Connecting Students with Soldiers

Lisa Hadenfeldt is an phenomenal English teacher in my district. She is always doing something fun and exciting with her freshman. During the next few weeks they are going to focus on letter writing and they would like to send their handwritten letters to those serving in the military. There is only one problem--she needs people to mail the letters to! If you have any friends, family, or former students who are currently serving in the military and you think they would like to receive a letter please send their mailing address to Lisa. They can be serving in the United States or overseas. They would like to mail their letters by the end of the month so please send her names and addresses ASAP!

Lisa’s email is lhadenfeldt@geringschools.net

She is looking forward to hearing from you and her students are anxious to write their letters!

So What Exactly is ISTE?

Over the next few months you are going to hear a lot about ISTE. Chances are if you have spent 5 minutes on Twitter over the last few weeks you have seen people tweet about presenting (or not presenting) and ISTE this summer and you wondered what all the fuss was about. Hopefully this help make some sense of it all. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that “serves educators and education leaders committed to empowering connected learners in a connected world.” ISTE is an international organization that has over 100,000 members. I first became familiar with ISTE in 2008 when I was doing research to figure out how to better use technology in my role as a teacher. I joined one of their virtual networks and I attend their annual conference and I was absolutely blown away by my experience. I have been back every year since then, mostly on my own dime. Needless to say I have become an expert on how to attend ISTE on a shoestring budget, but that is a completely different post.

Over the next few months I’m going to write a series of posts about ISTE which I hope you will find useful on some level. This first one will focus on what ISTE is and why becoming a member is beneficial to you as a professional. After this post I will narrow the focus to the ISTE standards. Later in the spring I will share some posts that will be useful to first-time conference attendees. (It is actually quite an overwhelming experience and it can be frustrating if you don’t approach it with a game plan.)

So what is ISTE? Basically, ISTE is an international professional organization that provides educators with resources, ideas, and networking opportunities to help advance the use of technology in education. Here are the highlights of what ISTE  provides for members:

• Technology standards for a variety of different groups of people from students to administrators. These standards provide a clear picture of which skills are important in our changing society.
• Variety of professional development opportunities including webinars, books, and online courses.
• Advocacy opportunities to help promote change anywhere from the local to national level.
• Membership in affiliate organizations from around the world. Many times membership in an affiliate organization means you qualify for a discounted ISTE membership.
• Meaningful way to give back to our learning community by providing volunteer opportunities.
• Connect with educators year-round in the online ISTE community. You can also connect with other educators using official conference hashtag which is #ISTE2015. (Rebels will use #ISTE15 so you might want to follow both.) The ISTE Twitter account, @isteconnects, is also very active and responsive to questions. You can also connect with ISTE and ISTE member on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
• Digital and print access to entersekt.
• ISTE’s annual conference. The conference is held at the end of June in different  cities across the United States and it attarcts anywhere from 15,000 to 18,000 educators. To say it is HUGE is an understatement. This year the conference is going to be in Philadelphia and in 2016 it will be in Denver. I will write much more on the conference in the coming months but I would urge you to find a way to get there and get a room booked soon because they are filling up fast! If you are planning on attending try to find a way to get there by Saturday morning. There is always a great “unconference” that takes place and it is a usually one of the highlights of my ISTE experience each year.

Membership in ISTE is around $100 which is less than 30 cents a day. I look at it as an investment in myself. I have had the opportunity to do so many things because of my membership in ISTE. Please take a few minutes to check out their website and consider joining if you can. If you can attend their conference this summer it would be an experience that you would never forget!

Meet Josh Allen

Josh Allen - @j_allen

Tech Fridge

Dad's in Ed Podcast 

Where are you from and what do you do? 

Lewis Central Community Schools, Technology Integration Specialist

How are you connected to Beth?

I'm Not sure how we first got connected, but I know we met in person for the first time in Kearney. As a member of the NETA Board, I’ve relied on Beth for ideas to get the western part of Nebraska more involved.

How did you get involved in educational technology? 

During my first year in UNO’s CADRE program (2002), we were taking a classroom behavior course and a technology course at the same time. One of the people in my group for the behavior course got the idea to make a video that would meet the requirements for both courses. I had never seen iMovie before, but was amazed at how easily my classmates were creating our movie! From there, both with the philosophy and the tools, I was hooked.

How has being a networked educator impacted your life? 

I always tell people I’m too geeky for the curriculum department and not smart enough to be in a technology department. Being networked on places like Twitter (my main professional social network) allow me to pick the brains of anyone in the world and learn from their experiences. I have developed a pretty good idea of who knows what, and is willing to share. Amanda Dykes, a great friend and educator who I actually met through (the failed) Google Wave, says that “Twitter is like sitting next to the smart kids in class.” That’s so true!

What is some advice you can give to teachers about how to start finding resources and building their own PLN. 

What has helped me is utilizing hashtags, especially on Twitter. Whatever it is that you are needing to know more about, there is likely a hashtag associated with it. From there, I’ve been able to find people and resources I never would have found if not for Twitter.

What is a tool that has captured your attention at the moment? What do you like about this tool? 
Hands down, creating my own Flipboard Magazines. I really think, for teachers who want/need to bring in current topics and/or events into their classroom, there is no easier tool right now. They are so simple to create and update from and for ALL devices. I had a Family & Consumer Science teacher talk about using it for both recipes and fashion. I’ve had an environmental science teacher use it for news articles to keep her kids engaged. If your school is moving to a specific grading or behavior system, you could use it as a place to store articles to share with others later. You can also invite other people to contribute to your magazine. If you know of others inside or outside of your district who teach subjects similar to yours, you could all be collaborating to create a custom magazine that students can access on any device. I’ve been using it to grab resources for Google Apps, blended learning, and iPads, all things I need to know more about. You can find more information on how I use it and how to create your own here: http://goo.gl/8nxdGj

What is one piece of advice that you can give to educators who are just getting started with integrating technology into their classrooms? 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for an extra set of hands. No one knows everything, nor should they be expected to. I wish I would’ve done a better job as a young teacher asking for help from others. It would’ve saved me a lot of time and energy.

What are some things you hope to accomplish professionally in the next year or two? 

I’m entering a new district this fall. They use Google and my previous one did not. So I’ve got a lot of Google Kool-Aid to drink up, as a good friend would say.

Meet George Couros

George with just a handful of the people he has impacted over the years. 

• @gcouros on Twitter     
• The Principal of Change

Where are you from and what do you do?

I am currently the Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning for Parkland School Division in Alberta, but also consult and work with schools around the world.

How are you connected to Beth?
I met Beth through Twitter in 2010 and she gave me a great opportunity to be the “ISTE Newbie” which exposed me to opportunities that I could not imagine.

How did you get involved in educational technology?

I don’t know if I would even say I really ever got involved in “EdTech”, but I have always been interested in using technology in the classroom.  I don’t really think that qualifies me as an “ed tech” person, no more than someone who uses a pencil would be considered a “writing” teacher.  My role is to look at how to improve teaching and learning, and using technology is one way, but connecting through technology and getting ideas is the biggest thing that I have been interested in for the last few years.

How has being a networked educator impacted your life?

It has been absolutely amazing to connect with thoughtful and passionate people.  That passion is contagious and honestly added years to my career in the sense that I had thought about opportunities outside of education.  The sharing of ideas and the passion for what educators do has been infectious.  More importantly though, I have met some of my best friends in the world through the use of social media.  If I quit using Twitter today, it would still have had an impact on me for years beyond what I could imagine.

What is some advice you can give to teachers about how to start finding resources and building their own PLN.

A lot of people suggest other people to follow on Twitter.  I try to stay away from that.  Following a hashtag can connect you with some people that are interested in the same topic that you are.  Just because you follow a “math teacher” doesn’t mean they are going to share ideas about math.  But following #mathchat will connect you with ideas and then ultimately people that are wanting to improve their craft.  The connections will come through the shared interest in any topic.

What is a tool that has captured your attention at the moment? What do you like about this tool?

I think that I am really starting to think a lot more about things such as Instagram and Vine because of the ability to share short snippets of video.  Visuals are great, but telling a story through constricted amounts of time can actually lead to some really innovative ideas.  I am wanting to get more into “visual” sharing this year.

What is one piece of advice that you can give to educators who are just getting started with integrating technology into their classrooms?

Focus on getting to know kids first, seeing what they like, and then work from there.  Don’t force a tool on a kid that might hate it just because you think it is cool.  If a kid is into pictures, see how Instagram will work for them.  If a kid hates writing, maybe starting podcasts for them to share ideas is helpful.  Get to know the kids first, not the tool.

What are some things you hope to accomplish professionally in the next year or two?

We are working on implementing digital portfolios that students from K-12 will maintain and use throughout their entire time in our schools and hopefully after.  This is a big endeavour and we are getting closer to full buy-in, but it takes time.  I am hoping that every kid will have their own space to share their thoughts and learning while also creating a digital footprint that will hopefully leverage opportunities for them both during and after their time in school.  I believe that schools should help kids create things that are meaningful to them after they are in school, not just stuff for school.  This is one of those things in my opinion.

Meet Paula Naugle

@plnaugle on Twitter

PLN - Not Just My Initials

Ms. Naugle’s Classroom Blog

Where are you from and what do you do?

I teach fourth graders at a public school in the suburbs of New Orleans. and have done so for 30+ years. Last year I taught math, science, and social studies. This year I will probably be teaching an ELA block, a math block, and one social studies class. I am one of the moderators for #4thchat, #DENchat,  and #LAedchat, a DEN STAR and a member of the DEN Leadership Council for Louisiana. I am a Microsoft Innovative Educator, a PBWorks certified trainer, a Simple K12 Ambassador and presenter, and serve on the teacher advisory boards for Classroom 2.0 Live and TeachersFirst. In 2011 I earned my Masters in Educational Technology Leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University. My passions are social media,  technology integration, travel, and reading. Chocolate is my favorite food group.

How are you connected to Beth?

When I first joined Twitter back in February of 2009, Beth became my Twitter mentor. She saw me struggling to find the relevance of this social media tool, reached out, and offered to mentor me so I could get the most out of Twitter. I first got to meet Beth in Washington, D.C. at the NECC conference (National Educational Computing Conference now known as ISTE - International Society for Technology in Education) that summer. We have been meeting up and rooming together for every ISTE conference since then. Read about one of our adventures here.

How did you get involved in educational technology?

In 2004 I was given a model technology classroom which included one of the first interactive whiteboards (IWB) in my district and attended NECC in New Orleans. When I left that conference I knew I had much to learn about educational technology, but made it my goal to learn all that I could. I became a teacher trainer in my school to help others learn how to use their Promethean boards and other web based tools. I read many edtech leaders’ blogs and attended many webinars. Building a personal learning network became a goal of mine and I did so through Nings, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and other social media sites. Integrating technology into my daily lessons became my norm.  In 2009, I received $15,000 of technology hardware from my district and became part of the Model Technology Classroom Cohort in my district. From there I started presenting at technology conferences at the state, national, and international level both in person and virtually.

How has being a networked educator impacted your life?

Truly I was ready to retire back in 2009, but my PLN and technology integration reignited

my career. Each day I learn new things from my PLN and I love sharing with them. Being connected has enabled me to learn from educators all over the globe 24/7. If I have a question about a tool or need a suggestion for a project, I can send a tweet and I will receive an answer within a few minutes. Opportunities have come my way which I know would not have happened if I weren’t a connected educator. I have educational companies seeking my advice and input, I’ve been asked to write guest blog posts, I’ve been invited to present at conferences, I’ve been interviewed for podcasts and articles, and I was invited to represent Twitter-using educators at the Bammy Awards.

What is some advice you can give to teachers about how to start finding resources and building their own PLN.

Start building a PLN if you haven’t already. The best place, I believe, to do that is on Twitter. Learn how to follow a hashtag for your grade level, subject area, or your state edchat. Just “lurk” by following the stream of tweets and see what “gems” you can collect for a couple of weeks. Follow the list Beth Still has suggested for you and add others from the hashtags you follow who add to your knowledge base. Slowly start branching out to other social media sites such as Edmodo communities, Pinterest, Diigo, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ communities, etc.

• What is a tool that has captured your attention at the moment? What do you like about this tool? (This might be a brand new tool or something that is older that you have just discovered---or rediscovered!)

A new site I learned about at the end of school year was Educanon. I joined the free site and used it twice with my students before school ended. I have been exploring and  playing with it over the summer and plan on using it in the fall. Educanon allows you to create interactive videos with assessment built right into the video. You can use pre-existing videos from YouTube, Vimeo, or Teacher Tube, or create your own. Your students can rewind and rewatch parts of the video as needed, and all but the open-ended questions are graded automatically for you. You can use the data generated within the site to differentiate lessons for those still struggling with concepts while letting others move on to new topics.

What is one piece of advice that you can give to educators who are just getting started with integrating technology into their classrooms?

Take one of your favorite lessons and tweak it by adding one piece of technology integration to it. To introduce your lesson have your students add background knowledge to a Padlet wall or create a mindmap on bubbl.us. If you would normally have your students create a report at the end of a unit of study, why not let them create a Prezi, a Haiku Deck, or an iMovie to show their learning. Remember you don’t have to be an expert with the tools, your students will figure them out and will be able to teach you and each other how to best use them.

What are some things you hope to accomplish professionally in the next year or two?

I want to complete my Google Educator certification and attend a Google Teacher Academy. I want to publish a book or two. Right now I am currently writing my first book with two members of my PLN about connecting our students to collaborate with the world.

Suggested List of People to Follow

One of the things I am most excited about in my new position of Innovative Teaching and Learning Specialist for Gering Public Schools is helping teachers and administrators build their own personal learning networks. I have been on Twitter for exactly six years. During this time I have made more connections with educators from around the world and learned more than I ever thought was possible. Learning how to tweet is fairly easy, but figuring out who to follow is not always easy. Twitter is only as valuable as the people you follow. If you are only following celebrities or other Nebraskans then you are missing out on some AMAZING opportunities to learn and connect. 

I have put together a list of around 100 people to help get you going. I love lists because it allows users to group people together and follow them more closely, but at the same time I always fear I will leave someone off. The nice thing about following a list is that you are not following the people on the list. This allows you to preview people and see what they tweet about before you follow them. 

I included a wide variety of people on this list from kindergarten teachers to college professors. I included teachers, administrators,  and consultants from all over the place. Most are from the United States, but a few are international. A few are from Nebraska, but most are from other states. While we have our share of phenomenal educators in our state, I cannot express how important it is to connect with people from outside of our region as well. I'm not trying to discourage you from connecting with fellow educators from across the state. Local and regional connections are meaningful and valuable, but don't underestimate the value of connecting with people beyond Nebraska as well. 

The one thing that all of the people on my list have in common is that each one of them is a valuable member of my personal learning network. I included a few people that I do not necessarily see eye to eye with because those tend to be the people who teach me the most. 

As you grow your personal learning network I can promise that you will discover that it is a wealth of information. And if you invest some time in it you will make some great connections as well. Happy tweeting!