GWAEA Digital Learning Update
to ensure success for all learners - September 2017
Episode 29: Good Technology Integration
Mindy and Jonathan are back from their summer break with some new tools and updates that you might have missed while school was out. They talk about what they think are the best ways to integrate technology meaningfully and share their latest tech nuggets. Listen online at dlgwaea.org, or in your favorite podcast app, and if you enjoy listening, please share this podcast with others or leave a review on iTunes. You can also send your feedback and suggestions for future episodes to podcast@gwaea.org. Until next time...
Email the show, or send a voice memo to podcast@gwaea.org, and see show notes with all the links from this episode at www.dlgwaea.org/podcast.
Think, Make, Innovate: Sphero Golf Featuring Southeast Junior High
This challenge focuses on students designing and creating a mini golf course for Sphero robots. As part of their makerspace time, students created a mini golf course for their school inspired by SpheroEDU. In this episode, we feature students from Southeast Junior High in Iowa City and a big thanks to their librarian Chelsea Sims for working with us on this episode!
New to making?
Feel free to reference our lesson plan for tips on implementation, extension ideas.
Maker Community
Our goal is to create a community of makers. We hope you will consider sharing student work to post to our Community Inspiration Board. Feel free to explore any of the challenges from season one and share back your results! Sharing is easy - send us your photos or videos through social media and tag @dlgwaea or send an email to makerspace@gwaea.org.
#havefunmaking
ITEC
There will also be over 100 breakout sessions presented by Iowa educators, Iowa Featured Speakers, and featured speakers: Tony Vincent, Tammy Lind and Donnie Piercey.
Check out the ITEC site to learn more.
Sunday, Oct 15, 2017, 08:00 PM
Iowa Events Center, 3rd Street, Des Moines, IA, United States
ISTE is in Chicago!
Immerse yourself in powerful ideas and inspirational speakers, while connecting with innovative educators who share your passion for transformative learning. Save the date for ISTE 2018!
SHARE YOUR STORIES
There are countless innovations going on to support student learning in our area and here's a chance to share. There are a variety of ways to share at the conference from workshops, presentations, ignite talks and even more conversational poster sessions. If you have questions contact someone on the digital learning team, but we want folks to think about sharing the great things going on in eastern Iowa! Proposals are due September 29. Here is the link to submit your proposal.
(It is ok to include student presenters.)
At the 2016 ISTE conference, the ISTE standards for students were updated and released. ISTE released their Standards for Educators at this year's conference. Go take a look at the new standards and indicators here. These are great to consider as you are thinking about your own professional growth or coaching conversations.
YouTube in the Classroom
When: 9/13/17 4:40-5:30pm @GWAEA
9/20/17, 9/27/17,10/4/17,10/11/17,10/18/17 Asynchronous Online Learning
Where: Grant Wood AEA Northern Facility 4401 6th Street S.W.
Register: Course Number: 4681-17-01 Fees: $35
Credit: R- 1 Sem. Hrs.
Classy Graphics
Join Tony Vincent for an online learning experience this fall! Tony is again gathering a community of educators to explore graphic design with Google Drawings. He has plenty of techniques, tools, and examples to share. Registration closes September 22nd.
The class is six weeks and takes place September 19 through October 31, 2017. Each week Tony records a new video and posts it in Google Classroom. You decide when you’ll watch the weekly video and complete the optional assignment.
The Classy Graphics Google Classroom will be abuzz with discussions, feedback, and resources every week! Tony is offering GWAEA educators $15 discount off of registration (use the code DLGWAEA)!
Meetups on Computer Science Education
NewBoCo is taking the opportunity to host four open meetups on computer science education in Iowa following our workshops for teachers this academic year, and we would like to gather as many stakeholders as we can to build a strong CS Ed community for teachers and decision makers. We will have some organized activities, such as the Iowa CSTA chapter meetings, but the goal of these events is to bring Iowans together around this topic and discuss what is already happening and where we need to go. More information can be found on the Eventbrite pages, and we would appreciate it if you would share these opportunities with others in your network.
If you have questions contact Samantha Dahlby, K-12 Education Coordinator, NewBoCo
Teachers help select assistive technology for their students
Assistive technology has the potential to enhance the quality of life for students with learning disabilities by providing them the means to compensate for their difficulties, and highlight their abilities.
Select a video from the playlist provided by Edutopia on the power of assistive technologies. Consider starting with Understanding Assistive Technology: Simply Said for those who need a background on the basics of assistive technology. Screen your selection for a group of teachers and facilitate a discussion about the ways in which your school already integrates this type of technology as well as areas that could be improved. Remind participants of the benefits of AT whenever a potential barrier is encountered. Show the especially moving video, I Want to Say, if barriers dominate the conversation to underscore the necessity of such tools.
Read here to explore some AT suggestions to get you started.
Contact your GWAEA Assistive Technology consultant if you have questions.
Why This Matters
Teachers who are involved in assistive technology decisions feel greater ownership over the process, and they are more likely to use assistive technology in their classrooms (Bray & McClaskey, 2013).
Please contact your digital learning consultant if you are interested in getting their Brightbytes- Clarity data.
Welcome Lynn Kleinmeyer!
Save the Dates for 2017-2018
ITEC - October 15-17, 2017
Iowa 1:1 Institute - April 3-4, 2018
ITEC Eastern Student Tech Fair - May 4, 2018
About Us
Email: digitallearning@gwaea.org
Website: http://www.dlgwaea.org
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA, United States
Phone: 319-399-6700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dlgwaea
Twitter: @DLGWAEA