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Sampling Some of the Awesome Session Facilitators at #ISTE18

By May 24, 2018 No comments

Planning your schedule for ISTE can be a daunting challenge. There are many incredible educators sharing so many incredible things and it is hard to even know where to start. This post is my second connected to my ISTE 2018 Planning Experience. My first post was 10 Tips for the Engaged Educator #ISTE18. 

 Here are a some of my favorite presenters that I have had the chance to learn from in the past. I love these educators! I highly recommend visiting the ISTE Presenter Page and exploring their sessions. 
I know I have missed some great presenters and sessions. This list is just connected to educators that I whose sessions I have attended in the past. There are many great presenters I've never had a chance to experience, but I hope to in the future. 

 So now it is now your turn. Who are you the most excited to learn from this year?




Curiosity Question of the Week - What Would You Change? Why?

By May 22, 2018 No comments


Questions Are More Important Than Answers!

If you have been reading my blog over the last several years, you know that most of the posts typically focus on either EdTech resources or classroom reflections. Last week a was inspired to start exploring something new. Long story short I am hoping to inspire readers to explore a new question each week. These are not educational questions but instead, questions that I hope will spark conversations. I am also hoping some of the questions will inspire new questions as part of the process. You can learn more about how and why I started in this post. 
The question last week.
If you could only listen to one musical group for the rest of your life, who would it be? Why?

This question led to some great questions and some fun discussions/debates on why each of us made the choices we made. I've posted my answer on Twitter using the hashtag #CurioistyQs.

 Here is the question for this week. It is a big one and might require some pondering.


If you had the power change only one single thing about this world, what would you change? Why?

 Each Tuesday I will share a question that I hope will inspire you to share your thoughts and maybe explore something new. Please share your answer and your why in the comments below or using the Hashtag #CuriosityQs. 

If you have a great question that I can ask, please DM me on Twitter. Full credit will be given for all questions that I share that are not my own. 

I don't want to bias your choices so I will share my exploration and final answer and why in the comments on Friday. 

Summer Learning - Lifelong Learners Wanted

By May 17, 2018 No comments
It is ok to take care of yourself before taking care of others. 

Have you started a countdown to summer break? How will you grow as a teacher and learner this summer?

 Teachers work hard. Many of us work too hard. We do deserve a break. We deserve to escape our scheduled lives this summer. It is ok to disconnect and take a break during the summer, but the best educators are life-long learners. They do not spend the entire summer disengaged from learning. 

 How will you recharge this summer, but still find the time to grow as a teacher and leader? This post has some tips and resources to support educators as lifelong learners this summer.
Attend a Local Conference
Find at least one conference this summer to attend, learn, and make new connections. Maybe even challenge yourself to present somewhere? If you can't attend, mark your calendar and jump into the Hashtag during the conference. Here are a few local conferences I will be attending as both a learner and a facilitator. 


Enroll in a Face to Face or Online Class
Sometimes it is important to become a student again and engage in a curriculum lead by another educator. The type of class doesn't necessarily matter as long as you are learning something new. One of my favorite experiences as an adult learner has been the EdTechTeams Teacher Leader Cohorts. I am even jumping into the Teacher Leader 2 Course this summer. Here are some great online courses you might want to explore. 



Make Connections & Share Ideas
If you are already engaged in Twitter, Facebook, Voxer, Google + or someplace else as a learner, set aside an hour or two each week to learn something new. If you have not taken a dive in social learning why not get started this summer? Here are a few resources to help:



Read a Book Connected to Teaching and Learning
Educators are writing some incredible books. Find a book that catches your interest and explore. Here are a few resources to help:




Explore Blogs Connected to Teaching and Learning
Many educational blogs slow down a bit over the summer, but most keep posting. You can always set aside an hour each week to explore the archives of a favorite blog. You might even consider starting your own blog? Blogging is a great tool for reflection. Here are a few resources to help:

Bonus: Find a good Podcast, Listen and Learn. Matt Miller has a great list of Podcasts under number 3 in this post. 


What summer learning tips do you have for educators?

Question of the Week - Things That Make You Go Hmmm?

By May 15, 2018 No comments


Questions Are More Important Than Answers!

 Don't get me wrong, I love to solve problems and discover answers, but too often the joy of discovery is short lived when finding the answer is an endpoint. I always hope to find answers that lead to more curious questions. In my world, the best questions lead to more questions before, during, and after my exploration of the original question.
Why am I sharing this?

 Today, I was inspired by ESPN's Golic and Wingo Show to start something new on Tuesdays. I was listening to the radio on my way to work and they were playing a game that had something to do with NBA ping pong balls, questions, and candy this question came up: 
If you could only listen to one musical group for the rest of your life, who would it be? Why?
My first thought was that this is a great question. I didn't know who I would pick, so this led me to ask more questions about who and why I would chose my musical group. I asked my office mates the same question and our conversation led us further down a path of exploration and discovery connected to why each of us would make the choices we would make. This one question led us to so many great questions and answers. I was smiling ear to ear. 

 I will be asking my students the same question today. My guess is their musical preferences will lead me in a different direction. 

 I don't know that this new idea of a question a week on my blog will lead to new innovations, or even how long it will last. I am hoping that it inspires brainstorming, conversations, and creative exploration for anyone who reads this post. I am also hoping we can have some fun with it. 

 Each Tuesday I will share a question that I hope will inspire you to share your thoughts and maybe explore something new. Please share your answer and your why in the comments below or using the Hashtag #CuriosityQs. 

 If you have a great question that I can ask, please DM me on Twitter. Full credit will be given for all questions that I share. 

I don't want to bias your choices so I will share my exploration and final answer and why in the comments on Friday. 



Digital Vocabulary Resources to Engage Students

By May 10, 2018 No comments

My students frequently struggle with assessment questions that rely on Tier 2 (Academic Vocabulary) and Tier 3 (Subject Specific Vocabulary). This leads me to the conclusions that  students must have have a solid foundation in all Three Tiers of Vocabulary Development.  It is important to assess on Tier 3 words, but I never want one of my students to miss an answer because of a tier 2 vocabulary word

The research is clear, vocabulary has strong connections to student learning across content areas. If you teach, you understand how strongly vocabulary knowledge is connected to student success in your classroom. I am not just talking about memorizing and regurgitating vocabulary words connected to your curriculum. I am thinking about students reading, applying vocabulary knowledge, and analyzing text to draw conclusions based on their vocabulary understandings.  

I am not a reading specialist or in anyway an expert on the best ways to connect vocabulary to learning, but I have explored a variety of digital tools to help teachers and students engage in vocabulary. I believe it is important that we explore and implement digital resources and activities connected to vocabulary development and application, so we've put together this document to help teachers and students explore digital resources connected to vocabulary. 



What are your favorite tips and resources to support vocabulary development in your classrooms? 

End of the Year Blues - Exploring a New Engagement and Creativity Activity

By May 07, 2018 No comments

I teach mostly high school seniors. They are great kids, but they believe in this fictional disease called "senioritis". I also teach AP Environmental Science, so the kids are a bit cooked after we take the exam in May. The start asking in January if we will still be doing anything after the AP Exam. (Yes, this does drive me a bit crazy!)

I, on the other hand, do not believe that learning should ever end. That is my curse and my challenge to overcome. I am always looking for fun an creative ways to engage my students at the end of the year. The challenge is to create a project that is engaging and fun for us all. 

Last year I had students who had the potential to be great advocates and activists. They actively cared about many of the issues we explored and were engaged in classroom discussions. With this in mind, we decided to engage in "Passion Projects". You can learn more about the project with this link. 


Most of my kids shrugged off their senioritis and created some incredible website. We enjoyed this end of year engagement together. 

While I enjoyed this project at the end of last year it is not something that I think fits my students this year. This year my challenge is a bit different. My students are much more focused on their points and less curious about the issues we have explored this year. They are more than willing to jump through the hoops for points, but as a group rarely go beyond the basics. I don't want to waste time on any end of the year passion projects if the kids are not passionate about their causes. 

This year I am going to I decided to challenge my student's creative sides with a new activity. I am also hoping I can motivate them by giving them an opportunity to compete with each other. Students will pair up and engage in something inspired by the good old "Epic Rap Battles of History". You can learn more about the activity with this link. 


If you have any suggestions or ideas, please share in the comments below. If either of the projects works for your classrooms, please feel free to copy and modify. 









Videos Connected to Teaching and Learning - Learn, Inspire, Motivate!

By May 03, 2018 No comments
When I have some extra time, I love to explore YouTube videos connected to teaching and learning. I am always looking for something new to inspire, motivate, or just to explore something new. 

 My PLN has helped me compile this YouTube playlist of favorite educational videos. We have also organized two Google + Collections with some favorite videos that we use with students. One is for Inspiration and Motivation and the other is connected to some great TED Talks. We have also been exploring Classhook, which looks like a great resource for videos connected to teaching and learning. I am also always exploring and compiling videos connected to different aspects of teaching and learning. Explore my playlists to learn more. 

 What are some of your favorite videos connected to teaching and learning? 

 Feel free to add them to the collaborative playlist or in the comments below.

Here are some of my current top choices connected to teaching and learning. 

Rubik's Cube: A question, waiting to be answered

You Can Learn Anything

This Will Revolutionize Education

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine

Inside the mind of a master procrastinator

iPad - Homework (Full Version) - Apple



"Our kids do not want to be taught, they want to be moved... focus a little less on figuring out how you will teach them, and a little more on how you will inspire them." Paul Bogush






Two New Google AI Experiments Connected to Language - Semantic Experiences

By April 30, 2018 No comments


Google recently released two Semantic Experiences connected to language and artificial intelligence. Both of these resources have connections to education and could be worth exploring.


Play word association games powered by semantic search. There are two games right now.

  • Arcade: The goal is to connect words to target words so they can be removed from the stack. Reminds me a bit of the game Stack the States. 
  • Blocks: The goal is to connect words to blocks to reduce a stack of blocks. Reminds me a bit of the game Tetris or Candy Crush. 





Type in a question or phrase and the site will search for books connected to the phrase. It is a unique search experience to say the lease. 




You can learn more about each of these resources here.

How or why would you use these resources with students? Please share in the comments below. 


Pear Deck Resources

By April 26, 2018 No comments

Pear Deck is a tool that integrates with existing slide decks to add interactive elements that allow the viewers to engage during the presentation. Interactive slides include: 
  • Multiple choice
  • Text entry 
  • Numeric entry 
  • Drawing 
  • Draggable 

 Curious about Pear Deck? How can you use this incredible resource with students?
We've put together this post to connect you to some great resources and ideas.

Getting Started
Creating and Presenting
Lesson’s Over. What’s Next?
Additional Pear Deck Resources
Bonus: Pear Deck Vocabulary - Flashcard Factory
More Great Pear Deck Resources
Upgrade
  • Click here to upgrade to 3 months of the Premium Account Access.

I've also blogged a few times about Pear Deck. You can explore those posts here. 



What are your favorite resources connected to Pear Deck? Please share in the comments below. 

ClassHook - Popular TV and Movie Clips for Educators and Learners

By April 20, 2018 No comments
I've been working on updating some of my YouTube resources for teaching and learning. (I'll start sharing these updates soon.) There are also many incredible posts connected to videos for almost every subject area that are just a quick Google search away. 

 While I was spending more time than I should be exploring and watching videos of all types and lengths I stumbled on an interesting site called ClassHook. 

 I wanted to share an interesting site that I stumbled on called ClassHook. The site has collections of clips from popular television shows and movies. The videos are organized by subject and topic. The site also has a great pedagogy menu with ideas and resources connected using video in the classroom. Here is a bit more information from the site. 

ClassHook is the best place to find educational clips from popular TV shows and movies

AASL Best Websites 2017 Award
TV shows and movies often contain scenes that discuss topics such as Science, Math, Art, Music, and more. While funny and amusing, these scenes also have valid educational merit.
Such scenes not only teach students but also make learning more relevant. Students can associate a concept in class to an image they see in their everyday lives. Bringing television shows and movies to your classroom helps connect students' personal lives to the concepts they are learning in class. As a result, content retention increases, and learning becomes more fun.
Have you explored ClassHook? What are some of your favorite resources to find videos to engage learners?



Exploring Google Applied Digital Skills - A Focus on Student Creativity

By April 18, 2018 No comments
I've been curious about Google's Applied Digital Skills Resources for a while now and I've finally found the time to take the plunge with my students to see what it is all about. 
What is the Applied Digital Skills Curriculum?


I've decided to have students create a If-Then Adventure Story using the Applied Digital Skills Videos and Instructions.


Create an interactive, If-Then Adventure Story Connected to Pollution using Google Slides.

Learn More
Google is hosting an Applied Digital Skills Workshop in Chicago on Tuesday, April 24th and EdTechTeam is hosting several live events during the week of April 23 - 27. I will share anything new I learn in the comments below.

Want to learn more? Sign up to participate in the EdTechTeam Applied Digital Skills Week to receive daily tips and challenges as well as access to live events and prizes for using the curriculum with your students!




Student Voice and Flipgrid - Resources and Tips

By April 17, 2018 No comments
"Tech Gives the Quietest Student a Voice" - Jerry Blumengarten

Flipgrid has become a favorite resource in my classroom and school to engage students. We use Flipgrid in my classroom in a variety of ways, including:

  • Student Introductions
  • Online Discussions
  • Formative Assessment
  • Reflective learning
  • Persuasive TED Talks
  • Exit tickets
  • and more . . . 

This week we are sharing our love of Flipgrid with our Staff using a Lunch-n-Learn format. (Short sessions with lunch provided.) We have planned a brief introduction using Google Slides and Pear Deck and then plan to have staff respond to a topic to experience the student side of Flipgrid. (What is your favorite something?)

We need your help!

We've put together a Resource Document that we will share with staff after the presentation. The goal of the document is to connect staff to the incredible Flipgrid resources and ideas that my PLN has shared.

Can you take a look at the document and let us know if we are missing anything essential? What suggestions/resources would you include?


Thanks in advance for your help!


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