Donuts and Lunch - The Backbone of School Culture

There are few things that contribute more to a positive school culture as our Friday rituals... wearing jeans, sharing donuts & coffee in the teachers lounge, and sharing our weekend plans with colleagues. The daily dose of that energy (without the sugar and caffeine) is eating lunch together with your fellows. Many underestimate the importance of these activities in the school, but I believe them to be the foundation on which the risk-taking culture of a building is built. Allow me to explain...

Where Should I Lunch?

Like many of you reading this, I had (have) a habit using my 30 minutes of uninterrupted lunch to take care of the necessities, answer email and voicemail, and regroup for my afternoon classes. One year, I committed to get out of my classroom and walk myself down to the teachers lounge for lunch. Eating at my desk versus eating in the lounge is not a matter of location – It's a matter of relationships.

When people gather together in the teachers lounge for lunch, there is sometimes "shop talk," and can include commiserating on occasion. But there are also conversations of upcoming vacations, planning for babies or weddings, sharing stories of the new puppy, talking about movies, and getting ready for the big rivalry game. We learn something about each other. We develop relationships. We build trust.

Teachers who really know each other as people are more likely to trust each other. When teachers trust each other, they are able to let their guard down. They feel safe taking risks. As a teacher, I probably know what my struggles are. I can either try to hide those struggles from my colleagues, or reach out to my friends for help. There may be new classroom ideas that intrigue me, but am hesitant to try them myself. I can either play it safe and stay the course, or reach out to get tips or observe a friend who is already trying something new. Those conversations of true collaboration and team won't happen without trust.

It's common for teachers to eat lunch with a few others in someone's classroom. I have seen this help to create strong bonds within that group which, in turn, leads to some amazing things from that team and their students. When those smaller groups converge into the larger group – either the grade level at lunch, or whole staff gathering for Friday donuts – the connections spread to a whole-school culture. The entire organization is impacted. Ultimately, student learning is impacted.

I am a Technology Learning Coach in my second year at two new middle schools. As a coach, relationships are the most important thing when it comes to making an impact with teachers and their students. Having strong relationships with teachers is the first hurdle – Nothing else happens until that hurdle is cleared. The teachers lounge was my inroad.

I'm not a shy person. However, it still takes a certain amount of bravery to walk into the teachers lounge for lunch when the rest of the teachers already know each other. Nevertheless, I made a point to enter into conversations across peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches.

Magic happened! I got to know people. I was able to join in casual conversations not only in the teachers lounge, but also in the hallway. Casual conversations led way to, "Hey! Check this out! I just learned this and thought of you. I know you're into fill in the blanks. Do you want to get together sometime and talk some more about this?"

On a side note, this blog entry and the commitment to blog once each month is a result of a challenge with one of my teachers. Although I knew her professionally, it was our lunches together that initially allowed us to develop a relationship where we had a casual conversation about blogging. We came up with this challenge, then encourage each other to be successful. Thanks, Melissa Voss!

I don't always practice what I preach. I find myself immersed in a project and a good stopping point doesn't always cooperate with the bell schedule. I do believe in what I'm saying. I think the teachers lounge is the place where relationships and trust are established, and I think that kids ultimately benefit from the culture that is created there.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for lunch.

I have something to say! But what is it?

Years ago, I started my blog because I had something to say. The problem I still struggle with is – what is my voice? It's not just about a topic. It's bigger than that.

So, why do we need a voice anyway?

Consume
When we first start connecting with other professionals, we are mostly consumers. We find ideas and inspiration, then seek to make those come to life in our own classrooms. All good things! Getting out there and looking for people and resources is an important part of our professional growth. It gives us lots of viewpoints – some good, some not so good – to use as we make our own way.

Curate
There's a lot of stuff out there! Once we find ourselves culling the herd of ideas, we need to start making decisions. It's time to curate. As yourself – What ideas fit into my teaching style and philosophy? Which ideas are best for kids and their learning? What culture am I trying to create in my classroom? Everyone has their own litmus test for determining the value of new resources.

Diversify your resources – Find people to follow on Twitter, blogs to read, websites to bookmark, podcasts to listen to, books to chat about, conferences to attend, colleagues to talk with, and many more. And don't underestimate that spontaneous conversation in the hallway with another teacher. Those informal talks can really put a spring in your step!

How will you organize your thoughts and resources? How will you synthesize all of these ideas so they can grow into your own thought and practice? This is where I should insert the perfect suggestion on how to best organize your thoughts, but I don't have one. Perhaps that's a blog for another day!

Create
Although you may be too humble to admit it, at some point, you're ready to give back. You've consumed, curated, and have emerged as someone who can pass along inspiration and ideas to others.

• Share your classroom activities on Twitter. Pictures are worth a thousand words.
• Participate in a Twitter chat - not just as a lurker!
• Write a blog, and tell people about it.
• Create a website to share resources. Don't worry if they're not perfect. 
• Present at a conference.

When creating, the most important things is that you find your voice - What are you passionate about? Sharing your passion allows you transform from being inspired to being inspirational. You don't always have to be epic to get people's wheels turning. Somebody out there wants to hear just what you have to say.

I personally have had a difficult time following my own advice. I do feel like I have something to say, but haven't taken the time to say it. Have a buddy. Encourage and challenge each other. Thanks to Melissa Voss and Kristen Bennett for being my buddies!

Take a chance. You can find your voice, too!

ITIP Google Summit 2017

I had a great time at the ITIP Google Summit this year... connecting with my PLN, acquiring some new skills, and presenting a couple of my favorite things.

Thank you to everyone who attended my session and checked out my Google SLAM! I've included my slideshows for you to view. Click on the "open slideshow in a new window" if you want to create your own copy. Use these as you wish! Share with others!

Follow me @rhondaluetje
Visit my TUGR (The Ultimate Google Resource) website!

Google Tour Builder

open slideshow in a new window


Google SLAM - Using Google Slides to Create a Stop-Motion Animation

open slideshow in a new window

Front-Loading your Plinko

So what does Plinko have to do with Blended Learning?

Have you ever watched The Price is Right or any other game or talk show? All game shows and talk shows have recurring games that are periodically revisited. These are designed to create familiarity between the audience and the show, and is an efficient system for running things. When Drew Carey announces that the next game is Plinko, are you able to quickly envision what that looks like? When Jimmy Fallon announces that he will be writing Thank You Notes, do you know what to expect?

Creating objects in a blended course is a lot like that. Identify some rich collaborative activities that can be applied to many circumstances. Over the first month of school, Invest time to teach kids the norms of your games so it won't be necessary to explain them each time. After kids have learned them, they can engage independently without much teacher prompting. If your independent work time includes several options for kids around some familiar activities, they can have autonomy to direct their own learning path in selected rich activities.

Remember that blended means a mixture of online and offline. Be careful not to fall into the trap of too much screen time. Many of these Plinkos should be collaborative and engaging activities with multiple entry points and no ceiling. Use pop culture to help you generate some ideas.

Here are some examples:

• 3-2-1:  Partner up and share 3 things you learned, 2 things you still have questions about, and 1 thing you are curious about. 
• See-Think-Wonder:  Partners find a picture that releates to their learning. What do you see/observe? What do those observations make you think/believe(inferences)? What do you now wonder? 
• Analogy: Create an analogy for a new concept that utilizes a familiar example. Example - How are the organs in the digestive system like the parts of a car?
• Shape Spelling:  Create a picture from a vocabulary word where the picture illustrates the meaning.
• Maker: Identify a question or problem that applies to what you're learning. Research and create a solution. Test it out - Does it solve the problem or communicate an answer to a question? Redesign if neccesary. 
• Play by Play:  One student solves a problem or draws a picture while another records and narrates the play-by-play. 
• Word Sneak:  Partners each generate a list of 10 vocabulary words from the unit, then sit "knee to knee." They have a casual conversation and try to sneak the words into the conversation. (See the example below)
• Logo: Without using words, design a logo or create an illustration that conveys an idea. Share the logo/illustration with a partner and have the partner describe all the symbolism they can find. Then switch roles with your partner's drawing.
• Comic Strip:  Fold a piece of paper in half and half again to create 6 equal squares. Use the paper to draw out a process or event. Make use of background/setting, characters, and dialog.
• Thank You Notes:  Think Jimmy Fallon - Compose quick thank you notes that reveal truths or facts in a creative way.
• Editorial Cartoon:  Create a single scene with a speech bubble or two that illustrate a concept or event.
• Headline or Hashtag:  If you were to summarize this concept in a newpaper headline, what would it be? Be clear, succinct, creative, and select power words. Creating a hashtag is a similar idea, but utilizing words strung together. #sharinglearningwithpopculture
• Slogan or Jingle:  Sell a new idea by writing a catchy slogan, or changing the words to a well-known jingle.
• Top Ten List:  Title the top ten list to indicate the content, then list the top ten items that support that topic. 

The beauty of investing time at the beginning of the year to develop your Plinkos is that these same activity choices can be included again and again. Within different context, the norms don't change, but the thinking does.

Does your unit of study include some vocabulary? How about using Word Sneak?

Thanks to @CatlinTucker for the inspiration!

Google Tourbuilder is Worth a Look!

I'm in love. I attended Google Boot Camp this past summer, and one of the tools I learned about was Google Tourbuilder. This tool allows you to create a tour that includes...

• Feature locations on a map in a specified order
• Specify view, even lock in a peg man view of a 360° photo
• Add rich text - including links
• Include a photo/video album along with descriptions - up to 25 items

It's hard to describe in words what this tool can do, so I created a Google Tour Builder tour with all of the bells and whistles so that you could wrap your head around what it can do. As you travel virtually with me, it may also convince you to book a Land & Sea tour of Alaska! My dad and I took the Denali Explorer Cruisetour to celebrate our 50th/80th birthdays!

CLICK HERE FOR MY GOOGLE TOUR OF ALASKA

This video will walk you through the features that I've included in my tour.

Application of Google Tour Builder in the classroom
As a Technology Integration Specialist, I never want to do anything just because it's cool. I want to think about ways where tech tools can be integrated to engage students and impact learning. This tool has many applications.

I want to start with a disclaimer and a feature request. Google Tour Builder allows for only one author. Unlike other Google tools, students cannot collaborate to create a Google Tour Builder project. That being said, there are work-arounds! Students can work together using a shared Google folder to collect pictures and a shared Google Doc to collaborate on text, links, and map locations. After collecting all of the components, one person in the group assembles everything in the group's tour.

Social Studies

• Trace the path of a historical events - battles in a war, etc.
• Trace the path of exploration
• Identify points of cultural significance
• Feature the 7 man-made wonders of the world
• Create a virtual 8th Grade Washington DC trip and make use of the students' journal entries and photos

Science

• Identify points on a map that illustrate Earth movement
• Identify points on a map that specify biomes
• Identify points on a map that demonstrate climate change
• Feature National Parks 
• Feature the 7 natural wonders of the world
• Create a virtual 6th Grade Camp trip and make use of the students' reflections and photos

English Language Arts

• Identify points in a city that correspond to a book (lit tour)

Other Ideas

• Virtual 8th Grade Washington DC Trip
• Virtual tour of School

Tutorial
View the video below for a step-by-step walk through of the Google Tour Builder tool.

Credits

Thank you to @ericcurts for sharing Google Tour Builder with me! This was one of my favorite take-aways from my summer Google Boot Camp!

Making the Most of an LMS in a Blended Approach within Workshop Model

My school district utilizes Schoology as our Learning Management System. This is the first year of implementation, so we are still learning the navigation and productivity aspect of the LMS itself. Some teachers have mastered these foundational skills and are ready to use Schoology as a transformative tool!

Workshop Model

Warm Up
Begin the class with a warm-up activity (not necessarily related to the topic)

Mini Lesson
The Mini-lesson supports one or more of the learning targets, especially those concepts that item analysis in the Check Your Understanding formative assessment indicated were troublesome to many.

Individual Work Time
After 10-15 minutes, students are released to work through the Schoology learning pathways. Teacher uses the individual work time to:

• Circulate around the room during the student work time in the Learning Objects folder
• Touch base with individual students who are having trouble with the Checking Your Understanding test/quiz.
• Monitor students who have reached the Lab Activity (safety).
• Be available for student groups of 3 as they reach the Discussion item.

Reflection and Sharing
Don't forget to take 5-10 minutes at the end of the period to wrap up. Reflection and sharing are important parts of workshop!

• Reflect on your thinking, learning, and work today. What are you most proud of?
• What caused you frustration, and how do you plan to work through that frustration?
• What made you curious today? What did you wonder?
• What are your goals for tomorrow?
• Were you a help to the classroom today, or did you hinder your classmates’ growth? How can you remedy that for tomorrow?

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Schoology Learning Pathway - Law of Conservation of Mass Sample
Here is a screenshot of the Model folder I created. The description of these features follows...
       

Use Student Completion rules on folders in Schoology to create a variety of learning paths that students can traverse at their own pace.

Learning Targets (page)

• This is open to all students when they open the folder main folder. 
• Specifies what students should know and be able to do.
• View this item, and the Learning Objects folder and Check Your Understanding become available.

Learning Objects (folder)

• All items in this folder are available to students.
• The folder contains learning objects at a variety of learning styles and levels
• Items include: videos with reflection questions, links to vetted websites, links to online simulations, photo of Anchor Chart in classroom with audio of teacher explanation, Hyperdoc, discussion item - ask your classmates or answer your classmates
• Students do not need to complete all of these learning objects - Students choose how they learn and how many learning objects it takes for them to feel comfortable with the learning targets.
• When students feel they have a good understanding of the learning targets, they can attempt the Test.

Check Your Understanding (test/quiz item)

• Test/Quiz acts as a gatekeeper - moves students from learning area to the application area of the folder
• Short - 5 questions or less designed to check mastery
• Non-graded
• Unlimited attempts
• Although students may take the same test multiple times, the answers they choose give multi-media feedback based on the responses given. It is in the feedback that students will experience variety in the assessment.
• Sample Feedback 1
• Sample Feedback 2
• If a student gets less than 100%, they should return to the Learning Objects folder and view another item to help them understand and practice what they missed.
• If a student gets 100%, the next items (the application items) become available.
• Teacher uses test/quiz results to identify students who are struggling. Teacher touches base with students during individual work time.
• Item analysis also identifies items are troublesome for the group. These concepts can be addressed to the group as a whole during the next day’s mini lesson. 

Apply What You Know (folder)

Lab Activity (assignment)

• Text with clarification.
• Google Doc - force a copy
• Multiple submissions - photo/video, and Google Doc
• Can work alone or with a group
• Teacher video directions
• Grading with a rubric

Discussion (discussion item)

• Write your name on the board - Once there are 3 names, circle the group of names and sit down with the teacher for a face-to-face discussion.
• Reflection questions while you wait for a group. Answer in the comments, and comment on other students’ responses.
• Students won’t see classmates’ comments until they respond first

Extension Activities (assignment)

• Students create a learning object for other students
• Product should be focused on one or a few learning targets
• Students may select any type of product - If it’s paper/pencil, they use a camera to submit a picture or video with explanation. 
• Badge is earned once a DLO is submitted!

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Putting it All Together

Please take a look at this video. It will walk you through the model I put together. Keep in mind that this framework and thinking can be applied across any level, subject, or LMS. How would this work in your classroom?

Conferencing with Your People

Although the title suggests that I attended Comic Con, I did not actually attend Comic Con. I did, however, recently attend the OETC (Ohio Educational Technology Conference) in downtown Columbus, Ohio.

There's something about attending a conference of your PLN - especially those you don't see face-to-face very often. I know many of these folks not just through professional reputation, but also through Twitter chats and a frequent response for help. It's good to have an actual conversation from time to time. These are some amazing and talented people, my PLN!

Attending a conference with your people is energizing. I left the second day mentally exhausted, but professionally re-charged! The Greater Columbus Convention Center was full of 4,000 educators whose dedication, hope, and positivity reminded me what a noble profession I have chosen. "Teachers touch eternity through their students." ~ Freeman Hrabowski. True that...

Each year that I attend the OETC conference, I pick a focus. This year, I decided to extend my enthusiasm from The Hour of Code, and attend sessions to support my growth in being a Computer Science Evangelist.

It all started in December of 2013. I acted as the Pied Piper for a small number of Dublin Teachers into the first year of The Hour of Code.  December 2015 marked our third year of participation, and the number of "student hours" spent in coding activities has grown exponentially. The Hour of Code has become my thing.

A highlight of the conference was getting to hear Hadi Partovi, the Founder and CEO of code.org, and the founder of The Hour of Code.

A quote that struck me was "How can we change the stereotypes without changing the facts on the ground." Hadi Partovi continued to talk about the discrepancy between girls and boys entering the field of Computer Science. As a woman, I want to encourage girls to jump into computer science with both feet and love it as much as I do. I know girls are just as capable as boys. Loud and clear was the message that coding is more than cryptic text on a page. Yes, it's about logic, patterns, sequences, and conditions. But it's also about working together to solve a problem. It's about communicating and collaborating.

So what now? 
I will continue my enthusiasm, encouragement, and support in The Hour of Code, and provide activities and resources for students who want to continue growing their skills. Next year's students potentially have been participating in introductory activities for 2 or 3 years. We need to have more "stretch" in our offerings for them. That is certainly a nice problem to have!

Dublin is adopting an LMS in the fall. I gathered a ridiculous amount of valuable resources that can be included in a course for intermediate and middle school students. How can I include collaborative activities for students outside of the online environment?

Several "Girls Who Code" clubs have started around the district. As much as I'd like to believe that girls don't need a club separate from boys, the data does not support that. Understand it or not, I'd like to provide girls some opportunities to build their foundational skills and confidence so that they may pursue computer science in high school and beyond.

I want to make a difference.

Published!

If I were to tell you that I am a published author, would you feel like you were talking to a big shot? After all, not just anyone can publish a book, right? The truth is that I have published a book... albeit a 17-page book on the iBooks store where anyone can publish their work. Still, the process changed me.

Let me rewind a little...
I am a Technology Support Teacher in Dublin City Schools. In this position, I focus on tools and their use in the classroom. I help teachers select appropriate tools for a job, and coach them in integration ideas and logistics. I rely on collaboration with teachers where I am the expert at the tools and their potential, and they are the experts in classroom instruction and content. Many teachers I work with are rock stars in workshop model, and I'm learning so much from them!

A couple of months ago, Franki Sibberson asked me if I could come show her kids the Book Creator app. I gladly accepted the invitation, and worked up an example to share with the kids. My focus was the tool and its bells and assorted whistles.

Fast forward to last week...
My colleague Laura Tucker shared with me that Book Creator had added some comic book layouts and features. I was pretty excited, and immediately grabbed my iPad to take a look. The next sentence out of her mouth is what changed everything... "Have you ever published anything to the iBooks Store?" I was game to give publishing a try so that we could work through the process. In order to do that, I decided that my book had to be publish-worthy. I started from scratch because things just got REAL!

Here was my thinking process:

1. What should I write about? It had to be something personal so that I had something to say. I decided to write about The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium since that is near and dear to me!
2. Who was my audience? I decided that children would enjoy a book about the zoo, so I picked primary students as my audience.
3. What features did I want to include? 
• Primary students would likely respond to pictures, so I wanted to include photos that I had taken. 
• Many children have experiences of their own at the zoo, so I wanted to teach them about some of the animals. Text blocks would provide children with some information.
• Since some of the words may be difficult for young children to read independently, I wanted to have the book read selections aloud.
• Sound effects would add a fun factor!
• Links - YouTube playlist of my own zoo videos and interactive activities on the Columbus Zoo website.
4. What was my voice? Rather than being very formal, I wanted my book to sound like me and have an informal, conversational tone. 
5. How would the book flow?
• establish the voice in the role of docent
• overview of the sections of the zoo - representative animals and the section's logo
• showcase my favorite area, The Heart of Africa
• share some interesting facts about a few animals 
• favorite experience - the LOUD call of the Gibbon
• some favorite animals
• credits, why the zoo is important to me
6. What specifics did I have to do to make the book publish-worthy? I had to be sure to model good digital citizenship by giving credit to pieces of the book that weren't my own. I carefully checked that spelling, grammar, punctuation were correct. Fact checking was important. Ensure that all links worked.

Publishing is a game-changer. Before I was considering publishing this book, I was focused on the tool. Once I shifted to publishing, my focus changed. It became more about the writing. How many students focus too much on the bells and whistles and not enough about the writing? Could publishing be the light switch for them too?
     

Since I've published this book and shared it with colleagues, friends, and family, I've had some unexpected conversations. Franki Sibberson, my writing workshop hero, asked me to come back and talk with her students about my thinking process. Friends shared with me that they downloaded my book and read it with their child. Twitter was all a-flutter with accolades. My mom thinks I should quit my job and become a writer!

What could publishing do for your students? Could they be transformed, too?

Check out Franki Sibberson's blog this week! She shares her perspective on Book Creator as a writing tool, and her students' writing process in workshop.

Visit Jon Smith's website where he talks a lot about the Book Creator app and his students' publishing to the iBook Store.

Google Collaboration and Developing New Authors

In Mrs. Cramer's fifth-grade class at Glacier Ridge Elementary, a free-writing activity gave birth to four new authors. Acadia, Logan, Aleyah, and Alyssa learned how to collaborate using Google Docs. Google gave students the opportunity to write together... any time, any place, and from any device. Their short story became a 42-page book, part 1 in a series. The authors are now in sixth grade and continue to write together to create additional books in the series.

Read their book here:
Great Scott, The Hidden Power

Check out my interview with the authors! I love hearing these kids talk about their writing and how it changed them.

Student-Created, Centralized, Searchable Book Trailer Library

I recently attended the Dublin Literacy Conference.  Cheryl Angel and Marisa Saelzler talked about student-created book trailers, and how they use them in their buildings. They shared that when students are able to view or read trailers and recommendations from their peers, those books are immediately in high demand.  This is happening in some form or another throughout the district, but in isolation.

With all of the focus on authentic audience and relevance, I had a lightbulb moment.  Why not collect all of the trailers into a centralized library, and allow kids from all over the district to have a bigger audience? The added benefit would be that the number of available trailers and recommendations would be huge.  Sound overwhelming?  Our district uses MediaCore which makes this process very simple.  Let's take a look...

Have kids talk about their books.  They can write with paper and pencil, or with a word processor. They can draw a picture and record themselves talking about the book.  They can make a short commercial.  Any of these items can be digitized for the online library.

Digitize the book recommendation or book trailer.  If a student writes a book review on paper, use an app such as Scanner Pro to turn that book review into a PDF file.

Students using a tool such as Pages, Keynote, Word, or PowerPoint can export their final product as a PDF file.

If a student draws a picture, use a mobile device to take of picture of that drawing.  Students can use that digitized picture in an app like ExplainEverything to add narration, and the final product can be exported as a movie.

Upload the digital object into MediaCore or whatever digital library your district utilizes.  In our case, empower students to upload their work into the student projects area.  These trailers will be reviewed by a teacher, then switched to the book trailer collection.

When uploading an object into MediaCore, we have to agree on the "particulars," such as naming conventions and tags to include.  The tags will allow other students, teachers and parents to search for books by title, author, genre, or reading level.

Share!  With MediaCore as well as other video libraries, the collection can be embedded into any existing website.  MediaCore also allows teachers to copy a link to the collection, and post the link on a website.

Do you have a book you want to feature? Perhaps a book written by an author who will visiting your school? If you have an individual book trailer or recommendation to share, each object has its own embed code and sharable link.  Use Twitter or other means to get the word out about these objects.

Use the link to create a QR code for book trailers.  Copy the link for a particular trailer, paste it into a QR Code Generator such as QRStuff.com, then print the QR code and slip it in the inside cover of a book or on a student-created poster.  QR code readers are free and available on most mobile platforms.

Search for a book.  Go to the video collection and search by title, author, genre, or reading level.  Look through the objects returned in your search, and make a wise selection based on peer reviews.

Thanks for reading these ideas.  I'm excited to get this off the ground and be able to share our collection with the world!

Professional Book Chat using Google Docs, Wikispaces, and Twitter

I'm a Technology Support Teacher.  It is my task to help teachers not just with the nuts & bolts of district productivity tools, but also in classroom technology integration that (hopefully) helps to transform instruction.

Last spring, I was approached by Jennifer Wolf who asked for assistance.  Usually when teachers ask for help, they have a particular tool in mind.  In this particular case, the puzzle was open-ended. When Jen and I put our heads together, the result was amazing!  She had a clear view of her goals, and I had my "techie toolbelt."

The puzzle...
Jennifer wanted to lead a book chat with reading teachers in her building.  The book, The Common Core Reading Book by Gretchen Owaki, was full of big concepts just begging for opportunities for rich, educational conversations.  The challenge... It was to be a summer book chat.  Hmmm.

The solution...
We decided that a Twitter chat would be a good place to start.  Twitter provided the flexibility for folks to join in from anywhere, even from an adirondack chair during a beach vacation! (That actually happened.)

Here's the nitty-gritty...
The more we brainstormed, the more ideas we generated that could make our initial idea even better.  Here's what we did.

1. We set up a wiki so that Jennifer and I could both act as editors.  We felt that the wiki could act as a one-stop shop for participants.  In the wiki, we included the project rationale, chat questions, Twitter archives, shared Google Docs, and other miscellaneous resources.
2. We set up a Google Doc that was published and embedded on the wiki.  On this doc, participants could view the questions ahead of the chat as they were doing the reading.
3. We set up a Google Doc per topic so that teachers could share key ideas.
4. The participants began with a face-to-face meeting so that we could get everyone set up on Twitter, and practice the basics of a chat.
5. Each subsequent week, teachers participated in the Twitter chat remotely.  As I said, the questions were posted ahead of time on the Google Doc and embedded in the wiki.
6. Following our live chat, we archived the chat and embedded it the website.
7. Throughout the week, teachers were able to put together what they learned from their reading and the chat, and populate a shared Google Doc on the website.  Each Doc had a table that encouraged teachers to think about how the week's reading anchor standard applied to other content areas.

Take a look at our finished product! Feel free to try this process with your own book choice and your own people.  It worked out really well.

https://ccreadingchat.wiki.dublinschools.net/Home

Thanks to @jennifertwolf for this puzzle and for seeing it through.  I look forward to seeing what you'll do this summer.  Another chat?

Hooked on Twitter Chats

I jumped in about 6 months ago, and now I'm hooked.  That is, Twitter chats.  At first I felt nervous to participate and was self-conscious of my low number of followers compared to the rock stars I was encountering.  I have been working, thinking, and collaborating for 27 years to hone my craft.  I figured, what the heck?  Although Twitter chats are new to me, I do have good thoughts to contribute and can learn a lot in the process.

I'm going to try to put into words my thoughts, tips, and what I feel is so swell about interacting with strangers on Twitter.

1.  Those strangers aren't strangers for long.  Once you interact with collegues from across the country on a thought-provoking series of questions around a topic of common interest, you learn a lot about fellow participants pretty quickly.  That in only 140 characters at a time!  It's amazing how I run into familiar faces in different chats throughout the week.

2.  Twitter chats are full of warm fuzzies.  I've found participants in Twitter chats to be polite, encouraging, and renewing.  Every time I've participated in a chat, I've left feeling so proud of the profession I've chosen.  

3.  I'm a lot like Pavlov's dogs...  I drool every time I hear my alert bell indicating a new favorite, retweet, mention, or follow.  It may seem shallow that these aforementioned notifications make me giddy.  They just do.  You fellow Twitter chat junkies know what I mean.  It's a little thing, but it's affirming.

4.  For me, Tweetdeck is THE tool.  I have separate, customizable columns that allow me to see the hashtag, mentions, and specified notifications (favorites, retweets) all at the same time.  I keep all of my favorite Twitter hashtags in columns, and just rearrange the current chat so that it is next to my mentions and notification columns.  Some of the bigger chats with lots of participants go pretty fast, and I don't want to miss anything.  Oh, and it auto-refreshes.  Nice.

5.  I'm not limited to learn from people in my own district.  I'm making professional connections with people from all over the country, and learning from all of them.  It's affirming to me that we are all educators with very similar goals, challenges, ideas, lingo, techniques... no matter where we live.  It's unifying.

6.  Although highly unnecessary, it's kinda fun to take part in Twitter chats while among actual people.  It's great fun to participate in a fast-paced chat while sitting on your deck with a tall iced tea in hand, but it adds just a little something to gather with some friends at the local DQ or coffee shop for some parallel play.  Having actual running commentary along with the virtual running commentary is pretty fun.  It's also a great way to help colleagues get started in Twitter chats if they're new.

7.  Here are a handful of chats I like... (a handful of these are on hiatus for the summer)

• #DUBchat - Is a chat for Dublin Schools (my district), and a fair number of crashers.  All are welcome!  Thursdays at 7:00pm, but moving to Tuesdays at 7:00 in August.
• #OhEdchat - I do like an opportunity to get to know folks I will likely encounter in person at OETC.  Mondays at 9:00pm.
• #EdChat - This is the biggie.  All the heavy hitters are here.  Huge, fast-paced, and intense.  Tuesdays at noon and 7:00pm. 
• #NBTchat - No Box Thinking chat is refreshing, out-of-the-box topics around the craft of teaching.  Sundays at 8:00pm with pre-chat at 7:30pm.
• #COLchat - Culture of Learning chat is focused on creating the ideal classroom learning environment.  Mondays at 9:00pm.
• #TLAP - Teach Like a Pirate - C'mon!  The name alone should make you want to check it out!  Mondays at 9:00pm.
• #NT2T - New Teachers to Twitter is great for educators new to Twitter chats to learn the ropes.

My suggestion is to give Twitter chats a try.  Pick one of the chats I've listed above, or Google "education twitter chats."  Pick a chat that looks interesting.  Put it in your calendar, and set an alert so you won't forget.  Lurk at first, learn the ropes with your water wings on, then dive into the deep end.  You won't be sorry!

ExplainEverything App

The ExplainEverything iPad app should be named the DOANYTHING app.  As far as creativity is concerned, this one is the boss.  The neat thing about this app is that it rolls the functionality of several apps into a one-stop-shop.  Rather than learning a bunch of apps that do some of these tasks, why not learn this one that can truly do it all?

From the Morris Cooke Site:
"Explain Everything is a presentation app that integrates content from many sources that kids and teachers can use to create lessons, tutorials, and more. Users can import photos, PDF files, movies, and more from many sources to use in the presentation. Onscreen drawings, annotation, animation, and audio can also be included. Explain Everything can also be used as a whiteboard with the iPad video display. Used correctly, Explain Everything can take presentations to a new level."

• Explain Everything is an easy-to-use design, screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that lets you annotate, animate, narrate, import, and export almost anything to and from almost anywhere. 
• Explain Everything is an easy-to-use design, screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that lets you annotate, animate, narrate, import, and export almost anything to and from almost anywhere. 
• Create slides, draw in any color, add shapes, add text, and use a laser pointer. Rotate, move, scale, copy, paste, clone, and lock any object added to the stage. 
• Add new or existing photos and videos. Import PDF, PPT, DOC, XLS, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and RTF files from Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, Box, WebDAV, Email, iTunes, and any app that allows you to open these file types using "Open In…". Export MP4 movies, PDF documents, PNG images, or XPL project files directly from your iPad. 
• No account is necessary to use Explain Everything and share creations.

ExplainEverything and an iPad as an Interactive Whiteboard:Use your ExplainEverything App as an interactive whiteboard. Using Keynote or PowerPoint, export the slide or slideshow as a PDF file, save it to a specified cloud service, then import it into ExplainEverything.

Import a PDF file into ExplainEverything. Try this example...

Here is an example with many of the tools being used...


Morris Cooke Blog
Morris Cooke ExplainEverything Video Tutorials

iPad Productivity & Workflow: My WebDAV+

I have been looking at apps that can help you get the most out of your iPad.  Many people see the iPad as a nifty and fun device to use when consuming information, but don't take it seriously when it comes to creating content and accessing files on cloud servers.  My WebDAV+ is another app in my productivity arsenal.

My WebDAV+
This app has a word processor associated with it, but that isn't why it finds itself on my Power App list.  Its strength comes from its ability to shuffle files between your iPad (including the camera roll) and a number of cloud services.

• Upload files from your Camera Roll to the file exporter in My WebDAV+.  The File Exporter portion of the app acts as your "relay point."
• Articulate with any WebDAV cloud service.
• Create folders locally or within a specified cloud.
• From email attachments, select My WebDAV+ from your Open-In command in order to get documents to the File Exporter.
• Have you created a video that is too big to transfer to a server through ordinary means?  Use the Share button to "broadcast" large video files so that you can navigate to them and download them from a computer browser.
• FREE!

School's Out for Summer!

We all know the song...  You likely sang it in your head while you read this blog title...  "School's Out for Summer!"  So what does a person such as myself do with this new-found freedom?

My first few days of Summer Vacation were spent playing.  But it isn't what you think...  I wasn't playing tennis, playing cards, playing in the dirt, playing shadow tag...  I was playing with my iPad.  This summer, my focus is to look at the iPad in terms of its possibilities.

As one of the Technology Support Teachers for Dublin Schools, our task this summer is to hand out new technology to a lucky handful of teachers.  (More teachers will get new stuff in the fall.)  We are changing the game a bit...  In exchange for the new device, teachers will attend training so that they are getting the most out of this shiny, new device.

Our classes are blended...  3 hours face-to-face, followed by an rigorous independent online day, followed by another 3 hour face-to-face time together.  I am teaching the iPad workshops this summer.  I am a big fan of the iPad.  It is not only a great device for consuming information, but also a powerful tool for productivity, creativity, and collaboration.  So many people feel like they are rock stars with the iPad already, but they have likely just scratched the surface of its abilities.

iPad goals:

1. In order to the get the most out of the iPad, it is important to select and master a handful of "power apps."  Learn what each app is good at, and what its limitations are.  Selecting the right tool for the job is sometimes the hardest part.  As far as apps go...  less is more!
2. Master the file management and workflow.  Between the Open In command, the Share button, and a few apps and cloud services, managing files is possible.  It takes some practice though!
3. Embrace the power of the iPad!  Yes, the iPad has some limitations when compared to a computer.  But its benefits make up for that!  Apps that give you the ability to add images, text, annotations, and draw/paint give you much more flexibility than a computer when creating.
4. Think outside the box.  The iPad can do a lot of the same things as a computer, but don't get stuck in trying to fit a a round peg into a square hole.  Change the way you think about instruction, and embrace the new directions you can go with an iPad.

My next few blogs will focus on the Power Apps I mentioned.  Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

Just Getting Started

I'm a grown-up, not just chronologically, but professionally.  As such, it's time for me to contribute to the bigger community.  After all, I have something to say.... Don't I?  So, as this entry title suggests, I'm just getting started.

Introducing myself seems to be the logical first step.  I am Rhonda Luetje, a Technolgy Support Teacher at Dublin Schools in Dublin, Ohio.  My journey wilth Dublin began in 1988 when, with all of my rookie enthusiasm, I helped to open Davis Middle School as a sixth-grade science teacher.  I spent most of my ten classroom years in good 'ol room 218.

As time rolls on, I become a more and more amazing teacher in my own mind.  It may be revisionist history...  Don't we all want to be superheroes in our own life story?  Truth be told, I loved teaching.  I poured my heart, soul, and weekends into doing the best job I could do.  I think I was pretty good at it, but who knows?

I earned my BS from Miami University (when they were still Redskins) in Elementary Eduacation with a Concentration in Science Education.  Several years later, I earned a MS from the University of Akron in Athletic Training for Sports Medicine.  After those studies, I logically decided that my passion was in, you guessed it, technology.  I took my "Master +45" almost entirely in technology workshops.  Hyperstudio and FileMake Pro 5 were my hooks.  I'm dating myself, I know.

I've spent the past 16 years in the ever-morphing position of Technology Support Teacher in Dublin Schools.  I have found my niche, my passion, and my strength.  I get to work with colleagues who love to play, think, imagine, learn, grow, and wonder.  I get to have a part in igniting teachers and helping them reinvent their classrooms.  I get to work with kids, and be constantly amazed at the ways they think and the things they can do.

This is an exciting time to be in the world of education... especially in educational technology.  It's a wild ride, and I'm honored to be in the front seat with my hands up in the air just waiting for the next big hill.  Thanks for reading my blog, and helping me to just get started.