Sunday, August 14, 2016

#ISTE16 Takeaways Part 1: Let’s Talk About Relationships

Posted on 1:09 PM by  with No comments

By Rachelle Dene Poth


This year’s ISTE conference was attended by 20,000 people from over 70 countries, bringing together educators from all over the world and from all levels of education and technology. An event so large at times seems so small when you find yourself running into the same people in different areas of ​​such a large event. ISTE has so much to offer that it’s hard to do it justice, so in this post I will focus on a few of my biggest takeaways about connecting with others.




Preparing for ISTE


To get ready for the conference, I did my homework: I tried doing some research, asking questions on social media, reading through and studying the ISTE website to learn as much as I could. I think I studied the program multiple times every day, each week leading up to my travels. I had a nice schedule planned out, my favorites marked and areas that I wanted to focus on, so it seemed like I was ready to go.

Last year, I was a first-time attendee and had absolutely no idea what to expect. I had been to many different conferences, but none as large as ISTE. I was nervous about not really knowing a lot of people there. I was fortunate to have just gotten involved with PAECT (Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology) and two of the ISTE networks (MLN and Games & Sims). Being involved with these organizations helped because I knew some people and had some events lined up, but I figured the chances of seeing them with all of our different schedules, were not too likely.

Connecting with PAECT



But as I quickly learned last year, and definitely felt the same this year, is that it really doesn't matter what you decide to do, what schedule you set up to follow, or whether or not you know anyone because no matter what decision you make you can't go wrong. Honestly. There are no “wrong” or “bad” choices because there are opportunities everywhere. ISTE is a place for learning, for building relationships, and for making connections above anything else.



It Starts with Relationships


Before conquering ISTE, I had to conquer a big fear: flying. Colorado was too far for a drive or Amtrak, so I was not left with much in the way of options. So that meant flying, which I hadn’t done in 21 years. Fortunately, I had a good friend providing me with​ the support to help me get to the airport, get on the plane and get to Denver without worry. At least not too much. I just kept thinking about the week ahead.

My support for the travels started with another conference. Karyn and I met at a Keystone Technology Innovator Summit in Pennsylvania a few years ago. I was also fortunate that with Karyn and her friend Chris, I had two amazing companions to ease my nerves. It really made a huge difference during the flight and throughout the conference to start building those relationships early.

Chris Stengel and Karyn Dobda

Other relationships started through Social Media, where Facebook and Voxer added another tremendous part of this experience with educators connecting in an ISTE2016 group. We communicated in the weeks leading up to ISTE with conversation, questions, and a ton of inspiration and excitement fueled by the chatter, the shared experiences, the anticipation and motivation provided by the guided by “Concierge” Rodney​ Turner.

He​ started each day with a ​Vox, a ​countdown to ISTE, an inspiration, and a story. He brought a bunch of people together, a group​ of connected educators who became friends though technology and were excited to meet F2F after developing these relationships. I could hardly wait to meet the members of this group, officially, because we had already learned so much about each other. And we even had t-shirts and stickers made for our group, thanks to Mike Jaber.

And at conferences like ISTE, meeting your “Tweeps” and #eduheroes F2F is finally a possibility. Even though we all feel like we already know each other, after many Twitter chats and social media interactions, it is nice to be together and talk (about technology) without the technology.


Meetups in the Bloggers' Cafe and VoxUp



What’s Your Plan?


Maybe the best plan is to not have a plan. Maybe just have an idea. A focus. Time goes by so quickly and the choices are​ so numerous that it can be overwhelming, especially for a first time attendee. There can be a comfort in going to a session with somebody you know, but there’s sometimes more value in creating new relationships and learning.

Making these connections, in person and on social media, truly added to the experience. We shared ideas​, attended events together, grabbed early coffees at Coffee Edu, and so much more. I can’t think of a better way to start doing this than by focusing on relationships. It is where I start each school year and it is where I focus for conferences like ISTE.




Share your thoughts and experiences and photos, we would love to hear from you! Next time: a focus on some of the ISTE events and takeaways.




Rachelle Dene Poth is a Spanish Teacher at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. She is also an attorney and earned her Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University School of Law and Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology from Duquesne. Rachelle enjoys presenting at conferences on technology and learning more ways to benefit student learning. She serves as the Communications Chair for the ISTE Mobile Learning Network, a Member at Large for Games & Sims, and is the PAECT Historian. Additionally, Rachelle is a Common Sense Media Educator, Amazon Educator, WeVideo Ambassador, Edmodo Certified Trainer and also participates in several other networks. She enjoys blogging and writing for Kidblog and is always looking for new learning opportunities to benefit my students. Connect with Rachelle on Twitter @rdene915.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Personalizing Professional Development

Posted on 7:21 AM by  with 1 comment
By Keith George

The idea of personalized learning for students has received a great deal of attention over the past several years. The Gates Foundation issued a report in 2014 that identifies four basic “look fors” related to the personalization of student learning. These include the creation of individual learner profiles that lead to personal learning paths that are customized to the goals for each individual student. Students are assessed using competency-based progression measures. They should be able to complete their work in flexible learning environments, which encompasses every aspect of the educational process- staffing, space, time (Gates, 2014. emphasis added).

A more recent trend has been to apply this concept of personalization to teacher professional development. This has been initiated in a couple of simple ways including allowing more teacher input into the selection of PD sessions they attend. For instance, many school districts have altered the traditional sit-and-get, prescribed, beginning of the year inservice or professional development days to offer teachers choice.

Another fast growing strategy is the EdCamp model in which educators gather for a educator-driven sessions facilitated and created by the participants. This model allows teachers to attend sessions that they feel they would benefit from most. Having attended several EdCamps and serving on the planning teams of both EdCamp Montgomery (AL) and EdCamp Lake Eufaula (AL), participants most commonly appreciate being able to choose the sessions they want to attend.

The EdCamp format has become so popular, in fact, that many traditional educational technology conferences are incorporating “un-conference” days or portions. On these days, there are no scheduled sessions, only time slots in which motivated educators can step up to share ideas and strategies with anyone who might be interested in the same topic.

A photo from EdCamp Montgomery!

While these moves towards more teacher choice in their PD are a start, the idea of truly personalizing the professional development takes more. If we adopt the same “look fors” that the Gates Foundation describes then we can formalize this effort. Many teacher evaluation systems include some sort of self-assessment but this is often a “completion” effort in that is only a box to be checked. They also often require teachers, usually in consultation with an administrator, to develop goals and identify strengths and weaknesses. Occasionally, teachers are allowed to identify ways to reach their goals. However, they may or may not have the support, both financially and administratively, to follow through on their self-identified goals.

The competency-based progression concept is a tougher nut to crack with teachers. Most teachers would be hesitant to have their skills measured objectively for fear that they would be misused. However, this could be overcome with an earned credential approach in which third parties issued the credentials and teachers had voice in the courses they completed.

The area of greatest potential, however, is that of learning environments. This broad concept includes the time, location, and even the format of the PD that teachers complete. Allowing teachers to determine how they go about reaching their identified goals could have an incredible effect on the benefit of the professional development activities in which they participate.

For instance, if a teacher has reflected on their teaching practice and determined that they need to improve in the area of integrating technology into their science classroom, the teacher may start by searching for resources that could help reach that goal. The teacher may decide that they will locate a book on the topic and participate in an online book study. They might locate an upcoming EdCamp and participate in a teacher-driven session on technology in the science classroom. The teacher might then actively participate in a series of scheduled Twitter chats to share ideas and questions related to connecting technology to science education. Finally, the teacher might enroll in a free, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to learn more specific strategies on technology integration.

The key to all of these ideas is that the teacher, not the district or the administrators, determined how the teacher reaches the goals. That is not to say that teachers should not consult with administrators during this process, only that the teacher should drive the path that the learning follows. Additionally, teachers need to realize that there is a justifiable need for accountability. We already know that “sit and get” PD is not effective because it is often done in isolation with no follow up. Effective PD includes both practice and reflection. These must be included even when teachers design their own learning. When teachers are given the opportunity to control their own learning, they will design a learning plan that provides the most benefit for them and their students.


Early Progress: Interim Research on Personalized Learning, RAND Corporation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, November 5, 2014. http://collegeready.gatesfoundation.org/article/early-progressinterim-report-personalized-learning.

keith2006web.jpgKeith George is the Educational Technology Specialist with the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative at the Alabama State Department of Education. Before joining the State Department of Education, Keith taught Social Studies and Computer Technology for 13 years, as well as serving as an Instructional Technology Coach.

Keith routinely presents on effective technology integration at several state and regional conferences. He is active on Twitter @BigTechCoach and blogs at www.bigtechcoach.com.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

The Summer Spark Experience

Posted on 10:22 AM by  with 3 comments

By Rachelle Dene Poth

What is the Summer Spark? In the words of lead organizer, Chuck Taft, it’s a conference with the goal to “set the the stage for all participants to innovate, collaborate, and connectate (Chuck’s word) and set the stage for exciting summer PD, renewed enthusiasm in the profession of teaching, and get fired up for their best ever year of teaching.​” I can tell you that the Summer Spark delivered all of this and much more.

The Summer Spark was held at the University School of Milwaukee on June 13-14, 2016. I discovered the event through Twitter, and I am excited to share my Summer Spark experience from this year’s event.





A Great Start to Summer


I​​f you are looking for a great way to kick off your summer learning, I highly recommend joining ​Summer ​S​park next year!​ Mark the dates on your calendar now: June 12th - 13th, 2017. ​ Learn more about the event here and start planning​ your trip​. No matter where you live, traveling to USM is well worth it!

It was two days full of learning opportunities which included keynotes, networking time, tracked sessions, workshops, unconferences, fabulous food and a ton of fun. The days included presentations led by authors including George ​Couros, Jason ​B​retzmann, Kenny Bos​ch​, Shel​ley Burgess, Don ​W​ettrick, Julie Smith, Michael ​M​atera, Matt Miller, and Quinn Rollins. Each day kicked off with a fabulous keynote​ speech, inspiring all of those present to seek more opportunities for themselves and for their students and ​calling on all education professionals to take action and expand their ​learning possibilities. #USMSpark was trending, and Twitter was full of inspiring posts and pics to share the experience with those in attendance and people everywhere. Check out the Twitter feed for quotes, pics, and inspiration.



Summer Spark 2016 Begins!


It started with a welcome breakfast, which was fantastic, and time to meet and greet. For me, it was the opportunity to finally meet a friend in person and learn together in the same place, rather than learning virtually, as we had for the past few years. For many, it was an opportunity to reconnect with friends from last year’s conference, to meet “tweeps” face to face, and to make new friends as well. For everyone, it was the start of what would be an inspiring and invigorating two days of learning and growth. No matter where you looked, people were engaged in conversations, smiling, laughing, taking photos, posting tweets and having a lot of fun together.

The Summer Spark conference had sessions organized into strands for learning which would help attendees to select a particular learning topic and find sessions most relevant in their area of interest. There were so​ ​many ​opportunities for networking and ​personalized learning with the great offering of presentations, so many in fact it made it hard to narrow down to just one choice for ​each time slot​. However, with so many opportunities to sit down and talk with one another, plus the availability of presentations and collaborative notes through the conference site, there were alternate methods of gaining new knowledge and ideas, even if you couldn’t attend all the sessions you wanted at the same time.

And at the end of Day 1, there were 25 teams racing against the clock in a Spark Treasure hunt, frantically trying to solve various puzzles and tasks, engage in “tomfoolery” to unlock the box. Congratulations to Team Typewriter! A thrilling end to the first day, fueled by innovation, collaboration, and “connectating.”

Day 2 was no different, kicking it off with another ​motivating keynote ​by ​Don ​Wettrick, with the message to "accept the challenge: I don’t care if you teach 20 years, just don’t teach the same year 20 times." The keynote was followed by ​"un​conferences​"​ in the traditional EdCamp style​, and attendees were called on to come to the front and pitch a session ​ ​(which also gave you some extra tickets for those great raffle prizes). There were​ ​a l​ot of ​great ​topics ranging from ​alternate ​assessments to Google Classroom​, ​ info​graphics and interactive lessons, ​gamification, ​elementary apps, creating an innovative genius hour, getting started with Twitter, and so much more. ​

There were additional presentations before and after another tremendous lunch buffet, some trivia games and the day was round​ed ​out with ​90 minute ​workshops allowing for a deeper dive into the morning’s topics. ​It was a fantastic two day learning experience ​that drew to a close on Tuesday afternoon with the raffle and ​announcement of the dates for next year's Summer Spark.




My Takeaways


It was such a phenomenal event, led by the host Chuck Taft and his team who provided everything and more that you could possibly want. The welcome, the students helping the attendees, the tech support, the staff and everyone at the school made this a truly outstanding experience for everyone. There were lots of highlights throughout the two days, new connections made, friends meeting face to face finally, and lots of fun and excitement.

​I am thankful to have had the opportunity to attend Summer Spark and be able to share some of my knowledge, but more importantly, to meet and learn from so many others. The trip from Pittsburgh was well worth it and​ I look forward to attending again next year. ​Conferences like this connect people, enable Twitter friends to meet face-to-face​, ​or to make new friends and to walk away at the start of summer with some new ideas and new directions to go. I'm thankful to have left energized and excited for the future.

Thanks Chuck Taft and all of the ​S​ummer ​S​park conference planners for a truly amazing opportunity and I am honored to have been able to be a part of this experience.​




Thoughts from Attendees


Here are some thoughts from other participants about their Summer Spark experience:

  • “The atmosphere was electric” (Nick Davis)
  • My brain won't stop thinking about all of the amazing ideas I got from #USMSpark. I dreamt about it last night! (Neelie Barthenheier)
  • “Already going through withdrawals after a 7 hour drive home, missing the magic, excitement, and connectedness of the conference. I know the magic of being around so many teacher authors/ entrepreneurs was empowering“ (Dean Meyer)
  • “I was blown away by @USMSpark! Thank you so much for an amazing 2 days of learning and growing!” (Rebecca Gauthier)
  • “You knocked it out of the park! #USMSpark was a fabulous conference!” (Tisha Richmond)
  • “Truly humbling experience to be surrounded by so many passionate, visionary educators. I wouldn't miss #USMSpark” (Brian Durst)
  • “Can't say enough about the hard work, dedication, positive, encouraging, energizing nature of the the heart & soul of #USMSpark “ (Jason Bretzmann)
  • “A big thank you to a terrific host @Chucktaft at #USMSpark. So many new friends, ideas, and passion as a result” (Mike Jaber)
  • “So much learning and working together...this is what it's about. Getting better so WE can make education better!” (Brit Francis)
  • “Wanted to make sure I told you how awesome #USMSpark was & loved meeting you in person! I'm excited about coming back next year :)” (Mandy Froehlich)
  • “Thank you for your passion, commitment, enthusiasm, & humor. Thanks for igniting the spark” (Yau-Jau Ku)



Learning Together Finally! 
Thanks #usmspark!






Rachelle Dene Poth is a Spanish Teacher at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. She is also an attorney and earned her Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University School of Law and Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology from Duquesne. Rachelle enjoys presenting at conferences on technology and learning more ways to benefit student learning. She serves as the Communications Chair for the ISTE Mobile Learning Network, a Member at Large for Games & Sims, and is the PAECT Historian. Additionally, Rachelle is a Common Sense Media Educator, Amazon Educator, WeVideo Ambassador, Edmodo Certified Trainer and also participates in several other networks. She enjoys blogging and writing for Kidblog and is always looking for new learning opportunities to benefit my students. Connect with Rachelle on Twitter @rdene915.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

The Best Time to Become a Professional Educator is Now!

Posted on 5:54 AM by  with No comments
By Terry Jones

In the United States, our education system is on the verge of a renaissance! It may not seem so at times because news depicting the demise of the teaching profession is omnipresent. For instance, states such as Utah and Kansas and cities such as Newark are facing widespread teacher shortages, while Colorado is struggling to find enough qualified teachers for its rural school districts. Budgeting shortfalls are commonplace in schools systems as evident by the sad plight of Detroit’s public school systems in addition to others. Published opinion pieces often discuss stressed teachers who endure heavy workloads, burdensome regulations and, at times, an unsympathetic public.

 As a professional educator, I will neither deny nor nuance these facts because they are true. In fact, I cringe each time I read an editorial that derides the education profession or see another media story about a teacher that chose to make incorrect decisions. Regardless, it is easy to focus on what is wrong rather than what is going well and I submit that precisely because of these challenges, now is the perfect time to become a professional educator.


We now have 47 states adopting and improving rigorous standards in mathematics and language arts that narrow concepts and learning goals into a continuous thread of competencies to each succeeding grade level. These standards are specifically designed to ensure that all students graduate from high school college and career ready. Additionally, most states now use common assessment platforms that are electronic-no longer the paper and pencil drudgery- and the questions and performance tasks of these assessments requires students to know and apply knowledge in differing situations instead of the previous mono-standard questions that were not applicable to genuine evaluation of a student’s knowledge. Also, the new federal education legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act, removes the monolithic federal oversight of education and transfers much of the decision-making back to states. All good news indeed, because now education and instruction are focusing on what students are learning rather than what is taught.

With most states now defining student proficiency equally, the prospect for meaningful collaboration between school districts in other states is an excellent opportunity to improve education processes even more. Moreover, schools and instruction are changing to embrace 21st century knowledge and in many classrooms, students are removed from rows of desks and being compliant learners to now engaging in collaborative knowledge building, evaluating, and arguing their conjectures against real world situations. Students are becoming stewards of their educational careers instead of being told how to learn and what to do. Being an educator in these classrooms is an exhilarating, life-changing experience that is as empowering as it is enthralling.




Even more so, our profession is ready for an infusion of teaching professionals who, with a collective voice, can enact changes to institute changes in modernizing the teaching profession. Fellowships such as America Achieves and organizations such as TeachStrong assist educators in being strong advocates for sound education policy at local, state, and national levels. Stories abound of educators challenging “business as usual” ideas and achieving remarkable results with incredible student learning. Our educational system is not in demise, it is in a foundational building time that, when complete, will have an astounding impact on our K-12 framework for generations.

Albert Einstein stated that in every difficulty lies opportunities, and I submit that now is that time for prospective educators to enter the profession bravely with bold ideas and passionate zeal for educating students while, at the same time, being the dynamism for change of the teaching profession.




Terry Jones is a middle grades mathematics educator earning his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. He is a Colorado Educator Voice Fellow, a TeachStrong Ambassador, previous Teacher of the Year, and sound advocate for inquiry-based learning and teachers as the driving force for creating educational policy and modernizing the teaching profession.


Friday, May 27, 2016

#NBCT Reflections

Posted on 7:52 AM by  with No comments

by Amber Chandler

In this digital, social media world, it is a special occasion when you actually come face to face with with your #PLN. It’s exciting to meet people whose Tweets you’ve liked and who traded emojis with. I had that opportunity presenting at the 1st Annual Far West National Board Certified Teachers Summit last month.

As I walked into NYSUT Regional headquarters, I looked around anxiously for someone who would let me into the room where I’d be presenting “They’re Not Sheep,” my latest thoughts on differentiation. As always before speaking at a conference, my rational side was off duty, and I was excessively nervous that somehow the slideshow I had wouldn’t exist on Google Docs or on my jump drive, and I’d be left to wing my way through the presentation.



I spotted Amy Steger, one of the NBCT teachers who organized the Summit, and the very person I’d hope to see, and what did I do but go and hug a stranger. Immediately, I laughed, but it was not the last hug I’d give that day to near strangers.

Before you think I’m just overly familiar with people, you’d need to understand that the process to achieve National Board Certification requires a time commitment that becomes a season of your life. When I achieved my certification, with lots of help from the Southtown Teachers Center and our support provider Mary Ann Dates, I had a 4 month old, a toddler, and the crazy notion that it would be a good time to up my game. Let’s just say that baby has just celebrated his 8th birthday, but it didn’t stop me from running up to Mary Ann like it was yesterday.



This summit was an opportunity for Teri DiPasquale and Lori Mancuso, the Far West Co-Regional Coordinators, to gather NBCTs from the region and celebrate our achievement, as there were some newbies there, as well as some awaiting the results; however, the underlying purpose was to put a bunch of teacher leaders in the same room and see what happens. The great thing about this opportunity was that we were incredibly lucky to be joined by Annette Romano, the Co-Director of NBNY and Co-Regional Coordinator of the Eastern Upstate Region, as well the 2014 Teacher of the Year, Ashli Skura-Dreher. Co-Regional Coordinators for Long Island, Erin Gilrein and Jennifer Wolfe, had made the trip too, and they were the most dynamic, inspiring duo I have heard in a long time!


To say I was nervous to present is an understatement. But, as Erin and Jennifer challenged the room to be teacher leaders, start small and grow our tribe, it occurred to me that even though I didn’t know these women, there was something so familiar, something so tangibly authentic about the electricity in the room, that I didn’t have to worry. As I approached the microphone, I offhandedly commented that Erin and Jennifer were my soul-sisters, and to my relief, I watched the room full of people who had sacrificed their Saturday nod in agreement.

I talked about Differentiation and Project Based Learning, but I knew I was in a room of accomplished teachers, so I felt like I was preaching to the choir. However, what really impressed me was the warmth with which these “highly qualified teachers” received my ideas and their desire to still keep learning. If you feel like you might fit in a room like this, a room where no one is the expert because we are all teacher leaders and learners, a room where you might hug a near stranger because he or she just “gets it,” or you’re looking for your teacher tribe, then you might want to pursue National Board Certification.

Learn more about National Board Certification at http://www.nbpts.org/national-board-certification.

Amber is a National Board Certified 8th grade ELA teacher and the author of The Flexible ELA Classroom: Differentiation for Grades 4-8, which will be available in September 2016. She is launching a website for teachers this summer called doyoudifferentiate.com and is looking for submissions for the Collaborator’s Page, so get in touch! You can connect with her on Twitter or on her website AmberRainChandler.com for inspiration and downloadable resources. She can also be reached at AmberRainChandler@gmail.com.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

#WhyIEdCamp: Passion and Positivity from #EdCampSummit

Posted on 10:56 AM by  with No comments

By Rachel Murat

To put it mildly EdCamps and the people that attend them have saved my career. If you’ve never been to one, you need to get to one. You can find the link to the events at http://www.edcamp.org/participate, and I guarantee that if you walk in with an open mind and a willingness to be outside your comfort zone, you will never look at professional development the same way again.

I have attended over 30 EdCamps and have helped to organize three. The last of which, EdCampSTNY, was held in my district on April 9th, 2016. Being an organizer of an EdCamp has so many perks and opportunities for growth that I could go on for hours about them. Instead of doing that, why don’t I talk an opportunity I never thought I would have and that was to attend the inaugural EdCampSummit, an EdCamp for EdCamp organizers. When I first heard about it, I jumped right on it because I knew it would be a way to network with other organizers and grow even more as a professional.






Although those two things did happen, what I hadn’t anticipated was the sheer amount of passion, positivity and warmth from such an eclectic group of highly motivated educators. I met organizers from all over the northeast and from as far away as the Ukraine! Having time to share our stories, experiences and learn from each other is something I will never forget.

I would like to share two experiences from that weekend that I will always remember. Both got me so far outside my comfort zone I wasn’t sure I was even in the same room with it anymore. The first was an “unkeynote” from Anthony from @SpeechlessShow where he had us laughing to the point of tears as we learned the art of improv and then he taught us how to beatbox.

Yes, I said beatbox.

In keeping with my discomfort of the new activity, I volunteered to participate in an activity that would later be recorded and tweeted out. Normally, I am totally fine with that, but who wants to see a 44 year old suburban white woman from NY beatboxing? No one I know! LOL! It was a great community building activity that sparked so many ideas for classroom application of the improv skills we were working on.






The second experience was a very frank discussion on race that had me reflecting on my practice at school and in life in general. Listening to the perspectives in the room has had me thinking about this topic ever since. I am looking critically at the relationships at school and also how I present myself. I am thankful for the EdCamp Foundation for being mindful enough to bring Jose Vilson to speak with us and start a meaningful conversation about race.



Throughout the conference, I was learning more about organizational strategies, strategies to get more educators, administrators, parents and board members to our events as well as having discussions of how not to let the EdCamp model “jump the shark”. There wasn’t a minute of the weekend that I regretted my choice to attend. I was able to engage in conversations over meals, on walks with Katie McFarland, and during sessions all of which made me a better organizer, professional and person.

Many people at work asked how I could “give up” my weekend to attend the event. I asked them how they thought I could give up the opportunity to be around like minded, passionate educators who are part of my tribe!



Rachel is a social studies teacher at Maine-Endwell High School who teaches a flipped AP Gov course, Economics, US History, PBL Entrepreneurship, and Digital Citizenship. Additionally, she is the Tech Integrator and Tech Lead Teacher for the High School. Rachel is the President and founder of M-EALS and Leadership, a school food pantry that feeds 100+ district families each week and over the summer. She also advises the Class of 2016 and Mock Trial, and runs the Mentor/Tutor program that links upperclassmen with the freshmen for an entire school year. You can find Rachel Twitter @MrsMurat, on Facebook as Rachel Beatty Murat, or by email at rmurat@me.stier.org.




Monday, April 25, 2016

The Best From #BaconBytes

Posted on 10:23 AM by  with No comments

By Dina O’Brien 

I am a Math Specialist from Edison, NJ, and I love attending EdCamps and connecting with other educators. I was very excited to come to #BaconBytes for a day of technology and learning in Millville, NJ. I have never been to this part of the state, so it made the trip more exciting. The hardest decision was choosing which sessions to attend, but they said, “Make today memorable for you,” and that I did! The day started with a powerful keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Dillon.



Dr. Robert Dillon’s Keynote: “Think Different, Not More”


We should notice the beauty of play. This was one of many ideas that Dr. Dillon brought up to start off his keynote. One of the best things my district took part in was Global Play Day. The unstructured play lends itself to 21st century learning. The beauty of making should also be noticed, but not just in one space, but as a part of our classrooms every day. As with technology, this can’t be reserved for just the privileged; it should be for all students. And most importantly, Dr. Dillon stressed that it can’t just be when it’s convenient for adults.

Unpacking the stories of your students can open many doors. As he was speaking, I was thinking about some pictures I saw awhile back of letters to teachers that started, “I wish my teacher knew…” The teachers really connected with the students from these messages. It is also important for the students to hear your stories as well. Kids can never have too many adults in their life.

We also have to notice the gaps. Students need experiences throughout their day. I think we all laughed when he said, “Students won’t remember their favorite standardized test they took, but they will remember an experience they had.” It is so true. Help students to focus on our digital present while preparing for our digital future; embrace the change, reach out to others, and as Dr. Dillon said, “Think Different, Not More.”



Around the World in 180 Days


Many students are not able to travel to and experience places around them, let alone in different parts of the world. Around the World in 180 days is bringing the learning TO kids by using such sites as Google Tour Builder, Google Hangouts and appear.in. Tour Builder uses pictures, notes and Google maps to see places you can’t go. A great place to start is with a project you want to share or someone wants to share with you. Brian Costello, who led the session, is a 1st and 2nd teacher whose students want to read to other classes around the world. If you are interested, reach out to him. Sometimes it can start with a simple question to your students, “Who would they like to talk with?”

The part about EdCamps that I love the most is the sharing. An educator from Stafford Twp. shared about Level Up Village (which I never heard of)--They deliver STEAM enrichment courses that promote design thinking & 1-to-1 collaboration between students around the world.



Incorporating Student Choice & Communication Tools to Increase Engagement


As a Math Specialist, I was excited for this session and wanted ways to connect it to Math. Joshua Zagorski started and ended the session with a survey, which I liked because I felt he was tailoring the session to our needs. He used shoutkey.com to create a link shortcut to the survey, and it seemed so simple for students to use the link as well, because the link is very easy to remember (shoutkey.com/ and a short word after it).

Below, find some of the great tools he shared:

  • The Coherence Map for Math found at http://achievethecore.org/coherence-map is another resource worth checking out. When you click on a grade level, it tells you the major clusters, shows why you are teaching that standard, some examples of tasks to address that topic, and where it goes or came from for different grade levels.
  • One of my favorite sites that I use is wodb.ca for mathematical conversation. This site gives 4 numbers and students have discussions about which one doesn’t belong. There is no right answer. Joshua also shared Steve Wyborney’s site for impostor numbers.
  • I also became hooked on Tile Pile. If you are close to my age (graduated high school in 1990) this reminded me of Tetris. What caught my attention was that it is more than that. It took me through the section of floor, then how much would I need for a whole room, etc. Check it out, along with more activities https://teacher.desmos.com, but don’t blame me if you get hooked.



Idea Street: Empowering Students and Staff Towards Innovation


Session 3 had a special connection for me. Hearing Glenn Robbins share about Idea Street and empowering students and teachers made me think of the great things going on where I work in Edison.

We discussed how space and classroom design impacts learning, which made me think about a colleague’s classroom transformation. Grade 5 teacher Stacy Konar at Lindeneau School has had her students planning and designing her room the entire year. They have created proposals and invited the Elementary Assistant Superintendent, principal, and facility manager into the classroom to share these ideas. Their most recent project is a new closet. Lindeneau School Principal Sara Bright also shared about the Lego Wall that was becoming popular with her students and teachers.

Another great takeaway was the idea of shadowing a student for a day. Ask yourself: could you succeed in the student’s shoes for 6 ½ hours every day? This made me think of John Adams Middle School Principal Joan Valentine, who recently shadowed a student for a day. She blogged about it here.




I liked that Glenn connected classroom management to classroom engagement. One of my best a-ha moments came when he referred to the hallway as “Idea Street” and the classroom as “Studio.” At the end of the session, a great question came up: What comes first? Redesigning the classroom and then changing the mindset or changing the mindset and then redesigning the classroom? I think it depends on the teacher, but isn’t it a win-win?



The Unconference Afternoon


The afternoon of #BaconBytes was an Edcamp style unconference. My first session was with Spike Cook and Ross Cooper, focusing on educator and student blogging. What better session to join, since I was already planning my blog post for #BaconBytes. One thing that stood out for me was the question that can be posed to students, “Why publish for a teacher when you can publish for the world?” Many different ways students can blog were brought up, such as Kidblog and Seesaw. As an educator, I was excited to learn about http://edge.ascd.org and being able to share blogs with ASCD. I had never heard of Flipboard and Feedly, so I will definitely check them out. Another great blog is http://fouroclockfaculty.com/. Go check it out--I find something new each time I visit.

My second session was Virtual Reality: A Hook with Stephanie Perretta, where I was able to visit the Pyramids of Egypt with Google Cardboard. Wow! What an experience and the possibilities are endless for students. We used Nearpod to explore virtual field trips; students can visit an art museum, go back in time in history, and so much more. With this engagement, I felt like this session brought the day full circle back to Dr. Dillon’s keynote.



For More Learning . . .


At the start of this post, I mentioned how much I love the sharing part of EdCamps. It’s impossible to get to every session, but I was able to hear about some of the other great sessions that also took place at #BaconBytes. Click here to see the day’s Tweets and find more of the learning. I hope you can use these resources to realize Dr. Dillon’s words: “think different, not more.”





Dina is an elementary Math Specialist and Instructional Coach in the Edison, NJ school district. She has worked at the elementary level in Edison for 19 years. She is a NJ Ambassador for #TheEduCal, @Buncee, and @TenMarks. She has recently had a blog published for TenMarks about meeting the needs of students in Math. She also blogs about her work and teaching at dinaobrien.blogspot.com. Dina would love to connect with other educators on Twitter.





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