Planning Your Development

With changes to the teacher evaluation process, especially the emphasis on continued development and training, an opportunity exists to to take the requirement of continuing development and turn it in to a powerful personal growth mechanism. In some districts, including ACS, teachers have been given the opportunity to make decisions regarding the professional development that is most closely connected with individualized plans as well as areas of growth identified in the evaluation process. Technology makes many of these choices "any time, any pace, any place" options, another way that control of the process is in the hands of the educator. As always, feel free to arrange training or assistance with me for any of the opportunities below or additional topics that are of interest and value to you. 

Maximizing Google

Google hosts an online training and development center that consists of 5 modules, completed at a personal pace. The modules include exams which, if passed with a score of 80%, will earn you a Google Apps For Education Individual Certificate. While the training and exams are completed individually, a cohort of colleagues work poking together could turn the training into a creative process opportunity. For additional information, or o begin your training, visit http://edutraining.googleapps.com/

Featured Apps

iTunes University provides more than just courses for students. Selections for professional development includes several state education departments and universities, as well teacher and district created materials. As a testament to the power of this training tool, even ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) has a developed a channel of professional development resources on iTunes that includes webinars, archived conference presentations, author interviews and video profiles of educators. Down load the app today and get started using the introductory video. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Q4FowaqRg

Once you become comfortable with the format, make a plan to create your own course material in iTunesU!

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform

Both Edmodo and Moodle have great training support in the form of docs and videos. 

Moodle: official training start page http://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Main_page. 

An important thing to remember is that support tailored specifically to platform. For instance, ACS is currently on 

2.4, so help docs and YouTube video tutorials should be specific for 2.4.

Edmodo has a training page that can be accessed after creating an account. There is a blog, documents and 

video tutorials. Wile these are great starting points, don't hesitate to book collaboration and training time for

Instructional design as well as helpful tips. https://support.edmodo.com/home#teacher

Twitter Friday Follow

With the blog  focused on development, the recommendation can only be @ascd. As outlined above, this non-profit organization is focused on development of teachers with a new focus on technology and digital resources. Tweets are usually sharing of resources, publications and reminders for webinars and other training opportunities.

Library News

Often, teachers either don't know, or forget, that school libraries have professional collections. From content specific resources in the collection to teacher training material on best practices, classroom management, Socratic circles and reading and writing in the content areas. Professional reading and application of the knowledge could easily be considered personal PD. Visit your friendly Teacher Librarian today to find that perfect book to compliment your development plan.

Classroom Management

One of the greatest concerns for educators when implementing a 1:1 or technology rich environment is classroom management. Technology tools engage students, but not always in the task at hand. And monitoring requires a new set of skills, as students can appear focused and attending while in reality the technology is providing multiple ways to be off task. At AHS, we continue to work on this aspect of our roll out. There are successes, and failures, but as with all changes what the situation requires is leadership from teachers. The #Miched Twitter chat this week focused on this topic and following are tips that were shared b other educators. You can view the complete chat on the #Miched Storify link.

• Possession of a tool does not imply the tool is accessible at all times. As the teacher, it is important to define expectations. At times, this may mean physically removing the tool either from individual students or establishing a place where the tool resides when not in use. 
• Have students help create classroom rules that include proper use of technology and consequences for improper use.
• If turning the iPads over on the desk isn't working, move them off the desk! Try under the desk or have an established area in the classroom where iPads are kept when not in use.
• Use a back channel (students recording and responding to the classroom instruction and activities in real time. Allows the teacher to get instant feedback; stay connected to classroom digitally while delivering instruction.

David Prindle (@dprindle) shared an infographic from @jcorripo as an example of developing guidelines for use of social media and technology tools with student input.

The tools highlighted below help with different aspects of managing technology use in the classroom. Feel free to comment with your tips and tools for classroom management.

Maximizing Google 

Group work and collaborative assignments can be difficult to manage with or without technology. Students, parents and teachers are concerned with equity of participation. Google has a built in accountability feature that will have you thinking more positively about assignment projects, group work and collaborative activities. Watch the video below demonstrating Revision History in Google Drive:

Featured Apps

Many teachers are already aware of Socrative as a student response system. But have you thought of student response systems as a classroom management tool? Quickly connecting students to the task at hand while gathering formative assessments are essential to classroom management. The video below demonstrates both the creation of an account as well as application in the classroom. For ACS teachers, Carol Bokhari and Minna Turrell have both used Socrative as part of their instructional delivery. More app recommendations for iPad classroom management are found in this TeachThought Blog Post.

In addition to the Socrative app, there are web-based back channel tools to explore including Padlet, Today's Meet, and Poll Everywhere. These web-based tools have the advantage of accessibility from all mobile devices, not just through an iPad app.

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform

As many of our classes moved to blended and online formats, it becomes necessary to track student engagement and participation. All learning management systems allow teachers to see how a student is participating. Examples of how this is done in Moodle is below below.

One of the most powerful aspects of Edmodo is the integration of Apps. For Edmodo users, the InstaGrok app that I have featured previously is currently a free app! With approval of the Common Core Curriculum, integrating research standards is essential and InstaGrok provides opportunity for both short and sustained research projects. Visit the Teacher Dashboard help page at InstaGrok.com for details on tracking student research progress, including time stamps and resources visited.

Twitter Friday Follow 

Connecting with other educators as we work our way through technology integration is an ongoing process. A great way to do this is to build your professional learning network on Twitter. Every Wednesday evening, Michigan educators, and educators from elsewhere, meet and discuss an agreed upon topic, using the hashtag #miched. Join us!

Library News

A great alternative for students who have completed assignments in the classroom is to have a book to read! Consider extra credit opportunities for free choice reading related to you curriculum. Contact me to arrange book talks or align projects to Common Core literacy standards.

Communication

ITech Tip: 

As we wrap up the first marking period of the year, communication (with students, parents, colleagues and administrators) becomes the focus. Many of us tend to think in terms of parent conferences, but in order to build relationships, with above mentioned groups, we are going to have to develop different methods of communication (not to mention how integral the concept of communication is in our teacher evaluation system!). Communication also needs to flow in both directions, with feedback to the teacher as important as feedback from the teacher. The tools featured today provide methods of communication and feedback so that we can adjust our instruction path now, in response to the success and engagement achieved by our students. 

For further thoughts on feedback, see ASCD's Education Leadership article: Seven Keys to Effective Feedback.

Maximizing Google 

With the emphasis on Feedback, especially as addressed in the ASCD Seven Keys Article "information about how we are doing to reach our goal", the Google Drive Form is an excellent survey tool.  A great way to maximize your tech tools is to use your favorite or familiar tool in a new way. Many are already using forms, but not necessarily as a way to collect information about subject or assignment specific feedback.  In Algonac Community Schools, we are evaluated in a Google form from administrative walk throughs. Using the same theory, teachers can create a form with feedback questions that ask students to provide reflective responses to their understanding and achievement on a particular assignment, unit or even marking period. Below, the video provides a basic tutorial in creating a Google form. For assistance with phrasing and implementation, feel free to contact me or work with your administrator.

Featured Apps

As the emphasis is on communication, two apps will be reviewed based upon communication at different levels and with different groups. Several teachers, including Ms. Lisa Burns,  have found using the apps that come standard on the iPad is a great way to begin communicating with students.  For direct messages to classes, groups or individuals, the iMessage app has been a successful tool. Think of iMessage as texting directly to the iPad. 

         

While iMessage is a great tool when schools have 1:1 iPads for communication with students, there are apps that will communicate with parents. Elementary teacher Cheri Soltaire has been using Remind 101 with her parents for communication. The great feature in Remind 101 is that actual phone numbers remain private while still allowing for communication.

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform

Moodle has a specific tool for feedback, named Feedback. This tool does require the administrator to turn on the feature, so if you do not see it as an assignment option contact your Moodle administrator. Algonac Community Schools Moodle does already have this feature turned on. As with all tools, please feel free to
contact me to arrange collaborative work time. The video below does a great job of not only demonstrating how to create a Feedback assignment, but the thought behind when and why you could use this tool. The only information that is out of date is the icon for Feedback. It is not a green question mark, but an orange and white megaphone.

Edmodo is popular with educators for many reasons, but one of the features often references is the ability to give parents accounts in order to login and see the class, assignments and their student's work. When choosing a web presence, it is important to determine if your needs require a learning management system
(Moodle, Blackboard, Haiku, Schoology) or more of a communicative tool with some assignment submission and interaction (Google sites, Weebly, Edmodo). Edmodo is a great way to introduce students and parents to an online presence and online communication, especially at the elementary and middle school levels.

For feedback, Edmodo has an assignment that teachers can create called a Poll, where students can "vote" on questions or statements that the teacher has created.

Twitter Friday Follow 

The emphasis on communication, I recommend following Education Week (@educationweek), "American Education's newspaper and website of record". The articles and information that are tweeted to followers includes federal policy and state legislation as well as research studies and resources.As professionals, it is important that we understand the pulse of  our profession. Following Ed Week is a place to start.

Library News-New Books and Old Books

The first book order of the year arrived this week. Based upon feedback from students when looking for choice reading, as well as continuing series and award books, the small order will make the choice read selection more fun for students. It always feels like Christmas when the book boxes arrived!

In an effort to "upcycle and repurpose" the books weeded from library collection, the art department is collaborating on an independent student project to create art from the old books. A new way of looking at material and possibilities was inspired by the Dishfunctional Designs blog. Soon, the library remodel should feature not only new furniture, but student art created from books. Stayed tuned for highlights!

Students choosing books for art project.

Common Core

Tech Tip: 

It's official. Kind of. Approval was granted this week for the Department of Education to continue moving forward with Common Core standards, although assessments from Smarter Balanced were not. While we remain in a state of limbo, there are some tools we can begin to use as we await the assessment piece. Below are just a few ways the technology we are already using can assist in the implementation of common core. The emphasis is on "Research to Build and Present Knowledge, an important literacy component across the content areas, and, for math, the concept at all grade levels to "Apply and Extend Previous understandings of Operations" with the ability to "represent" concepts and solve word problems. This focus on application requires students move beyond basic concepts and number plugging; tasks well-suited for technology integration. 

 

As always, I am available for planning and collaboratoration as you implement these strategies in your daily work. Have fun!

Maximizing Google  

The emphasis on Research in the Common Core is a librarian's dream. For GAFE (Google Apps for Education) schools, the drive apps provide excellent tools that can be used K-12. For non-GAFE schools, some of these features require Google accounts, which at this time are for ages 13 and up. Below is a demonstration of how Google has embedded the research features in the Google Drive apps.

 

Featured App    

 

Common Core Standards is a free app by Mastery Connect.  Simple and easy to use, it functions as  reference resource that includes all math and literacy standards K-12.  Some great features include both traditional and integrated pathways for the math standards and synthesizing the Literacy standards with College and Career Readiness Standards (CCR's).  Download it today from the App store.

 

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform

In a slight change to the Blog layout, Moving Forward with Moodle will now focus on several learning platforms or tools that teachers are using to create a web presence. Moodle support is not going away, the concept will just be more inclusive. The timing fits well to introduce a great research took, InstaGrok. For those of you using Edmodo, InstaGrok can be purchased as an App that will integrate into your Edmodo classroom(s).  InstaGrok is truly one of this librarians favorite new tech tools.  To add to your PLN development, both can be followed on Twitter with the handles @InstaGrok and @Edmodo. Both have also generously donated teacher subscriptions for prizes at Edcamp Bluewater. It's not too late to register! 

Intro to InstaGrok

  
InstaGrok as an Edmodo App (notice the teacher uses it as a Common Core Science app!)

Twitter Friday Follow 

 

My Twitter Friday Follow recommendation this week is my friend Ben Rimes (@techsavvyed). Ben is well known for his blogging, participation in tech training (including 21st Century Symposium), and technology creativity. If there is a GIF for a situation, Ben is the maker! His website includes technology integration in all content areas as well as thought provoking blog posts. He also hosts and online book club as a way to encourage educators to read books and facilitate discussion. The latest book choice is Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. First discussion is Thursday, Nov. 7th so it isn't too late to join in the fun! https://sites.google.com/site/bookclub106/current-book

One of the tech savvy things that Ben is known for, in addition to his amazing animated GIF creations, is video story problems. For those getting started in this process, his website contains everything you need to begin. Below is an example of how Ben uses a real-life situation to explore a math concept. I know I'm not thinking about algebra when I shop at Kohls, but then that is why I'm not making the story problem videos!

 

Library News

 

Informational text is at the heart of the Common Core and College and Career Readiness Standards. There are actually more informational and non-fiction books in the library collection than fiction, even with our ongoing evaluation (read: weeding and deselection). The library is not just for the English classes. Critical analysis, primary sources and information sources for every department are available. Look at these gems for the Social Studies Department: Representative American Speeches.