#IMMOCC My How Things Can Change!

This week, as I reread part two of The Innovator's Mindset, the quote above really spoke to me because it is what I am up against right now in my school.  Before we can give students the opportunities to learn and grow and be innovative, we have to be able to do that for ourselves.  If teachers only want to do what they did last year because it is easier for them to just copy from their old plan book, they should no longer be teaching!  I also loved how George said in the book that teachers need to consider their job a passion instead of a "job."  

My energy and passion for innovation and technology in kindergarten makes people very uncomfortable if they do not have that same passion.  It can sometimes be a struggle!  As I said last week, I am so fortunate that I have an administration that values my passion and energy and are willing to let me take risks.  Sometimes I fail.  The lesson doesn't go exactly how I envisioned or the technology doesn't work exactly how I wanted it to.  That's ok!  I think on my feet and adjust the lesson in the moment to fit what is best for my students.  After the kids leave, I will rethink what went wrong and develop a plan for the lesson to go a little bit better the next time.  

One of the tools I use to help me with new lesson ideas is Twitter!  While I have not started tweeting my ideas out, I am probably the biggest Twitter stalker out there!  When I open my Twitter app and see that George Couros or Alice Keeler has shared an idea or question stem, I get so excited to see what others are saying.  Because I teach kindergarten, I also follow Christine Pinto who is a kindergarten teacher in California who believes 5 and 6 year olds can use any Google App you give them!  Her website is called GAFE for Littles (GAFE = Google Apps for Education) and she has a tab where teachers can share their Google creations.  

I now believe that even kindergarten students can use something like Google Classroom for workflow with assignments in Google Slides, Google Sheets and Google Docs.  Last year, my students worked together on a Google Slide presentation.  Each student got their own page on the slide.  We used PebbleGo to research animals and then created a page in the class book about that animal.  Does this take longer than a paper pencil activity?  YES!  But is it what is best for the students?  YES!  The time invested in teaching my kindergarten students how to use Google Apps was well worth it when the final product looks like this: 

We also used PebbleGo to research jobs in our community and created this book: 

My students, who were 5 and 6 years old last year, were able to create this document because I gave them the opportunity to do so.  I didn't tell them what to write on their slide.  I didn't tell them what pictures to use.  They researched the animal or job and then shared their learning by typing their sentence.  The Explore tool in Google Slides allowed them to find pictures to go with their writing.  I was so impressed with their willingness to write - they were so excited to share what they had learned!  We shared their work with parents on Seesaw!!!

So....how have you changed over the years or what kind of roadblocks do you have when trying to be innovative in your classroom?  If you have no roadblocks, what kind of lessons or ideas do you have to share with us?  Leave a comment below!  I love to hear what other teachers are doing in their classrooms!