techUpdate
Wright City Technology Integration Information
This Week's techTip
Let's start with Google Classroom and some new features. There is a new extension, "Share to Classroom" that will allow the teacher and the student to share websites directly from the website. In the past, the teacher would have to build the assignment within classroom then attached the web link. Now when you are designing a lesson and want to use a specific website you can use the "Share to Classroom" extension and design the assignment from the site. Additionally, students can do the same thing. As an example, when working on research the student can share a website directly to the teacher or to others in the class. (This feature is only available to students IF the extension is put on their device.) Another feature is the ability to post questions and to reuse assignments. When posting questions, the teacher can allow students to reply to other student's responses in the class or to only post to the teacher. This is a great way to post an exit question, collaborate on a KWL, or get the class thinking about an upcoming lesson. Finally, the best feature added to classroom is the "reuse" tab. This allows the teacher to reuse any assignments used in the past and post as a new assignment to the same class or a different class.
What's new with Google Docs, Forms and Sheets? To start Google has added templates to Docs. This feature is much like what is offered through Microsoft Word. It provides predesigned templates. Also, it allows you to create and save templates that you use on a regular basis. Google has also added the feature of "voice to text" within Docs. The concept is to allow for note taking and dictation. However, I am not sure how this could work logistically in a classroom setting but, none the less, a new feature. Another feature is located in Sheets. In the bottom corner Sheets has an "explore" tab that when clicked will pull up data tables for the entire sheet or you can highlight one area to view specific data in one area. Lastly, there is the option to customize the look and layout of Google forms. This allows you to personalize a form beyond the customary templates.
As Google continues to grow and change I encourage you to explore the new features they have to offer. Follow the link below to techNation to see tutorial videos on many of these new features!
The High School's Technology Focus
The Middle School's Technology Focus
The Elementary Schools' Technology Focus
Additionally, teachers are reaching out and learning ways to enhance their technology skills through the scheduling of one-to-one meetings with the district Technology Integration Facilitator. Teachers are learning how to use Google Forms to collect individual student data. Additionally, teachers are learning new Google Extensions such as "Readability" and "Read and Write for Google".
Where are We?
1:1 Initiative for the High School 2016-2017
The overall purpose of touring local schools is to see what did and didn't work, the process they followed and get a visual of the 1:1 process in action with teachers and students. The goal is to tour at least 3-4 school districts. Later, down the road the team would like to narrow our focus to a specific school that implements the 1:1 in a way that we would like Wright City to look. Once this is established, the team would like to include another group consisting of Wright City High School staff to attend an on site tour as well.
Your questions are welcomed and needed! Attached is a Google Doc for anyone to collaborate and add questions for the team to ask the hosting schools.
Technology as a TOOL
Additional Wright City techTips
Archived and additional tech tips can be located at the Wright City techTip Google Site.
Email: dawn.hickman@wrightcity.k12.mo.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/wrightcity.k12.mo.us/techtips/home
Location: 90 Bell Road, Wright City, MO, United States
Phone: (636)745-7567
Twitter: @TechEleader