Update on #oneword2023 #author
It seems hard to believe that we are more than half way through February. 2024 is going by so quickly- I sometimes want to just stop time so that I can treasure each minute more, but I know that is not possible. So I am trying to be as mindful as I can in my everyday life. My #oneword2024, #author, continues to be a compass and a north star for me this year. I chose this word because I want to focus on not just telling my story, but creating experiences that celebrate milestones coming this year and also pursuing professional growth opportunities. Since 2024 began, I have run over 140 miles using 4 minute run/1 minute walk intervals. In addition, I have two articles coming out in the nest two weeks: one for Edutopia and one for EdSurge. Not to mention, I have lost over 70 lbs and am within 10 lbs of my health goal. Last, I am so excited to attend and present at my first IDEACon this week and then attend and present at my first Tech and Learning Regional Summit at the end of next week.
TransformED: Amplifying Learning Using Tech Tools
Three weeks ago, I focused on how you can learn about new technology resources and discover them alongside your students. As educators, it is natural to feel like we need to know it all, before introducing new tech tools to our students. However, there are many benefits to co-learning technology with your students.
This week, we will focus on how you can work alongside your colleagues and collaborate to create authentic learning experiences that leverage the use of technology to amplify learning. This time of year can be a challenge as we are in the midst of the long stretch of time between Winter Break and Spring Break. But there are definitely ways to leverage collaboration to make the most of these moments.
Incentives Can Go A Long Way!
As an incentive for my staff, I decided that February would be the "Love of Learning Tech" month at my school. I came up with the Bingo board to the right and shared it with the staff at my school. As you can see, every staff member who gets a Bingo by the end of the month will earn a 30 minute gift of time from me in March or April. To win Bingo, staff members need to do all of the following:
Listen to an edtech podcast
Invite me in to model a tech tool
Schedule a planning meeting with me
Co-teach a lesson with me
As of today. two of my kindergarten teachers and two of my second grade teachers have earned one or more squares. My second grade teachers have been exploring Flashcard Factory, a free part of Pear Deck; while my kindergarten teachers are exploring new ways to use Wixie. This makes my coaching heart so happy and I can't wait to see the impact this Bingo board makes by the end of the month.
Explore the Possibilities that AI Can Offer Us!
This past week, I finished my ISTE U course on Artificial Intelligence that I took with a cohort from my district. In addition, I am honored to be part of an AI Innovators Cohort for my district. These experiences have provided me access to so many amazing resources that I am excited to share with you this week. These resources provide educators with superpowers and allow us to plan more effectively. We can also use them to help us collaborate to plan more authentic learning experiences.
Goblin Tools is a free tool that does not require logging in. It is marketed as a tool for the neurodivergent, but I believe it is an essential tool for educators to add to our toolboxes. Here are some of the tasks that it does:
Magic to Do: Breaks large tasks down into smaller ones
Formalizer: Helps you edit text to change the tone
Judge: Judges the tone of your text for you
Estimator: Tells you how long tasks will take
Compiler: Changes a braindump into a list of tasks
Chef: Add ingredients and it suggests meals for you based on the context you share
Magic School AI is another great AI powered tool that educators should check out. It has over 60 many amazing features and that it can seem overwhelming when you first log in. So rather than share all of its features, I am going to highlight just a few.
Choice Board: I love how this tool helps you to think of options for a choice board using the principles of Universal Design for Learning.
Standards Unpacker: Helps you unpack standards so that you can best focus on what students need to learn
Raina: A chatbot specifically for schools. Think of her as an AI coach and she offers you advice and guidance based on your input.
As a huge fan of Universal Design for Learning, this AI powered tool is a huge time saver. Ludia is a part of the Poe, a free AI tool, that uses Claude-instant. It is available to an educator that wants to add UDL to their practice or enhance their use of UDL. When you enter this chatbot, it asks you to share your subject, grade level, learning goals and design challenges. You can also add specific information about your students. Once you add this, the chatbot identifies ways that you can incorporate UDL. It also provides a variety of follow up questions to choose from or you can write your own. Plus, using the principles of UDL, you can add voice or typed input. Wow!
Next Steps
Consider how you are co-learning new technology with your students? What experiences have you had trying this out. What suggestions do do you have? Are there any that I should add to my toolbox or maybe I shared one that sparked your interest? I would love for you to share your thoughts in the comments below.
A reminder and a huge thanks to Kyle Hill for hosting the Recharge Learning Virtual Bash that features 50 workshops and is offering free access to everyone who reads my blog to the Bash until June 2024. Click this link to join. Two of my sessions are included in this bash too.
