What Makes Me Tech

Any given day, I have more devices in my bag than I probably need.  The right tool for the job, I suppose.  Chromebook, laptop, iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, Kindle...a combination of school-provided and personal investments.  No wonder my bag is always so heavy!  

Most teachers in my building probably think I use technology so extensively because I have all kinds of time on my hands.  Admittedly, I don't have children, so I'm sure that results in much more "free time" outside of school than the average teacher.

The truth is, I use tech because I don't have time NOT to use it.  In addition to teaching six different classes, I also have the paperwork, meetings, mentoring, and parent contacts involved with having a Special Education caseload.  If I'm not careful, all of this can take over my life outside of school just to keep up.  Early on in my career, I decided to work smarter, not harder.  This is why I tech.

If I record a lesson, it is there for future use.  If I create a digital activity (even one that can be printed), I can have one student or 40 students use it each year.  When technology automatically differentiates student math homework, the students benefit and I spend less time grading individual assignments.  I don't have to worry about which device I carry home because all of my files will still be at my fingertips.  This is why I tech.

When my classroom computer slowed down and became unreliable, I purchased a 25-foot HDMI cable and bypassed it altogether.  If there's anything I don't have time for, it's wasted time when something doesn't work properly.  With the HDMI cable, I am able to connect either my laptop or chromebook to my projector and even have an ipevo document camera (connected via either device) for the times I need to show something on the board that I don't have available digitally.  For example) Last week, I dislocated my wrist and was not able to write on the board.  I had a graphic organizer and card sort activity prepared, but I was able to project from my document camera using my activity keys (uncovering sections as we went).  This is why I tech.

My Sub Plans are in a Google document.   I keep it updated as my rosters change and also post a message in Google Classroom to create consistency for my students.  Of course, I haven't used a single sick day this school year, but this has also come in handy when missing for PD.  Next time I'm sick, instead of agonizing over plans while not feeling well, I can send my plans to the high school workroom copier from the comfort of my home with just a few clicks.  These plans as well as my Emergency Sub Plans are shared with key staff and team teachers so any one of them can access and edit if for some reason I am not able to.  This is why I tech.

For me, technology is an important tool in my toolbox.  Do I use it every day?  Yes, but sometimes only for attendance, email, grades.  Do my students use it every day in my class?  No.  And that's more than ok.  

I enjoy learning new ways to use technology in the classroom.  It's part of what makes me who I am.  This is what makes me tick.  This is what makes me tech.

This post is my semi-continuation/follow-up to the #satchatwc conversation on Time today hosted by Grant Lichtman (@GrantLichtman). Join #satchatwc Saturday Chat West Coast (and CST peeps who like to sleep in) Saturdays at 7:30AM PST moderated by Shelley Burgess @burgess_shelley

Google Classroom Crash Course (Part 2)

Background

I dabbled in using Google Classroom at the end of this school year.  I want to work on utilizing other features, such as student comments and posts.  In general, just more use on the student side than a place for assignment list and links.

Problem: 

I want my students to communicate within Google Classroom for Bellringer/Do Now activities...and I want to be prepared for the "can of worms" that is students posting comments.

Solution: 

I met with another teacher in my building who had been using Google Classroom for her Bellringer activities during last school year to get some insight and feedback.

Take-aways:

• Students need to learn digital citizenship and self-monitoring in the context of classwork.
• Google Classroom allows for individual students to be muted, but otherwise students can comment on assignments or announcements when student commenting is on.
• Questions with a finite answer can result in students just copying once another student has commented, so an assignment can be created to allow "hidden" responses that can be seen and commented on by the teacher(s) and individual student.
• I want to look into using Google Drawings to have students type/draw their answers to submit for certain types of problems.  For example: Algebra works on Functions for a great portion of the year.  Students could graph, solve, and identify information within a pre-made Google Drawing and then submit through the Google Classroom assignment.

Reflection (September 2015)

• What do I like about student commenting?

• What do I need to further explore or change?

Bottom Line

-"Just keep swimming" -Dory, Finding Nemo


How are you using Google Classroom?

Google Classroom Crash Course (Part 1)

(If you are wanting an awesome resource on Google Classroom, check out Alice Keeler's website. If you haven't heard of her before, prepare for hours on her website.)

Backdated Post:  Actual Date: June 15th, 2015

Background

I dabbled in using Google Classroom at the end of this school year.  Anyone who knows me knows that I prefer to use fully-vetted things in my classroom because I need to know and understand all the ways my students will misuse it or try to break it before I implement.  I also don't like introducing new procedures mid-year.  Thinking about it now, usually when I go against this policy of mine, Google has a hand in it.  Google has created many solutions to problems in my world.  It has become something I know I can not only trust, but rely on.

In the last month before state testing, we are reviewing concepts from the previous two years, across chapters and resources.  On a daily basis, students are supposed to fill out planners, but this time of year most students have either stopped entirely or never brought their planner to begin with.  For some reason, absences are also rampant during this time period.  It adds up to frustrations and limited options to reinforce student responsibility in a positive way.

Problem: Students have assignments scattered across resources  Even though I have every single objective and assignment written on my objective board in my classroom, this does no good to them outside of my classroom.

Solution:  I began posting daily assignments in Google Classroom to offer a resource and serve as a "backup" planner.

Observations:

• A few other teachers were using Classroom, so most of my students understood the setup.
• Those who hadn't used it before took to it quickly.
• I emailed my students to invite them to the class (I already had email groups, so it wasn't the painstaking process it might be for most getting started) and posted the code on the board.  All of my students were officially in the class within 5 minutes...fastest setup ever.  I will just do the code next year because it really was that easy.
• The students like it because it doesn't involve another username and password to remember.

Reflection

My use of Google Classroom was successful.  Since students were not turning in assignments on Google Classroom, I wasn't very picky about students mark their assignments as "Done".  I kept student posting and commenting turned off...one can of worms at a time (See Part 2 post for more on this).

I also used Classroom to share links to online activities and Quizzes/Tests on Google Forms that I would normally email or share via shortened URL on my board (never having to deal with "Is that a l or an I?" or "Is that an 0 or an O?" = PRICELESS).  We began in Classroom and ended in classroom.  Students would actually catch themselves in the middle of asking the dreaded question ("What are we doing today?") and just look it up.  A few would come in already knowing because they checked during last class.  One day, I was pointing at the objective board when previewing our day and one student asked something along the lines of, "Why do you even write that up there anymore?"  It was and is a completely valid question.

Bottom Line

Google Classroom is yet another problem solver from Google...and it will be a part of my classroom from the beginning next school year.  I want to work on utilizing other features, such as student comments and posts...follow-up in next post.