Innovative Designer- Unpacking ISTE Student Standard #4

Innovative Designer: Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. (ISTE Standards for Students)

I'll be honest, this is one of the standards I really struggled with from ISTE. An innovative designer seems less about technology and more about design thinking to me. It feels less about supporting technology integration and more about impacting pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning. I struggled with the fact that this was deemed a "tech" standard. Is it a good process for learning? Absolutely! I was just not sure I would consider it a need for technology integration. 

I do believe learning the skills to become an innovative designer should be part of the educational process. The truth of the matter is, we should be teaching students how to think, not what to think. One of my favorite quotes to remind myself not to become too pompous as an educator is attributed to Albert Einstein, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." So when I look at the goal of empowering students to become "innovative designers" I automatically think of the design thinking process. 

Often when I am struggling with something in the educational arena I throw the question out to my professional learning network on Twitter and I ask for their opinions. So I asked, "why should students learn the design thinking process?" And just like that, the answers rolled in from my edupals:

"Students are already design thinking, they just don't know it yet. It's about getting students to process their thinking by sketching or mind mapping or lists." - Nathan Stevens

"formalized process provides a framework for engagement. Done well, rather than stifling creativity.  It bridges creative with critical thinking." - Michael Stone

"Collaboration. Imagine roads without rules or conventions for drivers. Design Thinking adds structure to the process, it is non-threatening and effective." - Chris Tenbarge

"The empathy component alone makes it worth it. Students need to engage not only in the work but the meaning behind the work." - James David

While I might struggle with seeing innovative designer an integral part of technology integration in every classroom, I do consider it an extremely important skill for computer science and STEM-based classes. As an instructional technologist, I see the importance of thinking critically about technology. Therefore, this leads me to see the importance of being innovative designers. Looking through the lens of critique at all technology platforms is going to be an important part of the future for today's students. This standard will help them do just that. Students need to start accepting the fact that every form of technology can include both benefits and detriments to them. By creating pathways for students to become innovative designers and to teach them to filter technology tools through the lens of Challenge--->Inspiration & Empathy--->Opportunities--->Ideate--->Experiment we help the next generation go informed into their future.

Ways to help students become an innovative designer: 
                                                       NO TECH                  LOW TECH                     HIGH TECH

Redefining Podcasts for Students and Teachers

I don't listen to podcasts. I mean there are times I've even tried to be really intentional and make educational podcasts a priority but I came to the place where I realized that mode of learning just isn't my favorite. I would rather read a blog post, scroll through Twitter, watch a youtube video, or choose a book to learn new things. One reason I don't enjoy podcasts is that they seem to take so long! I'll be driving down the road listening and all of a sudden I realize I haven't really heard the last 10 minutes! I know for some people, podcasts are their "go to" because of ease of access and how you can listen while doing other things.

While at the Alexa Conference in January, I sat in on a panel discussion about podcasting and the VoiceFirst industry. The well-known podcasters were trying to navigate the space between the explosion of voice user interface and podcasting as they knew it. I remember sitting there listening and Steven Goldstein, CEO of Amplifi Media made this comment, "We have to stop trying to make our content fit into the voice realm and start rethinking what content should look like." BAZINGA! As an instructional technologist, I deal with this concept every day all day long. Teachers wanting a digital platform to work seamlessly for a mostly analog curriculum leads to frustration. Whenever new concepts enter the market, whether it be voice or a learning management system, we must step back and rethink our current models to see what this new platform brings that could make things better or at least different!

Having zero experience in creating podcasts or really even listening to them regularly, it became easier for me to reimagine podcasts using voice than some of the people sitting around me. I had no preconceived notions I was trying to apply. I liked the idea of creating a flash briefing using Alexa as a podcast for several reasons:

• It can't be more than 10 minutes. I realized that's my big beef with podcasts, how long they last often. Someone on the panel said that the average commute in the United States is 26 minutes. This platform seems to make the concept fit. 
• On-demand content by creating a flash briefing, listeners don't even need an intent word. They just enable the flash briefing and ask Alexa for their news or flash briefing daily.
• It seemed creator friendly. Even though I really had no knowledge of how podcasting works and the tools I would need, the process seemed easy to adapt to which means the potential for student creation exists.
• Potential for interactive entertainment/learning. I haven't figured out how to create interactivity with a flash briefing but voice user interface lends itself to this feature. This is on my radar. 
• Discoverability. The beauty of creating a flash briefing is that your skill has the potential for a global audience. Another thing that was an immediate plus for me was that if you name your skill something that reaches a broad audience, whenever someone searches for that in the regular Amazon store, you skill actually shows up as one of the options. 

I created my flash briefing skill "Voice in Education" last week with lots of fanfare. My plan is to create weekly updates that help educators integrate voice first technology into the classroom. This flash briefing podcast will include tips and thoughts on intentional use of a voice user interface for learning. While at this point my focus is mainly on Alexa, the opportunities are out there for all voice speakers. You can enable "Voice in Education" on your Alexa device and it becomes a flash briefing for you when you ask Alexa what your news or your flash briefing is. You don't even have to remember the name of the skill to invoke it! 

I already have purchased a better mic system and have been brainstorming potential weekly topics. I am excited to see how I can help other educators through my continuous learning on the subject. Follow the hashtag #voiceEDU and let's share ideas with each other for intentional utilization of this tool that's price point makes it a possible "must have" in future classrooms. 

Applied Learning in a Test-centric World

It was 1990 and I was one semester away from graduating with a degree in Accounting. I was taking Tax Accounting in the summer and everyone knew that was crazy. Taking one of the hardest classes in my major in a 6-week class was no joke. I felt like I never left the library that summer. There were groups of us there studying our hearts out day in and day out. I remember sitting at a table with a friend that was also taking a class. One day another student came over and asked us a question about the law and I answered immediately. I had memorized everything well. Reading over it again and again.

I will never forget when the professor announced the first exam. We could use our tax book and write any notes we wanted to inside that book. I thought I had it made! I wrote itty bitty tiny all through the book and felt prepared as possible. I was an A/B student most of my life and while memorizing didn't come easy for me, I could do it. I remember sitting there looking at the first exam and thinking "Oh dear goodness, I'm going to flunk this!" And I did. And the next one too. I was shaken to the core! I had studied like crazy, to the point where I was the one other students would come to ask questions but I wasn't ready for everything I studied to be applied as actual case studies. I didn't know how to convert my information into knowledge that would actually help people on their tax returns. I pulled a D in that class and I was mortified. I cried like a baby. How could I be an accountant if I couldn't really understand how to help people? Side note: I actually already was working for a public accounting firm and had my own clients at age 21. And, I was fairly good at it.

But the truth is I was 21, about to graduate college and for the first time in my educational process, I had to apply what I was supposed to have learned not just regurgitate facts like I usually did. Maybe I had to apply my learning in classes sometime before that along the way of my k-12 and higher ed journey but I had no recollection of it. My point is, I didn't know how to apply my learning because my educational testing was always about repeating facts back to the teacher. I really don't have very much recollection of critical thinking as part of the educational process.

Actually, I think that the professor was ahead of her time. Allowing students to take an open book test and apply the information that was in there. This was before the internet existed but she knew that every tax accountant would have that little book or something similar that they could easily access as part of their career. She wanted to know if we knew how to apply the book to situations.

Fast forward to 2018 and I think about the fact that education still often looks like the regurgitation of facts for many classes but today's access to information is even easier than ever before. So do we as teachers just give our students access to that information during exams and have them apply it in ways that seem authentic? Some do, others are still asking questions that can be googled in 2.7 seconds. How are we preparing our students for those applied learning moments?

• How are they learning about history in a way to prevent it from happening again instead of knowing how many soldiers died in what battle?  
• How are we teaching students how to balance a bank account (something everyone should know how to do) instead of word problems that ask how much of his $50 John has left after he spent $27.45 at the grocery and $6.52 at the cleaners?
• How are we teaching students how to write for others when only their teacher sees their writing but being able to write a blog post is considered a skill needed for today's workforce?
• How can the scientific method be relevant when the lab experiment is so prescribed that everyone gets the same answer? 

Applying the learning given to students thru the textbook, website, or teacher's mouth is the next step to knowing learning has actually happened and that the learning has led to something students can articulate through action. Assessment should be changing because it is not really showing the teacher or the student the value of what they are memorizing. You want students to get excited about what you teach? Make it purposeful. You want students to not cheat in your class? Assess them in ways that apply the things they can easily google. 

The thing that scares us as teachers: Not all students have the ability to transfer the information being told to them in class to authentic issues. I was proof and I was a good student! BUT, if we start transforming the educational process now, students will start learning how to look at a problem through a design thinking lens or value the need to memorize facts because the test is going to ask them to apply those facts in new ways. Applied learning isn't easy but a world of thinkers that are regurgitators is even harder. 

When an Educator Steps Out Of Her Edubox

I always thought of myself as an openminded, growth mindset kinda educator. In the last year I've even challenged myself to look for ways to get out of my educational technology silo. Then entered this strange opportunity for me...the Alexa Conference. Just when I was patting myself on the back for being chosen to present at ASCD Empower18 (which I deemed way out of my comfort zone) in comes an opportunity outside of education all together- an opportunity to give an educator's perspective regarding the Voice First world. Think Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, etc- any voice user interface...Now think programmers, thought leaders, and even a representative from the Federal Trade Commission. Yep, that was my audience. I didn't feel so open minded. I felt out of my league.

As a rule, being a public speaker is no big deal to me because I am passionate about education and the impact instructional technology that is well integrated can have on the learning process. But, Thursday was different. I would not have even known about the Alexa Conference if it had not been in my own wonderful city, Chattanooga, Tennessee. I saw the Alexa Conference was coming to Chattanooga and reached out to it's promoter- Bradley Metrock. Not only did he invite me but he asked me to speak! And what a crazy awesome opportunity it was.

I walked into the event not knowing a soul but was welcomed warmly. The first speaker, Kevin Old, of Lifeway Tech started off and I'll be honest, my palms started to sweat and I kept hearing in my head "I'm in over my head, I'm in over my head." Because Kevin was speaking Greek to me. I'm not a programmer or even really a novice coder. Fortunately for me, the conversations went back and forth from technical to practical all day and I gleaned so much out of an industry I knew so little about.

And then it was my turn to speak. It's been YEARS since I've heard that nervous voice come out of my mouth during a presentation but boy I felt it! This wasn't my tribe, they were from all over the world and I didn't speak their language but they listened. And they questioned. And they were kind. And I realized at the end of the session that I had actual giving them food for thought. ME? A mere instructional technologist with big ideas for education. I knew I brought value to the conference when Brian Roemmele, a voice first expert tweeted about what I was sharing.

I'm still blown away by the thought leaders in that room and the discussions that were had. I'm blown away by the fact that they acknowledge that Voice First is just beginning to be impactful on our world but they see the future because some of them are already creating it in their garages.

What this conference did for me was to show me bigger pictures and potential. It also empowered me to reach outside of my educational technology world even more to be a part of the innovation that is to come. I can't wait to see what the future holds and I have a few ideas myself that I'm going to work through to see if they could lead to anything feasible.

Thank you to Bradley Metlock and the presenters and attendees of #AlexaConf for exposing me to "different" and allowing me to expose you to the wonderful world of educational needs. It was a great time and I can't wait to try some of the things I learned! And educators, if you ever have a chance to speak outside of your comfort zone...do it!

My presentation can be found here: http://bit.ly/VOICEFIRSTEDU

An LMS for Everyone?

Recently our school has been in the process of not only trying to decide if an LMS (learning management system) is important to implement school wide but also what LMS meets the needs of the community as a whole. Through this process over the last 5 years we have implemented in both large and small ways 4 different LMS solutions- Moodle, Edify, Google Classroom, and Canvas.

As a technology coordinator there are some moving parts that I think about that don't really impact the individual teachers:

1. Cost. Is it cost effective for us to choose certain LMS options. Is it going to cost additional funding to be able to integrate our SIS (student information system) into it for ease of use. 
2. Longevity. Edtech options are exponentially growing. Are we choosing an option that is forward thinking and that has potential to grow into the platform we will need for the future?
3. User friendly interface for teachers and students. Is the LMS set up in a way that it feels intuitive to the user with a bit of use? Is support good? Are answers to questions quick? Is there a community of users I can tap into to ask specific questions and learn from their usage as well? Are there resources available for teachers to access and pull into their curriculum?
4. Cross-curricular usefulness. Truthfully, it's fairly easy for a teacher that wants to do true/false and multiple choice questions to feel confident with almost any LMS but does the LMS lend itself to grading papers, short/long answer questions, graphs, math equations, scientific notation? It's imperative to choose a LMS that best meets a wide average of users or else there is a biased expectation of usage that just won't happen because it just isn't deemed useful.
5. Data accessibility. As research is showing, the data that quick formative assessments via technology is bringing to today's classroom can be a game changer for the teacher willing to utilize this mode of instructional practice. To be able to both quickly give and receive data from a formative assessment helps teachers plan forward and even personalize for differentiation. The easier it is to create assessments and the more people that can access that data, the better. 
6. Multiple Platform Interfaces for single sign-on access. Apps and software that interface with the LMS seamlessly create an easier classroom for the teacher and makes me feel better about student privacy with single sign-on options. 

While all these things play heavily on my mind I do strongly believe that the future of education will be LMS driven. Data will play a big role in helping educators meet the needs of individual students as education moves toward competency based assessment linked to essential questions or standards. An LMS will bring that all together for curriculum leaders and educators. 

There are many districts that already require their teachers, every year, to pull 3 years of summative assessment data and create plans to meet the needs for each student in their classroom. As we all know summative assessments are a blip in a student's year...many things can impact how a student does on those tests- sickness, cold air, warm air, attitude, nerves, distractions, etc. By also adding the value of summative assessments into the mix we get a better representation of who these students are. When all those on the educational staff that work with our students have access to this information we can all better meet the needs of our students. 

The future is changing, it will look differently for different subject areas but some things will be consistent- the need to leverage the tools for best practice to meet student needs. 

Five Educator Groups for Technology Integration

Recently I've been thinking about technology integration and I read this article https://ondigitalmarketing.com/learn/odm/foundations/5-customer-segments-technology-adoption/. While this article is not talking about eduction, the labels of the 5 segments of technology adopters resonated with me as I daily work with teachers helping them integrate technology into the classroom.

The article suggests "not everyone will adopt a disruptive idea despite obvious benefits." The article then quotes the research of Rogers to place adopters of technology in the following segments (my thoughts follow each label as it relates to what I see in education:

• Innovators - These are the people that actually thrive in change and long to be change-agents because they are not convinced the status quo is what is right, or best, or easiest, or (fill in the blank). Innovators are often alone in their convictions and because educational systems change very slowly, they are often very frustrated with the day to day of educating. My definition of innovation has always been "the point where need intersects with passion under an umbrella of creativity." Innovators don't always use technology to get a job done but those that do are often seen as risk takers or rebels. For some administrators this is seen as a good thing and for others it is terrifying. The innovative educator is willing to fail, they have an open mindset, and sometimes have to be corralled back into the fold for the good of the whole but innovators need opportunities to try things. As a rule, there are very few innovators in a school building. In fact, I bet the 2.5% mentioned in the article is just about right for educators that are innovators in a school system. 
• Early Adopters - These are the ones that are willing to take a risk and even feel comfortable with learning things on their own to understand things better but they aren't necessarily the ones out their looking for the cutting edge thing to change their classroom. They are the ones that once they hear about it they think "YES! That's what I need." Early adopters have a strong influence on the other educators in their building. Because they are often seen as individuals that understand technology easily, others are watching to see how they react to new technologies. Early adopters tend to look at technology as a way to teach differently instead of trying to fit a technology into the way they already teach. 
• Early Majority - These are the educators that are obviously a bit slower in adopting the idea of change in the classroom but being followers, they look to the success the innovators and early adopters have had and decide to join the party. The early majority often feel they are not equipped to use technology but rarely take the initiative to learn more on their own without clearly laid out resources at hand. The early majority's success or failure with new technology is often in direct correlation to how well they feel that technology fits how they teach and how often they are willing to try to use it. The early majority often feel they need hand holding and support but tend to thrive once they truly understand the capabilities of the technology.
• Late Majority - These educators are the ones that do not really want to change but feel they must either because they are being told they have to or because they realize their lack of change is making things harder for themselves. These are the skeptics among us. The ones that fear that "next year there will be something else you will want us to do instead." These are the ones that may not truly believe that technology integration is what is best for the students so unless they are "forced" they do not adopt or adapt. These educators often don't feel equipped to "take on" technology but they don't take advantage of growing themselves in that area either. These are the ones that panic when something doesn't go right and truly appreciate and expect great support. The innovators, early adopters, and early majority really have little impact on the thinking of the late majority adopters but the late majority adopters often give a balance to the early majority and innovators in discussions. When I "win over" a late adopter it is like Christmas morning for me. These are the educators that sharpen me to know my stuff and be able to justify my reasoning for tools. 
• Laggards - These educators are the ones that either vehemently oppose all things technology or strongly believe (and maybe rightly so) that they can teach their classroom just as well without the use of technology. The laggards are the ones that will refuse to follow set norms in a school about technology usage in either an intentional and/or unintentional way. There is often something in their life that makes them fear the technology. These educators often do not have much influence upwards due to being viewed as closed-minded. 

Obviously each segment of technology adopters bring value to the conversation of what is best in the educational setting. Each group presents a balance to the others that often leads to a more acceptable medium adoption rate of mass technology rollouts at schools. I believe schools need representatives of all segments to best meet the needs and have a pulse on the community the school serves. 

I often find it interesting how educators can move from one segment to another based on the technology being rolled out, the grade level of their students, and the subject matter curriculum they are teaching. Unlike the article, I have found that age doesn't necessarily place a teacher in certain segments. Some of the most amazing technology integrators I have seen have been over the age of 55. I do think the receptiveness to change is the biggest indicator. And the truth is, as a rule, education systems do not change quickly. You could walk into almost any school in the U.S. today and see rows and columns of desks with a teacher in the front just like you did in the 1800's. Education is built on tradition. Educators are often the type of people that thrive in routine. It's the nature of their world. 

I believe education as a whole has changed more since 2010 and the advent of the mobile device than in any decade in my lifetime and dare I say in my father's lifetime as well. I also believe with the constant growth of educational technology towards smart software, quick assimilation of data, streamlining of basic tasks, and the ability to personalize learning more easily we will see the average classroom continue to wrestle with the exponential change opportunities out there. I truly wonder what the education system will look like for my grandchildren one day. Will it be better or worse? More sterile? More active? Less relational or more relational? Will certain schools stand firm in the idea of traditionalism and what will that look like for those students? 

The Future of Education...and the role edtech will play

Sometimes I feel like I know things other people just don't get. I know that sounds vain, but this has nothing to do with my intelligence and more to do with what I do for a living. I'm an instructional technologist and anyone in my position worth a grain of salt has to be aware of what is down the pike...and I know, or at least I have an inkling. And I'll admit it both excites me and scares me.

Yesterday morning before heading to the Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit that I am currently attending, I sat in on a meeting where we announced to our middle school that we were going to pilot the LMS Canvas for next year. Let me just say that they are a great group of educators that have a strong sense of adaptability that is amazing. I believe it has a lot to do with the fact they are teaching middle schoolers that want to be treated like children one minute and adults the next!

One of the questions that was asked was "Why not Google Classroom?" and quite honestly for some of our teachers I do believe it would be the best solution for what they are currently doing. But here is the part where I feel like I am "in the know." Education is not going to remain in it's current state. The digital revolution is happening. Integrating technology will no longer look like presenting with a visual that might even be locked down on all the 1:1 devices. Digital revolution means meeting individual student needs with more feedback.

The last few years of tech integration have been messy. That is definitely no lie. The tool has been there and edtech company's have raced to create platforms to meet classroom needs. Some have done it well and some resoundingly have not. School's have adopted, adapted, trashed, and rethought the process of education over and over again. At our school we have looked in the framework of what is antiquated, what is classic and should be kept, and what contemporary way can we do education better?

I believe we are going to see major changes in formative assessments and I believe that schools will have to adapt to them because they will be game changers. This morning I saw this:

- Zoomi, a performance optimization data analytics company, and Canvas by Instructure today announced a partnership that integrates Zoomi's powerful predictive and prescriptive analytic tools with Instructure's innovative and award-winning learning platform. This new relationship will empower educators to greatly enhance learning and increase student achievement and proficiency.

Central to the partnership is the analysis of behavior patterns, based on Zoomi's existing algorithms and analytics, that can predict learning outcomes with greater accuracy and adapt pathways.  These insights paired with Canvas, an adaptable and customizable state-of-the-art LMS for K-12 schools and higher education institutions, will provide students with personalized learning programs that can immediately impact achievement gaps. Zoomi's analysis of cognitive, motivational and behavioral data allows real-time, automated, AI-based personalization of content for a truly individualized learning experience.

"Learning institutions choose Canvas for its flexibility and ease of use. And now with the addition of Zoomi analytics, content developers and educators will be able to tailor learning to the preferences of each student," said Caroline Brant, Director of Client Success at Zoomi.  "By providing content based on the specific strengths and needs of individual students, educators are able to maximize student comprehension and engagement."

"The partnership with Zoomi allows us to provide our customers with deeper, actionable insights into student performance," said Melissa Loble, Vice President of Partnerships and Platform at Instructure. "This enhancement to Canvas will provide the online learning community with new ways to improve teaching and learning."

As schools, we must decide what disciplines this will impact in our classrooms. We must decide how far will we allow AI (artificial intelligence) into the educational setting and more importantly into our world. Boundaries need to be placed by our culture to make sure it is morally and ethically used but that being said, the next step in logic branching questions is an exciting time. 

I love that education is working towards personalization so that we can meet all students' needs. This is the future of education. To what extent remains to be seen. Technology will always be a tool but it also has the ability to be a medium of learning itself. How are educational institutions going to leverage this in a way that benefits the relational aspect of education that is key to creating lifelong learners? 

Student-Centered Education?

Buzz words run up my spine when they are thrown around. I'm not saying I don't see value in the concepts but there always seems to be cyclical educational buzz words that become in vogue for a while and then go out of style. Because of this, these words all come with connotations to each of us and what I have found is we don't always respond or think the same way because of our own interpretations. Student-centered can be one of those words. To some this means a Montessori approach to education where teachers "encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order." (http://amshq.org/Montessori%20Education/Introduction%20to%20Montessori), for others can mean just being mindful that the purpose of education is not about the education itself but about the student. Of course there are varying ideas in between. I do believe in the value of school systems having their own meaningful language so that everyone is on the same page.

That being said, I've had a few things happen in the last couple of days that make me really think about what I think Student-Centered should mean. As a huge fan of personalized learning, I believe that plays a big part in what I think the education process should be. Creating opportunities to meet the individual student's needs instead of the class as a whole is the future of education through the leveraging of technology. But student-centered is something much more basic to me than that. When decisions are being made in the context of impacting our students directly, I believe it should always be run through a screen of "is this product/person/pedagogy/plan good for the student?" Sometimes in today's world we see decisions made that make it easier on the institution or teacher. When ideas are put forth it is the natural instinct for us to ask "how does this impact me and the way I teach?" I know I struggle with not going there first when dealing with change. I also know I have made choices that actually have been harder for me as an educator because it was what I thought was what was best for the students. Student-centered also means growing that child through opportunities that might make a process harder in the long run for me as an educator. For instance, allowing voice and choice in how they share their learning, or creating opportunities for students to represent the voice of their peers in strategic meetings regarding school policies. Student-centered for me also means asking a kid, "how could I have made that lesson better?" and valuing their feedback.

This really hit home big to me today when I found out my oldest daughter was sitting in one of her final exams that she had stayed up late to study for and the professor tapped her on the shoulder and said "you have an A, you don't have to take this exam." Happily, Jessica jumped up and left the test but she texted me and said "I wish he would have told me I didn't have to take it sooner, but it was a nice surprise!" I asked her why she didn't know and she said he hadn't posted all the assignments before the exam so she wasn't 100% sure where she stood. Quite honestly I was ticked. This is a kid that is taking a full load in college and working 30+ hours a week as a manager in our family donut shop. How student-centered was the fact that she had to study for the exam, then show up, and be in process of taking the exam before knowing she didn't have to take the test?

Everyday we teach students that are being molded into their future adult selves. Allowing them some autonomy, creating visions with them, guiding through mentorship, and teaching them how to become lifelong learners without us there is imperative because they are constantly bombarded in a world that doesn't value anyone very well. I think it is key for us to always be asking ourselves if the decisions we are making today by procrastinating, having a fixed mindset, or having our own agenda are truly what is best for the student. Students are the reason we chose to go into education. As a brilliant coworker Matt Monahan said, "teaching is a great way to value people over things." My prayer is that I am ever mindful of that statement.

Finding Your School's Meaningful Language

Lately, our school has been revamping, rewriting and rethinking our student/parent handbook. This has led to some really great conversations that have shown the need to open the door for even more conversations...which I feel is always a good thing. The more voices, both horizontally and vertically within, and best practice viewpoints outside your district, the better the chance to get to a place where all can either "agree on" or "agree to disagree and strategize for the common good." I'm thankful for this period of uncomfortableness and for pushback. I'm thankful to be heard and to be in community to listen to other viewpoints.

During this time of decisions within our technology department I am also dealing with a dog in a halo cone due to surgery (innovation that is a disruption to reach a future goal) and a book that is helping me sift through my thoughts on analog behaviors (our desire as a human race to use all our senses and experience realness). Lump that with having the opportunity to hear Heidi Hayes Jacobs speak at Covenant College last week on the essential question of "How can we prepare our learners for their future?" and my mind is working 90 mph at any given moment with the feeling of conflicting ideas surging through me looking for resolution. I'll be honest, I love it.

One of the things I don't do well as an instructional technologist is assuring others that I am not trying to radically change every classroom in the world. I am just so passionate about what I learn about and the future possibilities I see that I come across sometimes as being a techno-fanatic. I can guarantee you that if you don't work hand in hand with me, you probably have thought that, and as much as I have tried to temper that opinion over the last few years, I do get excited when I see tools evolve that can make a difference in education. Right now I am über excited about two things:

• Next generation chromebooks with touchscreen and the ability to run android apps.
• Paper or paper-like options for computer input that is becoming reasonably cost efficient. 

Forgive me, I digress into a potential future blog post but I share that to say, that's how my mind works. You tell me things you want to do and I am looking towards the future of what that will one day look like. I look for streamlining of tasks, blending of current good pedagogy with contemporary technology tools, and creating a culture of future readiness for our students in a world where the job they may work in does not currently exist. I do get passionate about that, sometimes to a fault.  And that is where Heidi Hayes Jacobs put into words what I sometimes fail to communicate when I am talking with teachers. She has a cut the chase type behavior that makes me envious. She very succinctly shared that pedagogy falls into 3 categories: Antiquated, Classical, and Contemporary.

I love the wording of this. Much to my chagrin, this is what I've been trying to say but I often fill the void with too many words or with too strong of words regarding contemporary. There are things that are outdated or unneeded that we need to cut in our classrooms, there are things that are enduring/essential or well done in our classroom that do not need to be done away with, and there are things that are being created or learned that we need to create in the spaces of our classrooms. Three distinct categories of pedagogy that allow us to sort, filter, and critically look at options, opportunities, growth, AND stability. 

Words matter. As we discussed these 3 words this week, we realized that defining words are important for a sense of cohesiveness. Classical doesn't mean "classical education practices" in this case. We can't allow educational buzzwords to derail us from having a growth mindset. It is my desire to become better at defining words I use and asking others about their words. Assumptions cause us to posture around each other with no moving forward. Creating a culture of safety both horizontally and vertically in a district allows people to feel comfortable to share their views, concerns, and goals. It also allows us all to get to a place where we realize that all disciplines bring value to the conversation of how to best teach students. Feeling valued doesn't mean always getting our way but that you are respected for what you bring to the table. 

As we move forward to both define what our goals are for a graduating student from our school system, we must also realize that expectations from each curricular discipline looks different due to standards, best practice, and prior experiences. Finding meaningful language helps define the culture, expectations, and future of both the educator and student subcultures within a district. Finding how to mold that language based on input from a variety within the constituency creates common vision and buy-in to best answer that essential question Heidi Hayes Jacobs started with:  "How can we prepare our learners for their future?"

"Back when I was a kid".....by someone born in 1996.

I'm on a reminiscing journey lately. One of my daughters graduates from high school in May and the other turns 21 in May. As I think over their lives and what has changed with them I also find myself thinking about how much their worlds have changed.

Any mother with children has answered the question, "Hey mom, how old were you when...?" My favorite was when my youngest was in about fifth grade and she said, "Hey mom, how old were you when you got your first cell phone?" because she was arguing for her own with no success. I took great pleasure in saying "32." She was stunned. Of course, I didn't tell her that was pretty much the norm at that time, in fact I relished in the fact that it shut her down completely. I know...I can be mean.

But I've been thinking about things my 21 year old will say to her children one day about technology. In her lifetime things have exponentially exploded in the virtual world. So here is my "BACK WHEN I WAS A KID" List for her:

• Back when I was a kid I didn't get my own cell phone until I was in 9th grade..and it was a flip phone- all you could do was make calls and text. Yes, I remember when texting started as a way to communicate. And I would get in trouble for going over my texting limit every month. Yes, there was a limit on how many texts you could send. 
• Back when I was a kid I didn't get my first smart phone until I was in high school and then I would get in trouble for using too much data each month. Yes, there was a limit on how much data you could use. Oh yeah, you don't know what a phone is. It was a small handheld device that never left our sides so that we could be connected to others constantly. If something went wrong with it we were crazy upset. And yes, they would break, especially the screens. You have no idea how many screens your grandparents replaced for me and my sister over the years!
• Back when I was a kid, we didn't use technology in the classroom. We weren't even allowed to use our phones to look stuff up even if we had one or to bring our iPads or laptops to school to use in the classroom. It was too hard for teachers to make sure we were on task.
• Back when I was a kid I wasn't allowed to have a social media account until high school. My mom wouldn't let me. Yes, I did set some up without her knowing or I used a friends but I found out later she knew about them.
• Back when I was a kid my parents didn't know where I was all the time. It wasn't until I got my first cell phone that they could "track me."
• Back when I was a kid, I started working for the family business and your grandparents could  watch me at work via cameras but my car didn't have a GPS on it so most of us with older cars remained off the parental grid.
• Back when I was a kid we used paper and coin money or a debit card to pay for things. If you lost either, you were out of luck and it became a big hassle.
• Back when I was a kid we had to go to school every day and stay from 8:00-3:00 from kindergarten - twelfth grade. It didn't matter if you could finish your work early, there was a thing called required seat time. What's a grade? I'll explain that in a bit.
• Back when I was a kid you took a class and if you didn't understand something you failed it. The class kept moving on and you might or might not understand the next unit but it didn't matter. There was no time for mastery of concepts.
• Back when I was a kid you had these stand alone subject areas all day long, you moved to the next class because there was a bell that told you to do so. You sat and listened and followed the procedures for each class and did homework. You got a few "electives" but most of the school day was based on required subjects you had to take.
• Yeah, back when I was a kid there was homework. Stuff you were expected to do at home after going to school all day and if you didn't understand it in class it often meant you did that homework wrong and got a bad grade on it the next day. Yeah, homework sucked.
• Back when I was a kid there were grades. What are grades? Oh, that was a letter ranking you received on work you did based on your understanding of the work. A's were the best and F's meant you couldn't move on to the next grade. Yeah, there were two kinds of grades- I'm talking about a ranking grade for work done right now. Yes, it was confusing.
• Yeah, there were grades. Back when I was a kid we went to school with kids the same age as us. We were placed in age groups our entire education career. It wasn't based on when someone mastered things but when they were born. 
• Back when I was a kid tv's had big backs on them and were shaped like a box and you couldn't watch anything you wanted to, you had to watch whatever was on the channels at that time.
• Back when I was a kid you trusted the news most of the time but that changed when I was in high school and college.
• Back when I was kid there was no such thing as touch screens, you had to use a keyboard to input anything. What's a touch screen? You know it's the thing Granna Julie uses when we go visit her...it used to be called a laptop.
• Back when I was a kid, wearables were just becoming a thing. My first wearable was a fitbit that would tell me when I got a text or call and it monitored my movement but that's all it could do.
• Back when I was a kid we had mandatory summers off from school but in college I could choose to go to school in the summer to get ahead.
• Back when I was a kid in school we had to memorize facts, lots of facts, and we were tested on whether we got them memorized.
• Back when I was a kid we learned cursive. What's cursive? It's a kind of writing style that was used. Yes, it's why you can't read the notes dad and I write for each other that we don't want you to read.
• Back when I was a kid we wrote on paper for everything and we read everything on paper. It felt different from today's paper and couldn't be saved in the clouds. If you lost your homework, you really lost it and yes, the dog could actually eat your homework.
• Back when I was a kid you had to drive a car yourself all the time. They couldn't drive for you at all. And they didn't warn you if you were about to have a wreck.
• Back when I was a kid almost everyone had set work days. 8-5 was expected but most people worked more hours and you had to be at the office with everyone else.  Few people worked from home.
• Back when I was a kid social media was just beginning. Many people created terrible digital footprints for themselves back then because they didn't realize it was going to follow them for their whole lives. It would be nice if there was a "do over" for that period in history but there isn't.
• Back when I was a kid parents, teachers and kids were learning how to navigate the powerful world of technology together. It was all new and changing rapidly. 

Yes, things were different during my lifetime. You should ask Granna Julie about black and white tv's without remotes, cars without safety things like seatbelts and air bags, and parents not knowing where their kids were all day long.

When A Technology Coordinator "Unplugs"

Cue the cold sweats, nervous tics, and wringing of hands...or not. Over Christmas break I decided to do a little self-evaluation of my technology usage. Below is the daily recap actually originally hand written.

December 17, 2016 9:30am
When  a techie unplugs:
I've been awake for approximately one hour and I have checked my emails, returned correspondence and left my phone on my bed stand. As I started to plan my day, I missed my phone immediately. What's the weather today? What time is the church musical tonight? I need recipes for cookies. 

I went upstairs to walk on the treadmill. As I walked I started reflecting on the decision to unplug for some amount of time- probably the whole break? (checking emails 3 times a day for correspondence and zero social media)- I decided I should start journaling the process. Where's my phone? Dang it! Normally I would just speak into it for these type of notes until I could blog. As I am exercising I feel overheated so I reach to touch the hand grips on my treadmill and it tells me my pulse. Dang it! Did I just cheat already? Now I'm in this internal struggle trying to decide what tech am I giving up and what tech am I not? I mean this was my idea (am I already lessening my goals?)! Meh.

I'm currently sitting down eating breakfast I nuked in the microwave (I've decided this is ok) and I am  WRITING in cursive in this journal that was given to me last year. My handwriting is atrocious and I can't spell atrocious! (I miss spell check). I don't remember the last time I wrote more than 3-4 sentences. My hand already hurts as I have filled two pages of lined notebook paper with this post.

Next up...I've been reading a book on my paperwhite Kindle. I would love to finish it. I'm trying to decide since it was already in process, is this ok with me? I think it's going to be a long day of adjusting. I've got a large TO DO LIST today, we shall see what actually gets done.

December 17, 2016 4:20pm
Cleaned out my closet better than I have in my life. Checked emails once since this morning- no social media but I did realize I am still getting notifications. Since the phone isn't on me, I haven't been tempted to open apps. I have glanced at the notifications when I checked emails. As long as I'm busy I don't even think about the internet. I did put a watch on because I realized I use my phone constantly to check the time. 

My youngest daughter face-timed me earlier and I answered. That's her preferred way to communicate when not home. I haven't told anyone at the house what my unplugged goals are. Not sure if that's fear of being judged if I don't follow thru or not wanting to discuss it. I finished the book Technology vs Humanity. It leaves me thinking deeply about the what's next of tech and education. I believe the changes will ramp up quickly- faster than ever. As a school we don't necessarily do proactive well- that scares me. How do we prep teachers and students for AI (artificial intelligence), V/R (virtual reality), A/R (augmented reality), or brain interfaces? Will I even be able to unplug 10 years from now and be relevant? It scares me more than it excites me.

The ethics of technology and the future can't be ignored. Lines in the sand need to be drawn, But not today...today I unplug, watch Friends, and write in a journal.

December 18, 2016
It's mid afternoon. Yesterday I broke my plan. I was getting ready to study my Sunday school lesson to teach to 4th graders and realized I didn't have the right book. So, I got online and looked up both lesson ideas and Pinterest nativity crafts to do. It made me try to think back to my past before Pinterest. Was I more or less creative back then? I'm not sure.

Also, at bedtime I checked my email and I immediately clicked on Facebook. I immediately swiped it closed before it even opened. It made me realize how much social media is just a habit for me.

This morning I taught Sunday School and went to the service. I sat in the balcony. I got the cutest photo op of the children down front as the pastor told them his story just for them. It's the first time I really wanted to post something on social media but it's just DAY 2. RIGHT?!

The really interesting thing about this day is that it wasn't util after lunch that I realized I used my phone to ready my bible all morning long. I mean, I've been using my phone as my bible for years now on Sunday morning...it didn't even cross my mind to take a REAL BIBLE this morning. Nor did I even hesitate to open my Bible Gateway app. Have I conditioned myself to seeing the app as the bible and always available to me that it never even crossed my mind as going against my goals? Is this how tech becomes who we are when we don't even realize we are using it?

I plan to turn my notifications off on my social media and email because when I am bored, I want to check them. I think that may be something I carry forward after these 2 weeks- no social media notifications.

December 20, 2016
Yesterday I cleaned out a cabinet that should have been cleaned out a billion times over the years. I also went out to do some Christmas shopping. This is where I enjoy tech the most. Almost all my Christmas shopping was done online. I hate crowds at Christmas so once I got home I hot out my computer and ordered my groceries from Walmart. I'll use their pick up service today around 10am. I love this service since I hate grocery shopping.

So have I failed? No. I'm still mindful of my tech usage. I haven't posted or scrolled social media. I'm not checking my phone often. I think I'm creating new habits and lining what makes sense and what doesn't. I've cleaned, done a lot of reading, went to sleep earlier, planned life goals each day better and completed the goals as well. Today is a new day. I plan to bake Christmas sweets and clean out refrigerators.

December 23, 2016
I fudged. I ordered groceries online so I could just go pick them up and I looked for recipes. As I internally tried to decide "is this ok?" I feel it was an absurdity not to use tech to make my life more efficient.

For the first time ever for Christmas I spend the day baking goodies. I then spent time delivering them. It did my heart good. I feel good about myself. It wasn't a wasted morning. Yesterday I allowed myself to check emails and answer more regularly. Life felt more fragmented. Today I'm cutting back again.

I did write a blog post today. This time has given me more time to think my own thoughts- so to speak. To examine who I am and who I want to be. This is a natural thing for me to do as the year comes to a close. I posted the blog post to Twitter and found myself wondering why I felt that was necessary. 

Interestingly, I realized I realized I needed to code my purchasing card for work before Christmas day. That means computer work sometime today- while on my break. Not blaming but the nature of my job once again beckons me to technology usage. I'll do that soon.

Laundry is caught up, I've spent time with my girls in conversations, I've read, exercised and baked. Is this because of internally releasing myself form the bind of constantly checking my phone out of boredom?

My handwriting has gotten no better. These posts seem fragmented as I can't add/take away from paragraphs. Hand writing posts is much more linear than blogging. I'm not a fan.

I also deposited a check using my banking app today. Again, efficiencies make sense to me and I value that more than following a strict THOUGH SHALT NOT TECH philosophy. What I am coming to realize (or reminded of) is the value of presence- truly being in the here and now of a moment. I'll be honest, I'm a day dreamer by nature- staying connected to the real world is a conscious effort for me but how nice to focus on valuing the present. Not PRESENTS under the tree but awareness- people, places, moments that will never happen exactly the same ever again.

I am a sentimental fool as my baby graduated from high school this year and I'm dealing with more "last times." Maybe that's why the value of presence seems so noticeable? I think I am finding a better balance as well as learning some things are priorities to me. It feels good and inefficient at the same time!

December 27, 2016
I posted photos on Facebook and Instagram regarding Christmas and since then I've done some posting. I still haven't spent much time on social media. I did decide to delete the apps (social media) off my phone to see how that affects me. I'm reading more and watched a few movies. I think I've been more intentional with my time...maybe.

I have an idea for a book to write in my head but I think I'm afraid to actually sit down and plan it because I know it will "call me" to be done. We shall see.

This break has been refreshing and yet a little disconcerting. I know that my use of Twitter is only as good as what I put into it. I don't want to go backwards or lose my momentum for learning.

January 6, 2017
Yesterday afternoon and this morning I have worked from home. Stomach bugs hit my diabetic child and that's a scary thing. Everyone in our household has had it but me but today I feel queasy. School is dismissing at noon today for potential snow threat. I just got the text. I'm thankful for a job where I can occasionally work from home and be productive still.

I ended my fasting from social media on New Years Eve. I posted, saw the Christmas posts from family and friends, occasionally commented and enjoyed it. It was nice to see.

As I look today at where I am technology wise and I reflect on my "unpluggness" some might say BUT YOU DIDN'T UNPLUG! And they would be right. I'm not really sure what my goals were in the beginning except for an awareness of who I am in regards to technology. I am certain that the efficiencies that technology affords me seems worth it to me. I am certain that the intentionalness of using Twitter and other social media to connect with educators is worth it to me. I am certain there are times in my life technology gets in the way of presence.

Do I have areas that I should be aware of and work on balancing better? Most definitely. And that was the purpose of this self awareness test. Finding my balance. Do I think I will do this again? Yes I do. Fasting is a good thing. Abstinence from things we enjoy teaches discipline. I can always use more discipline in my life. Are you up for trying my challenge? I do believe if nothing else it will cause you to really start wanting to look deeper in how we are to lead the next generation in modeling and thinking ethically about the future of technology. That's a win.

The Progression of our Lower School Technology Integration

This is the progression of technology integration at CCS lower school since I came on staff in January of 2004 as a part-time related arts computer teacher. We've come a long way baby!

In the last few days of the first semester of the 2003-2004 school year I was given the opportunity to speak with the teacher that was leaving the school briefly before he left for Christmas break to understand what the curriculum expectations were for the stand alone computer classes in the elementary school. In that year, students in grades 1-2 had keyboarding for 30 minutes a week and grades 3-5 had keyboarding for 40 minutes a week. The teacher often gave students the last 5-10 minutes of each class period time to play games on the computers.

After being a high school computer teacher, I decided to teach the Microsoft computer applications of Word and Powerpoint to the fourth and fifth grade students. After a few years teaching, I graduated with a Masters in Instructional Technology in 2007. The process of learning through that period really gave me a burden to help our school see the benefits of technology integration- not always technology for technology sake and not stand alone. While my main goal was always for our students to continue to improve their keyboarding speed and accuracy, I started asking the elementary teachers how I might support their curriculum with what I was doing in class. I would often contact 3rd-5th grade teachers (and it helped that I had my own girls in those grades at the time) and ask them what they were studying. Sometimes I would create web searches for our students to learn more about what they were studying in class but also learn the skill of good Internet searching. Sometimes we would type letters to people, create poems, etc that integrated with the classroom all to also learn the needed skills I was trying to give our students in computer class. It wasn’t easy- I didn’t have a curriculum map to follow and sometimes it just didn’t work but it was always my goal to integrate what I did with what the students were doing as much as possible. I wanted them to learn that technology was a tool for their learning.

To be quite honest, I always thought we were above the curve of what most elementary students were doing regarding technology. So many schools didn’t have related arts computer teachers. The lower school lab was always “shown off” during admissions walks with potential families.

In 2013 our school decided to start doing computer-based testing of our lower school students. I came in one day and was told that during second semester almost a whole quarter’s worth of instruction would now happen with me rolling an iPad cart of 30 iPads from class to class when the lab was being used for testing throughout the year. I was excited about having options for instruction and learning more about mobile learning. Supporting instruction while learning about how mobile devices are best used in the classroom happened very quickly for me and I was constantly adapting and adopting new ideas.

At the end of the 2013-2014 school year CCS had a marvelous “problem.” We needed 4 classrooms for all the kindergarten students that wanted to come to our school. The computer lab was next to the other three kindergarten classrooms. Mobile technology was becoming more pronounced in the educational arena and I was asked “can we do without a lab?” I said “yes, but let me move into a technology coach role instead of a related arts teacher.”

I am thankful for administration that trusted me on this change. In order to make the transition, we set a very rigid “you must do 2 technology-based projects a year with Julie” to our elementary teachers. Some did more, a few did less, but we started integrating. As I look back over that time I realize we were leading with tech often. It often gives me a stomach lurch compared to where we are today but I can’t figure out how we could have gotten to where we are today without setting some requirement in the beginning.

From the 2013-2014 school year until this past year that “rule” was a rule of expectation. Over the years I started off modeling instruction, co-teaching, and hand holding. Today, I am much more of a support when things go wrong, I help brainstorm new concepts, and try to be a visionary for the next steps. One of the major goals I have had regarding technology integration is that we also speak into teaching students about being appropriate digital citizens. Starting in 2013, CCS Lower School has been recognized as a Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship School because of the amount of lessons we teach our students regarding digital citizenship.

In the 2015-2016 school year, in decision with our fifth grade teachers, the fifth grade became a 1:1 required BYOT iPad grade. Deciding on one device only, instead of the BYOT of the upper school, has created tension between some of the lower and upper school. Much talk and prayer was put into that decision this school year before we announced to the second group of fifth graders which device would be required. This is an area that our fifth grade teachers and myself are constantly looking at for the greater good of our whole school and our students at that grade level.

2016-2017 brought another tremendous change to the lower school due to a grant for STEAM experiences. We were able to bring on a full time para-professional to help teachers integrate more STEAM into their classrooms. Under the direction of myself as the technology coordinator, the STEAM coordinator looks at the current integrated units, curriculum mapping, and ISTE standards for students. We create opportunities for our students to not only integrate technology in the classroom but have some computer science, robotics, and coding opportunities that support grade level curricular learning as well. In the hiring of the STEAM coordinator we also set the requirement that teachers were to work alongside her in the classroom. This is not a standalone related arts class. Much like the role of the tech coach in the beginning, our goal is for our STEAM coordinator to model and work with the teachers to help them get to the place to not only see potential ways to integrate as they are working on lessons but to feel confident in doing that themselves at some point. To see examples of what is being done regarding STEAM read our blog here http://steamtastic.blogspot.com/

In 2016-2017 the requirement for 2 technology-based projects went away. We are seeing our teachers adapting blended learning into their math curriculum using Khan Academy and Matific. We are also seeing the current 3 sets of iPad carts and one Chromebook cart being heavily utilized for our project based learning endeavors and hitting the 4 C’s of technology integration: curation, connection, consumption, and creation. Technology integration in the lower school looks more seamless than it ever has and the need for teacher expectations in usage has dramatically decreased.

2016-2017 also brings with it the opportunities to once again have “technology for technology sake” into the lower school curriculum. Due to Friday afternoon electives for fourth and fifth grade students, we have offered our students the choice to participate in becoming part of a tech support team (see blog post here on tech team), coding, and engineering a prosthetic. Second semester will bring more technology-based options for students to choose from. After school this year our STEAM coordinator has offered circuitry and robotics clubs as well.

The hardest thing I’ve had to figure out is keyboarding. Since losing the lab we have wavered between no keyboarding instruction at all to this year, keyboarding being taught one day a week in grades 4 and 5 by the classroom teacher all year, and one day a week  for grade 3 next semester being taught by the classroom teacher. This is being done from a rolling cart of chromebooks shared within the entire lower school community.

What does the future look like? I think it would be fair to say that technology is a very fluid curriculum. The past few years have proven that. Goals in my mind include:

• Continuing to find the balance needed between how much is enough and appropriate for this age level
• Continuing to teach digital citizenship to our students as a priority in instruction practices across the curriculum
• Creating growth experiences for our students regarding technology
• Finding age appropriate ways for students to search the Internet for research and images that feels safe for our students
• Continuing to assess where we are and what we want technology to do for us at our school
• Bridging the gap between lower and upper school with cohesive goals to best meet the needs of our students and teachers
• Continuing to grow the culture between curriculum and instructional technology working hand-in-hand looking for innovative solutions to educational issues

Bridging the Curriculum and Technology Gap

I'll be honest 5 years ago I had no idea what ISTE or ASCD were. I was a content part-time elementary computer teacher asking kids not to peck during keyboarding and throwing in some Microsoft Office Suite skills for the future. I was plugging along happily allowing my students to have the last ten minutes of class to play "games" like Rockner's Bad Day, Scratch, and Paint. Life was simple if not a wee bit boring.

Even before I started teaching, "Oregon Trail" was a very engaging video game in 1971 for students to learn basics about the east-west emigrant route. It didn't replace the need for a lot more direct instruction for students to learn the ins and outs of the expansion to the west  though. Much like the Oregon Trail scenario most technology-based options were not robust enough to be an integral part of a curriculum in any course we taught. But times they are a changing!

Here we are in 2016 and software is becoming adaptive to student learning, more robust in its offerings, easier to gather data from, and a cost efficient alternative to textbook adoptions or the software/app is completely inline with adopted textbooks. Times are changing. Who looks at what resources drive classroom instruction is changing too. The pool of lookers is growing- both technologists and curriculum specialists bring value to these conversations.

In a recent twitter chat I said "a4b: I also think in the future the lines will become more and more blurred between tech and curriculum #tntechchat." It's something that crosses my mind regularly. As more technology is part of the curriculum of the classroom, more and more curriculum-based questions are asked of me. I've thought long and hard about a doctorate in curriculum to prepare for this shift. Interestingly, the same night I posted the above tweet, I saw a curriculum specialist with the same worries I have- becoming obsolete because of a lack of skills set. For him, his fear was he wasn't tech savvy enough. It was an "aha" moment for me. What does this mean for the future of curriculum leadership? I think more slowly than it should, technology integration classes will be a big part of curriculum education programs. 

Don't even get me started on what the "perfect" librarian, STEM coordinator, or even teacher evaluation criteria should look like. Tech is changing the typical skill sets needed to prepare students for the future- whether we like it or not.

But what about the here and now? How do we who are in the workplace remain relevant and continue to grow into the roles as they progress? I fear being an SMH educator. What's that? "Shaking My Head" educator. You know what I mean. You read a tweet, an email, hear a dissenting remark that just makes you shake your head at the personality. The one so far in the past or so caught up in themselves they can't see value in lifelong learning, acceptance of change or personal/educational growth. 

Do I have fears, sure do. I see technology getting so broad in what it can do that it is becoming harder and harder for me to feel like I can support it. I am an instructional technologist without a computer science background and I have no coding skills. Is this going to be the future of my job? In my world it's important to stay on the cusp of understanding of what's out there. It's almost every day that I get pleasantly surprised by some platform or software that I didn't know existed that can meet a need that I currently see in my school. Staying on the bleeding edge of knowledge is an anxious place to be. Wondering if you are suggesting the best scenarios that will last for at least a few years is a constant thought pattern. Being relevant is huge. 

I am thankful for working with a team of educators both within my district and on social media that helps me flesh out who I am and where I'm going. It's a rollercoaster ride of morphing curriculum and needs constantly!

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