Adventures in Technology
News, Tips, and Tricks From Instructional Technology
Su's Schedule Weeks March 28th-April 15th
Monday, April 4th--Office Day
Tuesday, April 5th--Flex Day
Wednesday, April 6th--Flower Mound
Thursday, April 7th--Wellington
Friday, April 8th--Timber Creek
Tuesday, April 12--Forest Vista
Wednesday, April 13th--Flex Day
Thursday, April 14th--Bridlewood
Friday, April 15th Bluebonnet
Please email me if you would like to set up an appointment!
What is Flex Time??? Flex time allows me to meet your unique needs-I go where the request is. If you'd like to take advantage of some of my Flex Time please email me!
Click here to see the whole schedule for the fourth nine weeks.
Check Out These Technology Tips, Tricks, and Ideas!
Google Maps Ideas
Google Maps, part of Google Apps For Education (GAFE), offers several options for integrating map skills into the content areas. Similar to other Google Apps, these interactive maps can be shared and created collaboratively. Creators can add pins, text, images, and web links to their map. Some of my favorite ways to use Google Maps are:
- Place famous symbols and landmarks on a map. Add pictures and some basic text to your pin.
- Pin where famous people lived, spoke, or did work that influenced the community, nation, or world.
- Pin where different animals live. Add pictures and information about animal adaptations. Compare adaptations and geography and climate.
- Pin a story setting. Place pins at all the different locations the story took place.
- Create a map based timeline using layers. Plot the locations of different technological inventions by time periods.
Green Screen Fun!
Students in Joy Hutto's second grade class recently did some work with iMovie and green screen. I've always been hesitant to do much green screen work because it just sounded so hard to me. Joy gave me the perfect opportunity to try it out and I can honestly say it's not that hard and I am sad I waited this long. Here's what we did...
- The students did some biography research and wrote a script for their video. They dressed up as their person and stood in front of a green screen. Using an iPad they were videoed reading/acting as that person. Because we were using a shared iPad, for practical purposes the same iPad was used for all the videoing.
- Joy moved all the videos into a Google Drive folder and shared the videos with her students. Again, Joy did this step because we were using a shared iPad.
- I located fair use, time period accurate images that went with each biography and placed them in a folder on Google Drive. This folder was shared with the kids.
- The students downloaded their video and the background image they wanted to use from Google Drive to a Mac Air.
- Using the Mac Air they opened iMovie and imported the background image and their video. Next, they turned on the green screen setting and saved their project.
Amelia Earhart
Davy Crockett
Sacagawea
ePortfolio Reflections
Reflection is one of the most important pieces in the ePortfolio. It gives the student the opportunity to showcase and talk about their learning and helps provide that personal connection. Having students reflect upon the work seems difficult and many times we just don't where to start. Think about applying a Workshop model; use a mini-lesson, guided practice, independent practice, and debriefing approach. Leading the class through a whole group reflection of an artifact is a great way to model the thought process involved and scaffold students as they are just starting. If you're struggling with having students reflect on the learning that accompanies the artifact, please let me know. Thanks to Heather Shorter, WZ ITF, I have several resources to help you. I am even willing to come in and model how you can get your students to write thoughtful reflections that showcase their learning, not just the artifact. Check out the samples and links below to see examples of a group reflections. These teachers are starting with group reflections and moving forward as their students gain more independence. Don't let this be something overwhelming; together you and I can make it manageable!
Synonym Word Cloud Reflection-3rd Grade
Students learned how to write a reflection on an artifact. The kids talked and I typed. Click here to read the whole class reflection.
Collaboration Reflection-1st Grade
Students learned how to write a reflection on an artifact. I facilitated a discussion while the teacher typed to record the students' thinking. Click here to read the whole class reflection.
Communication Reflection-4th Grade
Students learned how to write a reflection on an artifact. The teacher and I facilitated a discussion while I typed to record the students' thinking. Click here to read the whole class reflection.
Want to try one of these or something else out but unsure how to do it or want an extra set of hands? I'll help!
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Ways I Can Serve You
Lesson Design
Need ideas for integrating technology? Have a lesson idea and need a thinking partner? Want to ramp up the engagement on a lesson that just isn't quite right? Let me help you integrate technology and find the right tool for the learning you want your students to accomplish!
Model Teaching
Have some technology tools but can't picture how you could use them? Can't envision exactly how that technology embedded lesson would go? Ready to try some technology on your own but would like an extra set of hands and some support? Let me model teach or co-teach a lesson! Think of it as job-embedded professional development. See how the technology tool can enhance the learning process and then meet with me to explore other ways you could use this tool.
Tool Nuts and Bolts
Heard of a new instructional technology tool but don't have the time to figure it out? Thought you knew how to use a tool but now you're stuck? Contact me, I can help! I can demo and teach the ins and outs of a tool. I can provide tutorials and support videos and documents so you can be successful.
Contact Me
Contact me to set up an appointment!
Email: bruscos@lisd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/staff.lisd.net/su-brusco-wz-instructional-technology-facilitator/
Twitter: @bruscos