Professional Development

WHAT?
     This past winter I went to a professional development opportunity in Waukee called the Waukee PLAYDATE. I had never been to a PLAYDATE before, but found out these take place all across the country. The essential goal of a PLAYDATE is to set aside time to simply “play” with technology tools that teachers most typically say they do not have time to do. Waukee set it up so attendees signed up for sessions ahead of time and during the PLAYDATE, we rotated to different rooms for each session. During each session we were provided with a list of tools in that category to play around with while we were in there.
     For example, I attended a session all about creator apps. A few of my favorite apps I explored included Doceri, Book Creator, Haiku Deck, and Skitch. The other categories included Literacy Tools, Teacher Tools, Coding, Videomaking and Sound, Google, Social Media, and Learning Management Systems. At the conclusion of the sessions, we all reconvened for lunch and what they called the “Demo Slam.” This allowed attendees to showcase what they learned throughout the PLAYDATE. Some people walked us through effective tools they use in their own classrooms currently while others shared tools or programs they learned about that day and were excited to implement.
     I spent some of my time exploring technology tools they suggested. I also recognized I had a unique opportunity to be inside numerous classrooms that morning as well as make connections with seasoned educators. With permission, I took pictures of classroom set ups and organization I liked and collaborated with the veteran teachers to learn what they use, follow them on Twitter, and write down as much as I could for future use.

SO WHAT?
     I think professional development opportunities are incredibly important as they not only let me connect with other passionate educators, but also allow me to be a lifelong learner. Technology is always changing, so in order to keep up, I plan to attend professional development opportunities as often as I can. As a pre-service teacher, I did not enjoy the PLAYDATE as much as I hoped because I only learned about tools that I played around with. They also provided a very minimal list to experiment with. It allowed me to do a lot of brainstorming on possibilities, but I prefer learning about what works for teachers now, as I currently do not have my own classroom to implement these tools into. I do not think I would go back to a PLAYDATE until I have my own classroom, but I still do not foresee myself choosing this route of professional development again. I see the benefits, but I have gone to other professional development conferences, like the Iowa Reading Association State Conference, and came away with a substantially larger wealth of new ideas. The PLAYDATE did teach me the importance of setting aside time to explore new things, collaborate with other teachers, and take risks to better advance student learning.

NOW WHAT?
     This opportunity pushed me to become more active on my professional Twitter account to connect with educators and have a more prominent digital footprint in my professional life. I always think if I learned one new thing, then my time was not wasted. I learned many new technology tools while at the PLAYDATE, making it a valuable experience. I also know what kind of professional development suits my style and needs based on where I am in my career as an educator. I will plan to attend conferences in the future, like Iowa 1:1 Conference or ITEC, that provide me with ideas to implement into my classroom. I recognize the importance of professional development and know this is just the beginning of my journey as a lifelong learner.  

Week 13: Tech Reviews

During class this week my classmates and I each shared technology tools we had previously reviewed. The tool that stood out to me the most was Scratch. This tool introduces students to programming. I liked this tool the most because it pushes students to use a different kind of thinking than most tasks in a fun and challenging way. Not only will this challenge upper level students, but I had a special education teacher use this with her students who had profound diverse abilities, and they could complete the programming quicker than her typically developing students. How great is that? I truly believe that every student can learn, and Scratch is a program that can reach students that traditional education sometimes does not. This tool prepares students with 21^st Century skills that in turn could help spark an interest with students in this field, a necessity to keep up with the ever-changing advancements of society.

Check out this example of a Scratch program my classmate created.

As a preservice teacher, I can already understand the evolving nature of technology. I will stay current with these changes through social media, in particular Twitter and blogging. I will also attend professional development conferences as well to see how other teachers successfully implement technology into their classrooms. Specifically, I hope to attend the ITEC Conference or another PLAYdate. 

Tech Review #2: Haiku Deck

I first learned about Haiku Deck when I went to the Waukee PLAYDATE, a professional development opportunity where I spent the morning simply “playing” with technology. 

Haiku Deck, an app on the iPad or usable on the Internet, is a program that allows you to make presentations in a simple, fun, and visually appealing way. The program can be accessed for free by visiting their website or downloading the app. The website below gives you access to both options. 

https://www.haikudeck.com 

To create “a deck,” as they call them, you will first select “new deck.” From there, you will choose the layout of the slide on the left hand side of the screen. These enter text and image boxes for you. As you type your text, Haiku Deck automatically resizes the text as you type to fit the screen. The less text, the bigger the font. 

Next you would select an image, background color, or chart. You can upload your own or select from their beautiful options by entering key words to narrow the search. The image on this slide is one I found on Haiku Deck.

There is also a chance to change the font or theme (top of the slide.) This automatically changes the font and size for you. Once the slide is complete you can add more slides as you wish. Once finished, you can export the slides to PDF or PowerPoint format or share the slides on the Internet.

This program doesn’t necessarily give you a lot of freedom when selecting font, font sizes, font placement, etc., but these same restrictions can be very useful and powerful when used in an elementary classroom. Haiku Deck is also very user friendly, walking you through the tool in simple steps! 

What I like most about Haiku Deck is the visually striking images. I can see this being used very powerfully in a classroom for students to create posters to then be hung up in their classroom. They will be very visually appealing and students have ownership of class rules, philosophies, etc.

It could also be used as a visual to go with a poem students wrote. These beautiful images have the capability to really bring student work to life, making it seem more "official" when published.  

Another way to use this program would be to create a class book that features student work. When compiled onto Haiku Deck, this book now has the capability to be shared with the world, an authentic learning opportunity for students. Here is an example of a few slides from a class book I found in Haiku Deck’s gallery: https://www.haikudeck.com/anacondas-education-presentation-OVVbKYQ3TJ

What are other ways Haiku Deck could be used for an educational purpose within your classroom?

Chirp, Chirp...I mean Tweet, Tweet!

This week I learned more about becoming a connected educator through Twitter. I first created my professional Twitter account in December 2014 (@abcsofmsstakey). I had always wondered how Twitter chats worked, how to find them, and the best way to participate since joining Twitter professionally. This week I learned just that.

To find a list of chats that I found interesting and met my schedule, I accessed the Twitter Education Chat Schedule, powered by Cybrary Man. From there, I chose #edchat and #kidscancode Twitter chats to watch. #edchat was kind of all over the place for me. The main topics being discussed were professional development and assessment. On really large chats like #edchat, it became hard to keep up and honestly it seemed like a lot of people were posting random thoughts that were not relevant to the topic. A positive of large chats would be a quick way to reach a lot of people at once to get a question answered, something that is very powerful and demonstrates the importance of being a connected educator. I personally preferred a more focused chat, like #kidscancode, all about using coding in schools. I walked away with a plethora of resources to continue learning about coding.

I think the coding, assessment and professional development topics were chosen because they are pretty popular topics in the education world right now, and something many people have strong opinions about. All three of these topics have the potential to take teaching and learning to that next level, something people who participate in Twitter Chats, in my opinion, are already attempting to do. These topics provided educators opportunities to get and share ideas to improve.

Many of the people I follow were recommendations I had received from educators who use Twitter to be connected regularly. I honestly started choosing followers by finding people whose opinions I value and going through their followers. I also found the Twitter 101 article to be helpful, and followed most of the people she suggested if I wasn’t already.

I do foresee myself participating in Twitter Chats in the future because it is an easy way to learn something new and connect with other likeminded educators across the globe. I would like to participate in #titletalk next, a chat about reading strategies and popular books in the classroom. The 140-character limit allows for quick reads and the ability to gather resources through links people share.

I would encourage everyone to become a connected educator. Start small by creating a Twitter account and allow that piece of social media help determine your next steps. Follow educators who interest you. See what they're tweeting about. I started by retweeting things I agreed with. Now I feel more confident voicing my own opinions as well. 

I personally thought this piece of advice gathered through #edchat was my most valuable takeaway from my first Twitter Chat experience: 

Being a Connected Educator

“When you find something interesting, it often leads to someone interesting and that someone often leads to entire networks of interesting people.” –Howard Rheingold (Read the entire article here.)

That quote summarizes my biggest takeaway this week and is most definitely a piece of advice that will guide everything I do as a connected educator.

Last week I participated in my first Google Hangout with Jennifer Houlette, a 4^th grade teacher at Southeast Polk and Jamie Fath, my instructor for this course and tech integrationist at Southeast Polk. First and foremost, I learned how a Google Hangout works and will most definitely be participating in one again!

Jen had a lot to share about her journey to becoming a connected educator. She used Twitter as her gateway to becoming connected and then started a blog after that. I see myself following her same path. I started a professional Twitter account (@abcsofmsstakey) in December. I have begun connecting with educators and tweeting about moments that are applicable or influential to me as a pre-service teacher. The blog I have created for the class will gradually morph into my blog for student teaching and then further into my blog for my classroom.

My biggest takeaway from the Google Hangout with Jen was her belief that learning should go beyond the walls of the classroom, making learning more authentic and meaningful. She challenged us to model this type of learning for our students in our own lives by being a connected educator. She also encouraged us to create opportunities for our students to connect by blogging, Skyping, etc. with other classrooms. She described her students’ blogs as “show and tell with the world.”

I learned the most about Personal Learning Networks (PLN) through the video with Dr. Alec Couros. He explained that "the technology tools we use will come and go, but the relationships we form using these tools are what matter."

He challenged us to use technology not just for following people, but to go beyond the connection and create a memorable moment with them. He encouraged us to build a relationship that we’re willing to continue on other tools when our current tools disappear. I connected this to my professional Twitter account I have. Many of the people or organizations I am following are just because we share a common social networking tool. I am only using Twitter to follow them. When I attended the Waukee PLAYdate, however, I met many teachers there and follow them on Twitter as well. I have formed a connection with them and have a memorable moment or interaction that will cause me to connect with them again on other tools.   

One last piece that was powerful to me was when he said, “Make your learning visible and notice how you are contributing to the learning of others.” Through my blog posts and tweets, I am making my learning visible by sharing my insights and musings. To transform my digital footprint, I should be sure to use my blog to also contribute to the learning of others.

I am very passionate about being and becoming a more connected educator. This week was the most applicable to my future as a teacher than any other week. I look forward to seeing where I will be a year from now as a connected educator.  

Tech Review #1: Kahoot!

For my tech review, I examined Kahoot! Kahoot! is a game-based classroom response system. I have seen it used in numerous elementary schools at various grade levels, each time witnessing high student engagement. The purpose of the tool is to ask thought-provoking questions in an engaging way through an audience response system. It provides instant feedback that shows the correct answer, allowing for discussion of the question and to check for understanding after each question.

To get Kahoot! in your classroom, first create a free account on their website. From there, there is the option to create your own "Kahoot" (as they call them) by making a quiz, starting a discussion, or polling the class through a survey. If you don’t want to create your own, there is the option to search from the hundreds of thousands of public Kahoots that already exist. Compared to other classroom response systems I have used, I like how there is the option to search from public Kahoots with this program. No need to reinvent the wheel, right? This also gives the option for grade level team members to use the same Kahoots, as they would just search and find the Kahoot created by one of the team members. This allows for simple, yet effective, collaboration.

After you have created or chosen the Kahoot you would like to give your students, it is time to use it. Students can participate in a Kahoot with virtually any device that allows them to connect to the Internet. Students go to kahoot.it on that device using any browser, where they are prompted to enter the game-pin. Each Kahoot that is created or accessed comes with a unique game-pin. As the teacher, you provide the pin to your students. What is nice about this program is no account is necessary to play a Kahoot. The only thing needed is the game-pin. 

Necessary pieces of technology for a successful Kahoot! experience:

1. Teacher laptop or computer to log into Kahoot! to present the Kahoot. (I think an iPad that can be displayed on a projector with a program like Reflector would work as well.)

2. A projector to show the teacher's screen to the class (this is the only place the questions are displayed)

3. A device that connects to the Internet for students to participate in the Kahoot (Laptop, computer, iPad, iPod, cell phone, etc.)

Below is a screenshot of what would be displayed on the projector from the teacher's device. Students will enter the game-pin into their device. 

After entering the game-pins, students will then enter their names. This allows you to gather assessment data on your students at the same time!

  

Once students are in, they will see the following screen.

The teacher will see the screen below. As you can see, this shows the number of players (1), allowing the teacher to know when all students are in. Under "Kahoot!" you can see my name (Court), allowing students to search for their name, so they know they are in. 

 

Now it's time to take the quiz by the teacher clicking "Start Now." The question is only displayed on teacher's screen, making a projector necessary as a visual cue. The number 12 on the left is the timer, allowing students to move through the questions quickly. It would be interesting to learn if the amount of time can be adjusted or eliminated as an option. The "0 Answers" on the right shows how many students have answered. 

Below is what students see on their screen. This makes this program appropriate for lower elementary as well with the visual cue. Students would select their answer. 

After all students have answered the question or time is up, the answers are shown in the form of a graph. The check marks indicate the correct answers. The numbers on the top of each bar indicate how many students chose each particular answer choice. This allows for an instant assessment, allowing the teacher to know how much discussion is needed on the particular question. The Kahoot won't move on until the teacher clicks next, allowing for as much discussion as necessary. 

And the end of the Kahoot, the overall results are shown. It would rank the students by correctness. Depending on the nature of the quiz and the competitiveness of the class, this could be really fun. If this does not appeal to you or the nature of the classroom, then simply stop projecting your teacher screen. It prompts you to move to this screen. In the black rectangle, it allows you to "Download results," allowing you as a teacher to go back and view the results of your class. 

When using public Kahoots!, the program allows you to preview each Kahoot. This allows you to simultaneously see your screen and the students' screens at the same time, while also reviewing the questions. This allows you to go through the public Kahoots quickly and check them before having the students play. 

I foresee Kahoot! being used with any grade level, as the questions can be made to any developmentally appropriate level. I came up with a couple of classroom ideas below.

I would use this in a 2^nd grade classroom as a review of the book we have been reading. This will allow me to check for student understanding and test numerous literacy skills including comprehension, vocabulary, predicting, etc. Since the program pauses after each question, this allows me to discuss the correct answer with my students. The results I can download at the end would be useful to know which students need further instruction. 

I would also use this in a 5^th grade classroom, allowing the students to create their own Kahoots. This could be used as a review game in a social studies classroom where students will create and take each other’s Kahoots to review the content. Students would have the freedom to create a quiz, a discussion, or a survey, allowing for effective differentiation. An email address is required to create an account. 

I will most definitely be using Kahoot! in my future classroom. I suggest everyone at least gives it a try! What are ways you have used Kahoot! in your classroom?