Staying connected: professional networking with a twist of technology

The following article will appear in the Summer 2016 newsletter for the Northeastern section of STANYS (Science Teachers Association of NYS).

I am a lover of all things related to educational technology and have spent countless hours poring over websites and clicking on blog posts, trying to keep up with the latest-and-greatest. I'm a dive-right-in kind of teacher when it comes to technology and willing to try anything that might be engaging to my students, but often feel that as a North Country teacher there are few people to rescue me (or at least coach me through with a more reasonable approach to technology integration). Many of our smaller schools, especially, have a limited number of "human resources" dedicated to technology, and those folks are often stretched to their capacity trying to maintain infrastructure, manage student accounts, and handle the administrative aspects of running a network. On top of that, content-area departments are often only two or three people and there may likely be only one teacher per grade at the elementary level. We work in these small and often rural schools because of the supportive, community-like environment, but while each person is an expert in their own right it's often difficult to get together to network, problem-solve, and move forward with common educational technology goals because everyone needs to move in different directions. The number-one professional development request from teachers in our schools seems to be that they need the time to investigate and implement good strategies; this is especially true with new edtech tools. Being connected to a professional network with the goal of supporting each other's use of technology can help ensure that our time is used in the most efficient way possible.

I started blogging earlier this past school year as a way to get my ideas (and their successes or failures) down in a format that I could refer back to when networking with colleagues at conferences. It's nice to be able to reflect on the educational choices that I make in the classroom and have someone else potentially learn from them. Likewise, it's a great way to compile and share those countless resources that might spark ideas further down the line. In a region like the North Country with its unique geography, it helps me feel more connected to other educators, either regionally or within the blogosphere.

This spring I was further inspired by a post on Edutopia by Emile Ferlisi, "What is the greatest edtech tool?" (http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/whats-greatest-edtech-tool) It turns out that he was able to put the positive feeling I was getting from blogging and online networking into words:

Ironically, the greatest edtech tool isn't available on your tablet, smartphone, laptop or desktop. The greatest edtech tool is informed, inspired teacher leadership complemented by a culture of collaboration and risk taking. It's not about the technology, it's about the people and their commitment to meaningful learning.

In the North Country, the culture and community extends beyond the walls of our school districts, by necessity. Collaboration happens within our schools, yes, but the true power and inspiration can come from building regional networks both within content areas and to support educational technology. As a science teacher I would encourage you to increase your connections with STANYS and other professional organizations, especially as we adopt the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) over the next few years. And as our schools shift more curriculum and instruction toward the integration of educational technology, build up your professional network virtually as well. Have an online presence via Twitter, connect with other educators such as Google Educator Groups, and find a way to share your own successes and failures. In the meantime, check out my own blog (http://northcountryedtech.blogspot.com/) and help me build its resources for all of us to use.

Summer Snapshots... #1 - Taking Screenshots

Summer is a great time for professional development, but let's face it - nobody wants to sit and read something too lengthy and detailed. With that in mind, I'll be posting a series of quick tutorials throughout the summer that I'm calling "Summer Snapshots." With the transition to 1:1 computing (Chromebooks) coming at my district for September, these will be the quick tips and getting-started bits of information that I know teachers will be looking for. And in the fall, this blog will take on a new purpose as the go-to for my students when they ask "how do I..." and need the same quick tutorials for themselves.

Knowing how to capture all or part of the view of the computer screen and save as an image file is a trick that everyone needsd to know. I frequently capture pictures and diagrams from PDF files (think past Regents exams) that are part of the public domain but not so easy to edit unless you take a screenshot. I also ask my students to use screenshots when they are completing work online and the end result doesn't produce a usable file (results from PhET interactives, certificates from simulations like Virtual Earthquake, etc.). The problem becomes when you work with multiple types of devices and operating systems... there's a way to take a screenshot on everything but the technique is just a little different.

Chromebooks:
Newer Chromebooks have function buttons across the top row of the keyboard much like other laptops, but they might look a bit different than what you're used to. Older keyboards have the traditional function buttons (F1, F2, etc.) which may or may not have the picture icons. The window button (or F5) is the one you'll need to take a screenshot. (Note: without the Ctrl key, this button advances you to the next window you were viewing.)

These screenshots get saved to the Downloads folder as images, or you can click on the "Copy to Clipboard" link that pops up right after the screen capture. 

Click here for a full tutorial on using the screenshot function on Chromebooks.

Windows OS:

Lots of people know about the print screen button on Windows keyboards, but for some reason not many people know about the Snipping tool. To access it, use the search box and type "Snipping Tool" - you can always pin it to the taskbar if it's something you'll use frequently. The neat thing about this tool is that you can capture the entire screen, a rectangular portion, or something totally free-form. You can add text and drawings to annotate the screen capture as well, and it prompts you to name the file and choose the save path (which makes it more likely that you'll remember where it goes). You can also share (by email, etc.) directly from the Snipping Tool.

Click here for a full tutorial on using the Snipping Tool in Windows.

Mac OS X:

Like Chromebooks, Macs utilize a series of keyboard commands to take a screenshot. The command button

helps with all sorts of keyboard shortcuts, and in this case requires the addition of the Shift key.

Command + Shift + 3 ... takes a screenshot of the whole screen

Command + Shift + 4 ... lets you drag a box around the area you wish to screenshot

Command + Shift + 4 + Spacebar ... brings up a camera icon that lets you choose a specific window you want for the screenshot

Screenshots are saved to the desktop as .png files, which makes it particularly useful for dragging and dropping the files somewhere (like into a document or into Google Classroom to turn it in).

Click here for a full tutorial on how to take a screenshot on a Mac.

iPad or iPhone: 

It's pretty easy to get a screenshot on an Apple device; simply hold the Home button and the Power button at the same time, and the device takes photo that automatically gets saved to the Camera Roll. 

From there, it's accessible as a photo to upload (either from the Photos app as an upload option, or by accessing the Camera Roll through whatever app you are using - the Google Classroom app and Google Drive app both will allow you to access your photos).

Click here for a full tutorial on screenshot with your iPad or iPhone. 

Is your hybrid (classroom) good for the (learning) environment?

Each year, our North Country schools invest more time and money to bring technology into classrooms. We're getting more devices and better connectivity, but now what? We hear a lot about 1:1 computing initiatives, blended learning, flipped classrooms, instructional technology, even online testing... it's clear that our schools are going digital.

What's also clear is that the integration of technology relies on the teacher to make sound curricular and instructional choices for the classroom. This is no different than at any other time in educational history. But, we all know that it IS an added layer (and often added pressure) for the teacher to manage.

What are hybrid/blended/flipped classrooms?

Blended classrooms "integrate online with traditional face-to-face class activities in a planned, pedagogically valuable manner." The professional development article that referenced this quote by the Online Learning Consortium is worth the read for anyone new to the concept.

Why move toward a blended classroom?

Simply put, we need to be thinking about instructional strategies that will help prepare our students for life beyond our classroom walls. (In fact, maybe our classroom shouldn't really have "walls..." but that's for another post when we could discuss global citizenship.) It would be hard to argue with the 21st century skills that we are frequently directed toward when designing instruction:

Image: http://projects.upei.ca/ed626-2015/2015/07/24/4-cs-21st-century-skill-for-success/

But pause for a moment. There's something extremely important that all stakeholders (teachers, administrators, board members, parents, students...) need to understand:

Creating the contemporary learning environment that addresses these 4 C's is a whole lot different than simply digitizing instruction. (Take the time to read Heidi Hayes Jacobs' post about this issue.)

In an article written for ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), Nicole Krueger writes:

Bringing technology into the classroom is the easy part. Integrating it seamlessly into a lesson plan is another matter. Blended classrooms, or those that use online content and tools as an integral part of instruction, go beyond using the latest gadget to get kids’ attention. They apply technology to expand classroom learning into new realms, providing unique learning experiences that enhance, rather than replace, face-to-face interaction.

In all of the searching and reading that I've done recently about blended classrooms, I feel like Instructional Technologist and blogger Amanda Dills' ideas about technology integration really resonate the most. She suggests that teachers shouldn't think about the first step of IT transition as "digitizing" as much as we should think about "maximizing." Because face-to-face classroom time with students is a teacher's most valuable commodity, instruction needs to be both impactful for students and rewarding for teachers. When you identify the most valuable instructional activities (she suggests categories of presenting, responding, questioning, connecting, facilitating, and coaching), you can start thinking about how to best utilize the precious face time that you get with your students.

The next logical step is digitizing. Maximizing classroom time requires a set of tools (technologies) that will allow you to assign work to students outside of class time that typically would have been done in class (this is where the flipped/hybrid/blended idea comes in). Technology can aid the process of in-class learning as well, from the sheer efficiencies provided by dynamic and accessible documents (provided by Google Classroom/Drive) to the real-time collaborative capabilities of a whole host of Web 2.0 tools.

How can I maximize when I need to spend time teaching students the digital process?

Of course it takes time for students to master digital skills (just like it does for any other idea they need to learn). Establishing new routines, expectations, and classroom culture will not happen overnight. Start small. Don't throw too many new tools at them and expect students to respond happily just because they enjoy the novelty of getting some screen time. Besides - I don't know about you, but I really don't have time to reinvent every bit of instruction into something digital. Make your initial investment in those activities and assignments that you can reuse year after year or for multiple instructional purposes. Your prep time needs to be maximized, as well.

Remember - if your digital assignment is "worth it" (you identified that the learning objectives were valuable) - you've already decided that the increased feedback/collaboration/productivity/efficiency/rigor provided by digitizing is beneficial to your students. Making the up-front time investment in "teaching the technology" will pay off in the end. The more comfortable students become with technology, the more you will be able to "flip" your classroom so that students spend in-class time with you face-to-face rather than face-to-screen.

Finally - one added benefit to moving toward a blended classroom is the reduced need to get all your students' attention at once - something that most teachers feel greatly reduces their behavioral management needs (and makes your time more productive!).

Resources to help you make the leap:
Arm yourself with background: https://www.iste.org/explore/articledetail?articleid=117
Build up your repertoire: http://themaximizedclassroom.blogspot.com/2015/11/40-ways-to-digitize-instruction.html
Join a supportive community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/105027787430185650434

A powerful assessment suite: Google Classroom, Forms and Flubaroo

Ask any student the following question and see what they suggest: 

"What happens when you know that the ability to do something exists, but you don't know how to do it?" 

Chances are, they're going to tell you, "Google it!" or "Look it up on YouTube!"

It's true... want to change out the alternator in your car? There's a video for that. Need to know the genealogical classification of the saber-tooth tiger? Google knows.

Learning some creative ways to put together classroom assessments is no different. I have some experience with Google Forms as an assessment tool (and have used them very successfully in the past for self-assessment surveys). Forms are easy to create and can be tailored to anything from simple quizzes to elaborate and dynamic evaluation tools with embedded links, videos and more. Over the past year or so, I've heard teachers rave about the possibilities out there for pairing Google Forms with an assignment in Google Classroom. Bring in the Google Sheets add-on Flubaroo, which will compile results, grade answers, and return feedback to students, and you have a powerful suite of assessment tools.

This is where "Mr. Google" comes in. My knowledge of how to make Forms/Classroom/Flubaroo work for me ended at colleagues suggesting, "this is so cool you have to try it!!" and then leaving me to fend for myself. So, a quick search led me to this tutorial by Google user Eric Curts, which was the "Goldilocks" of instructions for me... its "just right" format gave me exactly what I needed to know: not so much to be nauseating and not too little to leave me hungry for more. For those who like to watch a video before tackling a project like this, links are provided. Flubaroo has a great user guide as well and its use really was pretty intuitive, especially because I had some previous introductions to Forms and the data spreadsheets that are generated with the results.

I'm sure that what you really want to know is, "how long will it take me to master this technology?" Well, here's a timeline of my morning:

8:05 am - Decided to use Google Forms to make a quick reading quiz / entrance ticket for today's 2nd period class. It took me less than 10 minutes to copy/paste questions and answers from our online teachers' manual into Google Forms. If you're doing this for the first time, plan on spending half an hour or so learning the features here.

8:13 am - Googled "grading online assessments with google forms" because I couldn't even remember the name of the Flubaroo add-on. The first link just happened to be perfect (thanks, Mr. Google and Mr. Curts!).

8:16 am - Completed the quiz with my own correct answers so I could make the answer key, per instructions in the tutorial. Installed Flubaroo add-on in the spreadsheet that was created with my first quiz "result" (which was really from myself).

8:20 am - Created an assignment in Google Classroom and attached the Google Form so that I could push the quiz out to all my students.

8:22 am - Finished up some last-minute questions for the assignment students would work on after they did their quiz. I also linked this assignment to Google Classroom.

8:35 am - Got to the computer lab and was ready to go for my 2nd period class.

8:42 am - Students arrived to class, signed on to Google Classroom, clicked the quiz link (which I set to automatically collect their email addresses) and took the quiz. Submitting quiz results automatically marked the assignment as "Done" in Classroom, and gave me a preliminary overview of the class' progress (if you haven't seen the "responses" side of Forms it's really cool with some slick pie charts). Students could begin their next digital assignment at their own pace, and I was free to monitor those who took a little longer on the quiz.

After class was over, it took me no more than five minutes to go into the response spreadsheet, make a few clicks of the Flubaroo add on (just like the tutorial explained), and immediately get a report of the graded results. One more click and these results were pushed out to students via email.

Here's a screenshot of what the Flubaroo sheet looks like (I blacked out the user names). Notice that the rows in red indicate low-scoring students: 

When it comes to Google products like Classroom and Forms, I really have found that "the Internet knows all." Sometimes we might wish that this weren't true, but in this case we as educators really should take a cue from our students. If you know that the possibility is out there, just give it a quick search and see what you can find. The best way to learn a new technology is to try it out for yourself!

New Year... Newsletter Time

How often do you communicate home to families, just to share news from your classroom or aspects of your curriculum? I don't do this nearly enough, though I'm not sure why. It's certainly good practice, and our elementary teachers do a great job of connecting weekly. So, since it's a new year it's a good time to look at some ways to make more (or more significant) connections with families.

Last year, I used an online digital newsletter format from Smore.com. I liked the ease of creating layouts and adding content. It was super simple to use and creates a sharp-looking product without a ton of effort. I've used it with students, too, to lend a "digital publishing" flavor to a more traditional brochure-type project (this one happened to be about NYS landscape regions for Earth Science). You can email your flyer (limited to 200 emails monthly) or embed it into a blog or website.



What I don't like about Smore is that you are limited to saving 5 flyers with a free account. You can always just alter and re-send an old flyer, but it's nice to be able to store your old creations to come back to. This makes it a bit prohibitive when using it for student projects, as well.

This year, I decided to use newsletter time as an opportunity to try out a new app that I downloaded but have not had the chance to use: Adobe Slate. The app is available on multiple platforms and as a website as well. Adobe Slate allows you to create a newsletter that takes on the form of a photo story. Since it is so intuitive to use and can be accessed across platforms, I think it could be a powerful publishing tool for students to use. It requires signing up for a free Adobe account (don't let students connect via Facebook!) but does not limit the number of newsletters. The fact that it syncs projects between your device and the website made it particularly easy for me to insert photos and content, as well as edit from multiple locations. Like Smore, Slate allows for dissemination via embedding, sharing a link or emailing directly. Emailing opens your default inbox so if you already have an email group set up it's a snap to send it to families.



I'm procrastinating, so this year's newsletter is not quite done. I need to finish a few classes and add the resource links that made last year's more powerful and useful for families. I will say that I think the Slate layout is going to look pretty nifty, but I'm not sure that it's all that necessary for a newsletter. Next time I need to pay more attention to photo-documenting cool experiences in class so that I have better pictures to use.

The benefit (and potential classroom application) to Slate is that I could see myself using it to make tutorials for my students. I appreciate those teachers who have flipped classrooms and make videos, but it's not something I ever see myself doing. I have, however, made documents for students in the past that instruct them in some sort of "how-to" (here's a recent example about how to join a Quizlet class).  I frequently use screenshots or labeled photos (even my own photos of class handouts that I can then digitally label). Anything that I could put in a video, I could put in Slate. There are some great examples of how others are using Slate right on their website (including several that would be useful for educators).

How do you communicate and connect with families? How often? Have you explored any neat digital options? More importantly, do you have any tips about making sure that newsletters actually get read?

What brings you here??

Are you an educator? A parent? A self-proclaimed techie?

Do you wonder how rural schools will meet the demands of preparing students for a career in an increasingly technical world?

Do you want to inspire our schools and educators (and students!) to know technology as an opportunity and not a barrier?

Do you wish there was an easier way to connect with colleagues to share challenges and ideas?

Do you wish you knew what everyone else knew, but don't know how to know it??

Yeah.... me too.
Why did I start this blog? We as a North Country need a space to come together to answer these questions, overcome the distance gap, share our best EdTech practices and celebrate successes. This should be a space where everyone feels comfortable to learn what will work best for them in their own classroom.

Leave a comment... Tell me why you're here.