OS Tech Integration
March and April Edition
What Can a Whole School Get From a Twitter Account?
A whole school can use Twitter to share great things. While admin and educators are part of a school, they are not the WHOLE school. A website is great to have and a necessity but how many people actually check a school website daily? Twitter is a way to reach the school community constantly with information, successes and reminders. Anderson recommends that a school Twitter account be a "one way stream" rather than an account that engages with others. No one should know who is tweeting or the "school voice." According to Twitter, tweets get 70% more engagement if they involve a picture. When tweeting pictures, keep in mind proper permissions and consents. Twitter is not the only social media tool that schools should be using. Google+, Instagram, and Facebook are other great avenues. Keeping up on more than one social media account may seem like a daunting task, but free tools such as "IF" can make this very simple.
Take a Look!
Plickers- This formative assessment tool is very easy to use and doesn't require any student devices! Teachers create classes and questions. Students are given a paper/card with a code. To answer questions, students hold their paper/card a certain way and the teacher scans all of them with the Plickers app on a mobile device. Results are then displayed in real time on the main screen!
News-O-Matic- Free app for iPhone or iPad. A daily newspaper for kids! Presented like a newspaper, this app provides five stories a day and endless lesson possibilities.
Quizizz- This was the buzz at MACUL this year! Use public quizzes or create your own. Quizizz is a free multiplayer quiz game where students can review together. Two separate classes can also review together.
Prodigy- Kids love this web-based adaptive math practice designed to look like a video game. Prodigy, geared towards 1st-8th grade students, differentiates instruction, is aligned with the Common Core and FREE! I heard from one 3rd grade teacher that his students absolutely love Prodigy and complete close to one hundred math questions a night! Wow!
YouTube Kids- This free app available in the App Store and Google Play is designed for kids five and under. With YouTube Kids, navigation is simple for the little ones. This app provides age appropriate videos, channels, playlists, popular children's programs and other great content.
Modern Chalkboard- A great resource for elementary teachers filled with Smart Board lessons available for use!
Teachers Guide for iPad- This app ($3.20), created by a teacher for teachers, provides over 500 lesson activities using the iPad across all age groups and curriculum areas. Less app suggestions, more lesson ideas! If this app seems like a great resource for many, it can be purchased through the Apple Volume purchase program in bulk for half price.
Free Virtual Field Trips from Discovery Education
Take a visit to a new place without leaving your classroom!
April 23rd- Live from the Farm: Technology, Soil and More (Middle School)
May 6th- Inspiring Entrepreneurs (High School)
May 13th- Auschwitz: The Past is Present Virtual Experience (High School)
All virtual field trips begin at 1:00pm ET. Click HERE for more info and to register.
Free Webinar- TFK talks to Jane Goodall
1:00pm
Grades K-6
Students will hear from Dr. Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist and founder of both the Jane Goodall Institute, a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitat, and Roots & Shoots, an international environmental and humanitarian youth program. Goodall will report on efforts to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment we all share.
Click HERE for more information and to register!
Classroom Fundraising
April is National Poetry Month
ReadWorks has a selection of famous poems arranged by grade level.
BoomWriter has put together poetry vocabulary sheets and lesson plans.
Poetry Foundation- Many great resources for Poetry Month. Also a free mobile app for iOS and Android. The Poetry Tours look pretty cool.
Word Mover- A free iPad and web-based app by ReadWriteThink. Users are given a selection of words to encourage writing poetry and short stories.
Scholastic has "Everything You Need" for Poetry Month!
This Symbaloo Webmix has some great resources that you can check out. You can also add this webmix to your Symbaloo account or embed this webmix on your classroom website.
Winding Down After M-STEP
Flextangles- Educational paper toys!
colAR- Go to this website to download and print coloring sheets. Using the colAR app on the iPad, hover the device over the coloring sheet. Watch the coloring sheet come to life with augmented reality!
Need Some Google Help?
Royal Oak
Clawson
Clarenceville
Technology Integration Specialist
Oakland Schools
(248) 978- 2654
allyson.dewar@oakland.k12.mi.us
@dewcmu