Tech is Messy!

Have you ever tried something new, something that seemed like it could be magical? You plan, you envision, you prepare. The day finally comes when you'll use this something new with your students...and the reality is far from the vision!  This happened recently in a first grade classroom I went into. I wanted to try Autodraw with them so they could record their thinking through pictures. I brought in a pile of new styluses, had the link set up in Classroom and a group of eager 6 year olds ready to learn something new!

We had lots of steps to get through first (logging onto the Chromebook with their login, not generic session, joining Google Classroom, clicking the link to Autodraw...) all before we could actually do the work. The kids were amazing! They were following directions and doing everything just right! Did I mention these 6 year olds were working in collaborative pairs? Not only did they have to follow the directions, but they had to make sure they were working together and sharing the Chromebook. Not an easy feet! But they were doing it and doing it better than I had anticipated!

Then came the actual assignment. After a quick demonstration of how Autodraw works, they were set to show their thinking. They needed to create a picture showing their favorite character or part of the class chapter book they were reading. The students instantly started talking with their partners to figure out what they were going to draw. Great ideas were flying around! AND THEN...they started to draw. This is where REALITY struck. The styluses that were meant to make drawing easier didn't work. Their fingers weren't sliding across the touch screens easy enough to create a fluid line. They were struggling to create a picture. They were getting frustrated---oh wait... perhaps it was me getting frustrated! They kept plugging away at it, trying to find better ways to get their drawing to look the way it should. The lesson didn't go as I had planned, however the students were really engaged and excited about trying something new! They never gave up! They didn't care how "messy" learning something new was. They were determined to draw their thinking.

As educators we can learn a lot about perseverance from a 6 year old! We need to remember to take a deep breath and keep trying! The mess is so worth the potential gains!

Tech is messy! We need to allow ourselves and our students to get messy in order to create an environment where they can create, collaborate and share their thinking

My Adventures in Logging on with Kindergartners!

 My Adventures in Logging on with Kindergartners!

The light blue half sheets are my student's login cards.
Their information is written large enough that they can
track where they are at with their finger.

I love using technology with my kindergarten students! I have a few programs I come back to yearly that I feel really benefit my students and add to the lessons I am teaching. I also enjoy introducing and experimenting with new things. My biggest problem has always been that daunting task of how do I teach these tiny 5 year olds, some who don't even know any letters or numbers, how to log on to our devices with their usernames and passwords? But that’s not all, then once they log onto to the device, they most likely have to log on to whatever program we are using too! By the time they finally get all logged on it's 30-45 minutes later and it's time to move onto something else. Plus, I have spent that whole time helping with issues or helping students find the letters on their keyboards and the rest of my class who aren't on computers has been doing something on their own without my support. Usually around January, like everything else in our magical kindergarten land, most students start to become independent at it and then the real fun begins, but now half the school year is gone and I am left wondering what more I could have done if I had had more time!

This year I wanted to make a change...

One student pausing to help a classmate troubleshoot his
problem! They figured it out without any assistance
from me and were back working within minutes.

I set a goal that all of my kids were going to be proficient at logging in by the end of September! To do this I met with my amazing friend who also happens to be our district technology support teacher to brainstorm some strategies. We came up with two simple things I would implement starting day one of school and let me tell you...IT WORKED! Not only could all of my students log on to their devices with zero assistance from me, but they also had learned how to get to our online math program and use it all in one short month. Then by the end of October my students had learned to completely manage our online reading program solo as well as some simple problem solving tools if some basic things went wrong with their device. Now, it is mid November and I am introducing Google Docs as a writing station when in years past this wasn't possible until March!

The secret to their success is so simple that anyone can do it!

1. Each of my students has their own laminated keyboard. Their morning work is to get out their login card, find and circle, in order each letter or number in their username and password with a Vis-a-Vis pen. If they have a letter or number occurring more that once they circle it again. Then I simply rinse them off in the sink and they have them to practice on the next day. This now takes them only about 3 minutes total and about half of my students have their full login information memorized already!

2. My amazing district tech support teacher mentioned above, spent one day pulling each of my students one at a time in the first week of school and walking them through the login process. She also gave them a few key tips that has helped them become tech issue problem solvers before asking me!

I’ve always tried to have the kids begin logging on for the first time in small groups. This meant they did a lot of waiting and I felt like I was being pulled in 6 different directions at once the entire time. One on one is definitely better and probably took less time in the long run.

Needless to say, I am very proud of my students and so excited for the all the extra time we have for new adventures in tech!

I'm Lori Tuttle and for the past 20 years I've been a fourth/fifth grade teacher in a small town at the base of Mt. Rainier named Enumclaw. I have a love of learning-especially messy learning-through projects and Disney STEAM trips. I spend most of my days along side some of the best kids around and go home to my husband, kids, and grandkids every night where I spend time searching for new and exciting things to do next. From piecing together Apple Macintosh computers and dot matrix printers with wires all over my room to my Interactive whiteboard and 1:1 Chromebooks connected to the far corners of the world, technology has always been at the forefront of my practice. If a new tech tip comes out I guarantee my students and I will be on it in a flash. I'm passionate about integrating technology that engages students and empowers them as learners and have loved the opportunities and collaboration offered to me in the Enumclaw School District as an ITL.

Marsha Henderson- Sunrise

My name is Marsha Henderson and I have been a teacher in the Enumclaw School District for 24+ years. My current position is teaching 5th grade at Sunrise Elementary. I grew up in Enumclaw and believe in giving back to a community that gave me so much. Empowering children to be confident leaders is something I take pride in. I am willing to expand and learn more innovative ways to teach with technology to enhance student learning.

Jen Larimore

My name is Jen Larimore and I am currently a kindergarten teacher at Westwood elementary in Enumclaw. I have been in this position for 6 years alternating between a K/1 and just Kindergarten classroom. I have found my passion is teaching Kindergarten and as of right now I plan on living in that world forever! Technology and playing around with new innovations have always been a personal love of mine. My newest goal is to expand my use of technology in my classroom in order to enrich learning experiences as well as engage, support and inspire my colleges in their own learning around this.

I am Shannon Cunningham...Black Diamond ITL!

My name is Shannon Cunningham and I am a teacher at Black Diamond Elementary.  Over the last 14 years, I've taught grades 3-6.  This year, I am teaching a 3rd/4th-grade combination class.  I have a business degree from the University of Washington and a Masters degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Washington University.  I have been married for 25 years and have 2 daughters, both are attending Washington State University. My husband and I recently moved to a mountain cabin in Greenwater, Wa...population 67 people!  In my spare time, I like to read, travel and cook.

I love being a teacher and am passionate about teaching kids to become independent learners who are confident and believe in themselves.  I also want them to learn that failure is a good thing and it's important to persevere in order to reach our goals.  I am consistently looking for ways to make learning exciting and accessible to all students.  I often try new things...sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but I keep working at it!

Jennifer Longmire

My name is Jennifer Longmire (Jen). I have been a classroom teacher for 22 years. This year I have taken on a new role in our system as the Instructional Technology Support Teacher for K-12. I help staff and students in all 8 buildings in our school district implement instructional technology to increase student achievement. My goal is to make technology what we do, not and EVENT.

My name is Kolleen Bourdage. I'm currently teaching as a 4th grade teacher at Westwood. This is my 11th year of teaching but it continues to be as exciting as day one. I feel so lucky that I have found a career that continues to challenge and push me. My interest of technology in education really began in 2009. Since then I've been seeking out opportunities to learn and grow in this area. Specifically, my focus is on how technology can be used to enrich learning experiences for kids, as well as, how to make our job as teachers easier. Please always feel free to contact me for discussions around education or any questions you may have!

Brandy Stockwell Introduction

I am Brandy Stockwell, fifth grade teacher at Southwood Elementary. I consider myself fortunate to have been teaching for about 18 years in the Enumclaw School District. My tech journey began with the Teacher Leadership Project, funded by the Gates Foundation years ago. Not only has technology come a long way in the past two decades, but our collective knowledge and ability to integrate technology into education has changed the way we teach and learn. I love learning new ways to spark engagement and learning in the classroom! I am excited to continue my tech journey with my ITL colleagues!