Learning in Progress

Post originally published under FTEdTech I am always on the look out for strategies and applications that allow our elementary students to collaborate. When you can add in tools that will let them sketchnote, curate resources from multiple sources, including their drive and use tools that autodraw icons based on rough sketches, then you know you have something that kids can really get into using. I am really excited to share the new app we have in the app portal called Jamboard . Jamboard is essentially a collaborative whiteboard app that includes some pretty impressive features - including collaboration! It is part of GSuite (Google applications) and you sign into it with your school email/password. This app opens up so many possibilities for sketchnoting, curation of ideas and most importantly collaboration!  Jamboard is an application that can be used with or without a physical Jamboard  recently released by Google.  Check out the basics of how to get started wi...

I originally published this on FTEdTech  April is National Poetry Month , and a perfect time to inspire students to create their own poems about Spring. Inspired by Eric Curts' "Springtime Magnetic Poetry with Google Drawings" I created a template that we could use with iPads and one to use with Seesaw. I love the format Curts uses in Google Drawings, but currently we cannot use Google Drawings on the iPad, so it requires a little modifying to give our students the chance for the same fun. To modify the idea so we can use it on our devices with PowerPoint, Google Slides or Seesaw, I first created a background template in Canva using the "Presentation 16:9" size template. I inserted a free image related to spring from their stock images and downloaded it as a JPEG. Setting up the Activity in PowerPoint   I inserted this image as the background of a blank PowerPoint slide by clicking: Design tab Format Background Picture or Texture Fill  File...

I originally published this post on FTEdTech If you haven't tried out the ozobots yet with your class, then now is the time! Ozobots are tiny little robots that work with markers.  Students draw thick lines on paper with black, red, green or blue markers.  They can create different color combinations to program the robot to perform a variety of moves from changes in speed to changes in color and more advanced turns and moves. The simplicity of these robots make them a perfect addition for a center.  With little set up, and very little training students can be engaging in activities that meet the standards, help them practice skills and are fun!  This could be a great way to change things up as we head into the end of the year. Right before Spring Break, I got the chance to work with Mrs. Perkins and her first graders at JES to test out some activities. For the activity we used an Engage - Explore - Explain cycle.  Cycle 1  Engage To begin ...

Post appeared also on FtEdTech It's no real secret that I love Digital Interactive Notebooks.  I create them every chance I get and encourage teachers to use them for everything from long term Project Based Learning (PBL) projects to weekly unit work with vocabulary .   The Interactive Notebook (INB) has long been a staple of the classroom to engage students more directly with their notes.  The traditional interactive notebook often includes traditional student notes, questions, and interactives that students cut, fold, color and paste into their notebooks. You might find graphic organizers, pockets with measuring tools, data charts, and foldables that act as study aides.  In the NSTA article " Science Interactive Notebooks in the Classroom " Jocelyn Young explains the benefits of INB when she shares that " By using notebooks, students model one of the most vital and enduring functions of scientists in all disciplines—recording information, figures, and d...

In the vast world of EdTech it's easy to get super overwhelmed and super lost.  If you find one tool or idea here to dig deep into, you'll be off to a good start. There are many different thoughts in terms of tech integration.  From SAMR to TECH to the Technology Integration Matrix , there are plenty of theories and guidelines out there about how we should be teaching with technology.  At the end of the day, it's easiest to think of how we engage students in learning, using the tech to help facilitate. I like to think of the 4Cs when I think of ways to create engaging lessons using technology. As a teacher in training, it would be hard to know what situation you will be walking into.  Schools vary immensely in terms of platforms, available classroom technology and devices.  So, what are some quick device-agnostic tech tools to get you thinking about ways to encourage creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication?  These tools can b...

Post also appears on FTEdTech After we made some great gains in coding with students during the Olympics, I thought it would be awesome to capitalize on that momentum and create some challenges for March Madness. In this round of possible centers you can use our Dash and Dot robots and the ScratchJR app by trying out: Spelling Word Shootout - Play a game of H-O-R-S-E using the Dash launcher 3-2-1 Challenge - earn as many points as you can with the Dash launcher shooting a 3 point shot, lay-up and a foul shout.  Students have 3 minutes to get as many points as they can.  They could even get in a little practice with addition and writing number stories. Dash Spirit Band - Use Dash with the Xylophone attachment to create a song that will pump up the crowd.  You could also encourage invention by challenging students to create their own instruments that Dash can play. Dot Cheer - Show your team spirit by coding Dot to cheer.  Include custom sounds to add rhyme,...

KYSTE 2018  Session resources In this session we will be using principles of design thinking to tackle the idea of 3D printing.  The resources below will help guide us through the session and can be used for reference and additional study later. You will need to create an account in Tinkercad , if you don't already have one. Background 3D Printing, in conjunction with Design Thinking can be a powerful tool for problem solving in your classroom. When students and teachers work through a process of identifying a problem, understanding that problem through empathetic practice, define, ideate, seek feedback and prototype in an iterative cycle they can solve big problems. We have had students as young as 4th grade work to successfully solve problems using appropriate modifications to these strategies.  Depending on the age of the students, we would encourage students to either use the ICE model of iterative design or d.School's model of Design Thinking. The mo...