EdTechTeacher

February 29: Teaching K-4 with Technology

In the midst of mandated curriculum and daunting accountability, creativity and innovation are still making their way into the classroom! Come see how technology has changed the way we connect, communicate and collaborate within the confines of a demanding day. Experience a sampling of technology ideas ranging from functional to fantastic; inspirational to invisible… When focused on students, the rest falls into place naturally.

Confirmed Presenter: Suzy Brooks has been a teacher in Falmouth, Massachusetts since receiving her graduate degree from Lesley University in 1999. Her uniqueness as a 3rd grade teacher lies in that which inspires her: computers, connections, and community service. A licensed Instructional Technology Specialist and a Girl Scout for 35 years, Suzy strives to make strong, positive connections with her students, their families, and her colleagues. It is through these relationships that she has found the encouragement to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for all things technical. Over the past few years, Suzy has been invited to present at MASSCUE conferences and symposiums, EdTechTeacher's Summer Workshop Series, Cache the Wave Summer programming, and dozens of workshops within her district. Workshop participants leave her sessions with a sharp focus on students and an inspired attitude towards technology. Regionally recognized as a teacher leader, Suzy was honored with the 2011 MassCUE Pathfinder Award, is a FableVision Ambassador and Discovery Educator Network STAR. Additionally, she serves on the Massachusetts ASCD Board of Directors, and the Discovery Education Leadership Council. Visit her classroom blog at http://blogs.falmouth.k12.ma.us/simplysuzy.

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February 23: Leading Change

Confirmed Presenter: Chris Lehmann is the founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy, a progressive science and technology high school in Philadelphia, PA. A pioneer of the School 2.0 movement, SLA was recognized as an Apple Distinguished School from 2009-2011 and was named one of the Ten Most Amazing Schools in the US by Ladies Home Journal. In 2010, Chris was named one of the "30 Most Influential People in EdTech" by Technology & Learning Magazine. He has written for many education publications and has spoken at international conferences, including TEDxPhilly, TEDxNYED, and the International Society of Technology in Education Conference. He has worked with schools all over the country. Lehmann was an honoree for the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development's 2009 Outstanding Young Educator Award, and was named as one of "40 Under 40" by Philadelphia Business Journal in 2009 as well as one of "20 to Watch" among American administrators by the National School Board Association in 2006. Chris is co-editor of What School Leaders Need to Know about Digital Technologies and Social Media, and author of the education blog Practical Theory.

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February 9th: Best Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers

Sure, school budgets are shrinking but that doesn't mean schools have to shrink from using technology in their classrooms. In this webinar Richard Byrne will share some of his favorite free Web 2.0 tools for discovering new academic materials, hosting online discussions, and having students demonstrate what they've learned. This webinar will offer tools and tips for all K-12 teachers across all content areas.

Confirmed Presenter: Richard Byrne is best known in the educational technology community for his award-winning blog Free Technology for Teachers. On a daily basis, Richard’s blog reaches a subscriber base of more than 42,000 educators. In addition to writing Free Technology for Teachers, he writes a monthly column for School Library Journal, is a contributing author to What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media, has written for Teacher Librarian, and recently launched Android 4 Schools. Richard has presented at conferences and schools across North America, as his work is focused on sharing free web-based resources that educators can use to enhance their students’ learning experiences. Richard became a Google Certified Teacher in 2009, and in 2010, he was the runner-up for ACTEM’s (Association of Computer Teachers and Educators in Maine) educator of the year award. Tech & Learning Magazine named Richard one of their “people to watch” in their 100@30 30th Anniversary celebration (http://techlearning.com/article/26660). A high school social studies teacher for eight years before becoming a full-time writer and speaker, Richard stays involved in the classroom by teaching evening courses on a part-time basis. Richard lives and works in the greater Portland, Maine area.

We have filled this event and are no longer accepting registrations. However, an archived recording link will be available after the webinar. Please also sign up to receive our monthly newsletter for future information about our webinars, workshops, and events.

February 8th: iPads in the Classroom, Part 2 - Responding & Learning

Due to their flexibility, portability, features, and engaging apps, iPads are quickly becoming the tool of choice as teachers and schools look to create mobile, 1-1 learning environments. In this two-part webinar series, we will explore the potential for the iPad to create transformative, 21st century classrooms.

Part 2 - Responding and Learning

In this second webinar, we will explore the potential for the iPad to support student response - in and out of the classroom - as well as student learning. Through apps and web sites, the iPad can serve as a student response system, a student behavior management tool, and an evaluation tool for teachers or administrators. Similarly, it can become a device to support learning, by allowing students to create digital notebooks, flashcards and digital stories.

Confirmed Presenters: EdTechTeacher's Greg Kulowiec and Beth Holland will host these discussions. Greg, an award winning history teacher, has extensive experience integrating mobile technology into the curricula. Beth focuses her research on the impact of mobile devices on learning and helped to design an iPad pilot program before leaving her previous position at St. Michael's Country Day School in RI.

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January 31st: iPads in the Classroom, Part I - Reading & Creating

Due to their flexibility, portability, features, and engaging apps, iPads are quickly becoming the tool of choice as teachers and schools look to create mobile, 1-1 learning environments. In this two-part webinar series, we will explore the potential for the iPad to create transformative, 21st century classrooms.

Part I - Reading and Creating

In addition to its capabilities as an eReader, the iPad and its apps offers teachers and students new ways to approach academic content. During this first webinar of the series, we will address how the iPad can impact reading, and reading instruction, as well as its potential for supporting student engagement as they create content and projects to demonstrate their understanding.

Confirmed Presenters: EdTechTeacher's Greg Kulowiec and Beth Holland will host these discussions. Greg, an award winning history teacher, has extensive experience integrating mobile technology into the curricula. Beth focuses her research on the impact of mobile devices on learning and helped to design an iPad pilot program before leaving her previous position at St. Michael's Country Day School in RI.

We have filled this event and are no longer accepting registrations. However, an archived recording link will be available after the webinar.

January 26th: Passion-Driven Learning

Education driven by passion awakens us to new learning and a world bigger than ourselves. Passion makes us curious, compels us to dig deeper, and sustains us as we persevere towards answers to questions that matter most.

Come join us and see how the principles and practices of a passion-driven work: disciplined study, fostered imagination, active participation and community contribution, can and will transform the teaching, learning, and lives.

Confirmed Presenter: Angela Maiers is an award-winning educator, speaker, consultant and professional trainer known for her work in literacy, leadership and global communications. She is a consistently energized and recognized worldwide speaker greatly impacting leadership through not only the education field, but the international business community as well. Challenging educational philosophies and business ethics, Angela strives to achieve total synergy and unstoppable energy by reconstructing the thought process of many dated ideologies.

Moderators: Justin Reich, Co-Director, EdTechTeacher, and Jean Tower, K-12 Technology Director, Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough.

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January 19th: 21st Century School Leadership: Connecting Technology to Learning Goals

When your school invests in technology, what improvements in student learning and achievement are you expecting? What improvements are you hoping for? What improvements are you planning for?

In many schools around the country, technology investments have no connection to any kind of clear set of learning goals shared across teams, schools or districts. Most schools, intentionally or not, use a "radical teacher autonomy" approach to technology integration, where schools buy technology and teachers can use the technology however they choose, or not. Many individual teachers can be very successful under this model, but it's extremely difficult to foster collective improvement. Getting better as a faculty requires working together towards using technology to meet a shared set of learning goals.

In this webinar, we will look at three alternative approaches to the "radical teacher autonomy" strategy for technology integration. All three models offer ways of developing team, school or district learning goals and tying professional development and local assessment to those goals. When technology is in the service of learning goals, faculty can work together to get better, administrators can target professional development to serve teachers, and the community can use assessment tools to measure the efficacy of technology investments.

Confirmed Presenter: Justin Reich is co-Director of EdTechTeacher, and the author of Best Ideas for Teaching with Technology: A Practical Guide for Teachers by Teachers. Justin is a doctoral candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Fellow at the Berkman Center for the Internet and Society. He is also the founder and project manager of the Digital Collaborative Learning Communities Project funded by the Hewlett Foundation. Justin conducts statistical research on usage statistics drawn from over 175,000 educational wikis, and he has conducted observational research in schools and classrooms in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Virginia, Georgia, and California. He has written a variety of publications on education technology integration. Justin is co-webmaster of Best of History Web Sites and co-director of The Center for Teaching History with Technology. Justin maintains his academic profile, research, and work in progress at EdTechResearcher.org.

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