Diary of a Digital Learning Coach

In honor of teacher appreciation week, I'd like to "gift" you with this tip for using Apple Classroom.  I'm not going to lie...it kind of blew my mind!  Check out how to share files and open apps by dragging and dropping! I know, right??? I learned this while checking out the NEW resources available for iPad in the Apple Teacher program.  There are 75 new learning resources available to help you better understand your and your learners' devices.  The tip above came from this video about Apple Classroom, but while you are logged in, you might want to check some of the other resources out too! Apple's Guide to Apple Classroom Note:  To view, log in with an Apple ID.  Read more about my experiences with Apple Teacher from the archives here . What is your experience with the Apple Teacher program? Let me know in the comments!

It's exciting times here in Texas!  Our Technology Department has been working hard t o refresh our devices by providing educators with new Macbooks. We are beyond lucky to be in a district where digital learning is not just valued, but also supported.  Having reliable educator devices allows us to design and implement deeper learning experiences.  We can learn alongside our children and be more mobile throughout the classroom. Anytime there is change, even if it is a good change, there is a learning curve. I am such a creature of habit that I spent several days trying to get my new Mac to be set up the way my old one was. (#dontjudge) That is why I am so glad to share some curated resources my team gathered to help guide you as you get acquainted with your new MacBook.  Many of these are from the Technology ZenDesk, but all can help you become a Jedi Master of your Mac! Click here to visit the drawing above and access the links!   Each blu...

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it truly means when we say "learning for all".  So often we focus on the big picture of designing learning but when we do, do we miss some of the small triumphs that can happen in the details?   As educators, we are here to seek success for all and that means we need to begin celebrating and sharing the power of what our devices can do for individual learning challenges.   This week, I worked with a learner that struggles with reading.  It made me think...how many of us are harnessing the power of iPad accessibility settings with our learners? With 3 built in features of his iPad, we were able to gift him with the power of reading support.  Let's break it down, vlog style! Speak Selection - 1:19 min Speak Screen - 1:32 min Safari Reader View - 1:04 I would love to visit you and talk more about how technology can assist specific learners in your class! Book me for a visit to lea...

Hello from Apple Training! I am so lucky to be in a district that values learning for all - even me.  My team has spent the last couple of days working with Nelson Taylor, a trainer for Apple.  As I reflect on my learning, I keep thinking about how technology can assist us in reaching ALL learners in a deeper way.   Here are a few techno treats I have learned! Using drawing features, line animation, and audio in Keynote can help learners use modes of learning that are meaningful to them! Check out the  Elements of Learning  multi-touch book to learn more about deeper learning in the classroom! So many accessibility features that are underused in Settings! A couple of great reasons to use Safari on your iPads! What techno treats are inspiring YOU this week?  Teach me in the comments!

A core belief my team has about digital learning is that little kids can and will do amazing things when given the opportunity.  If we are being truly honest, this also applies to even the biggest kids...us.   During the Apple a Week series last year, we learned not just how easy and functional the programs like Keynote, Pages and Numbers can be but also how Apple’s Education resources can help us when designing quality learning. It’s about to get even better. Apple just rolled out a collection of multi-touch books as part of their Everyone Can Create curriculum .  These resources provide a scaffold for fostering digital creativity in the classroom for any age of learner. Want to help learners understand the basics of creating quality videos ? Wondering how photography and drawing can be best used to make thinking visible? Thinking about spicing up a lesson by having learners compose original music or find patterns? Let’s learn more about the Eve...

Did you hear?  Apple recently hosted a huge education event in Chicago rolling out many changes to its products and software apps that have the potential to  impact education in a major way. There’s SO much good news from this event (including new devices priced for education) that my friend, Megan Kozar and I decided to break down some of our favorite updates for you vlog style in under 3 minutes! What devices do these work on? These awesome features work on any devices that run iOS 11.  Don’t forget to keep your iOS updated and update your apps periodically to get the smoothest experience! Even if your learner devices are older, you as an educator can use the updates to explore, practice and create materials for your classroom  - this is a great way to learn and explore so you are ready for when they do! What can YOU do with these to transform a learning experience? Need ideas?  Check in with your friendly neighborho...

I once read that in order to grow, we must learn something new everyday by getting out of our "comfort zones". I think we sometimes make this too hard - like we have to make a big jump like changing a job or a grade level or a school placement.  But the truth is that little steps out of our comfort zones have the potential to provide just as big shifts in thinking.   We just have to be open and take the step. Last week, I challenged myself and my team to ditch our MacBooks for a couple of days.  It doesn't seem that big of a challenge...after all, educators in our district have been issued both Macs AND iPads in order to support learning design for our 1:1 iPad district.  But what I found was that much too often, I default to using just my MacBook.  My team felt the same.   Now, we all tend to have a preferred device and there is nothing wrong with that.  However, I wondered what kept us going back to our MacBooks and how our perspect...

When I started this blog series, my intent was to challenge myself to really explore how Apple can be used for deeper learning. I wanted to develop my answer to the question, “Why Apple?”  and encourage you to consider it as well. I hope it has opened your mind to some different ways that the Apple foundational programs can be used within your classroom. Though our series ends with this post, I challenge all of us to continue to share ideas in the comments, on our Flipgrid and via Twitter.  Learning, after all, isn’t ever “over” - it morphs and changes and shifts, but with an open mind, it never ceases. I owe a great deal of thanks to my teammates who co-wrote, linked up, brainstormed ideas and recorded Flipgrid videos. Could I have written all of the posts? Maybe. But there is such power in different perspectives and learning collaboratively.  I hope that my teammates have learned from me through this process as well. To my inspired educators...

Open house was this week here in Coppell, Texas.  So many amazing things were shared and celebrated.  The best part is how proud our kids are when they get to show off what they have created.  What better week to talk about the selfie generation and their love of film? This week, get ready for your close up because it's time for... I loved working to help my teammate, Megan Kozar , pen our post about iMovie.  Her perspective is phenomenal.  If you don't subscribe to her site, The Lightning Lab, you totally should!  Let's link over to her blog, to learn more about the magic of iMovie for learning! Movin' and Groovin' with iMovie by Megan Kozar What awesome creations have you and your learners made using iMovie? What helps you when teaching learners how to film?  Share some examples and ideas in the comments! Check out other posts from this series here.

Who’s ready to ROCK this week’s Apple a Week Blog? Growing up the baby of 6 kids was an experience.  Any given week, I was a spectator at multiple sporting events and band concerts.   One of the coolest parts of my childhood, though, happened right in our basement.  My brother’s “garageband” was named Zephyr and they practiced weekly - amps, microphones, instruments and all.  My 10 year old self knew all the words to “I Wanna Rock N Roll All Night” and our floors shook on a regular basis.   My brother’s passion for playing music was contagious and continues on now that he is an adult  (though the music choice is quite different than the heavy metal of Zephyr).  I often think to myself what he would have created if he had the tools of GarageBand at his fingertips during school.  This week, put your listening ears on...because its time for... GarageBand provides all the digital tools you need to compose and play original m...

As I pulled into the campus parking lot last Thursday, which also happened to be Digital Learning Day, I received a text.  It went something like this: Create at Imgflip The internet is down is not something ANY of us wants to hear.  It is inconvenient and most of the time throws our best laid plans out the window. But as the time ticked on and I kept hearing the half-hearted laughs of a no internet Digital Learning Day (many from myself), I began to think...why does everything have to stop?  Digital learning is not about tools.  It's about creating. It's about processing thinking.  It's about more than just connecting via the web. You might remember that I am on a mission this year to really explore how to better provide deeper learning experiences through Apple devices. So I challenged myself to make a list of all the things that worked on my iPad, even with no internet.   What I found was...well, awesome.   Many...

Hi friends! My recap post of my top learning moments from TCEA is coming soon...until then, here's this week's installment of the #appleaweek series! Once upon a time, a young 3rd grader proudly wrote a book for a Young Author’s competition.  The book, like all the others was displayed in the library for parents and families to read.  How special that girl felt to know she was an “author” and that her work was being read.   Imagine if that girl had access to publishing to the world...where would she be?  What would she have dreamed up?  Would her passion for writing extend to more than just this blog?   For this week’s Apple a Week, we take a look at Book Creator for Chrome, an online multi-touch book creation tool that is easy enough for our littlest of kids to create content.  It is one way our kids now can write for the world. Let’s take a look at Book Creator for Chrome in this 5 min vlog: With Book Creator for Chr...

I’m so excited to be blogging from the TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) conference in Austin, Texas this week! My team and I will be presenting several different sessions and I am so excited to be co-presenting “Apple in Education, We Say Yes!” on Thursday at 1:30! My Awesome Co-Presenters! In our session, we will celebrate the use of Apple in our district and encourage others to see the amazing educational value of Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Everyone Can Code.  Even if you are #notattcea, I encourage you to learn with us for this week’s installment of #anappleaweek. Simply go to www.flipgrid.com/AppleEDUyes , select a learning topic and click on the attached resource to begin exploring.   Attending TCEA and interested in more learning from the Coppell DLCs? Check out all of our session offerings below! Follow #TCEA and #TCEA18 for more great learning opportunities!   Check out other posts from this series here.