Tech Snacks
Byte-Sized Treats to Transform Learning 9.10.19
Did You Know?
Fayette County provides databases for student research that are appropriate for each grade level. At the elementary level, we have Kids Infobits. At the middle school level we have Gale in Context: Middle School and at the high school level we have Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints. Each of these resources should already be linked on your school’s media center website for your students to access. These resources provide a solid research base for students that can also be connected to their Google Drive folder so they can save articles, or share them as content or assignments via the Canvas learning management system. These are great resources for students to use in the classroom and at home. Check with your library media specialist if you have questions, need passwords for home access or want to know how to best use these great resources!
Sides Templates with SlideGo
BeeLine Reader
Has this ever happened to you? You are reading a book, and at some point you have trouble transitioning from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. I usually encounter this when the lines of text are long, the print is small, and/or when I am way too sleepy to be reading! For the average reader, this can be frustrating; for our lowest readers, this can be defeating. So, what do you do? You make a beeline for well, er, uh...BeeLine Reader. Yep, BeeLine Reader helps you to read on-screen text and to transition from one line to the next. BeeLine Reader uses an “eye-guiding color gradient” to direct your eyes from one line of text to the next. BeeLine also boasts case studies where reading fluency and reading comprehension are both improved when using the reader. Wanna give it a try? Install the BeeLine Reader by visiting the Chrome Webstore.
Example of BeeLine Reader
Speak to Go
Google is always listening. Why not have your students tell Google a place they would like to see? With Google’s experiment called, Speak to Go, they can do just that. With just one click the microphone activates and students can speak their destination. A 360 degree image of that location pops up and they are in! It’s that easy! Speak to Go works on any device with a microphone through the web browser. If you have VR devices, try out the VR Headset mode for a more immersive perspective. Use it to investigate foreign lands, to generate a story starter, or to use descriptive language to explain a mystery location.
Instructional Technology PD
Ready for engaging professional development sessions geared towards implementing technology into your classroom? We have over 40 sessions ready for you! Just hop on over to mylearningplan.com, and click on ACTIVITY CATALOGS and DISTRICT CATALOG in the left hand menu. Type the word TECHNOLOGY in the search bar to locate and register for your choices.
Would you like to work toward your Google Educator Level 1 or Level 2 Certification? This year the Office of Instructional Technology will be offering a series of trainings for both Level 1 and Level 2 certifications to help prepare staff. Individuals can choose which sessions to attend, based on their individual needs, including a two-day boot-camp. A common testing opportunity will be available in the Spring for those who want to test with the group. Visit the Google Certification Site for details.
Sessions for September-October
Customize Your Classroom Communication Using Google Sites 9.11.19 with Kelly Fischer
Learn how to create and manage a class website using Google Sites. Some topics that will be covered in this session are...creating a site, embedding content, maintaining a blog and or rolling announcements, engaging students, communicating with families, and more! This is an introductory level training that is meant to inspire those who would like to use Google Sites more effectively in their classroom.
Create your Own Virtual Tour 9.12.19 with Ashley Faulkner
Want to show your students the world? Not even a magic carpet is a match for Google's easy-to-use new tool, Tour Creator. Take your students anywhere, or better yet, let your students become the tour guides. Create an immersive learning experience that can be viewed on any device using Chrome or with VR goggles. Utilize Google Street View images or upload your own 360 images. Join us to learn the basics of using Tour Creator, create your own published tour, and share to Google Expeditions. Check out a set of VR goggles from your Digital Learning Coach and show your students the world.
Google Level 2 Series: Google Drive, Slides, Sites, Maps 9.16.19 with Jerry Broyles
Go beyond the basics! During the first half of this session, you will learn more about intermediate features of Google Drive, Slides, Sites, and Maps. During the second half of this session, you will work to complete various tasks and respond to instructional scenarios in a simulated Google Testing environment. This is session is part of the Google for Education Level 2 Certification.
Advanced Canvas: Using H5P to Create Interactive Content 9.18.19 with Paula Setser-Kissick
Use this free online resource to create content such as flashcards, drag-and-drop tasks, image hotspots, memory games, image sequencing, and much more. Whether you're presenting content or providing ungraded formative feedback to students, H5P is a great tool to spice up student engagement in learning.
Game On! Level Up Your Classroom wih Gamification 9.19.19 with Josh Rayburn
Want to increase student engagement? Try adding gamification to your classroom. Different gaming strategies will be used to increase your student engagement in the classroom. Don't worry, you don't have to be a gamer to use gamification.
Create, Collaborate & Explore with Google Docs 9.26.19 with Kelly Fischer
Create, Collaborate & Explore - Using Google Docs. Learn the basics of Google Docs as well as creative and advanced ways to utilize this versatile tool in your classroom.
Google Slides 10.9.19 with Paula Setser-Kissick
From presentations to ebooks to digital notebooks, Google Slides is a powerful, versatile tool for both teachers and students. Instruction will include how to create and organize Slides; insert and arrange text, Word Art, and Shapes; add videos and graphics; crop and adjust images; and create linked text.
Level 2: Classroom, Forms, Sheets, Drawings, YouTube 10.10.19 with Kelly Fischer
Go beyond the basics! During the first half of this session, you will learn more about intermediate features of Google Classroom, Forms, Sheets, Drawings, & YouTube. During the second half of this session, you will work to complete various tasks and respond to instructional scenarios in a simulated Google Testing environment. This is session is part of the Google for Education Level 2 Certification.
Go, Go, Gadget! 10.14.19 with Josh Rayburn
Coding is not as hard as it seems. We will learn how to use different coding opportunities that can be used in the classroom. Robots, Games, Gadgets, and More. You can code and so can your students!
Sphero in the Elementary Math Classroom 10.17.19 with Ashley Faulkner
Introducing coding and computer science in the elementary classroom can be scary. Why not utilize an easy robotic ball into your math curriculum in order to teach concepts like geometry and sequencing? Join us for a hands-on professional development using a robot every student will love in order to engage or extend students' math understanding. Geared towards 3rd-5th grade teachers but could be adapted for any grade level. Check out a set from your Digital Learning Coach and let the good times roll!
Google Forms and Sheets 10.23.19 with Jerry Broyles
Google Forms are great for creating digital formative and summative assessments as well as survey and questionnaires. Autograded quizzes are the best! Explore question types from short or long answer to multiple choice, rubrics and advanced branch logic and question skip logic. Moving on to Google Sheets, we'll format, organize and filter data and explore data validation.
Canvas Online Classrooms for Beginners 10.24.19 with Julie Gaskin
Explore how to use Canvas, our district online course space, with your students. Participants will be introduced to setting up a course and creating content in an engaging space where students can continue their learning outside of classroom hours.
A Pear a Day, Keeps the Students Engaged 10.28.19 with Ashley Faulkner
Have you mastered using Google Slides in your instruction? Ready to spice up your boring old slide decks or engage your students in your presentation? Peardeck offers a fun and engaging way to formatively assess students or engage them with the content being presented. Use it as an add-on to Google Slides where students can use their Chromebooks to not only see your presentation on their screen, but they can engage by answering questions, drawing their responses, or using the drag and drop slide to fill out a diagram. Grab your device and join us for an interactive session.
FCPS Office of Instructional Technology
Email: fcps.oit@fayette.kyschools.us
Website: http://blogs.fcps.net/
Location: 1126 Russell Cave Road, Lexington, KY, USA
Phone: 859.381.4680
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fcpsoitlexky/
Twitter: @fcpsoit