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!

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.







  

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!

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.

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!