Empowering Student Leadership with OneNote (#MIEBoom presentation at ISTE)

It all started with a cape. Three years ago while training new students, I was wearing a OneNote cape. A student saw me and asked how he could get one. I told him he would have to earn it and I would get back to him with the details.​

So, I contacted the OneNote team to find out if there was a student OneNote expert program.  I found out that there wasn't an "official" program, but I was encouraged to create something.  The Microsoft Creative Team even designed these badges for it.  I felt extremely supported, and it was a bonus to be able to tell the students that the badge came straight from Microsoft!​

My next step was to ask teachers at my school what skills a OneNote Student Avenger should possess. They helped me form a list, and these skills are what students have to demonstrate in order to become a OneNote Student Avenger. When we first began, I assessed students face to face but after seeing Melinda Richwine's "Breakout with Onenote" lesson on the MEC I was inspired to create a self-paced digital breakout assessment in OneNote.  Once a student completes the breakout & becomes an Avenger, I am alerted through Forms.  I then send a congratulatory email to the student with information about how to access our class notebook.​

The class notebook is our line of communication and each student Avenger has a Work Log in the class notebook to record help given.  Data from the work log helps us see recurring issues. Students recommended that they receive a physical badge after helping 5 people and a cape after helping 10. If a student already has a badge, he/she will receive a $5 Sonic gift card! Students start out as a OneNote Avenger but can be promoted to a Tech Avenger at the end of the year based on what the work log shows.​ 

We also use the class notebook to share instructions, trouble-shooting tips and for planning.  We are a 1:1 school and have 2 days of new student training at the end of the summer.  The Avengers have been instrumental in helping me plan and train.​

Here is an example from our notebook where a student figured out what to do when others kept getting a purple screen in the app. She put her solution in the collaboration space of our class notebook.  

Avengers are encouraged to put one of the badges in their email signature.  This student discovered an issue and I love the last sentence, "I haven't found a solution yet, but I am still trying."​

All of the information regarding our program is on the MEC including the badges and Breakout.  We are growing the program into a Help Desk class, but it's just as important to have the Avengers as our 1st line of defense in the classroom.  Many teachers have told me that at the 1st sign of trouble they ask, "Is there an Avenger in the room?"​

I love this program because it allows students to practice 21st century skills and empowers them to take a leadership role at school.  Whenever someone asks, "Is there an Avenger in the room?" I hope the answer is always "YES"!​

Always Learning, Always Discovering through the MIE Expert Community

The MIE (Microsoft Innovative Educator) Expert program has enhanced my professional life.  Through it, I have grown professionally and made life-long friends.  I have been reflecting on this since my recent trip to the CUE conference in Palm Springs, California and would like to share 3 ways the MIE Expert program has made an impact on me.

Collaboration
Holley Fontenot, an english teacher at my school, started gamifying units a couple of years ago with great success.  She motivated me to try gamification with professional development.  I did, and through the MIE Expert (MIEE) program, I met other educators who are gamifying learning. I recently collaborated with 3 other MIE Experts on a poster session at CUE on this topic.  Not only was I able to share what I am doing with gamification but I learned so much from what Summer Winrotte from Indiana and Rachelle Wooten from Texas are doing.  I will be utilizing some of their ideas in my PD gamification for next year.  Mary Villaume (the 3rd MIEE who is also my co-worker) added to the collaboration by sharing what she does with gamification in the classroom, and I learned from her as well.  This kind of collaboration happens every day in the MIEE program not only formally with sessions at conferences but also informally with GroupMe, Facebook, Twitter, and monthly MIEE Skype calls.

Support
The MIEE community is extremely supportive.  This support is shown through small acts of kindness like when a fellow MIE Expert snapped a picture of us sharing our poster session.  We also received support from the Microsoft Booth at the conference.  Again, this doesn't just happen at conferences.  This is a daily occurrence through the avenues mentioned above.  Help, support, encouragement are just a text or tweet away.

Learning
The learning is phenomenal.  Educators in this community are incredibly innovative.  I learn something daily from MIEEs through online communities and social media, and I definitely look for their sessions at conferences.  The learning happens formally and informally.  After CUE was over, I was fortunate enough to experience informal learning by visiting the Joshua Tree National Park with 3 of my MIEE friends.  This visit and the MIEE program remind me of one of my favorite quotes by artist, Isamu Noguchi, "I am always learning, always discovering."  If you would like to learn and discover, consider applying to the MIEE program.  You can find out more at 
https://education.microsoft.com/microsoft-innovative-educator-programs/mie-expert. 

Reaching the Summit

What's so special about being a Microsoft Innovative Educator(MIE) Expert or a Showcase School? Microsoft EDU helps you reach the summit of learning, literally. I recently attended the MIE Expert and Showcase School Summit the day before the TCEA Conference in Austin, Texas. Summit is such a fitting name for the event since this day felt like I was reaching the mountaintop of professional learning and collaboration. How?

1. Through Social Tips from Robyn Hrivnatz
Throughout the day Robyn shared social media tips including the ingredients to have in your profile and how to build connections and engage followers. I definitely get into ruts so the reminders took me outside of my everyday routine and helped me improve.  For example, I learned that when I retweet something, a better way to engage people is to quote the tweet instead of just retweeting.

2. Through hands-on learning with MakeCode, AdaFruit, and a Makerspace
Jacqueline Russell was our keynote speaker, and her presentation on MakeCode was informative and engaging. We received an Adafruit Circuit Playground Express and made magic wands with MakeCode and makerspace materials. In March, I plan to set up an Adafruit station and entice my high school students to come into the library to experiment with it and MakeCode. For more information, go to MakeCode and Adafruit. I'm also hoping to teach a computer science coding course next year, so this introduction was a good stepping stone for me.

3. Windows 10 Photos App Demo
The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update brought the ability to make videos with the Windows 10 Photos App. At the Summit, we created videos of our day. Earlier, in January, I had a class for the teachers at my school, and those who attended are hopeful that the video mixing in the Photos App will be a viable replacement for our beloved MovieMaker.

• To learn more about the app click Windows 10 Photos App.
• To see a sample video from our day at the Summit click Summit Video.

4. Learning about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a OneNote Breakout
Collaborating in a team, we had to use clues in a OneNote Notebook to disable a virus and break out of the notebook all while learning about the SDGs.  If you would like more information on teaching SDGs, also called Global Goals, CLICK HERE to take the course on the Microsoft Educator Community website.

5. Meeting many of the amazing educators I follow on Twitter face to face
I had such great conversations with the educators there and at TCEA.  I am the tech coach at my school but was asked to also be the librarian this year after our former librarian retired.  I haven't been in the library for about 5 or 6 years, so I am trying to catch up in this field.  I was able to talk to someone who is also in a catholic high school, and he was telling me about some of the flexible seating and space changes in the library at his school.  This conversation encouraged me that I am on the right track and also reminded me that I am not alone.  It takes help to get to the summit, and I am so thankful to get that help from the MIE Expert community.  Thank you, Robyn Hrivnatz and Jennifer Mitchell, for a wonderful day of learning!