#OneWord2018 ~ Happy New Year

2018?   Seriously?!

As I sit here reflecting on the past 365 days, I wish I could say that I even had an inkling of where this past year has gone. It's been a year of many ups and downs- the true epitomy of balance I guess.

Last year's word was balance which is something I need to continue to work on.  My family may disagree with me, but I truly feel that I have made progress in this area. Although I spend far too much time on my iPad and computer (it's a major part of what I do, a passion, and a connecting point for friends near and far) I feel that I've spent more time with my family over the past 365 days- not just physically, but truly engaged with what's going on around me. This past summer was by far the best summer I've had in years. Although my brain is always thinking school, I was able to disconnect from work and enjoy mountain biking and kayaking with my family at our cabin. I found that I really enjoy the tranquility of kayaking and although my phone was with me, it was solely for taking pictures!

I also traveled to Houston to take part in the Apple Distinguished Educator Academy where I was able to meet  Twitter friends face to face, people who I now consider some of my closest friends, despite the miles that separate us. This was such a positive experience on so many levels and one which I will cherish for years to come.

Putting a year behind my belt in my new position has given me peace of mind. Switching positions was a positive move and was a major factor in helping me achieve to begin achieving, the balance I was looking for. I was nervous about leaving the classroom and missing the connections I had with students and families, in fact, it was quite an agonizing decision. Although the connections aren't as deep as when you have your own classroom, they are still there and they continue to grow as students and teachers get to know me better.

So... where do I go from here? I'm the first to admit that I need to continue to work on balance, however, I think this is something I will ALWAYS have to work on, so I'm moving on to my 2018 goal while continuing to keep balance on the front burner.

So here it is.... my #oneword2018

Picture taken by me with my iPhone at South Beach, Miami~ ADE2015

This year, I need to work on believing. 

I need to believe in myself. 
I need to believe in my dreams. 
I need to believe that I can achieve balance (see how I worked that in so it's still on the front burner?).
I need to believe in the decisions I make.
I need to believe that I am just as worthy as everyone else.

At ADE Academy we were told.... "You deserve to be here."~  I need to believe that.

So with that said, I BELIEVE! I believe that God has a plan for me and it is all in His time. I believe that I need to put my faith in Him, stop selling myself short, and start putting my health and my family first. Life is too short to sit back and always wonder if you can do it better, faster or if you should have done it different. Live life to its fullest and cherish every day!!

#OneWord2017

As I reflect back on 2016 and my #oneword2016, a barrage of feelings and memories, both positive and worrisome, came flooding back. It's hard to believe that only a year ago, I was teaching first grade and immensely enjoying the class of kiddos that came through my door each and every day. I had a supportive parent group, a great group of colleagues, a fantastic school community, and a beyond awesome global PLN on Twitter, yet I felt a craving for change. I was burning the candle at both ends teaching full time, spending hours upon hours every night seeking out technology integration ideas and trying to find time for my family (yes, that was unfortunately the order of how things fell- sad to say the least) Unsure of what the change was that I was looking for or how I could pursue something I wasn't sure of led to the choosing of that one little, yet powerful word, Hope. Hope, that God would guide me and help me realize his plan for my future, both personally and professionally.  

I printed off the image I created above and taped it to my classroom file cabinet, made it my screen saver, and found various other places to display my one word as a constant reminder of the hope I had and was entrusting to God. At one point I took things into my own hands and applied to teach 1st grade in a different school within my district. I got that position and at the end of the year began to pack up my classroom, excited for the new adventure, yet wondering if the choice I'd made was the right one. I'm not one to make big changes, I like a bit of routine and structure to my life, so this was completely out of my usual comfort level. Maybe I was trying to prove to myself and others that I was capable of doing something so drastic, who knows.  As I moved into my new building and began setting up my new classroom I became excited about the upcoming year, my new students their families, and how I would make this new room an inviting place for learning, yet, I still wondered if this was the change, the pursuit, that I was yearning for since it was really the same as what I was already doing, just in a new location with new colleagues, students, and families.

It was about a month later that I realized that taking things into my own hands defeated the purpose of placing hope in God's plan for me.  An opportunity arose that left me reevaluating my decision. I was torn, confused, and at the same time beyond excited at this new possibility. An unexpected opening had become available which would allow me to continue to teach and work with students while utilizing my passion for technology integration as an Elementary Digital Learning Specialist. This was truly a match made in Heaven and should have been a no brainer however, it took many days of weighing pros and cons, going to bed one night saying I was going for it and waking up the next morning saying, no, I'm sitting tight in 1st grade before I finally told my husband that I was going to put my name in and this time, truly put it in God's hands. 

That was then, and now, 4 1/2 months later I am beyond grateful for the changes and new adventures that have been put in front of me. I am working to define a totally brand new position and am loving it! I have much to learn but am reminding myself that it's one day at a time which has lead me to create my #OneWord2017~ Balance. 

All good things come in time and learning the ins and outs of my new position is no different. I am finding that I can balance my time differently with this position. I"m not quite sure how to explain it as I am just as busy as I was as a classroom teacher, but in a very different way. I'm still working with students and using my passion for technology integration but am finding that I now have more time for my family and they are once again becoming my #1 focus. I can still serve others, but I need to serve my family first- something that is long overdue. I have many bad habits to break and have many times had to remind myself that my work will wait. I'm working hard to say, "Yes, let's take that walk in the woods, I can send this email later on." Balance, yup, that's my one word and it's a BIG one. One that will definitely challenge me from January to December and well beyond, but one that I need to put all of my heart, soul, and effort into. I once again have printed off my picture and will be placing in multiple spots to remind me daily of what I am truly after this year.

So to 2016, I say thank you. You will forever have a special place in my heart as I am grateful for the many wonderful opportunities, connections, and changes that occurred last year but I am ready to hit 2017 head on and find the balance in life that I have been truly craving for many years. 

Here's to a fantastic and well balanced 2017!!! 

How do you want to utilize iPads?

 I recently presented a day long workshop for elementary teachers and asked them to post what they wanted from the apps that they utilized in their classrooms on a Padlet board. I was extremely excited to see that the transformation from skill-based app use to purposeful, daily use for learning, creating and parent involvement was something that these teachers were realizing needed to happen.

iPads are a PHENOMENAL tool and so often, are underutilized in our classrooms due to our lack of knowledge, time, or the perception that our students are too young to handle the creation-based apps and collaborative aspect that iPads can bring. 

As a former 1st grade teacher, I can tell you with 100% certainty, that even our youngest students can handle these skills! My first graders never ceased to amaze me with how they handled the challenges I put in front of them. Every time I thought we reached the pinnacle of what was developmentally appropriate they proved me wrong. 

Please don't short change your students by handing them an iPad to "play on" during Daily 5. Skill-based apps certainly have a time and place and can be a great addition to pieces of our curriculum for short term practice but the true power happens when your students can use the ipad as a TOOL and show what they know, showcase their learning and share that knowledge with others. 

I often times have people tell me that that transformation just isn't possible with limited devices and unfortunately I often times am not the one that they will believe when I tell them it is totally possible as I was fortunate to be 1:1. I may not be able to say it from my own practice, but I can tell you that I have been in classrooms that only have 5 devices or use a shared cart of devices that are making these transformational shifts in their students' learning. Angela Gadtke, a former kindergarten teacher from MN (now Seesaw employee extraordinaire), was one of these teachers. As I followed her on Twitter and then had the privilege to meet her at TIES and talk with her in person I realized even more the great things that were happening in her classroom with five and six year olds. Yes, FIVE AND SIX. It can be done my friends!!! Does it take hard work, creativity and perseverance? You bet! Will it be worth it in the end? Oh my, YES!!!!!  I challenge you to see out those that you know are transforming the learning landscape in their classrooms and follow them on Twitter or if they're in your building, find some time to stop in and spend a few minutes in their room to see what they and their students are doing. Transformation happens in small steps, and this is a simple step to take on the journey.

Another resource I encourage you to take a peek at is the book, Innovate with iPad by Karen Lirenman and Kristen Wideen. Here's the website with more information about the book. For more amazing ideas/information, check out Karen's blog and Kristen's blog. I also wrote about this book in a previous blog post.





And here's 1 more resource you should check out from fellow ADE, Ryan Wiggins (@1stgradetech). He's written a book, Highlighting What You Can Do With 1 iPad in K-2, which is available for free in the iBooks store. Check out his website for even more ideas and inspiration.

New paths, new adventure

This summer has been a summer FULL of 
change,

           excitement,

                      anxiety,

                               reflection,

                                         growth and

                                                     lots of prayer.

It all started in May with making the decision to try something new and shake up my world just a bit by deciding to move my 1st grade classroom to a new building in the district. For those that know me well, I am extremely flexible, but a lover of big change I am not. Despite my typical personality traits, I was excited for the new adventure. I dug in and began packing my classroom, digging through age old resources and pitching what I hadn't used or even looked at in eons. It was amazing what I was holding on to and for what reason?

No clue!

 

The week after school was out, I finished boxing up the last of my things and my husband and 2 sons came to school with the trailer and we began the daunting task of hauling everything out of my room, loading it on to the trailer, driving 9 minutes down the road and unloading it all into my new room. Over the course of the next week I began unpacking things into the cupboards when I got word that I would be moving into a different room due to a resignation. 
No problem... I stopped where I was at and decided to wait until the cleaning crews were done to move things to the new room which was just one room over. 

Fast forward 1 month and one life altering email later and I am once again packing up my classroom, but this time, to bring it all home and store it in my basement. 

Yes, I am taking a leap of faith and am leaving the classroom to take on the role of a Digital Learning Specialist. This is a new position in our district and one in which I can help to impact the technology usage of many teachers and students, not just my own classroom of 21. 

This decision did not come easily, especially since I do love the classroom and the connections that you are able to make with students and their families; but sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to continue to grow, see the magic, and reignite the passion and dreams that you have for yourself. Coming from someone that is not a risk-taker in a lot of ways, changing my career path in this way is not something that too many people probably saw coming! The image to the right really hit home for me and helped me to take the plunge. 

I am so very excited to see where this new position will take me, but even more so, I am SUPER excited for what this position will be offer to the students and staff of the 2 buildings I will be working in! 
So- here's to a new year and BIG changes! I will be continuing to blog about the things I am doing, but the posts will be covering a wider-range of grades now, not just 1st grade. I hope that you will continue to follow along on my new journey!

It's been a long time coming...

When I started this blog, back in 2011... yup, WAY back in the day, I didn't put much thought into my blog title. To be honest, this blog was supposed to just be a way for me to reflect on my teaching and digitally document some of the things I was doing in my classroom for evaluation purposes.

 Little did I know all those years ago how important this blog would truly become to my growth as a reflective educator. Who would have thought that others were actually interested in what I had to share and had questions about what I was sharing. I have built some fantastic connections with educators from around the world, in part, because of this simple little blog. It's nothing fancy~I haven't paid big dollars to have someone create a template, it's just been 'lil ole me playing around with the settings to create what I like (boy have I screwed things up and learned a lot from all the experimentation) Plain and simple, this blog has simply been a labor of love.

With all good things though, sometimes we need to reframe, rebuild, or remodel and that's where I am at after all these years. For several years now I've wanted to redo the look of the blog and change the name, but the inspiration, creative juices and TIME just weren't there. ( the red, traditional, teacher and apple motif just wasn't cutting it!) This summer though, much has happened and I am entering a new chapter in my career as an Elementary Digital Learning Specialist. This change prompted me to find the time to update the blog and after a lot of reflection, I even came up with a new name. The purpose and target audience of this blog has twisted and turned and turned like the bends in a river over the years but the main theme has always revolved around digital innovation so it seemed fitting to me to re-title the blog, 

"Digital Meanderings"

I'm excited about the new look, title, and general feel of the blog and am excited to continue sharing what I learn as I make this transition to my new position! 

Here's looking forward to another 5 years of connected learning!

Ready, Set, Go!

Wow! It's hard to believe that it August already! Seems like forever since I've blogged, but with good reason- It's been an extremely busy summer here! I won't go into ALL the craziness, but one of the biggest was that I moved my 1st grade classroom to a new building in our district.  Talk about being amazed at how long it takes to pack and move everything, but even more eye opening was how much stuff I truly have and how many boxes I needed! Oh. My. Gosh! What was I thinking moving to a new building??

My classroom went 

from this....

to this! 

On a positive note, it provided me with opportunity to do a lot of purging! I can't even tell you how many trips I made out to the dumpster! Despite the mess of it all, it will be great to connect with new families in the small country school that I am switching to. I'm excited for the new adventures that the new year will bring.

Speaking of dumpsters, this was my backyard just a few weeks ago. Another of the crazy, unexpected things that took place this summer. Our roof sustained hail damage and needed to be completely replaced.

What. a. mess! 

So, here we are... just a few short weeks away from a new school year! There are still a few crazy things on my plate and I can't get into my new building until August 11th, so I've been busy with some Personalized Summer PD! I attended EdCamp Global (#ECG2016) and participated in several fantastic sessions! I've also been participating in various webinars- everything from great uses of Seesaw to using BookCreator in multiple content areas to Google tips and tricks. My mind is swimming with all sorts of new information and I'm continuing to mull over how I can best take this information and apply it into my curriculum. I am a firm believer that tech should not be used for the sake of using tech, but rather to enhance and transform learning!

I also played around with and learned how to use a couple of new sites this summer. Buncee was the first site I played with. On Buncee you can create, present, and share multimedia presentations. I used it to recreate my ABC's of first grade for my new school. I'm thrilled with the way it turned out and am excited for parents to be able to easily access this through my classroom blog, The Dog Blog

I also started playing with Adobe Spark. What a fantastic site to use to create beautiful social graphics! I can see this being a wonderful way to create visually appealing slides for some of my presentations. I really love the way this one in particular turned out!!

So with 3-1/2 weeks left of summer break and knowing that part of that time will be spent setting up my classroom, I can honestly say that with the exception of #10 below (I'm not a coffee drinker) I have enjoyed each and every one of these 12 things this summer! #7 is always near and dear to my heart and I so appreciate having the extra time to dig further into things that during the school year get put on the back burner. 

I hope you enjoyed your summer break as well! Did you get to enjoy most of these as well?

 Here's looking forward to a great new year!

Quick side note: 

#EpicPals will be starting again in the coming weeks. I am currently working on getting the September boards ready to go.

Reflections of an ADE- Part 2

An organized, late night picture of tech central
 (minus my glass of wine)

...4 questions, yup, that's all, except there were limits on how many characters you could use for each answer. How in the world do you share, succinctly and creatively, how technology has transformed and innovated your teaching when it's been a 5 year journey? I think writer's block took over before I even started! I walked around for about 2 weeks pondering that question and the other 3 before I could sit down long enough to begin penning my responses. Once I did though, the reflective journey kept me up many a late night (sometimes with a glass of wine to get me through) and always with my computer, my iPad and iPhone, and a pack of post-its for old times sake to jot ideas as I went. My kitchen table turned into tech central.

In addition to the 4 questions, I also had to bring my story to life by creating a 2 minute video showcasing my learning environment and how Apple technologies has transformed teaching and learning. 
This was my entry...

All in all, I spent about 50+ hours putting my application together and to be honest, there were a few times that I almost said, "I'm done, forget it" as it took so much of my family time away. We even cancelled a trip up to our cabin as my wonderful husband knew I'd get more accomplished at home on the WiFi than at the cabin. In the end, I'm so glad that I persevered. Reflecting made me realize just how deep my passion runs and how far I've come since those early days. 

Waiting for the video to upload so I can hit SUBMIT!

March 1st was the deadline, and I used every last minute to fine tune both my video and reflection questions. It was quite a celebration when I finally uploaded my answers and video and hit submit. Yup, even had to take a picture! Whew! Done! I slept better that night than I had in weeks! Let the wait begin!!! 

On the night of April 21st I started seeing people tweeting that they had gotten in. My heart sunk as I didn't hear anything but after a few hours, began to realize that all of these people were alumni that had applied and were being accepted. At this point, the wait was excruciating! When would we find out? 

The next night at around 9:30pm, I again saw people tweeting that they had been accepted. I remember telling my husband it was happening and the 2 of us sat on our computers and iPads constantly checking my Twitter feed and email. Still nothing... the anticipation of just not knowing was the worst. Funny story with this though... we were watching my Twitter feed, school email and my iTunes email address and hitting refresh literally about every 30 seconds. After about an hour and a half we decided to just go to bed with the thought that I didn't get in. I'm terrible about email so I checked one last time and then also checked my personal email quick, and there it was... an email from the ADE Program from about 30 minutes prior!! All that waiting and worry and it was there waiting for me the whole time! I'll be honest, I was scared to open it though. I wanted to know what the answer was, but at the same time, I didn't. 

Needless to say, We opened it and I was speechless, and for those that know me, you know that doesn't happen very often. It was official, I was selected to join the Apple Distinguished Educator Class of 2015!!

I am beyond humbled, excited, and thrilled to be on this journey. I have made so many new connections already and am excited to be able to learn from others with the same passion and desire that I have. I am excited to see where this path may lead and what opportunities lie ahead. I am still in disbelief and probably will be until I get on the plane to head to Institute,  I get off the plane in Florida, I actually walk in, somebody hands me my registration materials and pinches me! Yup, I think it's going to take somebody pinching me as it all still seems like a dream--- a dream come true!!!

Image credit: Apple

Reflections of an ADE- Part 1

And so another year has come and gone. Hard to believe that it was just 180 days ago that a new batch of 1st graders came to my classroom with various interpretations of what 1st grade would be like... some excited, some shy, some nervous and some who, well, were ready to just move in and get started the minute I met them. All 17 of these kiddos in their own ways amazed me this year! We had a phenomenal year of learning together along with many ups and downs along the way- learning is always messy and never comes in a neat little package.

As I mentioned in a post awhile back (yes, it's been awhile~ sorry about that! Time has gotten away from me with the various commitments I made this year) some major things have happened in the past few months- some disappointing and some fabulous!  In my classroom we always ask for the bad news first so we can end with the good, so I'll do the same here and not dwell on the negative for more than a paragraph. 

As a district, we've had a vision for technology integration for quite some time. We've been chipping away at making this vision come to fruition by adding devices to classrooms, providing professional development for staff, and educating our parents and community members. We were at a point that funding was a big hindrance to the vision and so we brought our proposal to referendum. This was the 3rd time in 5 years that we've done this, but every other time, other items were attached to the referendum and it failed each and every time. Sounds like the next sentence will be positive right? but remember, start with the bad before the good. Well, needless to say after many planning meetings, share shops to answer questions and present the information to our stakeholders, and much blood, sweat, tears and passion... our referendum, with technology only, also failed. It's been a very disheartening blow, especially after putting 5 years passion into this. I walked around for a few days afterwards just numb, literally numb of all emotion. I taught, I put on a happy face for my students and my colleagues and said, we'd find a way, but in my heart, I was just numb. Nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch- devoid of emotion. It was sad and I didn't have words to explain my disappointment. I am still frustrated by the outcome of that vote, but as I said above, you can't dwell on the negative and so I've moved on and continue to implement what I know is good for student learning. The answers are coming, but the timeline will be much longer than planned. But that's a post for another time as that's my paragraph, and a long one at that.

On with the good... in November of 2014 I finally met Sue Gorman face to face at a conference. I have followed her on Twitter and connected a little here and there over the past couple of years. We spoke only briefly as she was presenting but she encouraged me to apply to be an Apple Distinguished Educator. I have admired those that have attained this title. I follow many "of them" on Twitter as well as their blogs. I have networked "with them" and collaborated "with them" on projects all with star-struck eyes; but when Sue told me to apply, I kept telling myself, I wasn't of that caliber. Not me. I just teach 1st grade. What's so innovative about what I am doing? I will say, it has been a dream of mine for a few years, but I just didn't think I was at the level needed to make a run for it. I looked into it, but applications were not being taken at the time and so I put it on the back burner with the intent of checking into it again at some point. On February 3rd, I received an email from Sue simply stating, "Please apply kind friend! The ADE Application is live."  That email sent me into a tailspin. I clicked on the link she had sent and logged in with my Apple account to see what would be involved in applying. The application process consisted of 4 questions and a 2 minute video and was due by March 1st. Ok, 4 weeks to get it all together, seemed doable. Once I read the questions though, I quickly realized that this was going to be quite a reflective journey, and reflective it was. 
Part 2 coming soon.... 

Thoughts on Professional Development

https://twitter.com/sjunkins/status/435786318862249984/photo/1

I came across this image as I was surfing for new integration ideas. This has been an ongoing topic of discussion between myself and several of my techie friends. I often hear teachers say that they want (insert device here) in their classroom but in the next breath they ask when the district will offer them the professional development to use it or complain that they haven't gotten enough PD on the device, or worse, they get the devices but don't embed them into students' learning, at least not to the best capabilities of the device. Not long after this you begin to hear how they want the  next latest and greatest gadget. And so the story goes....

I remember getting my first iPod Touch in 2009 and opening the box to read the directions, only, there weren't any directions. I had to turn it on, play with it, experiment, go online to read and then I began to surf YouTube to watch videos- in essence I did my own PD. It took me a couple of days to learn what I needed to be comfortable but the hands-on aspect of that learning was far more beneficial to me than attending a 2-hour workshop. 

This is still how it is. I like to try and stay ahead of the curve so I am constantly venturing out on my own and searching for new integration ideas, technologies, and like-minded individuals. Twitter has been a great resource of ideas and like-minded techies. There are blogs galore dedicated to technology, technology integration and educators at every grade level just looking to embed technology into their teaching and then sharing it. I have learned so much from all of these avenues. PD is not something that should happen twice a year during an inservice but rather should be an ongoing practice. I know not everyone agrees with that statement, but as the other saying goes, 

So... you choose- do you want to wait for someone to offer you your professional development? or do you want to get out there, find it, try it, and share it?  

Tech is great but...

When the little things in your room start to happen that have nothing to do with tech, your heart begins to jump for joy. Sorry this post has absolutely NOTHING to do with tech but rather with the gains that my students are making despite the technology. 

My students this year have a wide range of needs ranging from visual impairments to autism, to needing a communication device, to cognitive disabilities. It is by far one of my more challenging years as an educator when it comes to meeting their needs, moving them forward and helping to coordinate the number of support staff that travel in and out of my room in the course of a day (at last count I had more than 14 individuals that work with my students in some capacity!) I have had many a day that I have come home and sobbed, felt like I am not an effective educator or contemplated how much longer I could do what I do... but then..... the wonderful happens....

you step back and begin to notice the little things such as:

1) My visually impaired student for the 1st time turned and pair-shared ON HIS OWN without a reminder and got himself right in the thick of the conversation! Awesome!!

2) My little guy who needs a communication device has gotten harder to understand recently but when stepping back... it's not because he's regressed, it's because he is talking soooooo much more that I just can't keep up with him. What a wonderful feeling to know he is that comfortable in my classroom to communicate without his device!

3) One of my CD students has made some really nice gains with her letter/sounds and is making progress in how to use a socially acceptable voice level when needing to talk to others. Just reminding her to use a soft voice, has started to pay off.

4) Another of my students learned to zip her jacket on her own last week. We jumped for joy and hooted and hollered to the point that the secretary came out to see what the commotion was all about. What a huge jump of independence for this little one!

5) Their independent skills have grown to the point that I feel we can finally do many of the things that we would normally tackle in November.... better late than never!

6) The room is beginning to have a hum of camaraderie, togetherness and helpfulness... everyone is accepting of everyone's strengths, weaknesses and differences! We are truly a school family- and that includes all of the adults that work in the room!

I know these seem so small but if you spent a few days in my room, you too would realize how BIG these small things truly are. 

That's why I am writing this post.... so I can come back and reread this post every time I have "one of those days"... you know, the ones when you go home and think there is nothing positive happening....the ones that make you wonder if you are in the right profession even though you can't possibly imagine doing anything else. The ones that have you staying up late pondering what else you can do to get a student to learn his letters and sounds short of standing on your head while wearing a red nose and singing the alphabet song. (Hmmm... I may have to try that one actually)

Teaching truly is a work or heart and I love what I do... the kids are truly the heart of what we do day to day (no pun intended being that this post is being written on Valentine's Day!) sometimes you  I just need to step back and relish the small things.  Thank you my young friends for helping me to again realize why I love what I do!

*Updated to add: One of my little guys today FINALLY learned how to tie his shoes independently!! SO Exciting... watching him today persevere on this task when normally he would come up and put his foot in your face and say, "Help me" was unbelievable! It truly was the icing on the cake today!

random mumblings and ponders

WARNING.... WARNING...

the following post contains lots of random thoughts and unanswered questions. Read at your risk!!**

On Friday, the model technology classroom team met to discuss various aspects of our journeys. We discussed everything from celebrations to frustrations, created a checklist for staff who come to our room on walk-throughs, discussed how we evaluate the apps we choose and began to create a rubric that district employees will eventually use to purchase apps through the Apple Volume Discount Program for schools. We also started to tackle the daunting task of assessing the validity of using devices in our classrooms and analyzing test scores.  Our district is going to referendum in the fall and part of our task has been to pilot these devices to show how they transform student learning. The goal of having these living, breathing laboratories is to be able to have others in to see technology in action, to experience it first-hand and not just read or hear about the benefits.

 It has been a journey to say the least, one which has brought with it much joy and excitement but one that also leaves me constantly wondering... What next? Which way should I head now? Which device and when? Which app and why? I don't take this task lightly and I don't want to be "doing apps" for the fun of it.

I want my instruction and tech usage to meld together, to be seamless in how they complement each other rather than the devices just being "the stuff" that we have. So often others think it's about "the stuff" and in my mind that's SO far from the truth.  I also often wonder if the goals I have are achievable by first graders developmentally. Do they have the knowledge base or developmental ability to make choices on which tool or app is the best for the job or is that something that I will need to always determine for them due to their ages?? I KNOW first graders are capable, I have from the start, which is why I applied for this task, but to what extent? Are my visions a little overboard or is it ok to set the bar sky high knowing that next year things will be smoother because I will have tried things and will have a better start to what worked, what didn't, and what needs to be tweaked to be better.

So my next adventure on this journey.... blogging/digital publishing/ writing with my 1sties! I have wanted to do this with my kiddos all year but haven't been sure where to start or if I should or could. We do things on our class blog together, but I want them to blog or participate on a blog independently or with minimal guidance. I know they can do it but should they still be doing paper and pencil writing? My feeling is Yes! Technology is great but there's still something to be said about putting your thoughts on paper, I think...  So when is the right time? How often should we do it? Can it be an independent but monitored activity during our Daily 5 time? What is the best site for what I am wanting? Can I /should I have them just respond to blog posts related to our learning that I create or should it be more individualized with them doing their own writing?

So how do these ramblings relate? Well yesterday, during our model tech meeting I happened to be multitasking and saw a tweet from @Grade1 (Aviva Dunsiger) that mentioned a post one of her students had done on their blog so I checked it out and the bug bit me again- Hard! What I saw inspired me to start thinking about this all again. The best part though is that I contacted Aviva through Twitter and she was kind enough to respond back to me with an  offer of Skype'ing with me to answer some of my questions. I can't wait... I don't think she knows what she's in for... good thing for me Skype is free- can't imagine how much a long distance call to Canada would have cost "back in the day"!

Anyone else want to weigh in on this subject? I would love to network with others who are in this boat or wanting to head out on this journey with our littlest learners as well.

WASB convention

Along with good conversation, networking, and friendship came frustration, problem solving and glitches. Technology is such a wonderful tool For learning and collaborating but over the last 2 days it has come with its frustrations. It reminds me that to learn, one must make mistakes, problem solve, and remain calm at all times.
Last night, 4 of my model classroom colleagues and I traveled 2 hours to present at the WI School Board Association Convention. We talked, laughed,and learned from each other. We shared positives and frustrations in our journey but most of all we enjoyed talking tech and being social.our presentation was ready, our passion on fire and ready to share UNTIL.. We arrived in our conference room and discovered that we did not have Internet access short of sharing the wifi connection in the hallway. We frantically, No scratch that, we collectively began to problem solve. In the end, it all came together and we were able to share our message... Successfully!!
I won't go into all of the frustrations of the last two days ( I almost threw my "stuff" out the window yesterday) as every day brings its challenges. I will say though....
Technology rocks! It brings endless possibilities for learning and collaboration, problem solving and frustration and yet continues to push us forward in positive directions and FRIENDS, well... friends are the glue to all things
Thank you my model tech friends... You know who you are. You all rock!

For anyone interested in seeing our presentation, you can view it here.
http://prezi.com/jew-coi9aolc/pulaski-wasb-model-classroom-presentation/

Student Reflection

In preparation for an upcoming presentation at the Wisconsin School Board Association Convention later this month, I interviewed my students using the following 2 questions. The first question was a bit tricky for some seeing as they only have kindergarten to refer back to but some of my kiddos really had some good insight. I then used ReelDirector on the iPad to compile some of their interviews. I'll post it here once I put the finishing touches on it.

1. How has technology changed the way you learn?
2. What do you most enjoy about the technology in our classroom?

I also emailed my students' parent and asked them:

1. Has your child being in the model technology classroom changed your child's motivation for learning? And if so, how?

I have received several responses, all positive, including the following:

• XXXXX is more excited about school this year, and he largely talks about the technology that he is learning with. He is more confident using technology including our home computer, email, ipods, ipads, etc.  Because of this increased comfort level he is able to do more on his own which makes him want to learn more and try harder.  I also love how the technology has been incorporated in order to have fluid communication with the parents.
• Yes!  I feel that xxxx’s  motivation to learn has improved.  There is another level of excitement he feels when he goes to school.  He gets to wonder what he might get to do in his day.  There is also a connection made with older peers and family because of his technology knowledge.  He is helping his grandpa learn how to use his new Kindle!
  
  
  I feel that xxxx  is better equipped to deal with trial and error because of this opportunity.  He is more open to listen to, and try out new ideas.  He has learned that there is more than one right way to reach a goal.
  
  
  Xxxx  loves to use the computer, I pod, etc.  The fact that he can use something he loves in school to facilitate learning makes an even greater impact on what he learns and how it is retained.
  .  

and then there was this response...

•  I would have to say that while my daughter xxxxx was already a motivated learner, being in the model technology classroom has definitely enhanced her motivation and encouraged her to learn in other ways besides as a result of traditional methods of teaching.
  
  The truth is that we live in a highly technological age – technology is progressing at a very rapid pace. In order to properly function in society as adults, our children have to become proficient with technology and maintain the ability to adapt to the rapid changes technology makes.  Starting out this type of learning at a young age can only help students as they get older in my opinion.
  
  Since starting to use the technology in your classroom, xxxxx has branched out in her learning. Rather than just asking me the typical curiosity-seeking 6 year old questions, she asks me if we can go on the Internet and look the answers up to those questions. As you know, my husband and I have Ipod Touches. xxxx can use my Ipod and while I watch, can search the Internet for her answers. We’ve loaded several of the apps that you use in class, such as Teach Me and rather than watch TV, she sits and uses those apps. She’s constantly learning – and more importantly, WANTING to constantly learn. And, she’s even taught me a few things about my Ipod that I didn’t know!
  
  By allowing them to practice emailing you and us (parents), they’re learning letter-writing skills and the proper format for composing letters. That’s an important life skill and rather than being bored and learning in a tedious way, they’re having fun “writing” emails on an Ipod or IPad in addition to their paper writing.
  
  Another positive that I see is the keyboarding skills that she’s gaining. She already knows where all the letters are on the keyboard and doesn’t have to “hunt and peck” when she’s typing.
  
  I could go on, but I think I’ve given enough examples to show that being in the model technology classroom has definitely increased xxxx's motivation and passion for learning. Thank you for the opportunity!

"WOW" was about all I could say after reading that well thought out response. I feel very privileged to be able to facilitate this adventure in first grade and although we've definitely had our trials and tribulations, I continue to be impressed with the learning and motivation that has come out of using the various technology in our class.

Word Work with a Tech Twist

I am working to embed multiple technologies into our Daily 5 Word Work routine to give students a more hands-on, multiple intelligence approach to learning and practicing our high frequency words and our vocabulary words.

Smartboard games

Currently, students have several options available to them and I hope to add more as they are ready.

One of the current options is to use our SMARTboard to play various games that I have created or modified to go along with our weekly high frequency words and our Words Their Way sorts. I created a folder on my desktop that houses each of the files that my students are allowed to use at this time. When I first introduced this option, I modeled how to get into and out of each document, how to minimize what was currently on the board such as our D5 rotations documents, and how to solve little glitches that come up. My students have done a fantastic job of using this area independently. I only allow 2 kiddos on the board at a time.

using Prezi

 Another option, or rather once a week requirement, is using our iPad to review the week's vocabulary words from our reading series. I introduce the words whole group on the SMARTboard using Prezis that I have created. Students then grab an iPad at some point during the week to review our vocab Prezi at their own pace and then write them in their vocabulary notebooks using the Prezi Viewer app which is free!

The other option that my students have is to use their iTouch to work on various sight word based apps. Currently we are using Teach Me 1st grade and Word Bingo by ABCya. I have several other great apps but am introducing things slowly so that students are comfortable problem solving and are able to work independently so that I am able to meet with my guided reading groups.

At one point, I had given each of my students a Word Work 3 In A Row card which I had laminated. It was their job to X off their choice each day and when they got three in a row, they received a small prize. I strategically place my "have-to" areas (Vocab prezis) on the chart so that they would have to do it to get 3 in a row. I have since abandoned this as it was time consuming for the kiddos to go and get their sheet and X things off prior to starting. Not to mention, it was turning into a nightmare for me to manage. We now are checking in on the SMARTboard and kiddos know that if they choose Word Work that they need to pick one of the above options.

As glad as I am to be done with the wonderful idea, I do think that it had its benefits at the beginning of the year in giving my students a visual of all their choices. Will I use these again next year? Hmmm... ask me in the fall... still pondering that one or how I can tweak it just a tad to make it more manageable.

And the journey begins...

This week I am attending a professional learning academy with other teachers interested in integrating technology in the classroom as part of my model technology classroom journey. It has been a very exciting and yet mind boggling couple of days all wrapped into one. I have been blown away more than once with the knowledge of the people I am attending with. It has definately been a time of growth and reflection.

One of my model tech classroom colleagues summed it up very well yesterday...

Techno-overload!

Yep, that's about right... Summer brain has had to go out the window in a hurry to keep up with all of the information that we have had thrown at us!

One of the presenters shared this wonderful Technology Integration Matrix

The matrix illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance learning for K-12 students. The matrix shows the five levels of technology integration (entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation) along with the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments (active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal directed). Each of the 25 cells also includes a math, science, social studies, and language arts video example to illustrate the integration. The videos cover a variety of grade levels including K-2.

Watching some of these videos has my head spinning as to how I can move my teaching along this continuum with our youngest learners. I am bound and determined for my model technology classroom to not be all about "the apps" but rather for it to be a learning environment in which technology is embedded seamlessly into our curriculum as often as possible. Yes, the apps will be there and have their place in our day, but there is so much more out there that even firsties are capable of doing.

I'm looking forward to starting this journey and sharing with you along the way. Stay tuned for details....

Have you seen this video on 21st Century Education?

This is an awesome video from the New Brunswick Department of Education which our technology director showed to us at one of our committee meetings recently. It really hit home for me and makes me all the more excited to be one of the model technology classrooms for our district.

I'd love to know your thoughts after you view the video.

Packing and Pitching and Purging, Oh My!

Our school year has come to an end~ the kiddos have gone home, the college kids have started their cleaning and I am sitting amongst PILES of stuff as I am in the process of moving my classroom from one end of the building to the other. We're only 3 days into vacation and a small part of me is  feeling the anxiety of being ready for next year already- not because time is flying by, but rather because of the long list of things that is in front of me (moving rooms wasn't originally on that long list but has moved up to the #1 spot) Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining as it is going to make me go through (hopefully) all of my stuff and decide what I really don't use or want anymore. We have 2 new teachers joining our team so hopefully they will be able to benefit at the same time. I keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time... get everything moved to the new room and let it sit for a few weeks, then when my boys go to summer school for 2 weeks in July, hit it hard to unpack and organize it all in the new room.
On a more exciting and positive note, my iPads have arrived for my model classroom (yep, that's one of the things on my long list for this summer) and I was able to check one out to bring home and play with over the summer- another reason I want to get everything moved- so I have some iPad play time.
well, back to work.... I'm ironing my seat sacks which I brought home to wash for next year.  Cross one more little thing off my "To do" list.