Untether Yourself From Your Whiteboard!

If you routinely project work/lessons/interactive websites for students (whether on a Promethean board or just a screen), you know the frustration of having to be tethered to the board or to your keyboard. With an iPad and an app called doceri, that frustration is gone forever!

Doceri installs on both your iPad and the computer attached to the projector. Once that is done, the two devices connect, and your computer screen is then mirrored on the iPad, giving you control of your computer from anywhere in the room.

APS Launches Teacher Leadership Academy: Apply Today for the 2015-16 Pilot Cohort

+Jessica Cuthbertson is our guest blogger this week.  She is creating and facilitating teacher leadership pathways in order to recruit, support, develop, and retain effective educators.

This school year APS is piloting a Teacher Leadership Academy in order to recruit, support and retain effective educators and develop a teacher leadership pipeline across the district. Twenty P-12 emerging teacher leaders will be selected to participate in this experience, which includes job-embedded coaching support and blended professional learning opportunities. All participants will develop a learning lab classroom by the end of the school year and gain confidence and expertise hosting colleagues and reflecting on their practice through videotaping and supportive protocols. Participants will also select one of three pathways within the Academy: National Board Certification support, graduate coursework and completion of the Teacher Leadership certificate through CSU-Global, or re-licensure credit.

Questions? Contact Jessica Cuthbertson, Teacher Leadership TOSA. 

Click here to apply today! Applications are due 8/21/15.

Logistics and agency- an important model of classroom organization

When a classroom teacher first gains access to a cart of Chromebooks (or laptops, or iPads...) she also gains a number of untold logistical challenges. Even before a teacher thinks about how to support students in working and collaborating efficiently and effectively online, she has to think about how to establish routines in the classroom so that students can take out and put away the devices without a creating a learner logjam at the beginning and end of class. Strong logistical systems can help establish a culture of responsibility and translate to on-task behavior. When students play a part in strong systems, they develop agency.

The World's Largest Lesson

What kind of learning are your students engaging in during the week of September 27th?  The countdown to connect with colleagues across the world who have created lesson plans across disciplines in order to help student develop big ideas around human rights, poverty and environmental issues begins today...

Ways to Use Google Drive to Engage Parents

Looking for ideas to increase parent engagement this school year? Here are some ways you use can use Google Drive to collaborate with parents.

Benefits of Google Drive

• All staff and students already have a free Google account.
• Parents don't have to pay for Microsoft Office in order to read what you send them digitally.
• Parents use the same username and password they use for their Gmail account.
• Google Drive can be downloaded on smartphones and tablets, so parents can access every document without having to own a computer or pay for Internet at their house.
• Google saves everything you're working on, so you won't have to start from scratch when your computer restarts for updates halfway into creating your monthly newsletter.

Professional Development on your Schedule!

Promethean Board...check
Computer...check
Student Devices...check
Now...How do I use it all????

Your Ed Tech Coach is ready to help you with using these tools and more.

Did you know that you can have an Ed Tech coach come to your school and teach a group technology class?

There are many topics to choose from. Your coach can design a class to meet the specific needs of your group. Whether you want to improve your skills with Google or start using an online environment to blend your instruction, Ed Tech is ready to help you meet your professional development goals.

Google for Education on Air

Did you know that Google puts on a live conference that you can join or later access on your own time?  This year's Education on Air conference was hosted in May over the course of two days.  Take a look at what you can access at your fingertips today, tomorrow or whenever...