Teacher Talk: Whidbey Island Google in Education Summit by AppsEvents

I am thrilled to announce that I have been confirmed to present at the Whidbey Island Google in Education Summit by AppsEvents being held at Coupeville Middle/High School! I received my confirmation e-mail today, along with my badge as a summit speaker.

I invite anyone who is able to join me at the first Google for Education Whidbey Island Summit to be held at Coupeville High School on March 28 - 29, 2015.  Regardless of whether you can join us, a link to my presentations and the schedule is here. 

This high intensity two day event focuses on deploying, integrating, and using Google Apps for Education and other Google Tools to promote student learning in K-12 and higher education. The program features Google Certified Teachers, Google Apps for Education Certified Trainers, practicing administrators and solution providers.

If you are in the area or able to travel (Whidbey Island is gorgeous!!) you can register now to send teachers, administrators, tech directors/tech support staff, and anyone who is interested in finding out more about leveraging Google tools to support student learning.

Weekly Tech Blitz Challenges!

Once a week. Thirty minutes. One tool. One goal. Collaborative discussion. Valuable resources. Direct classroom impact. 

These statements describe the Weekly Tech Blitz Challenges that I offer to the staff of Oak Harbor Public Schools as an optional professional development opportunity. They are an interactive way to learn about useful technology tools in the matter of 30 minutes in the comfort of your home! Since they have been so positively received at work, I thought you all would enjoy them, too!

I invite you to take a look at the Weekly Tech Blitz Website! There you will find an agenda of what will be covered in upcoming weeks, as well as all that we have already covered. 

Unfortunately, if you are not a member of our district you will be unable to participate in the Google Groups we are using to discuss and extend our knowledge and application of these tools. But, I invite you to discuss them at any time with me. I will also be sure to cross-post any challenges I find particularly relevant for early childhood educators.

Let's start the school year off right!

Welcome to the new school year! I know for some of you it’s well under way, while for those of us that started after Labor Day it’s only the first full week of school! I’ve been a busy bee getting the new technology training plan established and running for my district, as well as populating our brand new website with lots of great resources for teachers. Returning to the blog is a welcome change of pace and has me excited to share what I’ve learned this summer with you! 

In honor of the start of the school year and the return of the lesson plan, I thought I would highlight one of the weekly technology challenges I am offering for staff at school. It is all about using Google Calendar for lesson planning.

Social Media for Young Learners?!

I know what thoughts are most likely running through your head right now...

• These students are too young, they are still learning how to interact in person!
• Social media could expose these students to a lot of unhealthy examples or predators!
• What relevancy does social media have for students who can't type efficiently, let alone spell?

Am I right? Well, these were the thoughts rushing through my head when I discovered the power Twitter held for my own professional development and then had the crushing realization that this type of community was probably not a possibility for the young learners I teach! However, I am happy to say I have been proved wrong!

Teachable Moment: Twitter for Summer PD

Since it is summertime, I thought I'd take a slightly different approach to my typical Teachable Moment Monday and make it for the teacher (instead of for the students)! I personally use the summer to pursue some new professional development opportunities and catch up on hot topics I noted during the school year but didn't have an opportunity to try out. The power of Twitter has been one of these surprising hot topics that has transformed the way I approach my summer professional development.

Free Sunday: Global Education Networks

Well, summer has officially impacted the blog! I am bringing you an overview of several global education networks two days late courtesy of a week of nice weather and a captivating book that won my attention for the better part of the week. So, without further ado - let's take a look at how you can easily connect your students with classrooms around the world!

Free Friday: Digital Citizenship

Ever since my students I completed the "Webonauts Internet Academy" by PBSKids together a few months ago, they have been hooked. Every time they earn free choice time in the computer lab, the first activity they choose to return to is the Webonauts. However, there are quite a few good resources out there for teaching digital citizenship or promoting awareness of Internet safety that I'd like to share today.

It's all about teaching...even if it's teachers!

I am thrilled to be sharing with you all that I have recently interviewed, been offered, and accepted a position as the Instructional Facilitator of Technology Integration for the Oak Harbor School District (OHSD)! I do not officially take over this role until June 17th, but my mind is already racing with all that it will entail. I believe it will be a great opportunity to apply so much of my graduate studies, as well as to grow in my understanding and application of new technologies.

Teachable Moments: Digital Manners

Inspired by my current graduate classes which are focused on global perspectives and virtual schooling, I will be highlighting a few easy ways to impress on young learners the necessity for using their manners when interacting online.

A Digital City of Stories: Part One

As my second grade team begins to wrap up a unique project-based learning experience with our students, I wanted to bring an in-depth look at the process behind the product to you. Stay tuned for a posting all about the final product in early June.

Google Teacher Academy

Well, I just submitted my application for the Google Teacher Academy in Mountain View, CA and Atlanta, WA! It was a fun application to complete and is a step towards my goal of pursuing more professional development in the way of instructional technology communities. That particular goal was largely behind the revival of this blog, but then the instructional technology communities I belonged to only include that of my fellow graduate students in my program at UMUC and the technology team at my district. So, here's to actively pursuing your goals and throwing your heart into your passions!

They are only accepting 100 applicants (65 for Mountain View and 35 for Atlanta), so I know it's a long shot that I would get selected, but if I'm going to actively pursue my goal I've got to at least try!

As a part of the application I had to create a video that demonstrated how I was innovative in the classroom through the use of technology. I chose to showcase our on-going second grade grant project and thought you might enjoy checking out the video!

If you'd like to learn more about the grant, you can check out the full proposal here.

Revival

Well, I guess at this point I don't have followers outside of my graduate classes in Instructional Technology. So, this is a hello to those future visitors who are wondering about this blog!

As I near the end of my time as a graduate student (MEd. Instructional Technology, UMUC) I feel more and more compelled to share the knowledge and skills I have gained over the past two years with fellow educators. I am also eager to build new relationships with other educators who share a passion for integrating technology in the early childhood classroom.

As a military spouse, I already have had invested technology commitments at several different schools and know that this trend will ultimately continue as our journey with the Navy continues. I hope that this blog, in it's revival, will help me in continuing to share technology integration experiences, tools, and ideas with colleagues past, present, and future.

Since this blog began as an assignment for a graduate course and therefore, it does include some helpful tips about integrating technology in the early childhood classroom already. However, there has been a hiatus of activity for almost a year. So, let me share a brief preview of what you can expect in the near future...

- An update on my current classroom technologies and how they are being used
- An overview of my experiences introducing my class of 2nd graders to Google Apps for Education
- A look at a sample Digital Literacy Workshop created for elementary educators
- A preview of my team's work surrounding an OHEF Grant: A Digital City of Stories
- A reflection on my experiences applying for a variety of Google training opportunities
- A synopsis of my on-going acclamation to a MacBook Pro Retina from PC (1 day in so far!)

I look forward to sharing many of these posts with you and am especially excited about the professional learning community that may ensure from the discussions and collaborations that take place here!

Thanks for joining the revival!