Credly

Through the Educational Leadership & Admin program at Brandman I  utilized technology regularly. I consider myself fairly tech savvy and I incorporated a lot of technology on various assignments. A component of the program that I enjoyed is the technology badges through Credly. I earned sixteen different badges in different areas. The table below lists those areas and the number of badges or assignments required in each area.

Research & Organization - 2

Data Collection - 2

Instructional Resources - 2

Collaboration - 2

E-Publishing - 2

Learning Management - 1

Animated Media - 2

Print Media - 3

I am happy to say that I earned all sixteen badges.



My favorite assignment that highlights my skills in technology was the professional development lesson I created in Google Classrooms. This professional development had a flipped pre-assignment and presentation that went along with the professional development.
 https://classroom.google.com/c/NjkxNTk3NTQxNlpa

Badges

I am a big fan of badges. I think they are creative ways to inspire teachers and students alike. I haven't started badges in my class because I have been intimidated. I thought they needed to be created and displayed in websites like Credly. That is until I came across this video.

This video is fantastic because it shows a great way to display and track badges. It shows how it is easy to issue badges and how to use them in the class. I highly recommend this quick video!

Google Classroom

I had a lot of fun using Google Classroom and creating a collaborative conversation lesson for teachers of any grade level. To view the lesson I create please follow the link below:

https://classroom.google.com/c/NjkxNTk3NTQxNlpa

It will take you to the pre-assignment as well as collaborative conversation training itself.

Google Classroom is a great tool for teachers and administrators alike. I can see teachers from the upper grades using this platform with their students. Administrators could use this to develop professional development training for their teachers.

Anything is Scary at First

This short but powerful video can be used in professional development seminars as a great introduction. It is moving and inspiring, and I think something every adult can relate to.

 

Theme Spark

Theme Spark is a great resource for teachers. It generates rubrics for any grade level and any topic. 

At my school, our staff was having a challenging time creating rubrics for collaboration and presentation; especially at the kinder and first grade level. Theme Spark not only has rubrics for those but you can change them to be measure grade levels and/or proficiency levels. For any teacher or administrator leading a PLC I highly recommend ThemeSpark. This is a great tool that can help guide conversations within a PLC.

Project Based Learning

My district is sending me and some coworkers to a project based learning conference. The conference is being organized by the Buck Institute of Education. I do not know to much about project based learning and wanted to do some research before I attended the conference. This video I felt was a good introduction and I thought I'd share. 

Financing Schools in California

I came across this resource for an assignment and found it extremely succinct and thorough. Administrators need to know the business behind running a school, and the laws the must abide by. This article is a great resource for anyone considering administration.
http://www.ppic.org/main/publication_show.asp?i=1001 

Thinking Maps

 This year our school has focused on developing the comprehension skills of student through Thinking Maps. Every professional development our principal shares a new strategy that can be used with Thinking Maps. Every morning my students review the eight Thinking Maps and the skills they are used for. I have seen a significant impact on my students and their work. The imagine above is from one of my students. Notice how this third grade student used a Thinking Map to organize her thoughts before answering each question.

I highly recommend checking out Thinking Maps at: http://thinkingmaps.com/

7 Best Habits of Tech Saavy Principals

Technology makes me a more effective teacher. I imagine the same must be true for principals. This article from The Journal talks about the most effective habits of principals today and technology resources to them.

https://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/06/07/7-habits-of-highly-effective-tech-leading-principals.aspx 

Disabiling Segregation

I am a big fan of TEDtalks. There are so many insightful videos about education today. Check out this interesting video about segregation in our classrooms. 

Limitations to Grit

This year there have been two natural disasters that have had a major impact on the Big Sur community. Both have affected tourism to our community and thus affected the work of many of our families. Trees have fallen on houses, parents are loosing there jobs, and helicopters seem to always be flying overhead.

This year has taught me a lot about grit and what we can expect of our students. It's important to teach mindfulness and take care of our students' emotions. There are limitations to grit and what we can expect of our kids. This article from The Atlantic shares a great perspective on teaching grit in classrooms today.

 https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/12/when-grit-isnt-enough/418269/

Youcubed

Today was Jo Bueler's presentation about math brains and math instruction in the classroom. I learned a lot and look forward to taking strategies that I learned and applying them in my instruction. Furthermore I am exited about youcubed. Youcubed is a math resource for teachers. On youcubed you can find fun and creative math problems that will challenge students to think critically and deeply about math concepts. What I am most excited about are the online courses for teachers. I know what I am doing this summer and would highly recommend checking out these courses for 4-12 teachers.

 

https://www.youcubed.org/

Start A Math Revolution At Your School!

Jo Boaler is coming to Monterey county. She is sharing what she knows about math. I am very excited to see what she has to say about math instruction in the classroom. This is a video of Jo speaking at a Ted Talk. I think it is a good previous of what is to come!

Tips for Creating a Master Calendar

The Multi-tiered System of Supports: A Comprehensive Framework for Implementing the California Common Core State Standards