PASD LTR for Staff

 As we enter the third year of Technology PD from A to Z, this is one of the squares that I get the most questions regarding. This is a perma-square, it will be on the board (maybe not always on E) for as long as we have the PD Choice board. To be honest, this square was one of the reasons that I created and pitched the idea. The statement under it is:

 This post is a guest post from Penny Whyte, Kindergarten Teacher! Have you wondered how to keep students connected to each other during  virtual learning? If you have a Seesaw classroom, adding the blog option might just be what you are looking for. Students can post material onto the blog and comment  on each other's posts using text or voice. All posts and comments require teacher approval before they appear on the blog. Some of the ways I used the blog with my Kindergarten class during quarantine were: Students shared pictures of activities I had assigned as lessons  (reading forts, sidewalk writing)  or just our best silly faces or pictures of our pets. Playing I Spy, (Each student took a picture of an area where they had hid something of the color of the day.  Students then comment back and forth about where the hidden item was.) Sending birthday greeting and other messages to friends Show and tell To set up your blog is very simple.  Seesaw has ...

  Many have used Screencastify to create their own videos and screen casts. However, many may not have explored Screencastify's newest gem: Submit.  This is a really neat feature as we have pivoted to virtual learning very quickly. Students can record their own video of their presentation, process or just a video of themselves (though Flipgrid works pretty slick for that) with a click of a button. No extensions need to be added, it all happens from the URL that you share. I used it recently with my 5th grade class on their virtual day. I wanted to know what they did for research and asked them to share with me the Google Keep notes that they had taken over the duration of our face to face and virtual days.  To get started I used the so helpful " Getting Started with Submit " link on the Screencastify Help page. This post has videos for you and also videos of what your students are going to see! I created my own video, but you could share this resource for the more indepen...

 PBS has a bunch of free teaching resources that includes lesson plans, videos, activities and more! Best of all, it's all FREE!  The link to find it is here:  https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/  If you have never been there before you do need to create your own account. I strongly suggest using your Google Account. When you first log in you have a few different options just from the top. You can search by: Subject Grade Standard There are predetermined collections based on show and topic.  Each video comes with a brief description, support materials and standards that it is related to. When you choose an item, you can assign it within the PBS Learning Media website or you can share it directly to Google Classroom. I really appreciate both of these features. Google Classroom is a no brainer most of the time because that is what I use to share materials with students. However, PBS Learning Media allows you to use some other features as well: The Lesson Builder al...

 As we continue to navigate the 2020-21 school year's twists, turns and bumps, here are a few reminders regarding Google Meet. There are two highly suggested ways to go about setting up Google Meets with students.  Option 1: Use the Meet Code generated in Google Classroom Eric Curts does a fantastic job in describing this in his Blog Post from April 10, 2020:  Google Meet is now integrated in Google Classroom!  There is even an amazing video of him giving those directions! Since we already strongly urge you to have Google Classroom set up with students with GoGuardian this is a great way to set up Meets for drop ins on the days that we are virtual.  You can toggle the Meet link on and off through your settings. Maybe you don't have Classroom or you want to set up a more 1:1 session with a student? This is where Option 2 comes in. Option 2: Create your own Meeting using a nickname 1)Set up a time with student(s) either while you are face to face or send them a ca...

This guest blog post is brought to you by Andi Achterberg! Have you ever used Flocabulary with your students?  My class LOVES IT!  If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s an online program that has fun videos for students.  They introduce grade-specific vocabulary words, then have daily activities you can assign, including a vocabulary game, read and respond, vocabulary cards, and a quiz.  There is everything from Reading and Writing skills, to general grade-level vocabulary, and even Science and Social Studies vocabulary.  You can also share it right to Google Classroom!  I’d be happy to show you how it works, if you’re interested!

Other Video Options video shared on 3/19/2020: https://www.wevideo.com/view/1617882812 Update for 3/20/20: I used Screencast-O-Matic today to record my Pandemic @ PASD with great success. If you are using your Chromebook I found it helpful to have the app and the extension on. Here is the app: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screencast-o-matic/ofhomjgaaamjpmjogmkglfojkdlabekg/related Here is the extension: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screencast-o-matic-launch/eefedolmcildfckjamddopaplfiiankl If this is something that you want students to use it is on the Web 2.0 list for MS and HS. You would want to share the links with the students so they can add it.

I am going to post the videos that I create on the Blog and share this way. That way if you want to reference an older video you can do it in one place rather than searching the Bazillion (slight exaggeration) emails that I send a day. Please don't hesitate to send in MOJOs or contact any of the Tech Team while we do this. I will be in District on Wednesday mornings while school is closed. This is the video on Meet Settings:

Many teachers a re using IXL in their classrooms, however, what are you doing with the results of what your students are doing?  Did you know that there is a way to drill down and see what your students level is within each domain? Did you know that you can look on your account to see what your students are working on at the moment?  Do you know what the Smartscore really is? Do you know that you can ability group your students and assign certain skills? If this intrigues you, please reach out to me as I’m very willing to share this information with you.  Below is an outline of a meeting I held at the elementary level. I would love to come visit and show you what this program can really do! Continuous Diagnostic What is it? What does it do? How do the students get there? Choose ELA/Math or both What to do with the information when you have it. Real-time Analytics Shows who is logged in Shows if they are actively learning Shows what sk...

Today Tina brought an article that was published in the December 2019/January 2020 copy of Tech & Learning magazine titled "Lateral Phishing: What K-12 Schools Need to Know" It is a really eye opening article and so important that we all know about it and take steps to protect ourselves from it. Not sure what phishing is? Here is a great, short video (less than 4 minutes) that I use with students from Google for Education: Hackers are taking their game one step further and are using applications to embed themselves into other applications that you may want to use. Like a tapeworm, you think you are eating a delicious bite meat and when you swallow it you also swallowing a worm. (sorry for those who just ate) You don't know it's there and it is thriving off of your diet. These programs are attached to another source and when you grant Google access, when you sign up for Google and you just click accept to use this cool tool that you read or heard about, yo...

Chances are if you are focusing on differentiation, problem-based learning or personalized learning that Empowered Learning  is already happening. Studies have proven that more learning happens when the student has the CHOICE in what they are doing. Students who feel empowered will go the extra step and have deeper learning than those that just learn enough to pass the assessment. via GIPHY Differentiation can mean many different things in each classroom, but Learners who feel empowered are immersed in an environment where they have access to resources, can explore relevant to them topics and utilized critical thinking skills. With much of the district going 1:1 this school year our students have access to so many resources. One of the most important resources that we have access to are the library websites. (Though I have a bit of bias here) The elementary  and the middle/high  websites are both organized in similar headings of Reader, Researcher, and Listener. The...

This month the LTR posts will be focused on Empowering Learners. Since this is the first post of the month on it, this post will focus on what standards are included in this heading. EL1-Students leverage digital tools and strategies to take an active role in choosing and achieving their learning goals. Supporting Standards include: EL1.a: Set goals and reflect. EL1.b: Build network to support learning. EL1.c: Create personalized learning environment. EL1.d: Seek and utilize feedback. Some things to reflect on with this standard that many of us already do are: Setting goals and reflecting is something that many of us already do our classrooms and with the district going 1:1 it just makes sense to start modeling and expecting students to utilize digital tools like SeeSaw, Google Docs, Classroom and Gmail to make, reflect upon and modify goals on a regular basis. Show them the benefits and drawbacks of each and let them have the choice on how they choose to reflect.  Personali...

Standard 1 for Digital Citizenship states that " Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world." I think that in order for students to recognize this that staff also need to recognize the impact of a Digital Footprint. One resource that I stumbled upon a few years ago was "What Happens in Vegas Stays on Youtube" by Erik Qualman and the more student version of "What Happens on Campus Stays on Youtube." Think of these books as a What if... Chicken Soup for the Digital Soul, where the author shares real life stories of how digital footprints have impacted both adults and students and gives ways to create a positive footprint. Let's face it, we can't not have a digital footprint, unless you are totally disconnected, so we, staff and students, need to focus on making sure what others can see of us online is what we want them to see. Ways you can check what...

This month's focus: Digital Citizens, is perfect because October 14-18 is Digital Citizenship Week! Citizenship is something that we as educators teach and model ALL OF THE TIME! It is especially important more so now that we model this behavior online and give students opportunities to practice proper digital citizenship in the safe space of our classrooms. Standard DC1 - Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world. This does NOT mean that you should have them all sign up for social media and connect with them there. In fact that is against Board Policy. But there are ways that you can get creative, model appropriate digital citizenship and engage your students. It means talking about privacy, not just having students agree to statements without reading what they are agreeing to. Making sure that students are on resources that we have permission for through our Web 2.0 permission slips an...

Super exciting news guys! We were able to purchase the Adobe Spark platform for students and staff here at PASD this year. What is it? Well, thanks to Wikipedia : "Adobe Spark is an integrated suite of media creation applications for the mobile and web developed by Adobe Systems. It comprises three separate design apps: Spark Page, Spark Post, and Spark Video." Why do you want to know about it? Well, it allows you and your students to create (professional looking) publishable graphics and flyers (and more!) quickly and easily. It also has the ability (like Google docs) to collaborate on projects!  How can I use it? Here is an awesome guest post by Claudio Zavala Jr. on Matt Miller's Ditch that Textbook website from August 2018. There are some great "real" examples on this website. Here Adobe created an article titled "16 Ways to Motivate Students in the Classroom Using Adobe Spark." There are some great idea starters here. If yo...

Last year the Technology Steering Committee worked on the District Vision in terms of technology and our school. I presented this to the School Board at the end of the school year. The District Future Ready Plan can be found here . Our vision for the 2019-20 school year is: "... to inform all staff of ITL (Information and Technology) Standards and how they apply to their content areas and promote 21st Century Skills in their content area." For this the Tech Steering will be conducting literature studies on current trends and Authentic Learning. You will be exposed to this in many different ways. One way is through this PASD LTR blog. One of my professional goals is to focus on one Standard a month in at least 3 posts. The first post will be an overview of that Standard and how it can be incorporated in different areas. The following will look at different tools that you could or even already use in your classroom. Bottom line is that the ITL Standards and technology shoul...

As many have found out we are no longer paying for Newsela. When we first purchased this subscription Newsela was a great resource for leveling nonfiction content. Over the past few years they have transitioned into more of an assessment tool. While the assessment tool is great, it made it not covered by CSF, Common School Fund, one of my primary funds for budgets. The purpose of this Blog post is to highlight some other tools and websites that offer similar articles. If you have a website not mentioned, please add it in the comments or contact me directly!  1) Dogo News - ELA, Science and Social Studies articles for kids. While there is a paid version that has the assigning, listening and quiz options I haven't found an article that I haven't been able to access. Categories on the top ribbon include Current Events, Science, Social Studies, World, Environment, Fun, Video and Sports. You can filter top stories by Week, Month and Year. You can share the article to Google Classr...

Have you subscribed to the Google for Education's EDU in 90 second videos in YouTube? If not, you really should. If you had on May 1 you would have received this quick PD in 90 seconds with Chromebook tricks like how to enable CAPS LOCK on a Chromebook: What I love about subscribing to YouTube is that when I subscribe I get a notification ANY time they upload a new video and I can watch that video right away. Or if it's something that doesn't interest me, I can delete it. It's so much easier than trying to remember to go to YouTube to check what's new or find how to fix what I think is broken. It is so EASY to do! All you have to do is click the red Subscribe button below the video. Here are a few of my favorite subscriptions: 1) Google for Education - In case you missed the link above here it is again. This is how I quickly stay up to date and am often inspired by seeing videos of teachers talk about why they love GSuite. 2) Epic Reads - I love video b...

A few years ago I read a book where the character created infographics to communicate her ideas. This got me thinking and I have tried to implement them into how I communicate important information with staff and students. Here is a great article from November 2015 regarding how effective infographics can be.  https://www.ragan.com/infographic-5-reasons-why-infographics-are-e%C2%ADffective/ I find that when I send regular emails that staff often overlook them and some times I send a lot of emails to staff. It is a goal that I am still working on. I do remember to send them out at the elementary every spring though. I have used a few different infographic websites to create. However, the one that I used this year was Canva. Things I look for when evaluating a resource like this are: Price (I prefer FREE) Ease of Use (If it takes much longer than I need to type out an email, I am not going to use it) Templates (this helps with the time issue) Ability to sign in with my G...