tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27655415511221876992023-11-16T13:45:49.221-05:00Blackboard and BeyondSharing my struggles and wins as I work each day to keep up with my students.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-61542157862477656492021-04-05T14:56:00.002-04:002021-04-05T14:56:46.559-04:00COME TO THE NEW SITE! BlackboardandBeyond.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvNctcXc4fXifI-Yl9Hx95ZLqT6ICQm9XL0FEnRXWTaI-vePEDA1Upu7SBtZ_djpTzb88UAIDhxscnF08gkDumVjuh9xtHsRIUDBMTh7K108-p-Awy87YtEmrTgXAUMid5T6-TYmAcjrJ/s800/UntitledPost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvNctcXc4fXifI-Yl9Hx95ZLqT6ICQm9XL0FEnRXWTaI-vePEDA1Upu7SBtZ_djpTzb88UAIDhxscnF08gkDumVjuh9xtHsRIUDBMTh7K108-p-Awy87YtEmrTgXAUMid5T6-TYmAcjrJ/s320/UntitledPost.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Blackboard and Beyond has moved to a <b><i>new</i></b> home. Come visit the new blog at <a href="http://www.blackboardandbeyond.com">www.blackboardandbeyond.com</a>. Same great name, same great content! PLUS, some related services will be on the way!</p>Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com0Charlotte, NC, USA35.2270869 -80.84312676.9168530638211578 -115.9993767 63.537320736178849 -45.6868767tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-565035634366665982021-02-23T16:17:00.011-05:002021-04-09T14:01:32.635-04:00Is there a 5th C?<p style="text-align: center;">This post has been transferred to the new platform at <a href="https://www.blackboardandbeyond.com/post/is-there-a-5th-c">BlackboardandBeyond.com</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p style="text-align: center;">Your #STEAMByte for the week...</p><p>The skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity are known as the 4 Cs of 21st Century Learning. Teachers need to integrate these skills into lessons to help prepare students for the world beyond school. In my school district we do not use the "4 Cs of 21st Century Learning" instead we use 5 Cs. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Is there a 5th C?</i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4yY3f4KX2PU8VN3GsgmPuWl0_Y10awCtlIdCfOzR9d2Ujks_u_jtGmKkVLxsV6yvqS2OWDHTqufFGbt-cS_fm3WsXBkrwCmX6ewcATsWzl19T8lqn2ObaCcxDJxU-CsAXBnnCd6G_zQW/s500/%2523STEAMBytes+%25286%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4yY3f4KX2PU8VN3GsgmPuWl0_Y10awCtlIdCfOzR9d2Ujks_u_jtGmKkVLxsV6yvqS2OWDHTqufFGbt-cS_fm3WsXBkrwCmX6ewcATsWzl19T8lqn2ObaCcxDJxU-CsAXBnnCd6G_zQW/s320/%2523STEAMBytes+%25286%2529.png" /></a></div><p>In the end there can be as many Cs as you want. The goal with any acronym is to develop an easy way to summarize and remember an idea. If we said the "15 Cs of 21st Century Learning" would you remember them all? Would teachers stop and TRY to implement them all? We both know the answer is no. No they would not.</p><p>Surveys of companies and colleges have pointed to the 4 Cs as necessary skills as has organizations like <a href="https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21/frameworks-resources" target="_blank">Batelle for Kids</a>. But, I do think that 5 Cs is manageable. AND I do think that the 5th C that my district chose is meaningful. Our 5th C is CARING. I define it as showing kindness and concern for others. It is seen throughout collaboration. We have to care about those we work with. It is seen (or SHOULD be seen) when we communicate. We have to be careful about the words, body language, tone, etc. that we use so we can communicate in a caring way. We are caring when we are solving problems (critical thinking) in innovative (creative) ways. I explain this to students in the realm of engineering. Engineers solve problems and they are often solutions that make life better or easier. They have to have empathy for their clients.</p><p>A quick search turned up other school districts and organizations that have 5 or 6 Cs. Included were: character, compassion, citizenship, and community. As well as content and connect/connection. I get the reason for all of these. STEAM instruction needs to take students beyond themselves. We need our future, our students, to look into their community and display excellent character and compassion for others. These are valuable skills for our students to exhibit. We need our STEAM instruction to connect the content to the outside world. However, I might say that connect and content are definitely more specific for the type of learning opportunities that teachers should be setting up and less about the characteristics that we need students to embody.</p><p>So add a 5th C...or don't 🤷🏼♀️But make sure we are raising our future with a caring disposition and empathy for others 💕</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Want to be more intentional with integrating the 4 or 5 Cs in your classroom? Check out my signs that I use on the board in my classroom to set our intentions and objectives. Laminate, put magnets on the back, and then you are good to go! <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19LRpKnjyAKlB1Kk4dn_3tTSAS5sjORjnpHgVX4ovVGY/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Grab your FREE set here. </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19LRpKnjyAKlB1Kk4dn_3tTSAS5sjORjnpHgVX4ovVGY/edit?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiXzj52f917wevnl9KaZPtrOIMztfpwvnZmyYS7GeLoFqY5TDbzV0l-KTyjNh6Nq2pLlv6cN8mRDSZptYM3T8ML4_0O3m0LNqJ6QyDPvysaCLZYp3m7YwSNn2pkaSH5BnQ6LCO86w3FzG/s320/5+Cs+Freebie+Sign+%25281%2529.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-32867997078631498122021-02-02T10:58:00.004-05:002021-04-09T14:10:26.467-04:00The 4 Cs of 21st Century Learning<p style="text-align: center;">This post has been transferred to the new platform at <a href="https://www.blackboardandbeyond.com/post/4-cs-of-21st-century-learning">BlackboardandBeyond.com</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> Your #STEAMByte for the Week....</p><p>The 4 Cs of 21st Century Learning are a big component of STEAM education. They include collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. These four skills are what students should know and do to participate in the workforce and make informed decisions. The skills are focused on what students CAN DO with their knowledge rather than the knowledge itself (McComas, 2014). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XnYvxYBDAvuE44CtvZ1_n1DhIP39PfNzFqK0Ap7Sdogr86EflfagjOsynYqkmOkJVdsxYQgNvcPdYCiBqxcvTHsLfWuz6PsnR-ujHkwAegwjvMY5ZH1N2Ci0ijQzwekacvTBnUxQh0QP/s500/%2523STEAMBytes+%25284%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The 4 Cs of 21st Century Learning include collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity." border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XnYvxYBDAvuE44CtvZ1_n1DhIP39PfNzFqK0Ap7Sdogr86EflfagjOsynYqkmOkJVdsxYQgNvcPdYCiBqxcvTHsLfWuz6PsnR-ujHkwAegwjvMY5ZH1N2Ci0ijQzwekacvTBnUxQh0QP/w320-h320/%2523STEAMBytes+%25284%2529.png" title="The 4 Cs of 21st Century Learning" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Students should have authentic opportunities to <b><i>collaborate </i></b>with their classmates, teachers, community members, and professionals in various content areas. Students should have chances to<i> <b>communicate</b></i> with a variety of people using a variety of methods. Communication does not just occur through verbal means and it does not have to be face-to-face. Students communicate with others outside their home and school on a regular basis due to the internet and social media - it is time to find safe ways to embrace this and bring it into the classroom. We must teach them how to communicate effectively and responsibly. Students should be <i><b>thinking critically</b> </i>every day. If you are doing more work and thinking than your students each day, then there is something wrong - you've already passed middle school, it's their turn now. Finally, students should have opportunities to be <b><i>creative and innovative</i></b> through the tools they use and the products they produce.<p></p><p>Its important to note that the focus on these skills being necessary for the 21st-century came about in the 1980s and 1990s - BEFORE the 21st-century - with the goal to prepare the next generation. We are, however, living in the 21st-century and over two decades into it. It is past time for these skills to be optional in schools! Not only should these skills be integrated into classroom lessons on a daily basis but we need to be intentional and deliberate in their integration to ensure they are meaningful and purposeful to the students.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>How do you integrate the 4 Cs on a daily basis?</i></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;">-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="text-align: center;">Interested in more?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li><div style="text-align: left;">The skills are sometimes referred to as "soft skills" and they are anything but that. Read Seth Godin's opinion on the matter - <a href="https://itsyourturnblog.com/lets-stop-calling-them-soft-skills-9cc27ec09ecb#.ym70tla6z" target="_blank">Let’s stop calling them ‘soft skills’</a></div></li><li style="text-align: left;">Check out AJ Juliani's article on Medium - <a href="https://medium.com/future-of-learning/21st-century-skills-have-always-been-needed-skills-but-now-we-need-them-more-than-ever-2dbd5e44ffda" target="_blank">21st Century Skills Have Always Been “Needed” Skills, But Now We Need Them More Than Ever</a></li><li style="text-align: left;">In this post I also referenced McComas's <i>The Language of Science Education</i> (2014).<i> </i>You can access here from Sense Publishers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-497-0">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-497-0</a> </li></ul></div><p><br /></p>Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-54305045394041495482021-01-27T13:25:00.001-05:002021-01-27T13:25:56.908-05:00STEAM...more than the subjects<p style="text-align: center;"> Your #STEAMbyte for the week...</p><p style="text-align: left;">Just as STEAM education includes more subjects than science, technology, engineering, art, and math, it is also more than just teaching multiple content areas.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTYVWdfxbLvwq_gGqLuci0ep5dWwFyaV4WveGg1hP2k_tQI1FeW1SSCu_yt18Vm-wqb_acCN_X9m01dUFomNTXC2zauDW2GkHX3CPP6GNhjYHJ8vGNm60jrzC6I2IqJg4ki4J-axg5h_p/s500/%2523STEAMBytes+%25286%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTYVWdfxbLvwq_gGqLuci0ep5dWwFyaV4WveGg1hP2k_tQI1FeW1SSCu_yt18Vm-wqb_acCN_X9m01dUFomNTXC2zauDW2GkHX3CPP6GNhjYHJ8vGNm60jrzC6I2IqJg4ki4J-axg5h_p/s320/%2523STEAMBytes+%25286%2529.png" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">As teachers integrate multiple subject areas together, they must also incorporate other elements to truly implement STEAM education. This does not mean ALL aspects must be implemented but the more connections we can make from the class content to engaging and authentic situations the better.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u>Transdisciplinary </u>- relating to more than 1 branch of knowledge</li><li><u>4 C's</u> - Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity</li><li><u>Real world and Authentic </u>- purposeful and meaningful to the students</li><li><u>Project based </u>- sometimes referred to as PBL, related to problem based learning, focus is on the process</li><li><u>Student centered </u>- provide student choice; teacher becomes a guide or facilitator</li><li><u>Career connections </u>- raise awareness of how the class content connects to future careers</li></ul><p></p>Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-14876152002477238002021-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:002021-01-20T08:00:52.197-05:00Current Events, Politics, or Both?<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpzdmbfRiuXYcb2WP24vALJ4MVCNJr7hdoMaDSDiidoqogyfEMuog2BN3tI1s-SlJfgiPy_4dQLcHs7g-eULMeI73Wm05dBuN1s0_0wk1e-ZdScjNOxivE-Zq92HhHD41_zIO2EbGfjpD/w200-h200/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25287%2529.png" style="display: none;" />
<p>So I wanted to address the current events happening in DC but based on my Twitter and Instagram it looked like it was already being addressed and teachers across the country were on it. Way to go teachers! 👏Thoughtful ways to address the events with students in safe and meaningful ways. Fast forward a week when I saw a picture of our troops camped out on landings and floors of the Capitol building. I reached out to a couple of friends to see confirm that they were addressing these events with their students. Their repsonse? No. Their caution? Bringing politics into the classroom.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Where do we as teachers draw the line between current events and politics? Between history and politics?</i></b></p><p>As teachers we must be careful not to bring our political views into the classroom, especially if they will disrupt the learning environment. But I think there has to be a balance between not sharing our political views and not sharing anything at all.</p><p>Since I am not a social studies teacher and have only taught SS 3 years in elementary school, I started at the <a href="https://ed.sc.gov/index.cfm?LinkServID=9677E07B-CFFE-6A5C-AA47F98625149ABC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">grade level state standards</a>. The 8th grade standards, for example, cover the themes of: civic participation, cultural interactions, development of political ideas and institutions, economic decision making, and geographic relationships. More specifically the standards call on students to "demonstrate an understanding of the impact of world events on South
Carolina and the United States from 1929 to present." The later indicators state that students should "analyze the continuities and changes in South Carolina’s identity
resulting from the civic participation of different individuals and
groups of South Carolinians" and "utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to analyze multiple
perspectives on the cultural changes in South Carolina and the U.S." These indicators are primarily geared at addressing the post-WWII era but I don't think we can abandon the more current history in these standards.</p><p>History is defined as past events and it is not specific for how far in the past. We learn about history to realize how we got to where we are and to inform the future. There are many quotes about the purpose of learning about history - Nelson Mandela said it better than I can...</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"The purpose of studying history is not to deride human action, nor to weep over it or to hate it, but to understand it. And hopefully....." <a href="https://t.co/fsNsST3K3y">pic.twitter.com/fsNsST3K3y</a></p>— NelsonMandela (@NelsonMandela) <a href="https://twitter.com/NelsonMandela/status/790089137592406016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2016</a></blockquote><p>Now I COMPLETELY understand the hesitation on teachers' parts of addressing something that is surrounded by controversy and heat. 13 year olds are just beginning to gain their own voices but most of the time they repeat what they hear at home, on the news, and on social media. Teachers must build a community where open discussion grounded in evidence is welcomed and this cannot just happen overnight because of a life changing current event.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHandCwEslZOafWQnN1wvVNtYRGLy7nOF3-lp6OCWsngMkGwk3BpU_paTk3USdXhBQKoKYaItpJ5Ffzm46n8o6CeWs74K9hPvaPYIr1e_kXaX14hg85M9eJM5MzVOPFXzGU-Zj1MEaQ35/s720/ASCD+Edge+Ryan+Thomas.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHandCwEslZOafWQnN1wvVNtYRGLy7nOF3-lp6OCWsngMkGwk3BpU_paTk3USdXhBQKoKYaItpJ5Ffzm46n8o6CeWs74K9hPvaPYIr1e_kXaX14hg85M9eJM5MzVOPFXzGU-Zj1MEaQ35/s320/ASCD+Edge+Ryan+Thomas.jpeg" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/current-events-conversation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The New York Times offers a curriculum</a> (and even free access to their journalism to students and teacher through Sept 2021!) with writing journal prompts and focused on conversations about current events. In <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-politics-in-school-who-they-turn-to-in-a-crisis-and-stress.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">December 2019</a>, students responded to if they thought the impeachment inquiry at the time was a teachable moment. Chloerose R. from NC said, "I feel that talking about such controversial topics has allowed us, students, to expand our thinking, strengthen our views, and learn how to understand other’s beliefs." Another student, Sofia S. from MA said, "Though politics are very controversial, as long as students are being given unbiased information and all students are allowed to give their opinion, it seems like there are no problems …" "It is possible to discuss politics in a neutral way. Just don’t ask about what side people are on and if they think what is going on is good or bad or correct or incorrect. If you talk about politics in a more factual way, such as 'This is what is happening now' instead of 'The impeachment inquiry is a really good idea and who agrees,' stated Adah D. of PA.</p><p>This week I was listening to Cult of Pedgogy's podcast episode from January 10, 2021 on <a href="https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/6-ed-tech-tools-to-try-in-2021/" target="_blank">6 EdTech Tools to Try in 2021</a> when I heard about AllSides. <a href="https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news" target="_blank">AllSides </a>provides a variety of resources. One of which is a current event summary (which they claim unbiased) followed by snippets from news sources from the right, center, and left. (<a href="https://www.allsides.com/blog/capitol-breachs-vast-repercussions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Check out their post about the Capitol breach.</a>) A mashup of AllSides and <a href="https://parlayideas.com/" target="_blank">Parlay Ideas</a> would be a great way to begin open discussions. (Check out Parlay Idea's <a href="https://parlayideas.com/the-student-guide-to-live-roundtables/" target="_blank">Student Guide to Live RoundTables</a> - great tips for students even if you're not using Parlay.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdH9op_9almCQ2iZQLlzTSnpxV9FKsft6uu0npPUakaVctEMy_k-uaBdZC7g0ZsJ9BNNIpkTgtctdO58hso-3p0lhCSKT7rBI-gniuaTfCLCrM8yhE_9fCHm3uQ_8N7Jjatayp5I-Dagkx/s500/App+Mashup.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="App Mashup - AllSides + Parlay Ideas" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdH9op_9almCQ2iZQLlzTSnpxV9FKsft6uu0npPUakaVctEMy_k-uaBdZC7g0ZsJ9BNNIpkTgtctdO58hso-3p0lhCSKT7rBI-gniuaTfCLCrM8yhE_9fCHm3uQ_8N7Jjatayp5I-Dagkx/w320-h320/App+Mashup.png" title="App Mashup - AllSides + Parlay Ideas" width="320" /></a></div><p>I guess this babbling is just my thoughts that as teachers we cannot wait until a major current event to set up a classroom community built on respect, open dialogue, and evidence based opinions. Start now so your students have a safe place to intelligently discuss the things they are hearing about on their phones, tvs, and living rooms. Current events might be political but they will have a place in history and must be addressed with our students as an authentic way to promote critical thinking and media literacy.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Thoughts? Opposing views? I'm open.</i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpzdmbfRiuXYcb2WP24vALJ4MVCNJr7hdoMaDSDiidoqogyfEMuog2BN3tI1s-SlJfgiPy_4dQLcHs7g-eULMeI73Wm05dBuN1s0_0wk1e-ZdScjNOxivE-Zq92HhHD41_zIO2EbGfjpD/s500/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25287%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Current Events, Politics, or Both?" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpzdmbfRiuXYcb2WP24vALJ4MVCNJr7hdoMaDSDiidoqogyfEMuog2BN3tI1s-SlJfgiPy_4dQLcHs7g-eULMeI73Wm05dBuN1s0_0wk1e-ZdScjNOxivE-Zq92HhHD41_zIO2EbGfjpD/w200-h200/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25287%2529.png" title="Current Events, Politics, or Both? Blogpost" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-62050341502741500892021-01-19T13:51:00.000-05:002021-01-19T13:51:58.304-05:00Multiple entry points with STEAM<div style="text-align: center;">Your #STEAMByte for the week....</div><div><br /></div>When STEAM education integrates multiple subject areas it serves as a way to differentiate your instruction. Students who may not feel successful or interested in a specific subject area might be hooked by the integration of another subject. Sometimes STEAM units or lessons will incorporate multiple subject content objects, other times one area might be used to support the content objects in another area, additionally, context integration might use the context from one discipline to learn content objectives in another area (English, 2017).<div><br /><div>For example, a math unit on data might use sports statistics as a hook for students. Students might even collect their own data for how far they can throw a football. Finally, students can use a website like <a href="https://www.geogebra.org/?lang=en" target="_blank">Geogebra</a> to help graph their data. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWDusWhyphenhyphenLiOy1JJXLYSMNuMx1L0pBrRHD-uo1NrwWCFBVCAa6NSw_wwDoTZaFHioKg5d5-36UgbQwm-kbIFfDZ1dMlrapN8GbDjtKVlRKle0w4-LhV_hHYAJEcdop5ZiXGuLdZnWdXKsg/s500/%2523STEAMBytes+%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWDusWhyphenhyphenLiOy1JJXLYSMNuMx1L0pBrRHD-uo1NrwWCFBVCAa6NSw_wwDoTZaFHioKg5d5-36UgbQwm-kbIFfDZ1dMlrapN8GbDjtKVlRKle0w4-LhV_hHYAJEcdop5ZiXGuLdZnWdXKsg/s320/%2523STEAMBytes+%25285%2529.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Don't be scared to move away from the textbook to engage your learners! Let STEAM hook your students!</div><div><br /></div><br /><div><p align="center" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #53565a; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 2; margin: 0px 0px 11.5px;">References</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #53565a; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2; margin: 0px 0px 11.5px 30px; text-indent: -30px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">English, L. D. (2017). Advancing elementary and middle school STEM education.<i style="box-sizing: border-box;"> International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, </i><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">15</i>(1), 5-24. <a href="https://doi.org/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066cc; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://doi.org/</a>10.1007/s10763-017-9802-x</span></p></div></div>Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-65665353330437182292021-01-12T09:46:00.000-05:002021-01-12T09:46:14.716-05:00STEAM...Just an acronym?<p style="text-align: center;">Your #STEAMByte for the week...</p><p>Many teachers have heard of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) but fewer have heard of STEAM (with art) or STREAM (with reading) or even HAMSTER (with Humanities). STEAM is not a form of teaching which is strictly teaching with the subjects in the acronym. Instead it is a transdisciplinary approach to teaching content and skills which incorporates all subject areas. Don't worry...we're not leaving anyone out!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf-PnCpzEpCqIW1RCuOLcAr_FPnfJleD-VY8-xYvujVXXX-XxBqYCbq4cxTw5UR52gCphrMHXyxrbPePWrqXksdEDQ4t7amHhy3YHAOMK52OE6ukj8aFvIQEpLtHdhass6ho2to91Fpcb/s500/%2523STEAMBytes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf-PnCpzEpCqIW1RCuOLcAr_FPnfJleD-VY8-xYvujVXXX-XxBqYCbq4cxTw5UR52gCphrMHXyxrbPePWrqXksdEDQ4t7amHhy3YHAOMK52OE6ukj8aFvIQEpLtHdhass6ho2to91Fpcb/s320/%2523STEAMBytes.gif" /></a></div><br /><p>There are many benefits of this for the students which we'll look at in next week's #STEAMByte. Each week or so I will post a #STEAMByte with a helpful tidbit or practical tip about STEAM education. If you have questions or want to see something featured, reach out!</p>Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-61579251413842684382021-01-05T15:30:00.015-05:002021-01-05T15:46:11.499-05:00¿Hablas español?<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMFdWHcQiLIolUfQNQ-8ZtyKJUDzSnxyiC8433z-t_EjXuhVJmYC6A_QmgB-pHC9W_z48ZUNcwawoGUiacmz0n6IGA4Czql2GNx1OUc-FpISS0rty8ZoZbFfHug3R8XwXoqyrcF8zCGnU/w200-h200/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25286%2529.png" style="display: none;" />
<p style="text-align: center;">Yo hablo un poquito español.</p><p>I had been teaching for 4 years before I taught a student whose first language was Spanish. But once those precious 3rd graders came into my classroom I fell in love with them and their language. Having taken French from middle school to college, they started teaching me the basics....uno, dos, tres.</p><p>It was because of these sweet kiddos that I tried to learn a new language. It was because of them that I grew my bilingual classroom library so they could take books home to read with their families. They sparked a love in me. It is no wonder I ended up working closely with the summer program and after school club for our ESL students. Or traveled to Guatemala 5 different summers to work beside Guatemalan teachers, build houses, and love on the people. Or fell in love with my Spanish speaking novio. ❤️</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAOi6CXnDWEo6BtMhA3AFnvEcGLwIqrGiCjDXM3kcL_SZPnSZYYjDwo8kLgcb4wtlAJg7S9dB3alQBzN_4ZqGf753CiSHisI2eWsAeroPNzjzXT3ORdnhzdYTzREn_TpYpIC2K7XIqe4l/s2048/IMG_4736.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Megan with Kindergarten class and their teacher in Guatemala" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAOi6CXnDWEo6BtMhA3AFnvEcGLwIqrGiCjDXM3kcL_SZPnSZYYjDwo8kLgcb4wtlAJg7S9dB3alQBzN_4ZqGf753CiSHisI2eWsAeroPNzjzXT3ORdnhzdYTzREn_TpYpIC2K7XIqe4l/w320-h240/IMG_4736.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 2016, Guatemala, GiveandTeach.org</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In December 2020 I celebrated finishing my classes for my ESL endorsement and passing my Praxis. I took a break from learning Spanish to strengthen my knowledge of the language I grew up speaking but did not know as much about as I thought. I struggled through English grammar and linguistics like woah! Now its time to renew my Duolingo subscription (follow me on Duolingo @McNinchie) and break out my Spanish for Educators book as I begin to speak a little more español. </p><p>Anyone else out there trying to learn Spanish?</p><p>Deséame suerte!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMFdWHcQiLIolUfQNQ-8ZtyKJUDzSnxyiC8433z-t_EjXuhVJmYC6A_QmgB-pHC9W_z48ZUNcwawoGUiacmz0n6IGA4Czql2GNx1OUc-FpISS0rty8ZoZbFfHug3R8XwXoqyrcF8zCGnU/s500/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25286%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="¿Hablas español?" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMFdWHcQiLIolUfQNQ-8ZtyKJUDzSnxyiC8433z-t_EjXuhVJmYC6A_QmgB-pHC9W_z48ZUNcwawoGUiacmz0n6IGA4Czql2GNx1OUc-FpISS0rty8ZoZbFfHug3R8XwXoqyrcF8zCGnU/w200-h200/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25286%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Blackboard and Beyondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021573360520007352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-4666891227507153562020-12-29T11:08:00.022-05:002020-12-29T16:12:38.815-05:00What is your plan?<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcRgbPKy0EiHaIAHoPaQ2gh5PjzCqV_99FB89qKUX8msuvCkVxbaMJZOYr34YxOc-jTbRvrgVFXA3-IE-oaLRep2Nug7-lU7mCwuT0clFo5CZRFwwoq4n43emfA0Ov2gbK4XrRq9yO2k/w200-h200/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25283%2529.png" style="display: none;" />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's amazing what some sunshine and salt air can do. Sitting out on the porch this week of our Christmas rental at the beach I started trying to think about the question that I've been asked so much recently...<b><i>What is your plan?</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UewfL_kEVRdErH37kMgqi-_EYwUREr7wIWIEWOP_8mG8_jKn2isNUYkJ_b8DG45djsauFZVffZ8FIwiVebfdVVDRDi7Mi7Y1afQU7Kvv_3A0AI_TtShRd7G-FyRtwWAG63pf0PzzJ14/s2048/IMG_3406.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UewfL_kEVRdErH37kMgqi-_EYwUREr7wIWIEWOP_8mG8_jKn2isNUYkJ_b8DG45djsauFZVffZ8FIwiVebfdVVDRDi7Mi7Y1afQU7Kvv_3A0AI_TtShRd7G-FyRtwWAG63pf0PzzJ14/w320-h240/IMG_3406.jpeg" title="Thinking on the porch" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is a question you're used to being asked as a kid. What is your plan for college? Where will you go? What will you major in? Then comes the next round of questions when you're in college. What do you want to do when you graduate? Where do you want to live when you graduate? Then come the rounds of grown-up questions. What is your plan for buying a house...getting married....starting a family? The questions all come from a good place....somewhat nosey, somewhat judgemental, but mostly good place. I honestly believe this. A place where others can show their interest in your goals and know how they can support you. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Back in 2018, I started working towards my EdD in Curriculum and Instruction. At the same time, I've pursued my licensure in school administration since this is a job requirement for many of my career interests in my school district. Since then, I have researched, read, and written more than I ever care to do again but the finish line is now in view. While originally it looked like graduation wasn't until Dec 2021, it looks hopeful that May 2021 will be the date!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So you ask...What is my plan? Right now my plan is to enjoy my job where I am, enjoy the students in all of the craziness of hybrid, virtual, social distancing education, and try my hardest to modify my hands-on, collaborative curriculum to meet their needs. Nothing new. Nothing different. And while I do that, I hope to revive this blog to share my struggles and my wins along the way. I want to be intentional about the decisions that I make with my time and for my students.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">See....a plan doesn't have to be something new or different. To me, a plan is about being intentional in the choices that we make each day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>What is your plan? What will you be intentional about?</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlWYW6XC7G3_qwy_TXUp6OdPHO3mgyD53JUPQtt_kpuHHGYkLHkqVBnJhM7NVG7IHr5U8owYarLNxjwrsUGOeuhsHRbVwEm8b1Yx_ivi6g9aBu_xv1-Q04V_wI9U9BppHr5z_FFtUzAU/s2048/IMG_3563.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Looking out at the beach and ocean" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlWYW6XC7G3_qwy_TXUp6OdPHO3mgyD53JUPQtt_kpuHHGYkLHkqVBnJhM7NVG7IHr5U8owYarLNxjwrsUGOeuhsHRbVwEm8b1Yx_ivi6g9aBu_xv1-Q04V_wI9U9BppHr5z_FFtUzAU/w320-h240/IMG_3563.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And as far as my plans for buying a house, getting married, or starting a family?? - you'll have to take those up with mi novio. 😜</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcRgbPKy0EiHaIAHoPaQ2gh5PjzCqV_99FB89qKUX8msuvCkVxbaMJZOYr34YxOc-jTbRvrgVFXA3-IE-oaLRep2Nug7-lU7mCwuT0clFo5CZRFwwoq4n43emfA0Ov2gbK4XrRq9yO2k/s500/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What is your plan? What will you be intentional about?" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcRgbPKy0EiHaIAHoPaQ2gh5PjzCqV_99FB89qKUX8msuvCkVxbaMJZOYr34YxOc-jTbRvrgVFXA3-IE-oaLRep2Nug7-lU7mCwuT0clFo5CZRFwwoq4n43emfA0Ov2gbK4XrRq9yO2k/w200-h200/blackboard+and+beyond+graphic+%25283%2529.png" title="What is your plan? Blackboard and Beyond blog post" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-3926677144626951972016-05-19T11:33:00.001-04:002016-05-19T11:33:35.581-04:00Tech Tip: The Snipping Tool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK4oMzVXoS1Api2g_F4zH92Jx87B8iOu-Dfgm1ZJ-3kywmFAgEVRe3PPK1cJyXo0C9lRbjrstT1jgJTLXpA2jdQVvZ-BobF5gjcCqX0W_YV2cw1pCnpUcqHQPLFbOkH0Pv6heJvkgr5Y/s1600/Snip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK4oMzVXoS1Api2g_F4zH92Jx87B8iOu-Dfgm1ZJ-3kywmFAgEVRe3PPK1cJyXo0C9lRbjrstT1jgJTLXpA2jdQVvZ-BobF5gjcCqX0W_YV2cw1pCnpUcqHQPLFbOkH0Pv6heJvkgr5Y/s1600/Snip.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Snipping Tool … one of Windows little known tools. <br /><br />Use the snipping tool to capture a screen shot of your screen or a portion of your screen. Use it anytime you are trying to save an image of something from your computer screen – recipes, news stories, book reviews, error messages, student work, etc. Then you can save that “snip” or copy it to paste elsewhere (remember Ctrl + V to paste from last week?).</div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Open up Snipping Tool from your main Windows menu (the flying flag in the bottom left).</li>
<li>Begin searching for Snip..... <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUguEe30o8nsuqjfyXq_hIZHwByLkLkWbCS492hfnyIQsTe2S5Wg_iS0eB-Mpp_K0B855U_LCoEJ6CIJvRvWecKaSs5R4cT6qMoXZ76Aq_bypUMyFzTxzrgWsBH7g5TPmZzjrSZU1_iU8/s1600/Search+for+snipping+tool.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUguEe30o8nsuqjfyXq_hIZHwByLkLkWbCS492hfnyIQsTe2S5Wg_iS0eB-Mpp_K0B855U_LCoEJ6CIJvRvWecKaSs5R4cT6qMoXZ76Aq_bypUMyFzTxzrgWsBH7g5TPmZzjrSZU1_iU8/s200/Search+for+snipping+tool.jpg" /></a></li>
<li>Click on the scissors icon.</li>
<li>Click and drag the cursor to select the area you would like to “snip.”</li>
<li>Once you let go of your mouse, a window will pop up with your “snip.” The toolbar at the top has options to create a new snip, save the snip as an image, copy the snip to paste somewhere else, email the snip, or write on the snip.</li>
<li>There are several options when creating a new snip – Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Window Snip, Full-screen Snip. I use the rectangular snip (default) the most. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylyjd1Pz_H5crmu31OgiOfqHi_R2juyhpXqV6cr9efOKt_TaFgCCQXni2rPVKNJX67VF1Uwd-a0ScTpXXKFWlRydjXdS04nWOyFGeLf2SJ33PRoicwicIC8ylY5iOqjgF1xSyrz7lzDA/s1600/Snipping+Tool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylyjd1Pz_H5crmu31OgiOfqHi_R2juyhpXqV6cr9efOKt_TaFgCCQXni2rPVKNJX67VF1Uwd-a0ScTpXXKFWlRydjXdS04nWOyFGeLf2SJ33PRoicwicIC8ylY5iOqjgF1xSyrz7lzDA/s1600/Snipping+Tool.jpg" /></a></div>
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Want more information? Check out the Windows Help Tutorial <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/snipping-tool">http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/snipping-tool</a><br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-19823558209002712072015-12-08T13:28:00.002-05:002016-05-11T17:36:11.888-04:00Hour of Code and CS Ed Week at SCES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't wait until December to start getting the students engaged in coding and computer science but I do hit it hard for a week. Here is what our week is looking like:<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>Monday - Code A Thon</b></h3>
During the related arts block for each grade, all the students in the grade came to the gym for coding. I have 3 iPad carts (grades K-2) and 2 Chromebook carts (grades 3-5) ready to go. The carts were spread out around the room with student log-in cards already separated out 2 classes per cart. I introduced Hour of Code, showed the Code.org Kickoff video, and explained student choices for the day. Students were then able to get into partners or small groups (3 students max), pick up a device, and CODE!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2DxWIxec6yo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2DxWIxec6yo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b>Kindergarten</b> - <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/box-island-one-hour-coding/id1048373739?mt=8" target="_blank">Box Island App</a> on iPads - I already introduced this app to students last week.<br />
<b>1st Grade</b> - Several choices in a Coding folder on iPads - <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/box-island-one-hour-coding/id1048373739?mt=8" target="_blank">Box Island</a>, <a href="http://www.thefoos.com/" target="_blank">The Foos</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/daisy-the-dinosaur/id490514278?mt=8" target="_blank">Daisy the Dinosaur</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scratchjr/id895485086?mt=8" target="_blank">Scratch, Jr</a><br />
<b>2nd Grade</b> - Coding apps on iPads or students could scan a QR code which took them directly to <a href="https://studio.code.org/" target="_blank">Code.org's Code Studio</a> for their Minecraft, Star Wars, or Flappy Code Tutorials<br />
<b>3rd Grade</b> - Choice of sites on my <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mcninchtechnologyclass/third-grade" target="_blank">3rd Grade Teacher Class Page</a><br />
<b>4th Grade</b> - Choice of sites on my <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mcninchtechnologyclass/fourth-grade" target="_blank">4th Grade Teacher Class Page</a><br />
<b>5th Grade</b> - Choices of sites on my <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mcninchtechnologyclass/fifth-grade" target="_blank">5th Grade Teacher Class Page</a><br />
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<b>Monday-Friday Mornings - Open Coding Time in Computer Lab</b></h3>
Each day of the week is assigned to a specific grade level. Students must check in with their teacher, drop off their book bag, and then come to my computer lab to code. I already have Code.org pulled up on the computers and I have the iPad cart ready for students who want to work on apps. These mornings are for students who are already excited about coding, to encourage it further. Unfortunately I do have to cap it off when my lab is full and I've had some upset students - but that's better than an empty lab!<br />
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<br /><b>Friday - Computer Science Speakers and Code A Thon Part II</b></h3>
For the past few years we have brought in speakers for the last day of CS Ed Week. This year unfortunately I could not rally as many as I have in the have so we will have speakers for grades 2-5 and we will have Code A Thon Part II with K and 1. I'm so grateful for the speakers who agreed to come share their careers and passions. Some are parents of students at my school and others are my friends who express an interest in what I do. I remember to call on this when CS Ed Week comes around :-)<br />
The students all file into the gym where I have a SmartBoard hooked up and the speakers share about what they do and how they got to where they are. We have had speaker bring all computer parts to pass around, others write a short program/game just for that group of kids, speakers share about the connection between ELA and programming languages, and more. It is never too early to inspire students!<br />
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<i>How are you celebrating CS Ed Week?</i></h2>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-86566715840688869602015-03-23T16:48:00.001-04:002015-03-23T16:48:57.805-04:00Kahoot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Are you looking to create an interactive review?</span></b></i></div>
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I have used Kahoot with grades 1-5 during my technology class. I've simply used it to make worksheets/assessments interactive. (In my current role I don't need written assessments for every child so this works great.) It is a great online tool to engage students in an interactive learning or review game. Several teachers at my school are already using Kahoot from time to time either with students working together in small groups to answer the questions or students answering independently. After playing a Kahoot the students not only want to play another one - they often want to play the exact same one again! How powerful that is for students not to mind to continue practicing the same questions!</div>
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Some things to know...<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The teacher is the “game show host” and leads the game each time. </li>
<li>Each participant in the game needs a device (iPad, Chromebook, Computer,…anything with internet access like Kindle Fire, iPhone, etc) to access the game and play along. </li>
<li>You can stop and discuss after each question since you will see how the class as a whole answered each question (great formative assessment!). </li>
<li>You can also download individual student responses at the end if you want. </li>
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I found a Kahoot Cheat Sheet online (from Moore County Schools...thank you!) and edited it to add some of my own notes. It provides step-by-step instructions for creating and playing your first Kahoot.<div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Want to create your first
Kahoot?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bQjfFAhZQ81hw1M0iH3rbN9dpo8NcqEE9G_-SKHk_cM/edit?usp=sharing">Kahoot
Cheat Sheet</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I've mainly taken the lesson activities from Common Sense Media's Digital Citizenship's Scope and Sequence for my Kahoots. I'm linking to them below...feel free to use them!</div>
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<li><a href="https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/e75a64b7-132c-4a8e-aea2-f5c0ab44fa0d" target="_blank">Follow the Digital Trail - Grade 1</a></li>
<li><a href="https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/fb0d539d-4be5-45a5-8ec3-852c6c5f01e6" target="_blank">Do's and Don'ts of Powerful Passwords - Grade 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/1ced68cc-8861-4bf0-afbf-931248f6d9d5" target="_blank">Rings of Responsibility - Grade 3</a></li>
<li><a href="https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/9ae01932-3b0a-4f91-a68b-0237870ab97d" target="_blank">Private and Person Information - Grade 3</a></li>
<li><a href="https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/59b9428b-4084-4999-be25-a299ee1974ad" target="_blank">Strong Passwords - Grade 4</a></li>
<li><a href="https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/eafc299f-a118-422e-a3cd-68c2f6dc275d" target="_blank">Talking Safely Online - Grade 5</a></li>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-36105587495009086022015-03-11T09:25:00.003-04:002015-03-11T09:25:56.707-04:00Google Drive in 2nd Grade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our 2nd graders are our first group to get a GAFE account. Beginning in February/March, I start introducing them to their accounts - how to sign in, the features of the different Google Apps, sharing, commenting, etc. Other tech teachers in my district begin at the beginning of the year but based on our student population (many don't have devices at home, especially younger students) we wait until now. Every year I tweak the lessons a little and since I teach all 6 2nd grade classes the lesson even gets tweaked a little as I move through the rotation. When I first was looking for introductory units, I could not find much already created so I want to share with you what I have put together in the hopes that it helps someone else.<br />
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<b>Lesson 1 - Log In and Explore</b><br />
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Students simply log into their GAFE account through our school homepage. We go through the procedure and responsibilities. The last 5-10 minutes students are able to explore and create docs, slides, drawings, etc. I really try and step back during these last few minutes to see if students can make connections between what we done in the Microsoft Office suite and Google Apps.</div>
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Check out the <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LENK-RryV8q7Os-GIcYuPBSTGW5qS4vRsKOvJEb13Pw/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Google Slides presentation</a> that I use. Make a copy and edit to fit your school.</div>
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<b>Lesson 2 - Google Drawing: My Perfect Bedroom</b></div>
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Students log into their GAFE account through our school homepage. Students will create their perfect bedroom - this is the bedroom in their imagination. I think this is important because some of my students do not have bedrooms so this helps create an even ground. On the SmartBoard I review a few different features in Google Drawing before letting students loose on their computers. It is important to move around the classroom to help students who get stuck.</div>
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Features that I review:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Change the background color.</li>
<li>Insert shapes and change their fill color and line color.</li>
<li>Turn shapes into text boxes by double-clicking.</li>
<li>Change the font style and font size of text.</li>
<li>Insert and re-size an image.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/175F8RlWcm0QUodY66ydoQ2p-XOQv9gUgLPjQdwg7tg0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Student Sample of "My Perfect Bedroom"</a></div>
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<b>Lesson 3 - Google Docs: Imaginative Narrative</b></div>
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We start this lesson again by students logging into their GAFE account through our school homepage. A couple of the classes are becoming more independent and as students work, I pull small groups to begin allowing them to practice logging into their accounts through Chromebooks. Today students will write an imaginative narrative based off a picture prompt. I give each student a different picture prompt but you could provide one for your class if you wanted. On the SmartBoard I review a few different features both with Google Docs and in using the keyboard. It is important to move around the classroom to help students who get stuck.</div>
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Features that I review:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Change font style, size, and color.</li>
<li>Insert and re-size image.</li>
<li>Right click to fix spelling or grammar</li>
<li>Keyboard: Shift key vs. Caps Lock</li>
<li>Keyboard: Enter for a new line</li>
<li>Keyboard: The period key</li>
</ul>
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I pulled together the unique photos from Pinterest. You can search for your own or <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8NgZgo2mqWLeDNpaE5RM1gtdWc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">print the ones I used</a>. These photos are not my work and I do not claim ownership or credit for them.<br />
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<b>Lesson 4 - Collaboration and Communication</b></div>
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Students log into their GAFE account via the school homepage. Today is the day that they will start exploring the collaboration and communication features that are available through "Share." We start with discussing the expectations when collaborating on a project together and when writing comments on someone else's work. We put these ideas into a chart on the SmartBoard to reference later. Make sure to also discuss what it would be like to jam their teacher's inbox with lots of sharing.<br />
It is soon time to let them loose to share their work, collaborate, and communicate. I have tried keeping strict rules on it, such as, you can only share with 1 friend and your teacher but then I found students without partners who needed to be with a group of more than one. I soon opened it up to share with your classmates and your teacher.<br />
I was scared I was going to be having students sharing work with all the time but after the first day it wasn't a big deal and they seemed not to bombard anyone's "Shared with Me" folder with unnecessary files.</div>
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<b>Lesson 5 - Exploration Day</b><br />
This is the final day that the students can't wait for. First, all students log into their GAFE account through Chromebooks. This takes a bit of time and tends to be the actual teaching focus of the day. It requires them to type in their whole email address instead of just their username so there is a little more room for typos and frustration.<br />
I model how to access their drive through the App Array and then let them go. Many students go back to their Perfect Bedroom drawing or their imaginative narrative. But others decide on creating new documents with their classmates. The Chromebooks are nice because students can move around and sit with their friends/partners. I find that at a younger age it is still easier for them to collaborate face to face as they are working on the same assignment so they are not trying to do the same thing at the same time.<br />
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<i>I hope you can use the lesson ideas to help you in introducing GAFE to your students! If you have other ideas or suggestions, please comment below!</i></div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-63261377463933821192014-10-07T07:00:00.000-04:002014-10-07T07:00:03.136-04:00Tech Tip Tuesday - Cut, Copy, Paste<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week I shared the Ctrl + F keyboard shortcut to help
find a word or phrase in a document.
There are other shortcuts that use the Ctrl key also.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These are 3 shortcuts that I use the most often when editing
my writing, creating student activities, moving information from an email to
website (codes, URLs, etc), and much more.
For each one, highlight the text and then hold down the Ctrl key on the
right or left side of your keyboard while you press the corresponding key.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ctrl + X</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span> This cuts something to
paste later. This means it will disappear
from the original source until you paste it elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ctrl + C</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span> This copies something
to paste later. This means it stays in
the current place but lets you paste the identical thing elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ctrl + V</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span> This pastes the last
thing that you cut or copied to the clipboard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-73917387708149425142014-10-02T16:19:00.000-04:002014-10-02T16:19:00.118-04:00Selfies - Beg of Year Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSm7jr6_rteaC4aXggSUqioV1RsxRBO1vKgpC1lq973pxJEmjOTytXY9FSwGiGoS5Fq4oPRNZssZ1yvk0ZuWQeLpkOEIyuQrS5kdxlAFUgW0oAKyuknIRPyhpGT8WohZSZN_K9smCQYw/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSm7jr6_rteaC4aXggSUqioV1RsxRBO1vKgpC1lq973pxJEmjOTytXY9FSwGiGoS5Fq4oPRNZssZ1yvk0ZuWQeLpkOEIyuQrS5kdxlAFUgW0oAKyuknIRPyhpGT8WohZSZN_K9smCQYw/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the beginning of the year I try to create a project that has a similar theme but can be differentiated across several different grades. This year? <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Selfies</i></span><br />
This year Merriam-Webster (along with others) added Selfie to the dictionary. Through this project students not only expressed themselves creatively but also navigated through the folders on our network - a big skill that students often forget over the summer (ISTE Standards for Students 1 and 6).<br />
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<u>1st Grade</u> - Created self portraits using Microsoft Paint. This was a review of tools and toolbars that students used last year.<br />
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<u>2nd Grade</u> - Used the <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/popart.php" target="_blank">Pop Art Maker</a> on Big Huge Labs to create a Warhol-inspired selfie masterpiece <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8NgZgo2mqWLWlhqbGE1MEhnTUE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Student Directions</a><br />
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<u>4th and 5th Grade </u>- Used <a href="http://www.tagxedo.com/" target="_blank">Tagxedo</a> to create a word cloud selfie that describe them <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8NgZgo2mqWLWml2N0l4aFdYcnc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Student Directions</a><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zrPOGoG8cgJox8GO0fU9Y0n-gQAtWXOx4KZP8pqfkS0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">#Seflie Lesson Plan in Google Docs</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-portrait in Microsoft Paint</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warhol-inspired selfie masterpiece</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Word cloud selfie in Tagxedo</td></tr>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-40416477188524058832014-09-30T06:30:00.000-04:002014-09-30T06:30:01.749-04:00Tech Tip Tuesday - Ctrl + F<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking for something on a webpage or in a document? Did you know when you press Ctrl and F at the same time you can Find a word or phrase on a page? Ctrl + F brings up a dialogue box to enter the word you are looking for, type in the word, then just click Find.</span><a href="http://cdn-3.freeclipartnow.com/d/10541-1/magnifying-glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://cdn-3.freeclipartnow.com/d/10541-1/magnifying-glass.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-40015115013520421262014-09-18T09:04:00.000-04:002014-09-18T09:25:19.134-04:00Happy Numbers - Web Resource<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year my school transitioned to mobile devices in the classrooms instead of desktops. This means a transition in the websites and resources that we use in the classrooms. One resource I recently stumbled upon is <a href="http://happynumbers.com/" target="_blank">Happy Numbers</a> and it is compatible with all devices - iPads, Chromebooks, PCs, Androids, etc. <br />
<a href="http://happynumbers.com/" target="_blank">Happy Numbers</a> focuses on K-2 Numeracy. It includes topics from numeration to 3-digit subtraction. It can be used for free with a teacher account as an interactive whiteboard resource. AND until October 1 the premium account is only $39 (its goes up to $59). With the premium account teachers can create individual log ons for an unlimited number of students.<br />
I really like the games and activities because they are self-explanatory and if a student clicks on the words then the website will read them aloud. Check it out today!<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-80646870843604988242014-04-24T10:04:00.000-04:002014-04-24T10:04:34.246-04:00Someone Once Said...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“One does not play Bach without having done scales. But neither does one play a scale merely for the sake of the scale."<br /><em>-</em> Simone Weil, <a href="http://happiness-project.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b4bb6f56200fe4fe93f580bf3&id=da937fe4df&e=4ce87806ea" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Gravity and Grace</a></span></div>
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This makes me reflect on making sure everything we have students do in class is purposeful. Students should also be aware of the purpose and the end goal.</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-64402200082114641072014-03-19T10:44:00.000-04:002014-03-19T10:44:08.913-04:00Mr. Popper's Penguins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The school I work at participates in a great program called <a href="http://readtothem.org/our-programs/one-school-one-book/" target="_blank">One School, One Book</a>. The goal is to promote literacy and strengthen the home/school connection. We ask that all families in the school read the same chapter together each night. Then at school there is a trivia question the following day. In my role as tech teacher this year, I got to be a part of the Related Arts team and help pump up the excitement over the program.<br />
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<b>1. Kick Off Event</b><br />
We put on a play for the school and introduced this year's book...Mr. Popper's Penguins! (I'm the penguin - Captain Cook) If you've never worn a costume like this before then you don't know what you're missing out on! I've worn it several times since and the kids love it!...especially grades K and 1!<br />
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<b>2. Will You Read to Me?</b><br />
Around the school we posted <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8NgZgo2mqWLUWJLcWtDcU1rMzg/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">posters</a> to remind the students to ask their parents each night - "Will you read to me?"<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ItrNO_qC7JQ/UydPAYIDFMI/AAAAAAAAJ_4/cbY4aTjujo0/s1600/Will+You+Read+to+Me+Penguin+pics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ItrNO_qC7JQ/UydPAYIDFMI/AAAAAAAAJ_4/cbY4aTjujo0/s1600/Will+You+Read+to+Me+Penguin+pics.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>3. Penguin Research</b><br />
In my K and 1 classes we are completing research on penguins during their related arts time. <br />
In Kindergarten, I read an informational book and we fill out a SmartBoard file on penguins - what they look like, what they eat, and where they live. Then as students explore the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mcninchtechnologyclass/mr-popper-s-penguins" target="_blank">site of resources</a> and books that I gathered, they can come up and tell me more facts to add to our chart. I then print this off and send it back with them to class. <br />
In 1st grade, I read an informational book to them and then show them the page of resources and the books from the library. Sometime throughout class they must fill out at least 1 sticky note with a fact they learn about penguins and add it to their class' penguin web. Many students filled out more than 1.<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-68516181760313605712013-12-09T11:25:00.000-05:002013-12-09T12:29:49.920-05:00Hour of Code is Here<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Hour of Code is here. I will be posting throughout the week about what we are doing to celebrate the Hour of Code at our school.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5FbmsH4fw" target="_blank">Learn what most schools don't teach Video</a><br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-5723562662802086442013-11-15T10:02:00.000-05:002013-11-15T10:02:01.991-05:00I Heart Symbaloo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yes...I love Symbaloo! After having only taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, the transition to teaching all grades, particularly K-2, was a little tough. They have a smaller attention span, a lot of my K babies had never been to school before, and for the most part they can't read. I needed to find a way to allow my Kindergarten students to navigate to different pages. Symbaloo was the answer! I am able to share out my webmixes with students using AB Tutor and then they can follow the various links/tiles to the websites of the day that they get to explore. With my younger students we spend a lot of time working on closing tabs, exiting out of windows, clicking/double clicking, drag and drop, and problem solving independently. These Symabloo webmixes have allowed me to do just that while allowing students to move at their own pace changing activities with their attention spans! <br />
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I have now created half a dozen Symbaloo pages and wanted to share them with you! Check them out!<br />
<a href="http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/mouseskills1" target="_blank">Mouse Skills</a><br />
<a href="http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/sorting1" target="_blank">Sorting Games</a><br />
<a href="http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/typingpractice2" target="_blank">Typing Practice</a><br />
<a href="http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/researchsitesgr3-8" target="_blank">Research Links (3-8)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/halloweenk-21" target="_blank">Halloween Games (K-2)</a> - Kindergarten and 1st grade are limited to the tiles on the left while 2nd graders can go to any of them<br />
<a href="http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/thanksgiving10" target="_blank">Thanksgiving </a>- Its a work in progress since I'm working on it now but it is set up similarly to the Halloween pages...K-1 on left, 2nd on right<br />
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You can also search webmixes that have been create by other people. Check out the ones created by <a href="http://www.symbaloo.com/profile/kinderchat" target="_blank">Kinderchat</a>. He has ones with animal e-books, listen to reading books, letter sound videos, Just Dance videos and more!</div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-59321088500310355652013-11-08T14:18:00.000-05:002013-11-08T14:18:00.892-05:00Perfect Marriage of History and Common Core<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM1G1URviOIcbgxoPquFJJ-gP0g_CCF87Xa6RNjin65yuJdBPUI42uVtViaAvR-Jib9_hkYuJAXco7wbXMu9RHSUKkdFs8Jx6tVs1mmqBC9jnV5jHya76NccefEb1cCuoXY7gcPopTus/s1600/GoHistoryGo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM1G1URviOIcbgxoPquFJJ-gP0g_CCF87Xa6RNjin65yuJdBPUI42uVtViaAvR-Jib9_hkYuJAXco7wbXMu9RHSUKkdFs8Jx6tVs1mmqBC9jnV5jHya76NccefEb1cCuoXY7gcPopTus/s1600/GoHistoryGo.PNG" height="320" width="168" /></a>On Friday mornings during planning, the Related Arts team covers different grades so they can have an additional planning period to help collaborate for Common Core. At first it was very frustrating! I felt like I was a substitute going into classes and trying to teach lessons in which I did not know the background content or how to connect it to their prior learning. In the past couple weeks I have gotten into a routine with the classroom teachers and turned it into a time to collaborate with them. Most recently I have discovered <a href="http://gohistorygo.com/">GoHistoryGo.com</a>. This site is a gold mine to provide self directed common core-esque social studies learning. There are sections on World History, US History, Geography, and Religion. Each page has a question at the top followed by articles, fact boxes, pictures, maps, videos, and sometimes links to interactive explorations. (A downside is that many of the embedded videos play through YouTube so at my school they are blocked on the student log-on.) In fifth grade we focused on the Industrial Revolution and in fourth grade we focused on Colonial America. While evaluating the content, students answered the questions from each page in a Google Form that I created. I made sure that their name and teacher were required questions but the rest were optional to allow them to work at their own pace without being rushed to finish them all. This allowed some students to really dive deeper into the questions and areas that interested them. The classroom teachers really appreciated that the students were building on their knowledge from their classroom and then they were able to see their work as well (responses from the Google Form fill a Google Spreadsheet that I share with the teacher).<br />
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If you have not checked out this great website, check it out now!</div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-30048273459631836322013-09-07T07:31:00.002-04:002013-09-09T12:00:42.610-04:00My Amazon Boxes Always Bring Kid's Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the things that I immediately began missing was books - mini lesson books, writer's mentor texts, independent chapter books - books. So I went searching on Amazon and found some for the computer lab! I was a giddy school girl when they came..and I still have 2 more shipments :-) I'm going to use them for early finishers and some read alouds that I'm going to be doing to help classroom teachers with Common Core.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtx7nwE_9oz7JaaeR9wpHknmaUGK2-y7VizT9RhBASChz5s3ANK_G7jL843jJXEks6CCQcLuo_4jr3IgjhUMlUr0l2PD9IqB60CKJ9lfg8AKdvAvNBRwlXcSoWzp8VA-zRkw2OpMZCQp4/s640/blogger-image--75475582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtx7nwE_9oz7JaaeR9wpHknmaUGK2-y7VizT9RhBASChz5s3ANK_G7jL843jJXEks6CCQcLuo_4jr3IgjhUMlUr0l2PD9IqB60CKJ9lfg8AKdvAvNBRwlXcSoWzp8VA-zRkw2OpMZCQp4/s320/blogger-image--75475582.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Children's Books for the Computer Lab:</div>
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<u>Savvy Cyber Kids: The Defeat of the Cyber Bully</u></div>
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<u>The Computer Teacher from the Black Lagoon</u></div>
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<u>The Berenstain Bear's Computer Trouble</u></div>
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<u>Arthur's Computer Disaster</u></div>
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<u>The Magic Schools Bus Gets Programmed</u></div>
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<u>Faux Paws Dangerous Download</u></div>
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I ordered my books from Amazon.com and from Thriftbooks.com. <a href="http://thriftbooks.com/">Thriftbooks.com</a> is a site that sells new and used books to keep. They have free US shipping and support children's literacy programs!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>What are your favorite computer lab books?</i></span></div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-44983047611854951032013-08-24T18:42:00.000-04:002013-08-24T18:42:43.668-04:00It feels like the very first time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So this is my 7th year teaching.....but it feels like the very first year. In my new role I have to balance helping teachers integrate technology into their instruction, solve teachers' IT problems, update the school website, make decisions regarding the distribution and organization of school wide devices (this year we'll have 150 Chromebooks and 130 iPads to circulate around the school), and plan and prepare lessons for grades K-5 in the computer lab. I put too much stress on myself and I want to do it all perfectly...well there just isn't enough time in the day and I'm having to learn how to say no. Everyday has been better and I've felt more comfortable. However, managing Kindergarten will definitely take the longest to get use to :-)<br />
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Here are some pictures of my new space. I'm excited about some of the areas I have created and I cannot wait to have the kids enjoy it everyday.<br />
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I put my mom to work on this when she came in during a teacher workday. I found it on<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/23081016813431021/" target="_blank"> Pinterest</a> and Tracy over at <a href="http://creeksideteachertales.blogspot.com/2012/08/classroom-pledge-freebie.html?m=1" target="_blank">Creekside Teacher Tales</a> even has the free printable for it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIBMj4FuH4g5IR3R8RHaKt543tMRx_chSIEn-2IebH8HkBudP4JNahgfYtBBE8tuXCij5KJZMVSBgQuikfewu-sdo1fGZVA879kS3v6DrAKzsEKN6EQDa2MZHCA83EbDA1Ghu4aRhQSE/s640/blogger-image--1231365021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIBMj4FuH4g5IR3R8RHaKt543tMRx_chSIEn-2IebH8HkBudP4JNahgfYtBBE8tuXCij5KJZMVSBgQuikfewu-sdo1fGZVA879kS3v6DrAKzsEKN6EQDa2MZHCA83EbDA1Ghu4aRhQSE/s640/blogger-image--1231365021.jpg" /></a></div>
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I've had Cami the camel in my class for 6 years now so I didn't understand why all the teachers were so in love with it all of a sudden. They kept hollering "What Day Is It?" Since I don't have cable I hadn't seen the Geico commercial so I didn't quite get it. They have now enlightened me and even most of my students have seen the commercial so we are all loving Cami this year :-)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kWBhP0EQ1lA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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This is a "bulletin board" I made at the back of the class with helpful vocabulary "What's you cursor telling you?" You can download it from my TPT store <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Whats-Your-Cursor-Telling-You-844745" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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In the library corner I have this magnetic board where students can change the emoticon to describe how they are feeling. Just a fun, interactive area! You can purchase the set on <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Today-I-Feel-with-emoticons-844754" target="_blank">TPT</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAvy9P8sQwEhfgDDRhNf87h0ZE4G1KDGaOtzxQujvi2tef_FuHd5cTxpgfgrdNlhCO9lqx4Lu3KdwfSpk8yZE8z2Wri82NicOoBTnBveHCmRG5mRtbTpusdkDsR5-QBEtcFDzOFPg8lw/s640/blogger-image--204171242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAvy9P8sQwEhfgDDRhNf87h0ZE4G1KDGaOtzxQujvi2tef_FuHd5cTxpgfgrdNlhCO9lqx4Lu3KdwfSpk8yZE8z2Wri82NicOoBTnBveHCmRG5mRtbTpusdkDsR5-QBEtcFDzOFPg8lw/s400/blogger-image--204171242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I found these <a href="http://ijsd-elementary.wikispaces.com/Kid+Friendly+NETS" target="_blank">NETS standards in student friendly terms</a> online. Instead of just posting them in the class I am going to use this wall similarly to a Daily 5 or CAFE wall (the classroom teacher in me). This means when students in any of the grades learn something that falls under a category either one of the students or myself will make a small sign to go under the heading. For example, during our first and second rotation we are talking about Instagram. Instagram allows users to share photos so we will make a label for Instagram to go under Share It.<br />
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Teaching about 800 students is going to make it near impossible to learn all the students' names. This is why I think name tags at the computers are imperative. This year I have to have 2 sets for each computer since the morning classes are on a 6 day rotation and the afternoon classes are on a 7 day rotation. Confusing..right?! They are each on a binder ring that can be flipped each day and they hang either on the wall just above the monitors or on the side of the monitors.</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2765541551122187699.post-58209660765471922432013-08-09T11:13:00.000-04:002013-08-09T11:13:39.313-04:00The Write Stuff (alternate algorithms and writing in math)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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At the beginning of the summer I presented at a workshop with a colleague. I have been wanting to present at a workshop for a while but never wanted to go at it alone and needed a topic that I felt pretty confident at. When I started at my current school I immediately linked with one of the 4th grade teachers - she is amazing - and we also have similar styles which helps in the sharing ideas. So for this summer's conference at the local university I convinced her to present with me on writing and alternate algorithms in math. We both use Everyday Mathematics in our classrooms and believe in the importance of students understanding and explaining the math behind an algorithm. <br />
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I pulled together our resources, several research articles, YouTube videos and more into a website to share during our session. There are some great videos that you can share with your students (and their parents) to help review the alternate strategies and help with homework. Take a look.... It covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division algorithms as well as writing in math.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thewritestuffjune2013/" target="_blank">The Write Stuff</a></span></div>
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<i>Do you use alternate algorithms in your class?</i></div>
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<i>What strategies do you use to get students writing in math?</i></div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13431223003621121154noreply@blogger.com0