Artifact #2: Energy Website

During my unit design, I needed a way to push out information and activities to my students.  Usually I do this through Google Classroom, but instead I created a website that hosts the two lessons and all the resources the students need.  I am pretty proud of it, but it actually was pretty easy to create and my students were able to navigate it with ease.  The best part about it, is that it organizes the information for me too, so that next year, I'm not having to look up everything all over again.  Priceless!

My website link

Artifact #1: Energy Unit Design

For this assignment, I choose to do a unit in science.  Since I teach both 4th grade sections in science, I'm always looking for ways to spruce up our curriculum.  Our science program has an online component, but it is clunky and not student or teacher friendly in my opinion.  In this unit, I put together many resources that will help students learn about renewable vs. nonrenewable resources in a way that includes hands-on activities, videos, and a culminating debate.  Since this part of the unit doesn't have a lab or activity, it was the perfect unit to add a little pizazz to.

Here's the link to my Energy Unit.

Engaging E-Learning Reflection

This was one of my favorite classes.  It had a little bit of everything and was a great way to culminate the technology cohort.  I have learned so much in each of these classes, and this one was a combination of unit design where I was able to apply all that I had learned throughout these classes and new learning with Genius Hour.  I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to take these classes.  Coming back into the teaching world after being a stay-at-home mom was overwhelming, but taking classes in technology was the perfect way for me to gain back my confidence as an educator.  I now feel like I have the skills to utilize technology throughout my lessons in ways that engage and teach 21st century skills.

Genius Hour - Week 8

Post # 8 - Reflection

So this week is all about reflecting.  When we began this class and I was told we would be participating in "adult genius hour" I was skeptical.  I have tried Genius Hour in my class before and I didn't feel like it was very successful.  Now it is clear to my why.  By actually participating in it myself, I could see that I did so many things wrong.  So to my students - I apologize.  First, I didn't guide them at all in choosing their topic which is so key.  I didn't have a clear structure or even an end goal, and I also didn't have a way for them to share or really get help along the way.  In my defense however, this was before we had all the tech capabilities that we have in the classroom today.  Now, that I've actually done it myself, struggled through the process, and learned so much about myself and  my topic, I am so much better equipped to guide my students through this amazing process.  Here are my top five take-aways:

1. Guide students in choosing their topic/passion. Students shouldn't be expected to make this decision in 5 minutes.  Students need time to investigate, try out, reject, and settle into a passion.  Also, students may need help in focusing their topic or stretching themselves.
2. Let students know up front what the expectations are, but don't make them limiting. Give students a timeline of check-in's, blogging/journaling, and final deadline, but don't tell them how to present their learning or other limiting requirements.  Give students a chance to spread their wings.  There really isn't a topic that can't be pursued that won't lead to learning.  
3. Have a consistent way for students to follow, support, and be held accountable.  The blogging requirement did two things for me.  First, it made me do the work and keep to schedule.  Otherwise, I may have tried to do it at the final hour which would have not been an authentic experience at all.  Second, I truly enjoyed seeing what others were doing and getting their encouragement.  Students too, will have a dip, and others' encouragement can easily be the cure for wanting to keep going.
4. Split the time 50/50 between home and school.  When I attempted Genius Hour, I only had kids working on it at school.  To really be able to dig in, students may need to have access to materials and space not available at school.  For example, playing an instrument, building a bookshelf, learning how to play a sport, etc.
5. Require students to teach the class.  As I learned in this class, the final presentation shouldn't be about presenting as much as about teaching.  Students should be ready to tell what they learned and teach the class a little.  This will prevent "report" like presentations that lack passion which happens when students believe they need to turn in a typical school report or project.

Genius Hour - here we come!  Look for it in my 4th grade class this Spring!

Genius Hour - Week 7

Post # 7 - Getting Ready for Showtime

This last week I continued to work on cleaning out our basement, since this is the part of the project that is going to take awhile.  After meeting with our contractor, who appreciated my basement "blueprint," we were told that our basement remodel can start in July.  This has given me the final encouragement that I need to really work on the hardest part - cleaning out.  As I go through each section, it's a trip down memory lane.  My girls have enjoyed sorting through old toys like: Pretty Ponies, Barbies, American Girl Dolls, etc.  We're deciding together what can we donate and what can we put in our garage sale.  

As the girls were busy sorting through their old toys, I took the time to go through seasonal decorations, camping equipment, and other boxes.  My plan was to sort things into labeled bins and get them put on the shelves in an organized manner.  Here are the before and after pictures of our crawlspace:

Before

After

The other part of my Genius Hour project was using software to design the space.  I switched to a program called Cedreo.  I found this program to better is many ways.  One thing that was an improvement was the visibility of the dimensions and the ease of creating the rooms.  I also learned how to use another feature this week to take HD pictures of each room.  To do this, you move the "camera" to where you would take a picture from and then select the lighting option that works.  

These are HD pictures of the family room, that I learned to take using the Cedreo application.

For our class, I plan on sharing the different stages of my design process on a poster board with samples of paint colors, flooring, and a few of these HD photos along with a large printed blueprint. 

Genius Hour - Week 6

Post #6 - Working the Process

This week, I began the fun part of envisioning the different spaces and designing them.  I have found that sitting in a space that is quiet and free from distraction works best for me.  So in a busy house of 2 teenagers and a dog, that in itself can be challenging.  However, Saturday morning in my dining room before the kids wake up is my magic time.  When my husband brings home a Starbuck's Vanilla Chai Tea Latte and I'm in heaven.  Let the process begin. 

So I started to think about each room and the numerous conversations we've had at the dinner table about what everyone wants.  My husband really wants a space for his tools and woodworking hobby. My youngest daughter wants a space for dancing, and my freshman wants a space for gaming, sleep overs, and art.  Knowing our space isn't that big, I've tried to design each room to be multi-purpose. 

I've also started to look for inspiration online and in magazines.

Here is a look at my designs:

 As you can see, the space was divided into 3 zones: family room, workshop, and the music/dance studio.  In the dance space, we're planning on installing 2 large mirrors we've saved from bathroom remodels.

 We've hoping to get a pool table/ping pong table that will be a hit at all our teenage get togethers.  The family room includes a counter for art, homework, or it can serve as a buffet area.

Here is my husband's workshop space.  I really hope we can afford to get him a nice workbench and cabinet storage.

Here's my dip chart:

Genius Hour - Week 5

Post #5 - Keeping Motivated

This week I was struggling with the software program 5D Planner.  It was very limiting and not at all what I wanted.  I need a print out that I can give to my contractor that has measurements and correct scaling.  Although giving them the link to my plans is nice, when they're on the job they need the paper print out and this one did not print anything that was legible.  So my mission this week was to essentially start over and find a new software to use.  After reading some online reviews, I landed on Cedreo.  They offered a 14-day free trial period and so I gave it a try.  Here is my new blueprint:

As you can see, the room names and dimensions are much more legible.  

The other major accomplishment for this week, was the installation of shelving in our crawlspace.  Knowing that right now we use our entire basement as storage, the need to utilize our crawl to its maximum potential will be key in order to allow the rest of our basement to become usable entertainment space.  So my husband and I emptied everything out of the crawl and then reutilized our existing shelving by hanging them from the rafters.  This was actually my idea after realizing that the floor was covered with uneven stone.  Here are the before and after photos.  Warning - not for the faint of heart -lol!

Before - Our crawlspace full of luggage, coolers, boxes and a Christmas tree. 

After - Installed hanging shelving to organize all of our stuff that will have to be relocated in order to have the space we desire.  We also repurposed the floor mats and old area rug to cover the rocks and prevent the plastic from getting ripped.  

Getting cleaned out, really motivates me to keep going.  Plus it was fun to work on this project with my husband.  I just keeping think of how great our new space will be - that's what keeps me motivated.

Genius Hour - Week 4

Post #4 - Making a Plan

I've decided that Saturday and Sunday are the best days for me to devote to Genius Hour.  The weekdays get busy helping my kids with homework and running them to their activities, but the morning hours of the weekend, when they're sleeping in, allow me to be the most productive. So my plan is to devote Saturday morning to Genius Hour and Sunday afternoon to the rest of my class work.

This week was an interesting one. My husband and I met with a contractor to discuss our project.  I learned there are a lot of choices and decisions to make just to get an estimate.  Things I didn't considered were the size of the base, how to finish the stairs, and how we'll need access to certain utilities.  We did learn that our one clean-out drain could be moved so that it is not in the middle of the family room - so that's good news!

I have also been attempting to make some plans and have been fairly disappointed with the software.  The online version is okay but very limited.  My biggest problem has been the stairs.  I can't adjust the them to match our staircase or design a half-angled wall to meet the treads.  I might investigate different design software this week and see if there is anything better out there.

These are my designs so far and as you can see the labels and dimensions aren't readable.  I had to handwrite size information on the printout.  That is just one of the many disappointments of this 5D planner software.

Genius Hour - Week 2

Post #2 -What is My Sentence?

People imagine great spaces or dream of amazing places...I transform ordinary spaces into inviting and useable places.

That's my sentence...I know I sound like a reality house flipping show.  But, as I begin my journey I have realized that just coming up with the drawing plans for my contractor might be the easy part.  I decided to put together a project timeline with all the tasks I hope to accomplish to make our basement remodel a reality.  It's a hefty "To do" list, but I think that it will help to keep me on track.  Transforming our basement into a place that fits all of my families' needs while staying in a budget is a tall order.  I really hope at the end of this that it will be worth it, and we'll have a place for my teenagers to hang out with their friends that can change as they get older.  

Here's a few pics of our current basement.

As you can see, I have a lot of work to do.  It's going to take some time and effort to clean it out and get it ready for remodeling.

I decided to make a schedule to help keep me on track during this project.  Here's the link to it.  Hopefully checking those boxes will give me the motivation that I need.

This week I dabbled with a few software programs.  I landed on using 5D Planner.  I practiced adding rooms, changing the measurement scale, and some of the zoom features.  I have a lot more to learn... 

Genius Hour - Week 1

Post #1b - The Truth Behind the Decision

After spending some time with each, it became clear to me what the right choice was for this particular time in my life.

Although I would love to work together on this passion project with my daughter and learn to play the ukulele, my gut is telling me that this would be better to do over the summer when both of our schedules calm down a little.  Between her busy teen life and my busy teacher life, finding mutual time for both of us would be challenging.  I often work on my stuff when she's gone at an activity or sleeping in on the weekends - as teenagers do, til noon!  (I'm really just jealous!). The other fear is  playing the ukulele live or well enough for any song to be recognized by my peers.  Don't laugh!   The thought sends me running.  So this is a passion I've decided to table for now.

It was a tough choice between the other two: architect and travel blogger.  I began looking at other travel blogs and reading up on what makes them well visited and what I came across was that they were always updating their blog.  This would definitely create a challenge for me.  Simply because I travel once or twice a year.  I could go back to do our road trips to date, but would I remember all the details of our journey?  I also came to realize that my blog would be focused on a special niche of people - road trips with children.  And although I think there are people out there who would certainly benefit, I'm not certain that I'd get the following that I would need to make it worth it.  There are so many bloggers already with much more time and experience under their belts.  Plus I'm kind of a private person, and I don't know how I feel about posting photos of my kids online.  I decided that taking my photos and organizing them into photo books would help to satisfy this urge as well as create lasting memories for my girls. So I'm putting this on my list of projects to work on...over the summer.

So the decision is architect or interior designer.  I started by looking into the software that I could learn to help me complete this project and there are a lot of different choices out there that are actually free.  I'm feeling a little intimidated in my ability to learn to use them, but I'm going into this genius hour confident that I can do it.  The exciting part is that after I finishing designing our basement space, it might actually become a reality.  Then maybe I'll have a place to learn the ukulele and work on my photo books.  I see it as a win-win and I'm excited to get started.

Genius Hour - Week 1

Post #1a - Discovering the Possibilities

What is my passion?  In the midst of wearing my many hats of mom, wife, and teacher I somehow feel overwhelmed by this question.  Have I lost it or maybe never fully realized it, or is it simply  because teaching is my passion and I'm living it?  Needless to say, I have very little time to just explore or do things for fun these days.  So this is quite an opportunity - to learn about something I'm really interested in.  An excuse to lock myself away for a few hours to work on "school" work - how delightful!

With that being said, I am contemplating travel blogger, designing a basement remodel, or learning how to play the ukulele.  All three have ulterior motives really.  Here are some of my thoughts on each:

Travel Blogger:
I love to travel and really have to have a trip to look forward to.  I love researching travel destinations and will spend hours planning out the drive, or surfing for best deals on airfare and hotels.  I enjoy travel of all kinds from camping to beach vacations and most recently national parks.  If I pursued this and created a travel blog, could it pay off?  Would I somehow attract a following and start getting free vacations?  It may be a pipe dream, but I'm thinking about it.

Architect:
When I'm not dreaming about my next vacation adventure, I'm forced to look around my 1986 home and think about our next remodeling project.  We have lived in our house for 13 years and slowly but surely we are redoing every square inch, and we've gone about it in various ways.  My incredibly talented husband is really a jack-of-all trades.  He's remodeled our two bathrooms and done various other projects from building a shed to replacing doors and floors, but as we've gotten older and busier, we now tend to want someone to do these projects for us.  We just spent a ton of money to remodel our kitchen and we love it, but the aggravation of it all was daunting.  So we're looking for a handy man for our next project - tackling our unfinished basement and turning it into a space for our teens.  The problem with handy men, come to find out, is the vision.  There is none.  So I need a way to show them mine.  If I can draw up some detailed plans, maybe it can become a reality for half the price.

Ukulele:
If I'm really honest - have no musical ability, but I've always wanted to learn to play the guitar.  Both of my daughters play the viola and my oldest taught herself how to play the ukulele from watching a Youtuber.  Now she really wants to teach me.  I've tried before and I just can't remember the fingering.  This would really be a challenge, but also a great stress reliever, since it really is unrelated to anything else in my life.  It also would really be a confidence booster for my daughter.

I'll be spending this week looking into each of these to make my decision.  The struggle is real...

Artifact 2: Technology and the 21st Century Learning Space Design

This was by far the most fun project that I worked on.  Thinking about and then designing a 21st century classroom lead me to think about how I use the classroom, but also on how I'd like to be able to use my classroom.  With 1:1 devices in my students' hands, the need to have access to chargers was a priority for my design.  After that I wanted to have a space for a green screen so that students weren't trying to record in the hallway or unsupervised in the MRC.  I also, wanted furniture that was flexible and could be moved as needed for group work, projects, or presentations.  Finally, I wanted my room to be cozy and able to meet the various movement needs of my students.  Some other great features are a printer, a pet, and couch!  Check it out:

Artifact 1: Educational Technology Leadership Slideshow

This first artifact was a report on the state of teacher needs in my district.  It points out the fact that even though we are an advantaged district with funds for technology, the need to provide teacher training in this area still exists.  Fancy tools alone don't increase student learning.  Teachers need to know how to implement tech tools within their lesson plans to engage learners and teach the standards in ways that develop critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.  This isn't a one and done staff development day.  It needs to be ongoing and differentiated to help teachers meet their goals and close the skills gap.  Below I've attached my slideshow pointing out this need in my school district.

Managing Educational Technology Services Reflection

This was by far my most challenging class for two reasons.  First off, hubs, firewalls, and data speed are not something that I deal with on a day to day basis.  These are the items that make me dial 9-1-1 to our tech department.  Secondly, working with a group of six busy adults, all who work at different buildings in our district, made completing a group project seem overwhelming at first.  However, as with each of these classes, the take-away has been tremendous and I felt like I really learned a lot.  I may not ever put to use the hardware side of this class, but by going through the process of developing a district-wide technology plan, I know have an even greater respect for what the coaches, technicians, and IT department do.  I had no idea what was truly involved in a technology plan.  From the teacher's perspective it seems simple; give us iPads, load them up with apps, have a parent consent form.  However, I discovered that budgeting, repairing, disposing, and providing for professional development all play key parts of a well run technology plan that prepares 21st century learners.  I was happy to discover some of the good things that our District has in place like a help desk, coaches, and hardware replacement cycle.  Moreover, I was also able to see some of the areas in need of improvement, such as: professional development, more technology coaches, the need to address the digital divide, and a better way to be sure that we are educating our students on digital citizenship as well as plagiarism and copyright laws.

Artifact 2: Walk-Through Form

Several years ago, our district participated in walk-throughs done by administration.  The focus was Depth of Knowledge, but to me they weren't really beneficial because the feedback wasn't there.  All we got to see was a spreadsheet of numbers.  This didn't tell me, as a classroom teacher, anything specific about what I could change or how to do it.  In thinking about technology use and using the 4 C's, I created a form that I feel is definitely teacher friendly and if used in conjunction with some good old-fashioned conversation, I think very powerful.  Being on the other side of a walk-through helped me to see it's value.  So I've included a link to my form.

Artifact 1: Professional Development

How do you reach educators and support staff when collectively they are at all different levels?  Where is the pre-test for that?  I think the answer to that question for staff development is - choice.  We have to give several opportunities for choice so that teachers and all others, from support staff to psychologists, can reflect on what they need and what they want, to grow.  One of the things I am most proud of is my PD day menu.  During this professional development day, I gave educators choice and a variety of learning opportunities that would help them in their classrooms right away. Take a look...

21st Century Educational Leadership Reflection

This has been my most loved class so far.  I love planning things from lesson plans to vacations - I'm your girl!  So being able to plan professional development is right up my alley.  However, the challenge of it is real.  My biggest fear in being a teacher leader is not having all the answers.  When I left education to be a stay at home mom, I really felt I was at the top of my game.  After returning to the classroom, it was quite a struggle to not only keep up but to catch up.  So much had changed.  I immediately felt as if I was behind the eight ball.  After being back for eight years now, I finally feel like I can be in the position again of a teacher leader.  Partly because I went back to school and feel more confident in technology use.

Now the challenge becomes implementing all that I have learned and helping other teachers to step on board.  I love the #observeme movement.  This is one of the first ways that I think I can help be a teacher leader.  By showing my professional colleagues that I'm open to others seeing what I'm doing in my classroom on a regular basis, I feel that I would be taking that first step towards growth for myself and others.  If I open up my room, maybe others will too.  Learning from each other is one of the most satisfying, powerful, and easiest things to do.  Teaching can be isolating, but it doesn't have to be.  I want to help us be more reflective of our teaching and I really just want some great ideas!

Also, running or even sharing at a staff meeting is another way to be a teacher leader.  The resources on emails and hosting staff meetings were very informative.  It is nice to see that principals feel that they too have staff meetings that bomb and others that are great.  There is so much to learn from them.  Often after attending a conference, we are asked to share out with colleagues.  I can now be more effective on how I do this.  Taking into account that there will be teachers and support staff at all different levels and stages.  Providing choice, making it fun, giving the chance to move or be creative.  These ideas that we try to implement in the classroom also appeal to adult learners.  Most importantly, adults don't want their time wasted.  They want to know how this "new thing" will benefit them and be allowed time to practice in a safe and non-threatening way.  This upcoming October, I'll be sharing what I learned in Defined STEM training at a faculty meeting and I'm ready!

Capstone Project

Well...let's just say that working on our Capstone Project is the ultimate in terms of the 4 C's.  We're having to use creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication in order to get this project rolling.  Probably the biggest struggle is the size of our group. We have a large class and so the natural tendency is to break into smaller groups where we can actually discuss our ideas and put a plan together.  This is similar to the class size that we're used to teaching and it also reminded me of when our grade-level teams get together for collaboration.  Anything bigger than about 6 people is difficult when the end-result is the production of something.  This will also prove to be a challenge when we're looking to coordinate a time to get together in the future to finish planning and roll it out to our District.  The help of a teacher to facilitate us was very beneficial in the first stages.  We will need a person to step into this role if we meet again as a large group.

Another difficulty in this project is the collaboration piece of it.  My group is in charge of the promotion, yet we were unable to effectively design anything because the details of the challenge had not yet been fleshed out.  We are relying on them to figure out the challenges first, so that we have accurate information to advertise.  We also came across a dilemma of a which digital tool to use.  We wanted one that we all knew, had the bells and whistles we were looking for, and yet was collaborative so we could all work on it at the same time.  We started we Piktochart and then discovered it wasn't collaborative - or at least we could figure it out.

Going forward, in order for this Capstone Project to be successful, we will definitely need to coordinate some time to work together.  We will need to effectively figure out the best time, date, and place to meet so that we can have the majority of people present.  We will have to share out our ideas and action steps with each of the sub-groups so that we can be effective in the way that we roll out our challenge and manage the results.  There is a huge risk in doing anything district-wide.  Will we be able to hit our target audience, get them to be as passionate about this as we are, and follow through on communicating the results and celebrating the accomplishments of the participators?  If it is done well, it could be a huge step in growing our capacity as a staff.  It can boost comrade and help our cohort to be seen as teacher leaders within our district.  If it is rolled our poorly it will certainly be a negative reflection on our group and seen as many other new initiatives are seen - the flavor of the day.

I feel my strengths are that of organization and communication so I know that I will do my part to organize us and communicate our tasks, goals, and follow-up plans.  I will also work hard to communicate to the other groups and will follow through any task that I'm given.  I think that one way to do this is to come up with a schedule by working backwards from our end goal.  If we create a  list of goals with deadlines and then assign who is responsible, it will help us to stay on track.  I think this was started already, so we just have to tweak it and hold each other accountable to it.  Oh and snacks are always a plus!

Here we go again...

I'm entering year two of my technology endorsement cohort and it's been an amazing journey.  When I signed up I wasn't sure what to expect and in all honesty, I just was looking for a path to a pay raise.  Now that we're close to finishing, I'm so glad that jumped on board. It's been such a great experience and I feel even closer to many of my colleagues. These classes have definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and as a result I'm taking risks in my classroom and trying new things with my students.     The tech tools that I have learned about are only the beginning. I've taken away so much more. I feel inspired to add more PBL to my classroom, teach my students about digital citizenship through a badge system, and step up as a leader in my school on using the 4 C's. Looking forward to collaborating during these next three classes - #Lifelonglearner

Artifact 2: Making SMART goals

One of my goals for next year is to have my students keep digital portfolios.  My hopes are for students to become more involved in understanding the learning targets and teach them to set their own goals and have several opportunities to reflect on those goals and their learning plans.  Students would use their portfolios to document their goals and evidence of growth towards those goals.  They could also include showcase items.  Students would share their portfolios with their parents and hopefully be able to build upon them in the next school year.  I've included my goal setting sheet below.  Here is also the link to the reflection page that I plan to have student use to think about their preparation for tests.  By using "feedforward" conferences and having students revise and learn for mastery, I'm hoping that students will become more invested in their learning.  Reflecting on my own learning during this class, I felt that I discovered how technology can definitely enhance assessment from the ease of creating assessments and rubrics to the immediate data that technology can provide us through formative assessments. Digital portfolios are just another wonderful benefit of technology, and a great way for students to see their growth over time.