Welcoming New Teachers

I don't know about you but I 💗 new teacher orientation day! It is so exciting to welcome new teachers to and share all the things that make your district amazing!

As part of our Instructional Technology Team I get to be part of new teacher orientation in our district. This year our team put together some fun, informative sessions to share our vision for technology integration, share some tips for teaching with iPad, and have some fun!

Below are some of the activities our team put together for our new teachers this year. We are always looking for new ideas, 💡how do you incorporate technology into your new teacher orientation?

Activities

🖍️Get to Know you with Markup

Markup is one of our favorite tools, it's quick and easy to learn and teachers can take it straight back to their classroom and use it with students. This year teachers were sitting by building, we had them snap a picture of another new co-worker in their building and mark it up to show fun facts about them.

After marking it up, our new teachers posted their creations to a Padlet board and then discussed ways they could use this activity with their students.

Following the whole group session the group of new teachers split into three small groups and rotated through a series of three workshops.

💻 Macbook Basics

Transitioning to a new computer can be daunting. To ease the process, we introduced new staff to the basics of MacBook navigation and our district's digital ecosystem. Tim (@TGilmore), our Middle School ITF, led an engaging session where participants guessed commonly used district apps while learning essential navigation tips. They also gained an overview of our curriculum folders in Google Drive. By the end of the session, participants felt more confident in using their MacBooks and accessing district resources, setting them up for success in the classroom.

📱 iPad Basics

I facilitated an iPad orientation session focused on personalizing devices to enhance productivity. We explored efficient app organization, clarified the distinctions between managed and unmanaged Apple IDs, and discovered time-saving features like multi-tasking gestures and widgets. Participants also learned about accessibility tools that can benefit all students.

👨‍🏫 Creating with Keynote

Our Elementary ITF team, Andi (@mrseggeringITF) and Michelle (@mrslenzr3ITF), led the third session, diving into our favorite app, Keynote. New teachers explored the creative potential of Keynote by working with shapes, photos, and even creating GIFs. The session aimed to equip educators with practical strategies to integrate creativity into their classrooms using iPad. As an icebreaker, teachers began by representing themselves with three shapes, then brought their personalities to life by filling these shapes with meaningful photos. By the end of the session, teachers left with a toolkit of three creative Keynote applications for their classrooms.

📸 Micro Creativity Challenge

On day two, our Instructional Technology Coordinator and I challenged new teachers to elevate their creativity by building upon the previous day's skills. Inspired by a motivational keynote address, participants selected a single word highlighting their goal for the year. Utilizing the Everyone Can Create photo activity, they transformed this word into a photo collage in Keynote. Then we guided teachers in scheduling a self-motivational email to arrive on the Friday of their first school week, reinforcing their chosen word and aspirations.

💜 #LCR3 #GoShareMO