#EdTechAfterDark Archive
"Welcome to EdTechAfterDark! Our community was born out of discussions for a rich EdChat type gathering for those of us who are thinking about the digital edu-landscape long after the sun has gone down. For us night owls, when the clock strikes 10PM EST, you’ll find us on Twitter over at #edtechafterdark. All are welcome! Our discussions range from our philosophies about EdTech, digital best practices, and simply sharing our stories." --www.edtechafterdark.com
Monday October 31, 2016
Introductions! Tell us your name, loc., job title, and...favorite Halloween candy!
Nathan, outside of your house, book wingman and a lot
Teri, Texas, middle school instructional coach... and, for right now, Butterfinger.
I1:Scott, Superintendent, Reeces peanut butter cups.
Victor in San Leandro... Sup people
Something wicked this way comes? Nah, just Brian in CO, arriving at . I teach MS Ss English. https://t.co/EOiBmj0pbZ
You folks are being to simple. The true answer to favorite candy is A LOT
from San Antonio 4th Grade
Oh... And like... All of it...
It's easier to tell you the candy I don't like than to identify favs at this point in life
Shelby Aseltine: Duluth, Minnesota, 7th Language Arts and 11th English, Swedish Fish or Twix
A1-not retaining high quality educators- not equipping 21st century learners for the future creating a cyclic effect.
Anne Garland TX 1:1 Instructional Coach trying to stay awake, I make no promises this evening https://t.co/6FuwH596Ck
Hi all- Julie from chattanooga- Reece's cups are my fav!
Bethany. K Teacher in Idaho. I can't think of a candy I won't eat!
Love that book! "She spun and kicked Darcy into the wooden fireplace." LOL
Dan, business teacher from St. Louis. Hanging out at the airport waiting for my wife to come home. https://t.co/YBEB33Ez1z
A1 Losing great teachers to burnout.
A1 teachers that become jaded and apathetic and forget that it's more than a job but a passionate need to mold the future
Hi - where's the Pumpkins? Oh and it's actually dark here.
A1: the changing whims of state legislators
A1 I think regulations that confine us and inhibit our freedom of creativity has become a big threat to our profession
A1. Ppl making EDU decisions who aren't EDU & bad Ts who provide evidence for those decision makers existence.
Surely you can't be serious. :)
A1 The opportunity to change a child's life, teach them to be independent thinkers & lovers of lea… https://t.co/HD8btWXTnl
A1: not enough time to actually teach vs all the other responsibilities that come with the job.
A1. Those who think education is just fine.
A1: constant backlash and continual change from higher ups in state depts.
There will always be negative things for them to find if they're looking! So hard...
A1: the other big threat is the lack of prestige tied to teaching. We need to reclaim the narrative of our noble profession
A1: Some big threats are $, time, and SO many limitations. Sometimes aren't given the opportunity to be creative
A2: Tunnel vision and inability to see beyond and think outside the box while still meeting state standards
A1: I'd say indifference to the profession. That what we do doesn't matter when knowledge is abundantly pervasive to all.
A1: Apathy towards improving ourselves or not wanting to continue learning
A1 Right now? Probably sugar.
Losing great teachers b/c they feel undervalued. Not creating an inspiring place for educators to… https://t.co/ojHTGHlqda
A1: Folks making decisions, who really have no idea about what they are deciding.
. maybe not cut back, but even them out more. Many have way more than others. Imbalance.
A1 Anytime a student loses their growth mindset and loses motivation & determination in their education
A1 edurockstars are killing education
or those that have been out of education for so long they don't know the changes that have happened.
A1 The choice, freedom, insight & creativity is lost and teachers feeling trapped and unable to take risks
and don't call me Shirley
the dreaded candy trade! 😵
A1: A divide between Passionate vs Paycheck Ts. Passion leaves, Paychecks stay, Ss suffer
True That!!!! https://t.co/1XgDpqS86c
or those that have been out of education for so long they don't know the changes that have happened.
No but definitely will take time to check it out. Thank you for sharing.
A1: Disconnect between administration goals and the reality of the typical classroom. Administrators need to visit to see
jumping through several hoops to get approved for conference right now. Really!
A1: Not allowing to flourish
I don't feel there are many teachers still in it for a paycheck. There are better paychecks out there
especially in low income schools who are in need of great, inspirational ts.
A1.2: Unfunded mandates, required trainings with no funding for trainings & extra days, not to mention more paperwork.
Hi ! Sorry I am late, but it is good to be back! We are tech startup in New Zealand with a passion… https://t.co/8BNa9Rr9lV
let's taco bout this serious issue
Walking Dead zombies as metaphors for unfunded mandates?
A2 Trying to help my tchrs focus on standards .. Tchr skills rather than content in ELA classes https://t.co/6OzLTqstAi
A1(tech-theme) Over-reliance on tech to teach Ss + underestimating importance of T! Seeing tech as replacement, not tool
A2 Since my pay is directly tied to student performance on tests, I will admit that I stress about them more than I like.
A2: fear of too many methods of teaching will only confuse the Ss. Try the KISS method.
A2: I see it Daily Ts fear of unknown fear of failure fear of Ss in control. Just fear of will this really help using tech
A2 I fear things getting stale and students getting bored. Brains stop when bored.
So unfortunate. I cannot imagine the pressure of this. :( https://t.co/MIJd7s6sRz
A2 Since my pay is directly tied to student performance on tests, I will admit that I stress about them more than I like.
A2 Too old to deal with fears. It's all about the Ss. They have time for me to nut up
A2. I'm out of the classroom, I will try to answer from Ts perspective. Fear of losing job over test scores.
and keep it consistent too; changing methods too often from year to year can be hard on Ss
A2 Dark Question...The prying ears, eyes and looks from supposed colleagues can really generate fear for teachers.
I see it when friends of former Ss are like "well you taught them this way!"
A2: Fear that my Ss data is the only thing people are looking at. Isn't always a perfect reflection of Ss learning
A2: Not being able to reach every child. I'm always afraid I may miss something that could potentially save a kid.
Getting the curriculum completed. Test scores. But I let go of fear and take risks b/c Ss learning… https://t.co/P17kd9MwFr
A2 I got a set of 6 Ozobots and 6 Beebots via but haven't used yet, kids have broken so much already
A2: Test scores fears drive many T decisions.
A3 Not going home at a good hour! Afraid everything won’t get done unless I stay at school till at least 6.
A2 honestly, fear that this job will keep me from having/raising my own kids. No time or energy.
A2 I'm afraid kids will steal/break and we can't replace so I haven't used yet
A2: Fear leads us into the dark side of educating. Doing what we must but not what is best. https://t.co/nBel4Eu7wo
agreed, but going through motions is different than doing it for paycheck. Lazy appears in every profession
A2 When I started teaching biggest fear was behavior now after trial & error, 15 years later least of my fears
A2: I am always afraid of losing a child... It makes me be very careful with how I approach Ss https://t.co/q1fSzt7MDJ
A2 haven't figured out how to roll out since at my school there are no consequences for bad behavior or broken stuff
A2: I do teacher PD as the media specialist. My fear is wasting Ts time - must be intentional and purpose driven
just keeping it real, I think that is what holds back a lot of good pedagogy
A2 Relevancy in daily instruction. Lack there of.
Honestly, reflection helps me face my fears. Writing every day helps me focus & lessons less about test scores
A2b Fear the society will continue to judge based on gpa
A2 no planning time w/Ts or collaboration time so don't even know what they are doing so I fear will be judged for robots
💯 agree .. we need purposeful assessment wether it is before (what do they already know) or after (mastery)
A2 Micro example: 1 S I've been tiptoeing around, fearful of triggering temper that might torpedo classmates too.
A2 I fear harsh T judgement, I feel it all the time, and see it here even
A2: Standardized tests as measure of S and T success seems to be a major pattern here, when will this change?
Not finding enough time to modify, enrich, and differentiate for the three levels I teach
A2: When scheduling conflicts prevents getting training to Ts
The fear of posting real fears!! https://t.co/JYdamBoKds
A2 I fear harsh T judgement, I feel it all the time, and see it here even
A2: sometimes I fear as though people who are "there to help" are often there for other reasons...I'm not a trusting person
A2: I feel like sometimes I'm trying to figure out what people want when expectations aren't as clear as they could be.
I know others who are in the same boat!
. as much as teachers "chat" here we could do a much better job of valuing discussion and differing opinions
A3 Letting the Ss have more freedom with technology. I'm training myself!
A3: I'm staying in my comfort zone and not taking as many risks because I fear the students won't buy in
A3 I used to play music with the kids. Folks complained about the noise and thought I wasn't working hard enough. I stopped
totally. As says, "I'm not Tech savvy. I'm just not scared."
A3: I'm not allowing the process of inter
A3. More non-instructional learning. Ss given opportunity to gain knowledge through collaboration
A3: Toughest part is keeping the main thing, the main thing.
A3: I'm holding back during small groups. My ind. workers need a challenge but am nervous to give them something and let go
A3 I'm not using a lot of stuff, yet, bc I fear Ss will break it, Makey Makey, robots, robot turtles board game
Yup. A well known T/admin that actually cohosted last week has belittled where Ts were on Twitter.
Happen from all sorts of places.
1 teacher plays classical music entire class period... love it! Another plays thru ABCs kids learn new tunes
A3: team planning challenges me & I feel as though it's not as productive as it could be because I'm afraid of being wrong
A3: Not letting the process work on its own timeline but forcing it into mine for fear of not getting it done.
One of the best around, no doubt about that. Leaves you charged.
A3 insisting on T PD in tech areas, they don't want it, but they need it, they behave worse than Ss when have to do it
Tell them you are piloting a new learning style. They won't look up the research 😂 music for Ss ro… https://t.co/hRkYiQmCNW
A3 I used to play music with the kids. Folks complained about the noise and thought I wasn't working hard enough. I stopped
me either, plus parent liaison supposed to get P sign offs, but didn't Prin wants me to post anyway
Shot down by new admin...not initiating as many convos as I should
just the answers I see rolling through are so on point. Not even knowing the topics. 👌🏼
I try to always keep the public me positive regardless of the inner me ... twitter etc is forever https://t.co/ipBf2y7Ycj
Yup. A well known T/admin that actually cohosted last week has belittled where Ts were on Twitter.
Me too want to not sure how or if anyone would join.
It can be difficult to use management tactics on adults. You really fine tune those skills with adults.
I feel for you. Its hard to be "evaluated" by someone who is completely oblivious to what you do
honestly, hardest part is convincing them it's not abt them. That's my go 2 answer when I hear "I'm not techy."
A3: I fear not being good enough
A3: I'm not taking the risks I used to for fear of failing . I've developed a fear of failing...
Crafty judo flip, Mr. Koch. https://t.co/MS2DaNsUoi
honestly, hardest part is convincing them it's not abt them. That's my go 2 answer when I hear "I'm not techy."
A good lesson. Didn't bite my tongue. Called him out. He blocked me. My fav day on Twitter so far.
I. Know it can cause retreat. It has happened to me. But you are amazing and need to keep inspiring others.
I get more like, if u want me to stay til 5 you'll have to pay, which I understand, I do it but not every1 can
It's not w/o a fair share of eyebrow raises and scoffs :-p https://t.co/DAdHh05B3d
Crafty judo flip, Mr. Koch. https://t.co/MS2DaNsUoi
honestly, hardest part is convincing them it's not abt them. That's my go 2 answer when I hear "I'm not techy."
A4 Just keep doing what you know is right...not feel, but know!!!
It's a matter of seeing the simulacra & simulation...apologies to Baudrillard. https://t.co/oxySusDmYS
I've been doing SO much, building startups but have been avoiding taking a step back. But now it feels li… https://t.co/O0gK4OoNs5
Reflect, collaborating, taking risks, surrounding yourself with positive & supportive people who e… https://t.co/5uXnWFb3XZ
since my district doesn't insist, Ts can shy away, I focus on Ss, get them to beg their Ts, works better
A4: Passion can help us overcome fear. We can't stifle what we are passionate about--it's connected to our WHY.
too sweet. It's a juggle. If I hold back, it hurts students
A4 Most important thing to overcoming fear is facing it head on, understanding why you fear it-reflection
A4: Honestly, sucking it up and taking the risk. If it fails, you learn from it. If it doesn't, you still learn from it
A4. Involve as many stakeholders as possible with implementing social media. It makes the process slow, but better for CYA.
A4 Seek birds of a feather: partners in proverbial crime and/or collaborative fear confrontation. https://t.co/SyH5pAMxnA
A4: Take the risk and know it's okay to fail! Collaborate and ask for help if needed!
A4 I think I have to change schools next year, Ts have too much power to avoid tech in current school, hurts kids
A4: The definition of courage: having fear, and getting things done anyway... Be courageous... https://t.co/AWMA9xuw6S
A4: I've tended to adopt the phrase "ask for forgiveness later." If the goal is worthwhile, why seek permission?
So difficult to do. It only takes one slip up for the "I told you so"S to come out of the woodwork.
they think they do bc they create lots of "vision" docs but that's about it
Another reason I love Twitter - positive educators have taken over! 😍 https://t.co/RoToHNc9FP
A good lesson. Didn't bite my tongue. Called him out. He blocked me. My fav day on Twitter so far.
A5 give compassion. You can still be understanding and firm. Let the kids know you care.
Joanne, Michigan, student teacher, and dark chocolate https://t.co/meNgYUCY8n
Introductions! Tell us your name, loc., job title, and...favorite Halloween candy!
A4.2 Get worst-case scenarios on table. May start to demystify some fears as less rational & easier to dismiss.
A4 Keeping a growth mindset will focus you on failure as growth & success as new opportunities for growth.
A2 I am so used to "doing things" based on research and analysis. What if I did it because I KNEW… https://t.co/shM1hJJf0c
what a wonderful world it would be!
> Today, I thought had a great TEAM keeping the work going! Hard to run solo!
A3 I am not a change agent (yet) but am beginning to stretch the lines (if not going completely ou… https://t.co/hYjKIGDQGM
A4 answer from last week! I've been thinking about it for 7 days straight! https://t.co/YWyK4xSItZ
A4: I beat it by envisioning the worst case scenario and accepting it. Once that's outta the way what else is there… https://t.co/JzDqv8htzu
thanks Sylvia! We hope to get it started soon!
A5: celebrate, celebrate, celebrate Ss. Publish them. Put them in positions of authority/autonomy. Give trust.
A5 Make each and every kid feel special. Go to their baseball games, use PBS, have lunch with them, and always compliment!
A5 Say hello to EVERYONE you see. Ask them How they are, listen to their response, react and care!!!
man...I'm gonna have to wait and see the responses. Not sure if love does drive out fear...I could be wrong.
A5 When some1 says, "I'm afraid." I could say, "I understand. I'd love to hear what you might do if you *weren't* afraid."
A5: , celebrate, show Ss and Ts why you're there-- to make a difference!
A safe place where stu-cent, flexible classrooms allow for student voice, respectful collab & inde… https://t.co/yQZUJCYpYx
A5: Lead by example; remain humble, offer compassion, and show genuine enthusiasm for students and their work
A5: Be passionate about learning make it spread like wild fire
Wise, Claudio. Love of learning does tend to beat down many flavors of fear. https://t.co/4HDBo2eYTg
A5: Be passionate about learning make it spread like wild fire
A5.2: school isn't just your classroom, it's the community at large. Embrace that community and be a part of it
A5 hard to do if you work in a pressure cooker of a school, I see/feel/experience no love during the day,
A5: leave the frustration with staff, admin, parents, etc. at the door and focus on teaching and being there for students.
A5 A positive sch cul begins with loving, respectful, trusting relationships where everyone feels connected
A5. Wish I could love everyone and everything, but I can always have a love for learning.
A5: Always take the first step in engaging Ss. Ss can seem unresponsive to interactions, but imagine how they feel!
A2 Gentle rebel. Take risks. See where they take you! Follow my Ss lead & model not to fear but deal with consequences
That's interesting. I'm gonna have to think on that one: "Where does courage come from?"
A5 Don't say you care. Show it with every action, especially with the difficult ones.
A6: open my door and encourage them to talk to me. Let me know what's challenging them and frustrating them.
A6 My life! So many to choose from - tomorrow it's yearbook support day! Picture retake day https://t.co/8nDQO5TJnl
A6 Help them embrace tools by encouraging & supporting their use of it. Show diff ways of using in practice
Talk w/ them every day, help them feel connected & provide feedback & positive reinforcement to he… https://t.co/W4URASlxJA
A6: I feel like I'm the teacher in need of help...maybe it's time to admit it, so I can learn to be open to support.
Well the quarter is closing tomorrow and my grades aren't finished yet. Thanks you're all awesome… https://t.co/eNEU0UIeRI
YES! and empowered that their ideas are great and they are doing the right thing!
A6 Get the@ on Twitter, Voxer etc. help them find the value in collaboration with teachers around the world.
A6: Celebrate what they're doing well. Always keep my door open to them and let them know they're always welcome.
A6. Intentional time to talk and listen to their concerns. PD will be there, but then knowing you see them matters.
