Questions in Google Classroom

Alice Keeler has six good suggestions for using questions in Google Classroom.

Please see her post here.

Dr.Seuss

One fish, two fish

If you are looking for a fun tech project for Dr. Seuss,

please check out these slides created by Eric Curts.  

Students can use his template as well as create their own fish!

Get ready for National Reading Month

While I knew next month was Read Across America time- I didn’t realize reading had an entire month (as a former science teacher I think I need to protest!).  SAS Curriculum Pathways is all set and shared these resources.

SEL

Are you looking for Social Emotional Learning material in the younger grades?  

Please check out the PBS resource Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

You will find stories and strategies to help your young learners.

What caused the fire?

Have your students become the investigators and determine the cause of the fire at this site.  You can read the complete description in this blog post from Richard Byrne

Stuck in a vocabulary rut?

Here are several suggestions from Alice Keeler to increase student engagement

and turn the traditional vocab drills on their side!

STEM Resources

I just got a great newsletter from Discovery Education filled with STEM ideas divided by grades and correlated with NGSS.  While I cannot copy the material, I can share their home site (which includes a place to sign up for the newsletters.)  Please visit the Siemens STEM Day home page.

Inserting an image into a cell

When you want to put an image into a spreadsheet, it’s not as easy as copy and paste.  Nor does the insert feature work.  Please read Alice Keeler’s blog post here as she will step you through the process.  Think formulas and URLs!

Creating newspapers in Google

I remember when we switched to Chromebooks, several teachers lamented the loss of publisher and the newsletters they or their students produced.  In a recent blog, Richard Byrne shares a series of Google templates.  Just make a copy and add your content.

Where the confirmation can send you

The confirmation message is Google Forms can be customized.  In her post here, Alice Keeler suggests using it to send students to the next assignment via a link.

So how’s your grass growing?

I’m talking turf- and here’s a chance for a virtual field trip with Discovery Education

on March 15th at 1 PM ET to see the relationship between sports and the grass.  

Please click here for additional information and registration.

Internet Safety for all!

Common Sense Media has a series of internet safety lessons nicely divided by grade level. Please click here to read their post.

Students and Google Sheets

Looking for ideas on what your students should be able to do in Google Sheets?  Alice Keeler has the top four tools outlined for you here.

SOS for Social Studies

In this week’s Discovery Education blog, they highlight the top ten SOS (Spotlight on Strategies) for social studies educators.  Please click the link here to see their suggestions.

Looking for Images

Over the weekend, I read a blog post from Richard Byrne

(Free Technology for Teachers) where he mentioned the

Pixabay Add-On (here’s the post). This is a great tool to quickly insert public

domain images.  Here’s a screenshot:

Just double-click to insert the image. You can then resize it. Special thanks to Chris Makely for his help in implementing this in the district.

Twitter and Slides!

Alice Keeler recently shared this Google lesson from Ashley Fort- an easy to use Google Slide template to have students create a Twitter page for a historical character!  She provides a template that will make it easy for your students to format and add their own content.

Do your Slides need help?

Are you using slides that could use a makeover?  Explore the online (self-paced) Google training and add some interactivity to your decks.

Let them use Slides

It might be easier to provide feedback on student work if they use slides rather than Docs.  That's the point Alice Keeler makes in her blog here.  Her main reason?  Each slide has its own URL- so it is easier for the students to tell you where they need assistance.

Looking for Literacy Ideas?

Discovery Education recently shared a broad list of literacy activities.  You will find a variety of content and grade levels.  Please click here to view.

Looking for Valentine’s Day fun?

Then check out several suggestions by Eric Curts.  From poems to rebus stories, there is something for all learners.

36 Hours in….Sayreville?

This is a travel column from the New York Times- most times it covers a city I have not visited but is still interesting to read.  (You can see samples here.) They recently shared a lesson plan idea based on this concept for high school students (and linked it to Catcher in the Rye).

The Slide Doctor will see you now

Here’s another in a series of blog posts from PearDeck. I often wonder if some of my slides are overdone or too fussy,  Here’s the link to the post- maybe it will help you redo some of your slide decks.

Who says I'm too young for the SMARTBoard?

I spent some time with the Project Before educators as part of the Drop-In training for the SMART Notebook 17.  Casey Pollard shared these photos of her students working the SMARTBoard!  It just shows you are never too young to use technology in the classroom. As Casey shared, "They had so much fun sorting the letters and numbers. We also used the Magic Hat and they loved it! ".

Fake Text Messages

While there are several places you can make these,  Fake Text Messages has got to the easiest to use.  You could use them in Escape Rooms or challenge students to demonstrate their understanding of any topic.  For the complete review in TeachersFirst here.

Need a split window?

That shortcut - ALT ] - and four more are in Alice Keeler’s post here.  What a great idea to teach your students one shortcut each week!

Need to count change?

Peter Pig’s Money Counter is a free app that will allow younger students
to practice counting money. Sponsored by VISA, this site is geared for ages 5-8. For
a complete review, please see Richard Byrne's post here.

I need to search up…

This phrase makes me crazy- yet I hear it all the time.  But we do need to help our students learn how to search online- and in her blog post, Alice Keeler has some great suggestions.  You can start small but the goal should be to encourage thinking and problem solving.

Smithsonian Labs

While I often get emails from the Smithsonian Learning Lab,  I really need to spend a little time to explore their site.  Their recent newsletter discusses using virtual images to teach biographies. Please click here to read.

Ideas from PearDeck

Whether or not you use PearDeck in your presentations, you still might enjoy the pacing suggestions in this blog post.

Changing your class name

Not happy with the name of your class?  Alice Keeler’s blog post will walk you through the options.

Technology and the Winter Olympics

While watching all the Super Bowl ads, I couldn't help but notice all the upcoming Olympic
commercials.  Here’s a site from TeachersFirst with suggestions how to incorporate
technology with the Olympics!

Where in the world?

This might be one of my favorite geography sites.  Select your area(s) of interest and let the games begin.  You’ll see a picture and have a few seconds to select the answer.  Please see the review here in TeachersFirst.

Want to insert a picture?

Watch a student step you through the process on a SMARTBoard.

Looking for Geography Resources?

TeachersFirst has curated geography resources. For all grade levels and a wide variety of topics.  Please click here to view.

DE Black History Resources

As you plan your events for Black History month, you might want to consider these resources from Discovery Education.

Black History Month with SBT

Storyboardthat has just shared their ideas for Black History Month.  The suggestions are divided by grade level groups.  The image above is one of their suggestions.  I know our students enjoy working with this application- how could you use it in your class?

Get ready for the Iditarod

Here is a site (reviewed in TeachersFirst here) from PBS Learning on the sled dogs in Alaska.  The Iditarod doesn’t start until early March, so you still have time to get ready!