The iTeach Blog

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...

“Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.” – John Wooden Eddie Robinson, John Wooden, Bill Walsh, Phil Jackson, K.C. Jones,  Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith, Bobby Bowden, John Thompson, Red Auerbach. These are some of the most legendary coaches in modern American sports. While their accomplishments are well documented, i’m sure they would all tell you they could not have done it without having phenomenal players that help push and challenge them to be better each day. As a first year KSU iTeach technology coach I understood I was entering a realm different than my previous 11 years of experience in public education, however there is one central theme that has carried me through each challenge and that is to remain focused on the students.  In this new role not only do we focus on the students ( whom no matter what your title or position is should remain priority #1)  but our charge is also to   empower, collabora...

There are nineteen middle schools in the Fulton County Schools District, but Ronald E. McNair Middle School has one of the most innovative learning spaces in the United States. The building literally has classes with no walls to foster collaboration between teachers and students, and multiple presentation spaces for students to share their ideas with a variety of audiences. Additionally, all of the students bring either an iPad or cellphone to use during the instruction each day. Considering that McNair is a school that typically uses traditional pedagogy,  how will the teachers fathom the idea of an open space where students are encouraged to use devices? Will the teachers receive support? Fulton declares personalize learning as one of the fibers of its instructional creed, and the school district has galvanized the best resources to support McNair make the transition from traditional pedagogy to a more personalized approach. Although McNair students and teachers moved into the...

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 ...

Georgia’s barrier islands are comprised of beautiful sandy beaches, maritime forests, and coastal habitats filled with diverse species – all of which are impacted by a number of pressing environmental issues. During her Changes to Georgia’s Golden Coast unit, Ms. LaRuth Allen wanted her 5th grade students at Brookview Elemenatry School to truly grasp this key understanding about their home state. Yet she faced a major challenge – none of her students had ever seen the barrier islands in person. Through the power of technology, Ms. Allen found a way for her students to connect with the environmental issues at play in Georgia’s barrier islands. Ms. Allen’s 5th graders began the unit by gathering some basic background information about the barrier islands. Each student then selected a key environmental issue, such as endangered sea turtles, rising sea levels and climate change, or wildlife being in jeopardy due to coastal development. Students used video clips, articles, ...