The iTeach Blog

Hey Coach, I’ve been reading a lot about the power of individual student conferencing. This is a strategy I want to use in my classroom, but I’m feeling a major time crunch! How can I find the time to conference with every student? Sincerely, Out of Time Teacher Dear Out of Time Teacher, Good for you! It sounds like you recognize the importance of individual student conferencing. When it comes to building relationships with students and collecting specific information about their progress, nothing beats a 1:1 conference. Not only that, but student conferencing is an integral part of the dynamic communication that takes place within a personalized learning environment. As Stephanee Stephens and Anisa Lokey-Vega explain in the white paper, A Vision for Personalized Learning , these conferences offer important opportunities for learners to voice their needs, preferences, and interests to plan and drive their education. Yet, teachers are often hesitant to implement classroom...

Hey Coach, I am a technology coach and have just started working with a group of awesome educators; however, they are hesitant to use technology and are a little skeptical about working with a coach. What’s the best way to support these teachers? Sincerely, Curious Coach Dear Curious Coach, First of all, know that this is a common stage of the coaching cycle and that their resistance is not about you. Most coaches can relate to teachers feeling overwhelmed with the challenges of teaching. Also, the many tasks teachers must complete every day often leaves them feeling void of the capacity to learn a new technology. But there is hope! Here are four easy ways to engage with your teachers, build trust, and encourage buy-in. 1. Meet teachers where they are. Tips & Tricks for the Tech Coach This concept may seem pretty obvious, but it is frequently overlooked. Take time to get to know teachers so you can understand how they run their classroom and how they are curre...

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...

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 ...