Just Take Two #tki2014

I just returned home a few hours ago from the Keystone Summit, a week-long conference for tech-savy teachers in Pennsylvania.  It was quite an honor to attend this event.  First, your principal has to nominate you.  Next, you submit an application highlighting an activity or project that you used in your class(es) that was made possible only through technology.  I tell you this not to brag, but so you understand the caliber of the company I have been in for the last 5 days.

Sleeping in a dorm room reminded me of my freshman year of college, a great time in my life.

Something that stuck with me what the idea of walking away from the conference with two ideas.  What are my two take-aways from this past week?

My first 'project' is going to be creating an online resume.  No worries JT, I'm not looking to leave.  Digital portfolios were suggested by one of the speakers, Christine DiPaulo (@ckdipaulo).  I'm picturing a website that has tabs that correspond to the four domains of the Charlotte Danielson model.  I'll share once I have at least a skeleton of a website.

My second 'project' goes along with my last post with communicating with parents.  I would like to use Twitter with my students' parents, but I think more parents use Facebook.  I imagine a parent scrolling through their newsfeed and seeing a project that their child is working on in class.  What a great way to make my classes transparent.

Beyond my two projects, I've been inspired to lead at school.  There are changes that need to me made and I have a responsibility to act on these needs.  No longer can we as educators sit back and wait for someone else.  That someone else is you, it's me, it's all of us.  Stop waiting.  The changes that I feel are needed are better Professional Development provided by the districts and time to collaborate with our colleagues again provided by the district.  I need to be a catalyst for change.  But first I need a plan.  I have to sleep on this one....


If you haven't discovered powtoon.com yet, you might want to venture over there.  It's a great place to make dynamic videos for free.  I decided to summarize this post in a powtoon.  Check it out: