As we begin the new year, one of the highlights for the educational technology team is the expansion of BVSD’s 1:Web program! BVSD began visioning a 1:Web initiative in 2013 and instituted a pilot program in 2014-2015. The board approved the 1:Web program for 5th-12th grade in March 2017, leading the way for this expansion.
Although we are excited about the Chromebooks in our 1:Web schools, the 1:Web program is much more than the device. Teachers and administrators have been meeting as a cohort since last May to prepare and learn from each other. At each school, the staff has engaged in professional development about how to use technology to truly enhance student learning, focusing on the 4 Cs: creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. The 1:Web program is also a key piece of our efforts to address the digital divide in BVSD and give all students an equal opportunity to learn.
Students are receiving direct instruction in digital citizenship, as well as practical tips about how to care for their device. They are also engaging in conversations about when it is appropriate to use these tools and when they need to be put away. Many of the 1:Web schools are using this as an opportunity to have students create their own digital citizenship messages. Check out the picture below of Arapahoe Ridge students creating video projects to teach other students about digital citizenship using WeVideo, Chromebooks, iPads and more. As our world becomes an increasingly digital place, it is more important than ever for educators to incorporate these conversations into the classroom! A YouTube playlist has been created to share these student creations. Check back as this resource continues to grow.
Schools are actively involving their parents every step of the way. The 1:Web program would not be a success without the partnership between the schools and their families. Prior to implementing the program, each school has invited families to engage in a discussion and demonstration regarding instructional and learning shifts in classrooms. At each meeting, teachers and administrators outline the why, the process that the school has taken, the professional development that the schools and students are undergoing, and how parents can continue to stay involved as the journey progresses.
We are excited for all of the learning that will occur with the approximately 800 devices we are deploying in January! Additionally, we look forward to implementing the 1:Web Cohort 2.0 with new middle and high schools who will be joining the program in the 2018-2019 school year.
Phew! ISTE 2017 has come and gone. We are reflecting on and digesting the amazing ideas and information we gathered throughout the four-day conference. Check out our top takeaways from the world’s largest Ed Tech gathering!
Think Outside the Box with Google Tools
BVSD students and employees have access to a powerful suite of Google tools. How these tools can be implemented in instruction are limited only by your creativity. Challenge yourself and your students to think of new ways of using existing tools! For example:
Consider using Google Slides to design posters (hint: change document size in the File menu)
Collect GPS data in Google Sheets and create custom Google Maps to plot your findings, then publish in Sites (Example: Maple Project)
Use Google Drawings and Slides to prototype app designs (templates here & here).
Technology can Help us Shatter the Single Story
In her keynote speech Jennie Magiera, Chief Innovation Officer in Des Plaines, IL, encouraged us to give students more of a voice. She gave examples from her own childhood and others to illustrate the danger in seeing students as a “single story”. According to Magiera, “it’s a teacher’s job to amplify the untold story of our students’ potential.” Online video can be a powerful platform for giving students a platform and an audience for them to share their full stories. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from Magiera when she keynotes at the Colorado Summit on November 4.
Early Coding: One Way to Close the Innovation and Tech Gender Gap
Reshma Saujani, the founder of GirlsWhoCode.org, shared research and findings from her own efforts to demonstrate the gender inequality in technology. There is a tremendous opportunity for growth in this area, and Saujani is trying to accelerate this by supporting the founding of thousands of “Girls Who Code” clubs across the US. If you are interested in starting a Girls Who Code club at your school, you can start the process by visiting this link.
Formative Assessment Has Never Been So Fun!
Checking for student understanding during a lesson or unit has never been so easy or fun! Monica Burns of classtechtips.com encouraged us to make sure our formative assessments are meaningful, sustainable, and scalable. Here are some of our favorite formative assessment tools:
a) Spark Post is a simple graphic design tool that students can use to creatively demonstrate understanding
b) Recap is a service that encourages student reflection through the use of video
c) Kahoot is developing a new mobile app that allows students to also see the question on their screen, thus enabling “homework challenges” that can be assigned
d) Padlet is like a virtual wall of sticky-notes to which students can post text, images, and more to show understanding.
New ISTE Standards Create Empowered Learners
ISTE’s standards for students, educators, and administrators have evolved significantly over the years. Think not of things to do, but ways to be. At this year’s conference, the latest iteration of these standards was unveiled. Check out the detailed standards here:
As soon as we entered the conference hall lobby we were greeted by a big sign advertising the ISTE 2017 Augmented Reality game, encouraging attendees to search for and scan various hidden clues throughout the venue. The presence of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) was hard to miss this year. Microsoft demonstrated its Hololens headset by having participants analyze historic artifacts. Google demoed the latest version of its Expeditions software which uses AR to let you look inside Rome’s Colosseum, for example. Multiple sessions and playgrounds were available to conference attendees looking to try out the latest experiences. You will be seeing a lot more of this in the next couple of years, and there will surely be many interesting educational applications.
Let Students Take the Lead
On the heels of the latest ISTE standards with a focus on empowered learning, many schools are already taking steps to let students take the lead with technology. We met students from a school in Texas who had organized a half-day tech conference for students, by students. Sessions ranging from document design to virtual reality were offered to the student body, with additional networking opportunities built into the schedule. How are we providing opportunities like this for our students?
What Were Your Takeaways?
Comment below with what inspired, challenged, or amazed you about #ISTE17 and mark your calendars for next year’s conference in Chicago June 24-27, 2018.
“Lifelong learners” is a term often heard in educational circles. Lifelong learners that have a growth mindset are motivated to set learning goals, focus on their efforts, reflect, and achieve new understandings. Lifelong learners with a growth mindset that seek creative and innovative ideas in technology (and live near the Centennial State) go to Innovative Education Colorado (InnEdCO)! And Boulder Valley School District is teeming with lifelong learners, as evidenced last month at the InnEdCO conference. Over 70 BVSD employees attended the three-day conference in Keystone. This number is significant for multiple reasons, such as the incredible growth of attendees over the years and the impact it has on our schools when attendees return and share with their colleagues and students.
In addition to the incredible amount of attendees and presenters that were at InnEdCO, the quality of sessions and learning was on par! And these ideas/tools are a hole-in-one:
Photos.google.com- You can create shared albums that ANYONE can add to by link! Imagine having students go on a field trip and adding their visual experience. Every contributor’s photo is credited to them, so tracking participation is easy. Check out the BVSD @ #InnEdCO17 Google Photo Shared Album.
Keynote speaker Rusul Alrubail reminded us to teach with empathy and kindness because micro-interactions in our day often result in high impact for those we encounter, including our students. “Our role is no longer outcome-centered, classroom-centered or teacher-centered. It is student-centered.”
Keynote Speaker Ken Shelton encouraged educators to empower students’ voices through storytelling. 21st century students are communicating their words and thoughts through online publications of digital and visual means. How are students learning to immerse others in their stories to form connections and relationships? A pro tip: have students storyboard their digital narrative, then swap storyboards with a classmate and create each other’s digital story! Check out his classroom ready comparison of visual language to the published word.
This is just a brief peek looking back at an amazing week of learning and collaborating with like-minded educators and educational supporters from across our region and state. As we reflect on a June filled with innovation and inspiration, we want to know what you are learning this summer! Add in your comments below and/or tweet it out to us @bvsdedtech. Make sure to include #BVSDLearns!
Save the Date June 11-14, 2018 for next year’s InnEdCO!
All BVSD educators can access our growing collection of professional development ebook titles via the OverDriveTeacher's Lounge. Many of the titles include an audio format- listen while driving to and from work. You will be prompted to login to OverDrive with your Google credentials (e.g. user name: john.smith and password).
If you are a planner, you may already be checking your calendar for summer conferences and professional development. If you are more spontaneous, you can always bookmark this as a resource to use in June when you have a moment to catch your breath! Either way, this post will highlight how to have fun learning in your own backyard and/or on your personal device of choice!
You do not have to travel far for the first opportunity coming in June! Innovate@BVSD is coming back to Monarch High School June 7 & 8. Join educators from around the area to explore digital tools, resources, lessons, and innovative furniture designs that can help us create future-ready learning environments that will positively impact our learning communities!
This year’s Innovate will feature a Pop-up Maker Expo, an opportunity for Innovate@BVSD attendees to connect with members of the Maker community and learn about the resources they provide to help students tinker, play, explore, create, and make.
The Pop-up Maker Expo will be open to students and parents so they can connect with maker communities that offer makerspaces, tools, expertise, classes, and workshops, or may belong to a maker community and want to share their making stories.
Only a little further west, in Keystone, is our Colorado-based conference InnEdCO June 12-15. The organization, Innovative Education Colorado (InnEdCO), is back hosting a leadership academy, Google in Education learning academy and conference focusing on the increasing role technology plays in education. Join educators from all corners of Colorado and beyond for energetic learning and relationship-building! There will also be 24 presentations from BVSD educators!
If travel is more your style, then this conference offers all of the above with a global reach. The International Society of Education (ISTE) is hosting their annual conference in San Antonio June 25-28. With over 1,000 sessions and 15,000 educators, this conference brings like-minded educators together from all over the world.
If you are unable to attend conferences this summer, no worries! Your learning can continue as well! Come back to this blog in April for Summer Learnin' Part Two with how to use Twitter, OverDrive, and more for various learning opportunities.
It is our pleasure to introduce the newest 21st Century Cohort--Cohort 4.0!
This year, we were able to offer this opportunity to teachers in grades K-12 and received almost 50 applications! Through our cohort selection process, including a “blind review” where names and schools were removed from applications, the team selected 31 participants for this newest group.
Our Cohort 4.0 members began their journey December 13th with conversations around how technology can be used to enhance learning experiences for students, as well as the most valuable characteristics of teachers in taking these risks. Members also explored the possibilities they have for developing their cohort toolkit. Each member receives 25 points to use towards purchasing technology for student use in their classroom. This year, the toolkit catalog includes not only Chromebooks and iPads, but also makerspace tools such as Sphero, Gizmos & Gadgets, and more!
Cohort 4.0 members are excited about starting this journey and many shared this excitement on Twitter!
New to Cohort 4.0!
For this cohort, we are also excited to share that in addition to Ed Tech Team leadership, we have asked previous cohort members to help lead, mentor and provide professional development for this group. These teacher leaders will be vital to the development and support of Cohort 4.0.
Please join us in welcoming Liz Barcheck, teacher librarian at Angevine Middle School (Cohort 1.0); Jeff Cote, 5th grade teacher at Lafayette Elementary (Cohort 2.0); and Colleen Kanemoto, 2nd grade teacher at Mesa Elementary (Cohort 2.0) as our Cohort 4.0 Teacher Leaders! You can read more about each of their own cohort journeys in their portfolios linked above.
We are excited about working together as we continue to implement the Success Effect in creating meaningful and engaging opportunities for learning for teachers and students!
