Educator Encouragement & the IACUE Board

This past week at our monthly meeting with our IT department, our CTO, Ben Markley, put us all in breakout rooms to share about a person in our lives who has been an encouragement to us.  It was challenging for me to think of just one person in my life who has been an encouragement to me.  There have been so many encouragers in different seasons of my life for so many different reasons, from family and friends to teachers and mentors, and my husband who encourages me constantly to keep pursuing my career goals.  But, on this particular day, I shared the most recent person who came to mind who encouraged me in such a small, but profound way.  

One day last fall, I was conducting EdTech site visits to offer support to teachers.  I was set up in the staff lounge at this particular school site, and in walks Anne.  Anne cheerfully approached me and introduced herself.  She told me that she was a teacher at the school and also a board member of our CUE affiliate IACUE.  She asked me if I was a member of IACUE and if I'd like to be more involved with the affiliate.  Of course I wanted to be involved!  Any opportunity to network and support teachers with EdTech is one that I am wholeheartedly interested in being a part of.  So, I became a member and started to get involved with IACUE.  Anne encouraged me to be a presenter at the IACUE conference earlier this spring, and so I did, and that has led to other opportunities that I was not expecting.  

After presenting at the IACUE conference, Anne mentioned that I should consider running to be on the IACUE Board.  I thought Me...? Run for the board?  Who would even vote for me?  I thought about it for half-a second and then dismissed her suggestion as a nice sentiment.  But Anne, the encourager, didn't let it go.  We ran into each other at the CUE Conference this year in Palm Springs.  She said, "So, have you thought about running for the board?"  She really was serious.  Yes... I had thought about it, and had even mentioned it to my EdTech partner, Terri, and my mentor, Sonal, (who both, by the way, also encouraged me and said, "Oh yeah, you should totally do that!"); but I had quietly determined in my mind that I wasn't worthy of such a role... 

But Anne was not having any of that!  Anne, was sure that I should throw my name in the hat, and over lunch at CUE, she kept gently encouraging me to go for it.  She said things like, "You would be an awesome addition to the board!" and "You would bring such insight and value to our conversations."  After lots of questions and listening to her reassure me that I was absolutely fit to serve in this role, I decided to take my chances and throw my name in the hat for a seat on the IACUE Board of Directors.  

There were five available seats on the IACUE board, but there were eleven other highly qualified educators running for a seat.  When I saw the names of who I was up against, I had already determined in my mind that I lost the election.  Some of these folks were current board members up for reelection, edu-celebrities, and book authors with large followings on social media platforms.  I thought, Oh there's no way I'll get a seat running against them.  Again, that little voice of self-doubt creeped into my head telling me that I wasn't worthy, well-known, or well-respected enough to earn the votes needed for this election.  So, I countered that negative voice as best as I could with some positve self-talk: Be proud of yourself, Ashley, for at least stepping out of your comfort zone and throwing your name in the hat.  I truly was proud of myself for even trying and made a promise that if I didn't get seat this time, I would still continue to pursue opportunities like this again in the future.  

So, as you might imagine, when the election results were announced (election results can be seen HERE), I was sincerely shocked to find out that I had earned a seat on the IACUE Board - I expressed my shock that day via TikTok.  Anne texted me to congratulate me and express her excitement and she said, "I cannot wait to make the magic happen!"  Me too, Anne...me too!  I'm so excited, honored, and humbled to serve on the IACUE board to connect with and support other educators throughout the Inland Empire who are passionate about integrating and innovating with technology to provide high quality learning experiences for students!  I'm so glad I listened to Anne's encouragement rather than my own self-doubt.  If it wasn't for Anne's encouragement, my self-doubt would've prevented me from even throwing my name in the hat.  She had no idea that her words of encouragement would have such a huge impact in my life.  

Like Anne, you may have no idea how your words may encourage others in overcoming internal battles that they are fighting.  I hope that when you feel compelled, that you follow that voice, and use your words to uplift and encourage others like Anne and so many others in my life have done for me.  I hope I have been and will continue to be that encouraging voice to others as well.

Educators - I'd love to hear your stories of how other educators have unknowingly encouraged you in your professional journey like Anne did for me.  Feel free to share in the comments or share with me when you see me!  

Fast Finisher Favorites

We’ve all been there as middle school and high school teachers.  We’ve planned an activity for our students that we anticipate will take most of our students the class period to complete.  But inevitably, there are those students who are fast finishers.  They get done much faster than everyone else, and end up bored (and sometimes get themselves into trouble) while they wait on their peers to finish the assigned task.  

The typical response from us in these situations may sound something like, “Okay, work on your missing work or an assignment from another class, or read a book,” which are valid directives because more often than not, students do have work they need to finish, and we know they need to spend time reading because anywhere between 55-65% of students in the US are reading below grade level.  

Occasionally, we may have planned alternative assignments or activities that we have “on deck” that we can pull out for students to do.  But more often than not, we lack the time it takes to make these “back up” activities meaningful when we can barely manage the workload of lesson planning, prepping materials, IEP paperwork, behavior documentation, family communications, etc. in our 45-50 minute “prep time”. These back-up activities usually just become “busy work” for the students that don’t really help them move forward with any true learning. 

We have a very limited amount of time with students within the walls of our brick-and-mortar classrooms or in our virtual classrooms, so it’s important that we make every minute count as much as we possibly can.  So, as a way to help you make the most of every precious minute and because I know how little time teachers have to prepare this sort of thing, with some help from my EdTech partner Terri, we have curated a Slide Deck of Fast Finisher activities specifically for secondary students.  It is not comprehensive, but it’s a good starting point in offering students some alternative options to keep them engaged and stimulate their thinking in areas that may interest them and thus deepen their learning or help them to develop a skill of their choice in those extra minutes rather than just sit and waste time. 

We know that according to Universal Design for Learning pedagogy, that "variability is the rule, not the exception." You have all types of learners in your classroom who are interested in a varitey of different things. Maybe you have a tech-savvy student who wants to learn how to code or create animations…?   Or perhaps you have students who are interested in learning more about their heritage and would like to explore an online museum to dive into the past…  What about your students who love to spend time journaling or creative writing who need some time and permission to let their thoughts flow free onto paper (or a Google Doc)...?  Do you see any future photographers, musicians, or graphic designers sitting in front of you who may need some practice with tools or instruments to develop their skill sets?  What about students who are struggling with their mental health?  Perhaps they need some ways to wind down from a particularly stressful situation…  

Providing students with choices of stimulating options to engage in when they have time after completing the academic tasks required will help you make sure that every minute students spend with you is valuable.

So, below is a slide deck (template from SlidesGo) that I hope will save you some time and make it easier for you to provide some meaningful Fast Finisher options for your students to choose from when they claim that they have “nothing to do” and are finished with their work in your class.

HERE is the view only copy, but feel free to make your own copy and modify as needed (File --> make a copy) under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons License.  My EdTech partner, Terri, collaborated with me on this project to help me curate some engaging options that are up-to-date and relevant, but if you find that something is blocked in your district or you have a better resource that you want to add or replace, feel free to do so as you see fit on your copy.     

Add this slide deck to the top of your Google Classroom (or other LMS system) for students to easily access, and when you get that question, “I’m done with my work; now what do I do?” you can point your students to these Fast Finisher Favorites to let them decide how to spend their extra time.  There are easily over 120 different clickable options for students to choose from within this SlideDeck, so hopefully all your students can find several options that interest them!

Pro Tips:  Before you use this with students the first time, give them a 1-minute “elevator speech” with a quick flip through of the slides to give them just a glimpse of what’s inside in order to peak their interest and generate curiosity to explore.  Also, it is best if students view this slide deck in “present” or “preview” mode so they can easily click on the images, icons, and logos.

I truly hope you find this useful!

If you find any errors or broken links within the Fast Finisher Favorites Google Slide deck, please report it to edtech@hemetusd.org so we can make corrections.

TikTok Transmigration

If you follow me on my social media platforms, you might have noticed that I recently started utilizing TikTok!  

I've been "on" TikTok for a while, but I've mostly been using the platform as an observer.  To wind down after my family is asleep, I usually scroll the platform and find myself chuckling at funny pet videos, saving recipes that I want to try, being inspired by #teachersoftiktok, or learning about new #edtech tips and tricks that I can pass along to teachers I'm coaching.  

However, recently, I made the decision to start posting video content on TikTok because of some commentary that I saw posted in a teacher group on Facebook… My first video explained this briefly, but today, I’m using my blogspace here to explain my “TikTok Transmigration” in a little more detail.

Below are some screenshots of the Facebook comments (names and photos have been blurred) that were my inspiration for my TikTok videos...

There were many more comments of this nature... 

No, not all of the comments were bashing instructional coaches.  Many were extremely positive like these…

But even with all the positive commentary, I was disheartened to see that there were SO MANY negative comments, especially among a group of professional educators.  So disappointing… We need to be better to each other inside this profession because Lord knows we get enough negativity from those on the outside!

Anyway, after reading through the entirety of the commentary, I gleaned several insights.

1.  There are rockstar instructional coaches out there absolutely killing this role as evidenced by the teachers they are supporting who gave them some major kudos among the haters.  So, clearly, this is a role that is needed and it is being done right in many schools and districts.  

2. Some schools and districts have made some major mistakes, the first mistake being not clearly defining the roles, responsibilities, and boundaries of the instructional coaching job. The second mistake schools and districts are making is not providing the necessary training to the individuals hired into the instructional coaching role.  And the most egregious mistake that schools and districts are making is hiring the wrong person entirely for the job.  All of these mistakes or a combination of these mistakes have led to some pretty awful situations for both instructional coaches and the teachers they're supposed to be supporting.  

3.  There is a lot of confusion out there about what an instructional coach is actually supposed to be doing.  

All of this inspired me to start generating some content on TikTok to maybe help shed some light on the roles and responsibilities of instructional coaches. 

I won’t be able to post a lot of what I do because of confidentiality among students in my district and teachers that I coach, but my goal is to post enough content to give some perspective and insights into all the functions of this job.  I’m hoping my videos can bring some clarity to schools and districts about how to utilize their instructional coaches more effectively to support their teachers. 

Here is a glimpse into the support that I’m able to offer teachers as an instructional coach:

If you’d like an editable, customizable copy of this coaching menu, head on over to my TPT store and check out my Instructional Coaching mini-bundle which includes other tools that I use in my coaching relationships.  For now, check out the other vidoes on my TikTok channel to get a glimpse into all the various aspects of my job as an Educational Technology Instructional Coach!

IACUE's Re-ImaginEd Virtual Conference

 

Exciting news! My partner Terri and I will be presenting at IACUE's Re-ImaginED virtual conference on Saturday, January 29th, 2022!  Visit IACUE's event page to sign-up for this FREE virtual event!

Our session is titled: UDL & Blended Learning: Station Rotations in the Secondary Classroom

Session description:  By combining a Universal Design for Learning mindset and using Blended Learning Strategies in the Station Rotation model, participants will learn how to create smaller learning communities within large secondary classes to meet the needs of all students.

The pedagogy of our session was inspired mainly by the research and work of Catlin Tucker and Katie Novak from their book UDL and Blended Learning: Thriving in Flexible Learning Landscapes.  Get a copy today!

We hope to see you there!

Have I ghosted you?

It's been almost four months since I've posted on my blog, and I'm truly sorry if you, as my readers, have felt "ghosted".  However, I'm not apologizing for my brief blogging hiatus.  That may sound blunt, but it's my truth.  

Since this school year started, I simply have not had the time I had during the 2020-2021 school year to devote to consistently writing meaningful content for my blog.  So, I'm giving myself some grace, and I hope, if you're following along with me, that you will too.

During the 2020-2021 school year, I was working from home as an Educational Technology Specialist and Instructional Coach for the Professional Development department of my school district, which actually turned out to be pretty wonderful.  Because I wasn't spending an hour getting myself "ready" in the mornings to be presentable at an office, not commuting 40-45 minutes to work and back each day, and not driving around to school sites all over my district, I found myself with the glorious gift of time.

In addtion to starting and maintaining my blog, I found the time to get my Google Educator Level 1 and 2 certifications, as well as complete my Leading Edge Digital Educator certification via  #leadingedgeflex on the Alludo platform through RCOE. 

 

I was able to attend and present at virtual conferences, provide virtual professional development to teachers, curate a digital mountain of resources for educators, and effectively coach new teachers in the CTI program who were working towards clearing their credentials.  I was able to do my job well, pursue my own professional development, work on my passion projects, and even maintain somewhat of a consistent exercise routine without having the guilt of any of this taking precious time away from my family.  Although that year was awful for many, I found that working from home created a much needed balance in my life. 

Currently, I find myself craving that balance once again.

The 2021-2022 school year started for me at the end of July and August preparing teachers for back to in-person instruction.  After presenting at Google Camp, I jumped right in planning and facilitating the New Teacher Academy for our new teachers, attending curriculum and quality first instruction professional development and training, preparing for Lead Teacher meetings, and establishing coaching relationships with my CTI candidates.  In our little EdTech world during this time, one of the members of our trio accepted a job as a CTO at another district, so my partner Terri and I had to figure out our new "normal" without our admin.  

Then, because of COVID and teacher shortages, my other coaching colleagues and I were called to cover classrooms all over the district as substitute teachers during August and September.  With my new "subbing" schedule, I had to figure out ways to do all my "normal" job responsibilities in just two days out of each week, while subbing classrooms the remaining three days.   

In October, my job responsibilities changed once again.  Because of a variety of COVD related circumstances, our Independent Study program and our Academy of Innovation Online school systems became overwhelmed; so my colleagues and I were asked to switch from subbing classrooms to providing a temporary program option to students in our district who were transitioning from their home school sites to our online school.  These students are temporarily on independent study, but we are checking in with them daily and providing virtual support in all content areas each week until they transition either back to their home school site or fully to our Academy of Innovation online school.  Here's a peek at what this schedule looks like for us in just one grade level:

In between providing this virtual support to these students, my colleagues and I are doing our "normal" job responsibilities, and with our current enrollment numbers, it looks like we will be continuing to provide this temporary program option to students next semester as well.

All this to say, with my commute back in place and taking on additional "other duties as assigned" job responsibilities, I no longer have that gift of time on my side for this blog like I did before.  Something had to give, and unfortunately, it was this.  I do still plan to post here and there, but it will be inconsistent for the time being. 

Thanks to those of you who are following along and taking the time to read what I have to say on this platform.  It means a lot to me that you care enough about me to do so... 

Did you miss Google Camp?!?!

If you missed Google Camp, have no fear!  You can access all the keynotes, panel discussions, beginner strands, and breakout sessions for FREE by clicking HERE!  BONUS: All of last year's Google Camp resources are there as well!!!

There were over 630 Google Camp particpants this year and over 70 sessions were held and recorded!  The average session evaluation was a 9.3/10!

I had the privildege of speaking on the panel discussion on day 2 of Google Camp, so if you're interested in viewing that, you can access the video directly HERE.  I also delivered two breakout sessions on how to engage students in online academic discourse and the direct link to one of those sessions is HERE. 

Be sure to check out all the valuable resources that are housed on the Riverside County Google Camp Resources Page!

Google Camp 2021 is coming up!

The 6th annual Riverside County Google Camp is coming up again in two weeks - July 14th & 15th!  RCOE & Menifee USD are partnering together to bring teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches two full days of professional learning and collaboration in a completely virtual setting.  This is a fantastic opportunity to further develop your technological and pedagogical knowlege.  You can get an idea of what Google Camp is like by checking out all of last year's resources HERE.

In order to make the conference as accessible as possible, they are keeping the price at $49!  Any Riverside County educator can register on OMS HERE!   If you are an Hemet USD teacher, our district is covering your registration fee if you'd like to attend, just like they did last summer! Whoop, whoop!!! 

For anyone out there who may be still be teaching in an online and/or hybrid distance learning environment next year, I will be presenting in one of the breakout sessions with my EdTech Administrator, Derek, in a session called "Engaging Students in Online Synchronous Academic Discourse".  In our session, we'll discuss strategies and tools to help get your students "talking" in the virtual classroom.  The session will be geared more towards the secondary educator audience; however, the practices that will be discussed can be modified and adapted for lower grade levels. 

Also - some exciting news - on day two of Google Camp, I've been invited to be part of the panel that will speak at the opening session!!!  I'll be joining teachers, a counselor, a principal, and a technology director to speak about our experiences from this past year, what we've learned, and how we're moving forward post-pandemic.  I'm super humbled and grateful for this opportunity and would love to see you there! 

If you attend, be sure to tweet about your Google Camp experience using #ieGoogleCamp