SLATE- Here I come!

I'm looking forward to being a part of the WI DPI Leadership and Digital Learning PLC tomorrow at a SLATE pre-conference session! Excited for the opportunity to network with others about teaching and learning. During breakout team time, I've been asked to network with others and share my experiences with library transformation, embedded professional development, and instructional transformation. I've really been reflecting on what to share. There is so much that goes into each one: pedagogical beliefs, scaffolded implementation and professional development, building relationships with staff, and intertwining all district initiatives.

 I've settled on sharing a few initiatives that I believe helped to move Pulaski School District forward in meeting the needs of today's learners!

1. Refocus Discussions
Instead of talking about and preparing staff to utilize technology in their teaching, the discussions changed to what students need for their education to be successful in today's world.   It is extremely important that along with this district and building initiatives and that technology is modeled and integrated with all learning initiatives and business efficiency.

2.  Create a model of vision
Six model classrooms were created throughout the district to put our vision into action.  These classrooms provide opportunities for students to work collaboratively with others, brainstorm new ideas, think through problems to find solutions, and be creative and innovative. These classrooms have not only been a model for student learning, but they have also given us multiple classroom environments to try out a variety software, apps and devices to see which are most beneficial for grade level and content needs.  Most importantly, these staff have helped to pave the way for other staff, offered much professional development and provided a real live arena for observation and learning.

3.  Personalize and Innovate through Professional Development
With limited professional development time and many educational initiatives increasing the need for training and time, being creative and offering quality professional development is a must.  Together, district learning leaders, have offered a variety of personalized, innovative professional development.

Examples of pd:

• Model Classroom Walkabouts (before device implementations)
• Pulaski Edcamp
• Pulaski Mini-Tech Camps
• App Playdates
• team-teaching opps
• Lunch N Learns/ Breakfast Bytes

4.  Rethink Staffing
Through Informational Technology Standards revision and CCSS implementation, our Library Media Specialists (LMS) have evolved to co-teachers, staff trainers, and leaders of innovation.  The roles of LMS and Library Aide were revised as well as scheduling of the library to allow for improved support.

Across our middle and high school, Library Media and Learning Support staff where restructured to a Teaching Learning Technology Team.  Together, they learn, grow and support staff in co-teaching, resources sharing, instructional design and CCSS implementation.

At the district level, technology and curriculum staff are housed in the same building with leadership participating in frequent and ongoing collaboration between technology and curriculum.  In addition, all our Principals are learning leaders whose knowledge of and passion for learning and students lead our students to success!

5. Rethink Spaces 
Our Library Media Specialist Team/ Integration Support Team has been discussing the transformation of not only a library's function, but also it's resources, programs, and space. Our team has transitioned the space over the course of a few years to...

• build a virtual collection (ebooks, audio books, interactive sites), 
• circulate mobile devices (Chromebooks, iPads and laptops), 
• redesign to offer a multitude of learning spaces for individual, small group and whole class spaces,
• be open after school hours
• rename our spaces- The Hub

Here's a lipdub showcasing all the services and programs libraries offer students today! Our LMS team created this to showcase a student's journey through our K-12 libraries where they are engaged with resources, technologies, and many learning opportunities!

6.  Share:  Happenings, Experiences and Research
Our buildings do an excellent job of communicating information and sharing district, building and classroom happenings through social media.  Blogs are used to communicate what a traditional newletter would; Twitter feeds provide a glimpse into our classrooms; and Facebook pages allows for our community to connect.

Check out our district's social media directory

Gotta Have Fun in Your Life

I'm very thankful for working with a great team!  With the holidays approaching, it only seems right to honor them through humor!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Another to gear us up for snow! http://www.jibjab.com/view/3s941qli8XsJkGYHPVwR

Lunch N Learn 4 Admin: using tech for efficiency

Looking forward to talking tech today with PCSD Learning Leaders. Our focus today is on using technology to be more efficient and productive.

 The plan is to introduce and discuss the following:

• Chrome Extensions 
• Jabber App 
• Inbox Zero Strategy 

Presentation/Notes
Chrome Extensions List

Inbox Zero!

Thanks to my friend, Jennifer Zurawski, at West Depere School District for sharing a great strategy for getting an inbox of zero (or close to it)!  Many of us feel overwhelmed and burdened by email today- especially when our inbox is in the thousands.  I used her strategy and last night went from 6,000+ emails in my inbox to 122!  I feel relieved! Now, I just need to keep it up!

Try it out for yourself...

Chromebook Printing Available in PCSD

Google Cloud Print is now set up at all schools- this makes printing from a Chromebook possible! 

When printing from a Chromebook, at the options page, click "Change" to select a printer.  Then, under Google Cloud Print, select the appropriate printer from the list of available printers. Not all printers are set up for Google Cloud Printing. Any that appear in this list are available for cloud printing.

Note:  You may get prompted to add a printer, but you can just click "Not Now" as the printers are already added for you. 

Air Server- mirroring iPads in our classrooms

Yesterday our elementary staff was shown a demo of Air Server and trained on it's use.  This awesome app will allow staff the ability to mirror any content from their iPad to their computer.  Since computers project on Smartboards in all classrooms, students can now see and share content easily with others from their iPads!

For more info:   presentation       text directions       video tutorial

Picture from Learning in Hand

Stepping Stones- technology

With the implementation of Stepping Stones as our elementary curriculum, we were excited about the technology components it offers. However, we have had to do some tweaking on our end to get the technology they offer to work best for our students and staff.

Below are some videos and directions to make the technology aspects of Stepping Stones more successful!

Accessing Teacher Steps from Google Drive Folders

Setting up Sub Accounts for Fundamental Games

Accessing Fundamental Games from classroom iPads

Tips and Tricks when using Stepping Stones

Addressed in the video below is:

1.  Touching the sides of the screen and being routed back to the teacher steps

2.  Ink staying on the screen when you advance pages

3.  Honey Pot 

4.  Clear cache

5.  Updates to their program and how it affects access to teacher steps in Google and Fundamental Games on iPads

SAMR- evaluating tech integration

We have stressed the importance of using technology for students to Create, Collaborate, Critically Think, and have Digital Citizenship. As a Library Media Team, we have been having discussions around how to ensure the integration continues to not only encourage those skills but also to be meaningful and best utilize curricular time. As a result, we've been studying the SAMR model and looking at units taught through this framework. Thanks to a member of our team, Clay Reisler, for putting this recap together as a reference in moving foward.
 

iPaddiction: iDevices, Google Drive, and Over App To Document S...

iPaddiction: iDevices, Google Drive, and Over App To Document S...: Mr. Fullerton, our middle school principal , and Mr. Krause, our middle school assistant principle , created an opportunity for staff to use...

Pulaski students assist Seniors with Smartphones!

Last Thursday, I had the honor to watch Pulaski students put their tech skills to a great use!  Students helped some senior center residents with their smartphones.  They did awesome!  It was a great experience for all!  I was impressed with their maturity, kindness, knowledge and willingness to help!

News Article:

Residents of the Pulaski Senior Center called on Pulaski Community School District students and staff to help them with their iPhones.  On Thursday, October 17, students in Mr. Hendricks’ 5th and Mr. Pratt’s 6th grade model classrooms were able to put their technology skills to use to not only help these residents with technology, but also provide some community service as well.  Students taught the residents skills from setting up email on their smartphones to taking pictures and using other downloaded apps.  

In the model classrooms, students utilize a variety of technologies to learn and create.  This coupled with the use of technology in their personal lives helped them to help others learn these essential skills. Library Media Specialist Joe Diefenthaler, who usually assists staff and students at PCMS with technology, was able to share his skills and connect with the community as well.  “My son talked about this experience all weekend and how much he enjoyed it.  Now he keeps asking what careers he could do in the future like this experience, ” said Mr. Diefenthaler.

Book Makes Me Think!

Our Library Media Team is doing a book study of Why School? by Will Richardson.  It's very thought provoking!  Really makes me think about ways to bring the learning students do outside of school into school.  Outside of school, students use videos and people to learn from- they define their own problems, seek the best sources, and apply what they learned through a variety of means.  Take the craze of Minecraft for example- my son couldn't find diamonds in the game.  That was his problem. So, he used youtube to learn how to do it from another kid.  While he attempted it on his own, he failed; watched the video again; learned from his mistake; tried again.  Success!  Diamonds!  Excitement!  Proud of himself!  Then, he used Skype to video chat his friend and help him to do the same thing!

Weeks later after watching a few more videos- he created his own how to with the help of his sister.  Many could say since I'm in the tech field he had learned the skills to do all this.  I helped him with very little.  He used his own resources to solve his problem. Critical thinking, creativity and collaboration abound.... mixed in with a bit a constructive failure!  And probably many of you reading this have seen similar skills developing in your kids or other youngsters.

Thanks to our LMS team for a very enlighting discussion about student learning and skills needed for their success in the future.  Next session:  specific ways/ integration ideas to bring this learning to all classrooms! Kudos to our teaching staff who have embraced this concept and implementing strategies for devloping creative, collaborative, critical thinkers!

Learning Leaders Lunch N Learn: Google Plus and IFTTT

So excited to be working with our awesome team of administrators learning about and talking about best practices in educational technology!  Our first topic is Google Plus!
Google Plus for me is like meshing all your favorite social networking sites.  It's a Facebook, Twitter, Skype,  Google Groups and Picasa experience all in one package!
Why would Learning Leaders want to use it?

• Sick of email?  Create a community for your building and communicate this way instead of flooding email inboxes.
• Communicate different information with different groups of people
• Schedule events
• Participate in a Google Hangout- virtual meeting instead of traveling the 35 miles from one end of the district to the other- right Kris and Eric?
• Professional Learning Network
• Share photos

Google Plus Intro:  

• Setup Profiles
• Create Circles
• Post
• Communities
• Hangouts

Creating a community:

IFTTT
If This Then That is a site that allows you automate technology tasks by creating recipes!  You may not even know you want certain tasks automated until you see you can!

Here are the recipes I have:

• At 6 am every day, I receive a text message telling me the weather for the day.
• I get a text alert everytime the pollen count goes above 1.0 (I know, weird, but I have a son with bad environmental allergies and this alerts me to be a Zyrtec day!)
• I get a text message at the END of the Packer Game.  I found if I set it during the game, I would get a text before they actually scored as I was watching it on tv!
• I get an email everytime someone posts an iphone5 for sale on Craigslist- my current iphone5 is cracked!
• Every time I post to my blog, the content automatically is forward to a Twitter feed.

Future Topics:

I surveyed our team to see what topics they were most interested in learning more about.  The topics with the most votes will be our next Lunch N Learn Resources!  Here are the top selections:

• Blogger- widgets, posting, layout, etc.
• Best iPad apps for administrators
• YouTube 101
• Ideas for modeling the use of technology
• Creating infographics- new way of sharing information
• Using your smartphone in place of school issued phone

 

Welcome AmyU to Blogging!

Finally.... the world of blogging!  This has been on my to do list for too long!  I'm finally joining the ranks of bloggers everywhere!  Looking for a good place to share information and resources with others and create a digital presence.  Was going to bypass a blog and utilize Google Plus only, but decided to go this route! Happy blogging!