Lifehacks for Learning
Your monthly source for all things Digital Learning in N-CCS
Welcome to Lifehacks for Learning for April 2016!
This month, you'll also notice a new offering -- the PD request form! If you'd like to meet with or have PD delivered by your ITF or Tech Team members, please fill out the form.
If you have any requests for things you'd like to see in next month's newsletter, please contact me by e-mail at the bottom of this newsletter!
Your Friendly Neighborhood ITF,
Jamie
Digital Learning Teacher Spotlight
Diego Mureno, Newton-Conover Middle School
When asked, Mr. Mureno shared a bit more about the design of his stations:
"I am on a two week schedule. That is, I teach "whole-group" one week and stations the next. At the conclusion of the two weeks, students take a 10 question quiz to assess whether they have mastered the standard. Quizzes are made using MasteryConnect and given through Socrative. Students are able to revise the quizzes for half credit. For social studies I take the day prior to a quiz to do review. The students like Kahoot the best.
Some resources I have found are:
CommonLit- aligned to the common core and provides teachers with standards-based questions. I use this primarily in my teacher station.
EdCite- used in the technology station. Interactive lesson tied to CCSS.
Kidblog- used in the technology station in ELA. There are different prompts students answer to.
EdPuzzle- used in the tech station for SS. I look for short videos based on what we are learning and embed questions throughout."
To learn more about how Mr. Mureno uses technology to enhance his classroom environment, contact him at diego_mureno (at) nccs.k12.nc.us!
Blended Learning Competency of the Month
Domain 1, Competency 1, Standard A
Standard A: Shift from teacher-led instruction to student-centered learning for the purposes of meeting individual needs and fostering engagement and motivation.
According to the NC State College of Education, Student-centered teaching methods shift the focus of activity from the teacher to the learners. These methods include:
- active learning, in which students solve problems, answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain, debate, or brainstorm during class;
- cooperative learning, in which students work in teams on problems and projects under conditions that assure both positive interdependence and individual accountability; and
- inductive teaching and learning, in which students are first presented with challenges (questions or problems) and learn the course material in the context of addressing the challenges. Inductive methods include inquiry-based learning, case-based instruction, problem-based learning, project-based learning, discovery learning, and just-in-time teaching.
Student-centered methods have repeatedly been shown to be superior to the traditional teacher-centered approach to instruction, a conclusion that applies whether the assessed outcome is short-term mastery, long-term retention, or depth of understanding of course material, acquisition of critical thinking or creative problem-solving skills, formation of positive attitudes toward the subject being taught, or level of confidence in knowledge or skills.
Here are a list of resources that you can use to begin shifting your classroom from teacher-led to student-centered learning:
- Transformation (video, NellieMaeEdFoundation)
- Common Core: Flip Instruction and Create a Student-Centered Classroom (video, Catlin Tucker, CUE)
- Student-Centered Learning Toolkit (ESU)
- Student-Centered Instructional Strategies (video, LouieJ1983 on YouTube)
- Education Transformation: From One-Size Fits-All to Student-Centered Learning - Part One (Patrick, 2015)
- Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher (McCarthy, 2015)
- Active Learning: An Introduction (Felder and Brent, 2009)
- Strategies for Student-Centered Discussion (video, TeachingChannel)
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For more information on the iNACOL Blended Learning Teacher Competency Framework, please click here.
Digital Resource Highlights
Canvas Corner (all levels)
Introduce Your Whiteboard to Canvas
Here is a tip from a Middle Grades Math Teacher!
As a math teacher, working through a math problem together with my sixth-graders could be a logistics problem. My students often had a hard time seeing and focusing, especially if they were far back, had forgotten their glasses, or their view was obstructed.
This is just one way of partnering Canvas with your electronic white board. Look for more whiteboard ideas in the future.
Formative (all levels)
Move over, Socrative and Kahoot! — there’s a new kid on the block. Formative assessment tool, Formative, is designed to allow teachers to collect and view student responses to formative assessment questions in real time — providing teachers and students alike the ability to provide real-time feedback. What’s more, Formative allows you to search content aligned to Common Core and many other content standards (or your own outcomes), and embed that content into your assessment question(s) — all right from the comfort of the interface! You can grade with one click!
To learn more about using this tool in your classroom, check out this video and visit goformative.com!
Learn360 (all levels)
Did You Know?
You now have more options when creating a playlist. Along with core video content, you can now add YouTube videos and custom content! Share with your students the exact content they need.
Science A-Z (Elementary)
A Whole New Way To Teach Science
We're happy to announce that students now have a brand new way to engage with developmentally appropriate Science A-Z resources. Many unit resources, including Nonfiction Books, FOCUS Books, Career Files, quizzes, and multimedia files, are now available in computer-based and mobile formats through the Kids A-Z eLearning portal. Learning A-Z has also completely redesigned the website to help teachers find the resources and tools they need more easily.
Click here to watch an overview video of Science A-Z! If you need help accessing Science A-Z, please contact your school Media Specialist.
Optical Character Recognition in Google Docs (Conover and EC)
Convert PDF and photo files to text for simplified accessibility!
You can convert image files to text with Google Drive. Before you start, here are some things to keep in mind.
File types that can be converted:
- JPEG
- PNG
- GIF
- PDF (multipage documents)
Please click here to see a tutorial, and click here to watch a video walking you through the process!
NCWiseOwl Update (all levels)
We are excited to announce that NCWiseOwl has undergone an update. Students and teachers will hopefully find the new site user-friendly and easy to navigate.
If you have questions, please contact me.
Carrotsticks (EC and Elementary)
CarrotSticks is an online multiplayer game that improves math skills and understanding for 1st - 5th graders as they practice and compete with other students around the world!
Why Use Carrotsticks?
Kids Love it! Whether your child prefers competing with others or practicing on their own, they'll love designing their own characters and earning points by solving problems. CarrotSticks takes the friction out of motivating your child to go the extra mile with math by making it social and fun!
Click here to install the app in Chrome!
Digital Learning Coaching, Consultation or PD (Request Form)
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
Coding Workshop at Newton-Conover Middle School
Are you interested in learning more about how to incorporate Computer Science and coding into your curriculum or after-school activities?!
Newton-Conover STEM Middle School will be hosting trainers from Code.org for a special workshop on Saturday, May 7th! The workshop will run from 8:30 - 2:00pm. Click here to register! There are only 30 slots for this workshop, so if you're interested, register quickly!
Note: the workshop is for grades K-12, though the link says K-5.
If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Schouweiler, STEM Coordinator, or myself.
Saturday, May 7, 2016, 08:30 AM
Newton-Conover Middle School, Conover, NC, United States
About Us
Jamie Frye, M.A.
Instructional Technology Facilitator & Public Information Officer
Email: james_frye@nccs.k12.nc.us
Website: newton-conover.org
Location: Newton-Conover
Phone: 8284643191
Twitter: @mrjamesfrye