Early Dismissal Days: Parent-Teacher Conferences

Can you believe that the end of the first reporting period is almost upon us? I have noticed that teachers have started looking for the paper forms to send home to parents to make appointments for parent - teacher conferences.

                                                                    Image Retrieved 9/28/2015

All the preparation reminded me of a back to school hint about using Choice Eliminator Add-On in Google Forms to help teachers move the process to digital.

So I created instructions for you guys if you want to try it. Give it a go and let me know how it goes. Also, contact your Instructional Technology Facilitator if you want to have the parents automatically receive a confirmation letter to their email via a cool tool called Autocrat.

Check out these cool links! (weekly)

• VPP Fulfillment - apps for New iPads

  tags: iPad App_codes Paid_apps Volume_Purchasing_program

• EdTechnocation: Calendar Integration Comes to Google Classroom!

  "Google Calendar integration has finally arrived for Google Classroom! Back in August, +Google for Education posted about a bunch of new feature updates for Google Classroom, and calendar integration was one of them! Well, it's finally here! Read on to find out how to get started with your students & parents!"

  tags: google googleapps calendar google_classroom

• Guest Blog: Making the Case for Social Media in Education | Edutopia

  "Steve Johnson (@edtechsteve) sheds some light on the current state of social media in schools and even provides some handy talking points to make the case to lift internet filters within schools."

  tags: social media socialmedia education web2.0 Social Networking digitalcitizenship

• Green screen tutorial

  tags: iPad appsmash apps apptivities

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Favorite tweets

Book posters w/ embedded review: QR code links to Ss review of the book. #NoSpoilers @GwynethJones #APLit #ISTE2015 http://pic.twitter.com/VhgEJfnDS0

— Kim Thompson (@kthompsonBHS) September 18, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/kthompsonBHS

September 18, 2015 at 06:31PM

Elementary Students - Citing Sources

The Keep Calm-O-Matic

Standard 3 of ISTE Technology Standards for Students focuses on research and information fluency. The expectation: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use information. Our state standards for information and technology skills expect learners as young as 5 to "recognize the importance of respect for the work of others." By 5th grade, the expectation is for the student to "understand ethical behavior (e.g., copyright, not plagiarizing, netiquette) when using resources." The expectation isn't that the students will cite in APA or MLA style. Thank goodness!

So what's an elementary teacher to do when faced with helping young learners from K - 5 cite sources when writing non-fiction texts, reports, presentations, and even producing video content. We do what we do best, we teach.

Beginning with kindergarten, we teach that everyone's work belongs to that person and we shouldn't use it without permission and we should tell how we found the work. Begin with something as simple as having students ask permission of others before taking photos with those iPads. Maybe even have a paper the student must have signed by their buddy before snapping that pose. When using Internet resources, keep it simple by allowing them to copy and paste links at the end of their work. Model for students when you are writing in front of them or even when you are finding resources and sharing with them, include where you got the information.

Fortunately, in our district there are tools to help us during this teaching journey. For example, Discovery Education provides appropriate citation for any item the student uses, all they need to know is where the citation is located and how to copy and paste.

We are are Google Apps for Education district, so utilize the research feature in Google Docs that will help automatically cite...complete with footnotes.

And don't forget to use resources available to us for free such as an easy site to use to help students come up with a copy and paste citation - Easybib.com.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention all the awesome, free lessons for grades 3 - 5 available on this topic from Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media is a great partner to enhance digital citizenship for all ages.

Do you have other thoughts or ideas of how to help teachers with this topic? Please share!

Check out these cool links! (weekly)

• ​Simplify Edcamp Fundraising with Free "Edcamp in a Box" Kits | EdSurge News

  " Edcamps have become a popular venue for professional development and teacher networking over the past few years--but it's not always easy to fundraise for such an event. "

  tags: edcamp technology integration PD professional development

• The Classroom Video Manifesto: Resources, ideas and more | Ditch That Textbook

  Creating & finding video for the classroom

  tags: technology integration video editing videos movie_making

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Favorite tweets

http://t.co/BsKfeDhkY7 #gcsk12 @smarkwith @jmammano @Goodson @stephiengardner @tthomassen

— Lisa  (@lmontgo) September 13, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/lmontgo

September 13, 2015 at 10:30AM

Check out these cool links! (weekly)

• How Technology Can Support and Enhance Your Reading Workshop | Scholastic.com

  tags: technology reading-workshop reading

• iPaddling through Fourth Grade-Encourage...Engage...Enlighten...Empower: Words Their Way - Spelling - 1:1 Classroom

  Show what they know with Words their way and technology

  tags: technology integration readers_workshop word_work ela iPad

• Random Name Picker - Quickly Pick A Random Name

  Upload spreadsheet and let it choose names for you.

  tags: random_name_selector picker

• 10 sources of free interactive content for your class | Ditch That Textbook

  "These resources include individual reading selections, videos and PowerPoint presentations. They progress all the way to entire pre-made textbooks OR customizable ones."

  tags: textbook interactive content resources lessons technology integration web

• R.I.P. Round Robin

  Great article on best practices for reading instruction.

  tags: ela literacy reading readers_workshop

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Favorite tweets

We need to prepare our students for the REAL WORLD!! by @alicekeeler #sketchnote by @sylviaduckworth ##educ204toi http://pic.twitter.com/SEh8afnJ5o

— Lee Araoz (@LeeAraoz) September 12, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/LeeAraoz

September 12, 2015 at 04:38PM

Favorite tweets

Thanks @jmattmiller for introducing me to Story Builder so I could intro the writings of Smith https://t.co/BMK8eSbbSX #JSmithFactorFiction

— Ben Neilson (@Mr_Neilson_CMS) September 12, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/Mr_Neilson_CMS

September 12, 2015 at 03:35PM

Favorite tweets

Scrap your current homework plans,send this home instead.If your students did 1/2 of these, we'd all be better off. https://t.co/tH16iaBvQm

— Dean Shareski (@shareski) September 12, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/shareski

September 12, 2015 at 05:50PM

Favorite tweets

BYOD programs: Don't worry about what's the best tech to use; 1st, decide what yr desired student outcomes are. Thx @MikeReading

— Kenny Silva (@eye_B_a_teechr) September 12, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/eye_B_a_teechr

September 12, 2015 at 03:42PM

Writer's Workshop: Small Moments & Google Docs

Retrieved from Can't Stop Smiling

Across our county this month, teachers and students are launching writer's workshop Lucy Calkins style. The first unit for writing is about small moments. The goal is to help students grow as writers as they take everyday events from their lives and turn them into stories. Stories that communicate through pictures and lots and lots of writing. 

By the time they have finished, they want to publish their work so others can celebrate the writing with them. Since we are a GAFE district, Google Docs often becomes the first place students learn to publish their writing online for the world to read. Elementary teachers are somewhat hesitant to start the typing process with our young learners because their lack of typing skills makes the process long and laborious. 

Google has been working hard at releasing some updates and they are releasing several that are perfect for the educational setting. I mentioned templates in this post and linked to several other updates.

One of the linked updates is about Voice Typing. Yes, dear teacher friends, your students can read their story and Google will take the dictation and type it for them!

You can find this wonderful gem under the Tools menu. Check out the video below to see just how easy this is. 

Check out these cool links! (weekly)

• Classroom Architect

  Great for creating map of classroom! Take a screenshot to save the work. Bring screenshot into Google Drawing or Docs. Students can explain how to find their space, or why they chose the layout they did.

  tags: classroom Common Common Core kindergarten First_Grade technology integration

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Google DriveTemplates, Oh My The Possibilities

Have you experienced the latest changes with the core Google Apps? Now when you start a new document, you have the opportunity to select from templates similar to starting a new doc in Microsoft Word or Pages.

As you can see from this screenshot, you can still choose a blank document, but you have the option to choose templates from various categories. And, wait. for.  it.  You can do this with Slides and Sheets as well.

This is awesome for me because I am always creating new templates for Slides. To get to all the goodness, click the home icon for the particular App you are working in located in the top left-hand corner. For example, in a Google Doc click the blue box with the white lines.


For more Google Goodness, read Google Docs and Classroom, your school year sidekicks.  

Favorite tweets

Sensing STEAM: 30+ Awesome Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Activities for Kids - http://t.co/FD6F4qwCfJ #STEM #STEAM #edtech

— Tim Milkins (@T_Milkins) September 2, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/T_Milkins

September 01, 2015 at 08:30PM

Favorite tweets

Introducing Reflector Student http://t.co/19UcSJxl0H #edtech

— Reflector App (@ReflectorApp) August 24, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/ReflectorApp

August 24, 2015 at 01:45PM

Favorite tweets

When critics throw bricks, leaders don't throw them back. They use them to build their own dignity and integrity and character.

— Joe Clark (@DrJoeClark) September 2, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/DrJoeClark

September 01, 2015 at 08:03PM