Winter Happenings
from the Office of Instructional Technology
Professional Learning from OIT
The Office of Instructional Technology is pleased to announce Professional Learning Opportunities for APC renewal credit designed for AACPS teachers.
Check back periodically as we will add additional professional learning opportunities.
If you are no longer able to take a section, please withdraw so that others may be added to the class.
Recordings from the Everything Google Summer Professional Development are still available for APC renewal credit.
Questions? Contact Debbie Ray, dray@aacps.org
1.0 Beginner Workshops
Exploring Discovery Education
Discovery Education is so much more than videos! Participants will be guided through an introduction of the Discovery Education platform. Beginning with how to search and filter content by exploring the various categories: channels, videos, images, text and boards. How to download resources, so they can be easily embedded into a Google Slide or uploaded to Google Classroom will be covered. While exploring all that discovery Education has to offer the discussion will provide ideas for how to creatively integrate these resources into content lessons.
- January 19, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88894
- February 20, Saturday, 9:00-10:30 Section: 88895
- March 15, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88896
(New)Google Slides Made Simple
Google Slides is such a versatile tool, you can use it for just about anything. Research notes, math activities, class discussion boards and yes- interactive slide show presentations- can all be done with Slides. Learn how to take advantage of the collaborative features and modify Slides to fit the needs of your students. Attend this workshop and rethink how you can use Google’s version of PowerPoint. Time will be given for participants to create and to locate an activity to use with their students.
- March 30, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88875
(New) Minecraft: EE Level 1- How to Be a Player
In this first of two sessions on Minecraft: Education Edition, you will learn how to actually play the game. Master movement and building, and discover resources for using Minecraft with your students. Discuss use cases and ways to utilize M:EE synchronously and asynchronously as well as how M:EE can address your students' SEL needs even during remote learning.
- December 17, 4:30-7:30, Section: 88886
- January 19, 4:30-7:30, Section: 88887
- February 17, 4:30-7:30, Section: 88888
SMART Learning Suite Online (SLSO) and Google Integration
During this workshop learn how to save SMART Notebook files to your Google Drive that can be opened, edited and shared with students entirely online. Great interactive lessons, activities and assessments can be shared directly to students devices such as Chromebooks. Students can engage in the lesson content collaboratively or independently at the teacher’s pace or self-paced
- December 8, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88460
- January 16, Saturday 9-10:30, Section: 88891
- February 24, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88892
- March 16, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88893
Nearpod for Beginners
Learn how to create engaging lessons with instant feedback from your students. Participants will discover how lessons can be teacher led or student paced. During this workshop attendees will learn how to use the differentiation tools built into Nearpod to meet the needs of their students as well as leave with ideas and strategies to engage students in their lessons.
- January 14, 4:30-6:00 Section: 88858
- February 9, 6:00-7:30 Section: 88859
(New)UDL-Accessible Content
There are two kinds of accessibility tools, ones that students only have access to while they are in school, and ones that they can access for the rest of their lives. This session will focus on accessibility tools for reading, writing, math and translation tools that are truly UDL (Universal Design for Learning). They are free, have numerous features that can be toggled on and off by individuals and are in digital products in both education and productivity/office realms. Participants will leave with an understanding of how to use these tools in their instruction.
- January 12, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88883
- February 3, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88884
- March 4, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88885
(New)WeVideo Basics (4:30-6:00)
WeVideo is a video editing program available for all teachers and students in AACPS. This session is designed for beginners new to WeVideo. During this session, participants will get an overview of the WeVideo program, learn about video editing using the WeVideo editor’s Storyboard Mode, and receive guided practice for creating a short video with images, audio, and voiceover. Participants will learn how to save projects to the Google Drives for easy sharing.
- January 5, Section: 88897
- January 19, Section: 88898
- February 2, Section: 88899
- February 16, Section: 88900
Note: See Self-Paced Option Below (Space is available)
Wixie Basics and Google Integration (K-12)
Participants will learn how to make the best use of visual thinking and learning strategies to improve student success and to differentiate instruction using Wixie by assigning work based on curriculum and student needs. Time is alloted for both exploration and project creation. Attendees will explore existing activities, learn how to create new ones as well as how to assign and assess student activities. Attendees will learn best practices to locate resources and how to best use Wixie with Google Classroom.
- December 2, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88454
- January 13, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88988
- February 4, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88989
- March 9, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88990
2.0 Intermediate Workshops
(New) Engaging Presentation Tools for Students and Teachers
Do you use tools like Wixie, Nearpod, Discovery or Kahoot with your Google Classroom and Google Meets? Then you can use Microsoft tools there, too! Learn the unique features of Sway and PowerPoint to create engaging content for your students. Students can use these as well to creatively express what they are learning as authentic assessments using tools that grown ups use in "the real world".
- December 15, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88876
- January 20, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88877
- February 11, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88878
(New) Flipgrid (High School)
Flipgrid is a video conversation platform for high school students and teachers. Teachers can create question prompts (written or video) for students to record video responses. Teachers can moderate responses and choose whether or not to allow students to comment on each other’s posts.
Flipgrid has rich features for adding content to videos, allows uploading videos, screen recording and recording whiteboard or blackboard for students that don’t want to be on screen. Flipgrid is a platform rich in creativity and options like video scavenger hunts.
Flipgrid also integrates into other digital tools like Nearpod, Wakelet, Microsoft Teams and OneNote, and Google Classroom. Participants will learn how to integrate this use of flipgrid in their lessons.
- January 14, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88930
- February 16, 4:30-6:00, Section: 89931
(New) Google Drawings
Learn about one of Google's lesser know tools-Google Drawings. Google Drawings can help you create a wide range of diagrams, charts, infographics, images, visuals, graphic organizers, and flowcharts that can be used as standalone activities or embedded into other Google applications.
- January 21, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88963
- February 22, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88964
(New) Interactive Digital Notebooks (Middle and High)
Looking for a classroom tool that allows you to have multiple pieces of student work collected in one place, that they can work on over a period of time, and turn in to you in a manageable manner? Participants will create templates to build a notebook that students can work on, and add pages as needed. Interactive Digital Notebooks are applicable for virtual and traditional classrooms.
- January 11, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88965
- February 16, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88966
Intermediate Nearpod
Have you ever wondered if other applications can be used with Nearpod? During this workshop, participants will learn how to integrate the use of applications such as Discovery Education, Google Arts and Culture, National Geographic, the Online databases and others into their Nearpod lessons. Participants will learn how to integrate the use of these applications into their lessons as well as leave with ideas and strategies to engage their students in their lessons.
- Saturday, December 12, 9:00-10:30 am Section: 88442
- December 16, 4:30-6:00 pm Section: 88443
- January 26, 6:00-7:30 pm, Section 88860
- February 23, 6:00-7:30 pm, Section 88861
Jammin with Jamboard (6:00-7:30)
Learn the basics of using Jamboard. Participants will learn how to use Jamboard in a Google Meet, assigning Jamboards in Google Classroom and ways to differentiate using Jamboard.
- January 11, Section: 88852
- February 22, Section: 88853
- March 22, Section: 88854
(New) Minecraft: EE Level 2-Teaching with Minecraft
In this second session, learn what features in the Education Edition of Minecraft make this "game" ideally suited for instruction regardless of what you teach or how old your students are. (See examples from a Kindergarten teacher all the way to Undergraduate Antiquities Professor at Villanova University!) Whether you want to use Minecraft live with your students, or share copies of a world for them each to explore and create in individually or collaboratively in small groups, learn how to bring your instructional content into Minecraft, and how your students can export their work from Minecraft into your Google Classroom Assignments.
- February 2, 4:30-7:30, Section: 88890
- February 18, 4:30-7:30, Section: 88891
- March 10, 4:30-7:30, Section: 88892
(New) PDF's, Video, and Feedback Tools to Use with Google Classroom
Do you struggle sometimes getting the content provided to you in video and PDF format to your students, in ways they can consistently access and respond to? Would you like a tool that allows you to provide feedback in many different ways to meet the needs of diverse learners? Step up your game with Stream and OneNote and learn not only how to use them, but how easily you can integrate them with Google Classroom to enhance and streamline your interactions with your students.
- December 16, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88879
- January 7, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88880
- January 26, 4:30-6:30, Section: 88881
(New) Reach Them All: Accessibility & Engagement for Virtual Teaching and Learning (Elementary)
Early and struggling readers. Second-language learners. Camera-off learners.
If this sounds like your Classroom, join us to explore new resources and features of platforms you might already use that can add accessibility and engagement to our virtual teaching and learning model. Resources will include: Nearpod, Flippity Add-on, Padlet, and video/audio recording extensions and sites. Let's find a way to meet them all!
Note: Participants should have a basic understanding of Nearpod.
- January 13, 5:00-6:30, Section: 88909
- January 20, 5:00-6:30, Section: 88910
Sharing with Google Sites (4:30-6:00)
A Google Site is a creative tool for sharing information with others that is easy to set up and use. In this workshop attendees will learn what a Google Site is, how to create a Google Site and how to share information with students and families using a Google Site. Participants will also learn about the materials of instruction (MOI) process to check for websites that can be incorporated into their created Google Site.
- March 23, Section: 88864
WeVideo Intermediate (4:30-6:00)
This session is designed for participants with some WeVideo experience. During this session participants will explore WeVideo’s more advanced editing mode: Timeline Mode. Participants will learn: best practices for organizing media and projects, how to add external media, different recording methods, how to layer text, basic animation techniques, and basic audio and video adjusting. Participants will end the session by creating a GIF using WeVideo’s GIF maker.
- January 11, Section: 88901
- January 25, Section: 88902
- February 8, Section: 88903
- February 22, Section: 88904
Note: See Self Paced Option Below
3.0 Advanced Workshops
Getting Organized with Google Keep (6:00-7:30)
Get organized with Google Keep! Learn how to use Google Keep to easily take notes and integrate them in Google Docs and Google Slides. Learn how the web version and the app version work seamlessly to help you be productive. Add the Google Keep extension to take quick notes from any pdf or webpage. Teachers and students can use Google Keep to take notes and share them with others.
- January 25, Section: 88855
- March 1, Section: 88856
- April 19, Section: 88857
Participants will learn how to use tools in Forms, Sheets, Jamboard, Keep, and Slides to create differentiated instruction experiences for students. Some extensions in Google Chrome that enhance learning will be shared during this workshop. Attendees will leave with a bag of tricks to differentiate instruction with Google tools.
- February 8, 6:00-7:30, Section: 88871
- March 8, 6:00-7:30, Section: 88872
- April 26, 6:00-7:30, Section:88873
(New) Nearpod for SPED, SIST's, and ESOL
During this workshop participants will learn about the tools that Nearpod has to differentiate classroom materials, how these tools work, and how to create differentiated lessons from any subject to meet the needs of students. Attendees should have materials available to use to create a differentiated Nearpod lesson for their students.
This is not a beginner Nearpod. Participants should have Nearpod experience.
- Saturday, January 9, 10-11:30 am, Section: 88866
- February 16, 4:30-6:00, Section: 88862
- March 4, 6:00-7:30, Section: 88863
(New) WeVideo 3-Advanced (4:30-6:00)
If you are interested in learning more about some of the more advanced features WeVideo offers, this session is for you! This session is designed for participants comfortable with the basics of WeVideo. During this session, participants will learn about green screening/color keying, advanced audio and video fade techniques, spin animation, color adjustment, cropping, creating split screens, and more! Participants will end the session by creating a short video using several advanced techniques.
- January 12, Section: 88905
- January 26, Section: 88906
- February 9, Section: 88907
- February 23, Section: 88908
Note: See Self Paced Option Below
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APC Renewal Credit Self-Paced Courses/Workshops and Self-Paced 1 HR Workshops
e-Learning Google Forms (Self-Paced)
September 8, 2020- May 31, 2021
Section 88328
2 hrs to complete
Google Forms is an awesome survey tool, but did you know it can also be used to create self-graded assessments? With Forms teachers can set up the assessment, share it with students through Classroom and then easily import and share scores so students receive instant feedback on how they are doing.
Participants will investigate how Google Forms can be used to create self-graded assessments shared through Google Classroom. Topics covered during this session will include:
Writing questions
Importing questions
Tips for form set-up
Making it a quiz
Setting up the answer key
Adding feedback
Self-graded vs manual grading
Settings for quizzes
Sharing through Classroom
Viewing students responses
Generating a spreadsheet
Organizing the spreadsheet
Importing scores into Classroom
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Google Earth (Self-Paced)
October 8-May 31, 2020
Section 88523
1 hour to complete
In this course attendees will learn:
How to navigate Google Earth using the toolset
How to add additional features and customize options in the menu
About the Voyager stories feature
How teachers and students can use the I’m Feeling Lucky tool
How teachers and students can create their own Voyager stories using the Projects feature
About the Measurement tools
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Google Suite for EDU: Drive and the Big 3 (Self-Paced)
October 8, 2020- May 31, 2021
Section 88524
5 hours to complete
In this course attendees will learn:
the importance of the Chrome browser for optimizing the performance of their Google Suite
how to create and organize their Google Drive
the most versatile of the creation apps for education known as "the Big 3"
how to share folders and files, and how to use Shared Drives
additional tips for getting the most out of Google, like advanced search tips and Priority Workspaces.
Attendees will work through each of the 5 sessions at their own pace in the Blackboard platform. As they complete each session they will select Mark Reviewed to unlock the next session. Once all sessions are complete, there is a course assessment that needs to be completed with a 100%; multiple attempts are allowed.
At the end of the course, participants will be asked to describe how they will apply the tools that they learned into their instructional planning and how they can use these tools to increase student engagement in lessons.
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Google Suite for EDU: Intro to Classroom (Self-Paced)
October 8, 2020-May 31, 2020
Section 88525
5 hours to complete
In this course attendees will learn:
- How to set up and customize a class for the first time
- How to post and manage announcements on the Stream
- How to make and manage discussion questions
- How to use assignments of different kinds
- How to grade and provide feedback on student assignments
- Tips for ensuring Classroom success
- How to navigate the menus and customize the
settings
- What is different in the student view
Attendees will work through each of the 8 sessions at their own pace in the Blackboard platform. As they complete each session they will select Mark Reviewed to unlock the next session. Once all sessions are complete, there is a course assessment that needs to be completed with a 100%;multiple attempts are allowed. At the end of the course, participants will be asked to describe how they will apply the tools that they learned into their instructional planning and how they can use these tools to increase student engagement in lessons.
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Nearpod from Newbie to Pro Self-Paced Course
August 27-June 30, 2021
Section: 77894
3 hours to complete
Nearpod is a student engagement platform that takes your teacher-centered presentation to a student-centered learning experience. In this course you will learn how to take your existing content in Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint and add Nearpod activities, or start from scratch. There are also 10 different activity types, like Quiz, open-ended question, matching, fill-in-the-blank, the UDL-friendly Draw-It, and Time-to-Climb, a Kahoot-like game. You will learn to launch live, teacher-led lessons and also student-paced asynchronous lessons. You can share both style lessons to both Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams. Brand new to Nearpod for Fall 2020 is EDpuzzle-like functionality. That means you can add questions to different points in a video. Your students watch on their own device, and the video stops until they answer the question! You can use Nearpod for single activities, for warm-ups and exit tickets, but Nearpod really shines as a platform for your entire lesson.
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Paper to Digital Self-Paced Course 1 hr
September 14, 2020- May 31, 2020
Section: 88368
1 hour to complete
In this course attendees will learn:
What the Paper to Digital website is and the inspiration behind its creation
How to use the By Projects menu options
How to use the By Apps menu option
The purpose behind the Variations on Projects page
Tips for providing digital feedback in different applications
Frequently asked questions of visitors to the Paper to Digital website
Attendees will work through each of the 6 sessions at their own pace in the Blackboard platform. After they read the material and/or watch the video for a session they will select Mark Reviewed to unlock the self-assessment for that session. Self-assessments are set to require a participant to earn 100% before the next session will unlock; unlimited attempts are allowed for assessments. Once all sessions and self-assessments are complete, participants will be asked to describe how they will apply the tools that they learned into their instructional planning and how they can use these tools to increase student engagement in lessons.
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WeVideo for Instruction a Self-Paced Course
September 14, 2020-March 31, 2021
Section 88370
3 hours to complete
In this course attendees will learn the basics of using WeVideo’s Storyboard and Timeline modes to record and edit videos to create engaging video lessons and interactives for their students. Attendees will work through each of the 3 sessions at their own pace in the Blackboard platform. As they complete each session they will be required to complete a self-assessment in order to unlock the next session. At the end of the course participants will be asked to describe how they will apply the tools that they learned about into their instructional planning and how they can use these tools to increase student engagement in lessons.
This workshop is designed to be self-paced and at minimum will take 3 hours to complete.
For more information about these self-paced courses, contact Tracey Brown, tebrown1@aacps.org
Register for these Self-Paced Courses on Unified Talent.