Archive by Author | Shannon Poulsen

Google Searching Skills

I discovered some excellent on-line lesson plans to teach students how to more effectively use Google search. The lessons are comprehensive and user-friendly with a lesson overview, materials (with slides and videos that support the lesson), detailed lesson steps and examples to support the objectives of the lesson and a closure that includes a printable handout for students to keep handy when they are using key words to search a topic or query.

The lessons are also levelled: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Take a peek at the lessons here!

Leadership Day 2014: Curiosity is the Key!

Aug16

Today is Leadership Day 2014! I love the stimulating questions posted on http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/ regarding what leaders are doing to promote digital technologies in order to promote student learning and thrive safely and responsibly in this digital world! Three interesting questions to consider are:

What do effective P-12 technology leaders do? What actions and behaviors can you point to that make them effective leaders in the area of technology?
Do administrators have to be technology-savvy themselves in order to be effective technology leaders in their organizations?
What are some tangible, concrete, realistic steps that administrators can take to move their school organizations forward?

The common thread that comes to mind as I reflect on these 3 questions is that I believe that as an administrator and technology leader you must first and foremost maintain a passion and love for teaching and learning. In a nutshell, you must be curious and be willing to explore technology. It is impossible to be a master of all of the latest apps, 2.o tools and devices and then apply them to student learning. However, if one is curious and willing to explore the digital world and learn with and from students, the foundation is set. As a technology leader, you need to be able to ask the right questions of students to facilitate rich learning and inquiry-based learning. I believe this is what makes a master teacher! You must be able to ignite the students’ passion for learning, inspire them to explore and open doors and “play” with technology in a safe and responsible manner. One does not need to be fully technologically-savvy as the digital world is so vast that it is truly impossible to be an expert. Exceptional administrators begin and thrive by being exceptional teachers and learners. With this love and passion they serve as models to school organizations of what it means to learn in the 21st century. My best technology learning occurs when I “play” with technology! This summer I have been playing with various iPad apps and with Photo Story. I learn how to use technology by exploring new tools every few months. It is usually my own curiosity that guides me in learning something new. Sometimes my colleagues may mention a new digital tool or sometimes I look for a new tool to meet my own needs. Regardless of the circumstances, it begins with my own curiosity and desire to learn something new.

One of the guiding questions that I have been considering over the summer is: What technology tools will I use this year or over the next few months to curate my learning and student learning. The new apps that I have been exploring this summer are: Phoster, PhotoGrid and Pic Collage. I have used these apps to enhance my own professional portfolio and the options for students to show and share their learning with these apps are rich.

Strong administrators and technology leaders are learners! They explore and learn with students and are filled with curiosity about how to use technology to meet their needs and then share their knowledge!

More Google Learning with Indiana Jen

Aug7

I love having time over the summer to sink my teeth into learning new technology skills! Professional and personal learning is life-long and summer break is an ideal, relaxing and rewarding time to surf the net, explore twitter and catch up on professional reading. One of my favourite ways to begin my day is to sit with my coffee at my laptop or iPad and check out my twitter feed. I have created a rich PLN that suits my professional needs and allows me to learn from other administrators and educators all over the world! It’s quite amazing how much professional development happens during my summer break in the comfort of my own home.

I am sharing some of my favourite Twitter finds of the summer that are a perfect match for the direction my school is taking in the upcoming 2014-2015 school year.

We have set all of our students and staff up with Google accounts. Some teachers are very familiar with this platform while others are brand new to using the many features Google offers as a teaching and learning tool. I “hit the jackpot” when I came across http://indianajen.com/! You can follow Jennifer Cary on Twitter @TeacherJenCarey. Here are links to some of her posts; let the learning begin!

1) http://indianajen.com/2014/07/23/10-things-every-teacher-should-be-able-to-do-on-google-docs/

2) http://indianajen.com/2014/08/07/5-ways-to-use-google-presentations-not-as-presentations/

3) http://indianajen.com/2014/08/04/5-great-ways-to-use-google-forms/

4) http://indianajen.com/2013/07/23/2-great-visual-lists-of-ipad-apps-for-students-teachers/

Here is a Google Cheat Sheet for new users and something I plan to share with my students the first week of school as they navigate through their new Google accounts: http://www.scribd.com/doc/233976129/New-Google-Drive-Cheat-Sheet

I am interested in learning more about BYOD as a teaching and learning tool for the upcoming school year in my classroom. Check out this Epic Toolchest of BYOD tools : http://www.edutopia.org/blog/the-epic-byod-toolchest-vicki-davis

For teachers who love to use Guided Reading and are familiar with the CAFE model, here is a great way integrate iPads in your reading program: http://www.teachthought.com/apps-2/1-1-ipad-menu-for-guided-reading-apps/

I’ve packed these great sites in my toolbox and I am ready to start off the new school year!

Power Searching on Google

Sep2

I recently took a free course called Power Searching With Google. I was surprised to find out that searching on google was such an art and could be used so much more effectively than I was using it. Here are the best 5 things I learned during the course:

1. When doing a google search, you can filter the results you get to really zero in on what you are looking for by using the color paintchips in the lower left corner of the interface. Color carries a context! For visually similar results, click on an image and then click on “similar”.

2. The “Art” of keywords – Focus on your question “What are you trying to find?” Synonyms for the word that you are searching are helpful. Be descriptive and stay on topic in your search because every word you enter in the search box matters…even the word order matters!

3. “Ctrl F” – Once on a page with a lots of information (for example, a page where information is ranked), using the “Ctrl F” keys will provide you with a search box within that document to specify the exact information that you are looking for and it highlights it for you – AMAZING!

4. Use of the minus (-) sign in your search: The minus sign can be used to help you narrow in on your topic by taking a word away in your search…. it “erases” a term from the results that you get. The example that was used in the course was this one: “salsa -dancing” – this would be a way to find salsa recipes but take any references to salsa dancing out of your search. Very helpful!

5. The use of “OR” in your search – Using the capital letters OR between 2 related words in your search and putting quotation marks around your phrases (more than one word) helps you refine your search so that those words are in the page that you are looking for.

These are great ways to speed up your search and really focus on the kind of results that you get in your search!

Sharing What You Learn…

Sep2

I had an interesting conversation recently with a colleague/friend about “sharing what you learn”. My learning has exploded this past summer due to a MOOC (massive open online course) I took and as a result of becoming connected on Twitter and various other online collaboration platforms. I still feel relatively new to digital learning and social media. I am humbled by how much I don’t know about the digital world, especially when I compare myself to many of the “educational movers and shakers” I have discovered on Twitter.

However, in speaking with my teaching friends about all that I have learned in the last 12 months from teaching and learning online, I realize I have become more progressive in my thinking in terms of the “Digital World”. Many teachers are not yet aware of the professional benefits of using Twitter and how having a PLN (Professional Learning Network) can enrich their professional lives. Becoming a “connected educator” is a concept that many educators have not yet explored. I continually ask myself “What can I do about this?”, “Am I enough of an ‘expert’ to share what I know?” and “How can I empower others to explore the Web 2.0 World?”

My colleague tweeted me this link; a powerful video about sharing what you learn:

Cyberbullying – What can you do?

Sep2

I recently attended a powerful and informative online session led by Bill Belsey on Cyberbulling. Much of our online discussion centered around the importance of parents and educators being aware and “present” in terms of what their children/students are doing online. Keeping communication open in the home and school about online safety and cyberbullying is so important and was the predominant theme during our discussion. It is a topic that needs to be revisited many times as children get older.

November 12 – 17 is Bullying Awareness Week. 2012 marks it’s tenth year! Please consider what you can do in your home or school to make a difference. Bill is an incredible source of knowlege about this topic and you can find him on Twitter @Inukshuk or @Bullying_org.

As I explored the topic further, I discovered another useful website on Cyberbulling: http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html . What I really appreciated about this site was the section on the sidebar called “Safety Tips By Age”. It discusses the intellectual changes and developmental stages that are occuring during each age category (for example, ages 11- 13) and the kinds of things that may be of interest to children at that age. Further, it discusses attitudes toward media and trends for each age category and then lists a variety of safety tips. It also explains how and why kids cyberbully. This is definitely a great site to show your children and explore as parents. I am thankful that I shared it with my son tonight.

Web 2.0 Tools Made It Easy

Sep1

My son just completed a week of hockey camp. He left a little early on the final day and didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to his favourite coach, Adam. My son and Adam made a wonderful connection. Adam made my son feel important and special and gave him the encouragement that was needed to try new skills.

When we got home, my son, age 7, realized that he would likely not see Adam again and felt badly he didn’t say goodbye and thank Adam for the wonderful week. He wanted to go back to the arena (a 30 minute drive away). I told him that we couldn’t go back and he asked if he could draw Adam a picture and mail it to him. I had to say no to this request also as I didn’t know Adam’s address or last name.

After a few minutes of reflection time, I realized this should be an easy problem to solve. I thought about what resources I had at my fingertips to help my son let Adam know that he made a huge impression on my special boy. I recalled that I had an email address for the organization who organized the camp. I knew http://www.kerpoof.com/ had a “make a drawing” feature and that it could be saved and attached to an email. Off we went to explore. My son tried to draw a rink and himself skating. It was a little too difficult for him and he became frustrated. I discovered the “make a picture” feature. It was a little easier to use and was a better match for my son’s skill level. He was able to find an “rink” background and then drag players, speech balloons, hockey sticks, pucks, nets etc. onto the rink to create a beautiful picture with a heart-warming message for Coach Andy. I emailed the picture along with a message from my son to the organization. We are hopeful that coach Andy will receive it and realize the impression he made on my boy.

I am continually amazed at the Web 2.o world. And the best part…today my son realized that the digital world is at his fingertips.

An explosion of Learning ~ Summer 2012

Aug30

This summer has been an incredible learning experience for me in terms of my own professional development – specifically with the digital world. A friend and colleague was teaching a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) and I decided to participate. Over the course of 5 weeks I learned about online safey, creating and caring for your digital footprint, twitter as a professional networking tool and cyberbullying. Through this course, I heard about another free online course, Powersearching with Google and I decided to explore that as well. Both of these courses were open to anyone who was interested. I participated on my own time and in my own way to make the learning meaningful for me. This led me to finding out about Connected Educator Month and a free online bookclub. It sounded like an interesting venture to participate in so I joined that also. The format was a combination of a weekly Blackboard Collaborate Session (a virtual classroom) and a ning where I could connect with other educators in the course. The book was called The Connected Educator – Learning and Leading in a Digital Age by Sheryl Nussbaun-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall.

I am amazed at all that I have learned this summer and feel honoured to have connected with educators from all over the world. I continue my quest; learning about the best ways to infuse technology into our students’ education and how I can grow as a professional through “connected education” and life-long learning. The word cloud below represents key aspects of my summer learning – my digital footprint for Summer 2012.