D90 Tech News
November 2015
iPad Updates
Grade 3-4 iPads will be collected and updated Wednesday and Thursday, December 9th and 10th. Please send helpdesk app requests by Wednesday, December 2nd and include the link from the app store so Kevin can add precisely what you want. Apps to be added so far: Researcher (for Alexandria), Scholastic News Magazine, Chrome, Brainpop, and Math Racing.
Class Tools
This is a "Cool Tool" utilized in our Dominican tech class: the Random Name Picker.
Just add the names of your students and click to spin! You will find other fun tools on this site including “Fakebook” which allows teachers and students to create imaginary Facebook pages for historical figures or literary characters. And your students would probably enjoy the Pacman quiz game. All of these and more can be found at ClassTools.net and even embedded in your website. This site uses flash, so use Chrome when visiting.
Just add the names of your students and click to spin! You will find other fun tools on this site including “Fakebook” which allows teachers and students to create imaginary Facebook pages for historical figures or literary characters. And your students would probably enjoy the Pacman quiz game. All of these and more can be found at ClassTools.net and even embedded in your website. This site uses flash, so use Chrome when visiting.
Explain Everything
Did you know that 3rd grade students created videos with the Explain Everything app using their Bat research? This time around it was more about getting familiar with the app, next time there will be a mini lesson on image attribution. A very good start! Click here to see a sample.
Padlet
Pam Moriarty's classroom is using Padlet to write about an amazing thing they learned from their reading. You can use Padlet to see what students are thinking, as an exit ticket, back channel, or as a quick way to gather and post resources for students or parents.
Quick Tip
When a student has lost his writing in google docs, you can go to View and scroll down to Revision History to see all of the editing done by that student, including missing paragraphs that might have been accidentally deleted or not saved properly to their drive.
Dash and Dot
You might have seen a friendly robot following Karrin Burns’s class down the hall. Stop by her room and see Dash and Dot in action! Learn more at www.makewonder.com.
Mystery Skype
Roxanne Bajo’s class did a practice Skype this week and will do their first real Mystery Skype next week. They began by watching this introductory video. If you are interested in doing a Mystery Skype, please let Annmarie know!
Mystery Skype Connecting Classrooms Around The World
Powerful Preview
Opening a PDF in Preview will allow you to edit it. If it is an editable PDF, you can write in the blanks. If it is not, you can add a white shape on top of it and then a text box with your changes. A website that does something similar is PDF Escape, recommended by Roosevelt Tech Specialist Lindsay Johnson. Try both and see which interface you like better the next time you have to tweak a PDF!
Seesaw
Karrin Burns, Barb Mayer, and Kelly Tanglao are using the SeeSaw app with their classrooms. This is an excellent way to share student work with parents as well as to chronicle growth.
Seesaw: The Learning Journal Overview
QR Code Kids
Student figures greeted parents in Kathryn Stasys's room during Conferences. Students made audio recordings for their parents which were then turned into QR Codes. If you would like to do this with your class for any parent event coming up, please let Annmarie know!
Field Trip Fun
Peg Donnelly's class used Educreations to show what they experienced on their trip to Morton Arboretum. Diana Neilson's class also documented their field trip and they used the Google slides. See student examples below.
Thanksgiving Tagxedos
Lori Suzuki's class created Word Clouds with Tagxedo, using vocabulary that describes the Thanksgiving holiday.
Teaching Yoga with Glogster
Ruth Soppet created a beautiful media poster on Glogster about yoga poses for her January yoga unit. Check it out!
Kudos to our Neighbors
Berwyn District 100 has been honored as having an Apple Distinguished Program. A group from D90 will be visiting in December to observe the innovative ways District 100 is using 1:1 technology to enhance student learning. Roosevelt was named as an Apple Distinguished Program last year as well.
The Hour of Code
Students will be participating in the Hour of Code in December with Elizabeth Fitzgerald during one of their library classes!
Hour of Code 2015 - WORLDWIDE
Oldie but Goodie
How do I close all of the windows that pop up after logging onto the Sox or Cubs server in the computer lab? Command + Q + W
Osmo
Don't forget, teachers can check Osmo out of our library. This could be a nice addition to literacy or math centers or Friday free choice time. Numbers is the latest addition to Osmo, joining Tangrams, Words, Newton, and Masterpiece. Feel free schedule time with Annmarie for a demo!
Osmo Numbers
Final Note
If you have seen a tech tool or project that you would like to try, please don't hesitate to schedule a time with Annmarie. Thanks!