December 18, 2017
I'm giving away some swag this week.
I was fortunate enough to win a few prizes at a local conference:
2 Nearpod Gold 6 month subscriptions
1 Brain Pop classroom subscription for a year!
1 IPEVO document camera (I know!)
I asked Nearpod to send me stickers for a PD I'm doing after school today, but they sent me three more Nearpod Gold 6 month subscriptions instead. Not so bad!
I was given a $50 gift card for helping out at a local tech event. I purchased a few more items for the give away:
1 USB port extender
1 Presenter/clicker
1 Boogie Board LCD board
1 Wireless mouse
! Pocket phone charger
1 3 Pack SanDisk flash drives (8G)
All in all I'm pretty excited about the give away! I set up a ticketing system. Every teacher got 3 tickets to start. I awarded extra tickets each day to teachers implementing tech in their lessons (in a meaningful way.) It's funny how competitive adults can get!
I have a little swag sticker basket ready for the PD as well. I ordered YouTube, Google, and Emoji stickers from the Google Mountain View store. I've ordered so much from that store, my husband is going to cut me off soon! LOL I'd love some Digital Promise stickers to give as swag a well. I'll have to work on that!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Friday, December 8, 2017
Half way through cycle 2
This was an interesting week in DLP.
Two of my biggest barriers were broken down, magically, I might add.
Teacher 1:
Science 7 and 8
Veteran teacher
Not interested in using technology unless he gets his very own Chromebook cart that would not be shared with anyone else, and he would only use You Tube, Classroom, and Docs, if necessary.
Something strange happened with him this week. The strange is called Coding.
I created a document with links to help teachers use coding in their classrooms this week, and I posted it to my DLP Coaching Google Classroom.
Teacher 1 visited this document, and decided to try Python Room. Yes, coding with Python.
The students loved it.
He loved it.
I asked him if I could post pictures to Twitter of his class working on Python.
He told me he might be interested in signing up for Twitter.
I walked him through the process.
Shazzaamm!
He has a Twitter account.
In one day he used coding with his students and he signed up for a Twitter account. WINNING!
Teacher 2:
Science 8/HS Science 9-12
15 year teacher
Transferred to the middle school at the beginning of this year.
Never taught middle school students.
Doesn't understand the big deal about my job.
Wrote negative comments on the teacher's Needs Survey.
I started giving badges to teachers who use technology in our middle school.
I've dropped into his classroom a few times to check in and offer help if needed.
I asked him what subject area he is covering. He said solar power and power in general.
Nearpod has a few interesting presentations for power.
Pear deck also has a great Flashcard Factory activity for studying vocabulary.
I sent him a link and asked for his opinion. That was a week ago.
Yesterday, I received an email from him asking if I'd like to see his students use Flashcard Factory and invited me into his classroom.
I immediately responded that I'd be more than happy to visit.
I watched 28 students happily communicating about vocabulary, playing the game, learning about the definitions, but most of all, I watched a teacher with a grudge about working in the middle school, smiling, laughing, interacting with, and encouraging his students to "do more."
Again, I asked him if he was on Twitter or if he would mind me sending a tweet about his students using Pear Deck. He said he was fine with me tweeting, and he said he did have an account but he hadn't used it since April.
I tweeted about the activity, posted a few pictures, and gave him a shout-out about being innovative in the classroom. He liked it, and he re-tweeted. WINNING!!!!
All in all, a very good week.
#DLPCoaching makes a difference.
#brightspots412
#Ilovemyjob
#goodthingshappeningatmcguffey
Two of my biggest barriers were broken down, magically, I might add.
Teacher 1:
Science 7 and 8
Veteran teacher
Not interested in using technology unless he gets his very own Chromebook cart that would not be shared with anyone else, and he would only use You Tube, Classroom, and Docs, if necessary.
Something strange happened with him this week. The strange is called Coding.
I created a document with links to help teachers use coding in their classrooms this week, and I posted it to my DLP Coaching Google Classroom.
Teacher 1 visited this document, and decided to try Python Room. Yes, coding with Python.
The students loved it.
He loved it.
I asked him if I could post pictures to Twitter of his class working on Python.
He told me he might be interested in signing up for Twitter.
I walked him through the process.
Shazzaamm!
He has a Twitter account.
In one day he used coding with his students and he signed up for a Twitter account. WINNING!
Teacher 2:
Science 8/HS Science 9-12
15 year teacher
Transferred to the middle school at the beginning of this year.
Never taught middle school students.
Doesn't understand the big deal about my job.
Wrote negative comments on the teacher's Needs Survey.
I started giving badges to teachers who use technology in our middle school.
I've dropped into his classroom a few times to check in and offer help if needed.
I asked him what subject area he is covering. He said solar power and power in general.
Nearpod has a few interesting presentations for power.
Pear deck also has a great Flashcard Factory activity for studying vocabulary.
I sent him a link and asked for his opinion. That was a week ago.
Yesterday, I received an email from him asking if I'd like to see his students use Flashcard Factory and invited me into his classroom.
I immediately responded that I'd be more than happy to visit.
I watched 28 students happily communicating about vocabulary, playing the game, learning about the definitions, but most of all, I watched a teacher with a grudge about working in the middle school, smiling, laughing, interacting with, and encouraging his students to "do more."
Again, I asked him if he was on Twitter or if he would mind me sending a tweet about his students using Pear Deck. He said he was fine with me tweeting, and he said he did have an account but he hadn't used it since April.
I tweeted about the activity, posted a few pictures, and gave him a shout-out about being innovative in the classroom. He liked it, and he re-tweeted. WINNING!!!!
All in all, a very good week.
#DLPCoaching makes a difference.
#brightspots412
#Ilovemyjob
#goodthingshappeningatmcguffey
Friday, December 1, 2017
Third week cycle 2
So many things to celebrate!!!
Working with a new teacher for cycle 2. History 7 is studying the Renaissance, and the teacher asked me to assist him with some interesting museum VR and possibly creating skits for Flipgrid.
He is fairly new to teaching and traditionally assigns paper/pencil activities to his students, but he is willing to try new things. I'm anxious to get started with his classes!
The big deal is the arrival of the Chromebooks so generously donated to us from Digital Promise! We are over the moon and can't wait to surprise the staff with the roll out of all the new devices!
Bright spots.....
So many to choose from!
Blogging with 8th grade ELA
Apple TV up and running with daily announcements in the cafeteria
Apple TV
Chromebook Stations/Interactive presentations in ELA7
Screencastify lesson plans on classroom
Nearpod, Flipgrid, and Peardeck, OH, MY!
I scrounged up 19 IPads and brought them to one of the math teachers. I said, "Hey, do you think you'd like to give these a try with your students?' She said, "Why not!" I cannot get them away from her! "Very Appy Teacher!"
Trying to work on using Technology to combat behavior issues....biggest bright spot yet? Tech Lounge as the monthly PBIS Incentive!!!
Working with a new teacher for cycle 2. History 7 is studying the Renaissance, and the teacher asked me to assist him with some interesting museum VR and possibly creating skits for Flipgrid.
He is fairly new to teaching and traditionally assigns paper/pencil activities to his students, but he is willing to try new things. I'm anxious to get started with his classes!
The big deal is the arrival of the Chromebooks so generously donated to us from Digital Promise! We are over the moon and can't wait to surprise the staff with the roll out of all the new devices!
Bright spots.....
So many to choose from!
Blogging with 8th grade ELA
Apple TV up and running with daily announcements in the cafeteria
Apple TV
Chromebook Stations/Interactive presentations in ELA7
Screencastify lesson plans on classroom
Nearpod, Flipgrid, and Peardeck, OH, MY!
I scrounged up 19 IPads and brought them to one of the math teachers. I said, "Hey, do you think you'd like to give these a try with your students?' She said, "Why not!" I cannot get them away from her! "Very Appy Teacher!"
Trying to work on using Technology to combat behavior issues....biggest bright spot yet? Tech Lounge as the monthly PBIS Incentive!!!
Sunday, November 19, 2017
New Cycle: 2
Reflect on how your school culture has shifted since you started coaching this year. What roadblocks have you hit (or are hitting now)? What strategies did you use? What support do you need from your mentor and/or your principal?
Well, I just came off a whirlwind week preparaing for and hosting Dee's visit to our school.
I loved seeing him.
I think it grounded me and redefined / reminded me of the purpose of this program, the path I'm on, and the goals we have.
The staff and students in our school were so incredibly helpful and supportive before, during, and after the visit. Dee is an important part of this DLP proess and family, and I wanted everything to be as perfect for his visit as it could be.
I invited the local newspaper to come out and interview Dee. He IS a rockstar, after all, and rockstars should be in the paper! Our district had not released information about the DLP program to our community, so I though Dee's visit was a perfect opportunity for making the announcement and explaining the importance of the program to our community. The paper was more than happy to send a reporter and a photographer, and I look forward to seeing the article. (and will post it here when it is published)
One thing I noticed about Dee, the rockstar, was EVERYONE wanted to meet him, talk to him, interact with him, and basically, glue themselves to him the entire day! I shared him with the school, because, after all, the program is theirs, not mine alone. I didn't really get any 1:1 time with Dee, but, in a way, that was the best way to use his time. For instance;
I hosted a meet and greet with a light lunch so the administration, first cycle teachers, innovation advocates, and others could pop in, meet Dee, talk a little while, ask questions, and get a real feel for the program. I watched. I listened. I soaked it all in. Let's face it, I can call Dee every day. I have access to him whenever I need it. It was very important to me to have the administration and staff experience what I get to experience during every DLP meeting. I think mingling with Dee brought our school community very much closer to the program. Comments after Dee's visit solidified this idea for me. The program just became much more personal, much more important, much more meaningful to everyone involved with the preparation and participation with Dee's visit. Even the students were all a buzz about Dee's visit to the math class: "Mrs. Engler, tell Dee we figured out his math problem. Oh, and tell him we figured out even more after he left! When are you coming in to work with our class?"
I love it!
My administration; I invited the superintendent, the high school principal, the middle school principal, the assistant middle school principal, and the director of special ed. In some way, I work with teachers under the supervision of all these individuals. I wanted each of them to know, first hand, how special this program is to me and how important Dee's visit was to our school. They all thanked me for including them and for making them feel like they were all a part of the DLP process.
Even though the visit was positive, I need the support of my mentor and my administration more now than ever. The momentum of the program needs to continue to build and grow. A roadblock I've recently experienced is complacency. My administrative support is overwhelmed with student discipline, teacher supervision, program implementation, and other administrative duties. The DLP program runs smoothly, on a daily basis, but, yet, I still require support. My administrative meetings are becoming brief, with little discussion, limited interaction. This is not a complaint, it's a reality.
Well, I just came off a whirlwind week preparaing for and hosting Dee's visit to our school.
I loved seeing him.
I think it grounded me and redefined / reminded me of the purpose of this program, the path I'm on, and the goals we have.
The staff and students in our school were so incredibly helpful and supportive before, during, and after the visit. Dee is an important part of this DLP proess and family, and I wanted everything to be as perfect for his visit as it could be.
I invited the local newspaper to come out and interview Dee. He IS a rockstar, after all, and rockstars should be in the paper! Our district had not released information about the DLP program to our community, so I though Dee's visit was a perfect opportunity for making the announcement and explaining the importance of the program to our community. The paper was more than happy to send a reporter and a photographer, and I look forward to seeing the article. (and will post it here when it is published)
One thing I noticed about Dee, the rockstar, was EVERYONE wanted to meet him, talk to him, interact with him, and basically, glue themselves to him the entire day! I shared him with the school, because, after all, the program is theirs, not mine alone. I didn't really get any 1:1 time with Dee, but, in a way, that was the best way to use his time. For instance;
I hosted a meet and greet with a light lunch so the administration, first cycle teachers, innovation advocates, and others could pop in, meet Dee, talk a little while, ask questions, and get a real feel for the program. I watched. I listened. I soaked it all in. Let's face it, I can call Dee every day. I have access to him whenever I need it. It was very important to me to have the administration and staff experience what I get to experience during every DLP meeting. I think mingling with Dee brought our school community very much closer to the program. Comments after Dee's visit solidified this idea for me. The program just became much more personal, much more important, much more meaningful to everyone involved with the preparation and participation with Dee's visit. Even the students were all a buzz about Dee's visit to the math class: "Mrs. Engler, tell Dee we figured out his math problem. Oh, and tell him we figured out even more after he left! When are you coming in to work with our class?"
I love it!
My administration; I invited the superintendent, the high school principal, the middle school principal, the assistant middle school principal, and the director of special ed. In some way, I work with teachers under the supervision of all these individuals. I wanted each of them to know, first hand, how special this program is to me and how important Dee's visit was to our school. They all thanked me for including them and for making them feel like they were all a part of the DLP process.
Even though the visit was positive, I need the support of my mentor and my administration more now than ever. The momentum of the program needs to continue to build and grow. A roadblock I've recently experienced is complacency. My administrative support is overwhelmed with student discipline, teacher supervision, program implementation, and other administrative duties. The DLP program runs smoothly, on a daily basis, but, yet, I still require support. My administrative meetings are becoming brief, with little discussion, limited interaction. This is not a complaint, it's a reality.
Monday, November 13, 2017
1st week, Second Cycle
I'm currently working with one of the Innovation Advocates, Paige.
Paige is an ELA grade 8 teacher.
She's had a lot on her plate this year.
She is also the new Wilson Reader/Remedial Reading Teacher.
She thought she'd like to try blogging with her students. They read The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, every year, so she thought this would be a good place to start. She selected 6 "bloggers" to start things off. I taught the girls how to access the blog, gave them the code, and started them off with making predictions. The students, of course, hit the ground running and began blogging like rock starts.
Adults underestimate the abilities students have, especially when it comes to using technology. Paige was surprised at how well the students did with making the predictions. They added "tags" at the bottom of their page, and they commented on one another's posts. Surprisingly, they used perfect online etiquette, using complete sentences, positive language, and good writing skills. We worked on chapter one entries today. They picked up on the process of creating a new post very quickly. Tomorrow, we will add more students to the team and get more interactions with the postings.
Paige and I talked about going to an Edcamp in Greenville, SC. I'm excited that she might be willing to travel that far for a professional development opportunity. She has two young children at home, so I wasn't sure if she'd be up for travel. Hopefully, we both get to go and learn together!
My other coaching experiences this week are fun! The computer teacher is working on the Google coding activity
https://csfirst.withgoogle.com/en/hoc2017#?utm_source=google&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HOC17Email
Paige is an ELA grade 8 teacher.
She's had a lot on her plate this year.
She is also the new Wilson Reader/Remedial Reading Teacher.
She thought she'd like to try blogging with her students. They read The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, every year, so she thought this would be a good place to start. She selected 6 "bloggers" to start things off. I taught the girls how to access the blog, gave them the code, and started them off with making predictions. The students, of course, hit the ground running and began blogging like rock starts.
Adults underestimate the abilities students have, especially when it comes to using technology. Paige was surprised at how well the students did with making the predictions. They added "tags" at the bottom of their page, and they commented on one another's posts. Surprisingly, they used perfect online etiquette, using complete sentences, positive language, and good writing skills. We worked on chapter one entries today. They picked up on the process of creating a new post very quickly. Tomorrow, we will add more students to the team and get more interactions with the postings.
Paige and I talked about going to an Edcamp in Greenville, SC. I'm excited that she might be willing to travel that far for a professional development opportunity. She has two young children at home, so I wasn't sure if she'd be up for travel. Hopefully, we both get to go and learn together!
My other coaching experiences this week are fun! The computer teacher is working on the Google coding activity
https://csfirst.withgoogle.com/en/hoc2017#?utm_source=google&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HOC17Email
And his students seem to really love it!
I also did my first "sweep" observation. I actually did that in Paige's room, because one of her classes has 13 IEP students and 4 regular ed students. Many of the students in that class require a lot of redirection. I wanted her to see a visual of who was off task and when. The exercise was done very casually, but the data spoke volumes about who was off task, how many times, and during what portion of the class. Very interesting data....predictable, but nonetheless, still interesting.
I had a tremendous breakthrough with a "new" teacher in the building. Kristin is a secondary math teacher who was recently moved to the middle school. She now teaches 7th grade students. She is not happy about the transfer. It was an involuntary move.
She is very nervous with this group of students and misses her high school classes. I offered to help her with a few things in the beginning of the year, but she said she was just too overwhelmed and using technology was not a convenient way for her to get accustomed to the new students . I backed off and have gradually been sending her email tips, including her in the Google Classroom page, and checking on her from time to time. Today, she came to my "office," which is just my old classroom transformed into a work space, and asked me to help her scan documents to make PDF's. I helped her. Then, she asked me to show her how to post the PDF's to the classroom. She asked me how to create an assignment, how to post it, how to create topics, how to establish a due date, how to make a copy for each student, and how to use a PDF to Doc extension. All in a period of 10 minutes! SCORE!!!!! She asked me to sign her up for cycle 3.......DONE!
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
End of the first cycle
So the first cycle is over.
I feel.....
Well......
Not sure.
I'm so happy. In fact, sometimes I feel guilty about how happy I am. This job was tailor-made for me. I have my administrative papers, but I'm not a principal. I'm a coach. I love working with others. I' was a cheerleader for years in school, and I"m a cheerleader at heart. Coaching allows for that professional collaboration, but, at the same time, it also provides that natural opportunity to celebrate! Cheering on my fellow colleagues when they succeed gives me great pleasure. Coaching one period a day for all these years has been very beneficial, but it was never enough. I've been wanting to be a full-time tech coach for years, and I feel as though my pumpkin has finally turned into the most luxurious carriage I've ever seen, my glass slippers are sparkling under my magnificent gown, and my prince charming is gorgeous!
The job: Oh, how I love this job! I feel as though I am making such an impact. The teachers are using technology like crazy. They are fighting over who gets the Chromebooks and who gets me in their classroom! Right now I'm working on blogging, video lessons, online classes, lab simulations, and so much more. Today was a great day....one of the science co-teachers asked me to help her use an online lab simulator with her students, and today, she was thrilled to tell me how well it worked and how much her students learned from the simulation experience. Win! Score! Even by biggest critic in the beginning of the year asked me for help. They are coming along nicely.
Another thing I love is every day is a new day, a new challenge, a new experience. Are you getting the idea that "new" is a recurring theme here? I needed new. I love new. I'm embracing new. What's really great is the other teachers are embracing it as well. I am overwhelmed with how much the teachers are enjoying this position as much as I am. I get excited messages from teachers telling me they found a good app or they are using a new online program or they want to go to a conference. I love the newly generated enthusiasm. They hate when I am absent from school! LOL I love that as well. We've set up some "cloning" features so no one really misses me that much. They all text me, email me, hangout with me.....and if that doesn't work, they find one of my kids.....yes, I have little "me's" planted all over the school.....I tell the kids, "I'm not going to be in school tomorrow, check on Mrs. S., and make sure her. blah, blah blah is working." The kids then check in with me on hangouts and it's all good! Some of the teachers are getting really great at helping one another as well.....they still text me and ask, "Hey, is it OK if I help Mr. J. with using that new app you showed me?" They are growing...becoming independent learners, facilitators, innovators.
That leads me to the next emotion:
I'm a little sad
i'm nervous about this project coming to an end.
I'm worried the district will not pick this position up and let me continue my work. I'm not sure I want to be cut loose from Google Education, Ed Tech, and Digital Promise. I take all of this extremely seriously and I feel as though this project (and I) have cred simply because of the association with the giants in education.
A huge part of me is terrified for it all to end. But.....
Another part of me is very excited to see what's to come.
What's next on this journey?
Where am I headed?
Where will I lead others?
Where will they lead me?
I feel.....
Well......
Not sure.
I'm so happy. In fact, sometimes I feel guilty about how happy I am. This job was tailor-made for me. I have my administrative papers, but I'm not a principal. I'm a coach. I love working with others. I' was a cheerleader for years in school, and I"m a cheerleader at heart. Coaching allows for that professional collaboration, but, at the same time, it also provides that natural opportunity to celebrate! Cheering on my fellow colleagues when they succeed gives me great pleasure. Coaching one period a day for all these years has been very beneficial, but it was never enough. I've been wanting to be a full-time tech coach for years, and I feel as though my pumpkin has finally turned into the most luxurious carriage I've ever seen, my glass slippers are sparkling under my magnificent gown, and my prince charming is gorgeous!
The job: Oh, how I love this job! I feel as though I am making such an impact. The teachers are using technology like crazy. They are fighting over who gets the Chromebooks and who gets me in their classroom! Right now I'm working on blogging, video lessons, online classes, lab simulations, and so much more. Today was a great day....one of the science co-teachers asked me to help her use an online lab simulator with her students, and today, she was thrilled to tell me how well it worked and how much her students learned from the simulation experience. Win! Score! Even by biggest critic in the beginning of the year asked me for help. They are coming along nicely.
Another thing I love is every day is a new day, a new challenge, a new experience. Are you getting the idea that "new" is a recurring theme here? I needed new. I love new. I'm embracing new. What's really great is the other teachers are embracing it as well. I am overwhelmed with how much the teachers are enjoying this position as much as I am. I get excited messages from teachers telling me they found a good app or they are using a new online program or they want to go to a conference. I love the newly generated enthusiasm. They hate when I am absent from school! LOL I love that as well. We've set up some "cloning" features so no one really misses me that much. They all text me, email me, hangout with me.....and if that doesn't work, they find one of my kids.....yes, I have little "me's" planted all over the school.....I tell the kids, "I'm not going to be in school tomorrow, check on Mrs. S., and make sure her. blah, blah blah is working." The kids then check in with me on hangouts and it's all good! Some of the teachers are getting really great at helping one another as well.....they still text me and ask, "Hey, is it OK if I help Mr. J. with using that new app you showed me?" They are growing...becoming independent learners, facilitators, innovators.
That leads me to the next emotion:
I'm a little sad
i'm nervous about this project coming to an end.
I'm worried the district will not pick this position up and let me continue my work. I'm not sure I want to be cut loose from Google Education, Ed Tech, and Digital Promise. I take all of this extremely seriously and I feel as though this project (and I) have cred simply because of the association with the giants in education.
A huge part of me is terrified for it all to end. But.....
Another part of me is very excited to see what's to come.
What's next on this journey?
Where am I headed?
Where will I lead others?
Where will they lead me?
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Week 8
How did this week’s coaching / observations go? Share stories / examples / wonders / questions / successes / challenges from the week.
How did this cycle go? What was successful? What would you want to do differently next cycle?
What are your goals for next cycle?
This was a very busy week.
I worked with so many teachers on meeting goals, and it was fabulous!
Chantel:
Chantel is an ELA teacher....she's been teaching English for her entire career of approximately 20 years. She is excellent. Her student state assessment scores are always high. Her students learn a great deal about using the English language. Technology is rarely part of her daily lesson plan. Why is this so? We do not always have Chromebooks available for use in the classrooms. She comes up with ideas, but doesn't seem to use them, because it frustrates that the students cannot simply "take out the Chromebooks" to use them in class.
I've been taking baby steps coaching her to believe in the use of technology enough to start using it as much as possible, even if it means we have to beg, borrow, or steal Chromebooks for students to use. I was observing one of her classes this week, and I noticed the lesson was inflection and the State Farm commercial "That's my car?!" The commercial has a young girl getting a car for a present and she's so excited....then, a man sees his car has been vandalized and is upset. I thought this was a great lesson. I asked her how she was having students demonstrate the inflection and tone. She said they were just pairing up and acting it out with one another in the hall. I suggested using IPads to record their inflection. I arranged for Chantel to get an I Pad for her class, and she let them try it. They were very shy at first, but then, they loved it! I was so happy she took a chance. (We have a set of 8, 6 year old I Pads that we use for STEM classes, at times, so I arranged for her to get one for the class) It was a simple way to get the students using technology in order to meet a learning goal.
Christine:
Christine's father passed away a week ago. I took care of helping her at school with using a Google sheet to monitor student behavior while she was out on bereavement days. The sheet was not set up with a date/time, so teachers started changing information on the form and were confused about how to complete and submit the data chart. I took the sheet and turned it into a form, adding the areas needed by each of the teachers completing it. I set up a reminder on Google Keep so teachers wouldn't forget to complete it. When Christine came back, I walked her through the steps of using the form, showed her how to make her own for other students, and walked her through using Google Keep reminders. I created Screen casts for using forms and for using Google Keep and shared them in our school's google classroom for DLP. resources. She cried and thanked me for helping her stay organized, even though she wasn't in school. I was so very happy to be her coach and to be able to help her personally and professionally.
This job is so rewarding. I am so very grateful to be the extra set of hands, the resource, the helper, the facilitator, the mentor, the coach. It's amazing how busy my days can be, but the reward from the hard work is priceless. The teachers in my building are so grateful. They thank me constantly for helping them find the tools they need to complete a task or to enhance a learning goal, and they thank me for pushing them to try new technologies to help them improve instruction and to help their students learn.
The teachers are starting to get nervous that heir support system (me) will vanish next year. Like so many newly introduced professional strategies and programs, we often times expect teachers to embrace change, get on board, try new things, then we pull the carpet out from under their feet and watch them fall because we remove the support. I hope the support remains in place, because this is a great program. I don't say that very often about new ideas....but, this? This is good! It's better than good. It's working, the teachers are loving it, they are on board, and they want it to continue. And, I truly hope it does. :)
I worked with so many teachers on meeting goals, and it was fabulous!
Chantel:
Chantel is an ELA teacher....she's been teaching English for her entire career of approximately 20 years. She is excellent. Her student state assessment scores are always high. Her students learn a great deal about using the English language. Technology is rarely part of her daily lesson plan. Why is this so? We do not always have Chromebooks available for use in the classrooms. She comes up with ideas, but doesn't seem to use them, because it frustrates that the students cannot simply "take out the Chromebooks" to use them in class.
I've been taking baby steps coaching her to believe in the use of technology enough to start using it as much as possible, even if it means we have to beg, borrow, or steal Chromebooks for students to use. I was observing one of her classes this week, and I noticed the lesson was inflection and the State Farm commercial "That's my car?!" The commercial has a young girl getting a car for a present and she's so excited....then, a man sees his car has been vandalized and is upset. I thought this was a great lesson. I asked her how she was having students demonstrate the inflection and tone. She said they were just pairing up and acting it out with one another in the hall. I suggested using IPads to record their inflection. I arranged for Chantel to get an I Pad for her class, and she let them try it. They were very shy at first, but then, they loved it! I was so happy she took a chance. (We have a set of 8, 6 year old I Pads that we use for STEM classes, at times, so I arranged for her to get one for the class) It was a simple way to get the students using technology in order to meet a learning goal.
Christine:
Christine's father passed away a week ago. I took care of helping her at school with using a Google sheet to monitor student behavior while she was out on bereavement days. The sheet was not set up with a date/time, so teachers started changing information on the form and were confused about how to complete and submit the data chart. I took the sheet and turned it into a form, adding the areas needed by each of the teachers completing it. I set up a reminder on Google Keep so teachers wouldn't forget to complete it. When Christine came back, I walked her through the steps of using the form, showed her how to make her own for other students, and walked her through using Google Keep reminders. I created Screen casts for using forms and for using Google Keep and shared them in our school's google classroom for DLP. resources. She cried and thanked me for helping her stay organized, even though she wasn't in school. I was so very happy to be her coach and to be able to help her personally and professionally.
This job is so rewarding. I am so very grateful to be the extra set of hands, the resource, the helper, the facilitator, the mentor, the coach. It's amazing how busy my days can be, but the reward from the hard work is priceless. The teachers in my building are so grateful. They thank me constantly for helping them find the tools they need to complete a task or to enhance a learning goal, and they thank me for pushing them to try new technologies to help them improve instruction and to help their students learn.
The teachers are starting to get nervous that heir support system (me) will vanish next year. Like so many newly introduced professional strategies and programs, we often times expect teachers to embrace change, get on board, try new things, then we pull the carpet out from under their feet and watch them fall because we remove the support. I hope the support remains in place, because this is a great program. I don't say that very often about new ideas....but, this? This is good! It's better than good. It's working, the teachers are loving it, they are on board, and they want it to continue. And, I truly hope it does. :)
Monday, October 30, 2017
Week 7
How did this week’s coaching / observations go? Share stories / examples / wonders / questions / successes / challenges from the week.
Week 7 had a resounding theme: SUCCESS!
This was one of the busiest weeks on record for me thus far.
I worked in classrooms, met with teachers, set up future plans, assisted with as much as I possibly could, updated the DLP Google Classroom collection of resources, experimented with a few new tricks, met with student tech leaders and more!
More?
Attended the annual STEAM showcase with very special students who were sharing their knowledge of STEAM, sound waves, using technology to visualize sound wave patterns, building and creating fabulous art installation pieces using Coding and Makey Makey. I was so very proud to be their "coach" at that event!
I was able to catch up with and meet with my Tribe....or at least part of the Tribe.....some of my fellow DLP coaches in the Pittsburgh area. This is so very helpful. I cannot stress enough how important this relationship is to all of us. We share successes and failures, we throw ideas around for discussion, we compare notes, we support one another, and we simply are there to reaffirm what great accomplishments we have achieved in such short a time. I'm meeting with another coach next week to see how things are progressing for her , then, I'm actually planning an out-of-state visit to see Kelli Coons in South Carolina! I'm really looking forward to this meeting! It will be so helpful seeing how she operates her coaching program, meet her teachers, see the good things happening in her school, and meet face to face to discuss EVERYTHING!
Good things with teachers:
I helped the special ed department stream-line their data collection process using Google Forms and Google Sheets. They also learned how to use Google Keep to set up friendly reminders for staff to complete behavior data forms.
A reluctant, veteran science teacher let me in to see his amusement park research activities!!! Yay! A win! He though using the Chromebooks for simple research wasn't fancy enough. THAT IS COMPLETELY MY FAULT. I obviously did not do enough or say enough to reassure this teacher (and possibly others) that the amount of technology, the type of technology, or the sophistication of the technology is not what matters........meeting student learning goals is what matters. If using the Chromebooks for research is what he needed to accomplish his goals, then so be it! I was proud of him for trying!
He also set up a separate Google Classroom for his special needs inclusion science class. He was very proud of listing the differentiated lessons posted to the classroom. A win all around!
Challenges:
KEEPING THE SECRET ABOUT THE EXTRA CHROMEBOOKS WE WILL BE RECEIVING! LOL
It's so hard to listen to frustrated teachers when they say there just aren't enough Chromebooks to go around, knowing full well some are on the way!
Our biggest challenge with the ones we currently have is longevity or sustainability: some of the older Chromebooks have missing keys, no longer hold a charge, or are simply MIA. This is so very frustrating. Carts of 25 are actually carts of 19.....so someone 'borrows" from another cart. We have a librarian who manages the signing out of the carts and the delivery of the carts, but it is difficult to police adults. The carts we have a shared with the high school and this also presents a problem. We will have to seriously come up with a better organizational and accountability plan of action.
Week 7 had a resounding theme: SUCCESS!
This was one of the busiest weeks on record for me thus far.
I worked in classrooms, met with teachers, set up future plans, assisted with as much as I possibly could, updated the DLP Google Classroom collection of resources, experimented with a few new tricks, met with student tech leaders and more!
More?
Attended the annual STEAM showcase with very special students who were sharing their knowledge of STEAM, sound waves, using technology to visualize sound wave patterns, building and creating fabulous art installation pieces using Coding and Makey Makey. I was so very proud to be their "coach" at that event!
I was able to catch up with and meet with my Tribe....or at least part of the Tribe.....some of my fellow DLP coaches in the Pittsburgh area. This is so very helpful. I cannot stress enough how important this relationship is to all of us. We share successes and failures, we throw ideas around for discussion, we compare notes, we support one another, and we simply are there to reaffirm what great accomplishments we have achieved in such short a time. I'm meeting with another coach next week to see how things are progressing for her , then, I'm actually planning an out-of-state visit to see Kelli Coons in South Carolina! I'm really looking forward to this meeting! It will be so helpful seeing how she operates her coaching program, meet her teachers, see the good things happening in her school, and meet face to face to discuss EVERYTHING!
Good things with teachers:
I helped the special ed department stream-line their data collection process using Google Forms and Google Sheets. They also learned how to use Google Keep to set up friendly reminders for staff to complete behavior data forms.
A reluctant, veteran science teacher let me in to see his amusement park research activities!!! Yay! A win! He though using the Chromebooks for simple research wasn't fancy enough. THAT IS COMPLETELY MY FAULT. I obviously did not do enough or say enough to reassure this teacher (and possibly others) that the amount of technology, the type of technology, or the sophistication of the technology is not what matters........meeting student learning goals is what matters. If using the Chromebooks for research is what he needed to accomplish his goals, then so be it! I was proud of him for trying!
He also set up a separate Google Classroom for his special needs inclusion science class. He was very proud of listing the differentiated lessons posted to the classroom. A win all around!
Challenges:
KEEPING THE SECRET ABOUT THE EXTRA CHROMEBOOKS WE WILL BE RECEIVING! LOL
It's so hard to listen to frustrated teachers when they say there just aren't enough Chromebooks to go around, knowing full well some are on the way!
Our biggest challenge with the ones we currently have is longevity or sustainability: some of the older Chromebooks have missing keys, no longer hold a charge, or are simply MIA. This is so very frustrating. Carts of 25 are actually carts of 19.....so someone 'borrows" from another cart. We have a librarian who manages the signing out of the carts and the delivery of the carts, but it is difficult to police adults. The carts we have a shared with the high school and this also presents a problem. We will have to seriously come up with a better organizational and accountability plan of action.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Week 6
Today. I blog in honor of my dear friend, Christine.
Her father passed away today.
He was diagnosed with bone cancer earlier this year and has fought a very long and painful battle.
Christine reminds me very much of myself. She is from a very close family that prays together, celebrates together, cries together, and comforts one another in times of need.
Christine never missed a beat during her father's illness, not at work and not at home. Each day, she came to work, drove home, made dinner for her family, visited her father in the hospital, completed her school work , and helped her two sons with their school work and extra curricular activities. She's missed two days of school since her father was diagnosed, both days were for her older son's college visits.
Christine was the first to congratulate me when I became the tech coach, and she has supported me, as her coach, more than any other teacher in the building. In fact, she tweeted about me and how much she appreciated having a DLP coach just this morning, right before her beloved father passed away.
I blog about her, because of the human element we face daily with all of our teachers, our students, our support staff, and ourselves. In the midst of all the new changes in her personal life and at our school, Christine chose to be positive and proactive, embracing me as an extra set of hands to help her, rather than looking at me as an inconvenience.
Christine and I have know one another for more than 20 years. I've always admired her. She cares for the lowest functioning students in our school. She is a behavioral plan genius. She began her special education career under the tutelage of a remarkable principal, who was, himself, a special education/emotional support teacher. He encouraged Christine to try new things with her ES students. Christine and I were the first to introduce the concept of "co-teaching" to our middle school. I would invite her ES students to my science lab to do the "fun" things, like dissecting frogs, making slime, or building models of cells. Twenty years ago, special ed students were still in a self-contained classroom for all classes, rarely having e a chance to interact with other students doing cool things like science labs. We made it work, and it was a tremendous learning experience for each and every one of her students. Christine has always been firm, but compassionate, with her students, and she has always been a leader in our building. I'm very fortunate to work with such a wonderful teacher and friend.
We, as coaches, need to remember that there will always be baggage brought to school/work each day. We have to be understanding and supportive in more ways than we can imagine. I was scheduled to work with all of the teachers on staff today to get them using Google Keep. Christine asked me to come up with a way she could remind staff members to complete behavior charts for her Emotional Support students. She didn't want to constantly have the responsibility of sending e-mails or calling individual teaches at the end of the day to collect the data. I showed her how to use a Google Sheet "Add Reminders" extension from the Chrome Web Store, and after taking quite some time to set it up, I investigated Google Keep and adding collaborators. This was significantly easier to do, so I presented it to her and made a "how to" screencastify presentation for her to watch at her own convenience. I asked her to let me know if it would be an option for her or not. This morning, she met me with tears and open arms, thanking me for showing her how easy it would be to set this up and share it with the staff. She tweeted about it, told me how happy she was, and asked me to help her set up a Google Form in the same way for another student. I visited every classroom this morning, making sure the Keep extension was added correctly, with notifications set to "ON."
During our lunch break, Christine told another special education teacher how easy this process would be for all of them. As the department head, Christine plans to have me attend her next meeting and share this application with all members across the district. She thanked me and told me how grateful she was to have this all in place, just in case she would have to monitor her students behavior from home, if anything happened to her father.
We had a few minutes left in the lunch period to relax, eat lunch, and share some truly touching stories about Christine's father. She told us how she would meet her father at the door on pay day, reach in his shirt pocket, and pull out his paycheck. A young teacher eating with us laughed, not knowing what a real paycheck looked like, since we all have direct deposit now. As the lunch period ended, just Christine and I remained in the room. She personally thanked me for making her life a little easier at school these past few weeks with the shared tech tips and tricks. She explained to me how rough things had been at home, with her mother, and with her father. I hugged her and told her I was happy to be there for her.
A few minutes later, Christine received the call that her father had passed away.
I was so very glad to be there with her, in that moment, to comfort her, to cry with her, and to support her in any way I could.
Her father passed away today.
He was diagnosed with bone cancer earlier this year and has fought a very long and painful battle.
Christine reminds me very much of myself. She is from a very close family that prays together, celebrates together, cries together, and comforts one another in times of need.
Christine never missed a beat during her father's illness, not at work and not at home. Each day, she came to work, drove home, made dinner for her family, visited her father in the hospital, completed her school work , and helped her two sons with their school work and extra curricular activities. She's missed two days of school since her father was diagnosed, both days were for her older son's college visits.
Christine was the first to congratulate me when I became the tech coach, and she has supported me, as her coach, more than any other teacher in the building. In fact, she tweeted about me and how much she appreciated having a DLP coach just this morning, right before her beloved father passed away.
I blog about her, because of the human element we face daily with all of our teachers, our students, our support staff, and ourselves. In the midst of all the new changes in her personal life and at our school, Christine chose to be positive and proactive, embracing me as an extra set of hands to help her, rather than looking at me as an inconvenience.
Christine and I have know one another for more than 20 years. I've always admired her. She cares for the lowest functioning students in our school. She is a behavioral plan genius. She began her special education career under the tutelage of a remarkable principal, who was, himself, a special education/emotional support teacher. He encouraged Christine to try new things with her ES students. Christine and I were the first to introduce the concept of "co-teaching" to our middle school. I would invite her ES students to my science lab to do the "fun" things, like dissecting frogs, making slime, or building models of cells. Twenty years ago, special ed students were still in a self-contained classroom for all classes, rarely having e a chance to interact with other students doing cool things like science labs. We made it work, and it was a tremendous learning experience for each and every one of her students. Christine has always been firm, but compassionate, with her students, and she has always been a leader in our building. I'm very fortunate to work with such a wonderful teacher and friend.
We, as coaches, need to remember that there will always be baggage brought to school/work each day. We have to be understanding and supportive in more ways than we can imagine. I was scheduled to work with all of the teachers on staff today to get them using Google Keep. Christine asked me to come up with a way she could remind staff members to complete behavior charts for her Emotional Support students. She didn't want to constantly have the responsibility of sending e-mails or calling individual teaches at the end of the day to collect the data. I showed her how to use a Google Sheet "Add Reminders" extension from the Chrome Web Store, and after taking quite some time to set it up, I investigated Google Keep and adding collaborators. This was significantly easier to do, so I presented it to her and made a "how to" screencastify presentation for her to watch at her own convenience. I asked her to let me know if it would be an option for her or not. This morning, she met me with tears and open arms, thanking me for showing her how easy it would be to set this up and share it with the staff. She tweeted about it, told me how happy she was, and asked me to help her set up a Google Form in the same way for another student. I visited every classroom this morning, making sure the Keep extension was added correctly, with notifications set to "ON."
During our lunch break, Christine told another special education teacher how easy this process would be for all of them. As the department head, Christine plans to have me attend her next meeting and share this application with all members across the district. She thanked me and told me how grateful she was to have this all in place, just in case she would have to monitor her students behavior from home, if anything happened to her father.
We had a few minutes left in the lunch period to relax, eat lunch, and share some truly touching stories about Christine's father. She told us how she would meet her father at the door on pay day, reach in his shirt pocket, and pull out his paycheck. A young teacher eating with us laughed, not knowing what a real paycheck looked like, since we all have direct deposit now. As the lunch period ended, just Christine and I remained in the room. She personally thanked me for making her life a little easier at school these past few weeks with the shared tech tips and tricks. She explained to me how rough things had been at home, with her mother, and with her father. I hugged her and told her I was happy to be there for her.
A few minutes later, Christine received the call that her father had passed away.
I was so very glad to be there with her, in that moment, to comfort her, to cry with her, and to support her in any way I could.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Week 5 or week 6
How did this week’s coaching / observations go? Share stories / examples / wonders / questions / successes / challenges from the week.
I'm having trouble keeping the weeks straight. I think it's because I started writing the blog entries too early. Oh, well. No matter.
You can never have too much reflection.
This was a short week. Three days with students, two professional development days. I participated in a NMSI training over the summer (National Math and Science Initiative), therefore, I earned three days off during the year. My first day off will be this Friday. I'm traveling to NYC to visit my niece. Fun times!
The first PD day was today, Thursday, October 5. As a tech coach, I wasn't sure what I would be doing today. We have our own campus police/security department, and the chief asked me if I could train his staff how to use Google Docs, Forms, Sheets, Mail, and Hangouts. The rest of the staff was assigned training sessions with various visitors/trainers/staff members, so I really had no "assignment," so to speak. Of course, I said, "Yes!'
I planned a 30 slide presentation, and the four main officers showed up promptly, donuts in hand, at 8:00. I was thrilled they trusted me to train them. I had coffee, snacks, etc... set up for them, and we got started. They were ornery, to say the least!
One of the main issues was teaching them the difference between using the school google account and their own personal google account. Once we got that settled, the rest of the training went well. I made them create and share documents, and I asked them to manipulate forms, create sheets, and add items to calendar. Chief wanted to learn about Google +, so I showed them our DLP groups, and posted the pictures, below, as an example of how to interact with the site. They loved it all!
They were with me until 12:30. We laughed and learned all sorts of things. It was an amazing experience for me, because we never get to "talk" to the officers. We see them in a different role during the day, protecting our students, keeping the order. Today, they needed me, and it felt nice! They appreciated me, and that also felt nice. A very rewarding training session!! They "booked" me for the winter ins-service dates already!
The rest of the day was filled with blogging, Google+, Hangouts, catching up with paperwork, and so on. All in all a productive day!
What's going well? Great conversation with Dee. Great conversations with Marc Berry. Great ideas flying around the middle school!
What's challenging? Getting it all done! LOL I think I work harder now than I ever did before, if that's possible. I feel like my thinking wheels are turning all day long! I'm constantly thinking of ways to help teachers, constantly looking for new ideas, looking for answers to their questions, or anticipating their needs. That's all good, BTW. It is, however, EXHAUSTING! haha
Next week is Parent/Conference Day. We hold conferences from noon until 7:30 at night. I'm using that time to meet parents, pass out the parent flyer shared with us, and pop in for meetings with teachers as time permits. Not all time slots are filled by each teacher throughout the day, so I will have ample opportunities to have meetings with teachers.
The main thing to remember, don't take yourself too seriously! :)
I'm having trouble keeping the weeks straight. I think it's because I started writing the blog entries too early. Oh, well. No matter.
You can never have too much reflection.
This was a short week. Three days with students, two professional development days. I participated in a NMSI training over the summer (National Math and Science Initiative), therefore, I earned three days off during the year. My first day off will be this Friday. I'm traveling to NYC to visit my niece. Fun times!
The first PD day was today, Thursday, October 5. As a tech coach, I wasn't sure what I would be doing today. We have our own campus police/security department, and the chief asked me if I could train his staff how to use Google Docs, Forms, Sheets, Mail, and Hangouts. The rest of the staff was assigned training sessions with various visitors/trainers/staff members, so I really had no "assignment," so to speak. Of course, I said, "Yes!'
I planned a 30 slide presentation, and the four main officers showed up promptly, donuts in hand, at 8:00. I was thrilled they trusted me to train them. I had coffee, snacks, etc... set up for them, and we got started. They were ornery, to say the least!
One of the main issues was teaching them the difference between using the school google account and their own personal google account. Once we got that settled, the rest of the training went well. I made them create and share documents, and I asked them to manipulate forms, create sheets, and add items to calendar. Chief wanted to learn about Google +, so I showed them our DLP groups, and posted the pictures, below, as an example of how to interact with the site. They loved it all!
 |
| Google Police! |
 |
| Practicing Forms |
 |
| "Thinking" |
The rest of the day was filled with blogging, Google+, Hangouts, catching up with paperwork, and so on. All in all a productive day!
What's going well? Great conversation with Dee. Great conversations with Marc Berry. Great ideas flying around the middle school!
What's challenging? Getting it all done! LOL I think I work harder now than I ever did before, if that's possible. I feel like my thinking wheels are turning all day long! I'm constantly thinking of ways to help teachers, constantly looking for new ideas, looking for answers to their questions, or anticipating their needs. That's all good, BTW. It is, however, EXHAUSTING! haha
Next week is Parent/Conference Day. We hold conferences from noon until 7:30 at night. I'm using that time to meet parents, pass out the parent flyer shared with us, and pop in for meetings with teachers as time permits. Not all time slots are filled by each teacher throughout the day, so I will have ample opportunities to have meetings with teachers.
The main thing to remember, don't take yourself too seriously! :)Thursday, September 28, 2017
Reflection: Week 5
Interesting coaching sessions with two different teachers this past week:
Our middle school teachers collaborate their lessons across grade levels. We have common planning times, team meetings, and common assessments. Because of this, the students have different teachers, but they learn the same material. Varying personalities allow for slight differences in the presentation of the material, though. That was very evident in my coaching experience with the 7th grade ELA teachers.
Samantha is new to the 7th grade ELA curriculum. She's a new teacher to begin with, only having 3 years of teaching completed to date. She is certified 7-12 English, and her previous two positions were in the high school, grades 9 and 10. It's taking her a little while to adjust to the new curriculum, but she is eager and willing to try new things.
Samantha asked me to help her with an interview lesson. Her students were interviewing one another and writing an essay based on the answers to their questions. Students were identifying character traits and practicing descriptive writing skills. I asked her if she'd be willing to let the students video tape their interviews and insert the video in a google slide presentation. We talked about time restraints and agreed that students would video tape three questions and insert the videos in the slides. The students had so much fun with this! The entire lesson took a few days to complete, but, overall, students were well-engaged and benefited from the activity by listening to how the questions were asked, listening to the responses, and adjusting all of that in the written portion of the assignment. Some of them thought it was like being interviewed for a news segment on television. The lesson was so successful, and both the teacher and the students want to do something with video again, in future lessons.
At the same time, Chantel, a veteran, 24 year 7th grade ELA teacher, is doing the same lesson with her students. I mentioned the video activity to her, and she is hesitant. She uses a traditional interview process, has students complete a paper copy, and, then, has them write an essay. Chantel and I are friends on social media, and she saw an activity where students were peer editing using recorded versions of the paper/pencil assignment. She shared this activity with me and asked if we could give it a try with a few of her students. I taught the students how to use Read & Write, and showed them how to use speech to text to write their essay, then, I modeled how to use the fluency component of the app to record the audio of them reading the paper aloud. The recorded portion is then shared, via email, with the teacher. A fluency grade level is determined by the app. The students LOVED this! "I read at an 8th grade level! I read at a 9th grade level!" They thought it was marvelous to learn this information. They also appreciated "hearing" mistakes they had made when writing the essay, and they were easily able to make corrections. The students shared their recordings with the teacher, and we decided to listen to them, privately, later in the day. Chantel was amazed at how well this lesson went and how seriously her students were engaged in the revision process. All students in all her classes used this method to proofread their papers.
During co-planning, I asked the teachers to compare the ways they conducted the interview assignment and what results were achieved. Such a great dialog!
Things going well:
The mugs were a hit! Thank you for the generous gift! All teachers received on and all teachers were very grateful!
Things for improvement:
Keeping up with paperwork and answering hangout messages
All in all, a great week!
Our middle school teachers collaborate their lessons across grade levels. We have common planning times, team meetings, and common assessments. Because of this, the students have different teachers, but they learn the same material. Varying personalities allow for slight differences in the presentation of the material, though. That was very evident in my coaching experience with the 7th grade ELA teachers.
Samantha is new to the 7th grade ELA curriculum. She's a new teacher to begin with, only having 3 years of teaching completed to date. She is certified 7-12 English, and her previous two positions were in the high school, grades 9 and 10. It's taking her a little while to adjust to the new curriculum, but she is eager and willing to try new things.
Samantha asked me to help her with an interview lesson. Her students were interviewing one another and writing an essay based on the answers to their questions. Students were identifying character traits and practicing descriptive writing skills. I asked her if she'd be willing to let the students video tape their interviews and insert the video in a google slide presentation. We talked about time restraints and agreed that students would video tape three questions and insert the videos in the slides. The students had so much fun with this! The entire lesson took a few days to complete, but, overall, students were well-engaged and benefited from the activity by listening to how the questions were asked, listening to the responses, and adjusting all of that in the written portion of the assignment. Some of them thought it was like being interviewed for a news segment on television. The lesson was so successful, and both the teacher and the students want to do something with video again, in future lessons.
At the same time, Chantel, a veteran, 24 year 7th grade ELA teacher, is doing the same lesson with her students. I mentioned the video activity to her, and she is hesitant. She uses a traditional interview process, has students complete a paper copy, and, then, has them write an essay. Chantel and I are friends on social media, and she saw an activity where students were peer editing using recorded versions of the paper/pencil assignment. She shared this activity with me and asked if we could give it a try with a few of her students. I taught the students how to use Read & Write, and showed them how to use speech to text to write their essay, then, I modeled how to use the fluency component of the app to record the audio of them reading the paper aloud. The recorded portion is then shared, via email, with the teacher. A fluency grade level is determined by the app. The students LOVED this! "I read at an 8th grade level! I read at a 9th grade level!" They thought it was marvelous to learn this information. They also appreciated "hearing" mistakes they had made when writing the essay, and they were easily able to make corrections. The students shared their recordings with the teacher, and we decided to listen to them, privately, later in the day. Chantel was amazed at how well this lesson went and how seriously her students were engaged in the revision process. All students in all her classes used this method to proofread their papers.
During co-planning, I asked the teachers to compare the ways they conducted the interview assignment and what results were achieved. Such a great dialog!
Things going well:
The mugs were a hit! Thank you for the generous gift! All teachers received on and all teachers were very grateful!
Things for improvement:
Keeping up with paperwork and answering hangout messages
All in all, a great week!
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
What week is this??? LOL
PARENT INVOLVEMENT:
Open house was a tremendous success. Students stopped by to play "Name that App," and parents asked many questions about the "Google Teacher" in their children's classrooms. It was rewarding hearing about the stories students were telling their parents. A 7th grade teacher used Screencastify to let students record their interviews for a slide show presentation. One of the parents thought it was a great app and had her daughter teach her how to use it. Another student told her mother about the spelling test they took on line. An eighth grade boy told his dad how to read online with an app extension called read & write. All good PR for the program. I made a flyer and passed it out to the interested parents. I "borrowed" most of my information from your DLP slides and program information. It was well-received. All in all a great night!How did this week’s coaching / observations go? Share stories / examples / wonders / questions / successes / challenges from the week. Losing track of time:
Our school started on August 18.
I started coaching on August 18.
Not in the true sense of the word, of course, but I started helping our teachers with technology on August 18.
Our first real day of school with students was the following Wednesday, August 23.
I guess I'm technically in my fourth week of school, but the DLP program did not begin in my region until September 4, so I guess I'm in week 3.
SOMETHING I LOVE:
I absolutely love when teachers get their uh-ha moments!
Angela never used the snipping tool.
She heard others talking about it at lunch today, and she looked at me and said, "Why haven't you shown me how to use this yet, Miss Tech Girl?" (She has a sassy, Mississippi drawl, and it sounded great when she said it to me!)
I said, "Give me a time, and I'll come to your class today!"
I just left her room. She laughed out loud and jumped for joy when she learned how easy it was to snip a picture, save it, and use it.
She wondered why she never used it or heard of it before today. I told her she needed to read my newsletters and attend my PD training more often! LOL
I love teaching my colleagues how to use new tools and how to make their lives easier at work.
SOMETHING I DO NOT LOVE:
Teachers often tell me, "I'd have you in my classes more often, but I never get the Chromebooks.
Teachers want to try new things and use technology with their students, but they do not have the resources. We have a BYOD policy and student WiFi, but many of our student's parents cannot afford lunch money, let alone a cool phone or device for school. It's disheartening.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Reflection
I must admit, I'm not too sure what I'm supposed to be writing about this week, because I did not receive a newsletter. So, here it goes!
A reflection on working with my colleagues:
So many good things are happening because of the DLP program! I'm watching teachers take risks. I'm helping teachers step outside the box. I'm collaborating with teachers on increasing the fun factor. It's truly a beautiful thing!
Taking risks: An ELA teacher who is set in her ways decides she wants to dabble with Google forms and put a few spelling tests on google classroom.
Stepping outside the box: A first year 7th grade ELA teacher wants to change things up from all the paper/pencil activities she inherited and use a video tool to conduct peer to peer interviews.
Increasing the fun factor: I used Wheel Decide during a faculty PD meeting to keep faculty engaged and to give away prizes. An 8th grade math teacher used the Wheel Decide in his room to increase student engagement.
The students are viewing me very differently...in a great way! I've been a teacher in this district since 1989. I've had parents of some of my students. They all know me as Mrs. Engler the science teacher, the student forum adviser, the PRIDE team leader. They know I plan the yearly dance, the food drive, the fun field day at the end of the year. But now, they know me as the Google Teacher. At first they weren't too sure what it was that I was doing. I'd walk in a classroom, look around, take some notes, talk to the teacher, and leave. Once I started setting up the tech, though, they got excited. They started asking questions. So, I started answering them. They wanted to know what DLP was all about, they wanted to know if I rode a bike at Google, and the questions kept coming. Now, they come to me about tech..."Can you teach my teacher how to..." I love it!
I'd like to survey the students at the end of this semester, then, again, at the end of the year. I'd like to know what they think about a tech coach helping their teacher, and, consequently, helping them. I think we would get amazing information/feedback from them!
Tuesday is our open house. I have a flyer ready to hand out, and I have some candy, of course, to share with everyone who visits my table.
A parent is subbing for our office secretary today. She asked me if I was the Google teacher. She said her son can't wait for me to coach his teacher so he can use the Chromebooks in class. She thanked me for all my work and offered her support to me with anything I might need.
Our district has welcomed this program with open arms! And, I'm so grateful!
A reflection on working with my colleagues:
So many good things are happening because of the DLP program! I'm watching teachers take risks. I'm helping teachers step outside the box. I'm collaborating with teachers on increasing the fun factor. It's truly a beautiful thing!
Taking risks: An ELA teacher who is set in her ways decides she wants to dabble with Google forms and put a few spelling tests on google classroom.
Stepping outside the box: A first year 7th grade ELA teacher wants to change things up from all the paper/pencil activities she inherited and use a video tool to conduct peer to peer interviews.
Increasing the fun factor: I used Wheel Decide during a faculty PD meeting to keep faculty engaged and to give away prizes. An 8th grade math teacher used the Wheel Decide in his room to increase student engagement.
The students are viewing me very differently...in a great way! I've been a teacher in this district since 1989. I've had parents of some of my students. They all know me as Mrs. Engler the science teacher, the student forum adviser, the PRIDE team leader. They know I plan the yearly dance, the food drive, the fun field day at the end of the year. But now, they know me as the Google Teacher. At first they weren't too sure what it was that I was doing. I'd walk in a classroom, look around, take some notes, talk to the teacher, and leave. Once I started setting up the tech, though, they got excited. They started asking questions. So, I started answering them. They wanted to know what DLP was all about, they wanted to know if I rode a bike at Google, and the questions kept coming. Now, they come to me about tech..."Can you teach my teacher how to..." I love it!
I'd like to survey the students at the end of this semester, then, again, at the end of the year. I'd like to know what they think about a tech coach helping their teacher, and, consequently, helping them. I think we would get amazing information/feedback from them!
Tuesday is our open house. I have a flyer ready to hand out, and I have some candy, of course, to share with everyone who visits my table.
A parent is subbing for our office secretary today. She asked me if I was the Google teacher. She said her son can't wait for me to coach his teacher so he can use the Chromebooks in class. She thanked me for all my work and offered her support to me with anything I might need.
Our district has welcomed this program with open arms! And, I'm so grateful!
Friday, September 8, 2017
Prompt: This week's coaching
·
PROMPT:
How did this week’s coaching/observations go? Share
stories/examples/wonders/questions/successes/challenges from the week.)
So, let me just say I'm out of sync with the posts!
I thought I was ahead of the game, but I see I'm a little behind. Sorry for the delay!
I've been so incredibly busy, but in a good way. Teachers have been inviting me into their classrooms since August 18, our first day of school. That's why I already have class observations and innovation plans started and/or finished. We are rolling right along.
Stories:
I've had a hard time fitting it all in! I get to school anywhere between 7:15-7:45. The day begins for students around 7:55. Teachers are in school between 6:00-7:45 each morning. It's interesting, because some people truly are morning people, and some are after school people.
I'm fortunate, because I've worked in this school for such a long time, the habits of most of the teachers are familiar to me. I know who to approach at 8:00 AM, and I know who to avoid! LOL
The observation process is so much fun for me! We have a reluctant teacher; he shows up late each day, he's not happy about teaching middle school students this year (he was in the high school), and he generally likes to be left alone. He does love tech, however, so I timidly approached him one day, offering him a short break to get coffee or use the restroom. He took advantage of my offer, because his students were testing. I walked around the room while he was gone, and I noticed his test had an 'answer column.' Not a separate answer sheet, but a designated column for answers. When he returned, I asked him if he was interested in maybe trying a google form answer sheet to make grading the papers a little faster and a little less time-consuming for him. He said, "maybe."
I pounced!
I asked him if he ever used google forms (he said no) and for a copy of the test and the answers to the test (math is NOT my thing). He asked me why. I told him I was experimenting with a math app called EquatIO and I briefly explained it to him. He said he was curious.
After typing the first 5 questions and answers in a google form, I shared it with him. I also shared a short EquatIO video with him. In addition, I gave him a quick list of directions for creating a google form in drive.
He took the quiz.
He looked at the results, instantly after submitting.
He played around with google forms and EquatIO and sent me a message telling me all about it and how excited he was to try it out.
Score!!!!!!
I just put a little google prize in his mailbox......a google RFID notebook and notebook cover/case. He was thrilled with his prize, and he invited me to his prep period to discuss EquatIO a little more.
Week 1 was a success in my eyes!
Week 1 Prompt:
Write beginning of year blog post (Week 1 Prompt: Reflect
on preparing for and delivering the back-to-school Coaching Fellowship session
to your staff. How did the planning go? How did the session itself go? What
were the reactions from your colleagues? Would you have done anything
differently if you were to do it again?)
Week 1 :
Preparing for and delivering the back-to-school Coaching Fellowship session:
I wanted to recreate the excitement we felt while visiting Google in California.
I wanted a photo booth, candy, prizes and swag, and the overall excitement we felt while training for the DLP. It was so much fun going to the local candy store, Sarris, to get chocolate bikes, chocolate laptop computers, and loads of other delicious candy. (Look it up: https://www.sarriscandies.com/ ) When I walked in the store, a cashier recognized me as a teacher in McGuffey and told me she knew about my new position with Google. We chatted and she told me how proud she was that her daughters had me as a teacher and thanked me for my contribution to education in the community. :)
I set up the library with tables, colorful table clothes, a long candy 'bar,' a prize table, sticky notes, and various swag on the table . I was ready. Everyone was curious as to what was going on.....
The Session:
Overall, it was great. I was nervous. Our staff is working under the old contract which expired in June. Not too many happy faces stared at me from the audience. Some were very kind, and very supportive, others, not so much. The video got them a little curious, and people asked me some questions. I walked through a mock scenario with one of my dear friends who teachers 7th grade ELA. More people were curious. More questions were asked. By the end of the presentation, many people were on board and ready to get started. More candy was shared, and the Emoji design went well.
The Reaction:
I've been the tech leader in the middle school since 2004. Many of my colleagues were thrilled that I would have this job full time. They were used to grabbing me in the morning during homeroom, sending me an email for a quick question, attending one of my after school PD sessions, or reading my monthly newsletter. Now, I'd be available every minute of the day! How great was that!?!
Some of my colleagues couldn't wait to get started, they asked me questions immediately and booked me on the calendar. I loved that enthusiasm.
There were a few prickly pears in the audience, but we'll get there.
What would I change?
I must say, the presentation and the PD session went very well and I would not have changed anything, except, I would like to have had more time with teachers that day. It would have been nice to meet with the cycle 1 teach right away and get some of the preliminary Q&A out of the way.
Once thing: I do not like secrets.. The fact that staff did not know I went to Google, did not know I was going to be a coach, did not know I was leaving the classroom, was all very secretive. I understand the reveal of DLP was important, but it was still a little uncomfortable.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Moving Right Along
So, first, here is some background information:
In 2004, the superintendent asked me if I'd be interested in serving as a middle school technology leader. She told me a $1500 stipend was available for the extra duties and hours I'd need to fulfill the position. I said, "Absolutely! How fun!"
In those days, I was teaching 6 sections of middle school science, serving as the student forum adviser, serving as a member of the building action plan committee, and responsible for teaching all staff members basic e-mail and Internet skills. It was a packed schedule, to say the least. The tech leader duties had to be squeezed in to my days, before school, during my prep, and after school. Some members of the staff had never used a desktop computer. They resisted, at first, because it was a change, it was different from what they had "always" done. I was eager and willing to take on my new challenge, but the resistance was difficult to overcome, and frustrating, at times.
After a while, the staff started to warm up to the idea of e-mail and using Microsoft applications. They started "learning" things on their own. I remember one day, a veteran teacher invited me in to her classroom. When the bell rang and the students were dismissed, she looked at me and said, "Why are all my word documents black and white, while some other people have color?" Needless to say, we had a fun prep period together, playing around with word settings, bold print, color changes, highlights, and more. That was a great day. She told everyone how fun it was to change the font style. I was so happy and felt so useful.
We've come a long way with using technology in my school. Over the years, we've moved from old, bulky desktops, to streamlined towers, and now, to lap tops for all teachers and staff members. Most teachers are now, at least, comfortable using most of the day-to-day technology required to fulfill job duties. I was still teaching science, 5 sections, still the student forum adviser, no longer the action plan member, but the School Wide Behavior Tier 1 member, and, of course, the tech leader. Instead of fitting tech time into my day, however, I was given a tech period on my schedule. Tech was now taken seriously on all levels.
We introduced Google Chrome, Chromebooks, and Google Classroom to our staff. Everyone was required to get "Google Chrome certified," by training, after school, with administrators and myself, as the tech leader. We started with 4 Chrome carts, and people were interested. I no longer helped people with logging in to a web site, or setting up a Power Point presentation, I was now helping teachers research apps and programs to use in their classrooms. I was growing as a tech leader, because my staff's needs were growing as tech users. I loved this new role! I felt useful, I felt empowered as a tech leader. My job had a true purpose.
All classrooms had projectors and Promethean boards installed, some received Elmo's. My role as tech leader was increasingly important, and my skill level had to increase as well. I took classes and learned all about flipped learning. I implemented it in all my classes, and I shared information with those who were also interested. I attended every tech training I was permitted to sign up for, and I felt as though I was ready for more.
And, then, it happened... Google, Digital Promise, and Ed Tech would give me more.
When my administrators told me they were applying for a full-time tech coach grant, I literally had chills. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for....this was my chance to truly make a difference in the way my colleagues were integrating technology in their classrooms. I was beyond thrilled, beyond excited to get started. I would now have dedicated time to devote to my colleagues and to integrating technology use in meaningful ways in the classroom.
We now have 12 Chromebook carts, and teachers are clamoring to get them signed out and to use them in their classrooms. They are looking to me more and more to help them become tech-savvy and true tech innovators in the classroom. The Dynamic Learning Project has provided me with such fabulous training and such confidence to move forward in this full-time role as a tech coach. I feel as though I belong to an elite group of tech innovators and tech experts, and I'm able to provide my staff with help, guidance, and collaboration with tech tools and technology use in the classroom like never before.
We are moving right along in McGuffey Middle School. The first 8 teachers on cycle one are eager to get started. I can't wait to see what changes from one week to the next. But, whatever challenges I may face, I know the DLP has prepared me well!
Monday, August 28, 2017
First Week: Wow!
I must say, the first week of coaching went off without a hitch, so to speak.
I feel as though the teachers in my building still have questions about what a coach actually does.
First scenario:
Kathy, a very anxious, but wonderful teacher, asks me a question about signing out the Chromebook carts. I answer her. I ask her if she's doing anything special with her classes and if she'd like me to come in to help her implement a tech component. She says, "No, I'm good."
I begin leaving her room, and she says, "Wait, I do have a question about Google Docs."
She asks the question, and that leads to a second, third, and fourth question. Before I know it, she's brainstorming ways the two of us can work together to improve the way she presents her Google classroom lessons to her students, more innovative ways to use Docs, Forms, and Slides in her lessons, and, possibly, moving forward with some other tech ideas (with video) that she's wanted to use for a while now, but she did not think she could "pull it off alone."
When I left the room, she said, "So that's what coaching is all about!" I said, "Yes, it is!"
Wonderful feelings flood my heart after this meeting! I'm making a difference, and coaching is working!
Today, I have a full schedule: special ed in the morning, setting up individual classes for each student, making assignments that are UDL friendly, using speech to text for one student, online flash cards for another. Great stuff. The afternoon is packed with ELA lessons. The teacher is new to using Google Classroom. She's a little afraid to give up all the hundreds of paper copies she uses with her students. I explain the simplicity of it all being located within Drive and the classroom itself. We discuss the organizational benefits, but we also discuss how we can simplify her day by eliminating the copy machine! LOL She is completely on board!
The downside: I had one teacher answer "NA" to each question on the needs survey. He even wrote "NA" for his room number!!! That's OK, though...he ate a doughnut from the box I brought in this morning and thanked me as he passed me in the hall. I'll take that as a "maybe someday I"ll let you in."
I feel as though the teachers in my building still have questions about what a coach actually does.
First scenario:
Kathy, a very anxious, but wonderful teacher, asks me a question about signing out the Chromebook carts. I answer her. I ask her if she's doing anything special with her classes and if she'd like me to come in to help her implement a tech component. She says, "No, I'm good."
I begin leaving her room, and she says, "Wait, I do have a question about Google Docs."
She asks the question, and that leads to a second, third, and fourth question. Before I know it, she's brainstorming ways the two of us can work together to improve the way she presents her Google classroom lessons to her students, more innovative ways to use Docs, Forms, and Slides in her lessons, and, possibly, moving forward with some other tech ideas (with video) that she's wanted to use for a while now, but she did not think she could "pull it off alone."
When I left the room, she said, "So that's what coaching is all about!" I said, "Yes, it is!"
Wonderful feelings flood my heart after this meeting! I'm making a difference, and coaching is working!
Today, I have a full schedule: special ed in the morning, setting up individual classes for each student, making assignments that are UDL friendly, using speech to text for one student, online flash cards for another. Great stuff. The afternoon is packed with ELA lessons. The teacher is new to using Google Classroom. She's a little afraid to give up all the hundreds of paper copies she uses with her students. I explain the simplicity of it all being located within Drive and the classroom itself. We discuss the organizational benefits, but we also discuss how we can simplify her day by eliminating the copy machine! LOL She is completely on board!
The downside: I had one teacher answer "NA" to each question on the needs survey. He even wrote "NA" for his room number!!! That's OK, though...he ate a doughnut from the box I brought in this morning and thanked me as he passed me in the hall. I'll take that as a "maybe someday I"ll let you in."
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Gearing up for opening day!
This morning I deliberately poured my coffee into my Google mug. I wanted to remind myself of how this week will impact me. I am now a tech coach. I am no longer a classroom teacher. My stomach churns with excitement and anticipation of one of the most exciting weeks of my career.
I will not lie. Fear also runs through my veins. Will the staff accept me in my new role? Will I be resented as yet "one more thing to do," or will I be embraced as "I'm so happy you are here to help?"
My very first day of school was a very, very long time ago. It's funny, though, how I feel like the "first day of school" for me is tomorrow. My new position, as a coach, has me worried a little. I'm worried about what to wear: not too professional, because I'm not an administrator; not too casual, because I am a professional, after all. Those who know me best realize "what to wear" is a constant concern of mine, because, truth be known, fashion is my hobby and one of my passions. If I'm every late to work, it's usually because I couldn't decide what to wear! Clothes, to me, define a person, to an extent. I always tell people who are nervous about doing something, "Looking good is half the battle." I went shopping and purchased many cute, stylish outfits for the school year, because, as usual, I always want to look good on the first day of school.
This time, however, I don't want to just look good in clothes. I want to make others look good and feel good about what they're accomplishing in the classroom. I want to support my colleagues, my friends, my school family.
I want to help them celebrate highs in their teaching, I want them to feel energized and ready to try new things, I want them to embrace changes and new ideas, but mostly, I want to support them in any way I can, even if it means getting them a cup of coffee along the way and complimenting them by saying, "Cute outfit! You look great today!"
As I finish my coffee, I realize it doesn't matter what you're wearing or how you look. It's how others perceive you because you supported them, you cared for them, you tried to understand, and you tried to make a difference.
Wish me luck! Can't wait to see what tomorrow's first day of school is like! I hope someone eats lunch with me. I hope I make a new friend!
I will not lie. Fear also runs through my veins. Will the staff accept me in my new role? Will I be resented as yet "one more thing to do," or will I be embraced as "I'm so happy you are here to help?"
My very first day of school was a very, very long time ago. It's funny, though, how I feel like the "first day of school" for me is tomorrow. My new position, as a coach, has me worried a little. I'm worried about what to wear: not too professional, because I'm not an administrator; not too casual, because I am a professional, after all. Those who know me best realize "what to wear" is a constant concern of mine, because, truth be known, fashion is my hobby and one of my passions. If I'm every late to work, it's usually because I couldn't decide what to wear! Clothes, to me, define a person, to an extent. I always tell people who are nervous about doing something, "Looking good is half the battle." I went shopping and purchased many cute, stylish outfits for the school year, because, as usual, I always want to look good on the first day of school.
This time, however, I don't want to just look good in clothes. I want to make others look good and feel good about what they're accomplishing in the classroom. I want to support my colleagues, my friends, my school family.
As I finish my coffee, I realize it doesn't matter what you're wearing or how you look. It's how others perceive you because you supported them, you cared for them, you tried to understand, and you tried to make a difference.
Wish me luck! Can't wait to see what tomorrow's first day of school is like! I hope someone eats lunch with me. I hope I make a new friend!
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
What are your hopes and goals for participating in this program?
I hope:
Teachers are happy to work with me
Students are excited to see me in my new role.
I'm capable of helping teachers feel empowered to use technology with their students
I fulfill the coaching goals to the best of my ability.
I grow as an educator and leader
Goals:
Make it through the first 8 weeks of the program!
Work closely with the staff to meet their needs.
Serve as a role model to students to step up and be a leader
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