Teacher-Student-Techie Collaboration!

This past week I was finally able to get past the Skyward and Google Classroom troubleshooting and start entering the classrooms to collaborate.  As part of my job, I am lucky enough to still get in the classroom to work with teachers and the students.  My first opportunities came from Mrs. Amy Tonsoni and Mrs. Laurie Kinzie.

The Parnassus think tank.

Over the previous weekend I received a Twitter follower named @DCHSParnassus.  I was initially confused until I realized it was the high school's newspaper.  So obviously I gave them a follow back.  They extended a cordial invitation to meet with the staff and see how we might be able to work together.  I was very excited to meet the staff as they were my first real student interaction I had since coming to Delphi.  (I do miss that part about not being in the classroom each day.  But it is getting better.)  The students introduced themselves and told me their major function within the newspaper.  Wow!  These kids have some great ideas for this year!  I was amazed by how much they think "outside the box".  The newspaper staff really wants to write stories and articles that will positively affect their peers.  The ideas I heard in just this short 30 minutes made my head spin with all the neat things that could be done while collaborating with them.

Parnassus members doing some shop talk.

This year the Parnassus staff has added a videographer.  Collin will be a great addition to the staff!  His experience with creating and editing video will bring a new element to the Parnassus staff and help improve their already awesome website.  You should ask to see some of his wakeboarding videos.  If you get a chance, make sure you meet up with the members of the Parnassus staff. They are constantly brainstorming ideas for the students and staff of DCHS.  Their creativity is something we can all remember and use on a day-to-day basis.  Plus you never know, you could end up being a spotlight interview for them!

Mrs. Kinzie's students looking at drone footage.

The next day I was invited to Laurie Kinzie's Interactive Media 2 class.  She requested that I speak with the students about some of the new technologies that I was able to work with in my project for the Indiana Migrant Education Program last winter.  These technologies included 3D printers, drones, FitBits, Spheros, Ollies, and GoPro cameras.  For this day, I spoke to the students about the drone.  I told them a few of the "cool" things I was able to do with them.  Then we took about 5-10 minutes to discuss how the students thought drones could be used in education.

Students looking at different drones.

After this discussion, Mrs. Kinzie had the students pair up and do some research on multiple different aspects of using drones for education.  The students used the computers to research video footage that was taken from a DJI Phantom drone.  The students were amazed at how clear and stable the footage was even though it looked like the drone was shaking quite a bit.  Some of the kids looked for educational uses for drones.  Others looked into the different types of drones and their prices.  As students completed their research, they shared their results in a common Google Doc. Overall, the students were given an opportunity to research, collaborate, and learn--all centered around a specific piece of technology.

These two experiences are hopefully just the beginning of a very collaborative year among the students, the teachers, and myself.  I look forward to many more collaborations in the near future.

Musings of a 2-Week-Old Technology Integration Specialist

As I have finalized my first two weeks of my new position as the mathematics curriculum and technology integration specialist, I have realized just how much I have learned in a short span.  I have also come to the conclusion that I have a TON more to learn.  However, I must admit something that not all educators come out and say...I LOVE TO LEARN!

Even though learning is one of the most essential aspects of being a technology integration specialist, there are many other hats to be worn for this position.  I would like to take the next couple minutes to expand upon a few of those.

• Relationship Specialist:  Like Mrs. Circle said on the first day, if you do not work on creating and maintaining relationships, your school and students will not work for you.  Creating a relationship with new coworkers may seem difficult for some people, however, I like to think I am able carry on any type of conversation with most people.  This week I was able to work with so many teachers that I had never had the chance to speak with before.  Of course, the main point of our conversations are related to technology issues, but I also enjoy learning more about them, their interests, and their lives outside of the walls of their classroom.  I was afforded the chance to work with Mrs. Tyner and learn about her past trips overseas with students.  What amazing experiences she was able to share with me!
• Collaborator:  I had the great opportunity to work Mrs. Kinzie to create a new activity for her Interactive Media classes.  Oh man, what an awesome time it was to collaborate on a project that we think the students will really have a chance to show their learning and creativity.  I'm not sure how many times one of us would say something and make the other's eyes light up!  This is another part of the position that I love.  The opportunity to brainstorm with my coworkers is a chance not many of us get on a weekly basis.  It is something I hope you understand is a huge part of my day.
• Resource Locator:  I have TONS of ideas and websites in my brain that may help you do something special in your classroom.  Most of them are ideas I have found on Twitter or have just fumbled across on the internet.  However, I have not learned everything and am constantly looking for new, cool technology for your classroom.  If you would like to find something for your classroom, but do not think you have the opportunity, please let me know what you are looking for.  I would be happy to do some research and find the best piece of technology for you and your students.  I had a great chat with Mr. Strasser on trying to find a way to get all of his football players in one list on Skyward to be able to check their grades.  I didn't have the answer right away, but went about checking for possibilities.  Good news...there is a way!  Mr. Walker and I had similar discussions regarding his FFA organization.  I'm thinking through our collaboration and resource locating, we found a great answer for him as well.
• Classroom Helper:  One of my first opportunities to view a teacher using technology in the classroom came from Mrs. Brammer.  The first time I stepped into her classroom she was diligently working on a presentation for her students.  I was there to help make sure her students could log into the classroom set of Chromebooks with their passwords.  Most students could remember theirs, but not all.  With my help, Mrs. Brammer was able to go about her lesson and not have to stop to help students out with getting onto the Chromebooks.  This is where I am happy to be of help to all teachers.  With this new position I do not have the same opportunities to work with students on a daily basis.  However, she actually enabled me to make those connections with the students again.
• Technology Observer:  Friday marked the first time I was able to step into Mr. Tonsoni's classroom.  I have known him from past run-ins at Summer of eLearning conferences and I knew his passion for technology and teaching.  He does not use technology just for technology's sake--he does it to prepare his students for a world outside of the walls of the school and because it makes things easier for himself.  The class I sat in on, he did something not most of us teachers do, he gave the students choice.  I won't ruin his idea, but I will promote his idea and his blog.  Please take a few minutes to hop on over to tons42.blogspot.com and read about his great integration of student choice into his classroom.
• Lifelong Learner:  In order to lead a school in technology integration, I must also be a lead learner.  However, being a lead learner does not just mean I must know everything (or most everything) that goes on technology-wise in the school, I must stay up-to-date on new ideas and innovations going on outside the walls of the school.  This is one of my favorite parts of the job--I love learning!  At night, I usually spend time on Twitter reading about what other schools and tech leaders are trying at their schools.  It is an amazing world out there!  After I read these great blogs and anecdotes, I usually spend a little time thinking of how, who, and where this might fit into our own building.  Are you going to be one of the "Who"s this year?

Learning is the main element of all schools.  It is not just for the students.  It is also not just for the teachers.  It is for EVERYONE involved in a school system.  Over the course of this year I cannot wait to lead our school in learning, technology, and innovation.  I have dozens of exciting ideas running around my head.  (It's really a scary place in there.)  However, without relationships, learning, and observing, it would not be possible to lead you guys in collaboration, integration, and innovation.  I'm extremely excited for this school year and learning along with you.

5 Chrome Apps and Extensions to Start Your School Year Off Right

Each year begins with a multitude of items for teachers to remember.  Google Chrome apps and extensions can make your life easier at the beginning of this year!  Below are 5 of my favorite "Must Haves" to begin a school year.

1.  SnagIt - Techsmith came out with this extension last year and it has been AWESOME to say the least!  You can use it to take a snapshot of your web browser or to create video tutorials for others.  You can also have your students download it and use it for your classroom!  For example, say we have an eLearning day and you want to see what your students completed for the day. Students can take a short video using SnagIt.  They can start their video and maneuver through their tabs and show you what they learned that day.  You can also have the students take screenshots of their work, insert the images into a Google Doc, and then have them explain their learning below each shot.

2.  Adblock Plus for YouTube - If you use YouTube in the classroom (it's great for a flipped classroom) then you are more than likely annoyed by the ads that show up at the beginning of a video.  No more ads, my friends.  Adblock Plus will make your videos instantly viewable without all the extra advertisements.

3.  Chrome Web Store Launcher - The Chrome Web Store launcher allows you to customize a quick launch button with 5 of your most frequently used Chrome apps! This is great because it is accessible no matter which web page you are working on.

4.  Office editing for Docs, Sheets, and Slides - Still creating items in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint?  Office Editing will allow you to view AND edit items created by Microsoft within your Google Drive.  It is very useful for any items you may already have created in Word or other programs.

I always like to add something fun for you to try on your own as well!

5.  Streamus - Lets you play music while in Chrome.  You can search YouTube videos and Streamus creates a playlist for you to be able to play through your speakers.  You can create multiple playlists.  I like to use Streamus for my "Presentation" playlist.  (*Helpful Hint: Double check your songs for any "languages issues" before you decide to use it in class with your students.)

I hope these 5 extensions and apps help get your organized and excited for the new school year!