With Thanksgiving just around the corner, why not have your students create a Thanksgiving inspired story? To get students started thinking about things to be thankful for, here's Kid President's 25 Reasons to be Thankful! Find more Thanksgiving related videos in my YouTube Thanksgiving playlist.
Once students have been thinking about all the things that they are thankful for, here's a HyperDoc to help them create a thanksgiving digital story of their own. If you need it, I've created a screencast that explains my thinking behind the Hyperdoc. All you have to do is have them go to bit.ly/wevideotg. From there, students can explore, learn, help each other and create!
Digital Citizenship Contest Deadline Extended!
Since our Digital Citizenship Media Contest ended up being launched later than intended, we have extended the contest until Wednesday, December 14th.
This year we will be judging entries based on 3 categories: digital graphics, digital stories, and digital recordings. To get students writing scripts and creating videos in WeVideo, try having students take the Digital Citizenship Video Challenge by going to the HyperDoc at: bit.ly/wevideodc. In WeVideo, storyboard mode is the simplest way to drag in pictures and create a basic digital story.
Here's a video to help inform your students about the contest and get them started creating. If you need help teaching digital citizenship lessons, or would like support or advice with creating videos in the classroom, please don't hesitate to contact any of the EdTech ToSAs.
While Common Core wants our students to delve deep into topics, sometimes they just need to commit things to memory, think math facts, spelling words, vocabulary words. Flippity makes it super easy for you or your students to make flashcards using Google Spreadsheet. Before you begin, you'll need to be signed into your Google Account. Then, on the Flippity site, download the template. You will need to edit the template. Start by editing the title of the Spreadsheet, and don't edit row 1. You'll notice that most cells have only text. Side 1 being the challenge, with Side 2 the response. However, note that you can add images or YouTube videos by inserting the URL. You can also choose the CardColor and TextColor. To edit a cell, double click, and the cell text kinda pops out. Delete what is there and enter your text. When you are finished, choose File, Publish to the web. Share the Document and copy the link. Back on the Spreadsheet, first open "Get the Link Here" at the bottom of the page. Second, paste the URL into Row 3 on the page that opens. Third, click on the link in Row 6 to open your flashcards on the Flippity site. Once you do, you can create a shortened URL (see below) to make it easier to revisit the page. Here's the URL for the Flippity Deck I created for fun. Digital Learning Day
Today is Digital Learning Day. USD has come very far in digital learning in just six months, so it is a day to reflect and celebrate our evolution towards creating "Future Ready" students. While we strive to move farther in the SAMR model, teachers and students are embracing the tools and pedagogy that is transforming learning.
http://blog.elanco.org/elemtech/files/2014/01/dld.jpg Today is also a good day to review Digital Citizenship with your students. This poster from Edutopia, might be one to use to begin a conversation.
EduWin for Carla Dunavan Thanks, Carla, for developing this Google Presentation on How to Make a Shortened URL. A great skill to know when wanting to share those cumbersome, long URLs with your students. If you or one of your colleagues are doing something in your class that uses edtech tools, please let me know. I'd love to share it with other teachers.
As students create content on Chromebooks, we often want to give them the chance to present it to the entire class. It is easy for students to present from their Chromebooks. Students will need to use an HDMI connector. Teachers with TV screens in their classrooms should have an HDMI cable. Just plug in the Chromebook and select input. The projector will automatically find the Chromebook. You'll just need to mirror the screens. Press "ctrl" and 5th key from the left on the top row of keys.
Most teachers will still need to project Chromebooks through classroom projectors. You will need a VGA to HDMI connector. You'll need to unplug the dongle that connects your projector to your laptop and plug in the HDMI dongle, connecting the projector to the Chromebook. Then, the student will have to mirror the screens, pressing "ctrl" and the key
that looks like the image on the right.
We have some of the connectors in the District Office and would be happy to send one out to any class that requests one. One caution is that those dongles will only project images and cannot be used for audio. For that, you'll need to get a dongle that includes a male-to-male audio cable that is plugged into the dongle and the audio in port of your projector.
A few teachers have Chromecasts. Students will need to install the Google Cast extension from the Chrome Web Store, and then also need to be on the USD-Cast wifi. Students will then need to open the Google Cast extension.
EduWin from Nicole Moore
Nicole's Kindergarten students are learning all about penguins. Some of them have never seen a penguin, so to make the experience more real, Nicole and her students look in on the African Blackfooted Penguins at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the penguins at San Diego's Sea World. Needless to say, Nicole reports this is an activity the students look forward to everyday.
Another way to bring resources into your classroom is to participate in a virtual field trip. There are lots of museums and zoos that offer virtual field trips, but it sometime requires a bit of digging to find them. Here is an upcoming field trip offered by The Nature Conservancy, in cooperation with PBS and YouTube. It is scheduled for Thursday, February 5th, and is geared towards grades 3-8. Click here for more information.
If you or one of your colleagues are doing something in your class that uses edtech tools, please let me know. I'd love to share it with other teachers.
We've all noticed the camera on a Chromebook. Have you wondered what it is good for aside from selfies? Elise Plutt and her third graders are putting it to good use. Using the camera, Elise's Third Grade students are taking pictures and adding them to reports. While it is a bit cumbersome, it works! Here's how to do it:
First, go to the Apps waffle in the lower left-hand corner of the Chromebook and find the camera icon. If it's not there, you can find the app in the Chrome Web Store and install it. Click on the icon to open the camera. Once camera is open, you'll notice you can chose to add effects along the bottom of the screen that can be added before it is taken. This is a good opportunity to talk to your students about purpose and audience.
The app also provides a timer and the ability to take 3 shots with each click. Once you've decided on those options, carefully position the item you want to take a picture of in front of the camera. Elise's students were taking photos of the covers of books they'd been reading. After the picture is taken, open the Gallery (see above). You will find a menu in the lower right hand corner. By choosing the icon with the down arrow, you will save your image to your Google Drive. Organize your photos by creating a photos folder. Then you can save directly to it. After your student has made sure they saved the photo correctly, Elise suggests you teach your students to delete the photo since there is a limited amount of storage on the Chromebook's hard drive. Now that the photo is stored in Google Drive, it will be available to insert in a Google Doc or Presentation. When you are ready, choose insert image. Then, choose to Insert Image from Google Drive. Choose the folder you have stored your photos in, and when the folder opens, choose the image you want to insert. Then press Select. Once the image is inserted, you'll see that a menu of image editing options opens when you click on the photo.
Elise taught her students to crop the photo to only show the book cover. I've used it on this photo:
With students taking pictures, this could be a good time to talk about digital privacy. You'll want your students to be sensitive to taking pictures of each other and posting them in documents that will be made public
Just think of how many uses you'll be able to find for the camera once you teach your students to use it. Have your students take photos of artwork, science projects, examples of shapes in the environment. Share ways you use the Chromebook camera in your class. Send your ideas to me and I'll post them on the blog.
Google Classroom
A few teachers who have student teachers and are using Google Classroom have asked if there is a way for co-teachers to share a Classroom. Here is a video on a workaround. Other tips Jen Judkins shares in the video are sharing an entire folder, changing point values, and editing documents with tables on iPads.
Global School Day of Play
Have you heard of the Global School Play Day Movement? Inspired by Peter Gray, a noted American psychologist who has studied schools and societies that emphasize learning through play, the Bedley Brothers, educators in southern California, are trying to raise awareness of how important it is for children to have opportunities for free play. They are rallying K-6 teachers from around the United States to join them on Wednesday, February 4th in acknowledging that play is important in a child's development.
Students bring toys from home but NONE OF THE TOYS CAN REQUIRE BATTERIES. Students can bring board games, legos, blocks, dolls, playing cards, sports equipment, jigsaw puzzles. Think "mid-Century" and you'll get the idea. Then, give them the time to explore and play.
We are fortunate in California to have the kind of weather that encourages kids to play outdoors. Maybe join another class and set up some activities - but don't make the day too structured.
Need a little more encouragement? Watch this YouTube video from Peter Gray.
Wishing you and your students a great day of exploration!
Since our Digital Citizenship Media Contest ended up being launched later than intended, we have extended the contest until Wednesday, December 14th.
