The iTeach Blog

Hey Coach, I work with early learners, and I’m worried about their abilities to manage technology-based learning experiences. How can I prepare my young students for the digital world? Sincerely, On Edge in Early Ed Dear On Edge in Early Ed, As a former kindergarten teacher, I can relate to your concern! When I first found out we had access to devices, I was very hesitant to use them. I was worried about proper handling, exposure to inappropriate material, and I didn’t think my kids would know how to operate the device. However, I was wrong ! Look around you; kids of all ages are using technology. It is everywhere! I have even seen toddlers navigate the PBS Kids website in order to watch their favorite characters. Clearly our students are using technology - It remains our job as educators to lead their technology use in productive ways that support our teaching and students’ learning. We can prepare students for this digital world in many different ways! To begin with,...

Studying Space and Space flight incorporates the study of  several disciplines: math, science, geography. Within these disciplines there are multiple subjects that can be studied to gain insight into the space program: measurement planets maps weather speed and distance exercise needs human body environment nutrition...the list goes on. With the many choices within this unit of study, personalizing learning (PL) becomes an easy fit. In schools that have already chosen one or more  Personalized Learning (PL) Principles  to focus on, teachers can easily pick one or two to hone in on as they prepare the unit.  PL Principles  are rarely demonstrated in isolation. Instead the principles are interconnected and overlapping.  If  Choice and Voice  is a principle area of focus, the options for students to demonstrate their understanding include choice boards, choosing challenging projects based on the student’s interests and ability level...

A teacher’s job seems to be never ending, with multiple meetings to attend, lessons to teach, and new strategies to implement. It can be tough getting teachers on board with a new initiative or idea when they may feel it doesn’t fit into their classroom vision or they feel they don’t have the time to devote to learning a new skill or strategy. Personalized learning is an amazing method that can help students fall in love with learning and helps teachers find ways to reach all of their students on personalized and individual levels. Just like any other strategy, however, a teacher must totally buy in and feel that it is what is best for their classroom and students. Here are a few tips to help teachers “fall for personalized learning.” Give them a Voice It is so important to allow teachers the ability to use their voice to advocate for their classrooms. Teachers spend all of their time with the same students and know better than anyone what their classroom needs, along with...

The King's Cup has been stolen and it's up to you to identify the culprit and find the trophy. Well, it's not actually up to you and nothing has actually been stolen. This was the scenario for an activity called   BreakoutEDU .  BreakoutEDU capitalizes on the popularity of escape rooms and combines it with content standards from K-12 courses. Students must use communication and collaboration skills in order successfully work together to solve a series of puzzles while at the same time competing against the clock.  Teach to One Math Teachers at Bear Creek Middle School crafted this caper with their KSU iTeach coach Kali Alford. The team was looking for an activity to help keep their students engaged following testing. They incorporated common math concepts from 6th-8th grade with puzzles that would eventually reveal the identity of the culprit and location of the missing artifact and thus the Mystery of the King's Cup was born. Aside from setup and a few ...

Remember your K-12 years? Learning was fun and as simple as showing up to school – receive Direct Instruction – complete worksheets – get a grade – Repeat. Many in our generation survived the school systems in this manner and if your curiosity led you to read this post, your education is paying off. So, there’s nothing to worry about, right? Well, there is a lot to worry about and that is because the world today is no longer as simple as it was yesterday, and the gap is even wider when you compare it with the world that past generations lived in. Technology has changed our world in ways that we never imagined; this is the same world that we will leave in the hands of the students whom we strive to educate today. If we must prepare them to be competent in a current digital-age culture, we must effectively incorporate digital tools into their education. If I may digress briefly, do you watch TV at all? I’m almost certain that your response is “Yes”. We all know th...

The bell rings. Class starts. The same students and the same teacher enter the classroom to begin their day, except this time, they are met with more technology than any of them has ever had access to at school. The teacher is feeling a bit out of her element, and she’s losing her ground quickly against the mobile device she’s in the ring against. Students are off task, and disengaged. They’d rather take selfies than listen to her lecture. By the end of her 50 minute bout, the teacher is ready to lock up all the technology and never touch it again. As technology permeates K12 schools across the country, folks like  myself  who coach and support teachers and school leaders encounter this situation more than we should. One of the top concerns of all of these stakeholders is what to do when kids 'do something they aren’t supposed to do’ on a device. Instead of focusing on creating positive culture and expectations, schools often buy into a deficit mindset. Let’s just ...