Patrick Snyder is a technology coach at Christine Grant Elementary in North Liberty, Iowa.
Patrick’s sixth grade class knew he would consistently try new ways to teach–‘toying’–with innovation. Experimenting with various learning tools led him to the benefits of reflection and designing innovative learning experiences. He is fortunate to have administrators embrace his energy and allow him to grow. As an instructional design strategist, his capacity has expanded beyond his classroom and even beyond the walls of his school and boundaries of his district. His reach has impacted teacher and student learning through his extensive work with collaborative teams, district committees, designing professional learning, and presenting both locally and regionally.
“Use Pixar shorts and a tool like WeVideo, FlipGrid, Seesaw, or Padlet to develop and deepen literacy standards. (Cause/effect, main idea, sequence of events, etc.) Have students collectively and collaboratively share their learning in a visible way to an authentic audience! How could this NOT engage elementary students? They get to practice the same learning standards they’ve been working on all year, but in a way that gets them to watch funny video clips (usually w/out any dialogue, which is even better for ELL students), then interact with their peers! What a way to gain interest and promote student voice in creative ways, which gains a student appreciation and enthusiasm for learning. This would be powerful and this would be a story that gets to the dinner table.”
“Are you looking for ways to get into the classrooms? Maybe you’re a tech coach or maybe you just need to try some learning tools and strategies out. Ask me about my ways to get my foot in the door and not only model for teachers and students, but to then turn these events into coaching cycles.”
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Reinvent the Classroom