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,