Each year Google requires trainers to recertify and submit evidence of training.
Options: Google Keep https://goo.gl/oPS9PK and Hour of Code 2018 http://bit.ly/nashobahoc
I passed the Google Certification test and submitted all evidence for 2019 in order to keep by Google Training Certification. In addition, this is the year to update all teaching certifications by June 2019!
All my certifications have been approved! Here's to 2019!
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Monday, December 17, 2018
Saying Goodbye and remembering a colleague
This post is for a colleague of mine that passed away this weekend. Kathy McHale was a French teacher in my high school and I had the privilege of working with her, traveling with her and being a friend. I've been thing Kathy today and remembering her classes and our travelling adventures. I searched my blog today for a post I did about Kathy and her students. Several years ago I came across a video contest by The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Kathy decided to enter her french III students in the contest. The theme "Why I am a 21st Century Learner" they created Students Rap ‘Round the World video https://vimeo.com/18011416
Local newspapers covered the story. Here is the article link from the Stow Independent by our friend Ann Needle. There was a cash award for the contest and with Kathy, there always a reason to travel and celebrate! She took the group of students to french restaurant in Boston to celebrate their success and extended the invitation to me, the principal and other colleagues that helped with the contest. She always took the time to celebrate and find an adventure. Later that spring I had privilege to travel to Greece with her and some of my friends. Kathy was welcoming and made the trip so memorable, I signed up for a few more trips.
I am shocked and saddened by Kathy's passing, but I am so happy we captured one of her teaching stories in this blog and I can take the time to reflect on a teacher that loved teaching, Nashoba, her students and friends. She will be missed.
Local newspapers covered the story. Here is the article link from the Stow Independent by our friend Ann Needle. There was a cash award for the contest and with Kathy, there always a reason to travel and celebrate! She took the group of students to french restaurant in Boston to celebrate their success and extended the invitation to me, the principal and other colleagues that helped with the contest. She always took the time to celebrate and find an adventure. Later that spring I had privilege to travel to Greece with her and some of my friends. Kathy was welcoming and made the trip so memorable, I signed up for a few more trips.
I am shocked and saddened by Kathy's passing, but I am so happy we captured one of her teaching stories in this blog and I can take the time to reflect on a teacher that loved teaching, Nashoba, her students and friends. She will be missed.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Google Session - Applied Digital Skills Training in Lexington
A group of 70 educators attended a Google Session in Lexington yesterday.
Here is a link to the agenda http://gg.gg/lexconnect. Introduction by Jen Judkins and Gooogle's
(Sam Canning-Kaplan, Program Manager, Google for Education)
The morning session focused on Applied Digital Skill Training
It's always great to see from the lens of another Google Certified Trainer delivering content and Sue Tranchina, a business/video teacher did a great job. Although the curriculum had some great lessons the student would need to be signed up for the Applied Digital Skills training and it would be tracked in the program. This may work in a blended model or to support a class such as Computer Apps for a help desk self-paced model. I did find myself sharing many of the rubrics that could easily be adapted for other projects with my colleagues.
Although I did not attend the Executive Functioning for Secondary Students, I shared the site with our SPED Department Chair as a model we could potentially customize to meet our school needs. I have been thinking about this type of setup, which we created in a class under our Special Education training for recertification, but the site provides all students and staff with great tools. Lexington did a great job have the special education department create this with the help of a digital coach. Now that we have a model, we will explore the features.
The best part of the day, reconnecting with colleagues from other schools and have some takeaways to share with teachers.
Here is a link to the agenda http://gg.gg/lexconnect. Introduction by Jen Judkins and Gooogle's
(Sam Canning-Kaplan, Program Manager, Google for Education)
The morning session focused on Applied Digital Skill Training
- Applied Digital Skills Training (Sue Tranchina, Google Certified Trainer) - Explore the Curriculum
- A quick Google Demo Slam at lunch
- The afternoon had a few options, the GAFE PBL session was canceled - Leveraging Google Slides for Presentation (a variety of tools and tips)
- "Executive Functioning" is an umbrella term for brain-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. It includes three main areas: Behavior regulation, emotional regulation, and cognitive regulation. https://sites.google.com/lexingtonma.org/executivefunctioning/home
It's always great to see from the lens of another Google Certified Trainer delivering content and Sue Tranchina, a business/video teacher did a great job. Although the curriculum had some great lessons the student would need to be signed up for the Applied Digital Skills training and it would be tracked in the program. This may work in a blended model or to support a class such as Computer Apps for a help desk self-paced model. I did find myself sharing many of the rubrics that could easily be adapted for other projects with my colleagues.
Although I did not attend the Executive Functioning for Secondary Students, I shared the site with our SPED Department Chair as a model we could potentially customize to meet our school needs. I have been thinking about this type of setup, which we created in a class under our Special Education training for recertification, but the site provides all students and staff with great tools. Lexington did a great job have the special education department create this with the help of a digital coach. Now that we have a model, we will explore the features.
The best part of the day, reconnecting with colleagues from other schools and have some takeaways to share with teachers.
Friday, December 7, 2018
Book study reflection Part II & Breakout edu / Part III
Today’s book study discussed chapters 4-7 and as an activity hosted an Elf Breakout.January 11th - Part III Chapters 8-12
http://bit.ly/innovatorsmindsetnashobapart3
Chapters and questions - see twitter!
Sunday, December 2, 2018
The Innovator's Mindset - Book Study NRSD Session 2 (Ch 4-7)
The Innovator's Mindset - Book Study NRSD
Sessions (10/19, 12/7, 1/11 and 2/8). Our full day of PD this year in on Friday, March 8th and our keynote will be the book's author George Couros on twitter @gcouros
Our last session on 10/19 we covered Part I - Innovation in Education. All work and presentations http://goo.gl/oEPsJC are in Google Classroom along with guided journal questions for each chapter. All participants are encouraged to use twitter with #innovatorsmindset #innovatorsmindsetnashoba
This week we will focus on Part II (ch 4-7) as a book study and we will meet on Friday 12/7th.
Part II: Laying the Groundwork Ch 4: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships
Our last session on 10/19 we covered Part I - Innovation in Education. All work and presentations http://goo.gl/oEPsJC are in Google Classroom along with guided journal questions for each chapter. All participants are encouraged to use twitter with #innovatorsmindset #innovatorsmindsetnashoba
This week we will focus on Part II (ch 4-7) as a book study and we will meet on Friday 12/7th.
Part II: Laying the Groundwork Ch 4: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships
We will offer a slow chat this week
Chapters 4 & 5 (Monday and Tuesday) Cha[ters 5&6 (Wednesday and Thursday)
Journal information and presentations will be posted in our Google Classroom!
Friday, November 30, 2018
Virtual Reality using Google Expeditions in Social Studies
This week a social studies teacher and I planned a Google Expedition for an upcoming lesson on the Great Wall of China. The teacher and I met to discuss an upcoming lesson and practice the use of implementing VR/Virtual Reality in the classroom. While planning the lesson, we pulled in both the principal and assistant principal to experience VR. As part of the planning, I had the teacher create a twitter account to share out the experience. The lesson was being planned for two periods (D and F) on Friday, November 30th.
We delivered the lesson today and I am delighted at the experience I observed students having in the classroom. Check out Mr. Denson on Twitter! It's always a great day when you can inspire teachers and students to take a risk. I'm very proud of a new teacher taking a risk and allowing others to observe the experience! Next up, we will be exploring Google Tour Creator https://vr.google.com/tourcreator and the use of the rioch theta 360 camera to capture the experience.
Monday, November 26, 2018
US History and Oral History Projects 2018
For the last several years I have worked with History teachers to create student oral history projects.
Here is my post from last year. I will be working with a few classes tomorrow on setting up their project portfolio.
This year I am thinking more about this project due to a conference I attended, where John Spencer @spencerideas discussed his book Launch and specifically called out a project and teacher that encouraged his self-directed/ (genius hour, although not a term then) "History Day Project". John discusses his teachers Mr. Darrow and Mrs. Smoot, her quote resonated with him, "when you hide your voice, you rob the world of your creativity? John cared about social justice, history and baseball. His project (PBL) was on Jackie Robinson. Here is a link to his reflection on the importance of that project and how it shaped his voice and belief in himself.
So this year, as I work with teachers and students, around the role of technology in the project I hope to look for ways to inspire students to select a topic they are interested or passionate about and just maybe this might be a defining point for some students.
For the past several yeas, we have been using Google Sites for the project and I was surprised to learn you can not transfer ownership of the new Google sites with another account. I may recommend to students they use their personal gmail accounts, particularly if the project has a personal connection to their family. I want to make sure if this story is important to students they can take the project with them or even share as part of a portfolio. Another option to share the story could be creating the story in Adobe Spark Page, however, not all students have used a Google Site to create a portfolio. I will be checking with the teacher to review options.
Link to the presentation here http://goo.gl/i5MmLt
A few things I plan to stress this week is the sharing of the project (after graduation) filming tips now that most students use their phone and any updates to youtube.
Watch: Five tips for shooting high-quality video on your iPhone *also added to slide 9 or the presentation. Article here - HOLD your phone in LANDSCAPE mote
A reflection and examples of the project will be posted here when completed.
Here is my post from last year. I will be working with a few classes tomorrow on setting up their project portfolio.
This year I am thinking more about this project due to a conference I attended, where John Spencer @spencerideas discussed his book Launch and specifically called out a project and teacher that encouraged his self-directed/ (genius hour, although not a term then) "History Day Project". John discusses his teachers Mr. Darrow and Mrs. Smoot, her quote resonated with him, "when you hide your voice, you rob the world of your creativity? John cared about social justice, history and baseball. His project (PBL) was on Jackie Robinson. Here is a link to his reflection on the importance of that project and how it shaped his voice and belief in himself. So this year, as I work with teachers and students, around the role of technology in the project I hope to look for ways to inspire students to select a topic they are interested or passionate about and just maybe this might be a defining point for some students.
For the past several yeas, we have been using Google Sites for the project and I was surprised to learn you can not transfer ownership of the new Google sites with another account. I may recommend to students they use their personal gmail accounts, particularly if the project has a personal connection to their family. I want to make sure if this story is important to students they can take the project with them or even share as part of a portfolio. Another option to share the story could be creating the story in Adobe Spark Page, however, not all students have used a Google Site to create a portfolio. I will be checking with the teacher to review options.
Link to the presentation here http://goo.gl/i5MmLt
A few things I plan to stress this week is the sharing of the project (after graduation) filming tips now that most students use their phone and any updates to youtube.
Watch: Five tips for shooting high-quality video on your iPhone *also added to slide 9 or the presentation. Article here - HOLD your phone in LANDSCAPE mote
A reflection and examples of the project will be posted here when completed.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Coding - Our PLT and Hour of Code & Root Robot
Our PLT has been working on topics pertaining to the Hour of Code this year. We will plan to showcase a variety of examples and possibilities to spark curiosity in our students.
Link to the first draft of the presentation http://bit.ly/nashobahoc or here
We will continue to explore resources and connect with students over the next few weeks and add to the presentation and social media #HourofCode - draft schedule HERE
Additionally, I am working on a presentation http://bit.ly/hocmarotta to capture so of the items I will cover with students and classes.
Stay tuned for Hour of Code during December!
Learning about Coding with https://rootrobotics.com
Globe Article
"Root looks a bit like a Lilliputian, six-sided cousin of the Roomba vacuum cleaner. But it can do a lot more than just suck up dust. When you stick a whiteboard marker into a hole in the center of Root, it can draw lines. (It comes with a whiteboard surface you can put on a table, but thanks to a set of internal magnets it can also work on vertical whiteboards that have metal backs.) It can light up, play music, sense when you touch its surface, when it hits a barrier, when the environment is light or dark, when it hears a noise, or even when it rolls over a particular color.
Get Talking Points in your inbox: An afternoon recap of the day’s most important business news, delivered weekdays. Enter email address Sign Up All those features enable Root to make not just drawings — one of our first projects was a snowman, with a few notes from the “Frozen” song about snowman-building played at the end — but also to respond to things happening around it, and to play games. And what makes it likely to endure as an educational toy in your home is that Root supports three levels of coding in its companion app (available only for Apple’s iOS devices at present). The first level is entirely graphical, with icons that show the robot turning or playing a musical note or seeing light. The second level, which my 10-year-old likes to use, gets into computing operations like if-then and repeat, but there’s a library of action elements to choose from. The third level is completely text-based — real coding in languages like JavaScript and Python. To help kids progress from one level to the next, the company offers a set of lessons called Root Academy for $5 per month, but it’s not essential to getting a lot out of the bot. Trial and error is a big part of learning how to code, and it’s fun to debug things when Root takes a wrong turn or draws something you didn’t intend.
I tested out the Root Robot with some inspiration from @codewithroot and the snowman activity I found on twitter. I needed to download the Root Coding ios app charge the device and start to explore.
After getting some basic controls and understanding the levels of the robot I found lots of interesting examples online and tested out the snowman on the mat provided with the robot. I the tried on a large sheet of paper and then the whiteboard. Unfortunatley the whiteboard snowman was not a clear and the mat example. once I tweeted out my example @codewithroot let me know they were working on a firmware update and provided me the link to the globe article. I love the fact this local company from Cambridge has developed a way to engage students in coding at all grade levels.
See the video example below: More videos here Learn more at https://rootrobotics.com
I plan to explore with a few classes over the next month.
Link to the first draft of the presentation http://bit.ly/nashobahoc or here
We will continue to explore resources and connect with students over the next few weeks and add to the presentation and social media #HourofCode - draft schedule HERE
Additionally, I am working on a presentation http://bit.ly/hocmarotta to capture so of the items I will cover with students and classes.
Stay tuned for Hour of Code during December!
Learning about Coding with https://rootrobotics.com
"Root looks a bit like a Lilliputian, six-sided cousin of the Roomba vacuum cleaner. But it can do a lot more than just suck up dust. When you stick a whiteboard marker into a hole in the center of Root, it can draw lines. (It comes with a whiteboard surface you can put on a table, but thanks to a set of internal magnets it can also work on vertical whiteboards that have metal backs.) It can light up, play music, sense when you touch its surface, when it hits a barrier, when the environment is light or dark, when it hears a noise, or even when it rolls over a particular color.
Get Talking Points in your inbox: An afternoon recap of the day’s most important business news, delivered weekdays. Enter email address Sign Up All those features enable Root to make not just drawings — one of our first projects was a snowman, with a few notes from the “Frozen” song about snowman-building played at the end — but also to respond to things happening around it, and to play games. And what makes it likely to endure as an educational toy in your home is that Root supports three levels of coding in its companion app (available only for Apple’s iOS devices at present). The first level is entirely graphical, with icons that show the robot turning or playing a musical note or seeing light. The second level, which my 10-year-old likes to use, gets into computing operations like if-then and repeat, but there’s a library of action elements to choose from. The third level is completely text-based — real coding in languages like JavaScript and Python. To help kids progress from one level to the next, the company offers a set of lessons called Root Academy for $5 per month, but it’s not essential to getting a lot out of the bot. Trial and error is a big part of learning how to code, and it’s fun to debug things when Root takes a wrong turn or draws something you didn’t intend.
I tested out the Root Robot with some inspiration from @codewithroot and the snowman activity I found on twitter. I needed to download the Root Coding ios app charge the device and start to explore.
After getting some basic controls and understanding the levels of the robot I found lots of interesting examples online and tested out the snowman on the mat provided with the robot. I the tried on a large sheet of paper and then the whiteboard. Unfortunatley the whiteboard snowman was not a clear and the mat example. once I tweeted out my example @codewithroot let me know they were working on a firmware update and provided me the link to the globe article. I love the fact this local company from Cambridge has developed a way to engage students in coding at all grade levels.
See the video example below: More videos here Learn more at https://rootrobotics.com
I plan to explore with a few classes over the next month.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Items to explore (Q-ball, Root coding and Ricoh Theta V 360-Degree
1. The Q-ball was featured on Shark Tank and on twitter. Learn more about the Q-ball here
Root is a fun and easy-to-use educational coding robot that teaches coding, creativity, and problem-solving skills to kids from pre-readers through high school. Problem-solving is as easy as 1,2,3. Learn more at www.rootrobotics.com
What can you do with Root?
- Explore your artistic side Code Root to
draw whatever you can imagine from words and letters to amazing fractal creations. Through drawing and movement, code
your outline then color in your creations to create your own unique artwork. - Compose music Turn Root into an instrument by coding musical compositions. Use the scan and play abilities to create a color guitar that plays different notes for each color it sees.
- Create Games Build games using your imagination. Race a friend by coding a Root racer. Turn your tablet or phone into a controller and use Root’s color sensors to get boosts or slow down. Learn more at www.rootrobotics.com
Sphero Mini packs tons of fun into a tiny, app-enabled robot about the size of a ping pong ball. Drive Mini using different modes with the Sphero Mini app, or just by using your face. Yes, you read that right. Face Drive is a hilarious new feature that uses your facial expressions to drive the ball.
3. Merge - MERGE Cube - Fun & Educational Augmented Reality STEM Toy for Kids, Learn Science, Math, and more
Explore curated VR/AR content that is compatible with the MERGE Goggles.
4. CoSpaces Edu: Make AR & VR in the classroom https://cospaces.io/ Discover how to use VR and AR for education and engage your students to learn by creating. Runs on mobile, tablet and desktop, including Chromebooks.
New this month CoSpaces Edu - Add-on see video here
5. Rocketbook Everlast and the ThinkBoard
is here
Think Board X is a peel and stick
whiteboard that can cover any smooth surface. And the best part? It’s compatible with the Rocketbook App! Draw, sketch, or take notes on a small 8" x 11" Think Board X or large 2' x 3'Think Board X and then use your Rocketbook App to send them to your preferred cloud service.
Ideal for classrooms, boardrooms, college dorms, office environments, or the person who just likes to keep organized in his or her personal life
6. Ricoh Theta 360- Camera (coming soon) (Amazon) RICOH THETA, experience the world in 360° Shoot photos and videos of the entire space with a single push of a button. Introducing a 360-degree camera that easily shares impressive video. This seems much easier to use than Google Street view and I am looking forward to exploring with the new Tour Creator.
Tour Creator https://vr.google.com/tourcreator makes it easy to build immersive, 360 tours right from your computer. Having seen lots of AR/VR options at MassCUE and Greg Kulowiec's presentation at EdTechTeachers summit I am looking forward to exploring.
4. CoSpaces Edu: Make AR & VR in the classroom https://cospaces.io/ Discover how to use VR and AR for education and engage your students to learn by creating. Runs on mobile, tablet and desktop, including Chromebooks.
New this month CoSpaces Edu - Add-on see video here
5. Rocketbook Everlast and the ThinkBoard
is here
Think Board X is a peel and stick
whiteboard that can cover any smooth surface. And the best part? It’s compatible with the Rocketbook App! Draw, sketch, or take notes on a small 8" x 11" Think Board X or large 2' x 3'Think Board X and then use your Rocketbook App to send them to your preferred cloud service.
Ideal for classrooms, boardrooms, college dorms, office environments, or the person who just likes to keep organized in his or her personal life
6. Ricoh Theta 360- Camera (coming soon) (Amazon) RICOH THETA, experience the world in 360° Shoot photos and videos of the entire space with a single push of a button. Introducing a 360-degree camera that easily shares impressive video. This seems much easier to use than Google Street view and I am looking forward to exploring with the new Tour Creator.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
EdTech Teachers Conference
The EdTech Teacher Summit (tweets #ETTSUMMIT) was held in Boston on November 57th.
We presented our Nashoba Design Thinking in Action project at the conference. Here is a link to our Adobe Spark Story http://bit.ly/
More on this event coming soon.
Telling our story
Future Ready Conference in Bedford NH
Recap of the day. It's alway's great to visit Bedford, NH and attend their Future Ready Conference (even on a day off). I am impressed by the number of teacher and guest presenting at Bedford High School. I am glad we presented at Medfield's Digital Day of Learning over the last several years and it's great to see Bedford making their own mark on their in-school PD day. I am excited for our keynote and PD Day in March! This year Bedford had John Spencer has their keynote. I love the connection behind the story. Craig and I read the Launch Book when we delivered our FSU class and modeled it after participating in an online book club with Tina Zita a few years back. Craig then ran a book club on "Empower" and engaged a number of teachers in his district.
Keynote: John Spencer @spencerideas used his story from the Launch book to present and connect to the audience. Although I read the book and did a Google Hangout with John a few years ago it was very inspiring to hear his story and connection to his "History Project" which really seem like a genius hour model, before it was identified as that term. John's teacher encouraged him using Project Based Learning (PBL) and empowered him by giving him a voice when presenting his project. It made such an impression on him, it has impacted his learning and teaching models. I enjoyed sitting in on several presentations and connecting with John, Craig, and friends in Bedford.
We kicked off the day with a conversation and picture with John Spencer and colleagues. Craig (tweeted the pic) and did a great blog post on Empowering Teachers and Students. It was great to see the book spread and the enthusiasm throughout the Bedford School District. There were many great sessions, but more importantly, I enjoyed watching this district move forward in embracing and using technology thanks to Craig's leadership! I am so impressed with his dedication and leadership in his district.
We will then present at the EdTech Teachers Summit in Boston, the next day.
Thought of the day... Keep learning and connecting with others! It's so inspiring!
Monday, October 22, 2018
Google Jambboard
Visualize your ideas in a new and collaborative way Unleash your team’s creativity with Jamboard. Sketch your ideas whiteboard-style while benefiting from the access and connectivity of an interactive canvas. Drop images, add notes, and pull assets directly from the web while collaborating with team members from anywhere.
Overview
If you don't have a Jamboard Google just announced you can use on the web at jamboard.google.com see new announcement Jamboard in the web
Note: it may need to be activated by an administrator You can use ios app or also in Google Play.
Jamboard is now available on the web, no app or Jamboard device needed.
Teachers and students can open, create and Jam right from a Chrome browser.
Get started today: https://t.co/JDj4FMZNe2 pic.twitter.com/K4S1LIcuxB
— Google For Education (@GoogleForEdu) October 16, 2018
In addition, Google now has a grant open for the board that typically costs 5-6k and if awarded there in only a 600.00 setup fee. I think I will explore this option.
Exploring the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 with the Google Jamboard web version this week. It's always great to have students learning alongside of the teaching staff.
I tweeted @mmarotta the following:
Exploring the Acer Chrombook Tab 10 and the Google Jamboard web feature!
Exploring the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 https://g.co/kgs/NyWDqa with @GoogleForEdu @GoogleJamboard for web the collaborative whiteboard app - to the web, anyone can create and collaborate on jams, no Jamboard hardware required! #nashobastat Ben Student Technology Assistive Team
I plan to submit a proposal to "Transform a learning space with Jamboard by submitting an application to help transform our learning space with the addition of a Jamboard.
This will be a perfect way to expand our "Apply Design Thinking to our Classroom Re-Design project here.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
The Innovator's Mindset - Book Study NRSD starting October 17th
Our district will be offering "The Innovator's Mindset" as a book study option for our four upcoming PD sessions on 10/19, 12/7, 1/11 and 2/8. Our full day of PD this year in on Friday, March 8th and our keynote will be the book's author George Couros on twitter at @GeorgeCouros
Session One will focus on Part I: Innovation in Education (Chapters 1-3). We will be setting up a google classroom and will be using twitter to share out during our readings using #InnovatorsMindset and our own district hashtag #InnovatorsMindsetNashoba.
Let's start with "What does innovation mean to you?"
Session One will focus on Part I: Innovation in Education (Chapters 1-3). We will be setting up a google classroom and will be using twitter to share out during our readings using #InnovatorsMindset and our own district hashtag #InnovatorsMindsetNashoba.
Let's start with "What does innovation mean to you?"
more information to be posted (presentation 1 10/19, presentation 2 draft 12/7)
Monday, October 1, 2018
EdCamp Grafton
It's always great to connect with other educators.
I presented three sessions along with my colleague @csheil this past weekend.
In the spirit of EdCamp we waited to arrive to see what the need of the audience would be for the day. We focused on creativity, video and formative assessment
- FlipGrid and Clips
- Managing Classrooms with Chromebooks (showcased PearDeck and FlashCard Factory)
- Adobe Spark
More info here
Link here http://goo.gl/DK4ryY
Link here http://goo.gl/DK4ryY
Here are some for twitter links for #EdCampGrafton
I think this year I may attend EdCamp Boston again. It's been too many years since I have attended.
When showing tools that allow students to create and publish it's always important to remember "Pedagogy is the driver, technology is the accelerator" when you implement technology alongside the correct pedagogy, it can take both teachers and students to new levels. The mix of pedagogy and technology is a balanced method and by far the most effective. Teachers using technology to complement their ideas are able to address the different learning styles of students and allow students to be creative, innovative and engaged.Monday, September 24, 2018
Flipgrid Updates
Last spring I worked with a group of teachers during a PD session on Flipgrid. Since that time, Flipgrid was purchased by Microsoft and is completely free allowing teachers to make as many grids as needed. In addition, there is a new "mixed tape" feature
Here is the link to the Flipgrid blog http://blog.flipgrid.com/news/mixtapes and directions http://blog.flipgrid.com/news/mixtapesgridtip and quick overview below.
Flipgrid Tip - Create a Mixtape from Flipgrid on Vimeo.
I had my first flipgrid remix tape today by following the directions on the blog. This could be a great way to highlight certain students in a class for a variety of reasons. A portfolio, book review, feedback on an assignment. I always learn from following Flipgrid on twitter! or #mixtapes #gridtip
Again, it's about taking the time to process the post and learn by doing!
It reminds me of using Let's Recap and the review reel that I have used for student reflection on Adobe Spark pages for presentations.
A few more new features to test out! blog.flipgrid.com/makemagic
I will be linking more resources for FLipgrid here in the near future!
Here is the link to the Flipgrid blog http://blog.flipgrid.com/news/mixtapes and directions http://blog.flipgrid.com/news/mixtapesgridtip and quick overview below.
Flipgrid Tip - Create a Mixtape from Flipgrid on Vimeo.
I had my first flipgrid remix tape today by following the directions on the blog. This could be a great way to highlight certain students in a class for a variety of reasons. A portfolio, book review, feedback on an assignment. I always learn from following Flipgrid on twitter! or #mixtapes #gridtip
Again, it's about taking the time to process the post and learn by doing!
It reminds me of using Let's Recap and the review reel that I have used for student reflection on Adobe Spark pages for presentations.
A few more new features to test out! blog.flipgrid.com/makemagic
I will be linking more resources for FLipgrid here in the near future!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Document Camera - options
When returning to school this month several teachers are inquiring about document camera options.
I have used two different models
1. i Pevo Point and Click - Amazon around 69.00 - https://www.ipevo.com/prods/
that make it easier to use.
Video
2. For the more serious document camera user there is the HoverCam Solo 8 that several of my Math and Science teachers used. The cost is closer to $330.00, There is also an adapter for the science microscopes. Here is a link to the updated software - for windows 8 or 10.
Why not take a picture of you notes and add to a Google Slide for an electronic notebook!
I have used two different models
1. i Pevo Point and Click - Amazon around 69.00 - https://www.ipevo.com/prods/
that make it easier to use.
Video
2. For the more serious document camera user there is the HoverCam Solo 8 that several of my Math and Science teachers used. The cost is closer to $330.00, There is also an adapter for the science microscopes. Here is a link to the updated software - for windows 8 or 10.
Why not take a picture of you notes and add to a Google Slide for an electronic notebook!
Thursday, September 6, 2018
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera - Student Summer Read
Summer Read Nashoba Book Club- Friday 9/7 Activity Period
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto is struggling to find happiness after a family tragedy leaves him reeling. He's slowly remembering what happiness might feel like this summer with the support of his girlfriend Genevieve, but it's his new best friend, Thomas, who really gets Aaron to open up about his past and confront his future.
As Thomas and Aaron get closer, Aaron discovers things about himself that threaten to shatter his newfound contentment. A revolutionary memory-alteration procedure, courtesy of the Leteo Institute, might be the way to straighten himself out. But what if it means forgetting who he truly is?
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Chromebooks 1:1 - Presentation to Students & SMAR for staff
It's finally happening! Our high school will be a 1:1 Chromebook school starting with the distribution of Chromebooks on Friday. Last year we had grades 9 and 10 with chromebooks but grades 11 and 12 required the teacher to signout carts. This could be a very time-consuming process to book the cart, bring the cart to the classroom, powerup, try to determine if any of the devices had issues, teach, power down and deliver the cart back to the media center or to the next teacher. Not to mention it was a nightmare if you had a sub. Well, I believe all that is about to change!
I will deliver the following presentation to all students tomorrow as part of an overall larger presentation. I know there will be a shift and learning process with classroom management and some issues that we may not be able to avoid, but I do know that we are on the right path.
Hopefully, the distribution of Chromebooks will go smoothly!
The Chromebooks connected to using the SMAR model (video) which teachers have been using to help guide their lessons design using technology.
Below is a Hyperdoc or https://goo.gl/UcH7oD for teachers to evaluate the SAMR model that I presented to staff leadership at the high school last year.
I will deliver the following presentation to all students tomorrow as part of an overall larger presentation. I know there will be a shift and learning process with classroom management and some issues that we may not be able to avoid, but I do know that we are on the right path.
Hopefully, the distribution of Chromebooks will go smoothly!
The Chromebooks connected to using the SMAR model (video) which teachers have been using to help guide their lessons design using technology.
Below is a Hyperdoc or https://goo.gl/UcH7oD for teachers to evaluate the SAMR model that I presented to staff leadership at the high school last year.
Monday, August 13, 2018
Back to School Newsletter with Tech highlights - Fall 2018
I am always looking to model technology in a way that is helpful for teachers and admin to communicate with colleagues, parents and students. Below is a newsletter created with Smores, the program used to be free for as many newsletters or communications you needed to create, however it is now limited to three.
I plan to share with staff during the first week of school and follow-up with some sessions to review the new features. It may seem a little overwhelming but students having their own devices (no more signing out carts) and with the new features of Google Classroom this should help streamline delivering of content and allow for more collaboration.
Link - https://www.smore.com/bh9ce or see below!
When using Smores, you can email or tweet out the newsletter!
I plan to share with staff during the first week of school and follow-up with some sessions to review the new features. It may seem a little overwhelming but students having their own devices (no more signing out carts) and with the new features of Google Classroom this should help streamline delivering of content and allow for more collaboration.
Link - https://www.smore.com/bh9ce or see below!
When using Smores, you can email or tweet out the newsletter!
Monday, July 30, 2018
Summer learning (Grad classes and Book Clubs)
This summer I co-taught two graduate classes Google Apps for Educators #gafefsu and Teaching and Learning with Multimedia #multimediafsu
I am proud of the new course we created and the positive feedback from teachers. Portfolio link https://spark.adobe.com/page/lnDdg1TFMMki0/
I also read Innovators Mindset #InnovatorsMindsetNashoba
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Wrapping up the school year
We have been waiting to become a 1:1 high school for several years. It appears we will be a 1:1 school next fall. Although there are always uncertainties with change I believe putting technology into the hands of every student will empower the students. Our staff has been using G-Suite and chromebooks grade 9 & 10 have their own devices but grades 11 & 12 have been using carts and labs. Additionally, this past year in my PLT we explored Design Thinking and had great success. I am appreciative of teachers not only learning about DT but actually applying with students. I plan to teach a few graduate technology classes this summer and take some time to relax!
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Applying Design Thinking in the Classroom
Implementing Design Thinking projects with students in English and Business classes this month and preparing to showcase their classroom "re-design" projects this week in a shark tank model to an authentic audience.
After introducing a PLT to design thinking challenges this year two teachers (Melissa Foley Proko and Taryn Grigas) designed lessons to support the project. We used the Moorco spacer planner provide by CDW-G MooreCo Space Planner - http://moorecoinc.icovia.com and Modern Learning Spaces Resources http://bit.ly/cdwgmle .In addition, we partnered with a local business AIS who manufactures furniture in our area to not only judge in our competition but graciously agreed to donate flexible seating to both classes.
Presentation Spark link
Friday, May 18, 2018
Design Thinking - "The EXTRAORDINAIRES - and Classroom Design Challenge
Ready to apply the Design Thinking - "The EXTRAORDINAIRES" A place to learn / Buildings (Design and Make) and Classroom Design Challenge link
The lesson for Classroom Design link
Learn more here
The lesson for Classroom Design link
Learn more here
Why Design Thinking Isn't Just for Techies https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/why-design-thinking-isnt-just-for-techies via @CommonSenseEd
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Reflection Audio - Choice Board
May is a great month for projects! After working on a presentation choice board last week a few other teachers wanted to explore a choice board for audio reflections. I introduced Flipgrid in March during a PD session but some students didn't want their video posted and covered the webcam. This made for a boring reflection. I then figured out I could upload a video to flipgrid of a presentation with audio and music along with a video recording for a piece of the presentation.
After seeing a few people tweet about Apple Clips, I decided to download the app to my phone and give it a try! Clips iOS app has been out for about a year. It allows video creation that combines images, videos, you can then add special effects, filters, emojis, and stickers! There is a great "voice to text" feature that turns on a script that rolls on your screen. You can choose from music sound tracks that are in the app or even upload your own. You the save to your camera roll or you can share to drive or flipgrid!
Need some guidance? I found this great
Step by Step tutorial online
I am in the planning stages with a teacher for Sophomores to write about "This I Believe essay" and she provided the following npr link https://www.npr.org/series/453
I am wondering if I make a new choice reflection board or just jump in with Clips. If students do not have a mobile device, I may just keep it simple and post directly to flipgird. Stay tune for examples and reflections!
Need some guidance? I found this great
Step by Step tutorial online
I am in the planning stages with a teacher for Sophomores to write about "This I Believe essay" and she provided the following npr link https://www.npr.org/series/453
I am wondering if I make a new choice reflection board or just jump in with Clips. If students do not have a mobile device, I may just keep it simple and post directly to flipgird. Stay tune for examples and reflections!
Monday, May 7, 2018
Design Your Own Digital Choice Board
I will be working with several classes this week to create presentations to support persuasive essays. In previous years I would go to classes and showcase four of five web tools tools (Haiku deck, Prezi, Google Slides). Students would then design their presentation using a variety of tools. This week I will be showcasing a "Digital Choice Board" and provide students with options.
I came across this website with 7 Tips for incredibly persuasive presentations that also links to a post and a podcast with Adam Tratt, and he knows all about great presentation design. He's the co-founder and CEO of Haiku Deck, an app for creating flawlessly beautiful presentations on iPad or the web that I have used in the past! Here is a link to 4 Design Principles to make your Presentation slides. Check out his blog at https://www.haikudeck.com/blog/author/adam-tratt/
He even offers "Bad Bingo Presentation game that you can download!
PowerPoint Alternative #1: Haiku Deck
One downside to Haiku Deck, they have started to charge for the program. There is an option to test out .... Perfect for trying out Haiku Deck. Limited to three presentations that are shared publicly and are searchable on the web. Does not include presentation download. We’ll ask you to upgrade after completing your third presentation. Click here to register for Basic. Sign-in with Google!
There are lots of tools and choices you can use to give your presentation! Below is a presentation choice board for a persuasive essay - link
Here is a link to an audio/video choice board - I will be testing out ios Audio Clips next week with students along with other options to record with a focus on mobile or web-based options.
Always so much to learn and share!
There are lots of "Design Your Own Digital Choice Board". Here are a few blog posts, ideas, and templates to get started. There are so many great resources online using twitter , pinterest and other tools to help you get started! Choice Boards and Genius Hour are two ways educators can make the transition from a teacher-centered classroom to a learner-centered one.
I will be designed a choice board with teachers this week! Last month I worked with a Social Studies teacher and had students post a reflection of their project in Flipgrid with a link to a screencast of their presentation. In addition, I created a feedback rubric for the presenter. I will be updating the post has the lesson progresses this week! So, I am going to try to combine what I learned last month and apply it to a new lesson this month!
Before we get started let's look at some techniques used for public speaking in Ted Talks. There's no single formula for a great talk, but there is a secret ingredient that all the best ones have in common. TED curator Chris Anderson shares this secret -- along with four ways to make it work for you. Do you have what it takes to share an idea worth spreading? Video link
I will be designed a choice board with teachers this week! Last month I worked with a Social Studies teacher and had students post a reflection of their project in Flipgrid with a link to a screencast of their presentation. In addition, I created a feedback rubric for the presenter. I will be updating the post has the lesson progresses this week! So, I am going to try to combine what I learned last month and apply it to a new lesson this month!
I came across this website with 7 Tips for incredibly persuasive presentations that also links to a post and a podcast with Adam Tratt, and he knows all about great presentation design. He's the co-founder and CEO of Haiku Deck, an app for creating flawlessly beautiful presentations on iPad or the web that I have used in the past! Here is a link to 4 Design Principles to make your Presentation slides. Check out his blog at https://www.haikudeck.com/blog/author/adam-tratt/
He even offers "Bad Bingo Presentation game that you can download!
PowerPoint Alternative #1: Haiku Deck
One downside to Haiku Deck, they have started to charge for the program. There is an option to test out .... Perfect for trying out Haiku Deck. Limited to three presentations that are shared publicly and are searchable on the web. Does not include presentation download. We’ll ask you to upgrade after completing your third presentation. Click here to register for Basic. Sign-in with Google!
There are lots of tools and choices you can use to give your presentation! Below is a presentation choice board for a persuasive essay - link
