LC21
Supporting 21st Century Classrooms in La Canada
Can Your Students Spot Fake News?
Close reading of informational texts is an integral part of the state standards, and in today's uncertain media landscape, all students (and adults) need training to verify if messages are credible. I found some some great resources, below, that include some great lesson plans and ideas to help you teach a very 21st Century skill. As testing wraps up, these could be very valuable lessons for students--contact David if you need support.
Starting at Glowing Rectangles: Too Much?
You may have seen the recent headlines announcing that increased screen time is not as detrimental to children as was once thought. That's what the research says, but I admit I have a tough time seeing young people staring at screens all day long, at the expense of what we adults would call "normal" socialization.
In the Edutopia article below, the author speaks of a need for our students to have "inner focus," "other focus," and "other focus," and that quality of on-screen interactions is of utmost importance. She write: "If we consider the skills of focusing on ourselves, tuning in to others, and understanding the larger world as a framework for our thinking, imagine how the conversation about screen time could shift away from the amount of time spent with devices and toward how students might use them to become more productive citizens in a networked and global society."
Use Sheets to Create Individual Rubrics for Students
Some of our English and History teachers at 7/8 have used a tool called Goobric, and some have tried out OrangeSlice. Both have their benefits, but aren't very user-friendly.
Here's a new tool developed by Alice Keeler that might just be the one that will catch on here in LCUSD. Check it out on the link below, and contact David if you'd like to try it out in class. If these tools save you precious time while still giving your students quality assessment, then any app you use can be valuable.
Cool Activities Made Even Better With Tech
What's New in the Tech World?
Upcoming Professional Growth Opportunities
Tech Summer Camp for Grownups!
You've probably heard from your colleagues about the Google camps LCUSD hosted last year, and you've probably seen a few teachers and staff who proudly post their Certified Educator badges in their classrooms and email signatures.
If you want to sharpen your skills, join your fellow LCUSD educators at our 2017 camps. Whatever your skill level, you'll get individualized help from the tech staff, great new ideas from your colleagues, and lots of time to explore the Google Apps and apply them to your classroom. Learn how tools like Docs, Slides, Sheets, Gmail, Calendar, Youtube, Sites (and more) will help streamline your work, engage your students, communicate with parents, and take your practice to the next level. Camp sessions meet for 3 hours per day for 5 days. Each day, you’ll join your colleagues for a fast-paced (but laid-back) session to learn and apply your new knowledge to real-world activities. On the fifth day, you’ll have the opportunity to take the Google Level 1 Certification exam.
If you already have your Level 1 Certification and want to really expand your horizons, join us for the Level 2 camp. We have a lot in store for this group, and we'd love to have you join us as our pioneering group of Level 2 campers.
Google Certified Educator Level 1 Camp Sessions (SIGN UP HERE)
Dates: June 12th-16th
Time: 9am-12pm
Dates: June 12th-16th
Time: 2pm-5pm
Dates: July 17th-21st
Times: 9am-12pm
Dates: July 17th-21st
Time: 2pm-5pm
Google Certified Educator Level 2 Camp Session (Sign Up Here)
Dates: June 19th-23rd
Time: 2:00pm-5:00pmArcadia Innovation Summit
If you're looking for something more local, and FREE, don't miss the Arcadia Innovation Summit on January 23, 2017, at Arcadia High School. You'll see a lot of familiar faces from local schools among the 650 attendees, plus, if you have some innovative practices that could benefit other teachers, this is a great place to present. The Call for Presenters opens February 13.
Registration to attend just opened, but it fills up fast. Take 30 seconds to sign up today to reserve your spot!
Learn more here: http://www.arcadiainnovationsummit.com/