A special thank you to the following people for helping make this happen: Vonnie McClung, Kelli Duke, Susan Manry, and all of our principals, instructional supervisors, and session presenters!
Did you think I forgot about the post this week?! I'm a little late this time and while I do sincerely apologize, it is for a very exciting reason...a system-wide collaborative professional development day! That's the buzz you've been hearing. We got the idea from LCMS-East, who were working on a school wide share session on their campus. We loved it and thought it would be a great idea to have teachers who are doing such incredible things in their classrooms a chance to show their stuff! So...October 13 will be an excellent opportunity for all of you to "flex your technology muscles" and learn about how to incorporate some new tools into your lessons. There are sessions happening in practically every school in our system and there are SO many neat things for you to learn about. Check out our LCSS Technology Boot Camp page for more information about the schedule, locations, session information, and registration (which will officially open tomorrow, October 1). Be sure to register early - seats are limited in some sessions and they will fill up fast!
A special thank you to the following people for helping make this happen: Vonnie McClung, Kelli Duke, Susan Manry, and all of our principals, instructional supervisors, and session presenters!
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I can't believe we are nearing September's end. This year is moving fast. Technology use is abounding and the requests keep coming. October 13 will be a system technology sharing day open to everyone in our system. The idea is to allow teachers who are doing great lessons with technology to share their expertise with other teachers. The idea began with LCMS East campus organizing an invent on their campus. Natalie and I were so impressed with the idea that we wanted to make it system wide. The shared Google document for sign up for each of the sessions as well as the sessions themselves, is being developed right now. Be on the lookout for both the schedule and sign up information. What a great way to see what teachers all over the system can do with technology! Teachers can take what they learn back to use in their own classrooms. Please email with questions and concerns and volunteer to teach a session on the workday of Oct 13 if you have something cool to share. If you want to do something subject specific that will be great. Keep your eyes and ears open for the sign up sheet. A big thank you to LCMS East Media and Technology group for getting the ball rolling.
I know that you all are stressed about the new year and new procedures, new students, and new schedules, BUT thank you again for remembering that Natalie and I are here to help. Please tell us if you have meetings, classes, lessons or anything else you need assistance with. We are here for supporting core subjects or individual tech needs. I am having a difficult time getting to all the 9th grade and high school course collaboration meetings. If I haven't been to yours yet, I will be coming. Happy Homecoming week and GO Trojans!! -Kim What a week! Kim and I have really been "rockin' around town" this week. We've been busy doing one-on-one sessions, small group sessions, and whole group sessions. We've shown all kinds of apps you can use with your lessons including Educreations, Popplet, LiveBinder, GreenScreen, Aurasma, and many more. But our favorite part of the week, as always, is getting to see what you all are doing in your classrooms. I have been so excited to see how many of you are applying things we've shared with you. You have taken the apps and websites we have shared and run with them in ways that work for you! What we have been most impressed with is seeing how you are overcoming obstacles that you face when trying new things. We all know technology can be fickle and that most of you are very limited with the tools you have available in your classrooms. Despite this, many of you are stepping out not only in your own use but with student use and when you have run into issues, you have adapted your lesson around whatever the issue has been. That. Is. Awesome!
As we move into a new week, I want to encourage all of you to see what is going on in your colleagues' classrooms. There are so many neat things going on just next door! Studies have also shown that a collective group is much more intelligent than any individual by himself - translation: We are better TOGETHER! Serving as your technology specialists is so rewarding in large part to the warm and welcoming spirit we get in all of Lee County's schools. Thank you so much for allowing Natalie and me to come to your schools together as system technology support. Although we have priority schools that we serve, we feel it necessary to be with all teachers at all levels and to have relationships with all the people in each building. No matter who has the technology need we want teachers to be comfortable asking either of us. We are headed in the right direction. As for what is happening with us, our schedules are full! We are visiting classrooms, holding large group professional development sessions, working with collaborative groups by subject and grade level, answering emails from all over the county, and researching various uses of technology and how each can be integrated into lessons. Teachers and students are using technology and we look forward to seeing the comfort level in technology integration increase as the year progresses. The survey data that we received from you indicates overwhelmingly that most of you are willing to learn new applications and software as well as well as increase your skill level. For those who are not so comfortable, we will help you along regardless of how "behind the times" you think you are. A big thank you to the media specialists at each school for allowing us to use your media center for helping us set up meetings. We are grateful for your allowing us to come and experiment with Smart Boards, Promethean Boards, Elmos, and other equipment that is in use in the classrooms. Your smiling faces welcome us as well. If you have used something from one of our sessions or if you are doing something you are proud of that involves technology, invite us to come and share in the experience with you. Who knows? You could be the next tech teacher of the month! Congratulations to the August Exemplary Ed-Tech Teachers Kim Hartzog (TOES) for K-5 and Drs. Dave and Deb Baltenberger (LCHS) for 6-12 for their integration of technology into class instruction and outstanding technology leadership. You all are wonderful examples of what teaching in the 21st century is all about. A more thorough description of how these teachers have used technology in their classroom will be available on our Teacher Spotlight later next week. We thank you for your efforts so early in the school year. Keep up the good work and please share with your colleagues any tips and suggestions you may have to offer! -Kim Some of the highlights of the week were the technology playground at KPS and the iMovies made in Ms. Harrell's classes at LCMS East.
If I could use only one word to describe this week it would be "run." Kim and I have been running this week! On Monday as we went our separate ways, we joked, "Okay, I'll see you Friday!" Little did we know that was almost completely true. It didn't take many of you long to begin calling on us once you got your routines in place and we love it!!! We have seen some incredible things as we have been roaming the halls in Lee County. We both have commented that we have gone into classrooms where we didn't want to leave! You all are an incredible group of teachers and we are honored to be working with you. Thank you for listening, for being willing to try new things, and for welcoming us into your classrooms. It's tough and we know that - remember that we are here for every step of the process. Don't hesitate to email and let us know what's going on, even if you just want a captive audience (though I should warn you that we will take pictures). One question we are often asked is, "Do you miss the classroom?" The honest answer to that is, yes, of course. We have had the opportunity to go serve together at the high school a few times and Kim and I frequently see former students. There are little pangs in our heart when we get hellos, questions about what we're doing, comments on how we're missed, and hugs. And, yes, believe it or not, high schoolers are still willing to hug their former teachers! We have both said that it feels like we are forgetting to go to work, like we're missing something. It is a strange feeling! But I read a quote this weekend that really resonated with me that I'll share: "I am first a teacher. My job hasn't changed, but my audience has. Now I teach teachers to use strategies and routines. My job is still to impact kids, but now I try to do it by helping teachers be as focused and effective as they can be." - Devona Dunekack, instructional coach This week, you all have shown us what this truly means with your willingness to listen, your courage as you step into the unfamiliar, and your "A-ha!" moments. And as they are with students, the rewards for supporting teachers are great. Though in just a few short years we won't have hugs from former students to look forward to as we roam the halls, we have YOU and that is something truly special. We are feeling "whole" again! ~Natalie Natalie and I have been all over the county visiting schools and we are so impressed with what we have seen. Teachers and students have begun a routine and school seems to be going smoothly. We began the week getting drenched, literally, on the way to LCES as Natalie gave some LCES teachers the opportunity to "play" on her technology playground. Teachers had a lot of fun just experimenting with apps that can be used in classrooms with no stress. Others have emailed us and set up meeting times with small groups to ask questions and share experiences with various pieces of technology. We also have a matrix that will help teachers and us. The matrix has been shared with administrators who will in turn send it out to faculty. We have done some classroom visitations at the high school upper campus and at the 9th grade campus. There have been many success stories thus far with Edmodo and Quick Key. Many have begun a web page and many have already had students and parents sign up for Remind. This job is so rewarding when people trust in us enough to ask about "things" they don't know about or are uncomfortable with. Thanks for keeping us on our toes and busy. We like it! You're gonna hear us roar with laughter and excitement as we get started on a new year full of techie adventures! It's been the first full week back with students and on top of that, teachers have been pre-testing students. Wow! You guys have been busy! Kim and I have been floating around as needed this week, though it's been a bit quieter. We expected that - we know how the first week is! A few of you have taken some time out of your busy week to have us come in to try something new and we are so excited that you are stepping out and trying out new things. Many of you have been working on setting up classes and figuring out Edmodo, some of you are falling in love with Quick Key (and trust me, if you haven't fallen yet, you will once you try it!), and a lot of you have asked us to do some research about particular apps that will be helpful in your classrooms. Others have been introduced to the 4 C's (you find helpful documents here). When we aren't out and about in the schools, we are in our offices, shouting at one another across the hall as we research: "Hey, have you heard of this?!" or "Wow! This is awesome! I just sent you the link so you can see what I'm looking at!" I'm sure Mrs. Langston and Mrs. Bailey will tire of us loudly collaborating very soon! ;-)
So, our message to you at the end of this first week is a loud and resounding, "Thank you!" We have felt so welcome as we have come on the campuses in Lee County. You always greet us with a smile and a hello when you see us. It's been quite an adjustment for both of us in these new positions as we feel our way but you make us feel needed and welcomed. Your emails and questions are a delight to see in our inboxes! Please continue to email us as you encounter issues or have questions - if we don't know the answer, we will find out who does! ~Natalie |
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September 2016
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