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Mrs. Zajac, MA CCC-SLP/A Norton Middle School Norton High School
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, EdCamp Style Works For All!                                Reflections of #EdCampSEMass        By Rayna Freedman, Jacqueline Prester, Karen Winsper and Kim Zajac

2/25/2019

 
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#EdCampSEMass opened its doors once again to host its 3rd annual event on Saturday, December 1, 2018.  We welcomed sixty-seven attendees from forty-four different districts and/or companies to join a day of collaborative learning and professional development and personal recharging! The session board was filled in record time putting the ever-popular Student Panel on the marquee, along with a full range of topics such as Creating Ed Tech Resources, Mindful Classrooms/SEL and The Great Homework Debate for participants to plan and choose their schedule for the day. The learning and growth extending from the event reached all in attendance including the founders and organizers of the event, Rayna Freedman, Jacqueline Prester, Karen Winsper, and Kim Zajac, who have shared their reflections, Aha! Moments, and visions for the future of #EdCampSEMass here.

MAINTAINING RELEVANCE AND VALUE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

OnCUE: How great events come to be and the way they uniquely evolve over time is always a topic of interest in the professional development world.  What is the story of #EdCampSEMass?

EdCampSEMass: After attending many Edcamps hosted by colleagues throughout the region, we knew we wanted to bring the unconference model of professional learning to our part of the state. Edcamps are such empowering opportunities for educators to connect on topics that are meaningful to them. We wanted to share the Edcamp experience so the best way was to host an event ourselves. Rather than waiting for others to organize a local event, we thought, “Why not us?” We are fortunate to have the support of the Norton Public Schools where we have hosted every year. We are also very thankful to the dozens of sponsors and our veteran volunteers who help to make the event the success it has been!

THE EDCAMP STYLE OF LEARNING

OnCUE: In year three of organizing and hosting #EdCampSEMass, what stands out as the most distinguishing aspect of the EdCamp style of learning as compared to more traditional PD events and opportunities?

EdCampSEMass: We love the anticipation of not knowing what sessions will be offered beyond our student panel and MassCUE session. Educators come and the session board is empty, waiting for ideas to be discussed. The topics people choose are important to them, and they are seeking answers and ideas from like-minded educators. We also love the ‘leave the title at the door’ mentality for Edcamps. It does not matter if you are a superintendent, principal, teacher, school committee member, student, or coach. It is your ideas and interests that make learning happen. Lastly, we have a student panel that is always a huge crowd pleaser. We love the questions being asked and the honesty of our local students in answering them. Often in traditional professional development, it is a one size fits all models where you sit and listen. EdCamp allows us to think with our feet and have discussions. People leave with new ideas, feeling refreshed and ready to implement new things the next school day!

BUILDING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NETWORKS

OnCUE: How would you describe the influence your event, #EdCampSEMass, has had on facilitating connections and the building of PLN relationships for attendees over the past three years?

EdCampSEMass: Often times, educators feel isolated within their own districts. EdCamps draw educators who are like-minded, willing to take risks and try something new. Those who have attended EdCampSEMass come back year after year to see friends they have made at the event. Many have seen first hand the value of social media and connecting across districts, remaining in contact long after EdCampSEMass by sharing curriculum ideas and supporting one another. We encourage long-distance communication and camaraderie with our annual Twitter Challenge leading up to Edcamp, as well as in the week following the event. It’s a great way to give our attendees targeted discussion points before and after the event.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

OnCUE: To the educators reading this blog post who have never attended an EdCamp event, what words of encouragement, reasons or examples of benefit would you provide them to encourage them to step outside their comfort zone?

EdCampSEMass: The Edcamp community is extremely welcoming of all attendees. We tell potential participants that everyone leaves their title at the door. We are all equals who come to learn, grow, share, and network. Whether you are an Edcamp veteran or a first-time attendee, you will find it a refreshing and inspiring experience like no other. All attendees are encouraged to propose a session, whether as an expert wanting to share or as a learner wanting to know more! I’ll admit I was a little nervous the first time I went to an Edcamp, but was easily won over. With the format of Edcamp, you never know where a conversation may lead. At another Edcamp I attended, a discussion about Teach Like a Pirate turned into an impromptu lunchtime Hangouts session with none other than Dave Burgess, author of the best-seller Teach Like A Pirate! The possibilities are endless when you gather a group of inspired, motivated, and curious educators.

ORGANIZE YOUR OWN EDCAMP

edcamp18 participantsOnCUE: To the educators interested in #LeadingUp who are curious about organizing and hosting an EdCamp event in their district or geographical area, what advice or words of support can you provide to encourage them to take the risk and join the world of being #BetterTogether?

EdCampSEMass: There was a gaping hole for self-directed professional learning in our area. The founders had traveled for EdCamps, but realized hosting one in our area would fill a need and connect local educators who could network long after the event. One of the best things we did was tap into the resources from the amazing organizers who host EdCamp Cape Cod. Their advice and resources helped us get off the ground. We also connected with other EdCamp leaders all over the country via Twitter and Facebook to get more ideas. If you are decided on hosting one in your area take the risk and try it out. Ask for help! Expect attrition with attendance. Host a student panel. Seek volunteers to help you out with preparation and the day of. Have fun! You will not regret creating a learning space for passionate educators to share their resources.

2019 #EDCAMPSEMASS

OnCUE: As we enter 2019 and anticipate the arrival of the 4th annual #EdCampSEMass event, it’s only natural to look for teasers for what’s next and how favorited events will level up.  What aspects of #EdCampSEMass do you envision expanding or reaching new heights?

EdCampSEMass: One of the most anticipated and highly favored aspects of #EdCampSEMass has been the Student Panel. From the very start, edcamp18 student panelwe knew our Edcamp would have a strong voice for student-centered learning.  What we did not know is what shape that would take. In our first year, we decided to invite a panel of students to reserve a spot on our session board. They took to the stage of the auditorium where an audience of educators ranging from paraprofessionals to superintendents filled the room candidly asking questions to gain perspective from perhaps our most valuable, unfiltered and untapped resource: the students.  This experience provided a wealth of learning to both attendees and students which extended far beyond anything that could be gleaned from a book or research study. Attendees and students ask each year if the panel would make a return. Each year the answer has been a resounding “YES”!

In 2019, #EdCampSEMass fans should look to see the student presence at #EdCampSEMass reach new heights. The creative geniuses of the 2018 Student Panel have been cooking up plans to add a new dimension of Student Voice!  While the ideas continue to percolate, we could speculate they might offer up a flipped student panel where educators take to the stage and students provide the questions and thinking points to be discussed. Alternatively, they could also surprise us with the provision of a student ignite showcase or “Dear Future Me” exposé. Whatever form the student presence at #EdCampSEMass takes on, it is sure to leave all who attend with a new appreciation for student perspective, mindblowing inspiration and discussion points to bring back to their own districts!

Rayna Freedman, Jacqueline Prester, Karen Winsper and Kim Zajac#EdCampSEMass is organized each year by Rayna Freedman, Jacqueline Prester, Karen Winsper and Kim Zajac. Follow @EdCampSEMass  on Twitter for the latest updates.
 

Recipe for back-to-school success: 5 key ingredients from EdCampFlipgrid, StuVoiceCon18 and FlipgridLive

8/31/2018

 

If you are interested in expanding your comfort zone, building relationships with your students and boosting the culture of your classroom in the new school year, this blog post is for you!   

While attending EdCampFlipgrid, StuVoiceCon18 and FlipgridLive in the marvelous city of Minneapolis this summer, I raptly listened to dozens of amazing educational leaders and pioneers delivering thought provoking statements, providing new perspectives and offering game changing take-away tools and strategies for immediate implementation.


Whether in the small intimate session circles of EdCampFlipgrid,  in the StuVoiceCon18 audience at the University of Minnesota- McNamara Alumni Center or in the energy filled room of Flipgrid Live at Aria Event Center, the central theme being celebrated was the reach and power of student voice.  


Check out these 5 key ingredients to support you in making sure YOU and YOUR STUDENTS are getting what’s needed to thrive as we start back to school:


1- Honor and amplify your student’s voices. They may just change the world...if you give them the opportunity.  #StuVoiceCon18 morning keynote, Mr. Matt Miller, issued the reminder that each of us have a chance to change the world if we simply find, use and let our voices and ideas be heard.  He pronounced, “Your voice is your soul, your essence, your inner being” and the recipe to finding that includes providing “Choice, Action, & Skill”. Let’s do that.  How?  Start a Classroom Twitter account where your students create the tweets and you blast them out!  Not ready for social media? That’s okay, start a Classroom Blog using blogger or a Vlog using Flipgrid where students can share their voices, ideas and feelings as near or wide as feels comfortable!


2- Buckle up, free your brains of bias, make & create.  Status Quo is no longer a thing…for Generation Z.  We must be all about breaking down the barriers & explore new territory.   #StuVoiceCon 18 afternoon keynote, Holly Clark, encouraged educators to embrace the information revolution as it guides Generation Z “to live outside of mediocrity moving from being mere consumers of knowledge to change agents of the world through critical thinking and global perspectives.”
Looking for ideas for ways to hang globally with Generation Z?  Head over to Our Global Classroom to join a conversation on World Hunger or Hope.  Hop onto Belouga to join 2110 classes communicate between 82 countries around the world unpacking the United Nations Sustainable Development Globals!


3- Visualize your thinking.  Show your process to arriving where you are in what you believe, know or feel.
Offer students the opportunity to visualize their thinking with #Sketchnotes.  Pen, paper, crayon, napkin, ipad, digital app. Whatever medium you choose, explore this strategy with students to add dimension to the ways they process, organize, retrieve, explain and apply what they learn.  You may change someone’s life by taking this risk. A picture is worth a thousand words.  


4- Stamp your virtual passport.  
As we embed the use of technology in our learning and become practiced digital citizens, it is exciting to be presented with opportunities for collaborating with learners beyond the walls of our own classrooms.  Check out platforms such as Skype and Flipgrid both of which offer supports to make connections and learning a global experience for students of all ages. When exploring Flipgrid, keep a look out for their new #GridPals feature.  #GridPals is a feature within Flipgrid which allows you to add yourself to a global database of teachers and classrooms looking to connect across the globe together with just a few clicks!  If looking to connect via skype, check out Microsoft’s Skype in the Classroom program.  You may find yourself asking, “Where shall I take my class today?!”


5- Stay connected & have some fun.   We are better together and we grow most when doing what we enjoy.  So, follow that #Hashtag, read that #Blog, sign up for that online #PDSummit and grow your #PLN. We are all only a tweet away! 


For anyone wishing for more insight on the inspirational events referenced in this article,  Click HERE for a curated account of the experience put together by fellow educators, Rayna Freedman, Sandy Otto, Evan Mosier and myself.

Teacher Trifecta: A chronical of #EdCampFlipgrid18, #StuVoiceCon18 & #FlipgridLive

8/6/2018

 
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​Tuesday, July 31, 2018, marked the day when hundreds of inspired educators and innovators descended on the city of  Minneapolis, Minnesota to dish on the ever important topic of student voice!

Surrounded by jazzy stickers and cowbells galore, folks gathered at Muse Event Center to kick off the journey with a little Flipgrid ZING! action.  Nearly a dozen Edurockstars took to the stage offering mini ignite sessions to get the crowd warmed up and thinking about the passion powerhouse of student voice!  

The proverbial “campfire” of #EdCampFlipgrid18 was then lit to charge conversations that ranged from going gradeless to sketchnoting and from flexible seating to empathy and activism! Representation from coast to coast as well as countries around the world including the United States, Canada and Japan filled the room with a vibe that pressed the limits of containment!  To that end, some Flipgrid enthusiasts went on to an evening of #SingASong karaoke while others took in a Twins game. There was no challenge to finding a proper channel for the energy to flow!!

The Flipgrid learning extravaganza continued on Wednesday, August 1st as the #StuVoiceCon18 kicked off at the University of Minnesota- McNamara Alumni Center with #DitchBook founder & educational inspiration, Matt Miller Keynoting the morning session of the conference.   Miller lead participant’s with the message that… “Your voice is your soul, your essence, your inner being” and the recipe to finding that containing key ingredients,  “Choice, Action, & Skill”. Miller reminded the room that each of us have a chance to change the world if we simply find, use and let our voices and ideas be heard.

Breakout sessions and a mid-day food truck extravaganza offered much in the way of choice for feeding our minds and nourishing our bodies!

As the afternoon took form, the amazing Holly Clark fired up the afternoon Keynote session planting pause for consideration of Generation Z.  Generation Z was highlighted as a generation like no other where the information revolution will guide the rejection of the status quo, where people live outside of mediocrity as they move from being mere consumers of knowledge to change agents making a difference in the world through critical thinking and global perspectives.

Attendees digested the day of learning and in the evening  made way to Aria Event Center for the long awaited #FlipgridLive event. Here with glow sticks in hand, the stage was shared by Flipgrid extraordinaires, exciting news of the Microsoft acquisition, and Flipgrid updates such as the new #GridPals program (be sure to check it out!)!  

Quite possibly the most meaningful element of the #FlipgridLive event was the presence of a student, by the name of Mabel, on stage who shared her voice and reminded us all of the importance of listening and honoring the student voice. In a classroom or any other learning environment, the student voice should always be the loudest.

The evening was rounded out with a visit to the official Flipgrid HQ where Flipgrid leadership along with a pair of minions greeted each guest with a pizza party and an epic Flipgrid Voice Pod giveaway!

It goes without saying that any and all attendees finished the night with a big THANK YOU to Flipgrid for an extraordinary 2 day learning adventure!  

And for those not able to attend….or who want to see more...

Click HERE for a detailed and curated account of the experience in the form of a website put together by fellow educators, Rayna Freedman, Sandy Otto, Evan Mosier and myself, Kim Zajac!

Enjoy!!!

Once upon an #ISTE18...

7/11/2018

 
I was fortunate to travel to Chicago, IL to partake in #ISTE18, a conference like no other where educators from around the globe came together to discuss innovative pedagogy, educational technology and ways to make impact in the world around us through teaching and learning!  Click the link below to hear how 5 educators, including myself share their ISTE experiences! 
​www.eschoolnews.com/2018/07/11/5-educators-share-their-iste-experiences/?ps=msfreedman24@hotmail.com-0010c00001y3jRi-0030c00002d90g7

May is Better Hearing & Speech Month!

4/30/2018

 
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April showers bring May flowers...and...
Better Hearing & Speech Month! 

The signs of spring and a new season are powerful in the ability to renew, refresh and recharge our batteries as we make our way in the final stretch of the school year!  

We can reflect and look back on fondly on the memories made and lessons learned!  We also continue to look to the future with curiosity, hopes and dreams of possibilities! 

As the students in my classroom engage in this process of balanced reflection and aspiration, we will invite Alexa, our digital classroom assistant, into the conversation.

Through inquiry driven learning, we will engage Alexa in our conversations and quests of knowledge, weather, jokes and our love for music!  

I can't wait to see what we learn together in this new and uncharted adventure with Alexa!  Stay tuned as we will report back to share our experience in the next blog entry!


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Emoji Intelligence--The Art of 21st Century Non-verbal Communication

2/18/2018

 
,Have you ever been on the receiving end of a text or an email riddled with emojis and been rendered clueless as to its meaning?  Adorable, colorful visual representations, much like hieroglyphics don the screen... and yet cracking the code is a challenge of epic proportions.  May as well lace up and sign up to climb Everest... OR... stock up on gummy candies and find a child of any age and they will interpret for you!  Or will they???

As I was recently discussing this topic with my colleague, Mrs. Rachel Whalen, and  researching the origin of these powerful, visual, non-verbal, emotion carrying vessels, we came across interesting and valuable resources to help keep the Emoji Intelligence Quotient right where it needs to be to survive in the digital age!

Ironically, as I became more emoji conversant,  I became acutely aware of something I had never given a thought to!  Emojis, like words, can carry multiple meanings!  As an SLP, I have spent countless hours with students discussing strategies for interpreting and using words with multiple meanings accurately.  I never imagined that the conversation would now turn to include our minuscule emoji message conveyors!  At the same time, however,  I understood immediately the importance of doing so.  How could I NOT?!  After all, If students are using emojis to communicate by text, email, and social media what would it mean to do anything other than to support them in doing so with competence?


Here are some of the tools I have shared with students who went on to apply the acquired knowledge, in 21st Century stride, within the context of our lessons as well as in social communications with peers.

Flipgrid Emoji Reaction Guide (Courtesty of @Flipgrid)

Emojipedia (Courtesy of Mrs. Rachel Whalen)

Here are some ways to integrate the language of emoji into your content.  Student engagement multiplies when we meet them where their interests are already established!

Emoji Math
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Emoji Writing Prompts

Don't forget to test your own Emoji Intelligence Quotient by taking the Emoji Challenge on The Monthly Speech & Language Challenge page!

Time Is A Thief

1/19/2018

 
In realizing it has been nearly 2 years since my last blog post, I am reminded that time is, indeed, a thief.  Coincidentally, in that same time, I managed to survive the most significant loss I've ever experienced in my life. 

On January 30, 2016, my dear father lost his short yet courageous battle with cancer.  There have been pieces to pick up and adjustments to be made.  Hearts to hold together and memories to savor.  More importantly, there is a spirit to channel... and so today - with this blog post I am channeling the spirit and the passion of my late father to do the good work and the good deeds in serving others, in supporting children and inspiring students to see themselves as the wonderful, passion filled beings that they are.   

To that end, I bring your attention to a video that a friend once shared with me.  The message is simple.  May we all be that champion.  May we all be that light, that voice, that force that propels a curious and wondering student to question, take the risk, to step outside the comfort zone and become that which they have always been but never saw in themselves until all of a sudden, they did.  

What's The Big Idea??!!

3/10/2016

 
Understanding and telling jokes can be challenging!  We work diligently all year to grow our vocabulary and learn what new words mean!  So, why is it that jokes do not always make sense to us?  Why is it so tricky to tell a joke in a way that our audience "gets it"?
One reason is that sometimes jokes contain playful use of words, words have more than one meaning or they are not intended to be used to convey "literal meaning" .  Said another way, words in jokes may contain rhymes, multiple meaning words or convey "figurative meaning".  So, the next time someone turns to you and says: "What do you call a bee that drops things?", think of why the punchline: "A fumble bee!" makes the joke funny!  For more information on understanding and using humor, please check out my monthly speech/language challenge page.  

Riding the technology wave into Fall...

11/1/2015

 
The school year is in full swing!  The students are engaged. Teachers are excited.  Parents are supportive.  The new buzzwords of technology, Chromebooks and instruction whirl around us all as we appear each day to contribute, create, learn and make.  The proverbial new leaf has been turned over and we are filled with a mixture of enthusiasm, apprehension, excitement, concern, curiosity, skepticism and possibility.  

How then do we channel the sum of all these parts to the most beneficial and value added process and ultimate outcome?  

We work together.  We share knowledge.  We share ideas.  We try.  We access curriculum in new ways.  We level the playing field.  We make mistakes.  We learn from them.  Together we move forward into this new space where technology meets education and is seen for what it is: a tool.  We have many tools which support, enrich and motivate learning.  Technology is one of them.  We are the lucky ones for being part of a school system that chooses to value technology for what it is amongst the various tools in our toolbox.  We are the brave for being open minded to try it!

Click below to learn more about Google and to pick up on a few Google Tips to help you and your student through the school year:  

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Click Here for Google Info Resources:

Repurposing: Social Media...

5/28/2015

 
So often, Social Media gets a bad rap.  Granted, it does not exist without its pitfalls and risks.  We are reminded that we must not overlook some of the virtues and unexpected benefits it offers as well.  To learn how you can help your teen repurpose their social media tools to benefit and grow their executive function skills, click here:
Social Media meets Executive Function
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