If you’re like me, you might have set some professional goals for the summer – books you have been meaning to read, technology you wanted to learn, etc… If you’re also like me, you may be in a bit of a panic right now because none of those things got accomplished. You foolishly frittered your break away spending time with your family binging on Netflix and making videos for a global scavenger hunt that your daughter convinced you would be fun and not too embarrassing.
So, now the beginning of the school rushes toward you and you are well aware that the professional goal that will take precedence over all the others will be, “to survive.”
I’m here to tell you that there are still ways to weave those professional goals into the new school year without becoming overwhelmed. Below, I’ve listed a few trends in education that you can learn more about while doing some on-the-job-training:
Trend |
Full Immersion |
Hack |
| Growth Mindset | Read Mindset, by Carol Dweck, and/or try resources from this Pinterest Board. | Print out these alternative ways to praise from Angela Stockman and use them in your classroom regularly. |
| Makerspaces | Read Worlds of Making by Laura Fleming and/or Invent to Learn by Martinez and Stager, check out this Pinterest Board, and create a dedicated space for making. | Use “Challenge Boxes” in a center in your classroom. You could also participate in the Global Cardboard Challenge. |
| Genius Hour | Read Pure Genius by Don Wettrick, check out Joy Kirr’s LiveBinder for Genius Hour, and comb my Genius Hour blog page for resources and ideas. | Give students more choices on how to be assessed on their learning. |
| Programming | Learn how to use Scratch, Scratch Jr., and/or Hopscotch. Explore the resources on this Pinterest Board. | Participate in this year’s Hour of Code in December; all materials and tutorials are supplied for you free! |
| Augmented Reality | Learn how to use Aurasma and/or Daqri 4D Studio to create Augmented Reality Experiences. Check out my Augmented Reality page for tons of apps, lesson plans, and tutorials. Katie Ann Wilson also has a great page of resources. | Try the Quiver Vision free Educator pack that allows students to create and integrate Augmented Reality in the classroom. Also, for an easy trial run, use their page (also at the above link) that celebrates Dot Day. |
The “Hacks” listed above will not make you experts on any topic, but they will allow you to learn more about each trend. Then, you can decide for yourself if you want to try out some of the “Full Immersion” suggestions!
