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There are certain tools that are so flexible and easy to use that their potential use cases are infinite. Google Forms has recently added some new features that make it one of the go-to tools I recommend to even the most tech-tentative educators. Previously, educators needed to use add-ons to make their Forms self-correcting, and the question-types and design options left much to be desired. But the new Forms have been leveraged by the teachers I work with in such creative and productive ways this school year. They are worth recording in this post so that more students and educators can benefit. Use #1: Flipped Activity Instructions The Pain Point Our middle school physical education teachers sometimes use videos from Ninh Ly's Rules of Sports YouTube playlist  to teach their students the rules of a sport before they head outside to play it. The downside is that playing the videos during class time takes away from precious active time on the field or court. With class per...

As we near the end of the school year, teachers are working harder than ever to keep their students engaged and to maximize every single day they have left with them in the classroom. Teachers are the superheroes of education and there is nothing more important in a teacher’s day than the face-to-face connections they make with their students. According to renowned education researchers Robert and Jana Marzano , “Teacher-student relationships provide an essential foundation for effective classroom management—and classroom management is a key to high student achievement.” To ensure that limited face to face time in the classroom can be as meaningful is possible, teachers are using digital tools to bring learning and sharing beyond the classroom. And, when everything teachers do every day is listed, it is truly amazing to imagine how they juggle it all. So, what does a typical digital day look like for a teacher who is doing this well? Before the School Day Begins Check a...

Many schools are now 5 or more years into their BYOD or 1-to-1 programs and progress has stalled a bit. Early adopters, both students and teachers, continue innovate as they explore increasingly creative uses of the device. The majority have come on board and are relying on a smaller set of device functions, and are willing to continue learning and improving use. A smaller set are still critical of the program and are not integrating beneficial functions of the device in their classrooms. According to the Diffusion of Innovation Theory , which I've referenced before , this is normal. But it can still be concerning if the gap between the early adopters and the critics continues to grow and student experiences are vastly different from classroom to classroom. It is healthy for any social system, such as a school community, to have critics who question and push everyone to clarify their thinking and improve their practices. But critics that refuse to budge can have a negative imp...

Education is constantly evolving, and intelligent innovative educators are ready to evolve with it. Sometimes the professionals who are ready to step into leadership positions are on the younger side. Pulling together the right support system and mindset is essential to the success of educators with these aspirations. I had the opportunity to learn and present with some of the top young education leaders this weekend at ASCD's Empower conference in Anaheim, California. In a carousel-style workshop, we shared with (and learned from) fellow leaders to develop our skills and bring a refreshed mindset back to our schools and districts. Here are our top 4 takeaways: Saying "Yes" and Taking Chances Amy MacCrindle , Director of Literacy from Illinois, reminds young leaders that sometimes all it takes is 3 little letters to take the leap into leadership. Her experiences can be narrowed to 3 pieces of advice: Amy says, "opportunities that fall outside your comfort...

As new, but important, initiatives are rolled out in schools there are bound to be bumpy patches. It can be tempting during these difficult moments to apply a quick fix and move on. Here are some examples of situations in which this is common: A small number of students are struggling to complete a new element of a learning task, so the teacher completes it for them for the sake of moving on to the next lesson. A teacher is not yet comfortable with a digital platform – such as GSuite – and an administrator permits him to turn in evaluation evidence on paper despite an existing paperless policy. To be clear, I am not referring to accommodations that students with learning difficulties need in order to have a level playing field. I'm referring to quick fixes that make things easier, but do not help learning happen. These quick fix/Band-Aid reactions might ease stress temporarily, but they will not help the learner develop a necessary skill or master essential content in th...

Often connected educators advise their new-to-the- PLN (personal learning network) colleagues to create a separate Twitter/Instagram/Facebook account for professional purposes. While most are already connected to family and friends on social media, many are not yet using social media as a means to professional learning and growth. Dipping their toes into using social media for professional purposes is less intimidating if they get to start fresh with a brand new online identity, one that is separate from already existing personal accounts. But this is a myth. Make no mistake, a separate professional online identity might be a good place to start. It helps rookie connected educators learn the general etiquette and norms around sharing information, asking for feedback, and building a PLN. They can do all of this without feeling as though their personal life is suddenly public. The purpose of this post is not to discourage that practice. Crossing a Social Media Threshold The ...

If you have ever been the lead teacher, technologist, or administrator tasked with finding the right tech tool for your school or district, here are a few scenarios that might seem familiar: You walk through the flashy fun exhibit hall at an edtech conference. The vendors are friendly, helpful, and give you plenty of hands-on opportunities with their product. You leave with handouts, email addresses, and lots of hope. But when you get back to school, you feel overwhelmed as you flip through all of the information. What’s next? As you look for a solution to your school/district’s particular situation, it is easy to go with one of the big companies with a big reputation. They might be exactly what you need. But they might also have a big price tag, inattentive product support, and updates or interface design changes that come without warning. Well, it is what everyone else is doing, right? Vocal teachers have always been the beneficiaries of both budgetary and time considerat...