Brain Dump Templates

Scroll all the way to the end of Matt Miller’s post here for a series of templates ready to use for student Brain Dump activities.

Show not write with Storyboardthat!

Looking for a new way to have your students retell a story?  Carol Seaman’s third grade class used Storyboardthat to retell a recent story.  Here are some student samples.  Special thanks to James, Jeremiah, Rosa, and Aaliyah for sharing their work.

Fix-It in Discovery Education

A perfect Grammar Fix (-it)!

Discovery Education has recently shared Daily Fix-Its.  What’s a fix-it?  It is a ready-made

activity that you can project and have your students correct the sentences.  

Karen Bryan has been using it in her class and shared this feedback:

I love using the Discovery Education Fix-It feature as an activity during our morning

meeting. I also use it as a warm-up activity with my Literacy Academy class. The students

enjoy it too!

Fix-Its come in two grade-level bands:

• K-2 Fix-Its are seasonally themed (i.e.winter, apples) and contain some information

and two sentences with only one grammar error.  The same skill (i.e., end punctuation)
is taught through the entire slide set of 15 slides). Here is a sample sentence:
Earth tilts away from the sun in winter  (this is from the punctuation unit).

• Daily Fix-Its (Grade 3-5) are themed to “this day in history” topic and are monthly.

A short video clip The grammar corrections include a variety of errors. 
Here is an example: how tall was the wave leo asked dr martin

Both versions include links to Helpful Hints:

How could this help your students?

New Year Suggestions from Discovery Education

Check out the latest suggestions from Discovery Education!

Extend Your Learning

Kick-off the new year by checking out 30 Ways to DE! Explore all the different ideas for using DE in the classroom and see share this flyer to get excited about diving back into Discovery Education.

Get a bigger screen in Google Slides

Google has recently introduced a new feature allowing you to eliminate the filmstrip (the thumbnails down the side) while in the edit view.  Now you can make those interactive slides easier for your students and full screen.  Please see the video here.

High return (with less work)

Matt Miller (Ditch the Textbook) has updated his post with a series of 10 activities that take little time on your end and provide high student returns.  I especially like number 2 (caption this) and 4 (brain dumps).  Check out his post- which one calls to you?

Screencastify and Student Engagement

Screencastify recently shared a Student Engagement Guide.  You will find teacher, home, and student activities.  Here you will find a free ebook with over 25 suggestions. Select the one(s) that work best for your students.  I particularly liked Student Reflections (#16) and Book Reports (#21).  What are your favorites?

Think you know BrainPOP?

If you are looking for a 20-minute hands-on BrainPOP training option, check out BrainPOP 101.

Connect across the world via Twitter: XW1W

I always wanted my class to connect with other students.  With the exception of a few Mystery Classes and a teacher in Asia, I don’t think I was very successful.  But what if there is a quick and painless way to help engage your students around critical issues? 

TeachersFirst has done all the planning and work for you with their XW1W (Across the World Once a Week).  Read the weekly question and after a discussion with your students post your brief (280 characters) response.  During the week, review others’ posts and respond

.

Everything you need (directions, suggestions, Twitter tips) is here.  There are two weekly questions- one for middle school and the other for high school. This would be perfect for social studies or multicultural classes/lessons.

I would love to hear about your experiences!

New from PBS (Channel 13)

Here are grade levels collections of winter-themed resources from WNET:

Resources for Grades PreK-K

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

Holidays and Celebrations

Explore helpful hints for supporting children through the winter holiday season and find strategies for coping with the disappointment children may feel around celebrations and holidays with this collection of resources from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Resource for Grades 3-8

Exploring Scale and Proportion

at the Holiday Train Show

Explore scale and proportion with these videos from Treasures of New York. Check out this behind-the-scenes look at the design and installation of the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden, an annual event that features garden-gauge trains and scale models of over 140 New York City landmarks made entirely from plants and flowers.

Resource for Grades 9-12

Music on the Front Lines

Music had a powerful presence during World War I. Listen to the songs soldiers sang on the front lines during the war and around Christmastime in this resource from All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. Students will also have an opportunity to consider how music may connect with mental health, both for the soldiers during the war and in their own lives.

Resource for Grades 6-12

Grizzly Conservation

Conservation is important in protecting and restoring natural environments and securing the future of animals who are at risk of extinction. In this resource from NATURE's Born in the Rockies, students take on the role of community stakeholders and create a conservation plan to protect grizzly bears living in the Rocky Mountains.

Winter (Break) Ideas

While Discovery Education shared the resources below for Winter Break activities, you might consider using some as a “break” in this hectic month.  From virtual field trips to careers to healthy habits- it’s broken down by grade level with something for everyone.  From DE:

Keep Your Students Engaged Over Winter Break

We just released Winter Break Activity Calendars – for K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Keep your students engaged in learning with some fun activities over winter break! These are also available in 6 other languages to support families at home! Check them out and share with your colleagues!

Google and Winter- Perfect Together

Eric Curts shares a collection of student Google activities with a winter theme.  Directions and templates are on his blog here. You will find ideas for cards, emoji stories, and writing projects.

Looking for Winter Resources?

PBS has shared several resources here related to winter and the changes in the seasons.  Looking for ways to celebrate winter- this is for you!

Winter Ideas from Storyboardthat

Here are the most recent suggestions from Storyboardthat for your students.  If you want to create- please see your media specialist.

What’s in a coffee cup design?

This is Starbucks' 24th year with a special holiday cup.  And followers flock to the stores.  What if your students built a coffee cup to show their understanding of a concept or character?  What type of drink would it hold?  What would the logo and decorations be?  Stephine Howell shared this video and Google slides template for your students.  I appreciate that this isn’t only an art project- the students need to explain their choice.  What would your cup be?

Free PD from Screencastify

Screencastify provides free on-demand PD starting December 7th. Please click here to register.  Topics include:

• Demonstrable Learning through Podcasting: If folks in your school community are looking for a new way to allow students to present their learning, a podcast could be the answer. You all will be ready to grace our ears after this short, 6-minute session.
   

• Using Emojis in Digital Assessments: Jazzing up assessments could be the perfect way to gain deeper insights on student learning. This session will dive into emojis as a method of making assessments more fun, engaging, and telling.
   

• Formative Assessment with Screencastify: We recently launched Interactive Questions and Viewer Analytics. Check out how districts are using the feature to learn more about student understanding.

Holiday Math in Google Sheets

Eric Curts has shared a 12 Days of Christmas Math activity in Google Sheets.  Please see his post here.

End of the semester projects

Matt Miller (from Ditch that Textbook) recently updated his blog post with end of the semester project ideas.  In all cases, he suggests two or three tech tools.  Some (i.e., Flipgrid) are not approved in the district, but there is at least one tool Matt suggests that you can use.  From creating websites to quizzes- here you will find a variety of student-centered projects.

Pacing Guide for Coding from BrainPOP

BrainPOP just shared this pacing guide for your coding activities.

With content-driven coding, we’ve made it easy for teachers to integrate coding regardless of experience and no matter what they're covering in class. Our special CSEdWeek pacing guide has everything your schools need to get started.

Adding a folder to your bookmark bar

 

Are your bookmarks getting out of control?  Think about organizing them into folders.  Kasey Bell (from ShakeUpLearning) shared this video demonstration.

Making more meaning with Maps

 

Last week I was reminded of the power of My Maps in Google.  You can add images, text, links, and videos to any markers.  My Maps can be a solo or group project (in fact I’m thinking of one for winter holidays). Matt Miller recently shared his ideas here.

If you are interested in the session I participated in with TeachersFirst, you can view a recording here. You will leave with an understanding of how to use Google My Maps in the classroom.

PD for PreK-2 Teachers

Looking for free self-paced professional development?  Check out the offerings from PBS here.  There are two options:

Self-Paced Courses: Our traditional 1-4 hour online course option with lessons taken in order to earn a certificate

Learning Paths: A series of short microlearnings (15-30 minutes, skill-based experiences in a range of interactive formats) that can lead to a certificate.

Looking for winter related information?

Please see this latest mailing from BrainPOP.  It showcases their winter-themed

resources.  From coding to Pearl Harbor Day, from snowflakes to Bill of Rights DAy- there is really something for everyone.

Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit

I’ve attended this session for the past few years and always find something interesting.  Please see the information below- the sessions are online and since they are pre-recorded, you can watch them at any time.  Just be sure to finish by January 8th. Below is the information from the site.

Get registered for free at: DitchSummit.com.

HOW IT WORKS: New presentations are released every day from Dec. 14-22. They remain available until Jan. 8 so you can re-watch or catch up on any you’ve missed. They’re pre-recorded, so you can watch them whenever you want until Jan. 8. After that, the summit ends and the videos are unavailable to watch anymore.

FREE PD HOURS: You can get FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDITS for watching the videos. There’s a form to fill out after each presentation, and you’ll get an automatic PD certificate emailed to you.

Sign up for the digital summit at DitchSummit.com.

This year’s new speakers include: 

• Dr. Lindsay Portnoy, cognitive scientist, professor, and parent

• Knikole Taylor, educator, lead learner, and Google Certified Innovator

• Dee Lanier, educational technologist, equity enthusiast, and Solve in Time Creator

• Dr. Desiree Alexander, education consultant, presenter, and speaker

• Esther Park, high school ESL / ELA teacher

• Maria Arfanakis (Galanis), innovation curriculum specialist, Google Certified Trainer

• Paula Martínez, designer and slide template creator, Slides Mania

• Nyree Clark, curriculum program specialist, culturally responsive teaching advocate

• Matt Miller, author of 5 books, Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit host

BrainPOP and Family Engagement

Here are suggestions to use BrainPOP with your families.

Family Engagement

Family engagement in student learning leads to advances in cognition, language, and social development. Visit BrainPOP’s Home-School Connection to find out how families can use BrainPOP. 

What’s new in BrainPOP?

Click here for a list of new BrainPOP features.

Media Literacy for All

In his blog post, Frank Banker (writing on the Middle Web site) clearly outlines 7 steps to help your students become more media savvy.  From who paid for the message to what is omitted- he clearly demonstrates how you can improve your students’ critical thinking.

Gettysburg by the numbers

TeachersFirst recently share this infographic on Gettysburg.  It explores a variety of content areas and works to help students understand the significance of the battle.

Teach the Constitution?

Here’s an article from Edutopia from Benjamin Barbour using Webb’s Depth of Knowledge to teach the constitution. It might be a good start to look at differentiation and scaffolding options for your students.

Try the new Kami Dashboard

 

Kami has a new dashboard feature- click here to see the details and how you can turn on this Beta feature.

What you might not know about BrainPOP!

 

Get to know BrainPOP beyond our movies and quizzes—each of our 1,000+ topics are embedded with a suite of activities, fun challenges, and creative projects. Learn more about our most-loved features:      Make-a-Map   Make-a-Map invites students to make meaningful connections between concepts and reinforces understanding using BrainPOP images, keywords, and movie clips.         Make-a-Movie   Help learners apply knowledge and encourage higher order thinking by creating their own BrainPOP movies. Make-a-Movie cultivates planning, organizing, writing, collaborating, and analyzing skills.          Creative Coding   Provide students with 21st century-ready skills! Each coding project is scaffolded with support and is flexible so beginners can be successful and advanced programmers can create more sophisticated projects.     ...And there's even more to explore!  Whether you’re teaching remotely or in-person, these powerful features are a great way to make lessons more interactive, provide students with voice and choice, and build higher-order thinking skills. How can these features boost your curriculum? Get to know all the possibilities! EXPLORE ALL TOOLS P.S.: Don’t forget to take advantage of your Assignment Builder! Use it to create custom learning pathways with our movies and features and assign them to individuals or groups.