Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

Remember to spend some of your winter break recharging for the rest of the school year and enjoying your friends and families!

CEP 812 Reflection

As I reflect back on my most recent graduate class and the work it has inspired me to do, I am in awe of the changes in technology and the professional culture surrounding it within my PLN (professional learning network).  1-to-1 initiatives are popping up in districts left and right, students are more and more aware and making use of technology tools in and out of school, and educators are scrambling to integrate the tools and skills 21st century learners need while changing curriculum standards.  It seems very much like a perfect storm...or the perfect opportunity to think 'outside the box' and take advantage of my own professional passions and curiosities.

Thomas L. Friedman (2013), says that in our hyper-connected, technology-driven world, the individuals who will succeed "won’t just be those with more I.Q. [They] will also be those with more P.Q. (passion quotient) and C.Q. (curiosity quotient) to leverage all the new digital tools to not just find a job, but to invent one or reinvent one, and to not just learn but to relearn for a lifetime."  So being 'smart' or 'intelligent' isn't necessarily going to be enough to be a successful individual anymore.  Problem solving, creative/inventive thinking, the initiative, passion, and curiosity to seek information and reach goals matter more...when applied and used correctly.  Technology is so easy to come by.  Information is so easy to access...but what we do with that information and the path we choose to take with it...that is the true test of technology adaption.  I have a vision of where I want to go with my new-found technology skills and I truly believe I have the passion and curiosity to get there. 

Here is my take on my own professional PQ and CQ in the form of a PowToon. 


Friedman, Thomas L. (2013, January 29). It's P.Q. and C.Q. as Much As I.Q. THe New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/friedman-its-pq-and-cq-as-much-as-iq.html?_r=0

Flipping the Classroom: a Wicked Problem Project for CEP812

With the push to transform, redesign, and create 21st Century classrooms and learning spaces, educators are looking for ways to stretch and extend technology resources in and outside of the classroom.  One innovative way some tech-savvy teachers are meeting this expectation is through the "Flipped Classroom" model. 

The basic premise behind a flipped classroom is fairly simple:  the 'lecture' is a video or web-tutorial students complete at home on personal computers; the 'homework' or 'independent practice' takes place in the classroom where the teacher can provide scaffolding and support to the students.  This is not online learning, but rather a way to meet individual learning needs in a more student-centered approach.  How often do students encounter questions, frustration, and helplessness while completing a homework assignment?  When could they use a teacher within arm's reach most often?  Not during a lecture or other teacher-centered approach.  Flipping the classroom changes this...and it is working.  But not without the wicked issues of implementation, technology skills and access, funding, and support.

For my graduate class, CEP 812, three classmates and I have worked for the past few weeks (and over several time zones!) to research and discuss the flipped classroom and the wicked problem that surrounds it.

Here is our multimedia mash up of our WPP Project - Flipping the Classroom: A Wicked Problem in a Community of Practice.

Infographic & Analysis of Technology Within a Community of Practice

This week in the world of MAET, I created my first survey using Survey Monkey and my first professional infographic using infogr.am. The purpose of this survey, was to explore the practice of technology integration within my professional learning community.  I chose to focus on a small sample of my colleagues, who represent all grade levels within my building. 

Here is a brief analysis of my survey and my thoughts on the results.


UPDATE:  I shared the results of my technology sample with my principal...now it looks like this is going to snowball into something much bigger with in my building!  Trying to problem solve the 'wicked problem' of needing more technology training and tools with out the funding to back it.  The brainwaves are already going!

Technology Integration @ Ealy Elementary | Infographics