Version History- Makes your life easier!

In this blog post from Alice Keeler, she walks you through the version history options.  I use this often when I have a document (or sheets or slides or Jamboard) that I want to revise but not lose all the content.  This way I can always go back to the original content.  She is right- naming the version can help rather than trying to pinpoint exactly which one you are looking to use!

Using Google Sheets as a Checklist

 

I am all about trying to get better organized- here’s another suggestion from Alice Keeler to use the check-off and sorting feature in Google sheets- she has even provided a template for you to copy.  You can read the blog post here.

Need Halloween Material?

Look no further than Discovery Education’s Halloween Channel (here’s the blog post with the details). From writing prompts to Halloween safety to songs for all- there is something for every grade level.  Just log into your Discovery Education account and search for Halloween.

Halloween Escape Rooms

Matt Miller shares three Halloween escape rooms created in Microsoft Sway and Google Slides ( Please check before sharing to your students to make sure they will be able to access. I have had some issues in the past where the students couldn’t access Google Sites from outside of the domain.  You may need to share them on your screen instead).  Please go to his blog post here or here to download.  Not only did he provide the escape rooms - he also shares the answer keys!

Make a countdown timer

Alice Keeler shares her three minute Google Slides countdown timer (as well as step by step directions).  Please see her blog post here.

Editing in a Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets are great for collecting data and sorting- but you did need to be careful if you don’t want to erase information in a cell.  Please see Alice Keeler’s short video here and learn how Ctrl +z can become your best friend.

Distance Learning Incentives

While reading the blog post about a behavior strategy system (with both face to face and virtual implementation suggestions- you can read more here  “3-2-1 Style of Classroom Management” by Victoria Thompson)- I noticed Victoria shared a site for virtual reward ideas.  I have been to the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) site in the past- yet I never saw this list of incentives for distance learning.  Most of the ideas are free- what would work with your students?

Going Nuclear

For science, nuclear science.  Check out these resources from Discovery Education at their blog here. There are suggestions for elementary, middle, and high school students

Feedback in Google Classroom

I truly believe one of the greatest assets of Google Classroom is the ability to provide real-time feedback.  Please see this blog post from Sara Kiefer as she shares her strategy for feedback.  Remember, feedback after the grade is not as effective (and that works for us as well!).

Alice explains Jamboard in Meet

Here’s a blog post from Alice Keeler about the new Google Jamboard integration in Google Meet.  If you need additional Jamboard information, please see the Wakelet here.

Spreadsheet tips (from Alice Keeler)

Here is a short video with 5 great spreadsheet tips from the Queen of Spreadsheets- Alice Keeler.  You can read the complete blog post here.  I think the trick with the = is my favorite!

Hands-on projects from Discovery Education

Check out these seven ideas/resources for hand-on activities for your learners.  There is something for every age with a focus on improving our communities and the world around us.

Social Media in Slides

Matt Miller recently shared a series of social media templates in Google Slides.  You can read this post here.  From Yelp to Facebook to Twitter- you can even make your own Netflix image!  He has included classroom suggestions as well.

Template for reading

Slides Carnival seems to be releasing a new template every week.  Most are good, but I thought this one (“Reading is Magical”) was exceptional.  Please click here to download (in either Google Slides or PowerPoint).

Lationo Culture via Google

In this blog post here, you can get a better understanding of the Latino

resources available in the Google Arts and Culture site.  If you want to explore the site on your own, please click here.

Red Ribbon Week

Looking for suggestions to celebrate Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31)?  Check out the Discovery Education resources here.

If a picture is worth 1000 words...

 

Then what are 40 photos worth?  In this blog post from the NYTimes, they share the group of “What’s going on in this photo”- a great series of photo prompts.  The article also includes teaching suggestions and resources. (The photo above is part of the collection).

Mission US- Prisoner in My Homeland

I have long been a big fan of the Mission US series and now there is a new one- Prisoner in My Homeland (based on the Japanese camps in 1941).  For additional information including teaching resources and plans please go here. Special thanks to WNET, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Cyber Activities for K-5 (From Discovery Education)

 

Girl-Led, Girl-Tested and Girl-Approved Cyber Security Activities? Yes, Please!

(From Discovery Education)

As more and more women enter STEM careers, increasing STEM interest and engagement among girls continues to be a significant focus. This school year empower girls to see themselves changing the world in new ways with resources from Girls Get STEM. Developed in partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA, this program aims to spark girls’ interest in STEM learning and careers.

Girls Get STEM arms educators and parents with standards-aligned resources that are girl-led, girl-tested, and girl-approved for all students in grades 2-5. From student lessons and family activities to a Virtual Field Trip and video content, this program offers hands-on STEM experiences to excite and engage students. The resources allow students to explore a variety of topics including energy, robotics, the environment and engineering – and now cyber security!

Introduce Cyber Security

Two of the newest resources for educators and families focus on introducing students to the basics of cyber security.

In Pictoral Passwords (Grades K-2), students start to explore the rules of internet safety by considering the actions they take to remain safe in real, non-cyber life. This activity gets students up and moving with a game of Stop & Think Dance where dance until the music stops, then freeze and wait to be read a statement describing safe or unsafe behavior.  After each statement, students give a thumbs up or cross their arms into an “x” to describe if the behavior is safe or unsafe.  At the end of the activity, students create their own unique username and password with a pictorial representation to help them remember it.

Powerful Passwords, an activity for students in grades 3-5, gets students thinking about the importance of secure passwords and exploring the qualities it takes to make a password more secure. The activity starts with a clue game that allows students to guess about the messages on included game cards, demonstrating how easy (or hard) it can be to guess words when you have a few clues. At the end of the activity students collaborate to mix random words and symbols to create their own memorable and secure passwords.

Understanding the importance of security online is a skill that is vital for all students. Through these and other resources from Girls Get STEM, educators have the opportunity to address the challenge head-on with an approach that elevates the experiences of girls and women in STEM!

Explore more resources from Girls Get STEM at GirlsLeadSTEM.com or on the Girls Get STEM channel in Experience.

Science Articles for Students

Science News for Students offers a variety of short science articles for students ages 9-14.  You can filter by topic and allow your students to explore their interests.  This site is reviewed this week by TeachersFirst.

Project Based Learning in Science

 If you are looking for project based standards for science?  Then check out the Stanford NGSS Curriculum and Assessment.  This site is reviewed this week by TeachersFirst.

Storyboardthat and Halloween!

Here are some lesson ideas for Halloween using Storyboardthat.  Please see your media specialist for account set up.

Not high school musical but….

Space School Musical straight from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA- this set of videos (and scripts) can introduce your students to the solar system ( I watched the clip of Hailey as a stand-up comet!).  See the review here from TeachersFirst.

Need a Halloween background?

 

Slides Carnival just released their template for Halloween.  Now you can use it to create either a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation filled with pumpkins, ghosts, and witches- all in harvest colors.  Please click here to view the slides and download the template.

Parents and Google Classroom

Here is a thoughtful blog post from Sarah Kiefer looking at Google Classroom from a parents’ view.  Her suggestions will help improve communications between school and home!

 Earth Science Resources

TeachersFirst shares their list of Earth Science resources here.  Even though Earth Science week is in the middle of October- it is always a good time to explore the Earth!  For additional information on Earth Science Week please click here.

Take a look at your Google Classroom

Sarah Kiefer has shared her suggestions for organizing your Google Classroom from a student viewpoint.  Please click here to read her post.

New DNA Resources

 

New Resources from DNA Decoded Demonstrate the Real-World Applications of Genomics

Genomics is the study of an organism’s entire DNA. This knowledge can be applied in a number of ways to help solve important global challenges like fighting disease outbreaks, innovating agricultural advancements, and developing life-saving targeted therapies. You can introduce your high school students to this category of curriculum at the intersection of biology and technology, with digital resources from DNA Decoded.  See more here.

New Social Studies Content from Storyboardthat

Are you in the election cycle?  Check out these new materials in Storyboardthat. Please see your school media specialist for account information.

Update your DE Homepage!

Take advantage of additional personalization options on the MyDE Homepage giving users the ability to move entire rows and customize your view by simply clicking on the new "Customize Homepage" button. This update allows educators to move specific tiles and rearrange the Recommended, Curriculum Pack, and My Channels sections with the quick click of a button.

New ELL Resources in Discovery Education

As part of their September product release, Discovery Education now has new ELL resources.  ...the new English Language Learner (ELL) Center provides additional professional learning, resources, and instructional support for educators to differentiate learning for their ELL students in online, hybrid, and in-class environments.

Find ready-to-use instructional strategy templates and engaging, relevant content collections to incorporate into lessons, including Virtual Field Trips, podcasts, audiobooks, and native language support.

Please log into your account to access these resources.