7.25.13 Day 4...More incredible things to come!

THURSDAY, JULY 25 - LOCAL VISION

G Douglas Bundy - If you leave PD with "just ONE thing" than it's been a success?...this is often what is said, but when you think about it - isn't that sad?  Spending an entire day of professional development to get ONE thing that is useful to you?  This is ABSOLUTELY not the case with this class...I am getting more information/ideas/tools than I could possibly expect to implement completely next year, but I am going to give it "the old college try" and make this one of my personal and professional goals!

Linda.com - online tutorials via LClark...must request access via LClark...5 licenses for the entire college, so you gain access for one week...

CENTER COURT:  
                What will you do with the information gleaned from this week?

**PRIORITY #1: SMART Notebook - train myself before September...begin implementation with at least one lesson per week in math...additionally, linking lessons to CCSS (if they aren't already linked) and share with grade level tech class colleague.  
WHY? Increase engagement and therefore student achievement...continue to learn and grow in the direction our district, state, and education in general is moving...work to be a catalyst for other classrooms with SMART Board technology (specifically the traditional teacher who has a tech classroom, yet uses the SMART Board as a glorified white board and laptops for games (so she can grade) and word processing (3 times per year for writing samples)...I think she would welcome a "partner in crime" as she delves into the world of technology, which she admits is overwhelming and scary for her.

**PRIORITY #2: GoogleDocs - become more familiar with GoogleDocs...train PBIS committee...begin implementation with a document rather than meetings or regular email chains for PBIS committee
WHY? Time management, avoid unnecessary "time suck" meetings, introduce GoogleDocs to colleagues at every grade level in hopes that they will incorporate GoogleDocs into their practice as they see fit,  

**PRIORITY #3: Room 1 Blog?  Incorporate into weekly planner time?  Create format similar to the paper format my students will use and allow them to fill out while I enter information on the blog...will have access at home (if internet is available)?
WHY? Allow online access to assignments for parents with a layout similar to their paper planner for continuity and consistency, may be the first step towards a class webpage?
NEED TO KNOW: Can I link my blog to Synergy ParentVue?  Am I brave enough to promise this to parents without having experience actually getting it done?  :)

**PRIORITY #4: iMovie - continue to play with iMovie...not sure how to implement with a concrete vision of how it will improve learning, but...I can focus the vision while I learn the tricks of the iMovie trade!  Potentially look into a "flipped PD" idea of Mustang Stations for PBIS?  Incorporate students into making iMovie for "Rules School" reviews - Leadership Team, 4th graders? For September 2014?  Potentially an activity for students who have historically struggled with behavior as a way to practice "the right way" to follow building expectations and set them up for success as an example for others?  Could be shared in whole school assembly for areas SWIS data analysis identifies as needing improvement?
WHY? Cool tool!  Potential for PD (PBIS?), student projects using iPad?, extension activities for students needing additional challenge
NEED TO KNOW: Can I use this tool on a PC?  My SMART Board is PC linked, so... can I purchase a "dongle" and hook up my iPad to the projector/SMART Board?

DUDE...This is pretty much my project, without a timeline or presentation format!
"I wanna be like G" t-shirts?  Cute idea!  I DO want to be like G!

RSAnimate - More from Sir Ken Robinson
I want to show this to my teaching team - or to my entire building...I don't know if they're ready, but I do know that they could benefit from this message! Maybe I should start with my principal? Grade level team leaders? I actually think I could benefit from spending 10 minutes on this message regularly...maybe this becomes my grounding talk to refer to regularly throughout the year? This helps me to realize that my thinking is NOT radical, my vision is NOT off target, and my goals ARE realistic and valuable in today's educational environment!

iTunes U, MOOC, online learning

iTunes - Oh man, can I learn as much as my 12-year-old daughter already knows? Thus far, I can probably download music...and that's it...a "probably"...and I always anticipate having to ask for help...sometimes (okay, often) even calling my techy brother in California.  I know, I'm a little lame!  (***Update...I don't think she knows about iTunes U!  Mom trumps Shelby in the tech savvy category!  I better enjoy this moment...it happens so rarely!***)

iTunes is a browser that connects to the internet?  And here I was, thinking it was simply for music+ downloading and storage!

iTunes U - online courses...can search via category (Teaching&Learning!), courses are free...download...some are video based (TV graphic)...

I want to check this out later...

iTeacher - Level 1 @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/iteacher-level-1/id551481390

iTeacher - Level 2 @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/iteacher-level-2/id551861951

MOOC: Massive Open Online Course
Todd tried Mandarin through MIT...says that it was clear and easy to follow...cool!  Maybe I can renew my love of French through a MOOC? Find courses to further my personal development plan? Find cool things for my students?

Jared speaks to the issue of meeting IEP goals/needs in an online setting...can it be done?  It is a large challenge.  But he mentioned the success of his online courses for young parents.  Maybe this is a direction that our TPP can look to in an effort to best meet the needs of our Coos Bay young parents?  Is CBD9 Online something that may enhance or replace our TPP and nursery?  Will our teen parent population have access issues for online learning?  Will we have computer labs available for them to gain access if it is not available in the home?  Do they need the social aspect of school and the support provided by our TPP teacher and nursery staff?

Effective webpages & presentations

EXAMPLE: Public Relations: Helping Parents and Community Understand 21st Century Learning - Keynote from Todd for Betty Flad...presented through Adobe Acrobat due to a loss of Keynote on the laptop :(

Two kinds of people in the world...Searchers and Browsers :)  What am I?

*Web Presence
     first place eyes go - upper left corner (navigation buttons - CBD9 - upper left!)
     it takes 18 months to create a great website...usability studies, etc. 
     Google Analytics...tracking information to aid with analysis
     GOOD SITE...American School of Bombay
*Presentations
     Simple...focus on effective, not fancy
     Limit Bullet Points...too much text? message is lost..
     Strong Graphics...developing BrandYou - avoid cheesy clip art...

JIM KNIGHT, U of Kansas...engaging slides to ENHANCE presentation...not AS the presentation...let your slides enhance the message you are sending rather than the slides acting AS the message you are sending.  Lists:  Right justified...Lots of white space...large font...simple, large graphic (if at all)...radical learner website

GARR REYNOLDS - Former Apple Exec...look him up...great resource for design fundamentals...

PEDAGOGY - Sugata Mitra (save for tomorrow)

Reflection:
Another great day of practical application learning to enhance my practice.  I arrive on campus excited to learn...and I leave invigorated with the possibilities that lie ahead as I leave campus, with my head spinning, heart pounding, and brain on overdrive.  This is what I want my students to experience...this love of learning...this joy for the journey that education requires to achieve success and reach your goals.  I have not spent one minute worried about my grade...because my grade is not important.  I have spent hours, however, contemplating how to best structure my project to be a real, usable, workable plan that will get me to where I want to go...becoming that tech savvy, 21st century classroom teacher.

Man, I love my job!