Educational Technology

The debate over how and when to use devices in the classroom has been long-standing. On the one hand, smartphones and devices promise to connect us to a wide variety of experiences and knowledge. On the other hand, they are also a distraction, scientifically designed by some of the world's top companies such as Apple and Facebook, to make us feel compelled to look when they ding or buzz. In a recent article written by Anya Kamenetz, she spoke with four professors, a high school teacher, a psychiatrist and a technologist to get a range of different views on how cell phones, electronic devices, and laptops should be limited in a classroom environment. The answers vary widely. But, one of the most interesting answers was to “fight technology with technology” using FlipD , a phone app that limits the use of your phone. You can set a timer to lock yourself out of all functions except for basic texts and phone calls. Rather than instituting a ban, the company encourages pro...

Try BoostEdu to reflect on your teaching with technology. I recently read a great article by Matt Renwick called  "Busting Myths, Telling Truths" , where he states that we, as school leaders, need to reassess our need to include technology in our daily lessons and instruction. At the same time, I was introduced to a great resource site called  BoostEDU . I believe that pairing this article and website will create reflective teachers who are looking for the best ways to use technology and integrate it properly into the classroom.  BoostEdu is a program developed by +Meagan Kelly  that supports teachers in transforming their traditional lessons into 21st-century lessons through an inquiry-based self-assessment and guided lesson design process. In simple terms, it is very important for teachers to reflect on their use of technology. Therefore, I highly suggest logging on the  BoostEdu  website  and self-assess to see how you use techn...

As many of you know, I attended my first Google Summit in Charlottesville, VA in the spring of 2015 and I was hooked. That spring I also learned of the Google Level 1 exam and prestige that went with the badge. I wanted it. No one told me I had to do it. I was motivated by the excitement and learning Google had to offer and soon after I passed both the Level 1 & 2 exams. Three years later I still love EdtechTeam Google Summits and I am Google Certified Trainer. But, things have changed a bit. Across the United States, schools have started to adopt the policy that every teacher become Google Level 1 certified. In several areas, leadership has also decided to attach the level 1 exam to teacher re-certification. Therefore, this policy has effectively taken away the joy and intrinsic motivation for which I saw the test represent. It is November and the first nine weeks has come to a close. For the most part, the training we offer to help with Google Level 1 has gone well....

#HowWillYouLead (EdTechTeam Series) I haven't blogged in awhile because I have been focusing on a new job: graduate school (Oh, yes...again). I recently became a student at James Madison University to pursue my Masters of School Administration licensure. One of the assignments was to learn about leadership and discover my leadership style. As a Google trainer and technology resource for my school, I have grown to where I believe I am ready for another opportunity: To lead. How I view my leadership style: Build trust Build relationships Collaborate Listen more, talk less. Challenge my own assumptions Because of my past experiences with leadership teams, such as School Improvement Teams, Positive Behavior Intervention teams, and instructional technology collaborative teams, I see myself as a “big picture” person or a “Systems Thinking” leader. I believe I have a collaborative style of leadership and I strive to get people to work together because I see collaboration as a gr...

This past weekend, I traveled to the NCCAT conference center in Cullowhee, North Carolina to experience my first EdCamp ( #EdCampWNC ).  Edcamp  is a form of "unconference" designed specifically for teachers and their needs. Unlike traditional conferences which have schedules set months in advance by the people running the conference,  Edcamp  has an agenda that's created by the participants at the start of the event.  The dual purpose of my visit was to experience an EdCamp and to see if I could organize an EdCamp in Central Virginia.  This is what I learned... As a participant:   1. Have a mindset of being a part of a discussion rather than the center. I can be an impatient person. I also want my views heard. So, learning to listen - truly listen - is a skill I really worked and focused on. My experience was much better for it.  2. Tweet, Tweet, and Retweet !! I LOVED the opportunities to connect with other educators that cam...

This summer, my school district is moving toward 1:1 Chromebook classrooms. Therefore, it is asking teachers to get Google Level 1 certified within the next school year. To kickoff the summer,  +Kathy Brisentine , +Lisa T Elliott , Kerrie Sarvey, and I held two 1-day Google Level 1 certification boot camps for "go-getters" who wanted help. Both days were very productive and intense. All people learned a lot!  We created a brisk pace and rotated through leading different parts of the session. We split the session into: Gmail & Groups Drive/Docs/Slides Calendar/Tasks Forms/ Sheets Classroom Sites Hangouts Youtube Digital literacy overview  Q & A I just want to acknowledge the great trainers including: Donna Teuber, Simone Gessler, Eric Curts, Anna Baldwin, Stewart Lee, Nancy Minicozzi, Misty Wilson, Kelly Fitzgeral d, Jeffrey Welch, Kasey Bell, and Katie Christie. I collected and used (borrowed/stole) most of my materials from them. Thank ...

I have to start by saying that  +Kathy Brisentine  is the mastermind behind this activity - so I just needed a SHOUT OUT! With that said, I learned a lot and had a blast being part of the first ever Jefferson Forest High School Speed Dating with Google professional development last week. As a part of introducing a 1:1 Chromebook program, Kathy decided to have a "get-to-know-your-app" session. The speed dating was inside a larger half day session mixed with the SAMR model, 1:1 rollout of Chromebooks, and Google Certified Educator Level 1 requirements. So, there was a lot to soak up. With the help of other instructional technology specialists, such as myself, she divided up the participants into four groups, based on the amount of tech help we had, and established stations with "G Suite dates." Each station focused on one item or set of items: Slides/Docs/Sheets Calendar Groups/Gmail Classroom Forms Extensions/Apps.   Very Important Tip: Be very c...