Building Capacity with O365

One of my 2017-2018 Professional Growth Plan Goals is to work with my new staff and introduce the applications found within the O365 suite. Our District has adopted the O365 platform and in my opinion, has been a game changer in the work we do as school based administrators. The ultimate goal is to get our students using the applications as part of their learning. With the new/redesigned curriculum, using online applications and technology is a huge factor in ensuring students are prepared for the future.

​On our last professional development day, I worked with staff to share the basics of OneDrive and the power of collaborating online and working synchronously on a small activity. Now that all the staff have their laptops, it was an easy exercise to show what is possible. It gave a good example of how staff (and students) could easily access their files from anywhere and on any device. It also showcased how easy it is to share files/documents and work together on a single document. Ron Popeil said it best when selling his famous countertop kitchen appliances, "It's just that easy".

To tie it together with the Core Competencies, the use of a student blog to acquire, interpret, and present, connect and engage under the Communication Competency is a great place to start. An online journal of sorts. We are hoping our next meeting with staff will be working with OneNote and how we can get the student use increased. We have been using it as our main area for staff - Meetings, resources and a launch point for discussions.

The encouragement I will continue to provide and also any in class support, is to get the students using the applications. Although we struggle with devices at our school, it shouldn't prevent us from trying as many have opportunities at home. 

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