When it comes to technology, sometimes less is more.

“You don't have to be weighed down with so many tools around your belt,” says Cori Coburn, Educational Technology Support Manager for Austin Community College District in Texas. “I say you need just a ‘FEW’–frequently executed well-focused–tools to help you to be productive for your teaching and learning. You don't have to be a jack-of-all-trades. You need to be focused, not just have a breadth of different tools, but a depth in understanding those tools.”

Coburn encourages edtech users across her district–and beyond–to deeply learn chosen tools, participate in multiple trainings, and remain flexible as technology evolves. This approach has helped her serve Austin Community College's extensive network of 11 teaching and learning centers, which serve as physical spaces for staff and faculty technology support, as well as offer equipment checkout, software application training, and guidance on integrating technology for teaching and learning.

For this ongoing work, Coburn, who is also the current president-elect of TCEA, was recently recognized with the Innovative Educational Technology Support Manager Award at the Tech & Learning Regional Summit in Austin, part of the Innovative Leader Awards.

Coburn discusses how she handles the importance of team diversity and collaboration, and the necessity of K-12 and higher education partnerships.

Diversity Drives Success

“I think when people talk about technology and education, sometimes we pass over the human connection,” says Coburn, who oversees a team of more than two dozen direct reports. “That is the part that will not be replaced by AI. The sympathy, the empathy, the being able to communicate clearly and understand what's being given to us. Being able to be flexible in times when that is called for, and encouraging of others. Just because this is not your background doesn't mean that you do not belong.”

With a large team spread out, managing it all presents challenges on multiple fronts.

“My biggest challenge is that I've never been able to get my entire team at the same place at the same time because when we're working, we are continually providing support for the district,” says Coburn. “I think that kind of takes away from their ability to be a more cohesive team because some of them have never met face to face.”

Even if she can’t bring her team together physically, Coburn relies on their diversity to handle their responsibilities.

“Diversity seems to be a bad word depending on who's having the discussion but it has made my team extraordinarily strong,” says Coburn, who adds personnel ranges from recent college graduates to retirees returning to the workforce. “Everybody doesn't have to be knowledgeable in the same thing, but you do need to know who has more expertise in that thing to help you out. And because we are so diverse, we can serve a larger audience not just with our communication and language skills but with our experience and being able to make a connection.”

Partnering With K-12

Coburn says one of the best aspects of a partnership between K-12 and higher ed is that it allows educators on both sides to share ideas and drive innovation. In addition, it also provides valuable experiences for students.

“If you have the opportunity to collaborate with higher ed and you're in K-12, do it because not every student will graduate with a degree, but a lot of students who come out of K-12 will have some exposure to vocational or higher education who have partnerships with local industry, as well as different vocations and jobs,” she says.

To that, Austin Community College District has a Make It Center, which Coburn describes as “a maker space meets technology and vocational spaces.” It offers K-12 students access to technologies such as 3D printers and drones, and supports how those are used in real-world, local industries, such as manufacturing and health care.

“Just to get that hands-on experience with the technology that's being used in local industries without having to be enrolled in the class or any special program, I think benefits the local school districts,” says Coburn.

Bringing Everyone To The Table

When it comes to purchasing a digital solution for an entire district, Coburn says the long-term success is often decided before it even arrives on campus.

“The teachers who would be using a tool or software every day, they first hear about it and they say, ‘Oh, we got this new thing. And if I didn't have a say in it, I may not want to contribute to its use. I may not find its value. I may not see how it can help me or my co-workers.’ And it's just no buy in,” she says.

To get that early buy in, Coburn recommends bringing as many stakeholders as possible to the table during purchasing processes. “Yes, administrators are very important,” she says. “But the teachers, the aids, the parents, the librarians, other stakeholders, all need to have a say in that technology, how that technology is used and what kind of financial investment that technology is to the school district. Sometimes this bright shiny thing that looks good and now is at a reasonable price because it's almost obsolete technology.”

Ultimately, Coburn encourages everyone to “stay focused because everything we do is for the students, and those who can't keep up will get left behind and advantage will go to those who don't have the same challenges.”

Tools They Use

Coburn shares her FEW favorite tools:

• Scite.ai: “AI-powered research tool that elevates how I locate, evaluate, and cite academic sources. I use it to verify the strength of claims in research, find credible evidence to support instructional content, and stay current on trends in pedagogy and educational technology. It saves time and improves academic rigor in course design and professional development sessions.”
• Canva: “My go-to for designing engaging, accessible learning visuals, flyers, and multimedia content. Whether I’m creating workshop materials, tutorials, or graphics for social media, Canva’s intuitive interface and rich library help me quickly produce professional designs that enhance communication and visual learning without needing advanced design skills. It provides a wide range of visually engaging design tools while making it simple to incorporate accessibility best practices into all my projects.”
• Chat GPT: “My go-to OG generative AI tool. It helps me brainstorm ideas, draft communications, create training scripts, and answer technical or instructional questions on the fly. It boosts my productivity, supports team collaboration, and allows me to scaffold AI literacy in my department. I also use it to explore how faculty can use it to support student learning and help staff build ethical AI integration practices.”
• Asana: “The project management tool that keeps my team aligned across campuses, departments, tasks, and timelines. I use it to manage portfolios, assign tasks, track progress, and streamline operations for multi-campus support. Asana’s transparency and organization features make it easier to prioritize requests, meet deadlines, and coordinate our efforts with instructional designers and other district departments.”
• All things Adobe Creative Cloud (fave apps are Premiere Pro and Firefly): “Adobe tools empower me to create rich, multimedia instructional content. I use Premiere Pro for producing high-quality video tutorials and faculty training modules, and Firefly for generating creative assets quickly using AI. These tools support faculty and staff who want to create their own learning media, giving our artifacts for teaching and learning a polished, professional edge.”

Building a strong foundation in Algebra 1 is critical to students’ success in higher-level mathematics and in college and careers. But Algebra can be challenging to learn — and teach.

I moved from teaching seventh grade to teaching Algebra 1 at West Jones High School (WJHS) in 2016, which was the same year the state department of education introduced new college- and career-readiness standards for mathematics. While I was excited about the new standards, the textbook we were using was old (my colleague said it was the same one she used in high school), and our students struggled with the rigor required.

In the spring of 2017, only 37% of WJHS students scored at the proficient level or above on the state Algebra 1 assessment. We knew we had to raise our scores, so we took a different approach in 2017-18 and our school’s Algebra 1 proficiency rate jumped to 59% — a gain of 22 percentage points. In my Algebra 1 classes, my students’ proficiency numbers jumped from 38% in 2017 to 66% in 2018 and have been climbing ever since.

Here are a few tips and lessons learned in our efforts to turn our scores around.

Teach with rigor using standards-aligned resources

No matter what subject I have taught, I have always added to the curriculum provided by the school district to enrich the quality of my instruction and provide meaningful content to students. So, when the Mississippi Legislature funded a supplemental program called Math Nation and made it available for all Mississippi public schools to use if they were interested, my colleague and I decided to try it out to supplement our district’s textbook.

When I moved to the online math learning platform, I had never had so many resources readily available that aligned with our state standards. I had access to guided lesson notes along with lesson videos, practice, activities, and assessments for my students. I must admit, I was a little overwhelmed at first. So, I decided to try one thing at a time and built from there.

As I dug into the Algebra 1 resources, I realized that the year prior, I had just been skimming the surface. Now we get very deep very fast, and the content spirals and builds so students can reinforce and deepen their learning each time they return to a concept.

Whatever program you choose, use it with fidelity

My students and I use the Math Nation platform every day, and we use every component. That fidelity is important for student buy-in. Once my students see that I’m fully committed, they get behind it, too. Now, even when they struggle with a problem, they say, “Let me do this. I know I can do it.”

Meet students where they are and build from there

Every group of students that arrives in my classroom is different. Even if some learners aren’t quite ready for Algebra 1, I know they can do the work with the right supports. At the beginning of the school year, we often use the On-Ramp tool within the platform’s student dashboard to help diagnose and remediate gaps in foundational math or pre-algebra concepts. Each learner can also access these individualized remediation tools to address any unfinished learning they may have that relates to the content a unit will cover.

Within each unit, students can also access content videos with examples and practice problems. They can choose from multiple instructors who teach the same material but in different ways and at different paces. If students miss school, I can ask them to watch the videos at home, which frees up my time since I no longer have to stay after school to help them with makeup work. I also like watching the videos to view different teaching styles so I can find ways to relate to my students who learn in different ways.

Establish a professional learning community (PLC) to foster collaboration

I set up an official Algebra PLC meeting on Thursdays at WJHS, and I continue to facilitate this group today. Outside of our weekly meetings, we talk almost daily. Over lunch or in the hallway, we chat about what’s going on in our classrooms, and where students are struggling or doing really well. We share teaching strategies and activities, and brainstorm ideas. Thanks to our ongoing collaboration, we continue to grow in our teaching skills and expertise in Algebra 1.

Use data to monitor progress toward the standards and drive decisions

At the end of every nine weeks, we do a common assessment across our district. This allows us to see how our students score on each standard so we know where to intervene. We share our data in our PLC so we can dig into what worked well and what didn’t, and help each other improve. If we need to provide more practice to students on a particular standard, we can also look up where it has been or will be covered in the online platform and pull resources as needed.

Achieving steady growth

Over the last seven years, our PLC and online math platform have changed my teaching. Previously when I was teaching seventh grade, I felt like I was on an island by myself. Now, I have seen my dream come to life as I work collaboratively with my colleagues to improve student experiences and build a community that’s excited about math.

Our test scores show that our efforts are working. On the 2024 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), 75% of WJHS students scored at the proficient level or above in Algebra 1. This not only exceeded the state average of 67%, but it surpassed the proficiency rates of our district’s other two high schools as well.

Our accomplishments are all centered on our love for Algebra 1. I have never taught as deeply as I do now. My students are engaged, and they’ve gained confidence in their abilities because they are experiencing success in a rigorous class. They see themselves as capable mathematicians, which sets the stage for successes here and wherever they go in their futures.

• Photomath: How to Use It to Teach
• Best Math Sites and Apps for Education

Lucidspark is a smart interactive whiteboard that's designed around offering the best possible collaboration experience for its users. As such, this works really well for education with some class-specific features designed exactly for that use.

The idea behind this collaborative whiteboard is to offer the flexibility to either work in the class together or to do so remotely. So students work together, at a distance, but also can add their take when in class from their personal devices.

Thanks to plenty of app integrations and a free account option, Lucidspark is a great choice for anyone who wants an open and powerful whiteboard app to be used anywhere.

What is Lucidspark?

Lucidspark is made to work via a web browser so it is really easy to access on most devices, including interactive whiteboards and projector displays. It also offers app support with versions for iOS and Android, making it widely accessible to students via their personal devices.

When it comes to sharing ideas and organizing thoughts, Lucidspark is designed to keep that simple while everything is digital for the widest accessibility and easiest organization options.

This is a good pick to help get students involved in contributing when they might otherwise feel reluctant in a group scenario. Simply have them add their thoughts using their personal devices and work with them, as a group, on the big screen.

How does Lucidspark work?

Lucidspark lets you get started right away by creating a free account using a school email address. Once you login, there is a welcome page with boards you've created or options to make new ones. Helpfully, this has a selection of templates available with many tailored specifically for education.

Templates include mind maps, dot voting, brainwriting, Venn diagrams, flowcharts, and more. These are helpfully color-coded to make it easy for educators to differentiate between students when looking at what's been submitted.

The system can be used as a brainstorming space to share ideas as a class, including the option to add text, numbers, images, free-hand writing, sticky notes, and more. Thanks to the adaptability of the tool, this allows for some great creativity so teachers can make it work to suit the task at hand in their specific class.

Students can either come up to the board and interact, or they can add to the shared space using their own devices -- or a mix of the two as needed.

What are the best Lucidspark features?

Lucidspark has fantastic integrations, making it a really simple way to work within existing digital frameworks. That includes using Google Drive to store and access content, signing in with a Microsoft account, or working over video with Zoom, are all options, with plenty more available.

Everything is very easy to use with drag-and-drop as the main interface, plus lots of options, including sticky notes, arrows, lines, shapes, free-drawing, GIFs, and the ability to re-size simply. All that makes this very intuitive even for younger students to use naturally.

Tools such as Magic Sort are great for teachers, letting you arrange sticky notes by color, for example, at a single click -- convenient if you're separating groups by sticky note color.

The Presentation Builder tool is great as a way to take a mess of notes and organize it all into a single presentation to share with the class -- ideal for class projects as well as for teacher slide shows.

For teachers, it's east to monitor contributions so you can see at a glance if anyone isn't getting involved and hasn't yet added anything to the board.

How much does Lucidspark cost?

Lucidspark offers a few pricing options, including a limited free plan, individual, team, and education specific pricing options.

The Free plan gets you 3 editable boards, basic collaborative AI, presentation mode, learning center access, unlimited shapes, freehand drawing, emoji reactions, and more.

The Individual plan, at $9.95/month, gets you the above plus unlimited editable boards, premium visual activities, and 1GB of storage.

The Team plan, staring at $11/month, gets you the above plus touchscreen whiteboard support, advanced visual activity controls, chat, revision history, call other to me, guest collaborations, collaborator colors, voting, timer, facilitator tools, laser pointer, reporting shapes, profile shapes, and more.

So while there are a few options, the only one that gives you most of the tools you will need as an educator is the Team plan.

Lucidspark best tips and tricks

Group up
Color code groups and break out work into sections so everyone can work as a team but in sections, adding it all together at the end.

Collaborate at home
Give access so students can add to the board over a period of days, allowing ideas to grow and develop outside of class, to organize when meeting next.

Project present
Have teams project their presentations to the class so they learn how to organize their thoughts and ideas into a slide show at the end.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• Best Tools for Teachers

Miro is a collaborative app that makes creating and presenting information easier and more fun than a lot of other options out there right now.

The Miro setup isn't quite like any other as it combines so many aspects. Yes, it's a presentation tool, much like a virtual whiteboard, but it's also a flow chart creator, mind mapper, diagrammer, video conferencer, and plenty more. The fact this is now used by 99% of the Fortune 100 companies is a credit to how well it works.

For use in education, Miro represents a way for teachers to offer plenty of different ways of viewing information, as a class. But it's also a great collaborative tool that could be used by students for projects.

This guide lays out all you need to know about Miro to see if it could work well in your class.

What is Miro?

Miro is an online tool that combines a lot of features into one tool that, crucially, is easy to use. Imagine something that lets you present, create images, build graphs, video conference, show flowcharts, and plenty more, all while collaborating. Sounds complicated, but this does it while making everything intuitive, too. This in itself is a big part of what makes Miro special.

As this is a web-based tool, it's immediately easy to access for many people since it can be used with a web browser from nearly any device that is internet-connected. Miro is built to offer project management, which makes for a great collaborative space not only for educators but also for students working together.

Miro also has app versions for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, which delivers an easy-to-install option that you use natively on the device for which it is optimized.

How does Miro work?

Miro has you sign up for an account before you access it, either via a browser or the app for your specific device. Some helpful start-up tips and the ability to add colleagues to collaborate with are available right from the outset. You can then begin working on what it calls "boards."

Thankfully, you don't have to make a board from scratch, as the options are massive. Plenty of templates are available for you to pick from, which can help get going much faster and with some structure. Usefully, each is illustrated with clear guidance on how the templates work and what you can work with and edit.

Boards are all laid out in your saved work area, which can be organized as you need as well as searched through for specifics. A board is pretty intuitive, with the ability to edit using a toolbar to the left, change options with an upper left side settings section, and collaborate in the upper right with options such as voting, chat, and video calls.

What are the best Miro features?

Miro is intuitive to use and allows you a wide variety of ways to create, helpfully placed within templates to make that less daunting when starting out, or if in a rush.

Some useful tools include mind maps, timelines, flowcharts, story frameworks, and visual tables. You can also make notes on top of what you're doing and add comments -- particularly helpful when working collaboratively, and especially if not in person at the time.

The Smart Drawing feature is great for getting a professional finish even if you don't have much in the way of image creation and editing skills. This can detect rough shapes drawn by hand and tidy them up to fit, such as adding arrows and circles, so it has a more polished finish.

You can integrate from other apps to build your board, pulling in images, videos, emojis, GIFs, stickers, code blocks, Google images, tables, and more. Connectivity goes further with third-party apps also working within the tool, including the likes of Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

The Talktrack feature can be useful in education as it uses your device's camera and mic to display your face in the corner and then follows your mouse with a visual arrow. This is an ideal way to offer walkthroughs, either in the room or as a recording, for students to follow when they need.

How much does Miro cost?

Miro offers several pricing tiers including a free option.

The Free version gets you a single workspace with three editable boards, five Talktracks, more than 2,500 community made templates, more than 100 apps and integrations, and five AI credits per month.

The Starter tier, at $8/month/member, gets you a single workspace with unlimited boards, unlimited visitors on public boards, unlimited Talktracks, unlimited project folders, private mode, board version history, timer, voting, video chat, custom templates, private boards, high-quality exports, and 25 AI credits per month.

The Business tier, at $16/month/member, gets you unlimited boards for every team and client, unlimited guests on private and team boards, more than 2,500 advanced diagramming shapes, a planner, connections apps, blackout and voting controls, SSO, and 50 AI credit per month.

The Enterprise options are charged at a bespoke rate with more admin controls and even great depth of features.

Miro best tips and tricks

Teach together
Collaborate as a department to create and share templates that can be edited to suit individual lessons or certain topics, to be re-used across years.

Student build
Have students work on projects in groups, collaborating in class and online, before presenting the lesson to the class as a group using the tool.

Build guides
Use the Talktrack feature to build and save walkthrough guides as a way to have students learn before a new subject or get guidance as they need it when outside of class time.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• Best Tools for Teachers

With the plethora of new and diverse edtech tools available for teaching and learning, it is an exciting time to nurture innovation in our classrooms. Innovation is connected to the creation of novel ideas that have meaningful societal impacts, and involves essential skills that all students should master, such as the 4Cs of critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. 

As we prepare students for careers that do not yet exist, curating innovative learning environments will provide the space for them to develop their creative capacities. Many ways that we as teachers can approach fostering innovation are available within teaching and learning spaces. Here are four practical and actionable ideas to get you started.

1. Nurturing Innovation in the Classroom: Cultivate Entrepreneurial Mindsets 

Our mindsets impact the ways in which we think and act. And while successful entrepreneurs have different business and goals, they usually have similar mindsets in terms of thinking outside the box, trying new and different ways of approaching problem-solving, and being relentless in working toward making their dreams realities. 

We want our students to think in this way too, and to do, it is important to cultivate that entrepreneurial mindset as we nurture their creative spirits and encourage them to innovate while learning. This means designing learning activities that ask them to solve problems, question existing approaches, and create different ways of doing things.

2. Focus on Digital Fluency 

Technology has made innovation possible in ways that were once not even imaginable. We are already using generative AI use in the classroom with many more developments each day. 

Many of our classroom learning activities focus on helping students develop their digital literacy skills, which is great for growing their understanding of what digital tools are and how to use these. However, in classrooms that nurture innovation, we must move from digital literacy to a focus on digital fluency, which is necessary in building students’ capacity to use digital tools to create what does not yet exist. 

Students who are digitally fluent produce new, original, and exciting creations that are at the heart of innovation.

3. Leverage Design-Thinking Stages  

Many stages in the design process allow for the space and time to reflect on problems, think of ideas and test any, and come up with a final product. By leveraging similar design-thinking stages in our classrooms, we can nurture innovation in a systematic way, while using tried-and-true principles. 

Start at the problem setting stage where you ask students to reflect and think about their environment, what they would want to create, and who that creation will serve. For example, Siri and Alexa were developed to provide humans with information based on questions they have, eliminating the need for manual research of the weather, traffic conditions, recipes, etc. 

After students come up with a problem, they can engage in the ideation phase, in which they brainstorm and think through ideas for solving it. What would follow is prototyping and testing, and through all these design-thinking stages, innovation can evolve naturally. 

4. Motivate through Mistakes 

With so much focus on grades, assessments, and standardized tests, students are often stressed about perfection. This can stifle creative thinking as students may focus on doing only what needs to be done to secure an “A” grade. 

To provide an environment for students to truly innovate, they need to be encouraged to take risks and try something new, even if that means they make mistakes along the way. 

You can model this approach, showing when you make a mistake and using it as motivation. Students can then think about doing something in a different way, taking away or adding a component, or using alternative digital tools and materials in a design. This is what learning is all about, and what better way to approach it than using previous experiences and outcomes as a base for improvement?   

I hope you will be able to try one or all four of these ideas to nurture innovation in your classroom. Not only will cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets, focusing on digital fluency, leveraging design-thinking stages, and motivating through mistakes help build students’ interest and engagement inquiry, they will also have a stronger stake in the lesson, which will result in meeting learning outcomes.

• Developing AI Pedagogical Practices
• Supporting Student Collaboration

In a time when educators are struggling to reconnect students to their studies and reignite the joy of learning, the Leyden High School District 212 outside Chicago has discovered the perfect blend of personalized learning and interdisciplinary teaching through their innovative freshmen co.lab. 

The Leyden co.lab Identify Unit allows all freshmen to participate in an interdisciplinary curriculum that connects English, biology, global studies, health, and digital literacy. 

Using a design thinking process helped propel the Leyden co.lab, says Superintendent Nick Polyak and Brian Mahoney, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, who also believe this project-based learning concept can inspire students and serve as a model for other districts.

co.lab — A Paragon of Connection 

The Leyden co.lab helps students make their education dynamic while also connecting their studies to themes such as identity, community, and wellness.

“This process took several years of planning and investment,” says Polyak.”We allowed this amazing team of teachers to dream big, visit other programs around the country, and build something unique to our students and our community. When the hard work is being done at the grassroots level, it's easy to provide the funding and the support necessary to help them be successful.” 

Drawing from personal experiences and community involvement are key, but tech also helps facilitate the program. 

“When you walk into the co.lab classrooms, you will see wall-mounted video monitors with group seating. Any student can plug their chromebook in and share the screen with the group,” says Polyak, whose district has enjoyed 1:1 Chromebook use since 2012. “The technology and the furniture are intended to drive collaboration, public speaking, creativity, etc. During Covid, like every other school district in the country, we saw higher rates of failure. However, even during remote learning, the failure rates in co.lab were incredibly small. That community feeling and deliberate empowerment shone through in student success rates during that difficult time.”

Sharing their success created a lasting impact on students and their families. An exhibition is the culmination of the work learners have participated in throughout the year. Attendees can hear poetry, watch animated videos, and learn how a student’s family recipe can provide nutritional value for the human body. Sharing these student “artifacts” is a core tenet of the co.lab interdisciplinary education. 

“Our teachers and administrators spent countless hours brainstorming, researching, and conducting site visits to develop a program that brings several disciplines together in a unique way to build community, give students a purpose, and also provide significant academic outcomes for our students,” says Mahoney. “Providing the best project-based learning opportunities to our students in line with the curriculum is both an exercise in creativity and research.”

Support Starts at the Top 

“At Leyden, we have a district commitment to develop confident problem-solvers by providing students relevant and authentic experiences,” says Mahoney. “We let this commitment drive the vision of co.lab. The interdisciplinary nature of this program, along with the field trips and project-based learning, allows our co.lab teachers the ability to ‘check the boxes’ of the required content and standards while also extending that learning with real-world examples and experiences.”  

A supportive administration is key to pulling off such an impressive endeavor. At Leyden, co.lab teachers are provided substitutes to free up their schedule for full-day team meetings and common planning time.

“Leyden has a Board of Education and a school community that embraces and celebrates innovation and experimentation,” says Polyak. “We have clearly seen higher levels of personal confidence, community connection, public speaking and more. At the same time, our co.lab students have continually performed as well or better than their peers on state and national assessments. That program analysis has helped sustain and support this program.”

Results as Impressive as the Students 

Not only are students making their mark in the classroom, but Leyden is often contacted by community agencies—park district, township office, etc.—with reports of students taking positive action in the community. When asked about their motivation, they cite their time at the co.lab. 

“co.lab allows our students to interact with their community and tie their education to the towns they live in,” says Polyak. “They are not only learning their core academic competencies, but they are also understanding how they fit in their world and how to help give back.”

The end goal for an educator is to send students on to the next level as best prepared as possible for what life might bring.

“Our co.lab teachers are often approached by their colleagues who have former co.lab students,” says Mahoney. “A common refrain is ‘I knew they were a co.lab student because they were so prepared for… (fill in the blank).’ That is the dream for every teacher.”

How to Create a co.lab at Your School 

1. Assemble the Team. Find a well-rounded group of teachers and a supportive administrator not afraid of hard work. 
2. Write your Mission, Vision, and Standards. Use design thinking and resources such as NGSS, Common Core, and NHES. 
3. Gain Support from Administration and Community. Create a presentation and pitch to your Board of Education. 
4. Develop the Curriculum. Brainstorm, use outside resources such as Buck Institute for PD and ABCD framework, and team review instructional outcomes. 
5. Develop a Schedule and Committees. Divide time blocks aligning with class sessions, consider committees for roles such as resource, scheduling, secretary, agenda master, liaison, eagle time, and recruitment. 
6. Recruit Students. Connect with prospective participants and their parents. 
7. Launch the Program. Reflect, revise, and be flexible and ready to make tweaks along the way. 

• Innovation from the Leadership Seat
• How Project-Based Learning Can Increase Student Engagement

Student collaboration is an important aspect of teaching and learning. As we prepare students for career and college, we must ensure that they have experience developing soft skills, one of which is the ability to work with others. Many tools are available that can be used to engage in collaborative learning, but there are also the “nuts and bolts” in preparing students for successful collaboration. 

Focusing on the four main areas of collaborative work for K-12 teaching and learning is key, so consider incorporating these best practices as you create opportunities for your students to learn to work together.

Student Collaboration: Group Development - How do you choose group membership?  

Choosing groups can be tricky. Some students are more vocal than others, while others may be a bit reserved. You also have students with different interests and, as students get to higher grades, different motivation and academic goals. 

Whichever way you choose, it may be helpful to develop a preference inventory using Google Forms to match and/or mix groups by interests, experience, levels, personality traits, etc. You could also leave it to chance and use Random Group Generator. 

Topic Selection: How do you get students to agree on what to focus? 

Once you have groups, the topic and/or approach to the project will need to be decided. To ensure that one student does not solely determine the direction to go, and that each group member has a voice in the decision-making, you could have each group member prepare and record on VoiceThread a one-minute “elevator pitch” with their idea. Using VoiceThread will allow all recordings to be on the same slide, and group members can vote and comment on the idea they like best. 

Groups may also decide to take parts of different group members’ ideas and combine these to create a new idea for the group. This would also help students practice their public speaking and negotiation skills. 

Content Development: Who does what and how do you ensure each student contributes?  

Larger projects with different components work well for group collaboration because there are enough tasks to keep everyone busy. Have students outline the components of their projects, and make sure each group member can lead a certain piece. For example, there may be a research component, writing component, presentation slide component, and so forth. 

By using an open online idea board such as Padlet, each group member can have a space to organize and facilitate the content development for the section they are leading. And all of the project materials and links can be housed within one online space so every team member has access.  

Assessing the Final Product: How do you grade collaborative work? 

While group projects can be very exciting, in order for us as teachers to know how students are progressing, there needs to be an assessment piece. 

Typically assessing group projects can be challenging as often one or two students carry the load. However, by following the practices here, each group member will have an equitable role and contribution to the project, allowing you to use your typical assessment measure and rubrics to determine if the learning objectives were met. If you want to leverage digital tools to assess student learning, you can do this as well in a group setting.  

So many ways are available to engage students in collaborative learning opportunities with their peers, and although working with others can sometimes be taxing, when ideas come together, the end result is often more robust and complete. Try using some of these practices to set up your students for fun and seamless collaboration. 

To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here.

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On June 12, hundreds of New York City students, educators, families, and esports enthusiasts converged on the Intrepid Air and Space Museum in Manhattan for the finals of the first annual Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs-Mayor’s Cup. The event was a culmination of a months-long competition in which 2,000 students battled in their individual boroughs to advance, using Minecraft to reimagine New York City with inclusive, future-ready city spaces. 

Competing face-to-face in teams of five, students tackled challenges facing the metropolitan area by designing such amazing features such as more inclusive community centers, environmentally friendly structures, safety improvements, and much more. Along the way, they got to showcase their critical thinking and collaboration skills, as well as explore the critical issues affecting them and their communities–all while enjoying the fun of esports. The top teams from each borough advanced to the finals.

“We developed some scenarios and tasks for the students to compete and their build challenges were all around sustainability and environmental conservatism,” says Randy Asher, Deputy CIO, School Planning, Modernization, and Partnerships, for NYC DOE. “And then as the kids did this, there was a cycle for research and then a period of time, but a live build and then a period where they had to present their work, which is also an important skill set and some of what we want to prepare them for an industry.” 

At the finals, the five borough champions competed in the junior and senior divisions as their classmates, families, and friends cheered them on. The day also included notable speakers and gamers, a vendor zone, college and career information, a DJ, and prizes.

The 2023 Battle of the Boroughs-Mayor’s Cup winners:

Senior Champions (Grade 6-12)
Block-Hampton
John Dewey High School in Brooklyn

The Block-Hampton team from John Dewey High School was one of the more experienced teams going into the event, having started as a Minecraft club during the pandemic. “Originally, I just made it as a way for kids to de-stress and relax,” says coach and chemistry teacher Mashfiq Ahmed. “After school, they would log in on Minecraft and socialize because they didn't really have that opportunity during remote learning.” From there, it grew into an esports program that also does charity fundraising, professional development, and even has presented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. 

Despite that experience, participating in the Battle of the Boroughs final was surreal, says Ahmed. “I remember my kids walking into the Intrepid and seeing the stage and all the computers and the audience, and they were like, ‘Oh my god, this looks so professional!’”  

Even with the pressure of the live crowd, shoutcasters, and other competitors in the space, Block-Hampton rose to the occasion, displaying strong creativity and attention to detail. “What really blew me away in particular, and I think what blew the judges away too, was in their build they had this one little community center building, and they decorated the interiors with such detail and information about different cultures, which was one of the themes in the prompt,” says Ahmed. “They had chalkboards describing the different food and everything about these different cultures, and each floor represented a different continent–you had one for Europe, South America, Asia, etc.” 

The team also included accessibility features such as charging stations for electric bikes and a hydroponic fountain. “It was amazing,” says Ahmed, who acknowledges that he was very anxious awaiting the results. “And then they announce the winner and they say our Brooklyn Block-Hampton team and at that point . . . I think there's like footage of it all over Twitter of me just screaming and reacting and jumping in the air. And I ran to my team, who was all the way on the other side of the stage, and we started hugging, and they're crying and screaming and stuff. Like that was like one of the best moments of my life, witnessing that. It was just so memorable, with the loud music and all these people taking photos, somebody came up to us with a mic for interviews, and it really felt like we won the Super Bowl or something! All that was missing was just like confetti falling from the sky.”

Junior Champions (Grade K-5 Division)
58's Shining Stars
P.S. 58R Space Shuttle Columbia School in Staten Island

The all-female P.S. 58's Shining Stars, led for the day by assistant principal Lori Ann O'Connor who was standing in for coach Staci Balice, built a sustainable, accessible, resilient, and equitable world on a ferry that incorporated transportation that would not contribute to poor air quality. They used red stone to create power hubs for their world, and had electric buses, bike lanes, charging stations, walking paths, an area for service dogs, edible gardens, and a lot of trees and plants to filter air. They also incorporated water features to serve as air purification systems, while buildings and streetlights were powered by solar energy. 

Following their win, students met with elected officials, local media, and vendors, and went home with a trophy, certificates, Xboxes, customized game controllers, and other gifts. They also won LEGO kits and Microsoft gaming memberships for their school.

“It was a great day for P.S. 58 and our borough,” says O’Connor. “We are so proud of this winning team! They truly are shining stars.”

Building Partnerships 

The event came about as a result of a partnership between New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Public Schools, Minecraft Education, and C40’s Reinventing Cities initiative. It also kicked off New York City’s inaugural Summer of Games festival, a series of gaming events to showcase the city’s growing gaming community and industry. 

Multiple divisions across the NYC Public Schools also had to collaborate to make the event happen. “I think the fact that it was a collaborative multi-divisional effort is also something that we want to celebrate,” says Asher. “Sometimes when there’s multiple divisions involved, that's a little hard to coordinate, but all the teams worked together really seamlessly. And that was a powerful piece of this.”

Asher also credits his vendor partners for stepping forward on the day of the event to provide computers, gaming chairs, displays, equipment, and more. “Whether it was the controller or a bag of merchandise or a chair or some token or whatever, that they were giving to the students is appreciated because there's no requirement to do that,” he says. “But it was a nice gesture and helped bring kids together and feel like they were a part of something.”

Building Learning and Career Opportunities 

In addition to the obvious focus on problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills, using esports and a competition such as this creates numerous opportunities for students to build skills in other areas. And Minecraft, in particular, can be a really powerful learning and teaching tool, says Asher. 

“It's the one we chose to work with because it's got such a flexibility among different grade levels and what students can learn using it,” he says. “So for us, it was really a good opportunity to really extend opportunities for more kids. And that's really what this is about. How do we give them a chance to compete in something that they might be doing anyway? Kids are passionate about this, but when you start working at a competitive level and start working with teammates, you learn a new technique to do something and you learn a new skill or you want somebody who found a more elegant solution to something you were trying to solve for. And that becomes iterative and it becomes a learning process.”

The learning opportunities weren’t restricted to the competitors. In addition to direct participation, students were involved as shoutcasters (esports announcers) and other support positions that can become career paths. 

“There are all of these industry pipelines that you can enter from so many different lenses,” says Asher. “You can be on the design side or the interface side, or you can be the guy behind the scenes coding, or you can be doing the game graphics.”

Students weren’t the only ones learning. “Originally I started this for the kids but I've learned so much from them through this experience,” says Ahmed. “I've learned to embrace game-based learning and edtech more in the classroom because of it. And it was really cool because Minecraft in particular, so many kids are familiar with it. And I always tell teachers who might be hesitant, you’ve got to leverage that student expertise, which is really powerful because they don't usually get that opportunity in the classroom. It gives them some agency and accountability and when you put them in those roles.”

At the end of the day, the event was a terrific success for all involved, even those students who didn’t walk away with the championship.

“Not everyone can win, but everyone can learn,” says Asher. “And that's kind of the joy of this. That's the kind of outcome we were hoping for.”

Collaboration is one of the 4 Cs along with creativity, critical thinking, and communication. While helping students build collaboration skills may seem to be one of the most natural fits for K-12 learning, working effectively with others is not always a seamless experience. As teachers, we must be intentional in designing opportunities for students to engage in learning content with others, as well as collaboratively demonstrate their learning. 

As we know, technology is ubiquitous and has been used to continue teaching and learning when in-person instruction was not available. Moreover, technology, and specifically online learning, has really started to shape possibilities for expanding learning opportunities. Students can now experience cultures, places, and arts through tools such as Google Arts and Culture, build new and exciting worlds with Minecraft and Roblox, and create codes that can influence new experiences with Scratch. 

Using online tools to engage K-12 students in collaborative learning opportunities can be done through co-authored writing, team presentations, and the curation of shared online repositories.

Build Collaboration Skills: Co-authored Writing 

Writing in general can be a daunting task, however, when working with friends, it can be fun and exciting to bring ideas together. Writing together also reduces the pressure of producing alone. 

Google Docs and Microsoft OneDrive are online tools that both allow for shared word processing documents and are designed for collaboration. Both online tools are cloud-based, so there is no need to email drafts back and forth and the content is automatically saved. Also, students can work within the same document, at the same time, regardless of where each student is located. 

Using these types of shared writing platforms is great for collaborating while at home or when one student is in school and the other student is learning in a virtual space. A wide range of editing tools are available within both online platforms through which each co-author would be able to see changes made in real-time, leave comments that can be sent as emails to co-authors, and view version histories that are automatically stored. 

As teacher, you can also see who authored what sections, which is useful if individual student progress data is desired.

Team Presentations 

When students work together on projects, they are often required to present a summary of their experience and learning, and there are many great online presentation tools available to support this. For example, Google Slides and VoiceThread are wonderful options for shared presentation development. 

For live and synchronous presentations especially, using Google Slides allows for students to work together on slides in real-time within the cloud-based platform. The divide-and-conquer approach could be used so each student team member works on certain slides, or the entire team can work on the same slide together. Also, within the Google Slides platform there are add-ons such as Slido that can be added to slides to make the presentation more exciting. Each team member could develop a Slido poll question as part of the presentation to engage the audience members, that when put together, will be a comprehensive presentation. 

VoiceThread is an option for a voice recorded asynchronous presentation. Slides from Google Slides, along with other types of media, could be uploaded into VoiceThread, and then each team member can record their section of the presentation. Classmates and teachers can listen and watch the presentation at a time that is convenient for them, as well as leave text, audio, and video comments or feedback.

Shared Online Repositories 

There may be times when the final product must be submitted by each individual student, however, working together to share ideas and develop projects is encouraged. 

Depending on the project, different forms of content may be required. Online tools are available that can assist with both. For idea development, a shared Padlet or Jamboard would be useful. Students can each add their ideas, quotes, website links, and a wide range of multimedia content that their partners can use to develop their individual projects. For housing a large amount of content, including files, videos, and pictures, a shared online repository such as Wakelet would work well too. 

These are just a few learning activities that can be designed as collaborative opportunities for students to use online tools to enhance their experience and connect with classmates to meet learning outcomes. Give one or all a try in your classroom! 

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To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here

As a young teacher, Krista Herrera realized lesson planning wasn’t her strong suit. So instead of spending nights and weekends agonizing over that task and causing her students to suffer through her learning curve with her, she did something that is rarely done in education but might just be more effective than the latest intervention or any AI technology: She got help from a colleague. 

“I was super good at building relationships with my kids and running my classroom and making content fun,” Herrera says. But she noticed that a teacher down the hall was fantastic at creating lesson plans. She asked him to share and then came up with ways to enhance those lesson plans with class activities, strengthening the experience for students in both classrooms. “Together we could kind of create this super teacher,” she says. 

Herrera is now Administrator of Professional Learning and Student Support at Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Recently, she was honored with an Innovative Leader Award for the Best Implementation of Digital Curriculum at a Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit in California. She received the award in recognition of her efforts to scale up the kind of collaboration she enjoyed early in her career with that teacher down the hall through the High Quality Instructional Materials Initiative of the California Department of Education.

Thanks to Herrera and her colleague's efforts, the California Educators Together website offers vetted, high-quality and relevant professional learning, and lesson plans. Though these resources are designed for Californian educators and built with the state’s education standards in mind, all are available for free to educators everywhere. 

How California Educators Together Came Together  

Like many recent education innovations, the online resources and lesson plans of California Educators Together were inspired by the pandemic. When the lockdowns began in early 2020, teachers in California, like much of the rest of the country and world, were in need of high-quality online teaching resources. “Our county superintendent called and she was like, ‘I think we need to provide teachers with a ready-to-go curriculum,'” Herrera says. She recruited more than 100 educators to help build turnkey lessons that other teachers could turn to in the hectic early days of the pandemic. 

From this experience, Herrera began to see the potential for these types of teaching resources even beyond the pandemic. She started working with other educators to create high-quality lessons that took into account learning variability and are designed to serve all learners. 

“For me, it was really interesting in terms of the equity piece,” Herrera says. “It wouldn't matter what zip code you were in, specifically in our county, you would have access to this high-quality curriculum.” 

How Teachers Can Utilize California Educators Together

California Educators Together has many resources currently available, although the goal is to keep expanding to ultimately include one model unit for every subject at every grade level. This would serve as an example for educators who can then base other units on it.  

“We will eventually travel the state and get videotapes of teachers actually demonstrating these lessons in our classrooms to help people have a better picture,” Herrera says. This initiative was conceived after they realized that new teachers might need to see “teacher moves” in action to understand why a certain lesson worked. 

The initiative is also offering Lesson Design Institutes in which Californian educators can participate. Once they’ve been trained in this type of lesson design, they can earn money by providing their own lessons to California Educators Together. 

The resources featured on the site are available to educators anywhere and Herrera hopes to scale the model beyond the state. 

“Right now we're focused on California but the goal will be that eventually it feeds itself with educators across the nation, and everyone's kind of speaking the same language and we're working together to build this beautiful repository,” she says. “But we're just in the infant stages of making that all happen.” 

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To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here

Yo Teach! by the company Palms is offered as "the new alternative to TodaysMeet." So if you've used that before then you'll have an idea what to expect. If not, this is a collaborative workspace designed for education.

As such, you can use this online digital space, for free, to host your class and content all in one place that's easy to access for students. All that can mean less paper, less mess, and less confusion.

Since this is a free offering there is a stripped-back feel to the minimalist layout. That should be considered if you like more features, but it can also be a very good thing if you just want a tool that does the job you need and keeps everything simple so that it can be used by virtually anyone.

So could Yo Teach! be right for your classroom?

• Best Tools for Teachers

What is Yo Teach!?

Yo Teach! is an online-based collaborative workspace that allows educators and students to share, live, across multiple devices in a singular digital location.

Yo Teach! can be used as a message board for posting notices or asking questions and giving answers. But it goes into a lot more depth thanks to the ability to share media, such as images, which can allow for more complex conversations, notices, and interactions.

Usefully, this platform is online-based so nothing needs to be downloaded to get access. Nearly any device with an internet connection -- and not even a fast one -- also should be able to get access. That's ideal as this will likely be used by students outside of class time to check assignments and the like, which they can do using their personal devices.

How does Yo Teach! work?

Yo Teach! is easy to get started with as you simply need to input the name of your classroom and give a description before hitting Create Room to get started. Students can then be given the room's number and security pin, which they can enter at the top of the home page to get right into the room. Alternatively, teachers can send a link or QR code to give students direct access to the digital room.

The option to register as a teacher is available, which will give you access to the widest array of features, including the ability to create multiple rooms. In either mode, you have the option to turn on admin features that can be useful as a way to delete posts and generally better moderate the space.

Teachers can post polls, quizzes, and messages or images to stimulate responses from students. This can all be used live, in the classroom, perhaps to gauge feedback -- or for outside the school when students want to interact.

If multiple rooms are in use then it is something that will need to be monitored, closing the room when the purpose of the discussion has come to an end. Something to keep in mind as this can create work as well as help streamline it.

What are the best Yo Teach! features?

One of the very best features of Yo Teach! is how easy it is to use, which makes it a very quick tool to setup. It also means students can easily get involved without feeling there is any tech-related anxiety that might otherwise dissuade them.

This can be a great space for working and collaborating as a group, thanks to the interactive whiteboard option. This allows the educator to lead by placing images, text, and drawings in the space, and also offers the opportunity for students to add their input too. This can be a subtle way to get the more introverted students to work alongside others in a live and engaging manner.

The ability to take polls or set quizzes is a valuable feature to see what students think on a subject, or perhaps a proposed trip, as well as a way for teachers to check understanding of a topic or even to create exit tickets for the class. 

A helpful text-to-speech automation feature can be enabled to help those students who, for whatever reason, may struggle with reading the text on the website. Teachers can download the transcripts for a way to check what's been happening without the need for an internet connection – or even a device if you choose to print.

How much does Yo Teach! cost?

Yo Teach! is totally free to use. That includes creating a class near instantly with no personal data required. If you want to get the most out of this service then you will need to create a teacher account, which requires your email address, a user name, and a password to setup. 

While there are no advertisements on the site, what the company does with the information that students and teachers input is unclear, so that is worth keeping in mind in terms of privacy.

Yo Teach! best tips and tricks

Create a fact feed
Have students each input facts that they have learned on a subject outside of what's been taught in class with everyone sharing in a single space to enhance learning for all.

Vote in
Have students create their own poems, suggestions for a trip, ideas for class, and so on -- then have everyone vote on a winner to decide what to do next.

Silent debate
Show a course relevant video in class and have the students debate what is going on, live, using their devices as they watch.

• Best Tools for Teachers

Teachers in elementary, middle, and high school grade bands can co-create lessons and projects with their school librarian and media specialist while maximizing technology-rich media and information literacy resources. 

One reason why co-teaching works well is because each educator brings their strengths to the lesson. Similarly, when teachers connect, collaborate, and co-create learning activities with librarians and media specialists, deeper learning can happen. And, interdisciplinary content can be worked into more traditional assignments, which can be exciting for students and teachers. 

More and more librarians are serving in roles as media specialists, and physical library spaces in schools are transforming into tech centers and makerspaces. In some schools, there are no longer physical library spaces, and librarians and media specialists come to the classrooms for library and information literacy instruction. 

To guide this work, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) provides national school library standards on how to inquire, include, collaborate, curate, and explore as a crosswalk with Future Ready Librarians. 

These learning activity ideas align with the “Collaborate” stream focused on educators working together on shared learning goals with students.

Collaborating with School Librarians: Elementary School Lesson  

When working with younger students, collaborative efforts work best when families and even the surrounding community are involved. Moreover, using scaffolding techniques, and breaking down content for students, is developmentally appropriate. 

An elementary information literacy learning activity can focus on choosing a topic of interest, and using safe and trustworthy sources to search for information about it. The librarian or media specialist’s role can be to prepare mini lessons using Flip on information gathering from trusted and credible sources. Then, in the classroom, the teacher can have students search for information based on the topic being focused on in the class. 

For example, in social studies, the students can search for information about the city they live or have visited, or in English language arts, students can gather information on famous poets. The teacher and librarian or media specialist can co-create a template for students to use at home when they are researching information with their families. Families without technology access at home can be encouraged to use the local library.

Middle School Lesson 

At the middle school age, students are now switching classes, becoming more independent and responsible for their learning, and consuming technology and social media both during and outside of the school day. All of these things make understanding data privacy and responsible digital engagement imperative. 

The librarian or media specialist’s role can be to discuss with students issues of data privacy and how to properly communicate online, using an interactive slide deck through Slido. This discussion can pair seamlessly with a history teacher’s lesson on the Bill of Rights, its interpretations of it, and how this can impact engagement in public online spaces. With the support of both the teacher and librarian or media specialist, students can record a VoiceThread to share their position on the topic and summarize their learning. 

High School Lesson 

In preparation for career and college, students at the high school level are refining their information literacy skills to conduct research and craft research papers that are supported by cited scholarly sources. 

Librarians and media specialists can explain the different types of scholarly sources using a screencast, walking students through the different educational research databases. An English teacher can support students with how to provide in-text and reference page citations following APA or MLA. For coherence and continuity between the library and classroom instruction, students can be encouraged to use a Wakelet to curate all of the information gathered. 

The ways that teachers, librarians, and media specialists can work in concert to support students by co-creating engaging learning experiences is endless, and leveraging technology to strengthen information literacy skills across elementary, middle, and high school is a critical part of that effort. 

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Zoom Whiteboard is a new feature from Zoom that gives Zoom meeting participants the ability to collaborate in real-time right in a Zoom meeting. 

Easy to access and intuitive to use, Zoom Whiteboard is great for online or hybrid classes, meetings with colleagues, or small-group sessions with students. 

I’ve used Zoom to teach in the past, but in order to have students interact with material directly, I needed to incorporate an additional tech app such as Jamboard or use another Google Drive feature in some capacity. Now, Zoom Whiteboard fulfills most of those needs.  

What is Zoom Whiteboard? 

Zoom Whiteboard is a digital whiteboard that can be opened within a Zoom meeting. Opening Zoom Whiteboard is as easy as sharing your screen. Once the whiteboard is open, meeting participants are able to collaborate with one another in real-time using text, images, sticky notes, writing, and more. 

Educators can also share access to Zoom Whiteboard presentations or exercises they create before or after class, and can control whether students are able to edit a whiteboard or able to view only. The tool allows meeting hosts to create unlimited whiteboards, so there’s no danger of running out of space. 

How to Use Zoom Whiteboard?  

A key advantage of Zoom Whiteboard over other real-time collaborative tools is how easy it is to use if you’re already using Zoom to host your video meetings. The feature is part of all Zoom accounts, so if you are already a Zoom user no additional plug-ins, purchases, or downloads are needed. 

To open Zoom Whiteboard during class, click on the “whiteboards” menu item on the bottom of the Zoom screen. Once Zoom Whiteboard opens, your default screen will look the same as it does when you share your screen – the whiteboard takes up most of the screen, but your video feed and others are visible on the right-hand side. 

You can also get Whiteboards ready before the meeting or class starts by clicking on the “whiteboards” menu item that is available from your Zoom accounts homepage. You can create and share various whiteboards prior to the start of your meeting. Once you click on the “whiteboards” during the meeting, you’ll have the option of opening a new, blank, whiteboard, or selecting one of your preset whiteboards. 

Zoom Whiteboard Tips & Tricks 

The Zoom team recommends educators use Zoom Whiteboard in a variety of ways, including:  

• Hybrid teaching: If you use a digital whiteboard in class, you can write notes that can be seen by those in attendance or those watching from home. Both in-person and remote students are then able to interact with each other in real-time. 
• Lesson prep: Use Zoom Whiteboards to provide highlights of a new lesson that you’d like to invite students to comment on or interact with in some way. 
• Visual lessons and homework: The whiteboard can be used to create visual lessons that incorporate drawing tools and shapes and require students to collaborate with one another. These can also be used to assign homework for any mode of class. 

Zoom Whiteboard is also good for one-on-one meetings with students and brainstorming sessions with fellow educators. While there have long been other apps with similar capabilities, it is nice that Zoom Whiteboard now comes pre-loaded with Zoom and allows for such seamless and easy in-meeting, or in-class, collaboration.

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Social media sites and apps are a natural for education. Given that students today are digital natives and familiar with the details of these popular platforms, educators are well-advised to thoughtfully incorporate these into classroom and remote teaching. Fortunately, most social media sites and apps include controls to restrict the potentially troublesome features that tend to distract from learning. 

These social networking/media sites are free, easy to use, and offer rich opportunities for educators and students to network, create, share and learn with each other. 

Brainly
A fun social network through which students ask and/or answer questions in 21 topics, including math, history, biology, languages, and more. Students earn points by answering questions, rating comments, or thanking other students. Free basic account allows unlimited questions and free access (with ads). Parent and free teacher accounts available, and answers are verified by experts.   

Edublog
A free Wordpress blogging site that lets teachers create personal and classroom blogs. Edublog’s step-by-step guide helps users master both technical and pedagogical features. 

Litpick
A terrific free site devoted to promoting reading, Litpick connects readers with age-appropriate books and book reviews. Kids can read their peers’ book reviews or write their own, while teachers can set up online book clubs and reading groups. A can’t-miss site for educators.

TikTok
A relative newcomer on the social media scene, TikTok has exploded in popularity, with more than two billion downloads worldwide. The music video creation app is free, easy to use, and familiar to most students. Teachers can easily create a private classroom group for sharing fun and educational video projects and assignments.   

ClassHook
Bring engaging and educational movie and television clips into your classroom with ClassHook. Teachers can search the vetted clips by grade, length, series, standards, and profanity (you can’t choose your favorite profanity, but you can screen out all profanity). Once selected, add questions and prompts to the clips to get kids thinking and discussing. Free basic account allows 20 clips per month.

Edmodo
A well-known, established social media community, Edmodo provides a free and safe social media and LMS platform with a highly useful suite of moderation tools. Teachers set up classes, invite students and parents to join, then share assignments, quizzes, and multimedia content. Online discussion forums allow kids to comment, offer feedback on one another's work, and share ideas. 

edWeb
A popular website for professional learning and collaboration, EdWeb provides its one million members with the latest in certificate-eligible webinars, best practices, and research for education, while the multitude of community forums focus on diverse topics from 21st century learning to coding and robotics.

Flipgrid
Flipgrid is an asynchronous video discussion tool designed for virtual learning. Teachers post topic videos and students create their own video responses using the Flipgrid software. The original post plus all responses can be viewed and commented on, creating a vibrant forum for discussion and learning. 

Facebook
The most prominent social media site in the world, Facebook is a simple and free way for educators to network with their peers, keep up with the latest education news and issues, and share ideas for lessons and curricula. 

ISTE Community
The International Society for Technology & Education community forums are a great way for educators to share their ideas and challenges on technology, digital citizenship, online learning, STEAM, and other cutting-edge topics.

TED-Ed
A rich resource for free educational videos, TED-Ed offers much more, including pre-made lesson plans and the ability for teachers to create, customize, and share their own video lesson plans. There’s even a lesson activity page for monitoring student progress. 

Twitter
Everyone knows about Twitter. But did you know that this super-popular social networking site can be employed for education? Use Twitter to teach kids about digital citizenship, or combine it with third-party apps to extend its functionality. Hash tags such as #edchat, #edtech, and #elearning will guide education users to relevant tweets. Twitter is also an easy way to stay connected with your fellow educators and the top education issues of the day. 

MinecraftEdu
The celebrated online game Minecraft offers an education edition designed to engage kids with game-based learning. The STEM-related lessons can be individual or collaborative and focus on the problem-solving skills that students will need in every phase of their lives. Tutorials, discussion boards, and Classroom Mode make this a great place for teachers as well!

Instagram
This famous social networking site has been in the news lately, and not in a positive light. Nevertheless, Instagram’s popularity makes it a natural for teaching. Create a private classroom account, and use it to showcase lesson ideas and student work, communicate with kids and their families, and act as a hub for positive reinforcement. The platform is widely used by teachers to share their best classroom projects and concepts. 

TeachersConnect
A free networking site by teachers, for teachers, that features moderated community forums with topics including careers, literacy, mental wellness for educators, and more. TeacherConnect’s founder Dave Meyers maintains an active presence in the forums.  

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When Hagop Soulakian was hired to launch INCubatoredu, an entrepreneurial curriculum at Barrington High School in 2012, it was the first of its kind in a U.S. high school. He brought his experience as an athlete and a commodities trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and injected a sense of real-world into the program as it developed. A unique partnership between the school district, the district’s educational foundation, and local business formed the initial program. Then Uncharted Learning, a local not-for-profit, developed the INCubatoredu entrepreneurial education program to be available to schools beyond Barrington. It is now taught globally for elementary, middle, and high school. 

“Regardless of what field students eventually decide to pursue after high school, INCubatoredu provides them with the opportunity to develop their communication, problem solving, and collaboration skills – essential in today’s workforce,” says Soulakian. “I wanted to encourage students to go where they never imagined.”

Students work together to develop a product or service and are coached by real-world entrepreneurs and business experts who guide students through ideation, market research, and business plan development. Throughout the process, students learn marketing, accounting, human resources, and the legal aspects of creating a sustainable business, culminating in Pitch Night, their own version of ‘Shark Tank.’

To test their entrepreneurial grit, students pitch real investors on their ideas to win funding for their companies. Successful students win funding and launch their companies in year two with the continued support of mentors and business experts.

INCubatoredu: Working With Mentors

For Barrington students, INCubatoredu classes are different from any courses they’ve taken previously. Mentors meet with students once per month. Their role is to question and challenge students, forcing them to defend their ideas about their business model. They are not there to provide answers—just resources—so that students are empowered to discover the answers for themselves.

“The ROI on this program is seeing students develop a vision, further their intra- and inter-personal skills, participate in evidence-based learning, problem solving, utilizing mentors—all of which is preparation for college and life,” says Soulakian.

Over the years, the Barrington program has had 170 program volunteers, some of whom have been involved since the launch. “Entrepreneurship is about risk,” says Soulakian. “We are building a foundation for what comes after college for these kids. The skills they learn working with teams will benefit them no matter what they do.”

The value of the program is echoed by Margarita Geleske, chief evangelist for Uncharted Learning. She helps educators understand that a rigorous, hands-on, real-world program actually increases students’ abilities to learn. 

“Entrepreneurship is a discipline that can be taught,” she says. “One of the most valuable skills students learn is working together as a team to figure out how to move forward within a time constraint. This builds resilience.”

INCubatoredu is being used in districts across the country. “We hope that authentic, experiential learning becomes the norm in education—moving away from memorization to a practical, lived experience,” Geleske says.

• How Project-Based Learning Can Increase Student Engagement
• The Future of Career Technical Education (CTE): What Educators Need to Know

JUNE 2021

Beyond Access Forum (on demand)
Virtual | June 3, 2021
Join the NYC DOE for a thought-provoking interactive virtual event on digital accessibility, inclusion, and teaching information fluency, attracting more than 2,000 high-level decision makers and key NYC Department of Education influencers.

DLAC
Hybrid | Austin, TX | June 14-16 2021
Virtual | June 8 and June 30 2021
DLAC helps K-12 digital learning practitioners, researchers, and policymakers learn from one another and share best practices in this new and innovative conference. Sessions are shorter and more interactive than most conferences, creating a high-energy gathering built on sharing and conversations. 

South Carolina Pivotcon
Virtual | June 15, 2021
SC PivotCON will be a free interactive experience with multiple sessions throughout the day. Attendees can personalize their schedules to create an individualized program that meets their unique professional development needs. Topics include personalized learning and how virtual school practices can translate to traditional schools.

AV3
Virtual | June 17, 2021
AV³ is a one-day virtual experience designed to answer the question: ''What's next for pro AV?'' AV³ will bring the pro AV community together through advanced virtual networking, future-focused education, and an exhibit hall featuring the best AV technologies of today and tomorrow. 

National Charter Schools Conference
Virtual |  June 20 - 23, 2021
NCSC21 will be a virtual conference experience with timely content, a custom-designed platform, and opportunities to make meaningful connections that will help reshape the conversation in preK-12 education. 

Online Teaching Conference
Virtual | June 21-23, 2021
The Online Teaching Conference is a premier gathering of faculty, staff, and administrators who are leading the way in developing innovative and effective online education.

American Library Association Annual Conference and Exhibition
Virtual | June 23-29 2021
The leading library event of the year offers more than 200 educational sessions, hundreds of exhibitors, and more than 140 authors. Featured speakers include Nikole Hannah-Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Tricia Yearwood. 

PBL World 2021
Virtual | June 21-24, 2021
PBL World 2021 promises engaging workshops, inspiring keynotes, deep connections with fellow travelers, and even fun surprises.

SIIA EdTech CODiE Awards
Virtual | June 22-23, 2021
The SIIA CODiE Awards have a 36-year history of honoring the very best software, education, information, financial, and media products in achieving excellence and innovation.

Model Schools
Hybrid | Nashville, TN | June 22 & 24 Virtual Kick-Off | June 27–30, 2021
For nearly 30 years, Model Schools Conference has convened like-minded, future-focused leaders and teachers to share innovative practices to then replicate in halls and classrooms across the country. 

ASCD Empower Annual
Virtual | June 23–25, 2021
ASCD’s biggest event of the year offers educators best practices, strategies, and skills that will inspire and spark summer learning plans.

ISTE Live 21
Virtual | June 26-30, 2021
ISTELive 21 will include 500+ sessions in various formats, from interactive hands-on to listen and learn. Session topics include creating equity and community online, teaching project-based learning, and providing meaningful and authentic assessment in remote settings.  

JULY 2021

Connected Learning Summit
Virtual | July 7-30, 2021
The Connected Learning Summit represents a merger between three community events: the Digital Media and Learning Conference, the Games+Learning+Society Conference, and Sandbox Summit. The program includes a mix of presentation and workshop formats, covering speculative design, game walkthroughs, works in progress, and research panels.  

National Association of Elementary School Principals
Live | Chicago, IL | July 8-10, 2021
NAESP has been serving elementary and middle school principals and other education leaders since 1921. Conference topics will include closing the equity gap, school safety, social and emotional learning, early literacy, and best practices in school leadership.

National Principals Conference
Virtual | July 14–16, 2021
The National Principals Conference provides professional learning workshops, premier keynote speakers, game-based learning, and breakout networking sessions that provide community-building experiences.

Computer Science Teachers Association
Virtual | July 14-16 2021
CSTA's Annual Conference features more than 100 sessions of computer science education, inspirational keynotes, reinvigorating sessions, and moments of fun and connection along the way. 

National Science Teaching Association STEM21
Virtual | July 26-30, 2021
NSTA STEM21 offers thought-provoking presentations and sessions, lively Marketplace partner workshops, and the latest teaching tools and techniques for an evolving educational landscape.

NYCSchools Virtual Tech Summit
Virtual | July 28, 2021
Attendees will learn new education technologies, connect with inspiring industry leaders and enjoy an interactive, thought-provoking, content-rich agenda.  

AUGUST 2021

AV/IT Summit
Virtual | August 5, 2021
The AV/IT Summit attracts end users and integrators, bringing everyone together in the same space for honest conversations and spirited debate. The event focuses on relationships, networking, and thought leadership.  

ASU+GSV Summit 2021
Hybrid | San Diego | August 9-11, 2021
Started in 2010 with a collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV), the annual ASU+ GSV Summit connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work. 

Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE) Better Together
Virtual | August 19, 2021
This “back-to-school” online event will address re-opening strategies, engaging the community in open dialogue, culturally responsive education, trauma-informed care in school settings, self-care for educators, and supporting teachers in the blended environment. 

September 2021

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Live | Atlanta | September 22-25, 2021
NCTM's Annual Meeting & Exposition is the premier professional development event for mathematics educators, featuring hundreds of education sessions and a full range of program content, including learning opportunities, networking, and collaboration.

OCTOBER 2021

IMS Learning Impact Leadership Institute
Virtual | October 4-7, 2021
Learning Impact is the annual event where leaders in education technology, K-12, higher education, and corporate learning come together to address the major topics in digital learning and how to collaborate on accelerating progress for learners and faculty at all levels.

ALAS 19th Annual National Summit
Live | Washington D.C. | Oct. 7-9, 2021
Join the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) for inspiring keynote speakers, thought-provoking breakout sessions, workshops and networking opportunities. The annual Summit brings together education leaders, administrators and solution providers to address challenges in the education system, particularly those impacting Latino/a/x students. 

Quality Matters: Q-Up for K-12 Digital Quality Conference
Virtual  | October 15, 2021
Join QM members and educators from the K-12 community to discuss strategies for improving the quality of online learning and meeting student needs. Engage in curated sessions focused on improving the quality of online learning courses and programs. 

ISTE Creative Constructor Lab
Virtual | October 15-17, 2021
The Creative Constructor Lab Virtual lets educators try out media-rich projects using cutting-edge digital tools for audio, coding, design, gamification, augmented/virtual reality and more. Presentations and coaching from education innovators will help attendees tap into their most creative ideas.

Educause Annual Conference
Hybrid | Philadelphia | October 26-29, 2021
The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference showcases the best thinking in higher education IT and brings together professionals and technology providers from around the world to share ideas, grow professionally, and discover solutions to today’s challenges. 

NOVEMBER 2021

California IT in Education (CITE)
Live | Sacramento, CA |November 16-19, 2021  
California IT in Education is a not-for-profit, professional membership association supporting the IT professionals working in schools. CITE 2021 features top education technology speakers including bestselling author and digital leadership expert Erik Qualman and renowned scientist/science entertainer Dr.Kate Biberdorf. 

National Council of Teachers of English
Live | Louisville, KY | November 18-21, 2021
The 2021 NCTE Annual Convention welcomes thousands of educators, experts, authors, administrators, publishers, and others for a convention built around the themes of equity, justice, and antiracist teaching. 

National Summit on Education
Live | Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort | November 18-19, 2021
ExcelinEd’s annual National Summit on Education is the nation’s premier gathering of education policymakers, practitioners and advocates, providing a forum for exchanging results-based solutions and strategies to shape public policy. Featured speakers include Dr. Arthur Brooks, Dr. Clayton Christensen, Arne Duncan, Melinda Gates, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and many others. 

DECEMBER 2021 

Learning Forward      
Virtual | December 5-7, 2021
Learning Forward’s 2021 Annual Conference aims to shift perspectives, power up expertise and transform teaching practice. This year’s theme of transformation parallels shared experiences as all respond to the immediate needs of educators and students during challenging times.

AV Network Nation      
Virtual | December 9, 2021
AV Network Nation (AVN²) is a one-day virtual experience about the future of pro AV technologies. AVN² will connect integrators, consultants, technology and IT managers to learn from honest and spirited conversations led by industry all-stars. 

JANUARY 2022

FETC® | Future of Education Technology® Conference
Live| Orlando, Florida | January 25–28, 2022
For more than 40 years, the National Future of Education Technology® Conference has gathered the most dynamic and innovative education leaders and professionals from around the world for an intensive, highly collaborative exploration of new technologies, best practices, and pressing issues. 

FEBRUARY 2022

NCCE (Northwest Council for Computer Education)
Live | Seattle | February 2-4, 2022
The NCCE Conference is an opportunity to showcase innovative instructional strategies and technology resources that have a positive impact on learning. Individuals representing all academic disciplines and levels in the educational system and all phases of technology education are welcome to submit proposals.

Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference
Live | Hershey, PA | February 6-9, 2022
The Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference brings technology administrators and educators from all over Pennsylvania and surrounding areas to learn from leading experts in the education and technology fields.

Texas Computer Education Association
Live | Dallas, Texas | February 7–10, 2022
Since 1980, TCEA has worked to connect educators with the latest methods, techniques, and tech tools with the help of their peers.

IDEAcon2022
Hybrid | Schaumburg, IL | February 14-17, 2022
IDEAcon features over one hundred innovative, engaging, and thought-provoking presenters representing a wide range of fields, topics, and teaching styles.

National Conference on Education (AASA)
Live | Nashville, Tennessee | February 17-18, 2022
Attendees increase their leadership skills and professional competence, exchange ideas and solutions with other education leaders, and learn to address the controversial issues facing today’s educators.

MARCH 2022 

National Association of Independent Schools
Live | Boston, MA | March 2–4, 2022
The NAIS Annual Conference is the premier professional development and networking event for administrators, trustees, and teachers at independent schools. 

BETT
Live | London | March 23-25, 2022
BETT provides attendees access to more than 800 leading edtech providers, 150 CPD content sessions, coordinated business meetings, and exclusive networking opportunities.

APRIL 2022

CoSN Conference
Live | Nashville TN | April 10-13 2022
CoSN Conference will focus on the ways that school systems can change their culture to better support digital technology. The conference is designed to meet leadership & vision, educational environment and managing technology goals.

University Professional & Continuing Education Association
Live | Orlando, FL | April 11-14, 2022
The Annual Conference convenes deans and other senior university leaders, key staff, and teams responsible for the management, administration, and growth of professional, continuing, and online education programs.

MAY 2022

International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence (NISOD)
Live |  Austin, TX | May 28-31, 2022
NISOD’s International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence provides faculty, administrators, and staff with the resources, ideas, and solutions that drive excellence in all areas of community and technical college campuses. 

• Virtual Conferences: 12 Tips to Make the Most of the Experience
• What Is the Future of the Edtech Conference?

The impact of COVID-19 on the community of educational facility administrators is wide-reaching with long-term effects on operations, staff, and management. While teachers, principals, and curriculum directors are occupied with year-end academic decisions and shift to online learning platforms, facility administrators on mostly empty campuses across the country have been working on mitigation activities to keep their campus safe and provide support for distance learning.

To offer a platform where district administrators can connect to discuss these activities, the Education Market Association and The Amos Group, producer of SchoolBondFinder and SchoolBondNetwork, developed the online communications platform EDcommunity. It is a private, subscription-based service, closed to vendors and other third-party organizations.

“We wanted to give school facilities professionals, administrators, and their teams access to news and information for problem-solving and idea-sharing, and we understood their need for a safe place to have those interactions, “ said Chuck Amos, President and CEO of The Amos Group, in a recent radio broadcast.

“As part of our mission to create networks and content, we’re excited to extend participation to about 100,000 school facility professionals across the U.S. Everyone who signs up will be verified as school district employees when they create their complimentary accounts, making it easier than ever to join,” said Jim McGarry, President and CEO of the Education Market Association. 

EDcommunity also provides access to resources, publications, events, and other critical tools.

Fees for this private community are waived at least through September to support the need for communication and access to important information. Visit https://www.edmarket.org/edcommunity for more information.

The Amgen Foundation and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University (Harvard FAS) today announced the global launch of LabXchange™, a free online science education platform that provides users with access to personalized instruction, virtual lab experiences and networking opportunities across the global scientific community. 

LabXchange gives students access to a library of educational videos, interactive simulations and personalized instruction to aid them in their scientific discovery.

Through virtual lab experiments, videos and online collaboration with others in the global science community, students can experience the scientific process for themselves.   

By simulating key techniques in molecular and cellular biology, like using CRISPR to correct genetic defects, students can explore a wide range of scientific methods and build their acumen in harnessing science to solve real-life problems.

Key features of LabXchange include:

• Free access to a library of educational content including videos, interactive simulations and assessments
• Ability to mix and match material
• Global networking functionality, enabling teachers to collaborate beyond a single classroom, school or district.

For more information, visit www.LabXchange.org.

More important than the learning that transpires in our classrooms is the learning we inspire beyond our classroom walls. One way to motivate students to continue using the knowledge acquired in our classes is to set up a virtual learning community. The free web tools below help teachers create a safe online class where students can access learning materials, post their work, and comment on the works of others. These platforms are online and accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week on multiple devices (computers, tablets, mobile devices and Chromebooks). Virtual learning communities enable every student to share their thoughts, ideas, and creativity with their peers in multiple formats, such as text, video, audio, and embedded media. Students are motivated to share more when they see feedback from their classmates, teachers, and parents.

Collaborative Discussion Tools

Flipgrid is a video response tool and app designed for schools. Students contribute a short video response to a video discussion prompt posted and can respond to others. Students can decorate their selfie videos with stickers and quickly generate QR codes for others to scan and view their videos. Flipgrid has tons of other features students and teachers love, such as accessibility with the Immersive Reader tool and the ability to create Augmented Reality videos.

Parlay Ideas is a free platform where teachers create discussion prompts with embedded materials that students review, add a response, and respond to their peers’ ideas. The free version allows teachers to set up 6 roundtable discussions. What I love about this tool is the ability for teachers to quickly add content and questions suggested by the platform.

LinoIt and Padlet are favorites among teachers and students. Teachers create a web wall where they can post questions, pdfs, files, audio, video, and images for students to quickly access on any device by clicking a url or scanning a QR code. Students post a response with different colored sticky notes. Students can share videos, pdfs, text, photos, emojis, and images. Padlet allows a limited amount of walls with the free version.

NowComment is a free tool students and teachers register for to engage in rich discussion over any uploaded document. Any sentence, paragraph, image, or video can have multiple conversations.

Hypothes.is is a tool that requires a free registration. Students highlight and discuss parts of a website, respond to peers, and vote up peer responses they like.

Active Textbook is a free iOS, Google Play, and Microsoft app with a variety of features teachers can use to create an engaging reading experience. Teachers add interactive elements such as discussion threads to existing books or documents.

Backchannel Chat allows teachers to control all aspects of an online discussion, such as removing messages, preventing posts, or pacing the discussion. Students join with a code.

To thank you for your sharing, friendship and support over the years I am sharing free tips, learning resources, web tools and apps for 25 days in my Digital December STEM Advent Calendar.

cross posted at teacherrebootcamp.com

Shelly Terrell is a Technology and Computer teacher, education consultant, and author of books including Hacking Digital Learning Strategies: 10 Ways to Launch EdTech Missions in Your Classroom. Read more at teacherrebootcamp.com.

Catalyst, a global community for education leaders, concluded its launch event series across four continents last week, finding that education leaders around the world share similar challenges and concerns about prevalent nonacademic topics that impact student learning. 

Event gatherings were held in Sydney, Johannesburg, London, and Washington, D.C., attracting education leaders from the national, district, and school levels. Since its launch in October, Catalyst has attracted 400 participant members across 18 countries in four continents. 

Regardless of locale, education culture, and school structure, four consistent challenges emerged:

1. Implementing social and emotional learning programs to meet the needs of all students. 
2. Creating a culture of equity and building student agency.
3. Future-proofing technology purchases to support emerging instructional trends, including personalization and differentiation. 
4. Creating immersive learning spaces that improve student learning.

“Action and outcomes, rather than solely knowledge sharing, are at the heart of our Catalyst community,” said professor and researcher Stephen Heppell, cofounder of Catalyst. “We see too often that educators are isolated — in their own states, provinces, or countries. They’re facing largely the same challenges but working independently to solve them. Catalyst provides a home for problem-solvers to work together, developing and sharing effective, pragmatic, and tested solutions.” 

Through in-person meetings and an online hub, Catalyst links education innovators with experts and each other to jointly create, implement, and refine new approaches to tackling some of the most complex challenges in the sector. The next series of Catalyst events will take place in the beginning of 2020 at major conferences worldwide — bett, FETC, TCEA, didacta, and SXSW EDU — where attending educators can easily participate and contribute to the conversation around these pressing education issues. 

Catalyst’s international roster of founding partners includes Jaime Goldstein, Director of Strategic Projects and Innovation Grants, the Harvard Initiative for Learning & Teaching; Nancy Conrad, founder of The Conrad Foundation; professor and researcher Stephen Heppell; education strategist Ken Shelton; SMART Technologies; and Learnit World Limited. 

Education leaders and those interested in driving change in education globally are invited to join the Catalyst community for free at www.educatalyst.com 

I was excited to offer two sessions this year at the Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference. Below are the resources from the event.

Impactful EdTech Coaching

Click here for the slide deck.

Too often, schools launch new technology without a plan for supporting and coaching teachers through the process of using modern technology effectively in their classrooms. One key to launching and supporting the marriage of EdTech and curriculum is increasing the opportunity to support teachers and help them raise student achievement. Today’s students’ needs vary as they are growing up in the digital learning age. Knowing how to integrate existing tech with today’s instructional best practices and strategies engage students to maximize learning. Supporting educators on this journey is a critical step.

Just like with teaching, we need to differentiate instruction/support to meet the needs of the teachers. There is no “one size fits all” approach. The support is also not one time; it is a cycle of support. This cycle generally consists of setting goals, co-planning lessons, observation, and debrief after the lesson. Each step is done collaboratively with the teacher and the integration specialist.

Creating a Collaborative Culture

Click here for the slide deck.

Unlike professionals who work in the private sector, teachers spend most of the day with children in classrooms. Yes, a teachers’ job is to be in front of students. However, as a profession, we should be working tirelessly to find new ways for educators to work together when students are not in front of them. Creating collaborative opportunities will reduce the feeling of working in a silo. In the teaching profession, the word silo usually references a teacher who becomes isolated in their classroom or academic subject and consequently experiences little to no interaction with colleagues. This lack of interaction can stunt professional growth and become a detriment to student learning. Some teachers prefer to work unsupervised and uninterrupted. This singular mindset creates silos and isolation and sometimes breeds an intimidating culture in the school. Teachers benefit and grow from sharing and learning from each other. Think about what we tell our students to do when they have a question: “Ask three before me” or “Work with a partner.” We need to empower and encourage educators to do the same. Teachers and administrators, do you collaborate when you have a question or want support? Isolation can be detrimental to one’s professional development. By interacting with colleagues in our own or other fields, we can gain new insights. We can also share ideas and experiences that will improve our teaching. This book focuses on practical strategies and solutions to increase collaboration and enhance school culture.

cross posted at techinnovation.live

Dr. Matthew X. Joseph is currently the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Leicester Public Schools. He has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 25 years in the field. Experiences such as the Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, elementary school principal, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist. His work and experience focus on supporting teaching and learning. Follow Dr. Joseph on twitter at @MatthewXJoseph or read his blog techinnovation.live

I believe that collaboration is a major key to learning. I feel that learning in the group is so much more powerful and productive then learning in isolation.  To hear students talk with each other as they cite important learning standards is exciting to see.  What are some reasons to see our students collaborate? Let me begin:

Ten Reasons For Student Collaboration in the Classroom

• Teach students how to collaborate. (This might include a fishbowl or providing indicators on a rubric, or a good video clip.)
• Provide time for students to collaborate. (Scaffold the collaboration if needed by bringing in questions and idea at various times.)
• Provide students with a collaboration rubric. (Have them look at the rubric before collaborating, and once again when they are finished)
• Make assessment of collaboration an ongoing effort. (While the teacher can assess, have students assess themselves. Self assessment can be powerful)
• Concentrate on specific indicators in a rubric. (There are various indicators such as; provides thoughts, gives feedback, etc. Concentrate on just one indicator while doing a lesson. There can even be an exit ticket reflection)
• Integrate the idea of Collaboration in any lesson. ( Do not teach this skill in isolation. How does is work with a lesson, stem activity, project built, etc. What does collaboration look like in the online or blended environment?)
• Post a Collaboration Poster in the room. (This poster could be a copy of a rubric or even a list of “I Can Statements”. Point it out before collaborating.
• Make Collaboration part of your formative assessment . (Move around the room, talk to groups and students, stop the whole group to make adjustments.)
• Point out Collaboration found in the content standards. (Be aware that content standards often have words like; discuss, come to agreement, debate,  and explain. Collaboration has always been part of the standards.
• Plan for a school wide emphasis. (A culture that build collaboration is usually bigger then one classroom. Develop school-wide vocabulary, posters, and initiatives.)

While I am excited by collaboration in the classroom I am often greeted by educators that remind me that their students do not know how to collaborate. I often ask if their students have ever been taught to collaborate. So many times as educators, we are so bound by the standards, we forget the importance of building a collaborative culture. Great student collaboration does not just happen. It must be built and continuously facilitated. Let’s take a look at how, we as educators, can do this.

Ten Ways to Facilitate Student Collaboration in the Classroom and School

• Teach students how to collaborate. (This might include a fishbowl or providing indicators on a rubric, or a good video clip.)
• Provide time for students to collaborate. (Scaffold the collaboration if needed by bringing in questions and idea at various times.)
• Provide students with a collaboration rubric. (Have them look at the rubric before collaborating, and once again when they are finished)
• Make assessment of collaboration an ongoing effort. (While the teacher can assess, have students assess themselves. Self assessment can be powerful)
• Concentrate on specific indicators in a rubric. (There are various indicators such as; provides thoughts, gives feedback, etc. Concentrate on just one indicator while doing a lesson. There can even be an exit ticket reflection)
• Integrate the idea of Collaboration in any lesson. ( Do not teach this skill in isolation. How does is work with a lesson, stem activity, project built, etc. What does collaboration look like in the online or blended environment?)
• Post a Collaboration Poster in the room. (This poster could be a copy of a rubric or even a list of “I Can Statements”. Point it out before collaborating.
• Make Collaboration part of your formative assessment . (Move around the room, talk to groups and students, stop the whole group to make adjustments.)
• Point out Collaboration found in the content standards. (Be aware that content standards often have words like; discuss, come to agreement, debate,  and explain. Collaboration has always been part of the standards.
• Plan for a school wide emphasis. (A culture that build collaboration is usually bigger then one classroom. Develop school-wide vocabulary, posters, and initiatives.)

I have been mentioning rubrics and assessment tools through out this post. To me, these are essential in building that culture of collaboration in the classroom. I want to provide you with some great resources that will give your some powerful tools to assess the skill of Collaboration.  Keep in mind that students can also self assess and journal using prompts from a Collaboration Rubric.

Three Resources to Help with Assessment of Collaboration

PBLWorks – The number one place for PBL in the world is at PBLWorks. You may know it as the BUCK Institute or BIE. I am fortunate to be part of their National Faculty which is probably why I rank it as number one. I encourage you to visit their site for everything PBL.  This link brings you to the resource area where you will discover some amazing  rubrics to facilitate Collaboration. You will find rubrics for grade bands K-2, 3-5, and 6-12. This really is a great place to start. You will need to sign up to be a member of PBLWorks. This is a wonderful idea, after-all it is free!

Microsoft Innovative Learning – This  website contains some powerful rubrics for assessing the 21st Century skills. The link will bring you to a PDF file with  Collaboration rubrics you can use tomorrow for any grade level. Check out this two page document defining the 4 C’s and a movie giving you even more of an explanation.

New Tech School – This amazing PBL group of schools provide some wonderful Collaboration Rubrics in their free area. These are sure to get you off and started.

Collaboration “I Can Statements”

As you can see, I believe that collaboration is key to PBL, STEM, and Deeper Learning. It improves Communication and Critical Thinking, while promoting Creativity.  I believe every student should have these following “I Can Statements” as part of their learning experience. Feel free to copy and use in your classroom. Perhaps this is a great starting place as you promote collaborative and powerful learning culture!

I can share equal responsibility in a group
I can value opinions of others
I can work with others in a positive manner
I can compromise with individuals and the entire group
I can use active listening
I can practice empathy
I can take time to think about what others saying
I can work with a group to determine best tools, resources, and methods
I can work independently inside and outside the group
I can value the various strengths, skills, and abilities of all group members

cross-posted at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com

Michael Gorman oversees one-to-one laptop programs and digital professional development for Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a consultant for Discovery Education, ISTE, My Big Campus, and November Learning and is on the National Faculty for The Buck Institute for Education. His awards include district Teacher of the Year, Indiana STEM Educator of the Year and Microsoft’s 365 Global Education Hero. Read more at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com.

Microsoft Teams

Collaborative platform helps manage multiple groups and projects

Pros: Easy group creation, integrative approach, and step-by step support get teachers started with fun and practical features for their classes or PLCs.

Cons: Since it integrates with other Microsoft tools, such as OneNote and PowerPoint, novice users may find it busy and daunting to learn to use them as well.

Bottom Line: It offers a ton of options for integrating learning; the lack of some typical LMS features may make it a better fit for small groups or nontraditional group configurations.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

We all work with someone suffering from an attachment disorder. You know that person. Despite the fact that you've sent them a link to a perfectly good collaborative document, they've taken the liberty to disconnect from the original document. They’ve copied and pasted your document into Word. Tracked changes. Then, they've arrogantly sent it back to the group as an attachment. Meanwhile, by the time they've done this, the original, collaborative document already had oodles of updates and edits from other team members.

Lack of understanding

However, people with attachment disorders don't understand this. They may not even care. They just tell you to look at their version and integrate any changes. They don't get that their version is like so ten versions ago. They missed all the comments, updates, and banter on the collaborative version. They've just made a lot more work for you, and, it is quite likely that they aren't the only one with attachment disorder.

It’s not unusual for another old-school colleague to also have attachment disorder. They did the same thing sending their new version to you as well.  

Now you have three versions of the document, even though you intentionally were using a collaborative document to avoid version control issues and thus extra work for everyone.

You’re just wasting your time if you try pleading with those suffering from attachment disorder to go to update the original collaborative document. Without an intervention and extensive treatment, they just can't. Attachment issues are serious to the person who has an aversion to connecting and collaborating with others. 

Attachment issues

People with attachment disorder often have control issues. Version control that is. Their version is the version everyone must be beholden to. There is no regard for the desire to have one version. They may have anger problems. They sent you their version. Take it or leave it. They just feel more comfortable working the way they do, so deal with it. They may have difficulty showing genuine care for other people's time. Working this way is easier for them, so everyone else must accommodate that. They also may have an underdeveloped conscience, failing to show guilt, regret, or remorse about not collaborating and making more work for others. It’s not their problem. It’s yours. So get over it.

Treatment

Left unresolved, attachment disorders can interfere with workplace productivity. It is important to provide treatment. Unfortunately, those with attachment issues may be resistant. Treatment usually involves many people on a team or project taking a stand together and refusing to accept attachments. It will take training and explaining to get those suffering from attachment disorder to understand the benefits of collaboration, a single source of truth, and the value of one version only. It may be confusing to this person at first, but with consistency and a commitment to collaboration, colleagues usually will start to see progress. The key is not to back down. Standing firm in your rejection of attachments will ultimately result in a more efficient and effective workplace for everyone. 

cross posted at The Innovative Educator 

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several booksand her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal. 

ScreenBeam, provider of wireless display and collaboration solutions, today launched its latest education-based solution, ScreenBeam 1000 EDU. The new 4K wireless display and collaboration solution enables native content sharing without apps on all devices including student Chromebooks. ScreenBeam 1000 EDU will debut at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Philadelphia, PA on June 23 – 26 in booth #1008.

ScreenBeam 1000 EDU features include:

• Native wireless screen mirroring for Windows, iOS, macOS and Android
• 4K output supports any display natively
• Collaborate wirelessly using touch displays and Windows Ink across Office 365 apps
• Classroom orchestration and wireless display for up to 50 Windows 10 student devices
• Connects to displays, projectors and switchers via HDMI and USB
• Native extended desktop maintains use of device for other actions

ScreenBeam 1000 EDU includes the features found in ScreenBeam Classroom Commander. This combination allows for both wireless display and student device orchestration for up to 50 Windows 10 student devices, without taxing the school’s network or requiring additional servers. It also enables better interactive learning as teachers can move freely throughout the classroom as well as utilize touch displays and wireless Inking.

Each ScreenBeam 1000 EDU also includes Central Management System (CMS) software to remotely manage largescale deployments across multiple locations, saving time and money. 

Pricing and Availability

ScreenBeam 1000 EDU with Classroom Commander is now available at a special introductory price of $499 until September 30. Starting October 1, the price will be $599.  To request a trial, contact your authorized ScreenBeam reseller, or submit a form here.

ustyme 

Expansive ebook library meets video chat to promote shared reading 

Pros: Lots of long-loved classics presented in a high-quality, illustrated format.
Cons: Multiple features in the reader could make for a somewhat complex experience.
Bottom Line:Use this fantastic platform to encourage social reading among friends and family near and far.

Read more here. 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

More chatting in the classroom? No thank you, many teachers would say. However, a backchannel chat is different. This type of chat allows students to post questions, feedback, and comments that help educators assess how well students understand the material. 

Several platforms allow anonymous posting, which means kids can ask those “stupid” questions they’re too embarrassed to ask otherwise. Features such as polls, multimedia capability, moderator controls, and others make the backchannel chat a versatile classroom tool. 

The following backchannel chat sites offer a variety of creative ways to add depth and student engagement to your instruction. All are free or provide a free account option. 

Best Backchannel Chat Sites for Education 

Bagel Institute
Many students have questions, but are too shy or embarrassed to ask any openly. Bagel Institute boasts a clean, simple web interface that allows easy, free setup of classes for teachers and anonymous questions for students. Designed by a Tufts math professor and his son, Bagel institute is aimed at higher ed but could also work well with high school students.

Yo Teach
Promoted as an alternative to the popular and defunct Todaysmeet, Yo Teach is a dedicated free platform for backchannel chats. Create an account, then easily create public or password-protected rooms. A strong set of features includes virtual hand-raising, a collaborative whiteboard, polling, room bookmarks, “like” function, and response statistics. If you try only one backchannel chat platform, make it this one. 

Answer Garden
Answer Garden is an easy-to-use free feedback tool that teachers can employ without having to create an account. Four simple modes—Brainstorm, Classroom, Moderator and Locked—offer the ability to control responses, which are in the form of a word cloud. Really fun and informative. 

Chatzy
Set up a free private chat room in seconds with Chatzy, then invite others to join by adding email addresses, either singly or all at once. Quick, easy, and secure, Chatzy also offers free virtual rooms which provide more options, such as password-controlled entry and posting controls. No account is required, but with an account, users can save settings and rooms.

Twiddla
More than just a chat room, Twiddla is an online collaborative whiteboard platform with extensive multimedia capabilities. Draw, erase, add text, images, documents, links, audio, and shapes easily. Great for complete lessons as well as classroom feedback. The limited free account allows 10 participants and 20 minutes. Recommended for teachers: Pro account, unlimited time and students for $14 monthly. Bonus: Try it first in sandbox mode instantly, no account required. 

Unhangout
From MIT Media Lab, Unhangout is an open source platform for running “participant-driven” events. Designed for peer-to-peer learning, Unhangout features video capability, breakout sessions, and more. The initial setup requires moderate computer expertise, so it would be ideal for tech-savvy educators. Fortunately, the easy-to-navigate site offers clear step-by-step user guides.

GoSoapBox
How many students in your class are confused but never raise their hands? That’s what motivated the founder of GoSoapBox to invent a student response system that keeps kids engaged as well as providing real-time insights to educators. Features include polls, quizzes, discussions, and student-generated questions. “Social Q&A” is an innovative element that allows students to ask questions, then vote on which question is most important. Perhaps my favorite feature is the “confusion barometer,” a simple toggle button with two choices: “I am getting it” and “I am confused.” GoSoapBox’s clean and well-organized website makes it easy to learn more about this ingenious tool. Best of all, it’s free for K-12 and university educators to use with small classes (fewer than 30 students).

Google Classroom
If you’re a Google Classroom teacher, you can use the stream feature to chat with students, share files, links, and assignments. Create your class, copy the invitation link, and send it to students. You can respond in real time to student questions and comments.

Google Chat
Not using Google Classroom? No problem -- there's no need to set up Google Classroom to use Google Chat. Easily found through your Gmail “hamburger,” Google Chat is a simple and free method to answer students’ questions, assign tasks, and upload documents and images up to 200 MB. 

Flip
Great for flipped classrooms or any class that uses videos for learning, Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a free platform that allows educators to quickly create a video-based online discussion. Signup is easy using your Microsoft, Google or Apple account.  

• Best Digital Portfolios for Students
• Top Sites for Differentiated Instruction
• Top Free Sites for Creating Digital Art

Innovative Educators often pursue certifications to let others understand skills and areas of expertise. Here are some easy ways to capture and share screenshots of accomplishments.  

Here is how to do this:

Step 1: Select Print

Step 2: Select Save to Google Drive

Step 3: Right click and select "Get shareable link."

Step 4: Copy link and ensure "Anyone with the link can view"

Step 5: Paste link 

The last step is to paste the link in the appropriate space. Also, open up an incognito window in your browser to ensure it is viewable by anyone.  If not, change it.

That's it! The whole process takes less than a minute.  

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several booksand her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal. 

PenPal Schools

Collaborative lessons connect students across the globe  

Pros: Provides unique collaborative opportunities for students and offers teachers high-interest lessons that fuse subject skills with global connections.

Cons: The limited availability of projects per subject/age group and restrictive match dates can make it tough to get students paired up with pals.

Bottom Line: A thoughtful, ready-to-go platform that facilitates authentic, cross-cultural collaboration.

Read more here.

Site of the Week picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best edtech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

For the first time in the eight-year history of the Follett Challenge, a school from outside the United States has been named one of the contest’s three Semifinalists, making it eligible for the Grand Prize. In a video announcement, Follett Challenge organizers today announced Regina Catholic School Division in Saskatchewan is the middle school Semifinalist, joining a New York elementary school and Illinois high school.

One of the three schools will earn the Grand Prize, to be announced April 24.

The Follett Challenge again is awarding $200,000 USD in products and services from Follett to the schools/districts that nominated their innovative educational programs which teach 21st century skills to students and illustrate critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration. Entrants completed an online application and submitted a three- to five-minute video outlining how their program has made a positive impact.

The 2019 Semifinalists are:

• Elementary School Winner: Valley Stream School District 24; Valley Stream, N.Y.; video: “Breaking into the Library”

• Middle School Winner: Regina Catholic School Division; Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; video: “Regina Catholic Schools Tinker Tub Project”

• High School Winner: Lindblom Math and Science Academy, Chicago (Ill.) Public Schools; video: “The Impact of Lindblom’s Writing Center Plus”

The overall winner will earn a $60,000 prize in Follett products and services, plus a celebration at their school. The other two schools each will receive $30,000 in products and services.

Today’s announcement also revealed the 10 People’s Choice winners — those schools whose video submissions received the highest number of online votes from the public. Each of the winning schools will earn $8,000 in Follett products and services. 

1. Howard Middle School; Macon, Ga.; video
2. Gower School District 62; Willowbrook, Ill.; video
3. Southwest Middle School; Palm Bay, Fla.; video
4. School City of Mishawaka; Mishawaka, Ind.; video
5. J. Graham Brown School; Louisville, Ky.; video
6. Mineola High School; Garden City Park, N.Y.; video
7. Clinton County Middle School; Albany, Ky.; video
8. Gov. William Pitkin Elementary School; East Hartford, Conn.; video
9. Lemoore Union High School District; Lemoore, Calif.; video
10. Lafayette School/Wayne Public Schools; Wayne, N.J.; video 

For more information about the Follett Challenge, visit www.FollettChallenge.com.  

We want our kids to help lead their own learning, have the soft skills to work well with others, be engaged with their communities, and solve authentic problems.

So basically . . . kids who grow up to save the world. No biggie.

Producing those kinds of kids has never been easy. But it may have just gotten a little easier. During a short conversation yesterday with Robi Alstrom, ESSDACK ELA superstar, she shared a new tool with me that looks like a winner.

Created by Cisco, the Global Problem Solvers is designed to introduce middle-to-high-school students to social innovation with a particular focus on how they can use technology to create effective solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. The series of videos, engaging characters, and teacher resources provide students with a basic set of problem-solving tools for turning their visions for change into a practicable reality. So you get a handy little tool perfect for starting conversations around civic engagement and turning those conversations into actual plans.

Social innovation is a relatively new phrase that is finding its way into education circles. The short version? Social innovations are strategies and ideas that aim to address social needs resulting from working conditions, education, community development, and health. Innovations are created with the goal of extending and strengthening civil society.

The concept connects cleanly into our state’s call for getting kids out into their communities and impacting change. Most of you outside of Kansas are probably experiencing the same. GPS seems like a great structure for embedding Project-Based Learning, civic engagement, community service, soft skills, social/emotional needs into your instruction.

Of course, blending all of that together is when things can get a bit messy. This is where the Global Problem Solvers stuff can come in handy. The GPS series engages students with the story of how a global and diverse teen super-team takes action against the problem of safe water shortages in developing communities. The series encourages students to think of social entrepreneurship not just as an inspiring ideal, but as an achievable goal.

The goals of GPS are:

• Foster an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving;
• Encourage the future development of innovative technological solutions and sustainable social ventures;
• Inspire students to be social change agents; and
• Facilitate the achievement of these objectives by presenting six attributes of Global Problem Solvers and nine steps of social entrepreneurship in an engaging and entertaining way.

The fictional members of the Global Problem Solvers super-team, their home countries, and the attributes they exemplify include: 

• Beela, Jordan
  Digital skills – Not just using technology, but embracing it. People who can
  analyze data, build networks, develop apps, or secure devices can bring ideas to life.
• Adrien, France
  Creativity – Dreaming up new ways to solve problems and make things better
  for others. Innovative ideas are the foundation for addressing the challenges we face.
• Satoshi, Japan
  Critical thinking – Analyzing one’s way around every obstacle. People who are
  curious, ask questions, and evaluate options are essential to solving problems.
• Kelile, Malawi
  Social consciousness – Awareness that “changing the world” is a must and that
  everyone can make a difference. People with a sense of service inspire others and spark transformation.
• Cristina, Brazil
  Entrepreneurial spirit – Seeing a challenge as an opportunity waiting to
  happen. People who are comfortable taking risks and leading others can turn ideas into action.
• Putri, India
  Teamwork skills – Communicating well and respecting others. The best problem
  solvers realize they are stronger working together than powering through alone.

There are two video series that highlight two different issues around water. The first, not enough as the team tackles broken wells in Malawi. The second, too much as they deal with hurricane damage in an urban Florida area. Kids watch short video clips of the super-team in action and then you facilitate discussions, activities, and strategic planning.

You get an extensive Teacher’s Guide with guiding questions, handouts, and actual examples of real kids around the world solving authentic problems. You also get access to video storyboards and scripts that can help you use the videos more effectively. (Perhaps as examples for kids who want to create their own videos.) The key here is to find ways to move beyond the theoretical and into the actual communities your kids live in. 

The target audience seems to be the 5-9 grade range but it would be relatively easy to adapt the resources up or down depending on your content and grade level. There’s also a GPS blog that provides tips, tricks, and links to other teachers using the series.

There’s also a great video from a school in France on the Teacher page that you should start with, highlighting what using the tool can look like. Then download all the PDFs.

 Here are a few sample questions that the guide uses to spark discussion: 

• What social problems do the students encounter in their own communities or home country?
• What problems do students see that point to bigger problems to be solved?
• Might there be any hidden problems—things that everyone accepts as normal but actually could be improved?
• How would the students go about finding more information about how they can help?

It’s free. Got some great resources. Seems engaging to its target audience. And addresses the need to help kids find ways for connecting with authentic needs in their communities.  

cross posted at glennwiebe.org

Glenn Wiebe is an education and technology consultant with 15 years' experience teaching history and social studies. He is a curriculum consultant for ESSDACK, an educational service center in Hutchinson, Kansas, blogs frequently at History Tech and maintains Social Studies Central, a repository of resources targeted at K-12 educators. Visit
glennwiebe.org to learn more about his speaking and presentation on education technology, innovative instruction and social studies.

CDI Computer Dealers, provider of classroom-ready technology to schools, has partnered with Toronto-based Parlay to bring its new online classroom discussion tool to schools throughout North America. 

CDI partners with educators in schools and districts across North America to deploy and support classroom technologies. The company provides student and teacher devices, a wide range of classroom technology and instructional tools, professional development, deployment services and warranty programs. 

Parlay helps promote meaningful student discussions while teaching digital citizenship and helping teachers measure student engagement. The program offers a library of discussion prompts called the Parlay Universe and two classroom activities called Live RoundTables and Online RoundTables.

For more information about Parlay or to request a demo, visit https://parlayideas.com/ 

Parlay and CDI will host a webinar at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 27, 2018 in which McDonald will explore how class discussions can be used to transform the modern classroom. For more information and to register, visit https://goo.gl/u6nSkZ. 

Scratchwork

Intelligent collaborative whiteboard opens up new ways to create math

Pros: A slick, collaborative interface brings together writing, math, and videoconferencing in a powerful way.

Cons: The selection tool can be a bit finicky, and the interface takes time to get used to.

Bottom Line: This flexible tool is great for student groups to upload, manipulate, and share math projects.

[Free Quizzing Tool Combines Learning With Avatars & Music]

Read more here.

Site of the Week picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best edtech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

By Common Sense Education

Whenever I get the opportunity to work with a team of educators for a day, I’m always excited for what the day will bring. Being an attendee at many a workshop as well, I know that there is a sense of dread when it comes to “icebreakers”. I’ve got a few up my sleeve that seem to always be a big hit, but lately I’ve been looking for something different.

If you know anything about me, I usually look for inspiration outside of education. As some of you witnessed with the Silent Disco Presenting at last year’s LearnFestATX (coming back in 2019 too!), that idea was “derived” from a silent disco dance event at ACLFest here in Austin. This summer, my family and I got to go on a trip of lifetime and traveled on a 14-day Alaskan cruise. We enjoyed the sights, the scenery, and especially all the fun and interactive activities on board the ship. I befriended the cruise director (a former educator and owner of my dream job) and spoke with him about all the ways he tries to engage his audience. He shared a bunch of different games and interactive activities that would be easily applicable to a classroom or professional development setting. Games like “Majority Rules” where the right answer isn’t as important as picking the answer of the majority introduces some hilarious responses and creative thinking.

One event that my family and I repeatedly tried to compete in was the Team Trivia competitions. Some were music based, some were general, but all of them were fun, in large part because of the engaging MC and the collaborative thinking of our team. I started to wonder if this might be a good way to have a team of diverse thinkers work together and quickly get to know each other rather than the traditional icebreaker.

Last week, I was lucky enough to have two opportunities to try out my theory. I knew I was going to meet with a dynamic team of educators in Illinois and later in the week was playing co-host to my own teams’ beginning of the year retreat. What a perfect opportunity for some team-building while also breaking the ice! What follows is a step-by-step run down of the activity with some takeaways if you would like to try this for your team, school, classroom or family!

[21 Things Every 21st Century Educator Should Try This Year (2018 Version)]

The Set-up

As I didn’t want this to be solely random trivia, it had to include some information about the group. Things like “What is your greatest fear?” and “Would you rather be a little late or WAY early?” were some of the questions I sent out in advance in this “Pre-flection” survey. (Here’s a sample) While much of the data was easily captured into graphs to use, some of the open-ended questions take quite a bit of data digging to suss out which are the top responses.

I also created the following trivia answer sheet (Link to Team Trivia PDF). I know you could also do this digitally, but as the purpose of this was more team-building and collaboration, teams were instructed to “use your noodle, not your google.”

Finally, for the trivia portion, I printed a couple of different cards or “life-lines”.  One was a “Text a friend” card and the other was a “Google” card. Teams were instructed that they could use these cards one time and for one question only. If they didn’t use the card, they received a bonus half-point for each card. It was interesting to watch teams use strategy around when or if to use a lifeline card.

Also, just for fun, I created a playlist that included the songs they chose when answering the “my go-to karaoke song is…” on the Pre-flection survey and had their songs playing as they entered the room.

For this challenge, I didn’t want teams to just be people you know or members of your campus. In fact, in some ways, this would put your team at a disadvantage if you knew everyone on your team really well. As the last sections were about the group and their answers, it actually is better if you have a more diverse group so that you can poll your team on what they answered. I awarded bonus points for creative team names (and told them to cater to the judge as it was all subjective 

There are tons of websites that have trivia out there, so don’t rack your brain coming up with questions. I looked at pop-culture, technology, current events, and school related trivia as my go-to questions. I also tried to pull in some “local” trivia for some of the questions (about the town, school district). For the audio clue questions I included song samples from their Pre-flection Survey for “go to karaoke song choice” and they could earn a point each for listing artist, song title, and year it was released.

Finally, while you could totally do this verbally, I liked having the visual of the question on a screen so I built all my slides in Keynote. This is helpful in large spaces where they might not be able to hear you and it reinforces the idea that we understand and remember much more if we hear AND see it.  I then copied  all my questions slides and repeated the questions at the end of the deck with answer slides in between when we got to the scoring part.

The “Survey Says…” Section

This is a “Family Feud” like section where the team is trying to pick out what they think the number one answer is of the group.

Team Trivia in action! Pic courtesy @ASharpTeacher

I awarded 5 points for the top choice and down to 1 point for the 5th choice. A word of caution here, when building your Pre-flection survey, shoot for one-word answers as it makes tabulating top responses easier to find. Some fun questions here are “What’s your number 1 place to visit on your bucket list?” or “What was your favorite cereal as a kid?”

Remember, it’s not about what you answer, it’s about what you think the group’s top answer will be.

The 50/50 Section

These questions were based on a series of “would you rather” questions at the end of their Pre-flection survey. Questions like “Would you rather lose your hearing or your vision?” or “Would you rather go on a cruise with a spouse or your friends?” were some fun ones and prompted quite a bit of laughter and discussion. Again, don’t re-invent the wheel here. I found this list and many others on the inter-webs to pull these questions from. For the teams, they had a two-part answer on their scoring sheet. First they had to decide what the majority of the people in the room chose, then they had to guess a percentage for how many chose that as their answer. (i.e. “Lose Hearing…90%) When we get to the scoring section, I awarded points for those that got it right AND got within 5 percentage points in either direction.

Scoring Round

After all the trivia was completed, I awarded bonus points for those that didn’t use their lifelines and for team name. I then randomly distributed the answer sheets to other groups to do the scoring round. Note that competitive teams can really hung up on some answers. For the most part, if it was close to the original answer, I would allow it (this is supposed to be fun people).

This part should be super engaging. Ask the audience to shout out what you think the answer is and reveal the answers on the screen with some suspense. It’s always amazing to me how competitive teams can get and how disappointed they are when they get an answer wrong.

Summary

All in all, these team trivia contests were a hit at both events. It allowed the teams to get to know each other in a competitive and collaborative format. It took about 6-8 hours to do all the set-up (creating the google form, the answer form, gathering the data, creating the slide deck) and the actual event took an hour. Now that I’ve done this a couple of times, I can re-use my slide deck and just change some of the questions based on the group so set-up won’t be as labor intensive. Also, I’ve shared the Pre-flection survey and answer sheet in this blog, so feel free to borrow and remix it yourself. Would love to hear from you if you try it with your team. Tag me on twitter @mrhooker or comment on this post!

cross posted at http://hookedoninnovation.com

Carl Hooker has been a part of a strong educational shift with technology integration since becoming an educator. As Director of Innovation & Digital Learning at Eanes ISD, he has helped spearhead the LEAP program, which put one-to-one iPads in the hands of all K-12 students in his 8000-student district. He is also the founder of “iPadpalooza”- a three-day “learning festival” held in Austin annually. He's also the author of the six-book series titled Mobile Learning Mindset, a guide for teachers, administrators, parents and others to support and embrace mobile learning in our schools. Read more at Hooked on Innovation.

Technology can have its pain points. Take peer feedback for example.

• We want to students to be able to write, express themselves, create, etc.
• Then we want them to be able to share what they made with their peers.
• Then we want their peers to be able to provide constructive feedback.

Normally we use Google Docs for a task like this. For the most part, that is an excellent option, but there can be some challenges.

• If all 25 students in a class do their writing in their own Google Docs, then we need to find an easy way to share 25 different Docs, and we need to open 25 different Docs to see everyone's work.
• Or if all 25 students write in the same Google Doc, then it can take some work to keep each student's writing separate, and to easily navigate from one student to the next.

What we need is an easy way for students to work independently when writing, but collaboratively when giving feedback. We need a tool that lets them work "collabordependently" (I assert this is a real word despite the red squiggly lines I get when I type it.)Certainly this can work in Google Docs, but sometimes it may be worth considering a different tool for peer feedback. That tool is … Google Slides. See below for how Google Slides can break out of being just a presentation tool and can become a versatile tool for collabordependence!

Pick Your Project
First things first, you will need to decide what you want your students to write, or explain, or create. Writing should be a key component of every subject area and every grade level. Your project could be:

• A journal entry from a writing prompt
• A persuasive essay
• An argument for or against a position
• An explanation of a concept they are learning about in class
• A math story problem they create that covers content from the current math unit
• A story
• A poem
• A summary of a reading passage
• A retelling of an historical event
• And so forth…
• 
  

Create a Google Slideshow

Now that you have the topic in mind, go ahead and create a Google Slideshow. You will probably want to include any needed details about the activity at the start of the slideshow, such as directions, a writing prompt, resources to explore, or such.

Student Slides

Next you will want to consider the student slides. The idea is for each student to have their own slide in the slide deck. Each student will use their specific slide to do their work, write, and such.

If the students are older or more comfortable with using Google Slides they can simply create a new slide for themselves when they open up slideshow. To do this they would:

• Click the down arrow next to the plus button in the top left corner of Google Slides
• Next choose the type of slide they want to make.
• A good option for writing could be the "Title and Body" slide.
• The students can put their name in the title area and use the body section to write.

If the students are younger or not as comfortable with using Google Slides you can create a slide for each student in the class ahead of time.

• First make one sample student slide.
• Then you can use "Ctrl" and "D" to duplicate that slide as many times as you need for the entire class.
• When students open the slideshow they can pick a blank slide to work on.
• Or you could assign numbers to each student so they know which slide is theirs.

[9 Updates for Google Classroom (and 3 more to come)]

If needed, you could go as far as adding in the students names on each slide ahead of time. If you're going to do this much work you may want to consider making a master slideshow with all of the students names on the slides and then simply make a copy of that slideshow anytime you want to do an activity like this.

In the end it will depend on how comfortable your students are with Google Slides as to how much you want to set up ahead of time, and how much you want to let them do.

Sharing the Slideshow with your Students

Now that the slideshow has been created you need to share it with all of your students and give them edit rights to the slideshow. This will allow them to write on their particular slide.

You can use the normal share button to share the slideshow with your students. Or if you're using Google Classroom you can push the slideshow out to your students and give them edit rights as follows:

• Create an assignment in Classroom as normal.
• Attach the slideshow using the drive icon.
• Choose the option for "Students can edit file".

Now when students open the assignment they will all have access to the same slideshow and can edit their slide.

Students Work Independently

At this point each student will go to their slide in the slide deck and begin doing their work. This may involve writing a paragraph based on a prompt, or giving their definition of a scientific term in their own words, or explaining how to solve a math problem, or such.

During this process the students can simply type, or they can take advantage of other features in Google Slides such as inserting images, shapes, videos, and more.

Students Give Feedback Collaboratively

When a student is done with their independent work on their slide it is now time for them to provide collaborative feedback for their peers. Students simply need to visit other slides in the slide deck to see what their classmates have written. To do this the student would do the following:

• Go to another student's slide and read what they wrote.
• Decide what feedback they would like to give.
• Select the text or item on the slide they wish to comment on.
• Click "Insert" in the top menu bar and then choose "Comment" from the drop-down menu.
• Finally the student can type in their feedback in the comment box.

Students can now check to see what feedback their classmates have provided them and make any necessary revisions to their work.

Teacher Access

Because you created the slideshow as a teacher you have access to everything the students have written and the comments they provided for their peers. Now you can easily click down through each slide in the slideshow to see all of your students' work in one convenient location.

One of the biggest challenges with a collaborative project is that students are able to edit each other slides. This will likely happen at some point either intentionally or by accident.

It is important that your students know that version history keeps track of every change ever made to the slideshow and who made the change. This will allow you to see if a student changes another student's work. 

 To access version history: 

• Click "File" in the top menu bar.
• Choose "Version history" then "See version history".
• You can now expand and scroll through the history to see what changes were made and by which students.

This is actually an important part of the learning process. In addition to learning how to create in Google Slides, it is also important for students to learn how to work well together in a digital environment. This is a skill they will need all throughout their lives, school, and careers.

Conclusion

Technology provides us with many ways for students to be creative as well as to provide feedback for each other. Using Google Slides is an excellent option for students to both write independently and provide feedback collaboratively all in one place. It's the perfect solution for working collabordependently!

cross posted at www.controlaltachieve.com

Eric Curts is an education trainer and consultant with over 20 years' experience throughout the U.S. He is an authorized Google Education Trainer and a Google Certified Innovator. Read his blog at www.controlaltachieve.com and follow him on Google+ and @ericcurts on Twitter.

Peergrade

Feedback tool with great rubrics might work best for older students

Pros: Simple features and stellar built-in rubrics help students easily access each other's assignments and offer feedback.

Cons: The tool is designed for higher ed and might not offer enough structure for younger students.

Bottom Line: With appropriate teacher support, this could be a powerful way to help teach your students about giving and receiving critical feedback.

[What’s New: New Tools for Schools]

Read more.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

By Common Sense Education

The start of school is always a challenging time in any marriage. Making sure everything is ordered. Getting your kids all the materials they might need. Arguing about who is in charge of what when it comes to being ready for the first day of school.

I’m not talking about a traditional marriage, I’m talking about the struggle that is the marriage between IT and curriculum. Last spring I wrote a post around this very subject. In reflecting on that post, I’d have to say that the beginning of school has the toughest stress on this relationship.

[21 Things Every 21st Century Educator Should Try This Year (2018 Version)]

With more and more resources going digital, determining who is in charge of what can be similar to the night time routine in our house when we debate who wants to do the dishes versus put the kids to bed. While on a much smaller scale, communication and expectation can make something as simple as that discussion take a downward turn. Now ramp that up 1000 degrees and add the pressure of account provisioning, single sign-on, data privacy, version updates, and a wide variety of resource providers and data formats, and it’s enough to make this marriage turn toward breaking dishes, not cleaning them.

So during this back to school time of stress, just remember, we need to stick together….for the kids.

Even projection display hardware needs to be evaluated through the lens of its impact on student learning. Educators know that interactive collaboration impacts the classroom environment by shifting the mode of teaching and increasing student engagement.

What are the key factors that districts should be aware of when choosing new classroom display options?

In this white paper you will learn:

• Why display size matters – the 4/6/8 Rule
• The impact of interactivity on student engagement
• Creating a cost-effective digital ecosystem that supports learning

Click here to read the full white paper.

Cross posted at the #NYCSchoolsTech blog.

Learn about the innovative practices going on with some of New York City’s most passionate educators and supporters. The latest #NYCSchoolsTech Podcast was recorded live at our annual #NYCSchoolsTech Summit where NYC Schools most innovative teachers come together to share ideas, network, and learn from one another and about what’s new in the world of ed tech.

#NYCSchoolsTech Podcast host, Nancy Ribak Altadonna interviewed notable attendees and presenters who shared ideas about innovation, inspiration, who they give thanks to, expectations for students in the future, and their favorite tech tool or resource that they plan to use this year.

This podcast features 11 innovators who work for or with NYC Schools. They share their ideas, insights, and best practices.

You can listen to the time stamped highlights of what some NYC ed tech leaders said at the links in the caption above. Check out what they had to share. If you find something of interest, you can jump to exactly what you want to hear in the podcast.

Nancy Ribak Altadonna (Intro)

Social Studies Special Educator at Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

Nancy is the host of the #NYCSchoolsTech podcast. She is the one to provide opening remarks and interview today’s guests.

DeNora Getachew (1:36)

Keynote speaker and New York City Executive Director of Generation Citizen

Denora talks about... her vision for every young person to be given the civic knowledge necessary to be prepared to participate in a 21st century democracy.

Brook Wallace (3:36)

NYC program Director for Generation Citizen

Brooke talks about...how Generation Citizen was able to use technology to support non-verbal students with special needs in being able to weigh in, express their ideas, and have their voice heard.

Richard Carranza (4:36)

@NYCSchools Chancellor.

Richard talks about...
an example of a school that successfully incorporated technology into learning by actively demonstrating, creating, and making meaning in a math class.

Eileen Lennon (7:00)

Tech teacher at Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School 74 in Bayside, Queens

Eileen talks about...
why the annual #NYCSchoolsTech Summit is an important event for her, educators of all grades and subjects across the city, and our vendor partners to attend. She also discusses whether “technology” should be a little T or big T when we think about STEM, STEAM, STREAM...aka school.

Find out why her favorite technology this year is: EverFi

Find out how she believes students will use technology to change the world.

Ellen Goodman and Kristy Bernardo Lauriat (12:05)

DonorsChoose.org National Teacher Ambassadors and technology teachers in Brooklyn

Ellen and Kristy talk about…

how to help teachers reach citizen philanthropists via Donors Choose for teachers who don’t have the funding through their schools to best help meet their student’s needs. They also teach a class in New York City teaching educators to do just that.

Meredith Allen (16:53)

Soundtrap Education Specialist

Meredith talks about..

connecting classrooms globally via global collaborations through music and why it is so important for our digital citizens to understand that there are others out there around the globe that are both very different, yet very similar.

Jay Strumwasser (21:00)

Jay is the Director of Technology at Challenge Preparatory Charter School in Far Rockaway

Jay talks about…

the power of the the #NYCSchoolsTech professional network for learning.

Find out why he's excited to bring Google’s Applied Digital Skills to his school this year.

Jackie Patanio (24:26)

Jackie is an EdTech Instructional Lead at the Staten Island Field Support Center

Jackie talks about…

how our #NYCSchoolsTech group has harnessed the power of social media to make meaningful connections and learn deeply with peers, experts, and expert peers.

She also discusses the importance of vendor partnerships and develop relationships.

Find out why her favorite tech resource she learned about this year at the Summit is podcasting to make a change and involve in civic engagement.

Katrina Gordon (30:44)

Katrina is a technology teacher at PS 181 in Queens

Katrina talks about…

what the #NYCSchoolsTech award means to her and the power of collaboration, knowledge sharing, resource sharing, and vendor relationships in the #NYCSchoolsTech group.

She also explains how pursuing certification has been helpful to her professional growth.

Find out why she is excited to bring digital storytelling to her classroom with podcasting.

Your Turn

If you attended the Summit, or another ed conference this year, what did you think? How would you answer the questions this episode's guests discussed?

• Why were you inspired to attend the #NYCSchoolsTech Summit?
• What’s the best part of being involved with #NYCSchoolsTech?
• If you could thank someone from your #NYCSchoolsTech learning network, who would you choose and why?
• Technology Implementation: Think about your classroom and finish this sentence:“In the next ten years I expect my students to…….”
• What is one innovative tool or practice that you learned about today that you plan to use to ensure your students are civically activated and educated?

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several books and her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal.

Think about some of the recent movie blockbusters like The Avengers, Justice League, and X-Men. Yes, these are fictional characters, but what do they have in common? They are all stories of individuals combining their talents to achieve a common goal. Collaboration produces victory in the world of blockbuster movies and can help you do the same in education.

Unlike professionals who work in the private sector, educators spend most of the day with children in classrooms. How can school leaders find ways for educators to work together when it’s hard for them to find even a few minutes to use the bathroom, let alone collaborate with their peers? Technology has given us new and exciting ways to connect! Whether it is a live virtual meeting, Twitter chat, recorded webinars, or simply a series of emails, technology has given us ways to connect like never before.

Think about what we tell our students to do when they have a question: “Ask three before me” or “Work with a partner.” As leaders, we need to empower and encourage our staff to do the same. Our professional experiences have allowed us to collaborate with a variety of our colleagues, which has transformed both of our own practices. From the Tech and Learning Leadership Summits to MassCUE and other regional and national conferences, presenting at and attending these events has helped us expand our PLNs to include colleagues from around the country.

[TOP 10 FOR PLNS]

With this reach, our PLN is always there for us to connect, learn, ask a question, or just send a funny Gif for a laugh. Forming these professional relationships can encourage more risk taking. You can present together, write articles/blogs/newsletters (case in point with this article), or visit schools to collaborate.

These collaborations are incredibly valuable, but where do you begin? Here are some of the best ways to start growing your PLNs:

• Twitter Chats: Twitter Chats are an amazing way to meet others in your similar role who are outside of your classroom, building, state, or country. Follow a hashtag of interest to you to see past chats and information for future chats that highlight your area of interest. Use tools like TweetDeck to help you launch your own hashtag and get a conversation started.
• Events: Attending conferences gives you an opportunity to broaden your PLN by meeting tons of new people. Attending conferences, EdCamps, or meetups allows you to you find (or expand) your passion and purpose while increasing your opportunity to meet professionals who share that passion.

Be strategic as you channel your purpose and passion during the events to maximize collaboration. Challenge yourself to meet new professionals--you’ll be motivated to share learning as your PLC grows. After the event, keep the learning going by connecting with your new PLN members though emails, tweets, voxer, or in person.

• Organizations: Organizations that include your colleagues can be extremely advantageous in collaboration. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) often meet virtually via Google Hangout, Skype, or videoconferencing services like Zoom. Create and add to Google Docs to keep the ideas and collaboration flowing.

When working together, it’s easy to look at what needs to be “fixed” rather than what is going well. It’s important to recognize and encourage the good work we do collaboratively and build upon it. Tweet it out, shout it out, or put it in a blog or article! As the new school year begins, think of new ways you can collaborate to get outside of your own walls.

Matthew X. Joseph, EdD (@MatthewXJoseph) is the director of digital learning and innovation at Milford (MA) Public Schools. Erin Fisher, MEd (@MrsErinFisher) is the tech integration specialist at East Bridgewater (MA) Public Schools.

If you’re reading this and don’t know what RSS is you likely also don’t recall the term “Web 2.0“. Really Simple Syndication for me was the poster child technology for the era where the early internet began to shift from a place where only certain folks with technical skill and software could contribute to the web to a place where user-generated content was now dominant and more importantly, anyone could easily interact with that content. RSS allowed you to subscribe to specific content and people.

One of my early blog posts tried to articulate the power of this technology by using the metaphor of a “research team.” Other educators curating, thinking and sharing ideas that were useful to me. All I had to do was click a subscribe button and whenever I had a moment could go to my aggregator Bloglines, Google Reader (which was still the best) and currently Feedly and see any updated or added content. While those of you who have never used RSS in this way, I can’t describe how magical and amazing this technology was. Suddenly I was being introduced to really smart folks doing really interesting work and they were just giving it to me. I recall a few years earlier I had been to a conference and the speaker invited folks to sign up for his newsletter and he described it as having the best people in the world finding the most current educational research and having it sent to your inbox once a month. That’s essentially what I was able to do except I chose who was on my team and what topics they were to research. This journey started in 2004.

[Still Amusing Ourselves To Death]

Fast forward to 2014. I was asked to create a course on sustaining digital literacy. The course is a few key principles including these:

• Educational research is changing. While traditional research still matters, we also recognize teachers are researchers and can learn much from their experience about what learning can and should be.
• Emerging ideas can be accessed and explored more quickly. Because of technology, we know about new ideas and practices sooner. We no longer have to wait for a white paper to tell us if they fall under “best practice” we can try them out and research ourselves.
• We now connected directly with experts.

It’s that last one in particular that this post references. I have included a module on RSS to allow my students to create their own research teams on topics of interest. Because I’m old, I still have my students set up Feedly accounts and plug in the RSS feeds of their classmates and hopefully add other blogs to their feeds as well. And like blogging, I realize only a handful will continue but I want to expose them to the power of sharing their own research/learning via blogging and how to find others who do as well via Feedly.

This term I received this bit of feedback:

I think that Feedly and the RSS feed seem to be too much and becoming outdated. With current social media, I would most likely receive alerts when people/groups that I am following have updated posts.

And I think it’s true. I don’t use RSS the way I did in 2004. That said, I remember reading that blogging was dead ten years ago. And while it’s maybe not trendy, many educators have seen its value and maintained a presence. Apparently, RSS has some valid uses as well but like most everyone, I tend to use social as a place to find new and emerging ideas. But I also think using Twitter and Facebook to haphazardly find content lacks intention and depth. I also value reading a person’s blog over time to understand better their voice and context. So I’m asking for some advice on how to update my module on finding research. What replaces RSS feeds? What works for you that goes beyond “someone on Twitter/Facebook shared….” to something that is more focused and intentional?

Here’s hoping I have a couple readers left who do this thing where they’re brave enough to leave a comment.

cross-posted at ideasandthoughts.org

Disclaimer: This weblog contains the opinions and ideas of Dean Shareski. While there may be references to my work and content which relates directly to my work, the ideas are mine alone and are not necessarily shared by my employer.

Dean Shareski is the Community Manager of the Canadian DEN (Discovery Educators Network) and lecturer for the University of Regina. With 24 years of experience as a K12 educator and consultant, he specializes in the use of technology in the classroom. Read more at ideasandthoughts.org.

Stopping in at the Barco booth at ISTE 2018, Kevin Hogan spoke with Christine Hunter, business development manager at Barco, to discuss their collaboration tool, wePresent. Going beyond the bare-bones of typical screensharing, wePresent now features a moderation function, giving educators even more control over and flexibility with how content is shared in the classroom.

During one of my many conversations at ISTE this week, I had the pleasure of meeting Edgar Ochoa, a history teacher at the Roosevelt Elementary School District, and Christa Tropin, a STEM teacher at the Tempe Elementary School District. These two inspiring educators discussed their work with the Global Problem Solvers: The Series, a new Cisco corporate social responsibility educational initiative (Find my video interview with Edgar here). This new animated series and supporting activities for middle schoolers are available at no cost at www.gpstheseries.com. The GPS: The Series includes opportunities for complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, and coordinating with others while emphasizing social consciousness, entrepreneurship, and the potential of technology to accelerate impact. By approaching social change as entrepreneurs and applying technology to accelerate the differences they can make, students learn to find solutions that not only bring about real change but are scalable and sustainable. Find more information at www.gpstheseries.com and keep visiting our social media hub for continued ISTE conference highlights.

– Christine Weiser, Content Director

[What’s New: New Tools for Schools]

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is launching a new community-driven review platform that gives educators insight into which tools, technology and apps will best meet their learning objectives. ISTE Edtech Advisor, available free to all ISTE members, will allow educators to find and share information about the tech tools they use, discover new tools and apps, and access reviews, ratings and input from a community of tech-savvy educators.

Edtech Advisor, powered by LearnPlatform, with a database of over 5,000 tools, allows ISTE members to access detailed reviews and feedback from peers.

Edtech Advisor provides ISTE members with:

● A single location to share and learn about product experiences with other educators.

● A platform that supports informed decision-making on new products and apps.

● Real classroom/teacher experiences that provide a more complete picture of a product’s potential.

● Data points for discussing an app’s effectiveness with peers.

[Minecraft: Kids Learn 21st Century Skills While Building New Worlds]

LearnPlatform was created by Lea(R)n to organize, streamline and analyze classroom technology. Edtech Advisor will launch at the ISTE Conference &Expo in Chicago. For more information, visit iste.org/edtechadvisor.

ClearOne (NASDAQ: CLRO), provider of audio and visual communications solutions, today unveiled COLLABORATE® Space, a video collaboration app that connects hundreds of users joining from any device, anytime, and anywhere, and includes messaging, calling, and meeting functions.

[Class Tech Tips: How To Skype with an Expert in Your Classroom]

COLLABORATE Space provides persistent space to store all sorts of media such as messages, documents, whiteboards, recordings, meeting minutes, or anything else exchanged on a specific topic or project during a call or meeting at anytime, and is accessible from any device.

COLLABORATE Space allows users to create public or private channels organized by topic, where the owner can invite team members to join, or anyone can view a channel and join without invitation.

For more information, visit ClearOne at InfoComm 2018, Booth #N1628 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

If you want to prepare for the future of educational technology, start by exploring the past. Look at the word “educate” and its Latin root educat; according to Merriam-Webster, the origin meant “led out.” If educate means to bring out rather than impose or give, how can audiovisual (AV) technologies help digitally savvy students make surprising connections or answer questions on their own? What are the AV trends that can help teachers draw insights from learners today and tomorrow?

There is no shortage of projectors, microphones, and lecture capture devices available to school districts, but there is a crop of new AV products designed with the mission to support more engaging and active learning environments. Here is a sample of case studies that illustrate how AV can turn K-12 spaces into student-driven hubs.

1 AV TECHNOLOGY FOR SOFT SKILLS AND DESIGN THINKING

“The Role of Education in Building Soft Skills,” a Wainhouse Research K-12 report from 2015, revealed that problem-solving and collaborative skills are the primary soft skills on which schools should be focusing in the next decade.

“Educators, parents, and students find that the benefits of a focus on collaboration are many, from encouraging active participation among learners to encouraging learners to take ownership of their education,” the Wainhouse Research analysts observed.

“Collaboration” and “creative problem-solving” are terms that are often overused and misunderstood, but deployed carefully they can complement rigorous K-12 pedagogies. According to the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE), collaborative technologies are “applications that facilitate teamwork and collaboration between students and experts around the globe; for example, knowledge-sharing tools, videoconferencing, digital project spaces/sites, chats, and collaborative schedulers.”

As AI and automation seep into more of our daily tasks, it is creativity, emotional intelligence, and empathy that will give students and professionals the edge. Creating a framework for critical problem solving earlier rather than later is beneficial.

One example of a project that has sparked new ways of thinking in students is the 2018 collaboration between Riverview High School in New Brunswick, Canada, and Pheasey Park Farm Primary School in Birmingham, UK. Both schools, separated by a vast ocean and thousands of miles, worked closely together, as if they were in the very same room, thanks to the Nureva Span visual collaboration solution and the HDL300 audio conferencing system. In six sessions over three months, 12th grade students at Riverview High School and 4th grade students at Pheasey Park Farm Primary School jointly explored a profound question: “What does it mean to be human?” They exchanged ideas, hopes, and fears about how artificial intelligence and other technological innovations will impact their lives. According to Nureva, “the older students were brought together with the younger students to explore their divergent views when discussing these complex topics.”

Each learning space for the unique project is equipped with a 20-foot 2-inch wide Nureva Wall system, cloud-based Span visual collaboration software, and an HDL300 audio conferencing system. Combined, this enables students to share and develop their ideas together, as if they were in the same classroom. What’s more, Nureva stated that design thinking is what drives the collaboration, “providing a framework where participants identify problems and develop, test and refine solutions.”

The emphasis on soft skills doesn’t demote the importance of curriculum fundamentals like reading, writing, and arithmetic. New AV technologies, such as the ClickShare wireless presentation systems from Barco and wePresent, huddle systems from Mersive, Crestron, and Harman, and interactive displays from the likes of InFocus, Nureva, Google, Cisco, and Avocor, put more power in the hands of learners. Instructional designers and teachers are playing ever important roles as they design syllabi and curricula enriched with technology that puts school district learning objectives first.

2 IMMERSIVE, INTERACTIVE VIDEO INSPIRES CREATIVE SYNTHESIS

Reading about Paleolithic cave art is one thing, but touring it in 360-degree video, with the ability to pan, tilt, and zoom in on a brushstroke is another. The latest iterations of 360 video, interactive whiteboards with high-touch functions, and laser projectors are giving K-12 teachers and technology directors more and brighter ways to inspire and empower students.

At the Castleberry Independent School District (ISD) in Fort Worth, Texas, multi-touch interactive displays are supporting rigorous and engaging pedagogy. Containing seven campuses with three elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, an alternative school, and a learning center, Castleberry ISD is an educational leader that is committed to supporting “lifelong learning” in a diverse, changing world, according to the school. Advanced technology is integral to the school’s mission as it enables collaboration and interactivity. The school district’s IT department regularly evaluates its technology to ensure that it is meeting the highest standards set forth in the district’s technology vision. Most recently, this included replacing older whiteboards and failing projectors in the ISD’s three elementary schools with new BenQ RP653 Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs). The results have been compelling.

Jacob Bowser, IT operations manager for Castleberry ISD, explained that the new BenQ system is easy to use for both teachers and students. “When training our teachers around new technology, they do an incredible job of incorporating it into their classrooms,” he said in a release. “It becomes an integral part of their lessons, so it’s essential everything is always up and running.” With the RP653 IFPs, guesswork is eliminated. Additionally, the system’s 20-point multi-touch interface allows multiple students to work side by side at the 65-inch screen. Learners can simultaneously touch the screen with virtually no delay in response.

Tracie Bryant-Cravens, vice president of sales, state/local government and education, AVI-SPL, agrees that interactivity and multi-touch features are key AV trends in K-12 projects. “Interactive teaching and presentation systems are hot, as are 4K UHD interactive displays and active learning/makerspaces. We are seeing a, decline in projection in favor of high-resolution interactive displays placed throughout the classroom rather than at the front of the room. Makerspaces and active learning spaces are trending, with a focus on high-touch collaboration, meaning small groups huddled together leveraging technology with the teacher facilitating, aligning technology with their curriculum.”

Another inspiring example of interactive display technology in K-12 is in Beaverton, Oregon. Recipient of “Future Ready” and “Positive Change” grants, Beaver Acres Elementary School teacher Heather Hoxie is using one-to-one (1:1) devices and an interactive touch display to individualize class instruction. Hoxie replaced her classroom’s whiteboard with the InFocus JTouch Interactive Display. The display is bright enough to use at any time, even with all the classroom lights on. Each of her student’s individual devices is equipped with InFocus Lightcast software so they can wirelessly share or cast content to the JTouch for higher-level collaboration with no lag time or VGA cables.

Interactive display solutions like the Microsoft Surface Hub and Google Jamboard are popular on the enterprise level; in K-12, affordability and scale are critically important. Interactive whiteboards that are easy to use, offer cloud access, and have more budget-friendly price points appeal to modern school districts that may want to standardize.

While some AV integrators like Bryant-Cravens see interactive flat-panels on trend in K-12, the projection market has never been stronger. Just look at the new Optoma ZH420UST laser projector. This protean 1080p device incorporates a laser light source, 4,000 ANSI lumens, 100,000:1 contrast, and 0.25:1 ultra short-throw ratio. Warping adjustment and automatic edge blending are built in. When combined with an Optoma Projected Capacitive Touch (PCT) screen, multiple participants can interact with the content.

COGITO CRITICALLY, ERGO SUM
5 tips to turn your students into critical thinkers (Nureva) www.nureva.com/blog/5-tips-to-turn-your-students-into-critical-thinkers

VR IN K-12
ClassVR Case Study: St Wilfrid’s C of E Academy (Blackburn, UK)
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=101&v=e2DQ-Ro1aRY

3 AGILE VIDEO MEETS LEARNERS ANYWHERE

From a school play to a band concert, video streaming is helping broader communities connect with and support more student activities. Family and friends who cannot attend in person can feel the pride of graduation or the excitement of a production of “The Music Man” with Facebook Live, YouTube, or Periscope via smartphones. At the heart of professional-grade streaming systems are recording, encoding, decoding, and multi-platform distribution solutions. While these systems used to be relatively costly, they are becoming more affordable, they offer more automated features, and they are coming in more compact chassis designs.

A smart video broadcast and streaming solution is literally making dreams come true at the Plum Borough School District in Pennsylvania. Plum Borough runs the biggest school fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, due in large part to its energetic, student-produced annual telethon. Plum Senior High School students produce the telethon under the direction of TV Production teacher Rick Berrott; the broadcast reaches the broader Pittsburgh region via community access channels and the school district’s YouTube channel.

Last year, however, the school’s standard-definition (SD) video production equipment was failing, so Berrott needed a new solution. Working together with Jeff Waller and his team at the Production Consulting Group of Wexford, Pennsylvania, they implemented a NewTek TriCaster 460 to produce the telethon as well as morning announcements that are broadcast live every school day. A TriCaster Mini was also purchased for school board meetings and sports events. With three to four students available to produce each broadcast, Berrott says the TriCaster is easier to operate than their SD system since it allows them to quickly adjust their JVC ProHD cameras using the position icon. “The TriCaster is so much more powerful and also hands-on,” he said. “It’s not just a studio in a box, it’s like having a production team in a box.”

4 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR MEMORABLE K-12 EXPERIENCES

2018 is a banner year for artificial intelligence on the consumer level; some of the most notable offerings are Alexa, Echo, Invoke, and IBM Watson. Now there is Watson Assistant, a customizable voice assistant for potential to help classroom designers create systems that respond to individual commands or requirements for each room and/or instructor. They can also be automated and customized.

While AI is increasingly present in AV and classrooms, the broader adoption of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Internet of Things (IoT) in K-12 is not quite there yet, according to AVISPL’s Tracie Bryant-Cravens. “Most of AR and VR is leveraged today in higher education.” She believes that gamification is the “first step” for K-12 and Virtual Reality.

“Augmented Reality is moving more quickly, thanks to tools like Amazon Echo. You used to have information at your fingertips—with Google, for example. But now you have information at your ‘lips.’ I used to have to look up my vocabulary words in the dictionary;now my eight-year-old daughter asks Alexa how to spell and define her vocabulary words.”

In England, however, there are already exciting use cases of VR in K-12 environments. As NewBay editor Michael Garwood reported from the ed tech trade event BETT2018, “One of the most prominent and busiest stands at the show belonged to AVANTIS—a specialist in educational technology for over 20 years—who was showcasing the benefits of its ClassVR solution.” At St Wilfrid’s Academy in Blackburn, UK, the ClassVR portal is enabling teachers to see students’ VR headsets in real time, and deliver and shape VR experiences collaboratively with groups. Since studies show that 90 percent of people remember what they experience at far higher rates than what they hear, read, or see, experiences can help transform learning, from immersing a student in the trenches of World War I to marching in Selma for civil rights. The possibilities are endless.

These “a-ha moments” have the potential to unfold in students’ minds long after the school year ends. After all, aren’t the most surprising discoveries the ones we make about ourselves?

5 INTERACTIVE PROJECTORS ENHANCE ACCESS TO ALL TECH

The mission of Parkland School District in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is to ensure that students are empowered with success strategies for lifelong learning. That’s why Robert Uhl, telecommunication specialist, has worked to fit eight of eleven schools with smart classrooms including Hitachi’s CP-TW2505 interactive projectors.

Parkland School District is made up of eleven schools including eight elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school and Uhl oversees the classroom and other AV equipment for the entire district. On top of the eight schools with smart classroom technology, Uhl also helps with the technology in the TV studios for the student-produced morning show and the digital signage used throughout the schools.

“We’ve been involved with Hitachi for well over a decade,” says Uhl. “Before the CPTW2505s, we had other Hitachi projectors tied into the Hitachi’s Starboard technology that we installed about ten years prior. The new projectors give us many more options with how it interacts with other technology. We often use Video Over IP in some classrooms for the morning shows, and also use the projector to watch cable networking throughout the day. We still use standard TVs in most classrooms, but all classrooms are smart.”

Uhl says that one of the best parts of the upgrade for teachers is that they get to utilize the entirety of their whiteboards again. “With the Starboard program we were using before, we had to mount it onto the whiteboard in the classroom, which took away a considerable amount of whiteboard space. Now, teachers are able to enjoy the benefits of an interactive projector while also utilizing their entire whiteboard space.”

Right now, Parkland School District has well over 200 Hitachi projectors including approximately 180 interactive and 30 standard projectors. This summer, Uhl is looking to complete the upgrade in the last three schools in the district.

Margot Douaihy is the editor-at-large of AV Technology. She teaches and advises students at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire.

EXTEND THAT SIGNAL

Are you a K-12 technologist needing to extend USB and HDMI in an economical way? Check out the Hall Research EX-HDU extender comprised of a single-gang Wall Plate Sender and compatible Receiver. The product uses only a single Cat5/6 cable to 200ft long. HDMI audio is extracted and is provided both as analog stereo and multi-channel digital. The Receiver can also be used to control other equipment by providing programmable contact closure I/O, RS-232 and IR outputs. Receivers with LAN connectivity are also available providing integrated user configurable WebGUI and IP control.

INFO

AVI-SPL
avispl.com

BenQ
benq.com

Hall Research
hallresearch.com

Hitachi America
www.hitachi-america.us

InFocus
Infocus.com

Installation VR K-12 Focus
installation-international.com

ISTE Standards for Students
iste.org/standards/for-students

NewTek
newtek.com nureva.com

Nureva
nureva.com

Optoma
optomausa.com

Wainhouse Research
cp.wainhouse.com

New research from NewBay’s AV Technology and Tech & Learning magazines—from a poll of more than 200 users of educational technology in K–12 and higher education—shows how technology leads to increased engagement and more use of online resources, thereby improving educational outcomes. Although the survey showed that many higher education and K–12 schools remain at a crossroads in terms of making a full transition to technology, the vast majority of those who responded are excited about what they’re accomplishing today and are equally excited about moving quickly to implement better ways of teaching with online curriculum and to take advantage of online avenues for research, better displays, video conferencing, and more. While there’s still a technology gap in many schools, it’s a gap that up-to-date projectors, large displays, better networking/connectivity solutions, and better teaching software can fill. The survey results offer a roadmap showing what technology and tech-based pedagogical methods are working for schools today, as well as what’s to come.

Click here to download the full white paper.

When kindergarteners are collaborating to build bridges, you know the future of education is bright. Long before students in the schools and districts featured here have a chance to ask “What difference does this make?” or “When will I need to know this?” they’re out on a boat gathering samples, investigating why a family member suffers headaches, outside measuring solar energy, or making connections that lead to a career. Whether you call it STEM, STEAM, or STREAM, cross-curricular, real-world education is helping students to make a difference in their communities now and preparing them for further education and careers. And creative collaboration is the key.

KA HEI: CAPTURING THE SUN

RISING COSTS AND FEARS

“What if a tsunami hits Hawaii and cuts off our fossil fuel energy supply? We can’t even have light or running water. We’d go back to the caveman times,” says a student at Honowai Elementary School in Waipahu, Hawaii.

While clean energy and conservation issues affect us all, thanks to Ka Hei, a collaboration between the Hawaii State Department of Education, OpTerra Energy Services, and DefinedSTEM, Hawaiian students are particularly aware of the need to learn and take action to preserve their beautiful but fragile island environment. Ka Hei is “a multi-pronged approach to sustainability and incorporation of STEM,” says Brent Suyama, DOE communications specialist. Even the name is collaborative—the Hawaiian god Maui used a snare called a Ka Hei to capture the sun, and Ka Hei also means “to absorb as knowledge or skill.”

With $50 million in annual energy costs and fuel prices rapidly rising, in addition to weather changes necessitating the installation of air conditioning in schools, assistant superintendent for facilities Dann Carlson explains that the department began by investing time in writing a creative RFP to find a primary partner for this sustainability program. OpTerra won the competitive bid, which included a unique power purchase agreement financed over 20 years at a fixed rate. Finance was a particular concern, as the Hawaii legislature determines all state funding for public schools.

With DefinedSTEM as their curriculum partner, in 2014 work on the three E’s of Ka Hei—efficiency, electricity generation, and education—began. The first step was to perform energy audits in all 256 schools, install LED lightbulbs and other efficiencies, and begin educating everyone about energy and water conservation. As many schools are used as shelters during hurricanes and energy security is a pressing concern, community involvement and support are critical.

HARNESSING THE ELEMENTS

“I didn’t know we used so much fossil fuel to do … everyday stuff. We gotta do something … Now I know why so many houses have PV and why we see wind turbines. It’s all good stuff for the aina [the Hawaiian word for land],” says another Honowai Elementary student.

Ka Hei is taking advantage of the sun and wind, exploring innovative energy technology and installing photovoltaic (PV) panels. Eighty schools benefitted from a narrow window offering net energy agreements, and efforts to find creative ways to finance PV panels for the rest of the schools and to establish microgrids in five pilot schools are ongoing. This next phase, with the ultimate goal of net-zero buildings, also involves engineering storage solutions.

EDUCATION FOR EVERYONE

Ka Hei’s curricular initiatives, in partnership with DefinedSTEM, involve all 180,000 students in 256 schools across seven islands. Suyama describes the excitement of students as they monitor usage and take responsibility for their own campuses. This kind of STEM learning, he says, is tangible—and “they love it.”

The comprehensive and hands-on training for teachers includes bringing in individuals from local businesses to share their expertise as well as surveys, contests, and information to communicate to parents and guardians. Elizabeth Shigeta, curriculum coordinator for Honowai Elementary School, notes that due to this “shared training experience, teachers are able to collaborate with each other,” which creates “a more meaningful experience” for students. Sharing at home what’s learned in the classroom, she says, is “critical.”

The STEM curriculum for the initiative “connects age-appropriate information and standards,” Shigeta says, but what’s most valuable for learning is the pairing of curriculum and equipment so that it’s effective for students’ different learning modalities. As a result, even young students demonstrate a deep understanding of their connection and responsibility to their environment. “Living on an island has many good things for us to do, like go to the beach, swimming, and hiking. But we need to look at energy like we look at our island. We need to understand and care for it,” says another of Shigeta’s students.

Another Honowai Elementary student perhaps sums it up best: “Yeah. I waste a lot of energy. I know what I can do and I’m going to do it!”

Learn more about this exciting initiative at http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/Organization/SchoolFacilities/Pages/Ka-Hei.aspx.

TOOLS THEY USE
HONOWAI ELEMENTARY

► DefinedSTEM
► iPads
► Island Energy Inquiry curriculum and equipment (a subsidiary project of Ka Hei/OpTerra)
► LEGO MINDSTORMS
► MacBooks
► Promethean and Smart Boards

BUILDING BRIDGES: WITH BOOKS, COURAGE, AND RELATIONSHIPS

It’s impossible to talk with Jamie Ewing, new STEM Educator at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, in DC Public Schools, without catching the vision for STEM integration. “Most technology at the elementary level has been supplemental, as opposed to being integrated,” he says. But STEM education is all about critical thinking, and the earlier students begin learning this way, the better.

Ewing was hired to integrate STEM in third through fifth grades, but his question was: “Why not younger?” And he chuckles as he admits it’s been a learning process. When he gave Pre-K three-year-olds a pile of books to build an arched bridge connecting two chairs a few feet apart, he figured he’d need to show them how first. But the kindergarteners not only accomplished this task without being shown how but also found multiple ways to do it. Encouraging collaboration and teaching problem-solving skills at this tender age is not only possible, but critical. “By the time they reach fifth grade, this way of thinking is ingrained,” Ewing says.

Ewing brings a fine arts degree, a career in clothing design, and a dizzying array of accolades—including Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and 2013 National Academy of Arts and Science in Education Innovator of the Year—to this school in the transitional Southwest Waterfront neighborhood of DC. Although the school has struggled and nearly all 340 students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, Ewing is impressed with the community support to create a STEM-focused school and grateful for a grant that enabled him to outfit his classroom with lots of cool tools. It’s a big transition for everyone, and Ewing is at work in these early days building relationships in the school and the community. The PD he’s doing with teachers is equal parts instruction, support, inspiration, and helping them to see how “they’re doing pieces of it already.”

Ewing is a huge fan of Scratch and uses it especially with fourth graders, teaching coding and programming. His fifth graders use littleBits which, he says, “I absolutely adore. You set up the problem and there are a hundred different ways to do it.” Makers Empire, a 3D printing curriculum, is another key tool he uses to teach problem-solving.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION: JUST TALK TO PEOPLE

But Ewing hastens to point out that effective STEM education doesn’t require expensive equipment. His students in Seattle created instruments out of recycled materials, recorded music, and partnered with the MOHAI to present their pieces in the museum’s atrium. This kind of collaboration is not only creative, engaging, and effective—it’s also free. Ewing has found that museums and businesses often want to partner with education but don’t know how, and teachers don’t realize that they can reach out to these organizations. The solution? Talk to people. “I have yet to find someone who’s said no,” Ewing says.

Social media can also facilitate unique collaborations. One of Ewing’s classes created stop-motion videos with students in Germany, and another Skyped with a school in Detroit. Edmodo, he notes, is great for global collaboration. And Twitter is one of his favorite ways to connect, support, and share ideas with like-minded teachers everywhere (@mrewingteach).

SHIFTING MIND-SETS

Part of the challenge at Amidon-Bowen, where the only tech most students have at home is a phone, is to help them feel comfortable with it. And typing on keyboards, which Ewing (who used a typewriter in college) likens to cursive, doesn’t help. “The Surface RT with an Xbox One controller with keyboard,” he says, would be “the best tool to replace the keyboard for 21st-century kids.” It’s a struggle not to “put our mentality on something that doesn’t make sense to a ten-year-old.”

With technology and in other areas, Ewing encourages teachers to take risks and to push students to fail so they can succeed in new ways. Above all, he says, “Don’t be afraid to let students teach you. If you can get into the headspace where you don’t have to be in control, the kids can do so much more.” While it can be more work up front, and it might look crazy, “once it starts happening, and students take ownership,” Ewing says, “step back and watch it. It’s beautiful.”

TOOLS THEY USE
AMIDON-BOWEN

► Blend Space
► Class Craft
► Edmodo
► littleBits
► Maker Empire
► MinecraftEdu
► MSFT Sway
► One Note
► Scratch
► Skype
► Surface RT with an Xbox One controller with keyboard
► Touch Develop
► Twitter

SAVING LIVES AND PREVENTING HEADACHES

Many of Nancy Foote’s students have followed the STEM path from her classroom at Sossaman Middle School in the Higley Unified (AZ) School District into related careers. These include “the young lady who hated science and math but loved the tech end of it” who is now majoring in physics and astronomy at college, “the academically talented student who is working on Orphan Diseases with the White House,” a few doctors, and even one “who really is a rocket scientist.” While Sossaman doesn’t have an official STEM program, the school offers many STEM classes and has a strong robotics program.

Even in eighth grade, Foote’s students are solving real-world problems. One student, who was concerned about his dad’s headaches that baffled even the doctors, had an “aha!” moment while designing a dream house with CO monitors. His dad drove a convertible, in heavy traffic, every day. So, Foote says, “He borrowed my portable CO monitor … They set up an experiment.” Sure enough, when the car’s roof was down in heavy traffic, CO levels were “excessive,” but “with either the roof up or with light traffic, the levels were acceptable.” This discovery had a huge impact on the student’s entire family.

While we know that too many children and animals die in hot cars, without a wireless temperature probe it’s difficult to quantify how quickly a car gets too hot. Foote says, “One of my students was having a heated discussion with his mom about her leaving their dog in the car. He said it got too hot for the dog, but she disagreed. She claimed that when it was only 90 degrees out, cracking the car windows was enough.” The student borrowed a PASCO wireless temperature probe and “found that the temperature inside the car reached over 110 degrees in less than 10 minutes with the windows closed. With the windows slightly open, it took 12 minutes to get to 110. Mom decided he was right.”

Students at Sossaman engage in many exciting projects, including a thermal ice house challenge using a University of Arizona curriculum, an introduction to the engineering design process, and much more.

FOUR INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS

This kind of successful STEM integration grows out of a learning environment rich with certain key characteristics:

Time. Teachers, within and between schools, need time to work together, Foote says, and to “tap into the natural synergy that exists between educators.” Time for professional learning is also important. In Arizona, for example, established summer programs allow teachers to “work side-by-side with professions in STEM areas and get paid very well.”

People. Foote, who was an industrial chemist, has colleagues who bring a wealth of experience from “past lives” as a banker, a police officer, an artist, and even a dolphin trainer, to their classrooms. Foote notes that retirees “are also a wonderful resource.”

Resources. Simply, Foote says, “Get equipment. Invest in probeware, graphical analyzers, and sensors. Let the world of technology into the school … support grant writing. Make STEM a priority.”

Relationships—within and outside schools. “STEM isn’t something that teachers sit down in a meeting and decide to do,” Foote says. “We have constant and ongoing communication about what we’re struggling to teach, what we’re doing and how we can support each other.” Projects like building a solar oven, for example, involve applied technology, math, and science teachers. Collaboration with the wider community leads to further opportunities. Teachers at Higley can discuss internship and educational requirements with local businesses through a chamber of commerce program called “Tours for Teachers.” “Not only do teachers visit the businesses, they visit us,” Foote says. “This provides us with an amazing classroom resource.”

TOOLS THEY USE
SOSSAMAN, HIGLEY UNIFIED

► Apps including Notability, Edmodo, IXL, and Ten Marks
► Arduino
► Autodesk Circuits
► Chromebooks
► Document cameras (HoverCam, HUE HD Pro)
► ElectroCity
► Interactive whiteboards
► iPads
► Notepad ++
► PASCO wireless probeware
► TI calculators

A CONCERNING DIAGNOSIS

When the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources declared Green Lake to be “impaired” in 2014 because it fails to meet optimal water quality standards, the diagnosis launched a groundswell of community action. Wisconsin’s deepest inland lake, at 236 feet, creates a unique environment for different species of fish as well as opportunities for tourism and recreation, explains Dan Starr, science teacher at Green Lake High School. The whole community, including local and state organizations, banded together to organize a movement to protect their treasured natural resource. And a Vernier/NSTA Technology Award provided equipment that helped make student involvement in these efforts a reality.

Phosphorus loads from various urban and agricultural sources are a possible cause of the low dissolved oxygen levels in the lake’s thermocline, but assessments of all aspects of the health of the lake and its tributaries are ongoing. Starr’s students, along with chemistry students in Jason Ladwig’s class, dove in with their Vernier equipment to measure temperature, flow, and turbidity as well as dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrates, and phosphorus levels. Engagement is high, Starr says, “especially when it’s working and there’s a boat involved.” Complications are part of real-world science, though, and “students need to be part of the process and appreciate that things aren’t always perfect,” he says.

While state-of-the-art data-collection technology gives students unprecedented opportunities, Starr points out that it’s also instructive, and fun, for students to measure such things as a waterway’s Biotic Index using low-tech equipment like nets, ice cube trays, and charts for identifying microorganisms.

Starr’s initial goal is for students to mirror the measurements “real” scientists are taking and eventually for students to join in the community discussions, present their findings, and even be involved in decision-making to help protect their lake.

A COLLABORATIVE ECOSYSTEM

None of this student work would be possible, Starr emphasizes, without collaborators in the wider community. As a result of these networks, students will work this fall with Mary Jane Bumby, a long-term water quality citizen scientist—seeing her equipment, comparing data, and learning about standards and best collection practices. The large boat needed for student data collection is provided by Mike Norton, a local charter fishing guide, who takes students out and shares tales of his work and the history of the lake. The DNR also provides its expertise and equipment through Water Action Volunteers (WAV), a statewide, citizen-based monitoring group. The Green Lake Sanitary District and the Green Lake Association have both provided invaluable support throughout the process to engage students with hands-on activities.

In another example of this kind of collaborative work that marries learning and real-world conservation management, a chemistry class, led by a teacher trained in collecting and packaging samples, collects monthly water samples and sends them to a state facility for analysis. The students benefit from the educational opportunity and from helping to make a difference, the state benefits from their volunteer efforts—and the Green Lake Sanitary District picks up the costs.

Starr is grateful for all of these relationships—with these organizations and with Vernier. “The students’ eyes brighten when they use this equipment and see it happen,” he says.

TOOLS THEY USE
GREEN LAKE HIGH SCHOOL

► Secchi Disks
► Vernier Colorimeter
► Vernier Deep Water Temperature Probes
► Vernier Dissolved Oxygen Probes
► Vernier Nitrate Ion-Selective Electrode
► Vernier pH Sensors
► Vernier Turbidity Sensors

EDUCATION IN THE REAL WORLD

The Kent (MI) Intermediate School District (ISD), a regional educational service agency in Grand Rapids, supports over 120,000 students in 20 public districts and also charter schools in all curricular areas, including STEM. They host a high-tech incubator school and an online high school and offer high-school courses at their campus including manufacturing, IT, and design; mechatronics; 3D animation; machining; and health careers.

Kindy Segovia, assistive technology supervisor, explains: “Our focus is to bring real-life experience and interaction with industry to the classroom for students of all abilities,” including professional development and research opportunities and partnerships with businesses and colleges and universities.

COMMUNITY AND CAREER CONNECTIONS

Career Readiness is one of the highly collaborative departments within Kent ISD, supporting staff and students to bring the real world to the classroom—and vice versa. Their community partners include the airport, a downtown retail and culinary venture, Habitat for Humanity, local health-care facilities, and a workforce development association. While not all districts have access to the kind of resources that Kent ISD provides, educators everywhere can follow their example of networking and connecting with local businesses.

The department has initiated several successful ventures that bring students into the workplace. Their job—shadowing program links students with professionals for after-school jobs, summer internships, and an annual day of learning and observation (on Groundhog Shadow Day). These experiences help students narrow their vocational focus and also broaden their options. Ebiri Nkugba, STEM consultant for Kent ISD, is proud to have been part of building a program with Kenowa Hills Public Schools in which students prepare for the workforce by attending classes in an actual workplace.

Students often find careers they love through these opportunities. One student wrote to thank Kent ISD. “Not only did the program help cement my career goals,” she wrote, “but it also helped me get my foot in the door for a job.”

EQUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

Yet another area of collaboration linked to STEM education in which Kent ISD supports students is in the area of assistive technology. Segovia feels fortunate to work in a place with such a broad reach and interdepartmental cooperation. When Nkugba sets up a new STEM initiative with a teacher, for example, he will consult with Segovia concerning tools and adaptive approaches to support the specialized needs of students with disabilities. Segovia often equips teachers with tools such as Tiggly and Osmo to help these students engage, learn, and create. Kent ISD’s large lending library of tech tools is another program that facilitates and enriches learning for staff and students. With these rich resources and collaborative enterprises, Kent ISD is preparing all students for future educational and vocational success.

TOOLS THEY USE
KENT ISD
► 3D printers
► Arduino
► littleBits
► NAO robot
► Osmo
► Raspberry Pi
► Tiggly
► UAVs (drones)
► VEX Robotics

FOR THE JOY OF MAKING

Michelle Carlson first learned of the Maker Movement when she was working at the Tehama County (CA) Department of Education. From her experiences with teachers and students, she “knew this could provide an amazing solution for engaging all learners and bringing more real-world connection and relevance back to the classroom.” She turned an underutilized space at the DOE office into a makerspace and watched her “vision to make learning joyful” come to life.

When district superintendents began approaching her about this work, she founded Future Development Group, LLC. And since May 2015 she’s collaborated with schools and districts including Vista Preparatory Academy, Evergreen Union School District, Maywood Middle School, in the Issaquah (WA) School District, and the Butte County Office of Education, as well as the local juvenile justice center.

Carlson focuses on “building capacity within systems, creating the spaces which allow for a ‘maker experience’ as well as mentoring teachers and school leaders with the goal of helping them to reach a point where they no longer need outside help.” It’s important, she notes, to have “a complete system of support” in place.

Knowing that most schools can’t afford a consultant to help them get started, Carlson put all of the curriculum, resources, and teaching from a successful program she created last year at Corning Elementary District into a book called 180 Days of Making: How to Incorporate Experiential Learning in Ways that Will Change the World for Your Students.

TRANSFORMATIVE COLLABORATION

Some of Carlson’s favorite collaborative moments include:

■ Seeing probation staff and incarcerated youth forging new relationships through making. Carlson says, “The kids have spoken about how the makerspace has helped them in dealing with strong emotions and in building up their confidence … which will help them in their re-entry into the outside education system.”

■ Helping to write grants so the Tehama County Arts Council could offer a successful “Maker Summer” program with free arts and maker workshops for families.

■ Partnering with San Francisco’s Exploratorium and Redding’s Turtle Bay Exploration Park to offer Maker Educator Meetups (MEM) at Turtle Bay.

■ Arranging a visit from Tinkercad specialists, who will talk about careers in design and fabrication and hold a 3D design session for teachers.

■ Watching local professionals she and friend Melissa Mendonca have enlisted as volunteers share their expertise (in graphic design, music, etc.) with students.

TEACHING A VALEDICTORIAN TO LOVE LEARNING AGAIN

A young woman called Maryn, who was her school’s valedictorian and is now in college, shared her transformative experience with making with Carlson: “In makerspace I learned the importance of failing … and getting back up and trying again and again. … With no expectations of success, I feel free to experiment and truly learn. … Makerspace … teaches you the stuff you don’t learn in the classroom, by applying all of the classroom stuff. And for most of us it taught us how to love learning again.”

TOOLS THEY USE
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT GROUP

► Adobe Creative Cloud
► Arduino kits
► KEVA Planks
► LilyPad Design Kit
► Makey Makey
► Parallax Robotics
► SparkFun Digital Sandbox
► Tinkercad

TRY THIS: THE PAPER BRIDGE PROJECT

Amidon-Bowen’s Jamie Ewing, who did this project during a NASA training, launches the activity by showing a PowerPoint of bridges—from rope bridges to highly engineered bridges.

CHALLENGE: To build the longest bridge between two chairs.

MATERIALS:

• 5 pieces of 8.5 x 11 paper
• 2 pieces of masking tape, each 3 feet long (1 roll for younger kids)
• 1 pair of scissors

Students should work in teams of no more than two or three. Once the challenge has started, answer no questions.

THINGS TO LISTEN FOR: Conversations on how to construct, what the definition of a bridge is, design, redesign, and evaluation of their work.

HINT: Ewing and his PreK students built one together as a class before the students did the challenge themselves.

The US Department of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education had already recognized our schools in Kildeer Countryside (IL) School District 96 for academic excellence. But district administrators recognized that we still needed to make significant changes to our classrooms and acquire better technology in order to help our students develop effective communication and collaboration—skills mandated by today’s educational standards. To that end, we turned our attention to redesigning classrooms to fit the learning needs of 21stcentury students. Here’s what we learned.

1 PHASE IN … DON’T RUSH IN

The science classroom at Kildeer Countryside (IL) School District 96. Three years ago, we began phasing in a 1:1 iPad program at Woodlawn Middle School and Twin Groves Middle School. But we noticed that traditional classrooms really didn’t provide the environment and flexibility necessary to successfully integrate 1:1 technology. Whether we arranged desks in traditional rows or mini-pods, it was difficult for kids to maneuver, share information, and collaborate with each other. So, in an effort to create a freer environment, the district began to phase in reconfigured classrooms. During the 2014–15 school year, we redesigned 10 classrooms—five rooms in each of the two middle schools. We tore walls down to the studs and remodeled from there. During the summer of 2015, the district completed renovations on 22 more classrooms, concentrating on our schools’ math and language arts classrooms.

2 FROM RESELLERS TO TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS— KNOW THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

The math classroom at Kildeer Countryside (IL) School District 96. The district had worked in the past with Fathom Media, a reseller whose specialty is serving as an audiovisual integrator and partner. Drawing on its vast industry network and expertise, Fathom Media presented MimioProjector touch projectors as the best option to help the district accomplish its goal. That’s what partnering is about—the optimal execution of goals! We replaced our interactive projectors with the touch projectors, which turn conventional dry-erase boards into touch boards. Teachers and students can use their hands on those touch boards, instead of depending on styli, and the boards can respond to up to 10 touches at once. So more than one student can interact with the board at any given time, which is really one of the coolest features.

3 AROUND AND AROUND THE LEARNING GOES

Woodlawn’s newly-configured classrooms feature 270-degree visual surround, with two walls bearing 65-inch televisions in addition to the MimioProjector touch projector on a third wall. Each of these devices is connected to an Apple TV.

The classrooms are set up so that there’s really no front-of-the-classroom. Because the tables are on wheels, smaller groups working on projects collaboratively can adapt their workspaces. They can slide closer either to the projector or to one of the televisions. Then they can send what’s on their iPads to the television through the Apple TV and share it with the class.

4 RESULTS MATTER

Yes, there is increased student engagement in the new classrooms. Plus, teachers can now differentiate at a greater level with students and are better able to meet every student’s needs with the technology. And these improvements come not only from the new interactive environment but also from a huge shift in the teachers’ instructional practice. The district trains teachers in different strategies that help them to create a collaborative learning environment and to make sure that every student has a say. There’s no way a kid can hide in our classrooms anymore.

District educators have also noted that the new classrooms facilitate compliance with the Common Core State Standards, allowing teachers to delve more deeply into those standards. We’re able to make sure that students gain the thorough understanding that the standards require—especially those including communication and collaboration.

District 96 is now working on plans for the 2016–17 school year, which include redoing the rest of the middle schools’ science classrooms. And as before, we’ll stay focused on figuring out what will fit our students’ learning needs. In the end, it’s all about student learning.