Model Schools After Glow

I just got back from the Model Schools Conference in Washington DC. I was so lucky to have had the opportunity to share this experience with 98 teachers in our district.  It was so inspiring to spend time with teachers from my own district as well as meet and share ideas with educators across the country.  For me the motivation started with the straight-talking keynote speaker, Dr. Susan Szachowicz, as she shared the Brockton High School success story.  The school transformed from a low performing urban school to one of the best high schools in the state.  The reason for this rise in achievement is credited to implementing high standards and expectations, monitoring student progress while changing the school culture.  Another point that Dr. Szachowicz made was how important training teachers is to the process as schools move toward the Common Core.  This need for training was echoed through out the conference, which resonated for me.  As a media specialist I feel our role is to make everyone else effective. Which means to find the tools that best suit your needs and supply the training needed for you to use them.  During the conference I attended the sessions that were connected to technology integration, 1:1 devices, The Common Core, and digital textbooks, not a big surprise!  My head is still spinning from all the new tools and ideas that I was introduced too.  As I go through and research the tools that were shared with me I will be using the Edtech blog to showcase the ones I think we could all benefit from.

The first new tool I want to share is FlipSnack.  This is an online flipbook creator.  You upload the PDF’s and it creates a flipbook that can be shared with your students.  Students can also use this tool to create flipbook reports or other research projects.  It is very easy to use and the possibilities are endless!  Here is great FlipSnack example:  http://www.flipsnack.com/flipsnackedu/f7ujqcnh.