Hour of Code, Starbucks, Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, Quizizz, & Classcraft - Wk 16

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 16 (December 10 – December 14, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:                           Two snowmen are chatting in a field.

                                                            One says, “Funny. I smell carrots too.”

PD Dates to save on your calendar:

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

       Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

Hour of Code
Links to consider:
      a) Code Monkey (in Clever) - It’s only good for one 30-day trial and then it’s done.
      b) Hour of Code – You’ll find 150+ coding tools here.
      c) Code.org (Clever) – Sync with Clever. Push an entire CS unit out via the Code.org button. Here, you can monitor student progress. Kids get in via the same Clever button. Massively awesome. Don’t buy busy work on TPT. Use this. Use this. Use this.
      d) Scratch – This one is free.  More complex.
      e) CodeCombat – One entire unit of elementary Computer Science is free (20 lessons). Design a class. Push that class link out via Google Classroom.

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 75 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.  Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE. Nineteen teachers have filled out the survey so far. Let’s get some more!! Shout out to Amy Steadmon, Melissa Waldrum, Mark Mushegan, Susan Inouye, Taylor Marsoobian, Jayme McCall, Stephanie Tuttle, and Anna LaMattina!!!

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. Just discovered a really cool resource. Things like this reinforce to me the importance of teaching students how to make/design infographics. If you haven’t signed up for my Infographic class yet, consider doing that. Sherri Johnston emails that list of classes out periodically. Check out the class I’m hosting.  Come see how infographics can shape your instruction. 

Back to this poster down here (only half the poster is on display)…Head to THIS LINK if you would like to download your own poster. What vocabulary should you insert/infuse into your instruction as you teach technology to your students? How are you challenging them to explore/imagine/uncover/design/investigate/build new things? Feel free to add this to your next PLC agenda. Share out the awesome things you are already doing. And, explore new ideas together.

Image credits: poster can be found HERE.

Image credits: head to THIS LINK.

Quizizz. Are you having problems syncing Quizizz with Google Classroom? I got a reply from Quizizz and they said to open a new web browser and type in http://quizizz.com/lms/gcl. This will help you authenticate and sync your accounts.  From here, you should be golden.

Image credit: screen capture from support conversation.

Classcraft. Research consistently shows that gamified learning increases engagement, independent learning, initiative, and test scores. So, what about a gamified classroom? I don’t have any research for that. But, I’d presume that some of those carry over. Typically, this tool is designed for older students; grades 4+. Are you interested? See the YouTube channel link below.

Classcraft has their own YouTube channel.  If you are curious about turning your room into a gamified learning space, check out the videos they have there and see if this might be a good fit for you.  LINK HERE.

Kindly,

Hour of Code, Gift Card Giveaway, Draftback, & Pull The Paragraph - Wk 15

CN Elementary Teaching Team:

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 15 (December 3 – December 7, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:                           What did the naughty soccer player get in his stocking?

COOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!

PD Dates to save on your calendar:

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

       Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 75 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.  Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE.

Survey. I should have 30 responses by now.  If you haven’t responded yet…head over to the survey (link above) and let me know. Shout out to Gabbi Parker, Kelli Brown, Joshua Alfaro, and Julie Schwartz!  Wahoooo!!!!  Way to get in there and get it done!  Maybe I should give away THREE Starbucks cards (mmmm…..Pumpkin Spice Latte…Chocolate Croissant…mmmm)???

Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for some grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from Hour of Code.

Draftback. Surely, I mentioned this last year, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it every year. There is a fantastic tool out there that is free that gives you a video of what the children typed in Google Docs. Concerned about plagiarism? Need to verify they didn’t copy an entire section from somewhere online? Add this Chrome Extension and revolutionize your ability to check work. Check out this VIDEO. It’s quick and easy to use.

Pull the Paragraph. Do you have essays coming in every two weeks?  Do you plan to grade 15+ essays throughout the year?  Are you in Google Classroom? Does it seem daunting and overwhelming to click through and comment on every essay?  And provide feedback for every child?  Well, this tool will revolutionize your ability to provide feedback.  #Seriously  Head over to Alice Keeler’s blog HERE.  And click on Pull the Paragraph.

Image credit: Alice Keeler’s blog.  See link above.

Want a video? Check this one out:

You’re gonna have a magic wand after this one, friend.  I’m not kidding you.  Watch this video and see how you can import teacher feedback with just a few clicks.  Use this tool for FREE.  Wahoooo!

Google Classroom. About 5 times each week I get an email from Google Classroom where your beautiful children are asking for my permission to open up their files.  Please teach your beautiful students that they should click the Unsubmit button in Google Classroom in order to have access to their file. I recommend that they refresh the page containing their document as well. Thank you!

Kindly,

Gift Card Giveaway, Hour of Code, Expedition Reef, Braille Keyboard for iPad, Freckle Education - Wk 14

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 14 (November 26 – November 30, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:                   What did the beaver say to the Christmas tree?

It's been nice gnawing you!

PD Dates to save on your calendar:

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

   Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 75 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.

Copper Hills is out in the lead. Way to go David!

Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE.

Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for some grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Science content for grades 5-6. Here’s a pretty fascinating video about the Coral Reef.  You can either show the entire 26-minute video, or you can select a few bits to share with your team.  Already using EdPuzzle? Break this video into 5-minute videos and attach comprehension questions to it.

Braille Keyboad in Ipad. Shout out to all my teachers who are serving students who are visually impaired. I recently discovered that the iPad has a Braille Keyboard. HERE is a tutorial video that will show you how it works.

Freckle. So here’s my teaching video that introduces students to the Math portion of Freckle for the first time. This also gives me 10 minutes (in class) to set my teachers up with new class accounts. This gives me the luxury of doing both at the same time: setting teachers up and teaching children. Feel free to use this as a teaching instrument in your class. VIDEO LINK HERE. On my YouTube channel, you can find the ELA video as well. See link in my signature.

Kindly,

Gift Card Giveaway, Hour of Code, and CodeCombat - Wk 13

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 13 (November 12 – November 16, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:                   Why aren’t dogs good dancers?

They have two left feet.

PD Dates to save on your calendar:

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

       Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 75 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.  

Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE.

Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for those grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from Hour of Code.

Teaching Video. Have you been to my YouTube channel yet?  I try to post a few new videos there each month. Back in October I designed this video: THIS VIDEO. It’s an intro video that shows your kids how to use CodeCombat. In CodeCombat, you get 20 FREE coding lessons.  Great resource.  I highly recommend it.  I’m trying to write a grant so we can get it on our sites.  Would you like to have this in your room?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Kindly,

Veteran's Day, Ready Math, and Hour of Code - Wk 12

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 12 (November 5 – November 9, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:    What did the big flower say to the little flower?

Hi, bud!

PD dates to save on your calendar:

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

       Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

Veterans Day.  Major shout out to all our military personnel.  Thank you for your service and sacrifice to our country.  Freedom isn’t free.  Shout out to my Dad: Ret. Lt. Col. F. D. W (pictured below).  I am thankful for the work you have done and continue to do.  “Some gave all.  All gave some.”  #ThankAVet #ThankAVeteran

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 75 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.  Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE.

Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for those grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from Hour of Code.

Ready Math. Are you a part of the Ready Math pilot? Are your kids using Google Classroom? In the Classroom Resources area, you can push out that interactive video content out via Google Classroom. Locate content that fits your lesson/sequence. Grab that link and create a new assignment. Let me say this: you will not have access to student progress or data. But, your students can have access to these valuable learning resources.

Locate digital content here on your Teacher Dashboard.  See the hand: Interactive Tutorials.

Image credit: screen capture from Teacher Dashboard. Credit belongs to Ready Math.

Select the lesson here.

Image credit: screen capture from Teacher Dashboard. Credit belongs to Ready Math.

Locate the material here.

Image credit: screen capture from Teacher Dashboard. Credit belongs to Ready Math.

Click the Play button. Copy that URL. Paste the URL into a new Google Classroom assignment.

Image credit: screen capture from Teacher Dashboard. Credit belongs to Ready Math.

This is what that Google Classroom assignment would look like.

Kindly,

Google Awesome, Hour of Code, GPS & PBL, and Flipgrid - Wk 11

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 11 (October 29 – November 2, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:            Where do cows go on the weekend?

To the moooovies.

PD Dates to save on your calendar:

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

       Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 75 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.  Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE.

Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for those grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from Hour of Code.

Google Drive.  Did you know that your Google Drive isn’t just a storage and sharing space?  You can add more awesome tools with the click of a button.  Click on the NEW button on the top on the left.  Then click the MORE button at the bottom.  Now, scroll down to the bottom of that menu and find the + symbol.  Here you can search through a list of awesome resources to pile on the awesomeness.  Free.  Awesome.  Wow!

Google just got more awesome!! Want a new Google Doc, Form, Sheet, Site, or Slide?  Open a new web tab and type in any of these to get a new one of those. Isn’t that awesome?! Wow! Life just got easier.

Image credits: collage from Twitter gif.

Flipgrid is awesome!!! Watch THIS VIDEO to find out more. I actually have one teacher from Mountain View who will connect with a class from Texas. We will compare environmental impact in unique regions. Students teaching students. #StudentVoice #KidsCanTeach

PBL. This is another buzz word in learning these days.  Project Based Learning.  So, how do you find material that doesn’t take all weekend/month to design?  Who has time for that?  So, at GPS The Series, you can find a tool that may assist you in one type of PBL.  Children can work collaboratively.  Use multiple forms of technology.  Have the children report back in video form or written form.  Solve complex problems through communication, problem-solving, investigation, discovery, and communication.  LINK HERE.

Image credits: screen capture from website above.

Kindly,

Hour of Code, Google Home, Google Classroom Notifications - Wk 10

Here are some highlights from this week:

Week 10 (October 22 – October 26, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:    How do you fix a cracked pumpkin?

With a pumpkin patch.

PD Dates to save on your calendar:

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

       Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30
       **There are fewer PD’s this year as I am working with sites on Digital Citizenship requirements (additional trainings/sessions).

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 75 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.  Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE.

Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from Hour of Code.

Google Home as an interactive story tool.  What if you could write stories that are interactive?  And, your Google Home could read it aloud and be a part of that interactive experience?  You can!  Check out this video to find out more on how to make that happen (LINK HERE).  And, no; you don’t need to write any computer code to make it happen.  Your kids can do this too!!  See where their imaginations take them.  And, you can find the actual tool in the Google Chrome store (for free) HERE.

Please note that our network does not connect with devices like this just yet.  However, if you have a personal hotspot, you can use your own data to connect with a device like this.  Additionally, be sure you have a classroom policy in place to manage questions that are questionable or unsolicited.  Discuss this with your site administrator when in doubt.

Emails from Google Classroom. “Whoooooaaa! So, I keep getting all these emails from Google Classroom every time my students turn something in. That doesn’t work for me. How can I turn those off?”

Here’s a really simple way to turn those off. Head to Google Classroom. Stay at that main menu. Click on the “pancakes.”  That’s what I call the Menu icon. After you click that, you’ll see your list of classes. At the bottom of that list you will find the word Settings.

Click on the word Settings.

Once you are in that next menu, you will notice that the very first option is email notifications. You can either turn off all email notifications. Or, you can specifically choose under which conditions you will receive an email.

Thanks for reading.  Have a great day!

Kindly,

Flipgrid, Prodigy, YouTube, and Hour of Code - Wk 09

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 9 (October 15 – October 19, 2018)

Giggles:                              How does a vampire start a letter?
Tomb it may concern…

PD Dates to save on your calendar:
If you are interested in this FREE PD, click the link below to sign up.  Please note the location has changed to Mountain View Elementary.
Optional/FREE PD – Google Drive @ Mountain View on Wednesday, October 24 from 2:30 – 3:30. 

Google Drive: Did you know there’s more to Drive than just a storage, sharing, and folder space? There are actually a host of educational tools in there too. We’ll cover the basics of how Drive works, but I will also show you how to access some of those learning tools as well: geography, art, architectural design and more.
REGISTER HERE – MORE INFORMATION HERE

MORE DATES:

       Wednesday, November 7 – Google Slides @ Riverview from 2:30 – 3:30

       Tuesday, January 15 – Infographics @ The PLC (by In & Out Burger @ Clovis & Herndon) from 4:30 – 6:30

       Wednesday, January 23 – Flipgrid @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

       Wednesday, February 13 – Google Forms and Sheets @ Mountain View from 2:30 – 3:30

Hour of Code. Please consider participating in this global event. If your class participates in this event, let me know HERE. There’s a FREE gift card giveaway. See link for more details.  I’d love to have 82 elementary teachers from the CN area participate this year in Hour of Code.  Need a video to encourage your team to participate?  Try this one: LINK HERE.  Need a resource to code with?  Try this one: code.org/learn

Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for some grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from Hour of Code.

YouTube Channel. Did you know I have a YouTube channel?  There you can find a host of training videos, and tools to use in the classroom.  Lately, I’ve been adding a new video almost every week.  I even have a few tools that help parents.  Head over to this LINK HERE to find out more.

Prodigy. Speaking of videos.  I updated the Prodigy video on my YouTube channel.  It showcases a few new things: logging in with Clever, using the Update button to make sure your students are moved over to your dashboard, the wizard book of spells, and a few other bits that may be helpful for you and your students.  Check out THIS VIDEO if you would like to use it with your students.

Flipgrid is awesome!!! Watch THIS VIDEO to find out more. I actually have one teacher who will connect with a class from Texas. We will compare environmental impact in unique regions. Students teaching students. #StudentVoice #KidsCanTeach

Thanks for all the kindnesses you share with me.  I enjoy being in community with you!!

Kindly,

Adobe Spark, Hour of Code, Free PD & Vision Impaired Watch - Wk 08

CN Elementary Teaching Team,

A few highlights from this week:

Week 8 (October 8 – October 12, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:            What do you get when you cross a cantaloupe with a border collie?
Melancholy puppies.

Optional/FREE PD – Google Drive @ Mountain View on Wednesday, October 24 from 2:30 – 3:30. 

Google Drive: Did you know there’s more to Drive than just a storage, sharing, and folder space? There are actually a host of educational tools in there too. We’ll cover the basics of how Drive works, but I will also show you how to access some of those learning tools as well: geography, art, architectural design and more.
REGISTER HERE – MORE INFORMATION HERE

Google Classroom Archive. If you have ever co-taught with someone and the author archives that Google Classroom space, you will still have the ability to push out those “old” assignments with the “Reuse” button.  In your new space (whatever your new Classroom is for this year…), simply choose the “Reuse post” option.  Those archived classes will show up in the drop-down menu.

If you were concerned that I archived our class from last year…no worries.  You can still push out that “old” content.

Vision Impaired. The Apple Watch is a great tool for people who can see, but what about people who cannot?  No worries, some really smart tech company figured that out.  There’s a smart watch that can lift magnetic dots so that people who read in Braille can have access to up-to-the-minute information just like you.  Do you have students on your campus who are vision impaired?  If so, see if their parents are interested in a tool like this.  WEB LINK HERE.

Adobe Spark. So our students now have access to Adobe Spark.  You can find the link in Clever.  Chis Edmondson recently sent out an emailing letting everyone know we have access to this tool.  Have you ever used it? How might you use it? You can use this for academic purposes to showcase a theme, concept, or idea: odd numbers, even numbers, tundra, rainforest, mammals, predators, herbivores, sedimentary rock, decomposition, decomposers, angles, parallel, perpendicular, or author’s intent to name a few.  You can find that video here: VIDEO LINK HERE. Kids log in with @my.cusd.com at the close of their username.  No password.

Computer Science. So, I was on a video conference with a computer science sales rep out of Canada the other day.  And, he shared with me that China has a Computer Science portion in their end-of-high-school assessment. It’s like adding Computer Science to our SAT’s. Children (pre-adults) are supposed to know how to code in Python (a computer language). For reals! In the years to come you will see some significant changes to the amount of Computer Science in our elementary classrooms. Ask question. Be curious. Ask your students about coding. Some of them are already coding at home.

Usage rights permitted on this image: LINK HERE.

Hour of Code. Keep an eye out for more information about Hour of Code.  It’s a global-wide event that introduces children to coding and encourages them to code.  How much code do you bring to your classroom?  I plan to write a few grants.  Would you be interested in having a FREE coding license if I qualify for those grants?  LET ME KNOW HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from Hour of Code.

Kindly,

EdPuzzle, Padlet, Time Savers, and Digital Citizenship - Wk 07

Here are a few highlights from this week:

Week 7 (October 1 – October 5, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:           What did the necktie say to the hat?
You go on ahead, I'll just hang around.

Optional/FREE PD – Google Drive @ Mountain View on Wednesday, October 24 from 2:30 – 3:30. 

Google Drive: Did you know there’s more to Drive than just a storage, sharing, and folder space? There are actually a host of educational tools in there too. We’ll cover the basics of how Drive works, but I will also show you how to access some of those learning tools as well: geography, art, architectural design and more.
REGISTER HERE – MORE INFORMATION HERE

Time Savers.  So here are two time savers that could impact your search/learning/teaching strategies.  Or, if you’re working on collegiate research, you may not be able to survive without them.  Hands cramping?  Too much clicking?  Have the computer work for you.  LINK HERE.

EdPuzzle just opened up all their premium features.  If you already have an account, check to see if you just got upgraded to the wow.  And if you’re new, there might be a possibility that you just got the wow too.  You are free to #FlipYourClassroom.  Literally.  Email people to add more storage to your account.  Invite them to flip their classrooms as well.  EdPuzzle LINK HERE.

Image credits here.

Padlet has opened up a new feature where you can capture a picture of a wall that is filled with post-its and those post-its will be converted to Padlet comments.  It’s in the beta testing state (as of 14 weeks ago).  They plan to work out the bugs as users provide feedback.  Super cool!

Image credit: Twitter Feed for Padlet.

Common Sense. Digital Citizenship Lessons. Common Sense has done a splendid job of organizing lessons that specifically target the theme of Digital Citizenship. Use this link to find the scope and sequence. In each of the grade specific buttons, you will locate lessons that are specific to your grade level. For grades 3 through 5, there are interactive online resources available to you. Soon, Common Sense will launch online lessons for other grades. LESSONS HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from above website.

Digital Citizenship Parent Information. On the Common Sense website, they have a parent tab. Parents can locate information that is helpful to them. Themes like sexting, cyber bullying, online ethics, and safety.  Do your parents ask you about digital safety?  Point them here, it will answer some of their questions.  LINK HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from above website.

Kindly,