What is the Best #EdTech Tool?

I recently responded to this question in one of my collaborative networks I. I think many of us have answered this question many times.

Hello All,

I was charged with the task of creating technology rich PD sessions for content area teachers. Could you share the best tech tools for Science, Social Studies, Math and Literacy for middle and high school students?

Thanks!

Here is the essence of my response:

Wow, big question with so many answers. We've been down this path from a few different directions with varying degrees of sucess.
I want to share some advice before sharing the tools.

1. The tools can be great and can be a catalyst for change, but they can also be a dead end if the a tool is no longer available for some reason. It is important to have a few choices to accomplish a task. I usually give my students a couple of options to see what works best for them. A list of tools to meet a certain set of skills helps steer us clear of the idea that there is only one way to get something done.

2. Start with the skills first. "What do you want students to be able to do with the content?" is an essential question we always ask when supporting staff. It is important to have a model or plan for why you uses the tools, not just what the tools are for.

Here are a few ways that we've successfully modeled our training and integration of technology to enhance instruction.

• SAMR Model
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Educational Technology
• Framework for 21st Century Learning

3. Try to find as many tools as possible that are not for a single subject, instead focus on tools that can be used across multiple subjects. Students are much more comfortable and effective learners with a handful of tools they can effectively use across classrooms. This will reduce the stress on both teachers and students to learn the tools.

4. Finally, it is important to consider the culture and teaching 1st. There is a big difference between a traditional teacher-centric culture and a student-centered 1 to 1 environment.

Here are a few of our main tool collections for staff:

• Formative Assessment
• Google Apps for Education
• Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking
• Points of Progress
• Personal Learning Networks
• Curiosity
• Tools for Teachers Blog

If you have a specific need for a skill or concept, I can probably narrow down this list quite a bit. Just let me know in the comments below. 

How would your respond to this question? 

Using Collaborative Networks to be Heard

It is all about engagement! Can you hear me now?

I have a tendency to sound like a broken record more often than I should. I can ramble on when I am passionate or worked up about something. I've been rambling for years about how Twitter and EdCamp have done more to impact my teaching and learning than anything else I might point to. I've encouraged anyone who will listen to attend an EdCamp or engage in Twitter. If you are looking to grow as an educator, I firmly believe that you need to find an EdCamp near you ASAP. While you are waiting for EdCamp, learn a little more about social networks to engage in a Personal Learning Network.

Collaborative networks can be used to communicate and collaborate. These networks are great resources to build critical thinking skills and inspire creative thinking.

Connected educators use Social Networks to:
1. Get the word out about school events and resources.
2. Share resources and classroom conversations.
3. Engage in Personal Learning Networks to improve teaching and learning.

Collaborative digital tools can be powerful resources to amplify student voices, teacher voices, and a school voice.

Learn more about how to get started, manage, and engage in Social Networks to support teaching and learning with this interactive set of tutorials:

Connected Educator Interactive

Please share your ideas, resource, and tips in the comment section below. 

It's Not About the Shiny New Tools

Many teachers still love the shiny new tool and get excited when we show them a new resource, but over the years we've discovered that this did not move teachers forward in their teaching very often. We also struggled when a tool caught on and then either disappeared or we lost district support for. We got a bit tired of hearing, "Why should we use this if it is gone in a year?"

For district required Tech Tools (Gradebooks, LMS, etc.) we create online tutorials and offer periodic face to face help sessions, but we don't teach the tools. We instead facilitate the use of the tools to support teaching and learning skills. 

When we plan Instructional Technology PD we try focus on specific teacher and student skills rather than the tools, with these two foundations: 

• We model our PD around learner-centered activities, with this infographic as our foundation: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Technology. We ask teachers to approach PD and planning with 1 or more of these in mind. We design any pd offerings with 1 or more of these in mind. 
• Our second primary goal is to support a shift to learner-centered classrooms where teachers use the 4Cs. We believe that EdTech tools can help a teacher use their course content to help students develop skills connected to Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. Here is one of our resources sites connected to this idea: Recharge Learning

Despite our goal to focus on skills, sometimes you still need to have tools in place to help teachers shift to the skills. In the big picture, the two resources that have given us the most leverage to shift our learning: 

• Google Apps for Education
• Formative Assessment Resources 

Professional Development - What is good?

I have a confession to make . . . I am addicted to Professional Development. It is honestly a bit of a sickness. I spend more time than I should in search of resources and ideas to help me evolve and hopefully improve as an educator. I attend EdCamps and other conferences whenever I can find the time. I've built and incredible PLN. I actually look forward to Inservice Days and School Improvement Days when I see an engaging topic.

There is never enough time to get to everything, so it comes down to time management. Where can I get the most "bang for my buck"? Part of my job is to provide professional development for staff , so I am also always looking for new and different ways to deliver resources, ideas, and content to teachers.

I do not want to have anyone leave and PD like the poor soul in the staff meeting. We've all been in a "sit and get"presentations. Sometimes these are timely and a great use of our times. There are also those other times that we feel like we'd rather been anywhere else doing anything else.

In a recent PD session, I decided to focus on three themes as I planned:

Engagement - Differentiation - Learner-Centered

Using Google Classroom as the framework, I put together an interactive document that I hoped would meet these three goals. Here is my attempt to meet all three of these themes in a quick 20 minute PD sessions led by a facilitator: Google Interactive

Overall, I think it worked well and I am hoping to modify this for a presentation at Google Midwest Summit in November.

Please share you ideas about good PD in the comments below.

Collaboration is an Essential Skill for Today's Learner

When an educator evaluates a new digital resource, it is important to start with the essential skills that can be connected to the tool. Too often, a tool will fail to meet its full potential when the teacher simply uses the tool to distribute content. A web quest is not innovative if it is little more than a digital worksheet.
Don't get me wrong, I have experienced some incredible learning in classrooms with technology at the substitution level. The substitution level of the SAMR model can be a great starting point for incorporating EdTech. I do believe that if a tool is never used beyond substitution, it may live up to its potential to support teaching and learning.  
Tools must support good teaching before I think about the connecting the tool to any content. I want every tool I use to support at least one of the 4Cs of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. 
My go to skill is collaboration. I am a strong believer that we learn best by sharing. I try to blend digital and face to face collaboration in my classroom on a daily basis. 

Collaboration - Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students will:

• Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
• Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
• Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
• Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

ISTE National Education Technology Standards

With the help of my incredible PLN, I've compiled a list of tools that can support collaboration in classrooms. These tools can also be used to support teacher professional development.  

• Collaboration Tools to Support the 4Cs and Student Growth

Here are some great video clips connected to collaboration:

• Howard Rheingold: The new power of collaboration
• Luis von Ahn: Massive-scale online collaboration
• Collaboration - Affect/Possibility: Ken Blanchard

What other tools can you recommend to build collaborative skills with students and staff?