Flipclass Flash blog-Finding Community

Tonight's Flipclass Twitter chat is on the importance of an educational community. 

Community can be found in many places. Before I found Twitter, my educational community were those I have worked with or friends that became teachers. 

This is fine and dandy, but once I discovered Twitter....the educational community excited me. It light a fire within me that I hadn't felt in some time. There were new ideas, books, thought, and pedagogy out there!

Educators need community. We need to have our ideas valued and heard. But more than that, we need to grow as educators. If you are standing still as a teacher or administrator, I honestly feel like there is something wrong there. We, as educators, need to continue the learning. We need to model life long learning to our students. The best way I have found is through community, or Personal Learning Networks and/or Communities (PLN/PLC) . 

For me, community comes in many forms: real life on campus, Twitter, Voxer, and Google +. Each have their own merits and I use each of them differently. 




My real life PLCs on campus know me in and out of the classroom and my current situations. They are with me day to day with the struggles of the curriculum, students, crazy schedule days, etc. They are the ones I can be open about the ins and outs of the day.

Twitter is my professional development I can get anywhere at anytime. I love my Twitter peeps! I can ask questions, share stories, get ideas, and discover the new and up in coming in education. Twitter has pushed me to be a better educator in ways I didn't know existed! Twitter opened my mind to the world! There are so many that I admire, and I hope I inspire a couple like I have been! Without Twitter, I wouldn't have applied to be a Google Certified Teacher (and got in!!) in 2009. I wouldn't have discovered the WEALTH of knowledge through Edcamps and conferences, which I was encouraged to apply to present. I wouldn't have discovered Teach Like a Pirate, flipping the classroom, EduMatch, EduPuppets, and so so much more!! I have made a wealth of edu-friends that are as near and dear to me as my day to day friends. 


Voxer is the way to actually talk and chat with mini communities. Granted some of those communities are large, but it feels small. Here is were conversations with educators spark new ideas, create projects, and even chats on the spot! It has reinvigorated me to take those Twitter conversations and make them deeper and even more meaningful-which I didn't think is was possible! 


So long story short....get out there and connect! ANY community is better than zero community! A connected educator is a better educator! We are better together! Teachers do NOT need to be an island any longer! We are a community of passionate educators who care about our students and staff and what we bring to our profession! 

EdCampHOME 3.0-A Reflection

Thank you EdCampHOME mods for letting borrow your logo!

As many of you know, Edcamps are EPIC. AMAZING. AWE-INSPIRING. And simply #EduAWSOME! 

Like many others, I was excited for EdCampHOME 3.0. I loved that it was an event in the evening, and that I was tapped to help. I had attended the first EdCampHOME as a watcher, 2.0 as a participant, so needless to say I was thrilled to help and be an "initiator". 

Thursday came along....along with a dentist appointment! It was scheduled at 3PM, so if I got in and out I would make it on time. But, alas, I got in late and out about 4:05PM. Thank goodness for smart phones! I got to join the party via my phone till I made it home, just in time for the initiator Google Hangout (GHO). So while I listened, I prepared my workspace. 

What I didn't realize is that my headphone/microphone wasn't completely charged, nor did I realize that I needed to fix the settings in my GHO AND my Mac! As a result, the first session I moderated, Makerspace on a Shoestring Budget, I sounded like a robot. Thank goodness those in the session started while I fixed my "voice". 

The discussion that ensued was priceless. I have been reading Invent to Learn by Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary Stager. Needless to say, I was very excited to hear what others have done in their classrooms. I was joined by Anne Jenks, Jamison Luke, Marcie Herbert, Tamra Dollar, Leslye Thiery, Liza Browne, and others that were watching. As the conversation went on (and I finally didn't sound like a robot), we discovered that all of us were in the process of creating a makerspace. We want our students to be creative, to try and fail, and try and succeed. Plus, we all wanted to "hangout" again to see where everyone is in their makerspace classroom. 

We talked about 3D printers (here is one that was suggested), coding, and traditional materials for our makerspaces. One resource shared was CtiyXProject X. They " introduces key 21st century skills, including emotional literacy, empathy, design thinking, creative problem solving, and social literacy using hands-on engagement with 3D printing and modeling technologies"(IDEAco2014). Best part? They have a workshop that is FREE and a toolkit that is FREE! Something to test out this year. 

My second session was 1:1 Classroom for Newbies. I have to admit, this one was my session suggestion and a selfish one at that! I am piloting 1:1 with Chromebooks next year and wanted to "steal" as many ideas as I could! I have been trying to prepare, creating lessons and such, but is anyone truly prepared to go 1:1?! I guess I'll find out!

Session two ran much more smoothly than the first (whew!) and I was joined by a small, but insightful group including: Tina Nording, Natalie McKalip, Kathy Nichols, and Travis Phelps. We introduced our selves and discovered that many of us are just beginning the journey. So we shared different resources that would help ease the 1:1 journey. I mentioned Zaption and EDpuzzle. Both are similar in that you have your students interact with the video they are watching. I like it as you get to check in with your students as they work. Plus, students get to work at their own pace. I created a lesson on each site for digital citizenship that I am pretty excited about it. 

Other resources shared was Hemingway. Hemingway is a great app/web based tool in that as students write helps them write more precise and clear. The site gives students' suggestions in color to help improve their writing. Another similar web based tool is No Red Ink, made by teachers for teachers. It offers high interest material, authentic assessments, blended learning, unlimited practice, and adaptive technology. Best part, FREE!

So much learning and sharing! We are certainly better together and EdCampHOME proves that. No matter how little we know, or even how much, participating in an event like EdCampHOME inspires everyone. We push each other to be better, to grow, to share, to make our "closed classroom" a more open and even global classroom. And better yet....we can participate in EdCampHOME in our pajamas!

Hosting EdCamp TLC: A True Labor of Love

Wow! The time has come for Karen's and my culminating activity for CTA's Teacher Leadership Cohort project. We had been spending almost a year building professional development in our districts. We had been focusing on the needs of our teachers and educators to create, lead, connect, and build their confidence in their teaching methods. We had been given (and continue to be given) countless opportunities to share with not only educators in our districts, but to educators across the state. We have truly been blessed to share, learn, and connect our knowledge with others.

So, after months of preparations and road blocks, EdCamp TLC finally arrived. 

I have been to several EdCamps before, and I hoped that EdCamp TLC would meet the expectations I had in my own mind: that educators will come together to share, collaborate, learn, and connect. 

Thanks to all of our sponsors!

I got up incredibly early and arrived at Teacher's College of San Joaquin to begin set up. Karen and I had all the essentials, coffee and breakfast items, as well as the "swag bags" and giveaways ready. 

As 8:30AM rolled around, attendees began showing. We checked them in, added them to Class Dojo for our giveaways. Excitement was building! But would it be the EdCamp, Karen and I envisioned?

As attendees checked in, grabbed breakfast, we encouraged them to add ideas to the session board. Anything that they were interested in, curious about, wanted to share, etc. As many had never experienced an EdCamp before (just one!), Karen and I did add to the session board to jump start the process. Before long, attendees were chatting, connecting, and adding their thoughts and interests to the session board.

Session board

Things were falling together!

Session building had begun! I love the organic process of EdCamps. Participants are truly in charge of their professional growth and the sessions created did reflect that. We had topics ranging from Smart Tech, Social Media and PD, webpage design, Genius Hour, Math Web Tools, Web 2.0, Remind101, Flipped Class, Edmodo, iPad Apps (Doceri, Educreations, etc.), GAFE Certification, and Blogging/Writing Technologies. It was truly exciting to see such a list created by teachers and for teachers! What a day of learning we had ahead of us!

Rooms began to buzz once sessions began. Although many were brand new to the EdCamp experience, all were excited to learn. Discussions began to flow, the sharing of knowledge grew, and excitement continued to build. We may have been a small group, but we were mighty and eager!




As the day drew to a close, we had one more activity to connect all participants: the one, the only "Things that SUCK"! I love "Things that SUCK"! I was first introduced to this concept at my very first EdCamp SV North. "Things that SUCK" is simply, it is a discussion, a debate, and/or a conversation on topics that affect those in the room. This activity can be done for staff meetings, education, non-education (I am getting my husband to do this in his business office!), even with your students! It is a powerful way to see just how others think and share their points of view in a wonderful and fun way. Bill Selak shares more on recreating this activity here.

Many of our participants agreed on quite a bit of topics, however, the most "controversial" was on "cute classrooms"! Who knew! Thanks to David Theriault for that topic! But, as always, it was fun, fair, and another way to share and connect with passionate educators.

The overall goal was to connect and inspire. I met a great bunch of educators that continually want to learn and grow in their profession. Educators who are willing to move out of their comfort zone to gain new heights.

I think Karen and I did just that. As we later learned that Michael Saunders blogged his about his experience at EdCamp TLC. What did he discover? 

 And now, Michael wants to create an EdCamp in his area (I am so THERE!). 


Did we accomplish our goal? I think so. Just like we need to encourage and model collaboration with our students, Sir Ken Robinson reminds us what education and learning is all about.