EdTech@NSCDS
All the Tech & Innovation News You Can Use • Issue #1
About EdTech@NSCDS
Here's the first issue of EdTech@NSCDS, an occasional newsletter for the faculty at North Shore Country Day School. Send suggestions for future issues to Lucy Gray, Director of Educational Technology, at lgray@nscds.org.
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE
Beginning the School Year With Connections: 2018
Jackie Gerstein is one of my favorite education bloggers; her posts are creative and thoughtful. Check out her recent post with concrete ideas for starting the school year about getting to know your students. Some of these ideas do NOT involve tech and could be adapted for many grade levels.
50+ Back to School Ideas, Activities and Icebreakers
Matt Miller is a former foreign language teacher and now works as a consultant. His blog is Ditch That Textbook and in this post, he has compiled practical ideas from a recent Twitter chat.
How HyperDocs Can Transform Your Teaching
Cult of Pedagogy is one of my favorite blogs. The author, Jennifer Gonzalez, also hosts a podcast. In this post, listen to her interview with the creators of the Hyperdocs phenomenon and explore the templates and resources provided. If you've mastered Google Docs and are looking for a way to organize and scaffold your teaching materials, you might find this interesting.
PRODUCTIVITY
What's New on Your iPad
Apple's YouTube channel contains several short and helpful videos on how to make the ost of your iPad or iPad Pro. Here's the full playlist and a sample video is embedded below. Find out how to use two apps at once, how to multitask, how to markup documents with an Apple Pencil, and more!
https://youtu.be/JAvwGmL_IC8
Getting Started with Google
Google for Education launched a new teacher center earlier this summer. This site contains support materials for everything Google related. See below for more details.
https://youtu.be/bQgcQNEA2Ag
GLOBAL COLLABORATION
Taking It Global
Taking It Global is an online community and platform for students and educators to engage in global projects. It is free to join, and there is no suggested age range, but it is probably more geared towards middle and upper grade students. Click here to learn more.
Flat Connections
My friend Julie Lindsay runs projects annually for teachers and kids in grades K-12. Here is her most recent flyer detailing projects that are launching soon. There is a fee involved to participate; let me know if you are interested in any of these opportunities and we can discuss this further.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Make the Most of Your Commute! 105 Podcasts You Should Check Out
Getting Smart has compiled a list of podcasts and descriptions that might appeal to educators. Make the most of your train ride or drive by selecting one that appeals to you and giving it a listen. Here's how to get started with podcasts if you're new to this media format.
Must Read! Digital Text is Changing How Kids Read—Just Not in the Way That You Think
This is an excellent article citing research on from Mind/Shift. While much is unknown about digital reading, this piece provides some food for thought on the topic. Are two different skill sets needed for print and digital reading? How do we respond to the change in kids' reading habits? How do we "help kids distinguish between the easy pleasures of some digital media, and the more complex payoff that comes when reaching the end of the Harry Potter series"?
News Alert! Coding Studio Coming to Wilmette
Codeverse just raised $10 million in seed funding and they have a studio in Lincoln Park. Two new studios will open in December in Wilmette and Naperville. (Incidentally, their SVP of Strategy is a Lab grad and has worked at Bennett Day School and Josephinum Academy.)
CONTACT LUCY GRAY
North Shore Country Day School teachers should contact Lucy Gray, Director of Educational Technology, for support with any of the following:
- Ask for suggestions for apps, conferences, and other resources via email
- Request an app or other application
- Arrange an individual coaching session
- Book Lucy for departmental or divisional PD
Email: lgray@nscds.org
Phone: (847) 881-8886
Twitter: @elemenous