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#ObserveMe
Good TeachingProfessional Learning

Being Fearless This School Year with #ObserveMe

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

I’m lucky in my job in that I get to travel around the country and talk with educators who are doing amazing things in their schools and classrooms every day. In talking with them, they all discuss their desire to get even better at this art that is teaching. But oftentimes, they don’t have the support available to help them grow or don’t know how to improve on their own. Luckily, Robert Kaplinsky has a solution: #ObserveMe.

What Is #ObserveMe?

In his blog, Robert challenges teachers to embrace the need that all of us have to grow by inviting peers into the classroom to provide feedback. This is not about being evaluated or measured; it’s about asking your colleagues, the ones who teach next to you and who know exactly what you are going through, to help you get better. Robert’s blog has now grown into the #ObserveMe movement, and I think it’s a very positive thing for education.

What’s the Process?

Similar to the pineapple chart, #ObserveMe is based on the idea that we learn best from each other while actively on the job. On days when you choose, you post a sign outside your classroom that lets others know that you are asking them to help you grow by coming into your classroom while you are teaching and providing feedback to you on specific, identified needs. Below is the sign that teacher Catelyn Cantrell-Boze posted on her door.

#ObserveMe

 

Notice that Catelyn has identified three areas in which she feels she can improve and posted questions for her fellow teachers to try and answer, based on her teaching that day. The visiting teacher answers the questions via a Google Form.

Here’s another example from Jennifer Chitmon. You can find even more examples here via the #ObserveMe hashtag on Twitter.

#ObserveMe

The three areas should come from your own reflection about where you most need to grow as a teacher, and they may change throughout the school year. The questions should not be those requiring a “yes” or “no” answer. Instead, they should be “how” questions so that actionable feedback is provided through the response. (While vague “You did great” and “I really enjoyed your lesson” may be nice to hear, they do not provide material for growth. Specific examples of what to improve and how to improve are required for this to work.)

As you embark on this strategy, you should probably let your campus administrators know what you are trying to do. I know that they will support you in growing professionally.

Why You Must Be Fearless

Asking others to come into your classroom and critique what you are doing is definitely daunting. But true growth can’t happen in a vacuum. Your peers and your leaders will admire you for trying to improve, and your students will understand that you care about them and their learning so greatly that you are willing to go out on a limb for them. So reflect on what aspects of teaching you want to become better at and post your #ObserveMe sign. Then put on your fearless hat and be ready for the amazing results of opening yourself and your classroom up!

 

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Digital LiteracyGood TeachingLeadershipProfessional Learning

TCEA Responds: Starting a District Twitter Chat

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

A quick question for you…I’m working on our district’s twitter chat for this school year and was wondering if you had a listing of topics that you can share and/or any marketing ideas (what can we do to get our teachers involved and participating in the chats). Thanks in advance.

-John

Dear John:

Thank you for your message via Twitter. My experiences have involved shorter Twitter chats and meets. To respond to your questions, I’ve split them up into several topics. I asked the Twitterverse to jump in and share their thoughts (#TwitterChatTips). Two people who responded include Kathi Kersznowski and Dana Bickley. They have both initiated and maintained Twitter chats over a long period. Their responses are blended into the responses below. As you consider Twitter chats, remember that you can do a lot more. Twitter chats can be a part of a more comprehensive strategy. View this slideshow:

Before we go much further, let’s answer the question that some may have. That is, what is a Twitter chat?

Defining What A Twitter Chat Is

Before we jump into responses for getting a chat going, allow me to share an excerpt of Cathy Wassell’s article on the subject. In her article, Twitter Chats Explained, Cathy writes:

Twitter chats are a great way to build a community. You’ve probably seen the hashtags that suddenly populate your timeline at a particular hour? …hashtags are a means of pulling a group of like-minded people together for an hour. At best they will chat and have meaningful conversations about the topic, which will foster a sense of community.

Twitter Chats are one way of fostering a sense of community. Creating, strengthening a community remains an essential part of any school organization. It is as essential online as in physical spaces. For a chat to be effective, make it an extension of a face to face relationship.

Building Relationships Online

“Once we gained a little momentum, people were reaching out to me…but I did start out with personal 1-1 invites,” says Dana Bickley (Northside ISD). Unlike many Twitter chats that start out online, you can start face to face. As Dana points out, why not start a pizza party? Invite folks to join you and learn to use Twitter as well. Move from location to location for each Twitterchat, inviting admins to get involved. As you can see from Dana’s efforts below, participants were able to earn CPE credit for their participation. Imagine attending an afternoon workshop where you earn CPE credits and get pizza?

Host and Topic Selection

“To get hosts, I started out by personally inviting people to lead a chat,” says Dana Bickley (Northside ISD). Kathi Kersznowski (@kersz) suggests having “great, engaging graphics for questions.” Here’s one example focused on growth mindset chat.

When selecting topics, aim for open-ended topics that welcome the sharing of experiences and opinions. Some of the best ways to engage adult learners is to encourage the sharing of personal experiences. Just because a topic has been discussed via another Twitter chat, it does not mean your district should avoid it. The goal is to have open-ended discussions and bring your participants unique focus.

One way to get organized is to brainstorm topics relevant to your District’s mission, then create a schedule.

Make a Schedule

Hand in hand with topic, host selection is coming up with a schedule. I’ve created my Twitter chat schedule using a shared Google Sheet or OneNote Online notebook. A simple table can get you started as Dana shares at this link. Note the organization:

Here is a selection of of topics from the schedules shown above:

  • #NISDInspired
  • The 21st Century Educator
  • Beyond the Mascot – Building Your School’s Instructional Brand
  • Transforming Technology for Empowered Learning and Teaching – Beyond the $1,000 Pencil
  • Ecosystem of Culture
  • Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Topics:
    • PLCs – Weathering the Challenges
    • PLC – Continuing to Renew, Refine and Transform OUR ‘Professional’ Practice
    • Got Game? Building Effective PLC Teams
    • Rollin’ with a PLC
  • Kids Deserve It! Giving our Best to Help Our Kids be Their Best
  • The Power of Purpose: Your Why
  • Building Relationships: The <3 of a Classroom That Thrives
  • Growth Mindset: The Ultimate Game Where You Never Run Out of Levels
  • UN #NISDedchat
  • Preventing and Stopping Learned Helplessness
  • Don’t Count the Days, Make the Days Count! Finish the Year Strong!
  • Best of Filling Your Teacher Toolbox
  • Rigor in Everything We Offer
  • Leaders All Around Us
  • Birds of a Feather, Twitter Together: NISD and NEISD Collab
  • Parent Empowerment with Ready Rosie
  • Keep the Door Open: Developing Professional Collaboration Among Educators
  • School Climate and Culture
  • #HackSchooling-Everything is Up for Being Hacked
  • Being Better Tomorrow Than Today
  • I have an iPad! Let’s chat!
  • A Day in the Life of a Student
  • Learning Made Fun Gets Done!
  • Families and Schools: Partners in Education
  • The Knowing-Doing Gap
  • Unleashing Originality: Being a Champion of Ideas

The chat questions are arranged in a nifty “twitter card;” no reason why you can’t send a copy to chat leaders and participants.

You can organize your Twitter chat questions as a slide deck. Here are a few that I made for a #TCEAchat that relied on Voxer more than Twitter. I often encourage Twitter chat organizers and participants to blend other media types into their chats. For me, that’s easiest when using an app like Voxer.

Slow Chat, Anyone?

Image Source: OELMA

You can always make your Twitter chats what are known as “slow” chats. Slow chats steer away from the immediate, thirty minute chats to a more expansive timeline. Those who want to participate may take a day or a week to respond. A slow chat is described as the one below:

A topic is chosen and a different question related to the topic is posted each day (Monday-Friday) on twitter through [twitter account] with the hashtag [#yourhashtag]. Participants answer the questions and respond to each other as they can throughout the week, remembering to include the hashtag. (Source: Virtual Learning Network)

With slow chats, advertising a schedule with questions in advance assists people. You can block off your calendar with different topics each week that focus on discussions of practical value to participants.

What About a Tweet Meet?

Instead of a Twitterchat, do a TweetMeet. The latter involves scheduling all questions and responses by the facilitator, guest host(s) ahead of time using https://TweetMeet.twitter.com . The main benefit is that an admin or person who may only be able to respond to an email with questions can have all their responses scheduled to appear live during a Twitter chat. This makes it look like they are “live” but in truth, they may not be (or maybe they are but don’t have to worry about responding except to follow-up questions). Microsoft has several tweetmeets scheduled throughout the year. You can even complete a free online course via the Microsoft Education Community.

TCEA Responds: Starting a District Twitter Chat

Ready to get started? Remember there are many district chats ongoing. Why not lurk, jump into those to get your feet wet before starting up your own? It will be fun. What’s more, you may find an opportunity to build a bridge with other chat organizers. Imagine how powerful it is to escape the bounds of time and distance to connect with other educators brimming with amazing ideas.

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champion
Announcements/Important DatesProfessional Learning

You Are the Champions, My Friends

by Chance McKee
written by Chance McKee

As another school year dawns, it’s time, yet again, to take off your sun hat and put on your Champion cape. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, a librarian, a principal, or a school technology specialist, the students’ triumphant return brings exciting, new challenges!

Are You a TCEA Member?

I hope many of you reading this are already TCEA members. And I really hope you’re taking advantage of everything membership can offer you. TCEA advances technology in education to create student success. You can join the TCEA Community to get advice and share solutions with other educators. Or you can attend one of our events or bring learning to you with a range of professional development opportunities. And don’t forget the free webinars! Take one in during your lunch break or whenever is convenient.

Now, Are You a Champion?

Of course, I can tell you about these and all our other benefits until I’m blue in the face. But I’ve found that the greatest spokesperson for TCEA and all that we can offer is…you.

I would love for you to put your knowledge to work by becoming a TCEA Champion and helping to spread the word about TCEA to your colleagues. This is an elite group. Only 200 TCEA members will be accepted as TCEA Champions for 2018-2019.

Who Are the Champions?

TCEA Champions are true leaders within their profession. They can see the big picture of how technology can transform Texas’ education system.

TCEA Champions are helpers who understand that student achievement is the ultimate goal. They believe that “we” is more important than “me.” And they support their colleagues in growing their skill sets and taking on new challenges. This creates a ripple effect of increased knowledge for the educators, administrators, and most importantly, students.

Champion Perks

As a TCEA Champion, you will inform your colleagues about the benefits of TCEA membership and ask them to become members. As a reward, TCEA will provide you with:

  • One $10 gift card for every three new paid members you recruit
  • One $50 gift card for every five new paid members you recruit
  • One $200 gift card for every ten new paid members you recruit

It’s really that simple.

I will provide all TCEA Champions with an easy-to-use recruitment guide and tools to set you up for success so you feel supported every step of the way. Apply to be a TCEA Champion here or email me, Senior Director of Membership Chance McKee, at cmckee@tcea.org with any questions.

Be the Change

Texas’ education system is facing a lot of challenges right now. Help advance your profession by becoming a TCEA Champion. Share with your colleagues the importance of educational technology to set Texas students up for learning equity and future success. Keep up the incredible work, because more than anything, we at TCEA are beyond appreciative of everything you do for Texas students, and all we can say is “thank you.”

 

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LeadershipProfessional Learning

Six Ways to Spice Up Back-to-School Inservice

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

The beginning of the school year is fast approaching and teachers will be walking in the front door for their first back-to-school inservice. This can be one of the most important and productive professional development opportunities of the school year. But on the other hand, it can also be one of the most dreaded for teachers, who want time to work in their classrooms. So how can you spice up your inservice and ensure it isn’t a wasted meeting? Find some suggestions below.

1 – Have a Plan and Invite Your Staff to Share in It

The first “must” for a successful inservice meeting is to have a plan and an agenda in place. Agendas make it easier to stay on track and follow up with important items. When creating your agenda, remember that you want to make effective use of everyone’s time. Be sure to include a section for action items so that everyone can have an overview of what needs to be done.inservice

It is so easy to create your agenda electronically, for example with Google Docs. There are many agenda templates that exist as well. Look at this sample agenda. Once thing you will notice is that it has a place to take collaborative notes. There’s no need to have notes or minutes being taken separately when they can be done on the agenda itself. If you share the agenda with your secretary or even some of your staff members, they can collaboratively take minutes.

Another thing you can do is share or email the agenda to all staff members in advance of the meeting. Invite them to contribute topics or ideas that they think should be added to the agenda. This will show that you value their thoughts and they will be more invested in your time together.

2 – Don’t Do All the Talking

As the principal, you don’t have to do all the talking at the inservice. Allow your staff members to shine by having them lead a part of the meeting. Giving your staff that opportunity will help develop your school leaders as well as build staff morale. You could assign teachers roles, topics, or updates that they will, in turn, share with the entire group. Your teachers will feel empowered by taking a more active part in the inservice. Remember, teachers love to teach, so utilize that when planning your inservice.

3 – Break the Ice

The start of a new school year can be nerve-wracking, not just for students, but for teachers, too. Why not incorporate a fun, getting-to-know you activity? Giving your teachers time to share special facts about themselves or share fun things they did this summer will help ease those nerves. This is also the perfect time to introduce and recognize any staff members who are new and learn a little more about them.

Icebreakers help you build relationships with your staff. Try to use icebreakers that your staff can use with students in the classroom so they can build relationships with their students, too. It never hurts to model what you want to see in the classroom. You can find a few icebreaker activities at Classroom Icebreakers for Back to School and Even More Classroom Icebreakers for Back to School. The great thing about those icebreakers is that they incorporate technology. The ISTE Standards for Administrators say that you should promote and model effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders using digital age tools (ISTE Standard 3c). Digital icebreakers will help you do that.

inservice

Click on the image to see a Two Truths and a Lie Icebreaker. The password is Icebreaker.

4 – Try Something Different

There are so many things you need to cover at the beginning of the year inservice, such as policies and procedures. These aren’t necessarily the most exciting topics to discuss; but nevertheless, they must be covered. Therefore, why not incorporate a little fun into reviewing these less-than exciting topics by using a little variety? Instead of showing a PowerPoint, have the teachers complete a scavenger hunt or some type of game. Have them compete in a smack down or rotate around the room to have quick conversations about specific topics. You can find these ideas and more at Innovative Professional Development Models.

back-to-school inservice

Example of a speed dating professional development activity

5 – Incorporate the Three F’s

Do your best to incorporate the three F’s:

  • Food. Food can have a tremendous impact on the meeting’s productivity and outcome. I always liked the saying, “To Meet Better, Eat Better.” You will especially want to provide a snack for your teachers to avoid afternoon slowdowns.
  • Freebies. It’s always a good idea to give your staff something to welcome them back. It could be something like a pen, water bottle, or coffee mug that has the school logo on it. If there aren’t any discretionary funds available for this, then you could make something for them. It’s the thought that counts.
  • Feedback. Feedback is important and we all know it. As mentioned in #1, getting input from your staff will show you value their thoughts and opinions. Make sure you provide opportunities for your staff to speak up during the inservice.

6 – Start with the End and End with the Positive

At the beginning of your inservice, make the goal or objective for coming together very clear. Ensuring that your staff knows what the expected outcomes are will make for a more efficient inservice.

Lastly and most importantly, make sure you end each day on a positive note. Let your staff know how much you appreciate them. Make these days about them and be visible and ready to help them when needed.

Have a Great Inservice

Hopefully, this has given you a few ideas on how to spice up your inservice and get off to a great start. It’s a busy time of the year, so make the first days with your staff count as much as possible.

 

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ChromebooksGoogle Tips and TricksProfessional Learning

Infographics Made Simple

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

In my Infographics Made Simple workshop session at the 2018 TCEA Chromebook Academy, I shared some of the infographic templates I had made. Since I first wrote the blog entries, Infographic-Creation Strategies for the Art-Challenged and Infographic Templates with Google Slides, I’ve learned a few more tricks. These  tips come in the form of Chrome extensions or add-ons. Microsoft user looking for Powerpoint templates for infographics? Here are over 15 templates to get you started. May I share some of my tips with you?

Tip #1 – Citing Images on the Web

“Any librarians in the room?” I always ask that question when facilitating a workshop. It is a tell-tale sign that the tip I’m about to share involves potential copyright violations. Potential since classroom fair use use is okay, sharing online…not so much. When you do a Google search for images to include in your infographics, seek out creative commons copyright images. Many often don’t know that in a Google Image Search, you can find the ones labelled “Reuse with modification.”

For example, here are standard Google Image search results for the word, “excellence:”

infographics

Those results look pretty good. Here’s what the search results are when you modify your search. To do that, select Tools, then Usage Rights, then “Labelled for Reuse.” The changes to your search look like this:

When the usage rights are modified, your image results are different, as shown below.

Try Google Advanced Image Search: It gives you enormous flexibility in tailoring your search results. In addition to specifying the image’s color, size, and file type, you can choose Filter Explicit Results to block inappropriate pictures. Specify the usage rights to include various levels of reprint permissions.

You may have to go through several pages of images (try these image sites first) before finding the right one. You can rely on tools like Cite This For Me, Apogee, MyBib, and EasyBib to get the citation for the image in MLA/APA format. Here’s what Cite This For Me looks like in action with an image that captures “Excellence.” Note the citation Cite This For Me provides appears below the image.

Free Image on Pixabay – Directory, Excellent, Mediocre Free Image on Pixabay – Directory, Excellent, Mediocre. (2018). Pixabay.com. Retrieved 27 July 2018, from https://pixabay.com/en/directory-excellent-mediocre-1274229/

While you won’t always need to include citations for images in your infographic, it never hurts to keep track of where you picked up your graphics in case others ask.

Want to learn more about this?

Read Helping Students Find and Cite Photos blog entry. Teaching students to correctly cite resources they use in their reports can be a difficult task. But this website can make it much, much easier, both for the students and for their teachers.

Meet Kathy Miller (@millerk813), a leading learner at the 2018 TCEA Chromebook Academy | Get a copy of her infographic

Tip #2: Finding Icons for Use

“Have you seen the Insert Icons into Slides add-on?” asked Kathy Miller (@millerk813) in my Infographics Made Simple session. Of course, we had not. “There is another add on for Docs and Slides called Unsplashed Photos. It has free-to-use HD pics; makes every copyright librarian happy!” Kathy shared. She followed up with sharing the Icons by Noun project.

In the workshop, we all grabbed the Insert Icons into Slides add-on, setting it up in Google Slides. With this add-on in place, you can browse 1,800+ free icons from Font Awesome & Google Material Design. What’s even neater, you can do it without leaving Google Slides. Pick any color you want, and the icons get inserted into your slide. Even more exciting, the icons get imported with a transparent background. Ms. White, one of the other session participants, shows off her incomplete infographic creation. You can see the open Insert icons add-on as a sidebar:

Icons by Noun, another source of icons, works in Google Docs. While Google Docs isn’t my preferred infographic tool (Google Drawings and Google Slides are my favorites), you can grab icons in Docs and then copy and paste them.

What’s amazing about events like the 2018 TCEA Chromebook Academy? I learn as much as I share.

Tip #3: Color Palettes Made Simple

Palette add-on

Not sure how to match colors? David McGeary suggests the following:

“I recommend doing an image search by color and usage rights. I also used https://coolors.co/ to get a working color palette for this project. It is one of my favorite tools for design work.”

Another participant in my Infographics Made Simple session suggested the Chrome add-on Palette. If you are not sure how colors should look together, it may do the job. It allows you to “create your own color palette by manipulating the variation and hue colors.”

Start Making

A hushed silence falls over a room when creative professionals start making.  In my session, participants got to work quickly. Some, though, found themselves enjoying all the Chrome extensions and add-ons that make infographic creation fun. One of them loved my share of Fireshot, an image capture tool that works in Chrome (also try Full Page Screen Capture). Another liked the mention of Windows tools like  PicPick and the venerable Snipping Tool.

Curious about what session participants came up with? See their incomplete creations linked below.

Alison

Kim

Marcie

You can see more pictures of infographic makers. Check out creations from others in the session, including Korie’s “The Qualities of a Great Student” as well other infographic templates at Infographics Made Simple website.

Note to K-12 Students:

If you are a student using G Suite for Education, you may be unable to access the Google version of these infographics. That’s because your school district has NOT allowed you to access resources outside of your school district domain. Get a teacher to access the resources here, then share them with you using your school district domain. OR, use a personal Gmail account.

 

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leaders
LeadershipProfessional Learning

The Year of Developing Leaders

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

You have checked your list twice as you prepare for school getting ready to start again. You have planned with your team and prepared your agenda for the first meeting back. You are ready to motivate and inspire as teachers and administrators begin a fresh year. But have you planned to look for teachers and administrators who show qualities that would make them great leaders?

When I was teaching junior high, a friend of mine who was an instructional specialist asked me to consider applying for an opening they had in the Instructional Technology Department. They had asked me to apply for prior openings, but my response was always the same, “I’m enjoying teaching in the classroom. Why would I leave it?” Somewhat convinced that I was planning to retire in the classroom, my friend said he wouldn’t bother me any more about job openings, but still thought I would be a great asset to help a wider audience. Needless to say, I applied and got the position and later rose to be director of the department. In that experience, though, I realized that they had been looking at me for a while and saw something more in me than what I saw.

We have the opportunity to work with so many people on a regular basis. Many of them show great potential in becoming leaders if they had someone to walk along side them and help develop those skills. As Carnegie noted, “The older I get, the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.” So as you start this new year, here are a few items to add to your list as you go throughout your day.

Look for Talent in Future Leaders

Many folks can talk a good talk, but may lack the skill to put their words into practice. Others, though, may not say much, but are excellent at their work. Make note of these people and what they are doing that is making a difference. For many, it may not be that they received special training, but that it comes naturally to them. These may also be the people who just assume that everyone has these same skills and therefore doesn’t consider themselves as special, gifted, or talented.

Have Open Conversations

When you see skills in others, be sure to let them know that you recognize those attributes and encourage them in using those skills. You may be the lone voice that ignites a desire for them to make a difference on a larger platform. If you have an idea of where that skill may be needed or may be a great asset, then say something like, “You are really good at explaining complex problems in a way that is understandable. Have you ever thought of a job in ____?” By articulating the skills that you see in them and sharing what a possible career trajectory might be for them in making use of that skill, you may inspire them to start considering additional growth opportunities.

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Sometimes we might tell someone that we would like them to come work for us or be in our department. We may even assume that they understand what our department does and many of the details on which we spend our time. Consider being more direct and invite them to shadow you or one of your staff members. You might ask them to help out on a particular project or initiative to give them some exposure to the job and connect with others already in those positions.

Mentor and Connect

When you find someone with skills and talent to develop even further, consider making it a more formal relationship. Let them know that you would be willing to help them gain additional skills and/or develop those skills you have noticed even further. If they are interested, then start considering how you can be a meaningful mentor. And if you find that you would like to mentor, but just don’t have the time or flexibility, the best thing you can do is to be a conduit for the person and help them connect with others that might be interested in their skills. You have contacts that you’ve made throughout your career and can refer them with confidence to specific connections to help them advance and grow.

Who Will You Develop This Year?

Just as you have made it a priority to be aware of other things that are important to you, think about how you can be aware of talent you come across this year and how you can help those folks develop and grow into leaders. So, who will you develop this year? We’d love to hear about how you’ve grown leaders in the past, as well as who you might be working with this year. Email me at bellis@tcea.org and let me know.

You can also share with them some of the events we have going on at TCEA to help them hone various skills, make connections with other like-minded educators, and get “in the know” of additional opportunities that come available. A few of the events include the Technology Acceleration Academy, Innovative Learning Strategies Conference, and the SysAdmin Conference.

 

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robot
Online Tools and AppsProfessional Learning

TCEA Responds: Making Connections

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

We are an organization that provides access to various digital resources for K-12 public and open enrollment charter schools. Over 95% of the eligible students (and teachers) in Texas now have access to these resources. One challenge, as an education partner, is getting these resources into the hands of teachers. TCEA has been a great place for us to connect directly with educators. I wonder if there are more ways to take advantage of the platform TCEA offers to reach our core audiences. Ideas or suggestions are greatly welcomed!

Thanks, Leandros

Dear Leandros:

Thank you for sharing the excitement and information. High access, low usage is, unfortunately, a common problem in K-12 education. The best products and resources, even if free, compete with many offerings. Some ideas came to mind that I’ll share below. May I share them with you?

Tip #1 – Write Guest Blog Entries

An easy way to reach connected educators, those most apt to take advantage of your non-profit educational resources, is to write guest blog entries. Write blog entries that address a specific problem, offer the appropriate solution, and align to curriculum standards. For example, I often encourage individuals and organizations to write a guest TCEA blog entry.  Add an infographic, video tutorial, and/or an audio reading of your blog entry or podcast that we can include.

Tip #2 – Create Powerful Visuals

Looking for different ways to get information, tips, and suggestions out there? Make informative graphics that share bite-sized pieces of data and best use scenarios. You can access some examples with templates in this TCEA blog entry. After creating them, I share them via social media (e.g. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In). A blog entry or video will accompany the infographic. Research shows that engagement on Twitter can be grown over time. Gain audience with more images than text, custom hashtags, links to blog entries, and blend Instagram with Twitter (IFTTT.com is the perfect tool to use to publish once and then share to many social media outlets).

Tip #3 – Collect Podcast Testimonials

Are educators using your product now? Find teachers who are using it, then feature them on a regular basis. Use a simple tool like Anchor.fm to create a podcast on the go with a smartphone. Anchor.fm will post your audio (record on smartphone, via web browser, or upload edited audio from your device) to Apple’s iTunes or Pocketcast and provide you with an RSS feed. Share the podcast link on Twitter with a visual. Do you have a subject matter expert? Perform short interviews (five to ten minutes) inviting others to respond. Publish each set of interviews as a podcast. Beef up the podcast with tips and suggestions.

Listen to TCEA TechNotes pocast.

Here’s an example of a podcast. You can find TCEA’s TechNotes podcast online at Anchor.FM

Tip #4 – Make Your Own Free Webinar Series

Many are creating free content and sharing it online. Avoid the fight to get people to sign up for your paywall. Instead, create free content that all can listen to, embedding suggestions for paid aspects of the services you provide. Create a webinar series that features your resources (maybe around a topic/content area), as well as several tools you can combine with it. Do one a week or month. Be brief (10-15 mins), start with a problem and offer solutions in authentic voice. Bring in guest speakers and announce it via social media. Spotlight amazing uses of your educational resource.

webinar schedule

Tip #5 – Setup Tweetmeets

Marjolein Hoekstra of OneNote monthly twitterfests fame first introduced me to Tweetmeets. Tweetmeets are like twitter chats where all questions and responses from guests are scheduled in advance. Participants think it’s happening live, but all posts (questions and answers) are pushed out on a schedule. This leaves the facilitator and guest(s) free to respond. Blend audio/video chats to add some excitement to the tweets. Do you have a local presence and active users? To kick off your Tweetmeet, do what Northside ISD in San Antonio, Texas does. Set up a face-to-face meeting with pizza in the evening to heighten engagement. You can track engagement with free tools, such as Twitter Archiving Google Tools. Here are some more suggestions.

Here’s what TAGS looks like in action:

Final Thoughts

As you consider the best way to share your education resources, remember to begin with enthusiasm. Commit to a short-term strategy that will advance your long-term goals. In this way, you can switch your strategy later on as the response grows.

 

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napkin pd
Content AreasiOS Tips and TricksProfessional Learning

Napkin PD: Solving Problems Together

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Creating engaging professional learning sessions that model PBL in a device-agnostic environment can be challenging. Come along as we explore a workshop design that focuses on solving problems together in a BYOD setting. You will also get the chance to see some of our favorite teacher-created products in this one and a half to three hour session.

Essential Elements

Before we jump into the project stations, let’s review a few components common to each. Each project station includes three components:

  • Explore
  • Adapt/Create
  • Share

In the Explore portion, participants are presented with a simulation of a real-life problem. They work to develop background knowledge in the key concept shared. In the Adapt/Create, they make connections between their own experiences as learners. Two ways to accomplish this include adapting an existing work in light of new information. The second way is to create a new product. After they create or adapt, they share that online with a global audience. Sharing is accomplished via a Seesaw Class space.

All project stations are designed to facilitate hands-on learning experiences. You can learn more about the reason why PBL remains a solid hands-on learning strategy to engage learners of any age. Let’s get started.

An example of a fanciful way of removing trash

Project Station #1: Dealing with Trash

In the Explore stage, participants are introduced to a problem. The problem is about communication, and involves learning how to use various iOS apps. In this case, the scenario is simple:

Your editor has just noticed a news story about trash on a small island. The problem involves local trash disposal issues in your hometown. The task involves providing information, raising awareness, and preparing a call to action for this Sunday’s television editorial.

Participants are encouraged to create a product that models various ways to solve the problem or interview experts on how to best get rid of trash on the island and around town. A variety of apps are provided.

Remember you can “app-smash” or combine the products of multiple apps into one. Participants also have access to other resources, as needed:

The goal is to provide time and an incentive to model collaborative problem-solving as learners explore various technologies intended for use on the Apple iPad, a device many districts have available.

Project Station #2: Parking Lot Solution

napkin pd

One example of a teacher-created product

In this project, a problem that takes advantage of drawing and communication tools is presented to participants. The first stage, Explore, includes the following:

In the school parking lot, there was a car accident between two teachers. Both complained that in the parking lot, the spaces were poorly designed and hard to navigate. How could you redesign the parking lot to minimize the likelihood of accidents and maximize the number of parking spaces?

In the Adapt/Create stage, participants are invited to use one of the tools below to redesign the parking lot and create a product they can share with the team.

A popular activity, participants found various ways to showcase their parking lot designs.

Project Station #3: Ghostwriters to the Rescue

In this tragic problem, participants assume the role of ghostwriters, called upon to finish a task.

A celebrated illustrator and author created beautiful picture books. Unfortunately, she died before she could finish. Help her editor and family create an illustrated story. Together, select pictures from the web and develop a story that models story/plot development. Create a short video with the first elements of a story.

Learners are encouraged to use one of the tools included to create a short video.

  • Image Sources
  • Google Slides
  • Screencastify
  • Nimbus Screenrecording

Participants are also invited to add interactive elements by incorporating a variety of media with a MMTS or inquiry-based hyperdoc. Resources include the following:

Creating hyperdocs or multimedia text sets can be engaging, if time-consuming for some participants. Often, working with video serves as a convenient alternative.

 

Watch video. One of my favorite creations. This team’s inventiveness captured the fun of the Elementary Technology Conference.

Project Station #4: Weather Forecast Needed

Ready to put your green screen skills to the test? Consider this scenario:

Congratulations! You have been selected as the new weather forecaster/meteorologist at the local news station. Budget cuts have made it impossible for you to travel to locations in the viewing area. The first weather forecast is coming up at 5:00 p.m. today.

Breaking News: An oil spill has taken place on the Galveston coast in the midst of a water spout.

Working with your team, take advantage of green screen technologies to create a weather forecast report for the local news broadcast. Your end product will be a video that will be run on the evening news.

Participants explore the DoInk Green Screen app (Watch the video ), as well as watch this Jonathan Wylie created sway. Participants are also encouraged to visit the Go Green resource page. It features videos, blog entries, a sketchnote of ten ways to get started with green screen for under $5, and much more.

This has resulted in several inspired creations that are sure to make you smile.

More Project Stations

The session includes two additional project stations focused on encouraging participants to collaborate and create an infographic or digital story of a screen play. In the last project station, participants rely on paper slides to create a presentation to address a serious global problem.

Turn Napkin PD into a Reality

Want to schedule TCEA professional learning for your school district that focuses on project-based learning? Fill out a TCEA logistics form, as well as attend our face-to-face conferences and the annual TCEA Convention. We can help you turn your napkin professional development plans into a reality. And be sure to check out other  “napkin PD” blogs here.

 

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Design Thinking
Content AreasProfessional Learning

Design Thinking Learning

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“How do you use 3D printing for more than printing toys?” asked Lisa Merrifield (East Central ISD), a workshop participant at a TCEA Makers event held in mid-May, 2018. The question is one I’ve heard time and again, not just for 3D printing. Getting students engaged with new technologies (e.g. 3D printing, Micro:bit, Minecraft: Education Edition, MakeCode) isn’t difficult. What can be tough is setting up environments where students grapple with a real-life problem that requires an engineered solution.

In this blog entry, we’ll explore design thinking, share a design thinking lesson plan format you can adapt for your own needs, and more. Let’s begin.

What is Design Thinking?

A wealth of information exists about design thinking. Some large urban school districts are embracing it at elementary, middle, and high school. One person contacted me this past May sharing that she would be responsible for professional development. Before we explore some of the questions she asked, let’s take a look at how some define it.

Design Thinking is an iterative process in which we seek to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems in an attempt to identify alternative strategies and solutions that might not be instantly apparent with our initial level of understanding. At the same time, Design Thinking provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It is a way of thinking and working as well as a collection of hands-on methods.
Source:Interaction Design.org

To save space and time, and since I’ve embedded the recursive process (with explanations) in my version of a Design Thinking lesson plan, I’ll skip the longer explanation. You can read the short version of my explanation online.

How Do I Begin Planning a Design Thinking Lesson?

This request arrived in my inbox after I finished facilitating the TCEA Lunch-and-Learn webinar (FREE for TCEA members):

“I’m presenting Design Thinking for K-2 and my coworker is presenting for 3-5. Our plan is for teachers to experience a design thinking lesson, explain design thinking, and then have them plan a lesson specific to their grade level for the start of the school year. That is where I’d like some guidance/template so they don’t feel totally overwhelmed.”

To respond to this request, I took the liberty of adapting a variety of online resources to create my own design thinking lesson plan form.

Design Thinking

Design Thinking Lesson Plan Template (View full-size version | Get a copy in Google Docs format)

This lesson plan template is designed to be completed online in digital format, either as a Word Online or Google Docs document. Source citations are included in the full-size version linked above. (A quick aside: Future design thinking blog entries will feature actual examples for 3D printing and coding).

How Do We Create a “Design Thinking” Classroom?

When we begin from a design thinking point of view, we start with an environmental scan. What works or doesn’t work around us? Who can we speak to to achieve deeper insight into how a problem slows or stops forward movement towards a goal? For classroom teachers, the challenge can involve setting situations that empower students to adopt a solution-based approach to problems. One key difference from problem-based learning (PBL) is that teachers define the problem, making curricular connections. It is tempting to do the same with design thinking. The easiest way to avoid this involves focusing on curriculum-aligned STEM Do It Yourself activities, including makerspace activities. These activities often introduce students to “making,” engineering without a well-defined problem. Four points to keep in mind:

  1. Empower student ownership. Students need ownership of the problems they begin to solve, not just engagement due to an interesting, teacher-created problem
  2. Create your own problem bank. Using a tool like Microsoft or Google Forms, invite others to share their problems. For example, for 3D printing, see this Design Thinking Problem Bank. You may also want to read How to Create Your Own Problem Bank and What Makes a Good Problem Bank.
  3. Put students in charge of selecting problems. Use a rubric like this one (click the link to get a copy) to get started. Remember, selecting a problem is a pre-Design Thinking process step. As a teacher you can do it, but it is better to empower students to empathize, ideate, and define the problem.
  4. Focus students on engineering as a key component (Source: Kindling STEM Learning). Given access to 3D printers and coding solutions, engineering a solution first with spaghetti noodles and marshmallows or duct tape wallets, can be powerful, inexpensive alternatives. Find more projects online.

Parting Thoughts

As you begin to institutionalize approaches like design thinking in your organization, support teachers’ efforts. To accomplish that, provide baseline design thinking professional learning. Also, put together design thinking projects and easy-to-gather resource collections to support these efforts. While some campuses executed FOSS kits with fidelity, others have flopped due to lack of access to supplies. Implementing a resource-intensive program isn’t new; just requires a systemic, systematic approach. Another component must involve instructional coaching that supports teachers in the field.

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make innovation possible
LeadershipProfessional Learning

Make Innovation Possible

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Finding ways to support professional learning specialists can be tough. In this blog entry, we will explore several ways you can build up your trainers. Put these ideas in place to maximize the learning opportunities your team has access to.

Find talent within your city.

New ideas are old ideas in other districts. “How do your trainers approach teaching technology integration?” asked one colleague. But she didn’t stop there. She went on to ask, “How are you bridging curriculum and technology silos?” Another question to pose is “How do you your digital coaches build instructional, content area capacity?”

Did You Know?

TCEA area directors are available to facilitate and coordinate meetings within their areas. Check with your local TCEA area director to find ways to build bridges between your team and others. Curious about how it works? Connect with Jeannine Freeman (TCEA Area 20 Director) for some ideas.

Develop a program in which you share your trainers with others. While fearful supervisors may want to put their candles under a basket, do better. Pool your ideas as part of area meetings. For example, in Area 20, technology directors meet to discuss problems and share solutions. Instructional technologists do the same. Avoid the pitfall of “We’re too busy to connect.” Use digital, collaborative editing tools to share what works (e.g. Google Docs, MS Word Online).

Find materials on the web.

What can’t you find online? More districts than ever share how they get digital education done. A simple Twitter DM, Appear.in, Skype, or Google Meet can give you a springboard to start from. Newbies often ask, “Where can I find a digital coaching meeting plan?” An internet search reveals many solutions. A powerful professional learning network (PLN) does it better. Build a network of people who will respond to your questions.

Did You Know?

TCEA (@tcea) can help you build your professional learning network (PLN). One way to start involves following TCEA’s professional learning directors, Diana Benner (@diben), Dr. Bruce Ellis (@drbruceellis), Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin), and Peggy Reimers (@preimers). Each has an area of expertise and they can point you in the right direction.

Short, focused searches on topics can save you a lot of work. Avoid the fallacy that you have to make everything from scratch yourself. Curate content, ask for permission, and cite your sources. Those three points will save others time and effort. Stand on the shoulders of your peers around the world.

TCEA Responds: Take advantage of this blog series that takes frequently asked questions and finds Texas-specific responses. Or jump into the TCEA Community and learn from your peers around the world there.

Learn with and from each other.

When I worked as a young teacher, I laughed at the idea of a veteran educator showing me how to use technology. I stopped laughing when I saw how she organized the class. I took notes on how she heightened group discussions. When students used technology, it had a deep impact. How we teach each other goes beyond what we know to how we learn. You can build on this knowledge by focusing less on content (how to…) and more on the technique used.

Did You Know?

A wealth of activities for engaging students is available online. Why not explore a few that you can adapt for use in a classroom with K-12 and/or adult learners?

Share what you know.

“Are you presenting at that conference in Houston?” my wife asked. Preparing to present helped me learn more. I came in contact with people that I wouldn’t have met walking the exhibit floor or sitting in a lecture hall. Engage others in a dialogue may help you rethink or reevaluate what you do.

Did You Know?

TCEA has several amazing events taking place this summer. Learn more about the Elementary Technology Conference, as well as academies focused on Adobe, Chromebook, and Microsoft. Technical support staff should mark their calendars now for the System Admin Conference in October 2018.

Tap into your technicians.

School districts divide their technology support staff into two distinct groups. One district decided to upgrade their technicians’ skills. The district recognized the enthusiasm of technicians to be more. To tap into that enthusiasm, they invited their technicians to become digital coaches. This allowed them to solve problems and model how to solve those to both students and staff.

Make Innovation Possible

Are you a school district leader? Make sure that you support professional learning within and outside the school district. Empower your team to connect and learn with others. The more permeable your district professional learning is, the greater the speed at which creativity and innovation will flourish. This will only benefit students, staff, and community.

 

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