How to Get the Most Out of Your Blog
I am not going to sit here and tell you that you should think about starting a blog. You should already have one, and if you don't, then you should start. Being able to reflect on your work, generate new ideas for you profession, share your views and thoughts, get feedback on your views and thoughts, and help you and others get better are good enough reasons alone to start a blog.
This post is designed to give you ideas on how to maximize your blog. There are different areas of your blog you can use to maximize communication and help others. Let's look at some of the ways you can stretch your blog:
Choosing the Platform
Its important to have the right blogging platform. You need to choose the right platform that fits your needs. Whether you choose WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, or Medium (and there are others), choose the one that will enable you to do what you need it to do. When I first began blogging, I used a blogging application set up in website my school district used. It was limited in what it could do and my wife suggested I switch over to Blogger because of the ease of use.
Create Pages
I create pages on my blog and use them for different topics. I have a "Parents Corner" page where I share important school information with parents. They know they can check the page for the most up to date information. I also create a page for my staff and post the next week's events and other information to keep them abreast as to what is going on outside of the classroom. You should create pages to separate your different topics and information that you want to share.
Another great feature of pages (in Blogger) is the ability to take the page off of your toolbar where others can see it. While it is still active and can be reached by the direct URL address, if you don't need it for the time being, you can take it off of your current toolbar. An example of how I do this is during College Knowledge Week. We have trivia questions during the week and I like to post the questions on the page and share the link with students. During the week, I keep the page on the toolbar so if users access my blog, they can see the tab. After the week, I can make the tab inactive and users can't see it on my blog homepage. If I want to use the page down the road, I can because it is still listed in my pages and contains all of the content that it did before.
Posts Have Unique Addresses
Your posts will have unique URL Addresses. That makes them easy to share with others. Also, when you share them with others the address will take users directly to that post. That's the difference between "posts" and "pages" (at least in Blogger). Pages will have just one URL and users will have to scroll down the page to find older posts (like you have to in my Friday Feature).
I like to use my posts for announcements at school. I create a post and put information on it and then I share the URL address with others. You could use free website services to do the same thing, but I like the simplicity of Blogger and continue to use it. You can also add links, videos, and images to posts and pages.
Share Using Social Media
Whether it is a post or a page, you can share these using social media. I like to use Twitter and Facebook to share the links to the posts. I also use Remind to share posts and pages. I include links that I want to share with students and parents. They can go directly to the posts and pages straight from their smart phones. It is also useful to share the links to the posts and pages using email and your school website.
These are just some ways I use my blog. I'm sure there are even more ways I could be using it. How do you use your blog? Are you communicating your message to all of your stakeholders?
Friday Feature - Friday, January 30th 2015
Beginners Guide: Why Participate in Twitter Chats?
Twitter Chats can be intimidating to a person who is just
starting to use Twitter. A great deal of
information coming at you very fast. The
encouraging part is once you participate in a few, you get the hang of it. They are a great way to grow and share with
others. Let’s look at a few ways I use
Twitter Chats and how they can help you grow as an educator:
Collection of Resources
Most Twitter Chats contain more information in them than
just personal tweets by users. The most
successful chats allow users to share resources with each other. In a chat, you may come across multiple
resources from different users in your PLN in a matter of seconds. You will find links to blogs, links to
educational resources, explanations of how apps are used in specific content
areas, lists of good books to read to grow as an educator, or different TED Talks to watch for certain areas of interest.
The resources you can come away with are amazing. Chats are useful for just this reason
alone. Years ago, it would take you
multiple days or maybe weeks to obtain the amount of resources that you can in
minutes on a Twitter Chat.
Continue to Grow Your PLN
Increasing the amount of people who can share resource and
ideas with you benefits more than just you as an educator. The more knowledge you gain, the more
knowledge you can share with others. You
will find people from all over the world that may teach the same content you
teach or have the same daily responsibilities that you have. Those are the best people to connect
with. See what they are doing in their
districts and gather ideas for you to use in yours. You can visualize how you can make changes or
additions in your school or classroom.
It is easy to Favorite tweets that you see in order to save them to your
feed so you can refer back to them later.
Record the Twitter Chats to Share and Reflect
The chats can be saved so they can be shared with others. A great tool to use to save the chats is
called Storify. Storify allows you pull
tweets from a hashtag and certain time frames and make a story. At that point, you can share them with
anyone. For example, at Gahanna Lincoln
HS we have a chat on Thursdays at 8:00 pm using the hashtag #glhsedchat. At 9:00 pm, we can create a story and share
it with the people who participated and also anyone else, like the rest of the members
of the high school staff.
Learn to Use Other Tools
Participating in Twitter Chats or moderating chats allows
you to research different tools to use to help make your chats more
efficient. I learned how to use
TweetDeck when I read how others were using it to help them filter the stream
of traffic on the chat. TweetDeck is
definitely a great tool especially if you want to schedule tweets to go out in
the future.
Twitter Chats are a great source of professional
development. Don’t let the speed of the
chats turn you against chatting. Take
the plunge and get involved in one.
Keep practicing and participating in chats. A great site to check out that has more information on Twitter Chats is Jerry Blumengarten's site. I have also created some screencasts that you can use that may help guide you through participating in a Twitter Chat.
I encourage to participate in a chat. You never know what you can pull from a chat that may change your teaching practices and leadership skills forever.
The links to the screencasts are listed below:
How to create a Twitter account - http://screencast.com/t/w8IgWjA0zh2u
How to tweet, how to use hashtags, and find and follow people on Twitter -http://screencast.com/t/ieO7bFRcXh0
How to participate in a Twitter chat - http://screencast.com/t/Z5Yo9DeY4
I encourage to participate in a chat. You never know what you can pull from a chat that may change your teaching practices and leadership skills forever.
Friday Feature - Friday, January 16th 2015
Get the Most Out of Mass Texting
Mass texting applications are a great tool to use in the education field. Many teachers and administrators are always looking for ways to reach out to staff, students, parents, and community stakeholders to deliver their message at a minimal cost. The best part about many of the mass texting applications like Remind, SendHub, KikuText, and SchoolWay among others are that they are free to use. They are easy to use as many of the applications have video tutorials on how to use them on their websites. As I found out when I first started using the texting applications, these should be used more than just to remind students and parents about assignments. Mass texting has many practical applications.
Let's take a look at 4 ways we use mass texting to communicate our message at GLHS:
1. Homework or Assessments
Mass texts are great to remind students and parents of assignments or assessments. Whether it is informing them of assignments coming up or when they are due, it always helps to send reminders. Teachers also use this application to assist students with any portions of the assignment or studying for the assessment where there may be some confusion. The ability to send attachments and videos are vital in this regard. Teachers can include these in mass texts and students can open them up for immediate assistance while working or studying. It is also useful to share any links with students that can be used for enrichment or intervention.
2. Cancellation and/or Delays
I know, this one is a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how many schools are not using mass texts to inform their stakeholders of cancellations or delays. In our digital worlds that continue to stretch out our daily time constraints, many parents and students appreciate getting a text as early as possible in regards to delays or cancellations so they can rearrange their schedules.
3. Event Reminders
We use Remind at GLHS to keep everyone updated as to what is going in real-time. Whether it is reminding the staff about an upcoming Jeans Day or sharing a celebration/accomplishment of a staff member or student, this is where we maximize the usage of mass texts. Little things such as schedule changes or network issues can really disseminate your message to a large population very quickly.
At GLHS, we have two accounts. One for sending general information to our students, staff, parents, and stakeholders called "GLHS Information." The other account is dedicated to informing the staff of events and information called "GLHS Staff." This way, staff and coaches can ask me to share information with the student body and parents using the "GLHS Information" account and we can also share information not necessarily needed by the general public with the staff.
Another great tool to use with mass texting, as mentioned above, is the ability to share attachments and videos with your stakeholders. An example of this is when we send flyers for fundraising events that many of our organizations on a weekly basis. We are able to advertise the event and share the flyer/coupon that stakeholders need to participate in the event. You can also share QR Codes with stakeholders so they can scan the code and receive information.
Applications such as Remind, only allow you to send so many characters in a mass text. If you need to share more information than allowed by the application, a trick to use is typing out a text message and taking a screen shot of it on your phone. At that point, you share the text message as an image and send it as a mass text. I don't think many mass texting apps are going to share that trick with you, but it works.
4. Emergencies
We use our GLHS information account to share announcements and messages, but also for emergency situations. As I said above, our digital world enables us to share immediate feedback. Alerting parents and students to emergencies is important and it is apprecitated. This year, we had to lockdown our buildings due to a threat outside of school in our community. While many students are either walking between buildings or getting lunch (upperclassman have Open Lunch), they were not aware of the situation taking place in the community or that each building was being locked down. Using mass texting applications allows you to do that.
Mass texting will help you communicate your message to everyone. Take advantage of the simplicity of it and the cost. People will be glad that you are keeping them informed and it all can be done from your phone. Communication is one of the most vital parts in education that we need to continue to work to keep everyone well-informed.
Friday Feature - Friday, January 9th 2015
Using Devices to Help the Busy Leader
Whether we are talking about school leaders or business leaders, everyone is always looking for more time. An effective way to maximize your time is to use smart devices. When I say smart devices, I mean smart phones and/or tablets. Using these devices effectively and consistently will help you save time, be more productive, and keep everyone connected.
Communication with students, parents, and stakeholders is an important part of leadership. As a leader, you are in charge of marketing your brand and illustrating the great things going on at your school or organization. It is imperative to collect artifacts and share them with the parents and community. As a leader, you need to model collecting and sharing for your staff. In education, we know it is important for teachers to collect and submit evidence for their evaluations. We can model this as leaders if we use the right devices at the right times to help market and communicate to our stakeholders.
Let me share with you ways I use my devices in order to help me be more productive:
1. Take pictures and videos
Use your device to take pictures and videos and share them with others. Let everyone see the great things that are happening in your organization or school. Utilize social media and post your pictures and videos to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Vine. It really is easy to do. Using your device to do this allows you to communicate in real-time.
2. Communicate Quickly
Use your device to respond to emails and texts quickly. We are in a world where everyone expects immediate access. I respond to emails as quickly as possible. I know there is a train of thought out there that says check your email once or twice a day. I like to respond to my staff as quickly as possible. That's just how I like to do it. Its up to you how quick you respond. I do know having a device that alerts you to emails is a great thing to be able to communicate quickly.
I also like having a device handy to send out emails or texts for an emergency. We use Remind to alert students, staff, and community members of any important information that we need to share. I don't need to run back to my office to send something out; I have the ability to do it with a phone/device anywhere in the building. Voxer is also a great tool to use with a device. Opportunity to connect with people using your voice.
3. Utilize QR Codes in your Building
Create QR Codes for important information and events and post around your school. Have your teams, clubs, and groups create QR Codes for their events and post around school for others to scan. Having a device handy allows you to scan the code and attend student events that you may have missed if you didn't have the device to scan the code.
4. Attend to your Schedule
Use your calendar on your device (whether its through MS Outlook, Google, etc.) to set appointments or reminders. It is good if a staff member or student approaches you in a classroom or hallway, you can look at your calendar, check your schedule, and make time to meet with them or visit a class if requested. Probably the best reason to carry a device.
5. Google Drive for Documents
Who wants to carry a bunch of documents like schedules, announcements, etc. in their hands and jackets all day? Nobody. Create your documents in Google Docs and pull up the documents on your device when a student or staff member has a question when you in the classroom or hallways. Also works great when you are in the community and parents have questions about schedules or announcements that they may have missed. You can use your device to pull it up and share with them.
Those are some of the ways I use my device to help me be more productive, communicate with our stakeholders, and market our brand. How do you use your device to help you each day?
Friday Feature - Friday, January 2nd 2015
The Power of Screencasting & Jing
Screencasting is a great tool to use for recording your actions on a computer. There are different options available for users that range from being free to requesting a monthly fee for use. I use Jing when I create screencasts and/or screenshots. There are other tools out there such as SnapzProx, Quicktime, Screencast-o-matic to name a few. As a principal, I have found some useful ways to use screencasts, especially demonstrating to someone how to access an app or a site and/or how to use a specific tool or software. Any educator that uses screencasting will find that it is easy to do and can help instructional methods.
As I said above, I enjoy using Jing. I began using it a few years ago. It is easy to use and allows me to record and share with my staff. Some of the benefits of using Jing for your screencasting needs includes:
1. Free
The free version only allows for 5 minutes of recording. I find this to be plenty of time. I don't want to share videos that are longer than that anyway. If I do need to create a video that is longer than 5 minutes, I will break them down into multiple videos and share the different URLs with the staff.
2. Includes volume on your videos
Jing utilizes the built-in microphone on your computers. You can also use an external microphone, but it is not necessary. I like this because it doesn't require any other equipment on my end. I select the screen I want to record and I begin.
3. Name your video, Save your video, Share your video
Jing allows you to name and save your video in a library. You can share your video at a later time if you choose by accessing it in the library. Simply go to "History" and grab the video that you choose to share.
Jing creates a unique URL address that allows you to share your video with others. Its as easy as selecting the URL, copying it, and pasting it wherever you are providing your staff or students with the information (I usually send mine inside of an email).
4. Multiple uses for Screencasting
Educators will find different ways to use screencasting or screenshots. Some of the ways that I use screencasting include:
- Share specific directions step by step, with staff, students, and parents
An example would be creating videos so staff, students, and parents could follow. Take Twitter for example. You could create videos that have step by step processes on how to create Twitter accounts, how to use Twitter, and how to use hashtags. Users can stop, rewind, and watch multiple times. Much different than standing and lecturing to a group of people.
- Allows students to make videos to share with the class
Students can use screencasting to share with classmates. They can provide direction and assistance by using video.
- Build a library of videos for staff, students, and parents to have access to for future reference
Creating an archive of videos for staff, students and parents to access when necessary. Small, simple videos that are easy to follow allow us to do that.
- Great addition to a blended learning environment
Screencasting is a great addition to any blended learning classroom.
Friday Feature - Friday, May 23, 2014
1:1 - Social Media and Learning
This week our Freshman Honors English class held a Twitter
chat discussing a short story
(check out #sbnovella). I was
excited to participate in the chat with the students. The teacher and students did a great job
expressing their thoughts and opinions regarding the story. When students and teachers have devices in
their hands, there is an increase in innovative ways to learn.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of using social media in
a 1:1 initiative to discuss topics and utilize backchannels:
Immediate feedback is one of the most
important components in education. With
social media, students can share answers, discussion, and commentary with their
peers and teachers. In a 1:1, whether
students are at home or in school, the devices offer students and teachers the
opportunity at immediate feedback.
Immediate feedback allows students and teachers to make more effective
use of class time and effective learning methods.
- Different forms of communication
- Different forms of communication
Students don’t always want to speak in
class. That’s not mind shattering right?
Social media provides another opportunity for students to communicate their
thoughts. Whether it is using Twitter,
TodaysMeet, or a blog, students have more diverse ways to share their thoughts
more than they did 5 years ago. Putting
devices in students’ hands only increases these opportunities for students and
teachers. Parents can also play a part
in the communication piece as we will discuss below.
- Expand thoughts & creativity outside regular discussion
- Expand thoughts & creativity outside regular discussion
We all think of things at different times
during the day. Sometimes you may be
driving and think of a great idea. You
may be in the shower and think of a new idea to try in the classroom. Students are the same way. A 1:1 environment allows students to share
their thoughts 24/7. Even if your 1:1
program doesn’t allow students to take the devices home with them each day,
students can utilize social media during the school day. It may be 7th period, but students
can still add input to a class discussion that occurred during 1st
period.
- Allows stakeholders and others to see class discussions
Utilizing social media allows stakeholders
from within the community and around the world to see what is being discussed
in class. Parents can get involved in
these discussions if students have devices.
1:1 can increase parent engagement and expose parents to the different
learning tools that their children are using in school.
Social media and 1:1 are a great
combination. Providing professional development
to staff members on how powerful of a tool this is important. It may not initially takeoff in your school
or district either. But there are some
teachers and students who will take a chance and try something different. This is the beauty of having the tools
available to teachers and students in a 1:1.
Friday Feature - Friday, May 16, 2014
1:1 - The "Juice" is Loose
I enjoy writing the Friday Feature to help districts and
schools when they are implementing 1:1 initiatives. This week’s post will be about how important
“juice” is to a 1:1 initiative. While
this piece will not be one of my most riveting and mind-blowing (not that the
others are either), I do think it is something that districts need to consider
when beginning their journey.
Power makes our world around. We all need “juice” everyday. That is a
given. Look at the increase in the sales
of generators, types of generators, and who has generators. Power is an essential in life. That is never more present than in a 1:1
district or school. Its easy to tell
kids: “OK, you will be responsible each night to charge your device and bring
it to school the next day.” It is also
easy to say to parents: “Parents, we need your help with this and make sure
your student has their device charged each morning.” Being a parent and a person who is addicted
to technology, I know this doesn’t happen each day.
So if we are going to be realists and accept the fact that
each day all of our students will not have their devices charged, what can we
do about it? Let’s look at some possible
solutions:
1.
Create
or purchase mobile charging stations or stationary charging stations
This can be done with a homemade cart or
purchasing a mobile cart with charging stations. I like the idea of having a district employee
or a community stakeholder build carts for you.
Doesn’t have to be anything that will be placed on the market in the near
future. All you need is to have a secure
cart that supplies power cords to students so they can charge before school or
during school, usually during lunch. At
NLHS, we are an iPad school, so we have discussed a cart that just has the iPad
cords exposed and an area for the iPad to sit. (students like to take charger
“boxes” and cables and they never return; so we would have a secure place where
cables can’t be taken).
You could also convert a room (we have a
concession stand that would be a great spot) where you could set up a charging
station for students. Students could run
the station and you could also have it set up as the device Help Desk in the
school.
Remember to always check with your
custodians and facilities department before you start trying to charge a large
number of devices through a few power strips.
2.
Extra
chargers & cables
Purchase extra charger boxes and cables for
students who “misplace” or damage their materials. Keep these in a central location so you have
access to them. Also make sure you have
a record keeping system so you are not always giving our supplies to the same
student each week. This could also be
something that you have students in charge of at the Help Desk.
3.
Flexible
instruction & classroom environment
Teachers need to realize that the classroom
has changed. Students will need to be
able to get out of their seats and plug devices in the room; all around the
room! The reality is, the classroom
looks different than it did 5 years ago and our students are different than they
were 5 years ago. Create a flexible
environment that allows students the “juice” to succeed.
While it may seem like a small thing, power
for the devices is a big deal. Create
spaces where your students and teachers will be able to maximize their learning
resources. Don’t make it a situation
where students should be punished. Make
your district and/or building an innovative learning environment that
accommodates students and some of their forgetfulness.
Friday Feature - Friday, May 9, 2014
1:1 - Organization Leads to Production
When a district and community begin a 1:1 initiative, many
people point to the importance of technology as the reason why devices are
needed for staff and students. While
this is true, there are other things that are such as increasing production,
efficiency, organization, and creativity.
The great part about a 1:1 initiative is that not only will students
have an increase of the factors mentioned above, but so will parents and other
stakeholders.
Let’s look at a few ways that production, efficiency, organization,
and creativity will increase:
Student Forms
There are companies that are creating apps that allow
districts to take all of their required forms (emergency medical forms, field
trip forms, etc.) and allow parents access to the forms. This is a great way to have the forms
completed and placed in a database for easy access for field trips, out of
state events, and college visits.
Mobile Apps
There are great mobile apps such as School Connects that allow
districts to send out messages to parents through QR Codes and web
services. Your school would be able to
have the district or school QR Code on each device and students would receive
messages from the school and teachers regarding important information, school
events, and class work. Parents also
have access to this service and can receive the same information on their
devices.
Organization
I recently presented at the iPad Symposium on May 3rd at the University of Akron on apps
to use to increase your organization.
Organization is vital for students and parents. The benefit of having devices for students is
that they can utilize apps and sites to increase their organization and thus
increase production.
1:1 initiatives can change the culture of a district. Utilize the features of the devices to
maximize your resources and get the most out of your staff and students. Don’t forget about the connection that can be
made to parents if the right apps and sites are utilized with the devices.
Friday Feature - Friday, May 2, 2014
1:1 - Establishing a Level Playing Field
1:1 programs can create a culture of equals if they are treated that way. Each student is given the same device. Each student has the same opportunity to use the device in school each day. It is important to give all students the same opportunities in school each day. Our 1:1 program does this with the unique programs we have set up to help all students utilize their devices each day.
At NLHS, we have a few programs that create a level playing field for all students:
1. Scholarship program
All of our students have to pay a $50 Technology Insurance Fund fee to receive a device. Not all of our students can afford this fee. We create a scholarship program each year for students where businesses donate funds to help sponsor students who may not be able to afford the insurance fund fee. We recognize the businesses each year by honoring them as a business partner with NLHS. This program allows business and stakeholders to reach out to the school and help put technology in each students' hands.
2. Loaner program
Accidents happen. Sometimes (even though it is rare) technology doesn't always play nice. At NLHS, we have a loaner program set up where students can come to the office and trade their device in for a loaner to use while their device is repaired. We ensure that each student has a device each day and doesn't miss instructional time or learning opportunities because they don't have a device.
3. Lack of Internet at home
Not all of our students and families have Internet access at their homes. We have taken advantage of our 21st Century Program - Project Y.O.U. to allow students times in the morning before school begins to come to school and work for uploading and/or downloading. Students have ample times in the morning before classes to complete work that requires Internet connectivity.
4. Take home device program
Some 1:1 initiatives have the students keep their devices at school each evening. At NLHS, we allow our students to take their devices home with them to complete work and also use the device while they are at home. We have seen many great things happen because the devices do go home with the students. Sometimes we find that parents and younger family members become more technology literate because they use the device while it is at the home.
Create a level playing field in your district and building by giving all students the same opportunities. Create new programs that allow all students to use maximize the use of the devices. Your students and teachers will benefit from this and so will your district and building culture.
Friday Feature - Friday, April 25, 2014
1:1 - Create an effective rollout to maximize benefits
Once a 1:1 program is financed, planned, and ordered, the
focus needs to shift to professional development for the staff. The professional development should address
using the tools and resources to improve instruction. The next critical piece of 1:1 is the
“roll-out” phase to students and parents.
You need a methodical and structured way to distribute the devices to
students while keeping the parents connected with each step.
1.
Decide
when you will distribute
As a leadership team, determine when you
believe the devices should be distributed to students. Different districts approach this in
different ways. At New Lexington, in our
fist year going 1:1, we had multiple “iPad Nights” where we invited students
and parents to come to school to discuss iPads. At these events, we went over the iPad
Insurance Fee and all of the paperwork involved with students using the devices
owned by the school district.
We did not distribute the devices until the
first week of school. We used our Social
Studies classes (which all students at NLHS take in grades 9-12) to distribute
the devices and speak to students about proper usage. We also used this time to collect Insurance
Fees and school district paperwork.
2.
Student
& parent responsibilities
As a school district and building, be
crystal clear in what is expected of parents.
The most important aspect is student usage at home, including charging
the device each night, bringing the device to school each day, and proper
Internet usage while the student is off campus.
Another important aspect is the insurance fee,
which is touched on above. At New
Lexington, our students have to pay a technology insurance fee each year to use
the device. This covers repairs to the
device in case unfortunate accidents occur.
The students do not get this money back and must pay the fee in order to
receive another device in case damage occurs to their original device. We offer payment plans for parents and local
businesses also donate scholarships for students who may have financial difficulties
and can’t pay the technology insurance fee.
3.
Instructional
Methods
A huge piece of the rollout phase is
instructional methods. Utilize “iPad
Nights” to demonstrate to parents and students how the devices will be used in
class. Create mock classes where parents
and students can participate and visualize how their son and/or daughter will
use the device in class. Have teachers
show their expertise and demonstrate how the device will improve their
teaching.
4.
Share
your resources
Share everything you are doing with parents
and community members. Keep all of your
resources on your school website. Share
your story with everyone. Allow your
parents and community to see your plans so they can ask questions.
5.
Utilize
Question & Answer sessions
Make sure you give your parents and
stakeholders the opportunity to ask questions.
It is important to have all of the important “players” in the district
and/or building present to assist in answering questions. Prepare yourself for an array of
questions. Meet beforehand as an
Administrative team to discuss different situations and how you will answer
certain questions. Also, decide who will
answer certain questions pertaining to certain subjects regarding the devices and
initiative.
An idea that I wish we had utilized at NLHS
is to use social media months before your first iPad meeting to ease into the
transition of using new tools and innovative teaching methods. Use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to
promote short videos over certain topics or different teaching methods. Use screencasts to demonstrate to parents
what type of new methods and resources will be used in the classroom. This could make the transition in August
easier for all stakeholders.
1:1 rollouts are imperative to a good start
in a 1:1 initiative. Keep everyone
informed and maintain transparency when it comes to your vision and goals. Educate all of your stakeholders before the
first device is handed-out to create a culture focusing on innovation and
excitement for the future.
Friday Feature - Friday, April 18 2014
1:1 - Utilize Devices to Demonstrate Mastery in Different Ways
Student mastery is a hot topic these days in education. As educators, we want our students to be able
to demonstrate that they have mastered the content that they have been
presented. When I was in school, mastery
consisted of taking a test and achieving a score or a grade that was acceptable
to move on to the next unit. Mastery
looks a little different today in education than it has in the past.
Students need to have choices to demonstrate that they know
content. What methods students and
teachers use to demonstrate mastery depends on the content. A 1:1 initiative gives students and teachers
many more options to demonstrate mastery than a school without the use of
personalized tools or resources.
Students have the tools to use innovative ways to prove they know
content and can formally use it in different modes.
Some important things to keep in mind when utilizing 1:1
with a variety of ways to demonstrate mastery:
Use of Apps or sites
Creating a PowerPoint, while at times effective for
different situations, is close to being archaic in the classroom. Students and teachers are finding more
innovative ways to present information and communicate a message. Utilizing apps and different sites are great
ways for students to demonstrate mastery.
Some of the different apps/sites that I have seen students &
teachers use at NLHS include:
Creative Teachers
If you want your students to be creative, the teacher should
lead with an open mind. As many in
education know, students will blow your mind with the different things they can
create. As a teacher, make sure you
clearly describe to students what you are requiring for them to demonstrate
mastery of the content. Think outside
the box and don’t tell a student “No!” initially out of the gate. If the student needs to provide more evidence
to demonstrate mastery, tell them what they need. Trust me, the students will find ways to do
it.
Creative &
Supportive Administrators
As an administrator, if you want your teachers &
students to be creative, you need to be willing to venture outside the box
too. Encouraging students and teachers
to try different methods and providing them with the key resources (funds,
apps, etc.) is critical. Also, providing
the teachers with professional development on how different ways students can
show mastery is important. At NLHS, we
have our teachers share each day during teacher-based team meetings the
different ways they utilize tools to have students show mastery. Trust your staff and students. Teachers want students to learn. Students want to prove they know
content. Let the rest of it play out by
utilizing tools.
Educate Your
Stakeholders
As I mentioned above, demonstrating mastery isn’t just
taking a test anymore. The problem is,
many of our parents were in school when this was the only way students
demonstrated mastery. Educate your
parents on the changes in education.
Have your students and teachers utilize school events and social media
to demonstrate how and why we offer students different methods to demonstrate mastery.
Student Interest
While not every student will take advantage of the
opportunities to illustrate mastery in different means, more students will be
engaged in class. Giving students
options is the key to personalizing their learning. Student engagement and interest will increase
if they feel like they have a say or voice.
Give students the opportunity to share their ideas and tools with other
students. The creativity level in the class
will increase and more ideas for mastery will grow.
The topic of demonstrating mastery and how to do it can be
messy at times. With a 1:1 initiative,
it doesn’t always have to be complex.
Let the students and teachers help each other and show what they know.
Friday Feature - Friday, April 11, 2014
1:1 - You May Need to Blend your Flip
1:1 initiatives are usually very well planned initiatives
where districts look to cover every step in detail: from funding, to rollout,
to professional development for the staff.
When the staff is provided professional development, some districts have
the philosophy that as long as the professional development is given to the
staff, the staff will take what they learned and use it in class. This often times is true. Teachers use innovative learning methods and
different platforms to offer their content in a means that helps produce more
productive students.
A large detail that is often overlooked is providing
professional development to students on the new ways they will learn. I am not talking about the new ways students
will use the device itself. The students
do not need any help on how to use the devices.
They are the most knowledgeable people in the room when it comes to
that. The focus needs to be placed on
showing students how different teaching methods work and why they are
used. A good example of this is a
flipped classroom.
Many 1:1 schools believe that more teachers will flip their
classrooms when the devices are rolled out to students. While this may occur, there is still the
component of educating the students and parents on why something like a flipped
classroom can and will be successful.
Also, teachers have to understand their classrooms and identify if the
method meets all of the students’ learning styles in the class.
At NLHS, we have teachers who has experimented with this
the last couple of years. At times,
students and parents can become frustrated while trying to figure out new
methods of learning if the school hasn't educated the stakeholders on the innovative methods. Like in other classes, sometimes adjustments
in instruction need to be made to create a better learning environment for more
students. Some of our teachers did just
that after receiving feedback from a variety of stakeholders. What developed is a blend-flipped environment.
The end result was combining blended learning with a flipped
classroom to create an environment where students can continue to learn at
their own pace and receive different methods of instruction from their
teacher. The students have the apps and
sites to access videos of instruction at home while working on assignments and
giving immediate feedback while in class.
Students also have the opportunity to receive direct instruction in
class and work at a pace given by the instructor.
What we have found is that sometimes and in certain
situations, students still need the traditional structure of a classroom. I believe students are responsible for their
learning and need to be able to learn by different means and methods. This doesn’t happen overnight and needs to
begin at an early age. Until this
happens, we need to educate our students and communities on innovative teaching
methods and why we are using those methods.
When starting a 1:1 or continuing to utilize a 1:1
initiative, don’t get caught up in your directives and lose sight of your
district’s vision. Carve your 1:1
initiative around the vision and educate your stakeholders on methods you plan
to use with your tools/resources. If you
don’t, you may miss the opportunity to transform your community by allowing them
to help you spread your message of innovative learning practices.
Friday Feature - Friday, April 4, 2014
1:1 - The Benefits of Google Drive
1:1 initiatives allow teachers and students more freedom in the classroom. Whether it is the freedom to try different apps in the classroom to improve learning opportunities for students or the freedom for students to submit assignments to instructors in a variety of ways. Last week I discussed SLPs and the impact they can have on learning in the classroom. That is another example of freedoms in the classroom to try different interactive methods for students and teachers. Google Drive can have that same impact on a school. Drive allows teachers and students to work with technology differently than we have the last few years.
Some ways that Google Drive can impact your building include:
1. All students having gmail email accounts
Your school may do this already, but utilizing Drive with student email accounts can really help work production & efficiency increase. Teachers and students have the opportunity to utilize the great features that Google provides including YouTube accounts, Calendar options, and Google+ accounts.
2. Create & Share documents, images, videos for free
Students can create documents and collaborate together on documents using Drive. It is the same with spreadsheets and presentations. Teachers and students can also use the Blogger feature and use blogging as a backchannel for class discussions or posting assignments to work on in a blended or traditional classroom setting. We also have teachers who share assignments using Google Calendar as they have created Google Calendars for their own particular classes.
The ability to share video with Google Drive is also a great feature. Many times students can use video to demonstrate different types of mastery, but we don't have a means of getting the video from their device to the public or the instructor. Drive gives us the capability to do this. Students can upload videos quicker and more efficiently and share them with teachers instead of having to try and email them in segments. We also have teachers who utilize Google Drive and the video storing capabilities by uploading videos for Flipped Classrooms and sharing their videos with students through Drive. We recently took advantage of the video storage and sharing capabilities of Drive at NLHS by having our students create videos for a contest hosted by the Secretary of the State of Ohio. We were able to submit all of our videos for the contest through Google Drive.
3. Utilize Forms to save time with collecting data
Google Forms is also a great tool offered through Drive. At NLHS, we create forms for a number of events and initiatives to collect data to help guide our decision making process. Teachers and students can utilize this feature by creating forms to gather information for certain lessons and assignments. We have seen students use forms to gather data for projects and then present this data to the class as evidence of their findings. Teachers also use forms in the same manner. Gathering data from students and parents to improve instruction or change class procedures.
4. Easy to use
The best part about utilizing Drive in a school is that it is so easy to use. It can be used in an elementary and middle school environment. Google Drive can also be used to share and collaborate in the district. District teams can collaborate on documents and presentations without having to leave individual buildings.
Google Drive is a great resource when implementing a 1:1 initiative. Students and teachers will save time and learn more about collaborating with each other by utilizing the tool. One of the great benefits of having a 1:1 building or district is the amount of time that is saved by students and teachers having the devices and using the resources that are out there to help increase daily production in our schools.
"Friday Feature" - Friday, March 28, 2014
1:1 - The Benefits of Social Learning Platforms
In a 1:1 environment, finding the resources to use (like apps & sites) is the easy thing. Utilizing the resources to maximize learning and growth opportunities for students is the key. A great way to do this is with a social learning platform (SLP) like Edmodo or Schoology. A SLP allows teachers to connect with students and help them create norms and reflect on how different online actions will be interpreted. Teachers and students find great ways to use SLPs to their advantage in the classroom everyday.
It doesn’t matter what SLP you use (Edmodo, Schoology, etc.) as long as you are using it to its full advantage. Some of the great things you can do with a SLP are:
1. Formative Assessments
Teachers and students can learn a great deal from formative assessments with SLPs. Teachers can create short quizzes and polls for students to take. Teachers can give students immediate feedback by using the charts and graphs built into the SLP. Teachers have the ability to change their instructional practices on the spot and address students’ needs during that specific class; not a day later or a week later. Teachers can differentiate on the spot and help students on what they need help with by looking at specific questions that were focused on specific standards & targets.
2. Class Discussion
SLPs can be used for dialogue between teachers & students, and also parents. SLPs have access codes that can be shared with parents so they can have access to their student’s account. Students can ask teachers questions, ask other students questions, and discuss class materials using the SLP. What a great way for students to share class discussions and interact with others.
Teachers at NLHS have seen students who normally don’t converse during class have interactive conversations with students and teachers outside of class. We have had teachers at NLHS who have the SLP app on their mobile device assist students outside of class while they have been out to dinner, in the grocery store, and at the gym. The immediate feedback component of a SLP is worth its weight in gold.
Communication is a huge piece in education and SLPs allow teachers, students, and parents to communicate about classroom growth. This method of communication is different than what many of us are used to. It is important to educate parents and students on the many different facets of SLPs and how they increase student learning and producitivty.
3. Assignments
Teachers can post assignments for students using SLPs. This way, students always have access to the assignments and can get the assignments even if they miss class. Teachers can also post alerts for students and create folders for different classes and assignments.
As you can see, SLPs are a powerful means of instruction and communication in and out of the classroom. Whether you are a 1:1 program or BYOD, SLPs can play a big role in transforming instruction in your school and district. Use SLPs as another learning resource and tool to help your classroom and students succeed.
"Friday Feature" - Friday, March 21, 2014
1:1 - 4 Steps to use Devices as Tools
When a district or building
is planning to go 1:1 with devices, it is important to make the decision to go
1:1 for the right reasons. The one
reason that should separate itself from the rest is the opportunity for
students to grow using innovative resources.
Other supporting reasons are: to provide students with resources that
help them develop life skills & skills to use in college and to allow students
the opportunity to use technology to collaborate with other students. Going 1:1 should not be used as a Band-Aid to fix a building. Use the devices to instill a culture of
innovative teaching and learning practices.
Below are four steps to take
to make sure you are using your devices as tools for learning:
1. Focus on Growth & Engagement
When creating the plan for a
1:1 initiative, make sure professional development is at the top of the
list. The focus during professional
development needs to address why the teachers are learning how to use the
devices. If this is a constant theme
throughout the school, students will use the tools and be engaged and
understand concepts because of the assistance of the device. When this happens, 1:1 leads to better
teaching thus leading to student growth.
2. Have a Plan B
Things aren't always perfect,
even in a 1:1 world. Anything can happen
on any given day. With that being said,
it is crucial to have a backup plan each lesson. I have a simple philosophy when it comes to this:
if the learning is guiding the tool and the infrastructure goes down, the
lesson is still available. The teachers
and students need to be flexible, differentiate, and be functional using
different tools.
3. Embed over Time
The resources will become a
part of your culture over time if they are used as a means to increase student
engagement. You will also need to engage
the community and educate the stakeholders on how & why you are using the
devices. You will know your devices are
embedded as resources when the community & key stakeholders embrace the
initiative as a vital learning source for students.
4. Include the right Apps
We preload our Apps onto our
devices each year during the summer.
Some schools have open networks that allow students to have access to
download Apps at any time. Makes sure you get student input on which Apps to
load. Sometimes the students will explain what App they need by focusing on
their own learning styles.
There is nothing wrong with
spending funds on resources and tools for teachers and students to
utilize. Some disagree with this. Some think there should be data available
that explains how using the devices transformed every aspect of the
school. Whatever side you are on, one
thing is clear, the devices are tools used to transform learning and
collaboration opportunities for students & staff.
"Friday Feature" - Friday, March 14, 2014
1:1 and Professional Development
When it comes to launching a 1:1 initiative, professional
development (PD) is one of the most critical pieces for successful use of the
resources. At times, with the amount of
details that need addressed when planning a 1:1 initiative, the professional
development can be forgotten or not planned out very well. There are critical pieces involved in
professional development that need to be thought out before jumping into the
1:1 world:
Create Building &
District-wide PD
It is imperative to train all of your employees how to use
the tools available to them. 1:1 is not
different than anything else. You need
to train staff members how to use different teaching methods and
platforms. You want to get the most bang
for your buck out of the tools you purchase, so place the appropriate focus on
PD.
Some great things to use for building & district PD
include:
· App
Studies with staff members. The
Superintendent at New Lexington started App Studies a few years ago when our
district staff received iPads to use in the classroom. Staff members from our entire district
buildings come together to discuss apps they use in class and how they help
their daily instruction. Great
conversations take place and staff members can visualize how they would use an
app someone else is explaining.
· Twitter
Chats & Using Twitter. An
excellent way for staff members to speak with other people who are familiar
with the same device they are learning about.
Find teachers in your content or grade level & ask questions and
share ideas. There are school districts,
such as Hilliard City Schools (#hcsdchat), who are using chats very effectively
for staff growth. I think it would be
wise for any district to invest days or multiple days in Twitter PD for the entire
district. Who knows how much your
district could grow with training on how to use Twitter?
· Resource
Round up. Similar to an App
Study, have staff members share good sites & technology resources that they
use in class. Staff members could share
information about different resources and how they found them, positives &
negatives about the resources, and ways in which the resources can be used in
different contents & grade levels.
· Get it
From the Trenches. I wrote ablog earlier in the year about getting your PD from the people who know it
best: your staff. In education today, we
do not have enough of our teachers sharing their own practices with each
other. In a 1:1 district or building,
this is crucial. Getting different grade
levels & contents together to share experiences and visualize themselves
using the different apps & practices can change the culture of a district. A key piece for getting your PD from the
trenches is having administrators who are in the classrooms and are aware of
the innovative teaching practices in the building. It is their job to get the staff members to
share their great teaching practices with each other.
Modeling & Failure
As discussed in a blog by Craig Vroom, failure can do
wonders for teachers and students. As administrators,
we should have the same mindset. Take
risks and encourage staff and students to take risks. If you happen to fail, learn from it.
If there are administrators who are not tech savvy in a 1:1
environment, the district needs to find a way to get them there. The administrators need to be just as
functional at using the device as the teachers.
Notice I said “functional.” As
many people have heard me say in the past, we have too many experts in the
world today. Just be functional at using
the devices, the students will lead the staff and administration to a higher
level. Take about a year to focus the PD
on using the device as a tool. The
students can make the teachers great.
If there is an administrator or teacher who needs some extra
PD with incorporating their device into their class, try assigning them a
student mentor. That’s right, a student
mentor. Have the students show administrators and teachers how the technology
works. It’s a win-win for both and a
great marketing piece for your building and district.
Early & Often - get
the Experts Involved
Have a plan for your PD. Provide the PD for staff as early
as possible and as often as possible.
Don’t just “throw it together.”
Plan your PD for the year. Look
at different conferences and symposiums.
Do your research. Ask others
involved in 1:1 initiatives what the best conferences are to attend. Let the staff see that a lot of time and
consideration was put into planning the PD.
You will be thankful for that in the long run.
Get all of the students involved. You have experts right in your building: they
are the kids! You can put a device in a
student’s hand, I don’t care if its an 8 track player, the students will find
not only a way to use it, but probably an additional 9 other ways to use
it. Get students involved in the PD of
your district/building. Get their
input. Ask them what your teachers need
to do to be successful using the devices for student learning. Be specific and set days and times for this
to happen. Schedule meetings and
conferences. And it doesn’t matter if
they are elementary students. All students
have valuable input for a 1:1 initiative.
Screencasts &
Videos
Video and archive all of your PD in the district. Make a permanent resource (website) for staff
to access to personalize their PD. Have
staff and students create screencasts and videos on how to use the tools. Staff and students can access these resources
on their own time to improve their craft.
Conferences &
Symposiums
In a 1:1 initiative, sometimes you have to spend money to
get better. Find the best conferences to
attend and get your staff to it. Have
the staff that attends the conferences share their experiences with the
district. Focus on educational strategies
and not the devices. An iPad symposium
may be good for you even if your 1:1 program has Chromebooks. Narrow your focus on the instructional
methods & strategies, not the resources.
It’s about your vision as a district.
Baby Steps
Plan different PD for different use of tools. Continue to coach the staff on how to use the
tools to help students. Continue to
share tools, resources, and apps with others in the district. Share your resources. Share your gift. Set up a monthly sharing model: use Twitter
to share resources, use a learning management system like Edmodo to get
discussions going about the use of the devices.
Set a culture and environment that everyone needs to
continue to grow as learners. Make sure
the staff keeps plugging away and the administrators need to maintain the pulse
of the building. Make sure the aim of
your 1:1 initiative is to help students.
Don’t change your educational philosophy for anyone.
"Friday Feature" - Friday, March 7, 2014
1:1 and Differentiation
If you are thinking about or contemplating a 1:1 initiative for your school, you should do it just for the amount of differentiation that will occur in your building and/or classroom. Teachers and students will find new & original ways to use the devices to master content. Some interesting ways that students & teachers use devices to learn content are:
1. Video & Pictures
Using video is a great way for students to demonstrate how they understand content. Students will amaze you by the number of ways they use video to demonstrate mastery. Students like to use apps such as YouTube Capture & Videolicious to video projects & use as assessments to demonstrate mastery. Students also enjoy using Collaaj and ShowMe to use whiteboard functions and voice-overs. Students also use different video applications like Kahn Academy or EduCreations to watch videos to learn different material.
Students also use pictures to tell their stories. There are many apps out there that allow for collages & poster creation. One app that is a good poster app is Phoster. App allows students to create posters and save them as images. Teachers need to be flexible and allow students to demonstrate mastery in different ways than just summative assessments. Be flexible because your students are.
2. Peer-to-Peer
Following up on videos above, students love working in peer-to-peer environments and devices allow them to do this. Students can use the apps mentioned above and Google Drive to share documents with each other, edit documents at the same time, and create forms for input. There is nothing better than watching student collaboration & student discussion that creates critical thinking and growth.
3. Learning Management System (LMS)
Another great way to create differentiation is using an LMS such as Edmodo or Schoology. Students are able to express themselves on a platform that is similar to Facebook. Students can blog, ask questions, download documents, and communicate/collaborate with the teacher & other students. Students can post blogs and participate in discussions that allow them to demonstrate their knowledge of the content. Students have a voice and are members of a learning community. Collaboration can be a form a differentiation when students get support from their peers.
4. Basic Research
Sometimes students just use basic research as a form of differentiation. Students research answers or questions on the devices and find answers & explanations. Students improve their research skills & find different ways to learn content other than in the classroom.
Devices really do open doors for students. The apps I listed above are just a few that are used. Don’t get caught up in the reasons to fund or not fund a 1:1 initiative. If differentiation opportunities for students is important for you, then you have a great reason to go 1:1.
"Friday Feature" - Friday, February 28th 2014
Leadership with Lincoln
About a month ago, I finished a book entitled Lincoln on Leadership: Executive
Strategies for Tough Times by Donald Phillips. This is a great book about leadership and the
great leadership traits possessed by Abraham Lincoln. One of the best things about this book is
that leaders in any profession can benefit from Lincoln’s characteristics &
beliefs. As a school administrator, it
is refreshing to read about the struggles that Lincoln had to overcome during
his tenure as President. The book does a
great job of chronicling how Lincoln overcame obstacles and was one of the
greatest leaders our country has every seen.
The book demonstrated 5 important areas of leadership in any
type of organization (all paraphrases from the book):
1. If a staff
knows they have access to their leader, they view their leader in a positive
light.
Always be accessible to your staff & community stakeholders. It is important to make yourself available to
everyone so they can communicate with you and so you can communicate your message.
2. People
trust leaders who are forgiving of mistakes.
Trust is the building block of successful relationships.
You have to build relationships
with staff members. A relationship built
on trust will allow your staff to relax and not worry about making mistakes
because they know you have their back.
3. Staff
members must perceive their leader as consistently fair if they are going to be
innovative & take risks.
Be fair with all staff members to
build trust and establish a culture of respect.
If you build relationships and respect each staff member, you will
generate an environment of innovation.
The staff needs to know that their leader believes if you are not making
mistakes, you are not growing.
4. If
employees succeed the honor is theirs, if they fail the leader takes the blame.
Praise your staff members for work
well done. Have their backs when things
don’t go as planned. If you want staff
members to take risks and try different things, expect some failures along the
way. If you embed failure in your
culture, let people know your staff members are just doing their job and taking
chances.
5. Create
contagious enthusiasm among staff by demonstrating a sense of urgency toward
attaining goals.
Demonstrate an urgency towards
success and achievement. When you get
your staff to perform with the same urgency, you will find success. The urgency will create the enthusiasm. There is nothing wrong with knowing what you
want and going and getting it.
"Friday Feature" - Friday, February 21st 2014
The 1:1 Life
It is difficult for districts to figure where they want to go with 1:1 initiatives. There are so many things to think about that it can get confusing & cumbersome. Once you begin to break things down though, it really isn't too bad. Some of the key aspects to consider when starting a 1:1 initiative with a device in your school district:
1. Vision
- Always remember why you want to establish a 1:1 model in your district. What is your vision? How do you expect the devices to be used? How will the initiative help learning?
2. Devices
- Connect your vision to your device. Determine your device based on what types of students and staff you have (high school, grade school students, tech-savvy staff). Is one of your goals to have students learn how to use multiple types of devices? If so, look at different types of devices or BYOD.
3. Funding
- Think outside the box when it comes to paying for the devices. Look for grants, different types of funds within the school district, and donations. Market your product to the community. You never know, someone may want to help out.
4. Communication
- Marketing leads right into communication. Communicate your vision to your staff, parents, students, and community stakeholders. Let them know why you need the devices and how they will help learning & growth.
5. Professional Development
- Speaking of growth, get the devices in the hands of your staff at least a year before you give the devices to the students. Let the staff get comfortable and figure out how to use the devices as tools for learning. Get the staff professional development from people who use the devices as resources in the classroom.
6. Model
- Leaders have to model effective use of the devices. When I say leaders, I mean administrators and teachers. Teachers are leaders just like administrators. Use the devices and let the students help you use the device for the benefit of the entire class.
7. Patience
- Rome wasn't built in a day. Give your staff & students time to use the devices as learning tools. That is what they are, tools. It doesn't matter if you have Chromebooks or iPads, you will need time for everyone to figure out how to get the best value out of the learning tools.
No comments:
Post a Comment