#SquirrelsChat meets once a month at 8:00 p.m. EST to discuss education technology and tools, professional development and technology integration. This chat is moderated by Squirrels LLC, creators of classroom screen-mirroring solutions Reflector 2, ClassHub, AirParrot 2 and Ditto.
Greetings from San Diego. I’m the tech director @HSHMC
I'm an educator because I value providing opportunities and experiences to all Ss through purposeful tech use! #SquirrelsChat
Hi #SquirrelsChat friends! It's Emily from @Squirrels -- I'm so happy you're here tonight. I started in #highered because I loved working with students and making a difference in their college career. I had wonderful role models and mentors in the field and saw myself in them.
Hey #squirrelschat! Keven here, host for the night! I am a Dir. of Tech at a small Catholic school in Ohio.
I originally chose EDU to become a coach, but a few short years in I fell in love with #EdTech.
Adam Rogers, Oklahoma City Public Schools. CTE Technology Coordinator. I decided to become T to have a job that I could make a difference and be off in the summer. #SquirrelsChat
#squirrelschat Zee Poerio-k-8 Computer teacher-Pittsburgh, PA. I always wanted to be a teacher. I have 5 siblings-we played school in our basement. Education was very important. My grandparents were immigrants from Italy & my Dad was 1st in his family to get a college education
Hi All! Becky, Director of PD @Squirrels! Education chose me! I come from a family of educators. I started teaching at a very young age to a classroom full of stuffed animals! #squirrelschat
A1 I started professionally in 2013 and I remember being very jazzed that classrooms were finally consistent with projector, computer, sound, etc. #SquirrelsChat
A1: 2008-2009 was my first year
In my first computer lab: an Interactive Whiteboard that I had ZERO idea how to use!
Math: Whiteboard and dry erase markers
Social Studies: Game changer with wifi & projector
#SquirrelsChat
I can remember the talk about how great SMART boards were going to be, but never had the chance to see one as an undergrad, let alone here about effective use. #SquirrelsChat
I can remember the talk about how great SMART boards were going to be, but never had the chance to see one as an undergrad, let alone hear about effective use. #SquirrelsChat
A1: I started my teaching career in a low-resource environment so I think the laminator was the best piece of tech we owned. It allowed us to create more durable resources that could be shared across classrooms #squirrelschat
#squirrelschat A1: When I 1st started teaching, the transparency projector! Drawing silly pictures w/colored transparency markers-letting the students write on it!Getting creative making shadows & putting clear glass bowl w/H20 on it& dropping stuff in.Later it was interactive WB
A2 Of course projectors are still used, but there is a definite shift in schools looking for interactive displays vs. the standard projector. It'll be a while before projectors are obsolete (hi, there are still instances of overhead projectors) but they are fading #SquirrelsChat
Projector yes, whiteboard with markers yes, IWB? We just installed @myClevertouch panels and my Ts are LOVING them!
Biggest replacement for today: quality LMS choices! Google Classroom can eliminate copies if you try. (I’m an advocate for the paperless classroom. #SquirrelsChat
A2: I still laminate cards for grouping and formative assessment hold-ups but generally I think most things I used to laminate now exist on the computer. #squirrelschat
I've heard a lot of good things about @myClevertouch! I think less paper is great BUT I also just learned about Math Doodle Notes from @TheMathGiraffe so I think we should make an exception for this one! #squirrelschat
In reply to
@kevenrinaman, @myClevertouch, @myClevertouch, @TheMathGiraffe
A3: Tech etiquette. Especially around how to properly communicate and convey the right message via different mediums. We should be mindful of our tone through email and text. #SquirrelsChat
I wish someone would have told me that #EdTech was a thing! I worked on computer repairs at a local retail big box store while attending college. My career could have blossomed from the get-go with proper exposure to what my passion would later become! #SquirrelsChat
A3 My undergrad was in comm and my master's was in ed. In both programs, I can say with certainty there wasn't enough focus on technology in the workplace. Whether that was in the classroom or in business, I don't think I learned about integrating it into my work. #SquirrelsChat
Assessments that were not just point/percentage-based. It wasn’t until much later on that I found out about PBL and Standards-based grading. #SquirrelsChat
A3: More practical skills, like just generally applying the things we talked and wrote about. The best classes I had, and unfortunately there were only a few, were project based #squirrelschat#PBL
I’ve gotta say, you crammed a bunch of stuff into the “It’s Getting HOTT In Here” presentation at #OETC19. I took a lot from it to use back at school! #SquirrelsChat
My M.Ed. Learning & Technology focused on course design and tech integration with zero focus on tools. They change too often! We educators need to teach our students skills, not specific tools. What do you think? #SquirrelsChat
Q4: What advice would you give your younger self during the early years of your career, or what “heads up” would you give to teachers starting their careers next year? #SquirrelsChat
Find your passion. It will lead your purpose and ultimately allow you to be happy everyday! Trying new things and not being afraid of failure is key to success. #SquirrelsChat
Q4: What advice would you give your younger self during the early years of your career, or what “heads up” would you give to teachers starting their careers next year? #SquirrelsChat
Teaching problem solving and soft skills greatly prepare students to adapt to any tools or technology they’ll face in the future. Definitely needed! #SquirrelsChat
A4 Working with college students for many years, the main thing I stressed with them was the fact that their lives/careers were likely not going to be linear. It's great to start with a plan, but there are so many opportunities and experiences they cannot forecast. #SquirrelsChat
Q4: What advice would you give your younger self during the early years of your career, or what “heads up” would you give to teachers starting their careers next year? #SquirrelsChat
A4: Focus on classroom management first! Don't get caught up in all of the fancy tools, get the basics down first and everything else will fall into place #squirrelschat
That goes for asking Ss for tech help to! It demonstrates trust, builds rapport, gives Ss pride in helping, models the behavior of asking for help AND gets the problem solved (usually) #SquirrelsChat
I’ve never been a fan of that “don’t smile until Christmas” line though. You can have classroom management while still having fun. Enthusiasm is contagious, capitalize on it. (learned that from @burgessdave) #SquirrelsChat
A4: #squirrelschat Find your TRIBE! NETWORK! Find like-minded teachers and collaborate! Talk to experienced teachers and ask for their advice. Share your passion! Stay positive! Have FUN with what you are teaching and your students will have fun learning!
A5 Education is tricky. In many places, education will look very similar in 2029 as it does now and as it did in 2009. But for more Ts and Ss, I hope it looks open, collaborative, without grades and with a focus on real-life skills. #SquirrelsChat
Hear me out on this one ☝️.
1:1 laptops will be long gone.
Wearable tech will be a forgone conclusion. AI will have replaced many internet searches and our classrooms will be focused on problem solving instead of fact regurgtation. #SquirrelsChat#DreamWorld
A5: So many things need to be different I am not sure where to start. Maybe classrooms will be virtual, that way S's can learn without limits. #SquirrelsChat
A5: I would love to see globally connected classrooms tackling local problems with inquiry-based learning and sharing results with each other. #SquirrelsChat
A5: #squirrelschat 2029 will have self driving school busses! AR/VR Rooms with immersive reality and mixed reality as part of every learning experience. Lunchrooms with have Foods available from where ever you like. No textbooks. No snowdays! Too much to think about.
Before we close out, I really want to thank @Squirrels and @emilycarle for letting me come up with the questions in tonight’s chat. I’ve had a blast! #SquirrelsChat
