Note:
Assignment Discussion for iEducator2, and also promised to my Voxer PLN for them to use as they see fit for their “Getting Connected” Presentations! Next month's blog /reflection will center around what types of resources a connected educator may find as a result of being connected!
It was fall of 2011, and the first day of health classes of which I had three sections. Facing me were 32 students in every section. I had no student textbooks, no access to computers, and no real teaching materials to pull from. I was a part-time health teacher since Physical Education was my main content area. WP had a strict policy in which neither students nor teachers could access their phones at any time. My iPhone3 stayed in my desk drawer. Also, PLC’s didn’t exist, and I had no idea what a PLN was. I will have to say this was one of my least favorite teaching years. Observations were not a pleasant experience, and after much reflection I came to the conclusion that nothing could be done! Like Mr. Sullivan, from Teacher as an Architect, classes were based upon reading text, answering questions, reviewing, and test taking. My failure rate was entirely too high!
Fast-forward to 2012 – The Introduction to Red/Zone - Green/Zone for phone usage at WP! Talk of BYOD, and a partial set of textbooks arrives. Although we now want to Ditch That Textbook, I will have to say that to have the structure of the textbook, and big ideas to draw from has been extremely helpful! The occasional use of the phone for a lesson was new, refreshing, and intriguing to say the least. The majority of lessons still consisted of reading text, answering questions, reviewing, and test taking, but there was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel!
And then it all truly began, June 2013, my first iEducator2 professional development day with Tom Gavin and John Kuglin. Mind Blowing - a game changer regarding my teaching, and how my students would now learn! It was an amazing experience to learn with those that would soon become part #Techcsd as it’s inception was August 2013. The scramble for a laptop cart to use in the gym was on, as I didn’t want my Physical Education students to miss out of all the great tech tools to improve their fitness levels and understandings of fitness. Signing out the computer lab for health as often as possible was part of my weekly routine! Oh – and the rest of the textbooks arrive!!
Fast-forward again to Fall 2015, and the first day of Health classes of which I had 4 sections, the most ever. A senior girl that had failed my health class in 2012 was assigned to me again and sat in the front row. We’re meeting in a computer lab, a student textbook for everyone, (but used only for vocabulary and as an underlying resource). I have an entire professional learning network to draw on, and a learning management system, a.k.a Schoology that assists me in taking the students anywhere that I want them to go! Class referrals are down significantly from 2011. During a recent observation 100% engagement was reported while working on a digital project, and using the concept of giving students the creative choice to produce something to share with our community, and beyond about violence prevention. By the way, that girl that had failed in 2012 was now completely engaged and thriving in health class!
I am now happy to get up and get to WP by 6:00 a.m.! The workday includes listening to my PLN for advice, tips, and suggestions on Voxer every day. As much time as possible is spent skimming over Twitter as closely as time will allow, and putting finishing touches on Schoology assignments. I am always looking for ways to incorporate tools that can help struggling learners, and for content that I can engage the accelerated student. Sometimes printing, or attaching awesome resources to use immediately to supplement my lesson plans. Finding and using the Genius Hour concept for the first time has helped make the class more engaging for the accelerated learner. I’m hoping that I can learn and manage groups within Schoology for 180 students to ensure the struggling students benefit as well.
I feel as if I have followed a similar path to Mr. Sullivan and cannot wait to complete a semester’s worth of beginner lesson plans. At this point, I can begin tweaking them to make the lessons rich with content and geared them to meet the needs of each learner at their level.
Thank you ieducator2, #Techcsd, and my PE/Health PLN as you have been steady, and ever-present force that has kept me going each and every day. I will have to say your efforts have touched close to 500 students over the course of my iEducator2 training, which was the point that I became truly connected. The feedback, thank you cards, verbal comments of appreciation from students, and Voxes I receive from other teachers in my PLN are so positive, are greater in number, and a direct reflection of your digital leadership! Being a connected educator has allowed me to learn from people all over the world, funny how it doesn’t seem so big anymore! Connected is the only way to go! Thank you all!
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Assignment Discussion for iEducator2, and also promised to my Voxer PLN for them to use as they see fit for their “Getting Connected” Presentations! Next month's blog /reflection will center around what types of resources a connected educator may find as a result of being connected!
It was fall of 2011, and the first day of health classes of which I had three sections. Facing me were 32 students in every section. I had no student textbooks, no access to computers, and no real teaching materials to pull from. I was a part-time health teacher since Physical Education was my main content area. WP had a strict policy in which neither students nor teachers could access their phones at any time. My iPhone3 stayed in my desk drawer. Also, PLC’s didn’t exist, and I had no idea what a PLN was. I will have to say this was one of my least favorite teaching years. Observations were not a pleasant experience, and after much reflection I came to the conclusion that nothing could be done! Like Mr. Sullivan, from Teacher as an Architect, classes were based upon reading text, answering questions, reviewing, and test taking. My failure rate was entirely too high!
Fast-forward to 2012 – The Introduction to Red/Zone - Green/Zone for phone usage at WP! Talk of BYOD, and a partial set of textbooks arrives. Although we now want to Ditch That Textbook, I will have to say that to have the structure of the textbook, and big ideas to draw from has been extremely helpful! The occasional use of the phone for a lesson was new, refreshing, and intriguing to say the least. The majority of lessons still consisted of reading text, answering questions, reviewing, and test taking, but there was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel!
And then it all truly began, June 2013, my first iEducator2 professional development day with Tom Gavin and John Kuglin. Mind Blowing - a game changer regarding my teaching, and how my students would now learn! It was an amazing experience to learn with those that would soon become part #Techcsd as it’s inception was August 2013. The scramble for a laptop cart to use in the gym was on, as I didn’t want my Physical Education students to miss out of all the great tech tools to improve their fitness levels and understandings of fitness. Signing out the computer lab for health as often as possible was part of my weekly routine! Oh – and the rest of the textbooks arrive!!
Fast-forward again to Fall 2015, and the first day of Health classes of which I had 4 sections, the most ever. A senior girl that had failed my health class in 2012 was assigned to me again and sat in the front row. We’re meeting in a computer lab, a student textbook for everyone, (but used only for vocabulary and as an underlying resource). I have an entire professional learning network to draw on, and a learning management system, a.k.a Schoology that assists me in taking the students anywhere that I want them to go! Class referrals are down significantly from 2011. During a recent observation 100% engagement was reported while working on a digital project, and using the concept of giving students the creative choice to produce something to share with our community, and beyond about violence prevention. By the way, that girl that had failed in 2012 was now completely engaged and thriving in health class!
I am now happy to get up and get to WP by 6:00 a.m.! The workday includes listening to my PLN for advice, tips, and suggestions on Voxer every day. As much time as possible is spent skimming over Twitter as closely as time will allow, and putting finishing touches on Schoology assignments. I am always looking for ways to incorporate tools that can help struggling learners, and for content that I can engage the accelerated student. Sometimes printing, or attaching awesome resources to use immediately to supplement my lesson plans. Finding and using the Genius Hour concept for the first time has helped make the class more engaging for the accelerated learner. I’m hoping that I can learn and manage groups within Schoology for 180 students to ensure the struggling students benefit as well.
I feel as if I have followed a similar path to Mr. Sullivan and cannot wait to complete a semester’s worth of beginner lesson plans. At this point, I can begin tweaking them to make the lessons rich with content and geared them to meet the needs of each learner at their level.
Thank you ieducator2, #Techcsd, and my PE/Health PLN as you have been steady, and ever-present force that has kept me going each and every day. I will have to say your efforts have touched close to 500 students over the course of my iEducator2 training, which was the point that I became truly connected. The feedback, thank you cards, verbal comments of appreciation from students, and Voxes I receive from other teachers in my PLN are so positive, are greater in number, and a direct reflection of your digital leadership! Being a connected educator has allowed me to learn from people all over the world, funny how it doesn’t seem so big anymore! Connected is the only way to go! Thank you all!
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