A Full Day of Professional Learning: Organic EdTech Integration with Google Workspace for Education

Are you looking for an action-packed full day of professional learning? If so, look no further. Bring in AdaKat EdTech Consulting to lead a day of affordable professional learning that will build teachers' capacity to organically integrate technology with Google Workspace for Education and more.

What does it mean to organically integrate technology? In our book, The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Supporting Digital Learning, we state "If you plan with the 4C's in mind, the tech will take care of itself". This means we lead with learning, never with tech. Using our 4C's lesson design process, teachers identify a learning goal and brainstorm how students will engage in communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. As the coach in this process, we rely heavily on the teacher, drawing upon their content expertise and years of experience. They know their content and students best and we will recommend technology we know resides in their teacher toolbox and only if it fits naturally. If no tech is required to enhance the learning process, we will not force it.

                         

This day of professional learning begins by building teacher capacity and adding to their teacher toolbox. Using Google Workspace for Education tools primarily, we will show how use simple tools and strategies in innovative ways.

Executive Processing and Simple Tools for English Learners

Teachers will learn executive processing skills to expedite their workflow and how they can impart these same skills to their students. From there, we dive into simple tools that will give English learners access to content and curriculum. Supporting English learners is something all teachers must do, and we will demonstrate ideas, tips and tricks that hide in plain sight, and can be used effectively by anyone.

Engagement with Chromebooks

Too often Chromebooks are used only as tools for word processing or algorithm-based learning programs. Using Chromebooks in this manner does not engage all learners in the 4C's and makes students passive consumers of content. During this portion of the day, we will investigate ways to use Chromebooks to guide your students to be active creators of content. We'll take a look out maximizing the Chromebook's camera, built-in screen recording app and ways to strike a healthy balance of paper/pencil with technology.

Google Classroom Shells

With all of these ideas, skills, tips, tricks and strategies at the forefront, we will next take a deep dive into the development of Google Classroom Shells. Google Classroom Shells are a simple way to power up PLCs and departments increasing ability to collaborate. Attendees will learn to develop Shells for go-to lessons, common activities, common assessments, Eduprotocols, specific curriculum and even PE classes.

Now that attendees' toolboxes have begun to fill, this day of professional learning will culminate by designing lessons using our 4C's lesson design process. Using a simple 4 square, presenters will guide teachers in a brainstorm in how students will work towards a learning goal while engaging in each of the 4C's. The presenter will rely and draw upon the teachers' years of experience, content expertise and tech toolbox empowering them to organically integrate technology into the lesson. They will be given time to work one on one with the presenters, in groups and or with department/PLCs. Attendees will end the day with at least one lesson they can use in class the next day.

Are you interested in an action packed day of professional learning and lesson design like this? If so, please reach out to AdaKat EdTech Consulting. Click here to book an appointment discuss logistics and pricing. Click here to purchase a copy our book The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Supporting Digital Learning.

Tech Rodeo is Back!

2023 Tech Rodeo is around the corner. This edition will be in-person and returns to the beautiful facility at Ridgeview Middle School in Visalia, CA. Come check out an amazing day of professional learning for engagement strategies, UDL, SEL, English learners, PLN building, and much more. This year's keynote panel includes Adobe Education Specialist Lindsey Blass and Adobe Education Evangelist Martin Cisneros. Click the link below to register!

http://tulare.k12oms.org/147-227027

If you would like to bring me to your school for PD, workshops, a keynote, training or a follow-up on this or previous blogposts, click here to schedule an appointment to chat.

My book, The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Digital Learning, co-authored with my wife Katherine Goyette is now available on Amazon. Click here to purchase. It is published by Dave Burgess Publishing. Be sure to follow the hashtag #OrganicEdTech and #CVTechTalk for updates.

Check out the 6th Annual TCOE Tech Rodeo Jan. 15! $50 and Virtual!

This Saturday, January 15, Tulare County Office of Education will host the 6th Annual Tech Rodeo. This year's edition will be 100% virtual and at the extremely affordable cost of $50. Learn with internationally recognized educators, authors and innovators. From 8:30 am to 3:30 pm this Saturday, pick up ideas and strategies you can use in your classroom next week! Click here for more information and to register. Below is a list of sessions with presenters and descriptions. All times are Pacific Time Zone.

Session 1: 9-10 am

A Classroom that Thinks, Heals, and Brings Joy (Ed Campos)

How do we welcome students back to a productive learning environment, while still addressing their (and our) needs to heal from the trauma we've all experienced through this pandemic? Collectively, we'll curate best practices on how to keep our students learning, building community, healing, smiling and having fun. Along with tapping into the power of the teachers in attendance, we'll pull from some of the latest research from Peter Liljedahl's "Thinking Classroom", CASEL's 3 Signature SEL Practices, and some of the therapeutic benefits of using Music in the classroom.

No Voices Left Behind: Student Discourse in Mathematics (Jeremiah Ruesch and Lisa Nowakowski)

We have the power to create an opportunity for every student to be able to find their voice in the math classroom. In this session, participants will find ways to empower every learner with the tools they need to amplify their voice, clarify their understanding, and own their own mathematical identity.

Supercharge your Slides with voice, video and so much more! (Joe Marquez)

Think slides is just a cloud-based presentation tool? Think again! Join us for this innovative session on how to create slick and savvy slides for amped-up creativity in the classroom. We will learn how to embed video and voice from a variety of tools for use by students and teachers. We will explore how to make easy interactive menus for little's who struggle with Google Classroom and interactive digital portfolios for collection and reflection of student learning. We will also look into creating a class jukebox, interactive timeline assignments, Creating

Campfire EdChats: 10:15-11 am

Join nationally-recognized educators and authors for a virtual campfire chat regarding your choice of the educational topics listed below. Come with your wonderings and questions as you listen and learn from your breakout facilitator(s) and other educators in the room.

Breakout rooms:

Room 1 - Student Engagement through Feedback with Adam Juarez and Katherine Goyette
Room 2 - SEL for You and Your Students with Ed Campos
Room 3 - All Things Google with Joe Marquez and Kyle Anderson
Room 4 - Mathematics Eduprotocols with Lisa Nowakowski and Jeremiah Ruesch
Room 5 - Literacy for Todays Students with Katie McNamara

Session 2: 12-1 pm

Activate Engagement with Quizizz Lessons (Adam Juarez and Katherine Goyette)

Are you looking for a simple way to power up your lessons with a gamification platform that can be used in any grade level and/or content area? Look no further than the FREE version of Quizizz lessons. In this session, learn to use this platform to embed formative assessment opportunities into lessons, in a way that leverages students' innate love of gaming.

Awesome Annotations and Note-taking for Digital Natives (Joe Marquez)

Learning how to read, take notes and annotate text is an important skill all our students need to truly understand stories, articles, and *GULP* textbooks. This is a skill that needs to be taught and learned over time to master. The hard reality of the situation is though, most college-level texts are now distributed in PDF or other digital formats for our students to manipulate. In the face of this new reality, it has become a necessity to teach our younger students the skills of digital annotation and manipulation. With digital devices, we can easily allow for differentiation of students' strengths to enhance the power of collaboration and creativity to create. Using various extensions, GSuite apps, and various tools we will change the way you think of interacting with the text both on and off the internet.

Have No Fear, Take It To The Edge! A Conversation About Risk-Taking (Kyle Anderson)

What does your mind conjure up when you hear the word risk? How do you view risk-taking in your everyday life as an educator and as a person? Are you in need of some inspiration to try something new and make a positive impact in your life and career? In this session, join in on a conversation about risk, what we learn from taking a risk, and how risk-taking is essential to become better educators and people!

Session 3: 1:15-2:15 pm

#SocialDisDancing to Music While Learning (Ed Campos)

Music makes everything better. It can change our mood, it can give us energy, and get us moving. In this session, we'll discuss practical ideas on incorporating music into your classroom. From music cues that send signals to your students for transitions, theme songed activities,...to using a playlist of student walk up songs as your randomized student selector (bye, bye popsicle sticks!), to using some apps (mostly free) to get your students creating their own music and vibe! Music is healing and we need as much of it in our lives and classrooms as possible...now more than ever. Attendees will leave with tons of resources plus a few Spotify playlists you can use tomorrow to start injecting some fun and you might even get your students dancing while they learn.

 Ditch That Copier with a Robust Feedback Loop (Adam Juarez)

“If you plan with the 4 C’s in mind, the tech will take care of itself”. Communication is one of the 4 C’s and a robust feedback loop is one where students elicit feedback from the teacher. Learn ways to ditch the copier and increase your step count by designing lessons where students and teacher engage in a robust feedback loop, collaborating on an end product together.

Google Certifications: The Why & The How (Kyle Anderson)

Maybe you have heard of the various certifications offered by Google, like Certified Educator, Trainer, Innovator, and more, but do you know what they are, how to obtain them, and why you should? In this session, learn more about Google Certifications and prepare yourself to become Google certified!

Session 4: 2:30-3:30 pm

Reimagining Self Care with Wakelet (Katie McNamara)

This session discusses how to embed SEL components with course standards and content, further empowering educators and students while incorporating various information literacy and creation skills. We will go even further and help students incorporate the SEL they need within school and beyond into their communities.

Athena's Secret: Wisdom of Math EduProtocols (Jeremiah Ruesch and Lisa Nowakowski)

Transform the classroom by introducing #MathReps & Math #EduProtocols to not only get students working through many different concepts but do it quickly and enjoy it too. #MathReps & Math #EduProtocols are proven, easy ways to allow students to gain a better understanding of math concepts. Teachers from Kinder to 12th-grade all report success using these strategies. Come find out what all the hype is about!

Ditch That Copier: Curate to Innovate (Adam Juarez)

Curation can be a path towards student empowerment and innovation. Learn ways to ditch the copier and curate resources for students, student work for an authentic audience and foster collaboration amongst PLC/Department members.