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cts academy
Announcements/Important DatesProfessional Learning

Helping Instructional Pros Stay Resilient through Change

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

You’re working to deliver meaningful learning experiences no matter the circumstances. Whether you’re a classroom teacher looking to better integrate technology, a campus tech professional, an instructional coach looking to make the lives of students and teachers easier, or even a department head hoping to level up your team’s tech tools, the sixth annual Campus Technology Specialist Academy from TCEA is designed to help you reach your goals.

This all-digital event will be packed not only with timely and thoughtful sessions, but also fun and exciting ways to connect with your peers and build your capacity for education, even as the ways we deliver education continue to shift and change. That’s why this year’s theme is “Building Resilience through Change.” Learn more about the theme and goals of this event here.

Who, When, and Where

This academy includes three days of live, cutting-edge learning. But that’s not all. We’re also giving registered attendees the opportunity to enjoy on-demand sessions streaming for up to 30 days.

Join us November 18–21 for engaging presentations, then explore more ideas and inspiration on demand from November 19–December 17, letting you control the pace of your professional learning. 

Who attends? Anyone interested in better integrating technology into learning, from department heads to classroom teachers and librarians to instructional coaches, this event is built for you. If you’re interested in boosting your school’s use of technology for learning, you’re invited.

Sessions that Matter

In selecting presentations for the CTS Academy, we worked to make sure that they were engaging, timely, and sometimes surprising. More than anything else, we want to provide concrete ideas and lasting inspiration — as well as a network of active educators — to help you bring new learning to the classroom, campus, or district.

Take a look at a few of the sessions below and explore the complete list of sessions here. 

  • November 18
    • The Essentials of Online Lesson Design
    • Providing Effective Coaching in a Fast-Paced Digital World
    • Not Just Sports: Life as a Digital Learning Coach
  • November 19
    • Merging Digital Learning and Content: It’s All Teaching and Learning
    • High-Yield Instructional Strategies with Google
    • CTS Think Tanks: Attendee-Built Topics to Solve Problems and Put Our Minds Together
  • November 20
    • Yoga for Early Risers
    • Let’s Keep Students Engaged!
    • Movement Breaks for Better Learning
    • Social Emotional Learning – A Must for Today’s Classroom

Getting Interactive

It’s not just thoughtful presentations that you’ll enjoy at the CTS Academy. You’ll also have to chance to meet with participants the evening before during the sessions kick-off event, as well as at TCEA’s Game of Games and a CTS Watch Party where you can binge watch on-demand sessions together together. There will also be ongoing Twitter chats and more ways to connect and have fun!

Building Resilience with TCEA

You can take part live during the event or online. Plus, registration includes a one-year membership (or membership renewal) in TCEA. That means you can enjoy meaningful professional learning and network-building all year long. Registration is only $159 for 30 days of learning, but act fast — the event starts soon.

Ready to level-up your learning? Join us at the TCEA Campus Technology Specialist Academy!

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flipgrid
Educational TrendsGood TeachingProfessional Learning

Four Features to Make Better Use of Flipgrid

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

You have probably already heard of Flipgrid and perhaps even started using it, at least to some degree. It definitely seems to be the perfect tool to support students in many ways, not to mention using it as a way to provide peer- and content-support to teachers.

As I have worked with teachers and administrators, though, it seems that most folks using Flipgrid aren’t making the most of some great features it offers. I usually hear from educators, after sharing Flipgrid as part of a larger training, that they wish they knew about the features sooner and are stoked to start using it in even more engaging ways. You could say that they caught #flipgridFever!

Update Your Profile

Begin by making sure that your profile is updated. Don’t be shy. This will allow others to better connect with you. Click on your image in the top right and select Profile. Select a photo or avatar for your profile picture. If you have a picture that has a busy background or you want to use a quick editing tool to remove the background (as I did on my bitmoji image), go to remove.bg, upload, and edit your image as needed.

Once done editing, download your image and upload it for your profile by clicking on your current Flipgrid profile image. For your account information, be sure to choose all the grades and subjects that you have experience with. Complete the most current bio description of who you are and what you do within the 256-character limit. Lastly, share how you would like to connect by providing any social media information or links. When done, click the Update Profile button. Now, let’s jump into some useful tools.

1. GridPals

GridPals is, as you may have deduced, Flipgrid’s version of pen pals. It’s a super easy way to connect with other educators and enthusiasts to further learning and improve education.

Begin by clicking on the #GridPals link at the top of your Flipgrid screen (assuming you are on a computer). Change your status from Hidden to Active so that you and others can find each other and connect. A window will pop up allowing you to edit your profile and add the location where you are. For mine, I entered Austin, Texas, United States. Click the Next button to continue. You are now able to give permission for other GridPals to contact you. Plus, Flipgrid never shares your contact email with them until you reply, so you have complete control. Edit/add any social connections if you would like and then click the Join GridPals! button. Woohoo! You are now in the GridPals group!

So, what do you do if you don’t have students? Why would you want to be a part of GridPals? Even if you don’t have students, you might be asked to share with a group of students because of your job or area of expertise. It also helps you stay up-to-date on how others are using Flipgrid in the classroom, from early childhood up through college!

2. Disco Library

Yep, Flipgrid has a disco library. Well, in layman’s terms, it might better be called a template gallery, but “disco library” is so much more hip and exciting!

In the Disco Library, you can access templates that other educators have created to spark new ideas of interacting with your students, as well as jump start your process. No need to start a topic from scratch if someone else has already created it for you. Flipgrid also lets you know the following when you enter the Disco Library:

  • No student videos will be shared when a Topic is added to the Disco Library.
  • You can edit Topic information before or after you share. Topics can be removed at any time.
  • Other Flipgrid educators will not see that you’ve added their Topic template and vice versa.

Using Weekly Hits

The #FlipgridWeeklyHits shares 50 topic templates that you might be interested in. You can scroll (left-to-right) through the list of thumbnails or click on the View All link to jump down to the list as a set of search results. Scrolling through the list, I have found several that spark creative ideas of how I can support students that I haven’t thought of before using a specific student standard, or support teachers with a unique area to share on a particular topic that is meaningful to those like-minded teachers. It’s almost like a PLN (professional leaning network) in Flipgrid!

After clicking on the View All link, you will drop down to the list and be able to see who the topic template creator identified as the audience, the subject area, how many times it has been used, and how many favorites it has. Just click on the topic template to get more information about the topic. If you want to use it, just select which of your grids you want to add it to.

Featured Disco Playlists are sets of topic templates provided by various organizations such as code.org, Wonderopolis, Hacking for STEM, and more. When you find topic templates that you like, either as part of a playlist, a weekly hit, or ones that you find by using the search feature, click the Add to Favs at the top of the descriptive window about the template. This will allow you to begin creating your own playlist of favorites to share with others.

Using the Disco Library

The easiest way to add one of your topics to the Disco Library is to go to the list of topics within the grid you want to share. If you want to share multiple topics to the Disco Library, you’ll need to share each one individually. And remember, no student videos currently in your topic will be included in the template.

Right-click on the Actions button of the topic you want to share and select Add to Disco Library. Your topic will be submitted to the Flipgrid team to review for appropriateness and value. You will notice your stats near the top letting you know how many topics you’ve added (once they are accepted and added), how many times they have been used, and how much video engagement (hours/minutes/seconds) has been generated.

3. MixTapes

No, this isn’t creating mixtapes on cassettes like we might have done back in the ’80s and ’90s to give to someone special. This is a whole new way of sharing — but based on the same principle.

A mixtape is a compilation of any videos that are in any of your topics, in any of your grids. Begin by adding a new mixtape, which really means creating a folder for the videos you want to add.

Once a mixtape is created, go into the various topics and locate the videos you want to add. Right-click on the Actions button of the video to add and select Add to MixTapes. Select the specific mixtape to add it to and click the Add button. Voilà! You are now on the way to being a mixtape master. Now all you need to do is go to the specific mixtape and click on the blue Share button. You can easily share you a specific mixtape via url, QR code, embed code, Google Classroom, and via Remind.

Using MixTapes

Consider making a mixtape as a study aid or glossary for your students as they review information for a major test. If you work with teachers, then consider creating a mixtape of them sharing ideas of how they are making a difference in their classroom or how they are implementing a particular strategy in their classroom that the whole campus (or district) is working on.

For example, if I’m working with ELA teachers across the district, I may create a topic in which they share how they are implementing the new ELA standards, tips or tricks they have to share for other teachers, or ways they are implementing something they learned while in our district professional development time. I could then make a mixtape of several of the videos to create a synopsis of great things that are going on, and I might share this mixtape with principals so they can get an idea of how ELA teachers at other campuses are setting an example.

4. Shorts

Shorts are brief videos, no longer than three minutes, that you (as the teacher) can create to share how-to’s, introduce a lesson, provide a video note to parents, or just share an update.

Once created, you can share in a variety of ways: by url, embed code, QR code, Google Classroom, via Remind, or download and share via Google Drive or YouTube as you might normally share a video. As when students are creating a video, you can add a filter, stickers, text, draw on the video, and even make use of Live Inking on a whiteboard or blackboard.

Live Inking is great when you have a digital pen or slate (so your writing is more legible) to use and need to create a quick tutorial video on something such as how to solve a binomial equation, explain in a simple manner what cloud computing is, or some other situation where it is helpful for the person to see you illustrate the concept or skill while hearing you talk; in this instance the video isn’t on you but just the white/blackboard is being recorded. And if you right-click on the More icon (the three dots just to the right of the record icon), you can upload a sticker, which could signal to the students the topic or subject area or could be used as simple branding of your videos.

How Do You Use Flipgrid?

So how do you use Flipgrid? Which feature(s) have you found to be the most impactful? Even if you haven’t had a chance to use Flipgrid, have you come across an innovative way to incorporate it in the teaching and learning process or in professional development? We’d love to hear from you!

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TCEA 2020 Convention
Announcements/Important Dates

Don’t Miss the TCEA 2020 Convention

by Robert Bennett
written by Robert Bennett

I’ve worked with conventions and meetings for about nine years now, whether it’s managing registration and membership, coordinating vendors, or scheduling speakers and sessions. That’s just a constant of all volunteer associations when it comes to events of such size: It’s all hands on deck, and everyone wears lots of hats.

However, another constant of conventions and meetings is that their largest competitors aren’t necessarily one another — that is, one conference competing against others for attendees.

Rather, the biggest competition is simply a lack of awareness.

Awareness Raised about the TCEA 2020 Convention

I can’t begin to count the number of times I visited members and constituents and mentioned an event we were planning – an event that was often years in the making, the product of countless volunteer hours and staff work, supported by a months-long marketing campaign — only to be met with a blank stare and the comment “So… What is that, now?”

Really, this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. People are living their own lives, and they aren’t waiting with bated breath for news of the next conference taking place here or there. And due to the eruption of technologies and media, we have more choices than ever for what to do with our time. Add to that here’s more competition for those choices, meaning it’s easy to get lost in the crush of marketing noise.

What is surprising, though, is that TCEA is different. Since I joined TCEA as Director of Membership and Engagement, I’ve noticed that the buzz surrounding our marquee event is substantial.

“I Love Your Convention!”

For example, I was at an educational event and trade show recently and was stationed in our TCEA booth to meet with attendees and let them know a little about who we are and what we do and to mention our upcoming convention to folks who might be interested. However, time and time again, I had no opportunity to do this. Because almost all the people who came to my booth already knew all about the TCEA convention – and had nothing but glowing things to say about it.

“I love your convention!” one attendee said. “I’m going this spring!” Others said they were sending their staff in their place, and were, quite frankly, a little jealous. Still others said they couldn’t make it this year, but dutifully took notes on where the convention would be taking place next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.

This left me more than a little perplexed. This was not, in my experience, how things were supposed to go. I was supposed to talk with people, bring up the convention, be met with polite but mild bafflement, and hand them a little pamphlet in case they wanted to learn more. What was not supposed to happen was for all these attendees to know a lot more about the convention than I did, and be eager to learn more.

What the Buzz Is All About

The upcoming TCEA 2020 Convention, February 3–7, will be my first here at TCEA. I have to say, I’m definitely looking forward to learning what all the excitement is about. Personally, I’m looking forward to getting to meet face-to-face with thousands of dedicated and energized educators. If they’re this excited, how can I not be?

If you’re curious about TCEA 2020, don’t worry; there’s still time to register. Check out all the ways to learn and grow on our convention web page, and when you’re ready, make sure you’re registered. I look forward to seeing you there!

Photo: Spencer Selvidge

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professional development
Announcements/Important DatesProfessional Learning

Weave Together Perfect Professional Development

by Kristy Breaux
written by Kristy Breaux

TCEA is more than just an event, it’s a community. That’s why our annual TCEA Convention & Exposition is designed to create a professional development experience that meets the needs of a variety of dedicated educators, all sharing a vision for the future.

Every educator, from administrators to classroom teachers, faces a diverse array of challenges, and each deploys their own knowledge and skills in different ways. Put simply, no two teachers are alike. So when we planned our 2020 TCEA Convention & Exposition, we worked to ensure that a variety of different specialities and topics in education were addressed. We call these strands.

It’s our hope that over the five days of world-class presentations and conversations, you find resources from all the strands that touch on your work and professional learning. Here’s how you can weave together these strands to reflect your personal approach to education.

Step 1: Make Sure You’re Registered

You can’t jump into all that content if you’re not registered. Choose the badge type that’s right for you or your group and submit your registration here. Don’t forget, registration comes with a one-year membership or renewal in TCEA, so you can be a part of a vibrant education community year-round and continue the learning.

And remember: Registration prices will increase on January 10, so don’t delay!

Step 2: Explore the Strands

With over 1,000 expert-led presentations, it can be hard to narrow down the sessions that meet your requirements, interests, and needs. So check out the strands below, and find the ones that fit you for a customized convention experience.

  • Application Immersion: Deep dives into the use of a software or application so you can use the apps that increase learning with ease and confidence.
  • Leadership and CTO: Sessions designed to help decision makers find the best products, services, and purchasing practices, along with big-picture ideas for training and coaching, as well as district and campus visioning and leadership.
  • Library Media: Discover the latest and best in multimedia learning, including ways to engage students in the learning process, conduct research, and become responsible consumers of information and good digital citizens.
  • Online and Blended Learning: Insights to help you flip your classroom or augment your in-class work with the most effective virtual classroom technologies. Find the tech that helps keep learning going beyond the classroom.
  • Pedagogy and Instructional Design: Boost creativity and productivity, explore open educational resources, and find the tools and techniques for lesson planning, technology integration, and more.
  • Professional Development: Find new, effective ways to connect with peers, staff, and colleagues through technology, from strategies and models for making connections to the smartest means for measuring outcomes.
  • Special Populations: Best practices, new technologies, and proven strategies for supporting learning with ELL and bilingual students, GT and gifted students, and students with special needs.
  • Technology Applications and CTE Courses: Create computational thinking in the classroom and pick up the newest and most useful strategies and tools for teaching coding and CTE, as well integrating STEM/STEAM into teaching and learning.
  • Technology Support and IT: Upgrade the ways you keep faculty, staff, students, and parents safe online. Find the latest trends, tech, and techniques for securing network infrastructure, managing hardware and software, and providing technical support.

Step 3: Find Your Professional Development Sessions

Now that you’re excited, jump into the sessions that fit you. You can find all the sessions for TCEA 2020 online. Even better, you can search by strand or keyword and explore everything the convention has to offer.

It’s that easy! Although, if there were a step four, it would be: Start planning now — February will come sooner than you think. So get ready! We’re excited to see you there.

unsplash-logoPhoto: Sergio Gonzalez
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gt and cte
Professional LearningSpecial NeedsTechnology Applications

Earn Your GT Hours at TCEA 2020

by Kristy Breaux
written by Kristy Breaux

Educators know that each student learns differently. And today, many teachers specialize in a number of important areas, like providing enriched learning experiences to gifted students (GT). 

The 2020 TCEA Convention & Exposition is an event for all educators. That’s why TCEA is helping meet the needs of dedicated educators like you. Not only can attendance at TCEA provide critical professional development in your specialty, but you can also experience a world of informative sessions on all things education. Here’s why TCEA 2020 is right for you.

How TCEA Helps GT Educators

Teachers who have received the initial 30 hours of training in gifted education are required to receive six (6) hours of training yearly to maintain their eligibility to teach GT. Technology is a major component of the education of gifted and talented learners, and TCEA has identified sessions at our annual convention that are targeted for GT teachers and meet the six-hour requirement. 

Below are a sampling of the sessions that have been identified for GT teachers. You can view the full session list, and search by topic and audience, here.

  • Student Choice and Voice for the GT Student
  • Gifted and Talented Showcase with Makerspace Creations
  • Poster Sessions: Special Populations (SPED, ESL/ELL, GT)
  • A More Perfect Union: American History, Silent Sustained Reading, and Blended Learning
  • Growing the Workforce of Tomorrow: Business Plans, Shark Tank Survival, and Entrepreneurial Thinking
  • The GT Student Today
  • Fostering Student Agency with Flipgrid, ScreenCastify, and Twisted Wave
  • Whisper Courses: Micro-Learning Opportunities for Differentiation, Extension, and Management
  • Digital Choice Boards for the Win!
  • The Board Game Design Project, The Ultimate Interdisciplinary Project
  • Blended Learning/Personalized Learning/Student Voice, Now What?
  • Solution Circles: The GT Student Today

Intrigued? Find the professional learning you need — and much, much more — at TCEA 2020.

unsplash-logoPhoto: jose aljovin

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LeadershipProfessional Learning

Relationship-Building Tips for Instructional Coaches

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

Building strong relationships with those you coach is one of the most important things an instructional coach can do. In this blog, I mentioned how relationship building in coaching is one of the first things you want to do. While this can be a difficult task, there are some things you can do to help strengthen the bond with your coachee. Here are a few that I’d like to share with you.

Really Get to Know the Person You’re Coaching

At the heart of making a strong connection is understanding who you are coaching. Get to know them as a person. Move beyond the basic facts that you might already know and find out what is important to them, what their values and beliefs are, and what motivates them. You don’t have to be their best friend, but you do want to try to find common ground or that one thing you can connect on that goes beyond the content.

Share Your Story

You became an instructional coach for a reason. Share your story and your goals with those you coach. Let them know you care about them and want to help them grow as educators. This will help create a mutual understanding from the onset. Teachers might have different views as to what a coach is and what a coach does.  Sharing your story will help clear up any misconceptions and will help shape a trusting relationship.

Listen Patiently

As a coach, you might feel pressure to have the right answers all the time. It’s okay, and, in fact, really important to just listen to the teachers you coach and not immediately offer solutions. It is important to listen fully and completely understand the context of what is being said. If an idea pops into your head, write it down and don’t interrupt.

Problem Solve Together

It’s vital that you work together with teachers to problem solve. Instead of always providing the answers, try asking questions to help teachers solve their own challenges. Ask questions such as, “What have you tried?” or “What do you think?” Problem solving together will help create that true partnership. Remember that it is not your job to be the know-it-all. It is your job to help the teacher develop his/her own problem-solving strategies.

Get Feedback

One of main jobs that you have as an instructional coach is to give feedback. However, it is just as important that you receive feedback from the teachers you are working with. Create a survey or be open during your coaching conversations about receiving feedback. Ask those you coach how the relationship is going and how you can support them better. This type of two-way feedback is essential to building trust. In addition, you are modeling the openness you are hoping to see in your teachers.

building relationships

Provide Praise

When giving feedback, make sure you mention some of the strengths you are observing. Sometimes, we cannot see our own good qualities and are focused on the things we do wrong. It helps to build your relationship if you can identify some good things you are seeing.

Keep Working on Building Relationships

Know that building relationships takes time, so it might not happen right away. Relationship building works both ways. Both you and the person you coach must be invested in developing the relationship and this might take some time. Continue to find ways to keep working on the relationship if it doesn’t happen right away.

Use these tips to help you establish a solid relationship with those you coach. In addition, if you have some tips that have worked for you, please share them with us in the comments below.

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Graduates throwing their caps into the air.
Announcements/Important DatesProfessional Learning

Congratulations Certification Graduates!

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

TCEA would like to congratulate the dedicated and hardworking educators who have completed a certification with us during 2018 and 2019. These individuals have put in many long hours honing their craft, networking with peers, and preparing a portfolio showcasing their new skills and tools. They did an amazing job and should be congratulated on their success!

Campus Technology Specialist Graduates

Voltaire Archelus – Houston ISD

Kristy Bowers – Hempstead ISD

Janet Crawford – Medina Valley ISD

Kevin Engler – Seguin ISD

Lynne Gubichuk – Midlothian ISD

Nancy Hermes – Liberty Hill ISD

Leann Kidd – Northside ISD

Mary Kuterbach –  St. Patrick Catholic School

Lisa Lafond – Round Rock ISD

Karen McQuaid – Duncanville ISD

Hilary Miller – Merkel ISD

Gerardo Novelo – Hempstead ISD

Janice Stewart – Canyon ISD

Denise Shaffer – Beaumont ISD

Suzanne Taylor – Clarendon ISD

Emily West – Metairie Park Country Day School

Heather Womack – Lago Vista ISD

Courtney Young – Lampasas ISD

IT/Tech Director Graduates

Angelica Aguirre – Tahoka ISD

Linda Burrell – Austin ISD

Tony Brooks – Athens ISD

Melody Baker – Pampa ISD

Veronica Castillo Baca – Harlingen ISD

Larry Dutcherm- Rosebud-Lott ISD

Matthew Grubaugh – Gadsden ISD

Seth Guttenplan – Community School

Justin Hermanek – Alexander Dawson Schools

Jan Hodge – Crowley ISD

Leann Kidd – Northside ISD

Kimberly Lane – Lancaster ISD

Ana L. Murray – Smithville ISD

Carla Norad – White Settlement ISD

ISTE Certified Educators

Nicole Allien – Caddo Parish Public Schools

Veronica Baca – Harlingen CISD

Suzanne Becking – Fort Hays State University 

Diana Benner – TCEA

Elizabeth Benno Lovejoy ISD

Kathy Boulet – Schools of the Sacred Heart 

Lisette Calderon – Colegio Brader 

James Demery- Caddo Parish Public Schools

Samantha Duchscherer – Jacksonville North Pulaski School District / ARKSTE

LaJean Elder – Ogden School District 

Bruce Ellis – TCEA

Sue Elwood- Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

Michelle Farque- Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Tammy Glass – Dawson Education Cooperative

Marybeth Green – Texas A&M – Kingsville

Ciane Grossman – Dallas ISD

Miguel Guhlin – TCEA

Ashley Guillory- Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Lisa Juneau – Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Angela Kiser – Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Lori Cole Miniet  – ESC 11

Tonia McMillan – Dawson Education Cooperative 

Laura Morris – Calvary Christian Academy

Peggy Reimers – TCEA

Jason Sanders – Northside ISD

Rechelle Shaw – ESC 11

Teresa Thomassen – Gaston County Schools

Jessica Torres – Lake Air Montessori Magnet 

Jason Trumble – University of Central Arkansas

Allyson Turner – Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Holly Veith –  Calvary Christian Academy

Michael Voth – Frisco ISD

Brian Williams II – Klein ISD

 

Chromebook Level 1 Certification

Kris Bumsted – McGregor ISD

Michele Herod – Houston ISD

Ursula Idlebird – Somerville ISD

Monica Maldonado – Diocese of Corpus Christi

Stephanie Sullivan – Homeschool

Khyati Sanjana – Houston ISD

iPad Level 1 Certification

Lew Coleburn – Dripping Springs ISD

Marissa Gould – Westbrook ISD

Bethany Hair – Northside ISD

Lisa Lafond – Round Rock ISD

Jennifer Smithers  – Salem Lutheran School

Would You Like to Get Certified? 

TCEA offers three certifications to assist educators in becoming more proficient in specific areas. The Campus Technology Specialist and IT/Director certifications consist of required coursework, a final project, and a portfolio. The ISTE Educator certification is a three-part process with a two-day face-to-face training, an online course, and a portfolio demonstrating mastery of the ISTE Standards for Educators.

Advantages of Certifications:

  • 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

Campus Technology Specialist Certification

This certification is designed to provide educators who wish to become, or already are, campus-level technology specialists. The emphasis is on developing skills to help classroom teachers successfully integrate technology into the everyday curriculum and build capacity at the local campus level. The certification is designed for teachers, librarians, and technology specialists. Attending the 2019 Campus Technology Specialist Academy will earn you six hours toward the CTS certification. 

Technology/IT Director Certification

The Technology/IT Director Certification provides a program for educators who wish to become, or already are, district-level technology or IT directors. The emphasis will be on developing strategic leadership skills, as well as the ability to provide effective and engaging educational technology experiences for both staff and students. 

ISTE Educator Certification 

TCEA is a registered Certified Authorized Provider of the ISTE Educator Certification program. The ISTE Certification for Educators is a competency-based, teacher certification based on the ISTE Standards for Educators. This credential recognizes educators who understand how to use ed tech for learning in meaningful and transformative ways.

Featured image by Gillian Callison from Pixabay

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professional development
Good TeachingProfessional Learning

Professional Development: Make It Personal

by Matthew Crutcher
written by Matthew Crutcher

Think back to your last staff development event. Were you engaged the whole time, or was some of the material not quite relevant to you? Or maybe your admin team brought in a trainer to discuss the basics of OneNote, but you are already a OneNote genius. As teachers, we differentiate our instruction for our students to meet their needs — so why are we not practicing what we preach when it comes to professional development? As lifelong learners, we should be exposed to the same opportunities that we are providing our students. It’s time that we start personalizing our staff development! 

When I was a classroom teacher, many of the staff meetings I attended were lecture style, sit-and-get sessions. The material was not always aimed at what I was teaching and there was an overall sense of inefficiency during the hour-long meeting. That is, until I had this one specific training. On this one occasion, I felt that the staff meeting met the needs of not only me and my team, but the whole school. We were given the choice as to what we wanted to learn, and this idea has stuck with me all these years. It has shaped and influenced my current teaching technique as a digital learning coach and personalized professional development.

Creating Choice

Let me walk you through that particular occasion. We all met in one room to review our norms, then we were given the menu. The menu was divided into two 20-minute blocks and a 10-minute wrap-up at the end. During those 20-minute blocks, we had our choice of four different sessions we could attend. Very similar to a conference you might attend, each session had a short description, so teachers knew what to expect going into that lesson. For each time slot, the sessions were different so that those presenting in the first block could attend something in the second and vice versa. 

The choices we had were sessions on: ELAR, math/science, technology, and special education. At 3:40, we were released to our first session. Then, 20 minutes later, an announcement was made to move to the next session and then the next one began. For our 10-minute wrap-up, we discussed the main themes of each session and as a ticket out, we posted our favorite things about the new method on a “parking lot.”

So, what did it look like behind the scenes? A few years later, after I had left the classroom, I asked my then principal how she organized that meeting. She told me that the administrative team met with several people weeks before the staff meeting and asked them to present something related to, well, whatever. Those staff members then prepared their  presentation. The people that she chose were those looking to move up into a leadership role or those currently in a leadership role. She said that it took some time and effort to plan the whole thing, but in the end, it was a very valuable learning experience for the entire staff. 

Blended Delivery

With the advancements in technology over the past several years, one idea for staff meetings is to make them blended or even flipped. With a blended delivery, students (or in this case, the staff) would conduct a short activity or watch a short video prior to the staff meeting. This front-loading of material allows the meeting host to begin right away, not having to use valuable time to introduce the material. For example, the professional development is on student motivation. Admin could send out a TED Talk or another video for staff members to watch, and once the meeting begins, staff immediately break into groups to discuss the video. This eliminates having to use the first 10 minutes of the meeting to watch the video.

With a flipped method, the entire staff development is conducted online. One great way to conduct flipped professional development is through a learning management system. When designing the professional development, you could set up a module that staff members move through with a quiz or discussion at the end for accountability.

With a flipped delivery, staff members are free to work on the program or activity when they want, where they want. If the entire third-grade team wants to get together after school to complete the activities, they can. Or, if someone is unable to attend a meeting, they can complete the assignment at home. The ability to work on the training when it’s convenient to them will help ensure they are engaged and the training is effective.

Conclusion

Traditional staff development still has its place. When it is time for STAAR training, or when new campus discipline programs are being implemented, the entire staff should be together. For many other concepts though, giving the teachers options when it comes to what they learn and how they learn is the way to go. You’ll have staff that appreciates the opportunity to pick something of interest, and you’ll be modeling what we expect our teachers to be doing with their students. 

Matthew Crutcher is vice president of TCEA’s Campus Technology Special Interest Group (CAMP-SIG) and a digital learning coach at Lamar CISD.

Photo: Headway

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hyperdoc
Professional Learning

Hyperdoc Happiness: Transform Teacher Inservice

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Ready for start-of-the-year professional development? Inservice workshops may prompt a groan or two. That may be from the unforgiving cafeterias seats, the less-than-exciting lectures, or the lack of choice. That last item can be the most stifling for educators. After all, one of our most cherished values is the freedom to choose. In this blog entry, I’ll share some ways to get hyperdoc happiness going in your teacher inservice.

hyperdoc

Created by Rachel Marker (@rachelmarker)

Freedom to Choose

The freedom to choose, or the “pursuit of happiness,” is a regular casualty. Our expectations for adult learners may sometimes include “Learn what I have to teach you, even if you find it boring.” And educators seldom have the opportunity to choose how they learn. Not only do they have to sit through inservice trainings, they are often constrained by 20th century technologies. K-12 students, though, can exercise their options about the learning they are interested in.

Consider Dr. Chris Moersch’s H.E.A.T framework. Let’s take a look at each of the main components:

  • Higher-Order Thinking: Students learn/question at the Evaluating/Creating levels.
  • Engaged Learning: Students collaborate to define the task, the process, and/or the solution. Collaboration extends beyond the classroom.
  • Authentic Connections: The learning experience is relevant to students. It involves creating a product that has a purpose beyond the classroom. This purpose has a direct impact on students.
  • Technology Use: Task completion centers around student-directed technology (classroom or BYOD) use. It involves new and different ways of learning.

As you can see from the H.E.A.T. framework, what we are looking for is self-directed, relevant learning. This description of learning experiences, however, does not describe or define most teacher professional development.

How can we overcome that? How could we get closer to the potential of engagement and authentic connections? One approach might involve the use of a hyperdoc. Check out the excitement radiating from Kendra’s tweet below. Wouldn’t you like that excitement flowing from your inservice workshop?

hyperdoc happiness

Hyperdocs for Professional Learning

How could we get teachers evaluating and creating useful ideas about required school inservice content? This involves a level of engagement that grants teachers autonomy in how and what they use to create, and it offers teachers the opportunity to create useful content. Creating a digital, or even virtual, make-and-take session empowers teachers to design what their classroom needs most. Hyperdocs provide one way of accomplishing that, testifying to their popularity.

hyperdoc happiness

This is only a portion of Nadine Gilkison’s hyperdoc collection; see more. Follow @NadineGilkison on Twitter.

Explore the ISTE Standards via the EduQuest Hyperdoc

Curious about a hyperdoc to introduce teachers to the ISTE Educator Standards? Give this EduQuest Adventure a whirl. Grab a copy of the EduQuest Hyperdoc and modify it for your needs.

Get Started Now

Hyperdoc Happiness: Transform Teacher Inservice

As you gear up for teacher inservice this year, consider how easy it is to create hyperdocs. You have a wealth of resources and materials to draw upon. Nadine Gilkison’s hyperdoc collection is only one of many available. Here are a few examples Lisa Highfill, hyperdoc creator, has curated in her Back to School collection. Teachers will relish the opportunity to create content relevant to their work. If you’re worried that teachers lack the technical skills to build hyperdocs, make sure to set them up for success. Why not invite TCEA to facilitate our Google Educator Level 1 certification classes?

Photo: Mein Deal

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lifelong learning
Good Teaching

Embrace Lifelong Learning, Or Else

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Did you know that the World Economic Forum identifies five trends that everyone should know about? The Fourth Industrial Revolution has arrived, a tsunami of technology change. Embracing these five trends could prepare us for change. In this blog entry, we’ll explore one of the trends.

The Five Trends

Let’s review the trends, then reflect on them from an education perspective. The five trends the World Economic Forum identifies include the following:

  • Automation, robotization and digitization are coming. The problem is, they look different depending on what industry you are in.
  • Significant job disruption lies ahead. Displacing 75 million current jobs, machines and algorithms shift the division of work. That news aside, 133 million new job roles may emerge at the same time.
  • Big shifts between who does what. Currently, humans do 71% of the work. In 2022, that will shift to 58%. What has changed the division of labor? Machines (robots) or algorithms.
  • New work tasks push workers to learn new skills. Check out the chart below to see the shift.
  • Embrace lifelong learning, or else. Each of those replaced will need at least 101 days of retraining and “upskilling.” If you plan to be working between now and 2022, you have some learning to do.

What do these trends mean for us as educators? Here are my initial thoughts on that final trend: embracing lifelong learning.

Make It Real

Do you know what irks me about reports like these? They never quite turn out the way you expect. As someone who’s leaning into middle age, I’m reminded of Ms. Nelda Crabknee. At fifty-five years of age, Nelda didn’t want to learn exciting new teaching strategies. She’d seen it all before, and retraining seemed like so much hocus pocus. Instead, she decided to retire in a  year.

For folks like Nelda, I ask myself, “How can we make lifelong learning real?” When teachers succumb to human nature, learning new stuff may lead to retirement.

One way to make it real involves relying on strategies that work. Human beings have not changed all that much. One thing is certain: We will still have to consume content to learn it. How do you make lifelong learning real? You learn how to engage with that content in ways that align to how our brains are wired with proven strategies.

Proven Strategies

You can’t solve problems if reading presents you with an insurmountable challenge. A 2018 research study found primary students push themselves to read difficult books. As they get older, that push weakens. Can you imagine them as adults? “Wait, we have to read that technical text on stationary robot operation?”

“Over eighty-five percent of the reading and writing we do as adults is nonfiction,” says Tony Stead. Consider that students will need to devour nonfiction writing to be future ready. There are four building blocks to improving reading comprehension and engagement. These building blocks assist students in ways that will not change in the future. Those blocks include:

  • Staying engaged. Working through complicated texts, manuals, and video tutorials can be tough. Students need to learn to look for different clues and ideas in what they read.
  • Improving literacy. In studying manuals, texts, and websites, students may skip words they don’t know. Instead, they need to be able to figure out what they mean.
  • Enhancing comprehension. Students must be able to do more than decode text. They have to understand what they are reading.

And one final building block that ties into the World Economic Forum’s trend number five. That block is being able to learn on their own or in group. Many of our students struggle alone, trying to figure out how to learn on their own. Yet learning is social. Knowing how to learn as part of a team prepares them for the future. Let’s take a look at some strategies that may help our children get there.

Strategy #1: Summarization

“Your daughter has trouble with summarization,” the teacher told us. She said it in a much kinder tone and used my daughter’s name. As for myself, I was a bit at a loss. I had noticed my daughter tended to repeat everything that had happened.

Summarization involves identifying the main idea and most important facts. For me, outlining text was a great way to capture those ideas. I switched to concept maps in high school when a teacher modeled it for me. It became my go-to strategy.

If you know John Hattie’s work, you know that summarization has an effect size of .79. Since the hinge point for student growth is .40, which is a year’s normal growth, .79 is significant. It’s almost two year’s of a student’s normal growth in half the time. How do you teach summarization? There are many strategies. One of my concerns, as Tony Stead points out in his book Is That a Fact?, remains the focus on storytelling. I assure you that the work of tomorrow will require comprehension of nonfiction.

For students, summarizing can be straightforward. They can learn to circle the main idea, underline details, and use sentence starters to summarize.

Sentence Starters

Some sentence starters you can introduce students to include the following by category:

Summarizing a Process might involve one of these:

  • The first step to solving___is to…
  • When solving for _, first __, then ___, and finally .
  • To solve [name of a problem], first [describe the first step in a solution]. Then [describe the second step and so on].
  • Follow these steps to….

Summarizing and Interpreting Visuals can have students saying:

  • The image/video shows…
  • This table or drawing suggests…
  • The graph or picture shows….
  • After looking at this image, I now understand….

Summarizing Ideas in a Nonfiction Text may begin in one of these ways:

  • The main point is…
  • One important detail is…
  • This page or paragraph is about…
  • Today, we learned about a new word/idea/concept….

These are some powerful ways to get students engaging with text as they identify key content. Think of the many ways students can use technology to do this. Explore paper slide videos as one way to do this.

In future blog entries, we’ll explore other strategies in the context of reciprocal teaching.

Practice Makes Perfect, or at Least Better

Want to prepare yourself for lifelong learning? Learn to read and comprehend technical texts. Practice working with others to summarize in an effective way. Use strategies like summarization with your students to speed their annual academic growth. Have fun and keep pushing!

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