VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

audio

Empowering Student Voice

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In case you haven’t heard, #FlipgridFever is a real thing! This educational tool has made quite a name for itself in the world of teaching. Amplifying student voice is key if we want our students to take responsibility for their learning and understanding, as well as being proud of sharing what they know. As teachers, we are trying to teach our students that we should respect each other’s rights, feelings, opinions, beliefs, and values. What better way to demonstrate that than using Flipgrid for students to share those things through book reviews amongst their peers.

A few Instructional Technology Coaches from Prince William County Public Schools put our heads together to create a collaborative Book Review project using Flipgrid as the main tool, so students could give personal reviews of books after they’ve finished. Students across multiple schools are able to share their reviews, as well as watch reviews from their peers. The students are being introduced to a larger peer group with differing ideas than they see in their own school buildings, enabling a broader perspective and larger conversation about their books.

Filpgrid allows students to share their thoughts on books with many other students, giving them the power to evaluate texts and empowering them to think actively about the texts, rather than just passively moving from book to book. Keeping students engaged in their learning is a challenging task. Teachers are always looking for student-centered activities that involve students incorporating their interests, while making their own choices. Flipgrid is the perfect platform to take student voice to the next level. We’ve seen students who rarely raise their hand in class review several books since we opened up our book review stations.

Not only are they working on their writing and oral language skills, but they are more confident in sharing their own voice on a forum like Flipgrid. While they may be shy in class, the feeling that they are alone when recording in front of a camera affords them the security they need to share their thoughts without the pressure of speaking in front of a group. They are reading, thinking about reading, and talking about their reading in authentic ways. Flipgrid has given purpose to their reading. This activity provides a win for students and the teachers!

Written by Sara Ross and Kevin Weaver. Sara and Kevin are both Instructional Technology Coaches in Prince William County Schools.

Creating a Podcast

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Back in December 2017, Prince William’s Office of Instructional Technology sent a number of Instructional Technology Coaches to the VSTE conference in Roanoke.  I’d never been to a VSTE conference but had always heard good things from colleagues who had.  So, before I knew it I was VSTE-bound, ready to be indoctrinated into a world of demo slams, karaoke, and candied bacon.

VSTE 2017 was a great conference and an even better experience with great sessions, vendors, and like-minded people.  Of all the learning and networking that happened, one session really stuck – “Developing Podcasts for Professional Development”.  A colleague and friend, Elizabeth (Biz) Engelbret, and I attended the session and we were both struck by how “doable” it all seemed.  The Fairfax group presenting did a great job of explaining in detail what worked for them, and the two of us were immediately hatching plans for our own version.

We wanted to put together a new form of professional development in Prince William County that could offer flexibility and choice.  There are so many of us out there doing great things and coming up with better solutions to common hurdles, but how to share it with the masses?  Professional Developments are great to hear some of this knowledge first hand, but busy schedules and life tend to make a mockery of our best intentions.  If only there was a way to continue the conversation about improving educational practices and make it an on-demand experience (with a technology-in-the-classroom twist).  And so, the “PWCS EdTech Podcast” was born.

The first order of business was to get the right equipment.  The VSTE podcasting session explained what we’d probably want, but they didn’t offer to pay for it (the scoundrels…).  We decided to try the next best thing and wrote a grant.  Podcasting itself can be done on the cheap - grab a computer and a mic and you’re ready to go – but this wasn’t going to be a personal podcast recorded in an office.  To make our idea work we were going to need to be mobile and have multiple mics available.  Lucky for us, Prince William has a wonderful resource in the form of an educational foundation called SPARK.  We wrote our SPARK grant proposal focusing on the idea of a new form of professional development and won the money to cover both the hardware and software to start our program.  With the grant we bought a Zoom H6 multi-port recorder, four AudioTechnica XLR mics, headphones, stands, spider-mounts, a portable speaker, and a year’s subscription to Adobe Audition.  With a little practice (and learning about something called ‘Phantom Power’) we felt confident enough to use it.  Now, what do we say?

We always knew the focus of the podcast was going to be technology in the classroom, but that’s a fairly broad topic.  Before we got ourselves too wrapped up in over thinking it, we decided to talk about what was happening at our schools.  It just so happened that it was close enough to Digital Learning Day that we used that as an angle and stumbled through our first episode.  Some things we learned from that first episode:

  1. Have water nearby.
  2. Find a comfy distance from the mic, adjust your gain and stay there (don’t keep moving back and forth).
  3. Just record.  There’s nothing worse than trying to recreate a spontaneous gem of a moment.
  4. A digital editor (Adobe Audition, Audacity, or others) can help clean up all sorts of mistakes, both in terms of quality of sound and sequencing.

I’m writing this after we just finished recording what will be our 17th episode with Alanna Dushok and Tim Signorelli at Bryant High School in Fairfax, VA.  Alanna and Tim are an amazing tag-team of an Instructional Coach and a School Based Technology Specialist who focus on building the capacity of the teachers they work with.  It’s these episodes, where Biz and I bring others into the conversation, that I enjoy the most.  Give someone a mic and a bit of time and you’ll start to find out what really makes them tick.  In the past we’ve had conversations with PWCS’s Supervisor of Instructional Technology, Diane Harazin (episode 3), PWCS’s newest high school’s Instructional Technology Coach, Billy Watts (episode 6), and the “not a debate” between G Suite and Office365 with Cheryl Hinzman and Katie Fielding (episode 10).  Each of these are examples of bringing in smart, capable people and delving into their passions.

I’ve really enjoyed the podcasting experience.  These conversations give me the perfect opportunity to reflect, and possibly grow, at least twice a month.  I hope that our listeners feel its time well spent.

The PWCS EdTech podcast releases new episodes on the 1st and 15th, during the school year, and can found on Podbean or wherever you enjoy podcasts.

Written by Brian Simpson, an Instructional Technology Coach at Beville Middle School in Prince William Public Schools. He is co-host, with Elizabeth Engelbret, of the PWCS EdTech podcast, a bi-monthly program available in Apple Podcasts and other podcast aggregators.

Tuning In To Podcasts

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“I’d like to do that, if I just had the time,” is one of the most commonly heard phrases in the hallways of any school. If you’ve ever said that yourself, one solution might be podcasts. I dragged my feet for a long time, getting into podcasts, but once I did, I found that it gave me the time to learn so much more. And getting started with podcasts is incredibly simple—just find an app, find a show, and find some time.

Finding an app is the simplest step. You probably already have an app on your phone that will let you download content—look for an app called Podcasts or Google Play Music. If you prefer an app that’s more robust, there are dozens of options out there. Some of my favorites are Castbox, Podcast Addict, or Stitcher. Spotify is also getting into the podcast game which would be a good starting place if that’s an app you already use.Elizabeth and Brian with their recording setup

The next part is the fun part—find a show! Start by searching for content that interests you. Apple podcasts has over half a million in podcasts in over a hundred languages, so you’re certain to find one that appeals to you.

My favorite EdTech podcast is definitely The EdTech Takeout, a twice-monthly, conversational-style show in which the hosts discuss the latest updates in educational technology while keeping their focus on student learning. If you prefer a podcast with a single host, I strongly recommend The Cult of Pedagogy. Jennifer Gonzalez shares her thoughts on teaching strategies, education reform, and more. She never fails to teach me something new in her podcasts. If you want a slightly wider menu, there’s a curated list available on the Education Podcast Network where I always find something new to try.

If you’re planning to podcast with your students, it’s also great to listen to some podcasts that are for and by young people. NPR publishes WOW in the World to explore science and technology, and I am always delighted by the interview-style Show about Science, hosted by a second grader but well-produced by his dad. For a more authentic feel of what students are capable of, check out The Fifth Grade Futurists, which is highly entertaining, but also attainable for real classes with limited equipment. Narrative podcasts are also great for a younger audience. I like The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel which is narrated by middle school students. If you want something subject- and grade-specific, Listenwise is a freemium service, but their curation tool is free and robust.

The last step is just to find some time to listen. I fell in love with podcasts while training for a marathon. They filled the time up so much better than music. I also listen on my morning commute and when I’m doing chores around the house. I try to save my favorite narrative podcast to listen to while I’m ironing—it helps pass the time with a chore I particularly detest.

For the busy teacher, it’s the lowest-investment, highest-return way I can think of to sneak some professional learning time or just make your commute a more enjoyable experience.

Written by Elizabeth Engelbret, Instructional Technology Coach at Fred Lynn Middle School in Prince William County. She is co-host, with Brian Simpson, of the PWCS EdTech podcast, a bi-monthly program available in Apple Podcasts and other podcast aggregators.