Week 37

CN Elementary Teaching Team,

Here are some highlights from Technology this week:

Week 37 (May 28 – June 1, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:            Did you hear about the two silkworms in a race?
   They wound up in a tie.

Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your sites this year.  I had a great year.  You were welcoming and kind.  You made me feel like a part of your teams.  Your generous, welcoming dispositions made this transition a beautiful one.  You make us #ClovisUnifiedStrong.

Congratulations to my FOUR winners.  Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey.  Your feedback is so very helpful.  

1) Kelli Brundage - Riverview
2) Kelly Muirheid - Riverview
3) Julie Samhammer – Bud Rank
4) Meredith Cortes – Mountain View
Enjoy those treats!!!

Departmentalize.  In last week’s post (that I didn’t email out…it went straight to the blog), you can find an entire post dedicated to the topic of departmentalization.  Grades?  How do you make that happen when there are three teachers?  I have a free tool there that will help you with grades—seamless and instant communication.  Aren’t sure how to use it?  There’s a video link that will teach you how to you use.  Still don’t quite understand?  Reach out and email me.  I can help you maneuver through the sharing process and the set-up process.

Cool Text Generator.  Would you like the text on your Twitter name to stand out?  Look different from everyone else’s?  Head over to THIS SITE.  Type your text in the top.  It will code the text to reflect all font choices.  Choose the COPY button next to the font you like best.  Head over to Twitter.  Edit your Profile.  Paste your text into the name area, then save your changes.  Now you can have a name with cool text too.

Image Credit: Screen capture of website.

Image Credits: Screencapture from Twitter.

Microsoft Word update.  Do you wish that students had access to more audio tools?  Microsoft Word now has a read aloud tool.  This should push out automatically the next time your computer shuts down and restarts.  Use this button if you want text to be read to a child.  This may be a valuable tool for children to check their work.  They are forced to slow down and hear their work prior to submission.  

Image Credits: screen capture from my computer when the update was pushed out.

Google Arts & Culture.  I like wakeboarding and rock wall climbing.  Our family did both in Georgia last summer.  This summer we’re off to Hawaii to bike some volcanoes.  However, I really like museums too!  Have you been to the Louvre?  The Musée d’Orse?  Both are splendid.  If you haven’t had a chance to experience some of these one-of-a-kind places, you can do so online.  Take your students there online.  Talk about culture and history and societal structures and language and textiles and form…that is more than enough and’s for one sentence.  Take a virtual tour of some truly magnificent places all from the comfort of your classroom.  For free…all from the comfort of the Lab or the classroom.

Image Credit: website link above.

Emojis in the page titles of your website.  You don’t have to be a Special Ed teacher to appreciate the power of small images.  Anyone can add small emojis next to the text of their webpage titles.  I did.  This tutorial will walk you through the process of EASILY adding icons to your webpage titles.  You’ll need this website too:  www.emojicopy.com.  How To: Search for the emoji you want (or the emojis you want).  Use the copy button at the bottom of the page.  Paste it into the text field that is right for you on your website.  Click Publish.  VIDEO TUTORIAL HERE.

Image Credits: Screen capture from http://www.emojicopy.com.

Image Credits: Screen capture from video above.

Yellkey.  This is a splendid tool if you need to share a weblink to a group of people easily.  For example, when I work with my kindergarten teams, I set up 27 computers in a short timeframe.  Sure, I can use goo.gl, bit.ly, or tinyurl.com, but I’m limited to the weird code that follows the end of that link: khGrpsw (or something like that).  Now, I can make a super-easy link and get everyone in quickly.  You set the expiration of your weblink: 5 minutes, 2 hours…you choose.  LINK HERE.

Image Credits: screen capture from website; link above.

Classcraft. Want to gamify your classroom?  Classcraft is like Class Dojo on steroids.  It’s a virtual world where students team up and earn points for positive class behavior.  Likewise, students lose points for negative classroom behavior.  I’ll showcase this again at the start of next school year.  But, for those of you who do classroom-related research during the summer, check out this resource to see if may work well for your crew.  The website says for grades 4 and above.  On my website I’ve posted three videos to get you started.  LINK HERE.

Image credits: Screen capture from this VIDEO.

Kindly,

Week 36

Here are some highlights from Technology this week:

Week 36 (May 21 – May 25, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:            Did you hear about the two silkworms in a race?
   They wound up in a tie.

Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your sites this year.  I had a great year.  You were welcoming and kind.  You made me feel like a part of your teams.  Your generous, welcoming dispositions made this transition a beautiful one.  You make us #ClovisUnifiedStrong.

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY:  If you were one of the 67-teachers in my rotation this year, you received an email asking for feedback.  Please let me know your thoughts.  Deadline for that survey is TODAY @ 3:24pm.  Check your email inbox for that link.  You could win a gift card!!  Wahooo!!

Can you departmentalize at the elementary level?  What are the pros and the cons?  Angela Watson tackles this very idea in THIS POST.  Click back there to see what she has to say.

Image credits: Screen capture from her site.

What if??  So, let’s consider a rotational model for just a minute (departmentalize).  What might that look like?  In Georgia, elementary students rotate through “periods” just like junior high students.  They have a Science teacher.  They have a History/Geography teacher.  They aren’t in the same class all day like our students.  What might be the benefits?  What if you aren’t amazing at teaching Math, but your colleague is?  What if you’re amazing at teaching Technology, but your colleague isn’t?  What would be best for students?  Have you considered the rotational model?  What if your students rotate from classroom to classroom to receive what is best for them?  What would that look like?  But, what if there are four teachers in the model?  It might seem odd, but teachers from different grade levels could actually work together to make a model that could work for more than one grade level.  The fourth and the third grade teachers could actually swap kids.  Don’t be confined by grade level.  That’s just a number.  Teach skills to kids—any kids.

But how would you collaborate seamlessly?  Efficiently?  How is that possible?  What about communication with parents?  Here are three tools that come to mind:

a) Google Sites.  I would design a website so that ALL parents could come to one place.  I would share permissions so that all three or four teachers could have the power to make changes to the site at any time.  Now, every parent has access to ALL the information.  PDF files, documents, resources, tabs, links, you name it.  VIDEO TUTORIAL.
b) OneNote.  I would use Microsoft OneNote as a teacher-to-teacher communication tool.  This would house my teaching notes so that everyone knows what each teacher is doing.  Create tabs inside your digital, online binder and record your scope and sequence.  Make notes where needed.  Live online document for collaboration. VIDEO TUTORIAL.  ANOTHER VIDEO TUTORIAL.
c) Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.  I would use either of these tools to keep track of grades online seamlessly.  I can update grades as soon as they are recorded by the other teacher, live right now, from any location.  It’s a fluid and live document that can get updated anywhere, anytime. DOCUMENT HERE.  VIDEO TUTORIAL.  COPY TUTORIAL (How do I make a copy of your document?).

Image Credits: Screen capture from YouTube from my video (link above).

And how is this possible; who has time?!  You see, you now have FEWER preps.  You teach fewer lessons—the same one three times.  You’re grading fewer kinds of papers each week.  Not 20 keys.  Just a few.

What about parent communication? Your class website and your school website both house all the information needed for parents.  Add Remind to that list and send out text messages as needed.  The homeroom teacher is still the primary point of contact.  But, the other teachers share their information with parents as well.

What about SST's and IEP’s?  The homeroom teacher is always responsible for that, but now you may have data that is consistent over three teachers and not just one.  Child X blurts out in differing environments.  Child X is consistently out of his/her seat and talking during instruction per the notes of these other teachers as well.

But, how about grades?  How can we keep that straight?  I mentioned this earlier.  Here is a sample document.  Check out this link and see what it looks like.  I have coded many of those cells so that the data syncs at the end for you.  Now, you would still be responsible for putting that data into Zanlge/Q yourself.

So do you believe that Technology should be its own self-contained class experience and not integrated into subject areas?  No!  Quite the opposite.  Yet, I find that it is helpful to maximize skills in concentrated whole-class experiences.  And since we aren’t a 1:1 district yet, we have to come up with a reasonable workaround.  If two of your classes have access to laptops at one time, then you only need 60 in lieu of 90.  I agree with the Blended Learning Model where there is a combination of paper and computers all day long.  I am also an advocate for the Flipped Classroom Model.  YouTube Playlist here.

Do you not believe in blending curriculum standards?  Everything feels so separate.  My illustration could give you that idea, unfortunately.  However, that is not my intent.  You can bring in History standards into Reading and Writing seamlessly and you can bring Technology into it as well.  The model above is just a sample.  It certainly doesn’t have to look exactly like that.  And, this model is based on three teachers.  If you had four teachers, maybe there would be two pairs in a scenario like that.  One teacher takes History, Reding, and Writing.  The other teacher takes Science, Math, and Technology.  Each teacher now only has three preps, not six.  Teach the same thing twice.  Make teaching session number two more awesome!  Learn from your first session.

Maybe these aren’t perfect for you next year, but consider the possibilities and see if this will work for you the following year or the year after that.  Find other people who are doing this and ask them questions.  They’ll probably tell you that they weren’t perfect the first time and they learned from their mistakes.  Don’t we all?

Team, thanks again!

Kindly,

Week 35

CN Elementary Teaching Team,

Here are some highlights from Technology this week:

Week 35 (May 14 – May 18, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:            What did the mother buffalo say to her little boy when he went off to school?
   Bison.

Boot Camp.  Boot Camp details will come out soon.  If you aren’t planning to attend these trainings from June 18-20, block off your calendar and plan to attend a few sessions.  You will be glad you did.  Over 55 trainings will be offered.  Choose the classes that meet your needs.  Connect with other educators from our district and beyond; expand your network.

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY:  If you were one of the 67-teachers in my rotation this year, you received an email asking for feedback.  Please let me know your thoughts.  Deadline for that survey is Thursday, May 24 @ 3:24pm.  Check your email inbox for that link.  You could win a gift card!!  Wahooo!!

OPTIONAL PD:
The last session for this year is Edulastic.  If you are interested in learning more about the teacher side of Edulastic or using it in your classroom, come to this session.  Register using the link below.

Eventbrite -- REGISTER HERE – May 23, 2018

BigVU. I just discovered this APP the other day (App Store link).  Do you use video in your classroom?  Do your students broadcast video?  Wouldn’t it be cool to have a teleprompter alongside your video?  This app does just that.  Your text can scroll on the app while it records what you are doing.  No need to tape your script to the wall.  You can read it right from you phone.  The text will go the speed you choose.  And, it also has green screen technology as well!  Want to replace the background with ancient Greece?  Revolutionary War?  Underwater scene?  Cartoon characters?  Cellular structure?  You can.  “Hi!  It’s Tate live from the digestive system here!  Let’s look at the small intestine at work!”  This app is iPad friendly as well.  The video tutorial boasts of online tools.  You don’t need any of that in the free version.  VIDEO LINK HERE.  Save to Drive.  Upload to Google Classroom.  Students can extend their learning and do this at home.  They can use mom or dad’s phone.  It’s doesn’t have to be in class.

Image Credits: Screen capture from website.

Flipgrid. Wouldn’t it be awesome if students had opportunities to share their ideas freely?  With interaction?  In a safe environment?  And you could go back and review their ideas on your own time?  Because you can’t hear all 36 students at once or even in one day.  And how do those students get that feedback easily?  Without you having to gather and redistribute that information?  Flipgrid.  Kids can record themselves using student computers (or a home computer or an iPad or an iPhone).  They can share out this content in your own personalized Grid (on the website).  Later, other students (from your own classroom) can go back in and provide feedback/responses to boost engagement and interaction.  Listening and speaking skills.  Grammar.  Syntax.  Complex thought.  Infer.  Analysis.  Evaluate.  HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills).  Science.  Social Studies.  Technology.  Current events.  A sick child out on medical leave for surgery or cancer—send encouragement from several classes easily.  An employee who is away for three weeks to care for a loved one –inspire that person with words of encouragement (from your entire site).  Someone retiring?  Aren’t the video editor type?  This is the tool for you!  Tons of videos all saved in one spot.  Seamlessly.  One computer or 60.  One iPad or 40.  On campus or off campus.  No hurtles.  Easy.  No video editing required.  Works with Google Classroom.  Check out THIS VIDEO LINK to get started.  Then head to their SITE to sign up.  You can go free or you can upgrade.  The cheapest route is to hook up with a few other teachers for $40/year.  You get a group discount that way.

Image Credits: Screen capture of website.

Desmos Graphing Calculator. This tool is located in Clever.  But, if you want the direct website you can check out that link back there.  Students can explore the relationships between numbers in this tidy online space.  And, they can see the relationships between various functions, live and right before their eyes.  Surely they can use pencil and graphing paper, but to see those relationships come alive and readjust with just a few clicks could form some substantial building blocks early on.  If you aren’t already using this in your room, give it a try and see if this can transform learning.  Turn it into a game even—like 20 questions.  “I am a linear equation.  I have a positive slope.  I pass through -4.  I also pass through 8.  What am I?”

Image Credits: Screen capture of my own Desmos.

Desmos Animation.  What if you could do more with Desmos than just graph stuff?  You can.  Would you like to animate something?  Make a ball move?  Check out this video to watch a small demo on how to make a ball move: VIDEO LINK.  Or, work with waves HERE.

Image Credits: Screen capture of my own Desmos.

How about more complex designs?  With movement?  Check out the video links below.

Image Credit: Screen capture of my own graph.

Or, flowers: VIDEO or MORE ART.

Kindly,

Week 34

Here are some highlights from Technology this week:

Week 34 (May 7 – May 11, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:            Why did the mushroom go to the party?
    Because he was a fungi.

OPTIONAL TECH PD:
The last two sessions for this year are both Edulastic.  If you are interested in learning more about the teacher side of Edulastic or using it in your classroom, come to one of these two sessions.  Register using the links below.

Eventbrite -- REGISTER HERE – May 16, 2018
Eventbrite -- REGISTER HERE – May 23, 2018

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY:  If you were one of the 67-teachers in my rotation this year, you received an email asking for feedback.  Please let me know your thoughts.  Deadline for that survey is Thursday, May 24 @ 3:24pm.  Check your email inbox for that link.  You could win a gift card!!  Wahooo!!

Teacher Center.  Major shout-out to the Teacher Center.  That place is awesome.  I designed some posters and emailed those PDF files to the gals who work at the Teacher Center.  They spent 90 minutes turning those 8.5 x 11 files into huge 20x30 posters for me.  Normally, you don’t print 20 posters.  But, I printed four posters (times 5 sites).  It was my job to laminate and trim them.  I am thankful that these ladies spent the time to enlarge these full-color posters for me.  Cost?  It came out of the money CUSD puts into your Teacher Center pot each year.  Each poster was just $4.  Do you want a few things on your wall?  The cafeteria?  The Work Room?  Teachers’ Lounge?  Something inspirational?  Encouraging?  Inspiring?  Motivational?  See if this option may work for you.  #ThankYou  #CUSD

Ten Marks.  I got an email from Ten Marks the other day.  It looks like they are closing down their service!  Did I read that correctly?  Do you see what I see?  I do believe that as of June 30, 2019, they will no longer offer this service.  How sad!  I really liked this tool.

Image Credits: Screen capture of email from Ten Marks.

Chrome Music Lab.  Chrome has a music lab. First graders learn about sound and vibration in Science.  Google has some fun music tools to play with.  And, you can call it Tech Standards (point, click, design, manipulate, create…all great tech words). You have 13 listening tools to play with.  Here are just a few of those:

Image Credits: Screen capture of WEBSITE.

Music Lab by Chrome - Kandinsky.  You can draw all over the screen and watch how those strokes make sound.  The play button produces those sound on repeat.  Visually entertaining and fun to listen to.

Image Credits: Screen capture of WEBSITE.

Spectrogram lets the children explore with various sounds: flute, harp, wine glass, trombone, and whistle. 

Image Credits: Screen capture of WEBSITE.

Oscillators. Click and hold each character to see how the tones vacillate.

Image Credits: Screen capture of WEBSITE.

Plagnets.  Are you a Growth Mindset school?  Are you working with Visible Learning strategies?  Need to track that data somehow?  Then Plickers may be the tool for you (www.plickers.com).  Have you heard of plagnets?  The original coiner of this phrase was a PE teacher.  However, I think it would work splendidly for self-assessment in any discipline.  He combined Plickers with magnets to achieve an easy-to-use self-assessment tool.  There’s a video right here where he shows you how he uses it for PE.  VIDEO LINK HERE.  Yet, I fully believe this strategy can be modified for paragraph development, linear equations, social adjustment, relationship building strategies, mental math, math facts, linking words, um…the list is endless.  You will find printables and videos at the Phys Ed Depot.

Image credits: Screen capture of plagnets card from Phys Ed Depot and screen shot of http://www.Plickers.com.

Kindly,

Week 33

Here are some highlights from Technology this week:

Week 33 (April 30 – May 4, 2018)

Thursday Giggles:            What did one hot dog say to another?
    Hi, Frank.

Image credit here: LINK.

OPTIONAL TECH PD:The last two sessions for this year are both Edulastic.  If you are interested in learning more about the teacher side of Edulastic or using it in your classroom, come to one of these two sessions.  Register using the links below.

Eventbrite -- REGISTER HERE – May 16, 2018

Eventbrite -- REGISTER HERE – May 23, 2018

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY:  If you were one of the 67-teachers in my rotation this year, you received an email asking for feedback.  Please let me know your thoughts.  Deadline for that survey is Thursday, May 24 @ 3:24pm.  Check your email inbox for that link.  You could win a gift card!!  Wahooo!!

PDFCandy.  Are PDF files important to you?  Do you use them to share out tools to your families?  If you need/want to make modifications to any of kind to an existing PDF, do you know how to do that? Try PDFCandy.  See if this is a helpful tool for you.  LINK HERE.

Image Credit: Screen capture from website.

Mystery Doug. Want a 5-minute video that inspires your students to think scientifically?  Want to use it as a journal prompt for the day?  There’s a Writing Prompt button for your grade level (green buttons).  Check out this FREE site and see if it works for you.

Image Credits: Screen capture from website.

Website updates.  In the drop-down area of the Grades section of my website, you will find more resources.  I went in and overhauled those pages.  You now have access to 30+ resources for your grade level in each of those pages. WEBSITE LINK HERE

Conferences & Bloggers.  You will also find a few new pages in the Resource Links area: Conferences, Follow That Blogger, and Standards & Frameworks.  If you are interested in upping your Tech Game, connect with people at your site.  See if funds are available for this (conferences that is).  PTC?  Grants?  Conference Budget?  And, sometimes you just need to be inspired by other people who are awesome.  I enjoy reading up on what other teachers are doing to perfect the craft.  Where is education going?  See if any of these tools might encourage or inspire you. WEBSITE LINK HERE

Video Content. I have broken my video tab into sections.  You now have a few categories to pick from.  WEBSITE LINK HERE

a) Using content related to CUSD tools
b) How-to videos on how to use Google tools
c) How-to videos on how to use Office 365
d) Videos that showcase or model how to use other EdTech resources

Kindly,