COLLABORATION

Often times the first thing we think about when someone says the word "collaboration" is a group project or meeting. It sometimes carries a negative connotation due to the fact that most of us were at some point in our lives, a part of a group that had as its mission, to plan, decide and act on a task. Miriam-Webster says it means to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor. Some of those groups may have resulted in a "not-so-good" experience.

Another definition given says, "To cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected." Here's where I want to discuss "collaboration." Even though you may be a part of a school's classroom, a church or civic group, or even a member of a community, you are not necessarily immediately connected. Some synonyms for collaborate are: band (together), cooperate, concert, concur, conjoin, conspire, join, league, and team-up) and unite. Some related words are: affiliate, ally, associate, combine, hang together, and interface.

Our young people see examples on television of how NOT to collaborate...at least not in a productive manner, as they tune into all of the "Reality Shows" that are shown in prime time. So how can we collaborate if we are not immediately connected? The Internet. Most of America is already connected via Face Book, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, and Blogs…to mention a few.

But there are lots of sites where you can collaborate with other professionals online. The bottom line is this…Collaboration is something that adults must teach and model in our classrooms and at home. We are responsible for teaching our young people how to be good digital citizens, how to properly use “Social Media” and demonstrate appropriate collaboration.

Here are just a few sites that are good for you to explore that are collaborative by design:

Edmodo             www.edmodo.com 
Google Docs      www.google.com
BlogSpot           www.blogspot.com
Mind42              www.mind42.com  
Wiki Spaces       www.wikispaces.com  
Type With Me   www.typewithme.com  

Using the F3 Key to Search Terms of Service

Often, as one of three Tech Coaches in the Georgetown County School District, teachers will ask us via email, about new web tools they've found. What they want to know is, “Hey, I've found this new site, and I think it looks pretty good. I want to use it with my students. What do you think?"

Here are some things to keep in mind when you do find new Web Tools:

1. Is this just a cool tool that can go with an activity...or was the lesson planned, and now you are
    looking for a tool to use to enhance the content?

2. Is the site FREE?

3. Is it sustainable? Meaning, is this a site you can use year after year, and even bank items you've
    created for future use...or is it a trial period site tool that you have limited usage to without being
    required to upgrade to the "Premium" account.

4. Do the Terms of Service meet the requirements for use by students above or below the age of 13?

5. Does using the Web Tool require parental consent?

6. Does the site, and more importantly the use of it, abide by the stipulations of CIPA, COPPA, and
    FERPA Laws for Internet safety of minors?

Items 1 - 3 are easily answered. Numbers 4 - 6 require a little more investigation.  First go to the site, and then find the Terms of Service or Terms of Use (usually at the bottom in fine print). Click on these Terms. Now use the F3 key on the top of your keyboard to bring up a "Find Box." This usually pops up at the top left under the web tool bar. Type in key words and scroll down to help you find the information you need quickly. I like to type in "13", "18", "age", "legally" and "binding."

Watch the video below. I hope this has been helpful.





Keith Brown

Twitter is “all the rage”…but what is “all the rage” about?

Twitter is “all the rage”…but what is “all the rage” about?  If you are diligent in finding the right folks to follow on Twitter, you will get a Twitter Feed with all kinds of good information, wonderful and enlightening articles, and tools to help in your particular quest.  You can certainly choose to follow those that have “like-mindedness” toward certain subjects. ..thus creating a ProfessionalLearning Network.   Here are some reasons to ue Twitter.

·         First and foremost, Twitter is limited to 140 characters per message and therefore provides messages and information that are short and direct.  This encourages the writer to capture your attention fast and gives you a synopsis to glean the information in the Tweet in a quick scan.

·         Twitter allows you to enter pictures that may further illustrate your post.

 

·         Professional Interaction can take place outside the walls of your class or school.  A short time  invested to create your Twitter account can pay off big later in the eveniong while in your easy chair. 

·         Connect through Twitter to other learning communities.  Here you will find deeper applications to the educational subject matter you crave.

·         With Twitter, you can be easily transition to an array of multimedia sources (YouTube, dedicated URL’s, Blogs, etc.).

·         The availability of smartphones and tablets with their own network connections, or even over Wi-Fi, allow you connect on the go.  (THAT DOES NOT MEAN WHILE DRIVING.  BE SAFE AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD.)

Happy Tweeting!

 

Keith

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.

Teachers Teaching Teachers

The model of Teachers Teaching Teachers has been around for a long time.  The idea is that you focus your efforts on a small group of teachers in your building for a particular program or set of skills, then you have them go out and share with their peers.  Thus the learning is passed along to everyone.  So why isn’t this as successful as it should be?

In talking with teachers, there are several factors that indicate that this T3 approach can work.  Here’s what they say can foster such staff development and growth:

·         Providing time for small group learning sessions

·         Providing time for the group to practice the new knowledge

·         Helping to set up Professional Learning Networks (PLNs)

·         Giving opportunities for others to observe model lessons

·         Allowing teachers to “showcase” lessons for the entire staff

·         Providing curriculum support

·         Providing technology support in the classrooms

 

In choosing to focus on Communication and Collaboration in 2012-13, we had in mind the goal of moving from Providing Instruction to Providing Opportunities for students to work collaboratively to Designing challenges that promote collaboration within and beyond the classroom toward an authentic task to formatively assessing authentic tasks where students are engaged in purposeful collaboration…and therefore moving them along a continuum to having students take responsibility for their own learning...using technology and web tools just puts icing on the cake.

Need to Review Terms for EOC: Try Flashcard Stash

 Flashcard Stash - I like this site a lot for its searchable vocabulary lists, types of activities, and the lists can be embedded into a website.  Teachers create an account and the fun begins with searching for lists.  Teachers can create their own lists but again, it is that time of year, and time (see #3 above) is lacking.  Once a teacher finds a list she likes, the students can do several activities:

1. Learning Mode - Students click on word and get definition.
2. Practice Mode - There are two parts to practice mode.  In one part of the practice, you are given the definition, and you must type the vocabulary word.  As you type the vocabulary word, blue means you are getting it correct and red means it is wrong.  The second part of the practice you are given the word and must choose from a list of definitions before time runs out.
3. Match Game - You drag words to match definitions.
4. Waterfall - Reminds me of Tetris, but you don't have to move blocks to fit into a section.  Anyway, definitions scroll down from the top.  Before the definition gets to the bottom of the screen, you need have to type the vocabulary word up top.

Once you choose the list you want, you can embed the list and all the activities above into your website.  See below.

View List |Play Match Game |Play Waterfall Game