PASD LTR for Staff

There are SO many videos out there to inspire us and our students, some times it can be like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. Well, Rion Nakaya, with help from her 8 & 10 year olds has created the website The Kid Should See This  where you can find some awesome videos that weren't created for children, but that are perfect for them. They are such great conversation starters and inspiration for students and adults alike. One that was featured today was about the Reconfigurable Ghostkube sculptures , it is amazing to hear him talk about his inspiration and what drove him to experiment with origami with wood instead of paper. Another favorite is Soap, water and corn syrup bubbles freezing : What I like best about these are that they are pretty well vetted and include information at the bottom that describes more than just what the YouTube creator puts in the description.

In this post I wanted to switch gears from technology and talk about books and literature. Technology has allowed us to have a wide variety of material at our fingers to read and listen to, but it can sometimes be very daunting (and overstimulating) so I have comprised my Top 3 Literary Websites that I like to visit. 1) Book Riot This is a website that I originally stumbled upon while I was looking for Young Adult Lit, but every time I visit it I find another thing to like about it. It has areas for Audiobooks, Children's, Comics, Mystery/Thriller, Nonfiction, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Young Adult. Best of all, when I went to check it out today (for this post) I saw that there was an article titled " Tell Me a Story: The 10 Best Story Podcasts by Michelle Regalado " where she identifies 10 (for all ages) podcasts with a brief synopsis. I am going to have to subscribe to "Circle Round" for some of the longer car rides that I have with Roland, who knows, may...

Just as I have in the past here are a few things I felt were noteworthy to share with staff from the November/December newsletter from Google: Updates in GSuite Closed captioning in Google Slides . Yes, that's correct. As you are presenting in Google Slides you can have closed captioning appear. Right now it is only for Chrome browsers. They have also had many updates in making accessibility possible for all users. MLA just got easier in Google Docs! You can now use a vertical ruler to make the necessary adjustments. Jamboard -the new collaborative app (for touch screen Chromebooks and devices) allows you to collaborate on the same board. This is one my #1 things to try out and learn so watch for a future post on this! They also have a *very* expensive board available for purchase. GSuite for ALL Learners A former kindergarten teacher turned Google employee discusses features and shortcuts you can use to make Chromebooks, GSuite and other tools more equitable for a...

Routines have been established and you are all working hard at engaging your students. While YouTube, Google and Wikipedia have some great resources this post is to talk about the different resources and subscriptions that we have here at Pardeeville Area School District and where to locate them. This post is to give a brief overview and reminder of how to access them. Access-both of the Library Technology Resource pages are linked to each other (from the bottom) for ease of transitioning between the two. Elementary LTR Website Middle/High School LTR Website All of the following resources can be found in the R esearcher or L istener Tab of these websites. General Knowledge (in alphabetical order) AbdoZoom - Intended for early elementary learners this has numerous databases with content, activities and games. Access -use the library links as the username and password are embedded into the link. (ES-R) Book Flix- Intended for elementary and middle school use. Book Flix pa...

"Hey, I found this great documentary on (insert Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. here) can I show it in my classroom?"  This is a question that I have been hearing and seeing on different PLNs that I belong to. There isn't a quick and easy answer for this. We have to look at Copyright Law, and the Terms of Use that you personally accept when signing up for a streaming service. First, Copyright Law. I know, I know, we are educators, not lawyers, but this is something that we need to make sure we comply with. The Copyright Act states that these criteria must be met: 1. Must take place in a classroom or place of instruction in a nonprofit educational institution. (yep) 2. Only teacher and students can be in attendance. (yep) 3. Must be a face-to-face teaching activity. (yep) 4. Copy of the video must be legally made or acquired. (ehhhh, and here is where we need to stop a moment and look at Terms of Use) Terms of Use? You mean you are suppos...

Well, I know the end of the school year is quickly approaching and you may not have had time to read the latest Google for Education Newsletter. Here are a few things you need to see: Gmail Gmail is updating. Any time now we should be seeing this new updated look and functionality. To learn more check out this blog that has some great short clips describing the different look and functions!  EDU in 90 Don't forget to subscribe, it only takes 90 seconds and they have put some great content up! Like this video on the changes that have been happening in Classroom. Google Sites Updates Now this wasn't in the newsletter, however it is something that I know I found lacking when I started using the new Google Sites. They now allow you to add a hyperlink in the menu! No more creating a page just to have a hyperlink!  You can also now change who can see your website! No longer do you have to publish to the public!

Yes, you read that correctly! Digital Word Walls! Using Padlet (has a free version, but also some paid resources) you can create and embed a digital word wall for students to interact with! Taken directly from the blog article! Here is an awesome Blog entry from Zanner History that explains how to do it, it even has screenshots! Best of all, it even has ideas of how you can use it in your classroom! Let me know if you need help in this or better yet if you tried it! Think that Word Walls are only for elementary, NO they are not, if you teach content and have vocabulary your student can benefit from this!

If you haven't had a chance to checkout the newer updated GSuite Training Center, you should really check it out. Instead of focusing on specific tools, they now focus on goals for utilization in the classroom. One that was highlighted recently in an email was Unit 10: Build Interactive Lessons  where you go through step by step on how to use Google Slides and other GSuite tools to present content while still engaging your students in their ability to interact with the presentation. If you are looking for a way to reinvigorate your teaching please take a bit to explore the different resources and how you can use it to revamp what you already have!

While my Facebook account is for personal use, I do follow a few different groups one of my favorites is Angela Watson-The Cornerstone for Teachers  and earlier this week she posted: One of the resources that was posted Study Jams by Scholastic , it is math and science videos and activities for elementary aged students. There is a short informational video, vocabulary, and a test yourself for students.  If you use this resource please add a comment with your favorite resource!

In the latest Google Newsletter ( The Google for Education newslette r, Issue VII, 2018) there is an article about how Google has given a grant to the National AfterSchool Association for Professional Development. In the article they talk about how they are using Grow with Google website for Professional Development. What I like about this website is that it focuses on what your teaching target is and how you can use Google to engage and enhance that skill AND they provide lesson plans with videos to walk the students through how to complete the skill. If you find one that interests you feel free to add a comment about which one you tried and how it went!

While I have heard of Quizlet  in the past and I vaguely recall seeing it, I will be honest and say that I hadn't tried it in the classroom. That is until recently, when GIG member Nicole Leach utilized it in her class for her first Integration project, specifically the Quizlet Live feature. So, I gave it a go with my 4th grade students in the wrapping up of our Steps to Research unit that we have been working on. Upon completing the 5th step I shared out the Set that I had created for 4th Grade Research Process  and let the 4th graders explore the different features. I stressed to students to do the Learn, Flashcards and Match with students as they explored. Write, Spell and Test would be for when they are more secure in the terms as it has them type in the answers. For the games, I stressed Match as Gravity also has them typing in the answer and is frustrating if you can't spell or type fast enough for the game. The next class we warmed up with review and then play...