8 Questions to Ask Yourself to Determine if You Are a Relevant Educator

I had the opportunity to join Swivl's Summer Learning Series today with guest speaker Steven Anderson in which the focus was on being a relevant, connected educator.  So, what is a relevant educator? A relevant educator is one who keeps up with students and provides a quality educational experience that all students deserve.  The overarching thought: educators who are not connecting with one another to learn from one another are becoming irrelevant as education passes them by.
Mr. Anderson, co-author of the book The Relevant Educator, identified characteristics common to relevant, connected educators...those who connect not only to learn, but also to share.  So, want to find out if YOU could be classified as relevant and connected?  Here are 8 questions to ask yourself:
1.  How do you feel about learning new things?  The relevant educator practices and models lifelong learning.  For them, learning never stops!  They continue to acquire knowledge through active participation in social networks like Edmodo, and Twitter...or really, anywhere else dialogue among educators is occurring.
2. How do you view failure?  The relevant educator views failure as a part of the process of learning.  No one has ever been perfect in learning everything the first time.  Failure is a process  and should be viewed as an opportunity to learn.  "Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker.  Failure is a delay, not a defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing."  - Dennis Waitley.  So, how do you connect while working through these detours?  Try blogging!  Blogs are a very public way of sharing, but they can almost be like a crowd sourcing of wisdom and ideas as readers comment on posts and offer encouragement as you go through the learning process.  Angela Maiers says, "In the 21st century, the smartest person in the room, is the room.  It is incumbent upon all educators to connect online with other educators who can reignite their passion for teaching."
3.  Do you share?  The relevant educator believes in sharing and collaboration:  Connected educators do not wait until they are leaving the building before they open files, lesson plans, and projects to share with others.  Relevant teachers share, so that students everywhere can benefit.  Imagine if we never shared as a society...where would we be?  How can you share? Certainly through websites like Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers, but also through capturing video (using Swivl).  Video is an excellent way to share what you know about a topic, a product, or a new technique that you are trying in your classroom.  (You Tube is proof of this!)

4.  Do you prefer to work alone or with others?  The relevant educator is willing to explore, question, elaborate, and advance ideas through connections with other educators.  Twitter chats are invaluable in that they provide an opportunity to engage with other educators at any time and in any place. Literally!  Twitter chats run from 3 in the morning (my time) to 11 at night.  A list of chats can be found online and range in topic from 1:1 Technology to Parent-Teacher chats.
5.  What tools do you use to learn and teach?  The relevant educator uses technology and it's capability of connecting to other educators to learn and teach.  Those connected participate in webinars, Hangouts, and Voxer groups to connect and learn from others.
6.  How do you personalize your professional development?  The relevant educator uses the tools of technology to personalize pd for themselves. Connected educators no longer rely solely on their school or district to meet all of their professional development needs.  There are too many resources readily available online. For example, it is not unusual to see postings for 3 or 4 webinars listed daily on edWeb, a professional online community for educators which features news, articles, and free webinars on a variety of topics.
7.  When is the last time you gave new technology a try?  The relevant educator is comfortable with new technology and regularly shows a willingness to explore.  Connected educators stay on the edge of their comfort zone.  They like to try and do new things.
8.  What is more important knowing the facts or constructing knowledge?  The relevant educator may put creation over content and relevance over doctrine.  The connected educator believes that at times it is more important for students to construct new knowledge rather just memorizing facts. The connected educator tends to hold firm to the belief that the learning process is fluid, not rigid.
So, did you find any areas for improvement?  I sure did, but I love the fact that until we breathe our last breath, we can all get better.

First Course as an Aggie

     After watching the introductory video and completing the first assignment, I am more excited than ever to take my first course in Educational Technology from Texas A&M.  I love that in the Course Introduction, the instructor said that distance learning is current and relevant.  My first thought was that if the professor is eager to share information regarding this topic then I am eager to learn it! (Isn't it crazy how much a teacher's attitude can influence the student???)  Upon reading my first article, I quickly realized that the focus topics will be interesting, timely, and cause students to become more forward thinking.

     This is my first class at Texas A&M, so the fear of the unknown and wondering if I would be able to meet expectations were initial concerns.  I soon realized that there is no need to worry.  Project descriptions and deadlines are detailed on the syllabus and there is a Help Thread on the discussion board if further clarification is needed.  Already, everyone seems so nice and helpful and I realize that other students are like me in that they are seeking to grow professionally to better meet students’ needs. The available support helped reassure me that I would be able to be successful in this new environment.

     I think that what I will learn in this course will help me imagine new possibilities about education on a broader scale.  Too often I am limited by my own narrow thinking and the thinking of those with whom I surround myself.  I have witnessed first-hand that teacher leaders tend to repeat what they know.  Many educators, schools, and districts are doing school the same it has always been done, because that is all that those who lead know.  There is a saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”, but the issue is that education is broken when decision makers continue to treat schools as factories designed to turn out identical products.  We can no longer believe that there is only one way of doing things. Consider this TEDTalk by Sir Ken Robinson:

     I think that it is time to dream and to ask, “What if…” questions often!!!  What if we more thoroughly integrated technology to better serve students?  How come we can't take a school-wide blended learning environment to allow for flexibility for our students?  Why not broadcast lessons around the globe for anyone who wanted to take a course or just conduct a virtual field trip to a small school in Louisiana? After just two days in this course, I feel more energized and alive.  I am eager to expand my vision and learn.  If you like me, have been a bit nervous about starting something new...don't wait any longer.  Dive in this summer, the water is fine:)

8 Questions for the Educator Who Wants to Improve

Do you know someone who is so dynamic, so charismatic, so much of a visionary that whatever that person says gets you excited?  I consider myself fortunate to be able to answer, "Yes!"  There is something about the chancellor of the private school where I work that draws people in, sets a positive tone, and compels me to be my best self.  Each year, our staff begins with a corporate meeting in which the vision for the school is re-cast and we are issued a challenge of sorts.  Well, maybe challenge is too strong...but I would definitely call it a direction or focus word for the year.  This year's word from the chancellor is development.  It has stuck with me since I heard it.  And while I like to think that I am always focused on developing throughout the year, I know that during the summer break, I am much more intentional about growing both personally, as well as, professionally.

So, I thought I would launch a summertime weekend reflection series focused on just that...developing. This natural break in the school year is a great time to reassess what I am doing and why, to figure out what is working and what needs to change to better meet the needs of the families I serve, and to learn (there is always something else that I can learn).  In this focused growth period, details are important, because the details will strengthen future success.  I believe that most educators want to return to work after the summer break better than when they left. But where does one start?

To help figure out which details to focus on and potential areas of growth, there are 8 questions to ask yourself:
1.  Would you classify what you "do" as your job or your calling?

2.  How do you personally measure success?
3. How much do you know about each of your students?

4.  Do you believe fair means treating every student the same?
5.  How many years have you been doing things in exactly the same manner?

6.  Who are your mentors?

7.  What actually distinguishes you from people who do what you do?

8.  Do you have a burning desire to develop strategic thinking concerning the school in which you work...even if it means complete change?
Thoughtfully answering these questions, helps provide a direction for potential areas of intentional growth.  I honestly believe that if you do not like your world, you should change it, but to do so, you must be willing to throw out the old wine skins to embrace the new!

Bound for #DENSI2015

Words cannot begin to express how excited I am to have been selected for #DENSI2015 with Discovery Education. Not once, but twice!!!! About a month ago, I applied for the DEN Summer Institute with this very ordinary video.

After seeing all of the very creative videos submitted by educators around the country and some as far away as India, I was not sure that I would get accepted. I think I checked the #DENSI2015 detail page at least a dozen times in the past week to make sure that the list of attendees had not been released earlier than expected.  Nope! Nada! Nothing until today...May 15, just as promised.  This morning I woke up and ran to check my email... no news.

Checked again promptly upon arriving at work....again, after my morning meeting...and of course, before and after lunch.  Still nothing until 1:08PM!!!! I got this:

Awesome!!! Last week I had received an email asking if I submitted my application with the intention of attending the Principal Summit, the Summer Institute or both.  Ummm...first choice...both!?!  But the Summer Institute alone would be fabulous too... so, no worries.  I quickly filled out my intent to attend feeling super excited.

I tell my co-workers, call my hubby, and of course, send out a tweet or two only to be surprised again by Discovery Education just 3 hours later when I find this in my inbox:

So, what does this mean???

Summer fun and amazing PD!  Thank you Discovery Education!!!!  I can't wait to see you in Washington, DC!

Highlights from #ASCD15

#ASCD15 in Houston TX was amazing!  It has been just over a week since I have returned and I am still thinking about all that I saw and heard.  I have had the opportunity to share some resources with my co-workers and try some interactive teaching strategies that I learned from the Kagan session in a middle school math class this week.  During the conference I tweeted, shared pics, and wrote a couple of blog posts, but I wanted to capture the highlights of the conference while they were still fresh on my mind. So, here is a bit of a visual summary of my time at #ASCD15.

Pre-Con Marzano Leadership Strand:

Meet and Greet hosted by Discovery Education:

Top Technology Resources (as shared here and here):

Hands-on Learning with Dinah Zike Foldables

Active Engagement using Kagan Strategies:

Great Presentations:

 Maximizing A School's Potential Through Teacher Empowerment (Presented by authors, Ken Cooper and Joe Salah, who lead by example.)

Gamification to Increase Student Engagement by Krista Leh Rundell

Recruiting, Hiring, Leading, and Inspiring the Millennial Generation of Teachers (Presented by the very wise, Dr. Jon M. Andes.)

I left with so much more than with which I came (both literally and figuratively)!

Thank you ASCD for an incredible experience!

10 Ways to Use Video to Boost Instructor Presence in an Online Environment

Okay, if you have been following my blog for the last month or so, you know that I have been participating in free professional development through a MOOC called Tinker, Make, & Learn, a course focused on developing a Makerspace.  Well, the course ended...but not the desire to continue to build our new space.  I promise I will be posting our latest make before the week's end!!! In the meantime, I thought I would share what I am learning now in a course called Humanizing Online Instruction: The #HumanMOOC.

Technically, it is a course for online instructors, but the information could apply to any classroom. Take this week for example...our topic: Establishing Instructor Presence.  In an online environment, learner isolation is one of the primary reasons students choose not to continue in a web-based program, but an instructor can help combat the isolation by humanizing the learning experience.  So, what does that mean?  The teacher can ensure that students know that course material has not just been launched out into who knows where by a professor in a galaxy far, far away, but that a real, live person is on the other end carefully planning and teaching.

One of the ways suggested to boost instructor presence is through the utilization of  video.  Video allows people to see and hear you and if students can see you and hear you, they feel as if they know you.  If they feel as if they know you, they are more likely to approach you.  Being more of a traditional K-12 girl (not online teacher anymore), I began to think about others besides just my students that I wanted to "get to know me"...the parents being at the top of my list!  I think often times parents want to support their kiddos, but they are not sure quite how to help.  The same types of videos that an instructor might create for students could be shared on the K-12 educator's parent portal...just a thought:)

So, video? Yes!  Think about the last email you received. Unless it is filled with emojis and exclamation marks, it is hard to read into it the verbal and non-verbal cues that one would normally recognize in a face-to-face interaction. Video is much more powerful than text alone.  Even asynchronous one way video begins to feel like a conversation when students and parents view this type of communication regularly.

How can you use video to boost instructor presence in the K-12 classroom???  Here are the top 10 ideas shared by Tracy Schaelen, online instructor for Southwestern College (I've linked to some of her videos so that you can see examples):

1)  Use video on your website as a greeting prior to the course beginning - think about the anxiety this could alleviate!  It is a great way to welcome new parents and students and for them to "see" you before arriving on the first day of school.
2) Conduct a course tour via video.  This is especially helpful at the beginning of the course so that students and parents can see how to navigate through the online environment associated with the class.  You can demonstrate how to access grades, see the syllabus, find class notes, and turn in digital assignments.
3) Use video to introduce a new unit of study.  Whether teaching online or in a traditional setting, peaking a student's interest is key. It could be like a movie trailer of sorts that gets students excited about what is to come.  It also provides an entry point for parents.  If parents see where you are going, they can get involved, read up on the topic with their child, share resources, pull images and videos, and help connect the dots for students.  Dialogue can changed from, "How was school today?" to "Tell me about ______.  Did you get to the ______  yet?"
4) Make announcements using video to personalize messages and allow viewers to see facial expressions and hear the instructor's tone of voice.
5) Use video to provide feedback on student work thus allowing you to make the same type of comments you would make normally, but with much more detail.  Ms. Schaelen suggested using props with numbers on them, so that a student can quickly find the markers before each comment. Feedback video should be kept unlisted to ensure privacy.
6) Create "how-to" videos. This particular video is for students and shows how to find and use video feedback.
7)  Make a video to introduce a research assignment, major project, or special event in the classroom.
8)  Use student created videos to demonstrate understanding, add to an electronic portfolio, peer tutor, or build resources for those needing extra support.
9)  Video a guest presenter.  As a high school teacher, I want my students to connect with college admissions counselors.  On several occasions, an invited counselor could visit only one of the 6 classes I taught; while I was happy that 25 students heard from the admissions counselor, I found myself wishing that ALL of the kids could benefit from the information. Video would be a perfect way to capture and share the guest's visit.
10) Use snippets of video from various locations throughout the course to allow students and parents to get to know you even better.  Consider sharing video from your latest 5K, your weekend excursion, or something you saw that you thought was interesting.

Why? "Showing" is powerful.  Videos help students and parents build a personal connection with the instructor and make content, announcements, and details accessible anytime and anyplace (everything I believe in!!!) So, I guess the question I need to ask next is "What will I video today?"

#NotatDENSI2014 and Still Inspired

Well today's scheduled blog post has been preempted by a post from one who is #NotatDENSI2014 (Discovery Education Summer Institute), because this blog's author is so excited by what she heard today (virtually!!!) that she felt that she MuST share. First, let me say, I love livestreaming and I love Discovery Education. I have been a part of Discovery Education Network for some years and if you have not joined I would say to definitely check it out.  The organization is committed to supporting students and teachers through continuous professional development and quality resources like today's presentation by DEN Guru, Patti Duncan.

Patti spoke on STEM integration...what it is and what it is not...

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and tons of ways to include meaningful STEM-focused lessons across the curriculum.  She is so dynamic and influential (even through an iPhone screen) that I ended up purchasing 2 books she mentioned, 

reconsidered the focus of my graduate studies, 

and actually entertained the idea of switching to elementary or middle school just so I could make an inflatable

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that represents a biome,

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the human body, the sea floor or any other space imaginable.

10 great stem lessons upload ed from duncanpatti

I know that I cannot begin to do her presentation justice, so I've linked to the LiveStream archive and her wiki (where there are many more resources) so that you can see for yourself. 

Who would have guessed on a Tuesday afternoon in July, Discovery Education would have ignited such inspiration in a girl 10 hours away???!!!??  Thanks Discovery Ed and thanks Patti Duncan!

Evernote 101: How to Share Notes Using Evernote

I love summer, a time to think, reflect, and learn!  What can you learn? The possibilities are limitless...you just have to ask, "What do I want to learn today?" (kind of like Siri :)  Some days I know what I want to learn before my feet hit the floor and other days (like today) I'm inspired around mid-morning.

Today, it started with a #NT2t Chat (New to Twitter Chat) this morning where I met Rik Rowe and Dina Moati, who were talking about ways to squeeze all that you wanted to say into 140 characters and Evernote came up. Rik suggested sharing your Evernote notes via Twitter and my first thought was how do you do that?  Thus, the inspiration for "what I want to learn today...": the how-to's of Evernote, not because the web doesn't have tons of resources already on the subject, but because I am simply logging my journey.

I know, I just blogged about Evernote after ISTE, but it was a short post and there was so much more that I wanted to know! My UltiMaTe BiG QueSTioN: How do I use Evernote with students and teachers at school?  My answer..."I don't know...yet.", but I am embarking on a journey to figure it out. So, here I go...my first entry on using Evernote:

• What is Evernote?
• A Self-Syncing, Note Taking Tool Available for All of Your Devices: phone, computer, iPad, etc.
• Cloud-based Utility (It's available anywhere even if you don't have the device that you originally typed your note on).
• FrEE!!! (A teacher's favorite word!)

• What Can You Use it For?
• Quick Notes: shopping lists, pictures of receipts, links to resources, meeting notes, and images of brainstorming sessions.
• Formatted Notes: Complete with Titles, Font Styles and Colors, Bullets and Numbered Lists, Checklists, Tables, Attachments like Photos and Voice Recordings (these go directly into Evernote when you are using the app on your phone or iPad) and Links to Useful Websites (use the "..." on the tool bar to create a dropdown menu to add the hyperlink)
• Capture Business Card Info: Use your phone's camera to capture a business card and the information will sync directly into your contacts list.  
• Reminders: Though it is not a management tool (it is a note taking tool), you can set reminders for time sensitive tasks.

• Where Do the Notes Go and Are They Private?
• The notes are in the cloud and this is great because this allows you to access your notes anywhere: work, home, or even the beach by logging into Evernote on a computer or launching the app on your phone or other digital device.
• You can keep your notes private or choose to share them via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Email, or with a Link. (Remember...that was my question of the day that prompted this post.)

Here's what I learned...

start by choosing how you want to share.  I picked "link".

Evernote double checked that I meant to click share 

and gives me an option to change my mind after I actually share my note.

Then, it gave me a public link.  

This would be perfect for sharing meeting notes at work! 

Way #1 for answering my UltiMaTe BiG QueSTioN and the answer to "what I wanted to learn today": How to Share Notes in Evernote.  If you would like a copy of my notes for this post, here's my note.

Follow My Favorites

I actually had no intention of blogging today, but after accepting the #July2014Challenge of blogging more than normal (and panicking just a little), I began to think about those faithful bloggers that have risen to a similar challenge day after day for year after year.  I have relied upon them for ideas, inspiration, and at times, a lift to my spirit.  All I can say is that I am truly grateful to them for sharing their time and their talent. I appreciate their reliability to produce posts complete with detailed directions, lots of pictures and a bit of a personal touch.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know I love technology (and therefore technology blogs by default). I look for ways to use digital tools to engage my students and enrich their experiences.  So for this Thursday post, I want to introduce you to 3 fantastic techy--educator-bloggers who integrate technology into everything they do (not for technology's sake, but for students').  They have had tremendous influence on me as I have sought to do the same. If you are looking for fresh ideas, I invite you to follow my favorites:

1.  Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Dr. Wesley Fryer

Banner from Dr. Fryer's Site

I met Dr. Fryer years ago at a mobile learning conference and he is just as generous with his knowledge in person as he is online.  I can always depend on him to produce thorough "how-to" technology posts on topics that I have not even started to consider...like this week's 3 different ways to publish an e-book. Well, of course, I have been wanting to write an e-book, so I certainly need to know how to publish one!  Turns out, his 10 year old daughter actually DiD write a book and it was her creation on which they were working. #inspired

2. The Daring Librarian by Gwyneth Jones

Banner from The Daring Librarian

I adore this blog and its author!!!! From the splashes of color to the unique approach to foster a love of reading in students, The Daring Librarian is a true inspiration. From the first posts I read about creating a QR code scavenger hunt to the most recent on using vine to create book trailers, I am always challenged to look beyond what I see and imagine what can be.

3.  Teaching Creatively with Technology by Allison White

Banner from Allison White's Blog

I just found Allison's blog recently, but if you are interested in stretching yourself with technology integration, this lady has some fantastic ideas! From curating information to planning a Social Scavenger hunt, Allison shares her originality through her distinctive posts.

So there it is...my Top 3 Favorite Techy--Educator-Bloggers...those I look to get new ideas.

Everyone Has Value, Everyone Matters

I wish that I could come up with some catchy phrase of the day like "Time Out to Learn Tuesdays" or something 10 times more clever, but honestly this is just a plain post with a a plain truth....Everyone has Value, Everyone Matters.  This post was prompted by what I am learning at Summer Camp...that's #PTCamp to be more specific.  #PTCamp is an online camp for parents and teachers that spans a period of 6 weeks and focuses on the developing meaningful partnerships between schools and families.  Over 100 participants from around the globe are reading Beyond the Bake Sale and tweeting, voxing, and ApprenNet-ting (not sure if that is actually a word) about how to foster strong relationships among all stakeholders in schools.

Why read a book about how to foster meaningful partnerships? "The evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children's achievement.  When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer and like school more."
How do you start? "First, we have to absolutely believe in our souls that families want to support their children and that their support can make a significant difference in a child's educational experience.  Second, we need to prioritize reaching out to families."
     I had the privilege of hearing Angela Maiers along with others present at ISTE on the power of the words "You Matter". As I was thinking about the book study, I thought about the power of the words "you matter" and the connection that parents and teachers could make if only we entered every interaction with that thought foremost in their minds.  No longer would we be on the defense in a parent- teacher conference or assume that we knew more about someone

else's child because of all of the letters behind our name; no, our thinking MiGHt aCtUAllY ShIFt. The book's authors emphasize that "everyone has something to offer"...hmmm, is it because they matter?  Do they have insight that needs to be shared to maximize the learning experience for the child? Maybe, just maybe... If I would enter into the parent-teacher relationship with the attitude that everyone has something to offer and everyone should get something positive out of the relationship, I would avoid the totally inaccurate and very lopsided, "I know best" thinking.  How might the year might progress if my first conversation started with "You are your child's first teacher; tell me about your child." Or, what if small groups met and parents were encouraged to talk about TheIR DrEAms and EXpeCtAtiONs for their child's future and teachers and administrators followed up with discussions and evaluation of the school's curriculum to determine how it was connected to the families' dreams?  Would that change the culture of the school???

    Last week I heard someone ask (via Voxer), "What if the administration doesn't support this type of partnering?"  While I am blessed to be in a school that values people and believes that everyone matters, I can imagine that this is very real in varying degrees in many schools.  So, I say, start right where you are.  One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is when God asks Moses, "What's in your hand?"  It is a question I have asked myself more than once, I can assure you and I have come to think that another way of saying it could be to ask, "Where do I have influence?"  Every teacher can say most assuredly that he or she has influence in the classroom...so, StARt THeRe!
     I love that the book, along with the participants in the study offer practical suggestions.  All of the ideas focus on developing relationships.  If I truly believe that people matter like I say I do, then it only makes sense for me to invest in people.  How?  Honor them with my time, my words and my talents.

• Visit the homes of students.
• Invite them into my home or at least the classroom and not just on Back to School night!
• Make positive phone calls to parents monthly to keep them in the loop on overall student progress.
• Go outside of the building to greet and talk with parents.
• Create a warm, friendly environment by ensuring that the number of student projects and celebrations of student accomplishments outnumber warning posters about alcohol, drug abuse and dropping out.
• Host a class meeting, grade-level social or book club.

I love these ideas make sense!  My favorite quote from these chapters were really words of wisdom that can guide my behavior in any interaction: