The Digital Playground - Summer Learning

The More You Share, The More You Learn!

“In his classic 1975 book, Schoolteacher, Dan Lortie described teacher isolation as one of the main structural impediments to improved instruction and student learning in American public schools.” (Source)

A playground is much more fun when you have someone to play with, right? The same should be said for teaching and learning. The purpose of this post is to get teachers collaborating and sharing during the summer. Have lunch or coffee with another educator or share your thoughts and ideas in this Padlet / Flipgrid to get your summer PD experience moving.

“Alone we can do so little: together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller

Find someone to collaborate with and explore digital resources for teaching and learning.

Who? What? When? Where? Why? And then How?

Make Choices and Share Your Voice

• Explore the resources below and have a collaborative conversation with someone about using digital resources.
• Share resources and ideas in this Padlet.
• Share your thoughts about a resource or idea in this Flipgrid.

Digital Resources for Teaching and Learning

• Developing a Future Ready Classroom With the 4 Cs
• Google Secrets - Even More Google Goodness
• Google Essentials for Teaching and Learning - Resources and Tutorials
• Chromebook Essentials - Getting to Know Chromebooks for Education

Personal Learning Networks

• Personal Learning Networks - The Power of Collaboration
• Innovative Educational Organization to Follow on Twitter
• 25 Innovative Educators to Follow on Twitter

SAMR Model Resources

• Introduction to the SAMR Model
• Resources to support the SAMR Model

ISTE Resources

• ISTE Standards for Students
• ISTE Standards for Educators
• ISTE Standards for Coaches
• ISTE Standards for Administrators

Chrome Apps for Teaching and Learning

Chrome Apps are web-based applications (programs) that are designed to be used entirely within the browser. Chrome Apps add functionality and features to a Chromebook or your Chrome Browser.

Chrome Apps can be accessed on Chromebooks by clicking on the Chromebook launcher or by clicking on the Apps Launcher in Chrome menu if you are not on a Chromebook.

Apps can be explored and added to the browser in the Chrome Web Store.

We've also organized a collection of Recommended Chrome Apps to Support Teaching and Learning in this Google Document.

Recommended Chrome Apps

Additional Resources

• G Suite Apps Connected to Content Areas and Subjects
• Install and Manage Apps - Google Help

I Wish My Students Knew . . .

Before reading this post, can you reflect on this question? 

What do you wish your students knew? 

I'd love for everyone who reads this post to share 3 wishes for their students in the comments below. 

Over the years I've read and explored a variety of educational posts with a wish list of what teachers want students to know. Some of these posts have been very positive and some have mixed in a bit of teacher frustration. Some have gone in some unique directions. I will link to a few that I've saved to Pocket over the years at the end of this post. 

My list is not meant to be complaints about my students. I love all of my students and my goal is for each of them to embrace life-long learning. Please, consider my 3 wishes to be proactive goals and not frustrating failures. Here are my 3 wishes for my students. 

I wish my students remembered what it was like to be curious. I teach high school and too often my students get so focused on what they think they need to know that they forget to ask questions and explore what they want to know. 

I wish my students knew that the best learners are active participants. I've shifted to a student-centered classroom model, but I still have kids ask me to lecture. They just want me to tell them stuff so they can passively engage in the learning experience. They should not be waiting for someone else to tell them what is important, they should be telling me and each other what is important. 

I wish my students knew that the journey is more important than the end result. I believe that the best learning experiences connect almost everything to the 4 Cs of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Content is important, but the process of learning is a skill that we all need to develop. 

I could probably continue to add wishes, but I think three is enough for now. 

Here are a few more posts about what students should know.

• We Are Teachers - What I Wish My Students Knew
• The Guardian - What teachers wish their students knew
• Odyssey - If My Students Only Knew
• The Classroom Key - I wish my students knew . . . 
• The Atlantic - What Kids Should Know be the Time They're Done With School

I'd love for everyone who reads this post to share 3 wishes for their students in the comments below.