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digital literacy
Digital LiteracyLibrariesProfessional Learning

Free Online Conference on Digital Literacy and Fake News

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

In an age when even many adults find it hard to tell fact from fiction, the San Jose State University School of Information is offering a free virtual conference on the topic of digital literacy and fake news. The three-hour web conference consists of an opening and closing keynote session and crowd-sourced presentations on the topic.

Presentations are specially aimed at library media specialists, but will be of interest to all educators. Questions that will be answered include:

  • How should library and information professionals address the issues of fake news, propaganda, and biased research?
  • What technical skills are required for critical thinking in the digital age?
  • As learners increasingly move from just consuming information to also socially producing it, what are the new requisite skills of critical thinking and decision-making?
  • What are appropriate uses for social media when conducting research?
  • What is digital citizenship in a global, globally-diverse, and often globally-fragmented world?
  • What work on digital literacy is available, what frameworks already support these efforts, what are the perspectives of the leading thinkers?

The keynote panel, moderated by futurist Bryan Alexander, will discuss the foundational relationship of libraries and librarians to media, information, and digital literacy. Panelists will dig into the role of libraries and librarians in addressing fake news, propaganda, and biased research. Social media for information gathering, the requisite skills for critical thinking and decision making, and digital citizenship in our globally diverse world will also be covered in this tantalizing conversation.

Registration for this engaging event on June 1 from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. PDT is completely free. And all registrants will receive links to the recorded sessions. This means that, even if you can’t attend the live sessions, you should register and then have access to all of the content whenever you have time for it, making it perfect for summer learning!

 

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TCEA Showcase
Educational TrendsProfessional Learning

What’s Hot in Ed Tech? A Sneak Peek at the TCEA Showcase at ISTE 2017

by Susan Meyer
written by Susan Meyer

There are so many incredible things happening in ed tech right now. From augmented reality to programming and robots, technology–when implemented well–can support student learning and create the next generation of confident, collaborative critical thinkers. TCEA is excited to share the latest innovations and how they can be applied to your classroom at our interactive playground at the ISTE 2017 Conference & Expo in San Antonio.

TCEA members from all over the country are coming to share their incredible wealth of knowledge. They’ll showcase what works in their classrooms, libraries, and schools and what doesn’t. As a sneak peek for our readers who will be attending ISTE 2017, we wanted to share some of what we have in store in the TCEA Showcase Area. This includes our exciting poster sessions and resource-rich demo slams.

If you’re not sure if you can make it to ISTE 2017 this June (although it’s not too late to register!), you can still gain a great overview of the trends, topics, and tools that will continue to revolutionize classrooms this fall.

Hot Topics

The interactive playground will be found in the TCEA Showcase Area at ISTE. Here, TCEA members will be leading the way with two-hour poster sessions on the latest in innovative educational technology. The sessions are more intimate than typical presentations, allowing attendees to casually drop in at any point and talk to presenters one-on-one. Here are just a few of topics that will be addressed, along with a quick crash course in why they’re getting so much buzz.

STEAM

The Department of Education predicts that STEAM careers will continue to grow at a rate of 14 percent over the decade–much faster than the national average. Even beyond workforce aspirations, helping students develop science, technology, engineering, art/design, and mathematics thinking will help them become better problem solvers and collaborators. And the tools used in STEAM can provide students with an outlet for creativity and new ways to communicate their learning.

Programming and Robotics

Coding and robotics programs are booming in schools because few technologies offer a better way to emphasize problem-based learning, allow for the direct application of knowledge, encourage hands-on creation in cooperative groups, and produce immediate results from new learning. Furthermore, digital and coding literacy is quickly becoming mandatory for students to understand the information-based technologies of the future. Programming and robotics curricula give students the skills and knowledge they need to keep up and succeed.

Augmented and Virtual Reality

Did you know you can recreate a 3D environment of a Civil War battlefield and have students experience a virtual field trip without ever leaving the classroom? Or they can imagine the classroom is a rain forest and learn about the environment while seeing bromeliads sprouting from the whiteboard and spider monkeys swinging from the ceiling. The possibilities for augmented and virtual reality being used in the classroom are almost limitless, once you learn some go-to apps and sites and how to use them.

Constructivist Learning/Maker Movement

Makerspaces provide students a place to problem solve and think critically without creative limits. They have a safe space to experience failure without consequences, to learn from those failures, and to set their own measures for achievement. Best of all, makerspaces don’t necessarily require a ton of tech, resources, or storage space to be implemented–all you need is the right attitude, approach, and strategies.

Learn how other educators are applying the above technologies and ideas in their schools! Check the ISTE 2017 schedule to find the dates and times of the topics that interest you.

Seeing Is Believing

In addition to the poster sessions at the TCEA Showcase, our incredible professional development team will also be putting on demo slams for attendees. These are fast-paced, 20-minute sessions that will provide resources you can immediately implement in your classroom.

These sessions are highly focused to give you an in-depth look at everything from digital breakouts to podcasting with Microsoft Sway. Have you wanted to learn how to annotate online videos or maximize your Chrome experience? Are you in need of fresh iPad math apps, classroom icebreakers, or terrific tools for social studies? Regardless of your grade level or curriculum specialty, there is a demo slam for everyone at the TCEA Showcase.

Register for ISTE 2017

There’s still time to register for the ISTE Conference & Expo, taking place on June 25-28 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. The conference is a great source for learning the latest in ed tech from innovative thought leaders. Learn more about registering for ISTE 2017 here. We hope to see you at the interactive playground for the TCEA Showcase this summer!

 

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Jim Knight talking about video coaching
Professional Learning

The Power of Video Coaching: A Conversation with Jim Knight

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

In today’s technology-enabled world, using video for professional learning is easier than ever. It is a readily-available and powerful tool that can transform teaching practice and positively impact teachers and administrators alike.

But how do schools get started using video? And what factors should they consider when implementing a video coaching initiative? I recently had a (video-based) conversation with respected author and researcher Jim Knight about these topics and how video can support a personalized and collaborative professional learning process.

How do you create an environment that supports video coaching?

It is crucial to create an environment that’s psychologically safe when educators are going to share with others. Teachers don’t want to bare their souls to a “Debbie Downer.: They want to receive feedback that’s encouraging and validating, not feedback that squashes them down. Video is all about opening up; so if school leaders can create a culture that’s psychologically safe, amazing things can happen. Really tight bonds can be made and a lot of learning can happen really, really fast.

I do believe that educators should have a choice about participating in using video however. It shouldn’t be a forced thing. And school leaders have to be the first ones to model the use of video. A teacher shouldn’t be expected to record him or herself if the principal or coach isn’t also recording themselves. Coaches have to get comfortable watching video of themselves and see what it looks like firsthand. And then once they’ve gotten some credibility because they’ve done it, they can share with teachers.

I also suggest coaches approach respected, informal leaders in the school to start the video process. Once other teachers see this person doing it, they will say “Well I guess if they are doing it, maybe I should do it too.”

How can you encourage educators who are new to video to start using it?

I think they just have to do it! Nobody likes to see themselves on video, at least not initially. And nobody ever says, “I’m younger and thinner than I thought when I looked at the video.” Sometimes you just have to get people to start recording themselves just to get used to it. Once educators get beyond the notion that they have to look like some movie star, they can start using it in meaningful ways. And that doesn’t take too long.

Another issue is that video presents individuals with a clear picture of reality, and that reality does not always match up with what’s in one’s mind. If teachers have it in their minds that they are really amazing at something, and then the video shows that’s not the case, they have to rethink who they are a bit, and that’s a difficult thing to experience. But most people want to be good at what they do, and to be good at what you do, you have to get a clear picture of where you are.

How can video expand the geographical scope of teachers’ professional learning and increase collaboration?

Video is a really powerful tool that has the ability to connect teachers in new and exciting ways. For example, say I was an 11th grade social studies teacher and I wanted to get really good at using a Frayer model to teach concepts. If I had a big enough group of fellow teachers who were using the same platform as I was to share videos of their teaching practices, I could watch their videos and find out how they are using the graphic organizer effectively and discuss instructional ideas. This opens up enormous potential for communication globally. How cool would it be if we could find teachers and start to share actual videos and discuss teaching strategies beyond Twitter groups and 140-character responses?

Even on a district-level, video can allow best practices to be shared more broadly. In large districts with multiple schools spread out, it might be hard to get all grade-level teachers to meet face to face. But with video, teachers can just open up their computer, share a video, and have the conversation right there. Plu,s it can be done asynchronously.

What factors help lead to technology – video coaching technology or other – being embraced by educators?

When technology is quickly embraced, it is usually really powerful and really easy. An iPad is a good example – anybody can pick it up and access the world through this little thing. It’s easy, it’s powerful.

Using video for professional learning has to be the same way. We already know it’s powerful. However, if it’s a real hassle for educators to share and upload the video, then it’ll fall by the wayside.

 

To watch the video of the conversation with Jim Knight in its entirety, visit blog.edthena.com/knight.

This is a guest blog by Adam Geller, the founder of Edthena. Jim Knight is a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning and the president of the Instructional Coaching Group. 

 

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certification
Announcements/Important DatesProfessional Learning

Congrats, Spring 2017 Certification Graduates!

by Ashley Weiler
written by Ashley Weiler

You work hard to be an exceptional educator. You already have the job and are busy day in and day out innovating teaching and learning for your students. You may even feel that you already have a firm grasp on technology tools like iPads and Chromebooks. But have you considered getting an additional certification in a job-specific role or on a particular device? There are many advantages to earning a certification. You will:

  • Stand out among your peers.
  • Ensure your knowledge is up to date and that you are proficient in it.
  • Provide additional value to your school by holding a certification in a specific area, becoming the “go-to” in that area.
  • Show your willingness and initiative to continue your education.

TCEA currently offers four certifications: Campus Technology Specialist, Technology/IT Director, Chromebook (Level 1), and iPad (Level 1). Each certification represents the mastery of valuable skills that focus on using technology tools in education.

Campus Technology Specialist Certification

This certification was designed for campus educators who want to develop and demonstrate their ability to integrate technology effectively and build capacity at the local campus level.

Spring 2017 graduates who have earned this certification include:

  • Lisa Adams Parks – Klein ISD
  • Ryan Asher – Humble ISD
  • Farhat Azam – Humble ISD
  • Janet Campbell – Lexington ISD
  • Veronica Castillo Baca – Harlingen CISD
  • Lindsay Franklin – Taylor ISD
  • Kelly Griffth – Humble ISD
  • Becky Johnson – Humble ISD
  • Janice Johnson – Humble ISD
  • George King – Humble ISD
  • Keith Kitts – Humble ISD
  • Antoinette Latham –Trinity Lutheran Downtown
  • Sherry Luna – Westwood ISD
  • Glenda Rose – TCALL
  • Lisa Smith – Gilmer ISD
  • Carolyn Winters – Humble ISD

Technology/IT Director Certification

Educators who wish to become (or already are) Chief Technology Officers or IT directors will develop the skills necessary to lead staff and students in the effective visioning, implementation, and use of educational technology.

Spring 2017 graduates who have earned this certification include:

  • Clara Alaniz – Plano ISD
  • Liz Brents – Jacksonville ISD
  • Kelli Erwin – Learning.com

Chromebook Certification (Level 1)

This certification was designed to help classroom teachers build foundational skills in using the Chromebook as an effective instructional tool with their students. This program is completely online and self-paced, making it convenient for educators with busy schedules.

Spring 2017 graduates who have earned this certification include:

  • Daniel Brillhart – Round Rock ISD
  • Angela Castro – Round Rock ISD
  • Lois Conovan – Round Rock ISD
  • Sara Coons – Round Rock ISD
  • Chelsea Eason – Round Rock ISD
  • Katie Eskridge – Round Rock ISD
  • Jenn Foster – Round Rock ISD
  • Jacqueline Garcia – Round Rock ISD
  • Natalie Hubert – Round Rock ISD
  • Sandra Husty – Round Rock ISD
  • Janice Johnson – Round Rock ISD
  • Sarah Kamas – Round Rock ISD
  • Lauren Kluck – Round Rock ISD
  • Lori Lind – Round Rock ISD
  • Leslie Long – Round Rock ISD
  • Colleen McColgan – St. Joseph Catholic School
  • Jolie Moulton – Round Rock ISD
  • Krystal Nguyen – Round Rock ISD
  • Sara Pavone – Round Rock ISD
  • Jackie Schiller – Round Rock ISD
  • Heather Solis – Round Rock ISD
  • Carrie Susong – Round Rock ISD
  • Christina Taylor – Round Rock ISD
  • Jennie Tidwell – Round Rock ISD
  • Kelley Weigland – Round Rock ISD
  • Jan Williams – Medina Valley ISD
  • Abby Williford – Round Rock ISD
  • Cindy Wilson – Yancey NC

    iPad Certification (Level 1)

    Classroom teachers with this certification demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills in using the iPad as an effective instructional tool with their students. This program is completely online and self-paced, making it convenient for educators with busy schedules.

    Spring 2017 graduates who have earned this certification include:

  • Rocio Alire – Plano ISD
  • Abraham Alvarez – Round Rock ISD
  • Dawn Carlson – Round Rock ISD
  • Lydia Coats – Round Rock ISD
  • Sara Coons – Round Rock ISD
  • Vanessa De Luna – Round Rock ISD
  • Selma Flores – Round Rock ISD
  • Chellie Forbes – Round Rock ISD
  • Jacqueline Garcia – Round Rock ISD
  • Emily Gardner – Round Rock ISD
  • Darla Hutchins – Friona ISD
  • Stephanie Kaynes – Round Rock ISD
  • Karla Laurence – Round Rock ISD
  • Leslie Long – Round Rock ISD
  • Jessica Lorence – Round Rock ISD
  • Stephanie Ludlow – Round Rock ISD
  • Lynn Martinez – Round Rock ISD
  • Carole Pattison – Round Rock ISD
  • Holly Pazos – Round Rock ISD
  • Jaime Pierce – Round Rock ISD
  • Laura Reeb – Round Rock ISD
  • Karen Searles – Round Rock ISD
  • Shannon Sieber – Round Rock ISD
  • Terri Strode – Round Rock ISD
  • Abigail Upton – Friona ISD
  • Krystall Williams – Round Rock ISD
  • Cindy Wilson – Yancey, North Carolina

Congratulations to all of our spring 2017 graduates!!

Interested in seeing you or your staff on this list? Register today or contact Ashley Weiler at aweiler@tcea.org. Group discounts are available for districts/campuses who want to register a group of their educators as a cohort; contact Dr. Bruce Ellis at bellis@tcea.org for more information on group discounts.

 

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online
ChromebooksGoogle Tips and TricksiOS Tips and TricksProfessional Learning

Learn on the Go This Summer!

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Can you believe that summer is almost here? As a teacher, I remember thinking about this time that I was much more ready for summer than the kids were. And, before I knew it, summer was soon to be over. But before you get too distracted with summer plans of travel, sleeping late, or bingeing on Netflix shows you haven’t been able to watch over the last few months, make plans to get your Chromebook (Level 1) certification or iPad (Level 1) certification. These two certifications are offered by TCEA and are both online and self-paced, which makes them easy to fit in your busy schedule…even during the summer. You can go through the courses while you are traveling, after sleeping late, and even in between your Netflix favorites. Below is a short description of each certification.

Chromebook (Level 1) Certification

chromebook certification imageThe purpose of this certification is to help educators build foundational skills in using their Chromebook as an effective learning tool in the classroom. As you go through the course, you will also be introduced to several of the Google Suite of tools to promote collaboration and critical thinking, and you will be provided opportunities to apply it to your content area or grade level. The capstone project for this certification is a lesson plan implementing some of the learned skills and tools within the grade level and content area of your choice.

iPad (Level 1) Certification

ipad certification imageThe purpose of this certification is to help educators build foundational skills in using the iPad as an effective learning tool in the classroom. As you go through this course, you’ll learn how best to use the features of the iPad to differentiate and support student learning. The capstone project for this certification is a lesson plan implementing some of the learned skills, features, and apps within a grade level and content area of your choice.

Besides gaining the skills and confidence of using your device more effectively with students, you’ll also receive 18 hours of professional development credit along with your certificate. If you are not a current TCEA member, each certification course is just $149; TCEA members can enjoy a reduced price of only $99. Why wait any longer? Go to http://ly.tcea.org/certifications and begin your certifications today! If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact me at 512-450-5396.

 

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showcase
AndroidiOS Tips and TricksLeadershipProfessional Learning

Showcase Your School’s Success

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Tell It! Tag It! Share It!” exhorted the #TxEdTuesday Twitter chat organizers. The goal? To capture and share what great things are happening in Texas K-12 public schools. Share it with whom? Legislators at the Texas Capitol Building in Austin, Texas, of course! Your motivation, however, may be a little more simple. Your desire may be simply to celebrate the awesome teaching and learning happening in your classroom, your school, and/or your district. In this blog entry, let’s explore three ways to achieve the mission of #TxEdTuesday with free tools you have on your mobile phone.

Note: This is another in an ongoing series on productivity tools for leaders and do-ers. Check back often to see more!

A Framework for Showcasing Success in Schools

Let’s take a look at the framework suggested by #TxEdTuesday and adapt it for our use in our own school or organization.

TELL IT
See: Tell the great things happening in your schools. Use pictures and videos.
Adapt: Use pictures, video, and audio you capture via interviews, snapshots, and vidcasts with students and teachers.
TAG IT
See: Tag your TX reps and senators. Use #TxEdTuesday
Adapt: Use the school hashtag when tweeting/Facebooking, and share that hashtag on all print publications, including t-shirts and baseball caps. Share the school hashtag at PTA meetings. Help people see the hashtag and understand they don’t need a Twitter account in order to follow it.
SHARE IT
See: Re-tweet and share stories from other great public schools.
Adapt: Encourage all campus staff, news organizations (in tandem with your district public relations team) to re-share tweets with the hashtag. Use Tweetdeck to quickly schedule tweets throughout the day featuring great content!

We can easily adapt this model for use in our schools. Even better, students, parents, and teachers can adapt the model. Let’s explore how.

#1 – Tell It!

Remember show-and-tell in school? I do. I was always a bit nervous about what to share with others in front of the class. The pressure of the audience kept my presentations short and to the point. Brevity in virtual show-and-tell efforts remains a welcome guideline to keep in mind. Here are some tips:

  • Use your mobile phone’s camera app to capture pictures and video clips. You probably use this already for personal stuff; take advantage of the native camera app for school success, too. If you want more sophisticated tools, read this blog entry featuring iOS and Android apps with photo tips.
  • Use Shadow Puppet EDU (iOS) or StoryMaker 2 (Android) to arrange your photos and videos. These apps allows you to add audio narration and background music, if you want. Keep it peppy and upbeat.
  • Set up a free blog like Dr. Tim Tyson did for Mabry Middle School that allows you to create an archive of all the great stories you’re sharing.
  • Create infographics using free, web-based tools featuring your school. Or ask students to create them!

Want to get more sophisticated? Consider one of these digital storytelling apps!

#2 – Tag It!

Go global with your sharing, and your school community will get the message. Aim just for your community, and you will certainly go unheard and unseen. And that would be a shame given the great things students and staff are about. Nothing is so exciting as seeing an international or national retweet of something your students are doing. In addition to inviting others to share using the campus hashtag, here are some quick tips:

      • Keep your hashtag short and to the point. Use Twitter Search to make sure your hashtag hasn’t been used by others.
      • Keep tweets brief: “Check out my students’ writing! #mycampusname” with a picture of student writing.
      • Check out the Participate.com chat hashtags and add one or two that will illustrate points. If your students are engaged in #coding or #STEM, then be sure to add the pound symbol (#) in front of those words.

#3 – Share It!

“I have other things to do every day. I just don’t have time to hunt down and showcase what students and staff are doing!” Be careful you don’t fall into the “I don’t have time!” trap and despair. Seeking and showcasing spectacular student work isn’t just your mission. Every staff member, student, and parent is responsible. Invite them to join you. Model appropriate hashtag usage. Consider these tips:

        • Take pictures throughout the day or week, then arrange them into a slideshow with music (easy to do with ShadowPuppet EDU on iOS). This will be shared as a video.
        • When including videos, post them to your school’s YouTube channel (use YouTube Capture app on iOS to make that easy), a Seesaw class blog, or Shadow Puppet EDU site if possible.
        • Only have time once a week? Take pictures from the previous week, then use Tweetdeck to schedule them in advance, one or two per day. This can eliminate the pressure of always being “on” with social media.

Showcase Your School

In his book, Digital Leadership, Eric Scheninger shares the story of Dr. Spike Cook. Dr. Cook moved from printed newsletters sent home several times a week to a regularly-updated online blog. Blog entries featured images, video, text, and more. These blog entries make it easy to share content and create a digital archive organized in reverse chronological order. You need only update the blog once a week, but capturing and showcasing amazing learning at your school, well, that’s a rewarding venture for leaders and do-ers!

Need help showcasing your school’s work? Ask a TCEA Director of Professional Development to help you get started! Reach out to Dr. Bruce Ellis (@drbruceellis or via email to bellis@tcea.org) or fill out a logistics form.

Find Out More

Want to learn other ways to save time and be more productive at work? Attend the Productivity Tools for Administrators on Thursday, June 15, 2017 in Austin. The one-day learning experience is guaranteed to provide you a wealth of hands-on activities to ensure you walk away with the tips and techniques you need to do more in less time. Register here.

 

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tech skills
MicrosoftProfessional Learning

Shifting the Conversation: Basic Tech Skills

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Do you by chance know of a good basic list of tech skills that every teacher should know? If so, do you have a formal assessment for this?” asked a TCEA member recently of a colleague. “We’re a Microsoft district,” the member added. In this blog post, we’ll explore a list of expectations for teachers. We’ll also discuss some suggestions for formal assessments.

Shifting the Conversation

When asked what my list of basic technology skills are, I head over to Google, er, I mean, Bing, and do a quick search. There are a million lists of basic tech skills. The real question isn’t “What are the basic tech skills teachers need to have?” but rather: “How do you fundamentally expect them to shift teaching and learning for themselves, each other, and their students?” That question is more fun.

One simple way to shift the conversation involves asking yourself “How do students in classrooms today learn best?” For example, take a look at this chart (Source: Adobe Education Report) about Generation Z students:

shiftingTeachers working with Generation Z have some changes to make in their classrooms. You can break the expectations down in simple ways:

  1. Using digital media (videos/podcasts)
  2. Learning through hands-on experiences
  3. Developing team-building skills
  4. Solving real-world problems

How do these changing expectations impact basic technology skills that all teachers need?

Basic Tech Skills: A List

In the space below, you will find items relevant to the four expectations of teachers today expressed above:

  1. Using digital media (video/podcasts)
    1. Create folders to organize content.
    2. Organize files into folders, copying files from one folder to another.
    3. Work with filenames and extensions.
    4. Record screencasts with Powerpoint and Office Mix.
    5. Record a podcast with MS Sway online.
    6. Capture and share a whiteboard recording (audio+annotation) with Microsoft Snip.
    7. Record and edit audio clips using programs like Audacity (free).
    8. Record and edit video using programs like Shotcut (free).
  2. Learning through hands-on experiences
    1. Model and support the use of digital ink for learning enhancement.
    2. Create models for 3D printing using tools like SketchUp Pro/My.SketchUp (free for Texas schools via TCEA), Tinkercad, and Microsoft Paint 3D.
    3. Make and take in classroom-based maker spaces that incorporate coding (e.g. Creative Coding through Games and Apps (CCGA), TickleApp (view compatible drones) and DroneBlocks (view compatible drones), each of which works with different drones. This type of programming can be introduced to students using MIT’s Scratch and Scratch, Jr.
  3. Developing team-building skills
    1. Rely on GPS-enabled devices for geo-caching activities as a team or create activities for others.
    2. Have students form teams and then make a social justice video using their devices. Then publish the videos online using YouTube.
    3. Engage students in problem-based learning scenarios that require them to collaborate and communicate to solve a problem. Deepen the difficulty by separating them into different rooms (or work with another classroom) and work at a distance using an instant messaging/video technology of choice (e.g. Skype).
    4. Students can also construct virtual representations of learning tasks in virtual spaces (e.g. Minecraft: Education Edition).
  4. Solving real-world problems
    1. Adopt BreakOut EDU methods for use in the classroom.
    2. Encourage students to use Office 365 (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite) to engage in real-world data analysis to solve problems.
    3. Create problem-based scenarios using Powerpoint and Office Mix with built-in assessment.
    4. Enter students in the 3D Design Contest offered each spring by TCEA where they must solve an authentic problem using the design engineering process.

Bringing It All Together

If you’re working on developing teacher skills aligned to student learning needs, then here are three more tips to keep in mind:

  • Engage with Problems: Engage learners in the authentic purpose of solving a problem (problem-based learning/inquiry-based learning).
  • Encourage Collaboration and Implementation: Encourage and support adult learners as they collaborate on projects–sharing their own life experiences–focused on the creation of tangible product(s) with modeling and safe implementation opportunities.
  • Amplify Learners’ Voices with Tech: Amplify human voices with technology as they gather stories and share them (blogging, podcasts, video, media collections).

Conclusion

With these, any professional learning you invite educators to can be enhanced to achieve much of what they need to better meet learners’ needs. Be sure to visit the Microsoft Education Community for access to free professional learning that includes micro credentials (e.g. badges) that teachers can earn and share. And, of course, remember that TCEA Microsoft Innovative Education (TCEAMIE) Master Trainer Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin; mguhlin@tcea.org; 800-282-8232) is available to work with your campus or district to help develop skills with your staff.

 

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BYOT
BYODCTO/CIOProfessional Learning

Strategizing Your BYOT Implementation, Part 4

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Note: This blog post is part of a continuing series, Strategizing Your BYOT Implementation.  Be sure to read other blog entries relevant to BYOD.

“We have spent three years in professionally developing teachers,” shares Dr. Joy Rosseau from Arp ISD, “on how to manage, deliver, create, implement, and appropriately select digital content, resources, and third party services to build on their TEKS and student needs.” Given BYOT in many school districts, helping teachers learn to deepen their blended learning expertise has become a priority for schools. A casual search reveals several Texas districts are already engaged in BYOT/BYOD implementations, such as Lewisville, Northwest, Abilene, Richardson, Fredericksburg, Judson, Lumberton, Allen, Elkhart, Nederland, and Harlingen ISD.

Vocabulary Term: “Blended learning” is an instructional approach that includes a combination of online and face-to-face learning activities.

Dr. Joy also shares this advice:

  • Teachers should first have access to or have created digital content before students need to bring their own device.
  • Teachers should work together, building expertise that caters to their students’ needs.
  • Teacher lesson plans should reflect that they are at least working at LoTI Level 3 (and preferably Level 4b – comfortable with digital online resources).

Dr. Joy hits upon key ideas essential to the adoption of BYOT-friendly instructional methods. Let’s summarize them below:

Key Idea #1 – Create Digital Content

There are an array of technologies usable for creating content. Here are a few:

  • Screencasting tools (e.g. Screencast-o-Matic , Screencastify , Nimbus Screencapture/Screenrecording, Office Mix) make it easy to capture videos of your screen. Screencasting is also a great way to to provide feedback for digital authors, whether from teacher to student or student to student.
  • Video reflection tools, great for assessment as well as content creation, include: Flipgrid.com , Recap, Vialogues, and VideoNot.es. Find out more about these.
  • Interactive assessments with EdPuzzle and Educannon. These last two allow you to use only what you need from any video, insert audio notes, or record over a video with your voice. You can add questions at any point in the video and track your students’ understanding.

Key Idea #2 – Increase Teacher Collaboration

byot
Source: Adapted from the work of Dr. Dawn Wilson and Dr. Katie Alaniz

As research shows, here are some of the requirements for professional development that works:

  • Supportive of teacher collaboration via coaching and mentoring
  • Job-embedded and specific to academic content
  • Ongoing, sustained, intensive (40+ hours), and includes technology
  • Focused on implementation in the classroom
  • Strong assessment component for both teacher and student
  • Supports reflection about strategies and implementation
  • Creates a culture of continuous professional learning

These make it imperative that teachers be supported in their implementation of BYOT instructional methods. “One and done” workshops or webinars are insufficient.

Key Idea #3 – Blend Technology into Pedagogy in a Routine, Learner-Centric Manner

Dr. Joy Rosseau highlights Dr. Chris Moersch‘s Levels of Teaching Innovation (LoTi) levels 3 and above. Consider, however,  Levels 4 through 6:

  • At a Level 4, students are fully engaged in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. The teacher is within his/her comfort level with promoting an inquiry-based model of teaching that involves students applying their learning to the real world. Student use of digital tools and resources enables them to answer student-generated questions that dictate the content, process, and products embedded in the learning experience.
  • At Levels 5-6, collaborations extending beyond the classroom are employed for authentic student problem solving and issues resolution. The emphasis is placed on learner-centered strategies that promote personal goal setting and self-monitoring, student action, and collaborations with other diverse groups (e.g., another school, different cultures, business establishments, governmental agencies, etc.).

Conclusion

Some might suggest that while BYOT environments enjoy Level 6 technology access, they are actually at a much lower level of teacher and student use of technology in support of academic learning. It’s not the technology that lags behind, but rather the professional learning that focuses on inquiry-based models and how digital tools and resources can enhance learning. Focus on inquiry-based learning and leverage technology for cooperative learning and problem solving at a distance.

 

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Good TeachingProfessional Learning

Facilitating Online Social Learning Experiences

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

As any teacher knows, truly engaging learning is social. Whether we share what we have learned with others or we undertake the learning journey together, little true learning occurs in isolation. Online learning environments that fail to create a social learning space will therefore fail. As educators, we have to be careful to avoid trying to engage students in online learning environments with face-to-face approaches as the effects of F2F engagement methods may be different than what we expect. Here are some tips that may be helpful to you in facilitating online social learning.

 Tip #1 – Address the logistics of the course.

Logistics can include how often students should login and participate in the course, assessment rubrics, etc. Take a moment to plan out your course, including elements like the ones found below:

  • Craft a syllabus.
  • Develop an assignment checklist.
  • Streamline organization of the course by chunking or “modularizing” content. This makes it easy for learners to break off and then dive back into the learning that comes in bite-sized pieces (e.g. 5 minutes).
  • Blend text, audio, and video into the content. For example, instead of just typing intro text for a welcome, use Voxer (audio example) , FlipGrid/Recap (video), or MS Sway with audio to create interactive content.

These best practices enable your virtual students to work their way through the content for a specific topic within the overall course of study. Tools like Google Sites, Microsoft OneNote, and Slack (to mention a few) are great ways to create an online course. Whatever you use, you are creating a virtual space where course materials can be housed and, more importantly, interacted with.

Consider Slack as a course tool. It features app integration, making it a powerful tool for a virtual, social learning space. For example, Appear.in allows for interactive video chats that can be embedded in Slack. Slack channels also make it easy, as you can see in the screenshot below, to organize around key areas:

Image 025

And, of course, Slack comes with a handy mobile app for quick anytime, anywhere access.

 Tip #2 – Blend multimedia into your online learning environment.

“These videos and articles put so much more into place and answered many of the questions that I had,” shared one online course participant. You can accomplish this by including audio, pictures, or video testimonials from former students and course introductions by district facilitators. Drop audio/video recordings into the conversation. Participants love it when you mix it up! This kind of personalization helps build a real connection with course participants. Take advantage of screencasting and video recording tools.

Tip #3 – Stay in touch.

While you will be staying in touch with participants in discussion/chat forums, you can also send them updates via email. Two tools that can facilitate connections include the following Google Sheets add-ons: Yet Another Mail Merge  and formMule . Both work as bulk email tools that make it easy to send information out.

Tip #4 – Set up a technical support forum.

If someone hasn’t logged in, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call them or send an email a day until they respond. The power of support forums is that when your online learners start to come together as a community of learners, they start to help each other out and respond to each other’s problems.

Tip #5 – Scaffold learning conversations.

Part of your scaffolding and support involves providing regular feedback and interacting with participants online. This is especially important up front since your level of activity serves as a model for the level of interaction students will exhibit when you are present, but not as active. This initial high interactivity sloping down to omni-presence enables participants to learn to rely on each other for answers, rather than on you.

Another tip includes summarizing, or landscaping, the ongoing chat. And don’t be afraid to remind everyone what expectations are at regular intervals (such as at the start point, midpoint, and end-point). This helps everyone stay focused.

Tip #6 – Avoid question lists.

Focus discussions around ONE central question that resembles an ill-structured problem, very much like the PBL method. For example, consider how many questions are introduced in this discussion prompt. Each question achieves equal status for the participant; how could one question or scenario help participants focus?

Tip #7 – Encourage self-reliance.

Encourage people to discover each other’s strengths and what they each have to bring to the table. One of the most rewarding aspects of online learning conversations is that people discover each other, and themselves, online.

As online learners discover the benefits of learning online for themselves—especially when they work with other people—that positive reaction will engulf your online professional learning program.

 

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Professional Learning

Accelerate Your Learning: Adobe Academy

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Looking for hands-on learning on important Adobe products? Maybe you need some tips to streamline your workflow? Developing new workflows can take time you may not be able to spend. Instead, accelerate your Adobe learning! Join TCEA members at the 2017 Adobe Academy. You will learn how to tweak your workflows for Adobe products. You will also walk away with fresh ideas for teaching Adobe products to your students. Finally, you will build relationships with other educators who use Adobe.

Accelerate

TCEA’s 2017 Adobe Academy will help you resolve a variety of issues. This two-day academy is designed for those seeking enhance their work with Adobe tools, such as Photoshop, Premiere, and others. The Adobe Academy will take place June 20-21, 2017 at the  TCEA headquarters in Austin. These two days will provide you with actionable information and skill-building.

About Adobe Academy Sessions

You’ll be able to choose from a variety of concurrent sessions. These should help you tailor your learning to best meet your own needs. You’ll be inspired and motivated throughout the day. Lunch will be fantastic. You will also leave with handouts from all of the presentations. A few session titles appear below, but you can find the complete list online at the link above:

  • Photoshop Design: Selection and Masking
  • Photoshop Design Series: Drawing and Painting with Wacom Tablets
  • After Effects: Time-based Typography 1 and 2
  • Preparing for the Adobe Certified Associate Exams
  • Premiere Pro: Editing Tips and Tricks

How to Register

You can register online at a cost of only $239. TCEA will provide lunch for both days. But wait, there’s more! Each paid registration will receive a one-year TCEA membership, access to all session materials, and membership in the TCEA Adobe Academy community!

New information for this article was added on 5/30/2017.

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