AR update by LP-March Meeting

Post date: Apr 12, 2015 12:33:24 AM

The Tech Munch meetups have been running smoothly, we have had three meetings since beginning in January. Each meeting has excellent input from the teachers attending who are sharing the technology they are using in their classrooms. Teachers are asking questions of each other and getting interested in how they can apply what other's are doing to their own lessons. There are a few teachers who are more "power users" who have more to share, there are some who just listen, and others who are asking questions and want more information. The lunch meetings, which are about 35 minutes long seem a bit too short to get a deep conversation going. We barely have enough time to delve deeper than one round around the circle of teachers and what they are doing in their classrooms with some questions and quick discussion.

I am preparing an online google group for the tech meetup teachers so that they can work together and share online as well. Already, I have shared a google drive folder with all the Tech Munch participants so that they can upload and download any information needed. Inside this folder are a variety of resources including:

• a spreadsheet with helpful apps, descriptions, subjects useful for, and links to the apps
  • student completed videos
  • pictures of student work made from technology discussed at Tech Munch

I have also created a Tech Meetup webpage within the school's technology webpage that all participants can look to to get information. I have also included analytics to see if teachers are viewing the website and I have notice that the viewership increased when I included a QR code to the webpage on the invitation to the meeting:

Pic of Tech Meetup Website:

Pic of invitation to the last Tech Munch:

What I feel still needs to happen is further discussion outside of the Tech Munch lunch meetings. This is why I am organizing a google group that these teachers can post and respond to each other. This is part of the 2nd cycle of my Action Research. I will be sending out invitations to the group discussion page this week along with a survey to get feedback about participating teacher's opinions of the group and it's usefulness.