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.
Hooray! I love that you're doing Appy Hour and Lunch and Learns, and I really really love that they are already taking off as a success. That's fantastic. I can't wait to get to be there for one with you! It can be so hard to find the time to do some of the bigger group PD and training, and I think it would be super helpful for other coaches in DLP if you were willing to share about your Appy Hours and Lunches in the G+ community. Finding ways to gather people together and instill tech culture is so important, and can sometimes feel daunting. So cool to hear about how you're making it happen.
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