OKCPS Leader Spotlight: Innovative Leading

It is widely accepted, administrators are the instructional leaders in their building and can hold great power in inspiring others through good leadership. An article in THE Journal, written by Jennifer Demski, titled "7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals" discusses the findings of a nationwide survey of principals who were asked to weigh in and identify the attributes they believed strong tech-leaders would hold. The survey concluded strong tech-leading principals would do one or more of the following:

1. Create atmospheres that inspire innovation
2. Foster collaboration
3. Be open to new ideas
4. Be connected learners themselves
5. Locate and provide adequate resources
6. Take risks
7. Have a visionary focus

Aaron Kellert is the principal at FD Moon Elementary. He is only one of many principals in our district who displays the aforementioned habits of highly effective tech-leading principals. He sees the importance of technology in classrooms as well as the implications its use can have on student learning.

Something that stands out about Mr. Kellert is the way he leads his teachers by example. It is important to note, Mr. Kellert never asks his staff to implement or try anything he is not willing to do first or alongside his teachers. A great example of this is becoming a Google Certified Educator. Over Spring Break, he invested the time to get his Level 1 Certification as well as several OKCPS ETS Badges. It should also be noted, Ashton Stewart, Assistant Principal at FD Moon Elementary, has also earned Level 1 Certification. 

Great leadership creates great leaders. When schools are supported from administration, it trickles down to teachers and ultimately our students. In that scenario, everyone wins. When individuals feel supported and there is a continuous pattern of growth and success.

Below, you will find Mr. Kellert's input on technology, innovation, and leadership.

HyperDocs: The Ultimate Change Agent?

"We want our students to be creative, collaborative, critical thinkers and communicators--and then we ask them to sit quietly while we explain everything and tell them exactly how to do a task. School doesn't have to be this way, and if we want to prepare students for life in the twenty first century, it shouldn't be." The HyperDoc Handbook

HyperDocs?

The term HyperDoc belongs to Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton, and Sarah Landis, who keyed the term to describe a highly engaging way to present information to students.  It is exactly what it sounds like: 

Hyper = Hyperlinks 

Docs = Google Document

(Documents can include slides, maps, drawings, sites, etc.)

Students who sit in our classrooms today have taken on a new shape. Teaching has taken on a new vision where students are the leaders of their learning. Their voice and choice guides their learning and teachers become more of a facilitator in the classroom. The learning is placed back into students' hands. 

So, where do HyperDocs come in? HyperDocs are created and crafted in a way that allows teachers to make intentional decisions about units and lessons.  They choose web tools to accomplish this and students are given opportunity to construct their own learning through activities and extensions. To sum it up, HyperDocs are a digital lesson plan that require educators to have their end in mind, knowing what they want each student to have learned and understood at the end of a lesson, unit, learning module, etc.

Simply put, HyperDocs were created to give teachers the ability to provide students opportunities to be creative, collaborative, critical thinkers, and communicators. Students are provided the opportunity to gather new information and grapple with it all while making meaningful connections. Humans are, by nature, very curious; so why not provide meaningful opportunities to be curious by allowing exploration and questioning which in turn leads to engaged learning. With the use of HyperDocs, the learning goes beyond getting information to connecting with information. 

A HyperDoc is far more than just "one more thing" to do. It is not just simply providing students a document with a list of hyperlinks to go "find" information. However, when used properly, HyperDocs allow teachers to begin thinking about lessons, content, and teaching in an intentional way. This in turn places the power of learning back into the hands of students as it becomes an active experience. Students are allowed the power to engage, explore, explain, apply, share, reflect and extend in their learning. In response, teachers are allowed to get more face time with their students to gauge their understanding, ask questions, extend thinking, address misconceptions, etc. Teachers are able to facilitate and actively go alongside their students as they learn. 

What's The Hype With Hyperdocs

#Ditchbook with #HyperDocs Padlet

Need More Tools?

HyperDoc Templates

Favorite Tools

Teachers Give Teachers: Give One, Take One

HyperDocs Are More Than A Digital Worksheet

YouTube Playlist

HyperDoc Samples

Want to learn how to try some of this with your class? Contact your ETS Coach!

Connect with the Gurus on Twitter?

Kelly Hilton

Sarah Landis

Lisa Highfill

Teachers Give Teachers

Skype in the Classroom

MYSTERY SKYPE

Mystery Skype is an educational game that was invented by teachers. It encourages students to practice many 21st-century skills. It is a wonderful digital tool to help students learn and solidify their understanding of collaboration, critical thinking, teamwork, cultural awareness, digital literacy, deductive reasoning, and geography. Students are able to work with other partner classrooms across the United States or beyond. They answer only yes and no questions to determine where their "partner skyper" classroom is located. Mystery Skype lessons and activities can be adapted for all subject areas and grade levels; both elementary and secondary included.

Rebecca Kerr, 3rd Grade Teacher

Eugene Field Elementary

Mrs. Kerr has been using Mystery Skype in her classroom for the last three years. She believes that it has been impactful in so many ways but has made the biggest impact with breaking down the barriers of the classroom. "Using skype has allowed my students to gain exposure to things and people outside of their immediate community. Many of my students have never left the city, let alone the state. It provides them the opportunity to see other students and communities that are similar and different to our own. They get to see kids and places that are different while also seeing all they have in common despite their geographical distances." 

One challenge she has run into is letting go and releasing her control. She said, "all teachers have some level of control and like to be in the details of what goes on in their classrooms. However, I have learned that I have to let some of that control go. Using this activity has pushed me to step into more of a coaching role allowing my students to take over and lead. It's important that they begin to take the initiative when it comes to their learning. I definitely realize that I have to be a facilitator, not a controller and let them lead each other and themselves."

Mrs. Kerr believes that it is her role and responsibility to give her students experiences that go beyond the typical classroom; experiences that will carry over into the world outside of her classroom walls. "65% of the students in my classroom today will be working in jobs that haven't been created yet. I have to prepare them for that and give them the tools they will need to be successful. They will be working in a world where there are no bosses to tell them what to do and when to do it, or how to accomplish the task. They have to become problem-solvers who are able to collaborate and think critically."

Through the use of Mystery Skype, Mrs. Kerr has seen students become more engaged and excited about collaboration and learning. She is providing students a hands-on and in-depth learning experiences that will prove to be influential and impactful well beyond the third grade. 

A Look at Mrs. Kerr's Mystery Skype Session

Helpful Links

Email Mrs. Kerr
Mrs. Kerr's Twitter Account
Video: The Magic of Mystery of Skype
Video: GoNoodle Mystery Skype Song
Blog: Mrs. Long's Classroom Skype
Blog Post: Using Mystery Skype as a Classroom Tool
Microsoft Education: Find a Mystery Skype Class
Pinterest: Mystery Skype Boards to Follow
Sample Lesson Plan with Links

Twitter

#MysterySkype
@SkypeClassroom
@MicrosoftEDU

Differentiate, Engage, & Impact Student Learning with Google Classroom

What is Google Classroom?
Google Classroom is a digital platform to create an online classroom space for assignments, announcements, discussions, grades, feedback, and a calendar. Classroom helps keep teachers and students organized, productive, and communicative.

How can I use Google Classroom?
Alice Keeler has some AMAZING Google Classroom resources. In her 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom blog post, she offers numerous great ideas, here are just a few of those ideas. 

1. Make class announcements
2. Create a lesson
3. Go paperless
4. Create a discussion
5. Classroom collaboration
6. Document digital work
7. Virtual faculty meetings
8. Provide peer feedback
9. Student projects 
10. Communicate with parents

How are Other Teachers Using Google Classroom?
We have several teachers using Google Classroom in our district across all grade levels.  Mr. Paul Turner's Fifth Grade class at Stand Watie is using Classroom to complete assignments as they move towards a paperless classroom.

If you are interested in learning more about using Google Classroom, check out the resources below or take a look at the tutorials in Atomic Learning!

Alice Keeler

Shake Up Learning

Christine Pinto

Google Classroom Support

Google Classroom Training

OKCPS ETS Google Badges