Today's adventure led us to Rancho Cucamonga High School, where we were shown around campus by Dr. Kelsen and Mr. Helper. Seeing every site and how they operate has been one of the perks of the job. It was evident from the moment we stepped on campus that Dr. Kelsen and her administrative staff have a solid understanding of their teachers and the needs of the school. One of the observations that was clear right away was the instruction at Rancho Cucamonga. When we walked into classrooms, heads didn't spin and class didn't stop. The students were engaged, the teachers were interacting, and there was real learning going on. While it was tough to walk in during precious class time, meeting the teachers of RCHS was positive and powerful. Many Cougars are using technology to impact student learning, and many of them have embraced the iPad that the district has distributed in the past few weeks. Mr. Derksen is rolling along with Doceri and has inquired about how to take the iPad to a whole other level. It will be fun to work with him and the math department as time goes on. Mrs. Cronin is doing an outstanding job of communicating with her students via Remind101, a free online service that allows teachers to text their students without needing their information or handing out teacher contacts. If you haven't checked out Remind101, it's about time to get onboard! If you have a smartphone (or an iPad), you can also text your class from your device using the free app. Now that's pretty exciting. Another teacher doing solid work in her room was Mrs. George-Ross. As we showed up unannounced in her room full of AP students, she was using the iPad to navigate her presentation to the class. While we were introducing ourselves, Mrs. George-Ross gave us a brief summary of how she's been using her iPad for instruction, including calendar breakdowns for her students, presentations, and Doceri. We are really excited to see the products that Mrs. George-Ross facilitates from her room. At the end of the day, we are here to support the teachers at their comfort level. Everyone we have met at every school we've visited has been welcoming and responsive to the role of the technology coach. It is our job to ensure and encourage teachers to continue doing great things in their classroom instruction, day-to-day planning, and support of their students. If we can help in any way, please feel free to contact us by email or through Twitter.
Thank you and have a great day! John
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Spending time at Alta Loma High School today was certainly a treat. Starting the day, I was able to get my fair amount of razzing for my short tenure as a teacher at Alta Loma. It was all in good fun and well worth showing up for. Let's just say that everything improved from that point on. Once Mr. Cronin handed over the microphone, we had an opportunity to really get into Doceri and how it can be used in the classroom. With the entire staff of ALHS, we explored the ways that the iPad can transform a classroom and release the teacher from the whiteboard. What a cool thought: "I don't need to be tethered to my whiteboard?!" After showing off some of the basic features of Doceri, the staff made their way to their rooms and began their daily routine of instruction. A few teachers asked for me to come their rooms to get them set up with their iPads or just to pick my brain about using tech in their class. It is worth sharing that these teachers are doing incredible things in their classrooms! Ms. Larson had already set up her iPad and Doceri and was just asking how to get the picture feature set up. After showing her how, she was immediately taking pictures of CAHSEE release questions and setting them up for her next class. Her students are lucky to have her and I'm excited to see the products that arise from her explorations. Ms. Roberts has been using her iPad with Doceri for the past week and is eager to continue finding ways to allow it to evolve her instruction. I'm looking forward to seeing the cool things she can do! Next up was Ms. Vega in the library and it was clear that she was dedicated to implementing technology in her instruction and design. Mrs. McConnell was ready and willing to use Doceri as a counselor to help students with A-G requirements and any other presentations that she is doing within classrooms. Even the health office was looking to iPads as a way to improve their workflow. All in all, seeing how the iPad can support instruction and everything around it was powerful. Today was eye-opening in more ways than one. Many of us have this perception that the older we get, the less willing we are to embrace new technology, similar to the "old dog new tricks" perception. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. So many teachers on campus who have X years of experience were so willing and ready to embrace the technology. We will be here to support everyone in the district, regardless of age or comfort level! If you'd like for us to visit your room, please let us know. John |
AuthorsDemi, John Stevens, John Corrow, and Paula are excited to visit classrooms and meet with teachers to see some of the awesome things that are going on within CJUHSD. Archives
February 2016
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