Here we are! Week #9, our final week of the challenge (sort of.)
This week you will be learning from my former Technology Director, Don Watkins. In addition to his work as technology director, Don also taught a Digital Citizenship class to all 7th and 8th graders in Franklinville Central School. Don has since retired but his passion for this topic and passion for continued learning has always been a huge inspiration for me. Don is going to share with you some sites and resources to help guide our students into this highly digital society. This is truly uncharted territory for many of us but so important for us to know. It's hard to keep up with what our kids are experiencing but it is crucial that we are aware of how we can help them (and ourselves) have a positive web presence. So this week you will watch Don's video and then reflect on it in the challenge form.
Just a warning more emails will follow. You will be hearing from me later this week regarding the future of SLC and how you can use all of your hard work this summer as part of your work in APPR. Of course there are also those "fabulous prizes" I spoke about in June. Details on how you will be entered to win will also be coming later this week.
Okay, on to this week's challenge....
Click here to view Don's video on Digital Citizenship.
Once you have finished watching the video complete the challenge form here.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Challenge Week #8
Can you believe it is week #8? Only one more week of #canandaiguaslc left! I have really enjoyed working with all of you and look forward to continuing our work in the coming months. I plan on keeping this blog active and have decided to create a new School Year Challenge that will continue once a month throughout the school year. I'll fill you in on the details around that next week.
Okay, here is challenge #8...
This week's challenge also has two choices for you. You only need to do one but again, you are welcome to do both if you'd like.
Option 1
This week's first challenge comes from Amber Teamann in Texas. Her video challenge is about Smore. A great free tool that allows you to make some cool online newsletters and such. You can watch her video HERE.
Her next part covers how she has used Twitter on her campus as an administrator and the neat little function called "Fast Follow". You'll definitely want to read THIS post to learn more!
Your challenge this week is to create your own Smore, and then to read Amber's blog post (and possibly leave a comment). Once completed you can fill out the Google Form HERE.
Option 2:
Here is another great resource called Sophia. Sophia is an online platform that I use for flipping my classroom. They have over 40,000 videos already made by other educators. Plus Bill Nye (the Science Guy) is a Sophia partner and has exclusive content on their site!
The best part? Sophia has partnered with Capella University to offer FREE certifications. You can get Flipped Classroom Certified, iPad Certified, Chrome Classroom Certified, or Virtual Classroom Certified....ALL FOR FREE!!! And you get a nifty little certificate and t-shirt out of it! Go HERE to see the certifications.
What is your challenge this week? Create a Sophia account, play around on the website, and choose 1 (or more) of the certifications to complete. Once you've completed your certification take a picture with your certificate and email it to me. Then fill out the Google Form HERE.
Okay, here is challenge #8...
This week's challenge also has two choices for you. You only need to do one but again, you are welcome to do both if you'd like.
Option 1
This week's first challenge comes from Amber Teamann in Texas. Her video challenge is about Smore. A great free tool that allows you to make some cool online newsletters and such. You can watch her video HERE.
Her next part covers how she has used Twitter on her campus as an administrator and the neat little function called "Fast Follow". You'll definitely want to read THIS post to learn more!
Your challenge this week is to create your own Smore, and then to read Amber's blog post (and possibly leave a comment). Once completed you can fill out the Google Form HERE.
Option 2:
Here is another great resource called Sophia. Sophia is an online platform that I use for flipping my classroom. They have over 40,000 videos already made by other educators. Plus Bill Nye (the Science Guy) is a Sophia partner and has exclusive content on their site!
The best part? Sophia has partnered with Capella University to offer FREE certifications. You can get Flipped Classroom Certified, iPad Certified, Chrome Classroom Certified, or Virtual Classroom Certified....ALL FOR FREE!!! And you get a nifty little certificate and t-shirt out of it! Go HERE to see the certifications.
What is your challenge this week? Create a Sophia account, play around on the website, and choose 1 (or more) of the certifications to complete. Once you've completed your certification take a picture with your certificate and email it to me. Then fill out the Google Form HERE.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Challenge Week #7
It's week #7 already! This summer is going by fast. Hopefully your participation in the challenge will help ease you into the new school year. I'm really excited about our next steps for the coming year. Technology integration is a priority in the Plan for Excellence and I hope you are all seeing little ways in which you can integrate technology tools, apps and ideas into your daily work with students.
Before we get to this week's challenge I want to continue the #YouMatter theme from last week. I'm sharing a touching video I came across from Kid President. If you haven't seen any of his many videos and heard his story, Kid President embodies the idea of sharing with people how much #YouMatter. Click here to learn more about him. Thank you to all of you for all of the amazing work you do. What an impact you all make on the lives of our children. Check out the video here.
Now, on to this week's challenge....
I believe very strongly in choice and differentiation to engage learners so this week you will get to pick from two different challenge options. YOU ONLY NEED TO DO ONE but you are more than welcome to do both. Don't forget to continue exploring Twitter and use our #canandaiguaslc.
Option #A:
Every week I ask you to fill out a Google Form when you have completed a challenge. Well Mark Carls, a technology integrator for CA BOCES and my former colleague, created a great tutorial for you on Google Forms. So your challenge is to watch Mark's video, create your own Google Form, and then fill out the Google form here.
Mark's video can be found here
Option #B:
Last year I had the opportunity to listen to Sylvia Libow Martinez and learn more about a fast growing concept called the Maker Movement. I'm really into exploring the idea of creating Makerspaces in our buildings. So, this challenge comes from Jessica Allen Her challenge video is about half way down the page so you will get to hear a little bit more about what Makerspaces are. If you choose this option your challenge is to visit Jessica's blog and learn all about this incredible idea. Go here to view her blog and see her challenge video. Once you have completed this challenge fill out the Google Form here.
Happy Learning!
Before we get to this week's challenge I want to continue the #YouMatter theme from last week. I'm sharing a touching video I came across from Kid President. If you haven't seen any of his many videos and heard his story, Kid President embodies the idea of sharing with people how much #YouMatter. Click here to learn more about him. Thank you to all of you for all of the amazing work you do. What an impact you all make on the lives of our children. Check out the video here.
Now, on to this week's challenge....
I believe very strongly in choice and differentiation to engage learners so this week you will get to pick from two different challenge options. YOU ONLY NEED TO DO ONE but you are more than welcome to do both. Don't forget to continue exploring Twitter and use our #canandaiguaslc.
Option #A:
Every week I ask you to fill out a Google Form when you have completed a challenge. Well Mark Carls, a technology integrator for CA BOCES and my former colleague, created a great tutorial for you on Google Forms. So your challenge is to watch Mark's video, create your own Google Form, and then fill out the Google form here.
Mark's video can be found here
Option #B:
Last year I had the opportunity to listen to Sylvia Libow Martinez and learn more about a fast growing concept called the Maker Movement. I'm really into exploring the idea of creating Makerspaces in our buildings. So, this challenge comes from Jessica Allen Her challenge video is about half way down the page so you will get to hear a little bit more about what Makerspaces are. If you choose this option your challenge is to visit Jessica's blog and learn all about this incredible idea. Go here to view her blog and see her challenge video. Once you have completed this challenge fill out the Google Form here.
Happy Learning!
Monday, August 4, 2014
Challenge Week #6
Here we are, week 6 already! I cannot tell you all enough what a great joy it has been to go on this summer learning journey with all of you.
As promised, some of your weekly challenges will not focus on technology. This week is another one of those weeks. This week it's about focusing on how much YOU MATTER, what an impact you have on our students, and how those two words can make a huge difference in our lives and the lives of our students.
I have followed Angela Maiers on Twitter for a while now. I've had the pleasure of hearing her speak in person and she truly is a dynamic speaker and educator. You will get to see that is just a few moments when you watch her TED talk. Your challenge this week is not directly from Angela, but a teacher named Arin Kress who was inspired by Angela's seemingly simple phrase. First, start by reading a post from Arin's blog here.
Here is Arin's challenge for our Summer Learning group.
In her challenge, Arin mentions Angela's TED talk. You may have seen it linked in the blog but you can also click here to view it. Arin's letters can be found here.
To see another example of the power of the #choose2matter movement and Arin's idea, from our friend @TechNinjaTodd click here.
Once you've completed this week's challenge please fill out the Google form here.
As promised, some of your weekly challenges will not focus on technology. This week is another one of those weeks. This week it's about focusing on how much YOU MATTER, what an impact you have on our students, and how those two words can make a huge difference in our lives and the lives of our students.
I have followed Angela Maiers on Twitter for a while now. I've had the pleasure of hearing her speak in person and she truly is a dynamic speaker and educator. You will get to see that is just a few moments when you watch her TED talk. Your challenge this week is not directly from Angela, but a teacher named Arin Kress who was inspired by Angela's seemingly simple phrase. First, start by reading a post from Arin's blog here.
Here is Arin's challenge for our Summer Learning group.
In her challenge, Arin mentions Angela's TED talk. You may have seen it linked in the blog but you can also click here to view it. Arin's letters can be found here.
To see another example of the power of the #choose2matter movement and Arin's idea, from our friend @TechNinjaTodd click here.
Once you've completed this week's challenge please fill out the Google form here.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Challenge Week #5
Can you believe it? This week brings us to the half way point of our Learning Challenge. I can't say enough how much I appreciate you taking time out of your summer to participate in the challenge. I think last week's challenge was my personal favorite so far. I really enjoyed hearing about how each of you spend time reflecting. Thanks so much to all who shared. I know as the facilitator your submissions really helped me learn more from and about each of you. Okay, on to this week's challenge...
The Challenge this week has two parts:
Part 1: Listen to, view, or subscribe to an educational podcast. Podcasts (click on the word for the definition) are great way to fit Professional Development into our busy lives. My husband (who is not in education and not into technology like me) has been listening to podcasts for around 5 years. When I told him that Podcasts were the challenge this week he wanted me to share how easy they are to access. They are also a learning tool that allows him to keep current in his field during his hour and a half commute, on a treadmill, or mowing our huge lawn. My point, they are a great way to meet the needs of multiple learning styles, schedules and are relevant across all disciplines.
There are many platforms to use to access podcasts but iTunes, Pod-o-matic, and Stitcher are the most popular. For the challenge I'd like you to search for a podcast that can help you in your work. If you are unsure where to begin, I suggest any of the following:
EduAllStars This is a podcast that was co-started and co-hosted by our friend @TechNijaTodd
So spend some time this week learning through audio and video from others! Did I not include a podcast you love? By all means, use it and share it with us when you complete the challenge by filling out the Google form here.
Part 2: Learn how to create your own podcast or teach your students to create one.
This part is optional but I would still like you to view this video my Twitter friend Brad Gustafson created. It is a nice introduction to getting started with podcasting . Click here to view his quick tutorial. In the video Brad also mentions his podcast #30SecondTake. Click here to see one of the face offs. I love this idea and can see so many applications in our own classrooms and work.
For those who want to create podcasts without video you can view this tutorial on the tool Vocaroo from Richard Byrne. Richard has an amazing webpage called Free Technology for Teachers that has a wealth of resources on all things digital. Check it out here.
Happy Podcasting!
Part 2: Learn how to create your own podcast or teach your students to create one.
This part is optional but I would still like you to view this video my Twitter friend Brad Gustafson created. It is a nice introduction to getting started with podcasting . Click here to view his quick tutorial. In the video Brad also mentions his podcast #30SecondTake. Click here to see one of the face offs. I love this idea and can see so many applications in our own classrooms and work.
For those who want to create podcasts without video you can view this tutorial on the tool Vocaroo from Richard Byrne. Richard has an amazing webpage called Free Technology for Teachers that has a wealth of resources on all things digital. Check it out here.
Happy Podcasting!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Twitter 101 video tutorial sessions
Monday, July 21, 2014
Challenge Week #4
This week’s challenge has two parts:
Part 1:
Part 1, our main challenge this week comes from an amazing classroom teacher, blogger and digital leader, Pernille Ripp.
You can check out the short challenge video Pernille made HERE.
One of the greatest tools we have at our disposal is reflection. To actually sit and think. And to get our thoughts out about our growth and learning. So like Pernille says in the video above, find a way to reflect this week. Whether that be to write a blog post, have coffee with a friend, journaling, or just sitting and thinking alone. You can also read an article from ASCD on improving our instruction using the art of reflection here. The point is, stop and take some time to reflect.
Part 2 (optional)- The @CanandaiguaPD Twitter account needs a profile picture and banner. So, the first part of this week's challenge is to share your idea(s) or actual photos so we can change the egg and blank banner. Please make sure you own or have permission to use these images. That said, this gives me the opportunity to integrate digital citizenship into the challenge.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has a great resource book for teachers, Digital Connections in the Classroom. Chapter seven in the book, Copyright and the Free Web, is a good resource for guidance when working with students and copyright on the web.
Please share email ideas and photos for our Twitter page using any of the following:
Email or Dropbox: mcfarlandk@canandaiguaschools.org
Flickr: Katiemc827
Twitter: Katiemc827
Reflective practice is “a dialogue of
thinking and doing through which I become more skillful.”
Donald A. Schön, The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action
Friday, July 18, 2014
Challenge Week #3
Week #3 Challenge
Click on the link below to hear
Todd's story:
Congrats to all who have
completed the first two weeks of Challenges. Weeks 2 and 3 can be found below
for easy access. I hope you are finding some of these useful in growing
your PLN or expanding your learning. I wanted to start out week 3 with a
quick video from Todd Nesloney. As I mentioned
before, Todd was my inspiration for this challenge. I asked Todd to share his
story with all of you. I have never met Todd in person but we have shared
many resources and he has contributed so much to my
learning. Whether you agree with Todd or not I hope his message stretches
your thinking around where you are in your own learning and how you share and
grow professionally.
So this week's challenge: Todd
asks us to try something new, share, collaborate. Below is a list
of a few tools many in my PLN use to collaborate, share, and communicate. Some
may be familiar to you, others you may not recognize. Your challenge is to
click on and learn more about at least one of the free tools below. Think about
how you could use these tools to share. Notice I did not put Twitter,
however I will still continue to encourage you to learn more about ways to use
Twitter for your personal growth, reflection and sharing. You can also
choose Twitter instead of one of the tools below. Once you have learned a
little more about the tool(s) click HERE
to complete the challenge.
1. Skype:
An oldie but goodie, Skype is still one of the best online
tools for collaborative communication. Voice,
video,
and text chats to your team are completely free; you can even share files. In
addition to the Windows, PC, and Linus versions of Skype, there are also
iPhone, iPad, and Android apps, which truly make this a versatile tool. Free.
2.
OneDrive: If
your team works in a Windows environment, OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) is a
natural choice. Part of Microsoft’s Windows Live suite, OneDrive offers a place
to share files, like docs, videos, and photos. The tool's filing systems allows
for various permissions, which is particularly useful for team collaboration. Free basic account.
3.
Google Drive: Google
Drive, formerly Google Docs, is an excellent alternative to SkyDrive. Anyone
with a Google account can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations to
share with the group. Permissions and other sharing features make Drive even
better for collaboration. Free.
4.
Dropbox: There's no
easier way to share big files in any format with your team than with Dropbox.
This tool offers shared storage, right on your desktop: simply drag the file
you want to share into a collaborative Dropbox folder, and your whole team can
see, edit, and download. Free
basic account.
- HootSuite: Every good marketer
needs a good tool for scheduling social media. HootSuite will link up with
many of the most popular accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr,
Instagram, YouTube, Google+ business pages, and LinkedIn. Pre-schedule
posts for any time, monitor your accounts, ping yourself for certain
keywords, and more. Free
basic account.
- Prezi: Prezi. This online app lets your group create
beautiful, dynamic multimedia presentations that incorporate photo, video,
graphs, and text. Prezi also works as a shared whiteboard. Free basic account.
- Flickr: From blogging to social
media to email marketing and more, you need lots and lots of high-quality
images. Flickr is a great tool for storing those photos in one central
place – keep your images private, and only your team will have access –
and also allows you to search Creative Commons for images you can use
freely. Free.
- Jing: Screenshots and screencasts
are indispensable. With Jing, your screencasting goes pro with images,
voiceovers, and other multimedia support. Free trial.
- Zoho: This online,
collaborative productivity suite offers a robust toolset, from shared
calendars to collaborative discussions. But what's really great is the
team wiki, which has nearly infinite applications for your marketing
projects. Free
trial.
- Google
Everything: No,
Google isn't rolling out a new productivity suite called Everything; it's
just that I didn't want to fill this list with 25 Google tools. So here's
a basic rundown of team collaboration tools you can't miss: Gmail, Google Alerts, Google Analytics,
Google Apps
for Business, Google Calendar,
Google Hangouts,
Google Insights,
and Google Talk.
Whew! All free.
Challenge Week #2
Week #2 Challenge
I’ve also included the email from the first week of the summer learning series, below for those who may not have had a chance to complete it yet. I’ll also be providing opportunities for additional PD around using Twitter. Thanks again for your participation.
I will be continuing with the
theme of “connection.” The Week #2 Challenge introduces you to a tool to
use to keep in contact with parents, students, and staff. Remind
(formally Remind 101) is a FREE service that allows you to text parents and
students without ever needing their phone numbers, and they never need yours!
Best of all it’s a ONE-WAY communication tool! I’ve been told that some
of our coaching staff already use this tool so some of you may already have an
account set up. It’s also an App that you can download to your phone and send
messages directly from your device! You can watch the quick video Todd Nesloney made (HERE) about how to setup and
use your Remind account today! Todd will be the guest star in next week’s
challenge so you will get to hear more from him soon.
So, how do you complete this
challenge? First watch Todd’s quick video and then go and explore Remind
either on the web or using the app. You may even choose to set up your
own account. Once you do that, complete the Google Doc HERE.
This way I will know if you completed this challenge and can send
you an invite to my CanandaiguSLC Remind
group. As a side note, you do not need to get Reminders via text
messages. When I send you the link you can choose to receive reminders
via email to avoid text messaging charges. I can also assure you that I
won’t be sending out repeated reminders. I just want you to be able to
see how the tool works and then decide for yourself if it is something you’d
like to use.
Thanks for taking your learning
to new (and sometimes scary) levels and choosing to continue your learning this
summer! I’m learning alongside you and am completing the challenges
myself!! If you have any questions please reach out!
I’ve also included the email from the first week of the summer learning series, below for those who may not have had a chance to complete it yet. I’ll also be providing opportunities for additional PD around using Twitter. Thanks again for your participation.
Happy Learning!
Katie
Challenge Week #1
Week 1 Challenge:
Hello everyone! I hope you
are all enjoying the start of your first full week of vacation!
I’m so glad you have decided to accept my challenge and continue your learning throughout the summer. Every week I'm going to send you a challenge to learn something NEW! Something that will help make you an even better educator. I will be participating with the challenges as well.
So today the first challenge is....Twitter!!
Twitter has been the tool that has completely revolutionized my career. Twitter allows you to connect with and learn from people from all over the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is also a tool that will allow you to learn from experts from all over and develop an amazing professional learning network.
I have created a brief video to give you a 'heads-up' on where to even begin with Twitter! You can find that video HERE
Within this video I also mention a link to the "21 Day Twitter Challenge". This is an EXCELLENT tool to use to utilize Twitter.
As you complete the challenges this summer I'm going to ask you to fill out different Google Forms. There will be some Fabulous prizes when we return in September for those who are continuing their learning all summer through these weekly challenges.
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