Professional Development That You Can Use?

When I first heard of the Friday Institute I knew I had to go. Every time I heard this place mentioned it was nothing but praise. After beginning my job as an Instructional Technology Facilitator, er, Instructional Technology Coach, er, Instructional Technologist...whatever the title may be, I became responsible for developing ideas and methods to train teachers on implementing technology into their instruction. Basically, I figure out ways to build the capacity in teachers to become digital leaders who integrate proper tools that enhance instruction and increase student achievement.

So, back to the point. I heard about the Friday Institute and I had to go.

I was invited as a guest to spend a day there with the NCDLCN-Cohort 1. One day was all it took. I was hooked! I immediately went back and tried to figure out a way to spend more time there. I applied to become part of NCDLCN-Cohort 2 and was accepted. Unlike most "workshops" I have attended in my 14 year career, I was actually learning things that I could immediately take back and put into action.

So, let me tell you about one of these ideas.

It is October 14, 2015 and we are in the first session of the NCDLCN. Just before lunch we are introduced to these two guys, Jeff Crews and Dean Phillips, who run a website called Beyond the Chalk. They come out and they are full of energy! They are showing videos, putting us through group challenges, offering to pay us if we can figure out how to ride this really messed up bike.... They are just getting us fired up.

Day 2, Dean and Jeff take over again and introduce us to this robot called a Sphero. The session was entitled "Getting the Ball Rolling-Sphero". The entire room was so excited to get our hands on those little balls. We had an opportunity to learn how to control them and then transitioned into coding and programming the little guys. We did this by playing a few holes of Sphero Golf. While working to determine the correct program to make the robot follow the line and stop in the hole, my wheels were turning. I'm thinking of all the ways I can use these robots in my school. I was having a blast but I couldn't wait to get back and find some money to get some of my own.

Upon returning, I was telling everyone about my experience with the Spheros. Just a couple of days later, I was having a conversation with one of my APs about this. He said, "Hey, I have a grant that I have to spend! If you can tie it to XYZ, I will buy a set for you." That was all it took. I found a way and we made it happen. Teachers started looking for ways to utilize these 12 robotic balls that we had. We integrated them into a Roman chariot project, a Westward Expansion project, a geometric shape project and even a Forensics project.

The teachers and students were loving it but it was time to do more. Two other teachers even figured out a way to purchase a set for their classes. I applied for my own grant and was selected. I bought two more sets of 12, chose 2 math teachers to work with, spent 3 days over the summer planning how to teach some of the 7th grade math curriculum by coding and programming these robots and we have spent this year doing so. The engagement level and the achievement has of these students increased tremendously. I have enjoyed watching these students learn in this way and have conversations with the teachers about how much better the students understand the math.

For us, the ball is still rolling!