Flip for Them

As I learn more about the flipped classroom model, the more I love it. Consider the following scenarios:

Danielle is a conscientious student that plays basketball and runs track. She works very hard, but often misses a portion of your 4th block class to leave for sporting events.

Bryce is well behaved, but often asks you repeat important points. He steadily copies notes during class, but often forgets the details.

I could go on, but can you see these students in your class?

Then you should flip your classroom.

Flipped learning is more than just lesson summaries, but a means to personalize learning. Google Classroom has made it easier than ever to share resources with different students, by simply selecting and deselecting names of students that are enrolled in your class.

Currently every state is feeling the effects of the teacher shortage. The Washington Post published an article on August 28, 2017 that highlighted the effects of the shortage. As class sizes rise, flipped learning may be your answer to accommodating all levels and meeting the needs of your students.

Getting started with Flipped Learning

Start small. Begin by utilizing videos from sources such as Youtube. Look for videos that give explanations and examples. Once you are comfortable with using videos, start creating your own. This can be done on your cellphone, tablet, or laptop.

Tools for Flipped Learning
*Screencastify
*Edpuzzle
*Google Classroom
*VideoNot.es
*TurboNotes

These are just a few tools to get started. If you won't try flipping for you, then try it for them.

Flip it with a Journey

As more districts acquire chormebooks, ipads and other devices for classroom use, effective implementation of
blended learning strategies is more critical than ever. I took the summer off and now I'm back with a tool for the 
novice or the expert technology integrator. 

Visit:Let's Recap

Recap has added a feature called a Journey. This feature answers your essential question and lays the foundation for
 the "why" students have to learn the topic/standard. 

Start with the essential question. The next field record a video or begin to add resources such as websites, blogs, etc.

Here are a few ideas about integrating Journeys into your blended lesson planning:

1. Flip a lesson - Before teaching a new concept, build in a review and add introductory content for students. 
For example, if this is a math lesson, start by reviewing the skill and then add a new concept. A few resources to 
include: review video,teacher explanation video, website with practice problems, and close with a student response. 

2. Blend a lesson - Use a question as a bell ringer or transition. Review student responses as a class to prompt a 
discussion.

3. Time for Reflection - After a class lesson, assign a recap that allows students to reflect and ask questions
 in regards to the lesson that was taught. 

It's a new year, what new strategies are you bringing to your classroom? 

Teach How to Meme

isual marketing is the way of the future. Approximately 65% of the population is comprised of visual learners. Even in sales if an effective visual isn’t matched with the product, the consumer probably won’t remember it. The same applies to teaching. Consider this, How can I attach a meaningful visual to the most important concepts I teach?

Memes

Memes are funny and let’s face it, everyone has sent one. Search entertaining photos and add catchy phrases to make concepts more memorable. Memes can be created with apps or by opening a document or Google Slide.

Bitmoji

Bitmoji is now an app that can be used on phones and mobile devices. These can be used to make visuals that have a lasting effect. Students are already familiar with them and their use to communicate. Check out bitmoji.com to design your avatar.

Infographics

Infographics can be used to summarize a lesson. Choosing memorable images along with powerful phrases creates a memorable lesson summary. There are several websites that provide templates for infographics. They can also be created by using a document or Google slides.

Here are some resources for creating interesting graphics:

• Canva
• Meme Maker in the Chrome Web Store
• Picktochart
• Venngage

Get Linked Up

Are you tapping into the power of the hyperlink? Over the past few months I’ve been trying to understand this notion of a hyperdoc. At first, I was like what’s the big deal? Well it’s a big deal.

A hyper doc is a Google Doc with hyperlinks embedded to resources. This is a simple way to begin integrating technology into instruction. Start by identifying resources that are beneficial to the lesson standard being taught. Secondly consider the order that you want to put the resources together, using tables will be very helpful for organization. To add the hyperlinks that are needed simply highlight the text that needs to go to the link and click on the chain icon in the insert menu.

Resources that are helpful include videos, web pages, even your own resources such as slides.

Here’s an idea for Google Slides…

Create a slideshow and embed link that send students to different slides. It gives you a little added boost for differentiation. To do this, add your image or text, click on insert then link, and select slides in this presentation.

As you consider ideas for the beginning of the school year, try getting linked up.

And Another One!

It's June! Another the school year has come and gone. This time of the year yields sunshine, watermelons, and beach trips. School is out, the classroom is packed up, and it's time for you to enjoy yourself.

School districts, principals, and your children will find task after task for you to complete, but remember to make time for you. So many teachers fill up the summer with professional development and forget that it's supposed to be a break. So exactly how do you wind down?


Clear the Clutter

Every year it's tempting to revisit old lessons and recycle old worksheets, clean out those lesson plan notebooks and be prepared to start fresh. Often times teachers continue ineffective lessons simply because they're familiar, it's time to throw them out.

Try Something New

One of the ways to overcome job burnout is to intentionally take breaks. It's summer and there's no good reason to fill it with work. There will be a conference or two you need to attend, but do not over commit yourself to the point that you miss the vacation. There will always be something else to do. Laundry, cleaning, cooking, and all the things we come up with to do, will always be there. Plan to experience this summer, rather than count how many days are left.

Do It!

What is the "it" that has been put off? A massage? Trying a new hairstyle? Working out? Get out there and do it! Take a walk with your family after dinner, join a gym, or make that appointment starting today.

It's summer and another year is in the books, give yourself the gift of rest and relaxation.

Hmmm Is this the End?

May is just a few days away and that means that most school districts have less than 30 days left. This is a very challenging for teachers because the students know the end is near. One of the most important strategies for managing this time of the year is to continue meaningful and engaging activities. Google couldn’t have released an update at a better time…

Google Lit Trips found at http://www.googlelittrips.org/ works with Google Earth to create plots on maps that align with texts. This is great for History and English Language Arts. Many of the recommended texts are already loaded and ready to use. Google Earth has to be downloaded, but now Google has made Lit Trips available on chromebooks.

Check out this tutorial from YouTube to see the steps that explain how to get a Lit Trip prepared for your students. https://youtu.be/f3fZWZezFTU

Leadership + Google = Awesome

The number of districts purchasing chromebooks grows daily. Teacher training is just as important as administrator and central office training. In order for the transition to Google to be a good one the modeling should trickle from the top down. Just as students notice when teachers words and actions don’t align, the same happens with teachers. When setting the stage and expectations, dive in and get familiar with the tools. Here are simple ways to move your school digital:

Ditch the Paper

Meeting Agendas, calendars, and any other frequently copied documents should be shared. Prior to faculty/staff meetings, agendas can be placed in a shared folder so that all participants are aware of the topics that need to be discussed. This also gives everyone a platform to share notes collaboratively.

Take Lesson Plans to the Drive

Lesson plans can be shared with administration via Google Drive. Teachers and admins can have dialogue about the lesson right there in the document. Giving specific feedback with comments is best when helping teachers improve or acknowledging that they’ve done a great job. This saves time and saves the trees.

Flip Professional Development

Instead of having faculty/staff sit in a meeting that’s followed by specific tasks, make the information available prior to the meeting. By allowing teachers to access the information before the meeting takes place, the actual meeting time can be more productive. The time spent in the meeting can be used to do activities, model strategies, or work collaboratively.

These are just a few simple ways to get your feet wet and light the torch for your team. Unleash Google's collaborative power and take your team digital!

Travel with Google

Google's Geo Tools tend to be a forgotten resource. There's emphasis placed on virtual field trips and the various viewers, but there's more. When teaching, it's important to access prior knowledge and help students "see" the content. For those that may not have the funds for Google's VRs, other options are available. Check out these tools:

Google Maps

Google maps can be created and modified for any location. This is a great way to help students visualize content. Teachers in all content areas can benefit from creating a map to teach concepts. Videos and text can be added to enhance maps for students.

Google Arts & Culture

Google Arts & Culture  is an online exhibit. Some of the exhibits are historical while others are directly related to art. There are cool groupings from decades and specific topics in history. A simple and free resource that all can use.

Google Lit Trips

Google Lit Trips are collections based on texts. A large number of titles are housed here and enhanced with maps already created for teacher use. The literature trips are free, but must be requested from the site.

Each one of these is free, go ahead and take them on a trip.

Do You ToonDoo?

Authentic assessment is a requirement in today’s classroom. Learning must extend beyond multiple choice questions and students must be able to apply what they have learned to real life situations. What better way to stretch students learning and creativity than to  create a cartoon. ToonDoo allows teachers and students to create quality looking comics. ToonDoo is a free resource that gives students a number of different options to create comic strips.

Students can create dialog between characters surrounding content. This is a creative writing activity that your students will thoroughly enjoy. Having students consider characters, setting, and plot extends any subject area while incorporating writing. If you’re looking for a way to engage your class, try your hand at ToonDoo.

Catching More Flies & Other Old Adages: Simple Wisdom for Leadership

Catching More Flies & Other Old Adages: Simple Wisdom for Leadership

There are a few things my grandmother used to say, it’s as if she there were certain phrases she set to auto response. Growing up with your grandparents and great grandparents in walking distance is a blessing coupled with constant reinforcement of manners. The old cliche “ You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar”, has always resonated within. About 7 years ago during my first few years, a successful assistant principal brought these words to my remembrance. When it comes to leadership, treating people well sometimes gets lost in a laundry list of things to do. The little tidbits our grandparents and parents gave us still count. Look others in the eye and offer undivided attention when communicating. Here are a few others that can be applied to leadership:

A Good Beginning Makes a Good Ending

Start the way you want to end up. It’s important to spend time building relationships with those we lead just like our students. Simple things such as remembering to ask about an ill parent or spouse go a long way. The more effort you put into building a solid relationship, the more you set the stage for a positive work climate.

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand - Abraham Lincoln

From the famous House Divided speech of 1858 one of our country’s leaders proclaimed that a house divided against itself cannot stand. It is impossible to move any organization forward if members of that organization are all on different pages. It is crucial to create shared vision and goals with your staff. Allow employees to participate and work closely with them to develop policies and procedures. In addition to including those that have a hand in making the vision come to pass, be prepared to be consistent and follow through. For example, if the staff develops a disciplinary procedure all staff (from the leader to every department) must be consistent. Inconsistency leads to division.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Your employees need to see you doing everything you’re requiring. If you’re communicating that there is a culture of respect, they need to see you being respectful. The same principle goes along with other requests such as time and effort.

Bad News Travels Fast

Choose words carefully and be mindful of the actions that are displayed. Be careful, strategic, and cognizant of what is being said. Resist the temptation to be negative and condescending. Once it starts, everyone will know. When disciplining an employee be sure to stay focused and not let personal preferences creep in, once they do everyone will know. Your reputation often precedes you so keep this in mind.

The list of cliches goes on and on. Almost all of them offer positive words that speak to the challenges of leadership. When interacting with others, keep these in mind. Remember you can catch more flies with honey.

Discipline in the 1:1 Environment

Adding devices to the classroom creates new concerns and increased anxiety for most teachers. Technology is and it’s abrupt changes are enough to manage, but as more districts adopt 1:1 programs teachers must rethink classroom management. Before you pull your hair out, here are few tips:

Keep the Procedures

The same students have rules regarding when pencils are up are down, the same applies to a device. There may be times in the class period when students need to close their chromebooks or turn their ipads over. Students don’t need the screen available all the time. Regardless of whether or not your district has adopted a monitoring program, there will still be times that their attention will be on you. Simple signals such as turning off the lights, is a great way to let students know it’s time to remove ear buds and nix the screens (ipad screen, chromebook screen, or phone screen).

The Basics Still Apply

Good old school strategies still apply to this new school generation. Eye contact, proximity, and moving around are tried and true. Every teacher has their own version of “the eye”, use it. If students know that you’re constantly moving versus standing or sitting in the same place, they are less likely to access something inappropriate.

Automate Repetitive Tasks

There are some tasks that have to be done such as attendance, communicating lesson objectives, and the daily agenda. Attendance can be done by a free application called Plickers, simply scan the students’ plicker cards while they are lining up to come in or as they enter the classroom. All lesson materials can be shared using a Google Slide, Google Classroom, or class website. This also helps reinforce technology as a learning tool for kids.

Keep Instruction as the Focus

Teaching with technology doesn’t differ that greatly from traditional pedagogy. Good teaching is just that, with or without technology. Continue to think about what makes a lesson engaging and integrate those same strategies in with technology.

These are just a few ways to avoid P.A.T.D. (Panic About Technology Disorder). Any change is challenging just take it one day at a time.

VA Summit, here I come!

In just a few days, I get to share at the Virginia’s Google Summit in Charlottesville. When my district first mentioned adopting Google Apps for Education (now the Gsuite), I was definitely a skeptic. I wondered if we were hindering our students by making them function in Google while living in a Microsoft world. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I decided to fully immerse myself in Google over the past two years and I love the power it brings to the classroom. I'm ecstatic to share some tools that I've found powerful with other teachers.

When I submitted a proposal for the Virginia Summit, I’m not certain that I expected to be chosen. I can’t explain how I felt when I received the email stating that my proposal was accepted. Since then, I’ve been working to prepare 3 fun and interesting workshops. Although every educator won’t be interested in presenting on such a large scale, here are some tips for preparing a professional development workshop:

Slow it Down

Often times we expect participants to know something about the topic being discussed. Even at the intermediate level, your participants may not be familiar with what’s being shared. Go slower than planned and allow time for participants to explore.

Solid Progress, Better than Completion

As a teacher, I always “over” planned. I tend to do the same thing with workshops because I don’t want to finish early with an eager audience. It’s okay if you don’t get through your entire presentation. Make sure to include resources that participants could reference even after they leave the workshop.If you notice that participants are interested in one particular area, it's fine to stay on those points a little longer. This isn't a race to the finish line.

Make it Plain

Give examples, pictures, and videos that relate to your topic. Images and videos are great take aways that serve as references long after participants have returned to their classrooms. Be specific when referencing websites, extensions, and other resources so participants can get the most out the presentation.

Preparing for the Shift

Education is approaching a difficult cross road with a new set of challenges, if you’re a teacher this means a paradigm shift. Many districts are heading towards 1:1 in technology, but is the instruction changing? Just 5 years ago Psychology Today published an article about children’s immersion in technology. The results are startling. Let’s take a look at look what technology is used the most:

Television 4:29 hours

Computer 2.31 hours (video sites account for 16% of this time, social media sites 25%)

Video games: 1.13 hours

Reading .28 hours

Movies .25 hours

What would these numbers look like today? Would there be an increase in users under the age of 8? What about the number of kids on mobile devices such as tablets and cell phones? Have you considered how this might impact your instruction? Although there are basic skills that all children need, neglecting technology integration could result in missing the mark with today’s child.

YouTube is definitely on it’s way to becoming a TV replacement. Most teachers shy away from YouTube due to lack of control over comments and ads, but it’s worth a second look. Educational companies such as Mastery Connect, Google, etc. have YouTube channels. In addition to the educational products you use creating their own informational channels, there’s a wealth of good content available. It’s very easy to curate content by simply creating a playlist on unit topics.

Teachers can also create their own videos in YouTube and annotate them. When using videos to support instruction they should be 4 minutes or less. Video time can extend up to 22 minutes if they’re interactive.

EdPuzzle is one Chrome extension worth downloading. EdPuzzle allows teachers to embed different types of questions within the video. Videos pause themselves and remain stopped until the student answers the questions.

The educational website maxmoby.com allows students to work on different subject areas. This site helps students work on weak areas, as the students work they earn points towards game time. This generation responds well to games, use them.

In addition to creating games on the internet, teachers can create game boards on any topic. Templates are available online at sites such as Timis printables.

These are just a few strategies to start making small steps towards our changing world. As the access to technology increases, it’s important to prepare for the shift rather than be shifted.

References

Taylor, J. (2012, September 10). Children's Immersion in Technology is. Retrieved February 09, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201209/children-s-immersion-in-technology-is-shocking

Google's Innovation = Life

Google’s latest updates just gave me life! If your district utilizes Google’s GSuite (formerly known as GAFE) these last few changes will blow your mind. As many districts make the shift to paperless classrooms, Google Classroom has grown in usage and popularity as an LMS. This latest revision now gives teachers the power to differentiate lessons and resources with just one click. Instead of all handouts or assignments being shared with the entire class, teachers can now select which students receive various resources.

The current shift in education is moving teachers towards personalized learning this new feature combined with tools like newsela.com or tweentribune takes the stress out of implementing leveled reading strategies. In addition to utilizing some of the latest strategies, Google’s given teachers the power to meet accommodations effortlessly.

In addition to the revisions in Google Classroom, the new Google Sites is also available. The new interface is easier to navigate for those the inexperienced web designer. It’s also easier to use with students. Allowing students to build a site throughout the semester or school year is a great way to document learning and share learning experiences with parents. Google Sites is an authentic way to provide students with an audience for their work.

If you haven’t checked out the new tools, take a look today!

Recruiting vs. Creating the Staff your Organization Needs

The field of education is always faced with challenges, the new task on the horizon is finding teachers.  Where are the good teachers? Teacher preparation has shifted from traditional college classrooms to online programs and alternative routes to certification. Educators are entering the field from other disciplines bring expertise, but often lacking effective strategies. This poses a new challenge to district and school administrators. With declining enrollment in education programs, the recruitment  pool is very shallow resulting in changes to the way staff is developed. Intentional interventions must be made in order to create the staff your organization needs.

Diversifying Professional Development

This sounds like a daunting task that is almost impossible, but technology creates several opportunities for effective training to take place with supporting documentation. Flipped Learning is best defined by providing content prior to a lesson taking place, then performing tasks during class time. It’s time to flip professional development. Apps such as Edpuzzle and PlayPosit create a number of opportunities for educators to get a visual of various strategies. Videos allow educators to see what a strategy looks like in action while hearing the steps to fulfill that strategy. These apps allow administrators to embed questions for documentation and can be used for discussion during meeting times. Flipping PD frees up time for teachers to actually plan how to implement a strategy rather than just hearing about a new strategy.

Search for the hashtag

Twitter is used for a number of things, but Twitter for PD? Education professionals share a plethora of resources online. Simply search for a hashtag such as, #flippedlearning, and articles, blog posts, videos, etc. populate the screen. Education companies, technology coaches, authors and principals are just a few of the types of professionals that are available to follow on Twitter. This social media site can provide awesome resources for professional development, it’s for more than ruffling feathers.

Take a Blended Approach

Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) can be found within every school throughout the United States. Blended learning combines face to face interaction with online content, let’s apply this to professional development.  

• Highlight Star Teachers
• Create pre-recorded videos that focus on what good strategies look like.
• Allow these teachers to explain how they implement the strategy.
• Curate Content with YouTube
• Create playlists on various topics and allow teachers to choose the ones they want to focus on.
• Choose a strategy of the month for teachers to focus on.

Late Arrivals

Every year due to a number of different circumstances teachers start after school starts. They’ve missed the typical beginning of the year meetings and simply tossed into a new environment without any orientation. In order to properly train all staff, district’s should be developing their own teacher academies. Utilizing tools such as Google Drive is a quick way to share information with all staff members, new and returning. Planning is imperative for these types of strategies to be effective.  Better use of in-service time is a must and each district must clearly communicate organizational norms for new hires. It’s imperative that districts and schools shift the way orientation takes place, modeling business best practices.

Ditch the Favorites

An unfortunate reality with supervisors is that sometimes personal preferences cloud judgement. It’s very difficult to recruit talent, it’s time to separate job performance and personality. In the ideal situation, supervisors can like every employee and every employee like them however that’s not always the case. Be willing to recognize the positives that individuals bring to your organization even if their not the individuals that you would invite to dinner.

Staffing is becoming more of a problem for the field of education. Technology creates opportunities to personalize professional development as teachers are personalizing lessons for students. When recruiting becomes a challenge, roll up your sleeves and get to work on training.

Getting to know Symba....who? Symbaloo

As I was looking over a conference workshop list, I came across Symbaloo. I knew this website was used to  book mark websites and I just couldn't see how it could be used as anything more. I didn't attend the workshop and time went on. Recently, my team mate shared the lesson plan link and as I scrolled through the ideas I was amazed.

Symbaloo can be used to build resources for a lesson, to manage workflow, or as a way to keep students focused on one set of websites. The education account is free and webmixes (collections of sites or RSS feeds about a topic) can be shared among colleagues or students. Currently, I'm working through the Symbaloo educator training, even their web mix is in a sequential order. The lessons flow and all lead to a quiz. This would be awesome to provide support when teaching a unit, especially in the 1:1 environment where all students have devices. 

If you haven't tried Symbaloo, take a look...it's free.

Check out this link to view a webmix:http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/1stgrade11