Let's face it...hand-held technology is here to stay. The way in which we manage that technology, however, just may determine our effectiveness in the classroom. If your students have difficulty focusing on the activity at hand when asked to put up their devices, click on the picture to the right. The linked article discusses creative ways real teachers have found to handle student cell phone use in the classroom. I came across this great cell phone hack in Ms. Martin's room today, and is actually on the list as strategy #5! For another take on #15, try using a brown paper bag...they make plenty of noise when trying to reopen! As always, if cell phone use is against your classroom policy, use STEP DISCIPLINE. It can't possibly work if it isn't used consistently. If you have any tried and true methods, please share by commenting below!
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The time for change is upon us! Due to the recent ransomware issues, many of us have had to make the move from Windows to Google Chrome sooner than we would have liked. If you were not affected and not made the change yet, know that it is coming soon! For any questions relating to Chrome or Google products, please contact Adriane Ellis, our new Instructional Technology support person as soon as possible so she can assist you. You can do this via email at [email protected], completing the form below, or entering a MOJO for instructional technology. I assure you she is listening to your concerns and working on finding solutions to assist you! You can also find Google support guides on the Resources page...:) In my search to find a replacement for our outdated clickers, I came across this amazing list. You may recognize a few of the assessment tools like Kahoot, Quizlet, Padlet, and Nearpod, but you MUST take a closer look! Be sure to check out Formative, PeerGrade, and GoSoapBox.
Anyone that tries one on the list and invites me in to see will get a prize:) Don't forget to post your experiences so everyone can benefit! Can't wait to see what you find! Mrs. Sane uses www.todaysmeet.com to have students respond to her Essential Question at the beginning of class and then leads a conversation based on their responses. TodaysMeet is a chat platform that provides every student a voice and encourages engagement and discussion. If you haven't tried it before, you should do so and let me know how it works. Some of you may be familiar with a few of these, but if not, give them a try and let us know what you think.
Commenting here is a quick and easy way to learn from your talented peers when you don't have the time to observe one another's classrooms. Please share! Also, don't forget to check out www.mentimeter.com, the website I showed you during our Reciprocal Teaching session. Using this website, you have the ability to incorporate word clouds, scales, quizzes, multiple choice and more AND it only takes a couple of minutes to set up! There has been a little bit of confusion regarding lab availability. Please bear with us while we perfect a process for scheduling computer labs and carts.
Below are the classes that are regularly scheduled to meet daily. If you need a lab during one of these times, contact the teacher to make arrangements. If you would like to reserve the lab during an open period, follow the directions Mr. Moat has sent you regarding the calendar. Mr. Ensley has created a short video tutorial on how to add categories to your gradebook in Infinite Campus. Click on the button below to access. If you need to find this resource later, go to the Instructional Resources or Technology categories listed on the right and you will be able to find it. I will also add it to the Resources page.
Thank you, Mr. Ensley!!
Although there are many short tutorial videos found in the Help section, I wanted to repost a video Shelby White made for her department demonstrating different ways to find assessment data. Excellent resource and applicable to all teachers using PowerSchool assessments! Thank you, Mrs. White! When administering your tests, open up PowerSchool on your computer so that you can monitor student progress and troubleshoot. Go to:
From this screen, you will be able to
Occasionally, the students have received a message that says there is no test available. Almost every time, this has been due to the student not logging in correctly with the state and system. To correct the issue:
For those of you trying to complete your Benchmark Data posters and have multiple rosters for the same class, I've created a spreadsheet that should quickly calculate your class averages. The example is for a class that has a regular ed and gifted roster. Just type over the information with your own, and it should work. If you have any questions, call me!
Recently, Mrs. White implemented the new green screen into a class project. The task was for the students to use a digital platform and create a multimedia project using different satirical tools. After collaborating with Mrs. Ingle to generate ideas, she came up with the following:
The students were given a RAFT assignment which guided them in selecting a Role, Audience, Format, and Topic. Students could select their RAFT from a pre-made list or could come up with their own. They were then given a strict schedule, which allowed time for planning, rehearsing, and recording. Part I of the project was to create a satirical response to the problem they chose. All projects had to include at least five different satirical tools (i.e. hyperbole, litotes, sarcasm ridicule, parody, and invective). Part II of the project included a reflection where students reflected on why they chose their topic, why they chose that particular form of satire to address the problem, and how the students' interpretation effectively satirized the aspect they chose. Students used a free green screen app called TouchCast and recorded the skits using an iPad. Below is a copy of the RAFT used and examples of the student products. If you are interested in using the green screen or learning more about it, contact Mrs. Ingle. She would love to help you get started! 21 Tools for Conducting Digital Formative Assessments Looking for new ways to quickly assess students and gather information on what they know or find new ways to incorporate technology? Follow this link and try something different this week. Don't forget to comment so others can benefit from your experiences... Socrative A student-response system that you can use to ask questions to the class in a variety of ways. Check out the website with quick tutorial video by clicking on the picture to the right. Formative Assign assessments from exit tickets to quizzes to "show your work" questions using this free tool. Instant data!
Many of you have incorporated CommonLit into your classrooms and they have a new feature you should check out...Guided Reading Mode. In this mode, students are prompted to answer lower-level inferencing questions during reading to help check for understanding. These questions aren't scored; they are designed to prepare students for the text-dependent question set. Great differentiation tool!
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Created byDana Ford |