Instructional Technology Update
August 2, 2021
Here We Go! 🎉 - #90
Welcome to your first Tech Tip Tuesday S'more.
Every week on Tuesday I will bring you information about helpful tools, websites, resources, or other news to help spark ideas about what you can do in your classroom to integrate technology to engage students, transform learning, or encourage collaboration.
If you have any questions, or need any help, please do not hesitate to call or email.
Click on the Image Below to Access the Gameboard
Earn 1 CPE and 1 GT Hour
👇🏻 What's New in Google Workspace 👇🏻
Google Forms
Form owners and editors can disable this feature for responders to a specific form. You may want to disable the feature on forms that are used for quizzes. To disable this feature, within Google Forms, go to settings ---> presentation ---> Restrictions ---> select "Disable autosave for all respondents".
This rollout starts August 3rd, so we may not see it until the end of August or beginning of September.
2) Google Forms will be adding 20 new font choices soon.
3) The settings menu is being simplified.
Google Docs
Add a checklist to Google Docs, click here <--- YouTube Video
Google Sites
Parent Teacher Conference will be here before we know it- October 8th. What a great way to showcase your student's growth with a Digital Portfolio. Click here for a Smore about it.
How to access? While signed into the Chrome browser, in the omni box, type in sites.google.com and then choose from the different templates you have available.
👇🏻 Google Classroom Top Tips for 2021-2022 👇🏻
👇🏻 MWISD Subscriptions Below 👇🏻
Canvas Users
Nearpod
MWISD has purchased 50 teacher licenses for Nearpod. Nearpod is an interactive tool that allows teachers to create interactive lessons in minutes. Teachers are able to choose from thousands of lessons that have been approved and accepted by Nearpod. You are able to launch lessons instantly and receive comprehensive student feedback. You are able to synchronize and control lessons across all student devices.
- Click here for all of their Nearpod Updates
- Click here to fill out a Google Form for a license
- Duplicate the lesson to Differentiate: As educators, we all know how difficult it is to create several adaptations of a lesson in the classroom; however, we know it is necessary. This idea allows you to meet remediation and enrichment needs of your students. You can launch multiple versions of a lesson with different student-paced codes and allow each student to independently work on their Nearpod lesson while you facilitate, conference with students, or work in small groups. Don't forget you can assign that specific student only within Google Classroom
- Identify Prior Knowledge: Consider giving a student-paced assessment lesson at the start of your lesson, then access the reports immediately to identify areas where students need remediation or enriched content. Then, group students into the appropriate student-paced lesson.
- Skill Centers: Create a Nearpod Student-Paced lesson built off of Skill and Drill practices, e.g., addition, subtraction, spelling, etc. Use Nearpod's timer to engage them. The Timer feature is available within open-ended questions, matching pairs, quiz, and poll.
- Student Choice Board: Inside each choice on the board, provide a student-paced code for a unique lesson.
Create a customized quiz, polls, open-ended questions, matching pairs, and more that can be used to check for students' understanding in real-time.
Distributing Resources
I would recommend this for the older classrooms. Distribute your presentation/resource with images and/or worksheets and ask the students to use the Students Notes Feature to save the presentation to their Google MyDrive to access the information later when studying for an exam or completing homework.
Homework
Students can also engage on their own time. You can provide a student-paced code and they can access the Nearpod lesson at home, or anywhere with an internet connection.
Engaging Bell Ringer:
Place a matching pairs activity at the very beginning of your lesson. It will be the first thing your student sees when they join the lesson, giving them something to work on immediately.
A Gamified Exit Ticket:
Exit Tickets and formative assessments provide valuable info on student learning. Time to Climb is the perfect solution to engage students and get immediate feedback.
Screencastify & Screencastify Submit
Screencastify is a Chrome browser extension that records your screen, face, voice, and more. To use Screencastify, find its icon in the Chrome toolbar and choose among the recording options: record a single tab in your web browser, capture all screen activity, or use your webcam to record or insert a video of yourself.
Screencastify
- Check out this video on how to download the extension.
- Screencastify Toolbar 2021
- Unlimited amount of videos you can create and unlimited time
Screencastify Editor Tool
- Click here to see the new toolbar.
- The editor text tool is more flexible. The new text tool allows you to resize text boxes, the ability to add multiple text boxes, and adjust text attributes with the new sidebar. The new sidebar allows you to: add italics, bold, and underline to your text; change background color, adjust the alignment, and adjust the size and font of your overlay text. Click here for more information.
ScreencastifySubmit
ScreencastifySubmit allows students to record on a device without having to add an extension or application. Click here for more information.
Tips for Using Screencastify
- A video should not be longer than 5 minutes.
- Create a QR code to use in your classroom for rotations. After recording the video, click share ---> QR code.
- Don't forget to put your videos into folders for organization. This will help tremendously at the end of the year when it's time to clean up our technology.
Discovery Education Experience DEX
New updates... So exciting!
DEX Professional Development
Discovery Education is hosting professional development next week during the first week students are back. Keep a look out for more Professional Development opportunities within our school district.
EdPuzzle: Travis, JH, and HS
Have questions? Please do not hesitate to ask.
👇🏻 Templates! Templates! Templates! 👇🏻
Google Slides Templates for Back to School
Follow Candace Buchanan @candytechideas, @MongelliMegan, @thegeoffwagner, and @kaciednguyn on Twitter for more of your favorite templates!
Upcoming Conferences
Kasey Bell Back to School Conference
Click here for more information.
MWISD Instructional Technology Specialist
As the Instructional Technology Specialist, I will strive to serve the academic and digital needs of our students and provide equitable opportunities to prepare students for our ever-changing global community.
I will strive to assist teachers in appropriately incorporating and implementing technology in their classroom by being available for one-on-one meetings, PLCs, staff meetings, and providing professional development that meets our teacher's technology needs.
Email: jmartin@mwisd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/mwisd.net/edtech/instructional-technology?authuser=0
Location: 906 Southwest 5th Avenue, Mineral Wells, TX, USA
Phone: 9403275124
Twitter: @janaleemartin