Communication and Collaboration....2 C's in a 4C's World....

I love to talk, I love to chat, I love to e-mail.....so much so that sometimes friends and family and coworkers "hide" from me! 

With my friends and family I am always chatting either through my Google or Facebook Messenger and texting. I also use this form of communication with many of my close colleagues. I love this type of communication and prefer that to talking on the phone. We can ask and answer questions quickly with chat and Messenger or respond when we have time with text. I also like communicating and collaborating face to face, but in today's busy world sometimes that is not possible without extensive scheduling!

I try very hard to be respectful of people's time so I most often e-mail questions to co-workers that need addressing and use that as our means of communication. This allows them to answer at a time that is convenient. It surprises me that many people do not respond to my e-mails and I often have to "find" them to ask questions or get answers. I think it has to do with time constraints and comfort level. Or maybe I just bug them?!?!

As a classroom teacher, most of my families did not have tech capabilities, so I did a lot of handwritten notes and such. I am hopeful that we will begin bridging this gap with parents and that they will see the value in using those smart phones (almost everyone has one) for communication.

Asynchronous Communications/Collaborations - I love all aspects of Google for asynchronous communication and collaboration. I can e-mail or share a document and people can respond when it is convenient. Which is cool and makes communication and collaboration less threatening. When people have time to sort their thoughts and compose their messages and work, it is more comfortable. The format of our Teaching in the Digital Age class allows for a lot of this type of communication. 

Synchronous Communications/Collaborations - I have to say that I am an instant gratification girl, so this type of communication and collaboration is the one I enjoy most. If I have a question, I can quickly message/chat with a teacher or Rae and get the answer. I can hangout with other coaches instead of driving to where they are to get work done. I am a verbal / visual  learner....which in my mind means I gotta hear it and talk about it and see it to learn it. So when I can be in the same room with someone, or in a hangout or a chat I am getting the best communication for me.

I know that I have much improvement to make with communication and collaboration. I need to start using more of the tools that we have been exposed to and find ways to make my emails more exciting and valuable to colleagues! 

 

Instructional Coaching

This week I chose to focus on Instructional Coaching. I will be the new PLC Facilitator / Coach Coordinator next year for our district. We are fully implementing the idea of Instructional Coaches and I am beyond excited. Since we will all be fairly new to this model, I wanted a resource for us to gather and share information. I was surprised at how easy it was to find good information about coaching out there that really spoke to me and what I see us doing in our district. I created a Pinterest page that I will share with coaches and add to regularly. I think it will be an awesome resource!

I am trying to wrap my mind around my new position and I am apprehensive about being accepted into classrooms, so I wanted a quick video to show to teachers about what coaching IS....so they don't fear or avoid us. I found this amazing video that does a really good job of explaining what I feel coaching is.

Change is good and collaboration is empowering. I am really looking forward to moving forward with our teachers!

Teaching the Digital Way.....

The ISTE Standards for Teachers helps us to focus on what is necessary to promote digital learning and mastery with our students and for ourselves.

Section Two is about designing and developing digital age learning experiences and assessments.

If I were to rank myself on substandards B, C, and D....it would be a tie! I am pretty weak in all of these areas. However, in order to complete this post I will say it goes like this:

1. D - Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
This is probably my strongest area. I believe checking for understanding often and more and more often I am using digital means to do that. I know that I can strengthen this area by exploring and creating assessments and then passing them on to teachers and classes.

2. B - Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
I have dabbled in this as a classroom teacher. It was always engaging for students when they could choose the topic and then choose a way to represent their learning. I think using rubrics also helps students to focus and manage their own learning. I can become better at this standard by helping teachers develop ways for students to track their progress digitally.

3. C - Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
This is probably my weakest area because it demands that I let go of some of the control in my classroom by allowing students to be working on different things at different times and trusting that they are taking advantage of the freedom to enhance their education. PLUS, it takes A LOT of time to research all they possibilities for students. I can get better at this by creating at least some differentiation in activities and allowing students to choose what best fits their style.

I think what has changed the most for me is my AWARENESS. There is so much out there to choose from and use to make learning more challenging, engaging, and digital. I also feel SLIGHTLY more comfortable incorporating digital learning into my life....but for this old lady....it has been tough!

I will eventually love easel.ly - once I get the hang of it!

5th Grade DIBELS Data - 1st and 2nd Benchmark