Strategies

The pressure is on. More and more districts are encouraging BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) to school and giving the students opportunities to use those powerful handheld devices as learning tools. Some districts are using Title 1 funding to bring tablets and laptops to their students while others are considering what device they want their students to have access to. Personally, I think we need to be agnostic about the device and passionate about how they are being used to increase student engagement. If the students are able to consume, collaborative and create with the device then there is a greater potential to increase learning. (See ProjectRED.org) One important lesson is to remember that if you allow devices in the classroom, it is imperative that the teachers recognize that teaching will be different and that we need to support them with as many strategies and ideas as we can. Next we need to encourage the users to share for the greater good. Teachers come up with so many creative ways to teach a concept that it would be a shame not to share the ideas. This "tuesdays" will give you a great place for sharing digital strategies.

One of the best ways to encourage your colleagues to take the time to check out some of these great strategies is to jigsaw the ideas. Print out all the strategies and put them in plastic sheets. Hand out as many strategies as you have people at your next grade level, faculty meeting or PLC meeting and get in groups of four. Each person needs to read through 1 of the strategies and then report its value to the group. The group then decides which one of the four is the group's favorite. Each group selects a spokesperson to share out and now the whole group has heard 4-5 new strategies without overloading everyone. Continue the process once a month and before you know it, teachers will begin trying new strategies across your campus. The most important news is that we all need help becoming effective digital educators and them more we can share ideas and strategies, the more all students will benefit!

How do you decide what strategies to use with your students? One strategy at a time! Never feel pressured to take on too many new strategies. You will be far more effective if you experiment with one and hone your skills. I challenge you to try a new strategy and invite some of your colleagues to come in on their planning period to observe your attempt at trying something new. It takes guts, but you will reap great benefits by stretching yourself professionally and opening the door of trust with your colleagues. We all know that the same strategy does not always work with each group of students, but learning to adapt is the craft of teaching. Don't give up. Do be afraid to mess up, but most of all try to mix it up with different strategies so that your teaching is always fresh and your students are wondering what's next. As my husband always says, "You need to keep them wanting more!"

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." 

Winston Churchill

My favorite SOS (so far) Table Top Texting

from S.O.S - Spotlight on Strategies

ipadio   

LiveBinders 

Doceri 

NASA's Image Gallery 

Popplet 

Zoey's Room
Finance in the Classroom
Fotopedia 

The Common Good Forecaster  

Google Earth 

UJAM 

Symbaloo.edu 

Google Science Fair 

Stossel in the Classroom
Word Sift 

Lee Kolbert