Tag:

student engagement

How to Make Thinking Visible with Thinking Routines

by Debbie Tannenbaum May 12, 2023

written by Debbie Tannenbaum

How many times have you asked one of your students, “What do you think about this?” and received the answer of “I don’t know” or blank stares. If you nodded your head and thought of quite a few or more times, you are not alone. In an educational landscape where our learners are increasingly disengaged, we need to let them know that all of their voices matter. We need to make their thinking visible through thinking routines and convey the message that we are a community of thinkers and learners.

What Are Thinking Routines?

All that is easier said than done, you might be thinking. If all thinking is a function of learning, how can we, as educators, promote cultures of thinking in our classrooms? Six years ago, I was first introduced to Project Zero’s Thinking Routines and the impact they can have on students’ thinking. Have you heard of thinking routines before? Project Zero’s thinking routines take the content shared with students and use scaffolds to reveal student thinking. These scaffolds are powerful steps that help students to better share their thinking.

**Project Zero** Thinking Routine Toolbox

Thinking routines are extremely versatile and work in a variety of contexts. You can use them in almost any subject and with any age group. I love incorporating Universal Design for Learning principles while using them and giving my students multiple choices in how they represent or share their thinking. They work best when introduced intentionally one at a time, having students master one type of thinking in many ways before moving on to the next one.

Thinking routines can absolutely be done using analog methods, but I have found that by carefully pairing them with technology tools, we can further amplify the impact of these routines and make learning visible to the entire learning community.

Getting Started with Thinking Routines

So how do you get started using thinking routines, and what are some best practices for using them? There is a huge variety of thinking routines that you can choose from. Project Zero Thinking Routines Toolbox is an amazing toolbox that is organized by types of thinking. The first category includes Core Thinking Routines. Core thinking routines are a great place to get started when beginning a culture of thinking in your classroom. When I determine which thinking routine I want to use, I always start by identifying the type of thinking that I want my learners to do. For example, if I want them to synthesize what they have learned, I explore that category and select the routine that best meets my needs.

**Thinking Categories** for Thinking Routines

Example: See, Think, Wonder

When I first explored thinking routines with my second graders, I started with See, Think, Wonder. This routine helps students slow down and closely examine an object. I have used this routine to examine historical artifacts like photos, scientific experiments, and more. This routine begins by asking students, “What do you see?” Students can then share their concrete observations. Next, they share what they think about the object or “What do you think about that?” When they do this, they begin to make inferences based on those observations. Last, they share what the object makes them wonder. This is essential in a world where we don’t encourage our students to ask questions or wonder enough.

As my second graders were learning about the American flag, I partnered them up to use See, Think, Wonder to explore a historical photo. I paired it with Padlet during this activity for a few reasons. First, I like how Padlet’s Shelf feature organizes each scaffold. Second, Padlet offers our students many ways to share their thinking. My students could choose to respond with either text, audio, or video, providing them multiple ways to share their learning. Last, now all of the thinking in the learning community is visible to everyone. This could lead to further conversations about their wonders or even how they backed up their thoughts. Having students work in groups in this example also allowed them to discuss their responses in their pairs before responding.

Example: Connect, Extend, Challenge

One of my favorites is Connect, Extend, Challenge. I love using this routine to encourage a collective culture of learning. It first has students connect what they have learned to what they already knew. Next, it has them share how the new thinking has extended or added to their thinking. Last, they share what still challenges them about the new learning.

When I use this routine with my fourth graders during their American Revolution unit, we use a collaborative slide deck. Each student is assigned a slide first. The student uses a resource called Gale in Context: Elementary (previously called Kids Infobits) to find an article about the American Revolution. Then, they learn how to cite their source and after listening or reading the article, they can respond to each scaffold. By having them work in a joint slide deck, they are able to learn from each other as well and build a collective culture of thinking and research.

Artifacts of Learning

These two examples also illustrate how you can empower your students to create artifacts of learning using thinking routines. Doing so promotes the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for Students, especially 1.3 Knowledge Constructor and 1.5 Creative Communication. This work is essential in today’s world, where building critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills are more important than ever.

Done over time, these scaffolds become patterns of behavior. As students develop these patterns of thinking, it is essential that they know all of their voices matter. Want more information on thinking routines, check out Project Zero’s website and my blog, TannenbaumTech, for more resources to advance your practice.

May 12, 2023 0 comment

Image of female teacher at front of classroom with adult students

Four Ways to Show Your Teacher You’re Paying Attention in Class

by Dr. Bruce Ellis October 7, 2022

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Metacognition is the science of paying attention to how we learn so that we can learn better. It’s easy to assume that students know how to pay attention because they are, in fact, students and go to school. But how often do we talk to our students about actual steps they can take to increase their productivity as a student? So with that in mind, consider sharing this article with your students for a class discussion. I’d recommend highlighting the post, starting with the next paragraph through the question section, and pasting it into a Google Doc for your students to access. Besides sharing aloud, students can add comments to the documents with their thoughts and ideas.

1. Participate.

One of the most common ways to demonstrate to your teacher that you’re paying attention in class is to participate. Participation in class allows you to provide feedback to your teacher and helps him or her understand how well you are doing. Generally, teachers seek student input on certain topics, which can help them design the lessons more effectively. The process can also encourage you to prepare for class. If you come prepared to class, you will be more likely to engage in active participation. Another way to demonstrate participation in class is to speak up during class discussions. You can share ideas by writing on the whiteboard or posting thoughtful comments on a discussion forum such as Padlet or YoTeach if the teacher permits.

2. Raise Your Hand.

A raising of the hand by the teacher can be used as a signal for students to stop what they’re doing and raise their hands. If they’re unable to respond, the teacher can hold up their hand in a silent gesture. This signal is best used when the teacher wants the entire class to stop what they’re doing.

Raising your hand to show your teacher that you’re paying attention in class is a simple way to get the teacher’s attention. During a discussion, raising your hand is an effective way to show that you’re paying attention and also to respect classmates, or the teacher, who may be currently talking. Raising your hand is a great way to avoid interrupting others, keep the discussion open, and allow everyone to speak.

3. Eliminate Distractions.

One of the easiest ways to show your teacher you’re paying attention is to eliminate all forms of digital distractions from your study area. This includes switching off your cell phone or placing it face-down on your desk. In addition, it’s helpful to avoid sitting near window seats, where you can see activities outside the classroom. Suppose the distraction is actually another student that is near you. In that case, you may have to put effort into ignoring them, let them know that your learning is important to you, ask them to discontinue whatever it is that’s distracting, or move spots in the classroom. By minimizing your distractions, you’ll be able to focus better on class material.

4. Take Notes.

Taking notes in class is a great way to let the teacher know you are paying attention. Instead of taking word-for-word notes, consider summarizing what the teacher is saying every so often and writing that information down. You may find it easier to do quick sketches or doodles to represent the information being discussed. If needed, ask the teacher to repeat important information so that you can get it correct in your notes. And if something is confusing, likely, your teacher would rather you raise your hand and ask for clarification now instead of waiting until the end of class so that other following information makes better sense. If you need clarification, someone else in class likely needs it as well. Writing information down means you’ll be more likely to recall the information later on.

Follow-up Questions for Class Discussion

Here are a few questions to ask your students once they’ve read the previous information. You may find that additional questions are relevant based on the engagement and interaction of students on this topic.

As the teacher, what is something I might see you doing that indicates that you are paying attention? It might be one of the four things mentioned above, but it may also be something else.
What are some of the distractions in class? Any suggestions on how you (or we) can help eliminate those?
What about our classroom environment (the room arrangement, the way I structure lessons, etc.) helps you pay attention? Is there anything that we need to consider tweaking that would make it easier for you to pay attention?
What about our classroom culture (how we interact with each other, how I talk with/to you, etc.) helps you pay attention and enjoy the class? Is there anything about our classroom culture that we might need to change or adapt?

Let Us Know

Let us know if you try this with your students and how it goes. Does it spark good (and possibly ongoing) discussions that empower students to more likely take ownership of their learning? How did your students react to having a conversation about paying attention? Did they mention that other teachers were asking them similar things in order to make their classroom even more meaningful? Let us know in the comments below.

October 7, 2022 3 comments

Web 2.0 Tool

Four New Tools You’ll Want to Use

by Lori Gracey September 20, 2022

written by Lori Gracey

Yes, I’m back with a few more tools. I admit that I have an ed tech tool addiction. But sometimes there is a real need for a very specific resource to help in a unique situation. And so, here are four more tools that I really think you should add to your list.

What Assessment Tool Is Best for This Situation?

The fabulous Liz Kolb has created a very simple diagram that helps educators select the best formative or summative assessment tool for a given situation. You make a choice at several different branches (Formative or summative? Elementary or secondary? Interactive or quiz?) and then end up with several perfect tools to use. This will save you lots of time!

tool

Measuring Student Engagement

High school math teacher David Sladkey and some of his colleagues created the Engagement Wheel tool. It’s something a teacher can use after giving a lesson to reflect on student engagement. This tool is fast and simple– key requirements for any busy educator.

tool

Help Your Students Think

Project Zero has an amazing collection of thinking routines that work well for students and adult learners. Select from ten different categories or filter by subject area or thinking competence. Once you find a specific routine that will work for you, the site offers a handout that talks you through the thinking routine, and also a student handout, a project that uses the routine, and more. It’s all prepared for you.

Get Creative with StickerMule Studio

This fun site allows you to create your own stickers using either their vast collection of templates and graphics or your own. You can pay them to print your stickers, or you can keep them digital and download them as a PNG or JPG for free. These would be great to add to your LMS. No registration or login is required to save digitally. I found this site lots of fun!

I hope you enjoy these four tools. I’ll be back with more soon!

September 20, 2022 2 comments

Content Areas STEM/STEAM

Increasing Student Engagement Through Gamification with Boddle

by Clarence Tan, Guest Author May 7, 2021

written by Clarence Tan, Guest Author

Did you know that video games have been shown to aid in memorization? According to the Journal of Learning, Media and Technology, technology-enhanced learning (TEL) has shown to stimulate an increase in midbrain dopamine. This is what helps us store and recall information more efficiently!

Applying gamified learning to your students’ education ensures that students with diverse learning styles are receiving and retaining the information, too.

Using Boddle Learning

Boddle Learning is a gamified education platform for grades K-6 that implements game mechanics to keep students engaged while learning math. It takes a personalized learning approach that ensures each student is presented with problems that are just right for their level of knowledge.

Boddle runs constant diagnostics when students start playing the game which gets students to the right level after a series of assessment items.
Through differentiated learning and continuous assessment, students build confidence and skills, and reduce test anxiety without getting discouraged or feeling left behind.
Boddle provides real-time reports to educators to gauge students’ learning and easily identify and address learning gaps.

Classroom Implementation

By gradually advancing the students who are on or above grade level and re-teaching missed skills to students who need extra support, Boddle is a resource that allows for all students to feel confident with the knowledge they have while also pushing them to keep learning. Educators can easily differentiate learning for individual students using the “Change Curriculum” feature, as well as through “Assignments.”

Work Boddle into your classroom in a variety of ways; it’s your classroom, so you get to choose the best fit! With the ability to create assignments, Boddle can be used to assign homework and exit tickets, or can be implemented during learning stations.

To see how to get started through the teacher portal, check out this short video.

Accessing Boddle

Boddle is available for free to educators and can be accessed via the web browser on Chromebooks, laptops, and desktops. For educators who use iPads in the classroom, Boddle’s free app is available on the iOS AppStore. You can learn more at Boddle’s website.

May 7, 2021 0 comment

Good Teaching

Virtual Learning Strategy #1: Classroom Discussion

by Miguel Guhlin September 25, 2020

written by Miguel Guhlin

How would you combine one high-effect size instructional strategy with a digital tool? If it’s a question you’ve asked yourself before, you’re not alone. Several thousand of the educators who have completed the TCEA Remote Learning Educator course have asked themselves the same question. Let’s take a moment to see what teachers had to say about one of the strategies studied: classroom discussion.

Before we do that, let’s revisit high-effect size instructional strategies.

Revisiting Strategies That Work

“We have no right to teach in a way that leads to students gaining less than d=0.40 within a year,” says John Hattie. He asked the question, “What works best in education?” Then he answered it in his ground-breaking study on visible learning. In his study, he found a way of synthesizing various influences that are connected to learning outcomes. The most effective strategies have high effect sizes. Hattie found that the average effect size of all the interventions he studied was 0.40.

This is even more true now during virtual learning. “Now, it is all about finding the effective ones for remote learning,” says Aimee Maganda. Knowing how an evidence-backed strategy works with a digital tool saves time and effort. As one educator put it:

First of all, I would like to say that this has been a fascinating new concept for me. I am very familiar with instructional strategies and digital tools. This was the first time I actually evaluated how effective a strategy is. That is, how effective it is in conjunction with a digital tool.

Now, I plan to refer to the chart and take a look at some of the more effective teaching methods. It will also be interesting to see how much bang for your buck you can get with some of the strategies.

For example, I found it very interesting that a flipped classroom scored a 0.58. It takes so much time to plan versus a classroom discussion that scored a 0.82. Classroom discussion doesn’t take as much physical planning as a flipped classroom.

This could help me maximize my planning time and maximize the impact of my instruction.

There are many strategies teachers referenced. I suggested a few in my chart. What was fun to see were the actual examples teachers offered. A top ten list emerged.

Honorable Mentions

Before we explore the top ten list, here are some of the honorable mentions:

Deliberate Practice (0.79) with Gimkit.com
Feedback (0.64) with a learning management system (LMS) such as Canvas or Teams
Metacognition Strategies (0.58) with Flipgrid
Problem-Solving Teaching (0.68) with Minecraft
Spaced vs. Massed Practice (0.65)
Success Criteria (0.88) with Google Classroom
The Modality Effect (0.55) with Wakelet
Vocabulary Program (0.63) with Padlet

Remember, you can explore each of the strategies. To do so, go to the Visible Learning Meta X database. Ready to see the top ten list of strategies? Well, you will have to wait for future blog entries to see the complete list. Let’s start with the number one strategy teachers mentioned.

classroom discussion

Strategy #1: Classroom Discussion

“I use classroom discussion to capture what a student has learned for that lesson. I can see what they knew or didn’t know,” says one teacher. The most popular strategy, classroom discussion, lends itself to teachers’ imaginations. They are able to combine a wide variety of digital tools with classroom discussion.

Classroom discussions make it possible for students to connect with one another. Use this strategy to activate prior knowledge and explore new topics. Students are able to learn from others and show learning. What’s neat about classroom discussion is that it engages students and gives all students the chance to take part.

Did You Know?

On September 26th, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM (EST), attend a Whiteboard.chat webinar to answer questions and showcase features you need to know about. Sign up via Facebook and register for this learning opportunity. This is a free webinar on how to better use the digital whiteboard for remote teaching effectively.

Some Tips on Making Classroom Discussion Work

Consider these tips on making this strategy work best for your students:

Before students respond to questions online, have them discuss with a partner. Use a digital whiteboard where students can discuss. Whiteboard.fi and Jamboard allow collaboration.
Ask for student interpretations of questions, then clarify their thinking or redirect.
Use students’ individual responses as models. Your use of them can deepen further discussion for the whole class.
Be strategic about which student voices you amplify.

Let’s consider how some educators are focusing in on classroom discussion.

Examples of Digital Tools

Some of the notable examples included using these technologies:

Breakout Rooms: Depending on your platform of choice, teachers use breakout rooms. The use of breakout rooms to organize classroom discussions was popular. Platforms that support breakout rooms include Canvas, Seesaw, Teams, and Zoom. Each does so with varying degrees of success, of course.
Flipgrid: “The students can post a video of themselves answering the discussion question. They can watch/reply to other students’ answers,” says one educator. Students could have a question of the day posted on Tuesday and Thursday. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they respond to the question. Students also view responses from their peers. Flipgrid enjoys popular support, even among second grade teachers. “The kids love to make videos and I can quickly assess if they are understanding the objective.”
Google Jamboard: “Students can read what others are saying. Then they can contribute their own thoughts. They can sort elements into a graphic organizer, help each other spell or count … it’s like a digital center’s group!” Combine Jamboard with Zoom to capture student responses in real time. “It’s been fantastic, my students are always excited to ‘jam with each other’,” says an educator.
NearPod: “I have used Nearpod for classroom discussions,” said another teacher. Others have learned to use NearPod to support hybrid learning situations. “With Nearpod, I can assign the same lesson as a live lesson and a student-paced lesson with the click of a button. It ensures I continue reinforcing previous concepts, or even creating new ones! Learn how to do this here.“

New digital tools create more opportunities for interaction. Some of those new tools include Whiteboard.fi, Whiteboard.chat, and Curioasis .

Final Thoughts

Classroom discussion may be one of the most misunderstood high-effect size strategies. For many, creating engaging classroom discussions for students is a critical component of many lessons. While that is a priority, you also have another goal: to use classroom discussions as a source of data. Then you can use that data to adapt your instruction to better meet the needs of students.

In future blog entries, we’ll explore some of the other popular strategies. These are all strategies TCEA Remote Learning Educator course participants report using daily.

September 25, 2020 0 comment

Good Teaching

Tech Tools and Best Practices with Remote Learning

by Crystal Fuentes, Guest Author July 21, 2020

written by Crystal Fuentes, Guest Author

As educators prepare for going back to school, some may still feel uncertain as to what our upcoming year will look like — and most importantly, how it will start. In March, we were all thrown into the deep sea of remote learning regardless of whether we were tech-savvy enough to swim or not! It is safe to say though that teachers now have a wide variety of tech tools under their belt.

Here are eight tips on using tech tools that enhance best practices for remote learning and even traditional settings. Whether your district will follow a hybrid model or full remote model, the following digital tools and examples from additional resources will help you be ready for whatever comes your way.

Digital Organization for Remote Learning

Being organized can help to reduce stress and focus on what’s most important, allowing more time for teaching or facilitating the learning of students, while also helping them access resources easily. Google Classroom has a fairly new feature where assignments or questions can be categorized by topics for efficient organization.

Creating hyperdocs is another way to keep tasks and assignments in one document where students are provided hyperlinks and instructions for a self-paced lesson. Google Sites is a great tool that is free and available for Google users to set up a digital classroom where students can visit to access resources, assignments, important upcoming dates, and other materials all in one place.

Increase Student Engagement

In order to increase student participation during remote learning, we must keep them engaged with interactive lessons. Nearpod is a teacher favorite that focuses on learner participation with a wide variety of activities embedded, such as open-ended questions, fill-in-the-blank, Flipgrid, and matching pairs, available for feedback and assessments.

Content media can easily be included in the lessons as well, such as videos, VR field trips, 3D objects, and Sways. This tech tool is constantly evolving to meet teacher needs in order to keep every student engaged while delivering a live lesson for synchronous learning or a student-paced lesson for asynchronous learning.

Nearpod has a full library of already created interactive lessons that are aligned to state standards ready to be assigned to students. Classflow is a cloud-based software that allows for effective lesson delivery and you don’t necessarily need an interactive display. Pear Deck is a Google Slides add-on that helps teachers create interactive lessons with different activities and assessments for students to participate in during a live lesson.

Finally, Edpuzzle is a life saver when it comes to assigning videos to students. This tool allows teachers to embed questions, narration, or notes throughout any video to check for comprehension and ensure students are fully engaged.

Facilitate Student Learning

Become a facilitator and encourage students to take ownership of their own learning. You can create and assign a hyperdoc for an entire week, allow students to complete it at their own pace, and set a due date for students to submit all of their work. You can use Google Docs or Google Slides to create those interactive lesson documents with hyperlinks and resources.

Timely Student Feedback

Timely feedback from students in real time allows the opportunity to monitor and adjust instruction immediately to meet their needs. You can empower every student with a voice by actively participating using collaborative Google Drawings or any other Google tool, interactive assessments with Quizizz, fun synchronous assessments with Kahoot, and game-based quizzes using Time to Climb activities in Nearpod.

Another amazing tool that allows for students to have a voice is Flipgrid. While you effortlessly engage learners, you also provide the opportunity to boost their confidence.

Student Collaboration

Collaboration among students not only increases their confidence and keeps them actively learning, but also allows them to problem solve with peers while developing one of the critical skills needed in the real world.

Padlet is a digital platform where teachers can create beautiful collaborative boards for students to contribute with a variety of media. They can post content such as text, hyperlinks, images, and videos.

Nearpod also has a collaborative activity where students can post ideas or resources to one digital board. Teachers can also share templates they create in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings, granting them editing rights to work synchronously in real time to complete a task or assignment as a group.

Limit Screen Time

Just because students are learning remotely does not mean all of the work needs to be done digitally. Students can be given a project-based assignment and be asked to reflect or present it to peers using a tech tool, such as Flipgrid or Seesaw. Within both of these platforms, students can record a video of themselves and safely share with peers.

Video Recording

Video tutorials are one of the best ways to teach anything while showing visuals or using a digital whiteboard, especially on YouTube! Screencastify or Loom will allow you to record yourself explaining a concept while sharing your desktop screen and simply uploading it to YouTube to share with students.

Communication with Students and Parents

Communication is key. One of the best interactive tools to openly communicate with students, parents, and even colleagues is Google Sites. As mentioned in the first tech tip for best practices, Sites allows the user to organize any content and media in pages and personalize it to make it fun.

The site can be shared and viewable to not only students but parents as well to create a centralized digital location for all important classroom information and resources for student success. Think of it as a digital open-house for the entire year!

Photo by Thomas Kolnowski on Unsplash

July 21, 2020 0 comment

Good Teaching

Take the Ed Tech Leap and Make It Count!

by Guest Blogger December 21, 2018

written by Guest Blogger

“The day is almost done. Don’t cry until they leave.” Those words echoed in my mind as I stood there watching my class. I stopped talking. I stopped teaching. It was my first year of teaching and I was exhausted, drained, and burned out. I realized I was the Charlie Brown teacher. I was playing “sage on the stage” but all my students were hearing was, “wah wah wah wah.” I questioned my ability. I questioned my future as an educator. I had to choose: quit or change.

Well, six years later, I’m still teaching. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “I never lose. I either win, or I learn.” Challenges are opportunities to learn something new about ourselves. That first year was insanely challenging. But it started me on an incredible journey of discovery. The challenges I faced pushed me out of my comfort zone and into the realm of ed tech and innovation. These challenges ignited my teacher soul in ways I didn’t know I needed!

If it had been easy, technology integration might never have crossed my mind. However, I quickly learned that traditional teaching wasn’t working for me or my students. Something had to change, and ed tech was the avenue that revolutionized my classroom. It wasn’t an overnight success. There were plenty of bumps and a whole lot of crazy adventures (and there still are). But the payoff is worth it. If you’re standing at the edge intimidated by the leap, that means it’s time to do it. Effective technology integration is a game changer. Don’t wait any longer!

Increase Student Engagement

I needed to get away from the front of the room and put the learning and ownership in my students’ hands. Nearpod was the first tool I encountered that facilitated this shift. Its many different interactive features make formative assessment instantaneous, which makes it easy to adapt lessons to meet student needs. Sharing student work allows my students to analyze and discuss what they have done well and what they could do better. They identify and learn from mistakes from themselves and their peers. Leading the lesson from my iPad, I am no longer a prisoner of the front board. Finally, I can move around the room, helping students on the spot, checking in as we discuss and work. It has changed the dynamics of my classroom!

Nearpod was only the beginning for me. A plethora of options exist to increase engagement. Tools such as Kahoot! and Quizizz bring an element of competition and fun. These tools are used to assess prior knowledge or review concepts, either whole group or independently. They excite students about winning with knowledge while giving you feedback to adjust instruction. Put the learning in your students’ hands and empower their voice with tools like FlipGrid. Give them the opportunity to explain, make connections, discover, and teach each other. Putting a worksheet on a device isn’t revolutionary, but switching up the way students interact with the information can be. Using ed tech isn’t about what you use, it’s about how you use it.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

There’s an abundance of tools available, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and paralyzed. Don’t. Choose one tool and try it out. Don’t give up when it glitches or the internet goes down or any of the other million things that could happen, happen. Be patient…with the tech, with your students, and with yourself. And always ask for help…from anyone, including your students. Support equals survival!

Share Your Experiences

The first time I used Nearpod effectively (there were some definite misses along the way), I was bursting to tell anyone and everyone. It was an exciting shift. You’ll have those moments, too, so be sure to share your experiences. You might be the spark for a colleague who has been standing at the edge intimidated by the same leap. As you get your ed tech footing and begin experimenting with different tools, you’ll also realize it’s just as important to share the missteps as it is to share your successes. Use your voice and experience to empower others!

Embrace the Journey

I had no idea how much technology would change my professional journey. This adventure has connected me with people from all over the world. It has opened opportunities that I might never have considered before, like pursuing a degree in educational technology leadership. To be completely honest, there are ups and downs. Sometimes you’ll feel like a rock star and other times you’ll feel full of self-doubt. You may question what you have to contribute because others are doing incredible things. Embrace the words of Simon Sinek: “Innovation is not born from the dream, innovation is born from the struggle.” It’s your journey, own it!

Ed tech changed me and reignited my passion for teaching. How will it change you?

This is a guest blog by Karen Vallente. Karen is a middle school Algebra teacher in San Antonio, Texas who constantly pushes herself outside her comfort zone and loves learning new ways to engage students in authentic, meaningful learning experiences!

December 21, 2018 0 comment