What to do with Design Thinking & Teacher Learning #rebelu16

Rebel U is so much more than just a gathering of teachers sharing cool tools they are using in their classrooms.  Although that is a part of it, the collaboration, conversations, experimenting, community, and much more are also critical components of the day.  Each year we are grateful that we are given a full day to work with teachers and administrators, so we work hard to make sure that are day is design with not only our end users in mind, but also making sure that it is aligned with district goals.  We try to make sure this is a seamless integration, where sometimes you aren't sure where the learning ends and the implementation begins!

This year, our Tech Team partnered with the Teaching, Learning, and Accountability Department in our district to align Rebel U to our district focus of Human Centered Design.  Our Team is by no means an expert in this area, so we were ready to learn all we could about the concept and how this translates to the technology that is being utilized by our teachers and students.  In a nutshell, we are all designers and the approach we take can follow an uniform process, but the end results could be very different and personalized.

Source

This year at Rebel U, we opened with our very own Carol Lautenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Accountability, with an introduction to design thinking.  She shared a document with our teachers that to help them think beyond the content to the reason, the essence, and the purpose of what is being learned—the WHY and WHO.  This was demonstrated through a quick activity about cell phones that helped demonstrate the WHY and WHO of design thinking.

At the end of the day, teachers were asked to separate themselves into one of five groups that they would like to explore further.  In exploration of this group, we were asking them how they could connect the ideas, tools, and resources they learned about during the day and use them to enhance communications and relationships.  Below is a breakdown of the number of teachers and the relationships they chose to explore further.
In addition to the focus group, we asked them how they would incorporate an element of the 5Cs into the process (bringing the higher-level thinking!).  The purpose in asking this question was to really think deeper about the relationship that is being explored.
When you take those two tidbits of information collected and combine them together, you get a nice looking chart that allows you to see the relationships and 5C focus for the district as a whole.  It is easy to see that the majority of our staff would like to focus on the teacher to student relationship, with largely a creative focus.  This makes us excited because of the potential for risk-taking, student exploration, and learning opportunities that might grow out of this activity. What is interesting about this snapshot is that you can clearly see the focus areas defined by our teachers that are important and will help improve not only the teaching process, but also build relationships within our community.  Where we go from this point is in the hands our teachers, students, imaginations, and so much more!

Building for Today and Improving for a Future Tomorrow #rebelu16

Every year with Rebel U, we work at improving things from previous Rebel U events and trying out new things.  One thing our Tech Team has always tried to be open to is taking risks.  We took a few risks trying new things this year and some worked well, others not quite like we had envisioned.  As part of our evaluation each year, we like to ask attendees what they feel we can improve upon so that the next Rebel U flows better and meets teacher learning needs.  This year, we knew two big areas where we fell short in providing you with the best learning experience possible...and you let us know too (which we love the constructive feedback, really!).

According the evaluation results, the two main topics that frequently came up were the Internet/wifi connection issues as well as general concerns about the location.  We want you to know that we truly value your input and would like to share some of the concerns as well as what we know/can do about improving.  Like previously stated, we are not afraid to take risks.  We took a risk by having Rebel U at a new location.  The Kent ISD was booked, and we have learned from previous years of Rebel U, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold within district due to the growing number of staff, availability of air-conditioned space, and appropriate seating for adults.  We also like to respect the fact that many teachers spend a lot of time prepping their classrooms for the beginning of the school year, and having 150 come into their teaching/learning space can throw off work that has been put into preparation.  We know that no amount of apologies can change the lack of wifi access (despite our many inquiries as it if it could handle our load!) and room temperature/size issues that were present this year, but we appreciate your open minds and positive attitudes as you moved forward throughout the day.

Listed below are the other areas of concern that were brought to our attention (other than the Internet/wifi and location concerns).
We are by no means perfect, but we try really hard to create a positive learning environment for you at Rebel U.  Based on your feedback, we would like to share some insights and feedback with you.

• First and foremost, Rebel U is an EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY day.  As long as the Technology Team, it will continue to have an EdTech focus.  We are the first to say that technology is not the be all, end all to classroom instruction.  The teacher is essential to student learning and the technology used for the teaching and learning process is simply a tool.  We also understand that other professional development is needed for teachers.  Please do not hesitate to speak to your building administrator if you feel you need other non-technology related PD.
• We open Rebel U up to teachers and administrators in the district to present, as well as other professionals outside of the district.  We do not select certain presenters, but rather celebrate those that step forward to give of their own learning time at Rebel U to share their knowledge, expertise, and experiences with others.  If you feel you would like to learn more about a certain topic at Rebel U, please feel free to let Sarah or another member of the Tech Team know and we can work to find someone to share about that particular topic.
• We partnered with the Teaching, Learning, and Accountability Department to include a Human Centered Design component this year as part of the district initiative that is taking place.  Technology in the classroom should not be separate from the content learning that is taking place, but rather integrated to support the curriculum.  The HCD component this year was not something that was meant to be new, or added on to something you are already doing, but rather for you to help organize your thoughts about your learning for the day.  The things you learned about in your sessions are the "WHAT" and the "HOW" in design thinking and the "WHY" and the "WHO" help you get to the heart of learning.  This took the place of the Collaboration Block/Reflection Time that we have had the previous years.
• Due to a complex calendar, we do not get to pick which day Rebel U will take place.  Our Tech Team is SUPER happy that we are able to have one day to work with all teachers in the district.  Unfortunately, the day we have been given the past couple years has fallen on the day of the elementary open houses. We would love for you to have a relaxing day, be able to dress up, and not have to worry about the evening events, but unfortunately, we can't always make the calendar perfect.  We try our best to make the day fun for you though!

We hope this has been helpful in answering some of your questions about Rebel U.  If you mentioned something that was not noted here, it does not mean that we haven't read what you shared!  It is helpful for us to reflect on why we do what we are doing, what we are intentional about, and of course, what we can improve for next year!

Rebel U 2016...Sevenfold #rebelu16

It is hard to believe that Rebel U has been going strong for seven years!  Each year when we do our Call for Presenters, we gather basic information about each person so we can make sure we have the right contact information, t-shirt size, etc.  As our program has progressed, this information has also allowed us to compile basic statistics about our presenters.

In reviewing our presenter information this year, we uncovered some fun facts!

Rebel U 2016 was another fun year of learning and sharing, despite a few hiccups.  But hey, without those hiccups, we wouldn't be FAILING FORWARD.  If you like charts and graphs, you have come to the right place!  Below you will see charts representing information about our presenters.  Over the past seven years, we have had eighty-four unique presenters, and some of those presenters have presented multiple times at multiple Rebel U events.  We must be doing something good if they keep coming back!

In addition to having 2 presenters that have presented at all eight Rebel U events (seven "traditional" plus one "Virutal Edition"), we have had many presenters that keep on coming back.  We thank everyone who continues to present for us as well as those who might be presenting for the first time.  Each and everyone of you is super important to the success of Rebel U!

Rebel U 2016 - Past, Present, and Future #rebelu16

Last year on the Rebel U evaluation, we asked our attendees if they had any suggestions for a theme for Rebel U 2016.  We wanted to hear from our attendees what they would think a fun theme would be be for the day.  The majority of votes we received were in favor of the 80's.  Totally rad, we said!  We loved the idea, but wanted to make sure that our day was aligned with our Rebel U goals, and not only the decided theme.  So, the Past, Present, and Future (1986 / 2016 / 2046) is what it was!

As always, we encourage our teachers to embrace the theme by dressing for the day, or sharing something personal.  This year, we loved what the 80's brought to our day!

If you are interested in viewing more pictures from our day, please visit our Facebook page!

So, what have been our themes from the past?  Listed below you will see the themes as well as a collage of our presenter t-shirts from each year.  It is so fun to look back and see how how themes have grown and evolved as well as our shirt designs.

The themes we have had in the past are:
2010: Inaugural year of Rebel U - no theme
2011: Innovation Through Collaboration
2012: weLearn
2013: A Day with the Stars
2014: Superheroes
2015: Heroes and Villains
2016: Past, Present, and Future

As part of our registration this year, we asked participants to share their favorite TV show when they were growing up (the PAST), which fictional character they would vote for president this year (the PRESENT), and a gadget invention that would make their life easier (the FUTURE).   So, what did our participants tell us?

Rebel U 2016 {All About Our Presenters} #rebelu16

Each year we put out a Call for Presenters for Rebel U.  This is a public call for presenters and open to anyone inside or outside of the district.  If you have a love for teaching and learning and a passion for educational technology, Rebel U is the place for you!  Each year we have teachers that give of their own learning time to share their knowledge, expertise, and experiences with their peers so that we can all learn and grow together.  We also try to find other professionals who have really cool things to share!  Every year, we are amazed, impressed, blow away, and inspired by the ideas that our presenters step forward to share.  To celebrate the amazing things our amazing presenters are sharing this year, we wanted to share some amazing data about what Rebel U has to offer attendees this year!

Below is data that we have collected and would like to share about our presenters this year.  We were excited to have presenters from almost every building and about every grade level!

Rebel U 2015 - Looking to the Future

Our GLPS Tech & Media Team loves to make Rebel U a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone, but we do take our job very seriously as far as how it relates to district and school improvement plans.  Each year, we set goals and objectives for the day (2015 goals and objectives can be found here) and we use these to help guide

As part of the evaluation, we ask all attendees to rate the intended goals and objectives as they feel they were implemented and evident throughout the day.  Below are charts that reflect the answers to statements each attendee was given.  It is always part of our process to reflect on what our attendees think and areas for us to grow!

Students Show Some Teacher Love at Rebel U 2015 #rebelu15

The objective of Rebel U is to provide teachers with quality professional development that helps them leverage available technology resources to support student learning and classroom instruction.  This day would not be possible though if it weren't for the amazing teachers we have in our district, but also if it weren't for the students who show up everyday and have just as much of an impact on our teachers as our teachers do on them.

At the end of last school year, we asked students in all of the buildings to share what they liked about their teachers and how they have made an impact on their learning.  After gathering responses, we asked teachers on the final day of school to read what some of their students had to say.  It was truly touching to hear teachers read, laugh, and maybe have a few tears over their students' sentiments.  We recorded this readings as a way of documenting the great things that are going on in our district and the impact our teachers have on our students, inside and outside the classroom.

In addition to creating the video, we also created several "boards" that we posted in the building for everyone to see (and we were able to include more student comments this way!).  The questions we asked our students (to fit with our Disney Heroes and Villains theme):

• ECC K-2 students: Why is your teacher one in a "minion?"
  
• Godfrey Elementary 3-5 students: How has your teacher helped you or lifted you up this year?
  
• Lee Middle School 6-8 students: Which teacher has made an impact on your learning and why?
  
• 9-12 students:  What is your favorite memory of a teacher that you would like to freeze in time?
  

If you are unable to view the video below, please click here.

Rebel U 2015 - Heroes and Villains #rebelu15

For the past several years for Rebel U, our Technology & Media Team decides on a theme for the day, which we try to carry over through our yearly professional development.  We try to do this to provide consistency in our publications, keep the Rebel U spirt from the beginning of the year alive throughout the whole school year, and most importantly, for fun!  One thing our team works really hard to do is provide quality professional learning that is a little different from traditional learning opportunities.  We try to not make the whole day a bunch of "sit and get" learning, but encourage our presenters to be hands-on with the participants, think outside the box for presentation methods, and in general, make the learning fun for those in sessions.  Our theme provides our presenters with opportunities to have fun with their content and it also gives our participants a chance to dress to match the theme!

The themes we have had in the past are:
2010: Inaugural year of Rebel U - no theme
2011: Innovation Through Collaboration
2012: weLearn
2013: A Day with the Stars
2014: Superheroes
2015: Heroes and Villains

As part of our registration this year, we asked participants to share their favorite Disney Hero or Villain as well as their favorite Disney movie.   This year in particular, we used the responses we gathered for our student response project and inspiration for our photo booth props.  So, what did our participants tell us were some of their favorites?

Rebel U 2015 {All About Our Attendees} #rebelu15

Each year, our presenters are key components in making our day successful, but each and every person who attends Rebel U is just as important.  At Rebel U, we have teachers, consultants, itinerant staff, and administrators who attend sessions.  One thing that we are proud to offer each person who attends is the choice to attend sessions that are of interest to them.  We do not dictate which sessions participants attend, as we want each person to get the most out of Rebel U.  By having the opportunity to personalize and self-directing their own professional learning, we hope that Rebel U provides an unique and individualized learning experience.  After all, we want our students to have unique learning experiences that set them up for success, so why not give our teaching staff that same opportunity?

Below are several graphs that share a little bit of basic information about our attendees for Rebel U 2015.  We use the information from these graph snapshots to see that we are providing session opportunities for all teachers (based on pre-registration) as well as any trends we see in preferences, needs, and feedback from previous years.  We love our teachers and are grateful for their continued support, participation, and open minds to the learning opportunities that Rebel U presents!

Rebel U 2015 {All About Our Presenters} #rebelu15

Rebel U is right around the corner and presenters work hard every year to put together amazing presentations.  This year is no exception to that statement!  Every year, we are amazed, impressed, blow away, and inspired by the ideas that our presenters step forward to share with their peers.  To celebrate the amazing things our amazing presenters are sharing this year, we wanted to share some amazing data about what Rebel U has to offer attendees this year!

Below is data that we have collected and would like to share about our presenters this year.  We are excited to have presenters from every building and almost every grade level!

If you would like to view our agenda for Rebel U 2015, please click here.

If you would like to view the session descriptions for Rebel U 2015, please click here.

6 Years of Learning, Sharing, and Fun for Rebel U! #rebelu15

Six years ago, Rebel U resulted from a plea for time for technology professional development.  Our teachers were always asking for it and our Technology & Media Team always was open to providing it,  but it was often hard to make worlds collide.  Back in 2010, Superintendent Britten provided our Technology & Media Team with a day to provide technology professional development to our professional teaching staff.  At this time, we were preparing for some big roll-outs (implementing Stone-ware and Google Apps).  Our team brainstormed and decided we wanted to plan a professional development day that was similar to that of MACUL.  With lots of hours brainstorming, planning, and designing, we were able to put together our first Rebel U technology professional development day.

Fast-forward five years later and we have been fortunately able to hold Rebel U every year for our staff.  This day continues with success every year because of the amazing presenters that step forward to share what they are doing in their classrooms, what they have learned about technology, or lead a discussion about how technology can leveraged in the classroom.  To make this happen, every year, about late winter/early spring, we send out our Call for Presenters for Rebel U.  When we open this call, we welcome all of our teachers, consultants, and outside consultants to be a part of our day by being a presenter.  As the world of education loves data, we have tried to collect data about our presenters and the sessions they share over the past six years.  This is by no means meant to be an evaluation of any individual, but rather data that validates the need for Rebel U, the diversity of presenters, content, session topic areas, and related professional standards that were addressed.  To maintain an annual professional program, we feel it is important to constantly evaluate our delivered program to the needs expressed by our professional teaching staff.

In addition to collecting this data about our program, we believe it is important in sharing as it can only make what we offer even better.  We do not try to hide anything about what we do (although we do like to keep some surprises under our sleeve until the day of Rebel U every year!), as someone might be able to notice something that we might have overlooked.  Below is information that we have gathered over the past six years about our presenters.  As we vary our Call for Presenters every year to make sure we are fitting the needs of our staff, some questions are not asked of our presenters every year.

We are looking forward to another fun year of learning and sharing at Rebel U 2015!

9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U: Version 2.0

The other day, I wrote a post, "9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U".   One thing I was introduced to at the Podstock conference I went to this summer was the concept of Sketchnotes.  Since then, I have been hooked on trying to practice on what it means to bring the verbal world into the visual world.  So I thought I would use one of my own blog posts to practice Sketchnoting and take a risk and share my notes.

One of the great things I keep reading about Sketchnotes is that it is not about drawings/art, but about the idea.  What might be a meaningful sketch to me to remember a concept or idea might not mean anything to the rest of the people in the room or who are looking at my notes.  Some of sketches below are actually clipart images and digital typography that I combined with my own original sketches (pretty sure it is easy to pick out my originals!).  For my drawing, I used the Paper app on my iPad, a stylus, PowerPoint, and Photoshop (simply to merge three images together to form one).  Sketchnoting could could be done digitally, on paper with a pen/marker, or a combination of both.  What I have learned is it is all about finding your style and what works best for you!

10 Ways to be a Super Session Presenter at Rebel U

Rebel U is right around the corner and presenters work hard every year to put together amazing presentations.

A while ago, I read an article about the Podstock conference and one of the organizers, Ginger Lewman, wrote a blog post about "10 Ways to be a Phenomenal Podstock Presenter".  In following their Facebook page, I found they posted some neat things to prep their presenters for their professional development conference.  I thought she had many great ideas on how to prepare presenters for leading a session, so I thought I would share "10 Ways to be a Super Session Presenter at Rebel U"!  Some of the ideas listed below are very similar to the ideas that Ginger Lewman listed, but they are great presentation tips!

10 Ways to be a Super Session Presenter at Rebel U

1. Teachers like seeing modeling.  If you are presenting about engaging your students in their learning or sharing a hands-on method, make sure your audience has an opportunity to participate in a similar experience.
2. If you prepare a slideshow presentation, make it visually appealing.  After all, no one really wants to read a PowerPoint presentation...
3. Post your presentation slideshow, materials, or anything else that might be a great reference to attendees online.
4. Encourage your attendees to engage in conversation during your session, whether it be face-to-face, online, or through social media.
5. Actively engage your audience in your session.  No one wants to "sit and get" all day!
6. Leave time for questions, playing, and practice.
7. Practice your presentation.  Time it out and add or take out material as necessary.
8. Bring a dongle (if you have a Mac laptop), charger, and a Plan B (even if it is a mental Plan B!).  Be ready for anything!
9. Leave your attendees wanting to learn more, talking about your session, or leave them with something that will remind them of your session.  If your session has a story that comes from it, the audience is more likely to remember what your shared.
10. Don't be afraid to be different and put your best foot forward.  Some of the best presentations are built on taking chances, stepping outside comfort zones, and most of all, sharing what you know and your personal experiences!

9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U

Rebel U is not too far off!

Not too long ago, I read an article about the Podstock conference and one of the organizers, Ginger Lewman, wrote a blog post about "7 Ways to be a "Cool Kid" at Podstock 2014".  Coincidentally, the Podstock conference this year was also doing a superhero theme.  In following their Facebook page, I found they posted some neat things to prep people for their professional development conference.  I thought they had a great idea, so I thought I would share "9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U"!

9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U

1. Own the theme.  Have fun, dress up, and become involved throughout the day.
   
2. Talk to people outside your building. Sometimes, the conversations you have with others outside your building can provide an unique perspective and can add to the value of a session.
3. Be prepared. Wear comfortable shoes.  Bring your charged device (and charger).  Although the focus of Rebel U is technology, the technology of pencil and paper is also great to have on hand for quickly jotting down ideas and resources. 
4. Get your picture taken at the photo booth.  If you have ever stopped by the photo booth before, you know you are guaranteed a good time and many belly laughs!
   
5. Actively participate in sessions.  Much like students, when you have a hands-on experience and  are actively engaged in the learning process, you are more likely to remember what you have learned.
6. Engage in social media.  There were many great thoughts and moments captured across different social media platforms last year!  Use the #rebelu15 hashtag on social media to be part of the conversation!  Share thoughts, resources, pictures, and anything else!
7. Come with a positive attitude and an open mind.  You never know what you might take away from the day when you set aside "limitations" that mentally and/or physically keep you from trying something new.  It doesn't matter which devices or how many devices you have in your classroom, an open mind could open new ways of thinking or conversations for making things work for you.
8. Contribute.  Contribute to the day in some way.  This could be as simple as stepping outside of your comfort zone and contributing to conversation.  It could be donating something to the day (time, materials, photo booth props, etc.). Or something as simple as dragging a friend into the photo booth.  The more you contribute and participate actively in the day, the more you will take away from it.
   
9. Reflect.  We ask everyone to fill out an evaluation at the end of the day.  This is important to the Tech & Media Team for future planning, but also verifies your participation in the day.  Take notes or make a plan for how you would like to use ideas and tools you learned about today.  Think about what you liked about the sessions you attended and provide thoughtful and constructive responses on the evaluation.  Or take some time after the day of Rebel U to reflect by writing a guest post on the GLPS Tech & Media blog.

What is Rebel U?

It seems so long ago that we began planning our first Rebel U!  It began with our superintendent granting our Tech & Media team with one day to provide technology professional development to our staff.  With the freedom to be creative and design a day however we wanted, we were a bit overwhelmed, but more so excited!  Our team sat down, brainstormed, and worked at developing a professional learning day that stemmed from some of the great things from events and other conferences we have attended.  The result was Rebel U.

Five years later, our program has grown beyond anything any of us could have anticipated.  Each year we receive amazing constructive responses from teachers and administrators that helps each participant and planner grow professionally in future Rebel U events.

Thank you to everyone who has participated, presented, or been a part of Rebel U in anyway over the past five years!  We look forward to future Rebel U days and can't wait to see what the future unfolds!

If you are unable to view the video below, please click here.

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!

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.