Order Up! Tech Coach Menu

(Sing to the tune of "Be Our Guest")

Mes chers amis, it is with deepest pride 

And greatest pleasure that I serve you this year

And now I invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair 

As Tech Coach Holli proudly presents

Your menu!

Be my guest, be my guest

Put my service to the test

Bring your appetite for tech, chers

And I'll provide the rest

Appetizers, Desserts galore

Why, I only live to serve

Try the Entrees, they're delicious

You can trust me, don't be suspicious

Three-course meal, one by one
'Til you shout, "enough I'm done!"
Then I'll send you off to class to put it through the test
So don't just prop your feet up
Peruse the menu and Order Up!
Be my guest
Be my guest
Be my guest
Please, be my guest!

   

     Bon appétit!  This Tech Coach Menu has been in the works for quite some time now.  As a Tech Coach, my job is not so "black and white".  Some days I'm a "firewoman" running around put out flames. Other days I may be the copy repair woman, the DJ or VJ (video jockey), or part of the production crew.  I love all these crazy things that I, never in my wildest, dreamed I would be doing.  I'm a teacher for Pete's sake!  Now, my teaching may be a little non-traditional in the fact that my students are my peers.  Sure...I still dabble in educating our youth, but my greatest role that I take the most pride in is educating my co-workers on technology integration.  My hope is that this handy, dandy Tech Coach menu will communicate to my peers what exactly it is that I can do to serve them on a daily basis.  A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about helping my peers discover what it is that they do not know about technology integration.  I'm hopeful that the Tech Coach Menu will be a tool that will get them to ask some questions of me and open up the door for some great conversations and opportunities for technology integration.  That was my vision behind the Tech Coach Menu.  A little rebranding of my title as Tech Coach, per se!

     Now that I have created my Tech Coach Menu, I will do a little marketing to make sure my rebranding message is effectively communicated.  To begin, I have created a page within our Learning Management System (LMS) appropriately titled "Instructional Technology". Every administrator, faculty, and staff member has access to this page.  Here is where I will place my Tech Coach Menu for easy access.  I have also conveniently added a link to my Tech Coach Reservation calendar.  I used the Google Calendar appointment slot feature so that my peers can sign up for a time that is convenient for them.  They can provide me with their menu choice in the description field of the appointment scheduler.  Along with my menu and appointment calendar, I have included an RSS feed of my It's So...Fantas~TECH! blog, links to presentations, informational downloads, and other helpful instructional technology tools. I want my Instructional Technology page to be a "one-stop-shop" for all of their technology integration needs to make it useful and convenient for them.  I hope the convenience of all of these tools will encourage my peers to take a minute to "Order Up!"

     Next on my rebranding "to do" list is to create some sort of badging or incentive program for those that seek out my services for the purpose of technology integration.  I'm still trying to envision what that will look like for me.  I would love to hear from you.  What ideas do you have or what are you currently doing in your schools?  Please leave your comments below.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

     Well, I have good intentions!  The beginning of a school year is always crazy for educators, but for some reason the start to this year has been beyond cray cray to say the least.  Maybe it was the visit by the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, to my school, or maybe it was Hurricane Irma.  Whatever the case, I have failed to begin my "A Day in the Life of an iPad Pro" journaling.  So, today, I'm rededicating myself to this journey for the purpose of collecting data as to whether or not the iPad Pro is a viable device for teachers and students at my school.  Please feel free to comment with your iPad Pro experiences in your school(s) and classroom(s).  I welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback.
     Today, I've been using my iPad Pro to put together a training for an upcoming Division meeting at my school.  I am using the Google Slides app to build my presentation.  The Google Slides app works well on the iPad Pro, just as if you were using the web version.  However, it does not have all of the "bells and whistles" that are included in the web version.  For instance, you can not perform an image search from within the app to include in your presentation.  You can only insert an image from your device's camera roll or Photos app.  The ability to search for an image while inside of the Google Slides app would definitely be a time saver, but it's definitely not a deal breaker.  You can always search for an image using the Chrome browser in split screen mode and save it to your camera roll.  That's the workaround!

Fixer Upper: New School Year Edition

Photo:  http://musiccitychurch.com/portfolio/fixer-upper/

     I'll take quotes for $500. " Ready or not, here it comes!  On your mark, get set, GO!  Let the journey begin!"  What is...the beginning of the school year? (Ding, ding, ding) That is correct! It's the beginning of a new school school year!  A new school year is somewhat like a "New Year". There are new school year resolutions of sorts for educators, their students, and their classrooms.  I hope you had some quality planning and preparation time over the summer and have some new ideas in the works for yourself, your students, and your classroom.
    Before I continue with my post, I have to stop and give props to my Head of Middle School for the Fixer Upper: New School Year Edition idea.  She is using the "Fixer Upper" theme for our Middle School chapels this school year.  What a perfect theme for a new school year as teachers resolve to "demolish" old methodologies and revive them with "fixer uppers".  With that said, thank you, Mrs. Vernon!  I hope you don't mind that I'm "borrowing" your fabulous theme for this post.
     So, as a teacher, what is it that just hasn't been working for you in your classroom?  What is the lesson that absolutely driving you crazy?  What teaching methodology bothers you?  What content is your least favorite to facilitate?  What is it about your teaching methodologies, lesson planning, or projects/activities/assessments that needs a "fixer upper"?  What is it that you want to DEMOLISH this school year?  You probably have a few things running through your mind.  You might even be asking yourself, "What can I do to make things work better for me?"
     Sometimes, not always, technology is the piece that can serve as the "fixer upper".  In my role, one of the things that I have found over the years with my peers is that "they don't know what they don't know" when it comes to integrating technology.   Do you know what?  That's is totally fine with me! Why? Because, if they "do know what they do know," then I would probably be out of a job!  The most favorite part of my position is to offer up resources, tools, tips, tricks, and PD to help my peers discover what it is that they do not know about technology integration and how they can effectively incorporate it into their class lessons and activities.
     Maybe you are a brand new teacher this year or maybe you're a veteran teacher just looking for a better way.  Maybe you just "don't know what you don't know" about technology integration and how it can help "fix up" your school year. Well, let me share with you a resource that has undergone a little "fixer upper" of its own over the summer. This resource is the ISTE Standards for Educators (2017).  ISTE is an acronym for the International Society for Technology in Education.  The ISTE Standards for Educators (2017) were recently transformed in an effort to make sure they remain relevant as a resource to assist educators that are making decisions about their classrooms and technology integration. What I love about the ISTE Standards is that they are a blueprint and can be utilized as an important member of your "design team" in your classroom "fixer upper".  The ISTE Standards for Educators (2017) is a great place to start to find answers to "what you don't know."  As stated on the ISTE website, "The ISTE Standards for Educators define the digital age skills and pedagogical insights educators need to teach, work and learn."  What a great tool for you toolbox!  I hope you will consider using the standards to demolish the things about your classroom that drive you crazy or make you cringe, and use them to transform your classroom into something that works better for you and your students. 

ISTE Standards · Teachers
ISTE Standards for Teachers, 
©2008, ISTE® (International Society for Technology in Education), iste.org. 
All rights reserved.

ISTE Standards · Teachers
ISTE Standards for Teachers,
©2008, ISTE® (International Society for Technology in Education), iste.org.
All rights reserved.

   
     Once you've had an opportunity to dive into the ISTE Standards for Educators (2017), there's even more!  Be sure to check out the ISTE Standards for Students (2016).  The student standards will guide you in empowering your students and ensuring that learning is student-driven.
     So, now...where do you begin with all of this?  Know what it is that needs a "fixer upper" this school year.  Then, begin wrapping your brain around the ISTE Standards for Educators (2017). Here are a few tools that can help you with this:

Enhance Your Educational Practice
with the ISTE Standards for Educators

Stretch Your EdTech Practice

From there, try to visualize how you can use these standards to transform the things that need to be "fixed up" this school year.  Still need some help?  Solicit help from your Tech Coach or peers.  They are members of your "Transition Team"!  Finally, begin the "fixer upper" process.
      What do you plan to demolish this school year and revive with a fixer upper?  Is it an instructional strategy, your classroom environment, a lesson plan?  I would love for you to tell me in the comments of this blog post what your transformation(s) will be.  If you need some design help, I would love for you to reach out.  Happy #demoday, y'all!

Resource:

https://www.iste.org/standards/what-are-the-iste-standards