GLPS Tech/Media Team Blog

Podstock 2017

2017-07-17T16:27:00.000-04:00

What is Podstock?

Podstock is an Educational Technology Conference that focuses on giving Educators the support and resources to engage Students on a whole new level in the classroom. Hosted at the Old Town Hotel and Conference Center in Wichita, Kansas, Podstock has been delivering quality professional learning opportunities for almost 10 years now. Kevin Honeycutt and the amazing Essdack staff have made it their goal to welcome Educators from around the world and provide them with a unique, engaging and fun environment. I had the privilege of making our 3rd visit to Podstock last week with my wonderful team members Sarah Wood and Kelly McGee. Every year I am amazed by how much I learn and the new connections I make there.

Pre-Conference

Kelly McGee wearing STEAMpunk Goggles

One of the highlights of Podstock is the Pre-Conference. Traditionally, this day is less structured and gives attendees the time and space to explore and create. There is always a fun theme to the conference that ties back to the educational mission of the conference. I remember the first year I attended when the theme was STEAMpunk highlighting STEAM in the classroom. During the pre-con we had time to use a variety of Maker tools to create the most elaborate costume and accessories to show off for the rest of the conference. There were some pretty creative costumes out there.

This year the focus was on TECHspoloration and my team and I 'gravitated' to a table that had Hummingbird kits made by Birdbrain Technologies. Our pretty cool mission instructor Katie Henry walked us through the process of how to use Scratch and other programming software to program the
Hummingbird to do some pretty amazing tricks. Naturally, my team decided to build a Llama named Lamar out of Cardboard and some other maker supplies. Here is a video of our creation.

The good thing about this day was that we learned something entirely new and challenged ourselves to build something we never thought we could make. We didn't want to leave. In fact, we didn't. We stayed long after everyone else had left, to finish our masterpiece. We probably annoyed the staff that was coming in to set up for the next event, but we were determined to follow through to the end. We felt really good when we did, we were certainly proud of what we accomplished.

Katie Henry walking Dan Townsend through Scratch

This is the same feeling that we want to bring back to our classrooms. Challenging each other to go where we have never gone before and do things we have never done. This is what we want our students to do in the classroom. If every classroom provided the same environment and culture that Podstock does, this world would be a better place and our kids will be prepared to succeed in today's society.

Why you should make the trip

Podstock is more than just a conference, it is a family. I have met so many wonderful people who I have added to my Professional Learning Network. They have so many great ideas and goals when it comes to the classroom, but most importantly they are just good people. There is no judgement here at podstock; only encouragement and support like you have never experienced before. I feel empowered every time I get around these folks because I know they have my back, and I have theirs. There are so many people at Essdack and outside of essdack that make Podstock happen and they should be recognized because the work that they do is truly changing the world. If you haven't had the opportunity to attend podstock, I strongly encourage you to do so. It is one of the best conferences I have ever been to and I am proud to be apart of the Podstock Family. Come join us!

-Dan Townsend
@dtownsend20

Are You Using Campus Community? You Should Be!

2017-03-30T07:36:00.000-04:00

If you have a staff Infinite Campus account, you also have access to an awesome tool called Campus Community. Are you using it? Campus Community is a place where Infinite Campus users can explore all that Campus has to offer. You can ask questions in forums, search for answers on any Infinite Campus topic, get the latest news on what is happening in each of the Infinite Campus updates, and participate in weekly events like Teacher Tuesdays where Infinite Campus trainers lead webinars that go over various teacher tools and features of interest to teachers. You can even access all videos and webinars that you missed, or if you just need a refresher! Sound good? Want to get your account set up but not sure where to start? Well, let me show you! Below we will walk through getting a new account set up on Campus Community so that you can get started and check out all that it has to offer.

1. Let's start with where to go to get to Campus Community. Click on the boxes in the upper right hand corner of your Infinite Campus page. Then select Campus Community.

2. If you have never been in to Campus Community before, you'll need to Create your new Campus ID. Click on the blue Continue arrow that is on the left side.

3. Read the terms of Use and check the box stating "I have read and agree to the Terms of Use" and then click the blue Continue arrow.

4. Create your Campus ID! Choose a Username and Password. It will let you know if the Username and Password you have created are accepted. Then Register your First and Last name, and your school email address. Then click the blue Continue arrow.

5. Enter your Profile Information. Type in your Role/Title, and click the drop down box to select Godfrey-Lee as your District. Then enter the city of Wyoming, and change the Time Zone to Eastern. It defaults to Central because Infinite Campus is headquartered in the Central Time Zone.

6. You are done! Your account has been created.

You will be sent an email with a link to fully activate your account. Once you do that, you are all set to go! Once you log in to Campus Community with your newly created username and password, you will see News, Forums, a Search bar where you can search for any Infinite Campus topic of your choosing, and lots more. Explore this tool and you will find loads of information that will be helpful for using Infinite Campus to the greatest benefit for you. As always, feel free to contact me, or Jodi Brumels, if you have any questions about Infinite Campus or Campus Community. We are happy to help!

What Does Senior Capstone, the 6Cs, and Breakout EDU Have in Common? #breakoutedu

2017-03-22T13:23:00.003-04:00

Each year, our senior class participates in a Senior Capstone project. This project requires students to select a career pathway, research it, participate in a mentorship, write a research paper, and present their essential question and research. It is a comprehensive process and gives students some hands-on learning and experimenting.

In the past, our Librarian/Media Specialist would share a research presentation with the students. It had a lot lot of great information, but we felt as though it did not engage the students in the learning process. As part of our Tech/Media Team's goals to model and share resources and activities that align with the district's goal in being Future Ready and preparing students for success, we worked together to change up the format of the presentation. We changed it from a lecture-style to a hands-on Breakout EDU game. After the game was completed by all classes, we sent out an email to all of the seniors with the information and links that were used in the game so they have it as a reference as they go through their research process.

As this was traditionally a sit-and-get lecture presentation, it was great to see students adapting to a different presentation style of the same material. The presentation is always available as a reference for students on Kelly McGee's website (and was actually incorporated into the game), but we felt it was important to include interpersonal skills that mirror the outcomes of Senior Capstone goals.

In our debrief after running the game (as we always do after running a game), some of the things we noticed/wondered:

Noticing: Some of our clues were not as strong as we thought they were. We had to revamp a few clues to make sure we were communicating the information we wanted the students to know.
Noticing: One of our clues was too difficult for the time frame. The goal of this game was not to stump the students, but have the students critically think as it relates to the research process. (Hint cards were not used for this game - students were provided with help as needed.)
Noticing: Students needed the whole time to solve the clues and we were left without time in the class period to do a debrief while the information was fresh.
Noticing: We were able to make personal contact with each student during the 60 minute class period.
Wondering: How can we change some of the clues so that we can fit a debrief/further explanation into the class period?
Noticing/Wondering: Much of the game is personalized to our district/area, but looking for ways we could adapt it to be a more generalized and Breakout EDU-published research game.

This reflection process always prompts great discussion. As we were talking, we found it helpful to breakdown each clue as to how it relates to the 6C's of learning (as this, other than the content, is a huge component of a Breakout EDU game). We analyzed the game structure, clues, and problem solving process so that we could better understand our areas for improvement. It was our first time running the game, so we knew there would be ways we could grow. The information is presented in the chart below (or if you are unable to read the chart, please click here).

So, in a nutshell, what does our Senior Capstone Research Project, the 6Cs, and Breakout EDU have in common?

IMPROV-ing Students at ECC

2017-02-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

Ms. Stasiak sails a student across the Lake in "Lake of Trust" Improv Game.

Over the course of the 2016-17 school year I have been working with several classrooms at the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center on introducing students to the art of Improvisation. The idea behind incorporating Improv into the classroom is multilayered. There are the obvious benefits like helping students with public speaking and allowing them to be creative, but there are also many underlying educational and social benefits as well. For example, when students play the improv game “Lake of Trust” they are not only working on the ability to trust their classmates, but also on communication, collaboration and compassion with and toward their fellow classmates.

A student plays the Improv game “ABC race” in Mrs. Compo’s class.

Many of the Improv games we play at the ECC can be adapted to include content and can help students to work on information retrieval in a fun and safe environment. The Game “ABC Race” has students gather in a circle and go through the alphabet as fast as they can. The game is designed to help the students concentrate as well as learn their ABC’s, but it can also be adapted to include addition, subtraction, vocabulary, etc.

Ms. Jewell’s class plays “Frog In The Pond” Improv game.

Improv is a great way to put some “Fun” back into the learning process. I’ve already seen vast improvements in many ECC students ability to “let go”, engage and just have fun with Improv. I’ve had comments from several teachers about how a very shy student has been participating more and more each time we play. Improv is a process and takes patience in order to see the positive results in students. But, if you can stay diligent and keep Improv-ing you’re students will not only have fun, but will gain confidence in themselves and trust in their classmates.

If You're interested in starting Improv in your classroom check out The Godfrey-Lee Tech/Media team youtube channel or click this IMPROV VIDEO LINK. I would also highly recommend the book Drama Menu: Theatre Games in Three Courses by Glyn Trefor-Jones. Most of my Improv ideas start with this book. Also, be on the look out for Improv Videos from our ECC students.

Below is a sample video of Improv games you'll find on our Youtube Channel.

Future of Education Technology

2017-01-31T09:59:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Future of Education Technology Conference and it was such an amazing experience to meet up with so many folks working hard to bring the best educational experience to the classroom. There were people there from all over the country and even across the globe. There is definitely a shift in the way technology is being used in the classroom, and I am excited to work with our own staff in implementing some new ideas that will bring about the meaningful experiences that our kids deserve.

Pre-Conference Future of IT Summit

One of the best parts of this conference was the pre-conference summit where over 300 educators gathered to discuss the future of IT, network and listen to a few amazing speakers talk about the importance of building strong relationships with students. Eric Sheninger, Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education, gave an inspiring keynote on "bringing the awe back in to learning." It is so easy to get caught up in the chaos of standardized testing and big data, that sometimes we forget to inspire. Obviously, testing is a necessary evil, but we have to be mindful about the way our students best learn and if that means moving away from traditional methods of educating, it is something that we should do.

VR and Robotics

Photo credited to
@AmyBradshaw_KET @LShafferKET

One of the trends this year is Virtual Reality and Robotics. These technological tools have taken off in the classroom due to the affordability, engagement factor and the real learning experiences that come with them. Virtual Reality has allowed the classroom to break outside of the traditional 4-walls and move into a new reality where students can increase their depth of learning and experience classroom content in a very engaging way.

Another fun tool happens to be classroom robots. These cool little gizmos allow students to think creatively and work on coding skills and even solve real-world problems. There are many different products out there, but I was fascinated with the Sphero bots because of their ease of use and affordability. These wonderful tools can help supplement classroom instruction and inspire students to take ownership of their learning.

Fear of Technology

Technology grows at an exponential rate and some of the world's most greatest advancements have happened in the last 20 years. This is exciting and scary at the same time as it highlights the advancement of our civilization but also shows how difficult it is to prepare our students for a world that will be much different than our own. Sometimes the fear of the unknown can be paralyzing, but we must not let that deter us from taking that giant leap forward. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." This is especially true in education. Even though we don't know what the future holds, we must have faith in our abilities and in our own students to take this world on. This is why it is important to inspire our students to think critically and problem solve on their own, to show them how to communicate and collaborate, because our world will never be perfect. Since our world will never be perfect, there will always be problems to solve, and people to help. This is where we can make a difference, not in how well our students test, but how they impact the world.

Dan Townsend
Director of Technology and Media Services
@dtownsend20

Student Grade Report

2017-01-25T13:49:00.000-05:00

Would you like to be able to look at the students in the sections that you teach and be able to pull out just the ones who are getting a certain grade; such as all of the “A’s” or all of the “D’s” and lower? Well there is a way that you can do that. Infinite Campus has a report under Student Information called the “Activity Eligibility Report”. When you click on the report it brings you to a screen that allows you to choose the course, the grade option and the grading tasks whether it be the in progress grade or the posted grade. You can choose to see all scores for students in your class or you can choose to see only the ones that have fallen below a certain level.

Click the link below to view step by step instructions on how to run this report.

Activity Eligibility Report

New Music Recording Studio Goes in at Lee MS/HS

2016-12-09T09:57:00.001-05:00

When the Superintendent and I visited Albemarle School District in Charlottesville, Virginia, we noticed a few things that we wanted to bring back to our home school district. One of those things was a Sound and Music Recording Studio for students. We noticed that kids were so passionate and enthusiastic about the opportunity to create something of their own. We even had the opportunity to speak to a few kids who talked about how much the studio has helped them in their overall development. Some students are in love with music but don't necessarily participate in band or choir, so this has become a way for them to express themselves and show off their talent.

The Christine Vettese Sound and Music Recording Studio

I knew that we had some of those similar stories here in our district and I wanted to ensure that we were offering our students a way to be creative and produce something that they could share with the world. It is almost impossible for a kid with no real income to afford studio time in a quality production studio, so that is where we can help. In the first week of opening the doors of the studio, we had several students sign up to use it. There is some pretty sophisticated equipment and software in there so it is taking some time for students to get the hang of production but the discovery of it all is an important part of the journey. I can't wait to see the talent of our students shine through this experiential process.

Dan Townsend
Director of Tech and Media Services

Infinite Campus Update Offers Teachers New 'Assignment Analysis' Report

2016-12-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, December 11, our district will be receiving an update from Infinite Campus. After this update, you will see a new report option in your index under Reports (Grade Book). The purpose of this new report is to help teachers further analyze student grades on any given assignment. Below are the release notes from Infinite Campus on how to get to this report and generate it.

Assignment Analysis Report

PATH: Campus Instruction > Reports (Grade Book) > Assignment Analysis

The Assignment Analysis report creates a bar chart representing the students' grades for the selected assignment.

Generating the Assignment Analysis Report

Choose Assignment Analysis from the report drop down list.
Select the Term and Section of the assignment to analyze.
Select the Assignment for which you want to view the analysis graph. Only one assignment can be selected at a time.
Click the Generate Report button to generate the report in PDF format.

The header of the graph reports the selected assignment, as well as its Task/Standard and Category.

The graph show's each student's score received on the assignment, with the percentage of points earned shown next to the student's name.

Below the graph, the Mean and Median scores are calculated, as well as the +/- standard deviation. These values are also represented by blue lines in the graph itself.

Breakout EDU Mania!

2016-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last year, our Tech Team introduced Breakout EDU to a group of our administrators. Since then, we have provided several professional development opportunities for teachers and para-professionals, which has resulted in many games taking place in the classroom!

In our district, we keep our boxes in a central location and we set the lock codes before delivering them to the teacher. This helps us minimize the chance of breaking a lock, or worse yet, getting locked out of a lock (do we even have to mention the joys of owning a directional lock?)! We keep a Google Sheet that allows us to have a running list of the codes used and the teacher who used them just in case we have to go back and double check a setting. This also allows us to see how the Breakout EDU boxes are being used across the district. Below are several graphs that show a monthly use by building and subject area.
So far this year, we have been busy in classrooms with Breakout after Breakout and have several more on the calendar for the month of December!

Tech Refresh 2016

2016-12-08T13:23:00.000-05:00

Summer 2016 was filled with many technological infrastructure upgrades. These upgrades will further enhance the district's connectivity while providing a more secure environment. Our network backbone is now capable of transmitting ten times the amount of data from our previous environment. This will translate to a future proofed network infrastructure that will carry us into the next few years.

Along with increased transmission rates, we further secured our internal network with new firewall and web filter solutions. We are better able to see and drop malicious activity on our network before it enters or exits our network. The new web filter solution allows us to get better feedback on search trends and block and log nefarious keyword searches. We will continue our work to provide great support to our students and building staff and we strive to make our network a great example in our community.

Top: New Core Switch and the iBoss Web filter

Bottom: Newly racked server environment with our Sophos Firewall solution

What to do with Design Thinking & Teacher Learning #rebelu16

2016-09-14T10:36:00.003-04:00

Rebel U is so much more than just a gathering of teachers sharing cool tools they are using in their classrooms. Although that is a part of it, the collaboration, conversations, experimenting, community, and much more are also critical components of the day. Each year we are grateful that we are given a full day to work with teachers and administrators, so we work hard to make sure that are day is design with not only our end users in mind, but also making sure that it is aligned with district goals. We try to make sure this is a seamless integration, where sometimes you aren't sure where the learning ends and the implementation begins!

This year, our Tech Team partnered with the Teaching, Learning, and Accountability Department in our district to align Rebel U to our district focus of Human Centered Design. Our Team is by no means an expert in this area, so we were ready to learn all we could about the concept and how this translates to the technology that is being utilized by our teachers and students. In a nutshell, we are all designers and the approach we take can follow an uniform process, but the end results could be very different and personalized.

Source

This year at Rebel U, we opened with our very own Carol Lautenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Accountability, with an introduction to design thinking. She shared a document with our teachers that to help them think beyond the content to the reason, the essence, and the purpose of what is being learned—the WHY and WHO. This was demonstrated through a quick activity about cell phones that helped demonstrate the WHY and WHO of design thinking.

At the end of the day, teachers were asked to separate themselves into one of five groups that they would like to explore further. In exploration of this group, we were asking them how they could connect the ideas, tools, and resources they learned about during the day and use them to enhance communications and relationships. Below is a breakdown of the number of teachers and the relationships they chose to explore further.
In addition to the focus group, we asked them how they would incorporate an element of the 5Cs into the process (bringing the higher-level thinking!). The purpose in asking this question was to really think deeper about the relationship that is being explored.
When you take those two tidbits of information collected and combine them together, you get a nice looking chart that allows you to see the relationships and 5C focus for the district as a whole. It is easy to see that the majority of our staff would like to focus on the teacher to student relationship, with largely a creative focus. This makes us excited because of the potential for risk-taking, student exploration, and learning opportunities that might grow out of this activity. What is interesting about this snapshot is that you can clearly see the focus areas defined by our teachers that are important and will help improve not only the teaching process, but also build relationships within our community. Where we go from this point is in the hands our teachers, students, imaginations, and so much more!

Building for Today and Improving for a Future Tomorrow #rebelu16

2016-09-06T13:50:00.000-04:00

Every year with Rebel U, we work at improving things from previous Rebel U events and trying out new things. One thing our Tech Team has always tried to be open to is taking risks. We took a few risks trying new things this year and some worked well, others not quite like we had envisioned. As part of our evaluation each year, we like to ask attendees what they feel we can improve upon so that the next Rebel U flows better and meets teacher learning needs. This year, we knew two big areas where we fell short in providing you with the best learning experience possible...and you let us know too (which we love the constructive feedback, really!).

According the evaluation results, the two main topics that frequently came up were the Internet/wifi connection issues as well as general concerns about the location. We want you to know that we truly value your input and would like to share some of the concerns as well as what we know/can do about improving. Like previously stated, we are not afraid to take risks. We took a risk by having Rebel U at a new location. The Kent ISD was booked, and we have learned from previous years of Rebel U, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold within district due to the growing number of staff, availability of air-conditioned space, and appropriate seating for adults. We also like to respect the fact that many teachers spend a lot of time prepping their classrooms for the beginning of the school year, and having 150 come into their teaching/learning space can throw off work that has been put into preparation. We know that no amount of apologies can change the lack of wifi access (despite our many inquiries as it if it could handle our load!) and room temperature/size issues that were present this year, but we appreciate your open minds and positive attitudes as you moved forward throughout the day.

Listed below are the other areas of concern that were brought to our attention (other than the Internet/wifi and location concerns).
We are by no means perfect, but we try really hard to create a positive learning environment for you at Rebel U. Based on your feedback, we would like to share some insights and feedback with you.

First and foremost, Rebel U is an EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY day. As long as the Technology Team, it will continue to have an EdTech focus. We are the first to say that technology is not the be all, end all to classroom instruction. The teacher is essential to student learning and the technology used for the teaching and learning process is simply a tool. We also understand that other professional development is needed for teachers. Please do not hesitate to speak to your building administrator if you feel you need other non-technology related PD.
We open Rebel U up to teachers and administrators in the district to present, as well as other professionals outside of the district. We do not select certain presenters, but rather celebrate those that step forward to give of their own learning time at Rebel U to share their knowledge, expertise, and experiences with others. If you feel you would like to learn more about a certain topic at Rebel U, please feel free to let Sarah or another member of the Tech Team know and we can work to find someone to share about that particular topic.
We partnered with the Teaching, Learning, and Accountability Department to include a Human Centered Design component this year as part of the district initiative that is taking place. Technology in the classroom should not be separate from the content learning that is taking place, but rather integrated to support the curriculum. The HCD component this year was not something that was meant to be new, or added on to something you are already doing, but rather for you to help organize your thoughts about your learning for the day. The things you learned about in your sessions are the "WHAT" and the "HOW" in design thinking and the "WHY" and the "WHO" help you get to the heart of learning. This took the place of the Collaboration Block/Reflection Time that we have had the previous years.
Due to a complex calendar, we do not get to pick which day Rebel U will take place. Our Tech Team is SUPER happy that we are able to have one day to work with all teachers in the district. Unfortunately, the day we have been given the past couple years has fallen on the day of the elementary open houses. We would love for you to have a relaxing day, be able to dress up, and not have to worry about the evening events, but unfortunately, we can't always make the calendar perfect. We try our best to make the day fun for you though!

We hope this has been helpful in answering some of your questions about Rebel U. If you mentioned something that was not noted here, it does not mean that we haven't read what you shared! It is helpful for us to reflect on why we do what we are doing, what we are intentional about, and of course, what we can improve for next year!

Rebel U 2016...Sevenfold #rebelu16

2016-09-06T13:43:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe that Rebel U has been going strong for seven years! Each year when we do our Call for Presenters, we gather basic information about each person so we can make sure we have the right contact information, t-shirt size, etc. As our program has progressed, this information has also allowed us to compile basic statistics about our presenters.

In reviewing our presenter information this year, we uncovered some fun facts!

Rebel U 2016 was another fun year of learning and sharing, despite a few hiccups. But hey, without those hiccups, we wouldn't be FAILING FORWARD. If you like charts and graphs, you have come to the right place! Below you will see charts representing information about our presenters. Over the past seven years, we have had eighty-four unique presenters, and some of those presenters have presented multiple times at multiple Rebel U events. We must be doing something good if they keep coming back!

In addition to having 2 presenters that have presented at all eight Rebel U events (seven "traditional" plus one "Virutal Edition"), we have had many presenters that keep on coming back. We thank everyone who continues to present for us as well as those who might be presenting for the first time. Each and everyone of you is super important to the success of Rebel U!

Rebel U 2016 - Past, Present, and Future #rebelu16

2016-09-06T13:43:00.001-04:00

Last year on the Rebel U evaluation, we asked our attendees if they had any suggestions for a theme for Rebel U 2016. We wanted to hear from our attendees what they would think a fun theme would be be for the day. The majority of votes we received were in favor of the 80's. Totally rad, we said! We loved the idea, but wanted to make sure that our day was aligned with our Rebel U goals, and not only the decided theme. So, the Past, Present, and Future (1986 / 2016 / 2046) is what it was!

As always, we encourage our teachers to embrace the theme by dressing for the day, or sharing something personal. This year, we loved what the 80's brought to our day!

If you are interested in viewing more pictures from our day, please visit our Facebook page!

So, what have been our themes from the past? Listed below you will see the themes as well as a collage of our presenter t-shirts from each year. It is so fun to look back and see how how themes have grown and evolved as well as our shirt designs.

The themes we have had in the past are:
2010: Inaugural year of Rebel U - no theme
2011: Innovation Through Collaboration
2012: weLearn
2013: A Day with the Stars
2014: Superheroes
2015: Heroes and Villains
2016: Past, Present, and Future

As part of our registration this year, we asked participants to share their favorite TV show when they were growing up (the PAST), which fictional character they would vote for president this year (the PRESENT), and a gadget invention that would make their life easier (the FUTURE). So, what did our participants tell us?

Rebel U 2016 {All About Our Presenters} #rebelu16

2016-09-06T13:43:00.000-04:00

Each year we put out a Call for Presenters for Rebel U. This is a public call for presenters and open to anyone inside or outside of the district. If you have a love for teaching and learning and a passion for educational technology, Rebel U is the place for you! Each year we have teachers that give of their own learning time to share their knowledge, expertise, and experiences with their peers so that we can all learn and grow together. We also try to find other professionals who have really cool things to share! Every year, we are amazed, impressed, blow away, and inspired by the ideas that our presenters step forward to share. To celebrate the amazing things our amazing presenters are sharing this year, we wanted to share some amazing data about what Rebel U has to offer attendees this year!

Below is data that we have collected and would like to share about our presenters this year. We were excited to have presenters from almost every building and about every grade level!

Upcoming Student Account Maintenance - Google Apps Data - Plan your backup!

2016-06-07T13:25:00.000-04:00

Attention GLPS Teachers and Students!

In preparation for account changes over the summer, all student Google App data will be deleted. To keep your Google Drive Documents you must create a PERSONAL backup. Follow the directions listed below to make a backup of your data.

Watch the following video and/or follow the directions below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFc-OxPunGw

1. Log in to RebelNet

2. Click on Google Drive for Students

3. Once in Google Drive, select all documents to backup. A method to select all items in your Google drive is to press Command ⌘-A. You may also select the last document, hold shift and then click the first document.

4. Click the 3 vertical dots and then select download to start the zip file creation and download procedure.

5. Once the zip file is created and downloaded you may click the down arrow and select Show in Finder.

6. Copy the .zip file to a flash drive or upload the zip file to your PERSONAL Google Drive or to your PERSONAL dropbox account.

Thank you and have a great summer!

Godfrey-Lee Tech Team

Introducing... Book Spins! October/Halloween Edition #OctBookSpin

2015-10-20T10:24:00.000-04:00

What is a Book Spin?

A "Book Spin" is a collection of activities that correlates back to a specific book. The idea for this project came about after an exciting response after Dot Day - a "theme" day that was centered around a book. We saw teachers doing so many cool and creative things that we wanted to do more with the idea of a theme day that centers around a book. The Book Spin presented here was a collaborative project created by specialists, consultants, coaches, and teachers in Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.

For each Book Spin, you may choose to either read the book out loud with students or there is also a recording of the book that is read aloud and shared online. After reading/listening to the book with your students, take an opportunity to explore one of the curriculum spins based on the book. There are a variety of different activities to choose from! These spins are meant to be starting points - feel free to use them as they are, modify them, or create your own!

After completing an activity with your students, we would love to see what you have done! Share your book spin implementation on Twitter using the hashtag #OctBookSpin.

October Book Spin Reading Selection - Big Pumpkin
Below is the recording of the selected book for October's Book Spin, Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.

If you are unable to view the video below, please click here.

Curriculum "Spins" on Big Pumpkin
In the presentation below, you will be able to view many different curriculum spins you may use in your classroom that use the book "Big Pumpkin" as a starting conversation point. Feel free to use one, two, three, or all of them with your students!

If you are unable to view the presentation below, please click here.

How To: Forwarding Student Email Account to Staff Email Account

2015-10-09T09:25:00.003-04:00

As teachers have a separate email account in the student domain for email communication and Google Drive document sharing. This can be helpful for keeping student communications separate, but sometimes creates an extra step in opening another tab/window/browser to access that account. Google provides some flexibility within your accounts and allows you to forward email from one account to another. This can be helpful in forwarding your email from your student account to your staff account.

To forward your email from one Google account to another Google account:

Open the Gmail account that you want to forward from (student account).
At the top right, click the gear .
Select Settings.
Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
Click Add a forwarding address in the “Forwarding” section.
Enter the email address you want to forward to (staff email address).

Student Device Management Tips

2015-09-30T14:15:00.003-04:00

Are you looking for some management tips for student devices in your classroom? Listed below are some suggestions that might provide some helpful tips.

Create a system: When managing devices it is important to have a system that your class is familiar with. Making sure your devices are labeled is a great way to keep track of what device is which. Try using a labeling method that is durable but doesn’t permanently engrave the device. If you need assistance labeling your devices feel free to ask a tech team member for help.

Create a Checkout Process: Assigning your students a number that corresponds to a specific device in your cart will help you keep track of which student has what device and will help narrow down the pool of responsible students if a device was to go missing or suffer damage. Try labeling your storage slots inside your cart so students know exactly where to place their device.

Use Collateral: If you are permitting your devices to be used outside of the classroom, make your students give you a piece of collateral. The best form of collateral would be a form of ID or a cell phone even. This will increase the chances that a student returns the device, but will also give you a way of knowing who took a device out of the classroom.

Do an hourly inventory: At the end of every hour, take a look at your cart to make sure all devices are in your charging cart and accounted for. If your storage slots are labeled, you will be able to do a quick glance and see which device is missing. You can then refer back to your checkout list to see which student last used the device.

Appoint a Student Tech: Appoint a responsible student who will be in charge of managing the device accountability system. It might be a good idea to appoint a few alternates as well. This will be useful when you have a substitute teacher in the room.

If a device of yours is missing from your cart, please alert a member of the tech team immediately. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is to track a device down. If it is confirmed that a device was stolen, we can notify the authorities and seek recovery or replacement of the device.

10 Minute Tech Tools - Dot Day Fun!

2015-09-14T15:55:00.002-04:00

Are you looking for a quick and easy way to celebrate International Dot Day and creativity and inspiration? Come check my blog and how you can use augmented reality to celebrate International Dot Day on the latest 10 Minute Tech Tools!

Rebel U 2015 - Looking to the Future

2015-09-05T07:20:00.000-04:00

Our GLPS Tech & Media Team loves to make Rebel U a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone, but we do take our job very seriously as far as how it relates to district and school improvement plans. Each year, we set goals and objectives for the day (2015 goals and objectives can be found here) and we use these to help guide

As part of the evaluation, we ask all attendees to rate the intended goals and objectives as they feel they were implemented and evident throughout the day. Below are charts that reflect the answers to statements each attendee was given. It is always part of our process to reflect on what our attendees think and areas for us to grow!

Students Show Some Teacher Love at Rebel U 2015 #rebelu15

2015-09-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

The objective of Rebel U is to provide teachers with quality professional development that helps them leverage available technology resources to support student learning and classroom instruction. This day would not be possible though if it weren't for the amazing teachers we have in our district, but also if it weren't for the students who show up everyday and have just as much of an impact on our teachers as our teachers do on them.

At the end of last school year, we asked students in all of the buildings to share what they liked about their teachers and how they have made an impact on their learning. After gathering responses, we asked teachers on the final day of school to read what some of their students had to say. It was truly touching to hear teachers read, laugh, and maybe have a few tears over their students' sentiments. We recorded this readings as a way of documenting the great things that are going on in our district and the impact our teachers have on our students, inside and outside the classroom.

In addition to creating the video, we also created several "boards" that we posted in the building for everyone to see (and we were able to include more student comments this way!). The questions we asked our students (to fit with our Disney Heroes and Villains theme):

ECC K-2 students: Why is your teacher one in a "minion?"
Godfrey Elementary 3-5 students: How has your teacher helped you or lifted you up this year?
Lee Middle School 6-8 students: Which teacher has made an impact on your learning and why?
9-12 students: What is your favorite memory of a teacher that you would like to freeze in time?

If you are unable to view the video below, please click here.

Rebel U 2015 - Heroes and Villains #rebelu15

2015-08-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

For the past several years for Rebel U, our Technology & Media Team decides on a theme for the day, which we try to carry over through our yearly professional development. We try to do this to provide consistency in our publications, keep the Rebel U spirt from the beginning of the year alive throughout the whole school year, and most importantly, for fun! One thing our team works really hard to do is provide quality professional learning that is a little different from traditional learning opportunities. We try to not make the whole day a bunch of "sit and get" learning, but encourage our presenters to be hands-on with the participants, think outside the box for presentation methods, and in general, make the learning fun for those in sessions. Our theme provides our presenters with opportunities to have fun with their content and it also gives our participants a chance to dress to match the theme!

As part of our registration this year, we asked participants to share their favorite Disney Hero or Villain as well as their favorite Disney movie. This year in particular, we used the responses we gathered for our student response project and inspiration for our photo booth props. So, what did our participants tell us were some of their favorites?

Rebel U 2015 {All About Our Attendees} #rebelu15

2015-08-27T20:34:00.003-04:00

Each year, our presenters are key components in making our day successful, but each and every person who attends Rebel U is just as important. At Rebel U, we have teachers, consultants, itinerant staff, and administrators who attend sessions. One thing that we are proud to offer each person who attends is the choice to attend sessions that are of interest to them. We do not dictate which sessions participants attend, as we want each person to get the most out of Rebel U. By having the opportunity to personalize and self-directing their own professional learning, we hope that Rebel U provides an unique and individualized learning experience. After all, we want our students to have unique learning experiences that set them up for success, so why not give our teaching staff that same opportunity?

Below are several graphs that share a little bit of basic information about our attendees for Rebel U 2015. We use the information from these graph snapshots to see that we are providing session opportunities for all teachers (based on pre-registration) as well as any trends we see in preferences, needs, and feedback from previous years. We love our teachers and are grateful for their continued support, participation, and open minds to the learning opportunities that Rebel U presents!

Rebel U 2015 {All About Our Presenters} #rebelu15

2015-08-27T14:38:00.001-04:00

Rebel U is right around the corner and presenters work hard every year to put together amazing presentations. This year is no exception to that statement! Every year, we are amazed, impressed, blow away, and inspired by the ideas that our presenters step forward to share with their peers. To celebrate the amazing things our amazing presenters are sharing this year, we wanted to share some amazing data about what Rebel U has to offer attendees this year!

Below is data that we have collected and would like to share about our presenters this year. We are excited to have presenters from every building and almost every grade level!

If you would like to view our agenda for Rebel U 2015, please click here.

If you would like to view the session descriptions for Rebel U 2015, please click here.