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