Sometimes I get bogged down with what's going wrong in the larger ed reform world.

During those times it's helpful to focus on what we have the power to change immediately as we continue to advocate for those changes others need to help us create.


Math teacher Justin Aion started this hashtag on Twitter and I ran with it enthusiastically (there's no other way I run)

Many of the ideas I shared in the #ThingsTeachersCanChange list are directly inspired by YOU-things you've told me, things I've seen you do, things we've discussed together that matter in ed.

If you or your students are feeling demoralized and need a bit of a pick me up, click the image to read the hashtag ideas, and also please add your own ideas! (If you need to make a Twitter account, contact me and I will walk you through it.)  These are things you can change right now and you may like them. I'll be out of town on Saturday, but this is my way of helping the cause, using somethign I know how to do

Yesterday CMS delivered 3 carts full of shiny new Chromebooks. They are ready to go now (interested in how we got a 24 hour turnaround? see below) so head over to signup genius to reserve them for your end of the year digital needs!

Links:

• Piedmont Tech Signup (Signup Genius Link-use your CMS email to login)
  
• Chromebook procedures for teachers (private staff wiki link)
  
• Chromebook and Drive Instructions for students
• Online Learning Rules and Procedures for students
• Chromebook Usage Video Tutorials (my homemade)
• Drive Usage Video Tutorials (my homemade)
• Professional Tutorials via Atomic Learning- Passwords posted on private staff wiki, on media center doorway as you exit into the hall or email me.

Note: Ms. Newburger has streamlined a system to make the sharing of our school tech as smooth as possible. Please respect her work by adhering to procedures while the Chromebooks are in your care. Especially note that they are not as rugged as our iPads.

Setup Details:
The rest of this post is for those interested in how we keep up the Chromebooks. It's not the prettiest - but it keeps things organized when lots of people share!

Our district configures and manages them for us. Ms. Newburger figured out how to share them efficiently when we check them out to classes. She tapes down the cords so they don't get jumbled indaily checkout. She labels each cord to cut down on confusion and she puts an arrow label to help teachers see when a chromebook is missing . 

Setup workflow:

See photo above

1. take new Chromebook
2. Assign it a number on inventory list
3. Write it's number in sharpie on back of Chomebook/ total of chromebooks in cart.
4. Write it's cart number for easy return if we take them to another room for testing or if teachers share more than one cart.
5. Hand chromebook to helper.
6. Helper read out the serial number as you record that number on inventory list.
7. Helper place the chromebook in it's numbered slot and plug in
8. Repeat
9. Add new cart to your checkout form (we use Signup Genius)
   
10. Let the 21st Century learning begin!
    

Open Letter from A PD Facilitator 8 months into the job's creation

Dear Faculty, 
Figuring out the job of PD Facilitator in a school full of vastly differnent but equally skilled teachers, I realized that the idea of personalized PD was the way I wanted to go. Rather than showcase only one style, I wanted to share the best things about all the different styles of teaching that happen in our building so we can take what we want from each other.

Not only do we have to recognize that ways of teaching we ourselves would not choose are valid and productive, we must realize that for a school to work, to run smoothly and to serve all the various needs we are tasked with we MUST all be different, and continue to be so. PD should help us use and develop our strengths to compensate for our weaknesses. Therefore it MUST be personalized.

I am facilitating PD by showing you each other and then you choose what you want to take from that, where you want to go. I am always here for your requests for any specific thing you'd like support on, but while you are in your classes being amazing, I am showcasing what the other amazing around the school and putting that in the weekly newsletter so we can inspire each other.

This is kind of backwards to what I thought PD was going to be because the PD is coming from each other and I am just the conduit but it seems right when I am surrounded by so much intelligence, talent and craft. We are getting ideas from each other and are also you deserve to have someone recognize and brag on your skills and ideas! 

Update: The article mentioned in the last link of this article is an example of being connected via an online PLN.  https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-04-09-charting-the-pd-waters-with-badges came about via a PLN connection. I admired Laura Fleming's work, and because I followed her on Twitter, was able to connect her with Edsurge.

I was asked to share why I like being part of district PLNs so when I went away last weekend, I used my time at the airport to film myself talking about why I love having an online PLN - a global learning network of educators that I can learn from via social media like Twitter and Yammer, and how it is good to have district connections within that PLN.

Upshot:  You willl get  new views, great ideas, and a lot of inspiration and practical tips from connecting to others on social media.

I love the idea of a PLN as personalized professional development. Along with  badging I hope it is the wave of the PD future.  I can help you discover the ones that suit you or help you navigate the ones that are not intuitive.

Thanks to Ms. Hall for sharing thisKQED article about the need for variety in learning. It reminds me of our  PD book discussions from Wednesday's meetings and it is also a big focus in CMS right now. Contact me if you want to know more about personalized learning and shout out to Mr. Kennedy for his at-your-own pace quizlet review (see one here http://quizlet.com/40384714/set-2-personal-descriptions-flash-cards/ )  and below is a tweet of Ms. Hall's students using it!