Notability For (Track) Coaches

As Notability has been taught to our teachers and utilized by our students, educators are getting more comfortable.

Today, Mr. Jeff Braun came into my office with enthusiasm and stated how he used Notability at a track and field clinic over the weekend.  He said, "When the clinic showed the PDF version of the clinic notes, I said 'Hey, I could put that into Notability!'"

He shared with me his clinic notes.  The presenters notes are completely annotated with Coach Braun's notes!

Success! For the coach and for the athlete!
VIEW THE NOTES

Learning On The Loo - Cool Sites - Vol. 2 Issue 2

We continue to help staff learn more about technology tips, tricks, and resources.

Volume 2 has now two issues.  See them all!  They are not linkable because these are actual papers that get placed in our staff bathrooms.  Thinking about doing a "student version"  Maybe soon!

Revert To Draft Classroom Blog Posts From Year To Year

Several teachers use a blog to update their classroom content.  It is year two for some of them, and they wanted to know how to remove blog posts from last year.  This would enable teachers to use the same blog posts from year to year or modify them as needed.

Process For Removing Posts:

• Blogger Dashboard
• Click Posts
• Click Individual Posts or Box above all posts
• Click Revert To Draft

Process For Updating Posts:

• Edit Posts
• Right Hand Side Post Settings
• Published On
• Change Date
• Click Update

See the video tutorials for how to do this below.

Teacher Progression of Implementing Technology

Modeling implementation of technology came full circle yesterday with the teacher that I taught the tech to now teaching her students.

Let me explain.

On October 31, our science teacher wanted to use iMovie and Skitch with two classes to demonstrate the transfer of matter.  She had never used either tool, but believed the use of these tech tools helped engage and solidify the concepts.  She believed that they helped so much that she wanted to implement the tools with other classes that she taught.

The great thing is that during yesterday's implementations, SHE DIDN'T NEED ME!  She felt confident from using the tools in other settings to simply not need any support.  She spent about seven minutes showing some features of iMovie and then let the students discover how they were going to use the app.  She also used the assistance by a student who had used iMovie!

Perfect!

I really feel that our district is teaching teachers in the correct manner.  Providing guided assistance so that they teachers become SPARKS to future teaching and learning!

Google Calendars

Embed Google Calendar Into Google Sites

Embed Google Calendar Into Google Blogger

Google Chrome Most Visited

There really are so many features to Google Chrome that one step at a time I am going to inform our staff about the features of Chrome.  The first feature centers around having the most frequently visited websites by a user one click away.  See how to get this feature for your computer.

Lunch N' Learn

Starting next Tuesday, staff will be given an opportunity to learn during their lunch.  It will be 10 minutes of tech tool tips.  I chose 10 minutes because it is long enough to teach one tech tool tip, but short enough to respect the teacher's time. There will be one tip each week with discussion to be included.  We have created a comfortable environment that teachers will be able to eat and learn.  On Tuesday, an email will be sent out to staff indicating the tech tool tip that will be taught.  This way each day, teachers will decide if they want to join Lunch N' Learn.

See the trailer that will be sent to teachers today!

First Ever Techcoach Chat on Twitter

A number of weeks ago, I accepted a new position in our district.  Technology Integration Specialist.  I wanted to connect with teachers who had similar responsibilities and did so through Twitter.  Along with @michellerussell we created the #techcoach chat which started last night.  For the first ten minutes it was just three people and THEN it exploded.

See more details

So many great people with so many different and engaging ideas.  The storify is here!

Ideas that I will take away from the chat.

• Whenever I observe teachers performing great things using technology, I will send a form of communication with an "I observed", "I noticed", "I wonder" See Tweet
• Create some sort of time for teachers to learn at their own free will: Whiteboard Wednesdays, Tech Tuesdays, Tech Tip Tool Thursdays See Tweet Digital Citizenship Days See Tweet
• I really liked WOW (Wired on Wednesdays) in summer! See Tweet
• Focus on Technology Look Fors using standards to get teachers to try implementing tech See Tweet
• Techcoach Menu See Tweet See Blog
• Team Teach, Teacher learns tech while you #techcoach teachers See Tweet

Overall, incredible hour of learning and another great example of how PD has changed over the years!

Join us next week for another great #techcoach chat Thursdays 8:30 PM EST. And don't forget to become part of the community...join now.

Commitment To Teachers

Last evening I attended a training session for volunteers who will be working for a company throughout the football season.  The company is a worldwide leader in providing services for people who attend sporting events and national parks.

While I was there to learn the ins and outs of my volunteer position, as soon as they stated their philosophy for us to follow, a blog post developed in my head.

As a service to our teachers in my district, I will be a Technology Integration Specialist.  I will be introducing, co-teaching, and supporting teachers using technology to enhance how the content is taught by teachers and learned by students.

With that being said, my entire focus during my time as a tech integration specialist will be...

Following through with this will allow each teacher, who receives support from me, to know that I will provide as much information about the tech tool that I can find.  Teachers provide content, I provide supporting tech tools that can enhance the learning experience.  No matter what the level of comfort using technology the teacher may be at, I will spend as much time with the teacher as needed.  I want the teachers to know that I care about their technology integration experience and want it to be the best it can be.  If it is, more experiences are likely follow.

So with that, I will do everything I can to help teachers with meaningful learning experiences which provides them with the eagerness to continue to learn and use a technology tool to enhance their content.

Blog vs. Site For Digital Teacher Presence

Teachers are starting to inquire about which tech tool may be better for their classroom presence.  After a thirty minute session with two outstanding teachers, I decided that a blog post detailing blogs and sites would be appropriate!

Two happy clients on their way to having a classroom digital presence.

• If you don't have time to read the entire post, take this:  blogs are updated always, and sites are static.  You may also need to create a new blog each year!

Google Blog Positives

• Updated information always at the top of the website.
• Labeling as a use of categorizing
• Embed YouTube videos
• Embed Google calendars
• Embed Gadgets
• Embed Pictures
• Links to anywhere on the web
• Create pages
• Multiple layouts, designs, templates 
• Shorter URLs (web addresses-your address(.)blogspot.com
• Searchable by Google 
• Can leave comments to blog posts
• Archiving of blog entries
• Can create pages, but cannot have blog posts on these pages
• Multiple authors (great for collaborating with other teachers)

Google Site Positives

• Static
• Insert a wide variety of tools (see below)

• Create pages
• Updated announcements (similar to blog posts) can be placed on a page, but cannot be organized or labeled
• Pages can have an area for comments to be placed, usually on the bottom
• Can upload files in numerous formats (could be useful for previously created documents in Word)
• Protect certain pages for viewing by a select group
• Templates available, but not as many as blogger
• Multiple authors (great for collaborating with other teachers)

Articles from other sources that may help you decide.

• Google Sites - in depth professional development site I created in 2011 for our school district. View It
• Fantastic article outlining the differences: Blog vs. Site
• Blogs vs. Sites What's the difference?
• Should I start a blog or a site? Good Question
• Blog vs. Site Where should I start?

Bottom Line:
Both are great!  You decide!  Either way, your students and parents will be provided with great resources from your classroom!