EdTech Cheer 2014: Review & Preview

As part of the Rebel U 2014 Evaluation, we asked a couple of questions about the EdTech Cheer professional learning opportunity that is offered annually around the holiday time.  Similar to Rebel U, this will also be the fifth year that I have designed and offered the EdTech Cheer professional learning opportunity to not only the Godfrey-Lee teachers, but any educator that wants to participate.

Based on the responses, I just want just explain a little bit about what EdTech Cheer is.  Simplistically, it is an extended, online professional learning opportunity that is meant to provide resources, integration ideas, or methods for how technology can effectively leveraged as an instructional and student learning tool.  Taking my own spin on the "12 Days of Christmas," I share 12 days worth of ideas and ways that you can use technology.  As with many other professional learning opportunities, this is not meant to be a rigid prescription for exactly how to utilize technology resources, but rather something you can take and flexibly adapt to your instructional and student learning needs.  I like to look at it as 12 days of fun!

In the evaluation, some mentioned that the time of year that EdTech Cheer is offered is not necessarily ideal with all of the other holiday things going on in their classrooms and schools.  My goal is to provide on-going professional development opportunities throughout the year because I know everyone's schedule is different and certain times work better than others for some people.   I like to offer this one mid-year, after the fall kick-off with Rebel U and before getting into in-depth planning for the coming Rebel U. EdTech Cheer is just one professional learning opportunity that I offer throughout the year, but is maybe a little more publicized as it is not specific to any one classroom, school, or district.  I just like to share with everyone!

Based on the responses of that question in combination with the responses for participating in voluntary technology PD offerings for this school year, I wanted to make sure to continue to offer this self-paced, on-demand professional learning opportunity. When I build professional learning opportunities for staff, I use teacher input to drive the learning.  Some of the items noted by teachers for what they would like to see for EdTech Cheer this year are:

• Information about Google Classroom
• Strategies
• Information that reaches all content areas
• Examples of what teachers have done and how it has worked
• Tools to follow up on things that were presented at Rebel U
• Information for itinerant staff
• Information in regards to Infinite Campus
• Technology assessment tools to progress monitor students
• SIOP information
• Discovery Education information
• Collaboration tools
• Cooperative learning information
• Prizes
• Classroom Learning Lab incorporation

Based on this feedback, I am working on designing EdTech Cheer to fit as many of those noted items as possible.  As I am still in the design stage, I am always open to feedback and ideas!

Support Tickets

As the new school year is here and everyone is starting to get comfortable in their rooms and offices, we would just like to give everyone a reminder to please submit Support requests for any technical problems or needs you may have.  We strive to respond as quickly as we possibly can to each ticket request, but at the beginning of the year we are overwhelmed with requests, so an immediate response is not always possible.  We do receive each request, so there is no need to send a follow up email, call, or have another staff member follow up with one of us on the same issue or to see if we received the ticket request - that is why we love our ticket system!  By simply completing the Support ticket, it gets sent to the appropriate tech team member without you having to worry about which Tech Team member to contact with your issue.  We appreciate your patience, support, and cooperation as we work to address each of your instructional and student learning needs.  We hope everyone has had a great start to their year!

Rebel U 2014: Guest Post {Sarah Wood}

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This a post in a series about Rebel U 2014.

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As part of the Rebel U 2014 evaluation, we asked participants if they were willing to be a guest blogger on our Godfrey-Lee Technology & Media blog.  We were not only interested in hearing (and sharing) first hand accounts from attendees and presenters, but also providing an online environment for collaboration and being a part of an online professional learning community.

Today's guest post is written by K-12 Technology & Media Integration Specialist, Sarah Wood.  You can find Sarah online here or on Twitter here.

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To see Sarah's guest post, please check out her blog, found here.

Rebel U 2014: Guest Post {Sara Dewey}

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This a post in a series about Rebel U 2014.

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As part of the Rebel U 2014 evaluation, we asked participants if they were willing to be a guest blogger on our Godfrey-Lee Technology & Media blog.  We were not only interested in hearing (and sharing) first hand accounts from attendees and presenters, but also providing an online environment for collaboration and being a part of an online professional learning community.

Today's guest post is written by Godfrey Elementary School Reading Specialist, Sara Dewey. 

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It was great being a presenter this year!  What I like about Rebel U is that you get to present to members from the entire staff, not just your building.  You also get to hear presentations from staff that you might never get a chance to communicate with throughout the year.  We have so many knowledgeable people in our district and it's great to share and hear all that our staff members have to offer!

Rebel U 2014: Guest Post {Kristy Crater}

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This a post in a series about Rebel U 2014.

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As part of the Rebel U 2014 evaluation, we asked participants if they were willing to be a guest blogger on our Godfrey-Lee Technology & Media blog.  We were not only interested in hearing (and sharing) first hand accounts from attendees and presenters, but also providing an online environment for collaboration and being a part of an online professional learning community.

Today's guest post is written by Godfrey Elementary School Third Grade teacher, Kristy Crater.  You can find Kristy online here.

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Attending Godfrey Lee Public School's REBEL U 2014 Professional Development was not only a great way to catch up with my teaching colleagues, but to also learn from each other's strengths. We, as teachers, all have strengths and expertise in the areas of which we teach.  This year was the best by far!! My teaching partner, Sara Dewey, and I put together a presentation on DAILY 5, which is a structure of your literacy block so that students thrive at reading, while being independent in their choices of how to grow as a reader! Our session was amazing!! The tables were full of eager teachers, willing to learn about Daily 5 & implement it into their classrooms. We had great discussions and shared ideas with each other, no matter the grade level. I was thrilled to share my expertise with my colleagues and look forward to seeing how they implement DAILY 5  in the classroom.

Rebel U 2014: Your Questions Answered!

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This a post in a series about Rebel U 2014.

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At the end of the day at Rebel U, we ask each teacher to complete an evaluation form.  We cannot stress enough the importance of this evaluation and need each attendee to complete the form.  Despite what people may think, we take the time to go through and read each and every response.  We listen to your concerns and try to address any issues or questions you may have as we plan technology professional development for the year and start planning for future Rebel U days.

Below are some of your questions, concerns, or comments that were voiced on the evaluation this year.  We wanted to take a moment to share some words on these to keep lines of communication open.

Comment:
The evaluation was too long and I didn't know I had to click on the link to be able to complete the full evaluation.

Response:
We understand that the evaluation had many questions, and sometimes at the end of the day when you are feeling a little overwhelmed and your brain is swimming, it can seem like there are even more! We sincerely apologize for the confusion with not being able to complete the survey right within your email due to the number of questions - we honestly did not know this would happen when it was sent out. It goes to show that even our Tech Team is always learning - we don't always know everything! Each question on the evaluation is important and the information and responses collected not only helps for future Rebel Us and professional development opportunities, it is also passed on to administrators to help them plan things in their building.

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Comment:
Lunch was too long.

Response:
Every year we adjust the time allotted for lunch based on attendee feedback. Being that we were having Rebel U outside the district, it is sometimes hard to predict how much time is necessary to have 150+ people move through a line and have plenty of time to eat without feeling rushed. We will adjust again for next year!

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Comment:
There wasn't enough time allotted for the Collaboration Block.

Response:

We know that everyone works at a different pace, has a different number of people on their team/grade level/department, so it is hard to designate a time period that works for all. We try our best to make the time beneficial and meaningful for everyone.

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Question/Comment:
I didn't know what to do during the Collaboration Block.

Response:
All attendees were provided with a framework for discussion in their swag bags, along with other important information we wanted you to have for the day. We apologize if this was not clearly communicated and we tried our best to get to every room and help everyone get started.

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Please feel free to ask your questions about Rebel U! We are continually evaluation the program so that our professional development is meaningful and relevant.

Rebel U 2014: Attendee Favorites

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This a post in a series about Rebel U 2014.

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At the end of the day at Rebel U, we ask each teacher to complete an evaluation form.  We cannot stress enough the importance of this evaluation and need each attendee to complete the form.  We really do take the time to go through and read each and every response!  We listen to your concerns as well as things you enjoyed.  We use this information to address any issues or questions you may have as we plan technology professional development for the year and start planning for future Rebel U days.

As part of our celebration of Rebel U taking place for 5 consecutive years, below are some of the evaluation responses to the question, "What is your favorite thing (or things) that you enjoyed about Rebel U today?". We wanted to take a moment to share a list of some of the kind words that our attendees shared about their Rebel U experience this year.  If you would like a visual snapshot of our attendees' favorite things, check out the word cloud!

• #Rebelu14!
  There were so many opportunities to collaborate and experience new technology material.
• The photo booth!!
  The SIOP refresher was awesome.
• I loved having the choice of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to learn about. Seeing the positive interactions between staff members in the rooms, hallways, on twitter, etc. has me excited for the school year!
• Being able to spend an entire day with the district learning about technology.
• I enjoyed spending time with my coworkers. I also enjoyed learning strategies for grading.
• I enjoyed the sessions and learning about the different technology that can be used in my classroom
• The lunch. I also really enjoyed getting to know the staff and being able to see a variety of different technology related sessions.
• Learning and collaborating with teachers from other departments.
• I enjoyed the collaboration.
• - Learning from my colleagues... We have so many amazing teachers on staff that have a lot to offer.
  - The photo booth is always a blast. :)
• Libbie and Erica reminded me of the awesomeness of SIOP
• I loved learning about Math Exchange. This is something that I am VERY interested in using in my classroom. I also loved the drawing into reading program. It will be very useful for my Kindergarteners. There was a lot of great stuff presented today and I cannot wait to use it all!
• Meeting with grade level people
• The teacher to teacher collaboration, teacher to teacher teaching/learning and the motivation to use technology and/or new technology strategies in our classrooms!
• The time given to collaborate with my peers.
• google classroom
• Implementing the Kagan strategies with the quiz let
  Finding more about MAISA
• Chances to Discuss and work out ideas on standards based grading and DE
• I LOVED teaching Daily 5 with Sara Dewey!
• Using Auras on an iPad.
• The google classroom training. The infinite campus was also very helpful.
• The work time that we had to practice the different skills/tools we learned today.
• Working with other teachers, and talking about the upcoming school year.
• Working with fellow teachers and hearing their presentations.
• Google classroom was boss.
• The Kagan strategies used in the morning presentation with Sarah Wood were fabulous. I can't wait for the training. :)
• Reuniting with friends and colleagues throughout the day.
  Being in a relaxed atmosphere and learning tools of the trade.
• I like how technology was mildly integrated so I did not feel too overwhelmed with new things!
• super heroes
• The standards based grading new grade book is so user friendly! I am excited that my grade book is set for the year, and that I now understand how to use it!
  SIOP session was a great reminder of the four language domains, and how to incorporate them more into class activities.
• Excellent, highly practical sessions. Particularly loved the "Drawing into Reading" session.
• I enjoyed the variety of sessions offered. It was difficult to choose which sessions to attend because so many looked appealing. KISD was a great facility in which to learn about and discuss new ideas.
• I learned a couple of ways I can incorporate Kagan and technology.
• Learning about Google Chrome
• Learning about different technology that I could use in my classroom: Visuwords, Kahoot, and Socrative websites
• I love learning new tech tools from my co-workers and seeing what works well for them in their classrooms. I also LOVE that we had work time to explore learned material at the end of the day. Great job, tech team!!!
• I learned many ways to use cooperative learning activities and technology in my classroom.
• Collaboration with colleagues.
• I really liked having Rebel U at the Kent ISD.
• Learning many different strategies and uses of technology that have been proven to be successful.
  Variety of options
• Actually using the techniques during the presentations
• Being introduced to new/different technology options.
• Time in each session to explore and practice with the new info. we learned.
• Discussion with peers and learning about Google Chrome.
• Captain America, collaborating with peers
• Great review on Daily 5 and how to incorporate it into my workshop. I liked see Kagan strategies in action.
• Learning about different apps to use on iPads in the classroom.
• meshing CL and technology
• I really enjoyed the iMovie session and The Daily 5 Difference
• It was great to see all of the new and innovative things that teachers use as part of their curriculums. I will have to use Discovery Ed., so it was nice to get to become acquainted with that program. I also really enjoyed collaborating with my grade level colleagues.
• Hearing how other grade levels and people in district are utilizing technology and programs (i.e. Discovery Ed, Daily 5, etc).
• I learned a lot about standard based grading and google classroom. I appreciated that we got to choose what sessions we were able to do and that it was led by GL teachers.
• Learning new ways to implement technology into therapy activities.
• Viewing student comments about the teacher heroes and being able to setup our grade book.
• The conversations I had with various teachers. I was able to connect teachers from different buildings interested in the same concepts.
• Drawing Into Reading and More and the strategies that were used to teach Understanding the Instructional Shifts and Mathematical Practices of the CCSS
• Great Lunch, well organized, location!!!
• - Held @ KISD :)
  - Relevant presentations
  - Individual work time
  - Collaborative work time
• Learning many different strategies and uses of technology that have been proven to be successful.
  Variety of options
• The relaxed atmosphere for formal and informal conversations about things that matter in schools.
• Food! Be able to share and hear ideas on how to enhance the use of tech in the classroom.
• The presentations were very well done and very informative. I really liked the fact that in many of the sessions I attended, there was time allowed to try/work on the material that was presented on
• I most appreciated the well-paced presentations, the opportunity to learn at my own pace, having time to practice with sites, the detailed handouts, and the collaboration with peers.

Rebel U 2014: Post-Data

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This a post in a series about Rebel U 2014.

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At the end of the day at Rebel U, we ask each teacher to complete an evaluation form.  We cannot stress enough the importance of this evaluation and need each attendee to complete the form.  We really do take the time to go through and read each and every response!  We listen to your concerns and try to address any issues or questions you may have as we plan technology professional development for the year and start planning for future Rebel U days.

Detailed post-data and charts about specific sessions can be found here.

Below are some data charts based on user feedback about their experience during the day.

Rebel U 2014: Recap

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This a post in a series about Rebel U 2014.

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This year was our fifth year for Rebel U.  As our district continues to grow and add different technology devices and resources, it is vital that we provide our teachers with relevant professional development that supports the use of technology in their classroom.  Each year, we ask teachers to complete an evaluation at the end of Rebel U.  We use the information gathered from this evaluation to improve weaknesses, continue the areas that were deemed important or positive, and make each event entertaining and filled with relevant learning.

Our theme for this year was "Up, Up, and Away!".  We were excited to celebrate five years of Rebel U, a sustainable technology-focused professional learning day for our staff.  We may be a small district, but there are many great things happening everyday in our classrooms!  


When we plan Rebel U, we understand that each classroom, grade level, subject area, and school look different in our district.  As the Technology & Media Department supports each teacher and student, we try to support everyone's needs to the best of our abilities.  Each teacher (and student) brings a different knowledge base and comfort level when it comes to using and implementing technology and what may work for one classroom, may not be as successful in the classroom across the hall.  Regardless of how it is used, at some point, we had to learn how to use different kinds of technologies.  We wanted to focus on celebrating the successes of technology implementation and be able to share those ideas, resources, and methods with each other.  We heard many comments from teachers about things they learned throughout the day that they couldn't wait to start using in their classroom!

Some of the highlights from this year:

• Location: This year we held Rebel U at the Kent ISD, instead of within the district.  We wanted to provide our staff with a comfortable (and well-air conditioned!) learning environment.  Thank you for being an amazing host to us, Kent ISD!
• Theme: As we had a superhero theme for the day, we asked teachers to wear their favorite superhero shirt or costume.  It was great to see different shirts and everyone having fun!  We also created a wall to celebrate all of the great teachers we have!  We asked K-5 students to write out a response to the question, "I think my teacher is super because..." and 6-12 students filled out an online form.  There were so many cute elementary responses and overall, very thoughtful and heartfelt responses and stories.
  
• Schedule: We had a great line up of teacher presenters, administrators, Kent ISD professionals,  an area superintendent, and GLPS Tech & Media Team members.  To view the agenda as well as session descriptions and presenter handouts, please click here.
• Photo Booth: Back by popular demand, we brought back the photo booth!  We had many teachers stop by during their lunch to have a little fun and a brain break before heading back to their afternoon sessions.  To see pictures from the photo booth, please click here.

Rebel U 2014 (Photo Booth)

• Pre-Rebel U Data: This year we restructured our program a little as well as our evaluation so that it fit with our learning design model.  We were able to capture some great data about the sessions being presented based on teacher selections during their registration, presenter information, data over the past five years about our presenters, as well as general data about our attendees.
• Collaboration Block: In the past, one of the feedback items that we hear from teachers is that they would like to have some time to meet with their team/department/grade level to share what they learned about during the day.  Our teachers talked, and we listened!  We added a structured Collaboration Block at the end of the day that allowed our teachers to discuss what they have learned, collaborate, and plan implementation ideas based on what they learned during the day.
• Twitter & Social Media: We had many of our teachers using Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook throughout the day to share what they were learning.  To see what our teachers were sharing on social media, please click here.
• Swag Bags: We had some great items donated that we were able give away throughout the day to engage our teachers in their learning experiences throughout the day.
  
• More Pictures:  We had a lot of great things going on throughout the day!  To see more pictures from our day, please click here.

Rebel U 2014

• What did our teachers think of Rebel U?

If you wish to keep up with our on-going effort to provide relevant and meaningful professional development for our teachers, please "Like" our Facebook page!

New School Year and New Opportunities

New School Year and New Opportunities

As the new school year starts, it's amazing to see how much everyone has accomplished.  To see how far everyone has come, including myself, is nothing short of amazing.  I've learned so much and am so grateful for the opportunities I've been given here.

On a bittersweet note, this week is my last week at Godfrey Lee.  I'm starting a new opportunity at Beene Garter in Downtown GR.  I've made many friends and hope to keep in touch.  I have no doubt you'll keep doing great things for the students of Godfrey Lee.

Contact Info:

Twitter

https://twitter.com/jesseburrows

Linkedin

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jesse-burrows/32/a06/14/