TOSAs Chat Up Twitter #TOSAChat and #ConnectedTL

This Twitter thing is hot! I know that I"m behind the times, but am working hard to catch up. There are so many educational chats out there, I didn't know where to begin.  Since I will be starting a job as an Instructional Coach in the next week, I wanted to find a PLN (Professional Learning Network) that I could learn with and from. Then I found two, while at the #CUERockStar Black Label sessions for TOSAs (Teachers on Special Assignment) on August 15-16, 2015.

The first, @TOSAChat and #TOSAChat, held its first chat ever on Monday, August 17, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. PST. It was lively! Luckily, I just added Tweetdeck the day before, so I could follow the chat. Holly B. Steele (@hollybsteele) gave me the great suggestion of opening up two columns for the chat, one for old and one for current tweets. I'm going to use that strategy next week! Here is a link to the Storified version of the inaugural chat.

A short 23-hours later, the @ConnectedTL and #ConnectedTL (short for Connected Teacher Learner) began at its regularly scheduled time, Tuesdays at 7 p.m. PST. The hosts of this ongong Twitter chat are @rhondacorippo, @mrvaudrey, and @catetolnoi. This chat is really organized! The chat has a Pinterest Board with resources and posted the questions before the chat, which was really appreciated. That kept me from having scroll fever during the chat, wondering what the current question was...and what the answers being posted related to.

If you are a TOSA, TOSA-wannabe, Coach, Administrator, or Teacher on the lookout for good stuff, I encourage you to check out these chats...and start following some of the innovative teachers in these chats! Start off the new school year by building a PLN that meets your needs, whether as a TOSA or otherwise.

Need to find more educational chats, I suggest having a look at the cybraryman educational chat schedule and list of educational hashtags. Find a PLN that fits!

Run, Don't Walk to the Next CUE Rock Star Teacher Camp

This week, I attended my first CUE Rock Star Teacher Camp at Crescent City, CA. This is the last teacher camp of the 2015 Summer season. What is Rock Star Camp for teachers? First, they are the brainchild of the creative Jon Corippo, Director of Academic Innovation at CUE.org. This movement has morphed from one or two a year for teachers, to 13 Teacher Camps this summer, Administrative Camps, and Camps for TOSAs. Check out the Cuerockstar.org site for updates or follow the #cuerockstar Twitter hashtag for current happenings.

What happens in a CUE Rock Star Camp? First, the shreds start off the day: Each faculty member riffs for two minutes on his or her day's session: one slide only. Each faculty member leads two sessions per day which are repeated so if you miss something in the morning, you can join the afternoon. Sessions are two hours long. They are more about making and doing than sitting and getting. Questions, texting, collaboration, new ideas, new solutions, problems are all encouraged. The sessions are focused on meeting the needs of your students and your needs as a teacher, so you can support student learning.

Sunset over Crescent City Harbor with Pro HDR app and iPhone 5S 

Here are some examples of sessions on the schedule, just in Crescent City (link to the Schedule). In the Crescent City camp, Day 1 is on Google or Apple tools, Day 2 in on STEAM sessions, and Day 3 is on Innovative Pedagogies. Lunch is two hours to allow time to make connections and learn in an ad hoc way with participants and faculty. At lunch on Day 1, we learned how to use Twitter better and introduced the new Periscope app, owned by Twitter. On Day 2, we shared out Twitter handles and talked informally about solutions to challenges, one to one or a few.

What is the secret sauce of a Rock Star Camp? It is beyond the structure and open, supportive culture: it is the people who attend the camp. The Rock Stars aren't the faculty. The Rock Stars are the teachers who come to learn. Some of the Rock Star Faculty I've met this year are: Chris Scott, Art La Flamme, Rae Fearing, Rick Phelan, Tracey Campbell, Charlene Knowlton, and Colby Smart. We have been lucky to share, learn, and celebrate Crescent City together at our host site, the Del Norte High School. Thanks for being great hosts. Rock On, Crescent City!

Up, Periscope?

Have you heard of the new app, Periscope?

Periscope Logo

It is owned by Twitter, and can be used to create a live broadcast. I have seen it pop-up (pardon the pun) quite a bit this summer, between educators whom I follow periscoping (yes it's now a verb) sessions at conferences, to a favorite band, for King & Country, giving fans a backstage, sneak peek into its summer tour.

Want to know more? Watch this brief YouTube by Sunny Lenarduzzi with instructions on how to use Periscope. She also compares it to Meerkat, a similar app.

I have really enjoyed being a watcher of Periscope. This week, I will be joining the faculty at Cue Rock Star Teacher Camp in Crescent City. I will try to Periscope from there, to try it out! Hope to share Periscope with you soon!