Searching Google Drive

Many of you already know the basic search feature in Google Drive. And usually we use it when we are frantically looking for a document we needed yesterday and cannot find. But did you know you can filter your search?

When in Google Drive, go to the far right side of the search window, and you'll see a drop down arrow. Gotta love drop downs, there's always more options! Click on it and you can filter your search (see image below) Choose what type of file, what the file opens in, or who owns it.

Google Drive Search/Filter Options

Now I can't take credit for this little discovery, I was still randomly searching until Todd Segar pointed this out. AND...AND....AND....you can filter your gmail search as well:

Gmail Search Options

Oh Thank You Google Gods for helping me find things when I am most frantic (which is most days!) Happy Googling!!

Folders in Gmail

As we transition from Outlook to Gmail more and more as a district, the most often asked question is "Can I create folders in Gmail like I did in Outlook to organize my emails?" Well, yes and no.

What Google has done, instead of allowing you to create folders, they let you create labels, their version of folders. The video below does a great job and walking you through step by step.



This is a HUGE step for me to move away from Outlook and use Gmail more as my primary email. Happy Organizing!

New Share Window in Google

For those of you that share your Google Documents A LOT, you've probably noticed the share window looks a little bit different, especially if you are are GAFE school. When you click on the Share button, Google now is keeping you within your domain (for me that's the Fairmont Area Schools group, see below) HINT: if you don't see this, click on the green circle in the top right.

Now while sharing with the people within Fairmont Area Schools is all fine and dandy, many times I want my information to be available to anyone with the link and internet access. That used to be a visible option. To get there, click on People at Fairmont Area Schools (or whatever your window shows as your domain) and you'll get more options, but most important you see More at the bottom of your list. Click on that.

 

You should get a screen like the one below, look familiar??

 Now I can choose my normal settings (Anyone with a link, can view) and save it and continue.

 

Screen Capture Ideas

As the staff in my building continue to build their technology skills, I'm reminded repeatedly of two important points: 1) there is always more than one way to "skin a cat" and 2) an old dog and always learn new tricks.

This week's discussion has centered around screen capture.  It has been asked of the staff to show they have mastered different pieces of our technology expectation list. In a perfect world I'd be able to work one on one with everyone, but we all know that's not where we are. So the staff are asked to find alternative and creative ways to share their accomplishments. The most convenient way is to share a Google Doc with screen shots.

I have mistakenly assumed that most people have done this. I could not have been more wrong! And through discussions, I'm finding more ways to do what I have been doing for a long time. So here are some "new" tips from the old dog on screen capture for a PC.


1.  Capturing an Image

If you simply want to capture the entire screen, hit the Print Screen button, usually in the upper right of your keyboard. If you only want to capture the active window, hit Alt + Print Screen.  There will be no indication you've got it, this is where trust comes in.

2.  Open Google Doc

For what the staff is being asked to do, simply go to your Google Document and Paste (Ctrl + V) the image in the document. Once you have pasted it, you can resize the image, change the text wrapping  (to Wrap Text, see picture below) so you can click and drag the picture around, and crop the image if you are only looking for portions of the screen shot.

No while I did some searching I also found a new way to capture the screen. My PC at school has something called a Snipping Tool. (Click on All Programs > Accessories > Snipping Tool.)

This tool allows you to draw a box around the area you want to capture, starting in the top left, clicking and holding to the bottom right. When you release the mouse, a window opens for you to edit and save the image.


This image is now on your computer (or the server if at school) and can be inserted into a Google document.


No matter what method you use, these or another one you might know of, the bottom line is they get the job done and allow the user to show what's happening on their screen.

Clearly to Clean your Web Page

Many times educators find great articles on the web they want to share with classes, but don't always have technology access during the class time. Yes, there are still situations where printing (for some of you that's the worst word I can say) and distributing is the best option to reach the most students.

If this is you, the go to the Google Apps store and download the Clearly extension. Why you ask? Most websites are filled with advertisements and extras that can mess up the look of the printed page (see the screen below).

When you apply the Clearly extension, you get a much cleaner look to your page, not advertisements, and larger print size (for those of us that need that.)

On the right side of your screen you'll have options to print, highlight text, and even clip the article to Evernote if you use it (which is a blog for another day).

When I know I want to keep an article, but not all the extras, Clearly is clearly the way to go!!

Reflecting on Being an Online/Blended Instructor

WOW! While the past 8 weeks seem to have flown by, when I look back at all the work we did I’m not exactly sure how I did it! This is the first time that I have truly been an online student. I’ve done a few projects here and there, but this was complete immersion of the online community for me. What an eye-opening experience. And to self-evaluate? I don’t even know where to begin.

When I look at myself as a learner, I would say I’m not cut out for 100% online learning. I’m so glad I took this course, but I want some interaction with people, I want some face to face conversations. Versions of this communication can take place in the online environment, but I’m not sure it would be enough for me. And I find myself teaching that way. I find it easier to verbally explain things to a student, then type up separate instructions to have them decipher. If I were to teach an online course, i definitely would incorporate videos of myself explaining work, assignments, expectations. Some students comprehend better (myself included) by hearing and listening. Skype and Hangouts activities to get to know one another would be a must. These “fun” sessions could be simply playing a game, telling about stories about ourselves, sharing with one another. This is what I felt was lacking in the class (not that there was a lot of extra time for it) and I would want to include it in my own courses. I know I would find myself going overboard making sure students felt the connection with each other and myself.

Using technology is a strength of mine. I’m comfortable trying new things and encouraging students to try new things. Because I have not taught a true online course, I don’t know what the requirements are for a student in regards to technology. What are they required to have? Do I get to determine that? Is it determined by the online school or school district hosting the course? As wonderful as technology can be, and how much it can add to a course, it can also be a hinderance if it’s not working or compatible. For the immediate future, I plan to implement many of my learned skills into my hybrid course in the hopes of converting it into a blended and/or flipped class. Small steps, but do each step well, that’s my motto.

As an instructor, this experience have been invaluable. I saw a quote that said “if YOUR job is to tell me how to do MY job, you have to have done my job at one point”. The same is true for online instructors. Had I not been a student myself, I would have a harder time relating to frustrations, time management skills needed, online collaboration, discussion techniques, etc. Experiencing it all first hand gives me insight into questions or concerns my students may have. I’ll be able to help advise and coach them as they complete work, relating back to my own course experience.

As I review the iNACOL standards for online teaching, I feel my strength lies in Standard B: The online teacher understands and is able to use a range of technologies, both existing and emerging, that effectively support student learning and engagement in the online environment. Technology is at the core of most of what I teach, I comfortable with it, excited about it, and encouraging of my students to try new ones. I am most unsure about Standard I: The online teacher demonstrates competency is using data from assessments and other data sources to modify content and to guide student learning. I understand what this entails, but I worry I will not do justice to my students because of the lack of face to face interaction. This fear may be derivative of my lack of experience in this area, but it is also not an area where "trial and error" will be an acceptable learning tool. I need to have some solid techniques and proven strategies to use so I can appropriately guide student learning. I'm going to have to work extremely hard to develop relationships with other online instructors so I can collaborate and improve my own teaching.

Just like technology, online instructions will continue to change. To stay current I am going to have to find other instructors to collaborate with, continue seeking out courses when I can learn new and emerging technologies, and keep on top of changes in the laws. Like a traditional instructor, my education in continual, but won't happen in the traditional ways. I hope to encourage some of my colleagues to take this course and start venturing into the online teaching world. The more the merrier! Any Fairmont Cardinals reading this? Want to jump in with me?

The Roles of an Online Facilitator

As I have been progressing through my online course (teaching me to be an online facilitator) I'm developing a greater appreciation and respect for those instructors doing this full-time, and to the extent we are learning about. This week we were asked to look at 4 roles an online facilitator has and evaluate them. Below is what I've come up with:

Four Roles of an Online Teacher

Social Director, Program Manager, Technician, Instructor

List the Four Roles of an Online Teacher from Your Weakest to Strongest	What Skills Do I Need to Gain or Strengthen?	How I Will Gain The Skills?
Social Director	Collaboration with other online instructors to get ideas/projects for successful community building Continually implement new projects into the course to develop community throughout the course Encourage interactivity and participation among students	Start with a welcoming, introductory activity Encourage interactions among students throughout the course by providing opportunities to work together and collaborate
Instructor	Facilitate learning without giving students a direct route to get there, allow students to find their way Provide timely/personal feedback to students	Establish a realistic “turn around time” for grading work or providing feedback. This needs to be soon enough to give adequate feedback to students while at the same time not overwhelm me with work
Program Manager	Develop a well designed course with a smooth flow from one unit to the next Establish a workable/doable time frame for assignments to be due and allow enough time for students to complete work and not feel overwhelmed Provide time management tips to help students with large projects	Work through some of the projects (simulations) I will have my students do so I have a better understanding of the time it will take Provide due date steps to break up work for units, not everything due on one day
Technician	Use common technologies that students and myself are used to Use a variety of text tools to provide information (video, audio, text, etc.) Do not always try to introduce new things (required new things) when something is working well, use new technologies sporadically Allow students to use the technologies they are comfortable with, even though I may not be familiar with, as long as the ultimate learning goal is met Provide basic FAQ’s or How-To’s for students to address basic needs	Continue my own technical learning so I can stay on top of new programs/Web 2.0 tools Continue to develop my PLN on Twitter and elsewhere to have some "go-to" people for questions or ideas

My idea of online instruction before taking this class and now are so drastically different! It's not that I didn't think online teaching was easy, but I did not realize all the requirements and laws that are now affecting it. I have a few blended courses I had looked on as being a pretty good start to moving to online. Boy, do I have some work to do this summer!

Assessment and Web 2.0

Education and a teacher's work, is broken down into what a student learns or doesn't learn. How do we know what was learned? Well, there has to be some sort of test right? A paper & pencil, multiple choice test run through a Scantron machine, any student taking your class should be able to take to prove they learned something.

Well break out of the dark ages, there's more to learning than that. I studied Howard Gardner in college, I know there are multiple intelligences and everyone processes information differently. I learned about Maslow and his hierarchy of needs and their effect on student learning. I also learned Skinner's Behaviorism. And by now you're probably thinking, so what? So you learned about these philosophers (and more), where are you going with this? Every one of these people thought differently about learning, had something different to say, something different about how learning occurs, and guess what, they are all right. Why? Because learning happens differently for everyone. And if we all learn differently, then how can we be assessed in the same way and be expected to show learning?

There's a novel idea, different assessments for different students! WOW! Why has no one come up with this before (yes, I do sound sarcastic).  As they used to say, there's more than one way to skin a cat (at least where I come from, although I've never seen it actually done except in Advanced Biology), well there's more than one way to assess a student for knowledge learned. And educating 21st Century Students, technology is a tool that can provide endless possibilities, particularly in an online course.

For instance, old school book reports. A student read a book, wrote an essay (usually 5 paragraphs, introduction, conclusion, supporting paragraphs, you get the idea) to summarize the story. Advanced English courses might ask for more; character development, the relation of a story to current events, how the point of view would change if told through different character, does the story make a social statement, etc. It's still writing. But what about the student whose passion is film making. Couldn't they create a short video clip in lieu of a written report? Could that show knowledge learned? Absolutely. Or what about the artsy student, could they create an art project, sure. The possibilities are endless. I actually found a report, 50 Alternatives to the Book Report, just by doing a quick Google search.  I even saw a teacher once who had students create fake Facebook pages for the different characters (same project, also in a history class).

For my computer classes, I could envision using Thinglink and having students import a screenshot of the MS Excel screen, for example, and label the parts of the screen to learn essential terminology needed to follow directions in future assignments. For Accounting, I would have students use Screencast-O-Matic to explain how they completed a Google Sheets Income Statement or Balance Sheet, addressing particular standards. In an Advertising class a student might use Smore or Tackk to design an advertisement.

No matter how creative or out of the box you want to get, it comes down to an assessment. How it looks, or what it entails, can be different for each student, or small groups of students, but there are 2 important components for an assessment strategy like this to be successful. First, some sort of rubric describing essential components you'll need to see to establish a student's learning is key. If you are allowing students a variety of options for completed work, this rubric may need to be somewhat broad, or non specific to projects. Second, it is essential there is continual feedback to students as they complete their work. Depending on the project, or length of time to complete it, will determine the number of check ins and how they might look.

Periodic check in points are a good way for a student to share what they have completed and the teacher to provide feedback, ask questions, and guide students in a positive direction. You might need to supply what objectives should be addressed at each checkpoint, or you might say "students should 1/2 done, or 1/4 done with your project" to help students learn time management. The struggle comes when you don't have these students sitting in a classroom with you every day. How you can do a check in will look different depending on the project itself. Regardless of the how, it has to happen. This is essential to a project's success.

So can you look to your own class and find some alternative Web 2.0 assessment tools? I'm sure you can, just take that leap outside of the box and go for it.

Social and Professional Networks

While Social Networking sites were initially created to do just that, get people to be social, I feel Twitter has evolved into something much more professional, particularly for those in Education. I initially got created a Twitter account at the request and prompting of some students. For about 4 years it sat untouched. I didn't do a thing with it, wasn't even sure what my login information was. Then I started getting curious. I had been seeing the "experts" talk about it, about PLN's, chats, etc. I started logging in and checking it out. By a stroke of luck (the planets were in alignment, the Gods were smiling down on me, you make the call) I began following a group of educators from Nebraska. Come to find out, they were the right group of educators because they got me started chatting in #nebedchat on Wednesday night. A new Twitter bird was born!

I have since moved to using Tweetdeck so I can follow multiple hashtags conversations and lists that I create. The picture above is just a screen shot of my Tweetdeck. I currently have 17 columns up and running (granted a few were there when I created the account, but I do use them). I adjust them periodically based on conferences or meetings I want to follow, particularly if I cannot attend.

The professional connections I have made on Twitter are irreplaceable. These are colleagues in the education profession I would never have found without the use of technology. I attended a conference last year based on recommendations from these people. And the crazy thing is, I have only met a small handful of them face to face, but I feel I know them almost as well (or better than at times) as those I spend all day with at school. For an educator to spend their nights and weekends sharing resources and responding to requests for information from others through technology, you know they are dedicated and passionate about their work.

I am passing my passion on to the staff members at my school by teaching and challenge teachers to use Twitter. This month they are participating in a March Madness Twitter Challenge. For those that had not used Twitter before, it's a great way to learn some basic skills used when tweeting, as well as sharing resources. My hope with this project is that these same teachers will find that technology has the added benefit of finding and sharing resources with those in their same content area, giving them connections outside the building and expanding their Professional Learning Network (PLN).

What I especially like is that I can get updates on my phone when there is activity on my account. Expanding on that, I have created Twitter accounts for all my classes. I post reminders and pictures from class for students and parents to follow. Now this is only one piece of technology I use for communication (Remind101 works great, and we're also using GroupMe now that we're working on simulations) but I keep in mind how I can best reach the students. While all technology might not be classified as "social", I feel if they are communicating with people in a way that is live and creating a digital footprint, I get the opportunity to teach them about proper communication, proper etiquette, and correct grammar and writing skills.

The photos above are examples of students using GroupMe to look for help in our Accounting simulation. The first one is my favorite. A student posed a question, and before I could answer, another student stepped up and answered! The perfect example of collaboration! AND using technology to do it! The others are pictures student sent with questions. Helps to see what they are doing, and it's in real time and can access GroupMe either on a phone, through an app or on the web.

Students might not see this as educational, necessarily. In fact, in the beginning, it was more of a game, "texting" each other using this app about non school related things. This did, however, give me the opportunity to educate about appropriate material being sent, and reminding them that we all could see EVERYTHING, including me, their teacher! Now that we've gotten into the simulation work more, they see it as a tool to help them. If you haven't tried this, I highly recommend it.

Web 2.0 Tools

When you first started your career in education, did you ever dream of having a plethora of resources to help engage your students in the content? How about tools to challenge the high flyers? What about something to help out a struggling student? If you are involved in education today, a teacher, an administrator, counselor, and yes, even parents, you have more tools at your fingertips (literally) than you can ever learn, and new ones popping up everyday. While they may not look like the resources you're used to, they're out there if you are willing to look for them. They're called Web 2.0 tools and they are AMAZING!

My position has changed this year and being in the classroom only one hour a day has allowed me the time to dive into more Web 2.0 tools and discover ways for teachers to integrate them into their own classrooms. This is what I love most about my new technology position! This past week I focused on Thinglink. I've been hearing about it, seeing tweets about it, but just needed to sit down and jump in.  And I am so glad I did.

First thing when I signed up I started looking for people I knew out there and what they had done. Mickie Mueller (@mickie_mueller) is the Tech Integration Specialist at Norfolk Public Schools in Norfolk, NE. She is my idol! I love seeing what she's been up to, what she's tweeting about and blogging about, so I looked her up. I found several examples by her (Nebraska History was my favorite) and got motivated.  Because we were starting simulations in my accounting classes, I decided to take the opportunity to use a picture I'd taken of the packet and Thinglink it.

I have 3 different accounting classes and some independent study students. All will be working on the packet, but some will miss the class lecture/instructions. I created this picture with audio clips I created in Sound Cloud (another Web 2.0 tool) to give the students information on the pieces of their packet. While we discussed this in class, those that were gone can have the information, or go back later and listen if they have forgotten. Now keep in mind this is my first attempt at Thinglink. I was excited about what I had done (and it really was easy to do), but wouldn't be blue ribbon quality if I were trying to convince a teacher to try it.

Now take this tool and flip it around. How can a student use this technology to complete a project or assignment and show learned content? I tried to look at other content areas and apply this. For instance, a student in a math class could take a picture of a completed math problem, all the steps written out, and add descriptions or links to the steps he took, applying what he knows to possibly help explain the process to another student (learn by teaching to another).  In a history class, students could take battle field picture, and dividing it into sections, critique the strategies used by the commanders, try to interpret what strategy they might have had that led to that decision, devise or construct alternate attacks or plans that could have been carried out.  And if students took opposing sides of a conflict, they could anticipate an alternate ending to the battle based on changes they put into place. 

No matter what level of thinking on Bloom's a teacher expects in the outcome, Thinglink would allow students the creativity to do that, as well as research and integrate other technologies, compare and contrast written sources and correctly cite them.

How Will My Instruction Need to Change?

As I completed my assignment of reading about schools providing blended and online learning, and I checked the reflection questions for this portion, it's obvious that my teaching is going to have to change! Heck, we're talking about less face to face time with students, how could it stay the same? I'm going to be delivering content through videos I create or find, written instruction that I need to be sure the students will comprehend, possibly some online hangouts or Skype, email communication, possibly texting, holy cow! Not only with students have 24/7 access to the course work online, they're going to have 24/7 access to me! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Ok, come back down a few steps on the ladder Holly, no reason to hit the top and jump. Take a deep breath and think, what do you need most to be able to juggle all of this?  Time Management!  I currently have a room full of students at the same scheduled time each day, I have their undivided attention for 50 minutes. We all are in the same physical building all day long, they know where my office is, I know what their schedules are (not memorized or anything creepy like that, what I know where to find them.) Communication is not an issue because we always know where to find each other.  But if this were taken out of the equation, I'm going to have to make some adjustments, and having a student text me at 1:00 am when they are working, and get stuck, is not an option.

To begin with I need to make sure initial instruction is precise and clear. There will need to be some sort of formative assessments as we move along each unit or chapter. I see this as a simple check point, similar to a 5 finger test or a quick thumbs up/down.  I'm not going to have the immediate feedback of the "deer in the headlights" look, I have to plan to gather more information as we go and make adjustments quickly. If the initial instruction gets students moving in the right direction, we'll be off to a good start.

In order to be accessible, I want to have specific "office hours" when I will make myself available to be online and have back and forth interaction with students (email, discussion forum, hangout, etc.) If a student has to go more than 24 hours without feedback from me, they'll become frustrated & distracted, and their interest in the course will start to diminish. This might not occur everyday, but if the dates and times are set ahead of time, or consistently the same days of the week, students will be able to schedule accordingly and have their work and questions ready.

I also want to provide the opportunity for students to help each other, all answers do not need to come from me, and if students can help each other they are developing a community they can rely on.  This is where the discussion boards can be so important to start with. The tips we have on how to encourage good feedback in a discussion, and draw out more deep thinking will be crucial for me to do.  I envision as a class progresses, students could do hangouts or Skype with each other, I would not necessarily need to organize it.

Because of the lack of face to face communication, simple multiple choice assessments will not do the trick. I'm going to need more open ended, thought provoking, higher level thinking activities throughout a unit and in the assessments to check for learning.  Each unit will need something a little different. Too much of a good thing turns it sour.  Group activities are a must and need to be incorporated often to help build community.

So what tools can I use to facilitate this? I don't think I even know all the possibilities, that's one thing I hope to learn from this course. I'm sure there will be a few technologies I'll use more than once, but I also want to expose the students to different ones, encourage them to try something new.  As long as I keep trying new things and sharing it with them, even if I make mistakes along the way, I can model to students that it's ok to put yourself out there and maybe fall once in awhile, just as long as you pick yourself back up and keep going.

The New Look of Schools

This week one of our assignments in my LEC course was to review the profiles of schools providing online and blended learning.  I chose to read and learn more about Carpe Diem Collegiate High School and Middle School (CDCHS) in Yuma, AZ. I chose this one primarily because I have been seeing this school featured in other educational magazines and publishings and have been intrigued by their curriculum and design.

Students (Grades 6-12) attend school 4 days a week (8am to 4pm) 145 days a year, for a total of 1,007 hours of education time. During their time at school, they receive both direct instruction and online instruction, rotating between the two throughout their day.  There are 300 individual cubicles for students to work in and complete online work.

The school employs only 6 full time certified teachers (for 273 students): Math, Language Arts, Science, Physical Education, Social Studies & Electives. So, for instance, a Math teacher at CDCHS teaches ALL students in the school at one point or another, through direct instruction. The only content not having a virtual curriculum is Physical Education. During the time a student is receiving online instruction, there are "assistant coaches" to offer assistance. These assistants are described as highly qualified paraprofessionals, but not necessarily certified teachers. 

They have been ranked first in the county in student performance in math and reading (2010) and in the top 10 percent of AZ charter schools. 

I am utterly intrigued by this school! I have often contemplated a summer vacation to Yuma to visit the school and speak with the administration. I love the idea of blended and direct instruction all happening during the school day, and the rotation process of students.  Could this be possible in most high school environments? YES! Do all teachers and administrators have the vision to implement this? Maybe? 

My district has a version of this, I believe, in that we have a room where online instruction happens through a program called OdysseyWare. The difference is this is not necessarily related to content being delivered in the classroom, but in place of many times, for credit recovery. We have one science teacher that is currently using components of OddyseyWare for part of her curriculum, but not in the same way Yuma is, I don't believe. 

300 computers sounds like a lot, but with desktop and our 1:1 devices, my district exceeds that. What we don't have are individual spaces for all. This would be crucial for the quiet, direct learning time while doing online work. I view this as the ultimate blended learning environment. AND by providing the technology to do the online piece, in house, students who might not otherwise be able to access online material from home are not exempt from this curriculum. (The profile states that there is very little or no work done by students outside of the school day, which is a positive vote for the longer days.)

I would like to know what a day looks like for a certified teacher here. Do they have regular prep time to look at assessments, grade students work, provide feedback, alter their instruction? Do they ever provide assistance during online learning time? Is the 5th day of the week, when students don't come in, a time for professional development and collaboration with the other certified teachers? Do they provide one on one help before or after school? Is there time for this built into the day? Or because of the online work, is that what the direct instruction time has become?

We also had videos to watch, and this one, Susan Patrick: Why Online Learning is a Smart Solution really spoke to me.

This quote stayed with me: "The state of GA has 400 High Schools, but only 89 qualified, licensed Physics teachers." How are they able, in the state, to service all these High School Students and offer them the education they are entitled to? And we're only talking about Physics, what about all the other core content areas, and electives? If we start looking at other states, how would they measure up? This reinforces for me that teachers need to embrace online & blended learning, it's here to stay!

Continuing Education

While many outside of the education field do not see it, teachers are continually expanding their education. Whether it is through professional development provided by the school district, self learning on a tool or strategy specific to their content area, or taking courses during their free time through a university or other facility. That's what I have done, a course during my free time. I have signed up to take a course called LEC Online & Blended Learning Certification.

Over the past 5 years I have used Moodle as an LMS. I was thrown into this with little to no training, learning mainly on my own via trial & error.  While I can honestly say I've come a long way since then, after our face to face meeting to begin this new course, I know I've got a long way to go. To be in education today, we must embrace technology and respect its role in our classrooms and a student's educational process.I have used Moodle as a means to get information to my students & have them turn in work, thus saving paper. I've considered this the start of a hybrid class, but boy, are there some HUGE components I am missing.

Providing links or documents to information for students to access is only part of an online course. My ultimate goal while taking this course is to find ways to engage students when they are not sitting in front of me. The absence of my physical self has to be my focus. Right now I can easily track down a student and have a conversation with them. This will not always be the case. How can I best "instruct" to students while they are at home? The media center? Or anywhere other than a typical classroom environment? AND how can I create meaningful & engaging interaction between myself and my students?  Building a community among my students is also a priority. Students are encouraged to rely on each other in my classroom, work together, ask each other questions, etc. This should not be any different in an online class. And it needs to be continuous throughout the course.

Now these goals are mine for my personal classroom. But I also want to be able to share, inspire and encourage my colleagues to enhance their current Moodle courses (or whatever LMS they choose to use) to incorporate these items. I am fortunate to work with some amazing people that embrace technology whole heartedly, and there are some that are tolerating its integration into the classroom. And of course, there are those that are content with their current status. Now, I am not so naive to think that all teachers in my district will ever embrace technology in the way that I do. I have to be realistic about my own expectations. Any growth is better than none at all, and my job is to encourage and support growth to the degree that a teacher is comfortable with it, and will see the benefit of it for their students.

I hope as I learn new technologies, I'll be able to share them with staff (and show them I am right there learning with them) in such an enthusiastic and infectious way that soon they'll start calling me the Pied Piper, I'll be leading staff off into the land of technology!

What? No Snow?

Have you ever gotten geared up for "the storm" that was scheduled to come, only to wake up to nothing? Dry streets, clear skies (as far as you can tell in the dark) and your phone NOT ringing with a call from the school telling you it's a snow day? Yeah, that was my morning today.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE coming to school everyday. I love my classes, I love my students, I love my job. But when that all powerful "what if" takes over your mind, and you go to sleep the night before, visions of all the things you could do tomorrow filling your head, only to wake up and find it's schedule as usual, honestly, you sort of think "Dang, would have loved a snow day".

I can only imagine what the students are thinking today. A group of 7th graders came into the media center 1st hour, loud as could be and full of energy. I'm thinking they were all wishing to be home building snow forts, snowmobiling, playing hockey today. Wonder what my 10th, 11th & 12th grade students are going to be like 2nd hour? Better fill my coffee cup before I go to class.......Hope you all are enjoying your Thursday!

Finding Balance

I recently participated in a #mnlead Twitter chat, and the topic was Balance. How many people think about this on any regular basis? By not addressing it, or even acknowledging that we need balance in our everyday life, our life between work and home turns upside down.

How many of you bring work home with you? If you're a teacher, my guess is at some point you have answered yes. Here's the more accurate question, how much work do you bring home? And how often? And how much time does it take away from your family or personal interests?  One hour's worth of grading vs. 4 hours are two entirely different things. When do you start this work and when do you stop? At some point in an evening there needs to be some down time, time to connect with yourself, your family, your spirit, your soul, or maybe the TV to catch up on current events. For me I need time to not concentrate on anything important, a brain dead activity like watching TV or playing solitaire on my iPad. This allows me to relax, unwind, and gear up for the next day.

If we do not take time every day to find a balance between work and everything else, we become engulfed in our jobs, and ultimately we suffer. Many people in this chat shared that because their children were young, it dictated their time at home to center around family and not work. That's Great!! Recognizing that your children need you, and being there for them, is the best choice you can make. Looking at life through the eyes of a child can bring everything into perspective. Others said they set aside time during their day to walk or work-out in some manner for their own health and to clear their minds. Most stated they had to schedule it and make it part of a routine or it wouldn't happen. One person even said they went for a walk around campus after lunch just to step away from their desk and refocus for the afternoon.  Myself, I get my workout in before school. I know my job and routine and if I don't do it then, it most likely doesn't get done, something will always seem to come up. If it happens I have time for a physical activity after school, then it's just a bonus!

While it's easy to set aside a textbook or stack of papers, and go to the store or shopping, out to eat or a movie, how easy is it to walk away from work when we are connected so closely through technology? How many of you check your school email on your phone? Do you get Social Media updates regarding school, classes or students that you check regularly? Are people texting you with school "emergencies"? With technology advancements, and integrating them into our courses, have we made it virtually impossible to disconnect from work? This became a hot topic because we were all over the place.

Some continuously check their phones because of notices they receive, some are trying to stay on top of emails (ever feel like you are on email overload?) most are checking devices throughout the evening & weekends, barely able to put it down for a family meal. STOP THE MADNESS!

What message are we sending our students & families if we don't care enough to have interests outside of our jobs to bring something personal back to the classroom? Don't we encourage our students to have other interests and hobbies besides what they learn in our class? I know I do, I want the kids to have time away from my course so they come back refreshed. I want my students to be kids as well, spend time with their families. I'm not going to give them some big project over a long break, I want them to have down time just like I do and I need that at times. Everyone needs balance, not just teachers. How are you going to encourage balance for your students?

How Important is SAMR?

For some time now I've been hearing about the SAMR Model, that this is THE guide for educators to follow when integrating technology.  While I believe in having some sort of guideline to help encourage and direct teachers to use technology in their classrooms, we can't forget the bottom line is student learning.

http://jennyluca.wikispaces.com/file/view/SAMR_model.png/203923578/SAMR_model.png

I have made it my goal to visit with all PLC's in my building about SAMR and am encouraging them to include what technologies they are currently using as we update our backwards design units. There is so much integration going on in our district, but until an individual teacher has the opportunity to step back and look at their own work, they don't see it. SAMR will help them see how far they have come.

BUT (and this is a HUGE but) if a teacher is not making connections and building relationships with students, no amount of technology integration is going to make their lesson better, more retained in the student's memory, or develop of love of learning in a particular content for any student. We can't get wrapped up in things like SAMR or TIM (Technology Integration Matrix) if there is not a clear direction behind them (via +Brent Catlett from #nebedchat), and that should always be student learning, innovation, and achievement.

So while you're worrying about how you're going to integrate the newest and coolest technology tool into your classroom, step back and ask yourself "Is this going to help me develop a new connection with my students?" If it's just for show, or for your administration, why are you doing it? Keep student achievement the top goal for everything you do.