my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

#tichat & media use

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This week’s summary is a guest post by my co-moderator from the technology integration chat, Cathy!

How do you use media?

Do you Glog, Voicethread, Animoto, Skype or Prezi? Tonight’s chat-ters discussed learning to using the multimedia tools you ask your students to use, and wondered how to use Google Apps and other resources with students under 13.Is YouTube blocked at your school? Try Vimeo or Teachertube! Alternatives to PowerPoint? try Prezi! What about Voki? Thank goodness most apps make embedding user friendly. And in as little as 5 minutes, with tools like Flip cameras and iPads, students of all ages can become video creators-engaging, empowering, exciting!

For my friend Amber Teamann, here’s the link to tonight’s #tichat archive:

tichat10-13-11 –

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AngI-vp4N8yudDh6T0tqVk1WMk9XRWhzdVl2LWxZQ1E&hl=en_US

Cathy Brophy (cat)

Thanks, Cathy! I had parent teacher conferences with my campus so I wasn’t able to participate this week…

Postingly,
Amber

Appy-tizing chat

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There’s just no end to the great jokes I could make using the word “app”, is there?? 🙂

Last night’s #tichat was a fast and furious hour detailing some of the favorite apps that we’ve seen used in the classroom. One of the hardest thing with using the iPad/iTouch/iPhone in the classroom is finding the time to go through all of the apps in the iTunes Store listed under the education banner. From @matt_gomez’s fave “toontastic” (with great examples provided” to @plnaugle’s contribution of Apps in Education: Discovery Learning: Games Designed to Let you Fail http://t.co/iIVRqeXW which FASCINATED me…we had some great sharing going on!

Sites galore, so make sure you have plenty of open tabs and free time to sort through your faves.

When you have time, check out the archive of tweets…there’s something for high school science , middle school math…and kinder treats galore!

Final bonus? Your appy hour treat for reading this post? This site.

You? are welcome.

Apptastically,
Amber

Tech integration…need some ideas?

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Had the opportunity tonight to take part in a chat on Twitter, focusing on technology integration. It was a collective group of people, from ALL over, who had a vested interest in sharing and collaborating with other educators on the topic of…technology integration. Given my former role as facilitator and my passion as an assistant principal now, I think it was a natural step for me to cohost the chat with my new friend, Cathy Brophy,(@brophycat)

It was ideas, questions, introductions, comments, and dialogue all centered around integrating technology in the classroom. There were teachers, facilitators, directors…all grades, all subject matters, all levels of experience, from the very new (@aliharper20) to a Twitter legend (@cybraryman1) .

It was the fastest hour of my whole summer break! There were over 500 tweets within the hour. That’s insane! 🙂 In a good way!

We’re working on a list of topics for next Thursday’s chat. Thinking two questions per hour, spending 30 minutes on each. You can come follow along, read what all they have to say or jump right in…we won’t bite!

One of my fave quotes is “The smartest person in the room, IS the room.” How can you not want to be in the room that is throwing around 500 comments about a subject you’re interested in? (For my LL’s, we’ll be visiting Twitter and chats during our fall inservice, :))

For those that took part in the chat, or missed it, the archive can be found here.

New to twitter? Unsure what I am talking about? Read this to get yourself going…

Next week’s chat will be on Thursday, 7/28, at 7pm CST. Join in! I’ll post our first questions as soon as we decide, 🙂 and I want YOU in my room!

twitchatN,
Amber

#tichat & archive

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We had two great topics for our #tichat last night. The first was how do you get technology resistors on board and the second, some clever, fun ways to start off the year with technology professional development. Once again, the hour FLEW by…we had over 625 tweets!

(Teamann tangent: for those LL’s confused: every Thursday I am co-moderateN a “chat” centered around technology integration. Not surprised? me either. It’s an hour of like minded folk answering a couple questions, bouncing ideas off each other, and sharing what works!)

Some of the great ideas from last night on ways to get your technophobes on board included:

  • Anthony Muhammad’s Transforming School Culture is a must rd for guidance on working w/ resistant teachers.
  • I try to steal some of the work they are doing, TECH it up and show them the differences.
  • Fear plays a major role in resisting change. Use it, show it, promote it as ways to ease the fear. Little steps.
  • I try to offer help in planning and teaching – taking some work off of their plate instead of adding more.
  • diferentiate, meet tech resistor’s at there level, encourage and don’t overwhelm
  • I try to send out tips, newsletters, make myself available in non-threatening ways
  • Plan some hands-on workshops for colleagues to show them potential tools to use in their subject area
  • We’ve been doing “10 minute Tech. Tips” at staff meetings to get some interest…
  • I use my students with special needs to show what they can do to show that ALL kids can do it
  • I hope to someday have a team of 5th graders support teachers in school with tech.
  • Don’t forget the home baked goodies at tech workshops. 🙂
  • Also did “Tech Tuesdays” 20 min of new topic each week; one page handout, quick highlight on a tool

Some of the great ideas shared last night on fun & fresh ideas for staff development for BTS (back to school) were:

  • Talked about doing a QR code scavenger hunt to introduce them to all the new things we’ll be doing this year
  • QR Scavenger Hunt Generator http://www.classtools.net/QR/index.php
  • upgrading @GlogsterEDU 2 school acct. Thinking abt teachers register & create glog about themselves 2 learn how 2 use. make it fun
  • audience participation, role playing and give always with some fun music
  • plan collaborative dialogue based sessions. Be “guide on the side” not “sage on the stage
  • @cybraryman has an AMAZING site for QR uses in the classroomhttp://www.cybraryman.com/qrcodes.html
  • Tech integration metaphor: Boiling Frog Syndrome http://t.co/FEO6CtM #tichat Slow slimmer…resistors will never know!! (Teamann tangent: I had to google this and every time I see a frog I will now cringe!)
  • Speed Geeking — saw idea here on Twitter! rotate through stations – sounds fun!
  • need flexible PD…fit the needs of the teachers. choice and options are key.
  • Encourage leadership 2use new web 2.0 tools faculty meetings 2 present.
  • Here’s a link to one I used: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59837518/Handout(Speedgeeking handout example!)

Those are some of the highlights! There was great conversation happening, as well some “oh that happens to YOU too” moments, which may have been my favorite. I’m a big fan of the phrase “The smartest person in the room, IS the room”, and dadgum it, twitter proves it every time! Why fight and recreate the wheel when we are all on the same team, same page, and have the same goals? Even if you take an idea and tweak it…sharing can SAVE YOU TIME..

🙂 I’ll get off my “we should share” soapbox now, and leave you with the chat archive. Hard to “read” but I’ll work on finding a better tweet keeper for next weeks chat!!

 

 

your tweetheart,
amber