As you may be aware, there are so many instructional models out there...LEARN, TPACK (which is more big-picture), ADDIE, SAMR...among many others. SAMR is a big one in Educational Technology Integration- we hear about it a lot. SAMR is an acronym for...Substitute, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition and in theory it's a great model & concept if we stop right there. When you're working with teachers to integrate technology into their instruction, it's important to scaffold them (a lot) and meet them where they are at. So taking their lesson or activity and starting out with substitution is a great way to get your Technology Coach foot in the door. My issue with coaching and SAMR is that for many coaches and teachers, this is where it ends. You could effectively rebrand SAMR as S. Open Chrome and do a search for SAMR. Really, do it. You'll see all sorts of great graphics and articles extolling the glories of SAMR...and as I said- I like it- I think it's a great idea. Here's one of the more involved graphics on SAMR. I like this one (source), I think it's one of the better ones. Here's my issue: if you look at this...really look at it, it's nearly all substitution. And it's not just this one graphic. There's more here and here and here. I'm especially drawn to this one (source), too, but whether you're at the first cup (coffee) or the last one (pumpkin spice latte)...aren't you still drinking coffee? For sure, in both cases, there is technology use happening in classrooms, which is great (it's my goal every day). But to say that you're augmenting instruction or (my stars) redefining what you're doing? Really? Because I still see the kids taking notes. When I hear redefinition, I think about what this chart says... "creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable." Wow. That's a powerful statement. You're making such a shift in instruction that students are able to do things that you (or they) couldn't have even thought of yesterday. Isn't that what we're going for? Isn't that the education you want to see? It sounds like it's what parents want. I was reading the Speak Up Survey Results tweeted by TCEA (who I love) this morning...I'm working on my data for Virginia...and I was shocked to see that 57% of parents reported that they felt their students weren't "learning the right skills in school to be successful in the future." Let's really redefine learning and education. I (obviously) think that any systemic change will require time and an investment in technology (read: money), but anyone can start small. Rather than redefining your class with notes using a slick app, maybe put the ball into your students' hands and make them create the learning opportunities. They have the tools, the facts and the space- give it a try and see what happens. Even if you fail...won't you be failing forward? Today, I'm definitely geeking out and stalking on what's happening at #FETC. I absolutely wish I was at the conference, doing sweet stuff and learning interesting things. Thinking about being there got me wondering if there is a noticeable benefit derived from attending these huge {awesome} Ed Tech conferences. When registration opens on them (FETC, ISTE, etc), I convince myself that I can learn all of this following on Twitter and discovering on my own, which is probably true... ...however, I think the REAL benefit gained from attending these (or any industry) conferences is momentum and excitement. I'm lucky enough in my job to have some (not a lot) time to discover new things and try them out, which I do. But as excited as I get about many of these innovative ideas, I have reasonably few options to share them and whip up some true momentum for me (and my staff). Many of my staff think I'm nuts...I mean who gets THAT excited about Technology? I use Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and messaging about EdTech to my awesome Tech Coach network, but there's something contagious about being immersed in something for 2-3 days with people who share that same passion. It doesn't even come down to you telling people or discussing these ideas at the event. At a good one, there's an energy that you can feel...a buzz of ideas and innovation and excitement. That's what I'm missing in my office. It's not getting interrupted, it's not having to run to meetings, or the noise from the hall...it's the isolation associated with being the only person on a staff doing what I do. So next time Margaret asks me to go to a conference with her, I'm going to do it. Do you make New Years' resolutions? I have in the past, and they usually fizzle out by March (and that's being generous). I thought that I wouldn't do it again after last year, but I've decided to give it one more try. Why will I be successful this year? I did some things that I know are going to help me:
I suspect my husband isn't overly fond of the New Years' resolution idea- perhaps less that I've taped them to our bathroom door, but I'm hoping he will start to see positive changes. I think that there is something to be said for a concerted effort toward making positive changes you want to see in your life. I can't get better if I don't make a plan and stick with it. Not only is it important to develop personally, but New Years' resolutions can aid in your professional life, as well. Make a resolution and post it somewhere visible in your classroom, office, workspace...wherever. Encourage your students (whether kids or adults) to make a goal focused on personal or professional development and work toward achieving it. Remember hearing "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"? Even if I don't reach my goal, any positive improvements make me that much better off. Do you make New Years' resolutions? How can you work on a development goal/plan with your students? I love seeing what people can do when they are inspired. This morning, the school division I work for didn't close or delay school even though it is snowing. Granted, it was only a few inches, but a few inches here (in Northern Virginia) can have a huge impact. So much so that I am sitting in an Economics classroom watching a class because their teacher couldn't make it to work. I have friends who have been in their cars for three hours attempting to get to work...but that's not my point. As a way of getting the division to close and to share storm/traffic/safety conditions around the county, students (and parents) have been using the hashtag #closefcps on Twitter. This might seem something minor and reasonably isolated - except it's not. At one point this morning, it was the highest-trending hashtag on Twitter. Ahead of everything else. This has been retweeted and featured by national news. Think about that. Some students complaining about the weather decisions of the division was more popular and widely used than anything else on Twitter. More so than The Bachelor (which apparently has a big episode last night), sports, news, and everything else. The reach of these kids and their message is not something to be overlooked. Gone are the days of disgruntled students at a school passing around a paper petition in hopes of changing things in a building. Today's #closefcps storm shows just how powerful the people are. The students in the 10th largest division were able to organically join forces (read: zero planning) and essentially disrupt the nation to an extent. Obviously, complaining about a weather decision and working the division to close early isn't earth-shattering. But, imagine if this were applied to a grassroots effort to improve learning opportunities or end abuse or hunger. The impact and reach we have today is amazing. We just need to figure out how to use it. We've all been there...you registered for an 'exciting', 'innovative' professional development session. You may even have been eager to attend! Then it happens, the presenter(s) start reading the PowerPoint (/Prezi/whatever) slides and 'introducing' stale topics you learned in undergrad. So you and your colleagues check out and begin planning your lunch destination. It is such a missed opportunity. Facilitators know this happens, but I guess it just couldn't happen to them. If participants aren't engaged, guess whose fault it is? Same deal with students in your class. if kids are checking out, it's time to look at your instruction....but that's another topic for another blog post. I love to learn new things, but I like to learn on my terms. Schools are supposed to differentiate for students and develop personal learning plans- why not for staff, as well? Along these lines two of my SBTS (Tech Coach) colleagues and I have developed some PD sessions around helping teachers develop their own PLNs. Giving teachers the latitude and flexibility to learn on their terms and modeling that process offers so many benefits. Not only do these educators have the opportunity to learn: • WHAT they are interested in • WHEN they have time • HOW they learn best & at their pace But this also gives teachers the chance to experience what they can implement in their own classrooms. Giving students time to drive their own learning might be just what kids (and teachers) need to find their passion. Currently, our PD is primarily focused on Twitter- our sessions at called Twitter Parties. I feel strongly that Twitter is a wonderful resource for educators to access the training and resources they want and need when they need them. It’s also a great way for educators to model intellectual curiosity as a component of life-long learning...and isn’t that what we want for all students? Do you have a PLN? Does it include Twitter? Would you or your teachers attend a Twitter Party? This evening while I was cruising my Twitter feed, I came across a question posed by someone I work with. He was wondering how STEM differs from the Maker Movement (if it does). It got me thinking, so I naturally got to Googling it. Much to my chagrin, there was nothing readily available comparing the two. I turned to Old Faithful (a/k/a Wikipedia) for the answers that I sought. Here's what I found:
So, let's say that STEM is focused on education and policy. There is bureaucracy involved and it's a top down operation.
Let's say that Makers are a groundswell sort of personal learning operation...Learning because it's fun. Can Makers and Makerspaces incorporate STEM into their learning and experience? Absolutely, I think they mostly do. But, they are definitely not interchangeable terms, ideas or concepts. At their core, STEM is top down; and the Maker movement is bottom up. What do you think about STEM and the Maker Movement? Are you involved with them? My uber-complicated sources are here and here. A focus of mine over the last few years has been to expand device availability for students at my school. My (not-so-) secret dream is for the whole school to be 1:1. Last year, we got our first class together and it was wonderful to see the engagement, development, and excitement in the students. I really wanted to start the year out with another class having the chance to have computers on their desks all day (while maintaining our first class, too). While I couldn't get it together for day 1, we were still able to make it happen early in September. It is exciting to see the shift in both the students and the teacher in terms of learning and instruction. The 'go to' resource trends toward the computer and toward Google Apps for Education (which I love!). I am most proud of my teachers when they make that change in HOW they teach...because that is a huge change for them. It's amazing to see how flexible they become once they see the difference that dedicated devices make in the students. In the past few days, I have started working with my teachers on starting up their Google Classrooms. They are very excited to have such an easy-to use, seamless resource available to them. I think it's going to make the biggest difference in the 1:1 classrooms. So much of their work is done in Google Apps and Google Classroom is going to make such a difference in keeping things organized and make it easier for teachers to make that transition to online learning. I can't wait to see the amazing innovative learning that comes out of our classes! What impact have Google Education tools had at your school? Wow! This year has gotten off to a very busy start. I have very much enjoyed helping my staff get started with their school year- it's amazing to see the excitement on their faces in anticipation of guiding their students to amazing learning opportunities. One of my favorite parts of my job is what I call Technology Planning- it designated time devoted to one staff member (or team) that is entirely teacher-driven. I train them on new technology that they are interested it, but it is tailored to their individual needs. We discuss how they can integrate technology into their lessons or discover innovative ways for them to change how they do things. It is such a luxury to have that time for one-on-one training and support time. I feel like it gives teachers the time and the safe environment to ask the questions they need to ask and to work through parts that are more challenging to them. We typically create a goal that we can work toward achieving and use that as our guide each time we meet. Some truly amazing results have come out of Technology Planning and I have been tickled to see the increased number of teachers that are approaching me to schedule tech planning. I have more than twice the number of teachers working weekly with me this year when compared to last year. It's especially important to me this year, since one of MY goals is build relationships with my staff. We all know that teachers don't have a great deal of time during the day, so to have my staff taking time from their busy days to devote to technology shows me that technology integration is important to them, which I appreciate. What are you excited about this year? I love Twitter (see previous post for reasons why). As I was developing my Personal Learning Network this year, I discovered that there are other SBTS (Technology Coaches) in FCPS (my division) that share my affinity for Twitter. After many discussions, we decided to host/moderate/get going on some Twitter discussions that are tailored for the region that we live & work in.
Our group couldn't agree on exactly what the focus should be (our division vs our region), so we decided to do both:
The Twitter chats take place on Wednesdays from 8-9 pm and we love to see new faces- so feel free to lurk or actively participate. Please let me know if you have questions about it...I'd love to help you get involved. How have you expanded your PLN this year? I like using Twitter. Fortunately, there is a good (albeit, small) group in my division that have a similar interest in Twitter-based personal PD. I was asked yesterday how I keep up to date on Educational Technology developments, and I was hard pressed to think of any other way that I learn. Is that bad? I don't think so. I love that there is a 140-character limit on tweets. It forces me (and others) into condensing all of those thoughts so much that I really get at the heart of what I want to express. That's definitely a positive, because as a Twitter consumer, I don't have a great deal of time, so I can quickly and efficiently see if a tweet is something I'm interested in reading/learning more about. Twitter gives me the opportunity to follow SO many people...people from all over the world that might do things that are similar or very different than I do. I think it's important to hear divergent points of view and learn how other people tackle challenges in their schools (maybe it's the Combating Intolerance teacher in me). Given this, the little twitter group started discussion about trying to implement an EdChat, but focused on our school division. I love EdChat...it's wonderful to see so many people from all over the place discussing challenges in Education. What's not to like? It's pretty amazing to try and get something like this off the ground for our division. I especially would love to see more people in Instructional Technology see Twitter as the fantastic tool that it can be. This article is from 2009, but it seems to have some decent ideas on starting a Twitter Discussion. What suggestions, pitfalls, or cautions do you have? Interested in taking part? Follow @FCPSedChat on Twitter or just follow me @techinteaching and I'll keep you updated on our progress. |
Kendra MurphyI'm a Technology Coach and IT Support for a school. I'm passionate about 1:1 classrooms technology in instruction. Archives
September 2015
Categories |