Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Who Do You Want to Be?

In reading David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell for a graduate course, I've become intrigued with some of the ideas, particularly the first section having to do with basketball. This section describes the true account of a girl's basketball coach who is not as familiar with the game or rules. He has his players play defense in a "full court press," which, if you are unfamiliar with the game, means they are "guarding" their opponents the full length of the court compared to just a half court defense. The coach felt in doing this, he could change the game to which his players had an advantage. It worked; his team, while not the most skilled, won many games that season with this tenacious defense - opponents were not as familiar with "breaking" a full-court press, so it was definitely a different style of play and major adjustment, allowing the team to have a successful season.

When reading this, I immediately thought to our steps in innovation this year with the initial year of Waukesha One - we are changing the game for our students, looking to give them an advantage for their future, and allowing them to see they can be anything they want to be. By using instructional practices integrating technology with our students, they are developing strategies to research, analyze, respond and explain their understanding, skills necessary for their future education and even careers!

Essentially, in this day and age, the magic is in those connections, those advantages we give them them with transforming their educational experiences. We are all inspiring them for their future, allowing to be anything they want to be. Through them, we can ask ourselves and our students, "What do you want to do with your one and only life." ~Nona Alberts. They can dream it. Be it. And Live it.

Core Apps & Google: Are you wanting your students to open a PDF or file in a certain app? (Notability, Google, Explain Everything are good options). While you CAN! Send out an assignment on Google Drive and have them "Open In" a certain app. Really a neat feature.

Innovative Practices: Throughout all the Waukesha One awesome connections and more, don't forget to take a step back and reflect on how far you've come from the first year, as a Wave One School, or how far you're going in future years! Reflect on all that you can do with technology, things that went well, things that didn't and are better served with traditional tools (pencil and paper), or other core strategies.

What has worked for you this year with technology? What more traditional models are you thinking of staying with in the future? Anything you're wondering about? Please let us know!!!

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