First Day of School

Today was the first day of school and it felt different to me.  After 10 years of being a classroom teacher I am assuming a new role as an Instructional Technology Coach.  We are apart of a very wonderful pilot program with Digital Promise and the Verizon Foundation and are one of only 8 schools around the country that are included.  Our middle school students and teachers will be given an iPad to use at school and at home for the next two years.  It will provide an amazing opportunity for many of our students that didn’t have access outside of the classroom.

But I digress, usually the day before school starts I am all wound up with the excitement (and fear) of the new group of students that I will be teaching.  After 10 years there are many students that I know or have taught one of their siblings.  But this year is different, I do not have a classroom of my own, instead I will be working with all of my teachers and will be in every classroom helping, modeling, co-teaching or supporting.  It is very exciting and I am looking forward to all of the great possibilities.  That said, it was a little strange not to have a group of students coming into my room this morning with the curiosity, eagerness and dread that all students feel on the first day.

We started last week with our teacher institute days and I was crazy that week.  I was preparing for our teacher roll out of the iPads and our Digital Promise professional development.  In the past I just show up to those days and take it all in, but now I am on the other side creating the opportunities for our teachers to learn during the PDs. I didn’t catch my breath until Friday night when I was able to slow down for a little bit.

This morning an eighth grader that I taught came up to me and asked, “Mr. Cipinko, are you teaching a “legit” class this year?” From her perspective she isn’t sure what my role is going to be, having a tech coach in the school is a new thing for our district.  I guess we are all going to figure out my role this year and how I can best support my teachers and students; so by next year she won’t ask me what I am doing. She’ll know!

Today though I feel like I am in the “eye of the hurricane” because there is an eerie quiet for me.  The teachers have started with their students and setting up their classroom routines.  We will be starting with Digital Citizenship very soon and getting ready for the student iPad rollout. I foresee the craziness picking up again for me and probably won’t slow down again until the end of the year.  I am looking forward to all of the amazing things that we can accomplish this year!  

Different is good!!!

QR Code PD

Today we had our second day of PD with Digital Promise.  The teachers were issued their iPads yesterday and today we explored some of the possibilities to think differently about technology.

The first thought that usually comes to mind when you talk about students getting iPads is, "What apps are we going to use?"  Marco Torres, Krista Moroder and Jim Beeler from Digital Promise pushed my staff and myself to think about what we want our students to learn and accomplish.  Then, figure out if technology can make that outcome easier, more efficient and more engaging.

We started with an activity that used QR codes to send the staff on a scavenger hunt.  On the tables that they were sitting at there was a QR code with no explanation. I gave no directions other than you have a task to complete with your table partners and a short time frame to finish the task.

What was amazing to watch was how the teachers at their tables collaborated and helped each other to figure out what the objective and goal was for the exercise and how to accomplish it.  The staff used their iPads for a variety of tasks and had to figure out what the best way to accomplish that task.

Teachers collaborating to solve the problem at hand 

Teachers completed the QR challenge

Upon reflection with the teachers, they were able to see the "big picture" and not just the apps that they needed to use.  Many started to think about how they could create tasks and lessons that make the students think, collaborate and engage.  Many of the teachers began to realize that just because the students will have an iPad that things like test scores are not going to magically shoot through the roof. The iPad is a tool to help transform their already great teaching into something even better for their students.  No one ever created a great lesson around a pencil. 

Students start on Monday...........Welcome to the new school year. It is going to be an exciting adventure!

And so it begins....

Here we go!  Today was the start of schools for teachers. We have today, Thursday, and Friday to get everything done before the students arrive on Monday, August 25.  Our teachers received their iPads from Digital Promise this morning.  It was a very hectic few hours for Yoomi and me.  Yoomi is our school's (and a few other schools in our district) tech support.  She spent the day at King Arts helping the teachers with their iPads and setting them up in our districts enrollment plan. Sorry to the other schools that she may have neglected!  Overall, I think it went quite smoothly for our teachers.  I felt like I was running around like a chicken without its head for most of today.

King Arts Teachers setting up their iPad

Krista Moroder, Marco Torres and Jim Beeler from Digital Promise are at King Arts to provide PD for our amazing journey with them. The teachers were very engaged considering all that they have to still do to be ready for the first day with the students.  Storyteller Marco Torres weaving an engaging tale for our teachers this afternoon.

I was very impressed with the King Arts teachers (I always am) with how they are invested in creating a great learning experience for our unique diverse population of students. The really instill our new District 65 slogan: "Every child, everyday, whatever it takes".

And so the adventure begins.....