#Edchat is a hashtag, a movement—it is a weekly organized Twitter discussion of educators and people interested in education that meet virtually from all over the world. #Edchat serves as a conversation thread on Twitter and is also used for organized weekly discussions.
Schools are living organizations & as such should be growing, iterating & improving. This isn’t necessarily about new initiatives or fixing something that’s “broken”; instead it’s about embracing a learner mindset & working towards enhancing our craft! #edchat#HackingLeadership
How can you help students gain access to complex texts in your discipline in ways that are engaging? Learn five tips for helping your students be more successful at comprehending complex texts https://t.co/95nX9odk5o#ccss#comprehension#reading#k12#edchat
"By considering possible changes today, leaders and innovators of all kinds—superintendents, teachers, students, policy makers, and others—can begin to explore new possibilities and opportunities." —@katprincehttps://t.co/n0wGY5MD86#edreimagined#edchat
Hello, My name is Kim Wilson and I am a kindergarten teacher. I will be starting at Bellview El. this fall. This is the first time I have joined #edchat. I am still fairly new to Twitter.
Now underway... #edchat Topic: If technology is constantly changing as we use it in education, how should educators maintain their relevance in its use?
Here are some starter questions: How do schools motivate teachers to stay current in their profession? What responsibility have to provide PD? Is district provided PD Adequate? #Edchat
How do District and school level administration begin the conversation of having a climate within a school with a growth mindset and teachers enhancing their craft? #edchat
We need to keep up with the times. We have to find the best way that each child learns & it might be with technology. Our Tech pages https://t.co/rhtEBHuUf9 Test drive some tech tools this summer. Don't wait for PD to come to you Teach Thyself https://t.co/FsBu0oicRF#edchat
It's less about the ever changing nature of technology and more about whether the changes in technology make it more relevant to the everyday challenges that teachers face in classrooms and schools. #edchat@tomwhitby@wmchamberlain@sgthomas1973@RACzyz
I think you 1st choose depth & not breadth. The speed of change in #edtech can be overwhelming. But choosing less is more as well as deciding to practice what will drive learning forward & positively impact outcomes. #edchat We need no more tech just cause it’s there.
I think first is to remember that technology is an enabling tool, not the focus of the teacher/student. Look for what the tech enables students to do and iterate accordingly. #edchat
TEACHERS will resist using technology until they are convinced that using it will make their students better learners and them better teachers. #edchat
Now underway... #edchat Topic: If technology is constantly changing as we use it in education, how should educators maintain their relevance in its use?
I think it can be difficult to not get caught up in the next big tech tool and then scramble to figure out how to make it work in the classroom. Purpose comes from what needs to be learned, not how to learn it. #edchat
Humility is usually not a leader's strongest attribute. But it should be. Its Latin origin translates from "grounded", "from the earth". Thus, a leader's disposition matters much more than his position. Stay grounded to lead in learning and serving with humility. #edchat
A: I feel that educators should research technology and use trial and error to see how it can benefit with instruction, the 4 C’s, assessment, etc. For example, how can technology be used to more effectively teach history or social studies? #edchat
Hi all in #edchat! Love the approach to technology by @Wes_Kieschnick in #boldschool...Goal & strategy come before #edtech. Once you know where you want to go & how you plan on getting there, what tech is available to get you there more effectively, efficiently, & successfully?
Yes. The next shiny thing is what we've been conditioned to chase. Start with student learning and look for tech that enables it. Learn it with students. #edchat
The easiest way to incorporate new tech is by using it to be more efficient in some useful way. It can be much harder to use a new tool in a way that truly makes learning better. #edchat
Now underway... #edchat Topic: If technology is constantly changing as we use it in education, how should educators maintain their relevance in its use?
The Challenge is not to jump on technologies, but to consider what you want to do? Then are there technologies that enhance or spark other learning opportunities? #edchat
Should schools credit teachers for PD through life experience, or self teaching from online sources, if they show mastery of a subject within their curriculum? #Edchat
Oh, you know I do too... Just have learned that all that is new does not add to learning. (unless you are talking about learning about the new tech 😂). #edchat
I believe most teachers are motivated to bring their best each day for their students. For a meaningful PD, it should be teacher choice. We stress student choice to keep them engaged, how about teachers as well? Admin can give choices & take in the feedback on what to use #edchat
We need to use technology in education to show how learning transforms through the creation of the technological tool itself. How has/does it evolve?
We can talk about the evolution of tech the same as the evolution of our students as learners! #edchat
I like what @ShakeUpLearning say I #ShakeUpLearning. It’s not about the technology. It’s cultivating an environment of dynamic learning - rethink how we teach using the tech so that it’s about Ss & demonstration of various learning beyond paper or classroom or due date. #edchat
Sorry: dinner ran late! Here's tonight's #Edchat topic! If technology is constantly changing as we use it in education, how should educators maintain their relevance in its use? Your thoughts?
Yes, and we (all of us tech nerds) can sometimes mistake learning for our hobby as something really valuable in class. That isn't necessarily so :) #edchat
I think school leaders need to learn how to create a culture where teacher learn and share openly and often. We need to stop trying to quantify everything. It cheapens the learning that could be happening. #edchat
#edchat With so much of our social time and energy focused to/through technology, it is vital to remember that the classroom is a place for Ss to connect with ideas, Ts, and each other. Tech MUST be relegated to the role of facilitator and never given primacy.
Now underway... #edchat Topic: If technology is constantly changing as we use it in education, how should educators maintain their relevance in its use?
We must use what makes sense for our budget, population and teachers. What supports student need and teacher planning? Doesn’t need to be the latest especially ifteacgers cant use it effectively #edchat
And remember that something that's novel to them may not be novel to us. We don't have to rush into it just because it catches our attention #edchat -note: this is not a reason not to change our practice. Just be mindful.
It's less about the ever changing nature of technology and more about whether the changes in technology make it more relevant to the everyday challenges that teachers face in classrooms and schools. #edchat@tomwhitby@wmchamberlain@sgthomas1973@RACzyz
What if school leaders started it as an inquiry question instead of offering a direct solution? Let teachers fall in love again with the joy of learning and making connections. #edchat
Just walked in. I get to sub with kinders. They’re not using tech but learning none the less LOL #edchat Totally engaged with video clips on the SB as they explore caves.
Why not? We expect the same of students so why not Ts. I think we get better & more effective when we bring ourselves to the work and show/share how we grow b/c we own our own learning. It creates growth and ownership of learning & outcome. #edchat#rethinkpd
#edchat Mastery of a subject? Or further their mastery of TEACHING a subject? Content mastery is only one of the necessary ingredients for master teaching. Crediting Ts for PD should include but not be limited to subject mastery, IMO.
I have a 1:1 school and I've never ever offered PD on tech tools. I don't even ask it as a hiring question. We are learners. And we collaborate. The hunches collide and learning happens organically. #edchat
Yes. The next shiny thing is what we've been conditioned to chase. Start with student learning and look for tech that enables it. Learn it with students. #edchat
What is professional development going to be based on then? A book by Marzano that says this is the way? Teachers can come up with topics that they would like help in and you can base your pd around that. Ex: classroom mgt., engagement, assessments #edchat@ddigiova#improveinst
Are those the same districts who require PD as part of teacher licensing? We have a range (personal pro-growth, pro-d school goals, pro-d district choice). its linked 2 being a professional #edchat
This is such a million $ question.The “credit” model predominantly seems to be seat time re: PD. & this model is not accepted for kids. If kids show mastery, they earn credit & very few look to see when/where/how the learning happened. Can’t wait to see this convo unfold. #edchat
And, how often do districts provide follow-up PD to ensure Ts feel confident to implement, ask questions, improve their use in development of mastery? #Edchat
Case in point - Consider the number of educators who use Twitter for their #pln. It’s one tool I use to grow, develop, discover, & refine. I’ve met a few wonderful educators who challenge me to grow and I use those things in my work as a coordinator. It matters! #edchat
Thankful to say we have that thruout year -some very personalized, some in learning teams, some districtwide. Invitations to all to make personal decisions #edchat
Can we just say maybe, “why” and “what for” #edchat Unless Ts have opportunities to implement what they’ve been taught in PD , then it’s not really “learned” Thinking of our Sts as well
Develop a tech integration manual that aligns with the curriculum. Spell it out. Make it simple. Have a tech integrationist or more in each district .... #edchat
Exactly. Ts need opportunities to try it out, revisit with the "experts" to ask follow up questions, try again. We formatively assess Ss this way. Why not Ts? #Edchat
Coaches and mentors can support by having Uinwat conversations. But school leaders must take responsibility for building instructional capacity in the teachers they. They can’t expect an outside source to do that job for them. #edchat#schoolleader
Often I look at pd as something I am required to do (often for state law). As a professional my learning really tends to be less formal than the sit and get stuff. #edchat
#edchat An often missing component of PD is iteration. Not a single good T gives a learning opportunity to Ss a single time, never revisits the ideas, and then expects Ss to develop any comfort much less mastery with the presented ideas. It takes iteration.
#edchat. I would think that this is true for anything a teacher uses. If you have something that works well,why change unless you know something works better? That is why cooperating with other Ts,going to PD, and reading is necessary. We need to know what will help. #beopen
TEACHERS will resist using technology until they are convinced that using it will make their students better learners and them better teachers. #edchat
There has been a big movement toward personalizing PD in my district. We have come far from the sit & get. It is more based around what the needs are and often run by teachers in the district. #edchat
We can’t be afraid to have a conversations about what the work of teaching requires & talking to Ts when you don’t see that happening. Imagine how powerful it could be if we told Ts what we expect of them & then talk to them about when they’re don’t meet the expectation. #edchat
Yep. Don’t focus on the platform/app or game because that’s a moving target. Does it do something that helps your students learn in a “helpful” way? Focus on that. #edchat
"We now essentially treat all students everywhere as one child. One educational shoe for all feet. One classroom, one school, one system for millions of complex, diverse, and individual, powerful learners." https://t.co/AFoqJDF9wd#edreimagined#edchat
Experiential Learning in Action⚡️ Using #PBL to enhance community connections & empower deep student learning. How a high school visual arts course leveraged the design process to revitalize a piece of Owen Sound history #edchat#designthinkinghttps://t.co/KRdjRhdosG
How do you envision a tech integration manual, with the ever-changing landscape of tech? Wouldn't it possibly be obsolete by the time it's printed? #edchat
Nope, and usually it is defined narrowly as remediating ignorance where it should be seen as development of the professional space. PD focused solely upon individuals misses the more crucial systemic aspects. #edchat
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Use coupon code 50OFF by 7/4 at midnight & get $50 off the BASIC plan. #earlyed#kidlit#edchat
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Experiential Learning in Action⚡️ Using #PBL to enhance community connections & empower deep student learning. How a high school visual arts course leveraged the design process to revitalize an important piece of Owen Sound history #edchathttps://t.co/KRdjRhdosG
My PD is required by the district and state. I usually seek out other PD for my own interests/strengths/weaknesses as most is geared to homeroom Ts, not ESOL Ts. #Edchat
When PD is a T choice to enhance area of expertise or want to strength area that may be a challenge, it is a great addition to the teaching profession. #edchat
Identify what the curricula requires. Identify a slate of tools that help meet those. Prepare activities. Spell it out. If the tool changes, so be it. As long as Ts have a grasp on one and the concept, Ss can figure it out pretty well. #edchat
I want to see more edcamp style PD from districts. Let the educators come up with what they want to talk about and get in groups based on interest. #edchat
Provokes deeper thought regarding what we expect of educators. We expect Ss to demonstrate mastery, and so we must expect the same of Ts. We want Ss to show what they know, and Ts should do the same. PD needs more follow up/through & accountability. #edchat#pln
#edchat We all bring our own distractions, Ts and Ss. As well as our own degree of an open mind. A PD facilitator has to assume you are meeting him or her at least part of the way down the path, no? Apply this to Ss in your classroom.
#edchat An often missing component of PD is iteration. Not a single good T gives a learning opportunity to Ss a single time, never revisits the ideas, and then expects Ss to develop any comfort much less mastery with the presented ideas. It takes iteration.
#Learning is central to any conversation about relevance of technology/#teaching. Learning must always have primacy. (Technology must be used wisely. #Teachers must use professional judgement, pedagogical understandings, and reflection to discern best practice.) #edchat
oh my. All (or supposed to be) district and school pro-d are supposed to support the districtwide/school goals. They R usually in multi-formats & ppl choose what suits them. #edchat
I like the idea that PD needs more follow-ups ... so we can see our own growth. Maybe a little support group with other teachers who are on the same PD path as you. #edchat
Good leadership helps people take steps they’ve never taken before so they can get results they’ve never gotten before. If you aren’t taking new steps, you might have a weak leader in your life. Or, you might actually be resisting good leadership? #edchat#FutureDriven
This is sad: "All the state has to do is make sure schools run. If they are unable to educate their students, that's a shame, but court rulings have not established that 'access to literacy' is 'a fundamental right'" @metrotimeshttps://t.co/kzGpbLFoKB#edchat#literacy
I started my blog in 2007 as a way for me to keep track of what I was finding/learning. Tagged it all so easy to search. When teachers asked if I knew a tool-easy to search. They Eventually follow. #edchat
Its built into our professional conduct & its been around 4 a long time. A good balance between district expectations & school & personal. We're very fortunate #edchat
Makes a place where learning has the potential to be shared. Several years before teachers at my own school ever used my blog. Teachers from around the world were learning with me but you’re never a hero in your own town (at least not at first). #edchat
I agree. I know that I can't be the only T in this chat that has several colleagues come to mind who *ahem* shy away from tech, doing only the bare minimum (and usually grudgingly). #Edchat
Good leadership helps people take steps they’ve never taken before so they can get results they’ve never gotten before. If you aren’t taking new steps, you might have a weak leader in your life. Or, you might actually be resisting good leadership? #edchat#FutureDriven
Oh, definitely not. But when you create a culture of learning, eventually they get sucked in by the cool things students are enabled to do with tech. #edchat
If you're reading my posts, you should be sharing what I am posting, not just liking it here, or retweeting it, because it explains education privatization which is going to be irreversible, and whats blocking #healthcare reform, which is killing a person every 11 minutes #edchat
I’m actually shocked by how well this works. Any time I get asked to speak at another school suddenly all my people want to know if they can come. I’m like, dudes, I give this wisdom for free here every dang day! #edchat
Right!!! And they have many great or innovative ideas. Makes one wonder if that’s a reason s me jump ship and leave to other districts or lines of work. We need to #listenAndinvite#edchat
Common planning blocks or collaboration time supports notion of growth & communication over time. Each supports the other & keeps goals on track #edchat
I believe that some planning periods can be set aside for professional development but not every single one. This is a time for teachers to prepare, modify, or grade. If you set a goal to have a certain task done, then it is up to the T to get it done. #edchat@ddigiova#improvei
I like your positivity! I start getting more cynical as July approaches since I go back at the end of the month. I see most of my younger Ts and some of the veterans stepping out, but many of them have little to no interest beyond the basics. #Edchat
Districts should empower teachers with technology, they need to instill a growth mindset about tech and teachers will begin learning on their own and for the benefit of their students. #edchat
Wow. That sounds great. We have to watch videos and take online quizzes about the health stuff. And have a set number of PD hours to take in order to get our certificates renewed. Most here use our district's free PD. But it rarely fits what I do. #edchat
It's been hinted at twice in this #edchat. To state plainly: There are Ts who actively resist taking steps to improve any aspect of their teaching. It doesn't matter how kind, supportive, etc. their peers and admins are. They're good people but stagnant Ts. Why is this tolerated?
This is true of anyone’s facility with anything. It’s staggering to think that we’re still convincing people of the need to cede control in favor of differentiation for Ss and Ts. We have to get on board with this basic premise. #edchat
I think what you’re saying is the exact reason why #Edcamp is so popular with teachers because they are designing and implementing their own point of need professional development. #edchat
Collaboration time seems to be tough to get all on the same page...how has your experience been for this? I would have loved more collaboration time with other middle school teachers or even elementary to make sure we are on the same path #edchat@ddigiova#improveinst
Some people don't like confrontation, respect for past work, expectation that it is a short term attitude, retiring soon, friends with the boss's boss, parents love them #edchat
I get that. I am the eternal optimist. But also firmly believe the right culture has to be in place for any of it. I’m a fan of happy hour PD. Educations magic bullet. https://t.co/aJWBhk1a1F#edchat
I love the idea of having students do this at the end of each day in their writers notebooks. An easy place for them to go back to when they need ideas to write about. 👍 #writingtips#edchat
NOTEBOOK IDEA:
Write three things down every day:
* What you noticed
* What you heard
* What you thought about
Do this every day and you will be amazed at how much more mindful you are of life happening around you
#TeachWrite
That is true of so many things in life. Those of us in education need to be willing to be lifelong learners. We want Ss to be intrinsically motivated. We need to be the same! #Edchat
SOIL is officially launched. Join the movement as we revolutionize learning by doing things more simply and applying proven software development practices to knowledge as source code. #education#edtech#edchat
Thats really the key. If goal is deep learng, tchr need collab: Teams are set up 4this 2ensure time together. Anothr blk-collab blk is set in calendr-this opens 2larger grps. key that starts this is "concisely what U believe as school". If collab is stated, must deliver #edchat
Maybe it can be a part of it else teachers lose the time they need to do the administrative things they’re required to do. However if we create space and room for purposeful pursuit or implantation of Teacher lead PD, that could be helpful #edchat#rethinkpd
Curriculum admin’s job ought to include showing Ts how any new pedagogy - tech heavy or not - will be an improvement. Too many times, I’ve seen things come without the “why,” causing Ts to be skeptical and avoid deep buy in. #edchat#pdfail
This applies to “be the principal YOU would want your own children to have” or, better yet: work on improving the world so your children have the world you want them to have! #ChangeTheWorld#EdChat
Be the teacher you would want your own children to have. Be the teacher YOU would want to have. If you wouldn’t sit in your own class and enjoy it, change it. #EdChat#InnovatorsMindset
I would also add that we should invite and maybe challenge teachers to share their stories of how PD shows up in the classroom and in the work/relationships with Ss. Ts have the 1st hand opportunity to gather anecdotal data to support their #pln#edchat
In reply to
@ThaddeusBTeach, @tomwhitby, @john_hattie, @VisibleLearning
