Thursday, February 23, 2017

Digital Learning Day Hangout Conversation

Today at South Eastern School District we had the opportunity to participate in a Digital Learning Hangout conversation with representatives from each of our district buildings.  Below are the slides that we used to drive our conversation.

  

Thank you to Mrs. Smith, Mr. Schiefen, Mr. Marks, Mr. Diehl, Mrs. Spangenberger, Mrs. Coleman, and Mr. Snyder.  

Along with the conversation, we broadcasted live to YouTube so anyone in the district or parents at home or work could watch and see their kids speaking about Digital Learning.



Digital Learning Day: With so many new types of digital devices, educational software and mobile apps continuously developed, it’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest advancements in educational technology. In some classrooms and out-of-school programs across the country, educators are doing some pretty amazing things with technology. Yet, these pockets of innovation are confined to a small number of schools and communities. Digital Learning Day was started as a way to actively spread innovative practices and ensure that all youth have access to high-quality digital learning opportunities no matter where they live.Started in 2012, Digital Learning Day has provided a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes. This grassroots effort blossomed into a massive nationwide celebration as teachers realized that Digital Learning Day is not about technology, it’s about learning. It’s not about laying off teachers for laptops, it’s about enhancing the role of the teacher in America’s classrooms. Digital Learning Day promotes the effective use of modern day tools afforded to every other industry to improve the learning experience in K-12 public schools 
Found on Digital Learning Day website  2.23.2017


At South Eastern School District, under the leadership of Dr. Rona Kaufmann, we have embarked on a Digital Learning path toward more student-centered, voice and choice, creative, individualized student learning and creating.  We are not there and don't claim to be.  This process is lead by teachers in the classrooms taking risks and students pushing the teachers to do more and try more.  As you will hear in the video, we are on the continuum and moving in the right direction.  The School Board and Administration continue to support and promote innovative ideas and our teachers and students continue to impress.  I look forward to what is next for South Eastern School District as far as Digital Learning and how we do school.

Thank you to Mrs. Smith, Mr. Schiefen, Mr. Marks, Mr. Diehl, Mrs. Spangenberger, Mrs. Coleman, and Mr. Snyder.  
Found on the Digital Learning Day Website Map of Activities

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Pete&C 2017 learning and resources

Pensylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference was held in Hershey PA, February 12-15, 2017.  Below are a list of resources and sessions that I attended at the conference and the twitter feed #Pete2017.



Keynote: Carl Hooker @mrhooker 
The world has become mobile, but how have schools taken to this change? Have they embraced it or run away from it? In this talk, hear from the author of the book Mobile Learning Mindset on ways to meaningfully implement mobile learning in a variety of ways to engage learners. We’ll look at what skills students will truly need to be successful in their future life beyond K-12. It’s not about the device, it’s about the learning.
Keynote: Dr. Mark Edwards
Dr. Mark Edwards will share with PA colleagues some of the key lessons learned from his work in Mooresville, NC and Henrico, VA as one of the Pioneers in Digital Innovation in US. Education. He will draw from his new book Unstoppable Momentum that he is co-authoring with Michael Fullan. Creating a culture that turbo charges systemic synergy for innovation and leads to pedagogical transformation are at the heart of this session. 
Keynote:    Dr. Luis Cruz @lcruzconsulting
After 25 years of serving public school students at the elementary, middle and high school levels, Dr. Luis F. Cruz has confirmed without a doubt that poor students can learn, English Learners are intelligent and students of all backgrounds are highly capable! Join Dr. Cruz as he shares the incredible true story of how a high school in Los Angeles County California that serves underprivileged students ensured all students learn and established a 96.3% graduation rate by collectively creating a mission focused on optimal learning for all students! Re-discover the fact that as educators we are not just in the business of ensuring students learn how to read, write and compute, but also in the business of saving lives! Dr. Cruz passionately reminds us all why we chose the field of education and what our profession responsibility to students and their families is today.
The Teachers Academy- Unplug: Mindfulness in Education.Take a look at unconventional approaches to building community, practicing focus and managing difficult behaviors in your class. After experiencing mindfulness teaching methods, we will locate the best online mindfulness resources for you and your classes. If you want your students focused, it starts with you! Maggie Haflett, MaEd Tech Ed
A session that I attended at the end of Day 1 that forced participants to unplug and be mindful about what they are doing.  A great experience and one that could be used in classrooms throughout the day.   We explored an image activity.  look at the images and write words or phrases about what you see.  Sit with the Good.  Write down a memory that was "good" and focus on that thought for 3 minutes.We also completed a food activity where smell, taste, and feeling were used to describe the eating process.  Possible apps and websites include:
Build it and they will come- Personalizing to Build Online Relationships - This session will explore a method of creating and organizing personalized online lessons for online or blended classrooms. It will focus on utilizing audio, visual, and interactive tools to engage students and build positive student-teacher relationships. Slide Resource (SESD Only)
New ISTE Standards for Elementary Classrooms- ISTE's new standards came out this past summer. How can we reach these standards in our elementary classroom? Let's work through the standards and focus on aligning them to what we do in our classrooms everyday. What are we already doing? What can we do differently to reach a new standard? This will be hands on planning time!  Slide Resources (SESD Only)
Becoming a Google SAMuRai- Tim Smith @timothy_smith  Come explore valuable ways to use a variety of Google apps (& other tools) at their best to MODEL and EVALUATE technology integration using the SAMR model. Bring your Google accounts and leave ready to lead like a SAMuRai.  Slide Resources (SESD Only) 
I Didn't Know I Could Do That with Google- Everyone knows how to search Google. It has become a ubiquitous part of our culture! But did you also know Google is packed with not-so-well-known features including tips and tricks that can make searching, saving and curating all of that information simpler, more efficient and faster? Let's see how many you can learn in one hour!  Slides Resources (SESD Only)
Aspiring to Technology Leadership Discussion-Discussion from previous session.  The Technology administrators would like to have a cohort sessions list for next year.  Netowrking for individuals in Tech Leadership roles was discssed.  No resources porovided.



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