More Verbs, Fewer Nouns

New Year’s Learning Resolution – Great Way to Engage Teachers

January 9, 2020

How might I find a way to reach more of my teachers? A colleague in another district has come up with a New Year’s Resolution professional learning program with personalized, bite-sized, monthly professional learning around topics like the 4Cs of 21st Century Learning, student reflection, formative assessment, and podcasts as professional learning. And now I’m thinking about how to apply a version to the educators in my district! … More New Year’s Learning Resolution – Great Way to Engage Teachers

Are We Taking On Too Much Too Fast?

January 7, 2020

We have lots of tech-focused projects to work on. And we’ve done a good job of identifying all the tasks that need to happen to be successful. And I’d love to have them all done soonest! But it looks like I haven’t accounted for how much time each takes. We might need to adjust our timetable… … More Are We Taking On Too Much Too Fast?

Education Technology Duality: Nouns, Verbs, and “Everything Just Works”

December 8, 2019

There is a duality in education technology: the hardware and software (the nouns) and what you want to do with it (the verbs). And even when you work to focus on the learning experiences made possible with the technology, that that technology works as needed/when needed is critical. … More Education Technology Duality: Nouns, Verbs, and “Everything Just Works”

So, Apparently, There are No Verbs Without Nouns

October 26, 2019

This is how I learned that there are no Verbs without Nouns. You can’t work on instruction and learning experiences unless all the tech is working seamlessly. And that’s when I realized that you can only be Verb-focused when everything just works. … More So, Apparently, There are No Verbs Without Nouns

Moving a District Towards More Verbs

October 24, 2019

I recently started a new journey to be (Learning Through) Tech Director in a small, rural, but innovative, 1to1 school district. I’m going to start sharing our journey to focus on more verbs (what we want to do with our tech) and fewer nouns (the devices, gadgets, and tools). … More Moving a District Towards More Verbs

MLTI is not a Tech Buy or Commodity. It’s a Learning Initiative.

February 3, 2019

A recent “Concept Draft” bill came to Maine’s Legislative Education Committee to make the Maine Learning Technology Initiative “more cost effective.” It greatly misunderstands MLTI. Read my testimony to the Ed Committee in opposition to this bill. … More MLTI is not a Tech Buy or Commodity. It’s a Learning Initiative.

Maine Learning Technology Framework

December 18, 2018

The Maine Learning Technology Framework describes the key elements and components needed to achieve the greatest learning benefit from a district’s technology investment. The Framework is intended to support teachers, tech leads, librarians and other school leaders in their efforts to leverage technology to improve student learning experiences related to learning targets and outcomes. … More Maine Learning Technology Framework

Are We Talking Technology or Are We Talking Learning

March 13, 2018

We will never be successful having our technology help improve student learning if we continue to primarily discuss the technology. Our technology conversations must focus on the kinds of learning we want for students. … More Are We Talking Technology or Are We Talking Learning

Let’s Focus on the Learning

March 13, 2018

As I have moved through the state and talked with educators about learning through technology, including while working with MLTI (the Maine Learning Technology Initiative), too often the conversations focused on laptops and tablets and folks wondering if we could find devices that were less expensive. Is it possible that in their thinking, all laptops … More Let’s Focus on the Learning

Educational Technology: Keep Learning First