Just in Time!

 A shout out to Lisa Parisi who challenged several of us former bloggers to start blogging again. So, I revved up my Chromebook and will join in. As I looked back, it has been a little over a year since I last blogged when I was at ISTE in Philly.  Lisa asked that we start with an About Me post, here goes. 

I began with a degree in education in 1974 with a BS in Early Childhood, followed by MEd in Special Education both degrees from University of Maine, Orono . The University of our Hearts Always still holds true as two out of three sons also graduated from UMO. The other son graduated from University of Maine Farmington . We have all stayed in Maine and work and play in this great state. 

I was fortunate to be able to work in this State for 37+ years beginning as a kindergarten teacher,  elementary then high school resource room teacher, computer lab teacher, technology coordinator and finally back in the resource room high school classroom for 6 years before I retired in December of 2018 in order to ski the winters away!

As important as my times in the classroom were my times outside the classroom connecting with like-minded educators around the world beginning with the Webheads in Action, way back in 2003. In 2006 I was intrigued by conversations about Webheads and I took the plunge! I took part in online classes and meetups before they were fashionable. I was on the fast track and became an online instructor for Webheads in Action, I became a podcaster after free classes with WorldBridges. From that grew Women of Web 2.0 with Vicki Davis, Sharon Peters, Jennifer Wagner, and myself. Check out our 84th podcast from 2008. From there I moved virtually back to Maine with my dear friends Alice Barr and Bob Sprankle as we grew our podcast Seedlings, which are remarkably still timely to listen to these days. Also in 2008, I was accepted into the Google Certified Teachers-now Certified Innovators in the NYC class of 2008.  I met so many wonderful educators and went on to champion google tools for challenged learners. So much so that YouTube search googlers located me and created a 3-minute video of one of  my former students Morgan. Over 3.6 million views have been going on with this awesome video. Thanks to Google and great google tools many students are able to be independent with their learning. 

Now, in 2020, I am a co-conference chair for ACTEM Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine, working on my 3rd conference with Steph Cheney and our first virtual conference. I work for ACTEM preparing the conference and paying it forward to educators. I spend most of my time in the warm seasons in the garden, a local CSA and kayaking. In the cooler seasons and winter, I ski as often as possible!

When people ask me if I am glad to be retired in this Pandemic, I say that I am, but that doesn't mean I am not concerned,  or worried. One bright part of this pandemic has brought attention to Universal Design for Learning for all learners. When everyone school had to move to virtual teaching and learning UDL rose to the top as a way to meet the challenges of virtual teaching and learning. So,each day I am hopeful. Hopeful that our world can make changes that will allow a kinder path for all our students, all our communities, and our world. Peace out!

We are not alone ISTE19 part 4

This is a quick way to demonstrate that we are not alone in our searches. Google Hot Trends is a real-time look at the hottest searches at the moment.
Look at the trends: Trending`

Then look at Google Trends and compare terms since 2004. You can compare by the world, country, specific dates. Here is an image of my trend. Teaching our students to look at and compare data can be informative as well as fun.

Check back to see the next installment.

ISTE19 part 3

LMGTFY
How many of us have co-workers who think we know as much as Google? This is a tongue in cheek way of letting others know that with a click of a google search, they too can be in charge of knowledge.
Let Me Get That For You
So a co-worker asks you when the first day of fall is and here is your answer!
https://lmgtfy.com/?q=when+is+autumn+in+USA

Don't use this too many times or you might be out of a job!

ISTE 19 part 2

I'm going to jump back on the blog wagon and share some quick tips from my sessions at ISTE.  I've been retired for 18 months and I wanted to see what new adventures were looming in technology, especially for my passion of making learning accessible for challenged learners.
This is my second tip. This tip focuses on the challenged learner and making choices. You can begin in a google doc, go to add ons and select Story Starters. Story Starters can be used with the Google Home, now just wait for it- I know there are privacy and security issues that educators are still grappling with, so while that continues to be resolved, there is another way to access this. You select, how to play your story and select Chat. Choose a premade template-how easy is that? Then play and the student just speaks their choices. The choices are simple like left or right, yes or no, or go inside or don't go inside. I can think of many students who would benefit from having a story they speak that turns into audio and written format. This is from Google Experiments-click here and see more experiments. If you like this check back to see what I'll share next. 

Musings from ISTE19

ISTE 2019 Philadelphia

I'm going to jump back on the blog wagon and share some quick tips from my sessions at ISTE.  I've been retired for 18 months and I wanted to see what new adventures were looming in technology, especial for my passion of making learning accessible for challenged learners. So, stick with me for a few days while I look through my notes and share what I learned. If you really want to spend some time on a crowdsourced version of what happened at ISTE19, check Stephanie Howell's version. 
The first session I attended was all about  Wakelet which is an online site where you can find, organize and share your resources. This FREE online service is fairly new and was demonstrated by several educators who were excited about an easy way to share information like a backchannel during their session, a way to curate and share resources with their teachers, a newsletter for parents and I am sure you can come up with more ways to use. 
Check back to see what I'll be sharing next.

Back to School Message from a "Retired Teacher"

I've been thinking of this post since I received a "Happy Retirement" card from my Google Girl, Morgan! It doesn't seem possible that this video was shot by the Google Search team in 2012. This video is still very timely, because it is timeless. This video shows the motivation and independence that Morgan shared with the world. I was the  teacher/coach standing nearby and in the background.

Morgan's card to me is something that all students would share with their teachers in their thoughts. Morgan went with the extra mile and put her thoughts into words with specific examples about how she uses some of the Google tools that she learned about in high school. This made me smile. The Google tools she learned about did in fact level the playing field for her. Not only did the tools help her throughout her high school classes, but the tools are doing the same for her at work and in her college classes.

My message to all of you starting out in the teaching profession or returning to yet another year of school. You have an important job to do. Not only are you making a difference in these 180 school days, but also, you are making a lasting impression on those students. It may take one school year to hear the thanks from your students or it may take years for you to hear thanks for the impression or the connection you made with your students. Regardless, keep making those connections and know that you are making a difference in many lives.  Thank you Morgan for also making a difference in my life. Happy Back to School!

York Summer Institute 2018

I'll be presenting in York, ME at the Summer Institute. It's an awesome venue with amazing teachers from 3 different districts. You can catch many great presenters and a wide variety of classroom topics, technology offerings, and exceptional professional development. Summer PD on the Coast of Maine, not a bad way to spend the day!

I'll be presenting about Using Google Tools as Assistive Technology for All Learners and Using Read & Write by TextHelp in your classroom.

See you there!

Sharing what is happening in Maine this August 2018

Although I've been retired since December 2017, I am still in the loop, so to speak! Today, I am presenting at EdTech207 at the University of Maine at Farmington. One session is about Curating Student Resources, the other is about Creating an Online Presence. I am excited to share how classroom teachers can dip their toes into the digital waters of sharing and collaboration and still keep their curriculum, their themes, their ideas all continuing in their classrooms.  By just adding one new tool, one new share, one Twitter, one Instagram the ripples will reach far away places. What are the benefits to their students? Doors will open wide and far and students' voices will be heard and make a difference in theirs and our digital world.  What are you adding to your classroom this summer?

ACTEM has some great speakers October 11 and 12, 2018

Be there or miss out! Yes, I know October is a ways off, yes I know many of you are finishing the last part of your school year, yes,  I also know,  you need to make plans way in advance. So, in order to block out some time for the best conference in Maine, put the dates on your calendar.
The conference  scored two great speakers for our conference. Dr. Joe Sanfelippo and Holly Clark.

"Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI. The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education."

Dr. Joe Sanfelippo has a great book series Hacking Learning Series,  and this title Hacking Leadership 10 ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love is the one I will preview to get your interest piqued for the conference. I can't wait to hear Joe speak and listen to his stories about his 10 ways great leaders inspire. His message is all about being purposeful, being present and engaged.
Joe's message is about hacking the system! "To Hack something is to change something."
Think of this underlying hack as something that is happening while driving the vehicle. Changing the system while driving a vehicle is a good analogy as to what is happening in our school cultures today. In order to be purposeful about the "hack", one must consider how you will be communicating with your school community. In order to be purposeful one must be transparent about reflecting the goals and progress of the school community. (Try Twitter, Instagram, Facebook with your own brand #hashtag!) Student's voice think Podcasts, live streaming school events which can then be available 24/7. The school community has embraced the flattening of the school walls to include the world. Why are we still locked into school day and school event hours? Archived podcasts and recorded events will flatten the time zones and time of day.
Joe concludes this book with a quote, "A fun classroom where children feel safe and excited about daily opportunities can easily become a hotbed for innovation, one in which kids get used to failing and trying again, because focus is on all that the kids can do instead of on what they can't do."

Holly Clark,  "Holly Clark is an Education Strategist from San Diego, California. She is a Google Certified Innovator, National Board Certified Teacher, and holds an MA in Technology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University." 
In 2017, Holly published her first book The Google Infused Classroom which is available on Amazon. This book is actually a guide for the how to's of making your classroom student-centered using digital tools that speak the language of your students, students who have grown up and lived technology as their first language


Holly is also available on YouTube with many great presentations including a TedTalk. I love TedTalk because the videos are short, purposeful and passionate. Holly has 3 thoughts for us: 1) Let students come up with the questions-then give them space to answer those questions 2) Re-focus how the educators capture the learning and growth, HINT-it is NOT with M/C questions 3) Expand the definition of literacy, it is not just read and write, but video, podcast, how to tell a story online and CODING.  Check out Holly's TedTalk and I know you will want to attend the ACTEM Conference in October 2018 in Augusta Maine so you can hear more about making purposeful and passionate changes in your classroom.

A lot can happen in a year!

My last post was about the fabulous learning adventure that Alice Barr and I had in Sao Paulo, Brazil,  thanks to Carla Arena and her awesome group of international learners. Check out the post from last April 2017.
A lot has happened:
~ A great connection was made in Sao Paulo and using  Microsoft's Skype Mystery Classroom and several classrooms in Maine and Roberto Bemfico Peters. Roberto made a promise to me when I was in Sao Paulo, "I'll be and stay in touch." He did and one year later we do check in on one another. He worked through time zones, internet issues, as well as audio issues in order to allow his students to speak to our Maine students. The smiles on the faces of students and teachers were illuminating!

~ I retired from teaching in December 2017 in order to fulfill one dream of skiing 100 days in a season. On April 5, 2018, I reached my goal of 100 days. I have a happy heart and was so fortunate to be able to ski all winter!

~ Two hours after I retired I received an email from ACTEM- Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine- to see if I was interested in a role as Conference Chair for the October 11 and 12, 2018 dates. I had worked on the conference committee for several years and I knew what I was getting into, so I said YES! So, my role as conference chair has brought me out of blog retirement! I'll be updating information and making connections about the upcoming conference. Put the dates on your calendar, you won't be disappointed!

Wells, ME, USA to Sau Paulo, Sau Paulo, Brazil and back again!

We are a global society, and now our students join us in this global connection. Early on, during winter, for inhabitants of the northern hemisphere, and summer, for inhabitants of the southern hemisphere, Alice Barr and Cheryl Oakes agreed to present at  Amplifica Internacional ELT for the English speaking strand.

Many years ago Carla Arena met Alice,  Cheryl and our friend Bob Sprankle in a Brazilian restaurant in Cambridge, MA. We laughed and talked about education, educators and technology, all the while, enjoying a terrific meal and afternoon. We kept in touch virtually and went on our separate ways.

So,  when Alice and I were asked to speak at Amplifica 2017, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, we jumped at the chance. We would be sharing Google tools and different ways that educators could #changeitup with #studentpurpose in mind. In our Ignite, session Alice and I touched on different ways that educators could change one thing in their classroom or lesson that would allow their students global access. We mentioned free online conferences, Twitter chats and the last one I will focus on is Mystery Skype.

Mystery Skype is a global guessing game where students learn about geography, culture and how we are very much the same and very much different. The process requires a free registration, two interested classrooms, some finagling with time zones and technology including the internet and a way to view the each other's classrooms through SKYPE.

Wells, ME            coakes photo

When our presentation was finished a Brazilian educator promised me that he would be in touch. I was excited about the prospect and two weeks later, thrilled that Roberto had arranged for two classrooms to be involved in the Mystery Skype guessing game. I quickly enlisted two 4th grade classrooms and last Thursday the games began! I was fortunate to be able to participate in both sessions. There were job descriptions for the students and teachers. There were signs used to help the process of speaking, listening and giving think time as the student researchers looked up information and consulted with one another. There was joy as the students learned about one another and there was pride as teachers watched their students correctly guess the clues from the classroom partners in another country.

I even got to speak to Roberto at the end of the final clues. Obrigado to all teachers and students. 
The big take aways! A teacher reported that this was the easiest hour of her day with the script and jobs that the students carried out. A student asked, "Can we do this again, this was the most fun!"

I believe teachers and students in both Sao Paulo and Wells will be enjoying other global opportunities. I hope you will too!

Rewordify- a Whiz-Bang technology tool you must have!

I’ve been using Rewordify with my students for the past 4 years in my job as a high school resource room teacher. I try and use tech tools that can help level the playing field for challenged learners. It is overwhelming when I am trying to differentiate reading material because there are just so many words that I have to address in each passage.

I found rewordify at rewordify.com . It is FREE! It is available to all my students. It is easy to use for them and easy for them to bookmark and use independently! It is a tech tool that once it has been introduced to a student, it is one thing they remember to ask for and use.

Basically, Rewordify takes a passage, an article, a webpage or a book and can sift through the vocabulary and whiz-bang produce a passage with understandable vocabulary with the same meaning.

Here is a passage I entered into the home page from a NOAA website.

http://estuaries.noaa.gov/About/Default.aspx?ID=213

Rewordified:

An river is the thin zone along a (land next to a body of water) (such as bays, lagoons, sounds orsheds (skin, etc.)) where freshwater systems and rivers meet, and mix with a salty ocean,becoming partly salty.

Sometimes, freshwater from rivers mixes with large freshwater bodies creating a "freshwaterriver" that functions like a typical partly salty rivers.

The five major types of rivers are coastal plain, bar-built, delta system, (related to Earth's surface plate movement), and fjords.

Rivers are (like nothing else in the world) places that are valuable to (the health of the Earth/the surrounding conditions) and to (community of people/all good people in the world).

Original passage:

An estuary is the thin zone along a coastline (such as bays, lagoons, sounds or sloughs) where freshwater systems and rivers meet, and mix with a salty ocean, becoming brackish.

Sometimes, freshwater from rivers mixes with large freshwater bodies creating a "freshwater estuary" that functions like a typical brackish estuaries.

The five major types of estuaries are coastal plain, bar-built, delta system, tectonic, and fjords.

Estuaries are unique places that are valuable to the environment and to society.   

But that is not all! There are features that extend the learning beyond the passage!

I can get a read out of the statistics about words per sentence, letters per word, and much more.This image shows some of the great features. My favorites are the rewordified text, Cloze activity and the answer key! Use this link for a larger clearer image.

This next image is a shout out to my ELL friends and speech and language therapists! The color coded passage with all the parts of speech is such a bonus! Larger image.

Go to Rewordify.com!  Make your own FREE account. Begin differentiating immediately. You have time, the school year is just beginning!      Check back for my next post about Educator Central a part of the Rewordify page.

You are probably wondering who made this site and who supports it. I didn't have to look far to find out about Neil M. Goldman. Here is the scoop! Thanks, Mr. Goldman, this is a treasure. I am glad you found a way to help challenged learners.

Biography from Amazon

Neil M. Goldman spent fifteen years as a cubicle-bound computer professional and decided that he wanted to do more meaningful work than sit in front of a screen and write for-next loops.

So, he said a hearty goodbye to his marginally competent managers and a warm hello to the learning-hungry students in a suburban high school English classroom.

That first year of teaching was the hardest, most rewarding year of his life, and he felt he had to write about it. His first nonfiction book, Never Too Old To Teach, chronicled the joys and frustrations of that first year as a teacher.

Electric Dawn, his first novel, explores a scenario that's been on his mind for many years: what would happen if someone made a miraculous discovery of a device that would change the way the world works? Would that person be embraced and celebrated, or surrounded and destroyed?

When he's not writing books and grading papers, Neil enjoys motorcycling, cooking, and travel.

My Maps-new ideas for tomorrow, no way start today!

Did you learn about Google Maps in 2010? Or 2005? Or 2014?

Did My Maps take a back seat to learning all the other google tools? Well, here is

your chance to learn why  you need My Maps in your daily tool kit.

Here are a few things that have changed that might interest you.

Google Maps is now MyMaps and you can find it right in Google Drive!

• Rebuilt from the ground up
• Experience the new look and feel
• Get started with our welcome guide for new users
• Work faster with improved performance
• View photos and videos added on web
• Get directions to saved points
• Explore Street View imagery for many places

If you want to design lessons or projects for your students use some of these already built “my maps”. Log into your gmail account. Click here  https://maps.google.com/gallery?hl=en

Build on the shoulders of others! Take an idea and reinvent its purpose. Add your own  voice.  (photo)

Log into your gmail account. Click here https://www.google.com/maps/d/

and begin designing. You can design a map, you can add the directions for your assignment, students can copy at the drop down where the arrow points,  and make it their own and add their details. Have them share the finished map’s URL with you, using a google form, publish the work and share with others.

Thanks to Donnie Piercey (@mrpiercEy) for  making this come alive at #CAGTI16.

After you use these tools please give feedback to the geoeducators! https://goo.gl/pl5SMF

Resources:

http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/02/12/google-completely-redesigns-the-my-maps-app-in-its-first-update-since-2014/

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2016/02/12/google-updated-its-my-maps-app-for-the-first-time-since-2014/#gref

A month into the school year and.....

 ...the school year is busy! Busy with students learning their schedules, busy with teachers learning their schedules, busy with parents getting back into the routines of early mornings, sports, homework and supporting the learning that exudes every moment of the day and week!  We are nearly at the point in the school year where our school is like a beehive, humming with the precision of nature, feeding the hive, tending the hive and working to support a community. It takes a commitment to and from our students, families and community for this success.

Our school celebrated Open House tonight. There were tired teachers, tired parents and tired students but that did not stop the Open House from humming! By the end of the evening the excitement and enthusiasm brought everyone together in a celebration of a new school year, new students and families and new dreams setting the stage for our school year.

Stay tuned.......

coakes photo

Co-teaching and co-planning for optimal student learning!

Co-teaching and co-planning

Summer time is a laid back time where co-teachers can think about, design and plan for the upcoming school year without the rush of the school day, school week and after school activities.  In my district staff members are given time to collaborate and work on classroom lessons, projects and assessments for co-taught classes. This co-planning time is valued and valuable. It is a good opportunity for co-teachers to share and teach each other the content and how best to differentiate materials for students.

Roadmap to planning

Choose materials and share with co-planners.
Review the course syllabus and match to the school calendar, be sure to include holidays, school activities, school vacations and plan to give major assessments at optimal times.
Design a course calendar with variations in instructional delivery, variations in projects, provide student choice and provide differentiated levels to meet the needs of all learners.
Design a course calendar and include  homework assignments, projects, video materials, with links available where possible to foster student independence and to simulate online learning.
Look at materials used from previous lessons and tweak and add accommodations.
Cull the Internet for best practices and awesome materials that others have built and shared. Be sure to acknowledge all their work! Share your awesome materials with others, leave a trail so that others can acknowledge your work, too.
Check individual education plans and 504 plans for more specific details on how you may accommodate the learning objectives and learning materials for your students.

Reflect and review

Plan time to reflect and review your plans and how the students are managing the materials and your instruction. Time is the biggest excuse we use and it is the one thing we have control over. Make time to make explicit changes based on  your shared discussions and shared decision making.

Ask your students

 Lastly, remember to ask your students what changes will help them, what projects they liked, what helped them learn the material best!

What is in your summer PLN?

Educators love summer! Some days it means I can sleep in a bit later, well maybe not later since Seraphina has her own clock.

 Somedays it means I can have that extra cup of coffee while reading through emails! Other days it means I can check in my Diigo account and look at the links that interest me. But the most fun I have is when I am on the workshop presentation  circuit. This summer I kick off with a google day at the NH Summit at Pinkerton Academy,July 22, 2015. Then I move on to Tilton Academy, Aug. 5 and 6th, 2015. Next is GAFE Peak in nearby York, ME on August 26, 2015.                                            

You can also engage through many virtual offerings. My good friend Vicki Davis, the energizer bunny, is presenting at the following. " I'll be presenting how to Differentiate Instruction with Technology at the Teachers Leading Teachers Online Conference this upcoming Friday. You can register and have the video delivered to you if you can't attend. Dozens of top teachers will be presenting their practical advice at this conference. Hat tip to AJ Juliani and John Spencer for putting this together! JOIN US.

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/dont-miss-it-teachers-leadin…/"  

There are many blogs you can check out and spend a whole day jumping link to link as you go deeper into the material. Some of my readings include:

From Maine

Richard Byrne 

Alice Barr

From my virtual listings

Vicki Davis

Tony Vincent

Karen Janowski

Share your favorite summer time PLN. Happy Reading!

A bonus after shoveling for two days! Blizzard Juno 2015

Beth Goodwin and I are all shoveled out and ready to head to ATIA 2015 Orlando. Each year we present at this fabulous conference and share some of the digital tools we are using with our students from Maine.

Why do we do this? By presenting at this conference we share with other special educators, parents and service providers. We share tried and true ideas and digital tools that have worked for us.  

As a bonus, we learn so  much from participants in this conference! And what better place to be than in the sunshine when we get a day off from shoveling!

Catching my breath!

coakes photo 2013

The beginning of the school year is always a blur for the first few weeks. I am not complaining, I am not whining, it is just a fact! Finally, we have a long weekend in October where it seems like it's the first time to stop and notice that the weather patterns have shifted, the leaves have changed colors and happitly, I notice that I am back in a routine, my students are into a routine and it seems like juggling everything I juggle has settled into a manageable pace.

If anyone is looking to have some exciting online professional development, you should consider checking out the Annual offering of the K12online Conference 2014 Igniting Innovation! There are many opportunities for meaningful 20 min presentations to take advantage of. There are several strands available: 

1. OPENING KEYNOTE
2. STORIES for LEARNING
3. GAMING AND GAMIFICATION
4. PASSION-DRIVEN LEARNING
5. STEAM

My presentation was accepted in the Stories for Learning strand. If you are interested in learning about digital tools that help level the playing field for all learners then check out my presentation the week of October 20, 2014. In this teaser, Victoria takes the controls and demonstrates some of the tools that she uses in her learning. 

Victoria demonstrates the digital tools she uses to access the content for her general education classes. This demonstrates what happens when students have CHOICE in their assignments as well as CHOICE in the reading level. This is the backbone of differentiation and Universal Design for Learning with the student driving the direction of the instruction.

Victoria shares  her favorite tools.

Make a plan to schedule in some YOU time. The YOU time should be for your learning, your exercise, your entertainment, your enjoyment. Chris O'Neal presented at ACTEM 2014 and challenged all educators to schedule time for your own learning. Put it in your calendar, make a plan and stick to it. It doesn't have to be long, just a 15 min learning break will be a welcome addition to your daily schedule!

Plan to schedule some learning time during the two weeks of the K12online Conference 2014, you will be glad you did.

Common Core~ my take aways

The parts I like about common core include:

• the use of technology throughout all standards
• the mention of universal design for learning
• the mention of differentiation for all students
• that educators will work across content boundaries to reach common outcomes especially in writing and speaking
• many online FREE services are making it so easy for teachers to incorporate their services already aligned to the common core

What's not to like?

Keep on learning!

Resources:
Newsela- uses links to Common Core at different Lexiles
Dogo News - see the CCSS, Grade level and BONUS a word search, below the Title
Primary Source Documents Teacher    Search lessons by CCSS, Content

Wisdom of the Crowd~it's Everywhere!

What an awesome group of dedicated 21st Century Educators I met in E. Bridgewater, MA on July 10, 2014! The day was hot and  humid, the school was incredible, brand new, state of the art and even had air conditioning! No mistake it was a summah day!

Four things I love about being involved with Summer Professional Development:

1. Educators choose to be there
2. Educators are relaxed
3. I learn something new each time because educators SHARE!
4. Everyone is so appreciative

Find a summer professional development that you can join. There are many online and archived, you can participate on your own terms. Share what you learn on Twitter or Facebook, learning continues!

Here is one of my favorite online spaces K12OnlineConference !