How many posters can one student make?

I know how it is to get stuck with a project- it works well so you offer it over and over again.  But in this blog post from Alice Keeler, she offers a spreadsheet of suggested alternatives.  Maybe this is the time to let your students try something new?

Google Keep and comments

Here’s an easy way to create your comments in Google Keep and then copy and paste then into comments.  It will save you time from typing the same thing over and over. This is the blog post from Eric Curts with step by step directions.

Looking for graphic organizers?

Here’s a folder filled with graphic organizers in Google drawings.  Make copies, customize them and then share them with your students as view only.  They can then make their own copy and take notes!

Mother’s Day is coming!

I just ordered my gift- hopefully, it will arrive on time.  Something that will definitely be on time is these lesson plan suggestions from Storyboardthat.  From cards to spider maps, there is something for everyone!   Either click here to see the plans or log into your teacher’s account and check out the Teachers Resources.

Careers that Count

Here’s the latest virtual field trip from Discovery Education- don’t worry about the dates and time- it will be available on demand.  Please see the information below and register!

Join Discovery Education and Jr. NBA for a virtual field trip to the NBA headquarters, Madison Square Garden, and Madison Square Boys & Girls Club in New York for an inside look at how math is brought to life through careers in basketball. Meet NBA basketball players and staff who use math every day to improve the game both on and off the court.

Not everyone will be an NBA player, but anyone with a passion for sports and math can pursue a career in professional athletics. Don't miss this special opportunity to open your students' minds to viable and exciting STEM careers. Register your classroom today for this free 30-minute virtual field trip, brought to you by Discovery Education Math Techbook and Jr. NBA.

Registration Details

This virtual field trip is absolutely free! To register your class, click here and complete the online registration form. Once registered, you will receive information on how to view the virtual field trip on demand, anytime, starting Thursday, May 4, 2017.  Click here for additional information.

Student Outcomes

---

During this 30-minute program, students will:

• Learn about exciting, real-world math careers specifically within the National Basketball Association.
• Hear from NBA professionals about how they put their math skills to work every day.
• Learn how to calculate points per shot based on an on-court demonstration.

The real math

Math shouldn’t just be a series of steps or a procedure- in her post, Alice Keeler set out 8 Mathematical Standards that students should be doing.  She cites work by Jo Boaler that suggests students need to know what they are doing and just not blindly following a recipe.  I really like the first one- Making sense of problems and persevere in solving the,  For the rest, please see the blog post here.

Using Google Keep

So how can your students use Google Keep?  For some ideas, please check out this blog post from Shake Up Learning.  It’s a great note taking option.

Science animations

I thought I knew where to find most of the science animations, but then I saw the Learners TV site from Richard Byrne’s Free Technology for Teachers.  Please check out his blog post here for over 400 animations.

The American Revolution

Richard Byrne just shared several resources for teaching the American Revolution ( in conjunction with Patriot’s Day).  Please click here to see his blog post from Free Technology for Teachers.

Connect 4 (via Google)

Alice Keeler recently posted an interesting post on using Google Drawing (and a sharing technique).  This might be an interesting project when June rolls around.  Please click here to see her directions and suggestions.

Storyboardthat Instant Assignments

Ready to take the next step with your Storyboardthat account?  Check out their recent blog post on how to copy assignments.  Don’t worry if it is not exactly what you want- you can edit most of the features.

Math in Google Docs and Forms (for math and STEM and science!)

Alice Keeler (in this blog post) shares a new Chrome extension EquatIO - Math made digital. You only get the premium features for 30 days for free (see the chart below for feature comparisons).  What do you think?

Gray’s Reef Virtual Field Trip

On May 10, you and your students can join a virtual field trip to Gray’s Reef in Savannah, Georgia.  Please click here for all the details and to register your class. Here’s a video to help generate student interest.

Teaching with Word Clouds

While I often use word clouds as illustrations, this blog post from Marilyn Pryle will provide several teaching suggestions.  Word clouds are easy to make and provide question opportunities for your students. This one (made from my blog url is from Word Art (formerly known as Tagul).

Earth Day Resources

Even though it is right around the corner (and we are just back from break and looking at PARCC testing), take a few minutes to review these collections of Earth Day activities.  Even if your schedule doesn’t allow you to celebrate on April 22, any time it a good time to honor the Earth!

• Discovery Education Earth Day Virtual Event (4/21 at 1 pm)
• From Richard Byrne (7 good Earth Day resources)
• From Discovery Education- explore the life of a can!
• From Storyboardthat- Earth Day projects
• Resources from PBS

The New Google Earth!

I remember when Google Earth had to be downloaded onto your machine and it wasn’t the easiest to navigate.  The new Google Earth is not only web-based but full with many easy to use features.  Why not set your students exploring? Want a quick tour? See this blog post from Richard Byrne!  I’ve shared part of the Google’s blog post below:

• Explore the new Google Earth

• Today we’re introducing a brand-new version of Google Earth—on the web and Android—two years in the making. With the new Earth, we want to open up different lenses for you to see the world and learn a bit about how it all fits together; to open your mind with new stories while giving you a new perspective on the locations and experiences you cherish. It’s everything you love about Google Earth, plus new ways for you to explore, learn and share. Zoom in and see what adventures await you in the new Google Earth.

• Broaden your horizons with Voyager

• We've joined up with some of the world's leading storytellers, scientists and nonprofits to bring the planet to life with Voyager, a showcase of interactive guided tours.

• Walk alongside the elusive snow leopard in BBC's Natural Treasures.
• Start with Natural Treasures from BBC Earth, and journey to six habitats—from islands to mountains to jungles—and learn about the unique and thrilling wildlife in each. Then head to Gombe National Park in Tanzania and hear from Jane Goodall about her team’s chimpanzee research and conservation efforts. And make a stop in Mexico with Lola, one of 12 little monsters featured in Sesame Street's Girl Muppets Around the World, and learn about modern Mayan cultures. With more than 50 immersive stories in Voyager, and more added weekly, there are lots of adventures to choose from.  ( I liked that many of the trips now include video clips- think of sending your students on a scavenger hunt!)

• Share the beauty you find

• Click the new 3D button to see any place from any angle. Swoop around the Grand Canyon and see geological layers, or check out the majestic architecture and pristine grounds of the 500-year-old Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley in France.
• Postcards from Earth: Grand Canyon, Château de Chambord, Burning Man
• When you find a view that leaves you breathless or inspires a fond memory, share a Postcard of your exact view with your friends and family. They can click the link to jump right to where you were (virtually) standing.

• Bringing it all back home

• We hope that after visiting your house in the new Google Earth, you'll be inspired to see someone else’s. Get started with a special Voyager story called This is Home, a journey into traditional homes from cultures around the world. You’re invited to step inside a Peruvian chuclla, a Bedouin tent and a Greenlandic IIoq, and meet the people who live there. Check back to visit more homes in the coming months.
• This is Home

Make a Movie Rubrics

From the classes I’ve been with so far, the students love the new BrainPOP Make a Movie option.  It has become a staple on my HyperDocs as well.  Several folks have asked about a rubric and I have two to share. The first comes from Dana Ebbighausen (click here to view and then make a copy).  The second is from the BrainPOP Educators support site (again click here to view and then make a copy).

Remember when April was for poetry

And not related to PARCC?  Who says you can still enjoy poetry with your students.  Here’s an updated article from the New York Times Learning site with a wide variety of poetry options ( I think I am partial to the blackout poems). Explore their 22 suggestions.

PearDeck and math

Here’s a new blog post from PearDeck with several ideas on how to use Peardeck interactives in math!  For the complete post, please click here.

Google Keep

Think sticky notes online- Google Keep!.  You can access them on many devices, color code them to help with organization, and tag them for easy searches.  Please click here to see the Cheat Sheet from Kasey Bell at Shake Up Learning.

Let the students present

In this blog post from PearDeck, you will benefits of student presentations.  Please click here for the link.

Seeing the hidden symbols

One of the tools (that I used in Word but isn’t in Google) is the ability to see the hidden symbols- tabs, spaces, returns.  Now there is a Google Add-on (in Docs) that will reveal these symbols.  Just go to Add-ons and search for Show.  For complete installation information as well as an overview of the product, please see Eric Curts’ blog post here.

Creating the ripple effect

I really liked the message in Inclusion: Be the Ripple Effect in Your School by Elizabeth Stein.  I think these sentences really hit home:

✻ Ditch any ableist views: View learners through a strengths-based lens. Focus on variability—not disability. Stop unnecessarily (and unintentionally) stigmatizing and limiting students who deserve opportunities to apply their abilities in striving to be their personal best.

We each need to ensure that all our learners have opportunities and the chance to succeed!  See the suggestions at the end of Elizabeth’s post.

Quizizz in the classroom

Quizizz is one of my favorite formative assessments.  While I love Kahoot!, with Quizizz you get:

1. Questions and answers on the student devices.
2. Students can work on their own pace.
3. You can see their results while they work.
4. You alter the order of both the questions and the answers.
5. You can assign it for homework.

Here’s one of my favorite classes working on a Quizizz (and they like the memes as well!).

Web Whiteboard

Here’s a shareable free web based white board- Web Whiteboard!.  Use it to pose a question and have students respond (in this way it is similar to Padlet).  But you can also draw. The free account will allow you to create 21 day boards and then share with the url. You could put it in Google classroom or perhaps use a QR code.   Students could work together on problems or webs. For the complete post from TeachersFirst, please click here.

Empty them into the Gift Shop

I was on twitter this evening and saw a tweet from Dave Burgess (from Teach like a Pirate) and was intrigued by the title.  In preparation for a twitter chat, he shared a short video (with the same title) about homework.  Take a few minutes to view! Do you see any worksheets in the gift shop?

DE Virtual Field Trip (4/25)

Virtual field trip from Discovery Education- please see the information below.

The Science Behind E-cigarettes and Young People Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are now the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth, but most youth and young adults don't know the risks associated with these products. That's why the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Discovery Education have teamed up to share the science behind e-cigarettes and the impact they can have on the health of youth and young adults. Join us LIVE from your classroom on Tuesday, April 25 at 1 PM ET/ 10 AM PT. Start the conversation beforehand with the pre-Virtual Field Trip activity, and be sure to submit questions from your class, as the U.S. Surgeon General will be answering some questions during the event!