CPP Technology Today
A Communication of the CPP Technology Committee - Vol 3.6
In This Issue
News and Information
- Professional Development Updates
In Our Schools
- CPPMS Robotics Competition - by Carrie Howe
Libray Media Update
- Elementary Library Curricula Supports Tech Skills Development - by Kathleen Rapisarda
Resources Spotlight
- Did You Know that You Can Use Google Slides to Make a Poster? Well, You Can! - by Jennifer Taylor
- Collaboration and Content Mastery with Quizziz - by Bryan Kelley
District Technology: People, Places and Things:
- Technology Committee Members
- BITS Team Instructional Technology Support
- Tech Website Moves to Google Sites
Tuesday, Mar 20, 2018, 10:00 AM
undefined
Professional Development: Opportunities
- Q/A with Google Slides - CPPMS Library, 3:15
- Open Lab - Bring Questions! - CPPMS Library, 3:15
Online PD:
- The pilot online PD class on Google Sites is available. Check out the Staff Development page of the Technology Website (linked below)
In Our Schools
CPPMS Robotics Competition
CPPMS Robotics Club Competition
By Carrie Howe
Corning Painted Post Middle School students participated in the robotics competition held at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Big Flats, New York on January 17th 2018. Students from grade 6, 7 and 8 participated in this competition led by adviser Mrs. Lindstrand. Students prepared by working together to construct and create code for their robots. Students worked on creating codes for courses that would be present at the competition. All courses were known to students except one hidden course presented the day of the competition.
Once at the Wings of Eagles students unloaded their robots, reviewed their materials and received the one course that was kept secret until the day of competition. Teams worked together to quickly code and prepare for this course. Each team received time on each course to test their skills and compete against other robots from other schools. Each team was interviewed by a STEM team member present to evaluate the overall groups preparedness and knowledge of how coding instructs robots to perform tasks. Devin Bower, grade 7, said in his interview that “to communicate our teams vision and process was important. Our vision helped to guide our coding and the construction of our vex/lego robotic creation. Overall we were successful in our mission. I look forward creating new robotic codes in the spring.” This interview gave the evaluators insight into the process students participated in prior to competition.
The evening ended with student awards a robotic dance off! All teams created a robotic dance to music. Watching robots dance to music like the National Anthem and "Keyboard Cat" was exciting and brought smiles to the faces of many students that understand coding.
In the end our CPPMS students took home many awards. Congratulations to our teams that were award ribbons in the following areas: CPPMS teams 1 and 9 took 2nd and 3rd in the Individual course, CPPMS teams 2, 5 and 9 took 3rd place in the collaborative course, CPPMS teams 5 and 9 took 2nd in the overall course competition and CPPMS team 2 took 2nd for the Science Fair category. Congratulations to all middle school students that worked very hard since September to compete in this competition. Students plan to take a break and pickup coding robots in the spring!
Collaboration and Content Mastery with Quizziz
By Bryan Kelley
The revelation that students are taking a quiz on a given topic is generally met with an audible chorus of sighs and crossed looks. What if I told you that, as a teacher, you can assess the same objectives by having students create their own quizzes and allow their classmates to take them? If you ask any administrator which of the APPR rubric domains are the most difficult for teachers to attain a “4” in, they will tell you “Most certainly 3B.” That particular section of the rubric deals with students developing their own questions and leading class discussions. As we move closer to changes in the NYSED curriculum and state exams, the ability for students to develop questions is becoming even more important. Students are able to clarify learning and develop deeper understanding by determining key ideas and developing questions. The student to student engagement in sharing and play each other’s quizzes is also a nice added layer in collaborative learning.
Meet Quizizz
Quizizz is a web-based application that allows teachers and students to create a game-like quiz. Much like Kahoot, Quizizz offers an engaging presentation of the traditional multiple choice quiz format. Played 1:1 or as an entire class, it can be much more engaging than the more traditional pen to paper approach. It also provides instant feedback for teachers and students.
Q: “Wait a minute, you told me you had something new to share. It is hardly new to have students create their own quizzes.”
A: Sure, this sort of activity has been around since math teachers cleaned old erasers over a fancy pull down on the board to make graph paper….however 1:1 devices and a platform like Quizizz allows for the activity to be more engaging and promotes collaboration between students in the class that does not involve collecting student work, making multiple copies and redistributing in class another day. This sort of thing can be done in as little as twenty minutes. As students complete their short quizzes, they can then assign them by sharing a join code (on Google Classroom or even on a sticky note). Other students in the class, including the teacher, can take each other’s quizzes. The leaderboards allow for some healthy competition. If your students are like mine, some will make it a personal goal to try and create a quiz that stumps the teacher. Of course, the excitement over that game is short-lived when you remind them that you can do that too on real quizzes and tests! Bottom line, Quizizz is an opportunity to engage kids with a meaningful activity that replaces its more mundane predecessor...so see belowfor a quick “how-to” that will get you up and running quick.
Q: “Is that all Quizizz is good for?”
A: Of course not. You can opt to create your own quizzes and assign them to your Google Classroom, or write the join-code on the board for students to join in. You skip the steps of students creating questions and interacting with each other’s quizzes, however there is still value in conducting a whole class game (like Kahoot) or allowing them to play 1:1 and compete against each other. At the end of the day if given the choice between playing a quiz game or engaging in the thought process of organizing learned-objectives into questions to try and stump their classmates, I would assume students will choose the latter. Give it a try, you just might be surprised. Students are also able to repeat quizzes, if permitted, so that they can beat their own past score, thereby achieving extra practice with skills and content.
Once they’re done, they’ll need to “Assign as Homework.” Once they click “Assign” they will be given a six digit class code. With Google Classroom, I ask them to copy that code into the public comments on the assignment post. Their classmates can then visit join.quizizz.com and enter the code. Students (and teacher) can play each other's quizzes. This is the collaboration part. Leaderboards will track successes, and the little dose of competition usually piques their interest.
Libray Media Update
Elementary Library Curricula Supports Tech Skills Development
By Kathleen Rapisarda
Elementary Libraries have their own library curriculum which is integrated with technology features. The first trimester we are reviewing and introducing new components on how to use the library. In January we start research components which lend themselves easily to using many technology tools.
3rd grade animal reports are created using databases such as World Book Online and selected websites to gather information. Then the information is presented using typing skills and Google Slides. Skills learned include how to cut, paste, copy, insert and save to a selected location that can be accessed easily.
4th grade researches topics such as the American Revolution or Colonial trades in conjunction with a unit module. 5th grade researches Athletes who have overcome an obstacle to succeed in their field which also goes with their unit module. 2nd grade begins research by doing cockroaches in connection with their insects unit.
Topics of digital citizenship, plagiarism and copyright are woven into the curriculum as well, to ensure that students are able to responsibily utilize online tools..
Resources Spotlight
Did You Know that You Can Use Google Slides to Make a Poster? Well, You Can!
Fifth graders at Severn Elementary are making posters to fulfill a requirement for informational writing, but in a fun way! They are reading a biography about a person of their choice and creating their personalized posters using text boxes, images, shapes and lines on a Google Slide. Students will use features of nonfiction in this project with captions, diagrams, subheadings, labels, etc. Since they have already been instructed as to how to use Google Slides in fourth grade, they are utilizing those techniques to create their own posters.
District Technology Updates: People, Places and Things
Technology Committee
Lindsay Ayers
George Bacalles
Bill Cameron
Michelle Caulfield
Michael Clarke
Karen Cleary
Ann Collins
Jerry Dieg
Michael Gill
Jennifer Haischer
Kerry Elsasser
Carrie Howe
Staci Johnson
Bryan Kelley
Sharon Kendrick
Rachel Ketchum
June Keuhn
Kelley Louthan
Jeffrey Marchionda
Martie Marks
Peggy Marsiglio
Joseph Melanson
Jill Mertus
Vivian Munoz
Lori Pruyne
Kathleen Rapisarda
Heather Schupp
Colin Sinko
Shari Smith
Meghan Stewart
Jennifer Taylor
Nicole Walsh
Heather Wolfe
BITS Team - Instructional Technology Support
The 2016-2017 school year saw the start of a pilot program, through which identified teachers at all district buildings provided other teachers with advice and assistance with instructional technology, held professional development sessions, and helped share resources and support for instructional technologies. These Building Instructional Technology Support (BITS) team members are back this year, with more offerings and opportunities.
BITS concentrations will be on providing PD, assisting with implementing technology in the classroom, and implementing technology literacy skills into the content curriculum. Any hardware-related issues should still be referred to IT, with requests sent in by emailing helpdesk@gstboces.org.
BITS representatives in each building include:
Carder – June Keuhn and Stacie Johnson
Gregg – Colin Sinko and Rachel Ketchum
Erwin Valley – Jen Haischer and Peggy Marsiglio
Severn – Jen Taylor and Karen Cleary
Smith – Mike Clarke, Jill Mertus and Lindsay Ayers
Winfield – Kathy Rapisarda and Shari Smith
CPP HS – Bryan Kelley and Joe Melanson
CPPMS - Two positions, to be announced!
District - Lori Pruyne
Updates From Tech Services
CPP Tech Support News
Google Won't Remember Me!
by Jerry Dieg
Over the past week we have had a number of inquiries about Google Chrome forgetting passwords and logon information that was supposed to be saved.
I believe we have found the issue and corrected it. Google should now remember site data.
If you are still experiencing the issue, please do the following:
- Click the menu in the upper right (3 dots)
- Choose “settings”
- Scroll all the way to the bottom and click “Advanced”
- Under “Privacy and Security” click “Content Settings”
- Then “Cookies”
- Then make sure the slider next to “Keep local data only until you quit your browser” is pushed to the left (off)
Newletter Information
Email: lpruyne@cppmail.com
Website: sites.google.com/cppasd.com/cpptechnology
Location: CPPASD