(Don’t forget to use the code “INSPIRE” at checkout!)
Here are the details of where this project is coming from:
Our library has always been a space where we value creating and sharing just as much as consuming information. Last year because of a Donors Choose project, our library received a 3D printer and it allowed our students to create things that they had never even thought of. The makerspace culture is alive and well in our library, but we have a long way to go to exploring makerspaces and how the culture of a makerspace supports students, teachers, and families.
Over the summer, I had an article published in Teacher Librarian about the culture of creation that we are developing in our library and school. In that article, I talk about the culture, but at some point you have to get some “stuff” to create with.
“Building a Culture of Creation” in the June 2014 issue of Teacher Librarian
This year, one of our library goals is to give students, teachers, and families opportunities to dream, tinker, create, and share. A part of this is developing the tools that are available for creating in our library. Our space which we thought was going to be a studio is now going to be a makerspace within our library. A portion of our library funding this year will be dedicated to developing our makerspace. After attending an Invent to Learn workshop and focusing on makerspaces at ISTE this summer, I have chosen some next steps for our makerspace.
This Donors Choose project will extend our budget and give students even more access to maker materials by adding.
littleBits Cloud:
4 additional MaKey MaKey kits:
Sphero:
I hope that you will consider supporting our project. It will impact numerous students, teachers, and families within our school through projects, alternative recess activities, enrichment clusters, and afterschool workshops. Even if you can’t contribute financially, please consider sharing this project within your own networks. I will be sure to blog about our explorations throughout the year. Thank you in advance!
This has been a whirlwind summer. Across 9 days from June 22-July1, I visited Evanced in Indianapolis, became a Google Certified Teacher at the Google Teacher Academy in Atlanta, and experienced the awesomeness of ISTE in Atlanta. My brain was so exhausted that it has been hard to pull out the strands of what I actually learned. However, I’m going to slowly start letting the learning soak in and write about each of those experiences here beginning with the #Wandoo5
During the past school year, a small group of 5th graders began beta testing a tool called Wandoo Planet. Wandoo Planet is an interest genome project like Pandora or Netflix where students share their interests in a game-like environment. In return, Wandoo Planet offers book, movie, and game recommendations to them based on those interests. We loved this tool so much that we used it to kickoff our summer reading at the end of the year. Lindsey Hill at Evanced Skyped with every class in 2nd-5th grade and families, UGA students, and Barrow student ambassadors assisted me in getting every student signed up for an account.
Other schools were also exploring Wandoo Planet and hosting the Banishing Boredom Tour at their schools. Thanks to some informal conversation between Sherry Gick and Rob Cullin, President of Evanced, and making our work public, 5 library leaders were chosen to visit Evanced Solutions, a DEMCO company, in Indianapolis for a Think Tank. The details of the Think Tank were really not specific, but when you have an opportunity to get together with Matthew Winner from Maryland, Sherry Gick from Indiana, Shannon Miller from Iowa, and Shawna Ford from Texas, you don’t say no and you expect nothing less than awesome!
Before we even arrived, a name had been created, the Wandoo 5 (#Wandoo5). It felt like a giant signal had been activated in the sky and we were climbing aboard our planes to assemble at headquarters for a secret mission.
We all arrived in the afternoon on June 22 and had a chance to hangout, have informal conversations, and enjoy downtown Indianapolis. Lindsey Hill (@thelindseyhill), Reading Engagement Innovator at Evanced, made us feel right at home from the moment our planes landed and she didn’t stop even when our planes were returning us home. You can tell that the people at Evanced truly care about libraries, librarians, and especially readers.
On Monday June 23, the Think Tank began. I was amazed by how we started because we didn’t start with the products that Evanced offers. The very first question asked of us was to describe the landscape of school libraries and librarianship and to think about what some of our biggest challenges are. Where would we start? Our attention immediately turned to our students and access to information. This particular strand of the conversation went from access to quality devices to access to Internet outside of school. Our attention turned to the teachers within our buildings and the wide range of experiences and comfort levels with using and taking risks with technology. Finally our attention turned to our colleagues around the world and how we support one another.
Some Takeaways from Think Tank Part 1:
As we take risks as teacher librarians, it is more important than ever to show our work in a public way. It isn’t about always showing the polished product at the end. It’s about showing the process that it took to get there, even if it wasn’t successful. We never know who we are mentoring along the way by showing our work.
It is more important than ever to build your own Professional Learning Network (PLN). We all come from a range of support systems. Some of us are fortunate enough to work in districts that are supportive of our work and have administrators that respect and value what happens in the libraries. Others don’t have that support system. Regardless of where we are, there is a vast network of librarians ready to support us. From following #tlchat on Twitter to watching the TL Virtual Cafe webinars to tuning in to TL News Night to building your own network of librarian colleagues on Twitter or Google Plus Communities, it is more possible than ever to build your own support system that pushes your thinking and enriches your work rather than feeling like you are living on a deserted island in your school.
Evanced listens! To sit there and share the landscape of libraries and the challenges we face was overwhelming, but it was nice to know that there is a company that has the word “solutions” in their title on our side. They may not be able to solve all of the challenges we face, but we at least had a voice and impact into future solutions that they may explore in the landscape of libraries and librarianship.
The next part of our day was looking at the landscape of Evanced. Matt Sheley, Vice President of Evanced, shared the journey that the company took in arriving at Wandoo Planet and Wandoo Reader as solutions to a challenge. The company looked at reading data that showed a population of students who weren’t reading beyond elementary grades. They wanted to develop a tool that connected learners with materials that resonated with their interests in the hopes that it would grow them into lifelong learners and readers. It was truly amazing to see the process from notes in a journal to the tool that we are using today.
During lunch, we got to view Wandoo Reader, which is primarily focused on public libraries for now, but we had the opportunity to brainstorm what this tool might look like within a school.
To me, one of the most interesting conversations centered on collaboration between school and public libraries. While we acknowledged the importance of data confidentiality, we also considered how powerful it would be if school and public libraries could share data. Since students mostly read based on their interests during the summer, being able to see that data as a school librarians would help us improve our collections to match reader interests as well as advise our library members on next reads.
We also got a chance to walk around the Evanced office. Some parts were very quiet with coders at work. We also saw some of the displays that were taken to schools and conferences.
Some Takeaways from Think Tank Part 2:
In our libraries and in our schools, we should take time to identify the major challenges that we face. Rather than try to “fix” them all at once, we should select the one(s) we want to focus on and think beyond just the next steps or even the “research-based” strategies that we always turn to. While these are certainly things to consider, we should also give ourselves permission to dream and create something entirely new that we build together as we go. It should be a solution that truly matches the needs of the learners involved and pierces to the root of the challenge.
We should never feel done. I could tell that Evanced is the kind of company that doesn’t put out a product and say “This is it. Take it or leave it.” They constantly listen, fine tune, and add new features that respond to the needs of the users. Isn’t that what we should be doing in our libraries and schools? We are never done.
Our day ended with “Our Whys”. We each took time to reflect on why we do the work that we do in school libraries. It was a mixture of the #whylib conversations that took Twitter by storm in April and a series of short TED Talks. It was very intimidating to me to go last during this sharing because I was blown away by the whys that my colleagues shared. Our whys included keeping students at the heart of what we do, empowering student voices in the global community, creating a participatory culture that gives all students an opportunity to contribute, and listening to each student that enters our doors and allowing the library to be a home within our buildings. If these statements had been recorded, I think I would listen to them every day on the way to work to frame my day.
Some Takeaways from Think Tank Part 3:
We each need to be able to share our “why”. It reminds us why we come to work every day. It focuses the hundreds of decisions that we make on a daily basis.
Again, we need to share the work that we do within our libraries and within that sharing we need to embed our why. It needs to shine through in the successes and the failures that we share. When it does, it becomes one of our greatest advocacy tools.
I went to Indiana thinking that I was just going to give a company feedback to improve a tool that they had created and get to hangout with some of my closest professional learning network. However, I realized that this was much more. This was about thinking big, dreaming big, and (since I’m Googlified) solving for X through moonshot thinking.
The people at Evanced are listening. They are dreaming. They are searching for solutions to some of our biggest challenges. This was such a rewarding experience, and I’m thankful to all of the people at Evanced for this opportunity. I look forward to many more conversations in the future.
On June 25-26, 2014, I will travel to Atlanta to be a part of the Google Teacher Academy with 34 other amazing educators. These individuals come from all over the globe to be a part of this highly competitive 2-day professional learning.
The Google Teacher Academy (GTA) is a free professional development experience designed to help primary and secondary educators from around the globe get the most from innovative technologies. Each GTA is an intensive, two-day event during which participants get hands-on experience with Google tools, learn about innovative instructional strategies, receive resources to share with colleagues, and immerse themselves in a supportive community of educators making impact.
We would all like to take a moment to introduce ourselves before we arrive in Atlanta. After the two days, I’ll be sure to do a post about my learning as well as begin sharing my personal action plan.
Here are the 35 Google Applantans! I invite you to read about us, watch our application videos, and begin following us on social media as we begin our journey to becoming Google Certified Teachers.
Mr. Seipel’s Site– somewhat defunct since my recent career transition
GTA video:
Introduction:
I am originally from Ohio and moved to North Carolina after graduating from Ohio University. Throughout college, I worked at a summer camp and in this isolated setting, I first used Google Docs way back in 2008. My first doc was the parent letter for my initial class. I arrived in NC and started in a rural high school English classroom, but I quickly began assisting my peers with using technology in their instruction. I met my wife at church in 2009, we got married in 2010 and had our son in 2012. We announced that she was pregnant with this photo and picked his name this way. Just a few months ago, I migrated from the classroom into my new role as an Instructional Technologist where I am able to work with our district’s 4,000 teachers and 55,000 students.
Interesting fact:
I was on America’s Funniest Home Videos as a child; I lost.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I look forward to get Googly with this team. I am in a district that does not use GAFE — although I have helped lead several districts to its adoption — so I want to experience applications of this suite and Google’s other tools — cough Classroom cough — in the hopes of convincing the powers that be to make the transition to GAFE.
I’ve been a Hawaii private school teacher for over 20 years and currently teach Theory of Knowledge in the International Baccalaureate Programme at Le Jardin Academy on the island of O’ahu. My involvement in the History for Music Lovers project on YouTube has led to my fascination with remix culture and social media, particularly in respect to education. I speak and run workshops internationally on new literacies, remix, transparency and creativity among other things.
Interesting facts:
I am blessed to be a breast cancer “survivor” (always hesitant to use that phrase), I live on a beautiful island but rarely go to the beach, I secretly want to be an OS system or cyborg, my signature colours are hot pink and black and I only wear black clothing, and I eat a cookie every morning for breakfast to start the day off sweetly. Oh, and a Philadelphian drag queen revue has covered my song in a live performance.
What I hope to get out of GTA:
camaraderie, connections, creative inspiration – and maybe a collaboration for a project involving GAFE.
I am the school library media specialist at David C. Barrow Elementary in Athens, Georgia where we expect the miraculous every day. I serve approximately 535 students in Pre-K through 5th grade. My library program is grounded in transliteracy, participatory culture, and students as creators of content shared with the global community. I make my own work and the work of my student public through my blog, social media, and connecting with libraries, authors, experts, classrooms, and developers via Skype and Google Hangout.
Interesting Fact:
I’m a huge Mariah Carey fan, and I may or may not have been gently pulled away by security when I gave Mariah a friendly hug backstage in Orlando in 2003. I’ll also be leaving my wife at home alone with a 2 and 4 year old from June 22-July 1 to visit Evanced Games and attend GTA and ISTE, missing our anniversary on June 25.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
Attending GTA will allow me to connect with more leaders in education, strengthen my own use of Google’s collaborative tools, and ultimately expand the opportunities my students and teachers have to connect and collaborate with people around the world. Collaborating between multiple locations and school cultures is complicated, and GTA will help me think about how to better facilitate this process for classrooms and libraries worldwide.
Bob Deneau
(Taken on a past trip to Atlanta at the CNN Center…I was younger and thinner back then)
After teaching 4th grade for 8 years and being a part of opening up a new school, I became an Instructional Technology Specialist and have served in that position for the past 7 years. This year, I moved up to support our middle schools and this was a great professional move. I love working with this age group and their teachers. I have been married to wife Michelle for 12 years and she is an elementary school librarian. Many of our non-educator friends are not sure how we can survive being home all summer together but it is great! When not exploring edtech related items, I enjoy golfing and as seen in my video, I can marginally “play” the guitar.
Interesting fact:
Although I have lived in the St. Louis, Missouri area my entire life, I have never been up in the St. Louis Arch (our #1 tourist attraction). This is probably because of my fear of heights and listening to the stories of my sister getting stuck at the top with our very interesting grandfather. One other interesting fact would be that I helped move a port a potty out of the way at the 2008 presidential inauguration so my group of 10 high school students could get into the DC mall area to see the speech. Being in charge of 10 students in a crowd of millions was one of the scariest things I have experienced.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
For me, GTA is all about making connections and learning with other Google enthusiasts. In my area, I have been able to collaborate with a number of Google Certified Teachers and I have seen how this program made them better educators. I want to experience this and grow as a professional. My newly acquired knowledge and skills can then be shared with my fellow Instructional Technology Specialists, 1400+ teachers, and 22,000 students as we enter our second year in using Google Apps for Education. Selfishly…I hope we get to look at Google Classroom too!
I currently serve as a Technology Integration Coach for Hoover City Schools in Hoover, Alabama. I’ve been in education for 17 years after working in business and for the military for 10 years. I’ve served elementary, middle, and high school students and teachers over the years. My husband is a math coach/tutor and we have 3 children ages 16, 14, and 11. We are a close family who love learning and playing together!
Interesting fact:
I have lots of interests. I have a pilot’s license but don’t really use it now. I’ve run 9 marathons and actually won two of them. I wish I could keep running but injuries prevent it. I coach Cross Country and Track and also Lego Robotics. I love theater and though I am better watching it than participating I give it a try sometimes – or at least for my Google Application video! 🙂
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I look forward to the collaboration and sharing and to all that I will learn from others. I also hope to find more efficient ways to share through my online presence which is a bit outdated at the moment. I can’t wait to see what others are doing and bring back new ideas to my district and state!
I am a High School Librarian serving a student population of 2600+ students in the upstate of SC. I am active in the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, South Carolina Association of School Librarians, and South Carolina Association of Educational Technology. My PLN spans many face to face and virtual avenues. I will begin my 29th year of teaching in the fall. I am a National Board Certified Teacher in Library/Media.
Interesting fact:
I’m an avid University of South Carolina Gamecock fan, and my husband seriously questioned my devotion when I said I was coming to GTA instead of the College World Series June 25.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
New connections, broadened understanding of technology integration, and great ideas to bring back to my teaching context.
My name is Chelsey Eminger. This was my first year as an Instructional/ Technology coach in Mentor, Ohio. Prior to that I was a first grade teacher for four years, a job that was very difficult to leave! Now I have the chance to work with risk-taking teachers every day while learning new things! I’m always ready to learn new, interesting things, especially when it comes to educational technology.
Interesting fact:
While hanging in Atlanta for GTA and ISTE, I’ll be leaving my husband alone with the dog for our anniversary!
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I am excited to spend time with others that learn and work the way that I do. I’m hoping for amazing conversations that spark ideas to take back to my district, that hopefully lead to conversations with my PLN online!
My name is Chris Aviles. I teach English at Barnegat high school in Barnegat, NJ. My class features advanced Gamification (including what might be the world’s first yearlong Alternate Reality Game), self-paced mastery, flipped learning, BYOD, and much more!
Interesting fact:
I survived Hurricane Sandy. We were without power for nearly two weeks. We ran out of food, water, fuel, and firewood quickly. Imagine Beyond Thunderdome set on the beach. It was like that… kind of.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
New friends, new ideas, and new practices to bring back to my classroom.
Educational technologist, movie fanatic, and all-around geek. Previously a 1:1 iPad teacher, my goal is to support both students and teachers on how to integrate technology into learning as a seamless part of instruction. As a Technology Integration Facilitator is to make sure teachers, students, parents, and are the community are properly prepared on the use of technology for classroom and personal use. My end goal is to empower anyone with the willingness learn on the use of educational technologies to connect, create, and collaborate in the 21st century classroom.
Interesting fact:
Recently finished my first Half-Ironman and Ragnar Relay (10 person team, 200 miles). On a side note, I hate the feel of styrofoam and chalk boards.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
Looking forward to connecting with like-minded individuals and broadening my knowledge of education, while also contributing to this ever growing Googly community. I want to build capacity of the educators I work with, helping them to take best instructional practices to another level in any way possible.
I am an Instructional Technology Coach at Waukesha North High School in Waukesha Wisconsin. After spending 12 years in the classroom as a Social Studies teacher, I made the move to a tech coach role last year to help improve teaching and learning at a systemic level. During my first year as a tech coach it was our first full year as a Google Apps school. Collaboration, creation, and communication skyrocketed amongst teachers and students. This past year was our first year as a 1:1 iPad school. Google Apps has been the bedrock of how we are trying to transform teaching and learning.
Interesting fact:
I have nothing interesting about me 🙂 Seriously though, the most interesting thing about me is the life I lead with my 3 kids and lovely wife. We go to Packer and Brewer games, go to Walt Disney World every year for Spring Break, and spend boatloads of time together. I am a super hero freak (check out my GTA Video) and tech nerd at heart.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
Honestly, most of us can learn tech pretty easy, but the ability to connect with like minded people is one of the biggest reasons I applied to GTA. Our Atlanta group, as well as the other GCT’s, are leaders in education, and the ability to network and develop leadership skills is very important to me and my development as a leader. But…from a nerd point of view I do hope we get access to Classroom early 🙂
I work as a Professional Learning Program Specialist for CUE where I organize and present at professional learning events around the country. Prior to accepting this fantastic job, I was the Lead Teacher for a K-8 Independent Study Program where I used GAFE and multigrade workshops to build community. I am involved in many different projects surrounding Educational Technology. I love to learn!
I want to build my Personal Learning Network, sharing with and learning from others. As a Professional Learning Leader, I hope to connect with others and discuss how educators can use Google to positively impact student engagement, collaboration, productivity, and achievement. I also hope to play around with and learn more about Google Classroom.
I am a Digital Integration Specialist with Horry County Schools in Conway/Myrtle Beach, SC where I get to help teachers learn how to effectively utilize and integrate technology into their classes and curricula. Prior to this position, I was a middle school English/Language Arts teacher for 8 years and in the final two I was able to pilot a 1:1 iPad environment. Currently my district is rolling a 1:1 personal device (iPads and Dell Venues – don’t ask about the choice of the Venues) initiative which will give all teachers and students from grades 3-12 a personal device. Though I miss interacting with students, I incredibly enjoy working with teachers and helping them learn how to use effective technology and web tools to heighten their classroom environment and inspire innovation and creativity within their students. In those sessions and in this movement to a 1:1 environment and digital learning, GAFE has been an incredible tool and in many ways the motivation and foundation of moving forward. I am also currently at the dissertation stage of my PhD in Education with a specialization in Educational Technology through Walden University, hoping to be completely finished by the Fall of 2015!
Interesting fact:
I played college football at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and won a SEC West Championship in 2003 (technically we were co-champs with LSU that year) but it still count and I still got a really big, really nice, championship ring which I wear all the time much to the chagrin of my wife. 😉 More interesting facts: Speaking of my wife, I proposed to her in Disneyworld, in front of Cinderella’s castle, right before the evening parade, so she was completely surprised and everyone waiting for the parade gave us a very loud and excited round of applause (plus Disney gave us “Engaged” pins and Mickey and Minnie Wedding Mouse Ear hats!). Also, our wedding was outside at a beach resort and we danced down the aisle, with our wedding party, to Chris Brown’s “Forever” (video on Youtube if interested) which completely shocked all of our guests.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I am excited to meet and work with fellow educators who are motivated by educational technology and aware of the exponential benefits of incorporating effective technology into our schools. The ability to connect with such motivated, creative, and innovative educators is truly an exciting opportunity, especially under the leadership and of fellow Google Certified Teachers. Also, I am looking forward to expanding my PLN and my knowledge of the educational tools Google offers so I may bring back to my colleagues and teachers more ways to innovate and educate our students in a 1:1 digital environment. Speaking of which…maybe we can get an early look in Google Classroom, or if anyone has Google Glass, I am extremely interested and intrigued in the educational applications this type of technology offers.
I was a higher ed professor for eight years, teaching computers, business and English, in the USA and South Korea. It was in the ROK that I started using virtual worlds, or immersive learning environments, in order to provide a truly hands-on (well, cyberhands, anyway) educational experience for my students. I´ve maintained a Second Life cybercampus since 2006, plus OpenSimulator since 2009, when I switched to international K-12 schools. As of this fall, I´ll be the Technology Integration Coach for the American School of Guatemala, where, after 13 years of teaching, I´ll step out of the classroom to train teachers full-time.
Interesting Fact:
When the Tech Bubble burst in 2001, I was a systems analyst for an international software/consulting company, earning darn near six figures a year. The layoffs hit but I was unemployed for exactly one day. I got a gig teaching software engineering courses and realized I had missed my true calling in life. I met folks involved with teacher exchange programs and decided to change location as well as vocation. In addition to South Korea, I´ve also lived in Georgia and China, and now Mexico.
What I Hope to Gain at GTA:
My next school is one part of an organization that includes another K-12 institution and three universities! That´s right, a whole lotta Googlers! I´d like to get some tips on how to implement GAFE on such a large scale. Plus I just want to join a network of Google Gurus so I can stay on top of developments and swap ideas, tips, etc.
Dr. Frank LaBanca is a teacher, educational researcher, and change agent. He is the founding principal of Danbury’s Westside Middle School Academy magnet. Prior, he was the Director of the Center for 21st Century Skills at EDUCATION CONNECTION, he directed and managed the implementation of innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math programs in 50+ middle and high schools across Connecticut. During his 16-year career in the classroom, Frank taught Biology and Applied Science Research at Stamford, Newtown, and Oxford High Schools. He has been recognized as a National Education Association Innovation Teacher; a GTE GIFT (Growth Initiatives For Teachers) Fellow; a RadioShack National Teacher for Excellence in Science, Math, and Technology; and the Teachers’ Insurance Plan Teacher of the Year. He was also recognized by Discovery as the National Outstanding Classroom Blogger for his blog Applied Science Research and was a global finalist in the best teacher blog category of the 2011 Edublog Awards. Frank adjuncts at Western Connecticut State University and the University of Bridgeport teaching Science Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis for Educational Research, and supervises dissertation research. Frank holds a BS in Biology, an MS in Science Education, and an EdD in Instructional Leadership.
Interesting fact:
Founding Principal of a new Magnet Middle School scheduled to open in September. Will be the first school in Danbury to operate 1:1, facilitated by using BYOD.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
Hoping to learn how to bring 1:1 to scale effectively using web-based strategies to make students better producers.
I am the instructional technology coordinator for the Cupertino Union School District in Cupertino, CA – Yes – the home of Apple. How I got here is a circuitous route – I was part of Tech for America in 1993 and started teaching middle school science in Oakland, CA. I got my masters in biochemistry from the University of Texas (Go Horns!). I taught for 5 years in Austin, met my wife, Cristina. I then worked for NASA as an education specialist in MN and WI, then CA for 5 years before returning to public education. I worked at the county office for 3 year as an education technologist before moving down to the district level where I’m having a great time!
Interesting fact:
I’ve been fortunate to travel a fair amount – lived in Germany for 4 years, seen most of Europe, saw southest Asia, the middle East, South Africa for the World Cup (I’ll be streaming games during any free time 🙂 I’ve been to 49 states, but am still missing the best one yet – Hawaii
What I hope to gain at GTA:
This is always a tough question -but I would say that it has already started – getting to know all of you and hearing your ideas, thoughts, brainstorming new ideas and knowing that I have a whole new group of educators to bounce ideas off. I’m never one to set certain expectations for a new adventure, but rather see what presents itself. I think the best will just be trading ideas, debating thoughts- of course I’d love a sneak peak of Classroom, but I’d also be curious to brainstorm ideas of what Google Glasses might bring down the road – what are some of the social issues it presents. And of course coming from Cupertino – finally I won’t be laughed at for having an Android phone 🙂
Hello new #GTAATL friends! I am a technology coordinator for the Red River Valley Education Cooperative. I also am a part-time adjunct instructor at the University of North Dakota. I have worked in education for the past 17 years as a teacher, technology specialist, and coordinator in both Minnesota and North Dakota. This month I also became an Authorized Google Education Trainer. I am originally from Cavalier, ND a small town in NE North Dakota with a population of just under 1500 people. I currently live in Grand Forks, ND.
Interesting fact:
I am a terrible driver. I am allergic to beer. I have a twin sister that I think I look nothing like, but everyone mixes us up. I once used my only personal day of the school year to stand in line and buy George Strait tickets.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I am excited to create a cohort of educators that share of a love of technology and learning. I also want to meet other Glass in Education Explorers to share and collaborate potential Glass projects.
After years of avoiding the inevitable of following in my mother’s footsteps, I left my cubicle and returned to school to eagerly earn a degree in Education. With a natural wanderlust, I moved to South Korea to experience, not just visiting, but living abroad. Within my first year, I was approached and offered a job in my field of study, Birth through Five years old. I jumped in with both feet and in a short three years, I fell in love with living and teaching abroad. For the 2014 – 2015 school year, I am thrilled to announce I will be teaching in the Early Years Centre at Vientiane International School, an I.B. World school in Laos.
When I’m not teaching, I focus my energy (in no particular order) on photography, volunteering, traveling, cooking vegetarian meals, good coffee or tea, listening to NPR, discovering new music, watching documentaries, blogging, connecting with new people, practicing yoga, and keeping in touch with family and friends.
Interesting fact/s:
In 2008 and 2009, I worked for the NBA Atlanta Hawks as a Spirit Squad member (aka T-Shirt cannon pro). Once, Spirit the Hawk, the mascot from Zoo Atlanta, swarmed the arena during the pre-game hype during playoffs. I’ll never forget the players scrambling and hiding behind each other, afraid to start the game, in fear of the hawk! Another time, a massive tornado hit the arena and most of downtown Atlanta. Parts of the rafters were dangling, yet no one budged — we had no idea what had happened. It was business as usual. The timer buzzed and we hit the court and threw our shirts! We were in for quite the apocoyptic scene as we exited that game! I have worked many jobs to survive my long journey through school, but this was definetly most memorable. Oh, and just a couple more things: 1) I don’t like shopping, ice cream, or chocolate. However, if the mood strikes (about once a year), I will buy chocolate ice cream. 2) Last Summer, I volunteered on an organic green tea farm in the middle of nowhere, Japan. I will never take another sip of tea for granted in my lifetime. 3) Brevity has never been my forte.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
My enthusiasm for Google Apps for Education (GAFE) grew from my attendance at the 2013 Google in Education Summit – South Korea. Esoteric by nature, the Early Years age group did not receive much attention at the Summit. However, a conversation with one of the Keynote Speakers left me encouraged and activated. With her specific advice, I returned to my classroom and began using even more Google. The result was so positive that I later presented my successful experience at the KORCOS Conference in 2014. My exuberance multiplied when I saw fellow educators’ faces in the crowd for I was not the only one eager to learn more about bringing this technology to our classrooms. What I learned this year has only scratched the surface. There is much more than needs to be shared on Google use in the Early Years setting, I just don’t know what it is. It is my hope that the Google Teacher Academy will teach me. In short, I’m ecstatic to be a sponge and am ready to learn anything and everything google-y there is to learn about Google in Education!
Since December I have been the Manager of the Instructional Resource Center at Georgia Regents University. In this position I work with both faculty and students who are studying to become teachers. I am blessed that I get to work with individuals as they begin their career in education. My hope is to expose our students to technology tools that will further enhance their teacher education program so they are truly ready to enter the classroom in this digital age.
Prior to the move to higher education I served as a Technology Consultant for CSRA RESA (Central Savannah River Area Regional Education Service Agency) and the National Science Center ETC (Educational Technology Center). While working as a technology consultant I served 12 local schools systems conducting professional learning with teachers and administrators at various schools. I began my education career as a middle school math teacher. My passion is sharing with teachers new technology ideas that will bring both sizzle and substance to the classroom.
Interesting fact:
At our house we celebrate a special holiday on October 31st each year. While most people celebrate Halloween we celebrate Hallowring. The tradition goes back to when my husband David and I were dating. As a joke during a halloween party David got down on one knee and gave me a ring pop I put it on my finger we all laughed took pictures and I ate the ring pop. The whole drive home I was so worried that someone would post one of those pictures on social media and I would have lots of questions asked at church the next day. David just smiled and continued driving me home. When he got out of the car he opened my door and in his hand was a real ring and he proposed. Since the first Hallowring we continue the tradition of dressing in costume and pass out ring pops. Last Hallowring David and I dressed as Google Maps. Check out our costume. Picture Link
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I have two main goals for attending the Google Teacher Academy.
1. Learn as much as my brain can absorb during the 2 days of the academy. I have found through conducting technology trainings that many people don’t know what they don’t know. I am open to any learning experience.
2. Collaboration, Collaboration, Collaboration… The collaboration has already began through the G+ Community and on Twitter but I really hope to have some additional times of strong collaboration to build a foundation for future collaborative projects.
I am the Library Media Teacher at Stocker Elementary School, in Kenosha, WI. Prior to taking a position at Stocker, I taught social studies at the secondary level for four years and earned a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology. I am dedicated to reshaping student learning experiences and providing professional learning support for teaching faculty. In my current position, I draw on my past teaching experiences to design inquiry-based learning experiences for the 500+ elementary students at Stocker. I am an advocate of digital citizenship and teach students the importance of their digital footprint and online safety. I produce a weekly segment for the Stocker News called “Tech Time” to showcase innovation and student work at the elementary school. I am also on the Kenosha Public Library Board of Trustees as the sole representative for the Kenosha Unified School District.
Interesting fact:
First of all, I am a huge fan of the Milwaukee Brewers and attend games regularly, each year hoping for a trip to the World Series, but always coming up short (I am cautiously optimistic about the Brewers this year given their great start). I love taking road trips around the country and focus on visiting historical sites, local shops and breweries/wineries along the way. I also enjoy road biking and walking my dogs for exercise. This past summer, I was able to attend the Paul McCartney concert when he was in Milwaukee with my mom, both of us are huge Beatles fans, and we had great seats in the 10th row. I also have collected Raggedy Ann items (dolls, ornaments, knickknacks, etc) since I received a doll on my first Christmas.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I am excited to collaborate with educators beyond the scope of my district as a part of the GTA program because this will translate into exciting learning opportunities in and outside of my school and district. I look forward to meeting forward thinking individuals and making connections as a part of our GTA community and to working as a member of this learning community.
This coming school year will be my 10th year as an educator. I am currently a District Technology Specialist for the Citrus County School District in Citrus County, FL. I love, love, love my job. In my role, I get to travel from school to school helping teachers and students integrate technology into their classrooms. I am the founder and organizer of EdCamp Citrus. I’m proud that EdCamp Citrus was the 5th EdCamp to ever take place back in 2010. This year’s edition will be the 5th annual. I am a member of the #edchat team. I’ve been archiving the #edchat discussions for 5 years now. All of those archives can be found at http://edchat.pbworks.com. I recently became a Google Apps Certified Administrator and am thrilled to become a Google Certified Teacher. I’ve been married to my wife, Kari, for almost 16 years and two amazing, sometimes pain in the rear end, kids, Madison, 12 and Kalen, 9. I’ve also realized that I need a new headshot. 🙂
Interesting Fact:
I LOVE baking. I can bake anything, cookies, breads, cakes, cupcakes. I’ve made birthday cakes and loaves of bread for many of my friends. I’m not great at decorating (yet) but my baked goods taste fantastic. 🙂
What I hope to gain at GTA:
For me, events like GTA, education conferences like ISTE, FETC are all about the connections. I will occasionally learn something new but the best part of these events is meeting amazing people, people who will challenge me and my thinking to help make me better at what I do. It’s always great to meet people, whom I’ve been connected with online for so many years, face to face. for the first time.
I am starting a new position with the University of Wisconsin – Platteville in their school of education. I’ll be teaching a course in educational media applications and language/social studies methods class. Sounds awesome, right? Before this change, I taught Communications courses for Southwest Tech. In the past, I taught English Language Arts 8-12th grade for 11 years, and I enjoyed a short stint as a District Technology Coordinator. I’m also a certified Verbal Defense and Influence instructor. My areas of preferred studies would be Communication and Educational Technology.
Interesting fact:
I have two horses that I adore!
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I want to learn the finer points of Google Apps, the Chrome browser, and Chromebooks. I use Google “stuff” every day but things change every six months, it seems. I find it hard to know all of this little specifics. I’m looking to collaborate will others. After a break from serious edtech networking, I’m looking forward to connecting on a daily basis.
I am Digital Literacy Resource Teacher in the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) just north of Toronto, Ontario. I have the best job in world! I am part of a team of 8 VERY enthusiastic edtech innovators that support our 10, 000 teachers and 125, 000 students on their journey integrating technology into their work and learning. I’ve been a teacher for 20 years and I’ve never been so excited about the possibilities! Along with +Scott Monahan, I having been helping to spread “the Google” throughout our Board for the last couple of years including two “Google Camps” that brought out close to 1000 teachers on Saturdays to learn together. I got to work some of my “social media mentors” Eric Sheninger, Eric Byrne and the EdTech Team as keynotes and presenters. My career has been diverse including years a drug counsellor in a school, a phys. ed. teacher, site administrator, AP Biology teacher and Department Head of Science. How did a biologist end up here…..? I never want to stop learning. I look for opportunities to learn anywhere I can. Chances are, I learned something from you online!
Interesting fact:
Believe it or not, that picture of me is the first “real” picture of me I’ve posted on social media. I’ve always been seen as “Beaker” in all my networks until recently! (See the resemblance?)
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I never want to be the smartest person in the room! I think that’s been the key to my success! I never want to stop learning and am looking so forward to learning from everyone at #gtaalt and the network beyond that exists beyond our two day adventure! To be in a group with so many like-minded and innovative educators, I have to come out a better person on the other side! I try to live by one of my favourite quotes…. “It’s okay to be where you are, it’s just not okay to stay there!”
I was born and raised in Southern California, but I have spent some time in Michigan (for undergrad) and India (with family). I spend most of my time with family and working (mainly because my work does not feel like work). The best way to describe my family . . . Well, just watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding. That pretty much sums us up in a nutshell, minus all of the meat. My family and I are vegetarian for religious reasons—we’re Jain.
I work as a math teacher, Title I Lead, and Technology Coach for the Perris Union High School District. My colleagues are inspirational people, and we serve amazing kids and their families.
My hobbies, besides hanging out with family and working, include needlepoint, beading, and other crafts. I love Bollywood dancing and am a huge I Love Lucy fan.
Interesting fact:
I dropped out of college as an undergrad. After a few month, my dad forced me to go back and sat with me in class. Today, I have my doctorate from USC. Fight On!
What I hope to gain at GTA:
Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! I want to expand my PLN. I would love to learn how to better use social media. I feel overwhelmed right now and want to learn how others streamline their resources. A sneak peak at Google Classroom would be AWESOME. I look forward to spending two days (of many more to come) with out-of-the-box thinkers.
Laurie Clement
I was hosting a Mini WE Day when I found out I was accepted to the GTA-ATL. It seemed fitting as WE Day is an opportunity to inspire and empower youth to Be The Change! This is me with my 3 children who also worked the event. I am so excited about the opportunity to be inspired by all of you and empowered to continue working toward being the change in my classroom, school and community.
I am a currently teaching in a Grade 8 1:1 Chromebook classroom. Technology has transformed the way I teach and has allowed me to bring my students to levels that I never thought possible. My goal is not to “use” technology but to seamlessly embed it into the learning process. I am also very passionate about providing my students with opportunities to connect globally which led to the development of Global Students Global Perspectives.
Interesting fact:
I am currently working with my class to raise $10,000 to build a school in Kenya. If we achieve this goal, I am definitely planning on going there myself to help build it.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
It is evident already that this group is very passionate about learning and the endless possibilities that technology can provide our students. I am really excited about the opportunity to be part of this learning community and to learn along with each of you! I have a lot of staff members very excited to share in all of this knowledge as well!
I am a first-year high school librarian at Northern Burlington County Regional School Distict in Columbus, NJ. Prior to that, I taught English at the middle school in the same district. In the library this year, I have integrated technology that was not previously being used. For example, I requested and received a cart of Chromebooks that are used daily, and have purchased many new databases and other electronic resources for the students. I have pretty eclectic interests (Star Wars, quilting, Billy Joel, and heavy metal…).
Interesting fact:
I am a huge fan of stand-up comedy. My husband and I have probably seen more stand-up shows than music concerts. Some favorites: Steven Wright, Jim Gaffigan, Jim Breuer, Anjelah Johnson
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I look forward to meeting other tech types and am excited to learn a variety of new tech tools. It will be great to expand my PLN and support system. I can’t wait to bring new things back to the “hungry” teachers back at school who love Google and want more!
I am a high school, language arts educator at Archer High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Through 8 years of experience, I have become passionate about transforming education to meet the complex needs of our 21st Century students. I encourage building a high performance culture and risk-taking within a project-based learning classroom atmosphere. In order to fine-tune my knowledge and craft, I am pursuing an Education Specialist degree in Instructional Technology and School Library Media at The University of Georgia. I love facilitating at workshops in order to help educators learn how to provide authentic learning experiences and digital literacy instruction. I enjoy being a trailblazer and jumping head first into new ways of doing things.
When I am not focused on all things education, I explore the outdoors and play with my two dogs, Roscoe and Beamer. My husband and I love creating and working on projects together. Our most recent one involved landscaping around our Koi pond. I really enjoy a great cup of coffee, reading, Mexican cuisine, baking, singing in the car, watching National Geographic, and spending time with friends and family.
Interesting fact:
I am a rudderless ship. I get lost and turned around very easily. Although it poses a problem while driving, it has led to some amazing discoveries along the way in my daily life and career.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I am really looking forward to meeting my fellow cohort members and learning about all the amazing things each of you do. I hope to bring back ways to enhance student learning in my classroom. My ultimate goal is to walk away with the confidence and knowledge to impact and develop educators locally and globally. I hope to grow, learn, and increase my Googliness through this experience while connecting with a phenomenal group of like-minded individuals.
I am a teacher on an urgent quest. Currently learning with my Grade 3&4 class, using 1:1 iPads. Interested in the social aspects of the internet. Wannabe maker. I am doing all that I can to join the flows to help transform education right now.
Let’s do this.
Interesting fact:
I recently took up the Ukulele and crochet. Why not? It’s always a wonderful experience to be a beginner and experience the arch and adventure of learning.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I hope to build relationships with other educators with a heart and mind for helping students learn and plan some potential projects. I also wish to foster a closer connection and understanding of Google and the Googly vision for helping learners.
I am part of the Instructional Technology Integration Team for the Fond du Lac School District in Wisconsin. Previously, I was a middle school science teacher for 20 years in our district. I am always looking for new ways for students to communicate, create, collaborate and think critically using technology. In the fall of 2012 our district rolled out one the largest high school 1 to 1 initiatives with 2200 Chromebooks. I received my Masters Degree in Educational Technology, I am a Google Education Trainer and a Haiku Learning Certified Trainer. I have presented at several conferences including: ISTE 2013 Google Booth, Midwest Google Summits, and Google/Intel Mini-Summit.
Interesting fact:
I have been to the Googleplex and rode a Google bike across the campus!
What I hope to gain at GTA:
Growth! I embrace lifelong learning and being inspired by new ideas. I am always looking for innovative teaching methods to use in the classroom. I want to bring new ideas back to my staff so I can share that energy and enthusiasm. Becoming a GCT will give me the opportunity to be inspired by other educators at the academy. I look forward to making new acquaintances, friendships and further develop my professional learning network.
I teach Geo/Tech (9th) and Sociology (12th) at West Hills HS in San Diego. When I am not in education mode, I love to spend time traveling, camping and being outdoors with my family. iPhoneography has been a hobby of mine for about a year, so if you are up for a photowalk let me know.
Interesting fact:
I was a hog farmer in “The South” for six months. A few weeks after graduating from San Diego State, I decided I needed to mature and get out of my comfort zone. I boarded a Greyhound bus and road 72 hours, across the US to Turbeville, South Carolina to work on my Dad’s hog farm. After saving a little money, I went to by myself to Costa Rica for three months. After the Costa Rica trip, I returned to San Diego to start my teaching credential. I have only made a few appearances as a farmer since 🙂
What I hope to gain at GTA:
Friendships and what will be shared, created, generated by an incredibly motivated group of educators.
I am the Technology Liaison at John Hanson French Immersion School in Prince Georges County, MD. In addition to this, I also teach Technology Integration and English Language Arts at the middle school level. I have served on the School Leadership Team, advising administrators and teachers on technology-related matters. My main focus for this year has been on flipping the English class, and gamifying the technology class.
Outside of my work at John Hanson, I also conduct professional development for teacher recertification hours at the county level, on topics such as Google Drive, Google Sites, and Using PowerPoint in the Teaching and Learning Process. I have presented on various technology topics at the local, regional, and state level.
I am a doctoral candidate at George Mason University, with a major in Education. My upcoming dissertation, Using Technology to Facilitate Language Acquisition of English Language Learners, is rooted heavily in PBL.
Much of the learning that I do, however, is not from a textbook. It comes from inquiry and collaboration. I hope to reinforce these traits in my students, so that they can become life-long learners. My hope is that they are also able to transform passion into livelihood!
Interesting fact:
I also go by the name of DJ Sarah aka “The Ph.DJ.”
What I hope to gain at GTA: I hope to connect with other passionate educators from around the globe, and learn everything that Google has to offer in terms of education! I’m really interested to learn more about Google Glass, scripts, and Google Classroom.
I’m a digital literacy resource teacher in the York Region District School Board and pursuing an M. Ed. at Nipissing University. I’m passionate about changing elements of the educational culture by working with teachers to show them how technology can make their lives easier and provide more engaging learning for them and their students, and convincing them that they need to share the great things that are happening in their classrooms to support other teachers around them. I am also the facilities engineer, zamboni driver, and concession stand operator at my backyard rink (build, flood, shovel and provide hot chocolate).
Interesting fact:
The first time I got to see a polar bear [IN THE WILD] was when one of my grade 9 students in Arviat, NU, came up behind me on an ATV while I was walking and asked if I wanted to go see a polar bear. Of course I said “Yes!” Little did I know I would only be riding about 500 feet up the road! The polar bear was dozing on the ice beside the road I was walking on. Yikes! I did manage to see a few more in my time in Arviat, but it turned tent camping into a whole new adventure!
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I’m looking to connect with other leaders to find more ways to engage teachers in an inspiring educational future where teachers see themselves as co-learners with their students and are less afraid to venture into new modes of learning and collaborating.
I was born and raised in a small, and I live in a small town. Oops- quoting John Cougar Mellencamp, but it’s true! I have been teaching for about 17 years and loved every second of it. Currently, I teach STEM at a small K-8, rural school with only about 110 students. It is my little Utopia! I LOVE it! I get to be creative and create my own curriculum. I also work for our local Regional Office of Education where I provide PD services to area educators for all thing tech and curriculum related. I get to meet many great educators. I’m living the dream!
Interesting fact:
In 2009, I won the Illinois Computing Educator’s Technology Administrator of the Year, and got fired the next week from my district. I will tell you all that story! LOL
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I want to gain as much as possible to be able to fully implement google tools in my building and geographic locale. I want to be able to show teachers and students how to work more effectively and efficiently (smarter) rather than working harder. I also can’t wait to work with a group of like-minded individuals and develop a stronger PLN!
I was born and raised in a small farming community in Iowa(actually, all of Iowa is a small farming community). After college I moved to Kentucky, married a cute southern girl and live happily with our two crazy children. I am obsessed with technology and love some #deepgeekspeak. I am a PhD. candidate in the University of Kentucky’s School Technology Leadership program with an amazing #ukstl cohort that I am proud to call friends. I teach Media Arts at a one-of-a-kind school that strives to teach in a collaborative manner to foster creativity. I also co-lead #kyedchat on occassion.
Interesting fact:
I used to be a field corn inspector in Iowa. I know more about corn than most people should ever know. I also get bored easy and seek change often. I earned a Journalism degree in college, but went into ministry and eventually fell into teaching.
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I look forward to connecting with people who geek out about technology as much as I do. I want to learn more about how technology can be used to enhance student engagement and further learning. I also look forward to skills I can bring to other educators.
I have been a middle school teacher for 17 years (5 years in Newark, NJ and the last 12 in Middletown Twp.) I currently teach 7th grade Social Studies, but have taken on the informal role of tech coach in my building during my duty and prep periods (as well as before and after school.) I earned my undergraduate degree at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. My degree is in Radio, TV & Film and my dream is to one day write a screenplay that sells! I have a 9-year-old and 12-year-old at home who have also become Google obsessed (I am still working on the hubby!) I will hopefully be in a more formal tech coach role next year and will be helping to roll out the 1-1 Chromebook initiative in my large district. I would also like to implement “20% time” next year with my students!
Interesting fact:
This is not that interesting, but I have a chronic disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis, which limits the foods I can eat (no dairy, no peanuts, and limited wheat for me), so I am going to be that annoying person that has to ask what the ingredients are in everything we eat in Atlanta! On a lighter note, I am obsessed with the Beatles and my favorite show of all time is Buffy the Vampire Slayer!
What I hope to gain at GTA:
I hope to build my PLN and continue to learn ways to implement GAFE into all content areas, so I can assist teachers in my district. I would also love to learn more about Google Classroom and Chromebook implementation, as I was already asked to do PD on this in the fall! I look forward to being inspired by all of you, who already seem so wonderful!
Each year, our 4th grade creates a wax museum for their colonial period social studies standards. Students research a person from that time, write and memorize a script, dress as that character, stand throughout the school, and give their speech multiple times to visitors. This year the 4th grade team and I decided to try something different. We wanted to create a digital wax museum and expand the standards beyond the colonial period to the entire 4th grade social studies standards. This new project would use the augmented reality app, Layar, to unlock all of the digital projects that students created about their person from history. It would also be a collaborative project between 4th grade, art, and the media center.
Updating this project was a big undertaking, but we created a process that I think can grow and expand next year.
First, students came to the library and learned about the project. I showed them various digital resources that they might use for their research including Pebble Go and our state Galileo database which includes Encyclopedia Britannica. I showed them how they could search for websites within Destiny when they are logged in.
Next, I showed them how they could create a double column table in a Google doc. One side would be a space to copy and paste information from digital resources and the other side would be for putting the information into their own words. I showed them how to use the Easybib add-on within Google docs to document where their information was coming from. They loved this feature and so did the teachers.
Finally, students used a Signup Genius to sign up for their topics. This made topic selection fast and teachers were able to give a final approval to the person that students signed up for.
After that, students started their research. Most used their gathered facts to write scripts for various projects.
Then, they all returned to the library to learn about their project options. Students did not have to use technology to create their project, but they did have to use technology to document their project. For example, if they made a physical poster, they had to use some type of technology tool to record some information about their poster using their script. Many digital tools were suggested to students, but students were welcome to find and try their own tools. We suggested Chatterpix, Tellagami, and iMovie as main options. Students chose projects and continued working in class.
In art, students researched images of the historical events their person was involved in and created an image to serve as the trigger image for the Layar augmented reality app. The images were created with water colors, pencils, crayons, markers, and various other tools.
As images were finished, they came to me in the library so that they could be photographed and uploaded to Layar. I also printed each photograph so that we had a uniform size picture to scan in the hallway. This wasn’t necessary, but it was nice to have a smaller image to scan since some were large.
Students made multiple kinds of projects to attach to their image in Layar. Some chose to make gamis in Tellagami. Because this app lets you make 30-second clips, some students chose to make multiple videos to upload to Youtube while others used iMovie to compile their videos.
Some students chose to do the traditional wax museum project of dressing up as your person, but this time, they filmed themselves and uploaded to Youtube.
A few students created unique projects that no one else attempted. One student used Powtoon to make a Common Craft-like video about indentured servants.
Another student wanted to do an interview, so she filmed clips of herself as a news reporter asking questions and made response videos using Chatterpix. Then, she used WeVideo to put them together. Because the free version of WeVideo doesn’t upload to Youtbe, we had to do a screencast of her project in order to view on the iPad.
Another student used Songify to record a rap song about Martin Luther King. We converted his file in Any Video Converter and put it into iMovie so that it could be uploaded to Youtube.
Once students had a video or link to their project, they emailed it to me to upload to Layar. They could have done the uploading to Layar themselves but we wanted to test most of the Layar pages before we put them in the hall. Many people helped students with the creation and uploading of their projects. Many thanks to the 4th grade teachers, our grad assistant Carol Buller-McGee, our instructional tech specialist Todd Hollett, gifted teacher Heather Carlson, special ed teacher Haley Beaver, an EIP teacher Lee Rogers for assisting me with getting students videos uploaded and emailed.
Students worked with me to connect their links in Layar, put them in right spots on the image, and test them out. I went ahead and published our “campaign” in the Layer creator. You have to “publish” before the images will work when they are scanned. You can still add pages and links even after you have published.
We also uploaded all of the content to a Smore page so that families (and the world) could view the projects from home without Layar.
The 4th grade team and art teacher displayed all of the art in the hallway. Today, families were invited to stop by and view the gallery. I rolled the iPads to classrooms and took headphones too. Students came out with their families and showed off their projects and the projects of their friends. They showed parents how to open the Layar app, point the iPad at the image, tap the screen to let Layar scan the image, and watch the content magically pop up on the iPad screen. Several parents had already downloaded Layar on their phones too. There was excitement in the air as families experienced augmented reality for the first time. I overheard some of them saying how they wanted to go home and try it themselves. Others were amazed by the variety of projects that students made. I overheard conversations about social studies content but also conversations on how to use all of the tool that were needed to make this project happen. I loved seeing the students taking a leadership role in sharing with their families how to use the technology that they use at school.
Next week, classrooms will be invited to tour the gallery. I think we learned a lot from this project. One of the things that I loved most was how differentiated it was. Some students created multiple projects for their person while others focused really hard on one project. Students were able to showcase their strengths and interests, and I felt that every single student was fully engaged in this project. I hope that others found value in this project as well so that we can continue and expand upon this type of experience for projects next year.
Kindergarten is revisiting narrative writing at the close of the year. This year, they have also worked very hard on the standard
ELACCKW6 Production and distribution of writing: With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
With this standard as our guide, we have explored tools such as Storybird, Padlet, and Flipgrid to publish our writing. We’ve also used digital tools such as Pebble Go and the Capstone Interactive Library to gather information for our writing.
The Kindergarten teachers wanted to try one more digital tool, so I met with them to brainstorm. We tossed around a lot of ideas, but we ended up deciding to try a brand new tool called Chromville. Chromville is an augmented reality app that was just released this year. It offers 6 different coloring pages. Five of the coloring pages have a setting and a character and the sixth coloring page is a “create your own” character with no setting. First you color your page. Then, you use the Chromville app to select the matching setting and scan the page. Once the screen turns green and you wait 3 seconds, the character and setting come to life on the iPad and the character begins to move around and interact with the setting.
From my own experience with Kindergarten students, I’ve seen how visual they are, and I thought that seeing their character and setting in an interactive way might give them enough ideas to begin imagining their own stories. The teachers and I mapped out what we would do in the library and in class. It looked something like this:
In class, choose a setting and color it.
In the library, use the iPads and the Chromville app to see the setting come to life and brainstorm what to write about.
In class, begin the writing process by describing the character and setting as well as thinking about 3 events and a reaction that might happen in the story.
In the library, use the iPads to look at the Chromville character and setting again for more brainstorming and continue the writing process, including revision and publishing.
In class and in the library, share the final stories.
In the library, do a gallery walk of the all the stories by scanning the Chromville setting and reading the accompanying story
Four of the Kindergarten classes went through this process and it was very exciting to watch. I saw some of the longest stories by Kindergarten students that I have ever seen. Chromville was an exciting and motivating tool for them to use and they were full of energy when using it.
We did learn a lot about what to do differently next time. For example, we will probably opt to use crayons or color pencils next time rather than markers. We will also avoid black as a color since the lines of the coloring page are black. These black lines are the instructions for the iPad to read in order to generated the augmented reality scene. Students also need to be careful not to cross over too many of the lines or color so dark that the black lines can no longer be seen.
Along the way, we shared our success (and our failures) with Chromville, and they were eager to learn with us. We sent them images of pictures that didn’t scan for us and they started taking a look at them to better improve the app.
Today, Mrs. Boyle’s class Skyped with them all the way in Spain. It was so much fun to Skype with someone in another country, but it was even cooler to see the improvements that they are working hard to create for the next update of Chromville. We even got to see some upcoming Chromville projects as well as other augmented reality projects that the team is working on. We loved seeing how even a t-shirt could be a part of an augmented reality project. During the Skype, we also heard them talk about the improvements that they are making to the app. This was such a great connection to the writing revision that students had just gone through. It also validated all of the feedback that students have given about the app over the past few weeks. They heard from the developers that their feedback was making a difference.
We selected one student from each of the Chromville settings to share their stories with the Chromville team. Each student showed his/her coloring page first and then read the story.
Chromville currently has a narrative writing contest going on using the Greenland setting but Kindergarten is not eligible to enter. This was a way to still honor their work and let the good people at Chromville hear how fantastic a Kindergarten story can be too.
This is definitely a project we will try again. I’m thankful for Kindergarten teachers who took a risk with me to try something totally new. As usual, things didn’t work perfectly along the way, but that’s usually where some of the best learning happens. Even though there were some tears, it was a great lesson that things aren’t always perfect and we have to push through failure and learn from it in order to be innovative.
“Kids are genius. They don’t perceive limits or boundaries in the ways that hinder most adults. Their solutions to life’s problems can seem convoluted, indirect, and unnecessary, but often the ideas of kids can be the most profound.”
#Geniuscon gives kids the freedom to explore one question: If you could change one thing about your school, what would you do?
Mrs. Ramseyer’s 2nd grade classroom has teamed up with me in the library to explore this question. Mrs. Ramseyer and I sat down and mapped out some times, topics, and standards on the media center calendar. We wanted time for: brainstorming, question development, research, product development, and sharing. Our timeline spans from now until May. We devoted most of our time to research and product development.
I also met with Gretchen Thomas, who teaches at the University of Georgia. She has several of her students who are interested in partnering with us throughout this project. Their main role will be to facilitate students during the research process to help them think of all of the possibilities of where to find the answers to their burning questions. They aren’t there to give answers but rather to build bridges over barriers that students might face.
Today was our official kickoff. To start, we watched this video:
The kids immediately began yelling “Why don’t you just walk up the stairs?” It was hilarious. The whole point of watching the video was to bring up the idea that we often hold the solutions to our problems if we take the time to look inside ourselves rather than immediately yelling for help. We spent some time talking about the word “genius” and how we all have genius ideas within us.
Next, we read Rose’s Garden by Peter H. Reynolds. In this story, Rose travels the world collecting seeds. She finally decides to stop and explore a city where she discovers a patch of land in need of color. This is where she decides to start making her mark on the world by planting her seeds. Without giving too much away, her efforts inspire a community with her genius idea.
I loved how this book fit into our discussion of what it means to be genius. It moved us straight into our #Geniuscon question. Mrs. Ramseyer and I had already talked about how we didn’t want to influence how the kids answered the question, but we did want to give them an opportunity to brainstorm before they chose their focus topic. We put the question on 2 big pieces of paper and split the class in half. Each student had a marker to participate in a Chalk Talk, a silent conversation. All students began writing their responses to the questions as well as asked one another questions about their ideas. All of this was done in writing. Mrs. Ramseyer, Mrs. Vaughn (EIP teacher), and I all added to the conversation too.
After about 10 minutes, students mingled between the two chalk talks to cross pollinate their ideas.
We moved our 2 chalk talks to the floor and all stood around them. As we looked at or responses, I asked students to look for ideas that stood out to them or topics that seemed to be coming up. We identified ideas such as:
Additions to our school: adding more playground equipment, building a garden, expanding our school
Changes to rules: additional books on the max checkout in the library, additional “be’s” to our 5 be’s,
Technology: taking home iPads and netbooks, being able to bring technology from home, using our 3D printer
Behavior: addressing the bullying in our school, being kind
And more!
The pages were so filled with ideas that we couldn’t really talk about them all. After this discussion, we sat down for a big surprise: a Skype with Peter H. Reynolds! Peter was in Florida doing some work, and he took time out of his busy day to join us. After saying a quick hello, students took turns stepping up to the webcam and saying what they wanted to change about our school. Peter validated each student’s idea and even expanded upon the idea with his own thoughts. He encouraged students to think about how they could illustrate each of their ideas and turn it into a book, which the students are very interested in doing now. We will probably make this an additional piece to our project: possibly even an extension into the art room!
We closed out our time with Peter Reynolds with a friendly goodbye and the encouraging words of “connecting the dots” and “making our mark on the world”. We can’t think him enough for taking time to visit with us. He is such an advocate for allowing students to show off their genius and let their creative energy flow.
In class, students will begin to finalize their topics and next week they will return to the library to develop questions to prompt their research. What an exciting start!
As soon as we received our new Makerbot Replicator, Rita Foretich, our art teacher, began brainstorming ideas with me about how this tool could support the standards that she teaches our students in art. Rita is a great collaborator. She weaves in standards from students’ classroom curriculum into her art standards. Often, these projects involve the media center as well.
Currently, Rita and her student teacher are exploring kinetic sculptures with students. In art, they have spent time tinkering with a variety of materials that they might use to make a larger, movable sculpture.
Tinkering in art
A piece of these sculptures that students will create will be designed using Tinkercad and printed on our Makerbot Replicator 3D printer. We scheduled a session in the library to work on the Tinkercad design. Working in the media center allowed us to have plenty of room to spread out as well as maximize adult support. During each lesson, there were 3-4 adults (media specialist, art teacher, student teacher, and tech integration) to support students as they had questions. Of course, we encourage students to support one another, but it is nice to have adults supporting students as well with problem solving and collaborating. Also, to maximize our time in the media center, students did some flipped learning by watching this Tinkercad tutorial in advance at the closing of their last time in art.
Here’s what our time in the media center looked like:
1. Students met on the carpet for a quick reminder of our plan for the day. Mrs. Foretich gave them the standards we would work on: Creating sculpture using a variety of forms and working in teams. She also showed them how artists use technology to create their art as well as some images from the 3Dprintshow site.
A quick intro to how artists use technology to create
2. Students were organized into 5 collaborative groups. Each group had a Lenovo Thinkpad computer with a mouse. Tinkercad was already pulled up on the computer and each group had a username and password to use.
3. Students brainstormed their concept for a piece to add to their kinetic sculpture and took turns controlling the mouse. Adults guided students through problem solving and working together. As students had ideas for their designs, adults helped them think through their ideas and take risks to try to get their idea onto the drawing board.
Students quickly learned how to work together to problem solve
4. Students named their file before leaving.
5. I took student files and saved them as an STL file, imported those files into Makerware, and saved the file for 3D printing on the Makerbot.
We will repeat this process with all three 3rd grade classes. Students will continue to work on the rest of their kinetic sculptures in art. Mrs. Fortetich will create a schedule with me in the media center for students to come and 3D print their designs. We want each student to have the experience of pressing the red M on the 3D printer and watching their design magically appear on the build platform. Although all students probably won’t be able to stay from start to finish during the printing process, they will at least activate the print and see the beginnings.
As always, I was amazed by what students figured out in such a short time. One group really wanted to put holes in the top of the smoke stacks on a boat they were making. They tried several different things and never once got frustrated. I was fortunate enough to be with them at that moment of exploration and encouraged them to keep trying. After several attempts, they figured out how to put one cylinder inside another and make the inside cylinder a hole. It looks great in Tinkercad, so we’ll see how it translates to 3D printing. These same types of conversations were happening in every group.
Deep in thought
Ship with holes in the smoke stack
I also loved that we did not tell students what they had to create. The only guideline was that students work together to create something for their larger kinetic sculpture. Every group created something totally different from a block filled with words to a barn to a ship.
As usual, we are always crunched for time in school. This was a great first pass at using Tinkercad with an entire grade level. I’m hopeful that in the future we will figure out ways to increase the amount of time that students get to spend on their designs.
In the new year, I wrote a post about expecting the miraculous in 2014. I can honestly say that the expression “Expect the Miraculous” has taken on a life of its own in our school. Let me tell you how it happened.
To kickoff the second half of the year, we held a schoolwide assembly. The purpose of the assembly was to review goal setting, celebrate our unique talents, and to give ourselves permission to have dreams. It really was an amazing assembly. We had student performances, a teacher who played her violin, a youtube video from Kid President, and Martin Luther King Jr contest winners. The assembly was also a space for me to talk about expecting the miraculous. I read the excerpt from Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures.
“All things are possible,” said Dr. Meescham. ”When I was a girl in Blundermeecen, the miraculous happened every day. Or every third day. Actually, sometimes it did not happen at all, even on the third day. But still, we expected it. You see what I’m saying? Even when it didn’t happen, we were expecting it. We knew the miraculous would come.” ~Kate DiCamillo
I also shared synonyms for the word “miraculous” such as “extraordinary”. Finally, I told my own story of expecting the miraculous. My story involved our new 3D printer. From the day I heard about 3D printers, I expected that one day our library would have one. I wasn’t sure how or when, but I felt in my heart that this incredible piece of technology was something our students should have access to in school. About a year ago, our district considered purchasing a 3D printer for our school. It was all the way down to the ordering process, but something happened over the summer and it didn’t get order. Still…..I expected the miraculous. I wrote grants and began advertising the idea of purchasing a 3D printer. I publicized that a portion of our book fair profits would go toward 3D printing. However, this was a slow process and I knew it would take time to raise almost $3000 for a printer and supplies. Still….I expected the miraculous. Then, in October, Makerbot announced their partnership with Donors Choose. I immediately submitted my project and hoped for the best knowing that much of the available funding would most likely go to Brooklyn schools. Still…I expected the miraculous. Miraculously, our printer was funded overnight!
This is the story that students heard. I followed this with an invitation for them all to “Expect the Miraculous” with me. To capture our goals, dreams, wishes, and expectations for 2014, I created a Flipgrid. I gave them a quick tutorial on how to record a video into the Flipgrid by walking them through screenshots of the process. Then, I setup a Flipgrid recording station in the library.
Over the past 2 weeks, students have written about their hopes and dreams in class and visited the library to record. It has been an amazing process to watch. Goals have ranged from reading goals to behavior goals and from school-related to extra curricular related. I encourage you to spend some time listening to their miraculous expectations and feel free to click the + and add your own. Students have enjoyed coming into the library and listening the the videos on our touchscreen computer at the front of the library. I can put the Flipgrid on slideshow and it flips through each video throughout the day.
I’ve heard so many kids, families, and teachers using the word “miraculous” in conversations. Some students have even recorded their videos at home with their family. Our school embraced the phrase so much that we even put it outside on our sign.
One more miraculous thing happened. Kate DiCamillo posted an opportunity on her facebook page to ask questions about her books. I asked, “What miraculous things have you expected that actually happened and what miraculous things are you still expecting?” Here’s her reply!
We are a little over halfway done with our enrichment clusters this year. Every Friday, students across the school go to an interest-based cluster of their choosing for one hour. During this time, students explore a topic and develop products or services related to their topic. My cluster is called Makerspace Maniacs. So far this year, we have explored making with duct tape, building with cardboard, lego robotics, and 3D printing. After lots of explorations, students are making decisions about where they want to focus.
A small group of students is focused on lego robotics. Monica and Omarion are both committed to building a robot and programming it. They both have varying levels of expertise. Today, I asked another student, Ludwig, to come and work with them. Ludwig has a lot of experience with Lego Mindstorms. During clusters today, he worked with them to build a robot and program it. Although they didn’t get far with the programming, he was able to show the students some tips and tricks to get the robots to work the way they wanted to. I love using students as experts. They hold so much knowledge that we don’t even know about. Ludwig just happened to talk to me one day about Lego Mindstorms because he knew that I bought some. He used Lego WeDo and Lego Mindstorms in other settings and told me he was willing to help me any way he could with them. How exciting that a student offered his expertise without even being asked!
Other students in the cluster have decided to work on 3D printing. Over the past 2 weeks, they have used a new iPad app called Blokify. This app uses blocks to build a 3D object. It is very user-friendly to build a 3D object in very little time. Once built, the object can be ordered or emailed for 3D printing on your own device. Today, students really focused on coming up with an idea and using the blocks to build. While they were using the app, I started a Google Doc, which I will share with them, to collect what we love, wonder, and want to change about the app. One service they will offer as a part of the cluster is to share this info with Blokify.
Today, we were also tweeting with Blokify and students were able to respond to their tweets. Such fun!
Students prepared several files that they emailed to me. I have them ready to go for 3D printing next week. We’ll be printing a pirate ship, a Trojan pig, and a castle among other things. As we progress, these students will also think about how they see this app fitting into what they are already doing in class. We’ll come up with some lesson ideas for teachers to consider.
We only have a few weeks to go, but our speed is picking up and our focus is narrowed. I know incredible things are going to happen with these students.
Today, the second student who designed a gem using Sketchup was able to print his gem our our Makerbot replicator. In case you missed the 1st print, you can read about Grant’s history-making print here.
Danny’s gem was quite different from Grant’s. Danny figured out how to make a square hole right through the middle of his gem. It was something we had wondered how to do, and he figured it out. This again brings to my mind the importance of letting go of the feeling of being an expert in everything before we allow our students to explore. Because Danny was given the freedom to explore Sketchup, he figured out how to do so much more than his teacher and I could have ever figured out on our own. Now his expertise can support others who want to try a similar design.
Before Danny pressed the bright red M to start the print, we made sure he got to choose the filament color that he wanted. We now have a selection of filament to choose from: blue, red, white, clear, black, yellow, orange, green, purple, and black. Danny’s gem took about 24 minutes to print. Now that we have an approximate time frame for printing these gems, we are going to try to get 2 printed during each class period over the next few days. Once again, students flocked around the printer and begged for their gem to be next.
I’ve also been experimenting with a couple of tools that will hopefully inspire some new projects with several classrooms. One tool is Tinkercad. I recently used Tinkercad to make a words with wings keychain. In her new book, Words with Wings, Nikki Grimes has some incredible poems that detail how a single word can help us take flight through its meaning in our lives. I hope that I can share this poetry with students, have them select their own “words with wings”, and create backpack pulls using Tinkercad.
Another new tool is Blokify. With this easy-to-use iPad app, students use a series of blocks to make pretty much anything they want. While the blocks are designed to look like a castle, space ship, or pirate ship, they can really be stacked into anything in a Minecraft-like style. The files can be emailed from the iPad to be imported into Makerware. I hope to do storytelling projects with teachers around student-designed settings and/or characters. With the blocks all being the same size, there is also great potential to use this for perimeter and area in math.
I love how ideas keep naturally surfacing within our standards and explorations. It’s not about what we can 3D print. It’s about what we are learning about, what we want to create, and how 3D printing might support that.
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Expect the Miraculous 