Google PD

There are always resources online for learning and improving classroom delivery.  Here are three

themes, four #GooglePDWeek Youtube Live streams about professional growth, time savings and student learning goo.gl/AF4Mtg and link to presentation.   Here is a link to managing change in a 1:1 ennvironment, more on planning and managing change here.

Test Google Mymaps with college data and Online PowerPoint/Skype

 Test PowerPoint online linked with skype signin and embed code

PBL and Children's Books

Eariler in the month I blogged about our PBL late start and all the projects teachers worked on. Today the published books from Lulu  arrived for Mrs. Foley's class!  I wanted to capture the excitement with twitter and curate using Storify/link to model reflecting as part of the PBL process.  I couldn't be more proud of this teacher, class, project and group collaboration!

Reflection and PBL Design Elements and Essential Project Design Elements below.

I attempted to bring one of the books into Book Creator on the ipad and record a few of the pages and test out the new publish feature on the ipdad. Here is a sample of "Colorful Crowie" link  I am excited to read that Book Creator will be available for the web and chromebooks next year!  We keep reflecting on ways to improve as part of our design thinking process and I hope we do this project again! I am anxious to see the student do a Google Hangout with other schools in our district and share their work!

  

Our PLT's allowed us time to collaborate with each other and to understand the elements of projects versus true PBL.  What a great way to wrap up the year with PBL projects and showcase!

Sharing and Reflecting on PLT - PBL Story

Our PLT that met during late starts for the 2016-2017 school year will be sharing our PBL story here with out staff today.  Our group created many great projects that will will share with our colleagues.  Some of the projects include cooking videos, children's books, coral reef project, DECA Best Buddies and Graphics with our Vinyl cutter just to name a few!

Presenting to our colleauges is a great way to reflect on our teaching practices and decide how we will continue to improved our teaching practices.

Link here https://spark.adobe.com/page/BNS9cp5BF3RqG/
We hope to blend PBL with Design Thinking next year and launch new products!

We will also look to submit and RFP to MassCUE next fall and present this presentation to a much larger audience!

If you are intereseted in defining our PLT for next year contact me before June 1st ifyou would like to provide input and/or help facilitate our PLT next year along with Tim Castner's book club on "Shop Class as Soulcraft"

Next year's Design Thinking topic here


Addtionally, our grou has submitted and RFP to the MASSCUE technology conference for next fall in order for our team to share their best practices.

Lit Trips on Chromebooks with the New Google Earth and Other....

In the past I have used Google Lit trips and Google Earth on a windows platform by downloading a KMZ file and running in a lab evnironment.  With students using more chromebooks I have not been using as much over the last few years.  So, I was very please to see there is now a new version of Google Earth that runs in the chrome browser on the chromebook. I plan to revisit lit trips this week and how it works with Google Drive and test out with a class.

Here is a video explaining the new process along with a tutorial post.

Steps below for lit trips:
1. Google Lit Trip Library here

Other topics:
On twitter this week there was apost on EquatIO, by Texthelp, that is now available in the Chrome Webstore. EquatIO is a Chrome extension that will allow you and your students to create math equations in Google Apps…. and other places. Today’s release only works in Google Docs and Google Forms but Google Slides and other web content sites will soon be able to utilize EquatIO.
This in combination with the new Chromebook Acer Spin 11 (with a stylus) coming out this spring may allow for many of the interactive features we using out Tablet PC's and touchscreen devices. Here is an video review of the Acer Spin 11 along with some ways to use the new Acer Spin 11 one of my favorite apps Google Keep.  I have been a big advocate of Tablet PC's, inking and Google Keep it's great to see these items availalbe on new touchscreen chromebooks.  I hope to convince my school to take a look and I am hoping the price in only slightly more than a standard chromebook!

More info here by two bloggers that I follow ...  here  and here 

School PD and Demo Slams

I have done lots of  Pd over the years but one of my favorite sessions has to be a Demo Slam.  This is where you get to share out quick tips and trick with colleagues.  I will be part of a panel this afternoon and some of the items I will focus on will be:

CastEDU
Expeditions
Flippity

Thinking back to our first slam when teachers saw Kahoot for the first time. It kicked off a year of engagement and students loved it.  Now that our 9th graders are 1:1 the level of consistent usage of technology continures to grow!  I am excited our district is now using Sched to list our PD sessions!

Link to session and 

presentation https://goo.gl/x4nQ09 

Checkout our learning on #nashobalearns

Teaching and modeling Snow Day Options

Yes, it's March 31st and we are preparing for another snowstorm and a possible early release.  This got me thinking about the best way to use technology and keep students on track.  Some school districts are exploring a different model of making up snow days other than tacking them on to the end of the school year.  (ateMany Sates  time requirements for public schools mandate 180 days of learning per school year, and if too many snow days occur, days are added at the end of the school year to fulfill the 180-day requirement). Many schools have 5 snow days are used, and they are added to the end of the school year.

There are three ways communities outside of Massachusetts are implementing different snow day programs. The first way is by creating "blizzard bags" that are sent home with students. Five blizzard bags would be created. The bags would contain worksheets and writing assignments that would be completed at home on the snow days. On the first snow day, bag one would be used, and on the second snow day, bag two would be used, and so on through the fifth day.

Isn't it time to do something innovative with technology to support this initiative especailly at the high school level? How do we make this pitch?