It's Not About the Tech

Ugh, the copier is broken again. How is it already broken? A common frustration and exclamation heard the first day back at school after a long break.

The Internet is running so slow!  

My Chromebook won't work!
Well, did you charge it last night? 
No.

We have all experienced frustrations related to technology. From infrastructure problems to Comcast issues, from updates in webtools that we use or the free version no longer being free, technology will inevitably change, fail us and can lead to a significant amount of headaches and obstacles. As an instructional coach, I have heard countless laments from staff members, and I have undoubtedly felt them, too. It is certainly therapeutic and has led to wonderful conversations about how we can solve problems, create better experiences, and bolster learning outcomes for our students.

Here's a secret: It's not about the tech.

For as tech-focused as I have been labeled, I firmly believe that quality instruction is derived from the relationships we build and the environment that we create. I am not formally trained in informational technology or computer science; I'm merely tech-curious and stubborn enough to seek out answers to the challenges and problems placed in my path.

One of my favorite articles from Edutopia in 2018, "Welcoming Students with a Smile" emphasized the importance of greeting students at the door. Tell students that you care about them and taking the time to get to know them as people pays far greater divot ends than using the latest and most "up-to-date" technology available.

Make the learning targets/objectives relevant to their lives. Close the Chromebook to have a conversation, and allow for time to foster and cultivate critical life skills that so often get tossed aside labeled as "soft skills" (Read: "Public Speaking is No Longer a Soft Skill"). Communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation are all skills that will help our society progress and will provide greater career opportunities for our students as they venture into the "real world" in pursuit of their passions.

Technology in the classroom has provided students with opportunities to engage more with course content, demonstrate their knowledge by writing, creating, and communication, and has granted access to information that allows students to drive their learning. When used ineffectively or without a true understanding of how a tool can enhance student learning, however, technology can take away from student learning experiences. My goal for 2019 is to continue to reflect on how to use technology strategically and with a purpose. Using technology for the sake of using technology or to adhere to a standard that some person has created in his mind is not necessarily best practices and can negatively impact both student and teacher perception of a learning experience or even an entire course.

How do we evaluate what the effective use of technology in the classroom is? I have grappled with this question for a majority of this school year as I have engaged in as many conversations as I could with colleagues and students about what works best for them regarding course organization, the frequency of use, teacher expectations, and access to tools.

The overwhelming response to what significantly interests students stems back to the formative tools such as Kahoot, Quizlet, and GimKit. Students tend to gravitate toward formative assessment gaming tools for general review experiences. They enjoy having opportunities to play and compete with their peers, which makes studying less of a chore.

Teachers seek to engage students and use technology to make learning more efficient for both students and teachers alike. Having the ability to share content, provide feedback, and quickly communicate with students has increased student engagement with course content and allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in more ways than just a test. Teachers can challenge students to create and communicate. As a shift in how we assess students continue to occur, teachers have started using video tools such as WeVideo, FlipGrid, and Screencastify to create learning resources and challenge students to demonstrate knowledge in unique and personal ways.

Providing feedback continues to become more efficient and easy. Students learn most from feedback that is immediate, detailed, and specific. Having a tool such as Google Classroom to post private comments, grade, and share back to students has allowed for frequent communication and access to materials for students while allowing teachers to see their students' work and growth over time.

The amount of evolution that has occurred in educational technology in the last five years is astonishing and has allowed me to create unique experiences for my students (and grade more effectively). The tools available will continue to evolve and adapt to the growing needs of students and teachers. What we will use most frequently in five years may not even exist today. As our world evolves, so too will the tools in our educational tool belts. Regardless of the direction that education takes, it is important to remember not to become fixated with the tools themselves because they are merely one vehicle to help our students arrive at their learning destinations. Students can always hop on another metaphorical bus.

Quality instruction at its heart stems back to the relationship between students and a teacher. When we connect with students emotionally, they are far more likely to join us on the journey of knowledge acquisition. They will learn more and be motivated to engage in deeper ways; They will even begin to drive their learning. It's not about the tech. 

Next time the internet runs slow or the interface of your LMS shifts, it's okay to close the Chromebook for a day. Connect with students and challenge them to create and innovate. We might all learn something in the process.

Leveling Up Week One (Starting Off 2019)

Providing PD can be challenging for a myriad of reasons. Staff members have unique teaching styles, and different disciplines offer a variety of learning experiences that might not always lend itself to a given learning approach or the use of a specific instructional strategy. Just like the students in our classrooms, differentiation is critical in the construction of a PD session, and making these experiences meaningful is essential to the success of the session and all future sessions. No pressure, right? 

As last semester and the calendar year dwindled, I found myself wanting to challenge teachers (and myself) to focus on beginnings. As we embark upon a new semester and a new year, I wanted to reflect on how I could "level up" my teaching practices in the classroom and enhance my students' experiences. Planning for this semester, I have continually kept the question "Would I want to be a student sitting in my classroom?" in the back of my mind. In striving to answer yes, emphatically, I reflected on how a few of my favorite tech tools might take the first day or the first week of the semester to a more engaging, effective, and exciting place. After all, relationship building and tone setting truly impact the amount of learning and student growth that can occur in any given classroom. 

As a general note, I tend to move quickly. It is both a strength and a character flaw that I embrace. With three children (ages four to one) and a long list of professional duties, I have no choice but to steadily and briskly jog through my day. Being true to my inner nature, I warned teachers that I would move quickly, in hopes that they would pick one tool or tip to try the first week of school, and if they wanted to delve deeper with a particular tool or app, we could schedule a coaching session to further explore the instructional possibilities - a shameless plug, but I have to generate business somehow!

In spite of my "power PD" session that was only 30 minutes long before the start of finals, I wanted to maximize the potential of future moments, especially when fosters relationships with new students in an introductory week of school. My goal for 2019 is to continue to strive to be present in each moment and create more value for the people in my life and any given moment. I want my classroom to be a place that inspires and ignites a love of learning. 

As I created my latest Google Presentation, I generated a list of how a teacher could use everyday tech tools and apps to engage students further, gather initial information, and refine already created learning materials. Here's what I discovered for the first week of 2019:

Padlet

Yes, this tool is a classic by now, but the newest layouts and features really can be a game changer. When trying to learn students' names, instead of merely having students fill out a survey or write a little about themselves on a note card, challenge them to take selfies, create videos, and insert links to content that embraces who they are. If nothing else, a picture with a name can go a long way in helping to learn students name and build relationships with students promptly. Padlet also allows teachers to create back-channel chats, which are great to have asynchronous conversations or even hold live chats while watching inspirational videos to start the semester. (A new favorite - "Be Humble — And Other Lessons from the Philosophy of Water"). The possibilities with this tool are endless! 

Kami

Last semester, I held a PD session on InsertLearning, a tool that was well received by staff. The only frustration with this tool is that it cannot be used with PDFs. As a result, the interactive questioning and annotating cannot occur with some texts. Kami is a great alternative and allows students to annotate PDFs and other types of documents. With Kami, students could annotate a syllabus or read an introductory article that would help set the tone for the course and what will be learned. Engaging students with what they will learn will help prepare them for the lessons to come! 

EdPuzzle

This tool has also been widely used and around for a while, but sometimes I find when a tool hasn't been discussed for a while it becomes underutilized or forgotten. The start of a new course often opens opportunities to talk about goals, dreams, and challenge students to reflect. EdPuzzle allows a teacher to build a series of questions to accompany a video (both multiple choice and free response) while tracking viewing duration. This tool is great for differentiation and blended learning, too. (Here's one of my favorite TED Talks about the lessons failure teaches us - "Success, Failure and the Drive to Keep Creating"). 

Canva

This tool is incredible in creating images, graphics, and social media posts that look incredibly professional even if the creator does not have a background in graphics or art. I have been using this daily to create images for my parents' business but am now starting to use it for posts in Google Classroom. At the end of last semester, a few students complimented my latest posts begrudgingly. While the images made them click on the links they received in their overflowing email boxes, they realized quickly that it meant more work. Talk about engaging!

The Final Smackdown

In my presentation, I then shared a few tools that I use daily that has enhanced my effectiveness and student engagement that I plan on continuing to use frequently.

1. The snipping tool is a tool that is used quite frequently but has some limitations. Instead of using what is provided on my school-issued computer, I have started using Awesome Screenshot. With the ability to annotate images, I have been able to help students and teachers alike with ease by taking screenshots. I could not function without this tool. 
2. The Bitmoji extension is a tool that enhances mundane learning objective slides and resources more fun. I use it each day to spice up my learning targets and provide a preview of what is to come by connecting the cartoon version of me to my content. Because I'm extra, I even found matching dresses for my daughters and made them take pictures that I then shared with students. It's a subtle way to get a laugh, but my cheesiness can strengthen a relationship, which then allows classroom learning more meaningful. 
3. With a thousand tabs open by the end of the day (or the end of this blog post), I needed to find a way to keep myself more organized. OneTab is the solution to bookmarking too many websites and tools, and it has helped me curate my day. This is the last tool I shared with teachers, which would allow them to save what we reviewed during the session, reference it later, and hopefully schedule a coaching session with me in 2019. 

Here's to an amazing 2019! I cannot wait to empower students to use their voices and find the magic in the learning that will occur.