An Oldie, but a Goodie...

Three years in technology and blogging is a REALLY long time, but valid and creative ideas are most definitely timeless.  I wanted to share a post with you from late 2014 which still holds plenty of relevance today because this list really isn't about the technology, it's about quality (and fun) teaching practice.

Check out this list of 21 Things Every 21st Century Teacher Should Do This Year.  I'll meet you back here in a few minutes.

First, I'm not a fan of the term "21st Century."  I'm not even sure what it means anymore.  Don't worry too much about that.  If you're totally stuck on the term please read this post and this post.  "21st Century" is way more than a buzzword, it's most definitely a way of life in teaching and learning.

Second, these are manageable tasks.  I'm not trying to encourage you to do every single one of these things this semester, but choose one or two and see where it takes you and your students.  You never know what may happen (in a very good way.)  Going paperless for a week, participating in a Twitter chat, creating a class hashtag, and some others are very simple to try and/or implement.  Take it slow, be purposeful, and definitely GO FOR IT.

Third, I can't help but think about the potential impact on students here.  When teachers step outside their comfort zones there is some serious positive modeling going on.  You, as the teacher, don't quite know how things are going to go, but you are willing to try something new, and that is going to be appreciated.

So again, this particular post is pretty "old", but the practices and skills contained within it continue to evolve with the times.  Help make 2017 great by trying some new approaches and practices and see where things go from there!

***CCSD's Office of Instructional Technology is ALWAYS more than happy to support you and your colleagues (and, of course, students too) with the purposeful and meaningful implementation of technology into your instruction.  Please feel free to contact our team via email or via our request form.  We'd love to help you with your instructional adventures!

Summer Reading (That Never Ends)

Summertime.  Empty classrooms.  Empty schools.  Empty brains?  Not a chance.

With the school year coming to a close we get some much needed time to relax, reflect, decompress, and re-energize.  On the other hand, it's never too early to begin thinking about next year and beyond.  Here are some ideas which may help you think about and potentially plan next year easily, seamlessly, anytime, and anywhere.

Social media is a 24/7/365 professional learning machine.  Between Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and Facebook someone can learn and reflect morning (if you're a morning person), noon (30 minutes after you eat lunch, of course), and night (only if you can't sleep.)

If you haven't looked into Twitter as a professional learning tool I highly suggest it.  Absolutely anything you're looking to add depth to can be found on Twitter.  To see that in action search Twitter here.  Between having the ability to connect with experts, colleagues, peers, etc. as well as the ever-growing list of weekly educational Twitter chats learning and growth can be a virtual guarantee.  I take life, as well as a respectable amount of my professional learning, 140 characters at a time.  Twitter (and the people I have the chance to connect with there) have made me more effective and more passionate at what I do.  That's priceless.

Something as simple as following a hashtag on Twitter during the summer can have some serious value.  For example, here's #SchoologyChat.  (Schoology's live chat is the first Tuesday of every month, but the hashtag (as most are) is fairly active between chats.)

#schoologychat Tweets

Google+ is Google's social media platform.  The key to Google+ is circles.  It's easy to create meaningful spaces so you can connect with smaller groups of friends, colleagues, peers, etc. on Google+.  I have circles (small Google+ groups) for my CCSD colleagues, out of district peers, people I've connected with as a result of our Chromebook implementation, and many more.  Another powerful Google+ feature is communities which allow for connecting and sharing with like-minded people from throughout the G+ world.

I no longer bookmark websites; I create pins and boards on Pinterest instead.  Over the past two school years I have collected 1,000+ resources that can be easily accessed by me and/or shared with colleagues.  Creating collaborative group boards (so two or more people can create collections of resources in Pinterest) is simple as well.  If I find a useful resource on Twitter, Google+, or Facebook it ends up as a pin on Pinterest.

Facebook for professional learning?  It can happen.  It, just like anything else on the social media landscape, all depends on who you choose to connect with.  Whether it's a well known expert, an author, or great organizations/pages like Edutopia, TED, or Educational Technology there is (although it may not feel like it at times) plenty more than pictures of the current weather conditions from your friend's backyards on Facebook.  By expanding the way you think about how you're using Facebook you may be surprised at what you're able to come across.




Summer.  It's a time for rest, but, once again, it can also be the perfect time to get excited about the possibilities that come with a brand new school year.  Social media provides the anytime/anywhere platform.  The rest is up to you.

Happy summer learning everyone!

By the way, our department will be available to to support you during the summer if you need anything.  Please fill out our Technology and Learning Coach Request Form (found here) and we will be in touch!