In February of this year, I attended two, full days of the ICE Conference in St. Charles, IL. As I drove the 45 minutes from my house to Pheasant Run Resort, I thought back to last year's ICE Conference, and how overwhelmed I was…definitely information overload! This year, I walked in with the mindset of learning 10 tips, tricks, or ideas I could bring back to the Ivy Hall staff. These tips, tricks, and ideas come in the form of quotes, images, websites, and tools. It is my hope that while reading through the top 10 below, you reflect on your own practices, inquire about any new ideas, test out ideas that appeal to you, and think about how to apply these ideas to your classroom instruction!
Drumroll please…
The top ten from ICE 2014 are:
1…The image below (http://multiplepathways.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/2-the-real-power-of-technology-in-schools/) made me think about why we are using technology in the first place. What's more important - that students learn how to create a blog post OR that students learn how to express their opinion on a public forum?
3…By the way, here is a link, also created by Ben Rimes, that takes you to all of the Common Core State Standards related to technology:
4…With all of the technology, we have so many opportunities to begin innovating. Here are some powerful quotes from one of the keynote speakers (George Couros) I saw:
"To innovate, disrupt your routine"
"Isolation is now a choice educators make"
"Promote taking risks to your students"
5…When I think about Google Drive, I think about it as a publishing tool for students. When they are finished with a story, they can log into Drive and type their story to share with their teacher. However…the website below, created by Tammy Worcester Tang, provides other ways to use Google!
6…Greg Tang, a math guru, has created activities and games to help students grasp difficult concepts in math. Visit his website for more information on these activities and for links to games that students can play during math centers. One strategy/game to definitely check out is "Funny Numbers." With the strategy of Funny Numbers, students practice one of the hardest concepts in math - regrouping.
7…Something AMAZING I learned from the other tech coaches who attended the ICE Conference is a feature within Google Docs called Doctopus. This is a script that allows teachers to push out templates to their students. If you would like more information on how this works, please let me know!!
8…At the conference, all of the technology coaches felt that there was a theme of "connectedness." We were constantly asked to "follow" someone, respond to someone, and to express our opinions all through the popular social media site Twitter . Until this conference, I have never been a fan of Twitter. Also, until this conference, I have never realized the power of Twitter. The official conference hashtag was posted everywhere - #ICE14. While elementary students are too young to create a Twitter account, I am constantly thinking of other ways for students to communicate, collaborate, and express their ideas with others. If you happen to be on twitter, consider following these users for great ideas and resources in the area of technology:
@sjgorman, @edutopia, & @techsavvyed
9…Have students "show what they know" in a digital portfolio. Students can use Google Sites, Google Docs, or a free blogging website for students called Kidblog to create their own portfolio of work!
10…Instead of sharing with parents what you taught throughout the day, week, or month…write about what the students learned! Include photographs, videos, and links to student work. Check out this blog titled 184 Days of Learning as inspiration!
No comments:
Post a Comment