Message for newbies.

Chill.  It's OK, you'll learn to shift a little in your thinking.  The Student Portal is huge and it may seem daunting at first.  But take time to explore and play around with the apps.  You will slowly find yourself changing the way you think about technology and the possibilities it has for you and your students.   You will fail many times and you will feel like you can't do it all.  Well the reality is that you can't do it all.  Pick a few things and work on them individually until you feel a comfort level then move on.  Find some people to collaborate with early on.  Make friends with the computer geeks at your school, or at these PD sessions.  You'll thank us later.

Strategies for Sanity

1) YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW IT ALL!
Learning takes time, especially technology - for yourself and how you are going to help others.

2) Ask for help
Use your Portal group. You won't be the only person that has the question, and my not be the first. Someone will know how, or a least "who" might know how.

3) Put blinders on
Pick one thing at a time to explore. It is too easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of "stuff" that is out there in Google Docs.

4) You control the Technology, the Technology does not control you.
Remember, you are the boss!

Comments for new participants

Here are some thoughts from our group:

- commit to try new things at the end of every session. Experimenting leads to new discoveries or new questions

- have more than one staff member trained so you can support each other and share your expertise

- things can seem overwhelming at first, but taking one thing at a time and focus on the little things. Look at what other schools have done so you don't re-invent the wheel

- explore explore explore

- share what you create so that others can benefit

- things are always changing, nothing stands still

Reflecting on the Portal...

Survival...

To survive the first year of Portal you need to be rela and go with the flow. There are always changes and updates, there is always a new app and there is always a new great project to do. However, you have to pick and choose which apps and which projects you are going to explore or you'll never make it. Also, never underestimate your kids... even those little grade 2's who have never used computers! The students pick up on the apps with shocking ease.

Teaching Teachers Tech

I believe one of the most important things to remember as an EdTech Mentor, is to put computers in front of your staff when you explain how to do the different things in the portal. Focus on one of two topics during each session with your staff and let them play with the apps as you are teaching them to solidify their learning. The more comfortable you can make your staff with things like Google Docs, the more willing they will be to try them in their own classrooms.

Helpful hints from the table at the back!

• Don't worry about being an expert, don't be afraid - you will learn LOTS!
• Get a g-mail account.
• Use Google Chrome.
• If you are new to the portal, you may want to set up a Twitter account in advance and become familiar with it. Meetings start with a tweet from each person. Great way to connect with other teachers that can support you with your technology journey. Don't forget to write down your password and account!
• Excellent opportunity to meet and connect with people on the same journey through technology. ENJOY!

I wish I knew, perhaps with more certainty, that grandma's old adages really do apply to today's techy world. Sometimes when you feel that you are behind in the techy world, remind yourself that there are many more who feel like you. Things change so quickly it might be impossible to keep up with it all. Like Grandma said, there's always tomorrow. All in good time.

Lead Teacher Network

The most important advice I would give to someone participating in the student portal network is to be patient (with yourself as you learn about using the technology, with the staff at your school as they adopt it, with the kids as they figure out digital citizenship, etc.)!

Also - pick and choose your apps for what works for you. You do not have to use every app, because they won't all be useful to all teachers all the time.

Thoughts.....

Areas of Strength:

*The 10 Techie Things was great information to take away and implement

*The set up gave lots of time to talk to peers and converse on how to use the material in our classes

Areas for Growth:

*More exemplars for all divisions

*More ideas on how division 1 (specifically grade 1 and 2) could use this that would be beneficial

*If schools are not on the portal these sessions are not as beneficial

*Sitting in division would be more beneficial for discussion

Reflections of Year 1

For those who want to know how to do things better;

• it would be important that participants have access to the Portal to test drive it with at least their own classrooms, versus having training now and access next year
• being able to attend inservices interspersed with using it in schools is a good way to manage learning yourself and then teaching others
• it would be more helpful for Div. 1 & 2 teachers to have their own PD inservices so its more pertinent, useful and adaptable to their division level.
• some more explicit instruction or demonstration of how to use new features e.g. Aviary tools
• there needs to be time to 'learn through play' for participants but we appreciate tutorials to share with staff and students, that are ready to use and for use review, when needed.
• team planning and teaching between classroom teachers or with a teacher-librarian, allows you at the school level to work in partnership, rather than in isolation in implementing Portal features.
• teaching students ahead of classroom teachers through direct instruction leads to students requesting their teachers to use the Portal.
• Template sharing/building together started to build resources we can all adapt or modify for our own usage e.g. Digital Citizenship Plan
• Start with higher grades and work downward, or by matching Div. 2 students to train Div. 1 students in usage of Portal was helpful in building comfort and capacity of students and teachers alike.
• 'Just-in-time' support to teachers who are trying to use the Portal is necessary; access to Portal Tech leaders, lead teacher time in schools and technology resources helps teachers and students to make use of the Portal.

Looking forward, we need to examine which Web 2.0 tools we can integrate within the Portal or web based software we can use within the Portal, as well as developing training 2 minute tutorials for staff/students when they need to learn how to use features of the Portal.