Tech Highlights – Week of January 3

Teachers,

Here are a few quick tips for this week:

iReady Teaching Slides and Google Classroom
This video shows you how to share your live teaching notes with students. If any of your blessings are out for a period of time, you may want them to have access to those teaching slides (with your notes). This video shows you how to share one link and one link only for the whole week. As you update those slides, they will update for the child/ren as well. Check that out in this video link.

Free Training
Last year CUSD offered several FREE trainings. If you lost that link, you can find it HERE. Feel free to watch any of those tools to diversify or improve some of your tech skills. Reach out for help at any time. I am here to serve you. Use the down arow next to the menu item entitled Technology. From there, sort through the content to find the ones that work for you.

Free Training for CUSD
If you want early access to a free training portal, please let me know. I welcome your feedback so we can remedy any early hiccups. Any staff member may access these tools. You can do these trainings in the comfort of your pajamas at a time that works for you. Email me for more info, and I will send the link to you.

SBAC Guest Portal
In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if you are a new teacher or a veteran teacher, looking at the SBAC portal is a great idea. And, taking your students into the Guest Portal is a great idea. There are two teaching videos that will guide you through key teaching points. The actual Guest Portal link is HERE. Click on either image below to watch either training video.

MATH

ELA

Allow your students an opportunity to try out the software without fear that they will mess something up. Let them explore and practice. I am not a fan of over-testing. I am a fan of exposure. Decrease anxiety through exploration. Let them know what it will look like and how it works before they get there.

I can host these lessons for you; just book some time with me. Reach out with questions, I am here to help. [My offer to help is directed to my staff.]

Joy and Sunshine,
Melissa Culver

 

3D Printed Solutions & Lesson Planning

Teachers,

Our 3D printers can help us find/design specialized solutions for students across our sites. Check out these builds that were printed on our machines:

Ornament
How sweet it is to know that there is an ornament on the tree just for you. This spells Joy.

Dog Prosthetic
Surely this is not a viable design in real life. But, it is a fantastic lesson plan. Your students can research an animal that can benefit from a 3D printed solution. They can even engineer their own designs.

Cup Holder – Wheelchair
My friend on the Mountain View campus now has a solution for his water bottle.

Cup Holder – Walker
My friend on the Copper Hills campus now has a solution for his water bottle.

Braille Cards
Our pre-readers at Mountain View can have their own set of Braille Cards. Our students in the Blind Club can learn more about the Visually Impaired community by using models like this.

Cane Holder
I adjusted my original design. This design should print this week. Our friend at Mountain View would like a holder for his collapsible cane. This should attach to the wheelchair. Independence. Our students now have increased independence.

Mobility Cards
Our blind students who are walking new and unfamiliar paths really can benefit from cards that help them “see.” Remember: we can't say, “This intersection looks like an X.” Our friends who read braille have a different understanding of letters than we do. So, models like this can help them understand what those walking paths “look” like.

Solutions
Do you see a “problem” that could benefit from a solution? If so, let’s connect. I cannot promise that I’ll be able to design a solution or find one, but let’s collaborate to see if it is possible.

Lesson Plans
Do you want your students to study engineering? Let’s collaborate and plan that. Yes, your students can learn how to design models of their own. Yes, we can print some of them.

** My offer to help is directed to my staff.**

Kindly,
Melissa Culver