Reminding Students with @Evernote #edchat

I'm always looking for ways to better communicate with students and keep them up to date with what we are doing in class. One of the ways I'm going to do this is by using the Reminder feature on Evernote. It is a great way for students to remember what they need to do before they head home for the school day. Here is how I set it up.

1. I share specific notebooks with students that they join. These notebooks are assignments, handouts, notes, etc.

2. I tell students they can download Evernote for their phone if they choose to receive reminders. They download Evernote and turn notifications on for their device.

3. I create notes in the notebooks I want students to access. When I create the note, I set a reminder for the day and time I want the students to receive the reminder.

I always set the reminder for my students for the end of the school day. 

4. When the time comes, a notification will appear on their phone at 3:05 reminding the of the homework for the day. 

5. I can review all of my reminders in the notebook and check them off when they have been completed. 

This is a simple way for me to send another reminder to my students that they have something to do before they go home. I look to do some other things with the reminders as well. I can pass along messages of encouragement in notebooks and set a timer for their reminder. I can set long term notifications for projects to help them stay organized. I'm sure there are many more ways I can use reminders to help my students. Leave any ideas you might have in the comment section. 

If you want to start your Evernote journey now, follow this link to sign up!

Thanks!

Nick

Change Your Perspective #EdChat

The school year is starting for educators and students across the country and I wanted to write a post about something I intend to do this year and I hope other will join me. I need to change my perspective. 

I recently wrote a post about my newest classroom endeavor. I am bringing 20 Time to my classroom and I cannot wait to share all of the amazing things my students will be doing. Part of making 20 Time possible in my classes was finding 35 days in  my curriculum to carve out so my students could work every Friday and have a week to present their projects in June. I thought this was going to be a daunting task. I felt that I had already stripped my curriculum to the bare bones and everything in there HAD to be taught. I was way off. 

I approached this task with one simple question, "Is _____ creating a better learner?" Instead of looking at curriculum as something I needed to cover, I wanted to focus on the lesson plans I had created and ask that question for every single day I had planned. I had to change my perspective. By asking that question, I was able to carve out half of the days I needed pretty easily. I quickly removed a movie and a project that were interesting, but were not creating a better learner. I then had some tough decisions as I looked at areas of my curriculum that I liked, but I found to be redundant. I parted with some lessons I truly loved, but knew didn't add anything new to the conversation. 

After over an hour of pouring over my lessons, I was able to find the days I needed and I was very happy with my slimmed down curriculum. I felt I was still covering everything that was important and that my students would gain more from the 20 Time than doing another project focusing on the same concept taught twice or three times. My change in perspective was required to create a stronger curriculum for my students and provide them an opportunity to become better learners as they explore their projects. 

I invite all of you to change your perspective and ask, "Is ______ creating a better learner?"

Have a great school year!

Nick

Connections: Take Your Own #EduTour

I've been dreading this post for a while. Trying to sum up all of my thoughts on the EduTour does not seem like something I can do in a post. There were so many great things that I could write about, I would hate to leave anything out. With school starting today, this post seem to be a bit easier for me. Something cleared up and I felt like I had something to say. 

The goal of the EduTour was to get out and meet people. I wanted to have conversations with people I would never have a chance to talk to face to face. In this aspect, the EduTour was a huge success. I was able to meet people and talk to them. I learned some new things and had a great time talking. 

However, there was more to the trip than I realized. I didn't just meet people and talk to them, I made meaningful connections. I was able to hear about the problems that others face in their classrooms and engage them in problem solving. I connected with people in a way that is not possible online. Online is a great place to start a conversation, but face to face takes it to a whole other level. 

This level of connection was something that was a pleasant surprise. I have these great connections with people from Detroit to San Francisco. There are people I can now turn to when I have questions or need some support. I would not trade this experience for anything in the world. These connections will make me a better person and a better educator. 

Another great part of the EduTour was the fact that people were following us using social media. It was a great way for friends, new and old, to support Tim and I as we drove across the country. We were sent funny messages, pictures, music suggestions and other bits of information to keep us occupied during long stretches in the car. Social Media allowed us to stay connected with the amazing  people we have met over the years and that made the trip a little more special. 

It would be awesome if every educator could jump in the car with the best buddy and drive around the country. There is so much to learn outside of our comfort zone if we get up and go. I propose a challenge to all of the educators out there; take an EduTour of your school or district. 

Find a way to take a visit across your school or your district and connect with teachers in other departments and buildings. Your EduTour can be done over the course of the school year and you can make wonderful connections with educators right around the corner. These are the connections that can help you grow as a teacher and create stronger learning environments for your students. We often forget that there are experts down the hallway that we could learn amazing things from if we take the time to say hello and listen to what they have to teacher. 

For this school year, I challenge you to create your own EduTour in your building or district and share what you learned with the rest of us. Have a great year and I can't wait to learn from you. 

Enjoy these pictures from the EduTour

Nick

You Are Not Alone #edchat

The first day of school is starting for many of us on Tuesday and I wanted to share some important information with all of the new teachers, veteran teachers and everyone else int he world of education: You are not alone.

Schedules are going to get busy, assignments are going to pile up and life is going to get silly. It is crucial to know that you do not have to walk alone on this wild ride. Reach out to another teacher, call a friend or just speak to your loved ones. The best way to stay focused is to rely on the friends and family that have helped you through so much this year.

If you do have you act together as we move through the school year, then please look out for others that might be barely treading water. Sometimes it is tough to ask for help and it takes a good person to recognize that look and offer a hand.

This can be the best school year in the entire world for you and the students and the best way to accomplish this is to remember that you are not alone.

Have a great school year everyone and let me know if you need anything.

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