Projector Diet - The next step in taking full advantage of tech tools

I'm fortunate to have a mentor who says the things that are tough to hear, the things I most need to hear to become a more effective speaker, writer, and educator.

An innovator and a visionary, she experiences paradigm shifts and then plans strategies to essentially revolutionize my educational approaches and practices. She notices what isn't working and creates solutions. She notices what's working well and figures out how to take that to next level.

Usually her targets are archaic educational practices that are going unquestioned, accepted as the way things are done.

The backstory of my projector diet begins in June when my mentor popped her head in my door, looked around, and asked, "How attached are you to this space?" Just the fact that she was calling my assigned classroom a "space" let me know this was going to be big.

"Not at all. Why? What are you thinking?"

She wondered if I might want to go mobile with my classes next year and experiment with the ability to work out of various locations.

"Sign me up!"

The super supportive administrative team embraced the idea, brainstormed possibilities, and implemented the details.

It's the third week of school and I'm loving the simplicity brought about by internet access and the fun of working out of different rooms.

Like last year, when I first went paperless, everything my students' parents used to buy and my students used to carry around is online: docs, folders, binders, texts, highlighters, dictionaries, variety of writing implements, notecards and flashcards, etc. That list could go on and on!

Since the only need my students and I have is the internet, we can work out of any space - a science room, a tech lab, the auditorium, a gym, a hallway even. Actually, we don't even necessarily have to be together in one place at one time...but that's a whole other article.

Anyhow, what an education and a pleasure  to see up close the set ups and procedures my colleagues have in place! My students and I have sampled a small variety of rooms thus far and my new roommates have been welcoming, accommodating, and interested in my students' mobility options.

I wanted to make things as seamless as possible in the rooms my classes used. I realized the potential to cut into another teacher's class time if on back to back periods, we each needed to log on/off the classroom workstation hooked to the projector. Well that is simply unacceptable, with each teacher needing to make full use of each class period.

Neat solutions presented themselves immediately - a projector input splitter, a mini ultra portable projector to connect to any device, and the potential for wireless projection.

After giving projection options more thought, my tech mentor had ideas to share....

She started with something along the lines of that she was disappointed in us and that we were better than this. I've learned that with her, the heavier the opening constructive criticism, the bigger and better the idea or plan she has for me. So this is going to be good if she is "disappointed" in us!

She questioned why I was relying on a projector with all the tech tools available to me and my students. Further, she pointed out that acting like I needed to stand front and center and reference something on a single surface was perpetuating a model of education that was very 1800's.

Oh she's had another paradigm shift!
Immediately I saw the light. She was so right!

And she was already full of specific ideas: How about incorporating more Nearpod? How about a daily interactive agenda with links that could be posted on Google Classroom each day? 

She pointed out what a powerful, empowering, and useful resource it would be to make the daily agendas an ongoing doc where any student could reference any resource from any day of the year (and of course- anywhere, anytime, and from any device). Everything could be linked there- every assignment, survey, class discussion, text, video excerpt, quiz, form, exit ticket, everything! With YouTube access for students, there is no need to try to watch videos as a class again. Now each student can pause, rewind, replay, fast forward as needed, in addition to selecting the perfect lighting and sound levels.

This conversation took place mid-day. I changed stream immediately, adjusting my plans to enable going projector-less in my afternoon classes.

I agreed to go as projector-less as possible going forward.

Even so, I voiced a few erroneous exceptions...

"What about Kahoot!?" I asked. "My students love to Kahoot! I have to project for that."

"Check out Quizizz. It has all the info on the student devices."

"Ok, but what about open house?"

"You can Nearpod your presentation onto Chromebooks or iPads, and parents can even choose to join on their own devices."

She has all the answers! 

Thus my projector diet has begun...

The Transformative Role of Technology: New York Smart Schools Commission Report

A "heavy" document indeed, but a great read as far as reports go, I highly recommend the New York Smart Schools Commission Report to any tech integration enthusiast.


New York Smart Schools Commission Report

Peruse at least the first 20 pages for a great overview of the envisioned transformative role of technology in education going forward.

My favorite part is the framework of tech integration. 

See below or Doc pg 13, Scroll pg 15. 

Education is REDEFINED at the highest level of tech integration, where:

"Tech allows for the creation of new tasks previously inconceivable."

AND

"Technology profoundly alters all or part of the task/assignment, providing students with an enhanced educational experience."

Read more about the online learning movement:

Online Platforms Revolutionize Student Motivation and Engagement

Lifelong Learners Go Digital

Educators love learning, and when we're not busy instilling that love in the next generation, we are exploring how to become more effective educators.

I am thoroughly enjoying the momentum of tech integration and digital options in education.

Homes and businesses have eagerly embraced tech tools, and education is rapidly evolving too, worldwide.

I love being a part of the paperless movement and the unique experiences this has afforded me.

In addition to numerous speaking engagements this school year (CV with presentation list and video excerpts), I've enjoyed hosting visitors from other districts. They got to see a paperless classroom in action, while I gleaned a wealth of ideas, and insights from hearing where they were at in their individual tech integration journeys. I was inspired and energized by the shared passion for ed-tech, no matter the subject area, grade level, or years of experience.

I was honored to host observers from in-district and the following local schools:

Buffalo United Charter School
Depew
Cleveland Hill 
Maryvale

Sarah Krajewski, fellow high school ELA teacher, tech enthusiast, and blogger, wrote a review of her observation experience with me which I was very flattered to read, and am eager to share:

Sarah Krajewski's "Journey Toward a Mostly-Paperless Classroom"

ePasses Review - All positives!

ePasses: Digital corridor passes

This year I piloted ePasses (through Remind) to explore potential options to traditional paper corridor passes using school issued and required agenda planners.

If you are curious about the logistics of using Remind for ePasses check out the logistics section at the end of this article.

Why try ePasses?

I noticed that traditional paper student agenda planners were underutilized, cumbersome, unsanitary, often misplaced, and alterable.

Here is a breakdown of the limitations of traditional corridor passes and how ePasses resolve each issue:

Underutilized - 90-some% of the traditional student agenda planners go unused. Most of this is the calendar. Most students prefer online or phone calendar options for tracking assignments and other academic responsibilities. Their digital calendars even offer reminders before due dates and events, whereas a paper calendar has to be looked at to remind onselff of anything. The other underutilized portions of the agenda planner (anything that is not the hall pass pages) contain school policies (accessible through the district website) and Reference information ie.units of measurement, periodic tables, etc. - all items that students now Google on a need to know basis.

Cumbersome - The agenda planner is a fairly hefty object at well over 100 pages considering that many students only use four pages. It adds to the already large amount that students carry around. Students have to remember to bring their agenda planner to each class, each day, just in case they may need to use a corridor pass. This causes many students to abandon carrying the item altogether. This results in teachers needing to make judgment calls - If a student does not have his or her required agenda planner but requests to visit the lavatory or another location, a teacher must discern if it is an emergency that deems a trip to the lav or elsewhere without the otherwise required pass. Almost all students have their phones on them at all times, which makes ePasses a better option.

Unsanitary - Where does one place the agenda planner when using the lavatory? Enough said! How about the exchange of germs during cold and flu season when students carry the planner around all day and need to touch it with both hands to fill out passes and then having  teachers need to touch the object enough to sign it? What’s nice about ePasses (and all things paperless!) is that no one has to touch anything that belongs to someone else.

Often misplaced - There are students who say they haven’t seen their agenda planner since the first week of school. It may be at home, or the bottom of their lockers, or who knows?! But it’s not with them when hall passes are needed. This can result in discipline, money spent on replacements, inconvenience for teachers and students, confusion for hall monitors, requests for passes to be written on scraps of paper, denial of hall privileges, etc, the list goes on and on! Students rarely misplace their phones, so ePasses are a more convenient option, for everyone.

Alterable - I have noticed several unauthorized alterations to paper passes over the years: Recycling or reusing teacher signatures, change of time or destinations, etc.

ePasses cannot be altered. If you have concerns about attempts at unauthorized use of ePasses, see the logitstics part of this article.

The Logistics of Using Remind (formerly Remind 101) for ePasses

Teachers set up Remind accounts and students join.

Many teachers are already doing this for course reminders and information. It’s simple and user-friendly.

Teacher sends a pass to the student who needs to go somewhere.

Example: Jane Doe to Locker from Room 223

Remind automatically timestamps the pass and adds the teacher’s name:

Thu, May 7, 9:04 AM - Mrs. Metzgar

Is this more work or does this take longer than issuing a traditional hass pass? 

No! And the ePass is legible enough for everyone to easily read!

*On Remind, teachers have to send messages to at least three subscribers at once. This is a safety feature, and what makes the ePass system beautiful.

The pass to any student also goes to two administrative devices. The administrative devices can be as simple as an iPod. These devices can be with hall monitors, or sit on a secretary’s desk, or remain with principals - infinite options there.

This feature makes the passes verifiable. You may have wondered what keeps a student from creating a Mrs. Metzgar account on Remind and issuing passes to friends. This feature answers that. A fake pass would not show up on the administrative devices, so each pass can be verified for authenticity if necessary.

All things considered, I highly recommend the use of ePasses over traditional student agenda planners, at least as an option. The small percentage of students who like paper calendars could still have the choice to purchase or receive a paper planner. Schools could order only the amount needed.

Read more about why everyone wins when classrooms go paperless:
Why go paperless? Why not?!

Microsoft HoloLens - Video Preview

Microsoft HoloLens - Coming soon!

"Transform your world with holograms..."

Check out this video preview of Microsoft HoloLens.

It's well worth the two minutes!

For more info: 
Microsoft HoloLens - Official Site

Basic Paperless Classroom Tools

 

Technology integration allows students and teachers to have cloud based classrooms.

Students can access assignments, videos, discussions and much more anytime, anywhere and from any device - 24/7 access!

Folders, binders, packets, pens, etc have been replaced by online accounts and devices. All class resources and student documents are stored in clouds. 

Students are no longer burdened by the requirements to have certain pieces of paper at certain places at certain times.

Everything is clean, organized and efficient, a big help for students who struggle with organization or who have poor penmanship.

Freedom, accessibility and convenience for all! 

Check out these user-friendly options:

Edmodo, Google Classroom, & My Big Campus

These online classrooms are used for assignments, discussions, polls, assessments, videos, research, messaging, and much more.

Newsela

Students use Newsela to read current news articles, take quizzes, annotate and track reading levels. 

Lexile levels are adjustable so that all class members can focus on the same topic, but each at his or her own level. In my classes there is a reading range from 5th grade through college level, so Newsela is a valuable tool in providing individualization. I love being able to challenge upper level readers and provide support for struggling students. 

Students enjoy reviewing their data and are motivated by seeing their progress tracked on colorful charts.

There are paid and free features. The free 6 month trail of the PRO version is a great way to get a feel for the abundance of data and options.

Google Chrome

I teach at a GAFE (Google Apps For Education) school, where students have Google Chrome accounts with cloud storage.

"G-Chrome" is used for creating, storing and sharing: documents, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, research and much more.

GC eliminates the need for flash drives, printers, and Microsoft Word. 

Consider using Google Chrome on your home devices instead of Internet Explorer! 

Quizlet

Quizlet offers online flash cards for any subject that can be worked with in multiple formats (games, digital index cards, quizzes, etc).

Teachers can assign specific sets of cards for review. 

Students can use Quizlet for any topic they are reviewing by searching existing sets of cards or by creating a custom deck.

Check it out for your next quiz or test! 

Socrative

This student response system uses games to engage students in lessons and provides valuable data for teachers.

Socrative is a valuable tool in data-driven instruction, where teachers need to identify mastery of specific skills and where remediation is needed for individual students.

Kahoot!

Kahoot! is game-based response system that all ages enjoy. 

Similar to Socrative in regards to engagement and data. 

Kahoot! makes reviewing any topics or terms fun. 

Students especially enjoy the leaderboards.

I am a paperless classroom enthusiast and advocate.

Feel free contact me if you have any questions, ideas, etc. 

kppaperless@gmail.com

Read more about eLearning / tech integration / going paperless:

4 Tips for Success (Things I learned the hard way!)

Why go paperless? Why not?!

Chromebook (and clouds!) - The future of school supplies?

Online Platforms Revolutionize Student Motivation and Engagement

And many more articles like these...

Curriculum Vitae

Kimberly Metzgar
kppaperless@gmail.com


Education

Master of Education - Secondary English
University at Buffalo
1999

Bachelor of Arts - English
University at Buffalo
1996


Professional Experience

English Language Arts Teacher (Grades 9 - 12)
Lancaster High School - Lancaster, NY
1997 - Present


Recent Presentations

"The Power of Paperless Workshop."
NYSCATE Annual Conference. 11/21/15.

"The Paperless Classroom Summer Workshop."
LCSD William Street School. 7/14/15.

"The Paperless Classroom."
Medaille College. 6/27/15.

"Paperless Classroom Tech Tasting."
WNY Superintendents at LHS. 4/30/15.

"Newsela: Something for Everyone."
LHS Paperless Faculty Meeting. 4/20/15.

"Paperless Classroom Tech Tasting." 
NYSCATE Digital Wave at Erie 1 BOCES. 3/13/15. Video Excerpt

"Impact of Technology Curriculum Mentors." 
LCSD Board of Education Meeting. 3/9/15.

"The Paperless Classroom: Positives and Possibilities." 
Holland Central School District Superintendent's Day. 3/6/15. 

"The Paperless Classroom: Positives and Possibilities." 
LCSD District Technology Meeting. 1/21/15. Video Excerpt

"Paperless Classroom Tech Tasting." 
WNY Principals at LHS. 1/16/15. Video Excerpt

"Online Learning: Successes and Challenges." 
LCSD Online Learning Meeting. 10/30/14.

"Going Paperless (or at least paper-'less')." 
LCSD Leadership Camp. 7/31/14.

Detailed List of Presentations


Recent eLearning Efforts & Exploration

Professional Blog: The Paperless Teacher

Paperless Classroom: Paperless Classroom Teacher Page

Bee Group Article: "Teachers use summer to get their homework done"

Lancaster RR Article: "English 9 Embraces Technology and Online Learning"

Member of LCSD Smart Schools Committee and LCSD Online Learning Team

Development and piloting of ePass system for LHS: ePasses Review Article

Professional Development: Transcript of Professional Study