Summer is so close.  Even though I'm ready to settle in a read some books, binge watch television shows on Netflix, check out the summer blockbusters at the theater and visit family and friends around the country, a little part of me wants to learn as well. 

For teachers, there are so many wonderful and FREE ways to learn over the break.  I encourage you to try a few of my favorites.

Teachers, congratulations on bringing another school year to a close!  

I'm sure many of you have mandatory check lists and "Things to Do" notes for your classroom to complete before the end of the school year.  Don't just celebrate yet!  Be sure to check out your desktop computer for cleaning as well as your actual desktop.  Before leaving for the S.U.M.M.E.R, take a look at some of these practical tech tips for the end of the year.

When teachers are absent they are still required to work by either creating lesson plans in advance or by having emergency lesson plans on hand. This past month I had to miss school for both personal and professional reasons. I quickly realized that it take more than twice as much time and energy to not be at school than it does to be at school. I also understood that if I missed a lot of school, my students would be the ones who would pay for my absent. To that end I took the idea of the "flipped classroom" and put the reverse to use in my absence.

The wonderful world of Web 2.0 is all about the free and fun ways technology can be used in the classroom.  One such Web 2.0 tool is the slideshow website PhotoPeach.

PhotoPeach allows you to create mini-movies with music, text, and photos (much like Animoto); however, it gives you the bonus option to include “quiz” questions during the film. The film pauses when it gets to “quiz” slide and won’t continue until the question is answered.

Check out this PhotoPeach slideshow sample with a quiz here.

Dr. Ruben R. Puentedura’s SAMR model for integrating technology in the classroom is a great model for those following the “one ‘byte’ at a time” philosophy of tech integration.  This four part model of Sustitution, Augementation, Modification, and Redifintion can help you when planning your classroom tech integration.  You can check out Puentedura’s brief overview of SAMR here (from 2:32 to 6:42). As always, one should always remember, don’t use technology just for the sake of technology; only use it when it benefits the students or suits the pedagogy.

Happy New Year ! Have you made any resolutions for 2013? In addition to the traditional resolutions of health and exercise, I plan on focusing on my passion for being a life-long learner.

In the spirit of “new,” this month I decided to focus on some "new" formats for Professional Development (PD).  These non-traditional formats really make one think "outisde of the box" when it comes to PD.  They are not the traditional formats of talks, workshops, or webinars.  While workshops, conferences, and in-services are great forms of traditional PD, the web has opened the doors to many and varied forms of non-traditional PD in education.  Instead, these pretty different forms of PD are fun and free. 

Prezi, as the website states, is a “communication tool that helps you organize, present, and share your ideas.” It is best used a tool for oral presentations but it can be modified for a more comprehensive written project.  Prezi has just updated their webite, which includes some great new features.

Prezi’s key components are text, images, and video. Layout and design concepts are the basis for a Prezi. A poorly designed presentation can leave the audience with a rollercoaster headache.

WWW is literarlly the "World Wide Web".  So, why not bring the world into the classroom?

There are many Internet Video options, including Skype, ooVoo, and Google+ Hangouts.  I have personally used all three, but Skype now has a program to connect with experts and other teachers to virtually bring others into the four walls of one's classroom without having to collect permission slips, hold classroom fundraisers, or reserve a bus.  Skype in the Classroom is just one way the Internet Video program can be used in the classroom. 

I'm a fan of CBS's The Amazing Race and love a good pub trivia game with friends.  Scavenger hunts find themselves sneaking into my German lessons plans when it comes to the units on command forms and giving directions.  Geocaching this weekend?  Sure thing!  Do you want to borrow my Dan Brown novel?  You betcha!  

Why can't school be as engaging when it comes to learning and problem solving? It can!  With QR codes your school or classroom (like my office) can become part of the hunt, part of the game, or part of the mystery. 

While I am a fan of technology and use it daily in my classes and my job, there are times when a break is the just what the doctor ordered.  Sometimes a retreat from the web is required.

I recently returned from a retreat with 300 high school seniors who were glued to their mobile devices during breaks and free time.  That same week I discovered NBC's new drama Revolution, which shows our world as a world without energy.  Anything that requires energy to be powered is extinct.  Cars have become glorified planters and refridgerators are simply cupboards.  Do we always need to be connected?  Would a break from powered devices be such a bad thing?  

This year my school is focusing on Instructional Technology, and as a result, I am the new coordinator for our ITeam (Instructional Technology Team). The challenge has been how to aide, guide, and teach 90+ faculty members at my school, who all have varying comfort levels and capabilities with regards to technology.

After accepting the challenge, the ITeam adopted a simple motto for the year: "Teaching with Technology: One BYTE at a time!"

This summer I was afforded to the opportunity to visit my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame.  While on campus I came across this sign:

OUR VISION - "To build a great Catholic univeristy for the 21st century, one of the preeminent research institutions in the world." - Rev. John L. Jenkins, C.S.C.

I was struck by the statement "To build a great Catholic university for the 21st century" and saw its application in the wider field of all Catholic education.  Shouldn't all Catholic schools, including PreK-12, be emboldened to be great for the 21st century?  And shouldn't we, as educators and administrators in Catholic schools, be preparing our 21st century students for the 21st century and beyond?

Last week I was part of Discovery Education's Summer Institute in Montana. 125 teachers from the US and Canada participated in a week-long institute on technology integration in the classroom.  It was an amazing PD experience, but what surprised me most was the last day of the conference...the UNCONFERENCE day!