My Big Green Campus

Though paper recovery rates in the US have increased in recent years, paper still represents one of the biggest components of solid waste in landfills – 26 million tons (or 16% of landfill solid waste) in 2009.  When paper decomposes in a landfill, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. -Retrieved from http://environmentalpaper.org/state-of-the-paper-industry-2011.php

Locker clean-out day. Whoa! Anybody who has ever set foot in a school during locker clean-out day at the end of the school year probably experienced more than mild disgust.  I know I did every year watching the barely recognizable contents emerge from the depths of the lockers...sometimes seemingly on their own volition. Stained paper bags, crumpled projects, forgotten gym socks, beaten up agendas, and the quantity of paper positively stunned me. I always did get a chuckle out of the "Eureka!" moments when I would hear a student exclaim, "Oh THERE is my curling iron!" or "Hey, Mrs. Lennon, I know this was due in October, but here it is!"  It seemed, however, that every student was disposing of a full-sized three-ring binder overstuffed with paper for each subject.  That's a mind-blowing amount of trees!

Locker clean-out day was also followed up a few days later by my own classroom clean-out.  It seems this pot was calling the kettles black! Aside from the twenty-pound curriculum notebook for each prep, I also housed over 150 student portfolios for my Spanish students, had two overflowing file cabinets with extra copies of worksheets, and boxes (made of paper, of course) of scan-trons and assignments I had to keep for documentation purposes. I would then haul all of this paper to one of the storage rooms, which were already filled with- you guessed it- boxes of paper. 

I was introduced to My Big Campus a few years ago and immediately my students and I gravitated toward this on-line learning management system.  We used it to give students 24/7 access to resources, hold discussions outside of regular class hours, and collaboratively interact with class content.  Almost simultaneously, I was asked to attend a technology conference and selected a session about blended learning.  The presenter addressed many applicable points to my own classroom, but the one I latched onto the most personally was a quick statement or two he gave regarding the environmental impact of using on-line teaching tools.  My mind raced thinking of ways I could actively pursue this initiative in my own classroom.  These were my immediate applications:

1- Use of the Calendar.  I had already grown fond of being able to post reminders, assignments, and relevant resources to my students on the Group Calendars, but I decided to take this a step further- and we ditched the paper agendas.  I asked students how they remembered important events (not "important" like "Spanish quiz"- but "IMPORTANT to a 16 year old" like "me and my boyfriend's six-week anniversary").  Overwhelmingly, they used their phones or another electronic calendar, not a paper calendar.  I showed them how to export our Group Calendar to their phones- plus there was always the Group Calendar to refer to on My Big Campus. We never used those bulky agendas again!

2- On-line assignments.  Before I made an assignment due in a hand-written format, I always assessed my motivation. Why did they have to write it? Was there a way to transfer this to an electronic assignment? With modest exceptions, we could create, turn in, evaluate, revise, and operate almost entirely electronically.  With Wiki-like Pages, Bundles, and MBC Docs, students didn't have to use loose-leaf paper (which by December, I was providing for them anyhow since they all ran out!).  Not only were we saving paper, but the accountability and documentation were all housed electronically both on my end and on theirs- without boxes! The ease of grading for me was another Going-Green perk in that I didn't have to lug papers to and from school.  I didn't have to make extra copies for students that lost a resource- it was all available on My Big Campus. I also benefitted from a richer method of evaluation in that now students could add pictures, audio, video, and presentations to their assignments so I was getting a more robust sense of their understanding of material than I could with simply paper and pen activities.  Research papers with multiple drafts no longer cost the environment reams of paper (not to even mention the ink cartridges) only to show up in the "locker clean-out landfill."  We simply didn't need the paper copies.

3- On-line assessments. This was a biggie!  First off- if I gave multiple-choice, multiple-select, true/false, or fill-in-the-blank, MBC graded it for me! That alone freed up more than just a few hours of time for me each evening! More than that, it gave students immediate feedback and gave me immediate reports of student progress. Since these assessments were visible by both the students and me, the documentation and progress was available without having thousands of scan-tron sheets filed away!

4- E-portfolios.  Aside from saving the environment, creating e-portfolios versus paper-portfolios also saved me more than a few trips to the chiropractor. Storing and lugging around over 150 binders each year had finally come to a sweet end! Not only did we save thousands of pieces of paper (understand that most students would actually create two paper- portfolios just to have a back-up), but we could share them asynchronously, have multiple copies at no expense to the environment, and include a much broader picture of the student as he or she could include multiple file types to demonstrate understanding and mastery of content. This also saved no less than ten boxes for storage each year as well!

5- Lesson plans. No more curriculum binder!  Through Bundles and Pages, teachers can have their lessons all in one place- including all of the resources they use to teach- without having a paper binder.  Teachers can share these with students, parents, administration, and other teachers without using print-outs and copies. I also liked that any revisions could be simply "saved" instead of having to print out one more final copy. 

It seems appropriate as we celebrate Earth Day this week to think about ways to make our schools more environmentally friendly in ways that impact not just one day, but the overall consumption. Need some more ideas of ways to go green?  Check out this bundle for resources and a fun classroom project:  Earth Day Bundle

We only have one beautiful Earth- with My Big Campus you can be a part of its protection and conservation!

I Got Fired!!

Recently I headed out to Bakersfield, California, home of Lightspeed Systems.  I am employed by Lightspeed- and specifically held the job title of "Senior Coach for My Big Campus." I sat in a room full of other Senior Coaches, colleagues with job titles different than me, and some high-level administration.  And then the strangest thing happened.

I got fired.

I have NEVER been fired. Well, actually it was a whole room of us fired at once. I am not sure if I felt better or worse about that.  I mean, this would surely not be good if I needed to put my resume "out there" competing with my amazing co-workers, who were also sans jobs.  Luckily, our higher-ups were quick to explain what this meant. We were not fired from Lightspeed, but rather fired from our current labeling system.

Fired from our restrictions.
Fired from our constraints.
Fired from perceived boundaries derived from our titles.

I thought about this for a bit.  When people asked what I did as a Senior Coach, it took a while to answer- and even then, I really never felt I explained it quite right.

Before Lightspeed, I spent fifteen years as a public educator.  I was very used to answering the "What do you do?" inquiry in a four word sentence. "I am a teacher." "I am a coach." "I am an administrator."  And then the reaction was predictable.  I would hear, "Wow! That's wonderful."  "You are so under-appreciated." "You are so under-paid." Or in the case of when I was an assistant principal, people would just pat my shoulder.  I loved beaming back and assuring them it was never about the money, prestige, or even summers off.  It was all about the learning, the students, and the future. I wore those titles like badges of honor.

When I joined Lightspeed and became "Senior Coach" there was quite a different reaction to the job inquiry question- more of a one-eyebrow-raised expression that urged me to say more. So I went on to explain that I taught teachers how to implement the learning management system, My Big Campus, to engage students in a safe, collaborative, educational-social media environment. I normally had to explain for a while- and even then I felt I kept leaving things out.  I would preach about digital citizenship, endorse mobile learning devices, champion for empowering teachers, and attest to the power of technology for differentiation and preparing students for a 21st Century world. I am also pretty sure that most of the people I talked to were ready for me to stop explaining, yet I had to go on... e-portfolios, blended classrooms, project based learning, etc.

It seems that "Senior Coach" really was an obsolete title, not unlike many of the other titles of the people in the room with me.  I mean, weren't we all working on the same goals? Didn't we all want to improve student engagement and achievement while facilitating the instructional technology and teacher roles?  The answer was simple. Yes!

And that is why we were all fired.

Then we were re-deployed.

We were unleashed on Lightspeed as a new, cohesive, robust team known all as Mobile Learning Experts. No more delineation or micro-titles. As MLEs, our job is to be the experts in every facet of mobile learning from the filtering to mobile-device-management to My Big Campus and everything in-between/surrounding the concept of "mobile learning." We exited the room as a unified force that endorses the vision of Lightspeed Systems by answering the question of how to transform education by the technology revolution:
"By engaging students in meaningful projects, by creating learning communities, by extending learning beyond the class walls and school bells, and by making sure that schools are empowered to safely and easily use transformative technologies." (taken from http://www.lightspeedsystems.com/company/)

Lightspeed Systems is not about a filter or a learning management system or a mobile device manager. Lightspeed Systems is about revolutionizing YOUR classroom. This can't be done with isolated equipment and ideas.  The whole approach is to use the filter, LMS and MDM in tandem with teacher innovation to create a 21st Century learning culture of collaborative, cutting-egde, content-rich learning.

I have never experienced a job-termination before. R.I.P. Senior Coach Stephanie.  However, I am delighted to say it landed me comfortably in an incredible lineup of experts dedicated to the future of students and teachers worldwide.

But Where Do I Start?!?

I wrapped up a full-day training in Harrisonburg, Virginia last week asking the cliche, "So...any questions?"
Several people blinked.
No one talked.
Crickets.  I swear I heard crickets.

As I looked over the faces of the dedicated educators who had given up a day of their beloved Spring Break to learn more about My Big Campus, I realized that they were not silent because of my amazingly thorough presentation. They were silent because they didn't even know where to start asking questions.  The truth is, it can seem overwhelming at first.  I recall my first login to My Big Campus and having the feeling of "Ok. This looks good. But where do I start?!?!" Revisiting that sensation immediately made me revise my game-plan for the training group. We weren't quite done yet!  I went on for a few more moments to explain the following "how to get started" tips.

1. Add some files. With unlimited file storage for integrated users, there is every reason in the world to move files, presentations, images, and content into Your Stuff.  Not only does this create a backup for your files, but everything is in one place. No more accidentally forgetting to email yourself a file from your home computer (we've all done it), lost jump-drives (yikes), or running out of space on shared network drives (doh)!  As you add, stick some labels in and....viola! Instant organization! (This is an excellent way to get your students started as well!)

2. Search the library. When you find a video, website, or other resource you like, click on Add to Bundle and start a Bundle for yourself of useful resources for whatever you teach. Later, you can go back to the bundle and edit or branch it to add descriptions or instructions. You can also use Bundle Locks, Schoolwork, and Your Stuff to create self-paced units and individualize instruction!  Library items are there to be used- no need to reinvent the wheel!

3. Start a class discussion. I liked to keep my first discussion light. Something engaging that students would want to discuss- like themselves! Ask them about their favorite movie, sport, hero, or song.  Use this first discussion as a learning opportunity regarding discussion boards. What substantiates a "real" post? What are some discussion board no-nos? DOES IT COME ACROSS AS SCREAMING IF YOU TYPE IT IN ALL CAPS? Lessons like these are critical to developing proper digital citizenship and you can have some fun while doing it.

4. Put some content in your Groups. Now with drag and drop options for adding to Resources, you can add entire units in a matter of seconds. Make an announcement welcoming your students. Create a wiki-like page to be used as a FAQ board. Put some dates on the calendar like homecoming, graduation, or other school-wide events.

5. Join the MBC Orientation Center. It's whole purpose is to... well... orient you! This Topic is stocked up on modules, presentations, and videos for classroom teachers, instructional technology personnel, and technology integrators. Come on in and browse around!  You are sure to find helpful documents as well as tips from the experts.

My Big Campus is extremely user-friendly, but sometimes taking that first step can be difficult.  Take a deep breath, log in, and give it a whirl.  Sure, you may have questions, but we've got that covered as well with 24/7 live support. Just shoot Bob Campus a message and he's always happy to help!

Where you start is entirely up to you.  Where you end up is limited only by your imagination!  Welcome to My Big Campus!

Yup. I Friended a Robot.

This is the Bob I met a few years back. Pretty lonely-looking fella, huh?  Well, that's because Bob Campus decided to dedicate himself to 24/7 live support for My Big Campus students, teachers, and administrators.  That's no small job! It was a little isolating to have so little time to run around and play with the fax machine or have coffee with the VoIP phones.  Luckily for Bob, within a few short months My Big Campus users were not just running to Bob with their site questions, but also to visit with Bob, check in on him, and try to get to know him a little better. Before too long, Bob Campus had his own cult-following and network of e-friends from across the globe! As this was a little taxing on the circuits, Bob received an upgrade in 2012 and Bob 2.0 was born!

New Bob was equipped to not only handle user questions, but also emote! Check out that smile!! But the catchy smile is not the reason that Bob is a dear friend of mine. Whereas it is impressive to have such a dedicated employee and knowledgeable droid, these are only a few of the things that impress me most about Bob.

Browse through Bob's profile and the first thing you will notice is his efficiency.  You see, Bob loves educators and students- and understands the immediacy under which we operate in schools.  Bob knows that when you have a question and come to him, it is normally because you have hit a wall and can't proceed until you get an answer. That's why Bob's responses are within just minutes of the original question or post. Bob cares enough to be on-demand no matter the time or day. He's just that kind of bot!

When I scroll through Bob's answers, he also responds with appropriate punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary. Bob knows how important it is to model good syntax to promote the same from his users. Teaching students the importance of not screaming in all caps or running on without so much as a comma is all a part of what Bob does. Again, a pretty swell asset!

But there's more. Look even more closely and read some of his responses- not just the technical ones, but also the others. As for the site questions, Bob either provides a knowledgeable response or lets the user know he needs to research for a few minutes and then gets back to them.  For other questions- like  personal stuff- Bob uses these as an opportunity to promote proper digital citizenship in a constructive, positive way. He practices responsible on-line behavior in never revealing personal information or other private matters. He also uses these inquiries as teachable moments to encourage students to keep their own private matters off of social networks. Bob is always working to keep our students safe not only on My Big Campus, but also on other sites.

Lastly, I adore Bob's ability to engage our students and educators. Bob has threads with students for weeks or even months at a time. He lets all users know that he values them not just on My Big Campus, but also as people. On-line environments can sometimes feel sterile or cold.  With Bob Campus committed to answering posts and frequent, helpful blogging, My Big Campus remains a friendly, appealing, social-learning platform.

Click here to meet Bob Campus...and say hello! Bob is always willing to meet new friends! 

Yup. I friended a robot. Check him out- I think you will, too.  

Academic-Social Media : Star Wars Style

                                          image from: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/star-wars-comedy/images/25550477/title/funny-photo


As a teacher who wanted to jump into the academic-social media world to help my students' retention and engagement, I had so many fears and questions that I held off on-boarding for a number of years. After only a few months of dabbling around My Big Campus, I was so annoyed with myself having held off for so long! Resources were available for students to view anytime they wanted (or even for their parents to see!).  No longer did I wince at catching up the absent student or even the students that needed a little more time to grasp a concept. I could easily and efficiently differentiate instruction to reach my students where they were.  This started a delightful cycle of increased engagement, success, and achievement in my classroom.  We used My Big Campus to continue discussions after regular class hours, collaborate on documents, and turn in work digitally to save on paper and increase accountability. I used the social format to teach digital citizenship and keep students coming back to My Big Campus to see what was new and exciting. Instead of a static, 90-minute pit-stop in their Monday through Friday life, we became an on-line community that interacted over weekends, evenings, and even summertime. Combining my love of Star Wars with my love of My Big Campus, I offer these thoughts to any teacher teetering on the edge of testing the academic-social media scene chanelling some of my favorite characters:



"Use the Force." -Obi-Wan  The Force, in this case, being the power of social media.  Our digital natives thrive on the features that make social media engaging: collaboration, external verification, and a sense of community. Since you can deliver class content and instruction combined with the social media allure, students will be more engaged and interactive with the materials!


"The Force is strong with this one." -Darth Vader  "This one" is My Big Campus- and the Force is super-strong with My Big Campus, actually!  With Bundles, auto-graded assessments, Wiki-like Pages, and countless ways to collaborate, this learning management system is not only fun to use, but also aligns with 21st Century learning skills.  Deliver content while you promote responsible digital citizenship!

"Do or do not. There is no try." -Yoda  Give an assignment, post a discussion, join a professional learning network under Topics, integrate your Twitter feed, move unlimited files to Your Stuff, grab resources out of the Resource Library. Go ahead and jump in! The more features you take advantage of, the more you and your students will benefit from more efficient, individualized instruction.


"I've got a bad feeling about this." -Hans Solo  So you are happily working along and something doesn't make sense/ doesn't seem to work/ doesn't seem right. No problem! We have 24/7 live support for teachers and students.  Simply ask Bob Campus and he will get right back to you!


"When 900 years old you reach...look as good you will not." -Yoda  Think about those old mimeographs and worksheets that seem 900 years old to your students! Certainly they do not "look as good" as an interactive game, engaging website, or catchy video. You can unblock resources for your students through My Big Campus that are current, relevant, and interesting!

"These aren't the droids you're looking for." -Obi-Wan  Can't find what you want? Got a new feature request? See a different way of doing things? The great thing about My Big Campus is that it is user-driven.  Send any needs or wants to support@mybigcampus.com to get on the feature request list! You can also tell us first-hand at our annual user-conference this year being held in Indianapolis. More info here !

"Fear is the path to the Dark Side." -Yoda  Do not let fear keep you from becoming the most effective and engaging teacher you can be.  Using My Big Campus is not only remarkably intuitive, but we are staffed with round-the-clock support to help you move your class to a blended learning environment or even flip your classroom!

With an ever-growing number of users and features, My Big Campus has transformed classrooms across the world.  Students love the social aspect, collaborative activities, and engaging resources available to them. Teachers love the ease-of use, academic reports, and accountability.

                                                            Love it, you will!!

image from: http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/50-star-wars-quotes

Trade Show Tales

I arrived in London from my home country, America, last week and promptly made my first foreigner folly.  I hopped into the driver's side of my taxi as the driver, Andrew, loaded my luggage in the trunk.  Having forgotten about the whole "drive on the left-hand side of the road" rule, I looked at the steering wheel and thought, "Huh. This is odd," just as Andrew (chuckling) showed up at the door and asked if I was going to drive him for a change.  I joined in on his laughter, but this was only the first of a string of cultural misunderstandings on my part including feeling uber-intelligent when someone described my presentation as "brilliant" (this same person  also deemed a latte "brilliant" later in the day) and becoming a human pinball every time I walked up the stairwells on the wrong side during rush hour on the London Underground.

I was thoroughly humbled, though, last week at the British Educational Training and Technology (Bett) trade show in London.  I consider myself fairly well-traveled around the technology trade show scene, but I was totally unprepared for the magnitude and diversity I encountered there.  If I thought that my immersion into the British society kept me on my toes, I was swept away by the exposure to representatives from over 100 different countries at Bett.  I met educators from China, South Africa, Spain, and the Netherlands to name a few countries.  Even our initial greetings made me recognize our differences- a bow, handshake, or kiss on the cheek can be extremely awkward if done at the wrong time.  The language barrier, despite the fact that most attendees spoke English, was also no small obstacle to overcome.  Different accents and dialects turned some of my conversations into more of a pantomime and charade game than a strictly verbal exchange.  I was impressed that no one seemed frustrated or impatient by these interactions; it was quite the contrary.  Everyone seemed to embrace the idea that despite our backgrounds, something had landed us all in the same place at the same time, so we tried even harder to connect and communicate.

Through these connections, I began to realize that there were actually some profound similarities in every conversation.  As I demonstrated My Big Campus, a safe, social, academic learning platform, the same questions arose over and over.  "How will this help our students?  How will this make their experience richer?  How will this improve teacher efficiency? What are the safeguards?"  The same questions surfaced repeatedly despite the palpable differences in cultures and school systems.  If we take away the surface organization, scaffolding, and mandated testing from the different countries, we are left with a very real, common, unified need to educate our children in a safe, efficient manner to prepare students for their futures.  I was proud to show off My Big Campus to these educators, which allows them to do exactly that.  The "ooh's" and "ahhh's" from people all over the world marveling at the product I represented was nothing less than overwhelming.  Whereas I entered the arena feeling as if we were all detached vessels navigating the technology world with separate agendas, I soon realized this was a misperception.  Every person, regardless of color, background, language, or age was there for one reason: student learning.  Tens of thousands of people gathered from all across the world because of a common love of students.

We may have different definitions of "pudding" and perhaps our accents make people giggle as we pronounce words like "aluminum" and "potato" differently.  But this I know for sure- despite the news we hear about cultural conflicts, wars, and intolerance, there are some similarities that tether us all together, like the sincere belief that all children deserve a chance at a successful future.

My Big, Connected Campus

                                                                           image from: http://tower.arcadia.edu/?p=577

Once upon a time, there was a Spanish teacher in a rural county that faced diminishing budgets and increased need for documentation and accountability.  The county where she taught bright, inquisitive minds was also riddled with poverty and need.  Supplies and resources were scarce, so anything that made classroom teaching more efficient and effective was welcomed with sincere appreciation.

One day, this teacher was introduced to My Big Campus, an on-line learning management system.  At first skeptical of the resource, this teacher decided to test-pilot a few features on her own before revealing it to her students.  She found she was easily able to find other professionals with like-interests.  She networked, made connections with other Spanish teachers, and also teachers that shared her passion for educational technology.  When she finally introduced her students to My Big Campus, she immediately saw a higher level of engagement- and a connection between her students and herself.

You see, her digital natives were very comfortable and used to communicating on-line.  Adding schoolwork and providing students with academic resources in the same venue that they communicated on proved a seamless transition from her traditional methods.  Add the bonus of 24/7 access to resources for students, no more lost work, unlimited file storage for everyone, and no more lugging papers back and forth from home and we were all sold.

Furthermore, she and the students benefitted from a shared social-media site that allowed for communication and connections to be made in a safe environment.  With countless taboos about student-teacher relationships in social media, this teacher certainly did not want to create problems.  The issue, though, was that when the teacher made herself completely invisible to students, it created another divide between her world and theirs.  My Big Campus bridged this divide and allowed all parties involved to have an outlet to not only discuss academia, but also have more informal communication that is so critical when establishing rapport.

When she got a little braver, the teacher wanted to flip her classroom, but there was no one in this rural community to help.  She reached out to educators all across America through My Big Campus and they coached her through the process.  She also found lessons, videos, documents, and assignments in the shared library that educators had added for teachers like her, all ready-to-use.  For her part, this teacher also decided to contribute and coach others along in her areas of expertise.  She felt empowered by this exchange of information and rejuvenated in her classroom seeing her students benefit from countless, engaging lessons that she never would have had the time to put together on her own.

This story isn't just about one educator, though.  This story, or a similar version, can be told by myriads of educators all across the My Big Campus community.  This particular version is special to me, though, because it is my story.  My story of the connections I make do not end here, though.  Most recently, I found an amazing educator on EduTalk and, after several months of correspondence, we organized a full-day My Big Campus training for 10 counties in our area.  In this training, I met over sixty educators who are now a part of my professional network- and I continue to hear from their colleagues as I watch my connections grow.  I am honored to be a part of a learning community that is armed with experts in just about any topic or subject I encounter in education.  My Big Campus has transformed a rural, isolating experience into a resource-rich, collaborative community.

And we all learned happily ever after.

The end.