NOW Classrooms, Grades K-2. Meg Ormiston
in-service days. Beth is a Seesaw ambassador and is active in district and regional collaborations for STEM, language arts, and full-day kindergarten development.
Beth has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at Elmhurst College and went on to complete two master’s degrees in curriculum and instruction and in reading through National Louis University. Beth is a wife to Brian and a mother to a son, a daughter, and a golden retriever.
To learn more about Beth’s work, follow @MrsHatlen on Twitter.
Kristy Hopkins is a kindergarten teacher in a 1:1 district in suburban Chicago. She began teaching preschool in an early childhood education program in 2006. Kristy considers herself creative and collaborative and loves to take on new challenges to continue her own learning. She has a passion for helping every student learn in fun, innovative, and developmentally appropriate ways that make every day meaningful.
Kristy is a Seesaw ambassador who holds a special education certificate of approval and an endorsement for teaching English learners. She was nominated for the 2015 Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 Distinguished Service Award and has mentored many new teachers. She has presented at district and school in-service days on how to use technology in the classroom and in social-emotional learning.
Kristy has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Illinois State University and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from National Louis University. Kristy is a wife and a mother to two young girls and loves to spend her free time with her family, go on outdoor adventures, and read anything and everything.
To learn more about Kristy’s work, follow @HopkinsKinder on Twitter.
Kirstin McGinnis is a veteran kindergarten teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom that hosts teachers nationwide for site visits. She feels passionate about providing all students with access to a well-rounded, developmentally appropriate education tailored to each student’s needs.
Kirstin is an EdTech consultant and has presented at local, state, and national conferences. She consults for the Technology in Early Childhood Center at Erikson Institute in Chicago and is an elementary education and EdTech blogger at Hip Hooray in K.
Kirstin has a master’s degree in differentiated instruction from Concordia University Chicago where she is also finishing a second master’s degree in leadership. Kirstin loves spending downtime with her husband, sweet baby girl, and dogs, as well as rescuing and fostering dogs, baking, and completing DIY projects.
To learn more about Kirstin’s work, follow @kirstinmcginnis on Twitter.
Lissa Blake is an instructional technology integration coach who, for thirteen years, has transformed that role from a computer lab teacher to a true instructional coach supporting K–2 teachers and students. Lissa loves sharing what she has learned by creating exciting presentations that actively engage participants at local conferences and often engage and enlighten all learners.
Lissa is a Seesaw ambassador, Nearpod pioneer, and Google-certified educator and is working to complete her certificate as a Certified Education Technology Leader. She has had the privilege of speaking at local, state, and national conferences.
Lissa received her bachelor’s degree in education at Indiana University and earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from National Louis University. She currently has a technology specialist endorsement and is pursuing a second master’s degree in technology in education. Lissa loves spending all her free time exploring life with her two young girls, husband, and dog.
To learn more about Lissa’s work, follow @D60HolmesTech on Twitter.
Nicole Ring serves as an instructional coach in a suburban 1:1 school district. She spent four years teaching fourth grade and seven years teaching first grade. As an instructional coach, Nicole works as a colleague alongside classroom teachers to support student learning and growth. She works with teachers to develop and implement instructional strategies in all content areas while integrating technology in meaningful ways.
Nicole is a Seesaw ambassador and sits on several committees in her district. She was also nominated for the Downers Grove Elementary Education Foundation Distinguished Service Award in 2013. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences.
Nicole completed her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at North Central College. Nicole maintains a growth mindset, wanting to learn more and more each day, and she loves to spend her free time with her husband and two boys.
To learn more about Nicole’s work, follow @NicoleRing58 on Twitter.
To book Meg Ormiston, Beth Hatlen, Kristy Hopkins, Kirstin McGinnis, Lissa Blake, or Nicole Ring for professional development, contact [email protected].
Introduction: Building the NOW Classroom
In the perpetually connected 21st century world, teaching and learning lead, but our students need new skills to prepare for their future inside and outside the classroom. We won’t find these new skills in dated lesson plans but in adapting our teaching and learning methods to actively engage this connected generation, offering students a voice and choice in how they learn.
As teachers, we want to work in schools filled with magical teacher-student partnership classrooms. In these classrooms, students own their data, and they set individual and group goals based on the projects they are working on. Looking around these classrooms, you see what we call messy learning or organized chaos. Think of the vibe of a busy coffeehouse, everyone chatting or working independently, depending on each person’s goals. Digital devices are everywhere, but so are collaboration and all types of communication as everyone gathers for different goals.
Like in a coffeehouse, when you walk into a magical classroom, you feel the energy as all students are laser focused on their personal learning targets and as they collaborate with each other. The teacher has set high expectations for each student, and he or she continuously monitors data using a variety of technology interfaces. Parents and other professionals are part of the communication loop with access to goal-focused data. We call these magical classrooms NOW classrooms. We selected that term because our students deserve to thrive in rich learner-centered classrooms now, not in a few months or years. We believe schools are ready to create this type of NOW classroom, typified by technology-supported teaching and learning, and the evidence we’ve seen bears this belief out. Our goal with this book and this series is to help you create them. We believe teachers and instructional coaches can make this shift even with the youngest learners, and we share that in this K–2 book of the NOW Classrooms series.
The central theme of this book and series centers on how teachers can use digital devices to support their primary focus on teaching and learning, offering students a voice and choice in how they learn. We repeat this critical message throughout the book as we concentrate on learning goals rather than on any specific app, website, or device. We filled this book with instructional strategies and lessons that work with technology in the hands of teachers and students. To that end, the lessons in this book use digital devices as educational accelerators, but each lesson specifically ties to an academic outcome. Indeed, this book specifically shows you how academic skills and goals must come before any technology tool, app, or website.
Whether the task at hand uses paper and a pencil or a technology device and digital content, a specific learning goal and purpose should always remain at the core. We don’t want to see devices in students’