Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, Paso Robles will be hosting a CUE event — Express RockStar. I am fortunate enough to be able to be one of the presenters. Those in my session will be learning about a handful of Web Tools and Chrome Extensions. You can check it out here:
I was like many of you in thinking that I cannot handle one more social network. I don’t even use the ones I have. I now see it completely differently! Twitter has been such a huge change/help/benefit to me and my students. It has become one of my most valuable assets. I know, it sounds dorky, but it’s true.
Yes, you can follow Celebs, but why when there are so many fabulous educating rockstars out there!? Many of educators use Pinterest, and chances are you do too. This is the next step. Instead of just pinning what you like, why not talk to the creator? Make connections. Instead of only collaborating with teachers at your site, imagine what a powerful teacher you become when you can collaborate globally! Your PLN (Personal Learning Network) no longer has to be limited by those you work with. The power of Twitter is that you create that global PLN!
Not sure where to begin? Well, after you sign up for an account (remember to post a profile pic. You will get taken more seriously without the default egg) find some educators to follow. Feel free to check me out, and see who I’m following.
Twitter uses # (hashtags). They are sort of like the main idea or topic of your comment (or question). Many hashtags meet and have scheduled discussions. I personally attend #caedchat, they meet Sunday evenings from 8-9 PST. This is a group of educators from CA, and we discuss relevant issues in CA. The hour literally flies by. Not sure how to find it, just type in #caedchat in the search. Check out what’s going on. They have hashtags for each grade level, disciplines, states, etc. To help you find # and chats that you might like check out this link: http://goo.gl/WS7Zo
By now I’m sure that I have piqued your interest. So here’s what you need to do:
- Go to twitter.com and sign up.
- Follow at least one person (I’m @NowaTechie). Many of your favorite bloggers are on Twitter, follow them.
- Post a pic. Most people will not follow you back unless you have a pic. The egg just doesn’t cut it.
- It will keep asking you to follow people, once you follow one, you can skip ahead.
- Search for hashtags and find more people to follow that way. Example: in the search box type: #3rdchat This will lead you to all ‘tweets’ related to 3rd grade. Most of the tweeters will be 3rd grade teachers.
- Not ready to post yet? That’s fine. Just sit back and observe. You’ll learn a lot and get links to many great sites.
- Post a tweet when you’re ready. It can be as simple as “Hi, I’m new to this. I teach…”
- Any questions? just ask. Everyone on Twitter is eager to help and share our knowledge.
It’s Beyond Me
That’s a phrase I often hear when I am talking to other teachers about technology in the classroom. As much as I want to help others, I can’t help but feel that many are intimidated by my knowledge. When I begin to share information or ideas, many of my teacher friends seem to automatically assume that they cannot do it, and that technology is only for those who have the “know-how’. I assure you, this is NOT the case! Everyone can, and most likely does, integrate technology in the classroom.
Today I was speaking with a friend, and urging him to attend a CUE RockStar event in the area that is coming up. I was telling him about the great presenters (of which I am one), opportunities, and benefits that will come with attending. His immediate response was, “Well if _______ (another presenter and mutual friend) is there, then it’ll be above my head.” I assured him that that would not be the case for my session (I cannot speak to other presentations). He said he’d check it out, but I am still worried at the perception we techie educators are giving off.
I know that none of us intentionally tries to intimidate others with our passion, but I fear that this is happening and is keeping those who feel less comfortable with technology at bay. What can we do to help newbies feel more comfortable? What can we do so that others see that the technology is within their scope? This same person expressed slight frustration when describing a time when he asked for help. He said that he felt that the person who was helping him BEGAN above his head. How many of us have done that? Without meaning to? Maybe we need to stop assuming what someone already knows, and begin at the beginning. I know it sounds silly or obvious, but I bet I have assumed someone knew more than they really did. And I most likely made them feel uncomfortable, for which I am sorry.
And as much as I understand about technology, there is a TON I don’t know or understand. I am a dolt when it comes to spreadsheets. There have been many instances where I felt way out of my league in some tech conversation. So rest assured, you are not the only one who has felt that something is beyond you. My advice? Ask questions, a lot of them! When you attend a conference or PD, find one thing that you can bring back to your classroom. Focus on one or two things. It is easy to become overwhelmed and feel lost, so by focusing on one or two key points, you will feel successful and will WANT to learn more. After all, that is the goal — amassing information.
And this I promise to you…I will not assume you know more than you do. If I do, PLEASE stop me and remind me of my promise. We’re all in this together.
GP Earth Day Contest
So Earth Day is upon us, and we need to celebrate. At the risk of sounding ‘cliche’, we only have one earth, we need to take care of it.
In celebration of Earth Day, Georgia Pacific is sponsoring a lesson plan contest. Lisa Dabbs from Teaching With Soul, is helping with this endeavor.
And in honor of Earth Day (okay and in hopes of winning), I have submitted a lesson Plan (NowaTechieEarthDayLessonPlan). In short, students will create PSAs and present them in class.
Math Review
Just in case there is any doubt, I still hate (and am completely opposed to) standardized test. Yes, it is somewhat hypocritical to protest these and then prepare them in such an archaic way. I struggle, especially this time of year, with this. Most of the year I am an innovative educator proud of what my students do. This time of year, I feel like the worst teacher ever. However, these games allow students to remain engaged. So in a few short weeks, I can stop hating myself, and get back to normal.
Testing – 5th Grade Review
Sadly, testing is a part of our teaching lives. I could go on about the Testing Craze, but this is not the reason for this post. So, whether I like it or not, my students will be testing very shortly, like in 2 weeks shortly. In order to help them prepare, I have used a template of the game Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The template was created by Mark E. Damon. I am in no way taking credit for his hard work.
So tomorrow, my 5th graders will review some Language Arts concepts — questions came from CA Test Release Questions. So if you’re a 5th grade teacher in CA preparing for the CST, feel free to use in your classroom!
Reflections of IEASC
Six months ago I began a journey into a certificate program, Innovative Educators Advanced Studies Certificate. I first became aware of it late last summer via Twitter. The description sounded interesting and right up my alley. It was incorporating technology into the classroom. What a ride it has been, and now it’s over. And I’m feeling a little sad about it.
When others heard that I was taking classes, they immediately assumed I needed to move over on the salary schedule. I still find that such an odd response. I know many people do that, but we should also take courses in things that we are interested in. I could go on about that, but will save that for another post.
So here was the deal, 6 months to do 9 classes. Looking back at it, it sounds like a lot, but fortunately for me I liked the topics, enrolled, and didn’t really think too much about it. I’m really glad I didn’t! I think if I had really thought about it, the amount of work would have scared me off. In retrospect, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Yes it was work, but well worth it. I met some fabulous educators who inspired me, who made me work hard, who made me think more, and who made me a better teacher. Our cohort was small, 9 students and 2 lead learners.
Last Wednesday, we had our last synchronous session together. We each presented our ePortfolios we had been keeping for the course. It was amazing and inspiring to see everyone’s hard work and dedication. Then came our final good-bye’s. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I can say that it left me feeling a little sad. I realized, okay maybe it just hit me, that I would no longer be working with these people on a regular basis. I mean it has been 6 months of collaborative projects, discussion boards, and synchronous sessions, now nothing. Many of them are on Twitter, and I follow them. I’m pretty sure I will see a few at CUE events, like CUE RockStar, and that will be good to connect. But in the end, I was a little lost.
Since our last meeting, I’m getting into a new routine. One that does not include homework, well at least for a while. Now I’m thinking of going back and getting another Master’s Degree. This time it would be in Instructional Technologies, or something along those lines. Overall, it was an awesome experience, and I am now looking forward to many new adventures!
Forwarding on Gmail
If you’re anything like me, you have at least 10 email accounts. Keeping up with all of them can be a struggle. Fortunately, I can forward all my Gmail accounts to my main account — which happens to be a Gmail account too. It’s easy, here’s how:
Create a Google Account
It is possible to create a new Google account and link it to an existing account. Here’s how:
There is also a way to have your Google account forwarded to another account. That lesson is coming soon.
Nowa Techie 