We Are Finally Meeting in Cohorts! Yes!!!

I'm so excited to finally have my PTP cohort and to be meeting with them on a regular basis. The PTP cohort I am technically "coaching" is comprised of myself and three other AP teachers. Although I did not intend to group all of the AP teachers together, naturally, we must have all subconsciously gravitated towards one another based on our common interests in "How" we can successfully integrate technology into courses which are already so fast paced and prepare for a test which is still "old fashion". For many, this is a large hurdle to jump. And, to tell you the truth--this question still poses a significant challenge for all of us.

It is no lie that a teacher's life is very busy. So, our cohort has decided to meet via Google Hangout once a week to share ideas, talk about strengths and weaknesses, and approach these essential questions of "How" and "Why" we should incorporate more technology into our already stringent, focused, and challenging curriculums.

During our first meeting we talked about wanting to find some reliable online tools we could integrate into our lessons that would not be merely used because they were cool. We talked about how Blendspace is a great organizational tool, but how our students seems to be getting Blendspace fatigue because so many teachers are using it. I mentioned how Blendspace still has a place in the classroom, but if you pair it with other tools like Kahoot, Tackk, Padlet, Linoit, youTube etc then it can be more engaging. This conversation led us more into the discussion of blended lesson planning verses just lecture style classes. No of us are really large fans of the lecture. I feel like there is a time and place for lecture in every class, but I do not think it needs to be all the time. Here in lies the challenge for us this year. How do we successfully tackle all of our content without making our classes predominately lecture based? We ended our first Google Hangout pondering this question.

For our second Google Hangout meeting, we picked back up with this idea of Blended learning.  First we shared some successes we had in our classes since the last meeting. Some of our most successful lessons did not entirely incorporate technology, but we found they incorporated more of the blended lessons like we had discussed in our previous hangout. I found it interesting that we then spent some time talking about what "good teaching" really was, and that if you were a good teacher before technology, you're still a good teacher with technology---it's just an enhancement. However, technology cannot be seen as a savior to those who are struggling to as teachers prior to having more technology. Good teaching is rooted in good instructional practices and an understanding of the students in your classroom.

I then showed my group members an example of a lesson I was using in my AP English 12 class for Heart of Darkness using Blendspace, YouTube, Google Drive, Tackk, and Padlet. We talked about how that same frame of a lesson could be used in various content areas and different types of lessons. I enjoyed how we all wanted to put more of the learning in the hands of the students instead of us being the sole keepers of the information.

I'm looking forward to our third meeting on Wednesday night. I cannot wait to pick this conversation back up.

Tools Discussed:

www.blendspace.com
www. tackk.com
www.padlet.com

Example Lesson: 

Grouping our PTP Cohort Participants

We are activity in the process of grouping our PTP participants into cohorts. So far, we have three cohorts with about 5 participants in each grouped by which ISTE standards they wanted to focus on. As we continue to collect goal sheets for our PTP participants, we will continue to either group them into the existent cohort groups or create new ones if we need too. I'm very excited about this process, but more excited about what the future holds for our participants.

First PTP Cohort Meeting 11/20/14

On Thursday I had my 1st meeting with PTP Cohort group (Google Hangout). I'm very excited to be grouped with other AP teachers (Erika, Lisa, and Allie) so we can start to delve into ways to incorporate technology into our AP classes in a meaningful way. 

We started our first meeting by discussing what we wanted to achieve from this cohort. As AP teachers, one thing we all understand is time is of the essence. Since the AP exam is in May, we have to make sure we make every second count.  Therefore, any technology integration needs to be essential and not just showy.  As an ITF and an AP teacher, I feel like I walk this line daily. As an ITF, I want to try new/cool tools in my class, but then the AP teacher side of my brain holds me back because I am reminded of "time" and "content" and also the fact that the AP exam is still given on paper. 

As our Google Hangout progressed, we discussed some Cool Tools to use in the classroom from Poll Everywhere and Go Soapbox. We all agreed that Blendspace is an awesome tool, but we feel like the kids are getting tired of it. I am starting to use it more limited in my own class for that same purpose. I wonder what the next "Blendspace" tool will be. 

We ended our Google Hangout by scheduling another time to meet. My goal is to have found an additional Cool Tool we can look at which would benefit AP, and then talk about how we could integrate that tool in our lessons. 

Assessing my Tech-Skills Was Harder Than I Thought!

Writing the Self-Assessment for the PTP group was one thing, and then actually having to assess myself against it was another. I'm not going to lie, there were times I felt pretty inadequate in some of the areas, and I asked myself what had I gotten myself into as a coach for this project. Was I even the right person for this job? As I looked over the assessment, I noticed I was really good at the "in the classroom" types of activities. Do I know how to use the basics of technology like keynote, pages, and Google?-yes! Do I utilize stations in my classrooms and give my students choice? - yes! Have I tried having my students use blogs, discussion boards, and other types of digital communication?- yes. However, when I got to the more global parts of education, I was drawing a blank. Am I really bringing the outside world to my students? True, I tell them a lot about the outside world, and what they can expect to encounter when they finally get there. But, do I ever really connect them to the outside? And, outside of leading professional development for my school, do I actually connect to the outside professional world on a more global basis? I don't..and then I asked myself--Why? What is preventing me? What is holding me back from doing this? Is it a matter of time? Is it a matter of convenience in not doing it? Maybe it's fear that no one really outside of my school's protected family will care what I have to say or even find my opinions important. I'm sure many of my colleagues feel the same way. 

So, I think I'm finally arriving at my very long point. In my new role as a classroom teacher/ and as an instructional technologist, bringing that "real world" into our classrooms needs to become a priority. We need to prove to our students "Why" it's important to learn what we are teaching them, and then "how" and  "why" it's important to the "real world".  Because really--aren't we doing this for the kids?

10/2: Launch of the PTP Cohort

Deciding to leave the classroom after seven years of teaching English, a content area near and dear to my heart, was a difficult choice. Embarking on a new career as an Instructional Technology Facilitator or Ed Coach was a scary decision. Being at the cross roads as an educator and deciding which path was the best one to take that would allow me to make the biggest difference was a necessary decision. 

Learning Poetry in the Elements with AP 12

Many people asked me, "Why would you make this change?" Or said, "I cannot believe you are leaving the classroom at the peak of your career." Or better yet, "What about those kids you taught? You know, the ones you taught to read. Who will teach them?" All of these are valid questions, and from the outside looking in, I may appear to be a crazy person for leaving the classroom as the reigning Teacher of the Year, but from the inside it's all about perspective. 

I made this decision to change the path of my career at a very pivotal moment for me as a teacher who had come to a crossroads in my career. In my first seven years, I had taught all levels of English from remedial reading to AP English 12 and everything in between. I had led numerous workshops on the importance of reading and writing across the content areas, how to integrate technology into one's classroom instruction, and developing pedagogy, but I felt like I had even more to offer. 

As a teacher who was willing to try almost anything to "reach my students", and one who always went the extra mile to reinvent or change my lessons on the fly if they weren't working, I saw a great deal of success and learned a lot along the way. I felt by transferring into a position that would allow me to work with all types of teachers, students, and content areas, I would be able to reach more kids than just those who I had for 90 minutes a day. Did I make the right choice? I hope so, but only time will tell. Do I think I can make a difference in my new position much like I did in the classroom? I do. However, I know in this new role my successes will come by leading those from behind the scenes and by fostering and empowering my fellow colleagues to take chances in the classroom to improve overall student engagement and success. 

Having a Hand in Shaping Students Makes the Job!

I am very happy to be a part of leading this inaugural PTP cohort. I really feel this is the key to building empowered  leaders in our school. I am excited to get in the trenches with these teachers and learn how to make our school the place that breeds the minds of the future. I'm looking forward to the wonderful opportunities that will come out of a working environment such as this.