After ISTE 2019, I took some time to reflect, and came up with 7 big take-aways from the experience that I wanted to share with everyone.
Big Take Away #1- Immersive Reader is showing up all over the place
We've known for awhile now, but the rest of the world is catching on. Immersive reader is the tool from Microsoft which helps students with reading issues and other learning needs tackle text. Teachers all over the place are reporting back that they love the tool and it is helping their students improve their reading comprehension. So, good news! Microsoft has announced partnerships with several of other other tools, some of which we already have in our toolbox!
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Big Take Away #2- Microsoft Hack Stem Lesson Plans
This is is truly a gem for anyone interested in Project Based Learning that is standards aligned for Math, Science, Engineering, or Technology. All of the lessons are teacher built, teacher tested, and standards aligned while addressing real life issues. This Microsoft lesson library has free resources and complete lesson plans that tackle topics such as concussion prevention, helping astronauts protect their feet in space with astro-socks, and how to design custom party lights. Some are quick bite sized lessons, other are longer project based activities. I got to opportunity to interact with many of the lessons, and was surprised at how in depth they were able to get while giving students the opportunity to experiment, build, critically think, problem solve, communicate, and collaborate.
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Big Take Away #3- New tools to try!
Here are some great tools I got to learn more about and that I think you will love too!
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Big Take Away #4- Digital Differentiation
Make quick videos for EVERYTHING: Check out some great ideas for how you can quickly create and implement videos for use with students, parents, and colleagues.
Make menu boards that allow for choices- check out this presentation that has templates and ideas for student choice using technology
Make menu boards that allow for choices- check out this presentation that has templates and ideas for student choice using technology
Big Take Away #5- AR and VR you can use!
I talked to other educators, looked at their lessons, and heard their presentations. Consider these great ideas!
- What if you incorporated Virtual Tours into your breakout sessions? Students can search for clues in actual places around the world!
- What if you could build an augmented reality sandbox to explore the world?
- What if you and your students could build virtual tours? Some ideas: locations in books, historical tours, tours of biomes
- Cospaces EDU lets us design your own AR and VR spaces that you can use to model and interact with to demonstrate a variety of concepts
- What if a phone or tablet could put objects in your living room with you, like a tiger or the International Space Station? I just did! Try google searching an animal: Tiger, Shark, Wolf, Dog? Then click on "View in 3D", then click on "view in your space". Other apps allow to view things in all different ways. The NASA AR app is just one of the few apps that puts you up close in person with objects.
Big Take Away #6- Memes in Education
Check out Sharon Serano's (Washington Township Math teacher) work with memes in her Math classes. Memes are a great way to summarize learning, define vocabulary, pose questions, create class rules and posters, and so much more. Challenge the kids to create them! They will be using higher order thinking skills to try to find pictures that match their summarized ideas. Creativity and critical thinking collide!
Big Take Away #7- Creating better PD for you all
The biggest take away for me had to do with improving the professional development that I provide to my staff. I attended several sessions, talked with people and was motivated to make some changes by working with others in the district to help answer some questions.
Look for these questions to impact our work:
Look for these questions to impact our work:
- How can we incorporate digital badging to help credential and motivate staff?
- How can we redesign our professional development learning spaces?
- How can we include staff in the planning of professional development?
- How can we make better use of time and space?
- How can staff make more choices during their professional development?
- What kinds of learning models will help the teachers most?
- What kinds of learning models will the teachers request the most?
- How can we get staff to buy in to optional professional development?