EdReach Guest: EdCeptional Channel

I am giddy with excitement and filled to my finger tips with energy. I just had the best time talking technology, special education and learning with two fantastically passionate, enthusiastic and advocates of special education and the tools, skills and strategies that make us and our students exceptional.

Tonight I was lucky enough to join Patrick Black and Tricia Lazzaro of the Edreach EdCeptional Channel. I got to hang out with them for a ~~half hour~~ 45 mins (minus having to put my girls to bed…mom stuff never ends) talking ideas, technology, and learning. This time with them invigorated me and refreshed the passion I feel everyday for my job and the learning I get to facilitate.

Here is the segment we taped for Edreach’s EdCeptional #51… Continue reading “EdReach Guest: EdCeptional Channel”

November 27, 2013January 28, 2014

My 2013 Nominations for the Edublog Awards

Edublog Awards were started in 2004. It was a way to promote and demonstrate the educational values of learners and teachers in social media. Basically, it a way of shouting out to the world that blogging for educational purposes has incredible value as a resource and as a way to share and teach each other. This is our way to recognize each other’s time, dedication, ideas, creativity and passion for education and student learning.

Here are my nominations for the 2013 EduBlog Awards {drum roll} Continue reading “My 2013 Nominations for the Edublog Awards”

November 20, 2013January 28, 2014

Technology Inequality: The Quest for Change

I sat in the auditorium at my second Edcamp*, Edcamp Chicago. Excitement filled me. Excitement for the amazing stories I would hear, the new educators I would meet and the new innovative, outside the box ideas I would learn filled me! The moderators took the microphones, welcomed us and shared the foundation of Edcamps (the part that really makes them awesome)**

Educators began coming to the front, writing their session ideas on neon notecards, stepping up to the microphone to share their idea and have it added to the grid. Ideas, strategies, techniques filled the session grids. I began to decide which ones I wanted to go to. I had the link to the grid, the room number of the first session I was going to and I was excitement and ready to start!!!

Up first….Flipped Classroom session.

I found my spot at a table in the Science lab classroom that would house this session. People came in and found their spots too. I found a plug…because duh! I forgot to charge up before coming to a tech conference. The room filled up. When the clock clicked to the start time of this session, someone spoke up and decided that we should all introduce ourselves.

“Huh… Not something we usually do at these things,” I thought to myself and shrugged “but ok?!”

People to the left of me took turns telling us their names and what they taught. I took my turn and my friend took hers too. Next it was time for the front of the room to introduce themselves. Three teachers sitting at a front table took turns introducing themselves. Each of them introducing themselves as teachers in the dual language*** program at one of area elementary schools.

“How exciting,” I thought “Someone from my daughters school district!”

“They’re from my daughters district,” I whisper to my friend ” This is awesome. They are so behind in technology at my daughter’s school. I’m so happy they’re here!”

They finished their introductions with we have no technology in our classrooms.

A huge sighed of sadness and an aw of surprise that this serious lack of technology even exists filled the room.

Introductions finished and we were finally ready to start talking Flipped Classrooms.

I pulled my laptop (my district issued laptop) in front of me and opened it up. I looked up to see the teachers from my daughters district pull out a pen and paper. My heart sank. Continue reading “Technology Inequality: The Quest for Change”

November 12, 2013January 28, 2014

My Tech Ninjas

Language Arts class began just like any other class. Students had their preferred technology open to type in or write on (giggle… I said preferred technology…they know the exact technology tools that work for them). We were in a good flow. I was giving instructions and students were giving me great responses. We were all smiles at the fantastic job everyone was doing and all the learning that was going on. It was one of those periods when things were just coming all together and really clicking! As the class continued in its rhythm I sat on a desk next to one of my student and continued to give direct instruction. I turned to my left and looked down to smile at one of my students. His hand was raised. I called on him.

“Mrs. B I have a problem. I can’t get this to do what I need it to do. I try to do this and I just can’t get it to work”

I paused quickly to think of a solution and started back up giving out an additional instruction. As I continued to teach I looked down at the laptop and started to…

‘Click’

“All fixed,” I say to the student.

His head does a double take looking from me talking to his computer and back to me, “Wait what did you do?” Continue reading “My Tech Ninjas”

November 6, 2013January 28, 2014

No Swimming

My daughters are a constant source of inspiration for me. Their amazingly fantastic view the world around them makes me smile. The heck awesome places their imaginations take them to leaves me in smiling in awwww. The times I get to spend drawing and doing crafts with them… inspired and filled with ideas.

Like most of my doodles, this one stared with “Mommy come draw with meeeee!!!!”

It quickly turned into a paper crumpling grump, “I can’t draw fish!!!!”

And ended with a mini-fish drawing lesson and then it….well you’ll see! Continue reading “No Swimming”

November 1, 2013January 28, 2014

Bright Ideas #1: Using Google Calendar as an Assignment Notebook

When the school year started students were busy downloading the electronic versions of their assignment notebooks .

'CLICK' to View Downloadable Version — ‘CLICK’ to View Downloadable Version

It only took a couple of weeks before it became very clear to me that the assignment notebook my students used so religiously could easily be replaced by a technology tool that they would also use in their high school and adult life to stay organized and remember things. The assignment notebook could be replaced by a google calendar. Continue reading “Bright Ideas #1: Using Google Calendar as an Assignment Notebook”

October 29, 2013January 28, 2014

She Was Always Listening

Driving home I was happy. For once I had finished them early. For once I would have them done before they needed to be sent out. For once I could get them all ready to go and just stare at them all beautiful, neatly folded, hand printed and done…early!! It only took me eight years…I totally rock this mom thing!

I took my work bag out of the car and walked in the house with a smile (yup still proud of myself)

I put my bag on the arm of the couch and took out a blue file folder. I could not wait to show her what I had gotten done so that we could put everything together.

“Olivia! Come here!!!!” I hollered to the upstairs, “Mommy’s home and I have something to showwww youuuu,” I happily sang.

“Coming mommy!” she answered back in the sweetest voice

“Look what mommy got done today!!!” I said proudly showing her the neatly printed, ready to be paired with glittery ice cream cone party invitations and put into envelopes sheet of directions and party details.

“Oh…” she fround. Continue reading “She Was Always Listening”

October 16, 2013October 16, 2013

Francine Cooks: I See 12345 Animals In The Zoo

I see 1 giraffe in the zoo.

I see 2 monkeys in the zoo.

I see 3 elephants in the zoo.

I see 4 bunnies in the zoo.

I see 5 bears in the zoo.

The end.

Mommy Disclaimer….All the words and the ideas are completely Francine’s. I only helped with the typing, formatting, spelling and with Photoshopping the pictures. By writing her stories Francine hopes that other “kids” will learn to cook up ideas just like her!

October 11, 2013October 11, 2013

What Connected Educators Could Learn from Bloggers

October is connected educators month. Everyday I see a post, a tweet sharing a passionate moment about being a connected educator and stories showing the awesomeness of being a connected educator. Each post, tweet and story fills me up and makes me feel happiness for my peers and their new found connectedness. Even with all these positive and inspired feelings I am still left with a nagging feeling that many educators are missing the most important piece of being a connected educator. They are missing the other part of CONNECT in being a connected educators. I think it is a lesson they could learn from bloggers (non-teacher bloggers).

Three years ago I created my first twitter account. A month later I had my first blog. I blogged and tweeted about being a woman, a friend, being a wife and all the ups and downs of motherhood. I blogged anonymously worried that if I dare share or show that I was an educator this kind of sharing would be severely looked down upon. Through it all, I learned the lingo, tuned my writing skills and I found passion and was awaken like I had never been before. I wrote and shared and created and wrote some more. I shared and healed parts of me that had deeply hurt for a very long time. I wrote more and shared more and woke a creative side of me I had forgotten existed. I wrote and shared and I suddenly found my voice. Most of all I found a fulfillment and a connection to others I had never known before. These experiences were (and still are) life changing.

Six months ago I hit the publish key on my first post as Carrie Baughcum Special Education teacher. I came out from behind my anonymity and shared about my classroom, my lessons, my journey as an educator. I was terrified, but excited. Sharing and reflecting about my classroom experiences filled me like never before. I shared and wrote more and more. I shared and wrote and shared and wrote some more. It felt wonderful to share this part of me. I felt invigorated and fulfilled, but I was also left with a deep yearning. I yearned to connect the same way with educators as I had with the amazing bloggers I had met on my journey.

So, after three years of blogging and six months also blogging as an educator I have come to realize this…educators do not blog or used social media like bloggers. I think there are many things that connected educators could learn from bloggers.

Here is what I think educators can learn from bloggers….

Bloggers– Come to blogs to read, to absorb, to learn about the author. They soak up each others words. More then that they reflect and really connect with the posts they read. In return for a blogger sharing their words an other blogger will share back their own reflections, insight and feelings. It is important to them to really connect with the stories and also to make sure the author know what they thought.

Sample Blogger Comments:

Educators– Visit blogs for information. They read the posts. They gather and bookmark and gather and collect their information. They come to read blogs and take in their words and stories but they leave as if they were never there.

Bloggers– Read social media streams looking for others to connect with. They are happy to reply to a tweet or Google+ post based on the information that caught their interest. Who wrote it is often unimportant.

Educators– Read and gather information.

Bloggers– Reply to tweets to them. They offer more information, ask questions to engage with each other and connect with each other through the words they share.

Sample Blogger Twitter Stream:

Educators– May politely reply a thank you but often do not offer an inquiry or work to get to know the other person any further.

Bloggers– They share. They take what they have read, what they have learned, what they felt, how they were moved and even what they didn’t like. They share their words and the words of others with others. Bloggers know that by sharing others work, words and inspirations that their words will be meaningful to others person and have an impact. It will connect them with other.

Educators– Read and gather. They may re-share information to others, but often do not add any personal thoughts, opinions or insights.

I think that educators have made their presence known in social media…It is quite amazing! They have written and shared and offered their words for others to read. They have read and gathered and learned new things from people from all over the world. They have discovered the power of words and social media to bring ideas to each other. I think it is time for educators to take the next step. It is time for them to stop just gathering and collecting. It is time for educators to share, offer words, shout out each others awesomeness. Our voices are powerful and crazy awesome. The the small gifts we give with our words connects us deeper and builds those relationships. It is time we go from connecting to information and really connecting with each other. We won’t be disappointed!

October 9, 2013October 9, 2013

Olivia’s World #2: A Pet, A New Friend and Being Good To The Earth

Olivia's World

Story #1: The New Pet

Once upon a time there was a girl named Ginger. Ginger always asked and asked her mom and dad when they were going to get a pet. Until finally her mom and dad said that she could get a pet. But what kind do you want?-asked Ginger’s mother. A puppy!-yelled Ginger. I will do anything you say to get a puppy. But-said her mother. I just want you to know that having a pet is a big responsibility. I can do the big responsibility-said Ginger. So the next day Ginger and her mom went to the pet store called Petco. Ginger got the puppy using all of her money. Ginger cared so much for her puppy until it was a dog. The dog was named Lucky. Ginger had the best day ever.

Story #2: The New Girl

Once upon a time there was a girl named Twinkle. Twinkle lived in Mexico where she had so much fun and did the things she was supposed to do at school. At playtime she always played with her friends Reynoso, Justin and Famosa. But one day that all was about to change when one day Twinkle’s dad said that they were moving to Bartlett. The next day Twinkle’s hole family went to Bartlett. Twinkle did’t do anything she was supposed to be doing and outside she did’t make any new friends. Twinkle felt homesick and wasn’t having any fun. The next day outside at playtime Twinkle saw a girl that looked like a nice girl to be a friend. Hello I am Twinkle-said Twinkle. Twinkle is that you!?-said the girl. Who are you?-asked Twinkle. It’s me Reynoso-said the girl. Reynoso?-asked Twinkle. The girl nodded. Twinkle and Reynoso played a little. Then stopped. I wish Justin and Famosa were here-said Twinkle. Stay right here-said Reynoso. Reynoso came back running. I found them!-yelled Reynoso. Justin! Famosa!-yelled Twinkle. They all gave each other all big hugs. Then agreed that every day they would play together at the playground. But if they ever moved again they leaned there lesson.

Story #3: The Friends That Were Good to The Earth

Once upon a time there were 2 friends 1 named Frogalina and 1 named Famosa. Frogalina liked to plant plants and Famosa liked to pick up stuff that are dirty and put it in the garbage can and put the clean garbage in the recycling bin. One day Frogalina was walking down the street when she saw a tree cut down. But she planted a new one. One day Famosa was walking down the street when she saw garbage on the street. But good thing there was a garbage can and a recycling bin. Famosa piked up all the dirty garbage and put it in the garbage can and put all the clean garbage in the recycling bin. And that’s how the 2 friends were good to the earth.

Mommy Disclaimer…. Olivia is my 7 year old daughter. She began writing here so she could share her voice too. All the words, the ideas and the typing… the entire story was done totally and completely by Olivia. I only helped with spelling and Photoshopping the drawings and pictures she draws. By writing these story Olivia hopes to inspire other kids to create, be kind to each other and share their words and stories too!

Olivia World Writes

October 8, 2013October 8, 2013

A Simple Note

She left it in a spot she knew I’d look as soon as I got home.

It stared back at me and a smile took over my face. I quickly opened it and saw the hand written note. I knew exactly who it was from. I was instantly warmed by her thoughtfulness and the lovely surprise after a long work week. I clutched and embraced it in delight as I was filled with happiness.

I yelled to Francine upstairs,”FRRRRAAANNNNCIIIIINNNNNNEEEEE”

“Yes momma!” I love when she calls me momma…. makes my heart melt

“Come here peanut!”

“In a second I’m putting my cupcakes in the oven!”

Thump…thump…thump…at the bottom of the stairs our eyes meet and we were lit up by each other’s smiles.

” I saw that note,” I say grabbing her hand and pulling her in to squeeze her close and kiss her cheek

“Uh huh.”

“Thank you! It was sooooo sweet!” I say this time embracing her cheek to cheek and adding another kiss.

“You’re welcome momma,” she answers with a straight face

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she answers.

“Francine what is it?”

“Nothing……” she answers again.

This time with a fake smile. She looks at me. This time hers shouting do you get it momma. Do you know what I need? I paused and stared at her searching her eyes for the answer. The card she wrote flashed in my head.

“You really miss momma don’t you! Has it been hard on you, daddy taking you to practice this season and mom taking Olivia to swimming? We don’t get much time together these days do we?!”

“No!” she bursts confirming my words.

“Mom will be home all weekend! We can spend tons of time together.”

Saturday afternoon came around and my 7 week old nephew was coming over to spend a couple hours with us while my sister and her husband went to a surprise party. Olivia complained of a sore throat and stomach ache. I texted my sister and told her it was probably best if we came to her being that Olivia was not feeling good. With the ok from my sister I spoke with my husband explaining what happen the night before with Francine and the note.

“Francinnnnnneeeeeee!!!!!!!!”

“Yes momma?!”

“Do you want to come help take care of Callan tonight, just you and me. ”

“Suuuuure!!”

That night at my sisters it was all about her… and a lot about my nephew too… she picked her favorite dinner, we all snuggled and watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (one of her favorite movies) and High School Musical (another favorite) were the movies of choice. We snacked on popcorn and played Monopoly. She smiled and giggled and we laughed together in between moments of being a smidge jealous of the time had to spend on my nephew and her buying up all her favorite avenues and street and collected her rent.

At the end of the night as my nephew tried to see if he could out last both of us, Francine laid on the couch snuggling up with me as I fed him. I smiled and gazed into my nephews eyes and took moments to rub Fracine’s back as her eyes opened and closed fighting off sleep. Just as I thought she had finally surrendered to the sand man I looked down to see her staring at me. She looked up and just stared at me and smiled.

“What?!” I giggled as I stared back at her.

“You’re really good at that momma,” answered sweetly.

I smiled at her kissing her forehead her and tucking her in again as my heart melted.

“Thank you sweetie. I try,” and I kissed her good night one more time.

September 29, 2013October 1, 2013

Overwhelmed By Kindness

The text pinged in on my phone (actually it we do wee wo so…yes yes… R2D2… Stop laughing…I know…I can’t help it)

TEXT: Can Francine come over for a playdate on Friday?

Francine had been dear friends with this little girl in kindergarten. The change in grades and then into different classrooms for 1st grade had made it tough for the friendship to continue to blossom.

I knew didn’t even need to ask Francine (my 6 year old), though. I knew she would 100%, without hesitation want to go over to her friends house.

MY REPLY: Of course!!! She would love to see her!

As soon as my finger hit the send key my heart sank.

What about Olivia (my 7 year old)?

I would be at work and she didn’t have a play date of her own. She isn’t going to like this! Telling Francine that she has a play date and then telling Olivia…sorry sweetie you don’t have a play date was NOT going to be fun!

Wait!

I thought for a moment. Olivia has her wonderful, long time, we only get to see on days off, since they go to different schools but are like kindred spirits friend…

Nahhhhhh

Sighhhhhh.

Wait… Maybe…just maybe….nahhhh.

Grrrr…

What was I going to do?!!

Maybe I could.

Nahhhhh I couldn’t.

Could I??!!!…

I just got done telling Olivia that it is rude to invite yourself over to other peoples houses.

Sigghhhhhhhh

How am I going to do this without being rude??

So I took a deep breath and just said it like it was. I texted Olivia’s friend’s mother and told her about Francine’s play date. I explained the situation and how Olivia didn’t have one. Then I told her I knew what I was doing was very forward of me but I asked her please could she have Olivia over on Friday. Then I apologized profusely for my forwardness and told her over and over again that I would make it up to her the next time there was a day off. I knew I would owe her BIG!

In a couple of hours my phone rang (YES! it was not a normal ringer…the popcorn song from the Muppets Movie….shut up!).

“Hello….”

It was Olivia’s friends mother. Without hesitation, without concern for me to repay this favor, without any thought but that this is what friends do she said yes. My heart lit up. Olivia would be giddy to have a play date with her friend and my world of motherhood with two daughters would remain peaceful and drama free. Most of all I was deeply moved by the selfless, each word that told me not to worry about it and overwhelmed me with her unconditional kind act she did without hesitation for me.

It is an act of kindness I will never forget.

It is an act of kindness I will seek to pay forward to other mothers.

It is a feeling I want other mothers to know and feel…that we are in this together. That we are here for each other. That sometimes we just meet people that are willing to without hesitate an unselfish act of kindness.

It is an act that I will be certain to share with someone else!

Unexpected Kindness

September 27, 2013September 27, 2013

Road Closed

Piloting being a 1:1 iPad classroom* and being an almost completely paperless classroom left me filled me up and wanting more. It inspired me to be a risk taker, it inspired me to follow a brewing passion (technology…duh?!!) and it pushed me to go big, prove to everyone, to show everyone that if the students in my classroom can accomplish this, do this, be successful at this then anyone can…everyone should!!! Quite frankly, the end of last years’ school year was career and life changing for me.

When the new school year began this year I was filled up with idea, inspiration and a ton of tricks I was going to try in my classroom. We were going to seriously rock it as a 1:1 iPad. Only I forgot to do one thing…. I forgot to check to make sure that I would even be able to be a 1:1 iPad classroom. Call me naive, call me dumb, say duhhh Carrie, but I seriously believed that if we seriously rocked the 1:1 iPad pilot …I mean rocked it so hard the audiences would cheer and clap and break down the stage if we didn’t come back out for an encore rocked it there would be no way that our technology awesomeness could be denied. Well it was and not just in a just wait a bit it will happen or maybe next year style…it was a road block. Full on stop traffic.

I thought about crying in a vat of coffee and piles of chocolates or get so mad I’d bust, but really neither of those would solve my problem…coffee and chocolate are so very nice though. We were a classroom full of skilled iPad users/paperless classroom with some access to iPads and we would no longer be able to be paperless. What was I going to do…

I decided that I was going to ignore this stupid road block and take it upon myself to find away around it. It might take longer, it might mean I’ll have to ask for direction, it might mean we have to conquer some mountains but gosh darn it we were loading up the car and we were going to get there. We were going to get back to being a 1:1 iPad classroom.

First I reassessed any students who were not already being evaluated for assistive technology. Were there any other students (last year we identified two) that if we took the technology away from them it would significantly impact their organization, their access to information, their participation in class etc. We identified two more.

Second (and this was super hard for me) I had to have a talk with my students who would not qualify for assistive technology. I explained to them the situation and told them that we would still be using technology, we would work together to pick a preferred technology tool and they would become an expert at it. It would have to be a tool that was accessible by desktop. We would also go back to hand writing notes and worksheets.

Third I decided I needed to stay ahead of the game. I needed to continue to use all the new tools and techniques I was learning about. I needed technology stayed ever present and an active part of every period, every lesson, conversations…an ever present tool.

Fourth (and final) I was going to make sure I made and took opportunities to teach others. I was going to make sure I took opportunities to work with my peers, help them figure out technology, how to use something, how to create with something. I was going to work with our tech person to make opportunities for me to help her or for me to teach staff some of the tools I use with students.

…most of all I was not going to give up. I would keep sharing, keep talking, keep asking, keep moving forward with as much technology because road blocks can’t last forever and if they do I’ll just find a way around them!

RoadBlock

A Note about the post… I am fully aware of how very lucky I am as an educator to work in the district I work in. I am also extremely grateful for the tools and technology that I have to teach with. Technology is an amazingly fantastic tool that is powerful and has so very much to offer students. When you know the technology is there and you know its potential its hard to not have it. I also know money doesn’t grow on trees!

*A classroom that each student has their own individual iPad to use, in many cases (in mine) the students are allowed to also bring them home to use