Google Drive Workflow for iPads

If you are a teacher you know handling lots and lots of student papers and projects can be an organizational nightmare. When students create digital projects and papers teachers also need a way to organize the incoming files.  This is a great tutorial which outlines the workflow on an iPad using Google Drive with iMovie, Book Creator, Notability and Explain Everything. The narrator of this tutorial makes the workflow feel logical and doable. No more searching for digital files submitted by students! In addition to keeping files organized, this is also a solution for the teacher in terms of sharing out files with students. I have been looking for this type of workflow and am thrilled to have found it!


Google Drive iPad Portfolio from EdTechTeacher on Vimeo.

Is Your Webpage Dead?

How many times have you opened a teacher webpage and within a few seconds realized the very busy teacher, who created the page, hasn't touched it in months - maybe even since last school year?  Teachers are busy, stressed and overwhelmed. So how do we expect a teacher, on top of everything else, to maintain a current and relavent webpage?

For most of us a webpage is a place where parents can go to see schedules and get classroom updates (maybe). There might even be a link or two. Over the summer and in the first weeks of school teachers will update and add things to their webpage. But then September rolls into October and that very busy teacher gets swamped, the webpage becomes nothing more than a memory and the class updates become outdated. 

I hope this post will give educators an opportunity to examine why they have a webpage. If you ask a teacher you will probably find that most teacher webpages were created because there was an inservice in their district and teachers were told they needed to have a webpage on the school website. Since creating the page they haven't had time to get back to it and have probably forgotten how to manage most of the features. That's the honest truth.

So how do teachers breathe life into their webpage? I believe teachers need to step back and ask themselves - what do I want my webpage to do for me? For my students? Do I want my page to be  for communication with parents? (You might consider a blog instead.) Or, do I want my webpage to be a place for students to go when they need to connect with a site I want them to use? For me it is the latter. I decided a few years ago to make my webpage a place for students. A place to access sites I have previewed and found helpful in promoting learning and engagement. In the past year I have started to link my own math tutorials. These tutorials virtually allow me to be at home with my students when they get stuck on their homework. I also use my webpage to showcase student work and projects. Students and parents have reported how much fun this is for relatives who don't live close by. For example, grandparents get to see their grandchild's latest iMovie project from half way cross the continent! 

So, what does a teacher need to think about when developing their webpage? 
1. Purpose - Who is the webpage really for? What do you want to accomplish through your webpage? Is it a place for parents to get information or is it for the students?
2. Be realistic - Once the year gets started how much time will you realistically have to keep the page current?
3. Keep links updated - At least twice a year check any links you have on your site. Are they still active? Dead links are a bummer.
4. Consider using your page as a teaching or communication tool. Since I often use my webpage in lessons I keep it current out of necessity. This also refreshes my skills in managing the various features of the page. 

So, give it a try. Examine your webpage's purpose and the rest will fall into place. 

Flipping Professional Development

The concept of flipping a classroom is not all that new any more. At last summer's Google Summit in Yarmouth, two educators presented their 'almost flipped' classroom. It is an interesting concept. However, even more exciting is the concept of flipping professional development for teachers. 

Having recently expanded my own PLN to include Twitter I have learned so much from educators all over the world, the idea of 1:world has truly become part of my normal routine. In browsing my Twitter account a few days ago I came across a fellow educator, Fred Sitkins, promoting an iTunes U course called Flipping Professional Development. That little geeky part of my soul was curious so I subscribed to the course and started reading and listening to the lessons. I was hooked. This concept of flipping PD can certainly be seen as a great way to meet the varied learning needs of professional educators. Plus it has the added value of modeling the concept of flipped instruction. This gives teachers a participatory experience which can lead to their own experimentation with flipping lessons for students. What better way to meet the needs of diverse learners? 

Do We Need a Social Media Curriculum?

Clearly social media connects us with people around the world  and gives us a better understanding of our global neighbors. Taking a close look at this infographic I can't help but wonder if we need to start thinking about a social media curriculum in our schools. Given the influence social media has on the economy and our lives, doesn't it makes sense to help students gain an understanding of what they are seeing and how it impacts their world? Similar to teaching students how to think critically when reading any other text, don't we also need to teach our students how to effectively use and critically view social media?
DashBurst – Your Guide to the Web & Social Media

My Journey, It's Not Over...

Technology has been a part of my professional journey for years, actually for decades. I first started dabbling with technology in the classroom in the late 1980s when I received three Apple computers through a grant while teaching for the Department of Defense in Okinawa, Japan. While the technology has changed dramatically over the years my excitement for learning about ways to integrate technology into my classroom has remained unchanged. I am still as excited today about new discoveries around devices and apps, as I was all those years ago when I unwrapped those new computers. 

Becoming part of a world wide learning network through social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest has opened a whole new chapter in my professional development. While onsite workshops and conferences are still a great way to learn about the latest and greatest uses of technology in the classroom, using social networking sites allows me to learn at my own pace and to follow my individual path of interest. 

Following blogs of educators, who share a common passion for teaching and using technology to engage learners, has been an effective practice in my professional learning. I have found teachers who blog about their practices in the classroom are willing to share both their success and failures. This willingness to share has given me the knowledge and courage I have needed to try something new within my own practice. Following these educators through their blogs has encouraged me to push harder to bring devices and staff development into our school and district. So, it is my hope that this blog will also serve to inspire a teacher to try something new with technology in their own professional journey.