21st Century Illiteracy?

Looking for new ideas?  I found a goldmine of resources with definitions, project ideas, lesson plans, rubrics, and basically everything a teacher would need to implement project-based learning (PBL), blended learning (blending classroom and online instruction), and flipped learning.  I know that some teachers have been implementing these strategies in classrooms already, and others might be looking to learn more about these modern ways of learning.

The sites I am sharing are listed as resources on Google's training site for educators.  You can become more familiar with Google's tools, and how they apply to education, by clicking through the online training tutorials.  You can even sign up to take the exams and earn your badge as a certified "Google Educator."  This is how I learned what I know about Google's Apps for Education (G.A.F.E.) and I love working through the tutorials at my own pace.  It is a great training site to work on over summer!  What I love most is that the focus is not just "tech training,"  however it's how these tools can be used to enhance learning in your classroom. 

Here are the links as mentioned above:

Project Based Learning

Blended Learning

Flipped Classroom

Google's training site for educators

The best skill we can teach our kids is how to find great tools and use them to improve our own skill set.  These resources are a great way to model that same approach to our own learning as educators in the 21st century.

Video timer for lessons

Looking for ways to keep kids on task for an activity? When I am in the classroom, I find myself guilty of saying, "You have three minutes left." But then I start working with a group, and lose track of time. Next thing you know, the three-minute activity has turned into 7 or 8 minutes. I picked up a little trick at the IL Computing Educators Conference that I love! YouTube has a collection of videos you can use as timers, for just about any increment of time you would need. But instead of having to open these timers in another window, you can insert the timer video directly into a Google slide to help organize a lesson and have all your tools and links in one place. These timer videos could also be inserted into a Google Classroom post, with directions for the activity.


Click HERE for a sample. Then, click on the timer video on the right to see it in action!


How do you do this?

1. Open Google slides
2. Go to "Insert" > Video

 
3.  In the YouTube search box, enter the increment of time you are looking for.
4.  Click on the video you like (Some have a different design, or different sounds played at the end). Then click on the blue "Select" button.

5. That's it!  The video will appear in your presentation, ready for your lesson!

Train wreck?

(I figured the subject heading might spark your curiosity!)

Ever grade student work and feel like it's a train wreck?  Either the student veers off in the wrong direction, or they have so many run-on sentences you can't keep up?

A great way to stop the train is with as much feedback as possible before it pulls into the station!

How do we do this with so little class time?  It's difficult to find time to check in and conference with kids as much as we would like.  But another way to give students feedback to guide assignments is with the comments feature built into Google.  If students share their writing before the due date, you can open the file and quickly add comments with thought provoking questions, corrections, guidance, or confidence-boosting, positive feedback.

These little digital stickie notes are an option on Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawing.  The student also receives an email when a comment is posted to their work.  Comments can come from teachers or any peers they share the file with.

Here's a sample of what it looks like:

Not sure why I chose the train wreck analogy, but I think it came from an adorable appetizer picture I saw on Pinterest this weekend!  See the whiteboard and yardstick in the background?  Of course a teacher would come up with something so adorable and creative!

                                                           

Customize your Google Apps Launcher aka "The Waffle"

The more and more teachers are starting to use Forms, the more they have asked for a faster way to get to it.  I found it is possible to customize your waffle!  Delete the apps you aren't using, and put your favorites towards the top of the list.   Check out "App Launcher Customizer for Google™"  This little trick made my day!

Math Motivation, Digital Rulers and more!

The BEST Chrome Extension for a Digital Ruler and Protractor.

Kids can install these two extensions onto their Chrome toolbar, and then they can use a ruler and protractor on their computer screen!  Click here to find out more about these extensions with a short video explanation from Ed tech blogger Eric Curtis.

A Little Motivation to Practice Math

Looking to find reinforcement activities for struggling math students, or enrichment for those who are ready for more?  Check out LearnStorm2016!  Maybe we can even create an in-school challenge between classes?

  
Students will...
1) Sign up and work on Khan Academy to get better at math and learn new skills
2) See their progress add up toward personal goals and help the school top weekly leaderboards.
3) Earn rewards and recognition, including a chance to attend an epic, in-person final event!

iXL and Google Classroom Make Sharing Even Easier

Are you using iXL and Classroom?  The two are now working together to make sharing assignments one less click.  Click HERE to find out more!  Thanks for sharing Coach Mike!