MiddSouth Innovates
Issue #2 2018-2019
I'm Picking Up #goodvibesin235
Mrs. Derasmo, besides being an amazing educator, is also a Beachbody Coach. As she was learning new workouts and seeing how they were positively impacting her life, she documented her experiences through Instagram videos and pictures. Unintentionally, she was using Social Media as a way to blog about all the positive things that were happening in her life. As she reached the end of the summer she realized that capturing those joyous moments should extend to her classroom as well. A gallon of paint and some trips to Target totally transformed how the physical space looked, but it was her shift of mindset that really made the difference. Mrs. D said her students really struggle in Math so celebrating small moments of success goes a long way for them. You can see all of Mrs. D's posts on her Instagram account and by following #goodvibesin235.
Creating your "brand" is a popular trend in education right now. While it seems silly to call your classroom or Instagram "a brand" it really is because your brand is what you are trying to convey to the world. Whether you use a hashtag to share your message (#middsouthnation, #wordsofawesome) or a Social Media account (@mtpspride, @kindergartensmorgasboard) or simply create a bulletin board in a hallway, just share the awesome things that happen in your room every day.
If you are not telling your story, someone else will. Thinking of using Social Media in your classroom? Here are some suggestions.
You get a choice! And you get a choice! Everybody gets a choice!
Have we piqued your interest? Great! The first step is to look at a project and start adding options for the students without making major changes to the project. For example, Mrs. Tumulty started creating mobile book libraries for her AP Lit students. While the students all had the same objective for book analysis (plot and character development, theme, imagery, etc) they were allowed to pick different novels, ones that they were interested in. Mrs. Brosonski had her students create presentations about topics in World History and were allowed to choose from several different presentations methods (none of which were Google Slides!!).
Once you take the first step in adding choice to your class, you will always soon be asking 'well, what else can I have them do?'
3D printing: putting the social back into innovation & manufacturing
Can't come during 3/4? Just reach out to Marc via email or schedule for him to come to see you on his Tech Infusion Calendar. He loves to talk about ANYTHING: SGOs, Flipped Learning, Blended Learning, new projectors, 3D printing, Social Media, student-centered learning, Flipgrid. If you have an idea, talk to Marc about it. Maybe you will be featured in the next MiddSouth Innovates!