#EMSISDITS Tech Talk
Techy Talk for Teachers
- TCEA 2021 take-aways
- Assessment strategies for online and hybrid classrooms
- STAAR Online Testing App in the software center
- Remove ads from YouTube without 3rd party apps
- Page Rollbacks in Canvas
- Calm comes to Nearpod
- Breakout Rooms in Teams are here!
TCEA 2021
Bob's Takeaways
Researcher in Microsoft Word- Now students can do research without ever having to leave their document. Researcher was recently added to the Word app. Researcher is located in the References section. When clicked, students can search for any topic. They are given numerous resources pertaining to the topic that can be added to their paper along with the citation. It's a one stop shop for research!
Wordwall for review- Looking for an engaging way for students to review you content? Wordwall is a great choice. This application has numerous interactive activities such as Flip tiles, Whack-a-mole, Gameshow quiz, and much more. All you have to do in enter your content and share the link out with your kids. This application works across all devices and is free to create up to 5 resources. Plus you have access to all of the premade resources in the Wordwall community.
How to find apps for your iPads- The Apple app store is massive and often difficult to search. Fortunately, there are search engines that make finding the right apps much easier. Here are the top two search engines.
- www.find.io- This engine will also search for music, movies, TV, books and podcasts in the store
Want to find the best free apps? Here how-
- www.iosnoops.com- This site will find apps that are either on sale or free. It searches and gives results daily for the best free and discounted apps.
- www.appadvice.com/apps-gone-free- This site will show you a short list of free apps every day.
Want to get a curated list of educational app? Look no further.
- ipedagogy wheel- This is a list of iOS apps sorted into Blooms categories
APRIL'S TAKEAWAYS
Mindful Moments
Schedule a daily dose of calm to beat the stress of pandemic pandemonium! Here are some helpful ways to enhance the social and emotional learning of your students so they are ready to tackle life's little hiccups. Don't forget to try some of these for yourself - we can all benefit from a little extra self-care these days!
- Connect with nature - take a daily walk outside, let light in, nurture plants in the classroom
- Provide healthy distractions - stress balls, fidget gadgets, mini-games (like you find at Cracker Barrel), Play-doh. Affordable classroom sets can be found at Oriental Trading to provide one per desk and eliminate sharing supplies.
- Exercise - chair yoga/dancing, headphone dance party, socially distanced movement breaks (freedom to move inside my 6 feet)
- Meditation - slide show of serene images with calming music/nature sounds or live animal streaming during independent work time
Quality Instructional Videos
There are two HUGE reasons to incorporate instructional videos into your classroom! 1. Time - you'll have more time during class to actually talk with your students, check for understanding, listen to their problem-solving. 2. Access - students and parents will be able to see you, hear you, watch at their own pace, access learning on-demand. What makes a great instructional video?
- Planning - over half of your time creating a video should be focused on planning. Intro/hook? What to share? Closing?
- Break up Your Content - instead of one long video, consider smaller chunks for optimal attention span. The "sweet spot" is between 3-7 minutes.
- Production Value - make sure to face a light source, not bright behind you; make sure your camera lens is clean and you are centered within the frame; you will always get better sound quality recording with a microphone or headset mic
- Tools for Creating Video Content - WeVideo is free for educators but allows a limited number of videos per month. Flipgrid Shorts is SUPER easy to use and all teachers already have a Flipgrid account. Just sign in using your Microsoft 365 login. Loom is free for educators and allows unlimited videos of up to 45 minutes.
- Know Your Permissions - do you have permission to share student/teacher images, names, work? Protect yourself and your kiddos!
What if you get pushback from learners? When we change the norms of traditional instruction, it will make some uncomfortable, but KEEP GOING! Research supports moving instruction to more student-centered strategies will boost engagement in the long run and provide flexibility to the learning experience.
Assessment strategies for distance and hybrid classrooms
- Conferencing: This can be done one-on-one or in a small group. The benefits of conferencing are numerous. Not only is it a great way to build relationships with your students, it also provides an opportunity for immediate feedback and correction/reteaching, if necessary. It is a great way to get a clear and concise snapshot of what students know and don't know.
- Higher order thinking assignments: The great thing about this strategy is that it can hit multiple skills at once and gives students the opportunity to use higher order thinking skills throughout the project/assessment. These types of assessments can include presentations, multimedia projects, and/or collaborative activities where students create an artifact or product for analysis.
- Digital quizzes: Digital quizzes are great! They provide instant feedback, they are easy to create, and it is graded automatically. These assessments lend themselves well to online learning, because the quiz can be given across various platforms without the need for programs or special equipment.. Some our favorite online assessment tools include Microsoft Forms/quizzes, Nearpod, Quizzizz, TEAMS, and Canvas.
- Digital writing discussions: Using the document sharing feature in Office 365, you can observe the progress of, and comment on, a student's written work in real time or asynchronously. This type of feedback is powerful because it gives your students the feedback they need right when and where they need it.
Gray, K. (2020, November 19). 4 Assessment Strategies for Distance and Hybrid Learning. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-assessment-strategies-distance-and-hybrid-learning
STAAR Online Testing App
Remove Ads, comments and suggested videos easily without any 3rd party Apps
Need HELP?
Between the Technology Helpdesk, Eduphoria Tickets, and the IT Office, it's sometimes a bit confusing to know where to turn for help. THIS DOCUMENT provides different ways to reach out for support.
Please do NOT share this link or document with students, as we want to avoid having students or families joining our online IT Office, which is designed for staff only.
Page rollbacks
Calm comes to Nearpod
Top Nearpod campuses and users in our district
Top Secondary Schools Using Nearpod
1. Chisholm Trail High
2. Prairie Vista Middle
3. Marine Creek Middle
Top Elementary Schools Using Nearpod
1. Comanche Springs
2. Chisholm Ridge
3. Gililland
Nearpod Certified Educators in the EMSISD
Mallory Pearcy at Bryson
Leslie Miears at Ed Willkie
Morgan Leal at Highland
Denisha Ivy at Wayside
Bob Eikenberry in Instructional Tech
Sasha Beavers in Instructional Tech
Use subtitles during your TEAMS meetings
Breakout rooms are here- Hooray!
Seesaw at PES
Minecraft at GES
Making sweet music at BES
Tech day at GES
Whiteboard .chat at CSES
Celebrating our guest teachers at BHS
We can help!
Need help planning a blended lesson? Do you need an extra hand while tackling a technified lesson with your students? Are you ready to add some technology to your classroom but don't know where to start? The #EMSTechsperts are here to support you! Contact your Campus IT today!
Contact Us
Follow the team:@emsisdits
Ricky: @rickygode | Scott: @scottboiles
Jeni: @jlo731 | Sallee: @salleeclark
Bob: @bobeikenberry | Jennifer: @jenniferprince
Jason: @lumberaggie | Emily: @EKillen817
Sasha: @SashaLBeavers | April: @DigitalDunning
Cindy: @tuckertech
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