Schoology NEXT 2016

We try so hard to get our students invested in school, but little of what we do mirrors the world our students live in. They are surrounded by technology and games 24/7. What happens when we bring a little of that world into our classrooms? Incorporating gaming principles into your curriculum will reinvigorate your instruction, engage your students, and change the entire climate of your classroom.

Session Objectives:
Attendees will come away from this session with 1) an understanding of the principles of gamification and how they apply to classroom instruction and 2) a blueprint for gamifying their own course content.

Presented by:
Beth Box
Teacher
Yearling Middle School, Okeechobee County Schools
Okeechobee, FL

Beth Box is a middle and high school teacher in Okeechobee County, Florida. She has been teaching for seven years and enjoys discovering innovative ways to use technology to engage her students with her content.

Join us for a discussion of the revision habits of students and how to get them passionate about revising. We'll also discuss the benefits of revision, based on recent research.

Presented by:
Jamie Calhoun
Content Specialist
Turnitin
Oakland, CA

Jamie Calhoun is a Content Specialist for Turnitin. Prior to this position, she earned her Ph.D. from Miami University of Ohio, and taught a variety of English Composition and English Literature courses there and at Xavier University and Penn State.

One of Schoology's most often overlooked features is the App Platform and Developer API. In this session, I will talk about how I went from a user of Schoology to an App developer. I will share the methods, tools and learning resources that turned me from a teacher into a developer in just under a year.

Session Objectives:
Attendees will come away with:
1) An understanding of the Schoology Developer Platform and API
2) A list of ideas of what the Schoology API can and can't do.
2) Tips on how to get started on developing a Schoology App

Presented by:
Adriaan van der Bergh
Technology Coordinator
International School of Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf, Germany

As a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and IT professional, Adriaan has lead innovation in technology and pedagogy within schools in South Africa, Thailand, South Korea and Germany.

First, through physical movement and through drawing, attendees will map their use of the Internet, and of Schoology. Based upon research from David White and Stephen Downes, attendees will learn the benefits of creating personal learning centers, what White calls residency, in a web-connected world. Second, attendees will come to learn that Schoology, an adaptive and evolving cloud-based learning platform, can be more than a learning management system. Schoology can evolve into an individual's personal learning center. Third, we will discuss and illustrate ways Schoology supports personal learning. Examples will include, but not be limited to, Schoology's Blog, Media Albums, Groups, and Portfolios. Next, attendees will discuss how this insight can be transferred to learners in their schools and classrooms. There is tremendous benefit in knowing how learners use the tools at their disposal. Finally, we will discuss differences between digital literacy and digital fluency; knowing when and why to use a digital tool is different than knowing how to use the digital tool. This information, along with comparing and contrasting Schoology maps helps educators create innovative ways to increase engagement and empowerment through the usage of Schoology.

Session Objectives:
Attendees will be immersed in active, engaging learning experiences that will offer personal learning insight, as well as, strategies for classroom implementation. (ISTE-T.2 Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences, ISTE-T.3 Model Digital Age Learning, ISTE-T.4 Promote Digital Responsibility, and ISTE-T.5 Engage in Professional Growth.
Attendees, through reflection and Internet mapping, will gain an understanding of using Schoology as a platform for personal learning. (ISTE-T.3 Digital learning)
Attendees will leave with at least two engaging strategies for gaining insight into learner preferences when using Schoology. (ISTE-T.1 Inspire Student Learning)
Attendees will be able to contrast digital literacy and digital fluency. (ISTE-T.1 Facilitate Student Learning, ISTE-T.5 Engage in Professional Learning)

Presented by:
Robert Schuetz
Technology Coordinator
Palatine High School - THSD-211
Palatine, IL

Bob is a NBCT, and Technology Coordinator at Palatine High School. A Schoology Ambassador, Bob was named Educator of the Year by Schoology in 2015. His reflections and contributions to learning can be found at “Nocking the Arrow”.

Explore how Lake County Schools developed a district wide system of micro-credentialing using Schoology to enable authentic professional learning, empower teachers, and deliver personalized PD. Learn about the growing pains and successes that may help inform your own implementation of micro-credentialing.


Session Objectives:
Participants will be able 1) to define and describe a successful micro-credentialing system 2) Identify potential barriers and mitigation strategies 3) Describe the process of implementing a micro-credentialing system via Schoology 4) Determine inputs that lead to a successful implementation

Presented by:
Kellie Beck
Technical Trainer
Lake County School District
Howey-in-the-Hills, FL

I am a graduate of FSU, where I earned my Bachelor's in Math Ed. This is my 10th year with Lake County Schools, the last 6 of which I spent as an Innovative Learning Specialist supporting Tech Integration and Personalized Learning for the district.

Melissa Broker
Innovative Learning Specialist
Lake County School District

I earned a B.A. in Education and a M.S. in Reading from the SUNY at Cortland. I’ve been with LCS 11+ years as a media/tech specialist, computer teacher and ILS. I’ve also worked in the private sector as an ed tech trainer and content technologist.

Content is key when it comes to succeeding in implementing a blended learning classroom. The right online text, video or multimedia clip guides self-directed student learning. However, curating is an art and specialty that Library Media Specialists are trained and apply to professionally curated collections of books and eResources in their libraries. As teachers begin integrating resources into their blended learning courses, the art of curation, especially Open Educational Resources, can make the difference between an excellent, interactive lesson and the equivalent of a digital worksheet. Expert curation means knowing the criteria and strategies for aggregating, sifting, and selecting the best resources. Open Educational Resources are not free if you pay a service to aggregate for you - nor are they personalized. Learn the strategies to maximize the use of free, online content - and then hire your Library Media Specialist to help support you.

Session Objectives:
In this session attendees will come away with the following: 1) Digital Materials Selection Procedure; 2) Step-by-step guide on mashing-up services to curate content; 3) Time to apply their skills and browse, sift, sort, synthesize and curate content for one unit; 4) Use tagging in Schoology to add to resources; 5) Workshop-in-a-box for Library Media Specialists who want to turn-key training for their teachers.

Presented by:
Fran Kompar
Library Media Services Coordinator, Prof. Learning Specialist
Cooperative Educational Services - Regional Service Center in CT
Greenwich, CT

Library Media Services Coordinator, K-12, Professional Learning Specialist, Curriculum Developer, Schoology Ambassador, certified in Google Apps, Nearpod, Leading efforts to Innovate the School Library.