The Idea Lady

I am the Creative Innovative Specialist in a middle school. This is a title that my associate principal gave me after thinking that Technology Integration Specialist just didn't describe my role in our middle school. I coach teachers in integrating technology into the curriculum.

The best part of my position as a Creative Innovative Specialist is working in different classrooms each day. I learn so very much about classroom management, differentiation and connecting with students from co-teaching with teachers in my school.  The teachers rely on me to help them redesign lessons or help them offer more learning product choices to students especially in the area of technology.  I plan with my amazing LMC director to incorporate research best practice too. It is rewarding to have the opportunity to rethink lessons, plan with colleagues (which seems to help the idea juices flow better), look at cool new tools and to design lessons that will engage the students.

There are days, like yesterday, when I hold a professional development session that I really wish I had my own classroom again! I exposed the teachers to education.weebly.com and as I drove

home, thought about all the cool things that could be done with a weebly site and students. Blogging, digital portfolios, sharing images, ideas and building their own sites. I was thinking that the teachers who came to the workshop would create a teacher website, and not choose to use the tool to change the way they deliver lessons, or allow students to connect, or encourage the students to build a digital portfolio. I was pleased that they came to learn about the tool, but worried they would not make any change to their current plan either way.

The hardest part of my position is I share a many many ideas to change lessons, or engage students, or offer more student choice, to allow the students to reach the world outside of the school, to meet the Common Core Standards, to change the classroom from teacher-centered to student-centered, and most of those ideas are never used! The staff sees me as The Idea Lady. The one who is always sharing how to change. Some love it and take me up on all kinds of ideas, while others just never plan with me. The teachers who never work with me are the people I feel the most responsible to reach.

On the days when I feel like I am not impacting education in my school, I think about returning to the classroom where I could implement my ideas and see them come to fruition. Be the master of my own universe! I could really impact a small group of students, to offer more student choice, to do Genius Hour, to blog with students, to use social media to break down the classroom walls!

Then, I remember that I love being The Idea Lady! That I impact lots of kids and lots of teachers, I am changing education in my school (slowly) and I learn so much each day from the people around me. So, I embrace The Idea Lady.

Edtech: Just a Tool in the Classroom

 I am a co-host of a show called Learning RedesignED on the EdReach Network (@EdReachUs), and honestly, until about a week ago, I had not consistently listened to another podcast on this amazing network in more than a year. I have been listening to the EdReach Network podcasts each morning on my way to work. A great way to use the time wisely! I arrive at work, feeling relaxed and like I had spent a little time doing something for myself.

In a week and a half, I have learned so much about what other passionate educators think about education from how important a crisis plan is for a school (Mission Monday), to the cool new features of Google Play for Education (Google Educast).

The one thing that idea that keeps rattling around in my head is that the term "Edtech"needs to be changed to just plain education. Technology is present in all of our lives and in all other businesses. People in other industries don't have a choice to use technology. It is built into their work. Why is it so different for teachers?

Never do we give teachers classes on how to use a pen or a desk or an overhead. We don't attend conferences around the other "tools" we use in the classroom. Technology in school is here to stay! We need to use technology in our classrooms to make our instruction more relevant, to vary our presentation method, to allow students to be creative, to allow students to connect outside the classroom walls, and because it is part of their lives already!

If I was to ask how many people didn't use technology today to a group of teachers even, I will wager that no one would raise their hand! Technology makes our lives easier to manage. It will do the same for our classrooms. So, stop talking about "technology in the classroom" and start talking about ideas that work to get students to be creative, to collaborate and to be critical thinkers.

Oh, and I recommend listening to the EdReach Network on your way to work! It is like a little shot of good news each morning. Get inspired to change or rethink a strategy or try something new.