E3 Technology Conference: Day 2, 2016

It's been almost ONE MONTH since I attended the E3 Technology Conference that Warsaw, Indiana offers.  Which means this second installment of my conference summary is only a month overdue.  *facepalm*  Here it is at long-last!  If you completely forgot what I learned about the first day, it's worth another read.  This conference never disappoints!

On Day 2, our keynote speaker started our day off unlike any other keynote speaker I had ever listened to.  Kim Campbell kept us laughing and laughing as she told numerous stories of how to find humor in our daily lives.  I always get jazzed when I meet someone who CLAIMS middle school.  Like, it's not a stepping stone for their aspiring high school career, or the only job that was opened in the district, it's their passion.  Kim's profile literally says, "proud middle school teacher." Um. THANK YOU.  She reminded us that our relationship with our students is everything as it relates to correcting behavior, engaging students and maintaining our sanity.  She told us of a few different management nightmares she had experienced as a teacher and principal...and her response was always unconventional, shocking, and hilarious.  Kim reminded me not to get uptight about kids being kids.  And although her keynote wasn't necessarily focusing primarily on technology, she helped us view a lot of what we would later learn throughout the day through the eyes of relationship and a sense of humor.

How important. #e3Tech https://t.co/7TOJPiV9IG

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

"Middle school teachers: If you don't recognize how unique each [student] is...get out. That's how important it is." @KimCamp4Kids #e3Tech

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

My first session was learning all about Genius Hour with Janelle McLaughlin.  I have been wanting to hear more about this topic ever since reading how Laura Sexton uses it in her Spanish classroom.  Janelle taught us in a way that assumed nothing:  we started with this article that helped us learn the very basics of genius hour.  This session was a great starting point and a gathering of many helpful links and resources as I continue to search out this concept further. I was hooked after 1 hour! I think this practice has a place in any classroom at any level.

Learning from @ms_mac4 about #geniushour at #e3Tech pic.twitter.com/XrpRfDBLj2

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

After a yummy lunch, my sister and I headed back to a GREAT session led by our keynote presenter, Kim Campbell.  Although her keynote was lighthearted, this session was absolutely jam-packed with activities to get the middle school student moving about the classroom.  She gave us SO many concrete suggestions for partnering our students, initiating brain breaks, and adding simple movements to our everyday lessons.  I literally could not possible write down the amount of ideas and quotes she was giving us!  I will post links from her here soon.

"If you don't get anything else from me, get this: MOVE YOUR KIDS." -@KimCamp4Kids #e3Tech

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

The final session of the day was the topic I felt least informed about.  Jenn Brower taught us all about digital maker spaces.  As a matter of fact the term "Maker Space" was brought up a LOT all throughout the conference.  Essentially, the overarching theme was that it is no longer good enough for students to use the internet to get answers.  They should be creating material to contribute to the internet so others can learn, too.  Jenn gave us countless platforms, websites, and apps  to allow students space online to archive, share and organize their projects.  She had SO many resources inside resources that she didn't have time to share it all with us, but I definitely saved her notes for future reference.

"In general, we are takers. We want to teach our students to OFFER something to the world." -@CybrarianJenn #e3Tech

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

This conference never ceases to challenge my preconceptions of what is possible with technology, and more than that, what is best for our students.  This year, it was a huge added blessing to see the conference through the eyes of my sister there for her first time.  Just two nights ago (nearly a month after the conference) she called with excitement in her voice to tell me of a successful implementation of one of the apps she learned about that magnified student engagement to a whole new level.  I'm so thankful for Warsaw Community Schools and the Indiana Department of E-Learning for organizing this opportunity for area educators.  I'm already looking forward to next year!

I welcome your suggestions...what should I present in the future?  What conferences have you been to that you recommend?

E3 Technology Conference: Day 1, 2016

On the final Monday and Tuesday of July, Warsaw Community Schools hosts a technology conference called "e3Tech" as a part of the "Summer of eLearning" conference series from the Indiana Department of Education. Educators from all over the state gather together to learn and be encouraged about the role of technology in education immediately before the school year starts back up again.

I have attended e3Tech the past three years, and my fourth year did not disappoint!  Last year I decided to present 2 different sessions:  1 on a video editing program called EdPuzzle and 1 on the power of Twitter chats.  This year, I was asked (WHAT?!) to present my Twitter chat session again, and I was happy to do so.  Not only am I extremely passionate about this topic and the opportunities it provides to our teachers and students...but I also get 2 days of this wonderful conference for free because of my presentation! Win-win, as they say.

My lovely sister is getting ready to start her second year teaching at Faith Christian Academy in Lafayette.  She was able to come, have a sleepover, and learn a lot with me during these two days.  I loved having her and discussing all we learned together in the evenings.

On the first day we got there early, grabbed some coffee and then headed in to the Warsaw Performing Arts Center to hear from our first keynote speaker:  Rushton Hurley.  His presentation was titled "Singing Songs of Success" and included sporadic singing from all in attendance (I instantly liked him!)  He emphasized how technology can be utilized to tell stories.  He opened up Today's Meet so that at various points throughout the keynote he had us pause, converse, and add our thoughts to this ongoing conversation.  I picked up so many hidden ways to better instruction just observing how he delivered his keynote...let alone listening to what he included.  He pointed us to so many online video resources he has on his website that I felt nearly every teacher in the building could benefit from. There were so many thought-provoking quotes and reminders I took away from his session.

.@rushtonh has an amazing ability to get teachers to step out of comfort zone to serenade him with rock songs! 🎶 Fun to watch! #e3tech

— daniel mares (@danieltmares) July 25, 2016

Great thought! #e3Tech #INeLearn pic.twitter.com/yAVULn9bsC

— Annette (@annettespear1) July 25, 2016

"What is the coolest thing you have heard a student say or do in the last year?" @rushtonh #e3Tech #INeLearn pic.twitter.com/dESlG0simC

— e3Tech Conference (@e3TechCon) July 25, 2016

Comparative Inadequacy Syndrome...It's real and I've felt it. Let's fight it together! #e3Tech @rushtonh

— haggb (@haggb) July 25, 2016

After the keynote, we headed to our first session, "Connecting Classrooms to the World" by Matt Miller.  We had so much fun learning about "mystery skype" and the many ways that video chatting can be used in each level of education.  This session was so practical because not only did we get to participate in a mystery skype session at the beginning, but our surprise guest shared tips for getting started:  start with someone you know, practice ahead of time, have a map/atlas in front of you, discuss good types of questions, etc.   If I had a classroom to go to in a week, I would feel equipped to try this out in the first couple of months of the school year.

Learning about #mysteryskype by experiencing it at #e3Tech ! Our surprise guest skypes with her kindergarteners. pic.twitter.com/yRLTjRMd7S

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 25, 2016

Then we enjoyed a DELICIOUS lunch (Panera...woot woot!) and conversation time.  We headed to our second session after that.  I chose to attend "Twitter 102: Riding Solo" with Lorinda Kline.  I had been to this session before, and am very familiar with Twitter and the huge benefits it offers for teachers, but I wanted to support a close mentor of mine as she presented and become familiar with the Twitter-comfort level of the majority of the attenders.  I so value how Lorinda approaches this topic:  she never assumes that others should have it figured out and she instructs them through the basics in a way that makes people feel safe and respected.  Many teachers created Twitter profiles for the first time thanks to her!

"Riding Solo" on Twitter with teachers who are eager to try new things! @LorindaKline helping/guiding #e3Tech pic.twitter.com/59moPdadJ8

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 25, 2016

For the final session on the first day, I presented #chat.  It was one of the same presentations I did last year.  Honestly, I was initially disappointed at the very small turn-out, but when I think back I realize that there were so many good sessions to go to, it was a hard choice for me each time.  I really tried to emphasize the potential that lies in student-focused Twitter chats.  After talking with the creator of the first student chat I know of (#SciStuChat), Adam Taylor, I was re-inspired at how powerful this learning could be...but at this point I can only find TWO student Twitter chats (shout out to the awesome #SpanStuChat!). Period.  I'm shocked!  I truly hope more teachers find a way to incorporate this network of professionals, ideas and resources into their classrooms at every level.  For all the resources I offered at my presentation, see the links attached to this post.

What great energy & knowledge @maestraschemmer has! #chat #e3Tech pic.twitter.com/EmMki94dhF

— Lorinda Kline (@LorindaKline) July 25, 2016

The following day held a variety of learning and reflection.  I'll be back to share my thoughts, soon.

Teach by Video

¡Buenas noches a todos!

I QUICKLY wanted to share a great resource with you tonight.  I know many of us have tomorrow off because it is Good Friday, and for some that will start Spring Break, too.  Perhaps over your long weekend and/or break you could check out this website and see how it could benefit your students.

Introducing:  Language By Video!  This website has a tab labeled "Countries."  From there, you can click on any Spanish speaking country and pull up a list of videos (sorted by Spanish level) that people from that country have made.  For example, I used this video when I met with my class who was preparing to go to the Dominican Republic and knew from past trips that conversations in the markets were challenging.  The video is extremely short and is conducted completely in the target language.  Out to the side, they have a transcript in English and in Spanish of what is being said.

Overall, I think this website provides a lot of videos I hadn't found on YouTube that show authentic, country specific language being used in a variety of contexts.  Other than that, I have been a bit disappointed in the other resources (or lack thereof), but I think experienced teachers can come up with ways to use these videos as the basis for discussion, as a quick warm-up or intro, or even as a homework assignment after a lesson.

Take a look and let me know what you think! 

Spanish Podcast

Last year, I came across a great resource for listening and comprehension of authentic Spanish (complete with dreamy Spain accent!) :)  As a white, Spanish-as-a-second-language, young, female teacher, I always felt it was important to expose my students to the rhythms and vocabulary and accents of native speakers much different than myself.  This is one great way to do so!

Spanish Podcast is an excellent resource from everything that I have found so far.

From @VSSpanishPodcast

On their website they have a 192 available episodes with their titles.  And their twitter profile is constantly tweeting out links to episodes as well. The episodes are 100% in Spanish, mainly spoken by a male.  The entire transcripts are available online, also in Spanish.  This might be initially intimidating if you are hoping to use these podcasts in a level 1 or 2 class, but I love the explanation that the website gives for why they choose not to translate their transcripts:

"Sólo puedes aprender a hablar y comprender español o cualquier otro idioma escuchándolo, no traduciéndolo. Si hablamos en inglés para explicarte cómo hablar español, sería una pérdida de tiempo, no aprenderías correctamente y nosotros queremos que tengas éxito. Si quieres aprender español o cualquier otro idioma, la única forma es estar totalmente inmerso en el idioma."

What an indictment of the majority of Spanish programs in the United States, am I right?!  Thankfully, there are teachers like you and I out there who know that there has to be a better way than filling in the verb conjugation tables and doing a packet of worksheets each day.  Not to imply that those things can't possibly benefit some students, but they do not typically build fluency.

Granted, I have not used these podcasts in a traditional classroom.  BUT, I have assigned it as preview homework for my group of students traveling to Spain this summer in order to familiarize themselves with cultural customs and to help get their ears used to Spanish.  I gave them much the same advice that Spanish Podcast gives its listeners:

" Simplemente haz lo que puedas para entender lo que estamos diciendo mientras escuchas cada episodio del podcast. Una vez que lo hayas intentado, lee la transcripción en el blog y vuelve a escuchar el episodio."

1.  Listen and try to catch any words you possibly can.  Maybe write them down on a notebook sheet of paper.
2. Read the Spanish transcript and mark it up:  What words do you already know?  What words are new?  Which words are vitally important in this podcast?
3. Listen to the podcast again and make any additional notes about what you understood.  Also, highlight areas of confusion or specific questions you want to bring to class.

From http://www.spanishpodcast.net/faq/

Here is an example of how I used one episode to teach my Spanish travelers about greeting each other in Spain. 

If your students have Apple devices, these podcasts are available on iTunes.  If not, they are easily accessible by going to the website linked above.  They also sell audiobooks and have tongue twisters available for some fun practice with pronunciation.  One of my all-time favorite aspects of the website is their 7 videos that address techniques for how to become conversationally fluent in Spanish:  by listening, repeating, imitating, being consistent, learning from native speakers, NOT translating, and having fun!  What a great homework assignment for students who may be new to the concept of teaching in the target language!  

Have you used Spanish Podcast in class before?  Have you found other podcasts helpful?  I would love to hear from you!

#spanstuchat

It's the 3rd Tuesday of the month, so that means dozens of middle school and high school Spanish students from all over the United States (and a few other countries as well!) will be chatting tonight on Twitter from 9-10pm EST.

Two promotional slides from when I moderated #spanstuchat last school year.

#Spanstuchat was created by teachers Rebecca Huls and Kara McNeese.  The first and third Tuesday of each month throughout the school year, they allow other teachers and groups of students to "moderate" the chat (design the questions and tweet them out throughout the hour) by signing up on their website.  As in most Twitter chats, there are a variety of questions (tweeted with Q1 in front and always with the hashtag #spanstuchat) and then everyone who wants to answer, tweets Q2 in front of their answer along with the hashtag.  For more info on how to participate in Twitter chats, see this document. The unique part of #spanstuchat, of course, is that ALL of this is done IN SPANISH. #spanishteacherdream  My favorite quote from their website where they have the moderator sign up sheet and archives of past chats, is this:

Do your best with grammar, but we are not concerned about it in #spanstuchat, we just want you to communicate in the Spanish Language with us! 

I started "lurking" in the chat (reading all the tweets without really contributing my own) in order to see the level of Spanish used and the topics.  After a while it became obvious that it can be as easy or challenging as students want to make it:  some students really think through each word and submit a simple one thought answer, while others add complexity, look up new words and comment on others' tweets.

I incorporated in to my classroom for the past two years by offering it as a choice homework assignment option (1 of 5 throughout the week) because I knew not all of my students had or were permitted to use Twitter that late at night.  Each quarter I also used one chat as an extra credit assignment:  you got 10/15 for answering all questions in Spanish in live time and to earn the other 5 points you had to engage in an organic exchange with someone about their tweet.  Additionally, if I looked ahead and realized a topic would be beyond my student's knowledge, I made Google Doc help sheets and tweeted them out earlier that evening so they could prepare.

It was one of those cool moments where a handful of students who didn't always engage in other assignments RELIGIOUSLY participated in #spanstuchat and even promoted it for me among their classmates.  I strongly encourage all Spanish teachers to check it out tonight and then brainstorm ways of using it in your classroom this semester!

Social media can be an educational tool...you just have to leverage it to YOUR advantage.

#spanstuchat Tweets

Have you participated?  What did you think?
Read about fellow Spanish teacher Allison Weinhold's experience here!

E3Technology Conference: My Reflections (Day 2)

After a wonderful first day of learning about incorporating technology in education, I was looking incredibly forward to Day 2!

We began by listening to our keynote speaker, Shannon Miller.  As a teacher librarian, Shannon has had so many interactions with so many different students...and in one way or another she has equipped each of them to go after even their craziest dreams.  She had branded their school library "The Voice" because she kept reiterating how important it was for students to share their stories with their own personal voice.  I loved that the students in her building truly embraced that motto!  She showed us countless pictures, videos and news articles of students taking ownership of their education and making something unbelievable happen. One of my favorite stories she told was of a a student who showed great promise as a writer.  Shannon reached out to friends on social media and asked how to get this young lady in touch with a publisher.  Now, this girl spends lunch time skyping with her editor and publisher in New York City to discuss her four novels-in-progress. Thanks to Shannon I desired to dream bigger.

I then headed to what I knew would be a wonderful session by a Andy Streit.  He has earned the reputation in our district for his work with reinventing his curriculum in his 20th year of teaching to incorporate the corporation's move to 1:1 and becoming nearly entirely paperless in that time.  Obviously, he would be an ideal person to lead a session on Essential Apps for the 1:1 Classroom!  And, we were not disappointed.  Check out everything he taught us about here.  My favorite apps he demonstrated were Nearpod & Reflector (more to come on their uses later!).  Andy used the perfect blend of TONS of information but at a pace that allowed questions, real examples from the classroom and even some experimentation time.  Thanks to Andy I desired to dive in with less trepidation.

At lunch I had the pleasure of becoming more acquainted with two of the new teachers hired at my beloved Lakeview.  It was so encouraging to see experienced teachers already mentoring them, and also to see brand new teachers with the desire to learn, try new things and ask questions.  Lakeview is undergoing a ton of huge changes this year (new principal, 1:1 for the first time, over 10 new teachers hired, etc) but I am so confident that our students are in great hands!

After lunch, I learned how to make Excel my BFF with Amy Mencarelli.  Amy is the perfect person to teach me something intimidating like Excel.  She is upbeat, she is relaxed and informal, and she is incredibly knowledgeable.  That, mixed with a group of teachers who asked great questions, lent itself to a lot of applicable tips and shortcuts that I had never known before when using Excel. She showed me things like how to format multiple sheets at the same time (hello MUCH faster Cross Country Season Records!) and also how to concatenate (WHAT?! Excel is a genius robot!).  My mind also really benefited from big picture things ("Think of Excel as a much smarter calculator").  Thanks to Amy, I desired to be more efficient in the little things. 

The last session of Day 2 was my last presentation.  I had the honor of teaching 12 educators about the "Vast World of Twitter Chats."  You can read about the first Twitter Chat I helped to create, or some helpful resources I have found on Twitter as a teacher, as well as what my presentation description was at E3tech. We worked under the assumption that these educators were already on Twitter and knew the basics, but didn't feel like they were truly tapping into the resources others spoke of.  So, I taught them the basic "how-tos" of Twitter chatting as well as some of the best education chats out there to date.  But the last half of my presentation tried to focus on how student directed education Twitter chats are still few and far between.  I challenged them to think of how student learning in their content could be amplified with regular Twitter chats like #spanstuchat or #scistuchat.  I really hope that some of the teachers in that room experiment with reaching students via Twitter chats...I think they have huge potential! The Haiku Deck I used is here, as well as the Smore flyer I sent around with additional notes and links if you would like to look over exactly what we discussed.  Below, I included the mock Twitter chat we participated in during our session. You'll definitely want to follow these new "Tweachers"!

#e3tchat Tweets 

And once again, no prizes won for this Maestra :( BUT I left with a huge smile on my face due to all the transforming conversations that were had and the electric encouragement that is spread when so many inspiring educators are in the same place.

(This professional development opportunity brought to you by the Indiana Department of Education's Summer of eLearning.) *Applause*

E3Technology Conference: My Reflections (Day 1)

What a wonderful two days of learning we have had!  Every year this conference gets me energized and inspired to make differences in the lives of students by thinking outside the box.  And this year, although I am for the first time not preparing to welcome students into my Spanish class in the next two weeks, was no different!  We heard incredible stories, made unbelievable connections and drank in TONS of new possibilities.

Let's all take a moment to thank Indiana eLearning for this opportunity.  *Applause*

Day One:

As our first keynote speaker, Todd Nesloney blew our minds with each story he told of how "students stop having limitations when we as teachers stop creating them."  He challenged us to hold students to extremely high expectations.  But something I heard repeated throughout his stories was the idea that we as teachers must hold ourselves to that same high level of expectation.  Not in that our classrooms have to be perfect and all our papers have to be graded on time, but in that our students deserve our best effort everyday to blow THEIR minds.  The part of his keynote that stuck out to me the most was how he opened:  with a picture of children in mid-lurch at the start of an Easter egg hunt, with excitement flashing through their blurry movements. He posed this poignant question that really got to me:  "How is it that children have such natural awe and wonder at things and yet often those same children, by the time they sit in our desks, have somehow lost that?"  Thanks to Todd I desired to be more engaging.

Then, I had the privilege of presenting what I have done in my classroom with EDpuzzle in a small breakout session.  You can read my first experiences here, or read what my session description was here.  I was so thankful for the 18 educators who came to learn about this video editing tool and how they might be able to use it to enhance student learning.  If you want to learn more about what we discussed, my Emaze Presentation is here as well as my Smore flyer with additional links and notes.  Here are the thoughts and comments we exchanged on Twitter about my presentation:

#e3edpuzzle Tweets

Next, we had a delicious Panera lunch as we enjoyed further conversations with educators and companies we made connections with earlier that morning.

Two more sessions we available in the afternoon.  I chose to see some of my former colleagues present (Dr. Chris Boyd & Mrs. Val Weinstein) about engaging apps to use in the secondary classroom.  These two ladies have a reputation in our school for experimenting with new things, learning quickly and utilizing innovative technology for student learning in ways the rest of us only dream of.  I knew I couldn't miss their session!  Thanks to them, I learned about ThingLink, Pocket, and many others.  Check out their presentation here! My mind reeled with the many ways these apps could have positively affected student learning in my classes the past three years.  Thanks to Chris and Val I desired to venture outside my comfort zone to find new answers to recurring problems.

My last session of the day was spent learning from Justin Weaver about the best ways to go about blogging and using social media to advertise your school or classroom.  He even taught us some best practices of photography (which I am clueless about!).  Many times these conversations are a little over my head, and although I didn't get everything that was being discussed, I definitely benefited from tips that were mentioned (for example, how to interpret stats from your blog, some design suggestions, options for featuring student work, etc).  Thanks to Justin I desired to be more intentional with my blog.

Great prizes were raffled away to finish up Day One, including a Chromebook, an iPad mini and a 3D likeness of yourself thanks to the 3D printer everyone was excited about.  I'm decidedly NOT a lucky person when it comes to these types of things, but it was awesome to see area teachers get incredible things they could use in their classes or for themselves.

I left PUMPED to see what Day Two had to offer!  I also left so encouraged and thankful for the school corporation we live in where the educators that impact students in our area are so motivated to be their best. Have I mentioned that this place is my dream job?! :)

My Confession...and Resolution

I guess I have to come clean:  for much of my adult life, I have been a thief.

Probably much of my student life, too, if I'm being honest.

In the name of full disclosure, my stealing was as a result of laziness, not intention.  But, still.  Even just this summer I was regularly in the practice of using images made by someone else and never never NEVER giving credit.  My mind reels to the dozens upon dozens of PowerPoint presentations I have made teaching, the brochures and marketing that I did for our trip to Peru, the countless handouts and worksheets that I have tried to "spice up", and the hours upon hours that I have spent Tweeting or reTweeting something I liked.

So.
Many.
Images.
Used.
"Borrowed."
Stolen.
And no concern whatsoever for citing their origin.

Perhaps that lack of concern is rooted in the fact that I assume everyone feels as I feel.  I have a laid back personality in this respect.  I couldn't care less if someone knew my name or not.  I despise being the center of attention.  I can't think of a scenario where I would demand credit for anything.  Most of the time, I do my best to push credit (even deserved credit in some instances) to others.  I've always found humility to be an attractive quality.

And then Twitter rocked my world in SO. MANY. WAYS.

Recently I over-read (oversaw? eavesdropped? stalked?) a conversation I found to be rude and ridiculous.  Five or six people were ganging up on one individual who had tweeted an image without citing who created it.  They attacked like a flock of vultures who saw an opportunity to pick their prey apart.  Did they have a valid concern?  Probably.  But it's hard for me to hear anything you are saying when you are obnoxiously rude and petty about it.  My empathy is for the other person and you become the bad guy instantaneously.  And then one apparent-vulture-lady Tweeted something to the same effect as the vultures, but with all the emotion removed and just the facts stated objectively. Not vulture-like after all.

@justintarte @stumpteacher @surreallyno Need 2 note it's not yours. Don't share w/o making effort 2 track it down 1st. #digitalcitizenship

— Mirna Jope (@MadameMoodle) July 20, 2015

Their words specifically caught my attention because Justin was Tweeting exactly what I had done/felt before.  I never claimed to create this.  What is the big deal?  Isn't it assumed that everyone "Google Images" what they need and comes up with something they didn't create?  Mirna was Tweeting something so black and white, something I would tell students, and something I myself was not doing. Ouch.  As I searched for more #digitalcitizenship Tweets, I came across this one:

Such a great point! If we don't model, how can we expect Ss to follow #digitalcitizenship #leadbyexample #FPSteach https://t.co/eUpIzGkCe4

— knives chau (@iwearthecrowns) July 7, 2015

OUCH. (Have I said that in this post yet?!)
How can I create projects where I require students to cite their sources if I'm not bothering to cite mine?  How can I expect the librarian to co-teach with me for 2 days to correctly explain the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing when the remaining 178 days I undermine what she just taught?  How can I continue doing what I've been absentmindedly doing for the past 5 years if I want to improve in so many other areas?

I think the big "AHA!" moment came when one of my blog posts about "Tweachers" really took off.  I mean, "took off" for me.  I posted resources for teachers found on Twitter and all of the sudden some of my educational role models were posting my link on Twitter!  Before I knew it, people I didn't even know were linking my blog post in articles they publish weekly.  For those of you who have largely successful blogs, just pretend you remember what it felt like when you were first getting noticed :)  It. felt. good.  I liked seeing my name next to work that I had put effort into.  I liked getting credit.  I liked people knowing my name because of my work.

Wait, WHAT?!

And all of the sudden, it clicked.  All of the individuals out there who have created visuals, photographed incredible scenes, and come up with ideas better than mine deserve credit for their accomplishments. And that doesn't make them self-centered or rude or demanding.  They don't even have to care about it, to be honest.  It is my responsibility as a professional and as a respectful human being to make whatever effort necessary to give others rightful credit.  In word or in deed.   And I'll be honest, I have very little clue of where to start.

Here are the links I am currently searching to find out more about how to be a more responsible digital citizen and how to teach students about digital citizenship as well.  With more and more schools moving to 1:1, I am realizing how pertinent the need for teachers educated on this topic and actively modeling this topic truly is.  So, feel free to browse along with me if you find yourself in the same boat as I am:

1. Curating vs. Stealing
2. Why Digital Citizenship Should be on the Minds of Educators
3. 6 Resources for Educators
4. Teacher's Guide to Digital Citizenship

My "next step" for the moment is to read through these articles (and more!) for future change, but also change in small ways immediately.  Recently, I have begun just tweeting someone and asking/checking if I have their permission to link something to my blog, Smore eflyer or even in a presentation in advance.  They always say yes, but some do specify "please give credit."  Which I no longer think is self-seeking, but rather a legitimate concern.

I should include that Justin (the man I mentioned who was attacked by vultures?) corrected his mistake for all to see.  I was pretty impressed that someone with his platform for influence would admit an error and post the correction publicly, even when that correction came because of vultures.  And the kind not-vulture lady?  She kept being kind :)

@justintarte @betamiller Thanks for fixing it, Justin.

— Mirna Jope (@MadameMoodle) July 20, 2015

E3Tech Conference

The E3Tech Conference starts 1 week from today!

Didn't you hear me?! What are you waiting for? Stopping reading this blog and go register to attend!

Seriously.

Click here before you go any further.

Overkill? I think not.  I have personally attended this conference for the past two years and it has been my favorite professional development of all time. Warsaw Community Schools organizes and hosts the conference, which means it is always extremely well done. Presenters come from all over the country with a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise, which means you can learn about all the "up and coming" things in the world of #edtech.  They give free prizes (I'm talking ipads, classroom sound systems and subscriptions to software here, no joke) .  You network.  You eat Panera. WHAT ELSE IS THERE IN LIFE?! It's two days of stretching, learning, experimenting, and planning for the upcoming school year.  If you miss it, you're silly.

Need more convincing? Thanks to the E3Tech Conference, I personally have learned about flipping my classroom (thanks, Brian Bennett!, inquiry based learning, blogging, using Google for more than just gmail (thanks, Matt Miller!), setting up video conferencing, recording my voice with Fuze, using Evernote for student conferences (thanks, Heidi Class!), teaching character development in every subject (thanks, Angela Maiers!...AND, not to mention, this was the conference that first introduced me to the wonderful world of Twitter 2 years ago (thanks, again, Lorinda Kline!).  The keynote speakers I listened to TWO years ago still stick with me because they challenged my preconceived notions of what technology could and couldn't do.  Should and shouldn't do.  I can still remember direct quotes from these speakers because they were that poignant.  That relevant. I tell everyone I can that if you can pick one conference to go to...GO TO E3!

Not sure what you will find there? Read on!

"There will be sessions offered in the beginner, intermediate, and advanced categories, for primary (K-2), intermediate (3-6), middle (7-8) or high school (9-12) levels.  General sessions applicable to any grade level or subject area will also be available. One-hour breakout sessions and longer workshop sessions will focus on interactive, hands-on learning. Earn Professional Growth Points (6 per day) while preparing to reengage your students with knowledge you can immediately apply." -E3Tech Website

For the first time this year, I will be presenting at the conference!  I am both humbled and PUMPED to get to share two ways that technology has truly impacted my learning, teaching and my students.  It feels like "giving back" to the conference in a way because I have benefited so much from what others have shared!

My first presentation will be held Monday, July 27 at 10:30am.  It is called "Video Lessons Using EDpuzzle."  Earlier this year, I blogged about my first attempts with EDpuzzle in the classroom.  I plan to use this session to address how any secondary teacher could be using EDpuzzle in a variety of ways.  My short description of this session states:

As we learn more about "flipping our classroom" and integrating 1:1 technology in our schools, it is vital that we find the right tools to use. EDPuzzle allows you to make any video your lesson! Participants will learn the basics of how to upload a video, edit it, embed quiz questions and assign it to their classes. They will see how EDPuzzle grades assignments for you and the resources that are available for teachers as we see what students do and don't know. Before leaving, teachers will create an EDPuzzle account and experiment with how they can use this in their content area.

 My second presentation will be held Tuesday, July 28 at 2:00pm.  It is called "#chat."  Earlier this year I blogged about a specific Twitter chat I helped to create.  I hope to address not only how Twitter Chats can grow one's professional learning network (PLN) but also how they can be used for student learning. My short description of this session states:

Are you new to Twitter? Come learn how to grow professionally by participating in the wide world of Twitter chats. Feeling clueless about what Twitter chats are? This session is for you! We will learn chat etiquette and "how-to's" as well as be introduced to a few of the most popular educational chats going on now. Participants will also learn how to create Twitter chats for ongoing student dialogue after school hours. Please come with a Twitter account already created.

If you are interested in attending the conference, here is the recently posted schedule of presentations.

If, by chance you can't make it, be sure to check out the hashtag #e3tech on Twitter later for ongoing dialogue about what we are learning!

#e3tech Tweets

Tweachers

Twitter. has. changed. my. teaching.

About a year ago, I began to hate Facebook for the unnecessary intimate details I read daily about everyone I knew. Around that same time, I began to enjoy Instagram for the simplicity of a picture with a caption.  But now Twitter is becoming my new obsession for its combination of the strengths of other social media: simplicity (just 140 characters) and access to everyone and everything. 

(Found on Twitter, ironically.)

My school corporation (and especially my building principal) really encouraged all teachers to create a Twitter profile at the beginning of the year, "because it is leading the new wave of professional development in education."  I was skeptical. I pictured all the celebrity twitter accounts that middle school students flock towards and I couldn't imagine what I would gain from participating. I had recently attended Lorinda Kline's presentation "Twitter 101" at the local (AND AMAZING) E3Tech conference where I learned the basics of what Twitter has to offer and I created my account.  However, my principal really peaked my curiosity with his avid endorsement of using social media as a tool.  I dove in.

What I found AMAZED me.  I still categorize myself at the "AHA!" stage of the scale given above because I am still just dipping my toes in the incredible amount of resources and knowledge available for teachers on Twitter. Here is a list of the top 5 ways to use Twitter if you are a teacher (although there are countless more) :

1. Twitter Chats: Join in all types of real-time online conversations taking place on twitter between educators.  A chat will be scheduled ahead of time by a moderator who will then tweet out questions at specific intervals.  You can "lurk" (read along without participating) or tweet answers back and reply to others.  Chats are some of the best ways to get new ideas, share your observations and also connect with dozens of educators, administrators and educational gurus around the world.  Read this to understand how to participate and look over this list to find some chats you might be interested in!
2. Articles: Many educators will send out links to what they have recently read. Instantly, you have easy access to multiple books and articles that come highly recommended. Here is one that I have read recently thanks to Twitter.
3. Inspiration & Encouragement: When you are feeling discouraged or frustrated, Twitter is full of funny pictures, quotes, and memes regarding our jobs and problems.  There are also an unlimited number of quotes about education that serve as a great reminder in the midst of all the chaos. This one really stuck out to me.
4. Blog Updates: If you enjoy reading blogs (she says on her blogpost...) then Twitter is great way to get notifications when your favorite bloggers write a new post.  Many bloggers will tweet a link to a new post (like my favorite blogger, Maris, does).  And many "Tweeps" (people on twitter) will have a link to their blog in their profile (like you see here on Allison's page), so you might even find brand new blogs to check out.
5. Conference Snippets: Have you ever wished you could attend a professional development conference but you were stuck at home instead?  Thanks to Twitter, many times you can follow what is going on by reading tweets with a hashtag that represent that conference.  People who did attend might quote speakers, post pictures, or relay their reflections for the benefit of everyone who had to miss out.  Search hashtags like #campmusicuentos, #iste2015, #allwrite and #e3tech and read what's been going on.

Summer is a perfect time to get away from the paperwork, grading, phone calls, and late nights associated with teaching. Even while traveling, spending time with family, attending or ditching a conference here and there, and spending some time near the water everyone can still find some time to create a profile on Twitter and begin to use these suggestions to move from "denial" to "curiosity."  Start now! You never know what you may find and how it may positively affect your teaching this coming fall. Tweet away future "tweachers"!

World Language Week: Duolingo Initiative

Last year, I tried to encourage my students to dabble with the app Duolingo , especially during World Language Week.  Although not perfect, Duolingo does an excellent job of making language learning fun and addicting.  It also encourages students to practice each domain:  reading, writing, listening and speaking.  Unfortunately, not many of my students took it upon themselves to download the app on their own time and see the wide variety of language options the app had to offer.

This year, I figured they needed more of a formal introduction.  So, I got approval from my building technician to get Duolingo added on a class set of Ipads.  I also encouraged students to create an account over the weekend so they could log in immediately in class.  When they arrived, we logged in to their accounts (or created them) and I walked them through the basics of the program:  the languages they can choose from, the 3 hearts per skill, lingots, etc.  I also explained how to add friends on Duolingo and gave them my username so they could see how many points I was earning. I then encouraged them to tweet screenshots/share their level, points, and fun phrases they were learning with the hashtag #LMSwlw (Lakeview Middle School, World Language Week) and I turned them loose!  You should have HEARD my classroom as students were talking in German, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Italian, Irish, etc.  It was beautiful!  They had a lot of fun competing with each other or seeing what someone else was learning.  I listened to multiple conversations about comparing grammar to Spanish or translating a word to Spanish...L3 to L2...NOT L1!  I was so impressed by their focus for a whole class period and their repeated desire to try again once they failed.  Success!

I had multiple students speak with me at various other points throughout the week, commenting on how they "passed" me, or asking me if I had gotten to this lesson in French yet.  Students were much more willing to work on their own the rest of the week after having a class period to dedicate to getting familiar with it and getting "hooked."

So far, so good.  I am learning the importance of instilling a love of learning and an interest in all languages and cultures...not JUST Spanish.  I'd say it's working!

#WCSmission

This past Monday evening, many teachers, administrators and staff members across Warsaw Community School corporation participated in our first #WCSmission Twitter chat.  It was from 8-9pm and it was moderated by myself, a fellow teacher from an an area elementary school and our corporation PLC Coach.

About 25 adults participated, including building principals, assistant principals, elementary, middle and high school teachers, special education teachers, technology directors and even our superintendent!  It was so encouraging to learn from colleagues and to hear everyone's vision for our corporation.

I created a simple Word Document that walks through the basics of chatting on Twitter.  Here is a link to our archived chat as well, if you are interested in reading through the questions we posed and the many answers we received.

Our plan at this point is to continue every other week.  We have gotten lots of suggestions for future topics and more and more adults in our corporation have mentioned joining in future discussions.  It is so exciting to see people work together across grade levels, content areas and even languages to better our students' educational experience.

Have you considered starting a chat within your school, community or corporation?  I think you would be surprised at the number of people who still haven't tried Twitter or who haven't truly accessed all there is!  Perhaps you could be the person to open their eyes to the world of resources available.  

Voice Recorder Pro

The way our current tests are set up, students step into the hallway with me to have a quick conversation for their speaking test.  It is usually between 5-8 points, and it involves the student answering a few questions I ask them in complete sentences.  While I greatly value the one-on-one conference with each of my students, the obvious downside to such an exercise involves time.  28 students X 2 minutes each X 3 classes = lots of time spent not "teaching."  I am constantly trying to come up with activities the rest of the students can be doing that are truly worth their time while I am not instructing/monitoring.  Plus, the conversation I am having with one student generally feels rushed and pressured as I am always with one ear turned towards my classroom.

I am convinced there has to be a technological advancement out there that will make this process more efficient.  This year I began experimenting with Voice Recorder Pro.  It is a free app that allows students to record their voice, play it back, alter the speed of recordings and export these files to various locations.  It has truly streamlined our speaking tests!

Pros:

1. Each student can take the speaking test at the same time, instead of waiting 2 days to speak with me.
2. Students can listen to their own answers and learn from their mistakes and my comments instead of trying to remember what they said or how they said it by memory.
3. The anxiety related to conversation being "put on the spot" is greatly reduced when you can think first and re-record later if necessary.

Cons:

1. Instructions took quite a bit of time the first time we used the app together.  There are many options and many different features for the students to sift through.
2. The best option we could think of for me to hear each recording was for the students to export the file to DropBox.  But, each time, it uploaded the MP3 file along with a text coding file.  Our DropBox account had to be cleared out regularly.
3. Each file has 2 names you can edit.  One just changes the name inside the app, but the other will change it when you export it, too.  Trial and error!

I will continue to use this app as often as is feasible while we aren't yet 1-to-1.  I anticipate it being even more helpful when students have a device in class each day.  

EdPuzzle

Thanks to my #langchat family, I was introduced to EdPuzzle a few weeks ago.  Since I have been researching flipping my classroom and simultaneously planning for our switch to 1-to-1 next year, I thought this would be a good app to get familiar with.  Here was my experience and reflection after my first assignment:

Pros:

1. The tutorial videos on their website walk you through each step of the process.  I can normally figure tech-stuff out on my own as I go, but having these videos to refer to was really helpful.
2. Their customer service is unlike anything I have experienced before!  When I tweeted a question/comment, they responded almost immediately.  When our school filter blocked something, they gave us a possible solution. They were ON it!
3. The data you receive from your student's submissions is incredibly detailed.  You can see how many times they viewed each segment.  You can see class averages.  You can see a question by question break down with individual students listed by the level of reinforcement they need.  You can easily export the report to Excel for printing or other manipulation.
4. Students do not need an email address to create an account.  This is just one more way of eliminating unnecessary steps in the process.  They can easily login via their Google account, or they can opt out and create a separate account.  So nice.

Cons:

1. Without being 1-to-1 yet, I had to guarantee lots of notice for my students without internet access to be able to complete the assignment.  After a 5 days' heads up...I still had students in each class that didn't even view the video.  Not exactly "flipping" a class!
2. It was more challenging than I expected to find a video I wanted to manipulate in the first place.
3. Our school security filters currently block YouTube which means EdPuzzle does not function properly on student devices if I get my video from YouTube.  (They did say a future upgrade will fix this problem, though.)

For my first video, I chose an advertisement for Mexico City.  The speaker speaks quite fast and uses words that my students are unfamiliar with, so I did small voice overs in certain spots to make it more comprehensible.  I also included 3 multiple choice questions based on current vocab and grammar structures. Students were challenged but they were not intimidated.  The class average was above 80% on each of the 3 questions.

Overall, this app was something I really enjoyed experimenting with.  I am already plotting my next assignment for the coming weeks.  I took our first assignment as simply a completion grade (which I never do!) so that students could familiarize themselves with the program.  I look forward to when they are confident with it and we can utilize it to its fullest potential!

#LMSespañol

If you do not have a teaching account on Instagram or Twitter...you are missing out!  I (finally) got on Instagram last year and only this year really started utilizing Twitter regularly.  They have been game changers for me!  Here is one way in particular that I have had success using Instagram:

Somewhere online I found the idea of creating an Instagram challenge.  Students would be given a list of daily hashtags (words used to group or label photos) and asked to post pictures related to those topics.  When done in the target language, this can be an effective way of assessing if students are understanding difficult vocabulary or possibly even getting them curious as to more challenging words not yet studied.  My first challenge was to promote World Language Week at school, so I came up with these for the month of March.

I posted pictures daily and used #LMSespañol along with #marzo and the daily hashtag as well.  This way, my colleagues and administrators can easily see what my class is doing by simply searching our class hashtag. I tried to think of spring-type word and I also used our school calendar to see when we had school-wide events they could incorporate. Students seemed to like seeing what I would post and coming up with their own creative ideas.  During one of our homework choice assignments, I even let students choose to participate for seven days straight in this challenge and submit it for credit.  Overall, it was a good start.

I tried a second challenge over the summer to encourage students to continue to use the language even outside of school.  As fun as I thought it was, I didn't get much student involvement.  Many of the teachers from my building who follow my school account jumped on board, however, so it wasn't a total loss!

My favorite Instagram challenge by far was our most recent one.  This December I came up with yet another list and promoted it much better this time.  I had it posted in the hallways, I posted a count down online and I even offered prizes.  Many students participated between 1-5 days, a few did more than that...and three students posted every single day!  It was a lot of fun to see their daily updates in Spanish.

Upon further reflection, I realized that a month is probably too long of a time to keep up the excitement.  I think a shorter challenge for one or two weeks will probably gain more momentum. Enjoy some of the goofy/creative submissions I received from our #diciembre challenge.  How could you incorporate Instagram into your classroom?  What suggestions would you have to improve this idea for the future?

#EnLaBiblioteca 

#emocionados

#gemelas

#gemelos

#ComoSanta

#Ciencias