Periscoping NCTIES

I had an epiphany the week before NCTIES17.

Periscoping NCTIES Student Showcase Interviews

I feel passionately about the power of Periscope in
education. But, why? What value does Periscoping bring to my students, my school or my district? Why should my boss send me to the North Carolina Technology in Education Society conference and let me spend 2 days talking to students instead of sitting in sessions learning from experts?  Well, hold on to your Live Stream, 'cuz here it comes.

It is the point of everything we do.

People who know me know I am prone to hyperbole, but,

not this time!

Periscope has the power to show us (educators) the results of our investments in learning new things.

Back in the Day

Early in my education career, I worked for an amazing Principal, Beth Isenhour, who believed in the phrase "begin with the end in mind".  I believe that sometimes the end gets lost.  It can get lost in the pressure to test, to tie every last thing to a standard, to communicate clearly to a wide range of stakeholders, and in doing the important, difficult work of guiding young people through a year of learning. To "begin with the end in mind", we have to see the "end".   It's hard to imagine how Google Apps for Education training, a week of __Insert Important Instructional Program Here ___, a pilot program in project based learning and the latest update on interventions could possibly be amazing in my 7th grade classroom. It is really hard to see the forest for the trees!

This is why we do it

Watch these kids. Listen to them tell you what they know and why it is amazing. Capturing student showcases using Periscope shows us the end; the culmination;  the alchemy of professional development in tech tools and pedagogy mixed with each teacher's mysterious art of teaching.

It shows us that it's worth it.