to lose respect and trust with your kids. I have also been told that teachers tend to use it as a crutch. One of the most telling comments I got from students is when a former one told me that I took control of their computers too much. At first I was taken aback but then then I did some informal data analysis and found that I was controlling their computers more than I was letting them work. That being said there are times when online management systems needed and helpful but don't rely on them as a crutch or your sole strategy.

Knowing when work is due

http://www.dontmesswithtaxes.com/2016/01/final-2015-estimated-tax-payment-due-january-15-.html

As a CTE  (career and Technical Education) teacher I am big on due dates/deadlines. I have heard from many an industry person that employees struggle with getting work done on time. I see this with my students as well. Especially with middle school kids there is this thought that if I am not done I shouldn't turn anything in until it is complete which often times leads to it not getting turned in at all. However I am now starting to see the other extreme with kids & parents requesting/requiring more time. In my class due dates or only negotiable if your are sick, absent, or have it built into a plan (IEP/504). That being said every kid in my class has the right to go back and improve their score to the highest score they are eligible for. Along with knowing the due date I am finding that kids also need a plan as to how they are going to reach that due date. This is not simply writing the due date down in an agenda or online calendar. It is actually putting together a plan of what they need to do/accomplish to get the project/assignment done by the due date. I learned this from doing my 20% time project last year. I had kids do a Gantt project planner chart in excel. The kids that filled these out regularly finished their work ahead of schedule and more completely than those who didn't. I will be looking at incorporating something like this over this next year for work that isn't part of 20% time projects. I will be honest students don't like/struggle with this at the beginning but it is a life skill and eventually they see the benefit.

Knowing how to get help if/when needed & finding resources

http://nancynwilson.com/get-help-now/

I have seen many tricks when it comes to this. There is the tried and true raising your hand, using cups, 3 before me, 'I need help" wall, and an on and on. What I find works in this instance is what method works best for you. I have adopted the "I need help wall". This is a space a wall I have painted with whiteboard paint that kids can write on. One they love writing on the wall and two it helps the stay working. I have found that when the hand or cup goes up all work stops. Also I let kids know that I am not the only one who can help kids on the wall. This helps those kids who are ahead a way to practice their learning and grow a sense of community. Also I have found that sometimes kids at explain things better than me. I also use the 3 before me which includes the use of the internet. Often times the questions I get are on how to use a tool or website or app. I know I may be labeled a bad teacher for saying this but I hate those questions. I hate them because often times the answer can be found by doing a simple search like "How do I create a numbered list in word?". I will make kids search for those or use my new favorite website, http://lmgtfy.com/. I want to teach kids how to learn not teach them how to use a tool. Once I gave up teaching kids how to use tools on the computer my stress level went way down and the student's empowerment went way up. It is a hard shift to make though as I did like to have control over my class and I hate seeing kids get frustrated.

Along with finding help I also find that when kids know where resources are they management of the classroom goes much easier. If things are hard to find kids will either give up or revert to asking you. This is not necessarily a bad thing but does take time away for you managing/helping other kids. One thing I am going to do this next year is to build or have kids build a map of where things are at in the classroom as well as create a resource document of where they can find things on the web. 

Other

One last bit of management advice I will give is the importance of having a plan for down time. This was another one I struggled with for awhile. I was militant in not wanting games being played in my class. However after reading some books and sites on game theory in education I have revised my thinking. Games can be an instructional tool as well as a good stress reducer. That being said I don't let kids play games when they are done with their work all the time. I try to build in time when kids who are done can play games during the semester but I also have other tasks for them to do before they event think about game playing. In my class if you are done with or reached a point where you can't move one until someone else is done you have 4 options:

1. Work for another class
2. 20% time project
3. Read a book
4. Leadership points

Students can select from this list when they are done. I am famous for my saying "if you have time to play games you have time to work". This often times is all I need to say to get them back on track. However sometimes it takes a bit more of a push.

Anyways I would like to hear your thoughts and ideas. What works for you and your class? What are your questions and what fears do you have.

As always go forth and do great things!

Future jobs; training required

https://www.newbedfordguide.com/hot-jobs-list-15/2014/08/20

On a recent episode of TWIT (This Week in Tech) the host and guest were talking about jobs and what types of jobs Amazon Go store uses technology to charge you for what you take and also how automated cars will take away driving jobs, and how AI will lead to computers that program themselves. This has been a discussion that has happened on this show many times and I have seen play out in the news recently as well. What was interesting to me was when they started talking about training needed.
were needed for future careers. They context of the discussion was in regards to technology taking over jobs such as grocery clerks, drivers, warehouse stocking, etc. They were advising a kid in the audience on what kind of training/schooling and jobs he should look for as he gets older. Their discussed how the

What I found interesting is the type of training/schooling the host and guests recommended. They talked about programming and computer science degrees but shot each other down based on AI taking over programming, automation taking over driving, & eventually settled on skilled trade type jobs of monitoring and maintaining automated devices and code. As well as skilled creative jobs that require out of the box type thinking that humans do better than machines. It was funny to see them fumble for words or a description of what kinds of training this was. I wish I had watched it live so I could post the description into the chat room as I found myself screaming it at the recording. 😝 I wanted so badly to say they were talking about CTE (Career & Technical Education).

http://vcs-k12.wikispaces.com/CTE

You might notice in my posts on social media and on hear that I get fired up and passionate about this topic. After working as a CTE teacher in robotics and programming as well as in PLTW (Project Lead The Way) Flight & Space class I find that the focus on the college part of college and career readiness is a bit too much. I am a passionate supporter of CTE classes as a pathway for kids into a career as well as college, because lets face it there are some kids whom college is not and option.

Back in my day in middle and high school we had shop class as well as home Ec

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. In middle school we learned about general topics like sewing & cooking and wood & metal working as well as plaster work. We made things like aprons, omelettes, pies, checker boards, plaster & metal casts, etc. We learned things like the importance of safety, especially when pouring molten metal & operating power tools, and the importance of accurate measurement, as well as taking your time to plan things out and reading instructions. In high school we had some of the same things but more focused like adult living, small gas engines, drafting, consumer math, etc. What I found is that where I struggled in an academics setting in these shop or Voc ed classes I excelled. I had to take algebra 2 times and did poorly in geometry. I struggled with reading and writing and math, it would take me several attempts at homework and extra credit to simply get a passing grade since I struggled on the the tests. It wasn't until many years later I found out that the reason I excelled in the Voc Ed classes on some of the same problems and algorithms and work I was doing in academic classes as in the Voc Ed classes were put in context.

I now try to keep this in mind with my teaching but I also try to keep it in mind when I talk with colleagues and other teachers and online. It is important as we move forward with change in education we don't forget about those kids like me who need that context when teaching a skill or subject. It is helpful if we teach reading to put it into context of reading for pleasure but also reading for career. Same for writing, math, science, etc. Simply teaching someone to write an expository paragraph on a topic that relates to kids lives is not enough. Having them write up an explanation of a recent event in a school news paper is better as they see the reason for the writing. Having them write a copy of the morning announcements regarding the daily happenings is better so they see their work published. Teaching kids math like fractions and equations just so they learn them for a test is not enough. That info needs to be embedded in design rooms, programming robots, building towers. Things they can apply or can see themselves doing in a real world context. This is what college and more importantly career ready means. 

http://harringtonlc.org/riverroad/student-resources/college-and-career-websites/

Lastly I want to say that we need to be careful when we plan work and design course and help our kids pick out classes that we are not doing so though the rose colored eyes of everyone needs to go to college to be successful. For some of us that isn't true and for some of us college is not in the cards. I was amazed when I started teaching CTE classes and meeting with industry partners and was told the following story. A professor as a local tech school shared that he had trouble keeping girls in his robotics classes. Our group asked why this was the case, wondering if girls were not going into the program or losing interest or what. His answer shocked me and others. The answer was that they were being hired out of his class by employer's to complete their training on the job for on average $70,000/year.  Think about that for a minute. A young girl 19+ years old being hired out of a 2 year trade school and making $70,000 to start. That is better than I did with a masters degree and teaching certificate. There are good paying jobs out there that don't need a 4+ year degree to get.

What I will end with is that we need to make sure we are designing school/education that allows kids to make their own choice about the future. Whether that be college or career.
I would love to hear your thoughts regarding this topics so feel free to post your comments below.f

As always go forth and do great things.

Social Media Learning

https://pixabay.com/en/photos/digital/

As I read the news this week about a girl who went to her prom and was attacked, berated, supported, etc. for the style of dress she chose to where.  I wonder what would be different if we took the time to time to teach social media as part of schools ELA curriculum and not part of what we call digital citizenship.

I know that ELA teachers might disagree with me on this one with the argument of social media is destroying writing. Kids can't write complete sentences and use letters for words etc. While I tend to agree but I also see a different point of view. I have always read, heard, etc. that the English language is a living language

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that is is constantly evolving with new words, phrases, and colloquialisms. Social media is just the next evolution of language. Kids have learned to adapt their writing to fit the medium with which they use to communicate.  Instead of chastising kids for adapting a language we should be learning from as to how they do it and how they develop the rules. However that is not what I want to address here in this post. I would much rather address how students are using social media as a communication tool.

https://pixabay.com/en/social-media-world-communication-1405601/

Social media is very much in it's infancy and I don't think it will ever be out of its infancy with all the new tools and forms of social media coming out. kids are using it as best they know how to share information with each other for good or for bad. I wonder if it was like that when books, writing, music, etc came out as ways of communication. Did we fight it and say they were going to ruin society? Yet we now use them as not only a form of expression but also as a way to communicate information. We also now teach kids how to use music, writing, etc. as a way to express themselves and how to express themselves properly and effectively. Our efforts are used for good and for bad but we still teach them how to use the tools.

The same goes for social media it is used for good and for bad, yet we often times focus on the bad more so than the good. I pose we should focus on the good and learn how to teach it. If it were part of an ELA curriculum we could leverage it to teach grammar and persuasive versus expository writing. We could help mold new spelling rules ass well as combine old ones with the new. Kids could learn how to express themselves in a positive and effective manner rather than trying to figure out through trial and error on their own. Some say that this is better done as part of a digital citizenship unit where we are teaching them how to be good citizens. The problem is that it is out of context and often times pot on the back burner. It is put on the back burner due to the fact that often times in education we put items like ELA, Science, Math, etc. ahead of other subjects because it is tested. I would argue that if we incorporated the use of social media we could capture student interest and teach what is tested and possibly see better results.

Professional Development: Google classroom Stream & Student tabs

The next post in my Professional Development series is on the Stream & Student tabs in Google classroom.

The Stream Tab

Think of the stream like the Facebook news feed or twitter. It is the primary way of communicating info via classroom. I like to think and describe it as social media

http://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/handwriting/s/social-media.html

for the classroom. It is a great communication tool for you and your students and allows them to communicate in not only a way they are used too but also in a more collaborative way, which is something employers are looking for.

http://www.myalgoma.ca/2016/07/15/we-have-a-few-announcements-to-make/

In the stream you have 4 types of "posts" you can use, announcements, assignments, questions, & reused posts.

The first type of post is an announcement
, which a lot like a typical Facebook post or tweet. It is as its name implies an announcement to the class. You can attach files from your computer, your drive, YouTube, and/or share links. Students and you are able to post comments to announcements which is a great way to teach and encourage collaboration (more about this later). Some teachers use announcements as a way to "hand out" work/assignments as a way to cut down on the amount of emails they get. I primarily use them to update the class on info they may need or find helpful. I also use it as a way to stay in contact when I am out of the classroom physically.

http://kmsmc.edu.pk/category/literary-club/presentations-assignments/

The second type of post is an assignment.
An assignment is just as it sounds an assignment you want students to complete and hand in. As with announcements you can attach files, drive files, YouTube videos, & links. With an assignment you can add more details/instructions as well as due dates & times and attach a grade/score. You can also track who has completed the assignment as well as which ones you have handed back. What I like about the assignment post is that it eliminates the dreaded no name paper. I also like that it assigns a date and time to when students have submitted their work so there is virtually no question about when it was handed in to you.

https://uacu.uk/articles/1354/uk-student-visa-interview-questions/

The third type of post is the question.
A question is simply that a question. You can treat it like an assignment with due dates and attachments as well as instructions. However, a question gives students the ability to type in or select an answer. It is a great way of doing entry or exit tickets as formative assessment. Students can respond to each other as well as see a cumulative summary of responses.

The forth type of post isn't really a post so much as a way to post past assignments, questions, and announcements. It is the reuse post feature. This feature allows you to go back to other classes (both current and archived) and select posts you would like to use in the current class. This is a handy feature to cut down on the about of retyping you do if you teach the same class in the future.

I mentioned that student are able to post comments to posts. Some teachers may find this intimidating or annoying at first but I have found that as with any tool if taught how to use it and manage it, students can use it effectively. I encourage students to post comments as a way of sharing helpful info, asking questions, and looking for advice. It makes the work more social and real life rather than just another boring class. I won't kid you by thinking students don't misuse it and use it as a way to chat. I usually let them do this for a day or two and use it as a teachable moment which helps take the novelty away. You can also mute specific students and turn off the feature all together.

The Student Tab

The student tab is pretty simple and allows you to manage students and guardians. You can add students to classroom by using either a code (easiest) or by inviting them via email. I find using the code to be the simplest way. I simply create an assignment (paper or via Skyward) with directions on how to setup classroom and the class code. Once students setup their classroom correctly the first assignment they see is a setup google classroom assignment that they simply need to mark as done. Although I do know some teachers who invite via email each of their students.

You can also invite guardians by clicking on the 3 dots next to the student name and select invite guardian. There you type in the parent email address and it sends them an email link to sign up. This does not give parents access to the classroom it simply signs them up for email alerts to posts in classroom. You can also send out mass emails to parents and students from the student tab. You can also click on a student's name and see a filtered list of their work as well as scores. 

Instructional Video

Professional development: Google Classroom setup

Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Google_Classroom_Logo.png

To start off my professional development series I am going to work on showing the tool google classroom.

image credit: 

Google classroom is a powerful tool that is part of the google apps for education suite that teachers and administrators can use to hep organize assignments, observations, conduct professional development and more. I liken it to social media for the classroom, as it is more a communication tool than what some might call an LMS (Learning Management System) like Blackboard, Schoology, and others. Classroom does not have all the bells and whistles of a true LMS but it is a powerful tool in helping kids learn organization and communication skills.

To start off the Classroom series I show you how to set up classroom as a classroom teacher and how to invite students. Some important things to keep in mind as you start your journey into Google Classroom.

• When first signing up make sure to sign up as a teacher. If you sign up as a student you don't get access to all the features and to switch your account takes some work
• There are 2 views, Teacher  & Student. It can be frustrating if you want/need to show students their view
• Be prepared for an upswing in the amount of email you get.
• You can manage this in the settings by turning off email notifications

As I mentioned earlier Google Classroom is more a communication tool than a true LMS. It has some features of an LMS like:

• Assignment distribution and turn in
• Interactive questions
• Messaging (Announcements)
• Google Calendar and Google Drive syncing

However currently some of the features it is lacking are:

• Linking to an LMS or IMS (information management system) like Skyward
• One stop shopping for grades, payments, announcements, etc.
• School and district info

There are numerous ways classroom teachers and administrators can use google class. Here are a few suggestions (please share how you are using it as well):

Classroom Teacher:

• Classroom homepage
• Classroom Communications
• Assignment distribution and collection
• Formative assessment (questions)
• Classroom library (about tab)
• Lesson Planning 

Administration:

• Professional development portal
• Evaluation portal
• School resource library
• Staff meeting portal
• Observation document repository

I am sure there are many more uses to which I can't wait to hear more about. 

Too start off these series I have a video below on how to setup Google Classroom. In future videos I will show you how to utilize the 3 tabs (Stream, Students, About), as well as how to submit feedback.

Professional Development series

One part of this blog is to start a tag/label called professional development. the goal is to start expanding my skills in helping teacher perfect their craft. Under the professional development tab you will find short posts, videos, links, etc. on tools, sites, techniques I use in my practice. I will show how to use them and break down their parts as well as share how I use them in/with my classes.
I want to say as I start this new journey that I am by no means a definitive expert on technology in the classroom. That being said please if you notice things that could be done a different way or are not quite right please share your comments. Also, please please please share how you use the tools I am sharing as more heads are better than one. As my principal says "We are all in this together" and I know that I could use your help in expanding the tool box I use in my teaching craft.

Lastly I want to encourage your suggestions of not only tools you would like me to add to this series but also on how I can improve. I have been doing screencasts in the classroom as part of the "Flipped Classroom" model. I have received some wonderful feedback from my students on how to improve my videos and I hope to get some great feedback from you.



Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom/32649529442

Gone but not forgotten

As  you can probably tell I have been gone for awhile but I haven't forgotten about my blog. I will be picking up my blogging work this year in earnest as the summer gets closer and time becomes more free.

A little bit about what I have been up to over the last 5+ years since my last post. I have been working as a middle level Technology/Engineering/Robotics teacher. I have also been working as a technology PD leader for my school and district helping teachers better integrate technology into their practice. Helping teachers perfect their craft through integration is my passion and what I hope to use this blog for moving forward. I also hope to use this blog to have some discussion and discourse about the use of technology and when and where it is appropriate to use technology in the classroom. I also hope to hear from those of you out there about your uses of technology in the classroom as I want to learn from you as well.

Recently our district went 1:1 with Chromebooks. It has been an interesting transition from computer labs to 1:1 computers for every student. I still work in a computer lab but am looking at changing over from a traditional lab to one that enables students to sync up their Chromebooks with an AWS server. I am excited for the possibilities this brings to my classes both in and out of the classroom. Anyone out there currently use AWS or something similar and can give me some feedback or advice or thoughts that would be greatly appreciated.

So before I leave you today I want to sure something I am doing with my classes that is making a difference in getting students to engage with learning how to manage a project. I am doing what is called 20% time. I model it after a story I heard about Google giving their employees 20% of the day to work on a project that they enjoy. We have what we call a late start Monday where we meet with other teachers in our building and/or district to align curriculum, plan out unit and lessons, and other stuff normally relegated to after school or other off times. This is see shortened periods for our kids which amount to about 20% of a students time in my class. I start off the semester with a definition of what 20% time is and then move into a couple of weeks helping students choose a project or skill they would like to focus on. From there I teacher how to use a Gant Project Planner found in Excel to manage their project. Then I let them go on their work for the rest of the semester. Students work on projects ranging from planning a composting project at school, to soccer skill development, to programming, to typing, to vlogs, and much more. This is just my first year at trying this but what I am finding is that kids enjoy the time to focus on their likes/interests and often times what they are doing relate back to what we are learning about in my classes. It also gives me more time to see their passions as well as work with those kids who need a little extra attention/differentiation during the week because if students are done with the lesson or work I have given them for the day then they know to work on their 20% time project. A book you can read (I am just starting it) is called "The 20time project: How educators and parents can launch Google's formula for future-read innovation" by Kevin Brookhouser. I hope to get some more ideas on how to grow and improve this time so kids.

I welcome your feedback and suggestions.