What did we do at AAST back in 2015-2016
During my first two years as a DIS, I used Google Docs with a table of contents to deliver my information to my teachers.
What did we do at AAST back in 2016-2017
I started to learn how to use Weebly. I ended up creating a separate website for each school that I was the DIS at. Click the image below to access the AAST Weebly.
What did we do at AAST back in 2017-2018
In order to have more planning time and less copying and pasting, I created one website, but now each school would have a separate page and each page had their own sections. It took longer to load, but I was able to organize content better. Click the image below to access the AAST page.
What did we do at AAST back in 2018-2019
I started to see the copying of sections was easier, but it took forever to load/delete some elements - along with the loading of the page itself. I stuck to just one site, but now I made blog posts each time that I was in a school. The school pages could then be divided by keyword tags, which would be the name of the school. It was also easy to link other blog posts to help tell the story of the year. Check out my blog posts from AAST by clickingthis link, or the image below.
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What is a Learning Walk?
During our last session at AAST, these teachers got to participate in a half day planning session about planning for targeted instruction and getting the students to create products for their digital portfolio.Today, these teachers got to show off what they learned and a Learning Walk schedule was developed so that their peers could learn from one another and increase Growth Mindsets in the building.
Check out these pictures from the Learning Walk at The Academy for Arts, Science & Technology
Check out these students using their PDL devices to complete collaborative activities, the use of "I Can" statements on school agendas and how the teachers used the structure: "Three Step Interview" to debrief on what they saw in their Learning Walks.
Specific Feedback
Each teacher that went on the Learning Walk received a very special and customized schedule on where to go. Teachers got to visit a teacher in the same content area, someone that wasn't in their same content area and then a "wild card" which was any teacher of their choice. Majors teachers were encouraged to visit Academic teachers, and vice versa. The teachers provided positive feedback for one another on sticky notes, but they also compiled their thoughts and observations in this Google Form.
Here is a video of the day for Learning Walks at The Academy for Arts, Science & TechnologyWhat is next for The Academy for Arts, Science & Technology?
Teachers will have an opportunity to view and reflect on the feedback that they received from their peers. There may be an opportunity to do a Teacher Led conference by the end of the year. Similar to the one that was recently done at Socastee High School.
Why a 1/2 Day Planning session?
AAST teachers got to collaborate together by utilizing the resources and information from this agenda. The goal was to get more teachers to utilize planning time so that there can be targeted instruction while the students own their learning with reflection and showcase products that can be embedded into their digital portfolios.
But then...
A good chunk of my planning was dedicated to showcasing tech tool possibilities for the teachers. Such as Mr. Decerbo’s students would do research on political figures, and Mrs. Etherson’s students would use Photoshop to put themselves on those old portraits. It kept evolving from using Google Arts and Culture site, to exporting their Photoshop photo into Morfo so that it can talk with that person’s speech, to then taking that video into Open Shot and put it on the green screen and showcase the research they did in Mr. Decerbo’s class. THEN to combine it all together by viewing the photos and videos as Auras in the HP Reveal Augmented Reality App.
I shared with the teachers my old blog post that I did on using Aurasma and Augmented Reality. Check it out!
See their lesson plans that they worked on for the day. Perhaps you'll get to see the students in action for the school wide learning walk on April 5th.
What is App Smashing?App Smashing is when you can deal with the limitations of one app or tool and combine it with the limitations of another app/tool to create a whole new, original and innovative product. For example, you may make a great collage in Pic Collage, but you want to talk about it. What if you exported your Pic Collage as an image, and then import it into Padlet and then added an audio reflection onto it. THEN share that with a global audience and you can then also hit the highest run on the SAMR model. App Smashing with VRHow exactly did this AAST student App Smash?What did the other students say or do?I got to have a great opportunity to work with Mrs. Yardumian's students. Each student introduced their name/major and how they applied it to their App Smashing project. Here is an edited session where I gave a little feedback and got to check out the student work. Check out this part of the video where the "Blind Doctor" wrote, rapped, designed the beat and edited Harry Potter clips about the Hero's Journey.
Today's session is all about "student choice" where the teachers get to pick the session that they need - such as creation, engagement or small groups in order to help prepare them for a school wide learning walk on April 5th. If a teacher doesn't pick one of these sessions, they will submit via this Google Form on what they would like to showcase on April 5th.
Your schedule of the day
1st block:
8:25-8:45 - Tech tools for student creation/collaboration (Bring your laptop) 8:50-9:10 - How to increase student engagement 9:15-9:35 - How to create and effectively use small groups in a classroom 2nd block: 9:50-10:10 - Tech tools for student creation/collaboration (Bring your laptop) 10:15-10:35 - How to increase student engagement 10:40-11:00 - How to create and effectively use small groups in a classroom *3rd block: 11:15-11:35 - Tech tools for student creation/collaboration (Bring your laptop) 12:00-12:20 - How to increase student engagement 12:45-1:05 - How to create and effectively use small groups in a classroom 4th block: 1:30-1:50 - Tech tools for student creation/collaboration (Bring your laptop) 2:00-2:20 - How to increase student engagement 2:25-2:45 - How to create and effectively use small groups in a classroom Your choices for the day
Your Exit Slip: Please fill out this PadletAAST teachers got to explore the SCTS planning rubric where they analyzed a lesson plan, reflected on their own strengths and weaknesses and then they were informed about the HCS Digital portfolio initiative. You can view the slideshow below for pictures of the day, or check out the YouTube video which provides a summary and quick recap of the sessions. |
AuthorJames "Bo" Gorcesky is passionate with moving teachers to getting them to use new and emerging technologies within a Personalized Learning environment, along with the usage of cooperative structures and student ownership. He is patient, funny and nerdy. Check out the About.Me for more. Categories
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