Normal is Normal

By a working definition, NORMAL is described as “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern: characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine. 

Just 20 years ago, nobody much knew anything about this thing called the Internet.  I believe it was around August of 1991, that the world-wide-web first appeared.  At that time, “www”, was nothing but a repetition of letters that one typed by mistake.

Not so long ago, but yet it seems like an eternity…we reached over to press the button off on the alarm clock by our bed, got up, read the newspaper, made our own coffee at home, on occasion picked up the receiver on a rotary or push button dial telephone to check on a friend or relative, and then went to work to address stacks of paper that needed to be filled out in triplicate using a mimeograph machine that had that weird ink smell.  Students went to school, carried loads of books strapped together with a belt and wrote on paper.  That was “normal.” We made the copies, dropped them in a paper file and put them in a metal file cabinet. That was then.

This is now.  We wake up to the alarm on our cell phones, check the social media platforms, check the news and the stock reports, send a text or a DM to a friend or relative, dress and head to work or school, stopping to buy a coffee on the way…that we have already paid for in the App on our phone, get to the office or school, open our laptops or pads and make a copy, scan or edit a document, then store it in the cloud for future use, and send a copy by email to those that need access. That is our normal, now.

Remote or virtual capabilities for meetings or classes for work or school, are now a part of our everyday life.  Having to work from home, or do school from home, may not be what you want to have to do, knowing that in-person learning is essential to us as humans, and the more effective way to teach, learn and provide feedback as a part of the process, but we do what we have been doing since time began: We monitor and adjust. 

We want to be back together in the workplace, in school and in our everyday social lives. In the meantime, through this pandemic, for every situation, we learn how to expand the pros and overcome the cons. We thrive. We survive in what is now normal.

Stay positive.  Stay safe.

Keith Brown

Take Care of Students AND yourself!

The past year of school has certainly been like nothing we have seen in our lifetimes.  The pandemic has shut down businesses, the Court System, family gathering and schools.  The tremendous population of administrators, teachers and students in our schools, although not always in the brick and mortar buildings, must to carry on.

The isolation from friends, staying at alternative places so that parents can work as much as possible, and working from home…make for a lonely day for some.  Both adults and students are social creatures and crave interaction.

The challenge is to maintain a challenging and engaging learning platform so as not to cross the threshold of boredom, apathy, indifference, and depression.

There are reports that occurrences of student depression and even suicide are on the rise.  It is safe to say that it is not always easy to determine the mental state of an individual on the other end of a video conference meeting…that’s why it is so very important to find ways to “engage” students in conversation in class meeting time.  Some things one might try is to use tools that engage student feedback, like Kahoot, Quizizz, Nearpod, Google Classroom questions, Screencastify and Flip Grid.  Be enthusiastic while on screen.  Ask questions and call on students to unmute and respond…validate their answers so that they are comfortable participating.  If students seem overly withdrawn or start missing classes, call the parent, confer with Guidance and Mental Health Counselors in your building, and be a part of the team that does something about a problem. 

The next big part is for the staff members:  don’t forget to take care of yourself.  The previously mentioned issues can just as easily affect you.  Interact safely with colleagues if in the building.  Call and talk to folks.  Check on family members.  Check on your friends and elderly neighbors. 

Ask for assistance in technical or technology issues, do Google Meets, Zooms or Microsoft Team meetings with friends.

Don’t let social media consume your free time.  Don’t get drug down by every bad story on the news, whether it be political, some disaster, or some tragic story.  Look for ways to turn negatives to positives.  Look for ways to lift one another up and in turn it will energize you.  Wake up every days and see it as an opportunity to make a difference for somebody else…and it will return to you tenfold.

Engagement by Empowering Students

 

     I became inspired after reading an article sent to me by one of my Tech Coach partners, to write this blog that does more asking than it does telling, sharing or showing.  So many times as we are starting to plan lessons, we tend to get bogged down with the question of, “How do I engage the students?”  The topic plays on our minds constantly. 

     We look for ideas on Pinterest, in Facebook Groups, on Twitter, in blogs and in articles we find on the Internet.  We have a preconceived notion of what the engagement should look like in our classrooms.  We make sure that it fits within the parameters of how we want our students to behave or respond.  We take care to see that the rubric we have set up gives strict guidelines as to how we want our project based learning assignments to turn out.  We work ourselves silly trying to find that magic prompt or magic idea that will send our students into ecstatic and joyous modes, capable of anything…now that we have set that leaning spaceship into orbit!

     And if it doesn’t have the desired effect…we wilt under the strain of all the effort we originally put into the project or lesson, and believe me, students can tell. 

     As I have said over many years of being a teacher, coach, Tech Coach and Principal…”Find ways to work smarter, not necessarily harder.”  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel for all you do.  Share with and borrow successful ideas from colleagues.  Team up with a colleague to tackle an issue.  Group together with other teachers in your building and change up the status quo. 

     Here are some questions that may help you help students…especially in this remote and virtual environment:

1.    1.  Are students allowed to choose how they show comprehension? Allow students to make a choice over how they demonstrate mastery: writing, drawing, doing a skit, or creating a video. Everyone doesn’t shine in every area, so why not give the opportunity to work within their own gifts and confidence levels. Give them a Choice Board and let them make the call on how and when they learn the material.  

2.      2. How quick do student get results? Give quick and helpful feedback.  Grades are grades, but feedback empowers.

3.      3. Are teachers or students creating response sheets?  Have students create their own documents to respond to teacher prompts and lessons, rather than keep shoveling worksheets out there for them to regurgitate facts.

4.      4.  Do you have a central theme to focus the learning?  Missions and Vision and Goals statements are usually long and sometimes confusing, and we always support those overall statements.  But maybe bring those into focus like this...Years ago, I came up with a slogan that I used in several schools and coined it “Achievement Beyond Comprehension.” The idea was to have teachers provide opportunities for students to demonstrate to them how students solved a problem, or how they approached an issue or an assignment.  I recently changed what the “A” meant, to now read “Application Beyond Comprehension.” I want students to know what they did to solve something and be able to explain it to someone else.  Have students document their work along the way, and show evidence of their progress.

5.      5. Who sets the way we do our projects?  Get out of their way!  I was working with a teacher a year or so ago and the teacher had a great tech project idea for the students.  The rubric was concise and understandable, and gave them a choice of two different tools to use.  The question then came from a student, “Can we use something else to show our project?”  The teacher was hesitant and told the student, “I’ll give it some thought.”  The teacher asked me, and I said, “I would say, yes…and then get out of their way!”  The teacher gave permission for the students to use methods other than the original prescription…and we were extremely pleased with what many of the student created and turned in.

     All of these suggestions may not work for you, but at least I hope it will provoke thought toward new ideas.  I hope it gives you the courage to take a risk in how you want work turned in.  I hope by doing so, it models for the students that taking a risk is okay, and helps foster collaboration, creativity, initiation, and the confidence that students need to take those kinds of risks.  It also encourages students to take more responsibility for their learning. 

Teachers like to be empowered…and students like it as well.  Ramp up student engagement by empowering them to take charge of their learning.  Try it out!

Keith Brown

Instructional Tech Coach

Choice Boards for Teacher PLT's

 Choice Boards have been one of the more talked about tools as of late.  The idea is to provide your audience with choices within the realm of a particular subject, and give participants an opportunity to explore, work on, and complete things that interest them.

Some of the Choice Boards we have helped create have been for Math (concepts, formulas, terms), Science (terms, parts of a cell, the human body), ELA (reading and writing), Foreign Languages (translations, conjugations), Social Studies (maps, terms, particular battles, people in history), Art (styles, periods, artists), Music (composers, styles, instrumental), and Physical Education (game rules and playing areas, terms, lifetime activities, health). 

And don’t just limit your creation to students, find ways to use Choice Boards for Teachers.  At the beginning of our school year, we always offer Professional Development, as do most all school districts that I have ever heard of in all my many years.  This particular year was different in many ways, mainly due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.  We found that preparing our teachers after a delayed opening, and then having to start the year completely virtual, that there were things we wanted to make sure teachers were prepared to do; like using our Google Classroom as the Learning Management System, and using the different Virtual Meeting tools that were available.  “How do we…?” became a catch phrase around here. 

We started by talking with and surveying teachers as to what things they thought they’d like to see tutorials for, and pretty quick. Next, we took advantage of the tools provided by YouTube to create a channel where we could create and house “How-To” videos for our teachers.  Step three, we gathered the 10 most requested Google Tools, and the 10 most requested general tools that would help teachers be better prepared to launch the school year virtually. Once we created the videos, we added the videos, with a short description to a Google Choice Board, and to a General Choice Board.

Because it was so critical to gather and talk through the plans, schedules and some other assessment tools that were newly acquired, there wasn’t time for the Tech Coaches to conduct all of the sessions that were going to play such a pivotal role in the start of school. So we gave it to our teachers in the form of the Choice Boards. 

We gave teachers a time frame in which to complete the assignments.  They had to watch at least two of the Choice Board Activities for each Board, and then had to record in a Google Form, which ones they watched and how they were planning to apply them in their instruction. They could watch as many as they wanted, but were only responsible for recording two per Board.  This not only helped us to help them, but gave us a good foothold on their status as far as tech proficiency.

Here are links for our two Choice Boards if you care to see them:

Also, feel free to watch any of the (at this point), 127 “How-To” videos on our YouTube Channel.

 

Keith Brown, Instructional Technology Coach, Georgetown County School District, Georgetown, SC, USA.

Why Use Book Creator?

 Book Creator is a Free Tool that allows students to create eBooks as a part of their teacher's library.  The Books can stand alone of be combined with others from the class.  This is a great way to use student devices to integrate technology in a meaningful platform.  Using Book Creator stresses the important aspects of writing, creativity, design, communication and collaboration, It has students use a variety of digital skills to construct projects as outlined in the ISTE Standards: the Knowledge Constructor.

The Book creator teaches acclimates students to the art of presentation.

When students work together, they enrich learning experiences by collaborating with other in their own schools and outside the walls of their classrooms. Therefore becoming better Global Communicators.

We are a G Suite school district, and I love the way in syncs seamlessly with the tools we are already using.

 Teachers in all grade levels and across the entire curriculum, can use Book Creator:  ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, in the Fine Arts, Physical Education, in Special Education and in the Media Center.  It is limited only by your imagination and creativity.

Creating portfolios, notebooks, chapter by chapter books and other assignments, and exercising the literacy skills, the keyboard and mouse skills, Book Creator becomes a great tool for engaging students in worthwhile endeavors that enhance their learning in all areas.

I have introduced and used Book Creator to my Middle School Teachers in Georgetown County as a part of my role as an Instructional Technology Coach.  I have created and share my Book Creator Projects to teachers in my district.  I model student lesson and teach both teachers and students how to use Book Creator.  Two of my favorites were:  My How-To Book for Using Google Drawing, and My Book About FitnessGram.  I used text, pictures, voice inserts and videos in my presentations. I have introduced teachers to…and asked them to join Book Creator as a part of the Graduate Level Class I teach (EDPD 818-A60) for the Georgetown County School District in SC…via The College of Charleston in Charleston, SC.  The Book Creator was part of the assignments that our students (Teachers) had to utilize for a presentation/assignment. I have approximately 30 books in My Library for the Graduate Class alone.  

Check it out:  www.bookcreator.com

Keith

The 2020 Tech Fair

It is an exciting time for the students and staff in the Georgetown County School District, as we begin to engage in our Technology Fair preparation.  In 2011, we started the tech fair with the intent to allow students to showcase projects that they were doing for classes.  Nobody is real sure of the number of projects at the first Tech Fair, but estimates from those around at that time say there were about 60 projects.

 

The Tech Fair, like technology itself, has evolved rapidly over the last ten years.  Wow…did I say ten years?  In 2011, students were presenting projects using the traditional folding “project boards” that propped behind their computers.  On their computer screens, they were showing power points or Word documents of class projects they had researched. 

Fast forward to 2020:  The folding presentation boards are thing of the past.  Students are creating digital portfolios using Google Slides, Google Drawing, Google Forms, Google Docs, Websites, robotics, programmable cars, drones, and even 3-D printers.  Students and staff have the opportunity to choose from several categories:  Creativity, Communication & Collaboration, Decision Making & Problem Solving, Innovation and Educator based projects. 

In 2011, Judges were scoring projects using pen and paper.  Now two judges score student projects using iPads on a Google Form, with an Array code that scores and separates the categories by age groups.

What started as an initiative to boost technology, has become THE premier event in the district…involving over 600 students in 2019, 62 Judges, 68 teachers, and some 500 community members and parents.

This year, our projects will be better, our Fair will be better, and the different technologies are exponentially growing.  April 9, 2020 is the date.  The location is 320 Wildcat Way at Waccamaw Intermediate School…Pawleys Island, SC  29585.  Come and be a part of the excitement as we invest in our young people.

To sign up to help Judge, click and visit the link below.  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd99NiG3QPAN6VCGkLqeg6QIvHb_M01pRMTC-kz7TcH52riIQ/viewform

The ABSOLUTE BEST TOOL for the Classroom

Every day of every week, App developers are coming up with new products and tools to make it easier to organize, impart, share and instruct us.  There are so many tools that can be a positive influence on our young people, and a few of those that are making the rounds as of late, or making a resurgence can be found easily by consulting with your district technology coaches and/or by doing searches for new tools. However, this Blog post will focus on the most important tool in the education business:  the Classroom Teacher.

The Classroom teacher has always been and will always be…the most important teaching tool in the classroom.  The teacher is the one that sets the tone.  The teacher creates the learning environment and drives instruction.  The teacher is one who looks at the students’ strengths and weaknesses, their learning modalities and determines the best way to deliver material.  Some students will learn best by hearing the information (Auditory), some will learn best by seeing the learning demonstrated (Visual), and some will be better served if they are allowed to participate in the learning (Tactile).  There are those students that perform best when using some of these modalities in combination.  Whichever ones are used in a particular lesson, the best tool for all of the learning opportunities is STILL the teacher!

The teacher, however, must deal with things that are distracting to the teaching process.  Discipline among the most common, others include, being a mentor to small groups, advisors of career paths to others, club sponsors, duty station managers, and to a certain extent, a counselor of life…all stress builders.

Going one to one with devices can also be stressful if not managed properly.  It is great to have a one to one device program in your building; however, this “blessing” can also be a distraction.  We constantly hear that students are going places on their devices to watch movies, check unapproved websites and social media platforms, and play games to mention a few.  We must realize that there are new websites that come on line every day, and the creators of these are always trying to find ways around content filters put in place at the schools.  We have even found a few that tout ways to get around school content filters…and if you see these, then you know that their mission is not in the best interest of the child, but in securing traffic and users for their sites.  Keep in mind, putting into action a good system of management now, makes it easier to handle as you move along in the school year.

Here are 10 Tips that will help with device management and cut down on the stresses they bring:

1.       Remind students of any Acceptable Use Policies you have in place…including their agreement to follow those policies.  It might not be a bad idea to review this often in your classroom.

2.       Practical Utilization:  Only allow device use when specific lesson plans call for their utilization.  Otherwise, devices should NOT be activated, open or even powered on.  It would probably be a great idea to have some sort of sign posted in your classroom that all can see that reminds students to stay in authorized areas on their devices.

3.       Use Courtesy Mode:  Students should have devices either closed half way down or turned to Face-the instructor, when content is being shared, or instructions are being delivered.

4.       Proximity:  Constantly moving around the room, even as students are using devices to complete assignments should be employed.

5.       Responsibility:  Remind students that by signing the Acceptable Use agreement, they are using the devices as the instructor directs, without going to other sites.

6.       Remind students that unauthorized use, including being on sites not designated as acceptable, is a violation of device use, and that such a violation could warrant the removal of the privilege.

7.       Do not leave assignments for Substitutes that require the use of devices. In fact, ask subs to have students collect on a front desk or store away devices while in that particular classroom.

8.       Administrative Support:  Talk with your administration, and ask them to reinforce the proper use of devices, along with proper care.  Their support is crucial to afore mentioned conditions seen in #6 and #7 above.

9.       Do not give students free reign to use devices if they finish an assignment early or in any “down” time.  Use of devices should be for instructional purposes. 

10.   Report to your Administration…and to I.T. by way of a Work Order, any sites that you deem inappropriate or unnecessary to your instructional needs.

Teachers are responsible for providing quality lessons and opportunities for students to be successful, and coaching them along the way to accomplishing those lessons.

 

Students are ultimately responsible for their own actions, and the following of guidelines and policies towards the successful completion of those lessons. 

The BEST tool in the classroom is and always will be the TEACHER!  

eLearning in the Georgetown County School District, SC

What is the eLearning Program?

The eLearning Program was successfully “piloted” in five school districts in SC during the 2018-19 school year.  GCSD wrote and extensive application and is proud to have been accepted as a part of Cohort #2 for the program beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.  

Districts that are a part of this pilot program can use eLearning days for an individual school or for the entire district for varying situations beyond the control of the district (ice storms, floods, hurricanes, natural disasters, etc.).  The day(s) will be counted as students attending school in PowerSchool as long as they complete work within the guidelines. This will serve to not only keep students moving forward in learning, but also prevent the district from having to create a “make-up” day of attendance later in the school year.  GCSD will use Google Classroom as our Learning Management System for this project.

The program specifies that students must be “engaged in learning” a minimum equal to 200 minutes to be acceptable.

Implementation 

Our eLearning LMS (Learning Management System) is Google Classroom.  Since this is a pilot program, as much training as possible was done up front and will continue all throughout the year to make it a successful venture.  Students will be taught how to complete work “offline” in the event that Wi-Fi is not available.  Students will be able to take home school devices, or may opt to use their own devices at their residence.  Assignments per subject will be loaded into Google Classrooms for completion.  Teachers will utilize Virtual Field Trips, Discus, the State Library, streaming video, Video tools, Google Docs, Slides, Drawing, and Sheets as assignments.

Communication about the eLearning Project

Teachers will have “Virtual Office Hours” while at home, to give students opportunities to communicate.  Teachers and students can communicate with each other within the LMS for clarifying questions about assignments using some of the following, but not limited to Google Classroom Private Comments, Remind, Email, Class Tag, Class Dojo, etc.

eLearning Mock Day (Trial Run)

The district set aside a day for all to practice the eLearning assignments, called a “Mock” eLearning day.  This will allow the IT team and the Instruction departments to prepare for the day.    

Communication between students and teachers (as far as instruction) should be seamless (as though the Teacher and the students were NOT at school).  Regular interaction from teachers may be necessary to assure a meaningful experience. 

Teachers will create assignments for each subject in a shortened version, and will allow students to go to, at least all four of the core areas to practice.  In the best-case scenario, it is recommended that the “mock” practice take place at the beginning of all classes…and not in one area for the whole day, because teachers are not available in the other subjects while the eLearning is being conducted

For An Actual eLearning Day

Kindergarten through Grade 2 students will take home “Learning Packets” preceding an official eLearning day. Grades 3-12 students will either use the school devices, (or opt to use their own) and engage through our LMS, which is Google Classroom.  

Teachers will have assignments loaded into their individual Google Classrooms.  All assignments collectively, should be a minimum of 200 minutes of engagement per student for each official eLearning day.  Students will work and turn in assignments via Google Classroom.  Schools are to work with students on a case-by-case basis with issues of connectivity at home.  Students will have 5 days from the return to school to complete makeup work given as a part of the eLearning day.  Work not completed within the five days will be graded according to the district/school/teacher’s grading policy, and the student will be marked absent. 

Feedback

After a “mock” eLearning Day, a survey will be administered to various constituents (district staff, teachers, parents, students, non-instructional staff, etc.) in the school community to determine how the project went, if there were issues, and to allow us all to concentrate on improving the pilot project process.

 Non-Instructional Staff

eLearning Days will also take into account projects for non-instructional staff members as well, such as:  Maintenance Staff, Teacher’s Aides, Clerical Personnel, Bus Drivers and Cafeteria staff.  

Teacher's Virtual Office Hours

Teachers will be available to answer questions that may arise concerning assignments using Email, Google Classroom, Google Meet, or Remind.  Your teachers should share the best options.  Office Hours will be:

• Elementary Teachers:  8:30 am - 10:00 am ... and ... 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
• Middle and High Teachers:  10:00 am - 11:30 am ... and ... 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm  

Teachers will inform students beforehand concerning the best way to contact them during these hours:  Email, Google Classroom, Google Meet, or Remind. 

Leadership Team

Administrators, Curriculum Coaches and Guidance team members will be monitoring through Google Classroom throughout the day.

Instructional Technology Coaches

The Instructional Tech Coaches for each level are available to instruct, coach, teach and model the use of the Google Classroom for effectively conducting an eLearning mock day and an actual eLearning Day.  They will be monitoring classes around the district on an eLearning day.

Integrating Tech at Any Level of Experience

Each of the last seven summers, my partners and I have enjoyed teaching a class as Adjunct Professors for the College of Charleston here in SC.  Marc, Doug and I really look forward to this class.  We teach Teachers how to use technology as a tool to enhance their lessons.  We make clear that the Teacher is the most important part of the teaching element. 

The class is 48 hours; squeezed into 3 weeks, meeting Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am – Noon.  There were some homework assignments, but most of the work was done in the class.

We began a few years ago doing the class completely paperless using Google Classroom as our Learning Management System platform.  Not only are we able to model what we’d like to see them using at their schools, the teachers in the class are now empowered to take it on to the next level and their student will be the benefactors!

 

We teach some of the basic tools for presentation, collaboration, creativity, innovation, and problem solving. We teach them how to set up their own classes, use their content standards and infuse the ISTE Standards (International Society for Technology in Education).

Students did a comprehensive lesson plan, “Turned It In” in our Google Classroom, and used Google Sites to create a website for their classes to be used in the Fall. 

Here is what’s so cool about our class this summer:  We had a new hire that just graduated in May of 2019, and a teacher that will be starting her 47^th year…two retirees and all kind of years of experience in between.  They all worked beautifully together.  Given the right situation and the right approach, teachers are NEVER too old to start learning how to integrate technology in the classroom.  Excitement was high for the start of another school year in August of 2019.  Cannot wait to see the ways this group will use their new skills!

Keith

Plethora of Tools. What’s the Best Tool?

There are an incredible number of web tools that come online every day.  If you are looking for a particular tool to help you in the classroom, it is probably already out there.  You may have to dig a little to find exactly what you are looking for, but more than likely, you can find something.  For those that are especially gifted in coding and tech language. If they have not found it…they write or create it.

With that being said, let’s get back to the tools that we know about.  Tools that help us collect data, analyze data, create videos, audio programs, podcasts and make digital books.  Tools that are coming on board lately have figured out that to make headway, they should work well when integrated with the Learning Platforms that are being used by educators…for example Google Classroom or Office 365.

Here in our little school district in Georgetown, SC, made a paradigm shift years ago from “find me a something cool: to do with my class to the more sound “Here’s my lesson plan, what might work well to enhance what we are going to be doing?”

Let us not forget that the single best tool in the toolkit for instructing kids is and will always be the teacher.  Teachers inspire us.  Teachers challenge us to be creative.  Teachers give us the confidence to be innovative.  Teachers lead us into collaborative learning.

If you are a teacher, you are very much appreciated.  If you are a student, let your teacher(s) know that you appreciate them.

 As for the  web tools, HERE is a link to some tools we have put together for Teachers to explore and use as they see fit in their classrooms.  Enjoy!

Keith

Get Out of Their Way

Teachers spend hours carefully designing lessons that we hope are informative, engaging and cause students to think critically about their subject matter.  Teachers also consider pacing, differentiating instruction, individualizing the learning and allowing time to be able to check for understanding.

By nature, teachers are very structured, and indeed, need to be.  However, I wanted to share what happened in a couple of instances where teachers I was working with, made some big adjustments in what they had planned…and got great results.  Understand that students do need direction, guidance and monitoring, but here's what might happen if you loosen the reins just a bit.

Instance #1

A teacher wanted small groups of students to work on different tasks during the class.  The way the teacher had it designed was to assign different students the tasks, and then have them work on it at their individual desks.  After watching the 1^st period class, I made a request:

Let’s take the next period, which is your planning time, and design the lesson to create stations where students would work.  The teacher agreed with some reservation, fearing the students would be unruly.  As the class progressed, and students rotated through four stations, there was some talking that rose above the normal level in the room.  I asked her to move to each station and listen in a few minutes.  When the teacher came back to me, they reported that the noise was elevated, but that the students were all talking about what was happening at their stations…and said, “I’m pleasantly surprised, and glad we did this.  I have a new perspective on small group work.  It was worth it to plan the session and then get out of their way.  Thank you.”  

Instance #2

I was in a class where a rubric was handed out in a class for a technology project.  Although I didn’t think it was out of line, it was very lockstep as to how the projects were to be done.  However, I will give credit to the teacher who told student that this was a framework rubric and that if they had something a little different that they wanted to try, to come and they would talk about it.  This teacher gave flexibility to the assignment, and simply told the students to make their final work worthy of not only their efforts, and a major grade, but also of a project that the student would be proud to present. It was amazing to see the projects that students turned in…they were artistic, well organized, creative, very innovative, and way above the original expectations.  A great example of giving an assignment, and after checking for understanding, simply “got out of the students way.”

These are just a couple of samples of what happened in a classroom, where students lived up to the expression I often used when I was a Principal, and that is, “As the tide rises, so do the boats.”  Sometimes we just need to give them a direction, and then get out of their way and let them navigate, problem solve and create.  They most often will produce way beyond what we thought we might see.

The Tech Secure Dozen

With the advancement of technology in the classroom, it is more and more important that we take all of the precautions possible to keep our accounts secure.  One-to-One devices give students better, faster and a more wide-ranging access to the tools that make school work more efficient. 
The more devices and logins also increases the opportunity for those that have nothing better to do with their time than to try and “hack” other’s accounts.  This is why is it so very important that we take the steps to keep our accounts safe and secure. 

Here are some hints to help:

1.  Don’t use your name or birthday as your password.
2.  Change your passwords on a regular basis or as instructed to do by your school’s I.T. Department.
3.  Memorize passwords. (I know this can be a challenge if you have accounts to lots of sites)
4.  Don’t write down your password, and then keep it on, under or near your laptop or other device.
There are several SECURE APPS for your phone that will keep your accounts secure. 
5.  NEVER share your passwords with Friends…especially don’t write it down on paper and give it to anyone.
6.  Don’t share your passwords in an email, text, or on any Social Media site.
7.  Don’t walk away from your device with any open windows or tools or drives exposed for anyone to access.
8.  Never OPEN STRANGE emails.  If you don’t know who sent it, and know that they are a trusted source, do not open the email.  It may contain a virus that could harm your computer and/or your network.
9.  Sign OUT of accounts when you are finished using the site or tools.  This is especially important if you share your device with other students throughout the school day.
10.  When sharing a document or presentation through a learning platform (Office 365, Google, etc.) be careful not to give editing rights to the recipients unless you are sure that’s what you want to do.  (It is a good idea to make a copy and share the Copy, so as to maintain the integrity of the original.)
11.  Close or Delete accounts that you no longer need.
12.  If you use a Single Server Sign On…make sure it is SECURE and LOG OUT of it each time you are finished working…and especially when you leave for the day.  Logging out and Closing Out are very different.  LOG OUT!

I often give my students this little analogy:  If you go to a mall or big box store, you should always lock your car doors before going inside.  You would never just leave your car doors wide open, would you?  Do the same with your accounts online…sign or log out, close down and lock those “doors.”

Classroom Management with 1:1 Devices

Remember, classroom management should focus on students as we steer them toward learning opportunities. What worked in your classroom before technology will continue to work.  Consistency, along with clear expectations will always be your guide...even in the technology rich classroom.  The following list is certainly not all-inclusive, but provides a good base to initiate and maintain a successful classroom management plan for the 1-to-1 classroom.

1.  Instill pride.

Instill pride among your students about how fortunate they are to have devices, because not all schools have this privilege. Talk with students about how they are getting to use the latest technology, they are impacting their own future, and that they are going to be “so much more ready” for their next level of education than many of their counterparts across the state, country, and world.  Give the students a sense of value when you tell them that they are essentially pioneers for what technology will look like for the next generation.

• Ask students to give you reasons they should appreciate the devices.  A good idea might be to have a guided discussion, make a list, then compile it, and post it in a prominent place in the classroom.

  

2.  Distribution is Important.

Be diligent in planning for distribution of devices when students come into the classroom.  sure to talk about how they should handle the devices:  1) Use two hands when carrying, 2) Do not grab or pick up any laptop style device by the screen, 3) Be careful to place the device on a solid and level surface before using, 4) Take care when retrieving or storing devices.  Some have student pick up devices when they enter the classroom.  They do not have to open their devices right away unless you have something for them to do with the devices immediately.  If they do not have something immediately, students should leave devices closed until the teacher gives the instructions to open and log on. You need to decide what is the best, and most efficient way to distribute devices without being a time waster or making it stressful on the teacher.  

• Students sometimes crowd around carts and tend to bump against one another, which may cause another to drop their device.   

3.  Discuss Expectations.

Hold detailed discussions about expectations and appropriate use of devices. Every teacher needs to have this talk with students.  It’s alright if the students hear it over and over as they move from one teacher to the next.  The more students hear a consistent message, the more chance that it becomes common practice.  Schools should have open conversations and make decisions as a team about how to manage the 1-to-1 classroom.  

• We get our best ideas from more experienced peers and, of course, from trial and error. As more personal devices are introduced into the classroom, more common solutions to the management issues are emerging.  Share your best practices.

4.  YOU control when devices can be used.

Just because every student has a device, does not mean that they have to be on them all the time.  The teacher decides and makes the ground rules for when students are allowed on their devices in the classroom.  A good rule for controlling the device use is to have a set activity on the board that does NOT require the use of the device.  (This may not be the case every day, but then again, the teacher can make that determination.

• This prevents students from coming into class and immediately getting onto devices unrestricted. 

5.  Face Up and About Face.

When you want students to use devices, have a standing rule that they log on, and then turn their devices so that the screens face the front of the room.  This is called “FACE UP.”  Once all students are logged in and you are ready for the class lesson or activity to start, the teacher gives the students a verbal outline of what will be going on in class today, what the goals are, and any time frame you expect to be honored.  Once that is done, you would check for understanding, and then give the prompt, “ABOUT FACE.”  This is when students can turn devices back around and begin work.

• You are controlling when, how, and time allowed for device activity.

6.  Use timers. 

Give students a time frame to complete any assignment or activity.  Make the time practical, but at the same time, without too much leeway.  They need to be busy with the task at hand the entire time you allow. Use the timer on your Promethean or Smartboard, or just type it into google and display it (for example, type 2 minute timer into the Google Search Box and it will display and start a countdown immediately for your to project). 

• Early finishers tend to wander around the web in gaming sites, news sites, sports sites or video sites.  Don’t permit it. 

7.  Have something ready for Early Finishers.                                                                                          As with all heterogeneous classrooms, there will always be some early finishers.  Have something planned that is productive, lesson related, and it doesn’t have to be on the device.  In fact, it’s better if it is “off-device.”  That way you can ask them to close the lids or turn their devices over when finished so you’ll know when to move to the next activity…especially if all are finished before your set time limit.                                                                                                                           

• Idol hands and idol minds…well, you get it.

8.  Stress Good Digital Citizenship.

Make sure to impress upon student the appropriate use of the tools they are privileged to use in our schools.  Comments not dealing with the task or assignment have no place in general classroom discussions.  Neither do comments that are offensive, or bullying in nature.  Remember that you should not type it if you have second thoughts about it being the right thing to say.

• This keeps the activity focused on the learning instead of getting off track with nonsensical comments.

9.  Proximity.

One of the absolute best practices for teachers using 1-to-1 is proximity.  When students are on digital devices, teachers must move around the classroom...up and down each row, and over to every group work station.  The depth of what technology presents to young people is just too powerful a temptation to stray from a lesson’s content, and provides so many avenues for distraction.  Whatever the negatives, a good classroom management plan promotes the overwhelmingly positive potential of students having access to a device when needed. Teachers need to literally be doing laps around the room. 

• Change your pattern of travel around your room.  Skip a row and come back, pop into a group doing a collaborative project, start at a different place when you start moving around, when you stand in one place briefly...be where you can see the most student device screens.  

10.  Students in Charge take Pride in Care

Put a student or two in charge for the week to make sure all devices are stored correctly, in the correct spots and are plugged in for proper charging.  Rotate each week who will be on your “Tech Team.”  Post this week’s names at the front of the room or near the device storage cart.  Create a short checklist that the students can follow every day.  This list provides consistency and gives the students a sense of security that they performed their job correctly.

• Giving students important jobs tends to boost their confidence, and they tend to take such jobs very seriously.

11.  Devices Don’t Just Teach How to Use the Internet

Use the devices to reinforce more than just how to search and find something on the Internet.   It is our responsibility of as teachers, to prepare the students for the 1-to-1 environment. Students must learn to adapt to the demands of the world that they will be entering in the future.    

Here are some suggestions:

1. Reinforce keyboarding skills:  which keys are shortcuts, learn better typing skills, editing skills  

2. Teach good digital citizenship:  no inappropriate comments, citation of work, no cyber-bullying 

3. Teacher literacy and writing:  develop expression and creativity, correct verb usage, spelling

4. Cultivate an environment that thrives on collaboration and productive student engagement.

5. Encourage Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking.

12.  Practice What You Preach

This is a big one.  Teachers have to use the devices and tools themselves.  We have to model what we are asking students to do.  Here are some ways to do just that:

1. Invite your district Technology coaches into your room to model lesson and tools, or help

        support a lesson you are doing.

2. Always be on the search for better ways to integrate technology in your classroom.

3. Ask for Professional Development in technology related issues where you are not confident.

4. Don’t be afraid to try.  Short of uninstalling a program, you can generally fix any mistake you 

        might make.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

6. Share with colleagues when you discover something that might help them.

7. Students need to see you using your Chromebooks, iPads, Laptops in productive ways.

8. Teach students the “tech language.” Teach the difference between logging off and shutting 

        down.

9. Teach the difference between a screen name and a username, etc. 

10. Read blogs, “Subscribe” to a blog or YouTube channel that provides good instructional tips.

11. Join a Professional Learning Network.  Twitter has some excellent information to share.

12. Have fun exploring.

Google Classroom Comes to Georgetown, SC

It is the start of a brand new school year…excitement is high…new resources and new opportunities present themselves…and new tools are at our disposal.  As we start the school year here in the Georgetown County School District, located in Georgetown, SC, we are in the midst of moving to our one-to-one device initiative.  This means that we want to provide a device for every student to be able to access the Internet, the web tools and the abundance of resources, and have access to these devices anytime they are needed in the classroom.  How is this different from last year?  Last year, and over the last several years, teachers were asked to sign up for laptop carts that were then rolled to the classroom to use with certain lessons involving the integration of technology.  Teachers had to schedule times for the laptops and make sure there was an available set to work with.  Many times they would have to reschedule certain lessons because another teacher had already scheduled the laptops, and there were none available for the time requested.  This problem is going away with every student eventually having access to a device whenever a teacher’s lesson calls for it.

The tool that we are using is the Google Chromebook in the elementary and middle grades, and the Dell Laptop in the high schools.  While all do not have a Chromebook in the elementary and middle schools yet, the Dell laptops can be used for Google Classroom as well.  The Chromebook device is faster, lighter, and has storage in the Cloud that, for students, is basically unlimited. The newer laptops are better suited to the speed needed for real time application.

The Tech Coaches in the district, along with the administration at the District Office and the Principals in the schools are quickly taking advantage of the Google Suite for Education tools.  In this package is Google Classroom.  Classroom is a free suite of safe and secure productivity tools that includes a calendar, document creation, presentation tools, storage, and the ability to work collaboratively with other classmates online in real time.  You can also interact with the teacher in real time to answer questions, see announcements and complete assignments, and it can be all paperless.  Classroom helps teachers save time, keep classes organized, and improve communication with students.  A really huge feature of Google and Google Classroom, is that students and teachers can access their classroom on any device, from anywhere, at any time…as long as they can get Internet access.  If teachers are absent due to illness or attendance at a professional development conference, they can still assign and monitor their classes from their location.  If students are absent, they can still access their classroom and get assignments and announcements from home if they have a device and Internet access.  Think of the advantage of a homebound student being able to get information and assignments easier.  Assignments can be geared to the individual needs of a student as well, and sent to those students with an IEP without distraction or undue attention.
As a bonus, there is a communication tool within classroom to keep parents and guardians in the loop.  With the Guardian Tool, teachers can add parents to their class, and it allows the parent or guardian to see their child’s tasks, due dates, and monitor progress toward completion of assignments.
So as we move more and more into Google Classroom, we will all be learning more about how to make the learning experience better for our students, and improving our technology skills along the way.

The District Tech Coaches have created several “How-To” videos for using Google Classroom.  Please ask your Teech Coach how you can access these videos.

Never stop learning!

Runners in Scoring Position

Runner in Scoring Position

The “runner in scoring position” phrase is a baseball/softball term meaning that because the team has a runner on second base (generally) or even third base…that if the next batter gets a hit, that there is a real possibility that they will score.

Well after three days of this new EDPD class, Integrating Technology in the Classroom, the overwhelmed feelings are slowly diminishing and “we have runners in scoring positions.”  There is a diverse group of learners that signed on for the summer class; elementary, middle and high school teachers…teachers with varying degrees of comfort with using computers and the technology tools.  Some get frustrated quicker than others, but all are determined to see it through to the end. 

As we move from day to day, we are building on the previous day and allowing practical use of the tools taught.  With familiarity comes comfort.  With comfort comes the willingness to take risks.  With risk-taking comes the learning.  With the learning comes the application in the classroom.

Our concentration this week is with Google and Google Classroom.  By the end of the week, teachers will know how to use, and get opportunities to practice using Docs, Sheets, Slides, Blogspot, YouTube, forms, shortener, and Google Grader.

Our students in grades 3-8 are moving into a one-to-one initiative using Google Chromebooks…and in grades 9-12 continuing with Dell laptops, and ALL of them will have access to our district’s institutional Google accounts.  We are excited about the Chromebook Initiative, and the Google Classroom tools, and we can’t wait to get all of our folks rounding third base and heading for home!

Digital Storytelling

Lately, we have been asked by several teachers, at several different schools, to share all of our favorite digital storytelling tools.  We of course, comply and try to assist teachers and students alike to be able to tell their story digitally.  There are so many tools out there that it’s sort of hard to keep up, but here, we’ll share a few of our favorites:

1.  Screencast-O-Matic  

A free tool that can be used right from the Internet without having to sign up for anything.  It allows you to create a video of anything that appears inside of the framed section on the screen of your laptop.  It has a neat pointer feature that puts a yellow circle around a moving mouse pointer, to allow the viewer to easily follow your “how-to” instructions.  When you click on a place or icon, it will turn blue in an outward radiating flow of blue.  Be careful not to move your move around too much during the recording, otherwise it could be distracting.

2.  Movie Maker                                                                                                  

Comes on most Window’s based laptops.  Easy to use and easy to edit as you insert both video clips and still images.  You can add title pages, insert text graphics, insert transitions and music where you want, and even fade it in and out.

3.  ZimmerTwins

It is all about creative storytelling. ZimmerTwins is a web2.0 tool that allows students to give vent to their imaginative powers and exercise their storytelling skills from early stages to advances ones.  This site is very intuitive.  Although a “basic” kind of animated cartoon, it has some good merit.

4.  Publisher                                                                                                    

This tool also comes on most Window’s based laptops.  It gives you templates for creating infographics or allows you to create from a blank canvas.  Easy to post pictures, articles, or pictures.  Sets itself up as a great tool for a newsletter or tri-fold bulletin.

5.  Capzles

This is where you and your students can create rich multimedia stories with videos, photos, music, blogs and documents. It is really awesome.

6.  Paper Slide Videos                                                                                           

An easy to create and easy to share project that is basic in its elements, but powerful as a teaching and learning tool.  Plenty of videos on You Tube on how to make a Paper Slide Video, but click HERE for one of our favorites.

7.  FlipSnack

FlipSnack allows you to save documents as a PDF, and upload them into their site, creating a digital book.  You can create a Title Page and make the pages front/back…you can share the book or use it as a study guide book.

Click the links below for some other great tools:

A Media Specialists’ Guide to the Internet

Levine: 50 Web 2.0 tools to tell a story

17 free digital storytelling apps for the iPad

Office 365. What are you waiting for?

Teachers and students alike, in the Georgetown County School District, have access to the Office 365 tools…compliments of our I.T. Department, our District Administration and ultimately, our Board of Education.  The Microsoft suite bundles many of the commonly used tools, along with some new ones, to enhance the teaching and learning experiences in our schools.

“But doesn’t it take a lot of time to teach the students how to use all of them?”  It doesn’t have to…many of the tools are intuitive…but an introduction including initial access is the best way to get started on the right foot.

There is a Terabyte of storage offered for students inside the Office 365 One Drive…that’s equal to 1,000 GB of space. Storage there is easy and smooth.  Students can store Word documents, PDF documents, Excel spreadsheets, Power Point presentations, pictures and more.  Students can also do this on the drives or storage areas at school that they have access to such as the G Drive (school-wide storage) and the H Drive (student’s personal storage).  Both of the aforementioned are good alternatives, but they both have their drawbacks.  The G Drive, or the general drive is a whole school storage place.  That means that anyone at the school that is logged on as himself or herself (and not a generic login) can access anything else on there.  Hardy a secure place to put anything.  The H Drive on the other hand, while offering the security of just the one student to be able to access their storage, it is only accessible while at school on a school district device.

The One Drive is accessible anywhere you can get to the Internet from your device, at home, at the public library, at a friend’s house, at a grandparent’s house, in another state or even another country.  Student will have this Terabyte of storage all the way through until they graduate, as long as the District has a subscription for the Office 365.  Usually after the third month from graduation, those graduates’ accounts will be cleaned off and passed back to the newest students in Kindergarten.  But until then, the account goes with the student from school to school, as long as he or she is in a subscribing district.

Briefly, here are a few of the student uses and features:

• ·         1,000 GB of storage
• ·         Drag and Drop storage capabilities
• ·         Ability to download the Office Suite on a home computer if needed
• ·         Use of Online Word
• ·         Use of Online Excel
• ·         Use of Online Power Point
• ·         Collaboration Space Yammer
• ·         One Note – note taking digital notebooks
• ·         Forms for creating/filling out surveys
• ·         Calendar
• ·         Event Planner
• ·         Use of Office 365 email
• ·         Creation of Student folders
• ·         Creation of Teacher folders and share work by dropping in the folder.  That’s it!
• ·         Ability to share folders and projects “live” with other students and teachers
• ·         Ability to have several people working on the same project online at the same time from different locations
• ·         Ability to share outside the walls of the classroom for a more global outreach

The Tech Coaches highly recommend that you invite them into your classroom to have them introduce Office 365 to your students.  Many teachers already have, and their students are reaching new heights in technology and the skill set they will need for the future.  What are you waiting for…book your Tech Coach today!