The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #37 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #37 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

iReach: Incorporating Blackboard as a Cornerstone for Digital Conversion

Maryville City Schools, a small, public Tennessee school district of 5000 students, will be sharing their first year implementation story of using Blackboard as a cornerstone product for the district’s digital conversion model, iReach. Presenters will focus on sharing information about the preparation and training for a successful implementation in grades K-12. In addition, details will be highlighted regarding our development of a 3-year plan, building instructional capacity, and establishing a strong communication system with our stakeholders.

Amy Vagnier, Principal, Foothills Elementary School
Andy Lombardo, Instructional Technology Coach/ Technology Coordinator, Maryville Junior High School
Jodi Eanes, STEM Teacher/ Technology Coordinator
John Sevier Elementary School; Maryville Public Schools

Amy Vagnier has served as principal at Foothills Elementary School (Maryville, TN) since 2006. In addition to her responsibilities as principal, she also serves as iREACH leader for the 1:1 digital conversion in the Maryville City school district. In this role, Mrs. Vagnier is working with instructional, technical, and communication teams to implement a phased transition to the utilization of 1:1 devices in 2015. In addition to her leadership roles, Amy’s classroom experience includes teaching in grades 1, 4, and 5. Mrs. Vagnier has also worked in gifted education, as a technology coordinator, and as a writing instructor for teachers at the state level. She holds an Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction.

Andy Lombardo is an Instructional Coach/Technology Coordinator for Maryville Junior High School and a Blackboard Coordinator for Maryville City Schools. In his eleven years in education, he has worked primarily as an English teacher who worked to incorporate science and technology into the core curriculum. He has previously served as an Educator Intern at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont as a researcher for Discover Life in America and the All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, in the Education Department at the Knoxville Zoological Gardens, was selected as a participant in the Toyota International Teacher Program to Galapagos, and completed an EarthWatch research fellowship monitoring mammals in Costa Rica.

Jodi Eanes is a STEM Teacher/Technology Coordinator for John Sevier Elementary School. Jodi has a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been in education for 17 years with experience teaching first grade, technology for second-fourth grades, and currently STEM for second-third grades. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, she provides professional development and support for teachers implementing technology into their classrooms. Jodi is currently working to implement a 1:1 digital conversion in Prekindergarten through third grade using tablet devices.

Twitter:

Amy Vagnier
Twitter: @aevagnier

Andy Lombardo
School twitter handle is @mjhsrebels and personal twitter is @andylombardo

Jodi Eanes
@jodieanes

When: Monday, June 1, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #36 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #36 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

What do you mean “Stress Free Teaching”?

Imagine feeling like you have created an individual education plan for every student without all the work! Personalized learning, engagement, and less stress are just a few of the benefits I have experienced through implementing blended learning. Join me as I share a journey that leaves students asking to skip recess and me leaving one sentence sub notes that say "the kids know what to do"!

Diana Bailey, Fifth Grade Teacher, Deerfield Elementary, Lawrence Public Schools

Raised in Lawrence Kansas, Diana Bailey has taught elementary students for 11 years. Two years ago she began to utilize the blended learning model for 21st century learners. During this time she has won the Unusually Excellent Educator Award and the Lawrence School District Teacher of the Year for 2014. As regional semi-finalist for the state of Kansas teacher of the year, her peers seek her out as a role model, for collaboration, and blended learning practices to implement in their own classrooms. Her love of the outdoors, excersise, travel, and humor keep her in touch with the youth of today and constantly seeking out ways to improve her teaching strategies.

Twitter: @krizmandiana

When: Monday, May 18, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #35 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #35 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Blending: A Recipe for Engaging in Rigorous Math Instruction

Blended Learning is helping math teachers engage students with rigorous math instruction, while supporting the Common Core Standards. Join us as we share a few strategies and techniques that we are using in our classrooms.

Danira Fernandez-Flores, Teacher on Special Assignment – Math 6-12, Foreign Language
Philip Thies, Teacher on Special Assignment – Math K-5, Lawrence Public Schools

Danira Fernandez-Flores is a veteran Mathematics and Spanish teacher in the Lawrence Public Schools. She has taught 10 years at the junior high level and 9 years at the high school level, where she served as Mathematics Department Chair. The last two years she has brought her leadership skills to the position of Teacher on Special Assignment. Danira has taught Mathematics in the blended model, she has supported teachers with the blended model, and created professional learning opportunities for teacher using the blended model. Danira focuses her work towards empowering teachers in designing curricular and instructional environments that promote authentic engagement and learning for all students.

Philip Thies is proud to be a Teacher on Special Assignment with Lawrence Public Schools. Philip partners with teachers, parents, and administrators to design digital curriculum that supports blended learning classrooms and professional learning opportunities, while establishing an atmosphere of personalized learning for all. His passion for education inspires others, creating an environment where individuals exceed expectations.

Twitter: @daniralflores and @philipthies

When: Monday, May 11, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #34 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #34 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Breaking the mold: Blending PD with Blackboard Learn

Blended learning and personalization are two extremely popular buzzwords currently cycling through the realm of education. Many teachers have experienced Blackboard Learn as a student in an undergraduate or graduate level, online course. They have often been exposed to a few of the basic Learn tools, but often have not worked with many of Blackboards features. In order to help provide ideas and inspiration for teachers to use Blackboard learn in a K-12 “blended environment”, the session will focus on “breaking the mold” of traditional sit and get tech training to a more flexible, modeling of blended models and strategies using Blackboard Learn. These blended trainings can help teachers not only learn how to build in Blackboard Learn, but model effective blended strategies in the process.

Jason Bihler, Instructional Designer (High Schools)

After completing his bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Mr. Jason Bihler began his fourteen year teaching career in the Mississippi Delta at Shaw High School in Shaw, Mississippi. After two years, he moved to Nashville to take a social studies position at Antioch High School and has spent the last twelve years developing instruction that utilizes technology to push the boundaries of the traditional classroom.

In striving to make connections with his students and to foster higher levels of learning, he began to infuse his classroom with lessons that integrated technology in a variety of innovative ways. Among his pursuits, digital storytelling, back-channeling, and creating his own blended learning environments have enabled him to challenge his students and extend the learning environment. He moved from a single computer classroom with tape recorders and a video camera to the use of digital document cameras, webcams, mobile computer labs, a cart of iPads and student mobile devices. By creating his own web pages, utilizing the Exploring Minds Network, developing Historically Speaking… (a five year blended experiment with Ning), and incorporating Blackboard©, Jason has worked to develop a classroom that is conducive to collaboration, creativity, and communication, while meeting the challenges of the 21st century classroom.

He is an award winning teacher being selected twice as the Teacher of the Year at Antioch and was last year awarded as the General Education Teacher of the Year at the Academies of Nashville Awards. He has facilitated professional development concerning the innovative use of technology in the classroom at both the school and district level.
Twitter: @idesignlt

When: Monday, May 4, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #33 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #33 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Methods for Encouraging Academic Honesty

As educators we have a wonderful opportunity to help students attain knowledge and develop skill and strong character as a result of hard work that is found at the core of a valuable education. As such, academic honesty is a critical component of teaching and learning. In this session, participants will learn about countermeasures for improving academic honesty, pros and cons for each countermeasure, tips for implementing the countermeasures, and evidence that demonstrates that the countermeasures work.

Dr. Misty H. Cobb, Senior Solutions Engineer

Misty Cobb is a Senior Solutions Engineer, K-12 at Blackboard, Inc. Misty is the Teaching and Learning team lead and has worked at Blackboard for three years. Prior to joining Blackboard, Misty served as a director of eLearning and an instructional designer at a regional university in Alabama. Before moving to higher education, she taught grades 9-12, Business/Marketing Education for four years in Alabama.

Misty holds two degrees from Jacksonville State University (BS, MBA) and an EdD in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama. Her doctoral research focused on transformational learning experiences of higher education faculty via formal professional development provided by a technology vendor (Blackboard). Misty's other professional experience includes educational technology, enterprise technology implementation, consulting, project management, course and curriculum design, and assessment.

Misty and her husband have three children, Nathan (6) and girl/boy twins, Charis and Jonas (2). She resides with her family in Heflin, Alabama.

Twitter: @mistyhcobb

When: Friday, May 1, 2015 12:00 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #32 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #32 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Virtual Peer Tutoring

The North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) Peer Tutoring Center (PTC) is a student run organization providing peer tutoring and other virtual support services to students across North Carolina. The 60+ student volunteers staffing the PTC use collaborative tools such as Blackboard Instant Messenger, Blackboard Collaborate, Blogspot, email and texting, to connect and engage students with their academic learning. The PTC benefits students by providing content specific support in the form of peer tutoring, but our services go beyond tutoring. We also provide Virtual Buddies as a support system for unmotivated students or those who are unprepared for online learning. Through the use of encouragement, gentle reminders, and assistance with time management and acquisition of study skills, our Virtual Buddies help students overcome obstacles preventing the student from engaging with their course content. The PTC also publishes a blog, TutorTalk, which focuses on how to be a successful, well rounded student. The PTC volunteers are actively engaged in all aspects of the organization's operations. By allowing our student volunteers opportunities for leadership and real world experience in teaching, blogging and marketing, the PTC takes its volunteers well beyond the classroom.

Crystal Pullen, Instructional Leader for the Peer Tutoring Center

Crystal is a long time virtual educator with 14 years experience teaching Career Technical Education. She began working with NCVPS as an instructor in 2007 and as a Research Development Innovation Specialist in 2008. In 2009, she collaborated on the creation of the North Carolina Virtual Public School's Peer Tutoring Center.

Twitter: @Crystal.Pullen

When: Monday, April 27, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #30 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #30 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Bringing Learning to Life with Blackboard

When students need an online learning experience and instructors need data that is easy to manage, the Wake County Public School System uses Blackboard. Learn how Wake County has used Blackboard for over 14 years and what tools have become invaluable for their system. Patrick and Adrianne will highlight several programs, which have grown with the adoption of Blackboard solutions, including the Career and Technical Education Department.

Patrick Tart, Blackboard System Administrator

For nine years, the elementary classroom was my bread and butter where I grew in my love for quality education enriched by technology. Three of those nine years were strictly in the computer lab where I landed the honor of top twelve teachers of the year for Wake County Public School System as well as the WRAL Teacher of the Week. Next, I completed my M. Ed. in Educational Technology and moved into the Blackboard System Administrator position shortly afterwards. Working each day to support our students and teachers via Blackboard is a joy.

Adrianne Rowe, M. Ed., CTE Department Chair, Martin Gifted and Talented Middle School, Wake County Public Schools

Adrianne Rowe: I began my teaching adventure in 2001 at a Durham Communities in School Academy focused on helping at-risk students stay in school through building relationships with caring adults in both the community and the school system. In 2005, I completed my Master’s Degree in Education at North Carolina State University.
My journey took me to Sanderson High School in 2005 where I became part of a pilot program for Blackboard in Wake County Schools. Since 2005, I have moved to middle school education, written curriculum for Wake County Public Schools, participated in creating state assessment items for NCDPI, and served as CTE Department Chair, yearbook advisor, and Blackboard coordinator for my school. Over the past decade, Blackboard has played an integral role in helping me grow in methods of content delivery, differentiation, assessment, and engaging my students in a 21st century classroom. 

Twitter: @WCPSS

When: Monday, April 20, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #28 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #28 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Meeting the Needs of ALL Learners through Individualized Learning

This presentation will explore how the affordances made available by learning management systems (LMSs) can help meet the needs of all students by individualizing learning. Individualization refers to instruction that is paced and adjusted to the learning needs of different learners. A teacher who individualizes instruction selects technology and responses to support the learning needs of the individual learner and monitors learning to decide next steps and integrates an assessment of learning. Yet, most LMSs are not utilized to their fullest potential and participants in this session will learn about how instruction can be individualized through adaptive and conditional release.

Matthew J. Kruger-Ross, STEM Professional Learning Coordinator, North Carolina Virtual Public School

Matthew J. Kruger-Ross is the STEM Professional Learning Coordinator for North Carolina Virtual Public School. He is also a doctoral candidate in Philosophy and Education at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. After completing his BS in Middle Grades Education from NC State University in May 2005 Matthew stepped into the classroom at Carolina Friends School, an independent Quaker school in Durham, North Carolina, where he taught math, music, and technology in the middle school. After four wonderful years, he chose to leave CFS and pursue advanced degrees in educational technology, philosophy and critical studies. In May 2012, Matthew completed his Masters of Science in Instructional Technology at NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Matthew’s research interests include philosophy of education, philosophy of technology, transformative learning and critical studies.

Twitter: @mjkrugerross

When: Monday, April 6, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #27 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #27 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Kicking Down the Doors of Online Learning: Collaboration Among Teachers

When teachers teach, Collaboration between teachers is by far the best way to make sure that students are receiving the best possible instruction. This collaboration is Two fold. Teachers and Teachers leaders should not only be sharing their best practices in online learning but they should be giving away the best WAYS to share online in online teaching communities. Teachers need to kick down the doors of online education classrooms. Amazing things are happening in classrooms all over the internet, and its time to pull back the curtains and give away the secrets. However, its not enough to just give away whats going on in the online classroom--we need to also shed some light on the best ways to share those secrets. By using online communities and e-learning communities teachers can find new ways to reach students. In this presentation, I will use examples from the medical model (the ways that physicians look at collaborations) to show how teachers can fully leverage the power of collaboration and teaching.

James Bell, Professional Learning Coordinator/Non Public Division Coordinator

Twitter: @jhbell

When: Monday, March 30, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #26 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #26 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Building a Digital District

Our session will focus on the process that Cecil County Public Schools used to implement Blackboard Learn™ in our K-12 school district. In less than two years, we have leveraged the content collection to house our entire curriculum electronically and we have over 4000 students participating in hybrid courses and other blended learning activities. In addition, the majority of our county professional development is delivered through Blackboard Learn™ in an online or a hybrid format. We will show how we did it and examples of courses designed for both students and teachers.

Kyle Rickansrud - Instructional Coordinator for Educational Technology and Media Services

Terry Politi - Technology Instructional Coach

Kyle is in his 8th year as the Coordinator of Educational Technology and is responsible for technology, curriculum, and integration for Cecil County Public Schools

Twitter: @BlackboardK12

When: Monday, March 23, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #25 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #25 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll featurae the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Be the Architect, not the Builder

Step into Blended Learning and be the architect or designer of your students’ learning environment allowing them to do the work of building their learning experience. Join me for a discussion on how to create an effective blended learning environment.

Paula Barr, 2nd Grade Blended Learning Teacher

I am a seasoned teacher with 32 years of experience teaching first and second grade. I began my journey with Blended Learning one year ago and watched as my students transformed into totally engaged, collaborative, self-directed learners. I’m excited to share about my most effective year as an educator.

Twitter: @pbarrhorses

When: Monday, March 9, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #24 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #22 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll feature the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Teacher Toolbox - Reshaping Assessment and Feedback For Online Students

Assessment and feedback are at the heart of the learning experience.  In this session, we will discuss specific strategies for shaping assessment and feedback in the online environment to build strong teacher/student relationships, guide resource and learning path decisions, increase student metacognition, and provide tools for current and future learning within the content.

Jeni Day, Science Teacher, Instructional Leader, Course Developer

I have been teaching science for 17 years, and have 4 years of online teaching experience with NCVPS as a teacher and, for the past year, as an Instructional Leader. In addition to an amazing education in a rural North Carolina high school. I am a proud East Carolina University graduate, am National Board Certified (and renewed) in AYA/Science, and achieved AIG Certification through an online program with University of Virginia.

Twitter: @MrsDayNCVPS

When: Monday March 2, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #23 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #23 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll feature the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Breaking Through the Bricks: Providing Student Feedback in an Online Environment

How is providing feedback in the online environment different from in the brick and mortar classroom? Explore key considerations and best practices in providing specific and engaging feedback to learners of all ages in a digital classroom in order to improve student success..

Claudine Townley, Solutions Engineer

Claudine Townley is a K-12 Blackboard Solutions Engineer with a focus on teaching and learning and adoption success. She has spent 20+ years in public education in both the brick and mortar and online worlds. Her former roles included language arts teacher, reading coach, and director Florida Virtual School’s global department. She is also a published author, a National Board Certified Teacher, and holds a Master of Science in Education, with a specialization in reading and literacy.

Twitter: @claudinetownley

When: Friday, February 27, 2015 12:00 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #22 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #22 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll feature the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Enhance Middle School Student Experience & Accountability using Bb Achievements

Students are used to achieving goals in electronic games and are motivated to “get to the next level”. Using this premise, I set out to explore ways to entice my students in my blended classes to log in to Blackboard early and often. I found devising Achievement gradients and awarding Badges are an effective motivator. can do the trick. In this session I will share how I designed my course with a tiered system of badges to motivate my students and provide them with tangible goals and achievements and keep them coming back for more. For some students the learning process feels intangible -- earning a certificate or badge can change this feeling and the student can see their progress toward definite goals. I will teach you the “how” but also the “why” of using this reward system with middle school aged children.

Maria Clinger, Teacher – Spanish 6-8

Maria Clinger is a NBCT of Science and now teaches Spanish to Middle School students. After graduating from James Madison University, she began teaching in her hometown of Arlington, VA. She taught Biology for 10 years and taught one year abroad in Quito, Ecuador, before making the leap to teach Spanish. She is a native Spanish-speaker and first generation Ecuadorian. Her love of learning and teaching has been a constant throughout her life. She is a mother of three and spends her free time playing, cooking, and reading with her children.

Twitter: @SraClinger

When: Monday, February 23, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #21 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #21 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll feature the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

Online Instructional Modules: Keeping the Design Process in Mind

Darlene Schaefer - Curriculum Instructional Leader, NCVPS

Natasha Wippel - Curriculum Instructional Leader, NCVPS

Brandi Thurmond - Curriculum Instructional Leader, NCVPS 

Ann Taylor Lusk - Curriculum Instructional Leader, NCVPS

Twitter: @dschaeferncvps @NatashaWippel @BrandiThurmond

When: Monday February 16, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #19 #BbK12Live

The @BlackboardK12 BITS Learning Sessions #19 #BbK12Live

I've partnered with BlackboardK12 to share out the awesome sessions they are having this Fall. Educators can sign up to attend and share with other great educators what they have learned. I'll feature the session and the description on my blog each week and on my Twitter account. If you have questions, feel free to shoot a tweet to @BlackboardK12. Have fun learning and sharing!

The Networked Teacher: The Power of the Professional Learning Network

An accomplished teacher continues to learn. An accomplished teacher continues to connect, communicate, and collaborate. Now 14 years into the 21st century, there are a myriad of ways that teachers can capitalize on the 3C’s of building community, and move beyond the static face-to-face and one-to-one encounters with a brick and mortar school. This session will explore the power of the Professional Learning Network, taking the concepts of a learning community and looking at it from a more global context. How can teachers share, collaborate, discuss, and learn from other teachers around the state, nation, or world? How can teachers engage in an environment that builds and supports not only individual, professional learning, but the learning of students? Although many digital tools are used to develop and sustain a PLN, this session will focus on Twitter and maximizing its use to learn, grow, and connect. The key to building a successful PLN is a commitment to learn, play, engage, and contribute.

Don Lourcey, Director of Professional Learning, North Carolina Virtual Public School

Don Lourcey is the Director of Professional Learning for North Carolina Virtual Public School. He has been an educator for 22 years and before coming to NCVPS in 2007, he served as an English teacher for 11 years and an Instructional Facilitator for 4 years. He is passionate about teaching, learning, innovation, leadership, and digital literacy. He currently lives in Statesville, NC with his wife Michelle (the Chief Academic Officer for NCVPS) and his daughter Elizabeth, and two cats, Gator and Tebow (yep, you guessed it, he is a Florida Gator fan).

Twitter: @dlourcey

When: Monday, February 2, 2015 3:30 PM EST

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Don't forget to check out the Blackboard Live App. It has all of the sessions you might have missed and much much more.  Here is the playlist where you can watch this recorded session and other sessions you might have missed.