tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24854129519638136652024-03-19T06:08:02.057-04:00Adventures of a Techy TeacherWelcome! This blog will showcase my two passions: teaching and technology. I love when the two can come together!Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-7712091621895551092017-09-01T21:19:00.000-04:002017-09-01T21:19:08.864-04:00Reflections on Blended Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been asked to reflect on what blended learning means to me, using the items in this photo. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgvwTl6Al1RtAx6sXKDVs7cAwIwfV5-Lj06YDRAK08LaG8FGE825S6mN1xRzqbGbNOI9EA3pEJHk9HmGDUsyxiF4fjIxwh-bTH3D7qBUF8T4-U9B2OdrsqpMPjcwJl9AmE4-6W7gqt0yK/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-09-01+at+8.39.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgvwTl6Al1RtAx6sXKDVs7cAwIwfV5-Lj06YDRAK08LaG8FGE825S6mN1xRzqbGbNOI9EA3pEJHk9HmGDUsyxiF4fjIxwh-bTH3D7qBUF8T4-U9B2OdrsqpMPjcwJl9AmE4-6W7gqt0yK/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-09-01+at+8.39.59+PM.png" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflect on Blended Learning using the following items as a lens: an envelope, a pencil, Duplo blocks, a Hot Wheels car, and three crayons</td></tr>
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Truth: Uncomfortableness</h3>
I'll be honest. This reflection has been more difficult for me to write than I would like to admit. I can go on all day about what blended learning is, how to implement it in a classroom, and come up with ideas to help teachers implement blended learning in my role as a Technology Integration Coach. As anyone that knows me would tell you, I love the word persevere, and I seek challenges. So, I present to you my blended learning mystery basket recipe for success!<br />
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Recipe for Success</h3>
Blended learning allows me and other teachers like me to reach learners at all levels and abilities, represented by the <u><b>red, yellow, and green crayons</b></u> in the picture above. It allows me to give students a choice in their learning that is appropriate for their learning levels and allows them to develop their unique voice.<br />
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The <b><u>pencil</u></b> reminds me that technology is just a tool in blended learning. When we blend our learning environment, we combine traditional learning methods and tools with modern tools and methods. Pencils are still necessary in today's classroom and work in balance with the time that my students spend on their iPads.<br />
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The <u style="font-weight: bold;">Duplo Blocks</u> make me think of how I started in blended learning. In the photo above, there is a stack of blocks. When creating a blended learning environment, it's important to choose one part of your environment or lesson to blend and build on it as your comfort level (and your students' comfort levels) increase. Small steps that can be built upon are important to a sustainable blended learning environment.<br />
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As I reflect on blended learning, I see the <u style="font-weight: bold;">Hot Wheels car</u> and I think about how integrating technology and blending my classroom environment has excited my students and engaged them in learning. Providing them with choice in tools to demonstrate their learning excited them as much as it would if I were to have provided them all with a toy car to play with. Learning through exploration, and demonstrating your learning through a tool that excites you, makes learning more exciting and engaging for students and teachers! Students end up becoming leaders and teachers can facilitate learning instead of being "knowledge-holders."<br />
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Finally, the <u style="font-weight: bold;">envelope</u> represents how blended learning is a complete package for giving students choice, voice, and freedom to lead their learning through the tools that work for each individual. It gives students the ability to work at their levels, to work collaboratively, and to feel empowered within the classroom. It knocks down walls and connects classrooms across buildings and around the world. It envelops our learning world more and more each day. It wraps it up for all of our students and teachers. It's an important practice in my classroom, and it should be an important practice in yours, too!Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-12215094964472843252017-08-24T10:33:00.001-04:002017-08-24T10:33:02.654-04:00Under ConstructionThis blog is currently under construction! A new post is currently in the works and will be coming shortly. Thank you for your patience.Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-67654719090985261302015-08-06T07:00:00.000-04:002015-08-06T08:24:15.524-04:00New Way to Communicate and Share with Parents--Bloomz App!<br />
Looking for a way to communicate with your parents? Would you like to share pictures with your students' families, but don't want to post them over social media or load them and send in email? If so, bloomz is for you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYNpcn7XtnaOFdT0mfHaWsXiJWotw3izL0ERzaH8zkeQ_-qIQpCG6p3bMIp48cro0z2gJ-6OM9f0TKiLjkqQt1pdGewGFphy596P6WTnC6AiChyyLyjzoGZq-vFvTz8woI5jnaAIUku8T/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.34.18+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYNpcn7XtnaOFdT0mfHaWsXiJWotw3izL0ERzaH8zkeQ_-qIQpCG6p3bMIp48cro0z2gJ-6OM9f0TKiLjkqQt1pdGewGFphy596P6WTnC6AiChyyLyjzoGZq-vFvTz8woI5jnaAIUku8T/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.34.18+AM.png" /></a></div>
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Features</h2>
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Classroom Feed</h3>
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On your classroom page, you will see a Facebook-like feed where teacher updates, links, photos, and more are posted for parents to view.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc72F-7UOWkw4vrgkQ5Fy_v1JrO2VVvhXE-fW602QwtoSQkZaJnPZ1mpV6p7Dv_Fry0C-mlyksXA89cCBR7KHQlFTpHDk6wanjik9Lz0SdQBDV__3YSVo8dCa_ilePH7Co1XxpO60tDcux/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.40.58+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc72F-7UOWkw4vrgkQ5Fy_v1JrO2VVvhXE-fW602QwtoSQkZaJnPZ1mpV6p7Dv_Fry0C-mlyksXA89cCBR7KHQlFTpHDk6wanjik9Lz0SdQBDV__3YSVo8dCa_ilePH7Co1XxpO60tDcux/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.40.58+AM.png" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Class feed from bloomz demo class, http://www.bloomz.net</td></tr>
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Bloomz isn't just teacher driven, though. Parents can communicate with one another within the bloomz app!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9zM0TLxDUqLvUtpuSwGVqjGCNDcrtYBPGoqettO0ZoDJwCIoN0YJVTjjIfJWk-rcnI8eWp3Fxy3wXT5_Z9m1TNDBKfNMwt-boZllbhs5M2m8eNeHoTK9D-MbKRUQLvj60BLSzLu_gQah/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.43.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9zM0TLxDUqLvUtpuSwGVqjGCNDcrtYBPGoqettO0ZoDJwCIoN0YJVTjjIfJWk-rcnI8eWp3Fxy3wXT5_Z9m1TNDBKfNMwt-boZllbhs5M2m8eNeHoTK9D-MbKRUQLvj60BLSzLu_gQah/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.43.11+AM.png" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Class feed from bloomz demo class, http://www.bloomz.net</span></td></tr>
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Share Your Classroom Calendar & Photos in a Secure Environment</h3>
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Calendar</h4>
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What I really LOVE about this app is the calendar and photo feeds. I've posted my calendar on my blog before, but only a handful of parents actually regularly access my blog, so they aren't getting the updates as they are posted. With bloomz, the calendar is built in AND it posts changes on the classroom feed as they are made!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9rCmK1mGRLVrxM4vE_MXh12PCZ5XSFYZYndvXCZHTvh5JvB7PPQnBtYzB2hS7W21dz37MeM0mdS0zwCIHP0MvGl1SqVTc8o5A9D6DPM3fYiLhgMNOQXhcBmSivqjfgglna-qQ_KEpYyX/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.48.35+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9rCmK1mGRLVrxM4vE_MXh12PCZ5XSFYZYndvXCZHTvh5JvB7PPQnBtYzB2hS7W21dz37MeM0mdS0zwCIHP0MvGl1SqVTc8o5A9D6DPM3fYiLhgMNOQXhcBmSivqjfgglna-qQ_KEpYyX/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.48.35+AM.png" width="165" /></a></div>
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Even better, you can add information about items and/or volunteers needed for activities!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVfH6dQHjkWH5zOF0a2QfmxA_2tRsZXc7fVhQRdUJOhsxPlCs3RjfBU88dL6rPROdzYQTyvmluADgkwHFDwdADhSVP1urS_hleMbmIfv_g-8D4fOKQZWWZIOEgu4FsXLOFV8DlXlSy94r/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.50.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVfH6dQHjkWH5zOF0a2QfmxA_2tRsZXc7fVhQRdUJOhsxPlCs3RjfBU88dL6rPROdzYQTyvmluADgkwHFDwdADhSVP1urS_hleMbmIfv_g-8D4fOKQZWWZIOEgu4FsXLOFV8DlXlSy94r/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.50.24+AM.png" width="161" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Calendar feed from bloomz demo class, http://www.bloomz.net</span></td></tr>
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Parents can click the need link and it will open up information about the event and what is needed. It looks like this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWlQIRF7Vb86NvP6KkHFCgVShlgGsrj3mrZrWGL8IP-59cMldhRO_wNdgN9PWfXJ3MiQjVXs1nq4BoX3u7CXGxbTOMe_E6ozeJBvp-mPuDbzHlecH3Os2nvXJQ12RNNAsBDL_AngR2KMY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.50.44+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWlQIRF7Vb86NvP6KkHFCgVShlgGsrj3mrZrWGL8IP-59cMldhRO_wNdgN9PWfXJ3MiQjVXs1nq4BoX3u7CXGxbTOMe_E6ozeJBvp-mPuDbzHlecH3Os2nvXJQ12RNNAsBDL_AngR2KMY/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.50.44+AM.png" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Calendar feed from bloomz demo class, http://www.bloomz.net</span></td></tr>
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In this example, parent volunteers are needed for the Art Docent that repeats every first Monday. Parents can volunteer right through the app!<br />
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Photos</h4>
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In bloomz, you can upload all of your photos in a secure environment. Most of my parents are okay with posting their students pictures on our class <a href="https://twitter.com/mcbain3rdgrade" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> account. Last year I had parents that did not want their child's picture posted. I wish I had used bloomz all year last year! In this instance, the photos feed within bloomz would have been great! You can add albums and parents can view your photos as long as they are members of your bloomz class!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FX6Rf_P7SlgWcTE1Tz8m0UgvarSAHePFKRzdnCiRtkizCT7ZKCTGWpg_qL-paBC8Vn9L81GCXSRZIj53Wi9LZNLUbgRW385boDQmcUGFBu9MymHccV8BVft0X6YwqZcnzn9pxckQkrPf/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.59.27+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FX6Rf_P7SlgWcTE1Tz8m0UgvarSAHePFKRzdnCiRtkizCT7ZKCTGWpg_qL-paBC8Vn9L81GCXSRZIj53Wi9LZNLUbgRW385boDQmcUGFBu9MymHccV8BVft0X6YwqZcnzn9pxckQkrPf/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-08-06+at+7.59.27+AM.png" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos feed from bloomz demo class http://www.bloomz.net</td></tr>
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Messaging</h3>
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In bloomz, you can send out a class broadcast through your class feed, a group message to select parents, or individual 2-way messaging between yourself and one parent. All of your messaging needs can be met within bloomz!<br />
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Would You Like To Try Bloomz?</h3>
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I cannot stop recommending this app to all of my teacher friends! I'm really looking forward to using it this year. I do plan on keeping my Remind account for parents that don't have access to a smartphone or a computer for updates or would prefer text messages, but bloomz has become my go to!<br />
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Do you want to bloomz? Click the link below to sign up!<br />
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<a href="http://bloomz.us/1ONJfiU">http://bloomz.us/1ONJfiU</a><br />
<br />Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-8404650060335205832015-08-02T07:00:00.000-04:002015-08-02T07:00:00.450-04:00#2getherwearebetter August Linky! Bulletin Boards-Minecraft Style!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIExSCVqclPlGUwljXYffjox2v3WQO6UU_pG66PwNF1bTmVdamiLldrzvmTVtbWnfBijOr2ISjpRbu8LXUq0-nkyKLEinOolVULcaB8pHLM8L_LOv5QdD5Iq3laeq3YHeNbxAriJr_p_0/s1600/linky+button.001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIExSCVqclPlGUwljXYffjox2v3WQO6UU_pG66PwNF1bTmVdamiLldrzvmTVtbWnfBijOr2ISjpRbu8LXUq0-nkyKLEinOolVULcaB8pHLM8L_LOv5QdD5Iq3laeq3YHeNbxAriJr_p_0/s320/linky+button.001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This post is part of the #2getherwearebetter linky organized by Ashley at <a href="http://www.schroedershenanigansin2nd.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd </a>and Angie from <a href="http://www.luckylittlelearners.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lucky Little Learners</a>! I'm so excited to be part of their linkups that they have every 2nd of the month! This month's topic...Bulletin Boards!!!<br />
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<h2>
A Little Info About Me</h2>
Here's a little info about me: teach 3rd grade in a 1:1 iPad environment. My school is located in a rural Northern Michigan community. Our district is comprised of roughly just over 1,000 students, in a K-12 connected building. We are very blessed to have a very supportive community that supports our 1:1 initiative. Grades 5-12 have MacBook Airs.<br />
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Getting Started on My Boards</h2>
Now, getting to my bulletin board situation this summer. Last year I had moved to 3rd grade from Kindergarten. I had a jungle-themed classroom in Kindergarten and I carried that theme with me to third grade. I used fun fabrics on my bulletin boards, but found it difficult to concentrate on the content on my boards with all of the busyness of the fabric. This summer I was determined I was going to paint my bulletin boards. Before I could even consider picking jungle colors, my husband suggested I make some large blocks to place in areas of my classroom--"kinda Minecraft style," he said (we have an almost 14 year old that is passionate about Minecraft!). Then I had an epiphany! With our 1:1 status and kids that love gaming, how awesome would it be have a Minecraft-themed room!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMxI06xwcanf_F4TtKFGMZdavrn-l5CTcq71On6PsG9OdWlqnvvQ4G7voq48CS6A3KtUEN0iZGNCIq6nIPvRt_Epkv9TJitO8vTmOo2NuON2jy3AKNnAqwx0Bk7gkitVYm8N-l80owj7-/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.29.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMxI06xwcanf_F4TtKFGMZdavrn-l5CTcq71On6PsG9OdWlqnvvQ4G7voq48CS6A3KtUEN0iZGNCIq6nIPvRt_Epkv9TJitO8vTmOo2NuON2jy3AKNnAqwx0Bk7gkitVYm8N-l80owj7-/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.29.47+PM.png" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The color scheme for my 3rd grade Minecraft lair!</td></tr>
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Now on to the color scheme. With the help of my good friend, Dawn, I chose these colors. I got the okay from my official "Minecrafter", DestructionNite, that these were good colors as the yellow and green could be considered wool block colors and the navy is close enough to a stained, hardened clay-colored block. I was on my way to making an AWESOME Minecraft board!<br />
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I didn't take a before picture of my board pre-paint, but I did think about it after I painted and started adding my double scalloped border.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs08BaIPaOgovVfJsgJxlEVmg6UC4o1eQzlLbm9J2JZ1Sb5Gpz4I6ZE_vqU7aalJLaT_Hm81Tr1Bteb1u9ZxzJRyxLrO8TtINO4TYEE8X6yDYr7WtTK5ymhgA8PxyZRWsFWQi5lrlm3Erh/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.29.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs08BaIPaOgovVfJsgJxlEVmg6UC4o1eQzlLbm9J2JZ1Sb5Gpz4I6ZE_vqU7aalJLaT_Hm81Tr1Bteb1u9ZxzJRyxLrO8TtINO4TYEE8X6yDYr7WtTK5ymhgA8PxyZRWsFWQi5lrlm3Erh/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.29.27+PM.png" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted and measured out, my way...not the right way!</td></tr>
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<h2>
Painted and Bordered, Now What?</h2>
Last year I had used my large, long whiteboard to house my vocabulary word wall. I found it messy and though I referenced it and used it often, it wasn't used by my kiddos much at all. This year I was resolved to change this. I found the idea of a moving, or interactive, word wall on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/216524694559196813/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. As you can see above, I measured it all out and placed pins where I wanted it. Unfortunately, I only planned for 24 letters, not 26! I don't have too many ideas floating in my head, do I? I was thinking...squirrel!!!<br />
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Anyway, the solution to all of this measuring and frustration was my very supportive husband! He came in, measured it all out, and helped me put it together. Then he helped with painting the rest of my boards, too! I'm blessed!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwjkceiLSSSm5KYtDtzeTtnXQaNwuMuTZGf6wKkQeglDR6M1bgFyZmgR1U5hdv0XMekhh90fj4Qksqg57JDG22xA6uxJnklyZ0W87Q6w58_89TJXoN5nyBjENX1W0FiAEqZfl7G1R78k9/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.30.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwjkceiLSSSm5KYtDtzeTtnXQaNwuMuTZGf6wKkQeglDR6M1bgFyZmgR1U5hdv0XMekhh90fj4Qksqg57JDG22xA6uxJnklyZ0W87Q6w58_89TJXoN5nyBjENX1W0FiAEqZfl7G1R78k9/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.30.30+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My supportive, helping husband!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Before I show a picture of the completed board, let me tell you a little about my vision for it! I've put all of my math vocabulary for the New Everyday Math 4 and Reading Wonders on Minecraft backgrounds (I also have it on Chevron and Jungle Backgrounds in my TPT store--click <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Adventures-of-a-Techy-Teacher" target="_blank">here</a> or at the top of my page if interested). I printed them 6 slides to a page. This made the 3 words per page fit perfectly on a 3x5 index card. I cut them down to the block, glued them on, laminated them, and hole punched each word. Then I took a binder ring and put it through each word and hung them on a pin. I hope that my students will be more willing to use the vocabulary (I plan on working it in to my stations--that's another post for another day) by posting it this way instead of individually under each letter.<br />
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And now...here it is! My Minecraft-styled Word Wall!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmbg7LGkN-K4ba5ihfEAyAofrTI9VDC8zLsmQL0VmxY1QzZdOFzy9wIh6RFsNQBcJArNl7hrkqpj_POVdx8ZTH_qqKxFIzXTebPQmpWl0j78cfBLaukRJ9LOXZ31sbqeeWZqzb3_KGVG-/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.30.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmbg7LGkN-K4ba5ihfEAyAofrTI9VDC8zLsmQL0VmxY1QzZdOFzy9wIh6RFsNQBcJArNl7hrkqpj_POVdx8ZTH_qqKxFIzXTebPQmpWl0j78cfBLaukRJ9LOXZ31sbqeeWZqzb3_KGVG-/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-01+at+11.30.08+PM.png" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Minecraft-styled Word Wall!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'm so proud of this board. I think this is the BEST bulletin board I've had in my room so far! I'm excited to see my kiddos in 5 weeks.<br />
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So...that's my board. I'll keep you updated on how the others go as we finish painting. Please be sure to follow me on Bloglovin' (follow button on the right). I'll be posting twice a week--I have a schedule now!--and I'll be linking up again September 2nd with my classroom reveal!!<br />
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Thanks for following the linky. I'm eager to view the bulletin boards of the other participants!</div>
Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-21036358629774559602015-07-29T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-29T06:00:04.932-04:00MI Open Book Project-What's that mean for you?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://textbooks.wmisd.org/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf09o2zIxOmbrp3TtQORlgOS9wOIWQDVgnH9Z9WkBONPW6wnwJg_bJ6Px8_oCC-afMJORIRBsEQx3feak2dNdsDtdnY3-3tdOF1balJIN5pojrBoelz9nc8E8QKrPja3ZqconuXXnaSuu_/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-07-29+at+12.10.05+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have you heard of the <a href="http://textbooks.wmisd.org/" target="_blank">MI Open Book Project?</a> The project is entering it's second year this fall. If you are an educator, especially a Michigan educator, then this post is definitely for you!</div>
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<h2>
What it is:</h2>
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The project is funded by the MDE and the materials are created by Michigan educators for all educators and students. The purpose of the project is to create OpenEd Resources (this means that the materials are FREE for everyone to download and use!) for all educators, students, homeschoolers, and interested individuals to use. The textbooks are created using iBooks Author software. Once completed, they are rendered, uploaded to the iBooks store, and then they're ready for download. Android and computer users can also download these books. The beauty of iBooks Author is that the books can be exported as ePub and PDF files!</div>
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Why is this important?</h2>
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It is important because it is a high-quality, Michigan based solution to the need that teachers have to incorporate meaningful social studies content into their classrooms. The books are interactive, which means that they allow students to highlight and take notes, take quizzes on what they've read while still inside the book, to view geographical features inside Google Maps or Google Earth as they are reading!<br />
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Another reason this project is important is because the digital nature of the books allows for differentiation among student ability groups, as well as providing supports for students that have special needs. Many devices will read the text aloud for students that struggle with reading. You can't do that with a paper text book! Free, interactive social studies texts help us as teachers reach our students in deeper, more meaningful ways than we have before.</div>
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If you want to know more, please visit the MI Open Book Project by clicking on the photo at the top of the post. The books from the first year have been finalized and are being uploaded shortly. Let's revolutionize learning by becoming creators and sharing content, FREE content, with other educators that are in as much need as we are!</div>
Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-35981195965601438862015-07-15T14:28:00.000-04:002015-07-15T14:28:26.259-04:00What is Periscope?That's the question I've been asking myself as I've seen tweets about Periscope flying by in posts on my Twitter feed. The best way to find out is to ask others or Google it, so that's what I did!<br />
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<h3>
Periscope</h3>
<a href="https://www.periscope.tv/" target="_blank">Periscope</a> is a live feed video social media service. I follow a bunch of people that are using it, so this was enough information for me to give it a try....well, that and my curiosity!<br />
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After downloading the app (<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/id972909677" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.periscope.android" target="_blank">Play Store</a>), you can sign up for a free account. You are given the choice on whether you'd like to use your Twitter handle or your phone number. Personally, I chose my <a href="http://twitter.com/TechyTeacher1" target="_blank">Twitter handle</a>, but I like the phone number option if you do not use Twitter. I chose to use my Twitter handle as my username for continuity between all my accounts. That's it! I am set!<br />
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<h3>
Tutorials</h3>
For those of you who aren't ready to just take the plunge without more information, please visit <a href="http://twitter.com/AnaTrafficCafe" target="_blank">Ana Hoffman</a>'s <a href="http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/periscope-tutorial/" target="_blank">Periscope Tutorial</a>. It has pictures and descriptions and gives the new user a very thorough walkthrough on getting started with Periscope.<br />
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Looking to use Periscope in the classroom? Check out <a href="http://twitter.com/tonyvincent" target="_blank">Tony Vincent'</a>s <a href="http://learninginhand.com/blog/periscope" target="_blank">Scope on Periscope</a> for ideas on how to use this with the education community.<br />
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<h3>
Exploring Periscope</h3>
I decided to explore Periscope after logging in. Of all of the individuals that I follow on Twitter, none were broadcasting at the time I was on. Never fear, I was able to explore the map (worldwide!) of people live streaming their "Scopes" from across the globe. I live in Northern Michigan, and found someone live broadcasting his Scope from Sleeping Bear Dunes in Glen Arbor, Michigan. Our fourth grade visits this amazing destination every spring, but I've never had the opportunity to visit before. What a great way to see in real-time what Sleeping Bear Dunes is all about! It was really neat to visit a family hiking through the dunes to the lakeshore. I recommend trying it out!<br />
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Now I Periscope! Will you?Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-32877464359673764752015-07-13T08:25:00.001-04:002015-07-15T14:00:42.615-04:00East Lansing Public Schools Tech CampToday, East Lansing public schools will be offering a free three day technology camp for educators. There are lots of opportunities to learn about many different ways to incorporate technology into your classroom, as well as using technology to enhance your professional learning experiences. Please come out to connect with other educators and learn about technology implementation in the classroom. You can find the three day session schedule at the following link: http://eastlansingpd.weebly.com/session-schedule.htmlAdventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-32783596691692134102014-03-21T10:14:00.000-04:002014-03-21T10:14:50.887-04:00Confessions of a Horrible BloggerI readily admit it...I am a horrible blogger! I have the best intentions, but most do not come to fruition.<br />
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I am a connected educator. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest...the list goes on & on! There is so much information to find and share out there, and I spend most of my time finding that information and sharing with others. This is in addition to lesson planning for Kindergarten (if you're a K teacher, you know how fast-paced and full a K day is), being a wife, a mom, a friend, a District Technology Coach, and a TRIG Coach. I love all of it!<br />
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The place that this all falls apart is my blog, which is connected to all of the sites I've listed above. So if you're someone who is checking out my profile, please don't get the wrong idea. I love making connections IRL and virtually, so if you're looking to find out more about me and the knowledge I love to share, then search me out there. I'm hoping to have more time for my blog and to keep up on it, but I'm just not sure where to find it!<br />
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Twitter:<a href="https://twitter.com/TechyTeacher1" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/TechyTeacher1</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AdventuresOfATechyTeacher">https://www.facebook.com/AdventuresOfATechyTeacher</a><br />
Google+:<a href="https://plus.google.com/+SandraFreeland" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/+SandraFreeland</a><br />
LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sandra-freeland/6a/324/96a">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sandra-freeland/6a/324/96a</a><br />
Pinterest:<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/techyteacher1/" target="_blank"> http://www.pinterest.com/techyteacher1/</a><br />
<br />Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-41381855501962755802013-11-11T16:59:00.000-05:002013-11-11T16:59:01.295-05:00miGoogle Conference-Day 2Day 2 of the miGoogle Conference was amazing! This was the first conference that I presented at. Of course, I had to go first thing, but I think that was great because everyone was excited and ready to learn. I presented about using Google Drive to blend learning in the lower elementary classroom. My slides & information can be found <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/sowashventures.com/migoogle13/conference-sessions/blendingItUpWithGoogleDrive" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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As with any presentation process, I believe it is important to gather feedback on the presentation. My feedback was mostly good, but it definitely takes guts to put yourself out there to be analyzed and critiqued by your colleagues and peers, especially those you've just met for the first time!<br />
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If you didn't make it out for the miGoogle conference, you definitely missed out on a great opportunity to collaborate with other excited members of Michigan's educational workforce. Please visit <a href="http://www.miedtech.com/">http://www.miedtech.com</a> for more information about this year's presentations.Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-20570389008453831282013-11-04T10:33:00.001-05:002013-11-04T10:33:17.118-05:00miGoogle ConferenceToday's post is coming to you from the <a href="http://www.miedtech.com/" target="_blank">miGoogle Conference</a> pre-conference workshops at Brighton High School!<br />
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I'm joining a full session of educators, IT specialists, media specialists and others learning how to become a Google Certified Trainer. Presenter <a href="http://about.me/jrsowash" target="_blank">John R. Sowash</a> is walking us through the application and training process to become GCT certified. We are getting ready to start digging deeper into each Google Apps product that is covered in the testing process.<br />
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I'm excited to share more about this adventure with you later today. I'm even more excited to present at the Second Annual miGoogle Conference tomorrow! I'll be presenting about blended learning in the elementary classroom using Google Apps. Click <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/sowashventures.com/migoogle13/conference-sessions/blendingItUpWithGoogleDrive" target="_blank">HERE</a> to learn more about my session.Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-16756793346436336572013-08-11T17:11:00.001-04:002013-08-11T17:11:21.568-04:00Back to School-New 1:1 Roll Out!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello friends! Like many of you, I'm thinking about back to school! I am officially employed full time in the elementary school that I have dedicated the last 6 years of my substitute teaching time to. I'm very excited & happy to have a renewed sense of purpose! I will be teaching in a Title 1 position. I can't wait to get started working with my kiddos!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While I will be busy with my Title position, I will also be busy helping my fellow teachers as we begin our 1:1 iPad roll out for our K-4 students. Our Kindergarten classes received their iPads last spring so that when those students moved on to 1st grade, they would have some knowledge of how to use it. This year the 1st grade & the 4th grade classes will be starting out 1:1. Next year will be 2nd grade, then in our final year of roll out it will be our 3rd grade classes. We are all eager to begin the transition!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our school is a rural school in Northern Michigan. We are a K-12 campus. Our 5th grade will be our transition grade with a mixture of iPads & MacBook Airs. Our 7th & 10th graders are picking up their MacBook Air computers next week. Our tech department has been working diligently throughout the summer to have all of this ready for the new school year. They sure have had their hands full!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While I'm thinking of all of the amazing possibilities that we will be able to bring to our students, I am reminded of a wonderful way of looking at our tech integration. We can so easily find something to keep our kids busy using technology, but integration is so much more than that. I am quoting a new follower of my twitter account, April Requard <a href="https://twitter.com/AprilRequard" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@AprilRequard</a>:</span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"</i></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Because it really isn't about technology, it's what you do with it that matters."</i> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remember this when you're implementing a new piece of technology in your classroom. Technology enhances our instruction. It is not a replacement for teachers and authentic teaching experiences!</span></span>Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-70558341569904460552013-04-27T19:36:00.001-04:002013-04-27T19:57:39.740-04:00Discovery Education-A Techy Teachers Dream for Content and PD!Hello friends! I hadn't realized that it has been so very long since I posted an update on my adventures! Please forgive me. I've been so very busy learning about new ways of integrating technology, building my PLN on twitter (awesome), and managing my Facebook page, that I knew I was leaving something out.<br />
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I had the pleasure of attending the Discovery Education Day of Learning at my local ISD a few weeks back. Following this I attended DEN Spring VirtCon 2013. There was a tremendous amount of very useful information presented by amazing presenters! Learning about how others use technology in their classrooms was the best part. Second best was participating in a conference (in my PJ's) that had over 2400 people attending! Today I'd like to briefly share some of the information I learned during these Discovery Education Network learning days. There is so much to cover that my following blog posts will discuss this information in more detail.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">Discovery Education Day of Learning</span></h2>
Teachers at my school (including myself) have, for the most part, used our Discovery Streaming accounts to find engaging science and social studies videos for our students to watch within a specific lesson or at inside recess time. Our tech PLC, our Kindergarten teachers, and our Library Media Specialist learned that Discovery Education services provide SO MUCH MORE than just videos! We learned how to dig deep within the Discovery Education website to find images files, sound bytes, lesson plans, professional development and more! It was amazing! We even used images from DE to create a <a href="http://photopeach.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PhotoPeach</a> slideshow (great web 2.0 tool). One of our teachers brought this idea back to her 2nd grade students. They used images to create a PhotoPeach about matter. They had a great time, were engaged in their learning, and went deeper within the content than they might have otherwise. Please check back in the coming days/weeks for some instructional photos and examples of the resources to be found within this gem of a site!<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">DEN Spring VirtCon 2013</span></h2>
As I said above, over 2400 people gathered in F2F and virtual meetings to attend this Virtual Conference (VirtCon). There were many different sessions that one could attend and three keynote speakers. It was so difficult to choose what sessions to attend! Thankfully ALL of the sessions are video archived <a href="http://virtconlive.com/presentations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. I attended the following sessions:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Opening Keynote: Connecting Classroom & Community with Project Based Learning (PBL) by Susie Boss</li>
<li>Digital Storybooks for Digital Kids by Mary Carole Strother (tech difficulties, but I have a website to direct you to)</li>
<li>Globalizing Gen Z through Social Media and Web Tools by Kathy Beck</li>
<li>Midday Keynote: Imagining Future Friendly Schools: Technology, Global Citizenship, and Student Voice by Michael Furdyk</li>
<li>Connected from the Start: Global Learning in the Elementary by Kathy Cassidy</li>
<li>iPads for Projects with Discovery Media by Karen Ogen</li>
<li>Closing Keynote: Selling the 7 "C's" of Connections by Jennifer Wagner</li>
</ul>
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Believe me, each of these sessions deserve a blog post of their own. I won't even come close to doing any of these presenters justice by briefly going over what I learned. It was so worth it to attend. I hear there is a Fall VirtCon too...you can bet I'll be there! Will you?</div>
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Again, please check back in the coming days/weeks to see what I have to share. If you have a chance check out the archived video sessions from the VirtCon. You won't be disappointed!</div>
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<h3>
Upcoming...</h3>
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In the days ahead, besides keeping my promise to elaborate on the DE learning I've been part of, I will be attending A Day of Learning: iPads on <a href="http://community.simplek12.com/scripts/student/webinars/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SimpleK12</a>'s website on Saturday, May 4, 2013. I'll also be traveling to <a href="http://www.boyne.k12.mi.us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boyne City</a> Elementary to tour their school and see how the teachers their implement <a href="http://www.ipadpd.com/our-districts-11-ipad-initiative.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1:1 iPads</a>. I'm so excited!</div>
Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-11583083020746834672013-03-21T22:47:00.001-04:002013-03-21T22:47:10.045-04:00A Day of Learning at MACUL 2013
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">Wow! I had an amazing day at MACUL today! The
best part of the day was learning with my friend and watching her excitement
about all of the new ideas and techniques that she learned. I can't wait to
share some of the new technologies that I've learned about today with my
coworkers, my students, and all of you! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">KEYNOTE SPEAKER </span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">The Keynote speaker today was Kevin Honeycutt <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinhoneycutt"><span style="color: blue;">@kevinhoneycutt</span></a>.
He did an amazing job of discussing how we can be the motivators for our
students. He described how we can influence our student’s lives through our
dedication and engagement techniques. He explained how twitter can help us
teach our students how to develop their inner filter process. One idea that
Kevin shared was that using apps and social platforms like Edmodo helps us to
provide a safe place that our students can rehearse their social behaviors
before they create their own online presence. It was a very informational,
inspiring, and humorous hour!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">ADVANCED iMOVIE TECHNIQUES </span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">The next session I attended was presented by Jon
Corippo <a href="http://twitter.com/jcorippo"><span style="color: blue;">@jcorippo</span></a> and
Andy Losik <a href="http://twitter.com/mrlosik"><span style="color: blue;">@mrlosik</span></a>.
They are both ADE’s and presented a very enlightening session on advanced
techniques for iMovie. Most of the discussion centered on iMovie and Keynote
for the Mac, which I am new to, but they also discussed how these techniques
can be used on the iPad, which I’m more familiar with. I learned about how to
use a green screen, the difference between digital storytelling and cinematic
narratives, and the best types of equipment to use. I would love to begin to
implement a news program with my elementary kids. I’m so inspired by these two
guys and all of the new techniques I’ve just learned!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">APPLE TECHNOLOGIES, iTUNES U, & THE BEST APPS FOR TRANSFORMING
STUDENT AND STAFF LEARNING IN A ONE-TO-ONE SCHOOL </span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">Fred Sitkins, Principal, and Rebecca Wildman,
4th Grade Teacher, both from Boyne City, presented this program. They recently
implemented a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipadpd.com%2Four-districts-11-ipad-initiative.html&ei=9MNLUd4LxLzRAdO8gaAB&usg=AFQjCNET4qjEzIYIDNQ3e1L1JqET24KqEQ&sig2=GLdweseGzjasXuscA4Z_hQ&bvm=bv.44158598,d.dmQ"><span style="color: blue;">1:1 initiative</span></a> in their school. Staff from
my elementary school recently visited their school to get ideas as we rollout
our 1:1 program. They are amazing! There was so much I learned here, but the
point that sticks out most for me is how to create iTunes U lessons. Rebecca
created units for her 4<sup>th</sup> graders and posts them to iTunes U.
This way her students can download them on their iPads before they leave
school. Whether they have Wi-Fi at home or not, now they can complete their
homework at home using their iPad. This is a great idea. Check out Rebecca’s
lessons on iTunes U by browsing the K-12 section of the catalog and selecting
Boyne City Schools.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">DON’T BE THUNDERSTRUCK WITH TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY</span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">Mindy Lynch and Tracy Lemkie, teachers from
Ravenna Public Schools, shared their tips and trick for electrifying digital
learning in their elementary classrooms. They shared information about Pixie,
Edmodo, Voki, BrainPop, and MANY apps! These ladies are funky & spunky!
They provided an inspirational and motivating session that was topped off with
great swag! Check out Mindy Lynch’s blog at <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://blogs.muskegonisd.org/mlynch">http://blogs.muskegonisd.org/mlynch</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">OSX AND iOS TOOLS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS</span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">Mark Coppin is the Director of Assistive
Technology at Anne Carlsen Center in North Dakota. He is an ADE who graced us
with his presence and his plethora of knowledge on accessibility options on
iPad and Mac devices. He provided so much information about the wonderful
features of Apple devices and how they can be implemented in the classroom and
for personal use. Check out the handouts he shared with us <a href="http://bit.ly/MACULSPED"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">THAT’S IT FOR THURSDAY!</span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">I had a great day, but I’m on information
overload! I’m looking forward to getting some rest and getting started again
tomorrow morning. Check back here for more information about my activities at
MACUL 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-6153673622479052952013-03-20T19:58:00.000-04:002013-03-20T19:58:03.778-04:00It's Here! MACUL 2013!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RGeLhkJcmVX6sBsyMJAFOBA5PIe17RwPLf1m1wBdN_HQKBYQjxVNuIdW3Cu1oGGQCV47iVnOjLggVDroMzCm4U-72-5FU2YO6s3Ks0OCnXgNDzxciJSkg7eWGvhDWL7JAIjjAczZnWVz/s1600/macul_2013_banner_lr_20120725_101943_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RGeLhkJcmVX6sBsyMJAFOBA5PIe17RwPLf1m1wBdN_HQKBYQjxVNuIdW3Cu1oGGQCV47iVnOjLggVDroMzCm4U-72-5FU2YO6s3Ks0OCnXgNDzxciJSkg7eWGvhDWL7JAIjjAczZnWVz/s1600/macul_2013_banner_lr_20120725_101943_5.jpg" /></a></div>
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I am so very excited to be attending MACUL (Michigan Association of Computer Users and Learners) in Detroit. The pre-conference began today. The full conference begins tomorrow. I'm looking forward to soaking up technology information, networking with like-minded individuals, and increasing the size and knowledge base of my PLN<br />
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Our school has begun the roll-out of 1:1 iPads for K-5 and MacBooks for 5-12. As the mindset of our teachers shifts from traditional teaching and learning to being a guide on the side that integrates technology into multi-subject lessons and student-led PBL, the demand for educators that are able to effectively implement 21st Century learning techniques grows. I am proud to be of assistance to my peers and excited to build my knowledge base through wonderful learning opportunities like MACUL.<br />
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If you are attending MACUL, you should see Erin Klein's <a href="http://www.kleinspiration.com/2013/03/tips-for-attending-macul13-this-march.html" target="_blank">MACUL post</a> on her blog, <a href="http://www.kleinspiration.com/" target="_blank">Kleinspiration</a>, for tips and tricks you should know when attending this conference. If you are attending other conferences you should still check it out because she provides some wonderful pre-planning ideas.<br />
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I am looking forward to being able to share with all of my followers the amazing information that I will learn over the next two days. Please check back for more updates in the days to follow!<br />
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<br />Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-42843645921161164192013-02-12T12:34:00.001-05:002013-02-12T12:34:19.027-05:00Free Books for Web, iPads & Android Devices<div>
I thought those of you with iPads & Android Tablets might be
interested to know that there is a book app similar to Storia for the
iPad. It is called MeeGenius. You can find info about it here: <a href="http://www.meegenius.com/" target="_blank">http://www.meegenius.<wbr></wbr>com/</a></div>
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With personal accounts, just like Storia, you get so
many books free and then have to purchase others. BUT...if you sign up
for a school account you get access to the books for FREE! When you go
to <a href="http://www.meegenius.com/" target="_blank">http://www.meegenius.com/</a>,
click on School Accounts in the upper right hand corner of your screen,
then fill out the Request Free Account form. MeeGenius will read these
books to your students or your students can read them to themselves. </div>
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Once you request an account it can take a little
while (it took them a week and half for my request) to get your info
from the company. Once you do, you can have students read the books on <b><u>any computer</u></b> as well as <b><i>any device that the app</i></b> is installed on. You will log-in here: <a href="https://www.meegenius.com/account/login" target="_blank">https://www.meegenius.<wbr></wbr>com/account/login</a></div>
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This is a great resource to use in your classroom, especially if you've been using Tumble Books, Storia or similar reading sites.</div>
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If you have any questions please feel free to ask!</div>
Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-14873247724753091512013-02-09T15:12:00.000-05:002013-02-09T15:13:25.519-05:00Connect with my Social Networks!If you'd like to be connected to my growing social networks, please click on the pictures in my page banner. You can Like my Facebook Page, follow my Twitter account, check out my TpT store (it's a work in progress), follow my Pinterest boards, or email me with any questions. Thanks for stopping by!Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-65652239219017852442013-02-09T14:46:00.001-05:002013-02-09T14:46:55.989-05:00Test Prep Ideas and a Linky Party!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thetutorhouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/test-prep-tips.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0J3ARBXD9bzRylmukO4GzjBAcxFtqfvfZ6GycaFV6psKrGNABG6Jzm-q4UA678BMeHbHpySu1MhTBCojmmcsjebO8LoWgQBoOIKoeVE4ypwV2yGGt_D__oYhAgR48faeyK6Vn3QOi_xE/s200/TestPrep.jpg" /></a></div>
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Adrianne Meldrum from <a href="http://thetutorhouse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Tutor House</a> is hosting a <a href="http://thetutorhouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/test-prep-tips.html" target="_blank">Test Prep Linky Party</a> at her blog! She has been kind enough to invite me to contribute to this Linky!</div>
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Test Prep</h3>
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I taught 2nd grade for one full year last year. I began the Words Their Way program with my students and every Friday my students took a spelling/phonics skills test. Every day students would rotate through word study groups during Daily 5 time. Since the test was given Friday, Thursdays would be our test prep day. Since so many students love to learn through games, my students would prepare for Friday's test with a game of ZAP! If you haven't played ZAP! before, please know it is SO easy to organize and play!</div>
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ZAP!</h4>
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1. Using the Words Their Way blank templates (or the ones I've created that you can access <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1myKLhe1StM6jYVQoGolHNU_FllzWw9Kx390RGxprT3o/edit" target="_blank">here</a>), write or print ZAP! on 5 or 6 cards.</div>
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2. Combine ZAP! cards with the spelling/phonics words in a cup/container. Make sure it is not see-through.</div>
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3. Have students sit in a circle.</div>
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4. Have one student hold the cup while the student to their left draws a word. The student then says the word (you can also have them find the sort category it would belong in, or address any other skill your test will be over). </div>
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5. If the student answers correctly, they get to keep the card. If not, then they put it back and the cup is shaken to mix the words up.</div>
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6. When a student draws a ZAP! card, they have to put all of their words back into the cup!</div>
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7. The student(s) with the most words at the end of the round wins!</div>
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My second graders loved this game! It is ideal for small group, but can also be done whole class.</div>
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Jeopardy</h4>
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Earlier this year I helped prepare a Jeopardy game for a staff meeting at my school. We had recently received some data and my Principal asked if I could make the review fun. We are in the process of beginning a 1:1 program, so I wanted to use our iPads as answer boards for our staff to write their responses on. This way the iPads were in their hands and they could see how simple it is to use this educational tool. I went to<a href="https://jeopardylabs.com/" target="_blank"> Jeopardy Labs</a> and created my own, iPad friendly, Jeopardy game. It is free, non-PowerPoint based, and very easy to use. You can select up to 12 teams and keep track of their scores. I projected the game from my iPad and the teacher groups used <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CD0QFjAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fdoodle-buddy-for-ipad-paint%2Fid364201083%3Fmt%3D8&ei=358WUYnJEuqPyAHM_IG4DA&usg=AFQjCNG_z7_pCr7a3jMEfhONtDjMWNrSsQ&sig2=_YnPprBCfHpz3um82sTunQ&bvm=bv.42080656,d.aWc" target="_blank">Doodle Buddy </a>to write their responses to the questions. They had a great time!</div>
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There are so many fun and engaging ways to prepare for tests with your students. Check out the Linky above to see more. Thanks for stopping by!</div>
Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-19512544365225798302013-01-27T17:36:00.000-05:002013-01-27T17:36:55.040-05:00Professional DevelopmentWhenever I have a question, I tend to go to the professionals out there...my fellow teachers and bloggers. These are the people that are using the technology or resources that I am seeking answers about. <a href="http://www.teachthought.com/" target="_blank">TeachThought</a> had a post about the<a href="http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/52-education-blogs-you-should-follow/" target="_blank"> 52 education blogs that you should follow</a>. Many of these bloggers I have already been following, but others I have just added to my PLN. Check out the blog post and expand your Professional Learning Network.Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-8147857286171577312013-01-12T21:15:00.003-05:002013-01-18T01:00:19.507-05:00Google FormsGoogle Forms are an amazing free tool! If you haven't used them yet, I highly recommend it. I use Google Forms to keep track of my tutor sessions and tutor payments. Once I enter information into the fields and hit submit, it transfers my information into a Google Spreadsheet. I can sort this information by student, session date, session topics, payment date, or payment amount. I can keep track of how much I make in a month or in the year. I can print my spreadsheet to give a statement to my tutor parents at the end of the year for tax time. I love this tool!<br />
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Google Forms can be created to keep track of homework assignment submissions, behavior observations, or for assessment purposes if you have access to technology for your students. On a mobile device in your classroom? No problem! Google Forms can be emailed and installed on the home screen of mobile devices. I have an iPad and keep my tutor form on the home screen for instant access as I need it.<br />
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Let me walk you through creating a Google Form for anything in your life!<br />
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The first thing you need to do is sign in (or create if you don't have one) to your Google account. The next step is to choose Drive in your Google bar at the top of the screen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjzClxvArLcoCjWz8H23PqRC1_LWBdS04ySbF92wWN15Bnb5XhdApNvDrwGz7WHBe5ObIOR82cMuzbAmTcZausKKLtZ7TOKH3Mv1HokrhLN3SOAdhZrcxCciJqUadn56UC9WoBwY_ZjtF/s1600/Drive+snip.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="30" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjzClxvArLcoCjWz8H23PqRC1_LWBdS04ySbF92wWN15Bnb5XhdApNvDrwGz7WHBe5ObIOR82cMuzbAmTcZausKKLtZ7TOKH3Mv1HokrhLN3SOAdhZrcxCciJqUadn56UC9WoBwY_ZjtF/s1600/Drive+snip.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once inside your Drive, you will need to click the "Create" button, then select Form.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85fohCCerr9I3UsWyFI4I0m_ywBRbKOlUDVM9H8-wx5gSu9BjAw499G25Zo6h9IJ0CJFLm_4xXljOZJE7L8-JiVV7Yh5AlkDnYZxDDJqrIdFhgfDK9-0rDBQ5-9musTvTD8U85jbPGxTk/s1600/Create+snip.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85fohCCerr9I3UsWyFI4I0m_ywBRbKOlUDVM9H8-wx5gSu9BjAw499G25Zo6h9IJ0CJFLm_4xXljOZJE7L8-JiVV7Yh5AlkDnYZxDDJqrIdFhgfDK9-0rDBQ5-9musTvTD8U85jbPGxTk/s1600/Create+snip.PNG" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5mC1EEqQyETNq1-Brlsr13sTXvdxFaqAk2g6h1LopISpKBkFEJKCYN7AWJoh4cD3xbYMkDmNCBg15mNOfL_iVR4QIDQLfY3ZEhiHN6oe81j6Fhtl0WPndW-FajkWjpapgDIaIN9rePNO/s1600/Form+snip.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5mC1EEqQyETNq1-Brlsr13sTXvdxFaqAk2g6h1LopISpKBkFEJKCYN7AWJoh4cD3xbYMkDmNCBg15mNOfL_iVR4QIDQLfY3ZEhiHN6oe81j6Fhtl0WPndW-FajkWjpapgDIaIN9rePNO/s1600/Form+snip.png" width="145" /></a><br />
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Follow the picture below to create your own Google Form!</div>
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When you are finished, click save. That's it! Click on any of the pictures to see a close up.</div>
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Please comment below if you have any questions about Google Forms or to share your success stories!</div>
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Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-37517777045007769442012-12-31T22:05:00.000-05:002013-01-18T01:00:32.299-05:00LearnistHello Friends! It's my last post for 2012. Happy New Year to you all! I'm looking forward to a very prosperous and enjoyable 2013 for myself, my family and all of you.<br />
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<h2>
Learnist</h2>
Last time I posted I discussed <a href="http://pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and shared my <a href="http://adventuresofatechyteacher.blogspot.com/2012/12/collaboration-and-technology-learning.html" target="_blank">Pinterest boards</a>. This time I'd like to introduce <a href="http://learni.st/" target="_blank">Learnist</a>. Learnist has been likened to "Pinterest for Educators." Learnist is a fairly new education, collaboration, and professional development tool. It was created by Grockit (the well-known test prep company) and released on May 24, 2012. For more on Learnist see <a href="http://hackeducation.com/2012/05/24/grockit-learnist-pinterest-for-education/" target="_blank">Hack Education</a>'s post about its launch.<br />
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Where Pinterest gives users ways to "pin" websites and photos to their "boards", Learnist creates a timeline of possible learning for users. Users follow other Learnist users and can follow the "learnings," or posts/pins, of other users in a linear fashion. Learnings can be checked off as they are completed and can be commented on by other learners. In a sense it's kind of like Pinterest and Wikipedia got together and had a brain child called Learnist!<br />
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As an educator that tends to be more elementary focused, I feel that I would be more likely to use Learnist for professional development and personal learning than I would promoting use with my students. I am relatively new to this site, so I've been following and not posting. Once I feel more comfortable interacting with the site I will start creating learnings for others to follow (click here to follow <a href="http://learni.st/users/sfreeland01" target="_blank">TechyTeacher1</a> on Learnist). For more on how educators are using Learnist see <a href="http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/06/how-educators-are-using-learnist/" target="_blank">Mind Shift</a>'s blog post.<br />
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I feel that Learnist is definitely an up and coming way for educators to collaborate and share. I've found some great iPad learnings, which will be a benefit when our Title I and Special Ed programs launch the iPads after January 2nd. Either way, its worth checking out and seeing whether you will personally benefit from this free service!<br />
<br />Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-10590343461837698402012-12-27T20:05:00.004-05:002012-12-27T20:07:18.782-05:00Collaboration and Technology Learning <h2>
Pinterest!</h2>
I absolutely LOVE <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>! It is a great way to collaborate with other teachers/educators throughout the world. We can be globally connected to each other and work together to make education more engaging for our 21st Century learners. Of course, I pin so much more than just technology ideas and education ideas. I use Pinterest for many, many subjects. You can search for me on Pinterest (username: <a href="https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/" target="_blank">techyteacher1</a>) or you can choose from my technology boards below. If you haven't began a Pinterest account yet, you are missing out!<br />
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<h4>
Follow my technology boards on Pinterest!</h4>
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<b>Classroom Technology Ideas:</b> <a href="https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/classroom-technology-ideas/">https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/classroom-technology-ideas/</a><br />
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<b>iPad in the Classroom:</b> <a href="https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/ipad-in-the-classroom/">https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/ipad-in-the-classroom/</a><br />
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<b>Education Blogs:</b> <a href="https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/education-blogs/">https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/education-blogs/</a><br />
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<b>Websites for Students:</b> <a href="https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/websites-for-students/">https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/websites-for-students/</a><br />
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<b>EduTech: </b><a href="https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/edutech/">https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/edutech/</a><br />
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<b>Technology (general technology information):</b> <a href="https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/technology/">https://pinterest.com/techyteacher1/technology/</a><br />
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Until next time my friends,<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>~Sandy</b></i></span><br />
<br />Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-26237751041312235302012-12-17T20:18:00.000-05:002012-12-17T20:18:14.763-05:00Converting Word docs to Google Drive docsToday I was working with the grade level team that I will be joining shortly on a long term sub job. They were working on a curriculum map for ELA and were wanting to work collaboratively. I suggested that they upload it to Google Drive and share it. That way they could all work together. I love Google Drive and the ability it gives to people to work together on projects. I used Google Slides with my 2nd graders last year to create presentations about landforms. It was amazing to watch them work simultaneously! I digress. I suggested that this team use Google Drive to upload the Word document and convert it to a Google Doc to collaboratively work on it. It didn't work at school for some reason, but I was able to get it to upload and convert at home.<br />
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Interestingly enough, one of my favorite tech bloggers, Richard Byrne at<a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/" target="_blank"> Free Technology for Teachers</a>, blogged about this exact topic today! Check out his step-by-step instructions for converting <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/12/how-to-open-and-edit-word-files-in.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29#.UM-_cG9X2So" target="_blank">Word docs to Google Drive </a>docs.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Sandy</i></span>Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-59211103497970850122012-12-11T22:30:00.000-05:002012-12-11T22:33:31.409-05:00Video Viewing in the ClassroomHow many educators have tried to pull up a YouTube video in the classroom, but find that the ads or suggested videos and video titles are inappropriate for students? There is a way to use YouTube in the classroom without all of the extra stuff that you find on the YouTube site!<br />
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<h3>
YouTube for Children</h3>
This browser is child and classroom friendly. Enter the search parameters you are looking for into the search box. This website will find matching information/videos, as well as block inappropriate content. Once a video is selected, the video will play in a new window without the extra ads. There are some small pop-up ads (for business and such) that display on the videos, but you are able to exit out of them and they are not inappropriate. This is a great way to incorporate educational videos and/or brain break videos in your classroom!<br />
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This also works on the iPad using Safari or Chrome (and I'm sure with any other web browser as well). Great for protected mobile video browsing!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtubeforchildren.com/" target="_blank">www.youtubeforchildren.com</a><br />
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Until next time my friends!<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">~Sandy</span>Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-33753368048131172652012-12-04T13:39:00.001-05:002012-12-04T13:40:56.384-05:00Teaching and Technology<h2>
Tech in Education</h2>
As a techie and an educator I am constantly thinking about how technology and education can go hand in hand. As our world continues its path down the information superhighway we have to adapt our lessons to incorporate the tools that our students frequently use, as well as the tools they will be exposed to in the future.<br />
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One important point we need to pay attention to as educators is the planning. It's one thing for teachers know how to use a device personally, it's another thing all together to incorporate it into the classroom or any other educational setting. We need to remember that we want our students actively engaged in the learning process, not just playing games to use up class time.<br />
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Another important point is that we need to know is where we are going with the implementation. For example, how does it optimize learning and maximize engagement while minimizing distractions? What do we want our students to accomplish by using this tool, app, etc.?<br />
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While perusing my education PLN's I found the following graphic. It provides great habits that all teachers that incorporate technology should have. Thanks to <a href="http://www.angelamaiers.com/2012/11/7-habits-of-highly-effective-teachers-who-use-technology.html" target="_blank">Angela Maiers</a> for featuring it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIQ62kXoMo0d626xv9xahqFMEtvyKBs8h7pmbcq8HyWn61jzoeQMFWwvoXTDHvIK84IC0XD6qiII9XXbQc4GwGcsFZHi5mB33mfSEmw0UL9siE9n2z0tbZhjqAj4ZwYJNLqmoOa9jE0No/s1600/7_Habits_Highly_Effective_Teachers_Who_Use_Technology-512x1024.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIQ62kXoMo0d626xv9xahqFMEtvyKBs8h7pmbcq8HyWn61jzoeQMFWwvoXTDHvIK84IC0XD6qiII9XXbQc4GwGcsFZHi5mB33mfSEmw0UL9siE9n2z0tbZhjqAj4ZwYJNLqmoOa9jE0No/s1600/7_Habits_Highly_Effective_Teachers_Who_Use_Technology-512x1024.png" /></a></div>
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In closing, remember, planning is essential to implementation of technology in an education setting. Using the previous habits you can be a highly effective teacher who effectively implements technology in your classroom!<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">~Sandy</span>Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2485412951963813665.post-44630753312042736162012-09-02T00:35:00.000-04:002012-09-02T00:35:04.557-04:00Virtual Teacher-Voki<h2>
Voki</h2>
Today I'd like to tell you about <a href="http://www.voki.com/" target="_blank">Voki</a>. I learned about Voki from a webinar that I attended hosted by <a href="http://simplek12.com/" target="_blank">simpleK12</a> featuring Erin Klein from<a href="http://www.kleinspiration.com/" target="_blank"> Kleinspiration</a>.<br />
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Voki is web tool that allows you to create an avatar to use in your classroom, on your blog and/or website, or more. Erin Klein used hers to discuss the assignment and rules for her middle school students on her website. Another use that was suggested was to create a Voki and use it when you have a substitute teacher in your classroom. <br />
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After learning about Voki through the webinar I attended, I decided I would give it a try. Voki is FREE, or you can subscribe for a yearly fee. I chose the free option. Once I got in I found that there were only three female faces to choose from in the free section. If I was a paying subscriber there would have been a plethora of faces. You can also choose a cartoon character (smileys for free) instead of a human face. You can then edit the features, the colors, and the size and shape of your avatar. Once you finish this step you can change your background. Then you record your message.<br />
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There are 4 ways to record your message. 1. By Phone. 2. Microphone. 3. Enter text & use a computerized voice (many choices). 4. Upload a voice file.<br />
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Here is my Voki:<br />
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<img border="0" height="0" src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzNDY1NjAzNTU3ODUmcHQ9MTM*NjU2MDM1ODY5MCZwPTk3NTA3MiZkPTAwMCUyMC*lMjBWb2tpJTIwV2lkZ2V*Jmc9/MSZvPTRkOWNlZTM*MjliZjRlYmU5Nzc1ZmFkZTJlNzNkNjU1Jm9mPTA=.gif" style="height: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 0px;" width="0" /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" height="267" id="widget_name" width="200"><param name="movie" value="http://vhss-d.oddcast.com/vhss_editors/voki_player.swf?doc=http://vhss-d.oddcast.com/php/vhss_editors/getvoki/chsm=a84463748b219daf8ac83fc03cc73442%26sc=6551107" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="width" value="200" /><param name="height" value="267" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed height="267" width="200" src="http://vhss-d.oddcast.com/vhss_editors/voki_player.swf?doc=http%3A%2F%2Fvhss-d.oddcast.com%2Fphp%2Fvhss_editors%2Fgetvoki%2Fchsm=a84463748b219daf8ac83fc03cc73442%26sc=6551107" quality="high" allowScriptAccess="always" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" allowFullScreen="true" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="widget_name"></object>
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If you get a chance, check Voki out. If anything it's fun to play with and you may find a practical use for it in your classroom!<br />
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Until next time,<br />
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<b style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sandy</span></i></b>Adventures of a Techy Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03386077852838152785noreply@blogger.com0