IETA Tech Conference-New Tech Knowledge for a "Regular Teacher"

Trying Something New

 In the beginning of February I had the privilege of attending the Idaho Education Technology Association (IETA) Conference in Boise, Idaho.  

I'll say that I certainly felt out of my element---an elementary art teacher at a tech conference?   I was sure the woman behind the counter handing out registration information could see the neon signs above my head flashing, "Tech Newbie!", "Here for the Freebies!", or "Just an Art Teacher!"  
Although sometimes my tech knowledge is admittedly "low tech", I was so excited for the opportunity to take risks to grow as a professional by trying new things out of my comfort zone.
   
My background is in a general K-8 setting so I knew that I wanted to focus on learning how I could gain new knowledge about instructional technology best-practices to bring back to share with the teachers at my school.  If I learned things I could actually use in my art room-now that was an added bonus.  

This annual conference is formatted in such a way that you can pick and choose what sessions to attend throughout the day that will most suit your needs as a teacher. Although some of this information might be old news to the seasoned "techie"-here are a couple of gems I gleaned from my various sessions at IETA:

Sparking Student Engagement and Curiosity

Help students formulate better questions with 101 questions.

101Questions

This website poses pictures and videos and asks students to formulate questions based on the visual information.  Many images have embedded lessons that build inquiry through scaffolding questions.

Another website that utilizes pictures and videos to spark inquiry is called PHENOMENA FOR NGSS.  

This one is more science based but has some really interesting videos to lead to great conversations and a deeper level of inquiry.

Phenomena For NGSS

Assessment Strategies Using Technology

At the IETA conference I learned all sorts of ways to utilize technology to make assessing my students not only more engaging for them, but easier for me.  

Google Forms

If you aren't using Forms, you are missing out!  Google has made collecting and analyzing information so user friendly-even the least techie of teachers can do this.  I've started using Google Forms as formative assessments for my students, and then using the data collected to guide where I need to beef up instruction or verify that students understand the content before moving on. 

You can create quizzes, field trip forms for parents, or even use Forms to take lunch count in the mornings. Information put into Google Forms can be automatically graded and you can even organize your data into spreadsheets or nifty charts and graphs.  

I love that I can instantly see which students aren't understanding the information-and auto graded quizzes?? Yes, please.

To get started with Forms click here.

Padlet

Padlet reminds me of a digital exit ticket-students can collaborate information on one digital document that not only lets you see their responses in one handy dandy document but allows students to see the responses of their classmates as well.  I've used Padlet as a quick check in with my students but I don't think I've even begun to brush the surface of what kind of awesomeness I can create with it.

Here is a padlet I made with my 4th graders:

Tons of really cool example Padlets here.  Try it!

Classroom Technology That Will Blow Your Mind

At the IETA conference I began to realize that the new (new to me) technology available to use with students is astounding; an always changing cutting edge of tools to engage, inspire, and build empathy in learners.

I don't own a cool watch that receives text messages or a laptop computer that is less than seven years old so to say I was impressed with the latest Virtual Reality technology is an understatement.  I learned about Google Cardboard-a simple cardboard viewing device that allows for a completely immersive virtual reality experience.

The possibilities with students are endless-imagine actually taking students to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or to Verona, Italy to see where Romeo and Juliet actually lived.  Google Cardboard is the tool but Google Expeditions is a collection of Virtual Reality (VR) content and supporting materials that can be integrated into various curriculum areas.  Check out the video:

The wheels are turning in my head trying to figure out what grants I need to write to get a class set of these.
To play around with this at home-trust me you really want to-download the cardboard app to your mobile device. You can then get on YouTube and search for VR Video 360 to play around with a ton of crazy cool videos.

I was able to score a free cardboard (yay freebie!) from the conference but they really aren't that expensive online.  I found them here on Amazon for $4.90 a piece.  The presenter at this session suggested buying the plastic version to use with students especially if you are sharing.  The plastic is easier to clean and although slightly more expensive will probably last longer.

I have to wrestle it away from my own children who are simply in awe of the digital immersion experience. I take my cardboard to social functions so I can show all my friends.  The reaction is always the same: "This is so cool!"  That's engagement, folks.

So Much More

After three days at the IETA conference I left completely exhausted but positively giddy about the amount of instantly applicable knowledge I gained.  I would recommend this conference to any educator in our district-there is something for everyone.

Technology can make our lives as educators easier-but the real value in utilizing technology is what we can cultivate in our students.  Technology can grow curiosity and deeper thinking in our students and build empathy by establishing connections with other people not only locally but globally. And it doesn't have to be difficult.

 If the art teacher can do it, you can too.

Katie Snyder is an Elementary Art Teacher from Hayden Meadows Elementary.  She loves making awesome art with kids and incorporating technology into her lessons whenever she can.  She has written this guest post at the request of  instructional coach, Dan Kirkbride.