A Robust Educational Technology Program

As an educational technology coach, I am responsible for exposing students and teachers to a wide variety of ways to integrate and embed technology into the curriculum.  

At the Singapore American School, I am able to provide opportunities in the strands of integration, coding, robotics, virtual reality, Creation Stations: An Innovative Learning Space, and makerspaces.

For integrating ipads into the curriculum, we use the ISTE Standards which we converted into student-friendly 'I Can' statements.  

With respect to coding, my students use apps such as Kodable, Daisy the Dinosaur, and Osmo Coding.  We celebrate Hour of Code and engage in a Coding Reboot learning activity.

For robotics, Beebots are embedded in the math curriculum.  We also expose students to Dash robots in a more discovery and inquiry style approach.

Virtual Reality comes in the form of Google Expeditions and YouTube 360 videos aligned to grade level NGSS units.

Students experience open-ended learning at the Creation Stations; a center focused on art building, coding, engineering, and filmmaking.

The Makerspace is a student-centered learning environment that provides opportunities for children to explore a design cycle (Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve, Share). 

    

Makerspace Magic

Grade 1 students always amaze me at how engaged and energized they are in the Makerspace.  For this session, they arrived with knowledge of expectations of how to use the space along with a labeled plan/sketch in order to use the space purposefully.

I loved seeing the wide variety of creations; cardboard castles, dog on a leash, shark wall art; sewn pillows, a beaded necklace, and a mosaic bunny rabbit.  Individual passions and creativity were clearly evident.

      

Connect Making to the Curriculum

Grade 1 students made connections with their writing and making.  What an excellent example of authentic integration!

Digital Citizenship Week 2017

Today our students are using the immense power of digital media to explore, connect, create, and learn in ways never before imagined. With this power, young people have extraordinary responsibilities.

As one way to build key skills and mindsets around digital resilience, online safety, and online security, the SAS ES will observe Digital Citizenship Week from Oct 23-27. Linked below please find a youtube playlist of helpful videos and discussion points for teachers to use with their class. If able, please take approximately 5-10 minutes a day this week to show one video per day and then facilitate a brief discussion on the key points.

K-2

K-2 Video List and Discussions
Monday: What is the Internet?
-Ask your students the questions from the video
-What is the internet?
-How does it work?
-What can you do with the internet?

Reiterate that the internet is a way to connect people and their ideas no matter where they live and this week students are going to find out how to use the internet responsibly.

Tuesday: My Online Neighborhood
-Review the Going Online Safely Rules
-Ask permission to go online first
-Stick to people you know
-Stick to just right places

Wednesday: Follow the Digital Trail
-Information (words, photos, blog posts) you put online leaves a trail
-This trail is called a digital footprint, information about you on the internet
-Only share information (words, photos, and blog posts) that you are ok with everyone seeing

OK to Share (interests, hobbies, first name)
NOT OK to Share (address, full name, information that would hurt others)

Thursday: Pause and Think Online
-Only share information (words, photos, and blog posts) that you are ok with everyone seeing
-Show respect, be fair, and be nice online
-Lead a balanced online and offline life (screen time is a sometimes activity)
-Let an adult know when something online is not OK or makes you feel uncomfortable

Friday: Super Digital Citizen
-Ask students, “What does it mean to be a super citizen?”
-It is important to act safely, responsibly, and respectfully both online and offline
-Always follow the SAS core values

3-5

3-5 Video List and Discussions 
MONDAY 
- What's in Your Digital Footprint?​ (1:08)
- Follow the Digital Trail (2:29)

​Discuss with students:
-​Personal Histories: 
-What information about you recorded? (names, birth certificate, passport, medical information, school records...)
-Who keeps information about you? How do they get this information? (teachers/school; parents and those parents give permission to)
-How are histories of people recorded? How has this changed?
​-What information about yourself do you share? 

TUESDAY - Mindful Messaging (1:47)

​Discuss with students:
-What are some differences between saying something aloud to someone and writing it in an email?
-What are some ways to be respectful when sending an email, text, or IM?
-What should you do before you send an email, text, or IM?

WEDNESDAY - The Power of Words (2:55)

​Discuss with students:
-Why is it a bad idea to send mean or scary messages online?
-What can kids do when they get cyberbullying messages?

THURSDAY - Pause and Think Online (3:15)
​
Discuss with students:
-Why should you think before you go online?

FRIDAY - Super Digital Citizen (2:09)
​
Discuss with students:
-What kind of power does the Internet give us?
-How can we help others to be good digital citizens?

Suggested handout to email parents.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/classroom_curriculum/2015_digcit_week_onepager.pdf

Videos and resources from https://www.commonsensemedia.org

Word Detectives Breakout

Some of the G1 teachers are launching their Word Detectives Reading unit with a breakout box.  So much fun and so engaging!

Another Great Collaborative Inquiry

Students in Mr. Lewis's class were inquiring into their friends' interests at school, hobbies outside of school, and places they like to visit.

Collaboration at the Creation Stations

Getting to Know our Classroom

Grade 1 students used the Seesaw Go emoji QR Code Hunt lesson to learn about the different spaces in their classroom.  They absolutely adored the gamification element of it.  


G1 Seesaw Emoji QR Code Hunt

Working at the Singapore American School Rocks!

Be a Role Model

Blog post #3: Peer Videoconference What skills are needed by principals and leaders in technology rich learning environments?

James and I discussed this question by referring to an article in Flipboard, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals. According to Jennifer Demski (2012), there are seven practices that should be part of a principal's repertoire in order to lead in today's tech-rich educational systems.

1. Create an atmosphere that inspires innovation
2. Foster collaboration
3. Be open to new ideas
4. Be a connected learner
5. Locate and provide adequate resources
6. Take risks
7. Have a Visionary Focus

School leaders who model these practices will more likely inspire the same habits in their faculty and staff.

References

Albert Einstein. (2013). Retrieved from http://soulofdavid.deviantart.com/art/Albert-Einstein-376029609

Demski, J. (2012). 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals. The Journal. Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/articles/2012/06/07/7-habits-of-highly-effective-tech-leading-principals.aspx

                                          

Discussion #2: TED Talks

Key Takeaways

Will Richardson at TEDXMelbourne
Will Richardson's talk was centered around the idea that learning inside of school is different than learning outside of school.  He spoke to ideas on how schools should respond and change to mitigate this factor.  The comment that resonated with me the most was "don't neglect the immeasurables". Skills such as being creative or a problem solver are essential for students, even though they are difficult to measure, don't neglect explicitly teaching them.

Sugata Mitra Build a school in the cloud
I admire the work and extreme ideas that drive Sugata Mitra to claim that "knowing is obsolete." His focus on encouragement really aligns with my teaching style.  By encouraging students, we are building their self-efficacy, agency, confidence, and promoting life-long learning.

Sal Kahn Let’s use video to reinvent education
According to the Kahn Academy website, "Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom."  In the video, Sal Khan shared that his very first instructional videos were used as a supplement, for motivated students, or in homeschooling.  Then, the videos gained traction with teachers; they were using the videos to flip their classrooms.  Sal Kahn stated that this style of teaching used technology to humanize classrooms. A very interesting and thought provoking statement, in my opinion.

Blog Post #8: Interview Reactions

For me, the most salient points in John Burns’s interview (Boll, 2015) center around taking a closer, deeper look at your own organization and finding ways to work better together in order to make connections.  He mentions that these connections can be made by 'deprivatizing' practice and having a deliberate plan on how to scale change.  Aspects such as robust learning environments, a technical infrastructure, and a willing and capable faculty are all crucial to 'deprivatizing' practices and scaling innovation. At Singapore American School (SAS), we have all three of those components, so why is authentic and consistent technology integration only happening in pockets or still seem a bit haphazard?  I would argue that there is very little sharing of practices vertically across the school,  One way John Burns mentions in his interview to build better community and a sharing of practices, internally and externally, is through social media.  SAS does have a hashtag and teachers do post, but it seems to always be a small select group of teachers that post and learn from each other.  Our school is so large, it is hard to keep up with everything that is happening, but with tools such as Twitter it is possible.  I will admit that even though my office is on the 2nd grade hallway, I learn the most about what they are doing through Twitter.  If SAS coaches were to build a greater online community of teachers sharing, I believe practices would become more 'deprivatized' and teachers would be more connected at our school.  I try to encourage and promote change by using social media as a platform to highlight teachers’ practices that are compelling evidence in support of a new change, innovation, or initiative happening at SAS.

Blog Post #6: SAMR

A Grade 1 “Redefinition” Lesson According to Ruben Puentedura’s SAMR Model:

Title of Lesson: Show Data Digitally - Which app is best for the job?

Topic or Main Idea: Graphing and Choosing the Best Tool for the Job

Objectives: Students will think critically about the apps they know and decide which app is best to use for creating graphs of a given data set.  

Standards: Represent and interpret data - CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4

Technology Standard - Critical Thinker - I can use digital tools to represent data.

Materials: iPads, whiteboards, markers, snap cubes, or other materials that students choose to use in their graph creation

Activity: Students will create graphs using a variety of apps.  They will communicate with their peers and collaborate on ways to create the graphs in the apps.  Students will problem-solve how best to include the required components of a graph in each app.

Assessment: Are students able to verbalize (reason) which app they felt was best and why?  Do they show an understanding of the various parts of a graph?

For me, this lesson classifies as a "redefinition" lesson due to the autonomy and ownership that students have in deciding which app they use to create a graph. The stop motion example is of particular interest to me because when this student asked if he could use the Stop Motion app to create a graph, I was skeptical that it would work. My initial reaction (in my head) was "No, that app won't be the best tool for this job. I don't think you can do it." But....my verbal response was, "How do you imagine creating your graph with Stop Motion? How do you plan on getting started?" When he was able to answer those questions I positively reinforced his desire to try something completely different and his creativity. In the end, as you can see in his video, he was successful in using Stop Motion to make a graph.

Student Sample using Stop Motion

Show Data Digitally Lesson

Blog Post #7: Your Personal Inquiry

My personal inquiry is how to achieve more consistency with technology integration in SAS’s Elementary School’s (ES) 1:1 ipad program.  This inquiry directly connects to classroom learning and instruction as it clarifies expectations for teachers and students in relation to technology integration.  By identifying Technology Power Standards that align with our school’s Desired Student Learning Outcomes (DSLOs), very similar to 21 Century skills, providing natural curricular pathways, and sharing examples of lessons or student work for each standard, consistency will be easier to achieve.  This work is crucial for moving our 1:1 ipad program forward, and it couldn’t have been done without the support and input from teachers.  Teachers will continue to be responsible for helping to maintain and support this work with their teams next year.  Building capacity within our faculty is a critical change element in our context.  According to Michael Fullan (2013), one of the Six Secrets of Change, #3 Building Capacity Prevails, he states that successful innovation means harnessing the collective power of all faculty and administrators to implement change.

https://www.amazon.com/Six-Secrets-Change-Leaders-Organizations/dp/1118152603

Reference

Fullan, M. (2013). The six secrets of change. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass.

Update #2: Your Personal Inquiry

My personal inquiry is how to achieve more consistency with technology integration in SAS’s Elementary School’s (ES) 1:1 ipad program.  Over the past four years, teachers in the SAS ES have expanded their repertoire with digital tools and focused on the creativity aspect.  Their pedagogy around tech integration is sound, students use ipads and laptops to create content instead of consuming it.  Additionally, many teachers are conscious of integrating technology in a meaningful way that directly relates to the content they are teaching.  Even though great strides have been made in pedagogy, the learning ‘app-tivities’ are not always connected directly to a standard.  While I don’t believe this is essential for all tech integration lessons, having technology integration standards would definitely help achieve some consistency.  I appreciate Dion Norman’s perspective that he shared in an interview with Michael Boll (2015).  Dion believes that by creating tech integration standards, a technology culture will be embedded in an organization.  It makes me think that the work on Technology Power Standards that James Shin-Gay and I have been leading with our EdTech team just might help the SAS ES achieve more consistency with technology integration in our 1:1 ipad program.       

Blog post #4 Leadership practices and beliefs

When listening to Eric Sheninger's interview (Wallis, 2016) on leadership,  I noted that he referred to the importance of leaders maintaining flexibility and allowing for teacher autonomy.  By doing so, teachers and administrators can reflect, learn, grow, and improve.  I believe that these aspects can support effective problem solving and lead to results.  By providing teachers with a level of autonomy and a voice in changes at their school, they might be more likely to engage in discussions around the change.  Since teachers themselves are responsible for implementing these changes, it is crucial to hear their perspectives in solving any issues regarding the innovation.  At the same time, a certain level of flexibility is also required by leaders to be able to listen to the feedback from teachers and possibly make any potential adjustments.

For me, as an Educational Technology Coach, I have wondered how to achieve consistency in our 1:1 ipad program. My support structure has had to be flexible (e.g. lead, co-teach, support as seen in the image below) when working with almost 25 different teachers who have various teaching styles, interests, comfort levels with tech, and at a variety of stages of integration.  While this flexibility is extremely supportive of individual teacher needs, I am not 100% confident that we are achieving consistency.   

Blog Post #2: Technology Plan

If I was in charge of developing the technology plan for my school, I would feel the least confident in implementing tools.  For me, researching and deciding on which tools are best would be more challenging and a bit out of my comfort zone.  Knowing that a large portion of the budget for the plan will go to funding these devices adds extra pressure to get it right.  Arguably though, if I were to build the best team possible, they would be able to support in this area.  As Mike Pelletier states in his interview (Boll, 2015), if he had to choose to start with people or the process first, he would build his team first.  Another point in the interview that rings true for me is the importance of building a strong foundation first before even thinking about purchasing devices.  I appreciate Pelletier’s (Boll, 2015) reference to bridging the implementation gap.  To increase the likelihood of success when developing a technology plan, bridging the implementation gap for my team might look something like what is pictured in the image below.

Blog Post #1: School change and leadership

My experiences with school change have been as a classroom teacher piloting 1:1 ipads and also as an ed tech coach supporting teachers with implementing a 1:1 ipad program.  For me, having the experience of learning how to integrate ipads into the curriculum as a teacher has, without a doubt, helped me better support other teachers in this same endeavor.  In an interview with Dr. Douglas Reeves (2014), he commented on the single most crucial variable in influencing changes in teachers’ practices is other teachers, specifically, direct observations of other teachers modeling effective practices.  This factor has greatly influenced my belief around how to lead technology integration with my teams.  Essentially, every time I enter a classroom to teach or co-teach a technology integration lesson, teachers are receiving professional learning.  They have the opportunity to build their knowledge base around technology integration and see it applied with students in direct context to their curriculum.  Dr. Reeves (2014) also commented on the relationship between a leader’s actions and teachers’ practices.  He identified three key leader actions that will enable teachers to be better, faster, and more effective on their professional learning journey (see image).  As a leader in establishing a successful technology integration curriculum for a 1:1 ipad program,  I appreciate the need to make time for more collaboration and learn alongside my colleagues.  One area pointed out by Dr. Reeves (2014) in his interview that I could benefit from is clearly defining what quality, productive, and successful collaboration looks like, sounds like, and feels like with my teams.  

References Icon made by [Madebyoliver] from www.flaticon.com

Icon made by [Freepik] from www.flaticon.com Icon made by [Freepik] from www.flaticon.com Reeves, Douglas. (2014, August 5). Leading Change for Teachers with Dr Douglas Reeves [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVok-O9u4DE

A Sea Animal Inquiry

A Peaceful Protest

Mr. Lewis's KG class inquired into sea animals.  They were interested in learning:

• What does my animal need to survive?
• Where does my animal live?
• How can it live there?
• How can we help these animals survive?

To culminate their learning, the students chose to lead a peaceful protest and share with others the importance of not polluting the oceans.

 

A Biomimicry Breakout

Students in grade 1 are so enthusiastic about our breakout challenges!

Kindergarten Word Work

ISTE 2017 Outstanding Learning Space Designer Award

This past week, I was awarded the ISTE Outstanding Learning Space Designer winner!  It is such an honor to be recognized for developing an innovative space in our Elementary School.

Reading Superpowers

Kindergartners reflect on the reading 'Superpower' they use the most often.

A Celebrations Inquiry

YAKiT Kids Snails Videos

Kindergarten students have been learning about land snails. To share some of their learning, they made YAKiT videos.

Make a Diagram with Drawing Pad

G1 students are reading nonfiction and learning about nonfiction text features.  They each chose a specific topic to research and then they will teach someone else about it.  One way students will teach is with a diagram.  They used the app Drawing Pad to make it.

Make a Diagram with Drawing Pad

KG Reading Superpower YAKiT

Kindergartners have been learning to use superpowers in order to become stronger readers.  These students designed their very own superhero self and reflected on which reading superpower they use most often.  After that, students created a YAKiT to explain their superpower.

Exploring Ways to Make Numbers in Kindergarten with Osmo

Make a Class Book of New Learning

Kindergarten students have been busy inquiring into tree frogs in Ms. Burant's class.  They have wondered, researched, interviewed experts, observed, and reflected on their learning.  Each student has chosen a fact to share in their class book, The Green Tree Frog: Fun Facts.

Students made the posters in Pic Kids.

A High School Interim student, Matt, compiled the posters into a class book using the app, Book Creator.

Here is a video showing the almost finished book.  A few students have been absent who need to contribute to the book and a few more voices need recording.

YAKiT Kids

Kindergarten students explored Yakit Kids today to learn how to become the characters in their books. Last week, students had brainstormed one of their favorite characters with a reason why by filling out a graphic organizer.  Today, students used Yakit Kids and made a video of themselves talking as the character. Below is a sample.

A Landmarks Breakout

Students adored the challenge of our landmarks breakout. 

Ways to Make a Number

Kindergartners explored the app Drawing Pad and how they could use it to show decomposing a number.

Creation Stations Before and After

Creation Stations has now been in full swing for over a year. During this time period, it has gone from:

a simple setup with 5 stations  --> to a larger space that included more stations --> to a completely renovated space with diverse station options

Creation Stations is a learning space and innovative hub that is designed to compliment building students' 21st-century skills.  Here are some before and after images.

Our Community

Mrs. Derksen's class was learning about communities, specifically community members' responsibilities and how we rely on each other.  This group of students chose to show their learning in a video. We brainstormed how we could communicate the ideas of responsibilities and interconnectedness in a movie.  The students had a very clear idea of what to include.  They then set out to collect the footage of shoot it themselves.  After compiling the movie, the students shared it with the rest of their classmates.

 

Breakout EDU Workshop

G1 teachers participated in a voluntary Breakout EDU workshop.  Some of their colleagues have been busy collaborating with tech coaches to design and create breakout boxes that match the G1 curriculum.  To date, we have x2 Social Studies breakouts and x1 math breakout.  This session was an opportunity for teachers unfamiliar with breakouts to discover what they are really all about by experiencing one!

The teachers were thrilled to know more about breakouts and to know that there are already options for them to use immediately with their classes.   

QR Code Book Review Posters

Grade 1 students have been focusing on persuasive writing.  They explored writing book reviews as one way to convince readers of their opinion.  During a technology class, students made QR codes of their book reviews and then designed posters for sharing their reviews with a wider audience. Teachers will display the posters in the hallway and other G1 classes will make time to scan and listen to other students' reviews! 



QR Code Book Review Posters

Digital Citizenship - Searching Images Online

Grade 1 students are learning how to search for images online respectfully. They have begun their Nonfiction: Learning about the World unit where they will need the images to present their nonfiction research digitally.

What do you know about peace? An Intro to an Inquiry

Kindergarten students in Ms. wan's class are going to begin an inquiry into peace.  In order to activate any prior knowledge and 'tune in' to information students already know, Ms. Wan asked that each student share what the word peace made them think.  Here is a video.