Digital Learning Day 2015 at Godfrey-Lee #GlpsDLDay

This year, our superintendent requested that all teachers and students in the district were to engage in at least one digital learning activity on Digital Learning Day.  In preparation for this day, a few principals requested some time from our Tech Team to speak with their teachers.  So, in preparation, our team spent a day working with K-2 teachers at our Early Childhood Center helping them plan an activity for the day and providing hands-on assistance playing with new resources and collaborating with one another.  (The agenda for this planning time can be found here.)  Several members of our team also met with the middle school and high school teachers to share ideas and answer questions about the day during their staff meeting.  We wanted to make sure that all teachers were prepared for implementing a digital activity in their classroom and could ask us any questions as they arose.

Below are a few images we captured as we traveled through the buildings in the district on Digital Learning Day.  To view the full gallery of images, please click here.  We also encouraged teachers to share their experiences, photos, and other thoughts on social media with the hashtag #GlpsDLDay.  It was great to see all the great things going on!  To view a collection of our district's social media posts from the day, please click here.

After teachers completed their Digital Learning Day activity, we asked them to share their activity they implemented, examples of student projects, or any other notes they had about the day.  It was great seeing what everyone was doing and we enjoyed celebrating the digital learning that was taking place in our district!  Listed below are the responses we received to the teacher survey we sent out in regards to their Digital Learning Day experience.  If you are unable to view the responses below, please click here.

Digital Learning Day is Coming!

March 13, 2015

http://www.digitallearningday.org/

As stated in Superintendent Britten's email to staff, it is his expectation that all of our teachers and students are to engage in at least one digital learning activity that day.  What does this mean for you as a GLPS teacher? 

• All teachers and students are to engage in at least one digital learning activity that day.  
• This could be a lesson that is fully integrated with different technology resources, or it could be a short 20-minute lesson that the students are engaged in with technology to support their learning.
• The purpose of integrating technology should be to support, supplement, or extend student learning.  Do not use technology simply for the sake of using technology! 

So, How Can You Get Ready for Digital Learning Day in Your Classroom?

PLAN FOR IT!

Everyone is at different comfort levels with using technology, so it may take some advance planning might be necessary if you are not utilizing it everyday in your classroom.

• Think about ways that technology will support your teaching and student learning.
• Not sure what to do? Do a Google search for "Digital Learning Day" and check out what others are doing.
• Check out the Digital Learning Day website for more information about the day.
• Talk with your team members, other teachers in your building, or others in your PLN to crowdsource some new ideas.
• Revist ideas from Rebel U.
• Using Kagan and/or SIOP in your classroom? The 2014 12 Days of EdTech Cheer was all about using technology to support those programs. Check it out for some new ideas!
• Still not sure? Contact your friendly neighborhood Technology and Media Integration Specialist (Sarah Wood) and she would be happy to help you plan an activity for the day.

DO IT!

Once you have your lesson planned, go ahead and do it! If you are doing something new that you haven't tried or experimented with much before, it might be helpful to give it a trial run in your classroom. This will help alleviate any stress on the actual day.

DOCUMENT IT!

In addition to implementing a lesson, Superintendent Britten is also asking you to document the digital learning and instruction that is taking place in your classrooms.

• Take pictures, videos, capture screen shots and screencasts, or anything else that sums up the digital learning that took place in your classroom.
• Share it on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) with the hashtag #GlpsDLDay.  Make sure you know and check student permissions before posting!
• Want to follow what everyone in our district is doing on social media? Check out this link for the full (public) social media posts with the hashtag #GlpsDLDay https://tagboard.com/GlpsDlDay/search. (Note: Only public posts will show up here - if your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. accounts are private, they will not show up in this feed)