Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/569858
A districtwide tech conference was held during an in-service day with breakout sessions, an expo hall, food, prizes, and a "collaboration space" for sharing experiences and watching homemade instructional videos. For 20-year classroom veteran Marissa Sto- larik, the support has been phenomenal. "I'm not tech-savvy. If I hadn't gotten this kind of support, I wouldn't have jumped in," confides the second- and third-grade combination class teacher. "But now I'm using technology in my classroom. We have eliminated paper. Students have learned how to write on PDFs." Manteca students use computers for research, writing, blogging, solving math problems, creating bro- chures and project-based learning. Special education teacher Linda Cochran marvels that many of her students dislike working from books, but eagerly perform assign- ments on their tablets. "We've basically changed our whole culture here," says Johnson. "Staff is working together as a team. A lot of people were resistant at first, but more are becoming open to new ways of doing things." 'WIN-WIN' IN PALM SPRINGS In Palm Springs, educators have stepped up their game. Literally. "Yes, we have definitely 'gamified' our training," says Eduardo Rivera, Palm Springs Teachers Association, a technology TOSA and math teacher who trains teachers in using Google prod- ucts and Web 2.0 tools to create a Web presence. Rivera and fellow TOSAs Karen Foerch and Bhavini Patel wanted colleagues to become com- fortable with Chromebooks (computers running Google's Chrome operating system) — and avoid one-size-fits-all training. So in addition to offering a two-day work- shop on the basics, the TOSA team developed a website called Chrome Warrior, which offers video lessons and links to other online train- ings (check it out at chromewarrior.net). The site has sparked friendly competition. Participants log in to see who's made it to "top warriors" and "top weekly warriors" after completing chal- lenges. Prizes include new software. "Teachers monitor their progress for different missions we've created," • Choose one tool, app or website to experi- ment and play with. Check out videos about it on YouTube. Use it in class, in lesson design, with students and other teachers. • Find a "techie" teacher and ask them to share their ideas. Carve out time, even 15 minutes a week, to try out new tech tools with a few colleagues. A small group can pool knowledge and gain expertise more quickly than one teacher working in isolation. • Don't feel like you have to know every- thing before you start using a new technol- ogy with your students. They'll learn quickly and teach you. Be comfortable showing them that you're a learner too. • Seek out training opportunities. Attend lo- cal and regional tech conferences, such as an Edcamp or a CUE Conference. Start a Twitter account and follow other techies. Eduardo Rivera Brody Wonsley and Keaton Smith in Marla Rosenthal's class. BUILD YOUR TECH CONFIDENCE Tips from TOSAs on how even the most tech-averse teacher can ease into it: says Rivera. "These missions are mini-professional development lessons. Gradually they are becoming more autonomous, sharing with each other and trying new things on their own. We're not there yet, but it's a start." 28 cta.org Feature