A simple adjustment leads to a collaborative environment

Last week as myself, Keith and Marc were working in the office to prepare for the upcoming school year, we realized that our current office setup was hindering a collaborative atmosphere. 

Marc and Keith currently share an office while I am situated in a cubicle 15 feet from their door. Last Tuesday,  as I sat in my cubicle, I heard sounds of collaboration coming from their open office.  I listened intently as a small idea was presented and the two worked together to weave that idea into a viable plan.  Instantly, I knew I wanted to be a part of this! It was clearly evident that collaboration was being used to take their ideas beyond what either one could accomplish on an individual level.

I knew that I had to get in on this collaboration!  So I approached them about completely moving our office space around.  Being the awesome guys they are, we quickly equipped ourselves with a hand truck, and a tool set.  In the hour and a half that followed we literally moved hundreds of pounds of filing cabinets, took down walls of a cubicle, and thoroughly worked up a sweat in our slacks, button down long sleeve shirts, and ties!

What we were left with though, was an environment that encourages collaboration between the 3 of us.   In the short time since the office rearrangement, we have worked together to develop ideas and plans that will allow us to be more effective and efficient technology coaches.

So I encourage you to join the conversations at your school, break down barriers that may be negatively effecting collaboration, and create an environment that is open to new ideas!

Technology and the School Administrator

     As Instructional Technology Coaches, Marc, Doug and I will start the year meeting with Administrators and Curriculum coaches to discuss goals and plans for the year.  We all created a Professional Development Calendar on Outlook and have shared it with all that will play a part in the professional development of our school professionals.

     Building level administrators can play a huge role in promoting technology in the classroom, and helping to encourage our teachers to do the same.  Here are FIVE ASKS that we think can help:  

1.        Ask Administrators to allow you, the Technology Coach, to speak to their staff at an after school meeting near the beginning of the year to review the terms of CIPA, COPPA, and FERPA…as well as talk to them about the importance of teaching and modeling the practices to be Good Digital Citizens. Use this opportunity to tell the teachers that you are there to help support what they do, and that you want to help in any way you can.

 2.       Ask Administrators to ask for a VOLUNTEER Tech Team.  A VOLUNTEER army can prove to be a most powerful advocate. This would consist of a cohort of 5-6 teachers from the school that would like to VOLUNTEER to meet periodically throughout the year to plan, demonstrate, model and share instructional best practices as well as how we can best go about integrating technology.  Ideally, this Team would be teachers from different grade levels…mixing the core subject areas, and including the Elective or Exploratory area teachers.

3.       Ask Administrators to please allow the Tech Team members to showcase new technology integration and strategies at staff meetings.  Try to attend those meetings to support the teachers.

4.       Ask Administrators and Curriculum Coaches to “model” technology at staff meetings and with communication tools.   Have staff members bring their Laptops, Pads, etc. to staff meetings and use them to share and collaborate with some of the many Professional Learning Network tools available.

5.    Ask Administrators to encourage their staff to model technology integration, and have a place on their Observation Walk-Throughs that addresses such.

 

TECH TIP:  One tool that we’d like to recommend to you is Remind 101.It is a one way texting tool that allows owners to send brief messages to group members without ever seeing anyone’s personal phone number.  Just imagine being able to send reminders to students about a project that is due, a major test, an important PTA meeting, or even use Remind101 in place of the old fashioned “Calling Tree” we use to use to notify staff members about school closings due to inclement weather.  For more information on this tool, click on the Remind 101 in this Blog.