I need to admit up front that I tend to be instinct and intuition-driven rather than data-driven. And although I trust my instincts implicitly (and they rarely steer me wrong), I am frequently reminded that data can be just as valuable. And sometimes more so. A recent mind-blower of this type occurred when my colleague, Ellie Gilbert, and I were preparing last weekend for our presentation at the IntegratED conference in Portland, Oregon. Both of us have converted to paperless classrooms over the past two years, thanks to our school's 1:1 iPad program. We both immediately agreed that a paperless environment not only reduced our paper use, but also gave us back more instructional time and classroom space. But how much paper have we saved? How much instructional time? How much space? So we started crunching the numbers, using estimates that are definitely on the lower end of normal. And we were blown away by the results. NOTE--all of the following figures are per class per quarter. 8.5 hours of instructional time saved due to decreased paper management (collecting and returning assignments, organizing/filing assignments, handing out photocopies, students finding lost papers, etc.) 1,800 photocopies saved due to going digital on almost all handouts and materials. 21 feet of shelf space free because we don't have student binders, teacher binders, or assignment collection baskets. 21 cubic feet of room space free because we don't need filing cabinets anymore. Yep. Just let those numbers sink in. But even they do not tell the whole story. A teacher's role is a never-ending balance of taking care of students, planning lessons, troubleshooting, and grading, among so many other things.
Just imagine how much time you spend doing the following. What amazing work could you do with your students if you could get even some of this time back? --organizing assignments by name and checking whether students did not turn them in (or turned them in late) --looking for "lost" (correction--never actually turned in) assignments --filing handouts and other paperwork into teacher binders or filing cabinets --standing at the photocopy machine --going back to stand at the photocopy machine when you discover an error in the handout you just copied --searching through books, texts, magazines, newspapers, etc., for that great resource you can use in class. --making photocopies of that new resource, only to have to destroy them at the end of the unit due to copyright issues --grading objective tests and quizzes by hand --grading multiple revisions of papers by hand --meeting with students who missed school to tell them what they missed --troubleshooting the next day when students didn't understand an assignment once they got home And on, and on, and on. So here's my challenge to you teachers out there. Find a way to make something paperless in your practice. And then comment back with what incredible, cool, amazing things you were able to do instead.
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mobile devices can make learning more authentic. Looking through that new lens, my old speech assignments and activities seemed bland.
Thus, my new mantra. This is not to say that I've thrown everything out and started over. I'm not that desperate for extra work, I promise. But as I reviewed each of the speaking assignments I usually give, I asked myself, "What can I do to make this more authentic? How could this assignment better reflect what people are actually doing in the realm of public speaking? And how can I get students more interested in it?" Take, for example, the informative speech assignment, which I decided to redesign to incorporate the Ignite format that has become so popular in the technology and entertainment fields. Twenty slides that auto-advance at a rate of 15 seconds per slide. This means the speaker has five minutes to convey his or her idea, topic, suggestion, etc.. Sounds scary, right? So why is it so popular? I think it is all about the challenge. The speaker is challenged to be coherent, interesting, knowledgable, and concise. And just like in a sports event, the audience gets caught up in the excitement of watching a participant meet that challenge with flair. It was a gamble, but it paid off. I was floored by the overall quality and creativity of the speeches and visual aids compared to the informative speeches from two years ago. And I was also impressed by the enthusiasm of the student audience in the room. Topics included, just to name a few: "How to Avoid Procrastination" (see the example above), "How to Make the Perfect Cupcake", "How Art Serves as a Political Statement", "The Top Three Current Events that High School Students Should Know", "How To Stargaze with Style", "Does Music Actually Help Us Study?", "How To Avoid Traveling Like a Tourist", and "The Connection Between Music and Math". Here's how it worked: 1) As a class, we watched three Ignite speeches I chose in advance and analyzed how the format works and what was effective (or not). Then we brainstormed about how the students might approach creating their own Ignite speech. 2) Students chose and researched topics, checking in with me for feedback. 3) Students created a storyboard outline (using a blank 20-slide + notes handout that I created on PowerPoint), turned it in to Schoology, and I was able to use the new Schoology annotation tools to give quick feedback. Students also turned in a Works Cited page with at least three appropriate sources. 4) Students created PowerPoint or Keynote slides based on their storyboard and emailed the file to me in .pptx format set to auto advance the slides at 15 seconds. 5) On speech day, I served as the student's tech assistant (running the presentation from the computer), then graded the speech using a digital rubric through Schoology. This means they got instant feedback from me at the end of the speech. 6) After the speech, the other students took a few minutes to email the speaker with positive, constructive feedback about her speech. My takeaways?
I've come up for air after the first two weeks of school. As teachers, we know it is important to pause periodically to 1) breathe! and 2) reflect on what has been learned, what has been accomplished, and what still needs to be done.
So here goes. (Pause for deep breaths). What have we as a faculty and staff learned? So much! I was impressed and humbled by the positive energy and excitement I encountered among my colleagues regarding technology integration during the first couple weeks of school. I should not have been surprised. I work with amazing people. But what I learned as the tech coach is that time is often the most important yet overlooked element of any technology integration program. Many of my colleagues who found the idea of 1:1 iPads overwhelming or uncomfortable last year have jumped in with both feet this year. They simply needed the time to adjust to the idea, consider the possibilities, consult with colleagues, and develop their own methods. So what has been accomplished? Much broader and deeper incorporation of technology into teaching practice and classroom management. A good example is our LMS system, Schoology. Although it was available during our first year of the 1:1 iPad program, teachers' use of it was inconsistent. But based on requests and feedback from students last year about the program, I encouraged our faculty and staff to use it in ways that would be more effective and consistent. And it is working. Most, if not all, of my colleagues have developed course pages and begun using them more deliberately. And the students are benefitting as a result. In addition, the creative energy and commitment in the building is inspiring. As the tech coach, I have met one-on-one and answered more email questions with more teachers in two weeks than I did in an entire month last year. And all of those meetings and questions have been in the spirit of moving forward. "I want to share audio comments with my students," said one teacher. "Can you help me find the best tool?" Another said, "I want my students to be able to organize their club online. How do I help them make that happen?" Another wanted to find a way to consolidate student research about homeless resources in Portland into one digital reference that they could all share. Notice the trend in these questions? They start with learning objectives or goals, then consider whether digital tools might be useful in meeting those objectives and goals. That brings me to the final question--what are the next steps? The challenge will be to keep up the enthusiasm and learning as the year progresses and we get busier. A series of optional workshops on topics requested by the faculty will help fuel creativity. Frequent opportunities for feedback from students and colleagues will guide our efforts. The key will be for us to continue exploring how tech tools can help each of us create new opportunities for deeper learning for our students. We are gearing up to move to a new house; piles of boxes surround us and dust covers our clothing from sifting through all the detritus that piles up over the course of ten years. And of course, weighing heavily in the back of my mind is the fact that the new school year is also just around the corner. So much to do...
After a long but satisfying Saturday of cleaning out our basement, my husband and I sat down with our daughter for family movie time to reward our hard work. The movie? Meet the Robinsons, one that that none of us had yet seen. The film itself offers a great message--that failure should be celebrated rather than feared, and that the best reaction to any failure or roadblock is to "keep moving forward." That alone made me happy we chose it for today. The movie left me quite satisfied. But then, just before the credits, we were greeted with this screen. ISTE 2014 gave me the opportunity to connect with other tech coaches from around the country. Of course, then we all went home, and those newly made, fragile connections could easily have waned. Enter Twitter. Now I know what you are thinking. "Isn't that the social network that all those celebrities use to share unnecessary details about their lives?" Well, yes. But it turns out that Twitter is also one of the most widely-used professional development tools by educators. Does that surprise you? It did me. Encouraged by my experience at ISTE, I brushed the dust off my little-used Twitter account (see my feed to the right on this page) and I joined my first Twitter chat on Tuesday, July 29. If you'd like to know more about Twitter chats, check out Janet Fout's blog post on this topic. This online discussion was dynamic, energetic, and inspiring. Moderated by PBS Digital Innovator Adam Babcock, who asked a series of great questions, the discussion centered around how to empower students to lead in technology use and integration. Participants exchanged ideas, suggestions, questions, needs, and resources, some of which I've been able to use or pass one to our Tech Club. I was inspired and honored to be a part of the conversation. So what can I take away from this? The power of connection. As educators we can easily become isolated within the four walls of our classrooms or offices. But our profession is inherently a creative and personal vocation, and if we don't feed that creativity through energetic interaction with others, we run the risk of stagnation, frustration, and loneliness. It isn't always easy in a busy school day to work creatively with colleagues, but five or ten minutes of interaction on a social network like Twitter, especially when combined with curating and sharing resources on Pinterest, can make all the difference.
My Edutopia article 5 Epiphanies About Learning in a 1:1 Classroom sparked some questions and conversation about implementation programs. I certainly cannot claim to have all the answers. If you are considering a 1:1 program at your school or district, you've probably already noticed how many moving parts exist. And no program, no matter how much support it receives, will run smoothly.
The SMA administration and IT director started planning for implementation two years before the students received devices. I use the term "planning" loosely. The best thing they did was to assume they did NOT have the answers. Instead, they asked lots of questions.
Walking into my first ISTE conference felt a lot like being a captive dolphin returned to the sea. Terrifying. Exhilarating. Thrilling. Exactly one year ago, I had barely dipped my toes in the water of educational technology and its possibilities. As a member of our school's 1:1 iPad implementation team, I was still navigating the challenges of "The App Zone" (and often still getting hopelessly stuck there) and trying to wrap my mind around how a 1:1 program should work. And here I was one year later, now the Instructional Technology Coach for my school, striding into ISTE Central, seeking out the Registration sign, and plunging in to what would certainly be one of the largest and most memorable conferences I've attended. Even a week after ISTE 2014, I am still processing what I learned. But a few keystone ideas have bubbled to the surface--ideas that will fuel me as I begin my eighth year as a teacher and my second year as a Tech Coach. 1. "I look for teachers who say, 'I will always teach kids before I teach content.'" These words, uttered by a principal from Montana who was being recognized on stage before Ashley Judd's keynote address, have persistently floated in my mind through every lecture, conversation, Twitter chat, and reflection. Every class of students who enters my room comes from a different experience than the one before. Every class who graduates from my school is entering a world requiring skills and understanding that we cannot possibly fully anticipate. It is more essential than ever that our students learn how to learn. So as teachers, we should always begin our process with a question: How can I best serve my students' future? 2. "Play is serious business...shame on us when we marginalize it." I found Kevin Carroll's keynote address both invigorating and challenging. How often do I get caught up in the details? The stress of grading papers? The urgency and pressure to cram in all the material I can in the short space of a day, week, month, year? How often do I push aside the opportunity to make play a part of my students' daily experience? I have to remember to listen to my own inner child. To create learning experiences from a sense of joy and experimentation. To not only encourage my students to find fun in learning, but to ensure that I give them every opportunity to do so. 3. Social media can be a teacher's greatest tool for professional learning. Two years ago, I would never have agreed to this statement. I barely looked at my Facebook account, I refused to start a Twitter account, and my LinkedIn account (started only because our school asked us to) didn't even have a photo on it. Even when I opened a Twitter account last summer and got a taste of what it could offer, I still didn't fully dive in. I pushed through my first year as a Tech Coach often feeling alone and blind. It wasn't until the ISTE conference that I fully plunged into the world of Twitter, and WOW. Suddenly I am no longer alone. I have a vast pool of professionals who offer information and ideas, who can help answer questions, who struggle with the same concerns or needs that I do. If I can do anything for my colleagues this year, it will be to help them discover Twitter and other social media resources for themselves. This isn't all, but it's a start. And that is always the most exciting part of any journey. |
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