Sage advice from Becky Firth She was looking for people who always changed things up and did things differently. This reminded me the importance of continually developing curiosity with teachers and students. Being in the right place at the right time, but I can make this happen for myself. This comment fits right in line with branding and marketing myself. How do we teach that curiosity to our teachers? We very rarely see students shy away from using technology and where does that behavior originate from and how do we eliminate it? I'm excited to check out more school districts using the SAMR Model. I'm all about having common language and checklists to see where we can self assess when it comes to technology.
I was also wondering how I can ensure that I'm in the right place at the right time. I also like your point about adult's and student's differing approaches to technology.
Thank you to Becky Firth for coming today to talk about NCCE. It was exciting to learn about your path in education and how you continue to work with educators to aspire their learning and use of technology. I loved the idea of teacher leaders creating and showing others how to use technology in their classrooms. We need distributed leadership to help others take risks and be inspired to try new technology. I also love the idea of empowering teachers to do what they are doing better and help them see what is possible! Distributed leadership to build the capacity...YES!
I agree, I really like the idea of teacher leaders. I think we will have to be diligent in identifying our key teacher leaders early in our building experience. I also concur on empowering teachers, I think that is our primary goal as instructional leader.
YES! Risk taking for sure. I hope we are going in a direction in education that will help us to be more risk takers for finding the right system for the right students, teachers, schools, and communities. I'm sure we will be the change needed in coming years. I'm glad we get to be part of that team and change...
I had no idea that there was such a useful conference for technology so close to home! Portland is really convenient for those of us in Vancouver, and I definitely want to talk to my principal about NCCE. I think that it is really important as we transition to technology that we share ideas with others in whatever form we can. This is just another great way to share new technological information across such a broad area. I hadn't thought much about the option of live streaming, but I think for a high school it is an amazing tool! Students are so plugged into their phones, and this could help so much to build the school community. The school I teach at has pretty low moral as a student culture, so any sort of added spirit can only help to raise the students hope!
I had no idea either. I get so excited about this sort of stuff because I feel like we are watching the future of education changing before our eyes. I am fully embracing this time. I'm sure I sound like a tech nerd, but it is because I see the potential. AND, it can help with engagement, moral, and many other issues.
One of the pieces that really resonated with me was when Becky said teachers aren’t used to asking for much. I realized I don’t ask for anywhere close to what I actually need as a teacher. The crazy thing is that even though I don’t ask for as much as I actually need, I think my principals are a little sick of me asking for things because I do make an effort to advocate for my classes. It makes me wonder, if you had all of the money in the world to fund your classroom, what would you ask for?
The last piece that I really liked was when Becky asked the question “How do you ensure that you are in the right place at the right time?” She then continued to emphasize not putting barriers up and not getting in the habit of saying no. This made me really reflect and wonder how many opportunities I have missed out on from saying no? Moving towards a career in administration, I think it is going to be even more crucial for me to say yes to as many opportunities as I can.
I agree that teachers don't ask for things. We need supplies, we go buy it. My principal and I had a long discussion about this idea with school supplies (due to the cut of the supply list for parents again by the District) and how teachers would have to go buy what is needed. So, if teachers don't feel comfortable asking for money to cover pencils, how will they ask for money for technology and tech PD? I think as a Principal you have to create a culture that encourages teachers to ask for items and PD they need. Which is why you have to know your budget, so you can say yes more then you say no!
Today's presentation was really interesting. It highlighted how far we have come, technologically, as a society. I love that we have people who have been involved in technology in schools since the beginning and that they are still involved and working to learn more. I am realizing more and more that having leaders who are enthusiastic about technology makes teachers more enthusiastic about technology. I know that I am sometimes hesitant to use new technology in my room, and I really would like to change that for next year.
I wonder about students who are not motivated by technology. I think that this stems from their feelings that school is just a checklist and it's not something that they need to be excited about. I think that this is an institutional issue. I hope that through technology we can increase students love of learning and work with them to explore more uses of technology on their own. They are the future innovators.
Ali, great point about the students who are not motivated by technology. I have found at the elementary level that it is typically students who are above level and need to be challenged by their peers. I had a handful of kids who wanted to use the technology in a way that would push them, but they realized it was the teacher and peers who pushed them. Once I established the group of kids who needed the challenge, I would place them together on collaborative sites where they could challenge each other. Getting at the root cause for why students are not motivated by the technology isn't always as simple though. Also, sometimes the lack of engaging technology isn't present because we have so many filters on that we can't access certain tools. These are just some things to consider next year.
I thought that it was great to have Becky come in and talk to our class today! I thought that her ideas about the ever changing world of technology and the need for administrators to empower teachers to be digital leaders and combat many of the commonly used 'hurdles' to developing and growing teacher capacity around technology. I know in my school district we have a stipend position to share out technology throughout our building and I would love to see more people involved with this process. When I think about live streaming, I think about the possibilities of live streaming to an in school suspension room to allow students who have been sent there through progressive discipline to be able to watch the video and stay caught up in class. I also wonder, without wanting to open up a conversation that I do not have an answer for, how this idea could impact special education and students who desire a smaller learning environment. If any of you have ideas I would love to hear them.
That's a great idea to stream live for kids that are out of your room due to behavior. We talk about the effects of lost learning for kids with behavior and this might be one way to help.
I had not heard of NCCE before today. The topics they have for their conferences sound very beneficial. I am curious if anyone from my district has attended the conference in the past. It might be a great idea to send a few techie teachers to the conference and then they can come back and share with the staff. I love the idea of streaming short videos for families and parents. Both of the books discussed this option. I have not heard of an elementary school in our district doing live streaming, but I would love to give it a try. I can post it on my new blog for school.
Tiffany, I'm curious if there are others in my district who has attended the NCCE conferences in the past. It would be great to connect with them to gather ideas that would be valuable for our digital leadership endeavors. If not, we could be pioneers for our district! I too love the idea of live streaming because it has multiple applications. I am particularly excited to brainstorm ways to capitalize on how it could be used to connect to the community.
Today’s presentation reinforced the idea that the world of education is changing every day. Hopefully, districts and schools have invested or are investing in hardware for schools. The next challenge is which apps, websites, and platforms are we going to use. There should be funds set aside to allow teachers to use the hardware they are given. As an admin, it would be good to set aside a few funds for licenses in case teachers want to use a specific cost site. Ideally, this could be carried over year to year.
UStream or any live streaming would be a very good tool in the right context. I would not want to live stream a class (there are other medias better), but as Dr. Malone pointed out awards or special events would be a great thing to use this platform.
For my own teaching, Wingclips will be amazing. I use movie quotes and snippets all the time in class and am excited to use this technology to “lighten” the mood in my own class. We have had other technologies that will have a larger impact on student learning, but personally, I am very excited to play with this one. Also, I am very mad that I did not know about this before.
It was wonderful to listen to Becky Firth who is a true pioneer in the field of education technology. Her experiences remind me that school districts can become more connected with technology and organizations like NCCE can provide essential support. I am planning on attending the NCCE conference in March to continue to capitalize on this support for my school. I also appreciated how she felt there was a gap in the technology integration for people who graduated in the late 1990's which explains why I struggle with technology sometimes (or at least that's my new excuse). Becky also reminded us that it is okay to make a mistake in on our digital leadership; great advice for someone who fears making mistakes but always learns from it. I also enjoyed learning about WingClips. As you can probably tell from my blog I enjoy movies, which transfers to my lessons from time to time. WingClips would be a great way to provide a focused brain break or connect to an audience with a brief video.
First of all I apologize for being a distraction with the blog issue today (and for my water jug taking my place visually) I really enjoyed Becky's presentation today, and it really makes me think about just how far we have come in the world of technology over the past 15 or 20 years. There is a lot of truth to be told about how we need to bridging the gap between where we were from a technological standpoint when we were young students and where today's students are, are so incredibly far apart and it is a necessity for educators and educational leaders to stay up to date with the technologies that are ever evolving because that is the direction our students are going. When we leave ourselves out of the loop, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally, that gap becomes even larger.
P.S. Thank you again for the NCCE certificate from the drawing today! I am super excited!
Sage advice from Becky Firth
ReplyDeleteShe was looking for people who always changed things up and did things differently. This reminded me the importance of continually developing curiosity with teachers and students. Being in the right place at the right time, but I can make this happen for myself. This comment fits right in line with branding and marketing myself. How do we teach that curiosity to our teachers?
We very rarely see students shy away from using technology and where does that behavior originate from and how do we eliminate it? I'm excited to check out more school districts using the SAMR Model. I'm all about having common language and checklists to see where we can self assess when it comes to technology.
Thanks for sharing the SAMR model. I agree that it would help if we all had common language to have discussions about technology.
DeleteI was also wondering how I can ensure that I'm in the right place at the right time. I also like your point about adult's and student's differing approaches to technology.
DeleteThank you to Becky Firth for coming today to talk about NCCE. It was exciting to learn about your path in education and how you continue to work with educators to aspire their learning and use of technology. I loved the idea of teacher leaders creating and showing others how to use technology in their classrooms. We need distributed leadership to help others take risks and be inspired to try new technology. I also love the idea of empowering teachers to do what they are doing better and help them see what is possible! Distributed leadership to build the capacity...YES!
ReplyDeleteI agree, I really like the idea of teacher leaders. I think we will have to be diligent in identifying our key teacher leaders early in our building experience. I also concur on empowering teachers, I think that is our primary goal as instructional leader.
DeleteYES! Risk taking for sure. I hope we are going in a direction in education that will help us to be more risk takers for finding the right system for the right students, teachers, schools, and communities. I'm sure we will be the change needed in coming years. I'm glad we get to be part of that team and change...
DeleteI had no idea that there was such a useful conference for technology so close to home! Portland is really convenient for those of us in Vancouver, and I definitely want to talk to my principal about NCCE. I think that it is really important as we transition to technology that we share ideas with others in whatever form we can. This is just another great way to share new technological information across such a broad area.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought much about the option of live streaming, but I think for a high school it is an amazing tool! Students are so plugged into their phones, and this could help so much to build the school community. The school I teach at has pretty low moral as a student culture, so any sort of added spirit can only help to raise the students hope!
I had no idea either. I get so excited about this sort of stuff because I feel like we are watching the future of education changing before our eyes. I am fully embracing this time. I'm sure I sound like a tech nerd, but it is because I see the potential. AND, it can help with engagement, moral, and many other issues.
DeleteI agree with you! Adding technology into education is opening so many amazing opportunities for learning.
DeleteOne of the pieces that really resonated with me was when Becky said teachers aren’t used to asking for much. I realized I don’t ask for anywhere close to what I actually need as a teacher. The crazy thing is that even though I don’t ask for as much as I actually need, I think my principals are a little sick of me asking for things because I do make an effort to advocate for my classes. It makes me wonder, if you had all of the money in the world to fund your classroom, what would you ask for?
ReplyDeleteThe last piece that I really liked was when Becky asked the question “How do you ensure that you are in the right place at the right time?” She then continued to emphasize not putting barriers up and not getting in the habit of saying no. This made me really reflect and wonder how many opportunities I have missed out on from saying no? Moving towards a career in administration, I think it is going to be even more crucial for me to say yes to as many opportunities as I can.
I agree that teachers don't ask for things. We need supplies, we go buy it. My principal and I had a long discussion about this idea with school supplies (due to the cut of the supply list for parents again by the District) and how teachers would have to go buy what is needed. So, if teachers don't feel comfortable asking for money to cover pencils, how will they ask for money for technology and tech PD?
DeleteI think as a Principal you have to create a culture that encourages teachers to ask for items and PD they need. Which is why you have to know your budget, so you can say yes more then you say no!
Today's presentation was really interesting. It highlighted how far we have come, technologically, as a society. I love that we have people who have been involved in technology in schools since the beginning and that they are still involved and working to learn more. I am realizing more and more that having leaders who are enthusiastic about technology makes teachers more enthusiastic about technology. I know that I am sometimes hesitant to use new technology in my room, and I really would like to change that for next year.
ReplyDeleteI wonder about students who are not motivated by technology. I think that this stems from their feelings that school is just a checklist and it's not something that they need to be excited about. I think that this is an institutional issue. I hope that through technology we can increase students love of learning and work with them to explore more uses of technology on their own. They are the future innovators.
Ali, great point about the students who are not motivated by technology. I have found at the elementary level that it is typically students who are above level and need to be challenged by their peers. I had a handful of kids who wanted to use the technology in a way that would push them, but they realized it was the teacher and peers who pushed them. Once I established the group of kids who needed the challenge, I would place them together on collaborative sites where they could challenge each other. Getting at the root cause for why students are not motivated by the technology isn't always as simple though. Also, sometimes the lack of engaging technology isn't present because we have so many filters on that we can't access certain tools. These are just some things to consider next year.
DeleteI thought that it was great to have Becky come in and talk to our class today! I thought that her ideas about the ever changing world of technology and the need for administrators to empower teachers to be digital leaders and combat many of the commonly used 'hurdles' to developing and growing teacher capacity around technology. I know in my school district we have a stipend position to share out technology throughout our building and I would love to see more people involved with this process. When I think about live streaming, I think about the possibilities of live streaming to an in school suspension room to allow students who have been sent there through progressive discipline to be able to watch the video and stay caught up in class. I also wonder, without wanting to open up a conversation that I do not have an answer for, how this idea could impact special education and students who desire a smaller learning environment. If any of you have ideas I would love to hear them.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea to stream live for kids that are out of your room due to behavior. We talk about the effects of lost learning for kids with behavior and this might be one way to help.
DeleteI had not heard of NCCE before today. The topics they have for their conferences sound very beneficial. I am curious if anyone from my district has attended the conference in the past. It might be a great idea to send a few techie teachers to the conference and then they can come back and share with the staff.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of streaming short videos for families and parents. Both of the books discussed this option. I have not heard of an elementary school in our district doing live streaming, but I would love to give it a try. I can post it on my new blog for school.
Tiffany, I'm curious if there are others in my district who has attended the NCCE conferences in the past. It would be great to connect with them to gather ideas that would be valuable for our digital leadership endeavors. If not, we could be pioneers for our district! I too love the idea of live streaming because it has multiple applications. I am particularly excited to brainstorm ways to capitalize on how it could be used to connect to the community.
DeleteLet's send you to NCCE....the techie teachers don't need to go. Let me know if you are interested!
DeleteToday’s presentation reinforced the idea that the world of education is changing every day. Hopefully, districts and schools have invested or are investing in hardware for schools. The next challenge is which apps, websites, and platforms are we going to use. There should be funds set aside to allow teachers to use the hardware they are given. As an admin, it would be good to set aside a few funds for licenses in case teachers want to use a specific cost site. Ideally, this could be carried over year to year.
ReplyDeleteUStream or any live streaming would be a very good tool in the right context. I would not want to live stream a class (there are other medias better), but as Dr. Malone pointed out awards or special events would be a great thing to use this platform.
For my own teaching, Wingclips will be amazing. I use movie quotes and snippets all the time in class and am excited to use this technology to “lighten” the mood in my own class. We have had other technologies that will have a larger impact on student learning, but personally, I am very excited to play with this one. Also, I am very mad that I did not know about this before.
It was wonderful to listen to Becky Firth who is a true pioneer in the field of education technology. Her experiences remind me that school districts can become more connected with technology and organizations like NCCE can provide essential support. I am planning on attending the NCCE conference in March to continue to capitalize on this support for my school. I also appreciated how she felt there was a gap in the technology integration for people who graduated in the late 1990's which explains why I struggle with technology sometimes (or at least that's my new excuse). Becky also reminded us that it is okay to make a mistake in on our digital leadership; great advice for someone who fears making mistakes but always learns from it.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed learning about WingClips. As you can probably tell from my blog I enjoy movies, which transfers to my lessons from time to time. WingClips would be a great way to provide a focused brain break or connect to an audience with a brief video.
First of all I apologize for being a distraction with the blog issue today (and for my water jug taking my place visually) I really enjoyed Becky's presentation today, and it really makes me think about just how far we have come in the world of technology over the past 15 or 20 years. There is a lot of truth to be told about how we need to bridging the gap between where we were from a technological standpoint when we were young students and where today's students are, are so incredibly far apart and it is a necessity for educators and educational leaders to stay up to date with the technologies that are ever evolving because that is the direction our students are going. When we leave ourselves out of the loop, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally, that gap becomes even larger.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thank you again for the NCCE certificate from the drawing today! I am super excited!
I agree that technology is where education is headed and it is crucial not to let ourselves get left behind!
Delete