Tech Hardware man in AP role

So these last three weeks have been quite interesting in our year round school.  Due to budget cuts, we were unable to rehire our technology assistant for this school year.  So I have had the dubious honor of filling in that role.  Let's just say that it has been a learning curve and an eye opening experience.  I love technology and I love using it, but I am not a big fan of fixing it.  I have learned about network printing, smart board wiring, and a variety of computer errors.  I am fortunate to have the "help desk" to help out, but I received an email from them that they are backed up with a high volume of request (hmmm sorry). Now that I have "fixed" repaired most of the problems it is time to start using the technology with teachers and students.

One things that we would like to work with is  Live streaming of our morning news, events, performances, etc.  We feel that this would provide our extended families and traveling family members the opportunity to see are wonderful performances even if they are not on site.

Another area that I would like to model for teachers to use with students is the creating and presenting apps or sites.  We are using imovie, puppet pals, prezi, voice threads, and etc.

Lastly, as a school leader I would like to dive into podcasting and video chatting (or google groups) as a way to send out information.

It's funny that I started this in August and it seems like we have made some strides in the areas of concerns...We have been able to convert our studio news into a student ran show that uses a mini ipad and a mac air to create and edit their segments of the show.  Students are able to do interviews, report out and create the news using iMovie.
On the administrator side we create a weekly vlog to share out school news.  We are also adding in the video portion of the news into our daily world.

Bookmarking using Diigo

This is a short attempt on How to Book Mark sites and blogs in one place to be able to retrieve as needed anywhere.  Take a look....

How to Diigo (not Dougie)..

My Diigo Page -- https://www.diigo.com/user/tjshillings21/teaching?type=all&sort=updated

iPads in the Classroom

As we have moved our iPads from a central location to the classrooms, as a team we are now trying to manage, organize and streamline our iPad apps.  As a school, we have over 200 apps that do a variety of things many of them were replacing the paper pencil practice.  Is this the best use of this type of technology device?

The iPad is a creating, presenting and displaying tool that enhances the students thinking and creation.  From Edu Creations, keynote to Show Me and Sock Puppets has allowed students to use their knowledge of a variety of skills to teach other students.  This is the higher level thinking tools that we would like to provide for our students.  

Take a look at our 3-5 Profile.  What apps would you add to support technology integration?

Building a Collaborative Team

One of the joys of my job is teaching teachers how to utilize a variety of technology tools and applications.  The past few months, we have been focusing EdModo.  For those unfamiliar with Edmodo, it is Facebook for educators.   EdModo you make "connections" instead of "friends".  You also build you're learning community and not "catch up with others".   As we discuss this type of platform (this is my second school that I have lead this discussion), I reflect on collaborative teams and learning with and from others.

It is interesting to me to see how quickly and easily I can send out a question and get a response.  I also find I only get what I put into a site like this.  If I am a "lurker" or an "observer" I am able to see collaboration and discussion, but I am not a part of it.  I know that in the early part of my teaching career, this is how I felt in real world (not the virtual world).   Do we do enough talking and discussing with each other and not at each other?

Many of the team meetings that I was in as a teacher and now as an administrator, the facilitator or the team members gave out their information to the team and ask for little feedback or thoughts.  It was more of "I have the floor and I am going to say everything I need to say".  Many times upon reflection I would say, "Why not put that in an email, memo, or on the announcements?".

In the past couple years as a facilitator and a team member, I have attempted to gather input and feedback from others only to hear crickets..  Is this a product of what we know or is it easier to stand back and listen?  Are we worried about hurting each other's feeling?  Or is a matter of trust...if I say something to my administrator are they going to come down on me?

When we have the conversation of "things to think about, what if..., have you thought about...," we begin to create a school culture that values others opinions, we gain ownership in the decisions, and we become vested in the decision and not doing it because "we were told to do it".  This is not an easy, nor quick process.  It also requires a sense of professionalism and what's best for the school.  Educators tend to see criticism or questions, as a reflection on themselves or their worth and not as a way to make create the best solution.  Dr. Steven Covey speaks a lot about "seek to understand, before seeking to be understood" and if we seek to understand that we are in the business of student success then discussions become less personable and more productive and solutions oriented.

Blended Learning

My conclusion is that we need to teach in a variety of learning ways.  Blended Learning, Project Based Learning, Flipped Classroom, integrating technology, etc.  We need to continue to grow as a teaching profession in the way we instruct, support, and what we expect from our students. Each of the mentioned philosophies, strategies, ideas have value and are important to reshaping the classroom.

My question to administrators, trainers, professional development designers is what do you start with as a teacher?  To me it begins with, what do you want the students to learn?  The ever basic objective.  This has been the staple of any lesson plan since the idea of lesson plans.  Prior to doing any of these learning methods, teachers and educators need to go back to "what do we want the students to learn from this activity.  Many times in my experiences this is what gets lost in the planning and teaching our students.

Assessments

How do we evaluate learning?

In this day and age of accountability, testing and evaluation, how do we judge learning in a classroom?  Do we wait until the final month of the school year and give a comprehensive exam?  With this exam, there are no books, no talking, and few breaks.  Is this the type of learner we are trying to create? I am all for assessments and setting high expectations for all, but why do we teach day to day one way and then in the end here is the final grade? 

The more I think about our testing practices the more I think about how we have not changed our assessment strategies.  We expected our students to collaborate, discuss, apply, communicate, and think global, then we assess them with a multiple choice test.  The future is looking a little brighter with some on line assessments ELA and math with companies such as   @SmarterBalanced that are making the shift to have assessments that match the skills that we are expecting our students to be able to do on a daily basis.

I would also like to say as a school, we are starting to utilize more formative assessments that are performance based and not "what is capital of North Carolina).  Grade levels are creating short assessments that evaluate skills that are testing often, but do these assessments evaluate the essential skills that showcase the skills we want to have our students leave our campus with?  We need to continue to modify our formative assessments....
 
Other articles about assessments - rethinking assessments

Race to the Top Module

We are in the process of completing the Race to the Top Module 2 for our state.  I have had the opportunity to facilitate two of these meetings.  The discussions were focused on the work of work of Tony Wagner Rigor Redefined.  He shares his research about the Seven Survival Skills students need in this every changing world.  We had great discussions on creating a classroom that has open discussion, teacher less as the keeper of information, but a provoker of questions.  We had great discussions on the type of classroom environment that asks questions, relies on student leaders and collaborators, that supports communication and sharing out.  I thought Dan Meyer speech @Ted.com hit the points home in a subject/skills that I have long forgotten.  He also discussed how he is being a change agent and not just a problem identifier.

I thought back of the time that I was a kid.  I went outside and seeked out solutions to problems and be free thinkers.  Weather it was: how fast do I need to run to jump over this puddle or what will happen if I run down this hill.  I also thought about how easy it is for me to come up with a game or something to do outside that didn't involve a handheld device.  We have become a society that wants someone to tell us what to do and how to it.  A society that wants the answer now (as mentioned in Dan Meyer's presentation) and we have lost the ability or the sense of freedom from trial and error.  As a fairly new parent (21 month old boy), I see a child that tries things out and sometimes is successful other times we have to use a boo boo bunny and wipe off the tears.  I continue to be a leader that encourages people to "try and see what happens" and follow up with, "what did you learn".

What type of classroom are you trying to create in your class, school, or district?

Integrating Technology into Teaching

Technology is a powerful tool in teaching, but are we using it to help students become better thinkers or to continue doing what we have always done?

As I think about this topic I go back to what do I want to do with the technology device?  Sometimes the answer is "I don't know", which sparks the rhetorical question, of what do I want to do....  As we continue, to educate in the 21st century, we need to look at what are the desired outcomes from the lessons that we teach our students.  There isn't always a finished product or a right answer.  Sometimes its the discussions, the thought provoking questions, the debate that ends with "we agree to disagree" not I am right because I talked louder and longer then the other person.

We need to continue to put technology devices in students hands.  With the iPads, Kindle Fire, Samsung Tablets and other devices that provide students with access to informations, apps to support skills (lower level to higher level), and produce work.  How do you use technology to enhance students thinking and learning?  

What to post first?

I am new to the blogging world or at least blogging my ideas.  I am trying to figure out where to start...my thoughts range from Daily Five, reading instruction, integrating technology, become a 21st century learner, ect.  more to come.....