Tuesday, September 9, 2014

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!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

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/

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

JB Tech Info - Lost your Apple TV Remote?

Lost your Apple TV Remote?
They're quite small and easy to loose and cost $20 to replace.  Did you know you can program any remote to your Apple TV?  If you have an extra tv/vcr remote sitting around you can program it to your Apple TV.  You may need to borrow a Apple TV remote from someone else until you get the other remote programed.  The following are directions from Apple's website on how program an extra remote to your Apple TV.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3296

Apple TV: Using a third-party remote control

You can control your Apple TV with third-party infrared remotes. To use a third-party remote that came with your TV, cable box, or DVD player to control Apple TV, follow the steps below.

  1. Using the Apple Remote, choose Settings > General > Remotes.
  2. Choose Learn Remote.
  3. Select a setting on your third-party remote that doesn't control any devices in the area (such as a VCR, DVD player, or an auxiliary (AUX) device (used for an unspecified device)) or use buttons that don't control your TV or other devices.
  4. Select Start.
  5. Apple TV will show icons that represent the six buttons on the Apple Remote. The Up or + button should be highlighted.
  6. Using your third-party remote, press and hold the button you want to be Up until the blue progress bar is full. Apple TV will select the next button function.


     
  7. Repeat step 6 to program all six button functions.
  8. You can now use your third-party remote to control Apple TV.
You can also set buttons for fast-forward, rewind, next chapter, and more. You can rename, delete, or change your button choices by choosing Settings > General > Remotes and selecting the third-party remote. You can program additional remotes to control Apple TV by repeating steps 1 through 8. 

Additional Information

The "No signal received. Check remote." message may appear for these reasons:
  • Apple TV couldn't detect an infrared signal from your third-party remote within 20 seconds.
  • You may need to enable the button you are trying to program. Consult the documentation for your remote to learn how to enable buttons. 
The "Button already learned" message may appear for these reasons:
  • A different, previously-learned remote has a button with the same IR code as the button that you are trying to program.
  • A previously-learned button on the current remote has the same IR code as the button that you are trying to program.
You can use a different button or delete the previously-learned remote if you're not using it.
Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

Friday, May 9, 2014

JB Tech Info - Self Service to add printers and software to your Mac

Self Service:

If you see this icon on your Mac, do not panic.  This little guy is going to help you install software, printers, and other things on your Mac in the future.  You can find this icon in your Applications list, which can be accessed by pressing F4 or clicking the launchpad icon on your dock:



I've already started adding software and printers to this Self Service portal.  If it says that your computer is currently patching, that means that software is being updated in the background.  Once it's done downloading in the background it will let you use it.  This just prevents you from unintentionally trying to download too much at once.  Check the box of the software/printer you want and click OK.  It will download and install it for you.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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