#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.
Welcome! Welcome! Glad to have you here tonight! Please introduce yourself, what your role is in education & share your favorite toy growing up! #SquirrelsChat
Hello everyone! Favorite Toy - trains and whatever I creatively came up with to represent a train if I didn't have one! Haha. Dene from FL. Interim Ed Coordinator/Gr. 4-5 ELA Teacher. #SquirrelsChat
Welcome! Welcome! Glad to have you here tonight! Please introduce yourself, what your role is in education & share your favorite toy growing up! #SquirrelsChat
Welcome! Welcome! Glad to have you here tonight! Please introduce yourself, what your role is in education & share your favorite toy growing up! #SquirrelsChat
Welcome! Welcome! Glad to have you here tonight! Please introduce yourself, what your role is in education & share your favorite toy growing up! #SquirrelsChat
Hi #squirrelschat! It's Emily from @Squirrels. Before working in EdTech, I worked at Kent State in first year programs. Looking back, I loved playing basketball outside with my brothers and playing with my Barbies inside. Looking forward to tonight's chat!
Hello and sorry for being late. Just woke up for traveling all night for #ISTE18 it’s your boy Brian from North Texas. Fav toy had to be any #Hotwheels or #Starwars role playing set or action figure #SquirrelsChat
Hi! Becky, Director of PD @squirrels, my favorite toy was my teddy bear "Teddy". He had a shirt I decorated with puffy paint and when my dog chewed his eye out, my mom bought him a pirate eye patch! #squirrelschat
Welcome! Welcome! Glad to have you here tonight! Please introduce yourself, what your role is in education & share your favorite toy growing up! #SquirrelsChat
A1: I think we try to avoid making mistakes because it’s viewed as a negativity. It’s those mistakes and struggles that help us to grow and evolve as educators and human beings! #SquirrelsChat
I forgot to say my favorite toy! Barbie!! No doubt-I had the camper and the airplane. All my friends would bring our Barbie’s and make a huge town on my girlfriend’s porch! #SquirrelsChat
Another thing that holds us back is that we might be doing something that has never been done before. That is scary when it is different than what were used to. #SquirrelsChat
A1: I think fear of what others will say, of being wrong, and/or lack of controlling the outcome makes people avoid being comfortable with making mistakes! #SquirrelsChat
In two of our elementary schools we have done away with the grade level focus that is scary for some. It is not the way we done school before. The outcomes we have seen now in two years are incredible for our learners. #SquirrelsChat
A1: Funny thing is I avoid making them because I don't like how I feel when I discover the mistake, but darn if those aren't the things I remember SO CLEARLY later! I always share this with my students - it doesn't feel great, but use it to learn! #SquirrelsChat
A1 Unfortunately there is shame or stigma attached to making mistakes. Even though we can't always help making mistakes, we always work to avoid or hide our mistakes. I hope we as educators can continue to change that mentality. #SquirrelsChat
A1- I’m an over-reflector-I’ll think about how I should/would do it again. When something goes badly, it will make me a little shy to put myself out there for a while. #SquirrelsChat
My question to the group tonight is how do you push people closer to the edge and still support them so they feel supported along the way. #SquirrelsChat
My question to the group tonight is how do you push people closer to the edge and still support them so they feel supported along the way. #SquirrelsChat
The key to all learning is reflection. If staff reflect on their teaching that in itself can overcome any mistakes. It is about always learning and growing. #SquirrelsChat
A2: hmmm, insisting on one way being right and it turns out there was actually an alternate way. Makes you really take the time to look around and see the other possibilitie. You’re way isn’t always the right highway. #SquirrelsChat
A2: This happens a lot but I need to hone in more. I would say when I delete my report card data and had to recreate all of that info. Simple but huge mistake. Moral: Back it up three times! That was a ton of work. #SquirrelsChat
A2a: Making it all about me! As a 1st year #Educoach I made that mistake. I shared tools that I loved, when it should have been about their growth and not my favorite tools. My buddy, @EdTechBites, said something to me recently that has stuck with me. #SquirrelsChat
I love this topic tonight! To often we are sharing our successes on social media. I love that, but I also love to know others struggle with similar things I do. #SquirrelsChat
Yes, but it was your first year... You're learning too. You can't focus 100% on everyone else if you're still learning to walk (so to speak) #squirrelschat
A2b: He said that we would never go in someone’s house and rearrange their furniture. And that applies to coaching. My job is to empower my teachers to reach goals and elevate and enhance. It’s about them, not me. #SquirrelsChat
A2 Um 2 many to choose from lol. I was co-hosting my first PLC as an ITS & I didn’t know my audience well. The whole thing end in many of us crying 🤦🏻♀️. I learned that you must get to know your staff/ audience better b4 trying to ask something from them #SquirrelsChat
A2: I was in a restaurant in the Dominican Republic & the bathroom didn't have soap, I told the waitress “No hay sopa”, she looked at me like I was crazy, of course there wasn’t SOUP in the bathroom...the word for soap is jabón which I now will never forget #squirrelschat
I sometimes get stuck with network issues in workshops. The mistake I have made is depending to much on technology. It is a tool it should not make or break me. #SquirrelsChat
A2b: underestimating that those you teach don’t get it. Sometimes there’s the quiet ones, who were really listening to you, come out of left field and knock it out if the park. #SquirrelsChat
A2: wait learning experience... I make mistakes all the time, but that’s how I learn. Just jumping out there, testing the waters and see what happens. #SquirrelsChat
A2 Truly there are so many mistakes to choose from! When I started at @Squirrels, I was totally new to the EdTech space and I stumbled along the way. Thankfully, I had an amazing community of #alphasquirrels that help me learn and grow. #SquirrelsChat
A2- I did a science experiment with a 4thG on electricity. I will never under estimate the importance of assessing background knowledge again. Only a few made a flashlight, but the 💡 went on for me! #squirrelschat
Q3: It took Iver Norman Lawson 40 attempts to create WD-40 (which stands for water-displacement 40th Formula). That’s 39 mistakes until he got it right! How can we promote that type of perseverance among our students? #SquirrelsChat
A2: My latest mistake (lol) was setting up PL at an elementary school - and assuming that the IWBs would be set up and the cords wouldn't be put away for the summer! (Huge Sigh) #lessonlearned#neveragain#squirrelschat
A3: I really think dialoguing about our errors with students and showing them our scars (mistakes) or vulnerability increases their likelihood or value-viewing the mistakes. #SquirrelsChat
A3: show them real life examples, their favorite singers/bands/movie stars. Heck, Steve Jobs probably didn’t get the iPhone quiet right the first time around...we are on iPhone X? Right? Look at Columbus, took him a few trips before he found North America! #SquirrelsChat
A3 - That's a great example. We do want them to hang in there with content where we have "answers", but I would like to pose a question in return (is that allowed?): How can we know when it is time to walk away from those things that don't have definite answers? #SquirrelsChat
A3: I was just talking to my friend @teachandreas today about this and she quoted Edison!! We have to show our kids that those struggles and mistakes are more about growth than about deficit! #SquirrelsChat
Q3: It took Iver Norman Lawson 40 attempts to create WD-40 (which stands for water-displacement 40th Formula). That’s 39 mistakes until he got it right! How can we promote that type of perseverance among our students? #SquirrelsChat
A3B - I express my errors all the time. I joke around with them that "I am practically perfect in every way" like Mary Poppins LOL but then I flip the script and show them, I didn't make it this far on perfection. #SquirrelsChat
A3-As a teacher, time is so precious, but strive to give students time to try, try again! If you only give time to try once, what messages does that send?? #squirrelschat
Definitely! At that time I was teaching adult ELLs and it was such a humbling experience and it helped me walk in their shoes from a language learning perspective. #squirrelschat
A3: Students are always observing what we DO not what we SAY. They need to see us model perseverance when solving real-world problems that come up! Like being transparent and showing a willingness to try something new to address the same problem! #squirrelschat
Q3: It took Iver Norman Lawson 40 attempts to create WD-40 (which stands for water-displacement 40th Formula). That’s 39 mistakes until he got it right! How can we promote that type of perseverance among our students? #SquirrelsChat
Q3: It took Iver Norman Lawson 40 attempts to create WD-40 (which stands for water-displacement 40th Formula). That’s 39 mistakes until he got it right! How can we promote that type of perseverance among our students? #SquirrelsChat
A3 this is a struggle 4 sure. It takes a lot of encouragement. So many Ss see people w/ great wealth or talent and they think it just happens. The hard work behind the accomplishment is not always highlighted. Praising struggle may be part of the answer. #SquirrelsChat
A3: I think it’s like what @emilycarlesaid earlier, it’s the stigma of mistakes as a notion that needs to be dealt with. In my house, #TheMocha6 calls what others call mistakes, ‘Opportunities’ our phrase is “Oh What An Opportunity” and we wipe it off and drive on! #SquirrelsChat
Well we just need to make that happen Claudio. Bring your drums and let's have a classroom concert. I guarantee you the singers would sing, the dancers will cavort around and there will be a line for musicians. #SquirrelsChat
A3: Inviting in guests that have achieved some form of success to talk about their process and mistakes along the way can be very powerful #squirrelschat
Q3: It took Iver Norman Lawson 40 attempts to create WD-40 (which stands for water-displacement 40th Formula). That’s 39 mistakes until he got it right! How can we promote that type of perseverance among our students? #SquirrelsChat
Q4: When we were children, it was easier to play, get dirty, pretend and have fun learning. How can we create environments in our school tht encourages play and mess making? #SquirrelsChat
A4: its all about student choice/student voice. Give them choices and show them it’s OK to make a mess (just make sure to clean up when you are done!) #SquirrelsChat
A3 this is a struggle 4 sure. It takes a lot of encouragement. So many Ss see people w/ great wealth or talent and they think it just happens. The hard work behind the accomplishment is not always highlighted. Praising struggle may be part of the answer. #SquirrelsChat
Q4: When we were children, it was easier to play, get dirty, pretend and have fun learning. How can we create environments in our school tht encourages play and mess making? #SquirrelsChat
Q4: When we were children, it was easier to play, get dirty, pretend and have fun learning. How can we create environments in our school tht encourages play and mess making? #SquirrelsChat
A4: Our kids deserve more than what we had when we were students. The best kind of learning is play, exploration, collaboration...you name it!! @BrianRSmithSr what was that quote you said about the Model T! Totally applies here!! #SquirrelsChat
Makerspaces help create an environment that supports exploration, creativity, and more than one answer. Students create their own questions/tasks and find their own answers. #SquirrelsChat
A4: More project based learning, at a classroom and school level. My last school had a student run garden. I also really like the idea of having students repurpose things that otherwise would be thrown out in schools. #squirrelschat#pbl
Q4: When we were children, it was easier to play, get dirty, pretend and have fun learning. How can we create environments in our school tht encourages play and mess making? #SquirrelsChat
A4: Ha I do my fair share of running around and getting dirty still, with the students. I am a spring chicken hahaha. No seriously I do like to get involved if I can. #SquirrelsChat
A4: Be ready for the "mess" anytime, any place. Stress that it can always be cleaned up later! To encourage that, we have to model the modification ourselves. #SquirrelsChat
A4: (cont.) Really trying to make sure I'm answering the question about how to create the environment - we've got to build those communities of learners where we really listen and respond to the learners' needs and wants. #SquirrelsChat
And I have to add, that I did have some awesome teachers that did this when I was in school!! It wasn’t the majority, but I was blessed with some pretty great ones!! #SquirrelsChat
A4 Give Ss more time, increase your patience (or Xanax), and play with them. Show, model, demo. More projects, STEAM, and maker space type activities. #SquirrelsChat
Yep, the idea that in the past 100 years, all this innovation to revolutionize industry has happened, but SCHOOL remains stagnant! No bueno! #SquirrelsChat
Ex: I have PD pres I have done before that one group really got me sidetracked on. I thought "oh well whatever we'll go down that road" & after it was over I got feedback: it was their favorite PD! 2 teachers even took goggles with them to make their own "VR" exp! #SquirrelsChat
Q5: The book, Beautiful Oops!, shares ways to take mistakes and make something beautiful out of it. What is your Beautiful Oops! Moment? #SquirrelsChat
#squirrelsChat Sorry just got back from the mall getting my new iPhoneX to get ready for #ISTE2018 - k-8 Computer Lab teacher from PGH, PA. Favorite childhood Toy - EasyBake Oven (I am one of 6 kids - 5 girls 1 boy. ) My sisters all fought over using it!
Q5: The book, Beautiful Oops!, shares ways to take mistakes and make something beautiful out of it. What is your Beautiful Oops! Moment? #SquirrelsChat
A5: I can think of many times where I'd forgotten or overlooked something in preparation for class. I take the risk of trying it anyway, and generally it becomes so much more than it would have been with what I overlooked or forgot! #SquirrelsChat
Ex: I have PD pres I have done before that one group really got me sidetracked on. I thought "oh well whatever we'll go down that road" & after it was over I got feedback: it was their favorite PD! 2 teachers even took goggles with them to make their own "VR" exp! #SquirrelsChat
A4: Build a space for kids in your school. Let them help design it, run it, and own it! They will surprise you with what they can make in this space! #makerspaces#makered#squirrelschat
A5: I love that book!! Starting with the content when it should’ve been the relationships. So thankful that correcting that mistake was a quick one! #SquirrelsChat
A5: showing the kids that we make mistakes too! I can’t think of one “beautiful” oops, just lots of little ones that were a lesson learned. Like insisting an answer was correct and having a student prove I was wrong! OOPS 😬#SquirrelsChat
A4: For creative environments...I love having PUPPETS and props for movie making and skits. Even the older students love using props, costume pieces, etc. #SquirrelsChat
@ClaudioZavalaJr This chat was great and I loved the topic! It needs to be something we talk about more often than not!! Thank you, friend, and see you soon!! #SquirrelsChat
@ClaudioZavalaJr I am encouraged to think about my mistakes more and how I can continue to view them in proper perspective. Thanks for your immense inspiration this great evening! #SquirrelsChat
A5 Out of all my oops, the beauty is usually seen in how my fellowship steps up to help or troubleshoot. My mistakes can open doors for others (as well as opportunity for growth for myself) #SquirrelsChat
Totally agree! This was an unexpected, pleasant surprise!!! Talking about mistakes and how to turn them around has been very eye-opening and enlightening! #squirrelschat
@ClaudioZavalaJr This chat was great and I loved the topic! It needs to be something we talk about more often than not!! Thank you, friend, and see you soon!! #SquirrelsChat
Q6: In ART class, I spilled ink on a drawing-ended up changing the direction of the work. It was supposed 2 be a landscape drawing, but after the spill, it turned into a Japanese style ink brush drawing of a woman in traditional dress. It still went in my portfolio #Squirrelschat
What an amazing chat tonight! HUGE thank you to @ClaudioZavalaJr for leading this chat and your amazing insight. Another thank you to everyone who participated -- I hope to see some of you at #ISTE18 next week! Have a great night y'all 👋🏼#SquirrelsChat
