Oakland Schools Digital Learning
Newsletter - May 2021
In this issue you will find
- a link to the Wonderopolis article about Memorial Day
- a "ready to play," "easy to use" game platform
- information about the Google Docs Citation tool
- a link to "Would You Rather?" math scenarios
- an interactive timeline to explore science innovations through the decades beginning with 1900
- resources to teach search skills to students (and maybe pick up a tip or two for yourself)
- a vocabulary strategy that works well online and in the physical classroom
- information on free sessions to learn new ways to use iPads for teaching & learning
- information about Wakelet student accounts
- a free, professional learning opportunity on using Google Forms for formative assessment
Please reach out if you have questions about any of the information in this newsletter.
~Laura and Vinos
Resources for Elementary
Wonderopolis- "Why is Memorial Day a Holiday?"
Bamboozle
Baamboozle has a built-in library of thousands of games ready to play in all subjects. Also, the easy game creation tool in Baamboozle allows you to make and customize games in no time. Students are placed on teams (options range from 2-4 teams in the free version) and compete against each other.
Resources for Secondary
Citing References in Google Docs
Digital Content
"Would You Rather?" Math
You can display the images with the prompts directly from the "Would You Rather?" website. Alternately, you can download them and then add them to a presentation, assign them via your learning management system, or share them via a Google Form with a question prompt for students' responses.
"Travel Through Time" Interactive
Use the interactive timeline, "Travel Through Time," to let your students explore a world of scientific innovation and opportunities starting in 1900 through the "Future." Events on the timeline could become topics for research reports and/or creative writing.
Google Workspace
Teaching Search Skills
Most of us search the internet daily, if not multiple times per day. But effectively searching for something is a skill. With Google’s search education lesson plans, complete with ready to use presentations, you can easily teach search literacy to your students and possibly pick up a skill or two for yourself.
A fun way to practice search skills is with the game "A Google a Day." The game challenges users to put their searching skills to the test by asking them to answer three questions using Google search. New questions are available daily.
iPads
Free Professional Learning Sessions from Apple
The Apple Professional Learning team is providing free, remote learning opportunities throughout the month of May covering a range of topics. These virtual sessions are offered twice daily, Monday through Thursday, and run for approximately 60 minutes. In these hands-on sessions, you will explore helpful resources, practice new skills, and reflect on ways Apple iPads can support great learning and teaching.
Blended Learning
"Pile of Words" Strategy for Getting Students to Think More Deeply about Vocabulary
Each new unit, text, or project comes with vocabulary words that may be new and unfamiliar to students. Matthew Perini, Harvey Silver, and Jay McTighe propose using a simple, yet powerful strategy called “pile of words.” The pile of words strategy puts students at the center of learning and can be used online or in a face-to-face setting. Instead of you pre-teaching vocabulary or presenting a word bank or word wall of key terms, the pile of words strategy will challenge your students to engage in conversation, work collaboratively, and think critically about vocabulary.
Get a quick overview of the strategy along with suggestions for implementation via Catlin Tucker's article, "Pile of Words: Drive Deeper Engagement with Vocabulary at the Beginning of a Unit, Text, or Project."
Tech Tool Tips
Wakelet Student Accounts
Professional Learning Opportunity
Utilizing Google Forms for Formative Assessment
In this FREE, self-paced online course, you will learn about using Google Forms for formative assessments, including how to set up a "flipped classroom" assessment. As you know, good formative assessment allows you to be quickly responsive to students’ learning needs, and Google Forms gives you the data from your students instantly after they click submit. Since all of the student data from the assessment is collected into one spreadsheet, it is easy to quickly get a snapshot of how your students are understanding the skills and concepts you were assessing. You can then use that information to adjust your lessons, plan for reteaching, etc.
You will be guided, via video and text-based tutorials, through all of the steps needed to set up and use Google Forms. It is expected that it will take 4.5 hours to complete the course. This includes the time you will spend giving three Google Forms assessment to your students. If you complete all of the course requirements you can apply for 4.5 SCECH credits ($10 fee).
Register for "Utilizing Google Forms for Formative Assessment"
Note: This course is available only to educators working in an Oakland County school.
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Oakland Schools Digital Learning Twitter posts can be found at os_edtech.
When you are posting to Twitter about things related to digital learning and educational technology, don't forget to use the hashtag #oakedtech.
Using the hashtag will help Oakland County educators, who are interested in the effective use of digital learning, to connect and better collaborate with each other.
Oakland Schools Digital Learning Consultants
Laura.Cummings@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2283
Vinos Kassab
Vinos.Kassab@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2229