Oakland Schools Digital Learning
Newsletter - March 2022
In this issue you will find
- Women's History Month lessons and resources
- Pi Day resources
- A link to an online graphing tool
- A link to a customizable spinner
- Two Brain Break activities
- A video about 10 Google calendar hacks
- Information about the Microsoft Learn Educator Center
- Links to video lessons from the Michigan Learning Channel
- Quick links to some great resources from Discovery Streaming
- A free professional learning opportunity from the Oakland Schools Digital Learning team
Please reach out if you have questions about any of the information in this newsletter.
~Laura and Vinos
Women's History Month Resources
National Women's History Museum Classroom Resources
Smithsonian - Because of Her Story
PI Day - 3.14
Pi Day Resources
- The number pi is integral to our understanding of geometry.
- Pi has uses in physics, astronomy, and mathematics.
- Pi is used in architecture and construction.
- it has been a vital part of everything from arches and bridges to the Pyramids of Giza.
- Since the exact value of pi can never be calculated, we can never find the accurate area or circumference of a circle.
These facts and more can be found at piday.org.
History of Pi
Pi Day Activities for Secondary
Try the Cutting Pi activity using string, scissors, and something circular or cylindrical to show students a physical way to divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter.
The Pi Toss activity has students tossing toothpicks to estimate pi in an unconventional manner called Buffon's Needle. This experiment shows how a random sampling of a system can yield an approximate solution.
Enhance your students' graphing skills by using Pi Graph to discover patterns in nature. Students will measure and record the diameter and circumference of various objects. After plotting the points, they should see a constant in the linear relationship between any circle's diameter and circumference.
Have students pick a number sequence that is important to them, such as their birthday or to find in the never-ending, never repeating irrational number. My Birthday in Pi will look for the sequence in the first 200 million digits of Pi in a fraction of a second.
Digital Resources
Create a Graph
Wheel of Names
Brain Breaks
Koo Koo Kanga Roo Dance Alongs
Connect 4 Jamboard Template
Google Workspace
Microsoft 365
The Microsoft Learn Educator Center
The Microsoft Learn Educator Center is a new professional development hub where educators can find courses, learning paths, education programs, and other online experiences to help them get the most out of using Microsoft 365 for teaching and learning. Product guides for all of the major Microsoft Office programs are available and so much more. If your district/school uses Microsoft 365 you definitely need to check it out.
Michigan Learning Channel
The Michigan Learning Channel (MLC) is a statewide public television partnership offering instructional content to support the education of students and to provide alternative resources for families and teachers. Designed to enrich school learning, the instructional content is aligned with Michigan’s educational standards and follows widely accepted sequences for mastering skills throughout the school year.
The lessons, generally about a half-hour each, are presented by a diverse group of educators, delivered as if the teacher is in a classroom setting. Nearly every program has supplemental educational activities and resources to build on the lesson. MLC is available via over the air TV and online. Currently the most content is available for K-5 with growing numbers of lessons for 6-8.
- Read, Write, ROAR!: "Pat-a-Cake" and "You can Make a Difference."
- Math Mights: "Break Apart Pattern Block Designs" and "Compose and Decompose Numbers to 9."
- Read, Write, ROAR!: "R-Controlled Vowels -ar and -or" and "More fun With R-Controlled Vowels -ar and -or."
- Math Mights: "Add 2-Digit Numbers and Write Equations" and "Decompose/Compose to Add."
- Read, Write, ROAR!: "Kindness and Comparing With Suffixes" and "More Comparing With Suffixes."
- Math Mights: "Compare 3-Digit Numbers Part 2" and "Order 3-Digit Numbers."
- Read, Write, ROAR!: "Friendship and Prefixes re- and un-" and "Becoming Friends and More Prefixes."
- Math Mights: "Representing Division Part 2" and "Dividing with Even Larger Numbers."
4th - 6th Grade
- Extra Credit: "Computer Science" and more.
- Story Pirates TV: "Alex Gets Spooked" and "Alex Keeps a Secret."
- Math Park: "Standard and Expanded Forms: Numbers in the Hundreds."
- Science: DIY Science Time learns about "Solar "Balloons" and the SciGirls uncover "Pedal Power."
View the full schedule for March on the Michigan Learning Channel website.
Discovery Streaming
Discovery Streaming Virtual Field Trips
Take your students into some of the world’s most iconic locations for rich and immersive learning experiences—no permission slips required!
Mars Exploration Virtual Field Trip Student Activity Guide
Mars Exploration Virtual Field Trip (Grades 6-8)
Take students to Lockheed Martin Space Systems to learn all about space exploration and the technology that makes it possible. This Studio Board will guide students on a self-paced journey through the Mars Exploration Virtual Field Trip.St. Patrick's Day Activities
Free Professional Learning Opportunity
Kahoot! Game-based Online Assessment
Kahoot is a fun, learning game made with a series of multiple choice questions that may contain images, videos, and diagrams. It works on any device with an Internet connection. The teacher displays a question and possible responses via a computer connected to a projector or other large screen display. Students respond to the questions on their own devices by tapping or clicking the shape that matches the correct answer. Correct responses and speed result in the points awarded to each player. A leaderboard can be displayed after each question if desired.
In this course you will learn to create your own Kahoots; learn to duplicate and use Kahoots made by others; learn to use Ghost Mode where students compete against their own or other classes previous scores; and learn how to create a Blind Kahoot to use as a teaching lesson.
If you would like to get started using Kahoot in your classroom or learn more about using it, sign up for this free, self-paced, online course. You will be guided, via video and text-based tutorials. It is expected that it will take 5 hours to complete the course. This includes the time you will spend using Kahoot! with your students. If you complete all of the course requirements you can apply for 5 SCECH credits ($10 fee).
Register for Kahoot! Game-based Online Assessment
Note: This course is available only to educators working in an Oakland County school.
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Oakland Schools Digital Learning Twitter posts can be found at os_edtech.
When you are posting to Twitter about things related to digital learning and educational technology, don't forget to use the hashtag #oakedtech.
Using the hashtag will help Oakland County educators, who are interested in the effective use of digital learning, to connect and better collaborate with each other.
Oakland Schools Digital Learning Consultants
Laura.Cummings@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2283
Vinos Kassab
Vinos.Kassab@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2229