UCCS EdTech Tips
Your Weekly Dose of Technology in the Classroom
Welcome Back Teachers!
It's hard to believe that week 3 is already upon us and summer is a distant memory. I've been able to talk to most of you this school year and I hope you feel rejuvinated from an extra long summer vacation and ready to jump back in to this school year with enthusiasm and excitement! I was able to enjoy my summer break with my family and celebrate an amazing 10 years of marriage with my husband while also taking some time to share about all things Google at this year's CISD Camp Inspire. Here are some thoughts about Google and more. Happy Friday!
One of the sessions that I went to at the CISD Camp Inspire talked about how Google has recently changed their educator training and certification. There are now different levels of expertise that you can acquire through their Google training website. Fundamentals (Educator Level 1), Advanced (Educator Level 2), Devices, and Trainer Training. The first two courses could be very beneficial for you. Take the Fundamentals Training if you are fairly new to using Google Apps or haven't used them extensively in a very long time. Take the Advanced Training if you use Google Tools in your classroom regularly and want to dig deeper. Once you complete the training, you can choose to complete the Educator Certification to become a Certified Google Educator Level 1 or 2. Add the badge to your website, resume, portfolio, and more. Certifications are good for 24 months.
Come Join the Discussion!
We all get enough emails and it is not always easy to find what you are looking for by searching back through your mailbox and the multiple replies when dealing with group emails. One of my favorite ways to learn about new products in technology is by joining discussion boards. If I have a tech problem, I search for a discussion board online where I can read similiar posts and replies and search by category, keyword, or even date of post. I especially have found this helpful in the past year as teachers around the world have taken to Google Classroom and started to work through its strengths and weaknesses. I've given out the community address before but I highly recommend that you search the Google Classroom Community on Google+ when you are having a particular problem or follow the Google Classroom Experts panel. I thought we could try this out by creating our own Google Classroom Teachers Community! Many of you might not have ever used Google+, but it is an easy way to connect in a closed private community setting (which is how I've set up the group) where we can ask questions, share tips and tricks, and help each other as we navigate this new Google app together. Now who is going to be the first to share?!!!
Creating your own Class Website
Have you thought of creating a website for you to communicate with your parents? A place where you could post reminders, weekly spelling lists, daily specials schedules, class pictures, etc? This sounds like a lot of work, but with a little bit of work you could save yourself hours of time answering emails and making copies. Weebly is an easy and free website creation tool that allows you to drag and drop components onto your site. Start small with just a few things that you know you want to tackle and keep those going for the first marking period or semester. Come January, you might add another component or two or maybe you will wait until next school year to expand. I would be happy to run some more website buiding workshops this fall if there are teachers interested - especially at the elementary school. Fill out this form if you want to learn more.
CISD Camp Inspire - 2015 Camp Counselors
Sarah Overholt
Union City Community Schools
Technology Integration Specialist
Email: soverholt@unioncityschools.org
Website: uccstech.weebly.com
Location: 430 St Joseph St, Union City, MI, United States
Phone: 517-741-3316
Twitter: @silvertechie