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Anna-
Session: Let me ASSIST You: (by far my favorite presentation)- Different assistive technology that can be easily implemented into the classroom
Reading Online/Text to Speech
- Read Aloud
- Read and Write
- Newsela
- Read Works
Visually Impaired
- Mercury Reader
- Be My Eyes
- Font changer
Dyslexia
- Beeline Reader
- Open Dyslexia Font
- Bookshare (IEP or 504)
- Speechify
- Announcify
Summarizing Tools
- One-Click Summary
- ReWordify
- Text Compactor
- 60 Second Recap
Writing Tools
- Speech to Text
- Voice-In
- ClaroSpeak
- Read and Write (paid)
- Equatio (paid- free for teachers)
Organizational Tools
- Extensity
- Keep
- Grammarly
- Hemingway Editor
- Trello
- Mindmeister
- Eric Curts Graphic Organizers
ELL Tools
- Translate
- Keep
- DuoLingo
- Many of the above programs can be used as a chrome extension so they can be applied whenever a student is using his/her computer
- I will definitely implement more use of the Open Dyslexia Font for my students with dyslexia as well as try some of the reading tools
- Understood.org – Tech tool finder
Session: Infographics in the Classroom:
- Visual learning tool to convey information to students
- Explain a process or expectations to students or parents
- Student created to demonstrate understanding
- www.wonderopolis.com
- Piktochart
- Venngage
- Canva
Session: Engage, Motivate, and Differentiate through Interactive Lessons & Technology:
- Adobe Spark Video- have students create a video to explain their understanding of the skill being taught
- Digital Portfolios- creating a site for each student to post their finished work/videos
- Helps to make assessments more authentic and engaging
Amy and Kerrie-Lee-
Session: Spicing up Independent Reading- This session focused on two authors (Victoria Coe and Elly Swartz) and their web series called “Books in the Kitchen”. They use flipgrid and a youtube channel to share recipes inspired by their books. They shared directions on how to create your own sessions of “Books in the Kitchen” with students.
Session: Become a Podcaster- This session showcased how to create podcasts and uploading them to Soundcloud and Itunes. The speaker utilized Audacity to film and Anchor to upload and store podcasts.
Session: Going Gradeless in a “Graded” Classroom- Everyone starts with an “A” and nothing is considered late until the end of the term. She also focused on structured and consistent feedback to move learning forward. This session utilized google docs, but we can see how you can try this using Microsoft products.
Session: ClearTouch MultiTeach- This was focused on the “snowflake” tool and all of the undated apps. Canvas works like notes, but better. We also looked at Zones, you can split the board into sections for multiple people to work in each zone. You can also open different apps in each zone. We also learned how to modify lessons.
Caitlin -
Session: Alexa in the classroomLink: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dilkX-u41ETOwPJV4zL-ClzbMIcjBr1v5EmSu-VPTHQ/edit#slide=id.p
Summary: You can use Amazon's Alexa in the classroom to help students with special needs communicate, organize your day with its timers and reminders, play trivia games, and ask it to spell any word or find a answer to any burning questions.
Session: Social emotional learning in the makerspace
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hv_FoNnvzA4qJpEdcn6d3yndual1_2aB8-Auv_lOi5Y/edit
Summary: This was my favorite session. These presenters talked about utilizing the maker space to design projects based on social/emotional needs of the students. They developed a kindness project, in which students had to survey staff members at their school and figured out what type of Love Language kindness they like to receive. After analyzing their data they sketched out, built, and delivered their handmade kindness projects to each staff members as a way to share kindness into the world. This presentation is full of awesome ideas to bring social/emotional learning into the classrooms.
Session: Play based learning https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/146ENrn9Ibf-aCguZVn4jeS2ZhXait7jAohtj1n3WX3Y/mobilepresent?slide=id.g35f391192_00
Summary: Using the Maker Space for student driven PBL activities. Instead of teachers coming up with ideas, students had to use found objects and design a project. By teaching skills in the lower grades, like cutting, building, and sewing, the older grades could choose the create path that best suited them to design larger projects.
Trish -
Session: Blended Learning for Active Learners
Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LJ-9sk9PiEdwJlY6f9nIENQQnK2DP5BTKnQqT7xLFI/edit#slide=id.g395493e227_5_600
Summary: Blended learning occurs when an education program combines Internet-based media with traditional classroom methods. It does not mean that technology should replace teacher time, writing, books, etc. but rather enhance it. We were given many resources to browse which are in the following link.
Session: Code.org and Scratch
Link: https://goo.gl/9xAKhy
Summary: This workshop showed how to introduce the students to basic coding (code.org) and then to use/incorporate those skills by having students create/build an educational project using Scratch.
Session: Making Math Accessible for All Learners
Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17Inz30wRwudFTEKfdzefAozd99Q6wRrs7TVhO5B10pg/edit?usp=sharing
Summary: We were given a PowerPoint/Symbaloo of resources to experience and think about how they could be useful in a mathematics classroom/curriculum.Laura -
Session: Blended Technology
Summary:- Technology should be used to enhance learning not replace teaching
- Use technology (video, …) as a breaking point – gives students and teachers a chance to regroup
- Provides opportunities to be independent learners
- Add to hands-on traditional projects through QR codes
- Moves from an “I can” to an “I did”
List created by Milford teachers: Bit.ly/mjmasscue
Session: Coding for Assessment and Enrichment
Summary: Combining Code.org and Scratch; Start with learning how to code movements and such with code.org; Take knowledge from that and add sprites, voice and text in Scratch to create animated presentations on any topic
Session: Making Math Accessible
Summary: Various websites and applications (many of which are already in district)Link: Bit.ly/2pRZuYd
Link: https://www.symbaloo.com/mix/mathforall2Ian -
Session: General technology leadership.
Summary: We need to shift students from being consumers to creators; Doesn't mean eliminating consuming piece -- but more of a focus on creation; Shift from standardized to personalized approach; Technology is a tool, not a learning outcome. In other words, don't just have students "Make a Powerpoint" and think that's an outcome. Technology is a means to an outcome.; ever hold a learner back based on what you don't know. (George Couros -- The Innovator's Mindset)Session: Digital Climate
Summary:- Student 4 C's - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking; School 4 C's - Culture, Compassion, Connection, Climate
- Make student experience meaningful, memorable, measurable; What do we want our students to BE?
- Teach kids how to learn -- not just how to "do school"
- Makerspace is a culture -- mindset, not just about tools in a space
- The coaches role is to shift conversation from products to practices. Kids need to understand what they're doing. OUTCOMES. Be a change agent.
- Teach like yourself. Find your spark. Stop telling teachers to teach like someone else.
- Are we teaching students for our past or their future??
Session: How students can 3D print and code, tied into the curriculum.
Summary: This was particularly impactful for me, as it was eye opening to see how students can use coding integrated into what they're doing content-wise. It was exciting to get ideas of how this be accomplished. I liked seeing how Scratch can be embedded into what students are doing. For example, students can create a character having a conversation with another one, but for the purpose of explaining a concept. I'm excited to try it out with teachers in the classroom.Danielle -
Session: Escape the Classroom! Engaging and Collaborative Problem Solving
Summary:- Participated in an Escape the Classroom activity
- One digital version using paid version of Breakout EDU platform https://www.breakoutedu.com/
- One hands-on version using actual combination locks
- Can be used as meaningful review and application based activities
Session: Diversifying ELL Instruction with Digital Media
Summary:- ELL instruction is good teaching that can be applied to striving learners
- FREE PBS Learning Media interactive lessons can support all learners in all content areas
- Link: https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/
- Students can explore content through video, text, audio, images, interactives, primary sources and multi-leveled readings
- PBS Learning Media has interactive lessons that are self-paced standards aligned instructional lessons with clear instructional goals
- Can use this trusted resource as a research option for students
- Have used this site for videos to support understanding of science concepts
- Link: https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/vtl07.math.number.mul.harrysub/ arranging desks to demonstrate factors and multiples
Philomina -
Session: Edwin Analytics
Summary: Upgrading to Cognos 11 and a new user interface which was demonstrated during the session; The new user interface will be available by Dec 2018; A Search feature to search by name or report number; Commonly used reports are easily accessible.Session: Gaggle - Keeping your students safe in the digital environment
Summary: Identifies potential harmful content in email (student/staff to student), documents, shared files, images, photos and more using Machine learning technology; Incidents categorized into- Violent towards others
- Suicide and Self Harm
- Profanity and Vulgar Language
- Nudity & Sexual Content
- Drugs & Alcohol
- Harassment
- Other inappropriate content
- Trained officials review material 24/7/365 that is flagged and alert school officials of unsafe situations
- Interactive dashboard for insight into incidents and tracking
- Can analyze content written in English and Spanish
Cons
- Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is collected.
- Geolocation data is collected.
- Gaggle has unrestricted and unlimited access to all students' private or sensitive information within a classroom or all students within an entire school and hence safety and privacy concerns will arise.
- Students should be aware of what is considered suspicious
- Gaggle resisters incidents containing pornographic videos and images with law enforcement authorities and hence an inadvertent download could persist in their databases and get tagged to the student record permanently.
- Cell phone synchs could also sync photos from the cellphone to the drives. Not sure about Onedrive.
Session: Data & Privacy
Summary: They talked about their approach to student data security and privacy. As a first step they encouraged the district staff to take a self-assessment to see where they score on Data & Privacy. The link below has the survey.
Link: https://dashboard.futurereadyschools.org/uploads/media/default/0001/01/581e84e28cda3e0fa4aee4161192af31e3ecd093.pdfBWRSD’s APPROACH (Bristol-Warren Regional)
Policy - Revisit policies like COPPA and FERPA and revise them with school amendments to reflect current environment. Resource link shown below.
Link: https://www.raytownschools.org/cms/lib/MO02210312/Centricity/Domain/303/RQS%20DG%20Manual%20-%207-1-18.pdfProfessional Learning -The entire staff should be made aware of the importance of student data privacy. Suggested resources are shown below.
BWRSD Resources - Links:
Student Data Privacy Resource for BWRSD Staff
EdTech Resource Database
Guidance on App / Vetting RequestsReview Vendor Contracts -Up front agreements with the vendor to comply with District requirements for security and data privacy. Resource Links shown below.
Committee to evaluate app request - The district also formed a committee that compiled all the existing applications in use and evaluated them for data privacy issues. The apps were classified into ‘approved’ and ‘not approved’ categories. They formed a process to accept App requests and evaluated them for student privacy. The requests were then approved or rejected. The approved list was published on their website for both parents and staff to view.
Resource links shown below:
Communication to District Example
Employee App Evaluation Request Procedure
Committee App Evaluation Review Procedure
Communication and Website PostingStephanie -
I truly enjoyed my visit to the STEM playground: Saw several STEM projects that involved the use of servo power adapters, and sensors for STEM projects
Materials: Little bits Littlebits; Hummingbird Techologies https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/hummingbirdduo/curriculum/
Video1: STEM 1 video
Video2: Turtle race video
Video3: Mini Garden video
Video4: Different Types of sensorsPicture:
My main highlight - Session: Engage and Manage-Snowflake
Summary: Snowflake is part of the Cleartouch interactive collaborative suite of learning games. It also enables teachers and students to create engaging interactive lessons that are closely aligned with the curriculum. Through the Lessons Community, you can download lessons that other teachers created and even share your own. In addition, it provides simultaneous personalized instruction through different activities and content in each zone.
Link: https://vimeo.com/202203666Key/New Features:
- Canvas - whiteboarding sw-20pt touch- main features:
- Www and Youtube -no ads; pull video on snowflake, see media tab- bring resources into a single space
- Use zones to work on different resources/pens
- Community Lessons-search and modify shared lessons;
- Go to Community-Lesson.nuiteq.com or Lessons within Snowflake
- Link: https://lessons.nuiteq.com/
Session: Top Ten Tools
Summary:Evaluate Apps using SAMR model-apps have been vetted
Chromville (AR) - Example Digital Citizenship
Seesaw - for digital storytelling using pictures
Mindmapping for postcards i.e. Flat Stanley (Google maps)