I was so blessed to get to not only attend the #TCEA Conference in Austin, TX last week but also to present about running Twitter Chats alongside the #TXed leadership team. I was so impressed by the amazing educators who shared not only theory and tools but also real-life ideas for implementation. Here are 7 treasures I gained from TCEA:
The past few years we have enjoyed playing Super Bowl Squares with our staff. If you don’t know about this game, you can check out the full rules here and get some helpful templates. On our campus, we don’t sell the squares, instead, teachers earn them by completing tasks or being caught implementing a specific initiative. Here’s the basic overview of how we’ve adapted for our staff: Continue reading
I was blessed to be on the leadership team for the first ever edcamp Cy-Fair which was held this past Saturday, January 20th in Cypress, Texas. I am a huge proponent of edcamps and am so thrilled to bring this professional development model to educators in our area.
Last week, I was preparing an introductory presentation for my school staff on Google Drawings. To give them choice in their learning and allow them to learn and find resources that appealed to their needs, I wanted to provide them with time during the class for some guided independent learning, but I wanted to use Google Drawings to teach them about Drawings in such a way that they could then turn around use the same template for a different lesson in their own classes. Here’s what I came up with (click to explore): Continue reading
Sometimes educators (teachers, and administrators alike) can get into the rut of doing it “the way it’s always been done.” But trying something new can not only make the lesson more engaging for the students but taking a risk and trying something new in a lesson can often rejuvenate the instructor as well.
As a school administrator or teacher leader on a campus, here are 6 easy and effective steps you can take to promote a culture of risk-taking on your campus: Continue reading
It is my whole-hearted belief that as administrators, we must model what we want to see in classrooms every chance we get. Last year, the administrative team on my campus began to explore the benefits of blended learning. We discussed in depth how we wanted to roll out a blended learning initiative: Continue reading
Author James Allen states, “A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thought.”
Thoughts matter. There is tons of research out there showing that if a teacher truly believes in her students they achieve at higher levels.
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If you haven’t started using Voxer to connect with your PLN – download it today! Voxer is like having a digital walkie-talkie in your pocket – allowing you to communicate with your PLN and actually hear their voices without the need for everyone to be available at the same time. Think twitter with your voice! Check messages and reply when you are available.
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For educators, summer brings a time of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation, but it also brings a season of professional development, including attending conferences! I am looking forward to attending the RRR Conference next week in my district, Cy-Fair ISD, ISTE17 later this month, and presenting at CFISD’s Digital Learning Conference in July.
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Meredith Akers 