The Hottest Posts Everybody's Tweeting

Making its debut at the top is a post about free Google Apps for Ed training with @Synergyse. At $10 per student, it used to be something unattainable for students in low income neighbors. Now anyone can receive quality in-app learning. After that you can find out what makes a killer school website and you can also read what mistakes to avoid.  With more than 5k views on Twitter, this was one of most popular posts this month. Check it out and see how your school website stacks up.  

How to create a killer school website + 7 mistakes to avoid https://t.co/x1JYD9rkC8 #edchat #edtech pic.twitter.com/LejNNQHpIH

— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) April 24, 

After that is a post that looks at three of the largest barriers to learning for students today. They are internet speed, filtering and for the third, you'll have to check out the post. Next up is another post about a new Google slide feature that allows you to make presentations interactive. Rounding out the top is a post on how to gather effective feedback to be more successful at work.

@TaliCSM gives these recommendations 2 thumbs up in this Tweet:

Yes! I like these recommendations @InnovativeEdu for getting #feedback! pic.twitter.com/QpoSQEAfkJ

— Tali Horowitz (@TaliCSM) May 18, 2016

If any of these articles look of interest, check em out below and share with others.

Entries	Pageviews
Free Google Apps Training for All with @Synergyse May 15, 2016,	5674
How to Create a Killer School Website Apr 24, 2016,	5485
3 Largest Barriers to Learning for Students Today Apr 28, 2016,	4424
Make Presentations Interactive with Google Slides ... May 11, 2016,	3602
4 Ideas For Gathering Feedback To Help You Do Your... May 18, 2016,	3020

4 Ideas For Gathering Feedback To Help You Do Your Job Better

How are you getting feedback that helps you be the best you can be in your job? Many employees simply rely on existing structures to receive feedback. This can be a problem; in some cases there are no structures and in others the formal evaluations or performance reviews do not solicit constructive, useful advice. That’s because often with formal structures, the methods used can be sterile, inauthentic, and unhelpful.

There are numerous articles written about why evaluation tools like 360 or frameworks like Danielson are not effective. Main issues are that sporadic observations or feedback often provided by superiors who aren’t themselves qualified to do your job or teach your subject are not generally accurate or useful. Another is that individuals generally know their strengths and weaknesses. Pointing them out isn’t particularly helpful. Providing realistic ways to build on strengths or overcome weaknesses is helpful, but generally missing from such evaluations.  

Innovative educators are proactive when it comes to getting feedback that helps them be their best at their jobs. So, what are some effective ways to elicit feedback?  

Here are a few ideas.

Free Google Apps Training for All with @Synergyse

Innovative educators sometimes express frustration that their students and/or colleagues come to them without the foundational skills to use basic applications like documents, spreadsheets, presentations, productivity tools like email and calendars, and other applications like video conferencing, website creation, and engaging in online communities.  It’s as though everyone was magically supposed to come to them knowing how to use these complex technologies, but when is time set aside for them to learn?

Some districts and organizations were fortunate to have funding for products like Synergyse which provides interactive training directly inside apps, but for most, the $10 per person, per year, placed such options out of reach. Rather than users being able to get on-demand support for just those skills they needed, to learn to use basic applications in the old-fashioned, whole group, sit-and-get style. With schools and organizations having users at all different skill levels, this learning method is not very efficient.

Fear not!

This week, Synergyse is joining Google. This means the in app training will be available to all Google users at no cost. You can read the announcement here.

The Hottest Posts Everyone's Reading

Making its way to the top for the second week is a post about liberating genius where @AngelaMaiers reminds us that students have voices and choices that we can honor. Check it out to discover 20 lessons you can implement to get started. Next up is a post that tells you how to ask five simple questions to figure out your life's purpose.   After that you can find out what makes a killer school website and you can also read what mistakes to avoid.  Check it out and see how your school website stacks up.  After that is a post that looks at three of the largest barriers to learning for students today. They are internet speed, filtering and for the third, you'll have to check out the post.  If any of these articles look of interest, check em out below and share with others.

Entry	Views
Testing Is Over: Time to Liberate Genius! #GeniusH... Apr 17, 2016,	4783
5 Questions to Figure Out Life Purpose of You + Yo... Apr 14, 2016,	3989
How to Create a Killer School Website Apr 24, 2016,	3698
3 Largest Barriers to Learning for Students Today Apr 28, 2016,	3616
Make Presentations Interactive with Google Slides ... May 11, 2016,	2914

Make Presentations Interactive with Google Slides Q & A

Innovative educators are always looking for new ways to make their presentations interactive so their audience is involved. They use tools like PollEverywhere and techniques like peer instruction. You can read about those ideas and more here: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2014/08/5-ideas-to-make-lectures-and.html. 

Now Google has released a tool that will make being a presenter and an audience member more fun, engaging, and meaningful.  The tool is called "Slides Q & A." It allows your audience to submit questions and empowers other audience members to vote those questions up or down.  

Here's what that looks like:

Innovative educators who are frequent presenters, and their audiences, will LOVE this tool because of all the problems it solves and options it provides. Let's take a look.

Why Certify? #NYCSchoolsTechChat Insights

This week we had another successful #NYCSchoolsTechChat hosted by +Eileen Lennon.who led a discussion of 79 Tweeps who left more than 1.7 million impressions on those who were following the conversation. You can check out the stats at the end of this post for stat details and read this tip to the success that makes her Twitter chats so wildly popular. 

The chat was comprised of educators who have provided and pursued certifications in educational technology and digital citizenship. If you missed the chat, no need for despair. You can read the recap below to learn what teachers had to say about why they pursue such certifications and how such certifications have benefited their careers.  Even though the chat is over, you can still jump in and reply to a Tweet or answer a question to share your ideas using #NYCSchoolsTechChat.

Check out the chat stats below.