Bitmoji
Bitmoji is a free app, used by many people. It is a great way to customize emojis that are realistic to you. It is used on many social media platforms but is also used in google classrooms. Another great way to use these emojis is when students have completed an assignment, they can attach their bitmoji at the bottom of the assignment to make it more personalized.
During COVID, many students have been learning virtually. Bitmoji's are beneficial to use in the classroom as it provides a more personal way to provide feedback to students. For instance, giving feedback on an assignment. Teachers can personalize their emoji to the grade that is being given.
NikkiS (OTECA)@NU
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
ASCD Topics: Issues in School (Polarization)
As educators continue to navigate these
realities, the contributors in this issue share resources for hybrid and
remote teaching and PD, ways to help students process current events, and
strategies to ease stress. Although some issues on the ASCD site may be "American", there is nothing that tells one that these issues (like polarization) will not show themselves in Canadian schools. Check it out. Leading for Democracy: A Vital
Agenda for Principals How can public school leaders help to revitalize democracy in a time of polarization?  |
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
The Whiteboard of the Online Classroom: Jamboard!
Jamboard is a free, interactive application that can be used in a variety of ways. It is an application that is a part of google, and can be best described as an interactive whiteboard system.
Educators are able to use Jamboard to set up slides, create questions, games or even lessons. Once the Jamboard is created, the creator only has to share the URL with the desired individuals in order for them to access it!
Jamboard is a great application if individuals are already using any other google application (such as google calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides etc.) as these applications are all able to collaborate with one another in Jamboard. You can also create, edit and or share through multiple platforms on Jamboard, including IOS, Android, tablets, computers and laptops. Jamboard is a great application to promote creativity and collaboration within a classroom, especially during this time of online learning!
Courtesy of Michelle@NU
ASCD Topic: The Concurrent Classroom
As educators continue to navigate these realities, the contributors in this issue share resources for hybrid and remote teaching and PD, ways to help students process current events, and strategies to ease stress. |
 |
Navigating the Concurrent ClassroomSome best practices and solutions are starting to emerge for concurrent classroom instruction. |
What is Media Literacy?
It's the understanding of how to identify different types of media and to understand the messages they're sending. Nowadays children are hit with various types of media that range from text messages, memes, social media, video games, advertisements etc. One thing that all of these media sources have in common is that someone created it and there's a reason behind it. So how can we teach children in this digital age to understand what is and isn't credible? There are so many great resources out there that can help educators support their students when it comes to media literacy. Media-Savvy kids states that when children learn about media literacy they learn to…
Think critically. As children learn to evaluate media, they can start to decide whether the messages make sense, why certain information was included, what wasn't included, and what the key ideas are. They learn to use examples to support their opinions. Then they can make up their own minds about the information based on knowledge they already have.
Become a smart consumer of products and information. Media literacy supports children in learning how to determine whether something is credible. It also helps them determine the "persuasive intent" of advertising and resist the techniques marketers use to sell products.
Recognize point of view. Every creator has a perspective. Identifying an author's point of view helps children appreciate different perspectives. It also helps put information in the context of what they already know -- or think they know.
Create media responsibly. Recognizing your own point of view, saying what you want to say how you want to say it, and understanding that your messages have an impact is key to effective communication.
Identify the role of the media in our culture. From celebrity gossip to magazine covers to memes, the media is telling us something, shaping our understanding of the world, and even compelling us to act or think in certain ways.
Understand the author's goal. What does the author want you to take away from a piece of media? Is it purely informative, is it trying to change your mind, or is it introducing you to new ideas you've never heard of? When kids understand what type of influence something has, they can make informed choices.
So how can we as teachers help support children in gaining these skills? If you're planning to show videos as part of your lessons then you should make it a conversation with your students about what they're watching. I provided a resource here that brought up some great questions that you include in your conversations with your students.
Who created this? Was it a company? Was it an individual? (If so, who?) Was it an artist? Was it an anonymous source? Why do you think that?
Why did they make it? Was it to inform you of something that happened in the world (for example, a news story)? Was it to change your mind or behavior (an opinion essay or a how-to)? Was it to make you laugh (a funny meme)? Was it to get you to buy something (an ad)? Why do you think that?
Who is the message for? Is it for kids? Grown-ups? Girls? Boys? People who share a particular interest? Why do you think that?
What techniques are being used to make this message credible or believable? Does it have statistics from a reputable source? Does it contain quotes from a subject expert? Does it have an authoritative-sounding voice-over? Is there direct evidence of the assertions it's making? Why do you think that?
What details were left out, and why? Is the information balanced with different views -- or does it present only one side? Do you need more information to fully understand the message? Why do you think that?
How did the message make you feel? Do you think others might feel the same way? Would everyone feel the same, or would certain people disagree with you? Why do you think that?
SarahM@NU
References
Media-Savvy Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/media-savvy-kids/
What is media literacy, and why is it important? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-media-literacy-and-why-is-it-important
Monday, February 15, 2021
Organize Your bookshelf – Digitally!
Book List Library ISBN Scanner App -- This is an app that I just discovered last month from a fellow ECE friend and I think it is one of those hidden gems! The app is called Book List Library ISBN Scanner, it allows you to keep a digital record of all the books you have on your smartphone and/or tablet. The app works by using the camera on your smartphone and/or tablet to scan the back of the book where the barcode is. When scanning the barcode on the book, the app catalogs the book on the app, the title and author appear, and you can add the book to your collection. This is a great app if you are someone like me and have collected many children's books over the years in hopes of building a future classroom library. This app catalogues all the books you have scanned and organizes them by their titles and makes it very easy to search/find a book in your library. For example, if you are out and see a book you like, but you think you may already own it, you can open the Book List Library ISBN Scanner App type in the book title and if it comes up, you'll know you already own it! I think this is a great app for us future teachers to keep track of our own personal books and classroom resources!
SCAN ON!
Sarah (OTECA) @NU
Sunday, February 14, 2021
You Need Kahoot!
Kahoot is a great educational tech tool that can be used by teachers, students, and professionals! Kahoot is a great way for students to enjoy learning! Kahoot provides a learning platform that is appealing to the eye, music that is remembered by all, and is also a great assessment tool for educators to evaluate their students.
To create your own Kahoot account, log onto www.kahoot.com and begin! You can also download the Kahoot app onto your smartphone for easy access to games at any time! Your students will love you!
HAPPY LEARNING!
Cassandra@NU
Friday, February 12, 2021
EduClipper ... AKA "Participate"
EduClipper
I decided to share a website that I came across for the first time that I believe can be beneficial to us users alike. Educlipper is a free social web resource that allows sharing content to be easy. Content can include but is not limited to, websites, videos, lesson plans and etc. It lets you save content in one place and share collections to those who both have Educlipper, and those who do not.
Educlipper can also be beneficial to teachers and students who want to store content to use for their own references. It is a great organizational tool and very simple to use. Once a clipboard has been created with all your desired content, you can then share your clipboard to any designated location. It is very similar to saving files in a folder, although it allows for more diversification and accessibility. You can use this tool when sending files to students/parents to keep everything together and categorized. EduClipper's motto is "clip anything, share everything".
Participate is a community-learning platform that combines your favorite parts of social media and online learning. Join thousands of users in 50+ countries around the world in collaborative, networked communities based on your learning interests.
Megan@NU
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Professionally Speaking Article (Dec. 2020)
Here are some sites teachers in Ontario are using. Make sure you're subscribed (OCT) to receive the Professionally Speaking magazine. This page is from December 2020.
Google Classroom (Teacher Training)
Google Classroom: Teacher Training (FULL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yoKprcfHR8 (1 hour 58 minutes)
This training is designed for any educator using Google Classroom for the 2020 and 2021 school year. This is an updated version of that includes a number of new additions that have been added to Google Classroom.
COVID-19 & Our Education System
During these unprecedented times, teachers have had to re-define their role in the learning space. Transforming their role in the physical classroom to being a voice that integrated into their students' lives at home and with their families. However, the student's sense of purpose has been affected.
Teachers continued to match learning goals and curriculum expectations, while motivating their students to maintain engagement and rigour in their learning. But when the school day ends at 3pm, some students look forward to the experiences beyond the classroom: they are athletes, artists, brothers, sisters, gamers, vocalists, actors, and the list goes on. So when the school day ends, our teachers take a deep breath, and reflect on how they've shown up for their students. But the real question is, what is actually working in our schools? And when was the last time we asked our students "How are we doing, really?"
In the TED Talk, "What COVID-19 revealed about US schools and 4 ways to rethink education," Nora Flanagan reveals the harsh implications and impacts of our global pandemic. Flanagan examines that the underlying issues and concerns of the education system have always been present, but have been amplified through this global pause. This resource/talk is an essential piece for teachers to critically reflect on the flaws that still exist within our education system today, and how they can reach the whole student, whether virtually or in-person.
Through Flannagan's words, teachers can embrace an important conversation about our education system, while feeling a call to action beyond the four walls of academia.
Raquel @NU (OTECC)
Student-Centered Approach
After listening to the seminar presentation based on Developing Lessons and Developing Curriculum with Technology, one topic really stood out to me: Student-Centered Approaches. I wanted to explore this topic more and the video is shown below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6ieXLVCss4&feature=emb_logo
In a day-to-day classroom, a student-centered approach is a goal as it acts as a natural process and believes that everyone can learn through the use of different and various tools and materials. Students are being assessed based on what they are performing that aren't just tests and quizzes; but rather, projects, portfolios and performances. My own goal in my future classroom when integrating technology is to also create a space that is student-centered. I can lead with more digital instruction and have students then explore on their own through the use of technology, apps and resources right through their fingertips.
By integrating technology into this approach, allows for students to explore and make connections through actively participating. A student-centered approach is more natural, which doesn't put pressure on students, allows them to explore and gives them time to process and think about their learning.
Sofia (OTECC) @NU
GoSoapBox
By incorporating technology seamlessly into the classroom, students are able to use the provided resource to maximize their learning. GoSoapBox is a great online tool that allows students to incorporate technology during lessons to demonstrate understanding. This free resource is easy for educators to sign up, requiring only an email address and password. Once online, teachers will create a class code that they can share with their students. This code will grant student's access to the teacher's home page and any resources they have created. Teachers can provide students with discussions, polls and quizzes in real time to assess student understanding. This is displayed in the image below.
Another impressive feature GoSoapBox offers is their confusion barometer. Students may feel uncomfortable admitting they do not understand a lesson, or are unsure of what to do next. With the confusion barometer, students can select that they are getting it or that they are confused. On the teacher page, it anonymously states how many students are confused and how many are understanding the material, as demonstrated in the image below. This is useful for us to use as educators because we can gain insight on student understanding in real time. If our confusion barometer states a significant portion of the class is confused, we can review what was taught, or issue a poll to determine what exactly students are confused about. This tool is a great addition to technology in the classroom and will provide useful insight on student understanding.
More information available at GoSoapBox. Click the Link: https://www.gosoapbox.com
Alyssa M @ NU
Common Sense Education on YouTube
As students spend more time using technology at school and at home, it is important that they gain a deeper understanding of their online activity. Common Sense Education is a YouTube video series that helps students understand concepts such as cyberbullying, privacy and safety online.
These videos on Digital Citizenship are separated by age group so the videos are always age appropriate. The age categories are K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. In the video link below is a clip from the K-2 group called, We the Digital Citizens. This two minute video instructs students on how to be aware of what they do when they are online. This includes talking only to people they know, being nice to others and the importance of privacy. This video can then spark a larger classroom discussion with students.
You can click this link ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N7lRYMmbXU&pbjreload=101
There are also valuable resources for educators that provide information on educational technology and "how to" videos. They have a number of videos in their "EdTech Tools in 30 Seconds" folder that provide a brief synopsis of what the tool is and how it works. This resource is a great tool for both educators and students when incorporating technology in the classroom.
The link to the YouTube page can be found below.
Alyssa M @ NU
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Google Classroom (Getting Started)
How to Use Google Classroom 2020 - Tutorial for Beginners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl-tBjAM9g4
This video tutorial will show you how to use Google Classroom for Beginners 2020. Google Classroom for Teachers is a fantastic way to help with remote or online learning. I will also show how Google Classroom for students works. Click on the below timestamps to navigate to different parts of the video.
0:00 Start
0:33 How to access Google Classroom
1:50 Create and edit a class in Google Classroom
3:50 Add students to your Google Classroom
5:35 Showing how students join a class
6:25 Invite guardians and email students
7:03 Communicating in the Stream in Google Classroom with student view
9:56 Adding resources and materials in Google Classroom
13:57 Student view of resources and materials
14:23 Creating an assignment in Google Classroom
17:59 Student view of the assignment
19:47 Grading and returning assignment in Google Classroom
23:20 Students view of the returned assignment
Getting Started with Google Classroom | EDTech Made Easy - GOOGLE CLASSROOM TUTORIAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCNImsWUxZA
Michelle Ferré
PO Box 719
Gambrills, MD 21054
Brought to you by AMM@NU
Google Expeditions
I am focusing on Google Expeditions (soon to merge with Google Art & Culture). It’s Virtual Reality Tours that you can take from your computer or app. It has 360° scenes and 3D objects that you can show your class and also interesting sites, such as Ancient Rome, Mount Everest, Aztec & Mayan Ruins, Festivals around the world, Historical events, and different artifacts that you can explore. Inventions, biology, museums, artwork, really the list is endless. You just download whichever tour you would like to take and you can view it, view it in virtual reality, or guide a group tour. It gives you questions you can ask while on the tour. You then have all of them saved into your own library tab. It’s a great resource to use for classroom projects and activities.
Talking about it isn’t
doing it justice. I have included some images from the tours I did myself. I
did the festivals around the world and I also did the tv set tour. This as
examples could be connected to a social studies project and also art or
language with writing or creating something about these expeditions.
Teachers can also use Tour Creator to create an excursion for the class using 360° or 180° pictures or street view. You can create a project for the students to create one themselves and have them share in groups or with the whole class. This can be a way to change up learning in the class or use it during distance or online classes.
Here are a couple of examples:
Nicole R@NU OTECA
More Assessment Tools (Formative)
20 Formative Assessment Tools for Your Classroom
OCTOBER
29, 2018 BY KASEY BELL
https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/20-formative-assessment-tools-for-your-classroom/
In this post, you will find 20 Formative Assessment Tools for Your
Classroom!
Let’s make sure we are all on the same page when it comes to
formative assessment, or what I like to refer to as, “Assessment FOR Learning”.
“Teachers who use,
“Assessment FOR learning,” involve their students in ongoing self-assessment in
ways that reveal to those learners:
(a) where they are headed in their learning,
(b) where they are now in relation to those expectations, and
(c) how each student can close the gap between the two.
Formative assessment is such an essential part
of the learning process and student success, and many digital tools can help
support this process.
This list has a wide variety of features and
options to help you solidify your formative assessment strategies! Many of the
tools below are great for both formative and summative assessments.
20 Formative Assessment Tools for Your Classroom
Edpuzzle allows you to turn videos into a
quick assessment. Choose a video on YouTube, Khan Academy, Crash Course, or
upload your own. Trim the video, insert a quiz anywhere and track your students
progress. (Freemium, basic account is free, additional features available with
paid accounts.)
Edulastic is a complete assessment dashboard.
Teachers can create and track assessments, and even align with CCSS. They also
offer a district wide-platform for sharing district-wide assessments. (Free for
teachers, district-sharing requires a paid license.)
Flipgrid is a video discussion platform, that
allows students to respond to questions, topics, and reflect using video.
Students can also respond to each other, leave comments, and more. (Free!)
Some have said that Gimkit is Kahoot on
steroids. Gimkit is another fast-paced quiz game, but with an extra
element. Student earn in-game cash to spend on game upgrades. Check out Leslie Fisher’s review and video to learn more.
5. Google Classroom Question Tool
Inside Google Classroom, you have the option
to create a questions and share that with students. You can make this
collaborative, or just have the answers viewable for you the teacher. This is
not a robust threaded discussion tool like I wish it was, but it can be handy
for formative assessments and to check for understanding.
Formative is a free online assessment tool
that is very robust. Formative allows teachers to choose pre-made assessments
and edit to fit your needs, create your own from scratch, or even upload a PDF
or doc to create. They also offer some fantastic data that you can track and
intervene when needed. (FREE and integrates with Google Classroom!)
Google forms is a survey and quiz tool that is
very easy to use. You can feed your form or quiz data into a Google Sheet for
analysis and evaluation. Both Google Forms and Sheets also have many “add-ons”
that give users even more capabilities that can power your formative
assessments. (FREE)
InsertLearning is a Chrome extension that lets
you turn any webpage into an interactive lesson. InsertLearning has this
fantastic toolbar that will allow you to highlight text, add sticky notes,
insert questions, videos, or even a discussion all inside the webpage! Learn
more about InsertLearning here: 4 Ways to Blend Learning with InsertLearning.
(InsertLearning is a freemium application, but you get your first five lessons
for free.)
Kahoot! is a game-based learning and trivia
platform that allows you to create very engaging quizzes for your classroom.
Kahoot! is super fun and addictive. You can create your own kahoots, or choose
from their library of games. Play live kahoots, in groups, issue challenges, or
assign as homework. (FREE)
Mentimeter is an interactive presentation tool
that allows you to poll your students, check for understanding, or ask students
to vote. There are several different types of questions you can create,
image-based, multiple choice, scales, open-ended, questions from the audience
and more. You can even generate word clouds out of responses! (Freemium, some
features are free.)
Nearpod is an interactive classroom tool for
teachers to engage students with interactive lessons. Nearpod allows you to
create and share lessons that sync across devices and encourage student
participation, and evaluate student responses through comprehensive reporting.
(Freemium, some features are free.)
Padlet is a super easy to way to create an online bulletin board that allows teachers and students to share and collaborate. What’s great about Padlet is that it offers so much flexibility! It works on any device, and you can share just about any type of information–text, links, upload files, photos, videos, just about any kind of response. There are also many different ways you can design your pages. Customize the background, organize information in new ways. (Free trial available)
Pear Deck is a web-based formative assessment
tool that allows you to create interactive lessons using G Suite tools. The
Google Slides add-on has quickly become a favorite of mine. (I even teach it in
my Google Slides Master Class!) Pear Deck offers
a library of free templates that you can use to created interactive assessments
in your slides. Pear Deck is also a freemium tool, some features are free, but
you can get a 3-month
Premium Membership with this special link for Shake Up Learning readers!
This assessment tool allows teachers to
collect on-the-spot formative assessment data without the need to have students
use devices or paper and pencil. Teachers create and print specially coded
cards that students hold up in class as their response. The teacher uses
the Plickers app to scan the cards and collect the data. (Free)
Poll Everywhere is a live audience polling
tool that integrates into your presentation. You can ask questions during your
lessons, see live data, and reports. (Freemium, free accounts are limited to 25
responses per poll.)
Quizizz allows you to conduct student-paced
formative assessments in a fun and engaging way for students of all ages.
Quizizz works on just about any device and offers a library of public quizzes
that teachers can use in their classrooms. They also provide detailed class and
student reports. (FREE)
Quizlet is a study tool that uses flashcards,
games, and other “study sets.” to help students. Quizlet Live is a
collaborative quiz game where students are placed into teams to work together
to answer the questions and learn together. (FREE)
Seesaw is a digital portfolio and
communication tool that many teachers love! Seesaw works on any device
shared or 1:1. Free for teachers. Teachers create activities for students.
Students draw, take pictures and video, and capture their learning in their
portfolio. Parents can view their students work and leave comments. (Freemium,
some features are free.)
Socrative is a web-based formative assessment
tool that allows teachers to create quizzes, ask questions, collect exit
tickets and feedback. You can also create a competitive quiz bowl game, called,
“Space Race,” where students compete to get the most answers correct. (Freemium
with up to 50 students per session.)
Spiral.ac is an interactive learning platform
with a suite of collaborative applications. Deliver quickfire formative
assessments, discussion, teams of students can work together to create
presentations, and turn any public video into a live chat with questions and
quizzes. (Freemium, some features are free.)
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