Another great week at LHJH!  Students engaging in tech driven lessons, and teachers seeking new resources.  I held my second Lunch & Learn and Appy Hour, over Google Forms.  Teacher/staff attendance increased 20% over last session, yea!  

I started Tech Badges a few weeks ago, and it has become a major hit with the teachers!  So much so, there's some fierce competition amongst departments.  One teacher was bragging about all of her new Tech Badge Swag, only to find it had disappeared from her wall the next day!  When it mysteriously reappeared, she applied for even more badges, ha!  

9/5-8 Appy Hour

The first week of school, I sent out a survey, requesting feedback on which G-Suite platforms the staff would like to learn more about this semester.  Based on their feedback, I put together a list of training dates and topics. 
This week, I hosted our first campus Appy Hour of the year, Google Classroom.  In addition to AH, I offered a Lunch and Learn session, for those who are not able to attend after school (coaches, fine arts, etc.)  I was not expecting a huge turnout the first go-round, and was pleasantly surprised to see the number of  smiling faces that showed up, including our campus librarian (LITE) and a couple of paraprofessionals!  Our teachers have Classrooms set up, but not all use them as interactively as they could.  With each session, I asked the staff what their general comfort level was with Classroom, and started from there.  We discussed updates to the site, and teachers were thrilled to know about the new Topics button.  They also liked the new Guardians tab, allowing parents to be more connected to class content and activities.  All in all, it was a great day.
My hope is word will spread about the useful information being shared, and participation numbers will continue to increase throughout the semester.  In the meantime, I continue to work with my Cycle One teachers, and offer assistance wherever needed in any department. 

8/28 - 9/1 BREAKTHROUGHS!!

Gaining traction with teachers this week!  I was facing a bit of resistance from a teacher on my Cycle One list.  When visiting this particular teacher's classroom, I noticed there was no technology use, other than what was projected on the screen.  When I went back to look at my records, I realized this same teacher had not completed any surveys or requests I'd sent out to the campus, either.  So, 

I (unbeknownst to them) enlisted the help of a teacher in the same department.  I asked him to demonstrate during PLC, how he utilizes technology on a daily basis in the classroom.  He agreed, and two days later, showed his teammates how he uses Sites as a hub for daily instruction.  He shared how he attaches links, incorporates KAMI, and how he created a student corner, where they are highlighted for excellent work.  This demonstration got the wheels turning!!  Relevant discussion ensued, and by the end of PLC, the teacher I'd been struggling to connect with asked if I would have time to help them set up their Google Classroom pages, and load some assignments!  BINGO!!  There's still work to be done, as tech immersion unfolds, but I now see this teacher in the hallways, and they acknowledge me with a smile and verbal greeting... #progress.  

Being new to the campus, it was a challenge to just jump right in.  Now, I feel like I've reached a level of comfort with the teachers in Cycle One, and we can really begin the work.