#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.
Jessie Erickson, Curriculum Technology Partner in Grand Forks, ND. Hard to pick just one, so picked 4 top. I have been blessed to learn at FETC, ISTE, BrainPop Summer Institute and DENSI. #squirrelschat
Hi! Becky, Director of PD @Squirrels, one of the best PD opportunities I've taken part in was @jimknight99 Instructional Coaching Institute, it was the perfect blend of research & practice with a ton of hands on application. #squirrelschat#EduCoach
Hi #SquirrelsChat! It’s Emily with @Squirrels. I’m currently on a road trip to Toronto, but will be chiming in while my husband drives. My favorite PD was the first higher education conference I went to & was able to present with colleagues. Looking forward to hearing from y’all
🍑Peach flavored greetings! Melissa Dandy Walker, Digital Learning Specialist at Atlanta Public Schools. One of my favorite PD experiences was over 10 years ago! As a math teacher, learning how to engage Ss with Kagan strategies!!! #squirrelschat
A1: My PD nightmares always begin with me stuck in room, be talked AT, about a topic that isn't relevant to me. I think most educators have experienced this nightmare many times. #squirrelschat
A1: Attending a mandatory session taught by an "expert" who clearly didn't know the reality of being a classroom teacher. Theory ≠ Classroom Reality. #SquirrelsChat
I get so disappointed when I see the same sessions offered at the same conference year after year. Let’s mix it up! Educators deserve to have the newest and best ideas 💡 #SquirrelsChat
A2: know your audience and differentiate the PD. My staff knows when they sign up for my PD that I will tailor it to their needs and make it relevant #SquirrelsChat
A-2 I’m lucky to be the ITC at my school and I can push into the class and demonstrate how new tech works! Hence my love for @ReflectorApp ❤️❤️Couldn’t have asked for a better co-teacher! #squirrelschat
Voice! And! Choice! How can we expect teachers to get excited about PD when it doesn’t connect to their goals for growth?! Listen to teachers and focus on how you can help them on their path #SquirrelsChat
A2: Let teachers drive the PD. Provide opportunities for choice, flexibility and things like #PBL. Educator PD is directly reflected in classrooms. If we want teachers to differentiate and personalize learning for Ss, we should model that in our PD. #SquirrelsChat
A2: Ask Ts what they want to learn and support them as they practice new skills. Model how we teach and suppprt student voice and choice by giving the same experiences to educators. Walk with them. #squirrelschat
A3 personalization. The best I have been part of when it’s what the teachers need in the moment. No a shiny new tool that I’m telling them about because I like it. Learning first, technology second! #squirrelschat
Hi Nancy! Thanks for being here 🙌 You can use #SquirrelsChat in each of your tweets and then everyone can follow along. Looking forward to hearing some great ideas from you!
A3: PD is often lacking presenters that know how to engage their audience. They talk AT you and you leave with nothing that can be implemented in your classroom #SquirrelsChat
🙋🏻♀️ I’ve been in the same situation! I was so disappointed at first, but I turned it into an opportunity to really connect with the attendee and have a great conversation about the topic. Definitely a gut punch though 😫 #SquirrelsChat
A3: We lack verification systems for informal PD, like hours spent on Twitter learning best practices don’t count toward recertification. #SquirrelsChat
I really want to empower engaging educators to take the step into PD because we need them to take their skills into these situations. We don’t need to spend $$$ on big names when we have amazing educators in our ranks #SquirrelsChat
A3: There are so many, teaching is a complex profession! I think learning to teach and assess #softskills is so important to ensure Ss are #futureready But because they are so intangible, teaching and assessing them can be a difficult thing to master. #squirrelschat
A-3 Time. Time where teachers don’t feel like they have 100 other things to do. Time to try something w/o feeling like you can’t cover standards. I’ve heard I can’t do one more thing too many times! #squirrelschat
A3: Teachers don’t have a lot of time... not before school, not during school, not after school,... not in their precious weekends! They need flexible options incl. virtual and blended opportunities. #squirrelschat
Pd is too often one size fits all and “sit and get”. We need PD that meets the needs of the educators, allow for voice and choice. Responsive to learner needs like classrooms should be. #SquirrelsChat
A4 when our teachers master some new form of tech (or at least new to them) They can’t wait to share! Since we now have open spaces and garage doors teachers see each other teaching and the tech spreads naturally. It’s awesome! #SquirrelsChat
A4-We started using @GoogleForEdu this year. As teachers found out about new features they loved sharing with everyone. Gave them confidence to then share with students. #SquirrelsChat
A4: Teachers naturally want to help others learn. Twitter is a great platform for asking questions and sharing resources. I also discovered @reddit is great for new or struggling teachers to get advice on surviving the profession. #squirrelschathttps://t.co/gil9wYYq45
Technology should help us connect and learn even more from each other. Twitter, Skype, all things Google, Facebook, Instagram,etc. instant, global connections for all learners to share, learn and grow. #SquirrelsChat
A4: Technology enables Ts to easily collaborate with other educators in their building, across town, in another country! Teachers can share with and learn from other educators - when it’s convenient for them and where it’s convenient (school, home, on the go,...)! #squirrelschat
Love the discussion happening! But all good things must come to an end. Here's our last #SquirrelsChat question tonight: What technology tools do you use in your professional development? (Q5)
A-5 I have fallen for #googleslides ! They are a great way to give/get information from a PD session. You can pack a lot of information in a presentation!#squirrelschat
A5: Google Suite, Twitter, Goosechase, Flipgrid, Screencastify, EdPuzzle, DoInk, and other tools, apps, extension, and devices that address learner needs. #SquirrelsChat
I get disappointed when sessions are all vendors instead of educators. I know conferences need to pay the bills, but give us stuff to use! (No offense, the ones you guys do are focused on classroom material instead of sales!) #SquirrelsChat
A5: So many! I love @edXOnline for taking more structured courses, @TeachingChannel is awesome for learning new classroom techniques. I also use Coursesites by @Blackboard to create and manage the PD and online learning I deliver. #SquirrelsChat
I try to model what I am teaching! My fav in 2018 is @ClassroomScreen! Yellkey is probably one that has come in handy weekly for me. If it’s a hands-on session, @ReflectorApp usually makes an appearance so my phone becomes a live-feed Camera for groups to show off! #SquirrelsChat
Love the discussion happening! But all good things must come to an end. Here's our last #SquirrelsChat question tonight: What technology tools do you use in your professional development? (Q5)
