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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Christa Conference - Google Deo Slam (with NEW Google Sites)

Working on the Christa Conference presentation 
https://sites.google.com/mynrsd.com/marottaslam
#nhcmtc w/ @nicoletomaselli signup here https://goo.gl/CC6InR more

Some of  my favorites this year - New Google Sites Post

New Google site Portfolios
Example 1

Using the NEW Google Sites to showcase feature! https://goo.gl/oPRity
Pixlr Express Collage

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

NEW Google Sites available on my school domain today!

I have been waiting for the NEW Googles sites to show up in our domain and today is the day! Below is a quick overview of the new features
Here is a link to a tip sheet for Nashoba goo.gl/npWuca 
I created a new site to test out today https://sites.google.com/mynrsd.com/portfolio-marotta 

Tips and review of other schools that have been using as part of the beta program. Thanks @jennjudins for your guidance and reflection!

Take a Look at the New Google Sites for Schools - Digital Learning at Grant Wood AEA http://www.dlgwaea.org/1/post/2016/11/check-out-the-new-google-sites.html and a review 

I will be creating Photography portfolios in Sites and also Spark Page next week!


Monday, November 14, 2016

The Rocketbook Wave - digitizing all notes and sending them to the cloud, using your smartphone

Exploring information on the Rocketbook Wave smart notebook http://getrocketbook.com. It instantly connects and stores your notes, doodles and lists in the cloud with the free smart notebook app. Rocketbook Wave: Cloud Connected Microwavable Notebook.


The Rocketbook app works in conjunction with the Rocketbook Notebook. Rocketbook allows people to enjoy the pleasure of writing in a traditional paper and pen notebook, while digitizing all notes and sending them to the cloud, using your smartphone.You can download the RocketBook App on the App Store also available in Google Play.


What can you do with Rocketbook Wave?



Students in class today are testing out sketching for Art Class and Math! I am having them follow my blog post and explore!

Instant curiosity  and students explore the relevance and will report back to the class on Monday!

More info here follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/@RocketInno 
Amazon details


Google Expeditions (cardboard)

Today our school librarian Ms. Landry @mslandrylibrary and @jcarternashoba showcased Google Expeditions to a multimedia class in the library.  Students downloaded the Cardboard from the Apps Store along with a few apps Within and Life.  Student's scanned the barcode on the viewer and inserted their phone into the cardboard view and began to take their virtual tours.  When the class ended a few students asked to stay and explore more options. They then asked to bring to other classes and share with their teachers.  Talk about engagement first thing on a Monday morning!


Google Expeditions has a number of lessons to help students learn about our military history this Veterans Day. Students can experience the history of World War I, World War II, and the Civil War, understand the key events that shaped those moments, and visit the memorials that commemorate them. Other Expeditions, such as the Artifacts of the Tuskegee Airmen and Pearl Harbor, let students explore planes, submarines, and ships from these historical periods. In addition to these Expeditions, Google Arts & Culture  has a dedicated online collection of artifacts, archives, locations and dozens of stories related to World War II, including an online exhibition, Veterans Day: Reflections on Service, where students can hear stories from our veterans.
Here is an article from Edutopia on expeditions

Google and Best Buy have a bundle that provides Wifi and teacher directed learning but are rather expensive but may work great in rural communities or schools where students do not have devices (phones).

While learning about Expeditions this month, I have been reading and watching information on a new Google product called Daydream https://vr.google.com/daydream and  here is a review of Daydream  and YouTube VR app. Twitter
Twitter - http://www.googledaydream.us 

Looking to learn more about Google Features?
Get practical ideas for innovating in schools at Education on Air, Dec 3rd

Teachers Ready for Virtual Reality in Education infographic.

So much to learn!

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Reflecting on PBL - What's your story?

Earlier this year I posted about my journey of learning about Project Based Learning.  Teaching a course that incorporated PBL over the summer and our late start PLT/PLC focus on Project Based Learning this fall.  I decided to capture some of the great work teachers and students in my district. I have bene using the new Adobe Spark program this year and thought this would be a great way to showcase the features of the program and reflect on PBL. I will be presenting our story next on Tuesday, November 15th  at a Future Ready Conference in Bedford, New Hampshire.  I also thought it would be a great way to share our PLC findings on Project Based Learning.

Link for Full Screen view
https://spark.adobe.com/page/pcCV3vZVmylbJ
What's your PBL Story?
We plan to offer a course in lesson design next spring that will help teachers design lessons using G-Suite, Web-based tools and gamify some of the lessons to help with classroom engagement.  Learning more about Project Based Learning last summer and during our PLC time has generated lots of discussion with my colleagues.

Nashoba PLT Presentation
https://spark.adobe.com/page/BNS9cp5BF3RqG
Project Based Learnining Our Story
Here is a great link about telling your story and being connected with tips on using twitter!

What is the Hour of Code?

What is the Hour of Code?

 The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts.

Check out the tutorials and activities. This grassroots campaign is supported by over 400 partners and 200,000 educators worldwide.

More 

What is gamification and why should I use in my class?

I used twitter to get instructional ideas for my professional development to test out with teachers and students in my school and to teachers that take Grad/PD classes with me.  Last spring I came across some inspiration from rpetitto, #games4ed/blog http://www.edtechify.com with many great ideas. One was using GAFE for Staff 30 Day Chrome Challenge. I put it on my radar but never actually made one. I shared the link with my colleague Craig and he jumped in and made some lessons/challenges "gamification lessons" for his students!  So, when co-teaching a grad class with Craig this fall we decided to implement a version of the challenge with our teachers in our blended class this month. The feedback this week was very positive.  So, I am not revisiting how to used with students in my high school.

This year 9th grade students arrived with Chromebooks. They started using in the 8th grade and seem to be relatively savvy compared to many of the other grade levels in our high school. I wanted to review techniques with Google and Chromebooks so I plan to test out a challenge (Game/make a copy) with a few teachers this semester and get some feedback from students. Depending on the feedback students could also learn to make engaging games using this technique!

So, what is Gamification? 
Gamification applies the use of gaming principles in education in order to get students involved, engaged, and excited about learning. Gamification introduces concepts like badges, levels, achievements, and game points to the classroom. Students are rewarded with these concepts when they succeed, but are not penalized when they don’t. By introducing a system of rewards without harsh penalties, students are not afraid to step outside of their comfort zone and fail. By removing their fear of failure we subconsciously encourage them to learn.

Resources:
Ebook  and tips
Game Based Learning

Badges for independent learning. Though some claim they go against interest-driven learning, digital badges became more prevalent. Supported by the MacArthur Foundation, Mozilla’s Open Badges presents a free standard for creating, issuing, and verifying badges as indicators of accomplishment or attaining a skill. In 2013, badges documented evidence of professional learning as well. The National Science Teachers Association, theSmithsonian Institution, and the Khan Academy offer digital badges for educators and students. In October, Connected Educators Month organizers provided a variety of badges to encourage and reward participation.

I plan on exploring Gamification with a few teachers over the next month and will update the post with feedback from teachers and students!